Photo by Michael Brosilow
Northlight Theatre returns to Evanston with the first show in its new home, a lively and entertaining (and, thanks to adapter Jeffrey Hatcher, judiciously shortened) version of Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s 1928 comedy classic The Front Page. This new version, much like the 1940 Howard Hawks film adaptation His Girl Friday starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, makes ace reporter Hildy Johnson a woman and her boss, Walter Burns, her former lover, adding an enjoyable romantic subplot in addition to the main romance between Hildy and her new fiancé. It was a welcome addition in 1940 and it is even more welcome in 2026, as it draws attention away from the play’s racist and corrupt political machinations.
On what is probably the most “lived-in” set I’ve ever seen (a messy, busy newsroom littered with piles of paper files and black stick phones and designed by Jeffrey Kmiec), BJ Jones directs a top-notch cast in the fast-paced and often very silly farce based on actual events in Chicago in 1921. Kate Fry gives Hildy the panache and poise needed for the character while showing her to be rather more wishy-washy in areas of romance. In addition to the past relationship with Burns, played by Timothy Edward Kane, she is currently engaged to a very good-looking accountant with a very silly name, Brad Hefflefinger, played by Peter Moore. (Yes, a great deal of fun is had with his name.)
Hildy has just stopped by the press room at the Chicago Criminal Court Building to say goodbye; she’s due to get on a train with her man to begin a new life in Buffalo (a fact that never seems right, given her independent attitude). The rest of the reporters (Joe Dempsey, Guy Van Swearingen, Kelan M. Smith, and Mark David Kaplan) are sticking around into the night for the 11 PM hanging of Earl Williams, a white man who shot and killed a Black policeman. As they kill time with cards and a banjo, they suddenly hear shouts and alarms near the gallows in the courtyard below: Williams has escaped. Of course, this leads to newsroom chaos, as the four stalwart members of the press corps seek to fabricate “exclusive” versions of what has happened. (Their outrageously invented stories illustrate the absurdity of tabloid journalism—then as well as now.) Then, when Williams (John Drea) climbs through the window of the pressroom at a moment when Hildy is the only reporter present, the real fun kicks off: how can she manage to get the scoop for herself?
Fry’s Hildy, along with Rae Gray’s Molly Malloy, a “Clark Street tart” who is in love with Williams, ends up being the only one here who doesn’t play fast and loose with his life and freedom. Still, she is every bit as driven as the rest: she hides him in a roll-top desk that she and Burns plot to have moved out of the office. When Cindy Gold’s hilarious Mrs. Hefflefinger (Brad’s mother, with whom he is traveling), discovers the ruse, Burns quickly responds by dosing her with chloroform (which he apparently keeps in his jacket pocket, just in case he needs it). Yep, he’s very much not a nice guy, Hildy’s infatuation notwithstanding.
Speaking of not nice guys, two other characters drawn from reality are the corrupt mayor of Chicago (John Lister) and the equally corrupt, but more bungling, Sheriff Hartman, both of whom need the hanging to happen in order to assure the Black vote in the upcoming election. (Otherwise, in a sad echo of today’s political reality, neither would give a damn about that particular demographic.) So when Tim Kazerinsky’s Pincus—an actual nice guy—arrives from the governor’s office with a reprieve, they convince him to pretend he had never seen either of them. Kazerinsky’s performance is a perfect illustration of the maxim that “there are no small parts”: he milks the role brilliantly and makes it memorable.
Artistic Director BJ Jones says he choseThe Front Page to open this new building (which is lovely in every way and is going to make a great new home for Northlight) because of its Chicago connections and because, as he says, “I had the horses.” Indeed he did: this excellent cast shines from beginning to end and everything about this play (including the less-than-two hours runtime) is outstanding. In addition to Kmiec, Jones has gathered some of the area’s finest designers here: Izumi Inaba’s costumes, JD Lederle’s lighting, and Andre Pluess’s sound design are all first class, just like the performances. This is the second new theatre building to grace the north shore in the last month, after Timeline’s new home in Uptown. Along with the reopening of the Victory Gardens Theatre, it feels as if Chicago has finally turned the corner in its theatrical recovery from Covid.
The Front Page is now playing at Northlight Theatre, 1012 Church St, Evanston, until October 25, 2026. Performance times vary; check the website. Find more information about current plays on our Current Shows page and at theatreinchicago.com.