Unless you’re English, just the term “choir of man” may sound a little perplexing. More than likely, your mind will race to spiritual or religious connotations rather than beer. But in the land of monarchs and cricket, there’s a tradition of men coming together to sing in choirs at their local pubs. That history became the hook Londoner Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay, who hails from Australia, sieged upon to create what’s become a theatrical sensation, The Choir of Man, now making its Chicago debut at the Apollo Theater.
Fresh off the success they had several years ago with an a cappella project, Gobsmacked!, the two producers brainstormed other concepts that might resonate in the entertainment sphere and landed on one that included “normal guys” singing in their neighborhood pub. This effort would also eventually evolve to include live music. Other massively talented creatives, Freddie Huddleston and Jack Blume, were brought in to orchestrate choreography and arrange the production’s musical concepts. Critically, while the show was being workshopped, Doodson called on one of the actors and poetry slam ace Ben Norris to write poetic monologues that would act as narrative bridges between songs. Those transitions would determine the show’s essence and define its ferociously feelgood character.
Perhaps staying mindful of the geniality and camaraderie found in a quintessential English pub, Doodson, Kay and their team made the decision to bring that sense of closeness and intimacy into The Choir of Man experience. Awash in the sound of Irish tinged music that’s guaranteed to stoke elation, and with a working bar, the show opens with a pre-show. Members of the audience blanket the stage to grab a pint and hangout with a cast that spreading more good cheer than a New Year’s Eve gala. A few of the nine-man, virtually all English, ensemble hit the aisles. They offer free pints of beer to folks in their seats or chat others up in the pure spirit of fellowship. The music, the siren call of a comfortable well-lit bar radiating from the stage and the air of celebration all come together to build an irresistible energy that quickly consumes the space. When the ensemble launches into Welcome to the Jungle, the transport to an idyllic world where bonds are deep and acceptance is assured is officially on lift off.
A savvy mix of the quaint and the hip, The Choir of Man tugs at your heartstrings by appealing to universal desires and sentiments that cut across gender, age and background. And it uses the language of “normal” people who inhabit the same contentious world and face the same challenges we all do to gain our trust and empathy. Working with a song list that’s both familiar and eclectic, music and dialog fuse seamlessly to take in the vast emotional landscape of the human heart. Including music written by a pantheon of heavyweights like Adele, Paul Simon, Luther Vandross and Sia, it also embraces the work of other artists whose messages are equally compelling and wonderful. The ensemble’s mashup of Eagle-Eye Cherry’s Save Tonight and Mikey Einziger’s Wake Me Up, both amazingly penetrating songs, take on fresh meaning as they reverberate in nine-part harmony.
Using insights he’s shares on each man in the choir, the show’s narrator Poet (Shane McDaid) builds a story about and around his motley crew of mates. As their stories unfold, we also get a sense of the values instilled in their community. Those nuggets of knowledge are used as stepping stones segueing from song to song. Not only does each cast member crystalize into a unique personality, their gifts as performers are given ample opportunity to shine.
The Choir of Man keeps you guessing on what direction it’ll take next. One moment you’re swept away by the exuberance found in Blume’s vibrant arrangement of the Save Tonight/Wake Me Up mashup. The next you’re awed by the beauty of Bore’s (Marc Akinfolarin’s) rendition of Rolf Løvland’s Raise Me Up. A revealing disclosure about a not so gratifying decades long marriage of one of the men in the choir saw Poet slip into a sly, wry and utterly original take on Paul Simon’s 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. Gilding the rose, George Knapper as Handyman provided acoustic accompaniment dancing tap. Huddleston’s choreography entailed much more than dance. Usually it focused on insuring a steady flow of movement struck a balance between moments of reflection and unbridled dynamism; with dynamism easily prevailing. The show’s physical demands would leave the cast panting with exhaustion by the time the choir closed with the beautiful, The Parting Glass.
Promoting the theme of audience engagement, women and occasionally men would be plucked from their seats and brought down to be personally serenaded at a table on stage. On opening night, their expressions during those moments in the spotlight ranged from bravely mortified to clearly delighted.
In the seven years since The Choir of Man made its inaugural performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, its undergone many revisions. One wonders if bringing people down to the stage may not be a carryover from its very popular stint with the Norwegian Cruise Line in 2018. Now, you can’t imagine the show without that touch of charm. Much the same can be said for the show’s eventual inclusion of a virtuoso pianist in the form of Maestro (Ifan Gwilym-Jones). Both are the kinds of refinements and embellishments that produce memorable entertainment. Having won the prestigious Olivier Award and conquering country after country with its music driven message on the power of connection, could Broadway be next?
The Choir of Man
Open Run beginning April 3, 2024
The Apollo Theater
2550 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
https://www.ticketmaster.com/the-choir-of-man-tickets/artist/2515939?list_view=1
