The Roar of the Butterfly
Book and Music by Spider Saloff
Directed by Natalija Nogulich
VG Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln (map)
thru May 20 | tickets: $32 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
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Bringing the art of intimate cabaret theater back to the spotlight
KMP Artists presents
Spider Saloff’s The Roar of the Butterfly
Review by K.D. Hopkins
The art of being a raconteur and cabaret artist has ebbed over the past couple of decades. The Chicago stage is once again graced with the talent that is singer and actress Spider Saloff. The Roar of the Butterfly is a sentimental musical confection that follows the characters at a memorial service for an Asian drag queen named Butterfly. This one woman show vividly recalls the days of the supper clubs that once thrived in city’s like New York, Miami and, yes, sweet home Chicago.
Saloff brings the clinking of glasses, smoke rings, and tufted leatherette booths center stage. The cyc wall is a large violet drape embossed with a glittering butterfly. The set is perfectly kitsch, complete with a cushion full of butterfly brooches and decorative wine glasses!
Saloff is in fine voice scatting, cooing, and artfully creating an array of characters. She inhabits the blowsy Mrs. Muriel Winslow, always in arm’s reach of a stiff martini. The character of Mrs. Winslow is the archetype of American pseudo celebrity. Yes, there was famous-for-being-famous long before Paris Hilton and the Kardashian plague.
The character of Mrs. Bentley is played as a Black woman with a daughter named LaKeisha who is saved by Butterfly from an abusive boyfriend and his schemes. Saloff sports an Afro wig and an accent that is just enough to transcend what could have been offensive. The attitude is perfect for portraying a mother who is fighting for her daughter’s life. Saloff seems to channel a bit of Lena Horne and Leslie Uggams singing “You Better Watch Yourself With That One,” in one of the more touching vignettes in the show.
The character of Helga the Teutonic Amazon steals the show with a saucy take on S&M and a slightly lascivious pansexual wink. Saloff does a spot-on Scottish accent to portray the Five Oaks legendary waitress Fuckin’ Alice. The cursing is charming and sweet as Fuckin’ Alice describes what the chef does to the food. The song “Alice’s Blues” is a showstopper belted out by Saloff in grand chanteuse style. The finale,“Dreams of Yesterday,” should be in the American Songbook genre. It is a beautifully phrased anthem of longing for the days that were glamorous and genteel. Saloff’s songs are beautifully constructed and remained in my head as I walked down Fullerton to the El on that balmy May evening.
The only blemish on this wonderful show is the sound. Saloff’s mic kept shutting off and going back on. It was almost as distracting as the guy in the booth talking on the phone to get technical support. Seriously dude, shut the sliding windows. We all know what is happening. In fact, Saloff has the chops to forgo a mic in that intimate setting. I wish that she had done just that, but the four people in front of me did not know the art of sotto voce. Maybe they were channeling the hilarious character of Mrs. Sordalino the South Philly hairdresser. A little chatter is okay in a real cabaret setting but this is real theater not the Sabre Room out in Hickory Hills.
I highly recommend this show to music theater aficionados. Spider Saloff is a joy to watch and it is a gift that she is bringing the art of intimate musical cabaret theater back to the spotlight.
Rating: ★★★
The Roar of the Butterfly continues through May 20th at the Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $32, and are available by phone (773-871-3000) or online at PrintTixUSA.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at VictoryGardens.org. (Running time: 95 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission)
NOTE: This production is not recommended for children under 13 years of age.
