Paul W. Thompson - Page 22

Now through April 25, 2010, at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, is a 'Fiddler On The Roof' for our time. It is true that we still have fresh memories of the not-quite ageless actor Topol as Tevye the dairyman, appearing in productions of this Bock-Harnick-Stein musical for almost 45 years (including last year in Chicago) but who is now 74 years old. As of late, actors, directors and designers are in the process of reimagining this jewel of the American musical theater (arguably the last masterpiece of the Golden Age) for 21st century audiences.....

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Breakfast Club,' 'Pride And Prejudice,' 'Love Never Dies,' 'Ragtime,' 'Rent,' more....

On view this weekend and next (through February 28, 2010) at the landmark Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt Unversity (in downtown Chicago) is an impressive, lovely, and sweetly moving mounting of Sir Frederick Ashton's 1948 choreography for Sergei Prokofiev's "Cinderella."

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. '101 Dalmatians,' Patti and Mandy, 'Billy Elliot,' 'Candide,' 'Aida,' 'Fiddler On The Roof,' more....

When Sir Frederick Ashton's 'Cinderella,' with music by Sergei Prokofiev, is revived this month by the Joffrey Ballet at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, the roles of the two stepsisters will be portrayed at select performances by two dancers at very nearly the opposite ends of the career spectrum, Willy Shives and Matthew Adamcyk....

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'The Lion King,' 'The Wild Party,' 'Rush Limbaugh,' 'The Ring Cycle,' '13,' Stephen Sondheim, more.....

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Grammy Awards, Oscar Nominations, 'The 101 Dalmatians Musical,' 'Beauty And The Beast,' 'Fiddler On The Roof,' 'A Tale Of Two Cities, new musicals, more.....

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Million Dollar Quartet,' Writers' Theatre, 'Chess,' 'Ragtime,' 'Dreamgirls,' 'Wicked,' more.....

The Joffrey Ballet's 2009-2010 'Season of Legends' continues with Sir Frederick Ashton's Cinderella, back by popular demand. Widely considered one of the greatest ballet interpretations of this timeless fairytale, Ashton's Cinderella is an enchanting fantasy full of splendor, humor and magic. The Chicago Sinfonietta, the official orchestra of The Joffrey Ballet, under the baton of conductor Scott Speck, will provide live musical accompaniment of Sergei Prokofiev's classic score.

Boy, this one was a struggle to write! Tuesday night's opening performance of the weeklong stand of the now and forever "Tomorrow" musical, "Annie," still on a national tour that dates back to 2005, was enough to make this reviewer take a very deep breath. On the one hand were the direction, choreography and design concepts of this production,.....

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Annie,' 'Mamma Mia!,' 'Dreamgirls,' 'Billy Elliot,' Michael Ingersoll, 'Parade,' more.....

Chills. I got chills! When Sara Sheperd as Fanny Brice let loose the other night with her remarkable voice at the end of those legendary Brice/Barbra standards "I'm The Greatest Star," "Don't Rain On My Parade" and (even) "The Music That Makes Me Dance" .....

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Chicagoans in New York, Splash, Therapy, Marie's Crisis Cafe, 'Funny Girl,' Noel Coward, 'Chess,' more.....

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Mid-season closings, plus 'Nine,' 'The Princess And The Frog,' 'Shrek,' 'Funny Girl,' 'Passing Strange,' more.....

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadwy. The Mosh Pit 'Top Ten Hot Topics' for the latter half of 2009: 10. 'Yeast Nation,' 9. 'Cabaret,' 8. 'In The Heights,' 7. 'South Pacific,' more....

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Nine,' 'The Addams Family,' Davenport's, 'In The Heights,' Broadway In Chicago, 'George Gershwin Alone,' more.....

At the "theater-in-the-round" Marriott Theatre in Chicago's northern suburb of Lincolnshire, for the next two months or so, theatergoers will find a different sort of "My Fair Lady" than the one they might expect to find. Now, it is hilarious, very truthful and detailed, and its leading performances are gutsy and intelligent,....

Those folks you will see sweating in Chicago's Loop for the next three weeks won't be working too hard, wearing too many clothes or worrying about the local real estate market. They will merely be lucky Chicago theatergoers, responding to the warmth, light and fire of the very first touring production of the 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, "In The Heights."

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The Second City, 'TAF,' 'Glee,' 'The Princess and the Frog,' 'In the Heights,' 'Aida,' more.....

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Glee,' 'The Addams Family,' David Cromer, Grammy Award nominations, 'The Merry Widow,' more.....