'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for April 10th, 2013

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:

Even as the eyes of true-blue Showtune Mosh Pit peeps across the country are focused on Chicago this month, due to the fascinating rumors and postings coming out about the pre-Broadway tryout of "Big Fish" at the Oriental Theatre, we are learning more about the next Big Thing that our stages will produce. And it will be right around the corner from the Oriental Theatre, when the Goodman Theatre stages the world premiere of "The Jungle Book," the iconic 1967 film from Walt Disney and the words of Rudyard Kipling. (Do you like Kipling? I don't know, I've never Kippled!) It's not officially a pre-Broadway engagement, nor is Disney Theatricals listed as a producer. But the powers that be, including surviving Sherman brother Richard M. (he and the late Robert B. wrote most of the film's songs), are working closely with adapter and director Mary Zimmerman (a Northwestern University faculty member and MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" recipient, best known for her Tony-winnning play "Metamorphoses") and music director Doug Peck. Like the pair's previous Goodman project, "Candide" in 2010, "The Jungle Book" is a co-production with Boston's Huntington Theatre Company (it will run there September 7-October 6, 2013). The show will begin in Chicago, however, running June 21-July 28, 2013, where two workshops have already taken place and casting has been underway for some time. The visibility of this project grew at the end of March, when it was announced that Christopher Gattelli, who won the Tony Award for choreographing Disney's "Newsies" on Broadway, had come on board as choreographer for "The Jungle Book." And Peck, a Northwestern graduate and one of Chicago's leading musical directors, somehow found time to travel to India to do research on music there and bring back some Indian musical instruments. A fusion of Indian music with jazz and swing ("The Bear Necessities," anyone), plus the hope of hearing music from The Sherman Brothers' trunk of unused material? And Mary Zimmerman working on a classic musical with a cross-cultural, world theater setting? Folks are getting jazzed up!

THE-JUNGLE-BOOK-to-Premiere-at-Chicagos-Goodman-Theatre

There is another local downtown musical that will happen before June, though. It's the Lyric Opera Of Chicago production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma!" at the Civic Opera House from May 4-19, starring John Cudia (the lead in Broadway's "The Phantom Of The Opera" and "Les Miserables" at the Marriott Theatre) and Ashley Brown (the lead in Broadway's "Mary Poppins" and Lyric's "Show Boat"). Gary Griffin directs, and Gemze de Lappe is recreating Agnes De Mille's original Broadway choreography for this seminal, essential work of musical theater in America. Rehearsals are underway now. Sets by John Lee Beatty? Curtis Holbrook as Will Parker? Usman Ally as Ali Hakim? Local favorites Paula Scrofano and Andrea Prestinario? OK!

http://www.lyricopera.org/

But you don't have to wait until next month to see some high-class Rodgers and Hammerstein! Opening this very night at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire is the team's "South Pacific," running through June 2nd. David H. Bell directs, with choreography by Matt Raftery. There have been only two Broadway production of this show, and yet is has won 17 Tony Awards, plus that Pulitzer Prize that is won for Drama ("Oklahoma!"'s was a non-competitive, honorary one). It's an impressive cast, led by former Chicagoan Stephen R. Buntrock and current Chicagoan Elizabeth Lanza, with Ben Jacoby, Emily Morales, Bethany Thomas and Stef Tovar in supporting roles. But don't take my word for it. Here's a promo video!

Marriott-Theatres-SOUTH-PACIFIC-Video-Highlights

Opening tomorrow night, and also running through June 2nd, is another musical with a famous exclamation in its title. It's "Oliver!," the Lionel Bart musical that did for boys what "Annie" did for girls. The aforementioned Paula Scrofano's husband, John Reeger, will be keeping himself occupied this spring as Fagin in the Charles Dickens adaptation at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, with Heidi Kettenring as Nancy and young Brady Tutton as the title character. Rachel Rockwell is directing and choreographing, with her favorite musical director, Roberta Duchak, on board in that capacity. Others in the cast include Larry Adams, Don Forston, John Gawlik, Michael Aaron Lindner and Catherine Lord. Counting the kids, it's a huge cast, including in the ensemble both Chicago child star Daniel Coonley and Broadway star ("A Christmas Story") Johnny Rabe, plus the star of the recent "South Pacific" tour, Jennie Sophia. Impressive!

OLIVER-at-the-Drury-Lane-Theatre

In town, the hard-to-produce "Barnum" has opened to pretty strong reviews at the Mercury Theater (running through June 16), starring Gene Weygandt and Cory Goodrich as P.T. and Charity. L Walter Stearns directs, with Brenda Didier and Andrews Waters as co-choreographers and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi as Circus Director. Co-starring are Summer Naomi Smart, Kevin McKillip and Christian Libonati. The 1980 Cy Coleman-Michael Stewart-Mark Bramble musical was a big hit in its day, running for two years in New York and prompting a London run starring Michael Crawford in a quintessentially American role. ChicaGo Productions of musicals are frequently faced with the challenge of putting a big show into a small space, and this one is reportedly doing just that. Good job, you guys!

PHOTOS-of-Gene-Weygandt-and-More-in-Mercury-Theater-Chicagos-BARNUM

I'm not sure whether or not it's a musical, but the dance extravaganza/percussion showcase/performance art piece Thing known as "Stomp" has been going strong for 21 years now (that's right, it pre-dates even "Wicked"...), and it's visiting the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. It will be there for three performances next weekend, April 13 and 14, in the art-deco movie palace turned live performance venue. Sure, they produce their own shows there, but they still bring in brief tours. And this one's a knockout, of sorts. Here are some pictures and video!

http://paramountaurora.com/events/stomp/

As Norbert Leo Butz of "Wicked" is in town starring in "Big Fish," and the national tour of the show for which he won his second Tony, "Catch Me If You Can" is continuing this week at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, it's timely to note that his first Tony-winning show, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," will be playing at the Prairie Lakes Theatre in northwest suburban Des Plaines, produced by the Big Noise Theatre Company, a division of the Winnetka Theatre. (Got that?) Zachary L. Gray is directing and choreographing the David Yazbeck tuner, on the boards from April 26 though May 12. Robert Deason is musical directing. David Geinosky is taking the Butz role of Freddy "Big Stuff" Benson, with David Whitlock as Lawrence Jameson, his rival con man on the French Riviera. Also in the cast are Kathleen Gibson, Patrick Stengle, Carrie Weis, Emilia Benassi, Isaac Loomer, Garrett Lutz, Kelly Maryanski, Amanda Nianick, Taylor Okey, Rebecca Parvin, Peter Rasey and Brent Walker.

Big Noise Theatre to Present DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

So that's in Des Plaines. Over next to Winnetka, in Wilmette, the Wilmette Theatre's Actors Training Center is presenting a student production of "Hair" this weekend, April 12-14, along with some special events placing the landmark rock musical in historical context for the young cast and, one hopes, young audiences. Janet Louer directs, with musical direction by Claire Bigley.

http://www.wilmettetheatre.com/hair-the-musical

Another student production, with college-age actors, is "Urinetown" at Loyola University Chicago in Rogers Park, in their brand-new Newhart Family Theatre, inside the renovated Mundelein Center For The Fine And Performing Arts at the corner of Sheridan Road and Sheridan Road. Josh Bartlett stars as Bobby Strong, with Ryan Stanfield as Caldwell B. Cladwell, Corinne Natyshak as Hope and CAllie Short as Little Sally. Mark E. Lococo directs. The show will be performed for two weekends, April 11-21.

http://blogs.luc.edu/artsalive/portfolio/urinetown/

Also in the Rogers Park neighborhood is another of those spaces where big shows somehow happen, the No Exit Café, where the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Aspects Of Love" has announced its expected extension. It will now run through May 19. Sorry, Kelli Harrington and Matthew Keffer, but your high notes are needed for a little while longer. Fred Anzevino directed, James Beaudry choreographed, and Jeremy Ramey musical directs.

http://www.theo-u.com/

So that's it, you guys! You peeps! Thanks for tuning in, as always, and I hope to see you soon! After I finish my taxes. So I'll see you when I see you, under the video screens.....-PWT

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