'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for August 17th, 2011
By: Paul W. Thompson Aug. 18, 2011
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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:
That squeal you heard last Saturday afternoon around 5:40 pm was TV, film, recording, stage, concert and internet star Darren Criss performing before a few thousand wet and lucky fangirls and fanboys at Chicago's Northalsted Market Days. The star of "Glee" (as Kurt's boyfriend, Blaine) "A Very Potter Musical" (as Harry) and soon to star on Broadway (as Finch) in "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" sang a surprisingly eclectic set for about an hour and fifteen minutes, then returned for two encores. Joined at times by a back-up band (his college friends from the University of Michigan, now residing in Chicago, I think), Criss played two guitars, keyboard and drums (briefly), singing songs he's written (including one premiere), songs he's hit the charts with (Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" in a slow version, with no accompaniment but his own keyboard playing), and was joined by actress Lauren Lopez and the band for a blistering rendition of "Granger Danger" from "A Very Potter Musical," the internet sensation written and produced by StarKid Productions (also responsible for the charting original cast album "Me And My Dick", previously mentioned in this very column, and for "Starship," the musical which had its world premiere on Halsted Street at the Center On Halsted earlier this year).
As the concert started over an hour late due to rain, Criss was appropriate by starting things off for the diverse and loyal crowd with "Singin' In The Rain," the 1920s hit by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. And next? "Part Of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid," in a folk singer-songwriter version that was very effective. (Criss commented on his own habit of singing songs originally written to be sung by women, and referred to the song's lyricist, the late Howard Ashman, as "one of my personal heroes.") Later in the set, he performed The Chiffons' hit "One Fine Day" by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and (one of the many original songs he performed) the "future over-used audition song" "The Coolest Girl"). In all, he touched on showtunes, rock and roll, pop-rock, blues, folk and probably more, with a great, well-placed voice and instrumental chops that are the real deal. One of the last songs was Nat King Cole's "That's All." This is not a review, but, I'm telling you, this multi-talent is going nowhere but up, and he may never again perform in such an intimate and casual outdoor setting. His Chicago concert is already a legend. Really.
The next legendary Chicago concert by two Broadway stars together just might be Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp live in concert at the North Shore Center For The Performing Arts in Skokie, on Saturday night, October 22, 2011. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, August 20. The original stars of "Rent" on stage and screen, both have performed in Chicago separately, and they've done "Rent" here together, but this night may be something special. I'm not sure how much publicity this concert has gotten, but that's why you're reading this column today, right?
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
The biggest news of the week in terms of full-scale musicals (and it's full, believe me) is "Sweeney Todd" at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, opening tonight! Directed by local director du jour Rachel Rockwell and starring four-time Tony Award nominee Gregg Edelman in the title role, this one is getting national attention, and rightly so. Stephen Sondheim's quasi-operatic epic runs through October 9, and co-stars Broadway's Liz McCartney and Chicago's Kevin Gudahl, along with Heidi Kettenring, George Andrew Wolff, George Keating, Emily Rohm, William Travis Taylor and Jonah Rawitz (and a big supporting ensemble). The production photos alone are stunning. Break a leg, everyone! And good luck to the rest of us in getting a ticket....
Drury Lane Oakbrook - Now Playing at Drury Lane Theatre
Also opening this weekend, and playing only until August 28, is another classic of the legitimately-sung Lyric Stage, Sigmund Romberg's 1924 Broadway sensation "The Student Prince," at Light Opera Works. (Trivia note: Light Opera Works is using a revised book for the show, credited to Hugh Wheeler, bookwriter of "Sweeney Todd!") Rudy Hogenmiller directs and choreographs William Bennett, Danielle Knox and company at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston. This is the show that includes everyone's favorite showtune lyric: "Drink, drink, drink!"
Light Opera Works - Student Prince
Bill Bennett, by the way, is the founder of Velvet Singer, the career-organizing software system for classical singers that has many features showtune types may also love. Check it out!
Velvet Singer - Solutions for Singers
Among current shows on local stages, it was announced that "Pinkalicious" has been extended at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place through January 7, 2012! That's quite an extension for the off-Broadway children's musical in its local Emerald City Theatre production, picked up by Broadway In Chicago from the Apollo Theater originally only through Labor Day. Six month run in a new location, anyone? Nice.
Chicago Pinkalicious 2011 Tickets | Broadway in Chicago
In the category of "extremely new musicals" we have "Bizarre Books: A Compendium of Classic Oddities," otherwise known as "The 48 Hour Musicals" from the Music Theatre Company in Highland Park. Next Monday and Tuesday, August 22-23, a team of actors, writers, directors, musical directors and choreographers will write and stage four new 15 minute musicals in a 48 hour period. I think they do it because no one told them it couldn't be done. Or many because someone DID tell them. The company, masterminded by Julia Beck, includes Brianna Borger, Matt Edmonds, Jess Godwin, Sean Knight, Alaina Mills, Jill Sesso, Will Buck, Zach Zube and the team of Peter Hilliard and Matt Boresi, among others. These kids must all be awesome.
:: THE MUSIC THEATRE COMPANY ::
And on to more new! The House Theatre is beginning its season with a new adaptation of the "Cyrano" story, this one by director Matt Hawkins. I don't know if it's a "musical" or not, but it has music by Kevin O'Donnell, with lyrics by Shawn Pfautsch and Hawkins. We'll find out when it debuts on August 25 and runs through October 16, upstairs at the Chopin Theatre on Division Street!
Cyrano » Season X » The House Theatre of Chicago
Later this fall, the Royal George Cabaret will host "The Doyle And Debbie Show," a hit in Nashville since 2007 that is stepping out and up to test the waters of viability, assisted by Chicago producer Jim Jensen. Created by Bruce Arntson and starring Arntson, Jenny Littleton and Matt Carlton, it begins performances October 11, with an October 17 opening. It's a country music satire with all-original music, and has had two appearances on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien." Hmmm.
Later in the fall will come the very first new musical from the Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago's highly respected teaching and performance venue, headquartered in Lincoln Square. It has commissioned and will be presenting "Keep A Song In Your Soul: The Black Roots Of Vaudeville," about African-American touring performers from 1830 to 1930. It's a subject that's all but unknown, I bet. The show, a collaborative venture, will be performed the weekend of November 3-6.
And we end where we began this week's Mosh Pit, with "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying." The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, still going strong on Broadway with Daniel Radcliffe in the lead, with Darren Criss taking over in January, will be the first musical of the new season for the Big Noise Theatre Company in northwest suburban Des Plaines (September 23--October 18). Their season will also include the Ellie Greenwich musical (one of the first jukebox musicals, now that you mention it) "Leader Of The Pack" (April 27--May 13, 2012). It hasn't been done much around here lately.
Big Noise Theatre : Musicals, Plays and shows "especially for kids"
OK, then! Stars in the ascendant, shows for singers and a lot of new work make up the Mosh Pit this week. I wonder what next week's column will bring! I don't know yet. But before then, I'll see you under the video screens.....-PWT
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Photo of Darren Criss by Paul W. Thompson
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