PUMP BOYS REVIEWS

Chicago Sun-Times review Chicago Tribune review Chicago Reader review La Raza review (Look for special Blenderful references - in red!)

Chicago Sun-Times review

The biggest thing to happen in "Pump Boys and Dinettes,'' the country-western musical revue now receiving a sparkling little revival at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, is that Uncle Bob's Winnebago finally gets fixed up. The unseen car quickly becomes the ticket to ride for the entire six-person staff of a roadside North Carolina filling station and diner.

Of course, if you spend your days pumping gas and serving pie, a brief vacation in a motel on a Florida beach is a welcome respite. And for members of the audience who come along on the trip, there's even an opportunity to win a free car freshener or a Moon Pie, and, if the spirit moves you, to contribute to the tips box of those long-suffering waitresses, Prudie and Rhetta. "Pump Boys" is just that kind of show.

But it's surprisingly more, too. A favorite on the regional circuit throughout the 1980s, this is one of those small-scale musicals like "Forever Plaid" that requires an airtight ensemble of exceptionally talented performers who can make some very difficult musical turns seem completely effortless. They also must carve out their characters almost entirely through personal charm as they spin out 20 songs (the work of John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann). The tunes deal with everything from a grandmother's legacy to the dream man who somehow just never materialized.

The guys all play instruments and sing, and each has his own eccentricity. The chief guitarist, Jim (Jason Edwards, who doubles as the sure-handed, light-fingered director), is a laid-back and sentimental middle-aged man with some real feelings for Rhetta (the sharp-edged but always exuberant Jacquelyn Ritz, who pulls off a rousing gospel-blues-style number with ease).

Eddie (Walter Rahn) is the lean, silent, deadpan bassist rooted in the 1960s and just beyond the fringe. Jackson (John C. Havens) is the simple-minded fellow with an Elvis Presley soul. L.M. (Andrew Blendermann) is the geekily comic one who also happens to be a virtuoso on piano and accordion. And Prudie (the clarion-voiced Kelli Cramer) is the downtrodden torch girl of the group.

There are hymns to fishing and to the simple release of going drinking and dancing on a Friday night. There is a song of sisterly devotion and another about "farmer tan" (oh, those telltale neck and arms). And when the girls get together (playing percussion with whisks and spoons on pots and pans), they talk about men or they work the audience for extra tips like genteel hucksters. (We never do learn what they plan to do with the cash. Is there a charity in the wings?)

With all the musicians actually on stage--rather than in the glassed-in box that holds the Marriott orchestra for more traditional-style musicals--the sound for this show is unusually real. (Credit musical supervisor Patti Garwood for the fine melding of strong voices, and Clay Taylor for overall sound design.) Thomas M. Ryan's snappy set features bright road signs and classic Formica countertop diner allure; Nancy Missimi's costumes (including Keds and cowboy boots) complete the picture. This is sweet, cherry Coke entertainment--just right for summertime consumption.

Chicago Tribune review

By Chris Jones

In these cruel pay-at-the-pump days, communication at the gas station rarely goes deeper than deciding whether or not to accept the computer's illuminated but predictable offer of a receipt. And with regular unleaded now costing over two bucks a gallon, the mood at the local service station is hardly congenial to neighborly conversation.

Perhaps that's why this month brings three area revivals of "Pump Boys and Dinettes," the countrified off-Broadway musical that seemed to be everywhere a decade or so ago but has since lost some of its octane rating. Along with Rockford's New American Theatre and the Theatre at the Center in northwest Indiana, Marriott's Lincolnshire Theatre is again finding music and romance amidst greasy oil changes, thick slices of pie and the great American musical highway.

"Pump Boys" (penned by a team of writers nearly 20 years ago, amazingly) didn't last this long without some palpable strengths. The numbers—all original—have a pleasing set of melodies and a wide variety of tempos. The four pump boys warble about loving catfish and Dolly Parton; the two dinettes emote odes to sisterhood and the pleasures of well-behaved men.

For 100 swift and painless minutes, the ethos is warm, nostalgic, romantic and celebratory of the blue-collar work ethic. "I may be a retread," sings Walter Rahn's Eddie, "but I ain't no spare."  (That was actually my line...)

That's probably a pretty fair description of the material itself. This kind of small folksy musical seemed far more original two decades ago, but it's a mistake to underestimate the pleasure an audience can derive from light and genial fare.

The slick and adept Jason Edwards, who both directs and stars, has done this show for years, and the production has all the requisite tricks (including the air-freshener raffle at intermission). It's stretching a point to call such mature actors as Andrew Blendermann and John C. Havens "boys," but they all sing and play with the kind of accomplished panache that comes from experience. The women are strong singers too.

After a year devoted to motherhood, the talented Kelli Cramer makes a welcome return to the Marriott. Along with her cohort Jacquelyn Ritz, Cramer is a consummate dinette.

That said, this production never managed to really sparkle on opening night. Although this piece usually works better in a smaller space, the main problem here was that old issue of credibility and vulnerability. Even in this fanciful show, we still have to believe that the pump boys have fears and dreams and that they might, well, pump from time to time. Here, these guys and gals seem like confident, cute fixtures in a Branson revue.

Chicago Reader review

Even urban theatergoers can feel nostalgic for an idealized rural milieu. That's the appeal of this wildly popular blue-collar musical revue set in a friendly truck stop, the Double Cupp diner on Highway 57, where two spunky waitress-sisters and four good ol' service station attendants serve up songs. "You can eat and get gas" is their motto. Jason Edwards's staging expertly exploits the play's intimacy (just a greasy spoon and a garage), simplicity (only six singer-musicians), and stereotypes (guys avid for fishing and drinking, gals ready with coffee and homemade pies).

It's easy to sink into such a setting. Playing up a storm on their kitchen implements, warmhearted tap-dancing hostesses Kelli Cramer and Jacquelyn Ritz make even city slickers feel welcome, and Ritz's blues ballad "Be Good Or Be Gone" and Cramer's rueful "The Best Man" reveal how well they've mapped out love. (In a bit of overextended whimsy, they also work the crowd for tips and conduct a postintermission raffle.) Edwards himself is good-natured cornpone philosopher Jim, a likable lug with an incoherent yen for one of the sisters ("I'll clean all the beer cans out of my car if you'll go out with me!). Slick-haired Andrew Blendermann garners guffaws describing the night Dolly Parton was almost his. John C. Havens is dour as Jackson, hopelessly stuck on a mall cashier, and Walter Rahn as Eddie is mainly and strategically silent. Diving into the country-western, bluesy, doo-wop "pump rock" score, the performers put on a high-octane hootenanny.

La Raza review

An Entertaining Performance That is Well Worth a Little Trip

If you are looking for a night of entertainment and don't mind a trip to the suburbs, then you should take a drive to the Marriott Lincolnshire Theater to see the production "Pump Boys and Dinettes". You will really enjoy the six talented performers who make up the cast of this production. The Show has been around since the 80's and while the stage at the Marriott is larger than most of the places it has played, Pump Boys works well in this theater.

The set by Thomas M. Ryan features road signs, the typical formica counters and makes you feel that you are in the little cafeteria in North Carolina where the music unfolds the stories of the characters involved.

Each performer has a story. Eddie (Walter Rahn) is the silent bassist who seems lost in the 60's (never to return), Jackson (John C. Havens) is the shy young man who comes to life as he tells his story about "Mona" and breaks into his Elvis personality. The comic character is L.M. (who comes to life through Andrew Blendermann). L.M. plays the piano and accordion with style and mastery and sings two of the more memorable songs of the show, "Farmer Tan" and "T.N.D.P.W.A.M.". The last Pump Boy is Jim (Jason Edwards, who is also the director of this production). Jim is a little laid back and really gives ambiance to the show.

The "dinettes" are two wonderful actresses. Prudie (Kelli Cramer) and Rhetta (Jacquelyn Ritz) play the audience (and the other members of the cast). Both have strong voices and winning personalities and when they do the wonderful "Tips" during the second act, the audience has no problem digging into their pockets to offer one of them dollar bills. By the way, all the money that is collected goes to charities that benefit children, so bring some dollar bills with you. When Rhetta sings "Be Good Or Be Gone" you can appreciate the strong voice of Ms. Ritz.

While there is no real plot in this little musical, we get drawn into the lives of these people as their stories develop. They live simply and when we travel (mentally) to Florida we realize that you do not need much to achieve happiness. This production at the Marriott is worth the trip. If you're lucky, you may be invited to the stage to claim your little car air freshener and a piece of pie.

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