'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for August 7th, 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:

Well, that was it, folks! On Monday, the big "Broadway In Chicago Summer Concert In Millennium Park," or whatever it's officially called, took place at the Pritzker Pavilion. Despite a downpour of about twenty minutes prior to the show, a huge crowd showed up. It seems from social media as if "Once" and "Motown" are the shows that folks are most fired up about. I heard some complaints that the "jumbotron" could have been used to give close-ups of the performers, instead of merely showing the logos of the shows being featured, and the names of the performers, many of whom are currently performing their roles on Broadway, don't seem to have been put very far out there. That's too bad, really. So, even though it reportedly could have been better, many peeps enjoyed it for what it was, and that's a good thing. So "Flashdance" is here for the next two weeks, and the rest of the BIC fall season will unspool as planned. Fall is coming!

broadway-in-chicago-summer-concert-2013

Which brings me to the topic of our very own BroadwayWorld Chicago Fall Theater Preview Party, taking place at The Call nightclub in the Andersonville neighborhood on Wednesday night, August 28. We'll be there from 8:00 pm to midnight, and I hope you can join in! Keep an eye on BroadwayWorld Chicago for details about how your theater can participate in letting everyone know about your fall shows (basically, contact me). You'll also get a preview of the preview, after everyone has firmed up their publicity plans in a couple of weeks. The party is three weeks from today, so consider this your "save the date" postcard! Chicago theater is awesome in the fall, and you can find out about it, network and publicize, on the 28th!

BWW-Chicago-Has-Three-Big-Events-at-The-Call-This-Summer

Lyric Opera Of Chicago has announced some casting for next spring's "The Sound of Music," the second entry in their series of the five most popular Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. From April 24-May 11, 2014, you can see and hear Christine Brewer as the Mother Abbess and Elizabeth Futral as Elsa Schraeder. Rob Fisher will conduct, with direction by Mark Bruni. I can tell you from first-hand experience that Christine Brewer's voice is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and that the casting of both of these ladies certainly seems like a good way to serve this beloved material. But who will be Maria? There are a couple of youngish American mezzo-sopranos about, any one of whom would be a good choice. And the Captain? He doesn't sing much, even if the production includes "An Ordinary Couple." Get somebody whose name will sell tickets! That's the ticket!

Christine-Brewer-Elizabeth-Futral-Set-for-Lyric-Opera-of-Chicagos-THE-SOUND-OF-MUSIC

Not this month, but not next spring either, the Theatre At The Center over in Munster, Indiana, has announced casting for its production of Stephen Schwartz's "Godspell." Bringing the timeless tale of Jesus to life, 70s style, will be Liam Quealy as Jesus, Jim DeSelm as Judas/John the Baptist, with Matt Deitchman, George Keating, Merrick Robison, Hillary Marren, Alexis Rogers, Rose LeTran, Kathleen Gibson, Landree Fleming, David Hathaway and Lauren Paris. This is an amazing cast, given that so many of them are currently in other shows at other theaters! William Pullinsi and William Underwood will be in charge as usual. The production will run September 12-October 20, 2013.

Theatre-at-the-Center-to-Present-GODSPELL

The youth of Chicago are right now putting on one of the most popular and significant musicals of the years in which they were born, "Ragtime" from After School Matters, the Chicago Public Schools' enrichment program. ASM's Musical Theater Experience is mounting the Flaherty and Ahrens show for the next week, August 9-15, at the Storefront Theater on Randolph Street. A.J. Wester is directing, with music direction by Julian Chin. Yes, it's the School Edition, but it's "Ragtime!"

http://ragtimeasm.eventbrite.com/

Circle Theatre's youth program, Circle Theatre Emerging Young Artists, based in Oak Park, has staged Laurence O'Keefe and Neil Benjamin's "Legally Blonde," directed, choreographed and costumed by Shawn Quinlan and musical directed by Josh Walker. It's the next two weekends (August 8-18) at the Madison Street Theatre. Omigod!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/398874

Adults are doing musical theater, too! "The Drowsy Chaperone" is on the boards in Palatine, where the Fremont Street Theater Company is performing at historic Cutting Hall. Madeline Franklin is directing, with choreography by Dina DiCostanzo and musical direction by Ken McMullen. The Lisa Lambert/Greg Morrison score will be performed by John B. Goss (Man In Chair), Lindsay Prerost (Janet Van de Graff), Julie Koerner (The Drowsy Chaperone) and company, for these same two weekends (August 9-18). But do they want to show off?

Tickets to "The Drowsy Chaperone"

Up in Lake County, The Music Theatre Company is working on its annual summer event, "The 48 Hour Musicals" project. This year's version is subtitled, "Autokorrekt," and will consist of four new 15-minute musicals inspired by smartphone autocorrections. The shows are written and rehearsed in 48 hours. The performances are August 19 and 20, and, though I don't know who is writing, directing or performing them, I do know that something is happening!

http://www.themusictheatrecompany.org/

A new musical will open at the end of this month, somewhat out of the blue! It's "The Lockout" at American Theater Company, and it's sports-themed and nationally minded. With a run from August 23-September 15 announced, and based on the 2011 National Basketball Association lockout, the show is by sports comedy writers (and Second City alums) Ben Fort and Jason Gallagher, brought to us by their company "Six Hours Short." And a cast album is already available! The production is directed by Joe Giovanetti, with choreography by Amy Carlson and musical direction by Joel Shuman and Chaz Evans. The cast members are Neala Barron, Rachel Christianson, Ben Harpe, Barry Irving, Molly Jones, Gus Klett, Micah Kronlokken, Justin Lance, Taylor Okey, Patrick Poulin, Michael Rawls Jr., Doug Reed, Sarah Lynn Robinson, Sheridan Singleton, Kyle Stephens, and Rachel Tietz. And there's a cool website!

http://www.lockoutmusical.com/

A place where the creators of "The 48 Hour Musicals" and "The Lockout" might feel at home is the Dramatists Guild, the national trade association for playwrights and musical theater writers. And the guild is holding its national conference here in Chicago later this month (August 22-25) at the Hilton Chicago and the nearby Merle Reskin Theatre. There are all sorts of fascinating workshops being offered, and nationally known musical theater writers like Lin-Manuel Miranda ("In The Heights"), Winnie Holzman ("Wicked"), Bobby Lopez ("Avenue Q") and Terrence McNally ("Ragtime") will be leading some of them. If you can register and attend in any capacity, I guarantee you will learn great things about theater. I will be covering some of the workshops for BroadwayWorld, but there are so many, you know! I need to clone myself. Anyway, the Dramatists Guild is an amazing and valuable organization and resource, and they will all be here! I wonder if they'll sample any of our Theater Productions....

http://www.dramatistsguild.com/nationalconference

So much is going on! Who says that theater slows down in the summer? Who? We've got tours, local productions, world premieres, national conferences, and, oh yes, showtune video bars! Get out there and enjoy, peeps, and I'll see you under the video screens.....-PWT

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