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.

Melissa from Chicago, Illinois

NOT AS THE THEATER DESCRIBED

The theater billed the show: "Bittersweet...melding of off-beat, whimsical humor and serious themes of denial and loss." That's rather misleading. There wasn't anything whimsically humorous in the part we saw. My dislike is of the play and writing, only. The actors were fantastic and very talented. I thought their talent was wasted on this production. Maybe I should have known better when the most common thread in postings before opening night only commented on the amazing handling of the puppet dog. I understand it's supposed to be "realistic" and real life is messy. But I certainly wasn't expecting this after reading "off-beat, whimsical humor." Setting aside the Theater's unfortunate description, the characters didn't inspire enough interest or sympathy for us to stick around after the intermission. I felt guilty about leaving early until I saw the line to get out the door. I like serious, thought-provoking productions. This didn't fit the bill.

John S. from Buffalo Grove, IL

AURAL & VISUAL DISAPPOINTMENT

If giving zero stars was an option, I'd do it in a heartbeat. How do I despise thee? Let me count the ways... Flat panel monitors line the perimeter of the stage to display images conveying season and place were more of a distraction than anything. It's as if the audience couldn't be trusted to conclude that, "oh, this is taking place in a restaurant/theatre/apartment/whatever." If going with minimalist, be committed to the concept. Combined with songs that would never burrow into your head, let alone become standards, along with a trainwreck of a protagonist, it was easy to cut one's losses during the intermission and vanish. Dinner at Embers was the high point of the night. If you must dine there, I recommend the 5:15 seating, as the kitchen can get bogged down.

Bob Reynolds from Chicago, Illinois

A SORRY SHOW

I considered leaving after Act 1, but stayed for the dreadful conclusion. It had to get better, didn't it? No, it got slower and more painful. I found myself counting down the remaining songs the same way you count miles left to your destination. The performance is about 2-1/2 hours in length and about 2:29 too long. The only redeeming moment was the performance by a live dog at the very end of the show.

Tom from Chicago, Illinois

WASTED EVENING

As a long time subscriber to the Marriott Lincolnshire Theater I can only say that this musical may give me pause to renew for next season. This was absolutely the worst play I’ve seen at this theater. The performers were very good, but I enjoy being entertained by a good script. Darling Grenadine was anything but entertaining. Very depressing. I considered joining those who were leaving during the intermission without intention of returning. But I stayed and it only got worse.

Jackie Anderson from Carpentersville, Illinois

I THOUGHT I WAS IN HELL.

As a subscriber, I feel I should be refunded for sitting through this catastrophe. There were 4 of us who went and none of us could figure out who the extra characters were, why they were there or what their presence there had anything to do with anything. The title made little to no sense and what point was it to have a song about black licorice (pronounced lick-er-iss)? I'll never know. There was no flow, concepts that made no connections and a really creepy marionette dog. The stage setup caused us not to be able to see several scenes and I've never seen so many people leave at intermission. I wish I joined them and didn't give the play a chance to improve during the 2nd half. It really just got worse. And the vulger language was completely unnecessary. By the end I was cheering for the lead character to commit suicide so we could leave. It took everything in me not to get up from my front row seat and leave in the middle of the 2nd half.

Debbie from Vernon Hills, Illinois

WORST SHOW EVER.

This was the worst show I have ever seen at the Marriott Lincolnshire. The 1 rating I gave it is about 1,000,001 points more than it deserves. My sister and 2 girlfriends were counting down for it to end. The traffic jam at intermission was just as bad as the normal end to a show. DON'T GO UNLESS YOU ENJOY BEING IN HELL!

Mark from Naperville, Illinois

POINTLESS

There was no point to the play or to the songs. The marionette dog and trumpet player also seemed like they came from some other play. It was a waste of time and money, like last year's pay about the 2 guys who played all of the different roles by just switching hats. I don't expect to renew my subscription next year.

Suzanne from Chicago, Illinois

LEFT AFTER FIRST HALF

I found this to be an atypical show for the Marriott...I have had season tickets for 10 years. It was difficult to hear the dialogue...the performance was more like a movie being sung instead of a typical musical show and a downer movie. Very disappointed, left after first half...I go to be entertained and leave feeling upbeat not depressed!

M K from Northbrook, Illinois

WHY PRETEND IT'S NOT WORST PLAY EVER WRITTEN.

The trumpet player and internationally known professional Marionettist were obviously brought in for their breathtaking skill and experience. They are focus of play and due 10 stars. Half theatre left at intermission or before. More left when euthanizing dog. Had it been easy to exit then I would have. No one needs...life shattering, agonizing in real life. We kept asking what, it's going in circles no point no real music. Why promote a boring immature play...silly nonsense songs a child would write, no tune. Everything painfully repetitive and predictable. ASL interpreters...first time saw no expression on faces. Was nothing to evoke emotion. I've never been to Marriott & other theatres in 40+yrs season passes people were NOT cheering screaming at end and crying laughing full emotions during play. Afterwards...lobby silence... people 2 or more had no words to describe no usual excited chirping. I felt embarrassed for actors. They should refund money and feel shame.

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