New Kinks musical lights up Chicago Shakespeare stage

• At two hours and 40 minutes, the ensemble, donning English mod costumes and treating the entire theater as a dance hall as they move throughout the audience, belt out more than 25 songs from The Kinks' deep catalog.

Zoom in: Ray Davies was very involved in the U.K. premiere of "Sunny Afternoon" in 2014.

• "He would speak about the character of Ray in the third person, I think, to help him deal with the emotional experience of dramatizing some of the harder moments in his life," director Edward Hall tells Axios.
• "He also worked to help us ensure that all the instruments and equipment used in the production are authentic and exactly what they used at the time."

Fun fact: The Kinks' music stands out from some of their fellow British Invasion peers for a harder, louder sound, but also their musical influence on a range of artists.

• "I was stunned by the musicians who came to see the show in London because of their love and admiration for The Kinks — Brian May from Queen, the Gallagher brothers from Oasis, Brian Johnson from AC/DC, and all the members of Fleetwood Mac. They all spoke about the influence of The Kinks on their own work," Hall says.

If you go: "Sunny Afternoon" plays on stage at The Yard through April 27. Tickets cost $64-$140.