Review: BARITONES UNBOUND Soars to Entertaining, Lyrical Heights at the Royal George Theatre

Equal parts self-congratulatory and self-deprecating--and wholly entertaining--the three-man show BARITONES UNBOUND pays homage to that elusive vocal part between the tenor and the bass: the titular baritone. Conceived by Marc Kudisch (who originated the role of Pastor Greg last spring in Broadway's Hand to God), and written by Kudisch, Merwin Foard, Jeff Matsey, and Timothy Splain, BARITONES UNBOUND traces the evolution of the baritone from the 18th century to the present, with fun quips and historical tidbits along the way. The show deftly follows the path of the baritone from Mozart's 1791 opera THE MAGIC FLUTE to the emergence of American musical theater with Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1943 OKLAHOMA! to present-day Broadway--with some popular music thrown in there, as well--all in under two hours.

Kudisch and his impressive co-stars Mark Delavan and Nathan Gunn breeze through the vocal demands of the show. All three men have terrific voices--I was astonished and delighted when they busted out Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Some Enchanted Evening" at the top of the show, setting the tone for a lovely afternoon at the theater. Music director and pianist Timothy Splain also adds some style to the show with his arrangements, as does Hershey Felder's set (he also has a producing credit). The inventive use of props brings another dimension of fun, as with the PIRATES OF PENZANCE sequence, in which we find Delavan and Kudisch donning the requisite pirate hat and eye patch--and Gunn sporting an amusing, curly wig.

If you love opera but aren't ready to commit to three hours of show, BARITONES UNBOUND may be the just the ticket. The vocals are truly mind-blowing, and each of the three men tackles a variety of roles. Gunn's velvety singing voice is particularly entrancing--even his speaking voice sounds as smooth as melted butter. I feel compelled to add, however, that these tremendous baritones were not quite as smooth with their dialogue delivery at Sunday's matinee--a handful of lines were flubbed at the performance. Each and every musical note was delivered with precision and art, however, and that's what makes BARITONES UNBOUND a true holiday treat.

All told, BARITONES UNBOUND makes for a prime opportunity to listen to soaring vocals and have a jolly good time at the theater this holiday season.

BARITONES UNBOUND runs through January 3, 2016 at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 North Halsted. Tickets are $60. Ticketmaster.com or 312-988-9000.

Photo Credit: Chuck Osgood