'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for April 29th, 2015

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:

Unless you've been under a proverbial rock lately, you must know that two big slates of award nominees were announced in the past week. Yesterday, the Tony Award nominations were announced in New York, and yes, Chita, Kristen and Kelli are indeed competing for Best Actress in a Musical (all bets are off on this one!). The Tony winners will be announced on June 7th. But the big news in Chicago is the nominations for the non-Equity Jeff Awards (winners to be announced June 8th). And actually, the nominations were announced twice! Everybody got a little shaken up when it was announced that the Jeff committee has reclassified The Hypocrites as an Equity company, with this important change being effective at the beginning of the 2014-15 season. And so, the prominent company's 15 nominations, including two for its re-imagining of "H.M.S. Pinafore," were rescinded, and some of the vacant spots (but not all) were filled by additional nominees from other companies. The Hypocrites and their well-respected production of "All Our Tragic" will be eligible for the Equity nominations, which are on a different schedule and are announced in the fall.

When the smoke cleared from that, what was the situation for the non-Equity awards categories, covering productions that opened from April 1, 2014-March 31, 2015? Bailiwick Chicago's "The Wild Party" (pictured) leads the musical nominations with nine, and Griffin Theatre's "Titanic" and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre's "Jesus Christ Superstar" (still running through May 17th) have six nominations each. "Assassins" and "The Full Monty," both from Kokandy Productions, have five nominations each, and these are the five productions nominated as best Production - Musical. Theo Ubique's "Always...Patsy Cline" has five nominations, and shares the category of Production - Revue with that company's original "A Kurt Weill Cabaret" (three nominations). Other musical productions with multiple nominations include BoHo Theatre's "Ordinary Days" (four nominations) and "Parade" (three nominations), Bailiwick Chicago's "Carrie" (two nominations), Hell In A Handbag Productions' "Caged Dames" (two nominations) and Signal Ensemble Theatre's "The Next Thing" (two nominations). Congratulations to all those involved! And there are three artists with three nominations apiece. They are musical director-arranger Aaron Benham, director-choreographer Brenda Didier and actress Danni Smith (for her roles in "The Wild Party," "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Always...Patsy Cline"). They had very good years.

Non-Equity-Jeff-Awards-Disqualify-The-Hypocrites-and-Rescind-Nominations-SEE-FULL-LIST

The hit show "Louis & Keely 'Live' At The Sahara" has announced an extension through May 17. 2015 at the Royal George Theatre. Taylor Hackford's recreation and explication of the career-expanding stage chemistry between Louis Prima and Keely Smith a half century ago opened at the end of March. Originally produced at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and rumored to be seeking a New York run, the show stars Anthony Crivello ("Kiss Of The Spider Woman") and Vanessa Claire Stewart (co-writer of the show's book), and is co-produced by "George Gershwin Alone" star Hershey Felder. Along with the extended "First Date," playing down the hall in the Royal George Cabaret Theatre, it's a good time to be on the east side of Halsted Street.

LOUIS-KEELY-LIVE-AT-THE-SAHARA-Extends-at-The-Royal-George-Theatre

Chicago's Black Ensemble Theatre has opened its latest show based on the great songs of America's African-American experience. It's a revival of the theater's 2010 show, "Sounds So Sweet," written and directed by Rueben D. Echols. As a reminder of the great "girl group" songs of the last 75 years or so, it's getting good reviews. And the set-up for the songs, a matriarch's funeral, reportedly works well. But most observers feel it is overlong on the plot, if heartfelt. But you know the band is smokin'! (Through May 31)

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/sounds-so-sweet/7705/

Northwestern University's annual Waa-Mu Show is ready to go! And this year's edition of the long-running student-driven original extravaganza is called "Gold." Running at Cahn Auditorium May 1-10, and with artistic direction by faculty member David H. Bell, "Gold" is inspired by the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and is a full-length, fully staged musical, written, composed and choreographed by students. Over 100 have participated this year.

Waa-Mu-Show-to-Offer-New-Perks-This-Year

Something new will be going on each weekend in May at the Berger Park Coach House Theatre, by the lake in Edgewater. Three Cat Productions is presenting a world premiere revue with songs by 15 different Chicago songwriting teams! And a cast of 8 singer-actors will be "weaving history and personal stories from Chicagoans, in the show called "Chicago Is!: A Hometown Musical Review." Jason Paul Smith conceives and directs the show, with musical direction and arrangements by Roy Freeman. Sounds like a cool idea!

World-Premiere-Production-of-CHICAGO-IS-A-HOMETOWN-MUSICAL-REVIEW

Metropolis Performing Arts Center in downtown Arlington Heights is presenting the popular "The Drowsy Chaperone" from May 14-June 14. And the theater's "Artist Lounge Live" series will present popular Chicago stage star Heidi Kettenring (a 2014 BroadwayWorld Chicago Award winner, by the way) in "Something Wonderful" on June 11 at 7:30 pm. All in beautiful downtown Arlington Heights, steps away from Metra.

http://www.metropolisarts.com/

The highly regarded Glenview Theatre Guild is readying for its annual summer musical production, and this year it is "The Music Man." Directed by Jason Harrington and choreographed by Robin Lehtman, with music direction by Marty Karlin, Meredith Willson's immortal slice of Iowa will be presented June 26-July 11 in the Norman E. Watson Auditorim of Glenbrook South High School. Ken Preuss and Amy Keipert star as Harold and Marian, with 2013 BroadwayWorld Chicago Award winner Denise Tamburrino (as Ethel Toffelmier) and a large cast.

http://www.gtgonstage.com/comingup/

In something of a masterstroke, the high-flying Pride Films And Plays has announced what appears to be the Chicago professional premiere of "The Boy From Oz," the musical biography of Peter Allen which won Hugh Jackman a well-deserved Tony Award in 2004. The composer ("I Honestly Love You"), performer ("I Go To Rio"), Academy Award winner ("Arthur's Theme") and Judy/Liza compatriot led a large and colorful life, and Chicago will finally see it August 5-30, directed by David Zak and music directed by Robert Ollis. Brilliant, you guys.

Pride-Films-and-Plays-to-Close-Summer-Season-with-THE-BOY-FROM-OZ

Broadway In Chicago is no doubt sad that its successful re-engagement of "The Book Of Mormon" is coming to a close on May 17th at the Bank Of America Theatre. But the company has announced dates for another show's tour to be here at the same time in 2016, and it's a long while in getting announced, if you ask me. But "Matilda" will finally be touring, and playing the Oriental Theatre from March 22-April 10, 2016. This production opens in New Haven and Los Angeles about a month from now, and includes in the cast the well-respected Chicago actress Ora Jones as Mrs. Phelps, and star of the Drury Lane Theatre's "The Sound Of Music," Jennifer Blood, as Miss Honey. The show opened in London's West End in the fall of 2011 and on Broadway in the spring of 2013, where it still plays at the Shubert Theatre.

Leading-Ladies-of-MATILDA-THE-MUSICAL-National-Tour-Revealed

A gamble that BIC took last fall may be coming to fruition on Broadway this summer, as a Broadway run was announced for "Amazing Grace," the show that premiered at the Bank Of America Theatre last October "prior to Broadway," even though it had no Broadway theater under contract. Well, it does now, replacing Gary Griffin's production of Jason Robert Brown's "Honeymoon In Vegas" at the Nederlander Theatre in just two months time (previews begin June 25, with opening set for July 16). Reports are that the show has indeed made some of the changes suggested by Chicago critics (yours truly among them) and indicated by the reactions of Chicago audiences. I myself referred to its "Sweet Sounds, Heavy Themes Close to Completion," and to its "star-making work from young Mr. Young," as in Josh, a 2012 BroadwayWorld Chicago Award winner for his work in the touring company of "Evita." And he's rarely offstage in this show. Directed by Gabriel Barre and choreographed by Christopher Gatelli, it's about the man who wrote the text for one of the world's most enduring hymns, and who was for a time an 18th century English slave trader. Is there an audience for this show? Yes. Is there one in New York, at those prices? We will see. Best of luck to "Amazing Grace!"

Josh-Young-Erin-Mackey-Will-Return-to-Broadway-in-AMAZING-GRACE

Last, but not least, we are glad to hear of the future plans of Circle Theatre, the 30-year-old company which has had a period of reorganization, departures, physical relocation, rumors of financial shortfalls and a hiatus from full public performances for the adult market. But the important and long-lived institution announced last week that, under artistic director Nicholas Reinhart and managing director Zez W. Ready, the company will be producing two Chicago premiere musicals this year. "Triassic Parq," a parody of "Jurassic Park" from the perspective of dinosaurs, will play in the Heartland Studio in Rogers Park from September 18-October 4. And in March of 2016, the company will produce "35mm: A Musical Exhibition" by Ryan Scott Oliver, directed and choreographed by Cameron Turner. Cool.

Circle-Theatre-Relaunches-with-New-Artistic-Team

So that's it! From honoring the best of the past, to looking into the near future and foretelling some of the tidbits of next season, the Mosh Pit is here to serve! I hope to see you at one of our amazing theatrical presentations, or at the very least, I'll see you under the video screens.....-PWT

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