'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for February 25th, 2015

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:

So......., Sunday night's Oscar broadcast happened! Between Idina "Adele Dazeem" Menzel and John "Glom Gazingo" Travolta making nice (sort of), Neil Patrick Harris performing a Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez song (and reminding us of how he looked at the end of "Hedwig And The Angry Inch"), our own Jennifer Hudson singing a Marc Shaiman-Scott Wittman song originally from "Glee," and movie musical chanteuse of the moment Anna Kendrick appearing in her Cinderella garb, only to be interrupted by a Sondheim-rapping Jack Black, well, showtunes were wherever you looked at the 87th Annual Academy Awards gala. But the sequence that most Mosh Pit peeps were social media-ing about was Lady Gaga's medey in tribute to the 50th anniversary of the movie version of "The Sound Of Music," a long-time box office champ and certainly worthy of continued AMPAS notice. But how did the lady do? When you consider hair, wardrobe, tattoos, vocal style, gestures, key, "type" and timing, there are a lot of factors to dissect, and wide variety of opinions! All in all, though, folks are glad it happened, pleasantly surprised that her long-rumored musical theater education is real, and thrilled to see Julie Andrews happy and gracious at the age of 79. Perfect? Maybe not? A water cooler moment? Definitely. And I'll take it.

http://oscar.go.com/

The very next night, the ensemble of the Broadway-bound "First Wives Club" made a quick promotional appearance in the Mosh Pit at Sidetrack, singing one song and giving away free tickets to the show. The Holland-Dozier-Holland version of the Midler-Keaton-Hawn movie, with a book by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, is now playing through March 29 at the Oriental Theatre. Simon Phillips ("Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert") directs. And the show is getting some play on social media. Two key themes: Tony winner Faith Prince is a wonderful actress (duh), and where is "You Don't Own Me?"

http://broadwayinchicago.com/show/first-wives-club/

Also bellying up to the bars on Monday were some of the cast of "The Book Of Mormon," as the Jumamosi Tour company that started here is back for almost three months at the Bank Of America Theatre. Chicagoans like James Vincent Meredith, Melanie Brezill, Rob Colletti and Jake Emmerling are led by Oregon's David Larsen and South Dakotan Cody Jamison Strand as Elders Price and Cunningham. (Through May 17)

http://broadwayinchicago.com/show/the-book-of-mormon/

A concert musical presenting songs from the films of Chicago North Shore storyteller John Hughes is playing for two weekends (Thursday-Sunday) under the auspices of Broadway In Chicago, running from March 5th to the 15th at the Broadway Playhouse. "For The Record Presents Dear John Hughes" (also known as "For The Record: Dear John Hughes") will have a cast change for its second week: film star Evan Rachel Wood will replace Rumer Willis in the role of "Basket Case." Um, okay.

Evan-Rachel-Wood-to-Join-Cast-of-FOR-THE-RECORD-DEAR-JOHN-HUGHES-in-Chicago

A show I didn't mention last week in my rundown of top current shows (well, it's not exactly a musical, but it does have songs) is "Mr. Burns," subtitled "A Post-Electric Play." Well, its production by and at Theater Wit has been extended for three additional weeks! That's three. A pretty big number, as extensions go. The production is now through March 22, directed by Jeremy Wechsler, choreographed by Brigitte Ditmars and music directed by Andra Velis Simon. The script, by the way, is by Anne Washburn, and the music is by Michael Friedman. The show played off-Broadway in 2013, following its premiere in Washington, DC in 2012.

Theater-Wit-Extends-MR-BURNS-Through-3-22

Speaking of March, Porchlight Music Theatre's two-night-only concert presentation of the Tony Award-winning "City Of Angels" will take place March 3-4 on the Stage 773 set of the company's superbly received Chicago premiere of "Sondheim On Sondheim" (two performances were just added for SOS, btw). "Angels," with a score by Cy Coleman ("On The Twentieth Century") and David Zippel and a book by Larry Gelbart (he wrote the book for Sondheim's "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum") is both a film noir homage and a romantic comedy about writers' block. It also has maybe the hottest jazz numbers ever to be written directly for a Broadway musical. The dynamic duo of Christopher Pazdernik and Aaron Benham ("Option UP!") are directing and music directing a cast headed by Brandon Dahlquist as detective Stone and Matt Edmonds as writer Stine. They are surrounded by a bevy of beautiful women, too. (Highly anticipated)

Brandon-Dahlquist-More-to-Star-in-Porchlight-Revisits-Production-of-CITY-OF-ANGELS

Speaking of Chicago premieres, Bailiwick Chicago just announced its four-person cast for "Murder Ballad," the 2013 off-Broadway musical that takes place, environmentally speaking, in a bar. Bailiwick will feature BroadwayWorld Chicago Award winner Amanda Horvath, Chris Logan, Matthew Miles and Camille Robinson, directed by Timber Lake Playhouse director James Beaudry and music directed by Nicholas Davio. The dates? April 2-May 9, 2015. The location? The Flat Iron Arts Building in Bucktown. And have you seen the hot PR photos that just came out? HOT.

Photo-Flash-Meet-the-Cast-of-Bailiwick-Chicagos-MURDER-BALLAD

This fall, The Hypocrites will stage the first locally-produced version of the Grammy-winning musical "American Idiot." The company, which just produced all three major Gilbert and Sullivan operettas in repertory and cleaned up at the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards for the all-day play "All Our Tragic," will begin its 2015-16 season with the Green Day rock musical about the millennial generation, directed by Steven Wilson and music directed by the same Andra Velis Simon mentioned in "Mr. Burns," above. Performances will be at The Den Theatre in Wicker Park, and will begin in early September. The very busy Katie Spelman will choreograph.

The-Hypocrites-to-Present-Chicago-Premiere-of-AMERICAN-IDIOT-This-Fall

The Chicago showtune community has a new home to the far north, as the Palace Theatre in the Wisconsin Dells has emerged as a successful enterprise after its holiday mounting of "Mary Poppins." Headed by former Chicago producers Anthony and Joseph Tomaska ("Tony And Tina's Wedding"), it's expected that a lot of Chicago talent will be behind and in front of the footlights for this tourist town venue. The just-announced 2015 season will include "Pinkalicious," "Ring Of Fire," "The Little Mermaid" (the summer show), the play "Lombardi" and, for the 2015 holidays, musical versions of "A Christmas Carol" and "The Nutcracker." It's northwest of Madison, sure, but still a draw for Chicago visitors and, now, for its performers.

PINKALICIOUS-LOMBARDI-THE-NUTCRACKER-and-More-Set-for-The-Palace-Theater

Lastly for this week, I should let you know that an ensemble I joined back in the fall has our last performance of a seven-month run scheduled for this Saturday night, February 28. The last (for now) performance by The Improvised Sondheim Project will be at 9:00 pm at MCL Chicago on Sheffield Avenue, and I will be at the keyboard. But it's not the last show ever! I can promise you that. And, just to keep your appetite whetted for our merry band, we will be joining with several Chicago theater companies and artists for a special performance benefitting Gilda's Club Chicago. Stephen Sondheim's birthday falls on a Sunday this year (his 85th) and "Finishing The Birthday Hat" will be at 8:00 pm on March 22 at Stage 773. The aforementioned Aaron Benham and I will share the keyboard, and just wait till you see who we're playing for! Join us, won't you?

http://www.improvisedsondheim.com/

FINISHING THE BIRTHDAY HAT at STAGE 773, MARCH 22, 2015

And so, February comes to an end. But winter? Ah, apparently not yet. No, nope, nada. But we in Chicago are very good at INDOOR theater! Just saying. That other kind we're good at, too, but not right now. So, I hope to see you at some toasty venue soon, and later, I'll see you under the video screens....., won't I?-PWT

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