'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for August 25th, 2009

THE LATEST IN UNAUTHORIZED GOSSIP AND BUZZ

FROM THE HEART OF CHICAGO'S SHOWTUNE VIDEO BARS

by Paul W. Thompson

 

Overheard last weekend under the

Sidetrack and Cattle Call showtune video screens:

Chicago's musical theater community is a-buzz and a-thrilled that local productions of two classic musicals have opened to such universal critical praise! "Cabaret" at Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace and "My Fair Lady" at Light Opera Works remind us of why these shows are the standard bearers of the field. Tickets are surely flying off the shelves for both of these evenings of delight. The word in the bars is.....miss them at your own peril! How lucky we are to have the opportunity to see or be involved in so many quality productions of the great titles, right? And search the internet for proof that I'm not just blowing smoke here, people!

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/playdetail.php?playID=3055

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/playdetail.php?playID=3439

The new production of High Fidelity at Piper's Alley, apparently the first profession production of the show post-Broadway, is receiving buzz for a different reason. As an almost unknown property, it received somewhat more mixed to confusingly disparate reviews. People are curious to check it out, exactly because it is such a curiosity, and because it features a score by Tony-winning composer Tom Kitt (Next To Normal). Cast album aside, the thing is virtually unknown. If the show does well here, it may have a life nationally. Flop here, and that's all she wrote, right? Hmm. Makes people awfully interested!

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/playdetail.php?playID=3417

OK, I'll go ahead and say it. We love our "Jersey Boys." We do. We do!! From the reaction that clips from this show get in the bars, we love them more every week. The sing-along is deafening, and the roar of delight is awesome! The BOAT (Bank of America Theatre) must be rocking, eight times a week.

http://www.jerseyboysinfo.com/chicago/ 

On the other hand, nobody knows anything about that other long-running Chicago production about the early days of rock music, "Million Dollar Quartet" at the Apollo Theater. It got great reviews and has been running all year, but has anyone seen it? It's about Elvis, right? What's the deal? Speak up! 

http://milliondollarquartetlive.com/

A show that people are intrigued about, due mainly to our collective love of Maureen McGovern's legendary rendition of "The Morning After," is "Poseidon!: An Upside Down Musical," a hit show for Hell In a Handbag Productions at the Chopin Theatre on Division Street. The "bitchy" and "campy" original musical, apparently a lovingly hilarious homage to the Irwin Allen disaster flick, has been extended twice. Must be worth a look, right? People are planning outings. Shelley Winters would have been proud.

http://www.handbagproductions.org/

On perhaps the other end of the musical theater spectrum, one of Stephen Sondheim's best-known works, "Sunday In the Park With George," is currently receiving a production by the Village Players of Oak Park. Though notoriously low-budget, the company has mounted a pretty good physical production for this very visual musical, if the production photographs I have seen are any indication. That's exciting!

http://www.village-players.org/

Eagle-eyed aficionados are aware that Spike Lee's movie of the Broadway production of the Tony-winning "Passing Strange" (Best Book) is opening in New York. Will it be available on On Demand pay-per-view cable here soon? Does anyone know? Doesn't seem to be playing at any movie theaters here. It sure seems like it's worth checking into, though. The cast includes Stew and Daniel Breaker (Donkey in "Shrek", both of whom have a growing fan base.

http://www.negroproblem.com/passing/index.html

Older mosh pit residents, and those fans of "Funny Girl," "Funny Lady" and "Hello, Dolly" clips, are excited about the September release of a new studio album from Barbra, er, you know, Barbra Streisand. The jazz-tinged album "Love Is the Answer," a collaborative effort with Johnny Mandel and Diana Krall, will include showtunes like " Make Someone Happy," "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and "Some Other Time." Bring it on!!!!!

http://www.barbrastreisand.com/us/music/love-answer

Finally, on a personal note, it is with some sadness that the end of the summer brings about so many moves to other places. Our little community will be missing everyone who has left us for school, family or professional opportunities, especially Joshua, Carl, Jessica, Nick and Scott. We know that you will all come back to visit, and that other friends will take your spots in the mosh pit. And you can follow our collective conscience online!! To one and all, bon voyage, and to those close by, I'll see you under the video screens.....-PWT

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