Darling Grenadine Reviews

Patty from Libertyville, Illinois

THEATRE AT ITS BEST

About 20 minutes into the show, I realized that I was seeing something special. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. The story is real life. The leads brought the couple of life so that you experienced all of their ups and downs with them and became really invested in their characters. Everything about this play hit the mark, including songs, dogs, trumpet player, and a small supporting cast that did a great job portraying varied roles.

Andy from Libertyville, Illinois

DARLING GRENADINE BELONGS ON BROADWAY

This is a witting and moving show, with some laughs and real life drama along the way. Both the dialogue and songs hit the mark. The two leads are both amazing, they bring their characters to life in such a way that you can’t help but feel their ups and down along with them! It was a great night of entertainment that left me thinking about the show as I left the theatre.

Ty from Chicago, Illinois

GREAT PERFORMANCE

This show was fantastic, a wonderful performance by the actors, and the trumpet player with the puppet was very entertaining.

David Herzog from Chicago, Illinois

FANTASTIC CUTTING EDGE THEATER IN LINCONSHIRE

Darling Grenadine is a deeply moving show, about alcohol addiction and it's effects on family and friends, told through the brilliant words of music of Daniel Zaitchik, and an incredibly powerful cast of actor singers, and with a star making performance by Katherine Thomas as Louise. Finally a show that cuts the usual musical theater fluff and gives us real people facing real problems. We are shown the depth of despair that addiction can lead to, but leaves us with hope for health and happiness. A brilliant performance by Master Puppeteer Phillip Huber, as Paul the dog will delight and touch your heart. This is sharp hip theater for the 21st century. I'm going again!

Sue C. from Gurnee, Illinois

WELL WORTH SEEING

I got interested in this show after seeing the disparity of reviews and after a few friends saw it and were perplexed by all the negative comments. While I enjoy Marriott musicals, I liked the idea of a show that steps outside their routine of classics & movie remakes, which tend to be predictable, pat, and often saccharine. I found this show to be refreshing, creative, and contemporary. As always, the inventive Marriott staging enhanced the experience of the story (loved those overhead video monitors). The songs were all original, had lovely melodies, and moved the story along. The actors were perfectly cast and delivered on the vocals (nice harmonies) and story. The lead female character stayed true to herself and didn't compromise her core values for "love" or for career success (unlike in SO many musicals). The show's resolution was equally sweet and bittersweet, but thankfully was NOT a tied-up-in-a-bow, never-in-real-life, old-school musical-style ending. I'd see it again.

Nancy from Park Ridge, Illinois

DARLING GRENADINE

I invited a friend to this show hoping for an enjoyable evening of theater. Unfortunately, the heavy themes and awful songs left me apologizing again and again! I have to say that the puppetry dog and the trumpeter were the very best parts of this production. Kind of ironic that I had just put my beautiful dog of 15 years to sleep one week before seeing this show! The talent of the performers was wasted on a musical production that would have been better off as a play. The characters were not well developed and I found that I did not really care what happened to them. The jazz music was good but the lyrics were awful. Songs about licorice, and grenadine, and the F word? Really? Every song felt forced and artificial, as if the writer needed a song in the act and wrote the first thing that came to mind. I count on the fact that the Marriott Lincolnshire has always delivered amazing shows but this one left a lot to be desired! I would think twice before spending your hard-earned money on this show!

John from Prospect Hts., Illinois

DARLING GRENADINE

I was with a group of seven and to a man we thought this was the worst play we had ever seen! During the second act I was hoping to fall asleep...no luck. Instead I had to avoid laughing at just how awful everything was. I regretted not joining about 25% of the audience that left after the first act. How much more can I say...bad, bad ,bad! Marriott should offer a refund.

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