THE COUSINS GRIMM REVIEW EXCERPTS – CHICAGO 2009

“The Cousins Grimm” involves a smart-and-sexy lesbian and a nebbish gay man both claiming some kind of kinship to the Brothers Grimm, and deciding to write gay versions of classic Grimm tales, only to find the characters taking over their actual lives. It is warm-hearted, sweet and amusing material that delivers a nice cache of self-aware laughs and, more importantly, offers up some very likable tunes by Off-Broadway songwriters I have long admired.”

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
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“This delightful new musical unfolds as an ambitious rework of backstage Broadway musicals and a fresh–gay oriented take on the timeless Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. Originality together with empathetic characters singing fun tunes makes for a light evening of musical comedy. I enjoyed this smart riff on fairy tales.”

Tom Williams, ChicagoCritic.com

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“The Cousins Grimm” begins with the song “Why not a Fairytale?” and by the end the audience feels like singing along. A musical about playwrights creating a gay, musical version of the Grimm’s fairytales may sound ridiculous—and it is—but it is also fabulous. Shamelessly campy, “The Cousins Grimm” is jam-packed with laughs—so much so that one audience member said that her mouth hurt from smiling. In between the witty jokes, the crazy costumes and the larger-than-life characters, viewers catch a glimpse of themselves in stories about struggling against losing hope and losing love. Ted Sod’s script and Michael Biello’s lyrics are both amusing and poignant, and even the most biting and edgy moments in the script have a lot of heart. “The Cousins Grimm” is a lovely combination of satire and romance, and manages to let the audience laugh at fairytales without forgetting their charm.”

Ilana Kowarski, New City Stage

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“A whimsical 95-minute world premiere that combines the revisionism of “Into The Woods” with the Lambda-laced Broadway idolatry of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “The Cousins Grimm” imagines a frustrated gay playwright. This dreamer collaborates with a lesbian descendant of the fairytale-writing Grimm brothers to write a musical with gay fairytales providing alternative role models for GLBT kids to grow on. A charming look at storytelling from an angle that changes everything and—human nature being what it is—nothing at all.”

Lawrence Bommer, Chicago Free Press

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