BWW Blogs: 'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for June 30th, 2010
By: Paul W. Thompson Jun. 30, 2010
THE LATEST IN UNAUTHORIZED GOSSIP AND BUZZ
FROM THE HEART OF CHICAGO'S SHOWTUNE VIDEO BARS,
AND MUSICAL THEATER NEWS FROM CHICAGO TO BROADWAY
by Paul W. Thompson
Overheard last weekend under the showtune
video screens at Sidetrack and the Call:
As the fiscal year comes to a close, and actual summer seems to have actually arrived, the Mosh Pit seems delighted with the "Broadway In Chicago Concert At Taste of Chicago," seen at Grant Park's Petrillo Music Shell on Monday night. Constantine Maroulis, E. Faye Butler and many, many more performers from New York and Chicago entertained the crowd with songs from upcoming BIC shows. BIC had a float in Sunday's Pride Parade, too, noting its 10th anniversary of bringing pre-Broadway tryouts and national tours to the Loop. And was that part of the cast of the national tour of "Shrek" at Sidetrack on Monday night? Rumor has it!
We love Broadway In Chicago. They seem to do a lot of things well. And the renovated Broadway Playhouse (formerly the Drury Lane Theatre at Water Tower Place) will be reopening in September, which is quite exciting. But with "Fuerza Bruta: Look Up" rumored to be struggling with spotty sales, and with the flagship "Billy Elliot" ready to be challenged at the mainstream box office by otber BIC shows ("Shrek" and "Rock of Ages" most notable in the short term, followed up by returns of "The Lion King" and "Wicked"), folks are beginning to wonder if the magic can last. It has so far! We will keep our fingers firmly crossed, knock on wood, and turn around and spit as many times as we have to. Keep the shows in the pipeline! We need our big downtown shows. We love Broadway. In Chicago....
Broadway in Chicago's Homepage
That production of "Little Shop of Horrors" at the weirdly located La Costa Theatre has generated some pretty good reviews! It runs through July 11, 2010. Musical direction is by Ryan Brewster, who just won the non-Equity Jeff Award for similar services rendered to "Chess" at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. And the "Little Shop" production photos look fun and interesting. Has anyone seen it who can give a first hand account of the proceedings? Please?
Speaking of good reviews, Black Ensemble Theater in Uptown has generated a few for their newest new production, "Nothing But The Blues." Not to be confused with "Low Down Dirty Blues" at Northlight Theatre (which closes this coming Sunday), "Nothing But The Blues" stars Rhonda Preston as Chicago Blues Club proprietress Theresa Needham, and runs weekends through August 29th.
Many Mosh Pit peeps are looking forward to the Bailiwick Chicago production of Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida," directed by Scott Ferguson and opening July 10th (after a week of previews) at the American Theater Company space in Lincoln Park. This is the first locally staged production of this Tony-winning score, and Bailiwick is partnering with the modern dance company Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, hiring a six-piece band (co-musical direction by Jimmy Morehead and Robert Ollis) and, in a fascinating idea, the company sponsored a competition among fashion designers to give the song "My Strongest Suit" its proper garb (costumes otherwise by the very busy Ricky Lurie). Maria Danae Mandis, Emily Rohm, Christina Telkamp and Kevin Vong submitted the winning entries. And, oh yes, Rashanda Dawan stars as Aida.
Chicago composer/lyricist Jeff Bouthiette is stepping out with a show of his original songs, featuring Shannon Strodel, Heather Connelly and Michael Harnichar. The revue "Planted: The Songs of Jeff Bouthiette" will be performed twice only (on Sunday evenings at 7:00, July 11 and July 18) at Mary's Attic in Andersonville. Bouthiette is on the music staff at Second City, acts, sings, writes, teaches, you know, the usual (!). Maybe he's the next Elton John? I'm just sayin'. Sounds like this is worth a look!
Mary's Attic at Hamburger Mary's Chicago
Opening in the suburbs are two seminal British rock operas with roots going back forty years now. Out in southwest suburban Bolingbrook, Theatre-on-the-Hill at the Bolingbrook Performing Arts Center has mounted an outdoor production of "Tommy," by those boys from The Who (running weekends from June 25 through July 18). Think of it as the "American Idiot" of its time. Has anyone been to this venue? I confess that I have not.
And, in the southeast suburbs (and you thought Indiana didn't count!), Theater at the Center in Munster is putting up a professional (rare in these here parts) production of "Jesus Christ Superstar," by the aforementioned Tim Rice and his first writing partner, Andrew Lloyd Webber. The show runs July 8 through August 8, directed and choreographed by Stacey Flaster. Among the cast are Audrey Billings as Mary Magdalene (she don't know how to love him), Larry Adams as Pontius Pilate (he dreamed), Steve Genovese at King Herod (his song is called "King Herod's Song," which you've just got to love), and there's a whole slew of Mosh Pit friends in the chorus--Robert Deason, Alex McCrary and recent Jeff Award winner Courtney Crouse among them. Heading the cast as the dueling tenors Jesus and Judas are Max Quinlan and Joe Tokarz. Is this the must-see show of the summer? We will soon find out!
Theater at the Center - On Stage - 2010 Season
Next week, I'll be back with our Round-Up of the most popular Mosh Pit topics from the first six months of 2010. You won't want to miss it! And until then, I'll see you under the video screens, won't I? Happy Independence Day!.....--PWT
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