'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for July 10th, 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:

It's today! As Auntie Mame Dennis would sing, "Hallelujah!" The second in the three-month summer party series from BroadwayWorld Chicago, The Call nightclub, The Showtune Mosh Pit and Paul W. Thompson Music is tonight, July 10, 2013, from 9:00 pm to midnight. It's the Summer Birthday Showtune Blowout! Come to The Call tonight (1547 W. Bryn Mawr) for showtune videos, birthday cake and trivia questions--two kinds. You can create a question to stump me, and I have 24 multiple choice trivia questions prepared for you. One lucky person will be selected as a prize winner from among each person with the correct answer in each round. And the top two people with the most correct answers for the entire evening will win the Grand Prize and the Runner-Up Prize!

SUMMER-BIRTHDAY-SHOWTUNE-BLOWOUT-Musical-Theater-Trivia-and-More

And what are these prizes, you may ask? Well, the Grand Prize includes a picnic basket perfect for a romantic evening under the stars at Millennium Park, Ravinia or any outdoor performance venue. AND, thanks to an offer by producer Scot T. Kokandy, it also includes a pair of tickets for the August production of Jason Robert Brown's "The Last Five Years" at Theater Wit. The Runner-Up Prize is also a pair of tickets to the show--no picnic basket. The show runs August 1-25, directed by John D. Glover, and stars Jim DeSelm and Allison Hendrix in this show that has become quite popular lately, including a run at Stage 773 last year, a recent off-Broadway run and an upcoming feature film starring Jeremy Jordan and Anna Kendrick. In Chicago, DeSelm and Hendrix will play the piano as they sing. Interesting concept! I would like to thank Scot T. Kokandy for his generous offer of these tickets, and urge everybody to come out tonight and vie for them. Happy summer birthday to everyone!

http://www.kokandyproductions.com/

Speaking of Millennium Park, the big Broadway concert of the year put on by the Grant Park Music Festival is one week from today, on Wednesday, July 17th. This year it's "A "Rodgers And Hammerstein Celebration" starring Rebecca Luker (Maria in Broadway's revival of "The Sound Of Music") along with Doug LaBrecque and William Michals, the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, all conducted by Chorus Master Christopher Bell. It's at 6:30 pm. And at lunchtime on both Tuesday and Wednesday, you could hear an open rehearsal. The sound of music, indeed!

GRANT-PARK'S-rodgers-and-hammerstein-celebration

Local summer productions continue apace. Up in Grayslake, the Studio Theatre at the College Of Lake County is the location for "A Chorus Line" from July 19-28, directed by Thomas B. Mitchell and choreographed by Valerie Alpert. Paul Hefner conducts. John Stergiou stars as Zach, with Cassie Austin as Cassie. As I understand it, the show will take place in the immediate present, with the thrust configuration of the theater used as a rehearsal room setting. Some Fosse style is being utilized as well.

College of Lake County's A CHORUS LINE

At Morton College in west suburban Cicero, the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center is readying a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Whistle Down The Wind" (lyrics by Jim Steinman). Is it possible that this is the show's professional area debut? That can't be right! But I can't recall any other productions. Hm. Dante Orfei directs, with music direction by John Warren and choreography by Kelsey Overberg. The show will play July 26-August 10, and features a large cast.

Jedlicka's WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND

Speaking of first productions, Midwest New Musicals' Mini-Musicals Project is presenting "North Shore B & B (Boats And Beaches)" on Sunday, July 21, at 3:00 pm at the Light Opera Works Second Stage, the McGaw YMCA Children's Center Auditorium in Evanston. The afternoon will feature three short works, "On The Road To Manderlay," by Francesca Peppiatt and Donald Flayton, "The Beached Boat Of A Billionaire," by John David Nelson and Christopher Dunn Rankin, and "On The Rocks," by Mark Adamczyk and Donald Nolan. The afternoon is directed by Joan Mazzonelli, with musical direction by Jessica A. Hunt and choreography by Angela Allyn. The five performers are Sarah Blevins, Amanda Compton, Zachary Elmassian, Nathan Mittleman and Jasmine Ryan.

http://light-opera-works.org/events.html

And we are getting casting news about some of our more prominent late summer productions. The Mercury Theater, which apparently is now calling itself "Mercury Theater Chicago," is presenting the local debut of "The Color Purple" (other than tour appearances, that is) beginning August 14, and the cast will be led by Trisha Jeffrey as Celie (she appeared on Broadway in "Rent," "All Shook Up" and "Little Shop Of Horrors"). JaSondra Johnson ("Crowns" at the Goodman Theatre) will be Sophia ("Hell no!"), with Adrienne Walker as Shug. Helming the show will be the team of L. Walter Stearns, Eugene Dizon and Brenda Didier (through October 27).

Trisha-Jeffrey-to-Lead-Mercury-Theater-Chicagos-THE-COLOR-PURPLE

And the local non-tour premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Next To Normal" will take place at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, beginning August 15 and running through October 6. Long-time Chicago star Susie McMonagle ("Billy Elliot") will play the highly coveted role of Diana, with Rod Thomas (a Jeff Award winner for "Little Shop Of Horrors") as Dan. Skyler Adams, Callie Johnson, Colte Julian and Josh Tolle round out the cast. It's almost here, you guys!

NEXT-TO-NORMAL-at-Drury-Lane-Theatre

Looking into the far future, I have not yet mentioned to all the peeps out there that this Christmas we will see a children's show that might get a great deal of attention. First Stage, a large children's theater company from Milwaukee, will be bringing its acclaimed production of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" to our Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, in a co-production with Chicago's Emerald City Theatre, all under the auspices of Broadway In Chicago. Yes, THAT "Rudolph." From what I've seen and heard about this, it could be quite special. It's the real deal, and certainly gets right to the top of this Baby Boomer's Christmas wish list. As Clarice says, "There's Always Tomorrow For Dreams To Come True!" November 14-December 29, 2013!

RUDOLPH-THE-RED-NOSED-REINDEER-Set-for-Winter-Run

And it was announced a few weeks ago that in January of 2014, Chicago will be the host to the new national tour of "Ghost," the West End version of the hit film, which didn't fare as well at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre as folks had hoped. The iconic pottery scene and all, "Ghost" will play the Oriental Theatre from January 7-19, hopefully bringing some heat to our winter. I figured I should mention winter if you are feeling a little warm today. It's Chicago! Just wait a minute, and it'll change....

GHOST-THE-MUSICAL-to-Play-Oriental-Theatre-in-Jan-2014

Also newly announced on the BIC horizon is the play with music "Peter And The Starcatcher," which will tour to the Bank Of America Theatre next April 2-13. Plays don't tour a lot, but this one, with the Peter Pan angle, four Tony Awards and a lovely physical production, just might do quite well on the road. Get your inner child ready for this "grown up's prequel." Tickets are not yet on sale. And there's 15 shows ahead of it on the Broadway In Chicago website. That's a lot of theatergoing!

http://www.broadwayinchicago.com/peterstar2014

So, keep cool, Chicago! You asked for summer, and it's here. (That's how I know it's my birthday.) I hope to see you tonight, and for many nights to come, under the video screens and elsewhere. Enjoy!.....-PWT

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