Derek Bertelsen: Fully Committed
Mike Newquist
Derek Bertelsen Presents FULLY COMMITTED Review - Do You Have A Reservation?
TLDR: Fully Committed is a one man show with Mike Newquist playing a burgeoning actor in New York City working his day job in the reservations office of the city’s hottest new restaurant. We watch him transform into every other character from the guests calling and begging for a table to the head chef himself as Sam also tries to manage his personal life through it all.
Mike Newquist
Another Day In The Life at The Den
We take our seats in one of the upstairs theaters at The Den. Before us, the stage is set to look like a small back office. There’s a desk with a phone, keyboard, stacks of paper, and a large binder. Another telephone, this one bright red, and a walkie talkie station sit on the other side of the stage. Broadway show posters, emergency signs, and Michelin star awards decorate the walls along with multiple signs declaring NO reservations for Ned Finley. Christmas lights give a little holiday cheer and it almost feels like the calm before the storm much like the night before Christmas before all the chaos rains down.
Speaking of, Sam comes rushing into the office laden with everything he might need for the day. He has his three bags slung over his shoulder and his hands full of his beverages, books, and copies of his headshot. The phone is already ringing off the hook. Sam quickly tosses his belongings on a nearby chair and rushes to answer it. His thank you for calling, please hold is repeated over and over as he answers each guest calling in an attempt to book a coveted dinner reservation at New York’s hottest restaurant. Unfortunately, this place is fully booked, I mean, fully committed for the next three months
The opening scene of Fully Committed has us already off to the races in what is sure to be another busy and demanding day in the life of someone working in the hospitality industry.
Mike Newquist
A Full Cast of Characters
Newquist walks, bounces, and rolls his way between the three communication devices as he manages guests, the hostess upstairs, and his family. The catch? Every single character is played by our leading actor, Mike Newquist.
He dons his trusty headset and answers the phone as Sam, but with a twirl of the chair his eyes go wide and his voice ticks up a notch as he becomes Brian from Gwenyth Paltrow’s office asking for a specific tasting menu for her party.
With the trill of the red phone ringing, Sam answers the direct line to Chef and he slouches and gives us big frat boy energy as Chef laughs at his own dumb jokes while demanding to know when his car is picking him tonight.
And whose calling for the umpteenth time? It couldn’t be Caroline Bernstein Fishberg who will stay on hold until she gets to speak to her contact at the restaurant. She’s positive that the French maître d' will be able to squeeze her in this weekend.
And in between all these demanding calls, we get a peek into Sam’s personal life as he balances his family back home in Indiana, calling his agent, and wondering if this stress is all worth it.
Newquist’s energy seems limitless as each time he embodies every single character in the play. He shows us individual mannerisms and accents for all forty plus characters to paint us a picture of the lengths people will go to finagle a reservation out of him.
Mike Newquist
The After Party Thoughts
While Fully Committed has so many inside jokes and keeps the pace up to match the energy in a restaurant, there were a few things about it that pulled me out of fully engaging with the show. I liked how distinct Newquist made each of the characters, but some didn’t seem to match the character or give us a sense of who this person is (I’m still not sure who Oscar is??). And while we know we’re in an environment that’s always non-stop, the action felt very one note and one pace throughout so we didn’t have that triumphant moment of “Everything’s coming up Milhouse!” that felt like it was supposed to happen.
But I would guess most of these things will settle with time as the run continues and there’s still much about this show that many people will recognize and enjoy. For those that aren’t a fan of one man shows doing dozens of character impressions, this one may not be for you. But for those of you that have been there working their day jobs in between auditions and anyone who has worked in customer service before will be sure to relate to these experiences in Fully Committed.
RECOMMENDED
Mike Newquist
When
Now through March 28, 2026
Where
The Den Theatre
1331 N Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
Runtime: 80min, no intermission
Tickets
$26+
Tickets can be purchased through The Den Theatre website
Photos
Derek Bertelsen
Mike Newquist
CAST
Mike Newquist (Sam, all roles)
CREATIVE
Becky Mode (Playwright)
Derek Bertelsen (Director)
Shane Hogan (Stage Manager)
Bethany Hart (Dialect and Vocal Coach)
Jeremiah Barr (Technical Director)