CHICAGO—Many may never have heard of Ernest Shackleton, a British explorer who took off on an Antarctic Expedition in 1914 with the goal of crossing that frozen continent. His ship became stuck in ice and was slowly crushed. Shackleton with a few of his crew traveled 800 miles in a small lifeboat to seek help from a whaling station. Miraculously, all of his crew survived and returned to England in 1917.
Finding out about that intrepid Antarctic explorer is one reason that makes “Earnest Shackleton Loves Me” a fascinating theatrical adventure in its Chicago premiere at Porchlight Theatre. But there are still more reasons to enjoy this enchanting production.
The musical, with a book by Joe DiPietro, was inspired by the true story of Shackleton’s incredible two-year tale of survival and his extraordinary exploits in saving his crew. But the show is framed with a fictional romance that gives an inventive and quirky twist to the story.
Directed by Michael Unger, and with music by Brendan Milburn and lyrics by Val Vigoda, “Ernest Shackleton Loves Me” begins in a cold apartment flat somewhere in Brooklyn, New York, as Kat (Elissa Carlson), a young video composer, has just been dismissed from a job. She’s a single mom with a baby whose father has left her to tour the country with a band. She’s depressed, feels beaten down, and decides to check out an online dating site.
As she gets on the Internet, she receives the most amazing call from Shackleton (Andrew Mueller). How can that be since he was a polar explorer in the early part of the 20th century and she’s living in the present?
Travel Back in Time
Not only does Kat watch the Antarctic come to life on a video screen projection, but so do we as we watch the most amazing images of the historical events. The projections were made by Smooch Median out of archival photographs taken by photographer Frank Hurley, who was a member of the Shackleton expedition.As Kat cries over the wreck of her life, her refrigerator door opens, and Shackleton walks out enveloped in a cloud of frost. His outfit, realistically rendered by costume designer Gregory Graham, is dusted in snow and his beard is crusted with ice. Kat is in disbelief as she shouts out: “This is crazy” to which Shackleton responds with “So is being an explorer, or an artist!”
Shackleton has brought a banjo with him, which he proceeds to strum along with Kat who plays an electric violin. Together the two go on the amazing voyage of the Endurance when it becomes stranded in polar ice. We watch mesmerized as Shackleton takes Kat on the adventure of a lifetime as the two cross glaciers and mountains in an attempt to find rescue.
The historical sweep of this musical is made even more entertaining by the songs that Kat and Shackleton sing, which are enhanced by musical director Ryan O’Connell, who plays keyboard behind the scenes. Furthermore, the inventive wintry set design by Scott Davis does a fine job of transporting us to the frozen yesteryear.
What makes the musical so compelling, though, are the fantastic star performers who act, sing, and play instruments. Elisa Carlson as Kat projects an innocence that has us sympathetic to her immediately, and Andrew Mueller is extraordinary as Shackleton. Mueller has the determined look of the hero that Shackleton was and belts out a song with golden-voice perfection. The attraction between Kat and Shackleton is convincing because the chemistry between the two performers is palpable.
“Ernest Shackleton Loves Me” is an original and engaging work that harkens back to the days when theater was uplifting and inspirational. Shackleton sets an example for Kat to get over her personal problems and depression, encouraging her to move on and create a better life for herself. Indeed, he delivers the moral message of the show when he says that “blind, relentless hope is what brings miracles.”
