'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for December 2, 2009

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:

 

Chicago's musical theater community was awesomely represented at our city's two late November holiday parades, the Magnificent Mile Lights Parade and the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Several shows and casts took part, and looked fantastic in doing so. In fact, if you don't look too closely at this clip, you would swear that the cast of Theater at the Center's "The Christmas Schooner" was performing in front of Macy's, Herald Square, last Thursday morning, dancing up a storm and singing (lypsynching?) for those early-morning TV cameras in a time-honored Thanskgiving morning tradition. And look at those live Christmas trees, hauled in all the way from Munster for the occasion!

http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=eb7c5f2a-c5be-405c-8912-3861a3b91f5d&src=front

However, let me point out that this is in fact Macy's, State Street, (you know, that great street), the old Marshall Field's flagship store in the good old Windy City. We in the Mosh Pit are proud of all our televised November thespians, and are glad it wasn't snowing on you! Who needs New York??? 

Last week also brought to town the (reportedly) beautifully staged and sung tour of the Lincoln Center Theater "South Pacific" revival. When I say "town," I am referring to Rosemont in this case, as the Rosemont Theatre was the lucky venue. Why wasn't this tour in downtown Chicago, you ask? Say, at the Auditorium Theatre? Well, that venerable venue was hosting The Ten Tenors last week, instead of all those Seabees and navy nurses. We're not sure who The Ten Tenors are (they originate in Australia), but apparently they performed the second half of their classical crossover concert without neckties. Oooooooo. Maybe "South Pacific" can hit Chicago's Loop later on its tour (think lovely thoughts, Michael), in a theatre with a large stage and a visible orchestra pit. I'm just sayin.' And I'm not the only one. 

http://thetentenors.com/ 

Now that the Goodman Theatre's "A Christmas Carol" and the Victory Gardens Theater production of "The Snow Queen" have joined "The Christmas Schooner" in performances, our Christmas musical triumvirate is complete again. Will Porchlight Music Theatre's "Miracle on 34th Street" become yet another annual tradition? And don't forget that you can catch "Hairspray" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie" this week in exceptional local productions, too. 

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/tictop.php 

In smaller local holiday productions, we certainly want to remember that David Cerda's parody, "Rudolph, the Red-Hosed Reindeer," opens this week for a month at Mary's Attic in Andersonville, in a somewhat alternative holiday vein. Hell in a Handbag Productions is once again the responsible party.

http://www.handbagproductions.org/summer-camp/rudolph-the-red-hosed-reindeer-2009/

And a well-remembered home-grown musical from the 1990s comes back this week (through January 3rd), courtesy of Edgewater's City Lit Theater Company. It is Douglas Post's adaptation of the classic children's book "The Wind in the Willows." It stars Thomas M. Shea as Toad and Jeremy Trager as Rat. Need I say more? You know it is perfectly cast, before you even take your seat! Post himself directs, with musical direction by Andrea Velis Simon and choreography by Brenda Didier. 

http://www.citylit.org/home/index.html

Speaking of the 1990s, one of that decade's biggest emerging showtune stars was Linda Eder, she of the Streisand voice and the "Jekyll and Hyde" recordings. Eder returns to her favorite Chicago venue, the place where her career got a big boost upwards (courtesy of the Chicago Tribune's Richard Christiansen), the Park West, this Thursday, December 3rd. Her one-night only solo concert is called, "All of Me." 

http://www.lindaeder.com/

Starting Thursday for two weekends is "How the Diva Stole Christmas IV," the latest installment of holiday tunefulness and mayhem from the popular cabaret duo Amy and Freddy. They'll be in the Back Room Cabaret at Roscoe's (8:00 pm shows), with special guests Mark Diffenderffer, SheBoom and Red Hanson.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=180054194385&index=1#/amyfreddy?v=info 

Next Monday, December 7th, Season of Concern and the League of Chicago Theatres present a holiday party for industry types at the Chopin Theatre (Division, Milwaukee and Ashland). The party (20$ recommended donation) kicks off at 6:30 pm, and will include an awards salute to critic Jonathan Abarbanel, big-time local actress Rondi Reed and service organization the Actors Fund. Sounds like a party to me!!!

 http://www.seasonofconcern.org/CDA5240F87574D8387EBDE8FEC733210/news/news.asp?item=114263 

Showtune Mosh Pit types venturing to New York this time of year are torn between two fanboy fantasy Broadway musical revivals. I'm talking of course about "Finian's Rainbow," starring "Xanadu" alumnus and all-around next-big-thing Cheyenne Jackson, and "A Little Night Music" with both Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury live and on stage. "Finian" opened October 29th to universal rave reviews, and "ALNM" is still in previews (opening December 13th). But how to choose? Why not choose both, people want to know?

http://www.playbill.com/events/listing/1.html 

And in recording news, let it be known that Glee 1 will soon have competition for sales of CDs and iTunes downloads.  Yes, indeed, there will be a Glee 2 ("Glee: The Music, Volume 2," that is), and it's set for release December 8th. Get your fingers ready!

http://www.amazon.com/Glee-Music-2-Cast/dp/B002RL8V1U/ref=pd_ts_zgc_m_42_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&pf_rd_p=492958271&pf_rd_s=right-3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=42&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0VCZS4QBM4Z0YG43KZGR 

Lastly, for those who've lost faith in the power of the needle, news has come that the cast album of last season's Tony-winning revival of "Hair" has been released on vinyl (what we used to call "LP"), in a nostalgia and audiophile "limited edition" move from Sh-k-boom and Ghostlight Records. Even though they're asking 50 bucks for it, we just love them. We really do........Good call, I think. 

http://www.sh-k-boom.com/hair_broadway_vinyl.shtml 

So, with November under our belts (turkey anyone?) and December looking both long and short, I'll leave you be until next time. And until then, I'll see you shopping, clapping for your favorite performances, and grinning like a jolly old elf under the video screens.....--PWT

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