'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for August 21st, 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:

Two big shows left us this past Sunday. But will they see the bright light of Broadway? Is that their goal? And will they thrive there? Let's discuss, shall we?

The summer's most anticipated production was "The Jungle Book" at the Goodman Theatre, director-auteur-author Mary Zimmerman's version of Rudyard Kipling's stories and Walt Disney's animated treatment of the same. Zimmerman and her team of designers and musicians (with plenty of boost but reportedly no meddling from Disney Theatricals) produced a show that was well received by most observers, even if they believed that the show wasn't what Broadway would expect and may not be entirely what Zimmerman-lovers love, either. But nearly everyone said that it could be better, and by that I mean that they expect that it will be better. Getting it off the ground may have been the hardest part. Next up for the production is Boston's 2013 Tony Award-winning Huntington Theatre Company, where the show will play September 7-October 13, already extended from its original dates. Will there be any changes before Baloo hits Beantown? Perhaps not. Will there be any future productions? I bet there will be. It's been very popular with ticket buyers. I bet on further development, and more direct involvement from the Mouse House. Just my gut.

http://www.huntingtontheatre.org/season/2013-2014/Jungle-Book/

The other production that departed our environs on Sunday was the national tour of "Flashdance," reportedly locked into continued touring due to the "lack of availability of a suitable Broadway house," or something akin to that. Most folks told me that the show was good to ok, but that it doesn't yet have the full impact that New York audiences would expect from such a well-known title, not to mention one that is an icon of a key era in American entertainment (creation of the music video, anyone?). It would be great if this show were amazing, wouldn't it? And, to be fair, everyone who saw both it and "Dirty Dancing" a couple of years ago told me it was light-years better than the stage adaptation of that "Baby in a corner" chick-flick. But will "Flashdance" make it to the Great White Way? Probably, is my guess. When? I'm thinking summer of 2014 at the earliest. Tour cities will treat it well, but not forever, unless it punches up the wallop. And New York will demand that. You heard it here first.

http://www.flashdancethemusical.com

Speaking of Broadway In Chicago, the cast of our very successful production of "The Book Of Mormon" is doing a wonderful thing before the show departs for a touring schedule October 6, 2013. Cast members of the male variety are appearing in a one-night-only presentation of the 1991 off-Broadway musical hit "Pageant" (score by Bill Russell and Frank Kelly), as a benefit for The Abzyme Research Foundation, raising money for an HIV vaccine trial. The date is 9-9-13, Monday, September 9th, at the Laugh Factory, the old Broadway Theatre at the corner of Broadway and Belmont in Lakeview. Pierce Cassedy, Donell James Foreman, Eric Giancola, Eric Jackson, Nick Laughlin, Will Lee-Williams and Richard Traub will fight for the title of Miss Glamouresse, with Jessica Hudson as the MC. This is just amazingly awesome. Who had this brilliant idea?

http://www.laughfactory.com/clubs/chicago/date/2013-09-09

There are a handful of musicals that seem to hold a special place in the hearts of Chicago audiences, usually from the beginning of the show's performance history. They are produced successfully here, and often frequently (ha ha, a surprise "Pirates of Penzance" joke!). I put "Ragtime" in that category, along with "The Light In The Piazza" and of course, "Grease." Another of these is "The Last Five Years," the Jason Robert Brown song-cycle/revue-cum-plot musical that was also just revived in New York and will soon be a feature film starring Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick. Producer Scot T. Kokandy got himself two fine singing and piano-playing actors (Jim DeSelm and Allison Hendrix) and a fine director (John D. Glover) and put up the show for an August run at Theater Wit. There's only one weekend left! It's like the last five performances....or four....or

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/the-last-five-years/reviews/6470/

"Hank Williams: Lost Highway" is a show which ran here briefly in the summer of 2012, though it was award-winning and well-received at the Athenaeum Theatre at Lincoln and Southport. Well, pretty soon it will run at another theater on Lincoln, at the Greenhouse Theater Center (August 30-October 6), produced by American Blues Theater. Damon Kiely directs, with musical direction by Malcolm Ruhl.

http://www.americanbluestheater.com/performances/upcoming-show/

The aforementioned "Ragtime" will be produced by the Des Plaines theater company called the Big Noise Theatre Company (a division of Winnetka Theatre, hence the Bette Midler-derived moniker). But before it gets to that monumental undertaking (scheduled for April 25-May 11, 2014), Big Noise will produce another off-Broadway hit of the 1990s, 1992's all-female "Ruthless!," with music by Marvin Laird and book and lyrics by Joel Paley. The show will run September 27-October 13, directed by Kyle Dougan. "The Bad Seed," anyone? The show that gave the world Laura Bell Bundy, Natalie Portman and Britney Spears rises once again.

http://www.bignoise.org

Black Ensemble Theater had a big hit on its hands this summer with its tribute to Blues legend Howlin' Wolf. And now it's time for the Uptown company to pay tribute to dusties, rock and soul legend Curtis Mayfield with Jackie Taylor's "It's All-Right To Have A Good Time: The Story of Curtis Mayfield," beginning performances on September 14 and opening on Sunday afternoon the 22nd.

http://www.blackensemble.org

Also beginning performances that same September 14 and opening on September 24 (running until October 20) is a major production of a new show, "Pullman Porter Blues," in the Albert at the Goodman Theatre. Already seen at the Seattle Repertory Theatre and in Washington, D.C. at Arena Stage, this script by noted playwright Cheryl L. West is receiving "an updated production" here, as befits the city where the Pullman car porters originated. Director Chuck Smith will be bringing together Tony winner Cleavant Derricks ("Dreamgirls"), Tony nominee Larry Marshall ("Porgy And Bess"), newcomer Tosin Morohunfola and Chicago stage stars E. Faye Butler and Francis Guinan, with actress Clare Kander and four musicians onstage, er, on train. It's 1937, and the first African-American labor union is at a crossroads. Music of the blues helps tell the story. If you thought for a second that the Goodman would be lacking after "The Jungle Book" moves out, you would be wrong.

Goodman-Theatre's-PULLMAN-PORTER-BLUES-Full-Cast-Announced

One of our other downtown theaters that mixes musicals with other stage fare, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier, has announced a bit of casting news for its next big mounting of a Gary Griffin-directed Stephen Sondheim show. And it sounds like great news! Louise Pitre, star of "Mamma Mia!" in Toronto, on Broadway and on tour about a decade ago, will star as Rose in "Gypsy" at CST when the Styne-Sondheim-Laurents legend runs in the mainstage Courtyard Theater February 6-March 23, 2014. The winner has indeed taken it all, and "Rose's Turn" will be coming up for Louise. [insert smiley face here]

Louise-Pitre-to-Lead-GYPSY-at-Chicago-Shakespeare-Theater-in-February-2014

Last but not least, we should probably talk about the Marriott Theatre's upcoming shows, including the first locally produced version of "Mary Poppins" (also directed by Gary Griffin) and the theater's newly revealed 2014 season. Yes, "9 To 5" is there now, officially opening tonight and running through October 13. "Poppins" will follow it as the holiday show, performing October 23, 2013 through January 5, 2014, and starring local star Summer Naomi Smart as P.L. Travers' mysterious heroine and Bernie Yvon as Bert. After that? The prominent Lake County Equity venue will follow the lead of Light Opera Works' current show and offer "Cabaret" (January 15-March 16). Then will come "Cats" (March 26-May 25), "Godspell" (June 4-August 10, about nine months after the Stephen Schwartz show plays Munster, Indiana), "On The Town" (in a rare local staging, indeed, from August 13-October 12, 2014) and finally, "The King And I," from October 22, 2014 to (dare I type it?), January 4, 2015. My, how time flies. And how diverse are the next seven Marriott shows! And how many companies announce seven shows in advance, stretching 17 months down the road? Lord, Lord, Lord.... That's planning!

http://www.marriotttheatre.com

So that's the Mosh Pit, peeps! So much summer theater, leading to so much fall theater, leading of course to holiday fare and winter theater and spring theater. Well, you get the idea! It's a year-round smorgasbord of showtunes hereabouts. And thanks for tuning in! I'll see you shortly, I'm sure, at a show and under the video screens.....-PWT

[Be sure to subscribe to the Mosh Pit! Click here to subscribe to our BroadwayWorld Message Board discussion thread. Receive your e-mail notice that the weekly "Showtune Mosh Pit" is available!]

[And click here to "Like" BroadwayWorld Chicago on Facebook!]

To post a comment, you must register and login.