Amazing Grace (Chicago) Tickets

Three generations of our family enjoyed this very much!!

We attended the final performance of AMAZING GRACE on Sunday, Nov. 2nd. I hesitate to use the word "amazing" in describing the event. Instead, I will try and avoid it in my review. I thought the content was very, very moving. I have read other reviews that don't agree with me, but this is MY review after all. I thought it covered issues like slavery, complacency, religion, and redemption with the proper respect considering the play was about the song "AMAZING GRACE" not so much about individual issues. Josh Young, slight in stature, has the voice of a man three times his size. The songs and orchestration deserve praise as well. The bits and pieces of humor were well situated in the play and I can't even put into words the theatrical sets used. The drowning set had everyone shaking their heads in - here we go - amazement!

From the minute the first word was sung, I was hooked. It was a great story and there were some awesome voices. Really everyone was great.

This play was absolutely amazing. It was funny and so inspirational. I would recomend this to anyone!

While the lead actors had wonderful voices and the rest of the cast was great, the scenery was creative, and the costumes OK, the book really needs some work. I had anticipated more about the main character but half of the production dealt with his childhood sweetheart who became involved with the Abolitionists. I found those scenes tiresome. There was not enough connect to how/why the antagonist changed from a slave trader to a religious person or how he came to write "Amazing Grace". It seemed that the hymn was an afterthought. Also, never felt that the main character was as "evil" as he was purported to be before he converted. Many missed opportunities for something more compelling. Music was entertaining but not memorable.

I have seen 16 plays on Broadway, 4 in Chicago, and 1 in Boston. This one tops them all! Acting and singing were superb, choreography brilliant, set design ingenious. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a 20!

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Good story and beautiful music. Completely entertaining and uplifting.

The story of John Newton is powerful and one that needs to be told but this production had not one song that was memorable or exciting................other than the title number which is performed only at the very end of the production. I love that song and it was done well but the journey to the end was not remarkable at all. The performances were very strong which each voice extremely powerful but overall, it all falls flat. I am not sorry that I went but I couldn't recommend it to others either.

I had read the Chicago Tribune review before going and was watching for some of the negative that was written about. I didn't see any of it. The slavery concept of the show was needed and understood to be an important part of the storyline. I did not think it was overdone at all. Both the music and acting was amazing.

This musical was powerful and well played from the beginning! I knew the story line but was intrigued by the depth this production went to highlighting John Newton. A great story about a very dark time. We can only fully understand what is happening now by understanding the past! The music / vocals we strong and emotionally moving! Even from the top balcony the experience was memorable! I hope this worthy production continues to touch lives!

I thought that the play was excellent. It was very intense.

What a wonderful performance! The singers were fabulous and the acting superb. The story was well told and if you didn't cry at the end, you were a cold hearted soul. The best of luck to all on Broadway.

Absolutely AMAZING!!! I enjoyed every moment and would recommend this show to everyone!

One of the best plays we have seen in ages. It grabbed us in the first five minutes and filled us with emotion and hope. The music, actors, and staging were spectacular! I predict that Amazing Grace will be receiving many Tony awards in the near future!

We drove 200 miles to Chicago to see Amazing Grace and were not disappointed. I knew this play was Christopher Smith's first work (book, music, and lyrics.) That considered, he did a great job, and the play was well casted. The individual performances were excellent. I had read the reviews ahead of time including that by the Chicago critic Chris Jones. While Jones makes a few good observations, I could not disagree more with his main point. Amazing Grace is about God's redemptive grace, not about slavery or abolition. He suggests that political correctness should set the theme for the play, and that Smith's storyline "just can't fly in 2014." In fact, at one point the critic says, "Does every egregious sinner - and Newton was the epitome of egregious sinners - deserve absolution?" He suggests that a participant in the slave trade is beyond salvation. I give Mr. Smith an A- in Drama 101 and Mr. Jones an F in Theology 101.

The story line was familiar to us, but we were all wondering how they would pull it off in a musical. Simply put, it was truly amazing. The voices were incredible, especially those of Josh Young (John Newton) and Erin Mackey (Mary Catlett.) The drowning scene was exceptionally well done, the acting excellent overall. Some members of our party are not especially musical fans, and even they were impressed. We loved the production...extremely talented cast. Hopefully Chicago will continue to bring theater of this quality in the future. Absolutely awesome performance!

Although we knew a little about the story behind the song, this really told the whole story in a sweeping account of the slave trade to England in the 1700s. Acting,singing, costumes, music and set were all top-notch and the emotions will certainly sneak up on you as a member in the audience. Highly recommend!

Such a great production!!! Loved the wire work during the shipwreck scene! The music was beautiful and the story incredible. Highly recommend and can't wait till a cd is offered.

Since this show is "pre-Broadway" we were somewhat leery about it, but it proved to be truly amazing with a stellar cast and set. My favs were: Thomas & Nanna whose voices were absolutely awe-inspiring, and the underwater scene which was brilliantly executed.

Spectacular voices telling a true story of a person changing his beliefs and admitting his mistakes. Don't miss this. The sound system was terrific.