Full disclosure: I have yet to watch a single episode of Ted Lasso (I know!) But whether you’re a diehard fan or not, Brendan Hunt’s solo show, The Movement You Need, now onstage at Steppenwolf, is the show you may need to pick up your spirits a bit. Even if you’re not a Beatles fan.
The Movement You Need
Through 5/10: Tue–Fri 7:30 PM, Sat 3 and 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM; Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted, 312-335-1650, steppenwolf.org, $55-$105
The title and much of the inspiration for Hunt’s show (directed by Ashley Rodbro) comes from the Fab Four—specifically Paul’s “Hey Jude” and the line, “the movement you need is on your shoulder.” Like Julian Lennon, for whom Paul wrote the song, Hunt is a child of divorce. And believe it or not, his childhood nickname was “Na Na,” causing him to think as a kid that the “na na na na” chorus in “Hey Jude” was especially for him. (His mother’s name was Martha, as in “Martha My Dear.”)
Hunt’s show is likely to end up on Broadway, as have other one-person shows that made Steppenwolf a stop along the road to the Great White Way in recent years, such as Mike Birbiglia’s 2022 production of The Old Man and the Pool. But there’s special resonance to this current engagement, since Hunt grew up in Chicago and the show is stuffed with local connections and references. Hunt mostly grew up in Rogers Park, where his single mom worked as a bartender at Cunneen’s, the beloved neighborhood watering hole. (His dad, a Vietnam vet with PTSD, pops up from time to time, most notably in a photo taken at a White Sox game—one of several family photos and videos that provide sometimes uncomfortable laughs during the show.)
Given what alcohol abuse ultimately did to his mother, bartending might not have been the best career path. But though their relationship was often fraught (“I know that will shock you, the audience of a one-man show,” he deadpans at one point), his mom also gave him a lifelong love of the Beatles. That obsession is woven through the piece, bookended by Hunt’s story of meeting Paul McCartney in a recording studio where he was rehearsing for a tribute concert to the late Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins. Early in the opening-night performance, Hunt asked if there was anyone in the audience who didn’t like the Beatles. One person said yes, and turns out they were also named Brendan. “This just became a Twilight Zone episode,” Hunt riffed.
His ability to think on his feet (Hunt’s had a long career in improv, including time at Amsterdam’s Boom Chicago club) came in handy opening night in a way that shouldn’t have been necessary: A woman in the audience decided everyone wanted to hear her thoughts at the top of her lungs. (Note to house management: Please remove people like this at the first offense, rather than giving them multiple chances to disrupt the show.)
Then again, dealing with a difficult woman is a theme of The Movement You Need. Throughout, Hunt also shows his own deft ability at self-deprecation, and how leaning into the oddball elements of his own personality helped him find a way through family trauma and into showbiz success. He even pulls up clips of one of the first sketches he wrote that showed up on public access TV. It’s awful, of course, but it’s key to understanding that everybody has to be able to fail to succeed. Which, from what I’ve gleaned from fans, is a message that wouldn’t be out of place in the television show Hunt cocreated.
If you’re looking for yarns about Ted Lasso, you won’t find them here. But I have a feeling Hunt’s got another show in him, and if it’s as engaging and honest as this one, I’ll be there for it.
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