Sun-Times theater critic Hedy Weiss gives what can only be described as a rave for Rick Bayless’ stage debut, Cascabel, at Lookingglass Theater: “With “Cascabel,” the elaborate hybrid of high-end food, dazzling circus acts, mostly comic storytelling, and superb music and dance, Lookingglass Theatre has devised a whole new form of entertainment that might well be dubbed ‘the full immersion sensory experience.’” She admits the story is “minimal, but the food and circus are maximal”— the tale of a cook (Bayless) who arrives at a boarding house and reignites passion in the boarding house keeper (the aptly named Chiara Mangiameli) produces “magic as the eccentric boarding house staff engages in a bit of taste-testing and is driven to engage in some hilariously erotic escapades, and, more crucially, to perform a series of absolutely astonishing circus feats.” Just as importantly, she says the audience is exceptionally well fed, starting with margaritas and spoonfuls of guacamole and crab atop crushed tortilla chips; moving on to a divine tuna ceviche perched atop passion fruit (with an ingenious use of popcorn for the crunch factor), followed by the beef, and then, for a grand finale, a slab of chocolate cake filled with Oaxacan chocolate cream and topped with blood orange icing. The show runs through April 29 and tickets are still available for the last week of performances. [Sun-Times]
