'The Showtune Mosh Pit,' for April 25th, 2012
By: Paul W. Thompson Apr. 25, 2012
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:
The nominations for the 2012 Joseph Jefferson Awards, non-Equity wing, were announced at midnight last night, and in the musical categories, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre received the most nominations, with fourteen. The company’s currently-running production of “The Light In The Piazza” received eight nominations, and its previous production, “Pump Boys And Dinettes,” received six. Griffin Theatre Company received five nominations for its production of “Spring Awakening,” (along with six for the non-musical play “Punk Rock,” making eleven nominations in all). And Bailiwick Chicago received ten nominations, five each for their productions of “Passing Strange” and “Violet.” “Piazza,” “Pump Boys,” “Spring Awakening,” “Passing Strange” and “Violet” are indeed the productions vying for the Production – Musical award, as well as for Director – Musical and Music Direction, and in addition, the “Pump Boys” cast was nominated for the Ensemble award. Fred Anzevino and Brenda Didier are double musical nominees. And BroadwayWorld Chicago Award winner Harmony France, as Violet herself, is nominated against the two stars of “A Light In The Piazza,” Kelli Harrington and Rachel Klippel, as the only three nominees for Principal Actress – Musical. Interesting.
Other musical productions appearing in various categories on the nominations list include “Urinetown,” “The Baker’s Wife” and “A Little Night Music” at Circle Theatre, and “Pippin” at Bohemian Theatre Ensemble. 32 different theater companies received nominations in this, the 39th annual non-Equity Jeffs. The 124 nominations in 25 categories honor productions that opened between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012, and the awards ceremony will be held on Monday, June 4, 2012, at the Park West, near Clark on Armitage. Will the Mosh Pit be represented in the cheering sections at the awards??? I certainly hope so!
Non-Equity Jeff Award Nominations!
The 2012 Chicago company of “Jersey Boys” (actually the First National Tour cast, but I can dream, can’t I?) will be performing in a special one-night-only benefit this coming Monday evening, April 30, 2012, at the Hotel Allegro Chicago, 171 W. Randolph Street. Called “Dancing In The Street,” it’s a cocktail party, concert and silent auction benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The cast will be singing the hits of Motown. Sounds like an amazingly fun night! And I’m sure you will still be able to make it to Sidetrack afterwards….
https://www.broadwaycares.org/jerseyboys
Broadway In Chicago also announced recently that the Emerald City Theatre, source of the long-running children’s musical “Pinkalicious” at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, will mount its production of “Cinderella” at the Mag Mile venue, beginning in November of this year (will “Pinkalicious” close before then??). With music by Steve Goers and book and lyrics by Alyn Cardarelli, “Cinderella” was, I believe, produced by Emerald City about three years ago. Sounds like they are happy with Broadway In Chicago, and that BIC is happy with ECT. Love all ‘round.
Broadway-In-Chicago-Announces-CINDERELLA
And BIC is bringing “Cats” to our shores one more (last?) time, next week only (May 1-6) at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. It’s a show that in many ways really did help to revolutionize musical theatre, from its marketing campaign to its structure to its design concept to its length of runs in London, on Broadway and on tour. Thirty years later, it is here once again, and it has been the subject of some fascinating conversations of late. Success breeds contempt, I guess, and the show has been the butt of many jokes. And for many folks younger than thirty, they have no idea why the show and its original production were so popular back in the day. If you haven’t seen the staging by Trevor Nunn and Gillian Lynne, you owe it to yourself to be able to tell future generations about it, flying tire, punky wigs and all. “Memory” is just the tip of the feline iceberg.
“Cats” is not the only Andrew Lloyd Webber Tony-winning musical in our area next week. His last great mega-musical, “Sunset Boulevard,” is being produced by the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center, on the campus of Morton College in west suburban Cicero, April 20-May 5, starring Mary K. Nigohosian, James Nedrud, Rachelyn Primm and Michael Kott. Artistic director Dante Orfei directs, with musical direction by John Warren. Next up for Jedlicka? The currently popular “Legally Blonde,” coming in July.
“Motherhood: The Musical” has reportedly struck a positive nerve with audiences, if not with all critics, in its Chicago production at the Royal George Theatre. The show, that may have derailed an announced local production of “Avenue Q,” has received solid but not stellar reviews, though the audiences the production is targeting are rumored to be having a marvelous time. The show’s east coast producers are mounting it in choice cities around the country, and taking each theatrical market on its own terms. The question now? Can this local cast keep this show going beyond its May 20th sales date, into what is billed as an open run?
http://www.motherhoodthemusical.com/chicago/
Down the hall in the Royal George Cabaret Theatre, “The Doyle and Debbie Show” is apparently calling it quits after a little more than seven months. It looks like May 27 will be the end for this import from Nashville, testing the waters in a city with a lot of country music fans and a lot of theater fans, but a city in which they aren’t necessarily the same groups of people. But they’ve got nothing to be ashamed of, though! Really positive reviews, and multiple extensions, make their Chicago experience a positive one for Bruce Arntson, Jenny Littleton and Matt Carlton. One wonders which city will be next….
Another pair of productions took place this month on successive weekends, courtesy of the Chicago College Of Performing Arts of Roosevelt University. Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide” was presented on April 13-14, and Frank Loesser’s “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” was April 20-22. The Bernstein was a Music Conservatory opera event in Ganz Hall, directed by Mark Crayton and musical directed by Dana Brown, whereas the Loesser was a Theatre Conservatory event in the O’MAlley Theatre. The first musical of next fall’s Theatrc Conservatory offerings? The Chicago premiere of “Lysistrata Jones,” the musical by Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flynn which ran on Broadway this past Christmas. Kurt Johns will direct (November 15-18, 2012). Well played, Roosevelt!
http://www.roosevelt.edu/CCPA.aspx
Up north at Northwestern University, this year’s Waa-Mu show, “Off The Map,” opens this weekend, running April 27-May 6. Directed by faculty member David H. Bell, this show is a student-written campus tradition and national legend. Catch future stars today!
http://www.communication.northwestern.edu/tic/waamu/
Also closing on May 6 will be a revue that has garnered quite a bit of attention, “Re-Spiced: A Silk Road Cabaret,” running at the Chicago Temple building on Washington Street in the Loop. Directed by the Goodman Theatre’s Steve Scott and choreographed by Theo Ubique’s Brenda Didier (both obviously freelance!), Jamil Khoury’s adaptation of Asian and Middle Eastern images in American and British songs (arrangements by Ryan Brewster) has struck a nerve with many observers and reviewers. Have you seen it?
http://www.silkroadrising.org/
So that’s it for this week! Award nominations, tours, commercial, non-profit and collegiate productions, cabarets and revues--you know, just the usual amazing variety of show tune offerings in the Windy City. But with such variety, you have to act fast, or shows are gone! I know you act fast, and I’ll see you at a theater soon. And even sooner, I'll see you under the video screens.....—PWT
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