Playwright: John Musial. At: Lookingglass Theatre, 821 N. Michigan Ave. Tickets: 312-337-0665; www.lookingglasstheatre.org; $20-$68. Runs through: Nov. 20
It's special to see The Great Fire in the Water Tower Pumping Station, one of the few buildings to survive that famous 1871 holocaust. Never mind that its burned wood roof collapsed, ending the station's ability to pump water to fire hydrants, and never mind that Oscar Wilde called it "a castellated monstrosity" a few years later; it's enjoyable to see the Great Chicago Fire reignited within a true piece of its historical context.
"Enjoyable" is the operative word for this easy-to-like 100-minute history pageant, a revised version by writer/director John Musial of a show first presented in 1999. The revisions include contemporary shout-outs to a Rahm-like mayor and TIF districts, but largely it's the same show because the facts about the Great Fire haven't changed. Those facts are laid out early—dates, time, wind direction, etc.—and refreshed periodically as several personal stories are woven in, chiefly those of powerbroker Judge Lambert Tree and his family and liveryman, of corrupt alderman James Henry Hildreth and of immigrant widow Mrs. Lemos and her family. Most of Musial's characters are real people, although some are composites of various people and events.
The factual material is manipulated (although not distorted) to create stronger and more appealing storylines and personalities which can waft The Great Fire beyond mere pageant or Chautauqua-like teaching play. In this attempt, the Great Fire is not entirely successful, lacking a central heroic figure and a clear turning point (what most folks call the climax). There are acts of bravery and daring (Hildreth blows up several square blocks to create a firebreak and protect his ward, Lemos takes back her children from an orphanage), as well as acts of silliness, slyness and selfishness, all seamlessly performed by seven actors playing 14 roles ranging from comic exaggeration to earnest pleadings to despair. Stephanie Diaz is particularly impressive, turning on a dime to play three characters.
The cast is abetted by an inventive physical production, always a Lookingglass signature, involving kinetic scenery, music and sound effects, puppetry, free-form gymnastics, choreography and elaborate props. The fire itself is represented by large red confetti thrown around or falling like snow and swirling, an almost-ethereal effect that nonetheless strongly suggests the horror and unpredictability of a wind-driven blaze. The many meta-theatrical devices are skillfully presented, energetic and entertaining but they cannot substitute for emotional engagement, which The Great Fire stimulates only in fleeting and isolated moments.
Lookingglass will close its 2011-2012 season with a world-premiere musical about another famous Chicago disaster (which killed far more people than The Fire). The show may sink or swim on the presence of a heroic through-line, the missing ingredient in an otherwise-tasty Great Fire hot pot.
