Due to a medical emergency, Rikki Lee Travolta’s review of “Judgment Day” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater had to be compiled from handwritten notes and dictated passages which delayed publication. Many people contributed to making sure it reached readers including Deborah Swinford, Renee Tomell, and Regina Belt-Daniels. Their work is earnestly appreciated.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Rikki Lee and his loved ones and we hope for his full recovery and continued contributions.
By Rikki Lee Travolta
Long before Jason Alexander became a household favorite for his work on “Seinfeld,” he was an award-winning Broadway actor. Alexander brings all his Hollywood star power and his incredible Broadway talent to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater stage in a dazzling performance in the new “Judgment Day.”
Helmed by Moritz von Stuepnagel, a Tony-nominated director, this world-premiere comedy is tailor-made for Alexander. It features a script by the Peabody, Golden Globe, and Humanitas Prize award-winning writer Rob Ulin. Alexander, Stuepnagel, and Ulin join forces to create a hilarious show.
These three would probably be the first to admit that the true greatness that is on display at Chicago Shakespeare Theater would not be possible without the contributions of many others – on stage, backstage, and behind the scenes in offices and workshops going all the way back through the development process. (And let’s not forget the truly invaluable publicists.)
However, as a review has limited space, we shall jump to what is most valuable to know first: The Synopsis – or what you need to know to have an idea of what’s going on.
Sammy Campo (Alexander) is a bad man – an unscrupulous lawyer so corrupt that when he dies, there is no question he is damned to hell. But thanks to his ethically devoid way of thinking and uncanny ability to negotiate, he finds a loophole that sends him back to earth. He hasn’t changed at all. He is not suddenly a good person. He just has to figure out a way to do enough good things to get into heaven without being a good person.
Jason Alexander has proven himself as an extremely versatile artist over an incredibly successful career. He is also a smart man who understands with fame comes certain expectations from the public, whether always reasonable or not. In “Judgment Day”, Alexander shows his ability to give everybody what they expect, while at the same time demonstrating the dexterity and sheer amplitude of his talents.
As deserving as a great actor may be of applause, a truly great stage actor knows exactly how long to wait before starting their dialog. Both respecting the audience’s gift of adoration and the needs of all to start the performance so it can be the greatest experience for all is an art form Alexader has mastered.
In the very opening of the play, when the lights come up and Alexander is still receiving applause for being Jason Alexander, he shows flashes of the general characteristics of the types of personas he is best known for playing. They are subtle enough that some of the fans they instantly satisfy won’t even realize what he’s done. They are also subtle enough that they don’t affect the character of Campo at all in their momentary appearance.
Now, everyone’s focus is fully on what it should be.
Campo isn’t just evil; he is perhaps the most self-centered person in the world. There is nothing he wouldn’t do to satisfy his own best interests. In life, that means cheating, lying, and stealing – whatever is necessary – in pursuit of money. Once you take love and emotional maturity out of the equation – with money, you can pretty much satisfy everything else you desire. And Campo isn’t capable of love or any kind of maturity.
Through Ulin’s witty dialogue and plot devices, and Alexander’s own delivery, charm, and comic timing, he makes Campo hysterically funny. Somehow, in fact, Alexander even makes Campo likable.
Alexander is not the only actor who can make a bad man somehow likable. But for a man as bad as Campo, the only other actor who comes to mind with enough of this magical talent is Danny DeVitto, who many feel is in a class by himself at this.
Once he has found the loophole that will allow him to return to earth, Campo must do enough good to save himself from the fates of hell he now realizes are real. But he doesn’t want to do good for good’s sake. He just wants to not suffer an eternity of being eaten by burning worms and other such vividly creative atrocities from the mind of Ulin.
So, Campo figures, as a morally vacant lawyer would, doing good must be on some kind of point system. In fact, he gets into quite the theological discussion with Father Michael, played brilliantly by the talented Daniel Breaker. This is the launching point of Father Michael’s own exploration of self and pursuit of understanding what’s right.
It is also the launching point of an interesting collaborative relationship between Campo and Father Michael as they both strive to do right for their own reasons. Neither Campo nor Father Michael believes their deeds would meet the church’s approval. However, in both cases, they are doing what they think God ultimately wants.
Breaker is a recognizable and respected talent from Broadway, film, and television. As Father Michael, he is often the straight man for Alexander’s Campo, but he gets his laughs, too. If Alexander is the heart of the show, Breaker is the backbone.
Ulin comes from a TV background, and the remaining characters in the show make up a well-rounded sitcom-like cast. Each one makes their appearance as appropriate to add laughs and move the story forward.
Maggie Bofill is delightful as Campo’s wife who he walked out on 10 years earlier. She brings all the seriousness the character requires without losing sight of the comedy goals of the evening. I loved her performance. Bofill is the real deal.
Casper is Campo’s 10-year-old son who has grown up without his father and turned out angry at the world. Ellis Myers is a joy to watch as he delivers the goods as either angelic or demonic as needed.
Father Michael’s moral and ethical quandaries that bubble up after his ongoing conversations with Campo allow the introduction of the character of Monsignor. Michael Kostroff is comedy money-in-the-bank, hitting every opportunity the script allows – and many that jump far beyond the page. As the understudy for Campo, audiences will have the time of their lives with Kostroff in the role of Campo even on nights Jason Alexander is not performing.
Olivia D. Dawson plays multiple roles and each with a memorable slant. Della, Campo’s long-time secretary and keeper of secrets, is wonderfully deadpan. As the principal of yet another school trying to expel Campo’s son Casper, she is professional with a hint of chaos underneath.
Meg Thalken doesn’t have much stage time, but makes every moment memorable. Her Edna is what every lawyer needs if trying to score the most points for saving someone in need. A good-hearted, church-going widow who is about to lose everything because of a corrupt insurance company. Joe Dempsey is a hoot as a cranky and crooked insurance adjuster.
Then there is the big, splashy, showstopper character that jumps in to take over all focus at a few strategic moments. In this show, it is Candy Buckley as Campo’s former Catholic school teacher.
The nasty nun detested Campo in life. Now long dead, she has risen to the rank of angel. She is specifically looking forward to seeing her former pupil’s soul suffer in eternal damnation. Buckley is a scream!
The smattering of other small characters are written to allow the small core cast to fill. In a sitcom, these would be the guest star characters. In fact, the scenes in general have a sitcom-style pacing. There are a lot of short scenes with precision-timed gag points. But all this is done within the structure of a conventional two-act comedy. It makes for a smash that will please both theater folk and those more accustomed to traditional television.
The costuming is done with a very specific eye on detail. Tilly Grimes makes a big impact without being in the spotlight. Campo is a man so morally corrupt a Monsignor thinks he may be the Devil. To achieve this Grimes puts him in a blue suit and long red tie. It is so slyly effective, that those who don’t get the joke, won’t even notice.
Lights and sound are always well done at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. For “Judgment Day,” Amith Chandrashaker and Mikaal Sulaiman continue to demonstrate this excellence.
“Judgment Day” is a script that doesn’t seem written for a specific stage type. Thus, in terms of scenic design it could be approached from many different angles to accommodate the needs of different spaces. This will make it appealing to a lot of theater groups.
At Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Beowulf Boritt takes the approach of using an appropriately religiously as well as legally themed background piece with other smaller units whisked in and out to be the reality of an office or a classroom or an apartment or whatever else is needed.
Requiring only a small cast, and filled with side-splitting comedy, “Judgement Day” will eventually become a favorite among theaters around the country when the rights become available. And while many talented actors will bring joy to theatergoers in the role of Sammy Campo, none will do it with quite the same magic as Jason Alexander. A tailor-made suit can be worn by many people, but it only fits one perfectly.
To put the talent of Stuelpnagel and Alexander together on a world-premiere play by someone with Ulin’s resume in collaboration with a company as respected as Chicago Shakespeare Theater, might suggest that the hope is that it will end up on Broadway. That is where magic has a way of landing. To that point: there are currently three Chicago Shakespeare productions now on Broadway.
“Judgment Day” has been extended through June 2, 2024, in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
For tickets visit www.ChicagoShakes.com or call the Box Office at (312) 595-5600.
Photo Credit: Liz Lauren
For more reviews visit: Theatre in Chicago – your source for What’s on Stage in the Chicago Area.
Rikki Lee Travolta is an award-winning creative talent with a background in theatre, film, television, music, and literature. He is an outspoken advocate for those living with disabilities.
This review also appears in the Northwest Herald and other Shaw Media publications.
