“Harvey”
Court Theatre
5535 S. Ellis Ave.
Chicago, Illinois
Reviewed by Richard Allen Eisenhardt
The Court Theatre is ending its 2016-17 season with Mary Chase’s Pulitzer Prize Play “Harvey,” that is being directed by Devon De Mayo.
It is an American classic and has not been done in regional theatre in years. The last time I saw it was at the old Wisdom Bride Theatre on Howard Street.
Timothy Edward Kane has the role of Elwood P. Dowd, who is a very pleasant man who has an invisible rabbit “Harvey”. Beside Mr. Kane’s first-rate performance, A. C. Smith gives a superb performance as Dr. Chumley. Ms. De Mayo has assembled an excellent cast of nine actors. Amy J. Carole has three character roles in the show. Sarah Price has the role of Myrtle Mae Simmons; Drik Hellman is Lyman Sanderson, M. D., and Jacqueline Williams is Judge Mara Gaffney.
“Harvey” has a running time of two and a half hours with intermission.
The show runs through June 11th. For show days, show times, reservations call 773-953-4472. Tickets are $48 – $68. There is ample parking in Hyde Park.
-Four Stars-
About eisenchic773
Richard Eisenhardt fell in love with all aspects of show business when at the age of five he was taken to see a live performance of Ice Follies and Ice Capades as well as Ringling Brothers Circus and an Olson and Johnson revue at the Selwyn Theatre.
He served in the military and spent time at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. - Ft. Lee, Va. and Korea. In Korea he sang with the Korean Floor Show and was soloist in church. He met President and Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson when he was stationed at Ft. Lee, Va. Sportswise he is an avid hockey fan and to this day belongs to the Standby Club, a booster club for the Chicago Blackhkawks. Richard had season tickets for over twenty years and saw the Chicago team win the Stanley Cup in 1961.
Richard Eisenhardt and Jane PowellHis first major play was "South Pacific" that starred Janet Blair and Richard Eastham at the age of fifteen. His favorite performers are Jane Powell, Mitzi Gaynor and Debbie Reynolds. For years he has had season theatre tickets and was a member of the "Saints." He appeared on stage in "Guys and Dolls" and "The Hot Drunkard." He sang in high school variety shows and at his graduation and was church soloist. He also presented a Jeff Award to Chicago's Regional Theatre. In 1976 he put together his own publication called "Theatre 76" to encourage people to support regional theatre and make them aware of what Chicago Theatres offered them.
During the Viet Nam conflict he went with a group to visit the wounded Viet Nam vets at Great Lakes, Ill., on a weekly basis. When servicemen were able to get weekend passes and their wounds were healed he arranged to take two or three to restaurants, sports events and theatre in Chicago. He also arranged for them to meet hockey players and the stars in the shows. He loves to travel having vacationed in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Japan, as well as on a cruise ship to Bermuda and seeing cities in the United States. He likes being single and resides with his boxer dog "Noel." Over the years he has had seven dogs but not at one time.
He feels a big part of the theatre community even though he doesn't perform any longer. Many of his friends are the Reegers, the Muellers, Renee Matthews, and the list goes on. His reviews have appeared in Streetwise, Our Village Newspaper, and on-line. He has also been on the radio and done TV. Richard says "There is nothing like live theatre. Go see a play - long may it live!"
Chicago Reviews by Eisenhardt 