'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for December 2, 2009December 2, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Thanksgiving Day Parade, 'South Pacific,' 'Rudolph, the Red-Hosed Reindeer,' 'The Wind in the Willows,' Linda Eder, more.....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 25th, 2009November 25, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Jackie Hoffman, 'Jersey Boys,' 'The Addams Family,' 'Banana Shpeel,' 'South Pacific,' more.....
Munster's 'Christmas Schooner:' The Gales of November Pack An Emotional WallopNovember 23, 2009I may be the only Chicago theater critic of a certain age who has never seen "The Christmas Schooner." After its initial production by the Music Theatre program at Northwestern University in 1993, directed by Dominic Missimi, the show debuted at the old Bailiwick Repertory Theatre in 1996 and ran for thirteen holiday seasons, an extremely impressive track record, indeed.....
'Miracle On 34th Street' A Modestly Charming Play With MusicNovember 22, 2009Now on the boards at Theatre Building Chicago is the first edition of Porchlight Music Theatre's hoped-for holiday tradition, 'Miracle on 34th Street,' an adaptation of the Academy Award-winning 1947 film (and its Valentine Davies source novel) by Patricia Di Benedetto Snyder, Will Severin and John Vreeke. Porchlight has added musical arrangements by Chicago composer Jon Steinhagen to the script,....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 17th, 2009November 18, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'The Addams Family,' 'Dreamgirls,' 'Glee,' Bailiwick Chicago, Second City, more.....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 10th, 2009November 10, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Holiday Musical Round-Up: Part Two. 'A Christmas Carol,' 'A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant,' 'Plaid Tidings,' 'The Christmas Schooner,' more....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 3, 2009November 3, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Young Frankenstein,' 'The Addams Family,' 'South Pacific,' 'In the Heights,' more.....
Oakbrook's 'MILLIE' a Tappy, Happy HitNovember 1, 2009Opening this week at the high-flying Drury Lane Theatre, in Chicago's far western suburb of Oakbrook Terrace, is "Thoroughly Modern Millie," the 2002 Best Musical Tony winner which gave the world the career of Sutton Foster (and didn't too badly for her male co-stars Gavin Creel and Marc Kudisch). Based on the pretty successful 1967 film starring Julie Andrews, more.....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 27th, 2009October 27, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'The Rocky Horror Show,' 'Animal Crackers,' 'Promises, Promises,' 'Five Mos Named Guy,' more....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 21st, 2009October 21, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Jeff Award results, 'Ragtime' auditions, 'Young Frankenstein' and Broadway in Chicago tours, Zachary James, and more....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 13th, 2009October 14, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Man of La Mancha,' 'The Glorious Ones,' 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,' 'Othello,' and more.....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 6th, 2009October 6, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Early fall round-up, Levi Kreis, 'A Hundred Dresses,' cabaret news, 'Attack of the Theater People,' celebrity sightings, more.....
A Lincolnshire "Hairspray:" Total, Inevitable IntegrationOctober 2, 2009Opening this week at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago's far north suburban collar community of Lincolnshire is one of the first post-Broadway productions of "Hairspray," one of this decade's biggest hits and longest running Broadway shows, based on a hit movie and the basis for yet another....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for September 29th, 2009September 30, 2009The mosh pit was rocking on Monday night, as Sidetrack played host to Stef Tovar and cast members of "High Fidelity!" The star of Piper's Alley Theater's current musical offering (in its first major post-Broadway engagement)....
'The Marvelous Wonderettes:' Forever Female at the Northlight TheatreSeptember 28, 2009In the smallish pantheon of shows that followed in the footsteps of "Forever Plaid," that early 90s ode to the boy bands of the 1950s and 60s that uses a small cast, one set and a "juke box" of Baby Boomer radio hits, many of them quite naturally feature girls. ("Beehive" comes to mind, as does the recent "Shout.") And now comes "The Marvelous Wonderettes," ....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for September 22nd, 2009September 22, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Patti LuPone, 'Sister Act,' 'The Story of My Life,' 'Cotton Patch Gospel' and more.....
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for September 15th, 2009September 15, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Jersey Boys,' Apple Tree Theatre, 'Avenue Q,' U2 and more......
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for September 8th, 2009September 8, 2009The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Glee,' 'ComedySportz,' 'Yeast Nation' and more....