"Kander's score is in good hands"
-Tom Williams
“The orchestra, under Jesse Kissel’ direction, sounded terrific with exceptional brass work. Kander’s tuneful score is in good hands here.”
"Performed to a high standard"
“The songs, performed to a high standard under Jesse Kissel’s musical direction, burrow into the dark complexities that these confused, wounded characters often find hard to talk about.”
"Precise yet elegant, free of artifice or overkill"
“Onstage conductor Jesse Kissel’s musical direction impresses, as does his first-rate orchestra’s adroit command of Kander’s authentically ’20s-sounding score. Every musical number is precise yet elegant, free of artifice or overkill.”
"Smoothly polished [music] to express the sincere feelings"
“The smoothly polished Broadway style of the music, with rich orchestrations by Michael Starobin and music direction by Conductor and 1st Keyboardist Jesse Kissel, sometimes serves as an odd and much-needed break from the horrors the protagonist experiences when he feels that everyone around him is fine, sometimes as an entry point into his disturbed thoughts, and sometimes to express the sincere feelings of the characters.”
"Energetic tempos... top-notch"
“From musical director Jesse Kissel’s energetic tempos played by a top-notch, brass-heavy onstage orchestra, to the highly accomplished ensemble of actor/singer/dancers this is a production that truly deserves the label, Broadway in Chicago.”