'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for January 7th, 2015January 7, 2015The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards Celebration is tonight! Plus Drury Lane's 'West Side,' Mercury's 'Addams' and Theo's 'JCS,' premieres of 'Next Thing You Know' and 'Plastic Revolution,' a Barrel Of Monkeys musical and a staged reading from FWD, plus TV's 'Galavant' and 'Glee,' and more!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for December 31st, 2014December 31, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Braodway. It's the Top Ten Hot Topix for the last half of 2014, and the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards Celebration on Wednesday, January 7th, 2015!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for December 24th, 2014December 24, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Into The Woods' finally opens tomorrow! Plus Porchlight's Sondheim season continues, TMTC's 'Allegro' at Ravinia, Laura Osnes is coming to town, 'Galavant' and the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards arrive in early January, followed by 'Tommy' in Aurora, 'First Date' at the Royal George, 'The Full Monty' at Theater Wit and more!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for December 17th, 2014December 17, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Two weeks of voting left for the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards! The 'Annie' film and 'The Merry Widow' open, 'Patsy Cline' extends, 'Sherlock Holmes' sings, 'Cupid' has a heart, and MCL Chicago, Drury Lane Oakbrook and Black Ensemble Theater plan new works for 2015, including 'Beaches' and a tribute to Roger Ebert!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for December 10th, 2014December 10, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Cinderella' and 'Lucy' hit town, 'Hansel And Gretel' play on the Mag Mile, a BC/EFA benefit at Sidetrack, 'Porgy' and Redmoon make splashes, two shows named 'Nativity' ready to open, and 'Rudolph' and Big Red return!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for December 3rd, 2014December 3, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. December is here, and 'Peter Pan' is finally live! Plus Light Opera Works and The Hyprocrites tackle operettas, 'Newsies' and 'Mary Poppins' have significant holiday runs, 'Stomp' and 'Schooner' return, Billy Corgan and Patti Lupone strut their stuff, and the community schedules a tribute to Sheldon Patinkin.
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 26th, 2014November 26, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Five different musicalized adaptations of 'A Christmas Carol' will put holiday cheer into your playgoing! Also 'Plaid Tidings,' a new 'Hansel And Gretel,' our first touch of 'Hands On A Hardbody,' the cast of the upcoming 'La Cage Aux Folles' at the Marriott, and Idina Menzel schedules an appearance in the Loop!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 19th, 2014November 19, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'The Grinch' opens, Fox Valley bookends Christmas, new shows 'A Christmas Memory' and 'Christmas On The Air,' 'It's A Wonderful Life' times three, plus 'Nutcracker,' 'Nut Cracking,' 'Mary Poppins' and the latest on 'Peter Pan Live!'
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 12th, 2014November 12, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The 2014 BroadwayWorld Chicago Award nominations are announced, Lyric presents 'Porgy' and 'Carousel,' 'Camelot' opens, 'Ring Of Fire' and 'Annie' return, 'Annie' and 'Ani' hit screens, parodies of 'Guffman,' the Merman/Mormon thing, Rudolph and Tupperware, and a suburban 'Garden!'
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 5th, 2014November 5, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Dee Snider's Christmas show starts, and 'First Wives Club' and 'N' get their stars. Patsy Cline comes round again, as do the Q Brothers and 'Christmas Schooner.' Peeps gear up for 'Into The Woods,' 'Phantom' inspires television, and 'Billy Elliot' dances into movie theaters and into the Drury Lane Oakbrook!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 29th, 2014October 29, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Major productions of 'The King And I' and 'Camelot,' two versions of 'Titanic,' season announcements from Light Opera Works and The Music Theatre Company, JRB in Skokie, three G&S shows in rep, the new musicals 'Frederick' and 'The Guide To Being Single,' and more!
Nominations Close at Midnight Friday: The BWW Chicago Awards Are Underway! Vote from early November until New Year's Eve, and Celebrate at The Call on January 7, 2015October 26, 2014Nominations for the 5th Annual BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards opened on October 6th, and will close at midnight on Halloween, October 31st. One of the oldest and largest regional awards in the entire international BroadwayWorld system, the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards are Chicagoland's only comprehensive, fan-voted theater awards, covering plays and musicals, Equity and non-Equity, resident and touring productions.
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 22nd, 2014October 22, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. We've got Halloween offerings 'Musical Of The Living Dead,' 'Witches Among Us,' 'Bewildered!' and more, 'The Wild Party' and 'Parade,' plus brief appearaces by'Bells Are Ringing' and 'The Color Purple,' Duncan Sheik in concert and a review of 'Edges' at Davenport's!
BWW REVIEWS: AMAZING GRACE's World Premiere in Chicago: Sweet Sounds, Heavy Themes Close to CompletionOctober 20, 2014Can a new musical be 'pre-Broadway' without having a New York theater booked, or without even announcing a timetable for said booking? How about a musical largely penned by a previously unknown writer, one who worked as a Pennsylvania policeman, and never formally studied music composition? Well, AMAZING GRACE is that show, and this expensive-looking, high-aiming show that's been in development since 2007, with book, music and lyrics by Christopher Smith (the book is co-written with the veteran playwright Arthur Giron) opened on Sunday night. So far, so good!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 15th, 2014October 15, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Monday night's Jeff Awards at the Drury Lane, and 'Amazing Grace' at the BOAT! Plus 2014's other Broadway In Chicago shows, The Grinch at the Chicago Theatre, local productions of 'Parade,' 'Camelot' and 'Mary Poppins,' the new 'A Christmas Memory,' and the sold-out Humanities Festival tribute to the Tonys!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 8th, 2014October 8, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards are back with nominations open now! Plus the Jeff Awards on Monday night, three acclaimed recent openings, two shows proudly closing, three local shows that may never end, and NBC's live 'Peter Pan' is ready to fly!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 1st, 2014October 1, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. It's Super October! Local productions of 'Sweeney Todd,' 'Titanic,' 'Parade' and 'The Wild Party' have folks excited! 'At Last' and 'Cole Porter's Greatest Hits' honor past artists, the Savoyaires mount 'The Grand Duke,' and Des Plaines goes 'Legally Blonde.' Colleges produce 'Into The Woods' and 'In The Heights, 'Amazing Grace' arrives downtown and more!
BWW REVIEWS: World Regional Premiere of WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN Is Expertly Done, Coolly ReceivedSeptember 28, 2014David Yazbek has shown himself to be a Broadway composer-lyricist to be reckoned with, after a splashy debut with 2000's "The Full Monty," and a meaningful follow-up with 2005's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." Both film adaptations, they won Drama Desk Awards for him, as well as Tony nominations. 2010's "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", also a film adaptation, was Tony-nominated for its score as well, though it suffered a truncated run of only 69 performances. Theatre at the Center in the Chicago suburb of Munster, Indiana, is the location for the show's world regional premiere.