'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for July 31st, 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:

Director-choreographer Rachel Rockwell and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier have done it again! When it comes to Theater for Young Audiences (TYA), or at least Abridged Musicals for Young Audiences (which I'm now dubbing "AM for YA"), Chicago Shakes is setting a very high bar, just like they did last summer with "Beauty And The Beast." This year's entry in the cut-'em-short-but-don't-scrimp sweepstakes is "Shrek," once the world's most costly Broadway musical, but now a 75-minute diversion that looks incredible and has gotten very winning reviews. Michael Aaron Lindner is Shrek, with Summer Naomi Smart as Princess Fiona, James Earl Jones II as Donkey, Travis Taylor (last year's Beast) as Lord Farquaad and Adam Fane as Pinocchio. Broadway-caliber designs and the musical direction of Michael Mahler make 11:00 am and 2:00 pm very happy times on the Pier. Nine times a week from now until September 1, 2013.

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/shrek-the-musical/6254/

Those who prefer their musicals a little later in the day are aware that Broadway In Chicago's "Summer Concert At Millennium Park" is coming right up, at 6:15 pm on Monday, August 5th. Somebody will be on the Pritzker Pavilion stage performing selections from the upcoming BIC offerings "Motown," "Wicked," "Elf," "Evita," "Flashdance," "Once," "Ghost," and "We Will Rock You," plus our continuing Chicago production of "Million Dollar Quartet." We're not sure who it will be, and we're not sure that BIC wants us to know. It's all so secretive! There will also be special performances by Illinois' participants in the Jimmy Awards, the winners of the Illinois High School Musical Theater Award. Will any performance equal that of Cyndi Lauper's last year, when the future Tony Award winner performed what I believe was the public world premiere of the song "Sex Is In The Heel" from "Kinky Boots?" I don't know, peeps. But if it happens, will you tell me? Tell the Mosh Pit! Tell us!

http://www.broadwayinchicago.com/summerconcert.php

BIC did in fact announce the cast of the upcoming "Flashdance," which will stop in at the Cadillac Palace Theatre for an August 6-18 run. The tour has been crisscrossing the country since January 1st, and was planning to open a Second Company directly on Broadway, but that's not going to happen in the foreseeable future. In the meantime, Jillian Mueller will be Alex Owens for us, with Matthew Hydzik as Nick Hurley, supported by Katie Webber, Kelly Felthous, Dequina Moore, Jo Ann Cunningham, David R. Gordon, Matthew Henerson and Christian Whelan. There are 18 more members of the ensemble! The hit 1983 film about a Pittsburgh steel mill welder has lent five smash hit songs to this stage adaptation, and Robbie Roth and Robert Cary have written the newer material. Chicago favorite Sergio Trujillo ("Jersey Boys," "Memphis," "The Addams Family") helms.

Katie-Webber-Kelly-Felthous-DeQuina-Moore-More-Join-FLASHDANCE

Just before Halloween, from October 22-27 to be exact, Chicago will finally see a musical which has been running in London's West End for 11 years, "We Will Rock You," with music by the legendary rock band Queen and book by well-known British comedy writer Ben Elton ("MR. Bean," "Blackadder," "Love Never Dies"). This will be the very first North American tour for this show, and Chicago will be the second city to see it (after Baltimore). And the cast was announced this week! Jared Zirilli, who sang a blistering Radames at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace's "Aida" in 2011, will be one of the stars, alongside Brian Justin Crum, Ruby Lewis, Jacqueline Arnold, P.J. Griffith, Ryan Knowles, Erica Peckas and a large ensemble. Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen are the musical supervisors. And all of the biggest hits immortalized by Freddie Mercury and the boys are here. Or will be.

PJ-Griffith-Jared-Zirilli-Brian-Justin-Crum-More-Set-for-WE-WILL-ROCK-YOU-US-Tour

But if you never leave the Pritzker Pavilion after next Monday's preview concert you'll be doing all right in the showtune scheme of things. You do know they've been showing musical films there on Tuesday evenings this summer, right? Already up have been "The Triplets Of Belleville," "Chicago," "Funny Face," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Amadeus," "Moulin Rouge," "The Jungle Book" and "The Buena Vista Social Club." (Sorry if you missed them!) There are three films left. Next Tuesday, August 6th, will be "Singin' In The Rain." (Well, let's hope they won't be.) August 13th will bring "Cabaret," and August 20th? "Dreamgirls." This seems like a nicely curated series to me. All the screenings start at 7:30 pm. And they are FREE.

Millennium Park Movie Series

For those of you in the far western suburb of Aurora (or is it a collar city?), you get a sing-along movie, and it's not on a Tuesday! It's Friday night, August 9, at 8:00 pm, and it is "Grease," at the new RiverEdge Park at the, er, edge of the Fox River in downtown Aurora. For $5 you can sing along with the words on the screen. Dancing and coming in costume is encouraged. As far as I am concerned, anytime the Chicagoland area can be reminded that this show was written here, by guys from here, that it premiered here and owes its huge success to here is a good time. Plus, this show is from everyone's childhood. Summer lovin', anyone?

http://riveredgeaurora.com/events/sing-along-grease/

Back in town, a show that may not be a musical (not in the "Grease" sense, and not in the "Amadeus" sense, either) is still selling out at the Royal George Theatre, enough to announce another extension from its original March opening. "The Pianist Of Willesden Lane" will play through September 1, in what I think is its fourth announced extension. Mona Golabek tells the tale of her mother's escape from Nazi Europe and the role that music played in her escape and life. It has apparently found its audience here! The man who has made a career of combining classical music and biographical theater, Hershey Felder, has certainly delivered as promised in adapting, directing and producing this material. And he has more shows lined up, too. Never underestimate Hershey Felder. You heard it here first.

THE-PIANIST-OF-WILLESDEN-LANE-Extends-at-Royal-George-Theatre-Through-9-1

Speaking of "Cabaret," we know that Light Opera Works is producting the John Kander and Fred Ebb classic in August. And speaking of the link between classical music and theater, the company is also preparing an original revue of George Gershwin music for production in the fall at the Music Institute Of Chicago's Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston, running October 4-13. We don't yet know the cast, but we noticed that the director of "Gershwin's Greatest Hits" will be George Andrew Wolff, best known as an actor in these here parts ("The Hunchback Of Notre Dame," "A Christmas Story," "Side By Side By Sondheim"). Is this his professional directorial debut? And Valerie Maze, no slouch in the musical director department ("A Little Night Music") will do those duties here. Alright, I admit it. I am a little bit more intrigued.

CABARET-ANNIE-GET-YOUR-GUN-and-More-Set-for-Light-Opera-Works-Season

The intrepid, entrepreneurial and unpredictable troupe known as The Hyprocrites have announced their upcoming season. You'll like this. After its season opener, a new play called "12 Nights," the troupe will remount their hit adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan's Japanese satire, "Mikado," to play November 14-December 29, 2013 at the Chopin Theatre. Then, after a production of Tennessee Williams one-act plays, The Hypocrites will join forces with Mercury Theater Chicago to present Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's "Into The Woods," directed by Geoff Button, from February 5-March 30, 2014. This could be fascinating! And, with all the hype surrounding the upcoming film version of this popular piece, starring Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp among others, this could be well attended as well! Good job, you Hypocrites.

http://www.the-hypocrites.com/season.html

And lastly, I'd like to pay tribute to a star of sorts in the Showtune Mosh Pit, one who passed away last week at the too-soon age of 43. Michael Morehead was a rare breed, a Showtune VJ, and one who specialized in it almost exclusively. In his six years of spinning the greatest hits of our genre onto the storied screens of Sidetrack, he chose his sets with a passion rare in any field, let alone one at the place where showtune videos were born. Never one to take his position for granted (he wanted it so badly in the early days), nor one to assume that the crowd would always throw the literal and proverbial napkins on the right beat, he was always in search of the perfect flow of songs. He was an expert on the original "Carrie: The Musical," too, as well as the more predictable "The Wizard Of Oz." Mikey died in hospice care in Glenview last Tuesday night, with his parents holding his hands. Many of us didn't have a chance to say a proper goodbye to him. But everytime we join together and get carried away to some other place, to some fantasyland of the musical theater fan's escapist mind, he will be smiling down on us, just as he did for the last six years. Your night is all planned out. Trust your VJ. He will take you there. He laid down the path for us all, and he trod it just a little bit ahead of us. RIP, my friend.

PASSAGES-Michael-Mikey-Morehead

And so, we go on. Summer is short, but it is indeed fabulous. Have fun where it takes you! And let's toast Mikey the next time I see you, under the video screens.....-PWT

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