*****The Supremes! “Dream Girls”! These are names linked very closely with one Mary Wilson, one of the original Supremes and, although she denies it in her new show, the original “dream Girl”. Yes, at almost 70 years old, she is back on the concert tour, or at least doing a “Holiday Spectacular” featuring another great name from the past, The Four Tops, a Motown group that has been around for 60 years. Only one of the original Tops is still with us Abdul “Duke” Fakir and he pays a special tribute to his three partners in the opening number with some great old videos and some great old songs. Songs like “Ain’t No Woman”, “I Can’t Help Myself”. In this concert, they do some holiday tunes as a group and with Ms Mary Wilson as well as a strong rendition of “MacArthur Park”.
About 35 minutes into the concert, Mary Wilson does come out and bring us a vision that will recall her days of The Supremes with lots of photos of the trio that started Motown into what became a major change in the music industry. “Stop In The Name Of Love”, “Can’t Hurry Love”, ” I Hear A Symphony”, ” Baby I Need Your Lovin’” and a host of others. She also does a few holiday numbers and there is an adorable rendition of “baby It’s Cold Outside” where she sings along with the incredible and ageless “Duke Fakir.
These are Motown’s living legends and it was nice to see them work together and for the most part, although I was very impressed with the power and range of their voices, this was not as billed “A Holiday Spectacular”. I guess the producers of this show have never seen the “Donny and Marie Christmas Show”- now that is a Holiday Spectacular.
Was this a nice evening of entertainment? Yes! Could it have been more exceptional? You bet. They got all glitzy with lights which ended up in the eyes of the audience members and the stage lighting was very dark making it hard to see the faces of the performers these were love songs! We need to see faces!
On many nights, while this show is being performed a local chorus/choir will be brought on the stage to do a number ( perhaps a second one could be added)
These groups are:
Walt Whittmon’s Soul Children of Chicago ( tonight) brilliant performers, but not enough to do!
Shelly and Friends 12/26, 12/27:Central Missionary Baptists Church Inspirational Choir 12/28- Calvin Bridges and Friends, 12/28 Ramon Perry Ministry and Praise Chorale ( 8 p.m.), 12/29-Central Missionary Baptists Church, 12/31- 7 p.m. Dr.Alfred Wheeler & Blessed Music Ministry,January ,2,2014 at 8 p.m.,Dr. Issac Whittmon and The Greater Metropolitan Church, 1/3 at 8 p.m. Dr. Whittmon returns,1/4 at 3 p.m. Ramon Perry,that evening at 8 p.m. and the following day, the 5th, Dr. Whittmon takes the helm with his Greater Metropolitan Church.
While it is nice to include some of these young talents, they are not doing as much as they could and to be honest, I feel that by bringing them on, they sell tickets to friends and relatives give them more Holiday music and perhaps the show will be more of a “Holiday Spectacular” instead of a trip down memory lane.
Tickets range from $59.99-$119.99 ( a strange way to price a ticket) and are available at www.Ticketmaster.com, by calling 312-334-7777 or in person at the Harris Theater Bx office. The theater is located at 205 E. Randolph ( at Michigan) and remember that parking is available at a discount ONLY at the Millennium Park Garage , NOT The Grant Park Garage.
This is a pricey evening out. To learn more about the show, visitwww.marywilsonandthefourtops.com
To see what others are saying, visitwww.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-up and click at Mary Wilson Holiday Spectacular”
