Review: THE LORD OF THE RINGS at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Now in its North American premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, THE LORD OF THE RINGS is sprawling, messy theater that’s in serious need of editing. With direction from Paul Hart, book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, and music by A.R. Rahman, Värttinâ, and Christopher Nightingale, this stage adaption represents many iconic scenes, characters, and creatures from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. 

The result is three-plus hours of theater. While I admire the creative team’s commitment to honoring Tolkein’s books and the LOTR fandom, it’s too long. The show is also subtitled “A Musical Tale,” which is apt because it’s not really a musical. Aside from one or two, the songs in the show don’t advance narrative or develop character. Instead, they’re more like atmospheric musical interludes or diegetic songs that the characters use to entertain themselves on their journey. Thus, they really just add to the run-time. And many of the lyrics were also tough to discern.

Because the source material is so rich, I thought some of the characterizations and the dialogue ended up being rather simplistic in an attempt to cover a lot of ground. The show centers primarily on Frodo Baggins (Spencer Davis Milford) who inherits a famous and powerful ring from his Uncle Bilbo (Rick Hall). Along with his friends Samwise Gamgee (Michael Kurowski), Merry (Eileen Doan) and Pippin (Ben Mathew), he sets off to hide the ring away from his cozy hobbit home in Middle Earth so the Dark Lord can’t get ahold of it. Frodo and company, along with some other dwarf and elvish comrades who comprise the Fellowship of the Ring, ultimately set out for Mordor, a dark province and the ring’s origin so they can destroy it. 

This is one long, winding hero’s journey. I’m sure the most reverent LOTR fans will admire the creative team’s commitment to honoring the original text, but as a relative neophyte to the franchise, I was overwhelmed. After a while, I was just ready for Frodo to destroy the ring already. 

The ambition of the production is admirable, and it’s a visual marvel. Simon Kenny’s open, fanciful set creates a beautiful playing space for the actors, and his costumes are gorgeous and really fit the fantasy genre well. I was likewise astounded by Charlie Tymms’s epic and fantastical puppet design, and Ashleigh Cheadle’s deft puppet direction (with Chicago puppet direction from Lindsey Noel Whiting) makes for some startling and captivating moments. George Reeve’s projections are likewise brilliant and inventive. It’s just a shame that the messy, meandering source material isn’t quite worthy of the beautiful production behind it. 

And while it’s clear I think the show is too long, I applaud the ensemble for performing this mega-marathon. It’s an exhausting feat and some of the principles, aside from Frodo and his three friends, play multiple roles — moving between various responsibilities in the ensemble. I also loved seeing some Chicago favorites on the stage, including Matthew C. Yee as Boromir, Jeff Parker as the scheming lord Saruman, and Laura Savage and Bernadette Santos Schwegel in the ensemble. 

As the benevolent and wise wizard Gandalf, Tom Amandes turns in one of the best performances of the night. His conception of Gandalf is the epitome of calm yet powerful; the acting choices are pitch-perfect. 

Tony Bozzuto is also fantastic as Gollum — and he’s a real scene stealer. Bozzuto’s physical and  voice acting are spectacular — every time his famous line “My precious,” it’s chilling. He’s also given the best song of the show — “Gollum’s Song” is essentially his version of “Rose’s Turn” from GYPSY. While Frodo and Samwise sleep, Gollum must decide if he should take the ring for himself or leave the kind, well-meaning Frodo in peace. “Gollum’s Song” also represents what I wanted more of from the score — real musical theater storytelling. 

I also loved seeing Lauren Zakrin as the renowned elf Lady Galadriel. I’ve been a fan of Zakrin since she was on MTV’s reality show LEGALLY BLONDE: THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT ELLE WOODS. Her clarion, powerful voice is absolutely befitting an elvish ladyship, and the writers have given Galadriel two solo numbers to show off her chops (though the second act number is not really necessary). 

I think LOTR die-hards will appreciate the world-building and the visual spectacle of this production, but the material needs editing and more focus and refinement on key moments and characters.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: A MUSICAL TALE runs through September 1, 2024 in the Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Tickets start at $41.

Photo Credit: Liz Lauren

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