Chicago Cubs: Review of Cubs themed musical, ‘Miracle’

The spirit of the 2016 Chicago Cubs is still very alive with ‘Miracle: A Musical 100 Years in the Making’ – a show that’s definitely worth your time and money.

For many years the only theater production about the Chicago Cubs people could see was The Bleacher Bums, but there is a new show to see in Miracle. The musical conceived by William A. Marovitz and Julian Frazin is currently playing at The Royal George Theater on the city’s north side.  Damon Kelly directed the show with the music/lyrics by Michael Mahler, Larry Novak, Julian and Rhona Frazin.

The show follows the life of Charlie (Brandon Dahlquist), a family man and ex-college ballplayer who runs a fictional Wrigleyville bar called “Maggies”, founded and named after his late mother, with his aging father. Charlie played with David Ross at the University of Florida. He is accompanied by his wife, daughter, best friend and regular customer friends on a daily basis. Charlie is struggling with both financial issues and his faith in the Cubs.

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We see the journey of him and his family from the beginning of the 2016 regular season to the final out of the World Series. It features 20 different songs and two acts.

Review

There are a number of things to like about this show. First of all, the set is very cool. Since most of the show takes place at the bar, that is what the main set consists of.

It is very detailed with old memorabilia on the walls, full bar with taps, bottles, beer glasses and bar stools and has old peeling wallpaper. It feels like sitting at Murphy’s Bleachers or Bernie’s outside Wrigley Field.

Another really engaging aspect of the show was above the set are projector screens which show footage of Cubs games. When the scene shows the cast watching certain games, the audience will see the game they are watching as it is happening. This really enhanced the experience of the show because the audience can “re-live” the moments with the performers.

As for the music itself, the performers were very good and a lot of the songs were catchy and fun. Some of the songs are directly about the Cubs, others are about life in Chicago or the characters themselves. They all tie in very nicely with the story and the opening song, “The Cubby Bear Blues” is very relatable for lifelong fans. Conductor and pianist Kory Danielson does a great job complimenting the performer’s voices.

Overall thoughts

This show was a very fun and enjoyable production to watch. There are a lot of moments that are meant to touch the hearts of Cubs fans alike from going to games with family to celebrating the World Series with loved ones no longer with us. It may come to no surprise but the show is really just meant for Cubs fans. A Cardinals or White Sox fan would probably not enjoy it much.

Sure, there are some moments that are pretty corny, as are some of the songs, but that is part of the charm. The sappy family moments in the show reflect many of those shared by Cubs fans in real life. We are not watching a tragic Shakespearean play or Pagliacci, it is a show not to take serious but just have fun with.

Go out and see this show Cubs fans. Bring your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, your whole family! You will not regret it. I give the show an 8/10 and a thumbs up.