'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for June 12th, 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:

Thank you all for coming! The first ever BroadwayWorld Chicago Tony Award Viewing Party at The Call was a smashing success on Sunday night, and we've already been asked back for next year. The assembled crowd (quite a diverse one, if you ask me) watched as our own "Kinky Boots" walked off with six Tonys on the CBS-TV broadcast, including a win for Billy Porter (a winner of a BroadwayWorld Chicago Award back in January, as was the production itself, in its tryout guise at the Bank Of America Theatre). And we were thrilled when our Steppenwolf Theatre Company brought home three awards for its production of "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?," including a Best Actor award for Tracy Letts, who gave a shout-out to the Chicago theater community and to storefront theaters, a Chicago hallmark. I had fun bantering with the crowd during "Chicago At The Tonys" Trivia, too, discussing which Tony-nominated performers through the years were Northwestern University graduates, what are the touchstones of Jessie Mueller's career and what is the only Tony-winning Best Musical that is set in the City of Chicago! (Answer: "Raisin.") And let's not forget the great performance turned in by South Suburban native Jane Lynch in the "Annie" segment! We had a great time throughout, and I thank everyone who turned out to mark the occasion with fellow theater lovers. And a big shout-out to Michael Hogan's amazing showtune video collection, which kept the party going well after Radio City Music Hall had cleared out. Bravo to everyone! I was honored you spent the big night with me and your fellow readers of the Showtune Mosh Pit!

2013-Tony-Awards-ALL-the-Winners

And we caught a glimpse of our own theatrical future, as "Motown: The Musical" (or "Motown," as I call it) performed on the broadcast, just three days after announcing that it will kick off its national tour here in Chicago (at the Oriental Theatre) from April 22-July 13, 2014. I think that's eleven weeks, too--a good long time. Kinda makes you wonder why they aren't starting in, you know, Motown: The City. But between our theater community and our African-American community, there will be plenty of interest in the show here. And, of course, the Jackson 5 were from Gary, Indiana, and there's been a long history of cooperation between Chicago and Detroit where the record business is concerned. I'm sure it will play its namesake city before too long. But our reputation among New York theater power brokers just continues to grow, as does our reputation among our own audiences as a city that demands nothing less than the best theater available, regardless of its origin. Yay, us!

MOTOWN-to-Hit-the-Road-for-National-Tour-Launches

In news about local Theater Productions, tongues are a-wagging and bragging about the great reviews for "A Cole Porter Celebration" at the No Exit Café, the summer production from Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. Fred Anzevino, David Heimann and Aaron Benham have crafted an original revue from the Bard of Peru (Indiana)'s immortal song catalogue, and it's sung by Jill Sesso, Sierra Naomi, Christopher Logan and William Lucas. The show is currently booked through July 21st. What's not to love?

http://www.theo-u.org/

The other big non-Equity opening of late was Kander and Ebb's "Kiss Of The Spider Woman" at Theater Wit, the summer production by the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble. It's running only through June 30th. Nathan Carroll, Jennifer T. Grubb and Evan Tyrone Martin star, supported by what I called "the best male ensemble I've ever seen in a production of this type." This Tony-winning show hasn't been seen professionally in Chicago since early in 2006, when Bailiwick Chicago gave it a whirl. That speaks to how hard it is to pull off. But pull it BoHo has.

http://www.bohotheatre.com/

And those Bohemians have announced their 2013-14 season! After a fall production of the play "Veronica's Room," by Ira Levin, the company will present three works that are musically challenging. In a year in which Theo Ubique will present the theatricalized Maria Callas in the play "Master Class," complete with opera arias, BoHo will present the theatricalized Wolfgang Mozart in Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus," next February at Stage 773. Then, the seldom-seen (never seen professionally in Chicago??) "Myths And Hymns," by Adam Guettel, will play June 13-July 13, 2014 at the Heartland Studio in Rogers Park. Lastly, BoHo will present a show close to my heart, Jason Robert Brown's Tony-winning "Parade," from September 13-October 12, 2014 at Theater Wit. Impressive, no? Something tells me we will all rush to the box office when the time comes. And I would give my eye-teeth that I think I know who they will cast as Leo Frank.

http://bohonews.blogspot.com/

A couple of suburban theaters are unveiling their summer shows hereabouts. The Marriott Theater's summer slot this year is being filled by the sketch-comedy-with-songs off-Broadway hit, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," which opens tonight and runs through August 11 up in Lincolnshire. Alex Goodrich and Bernie Yvon square off against Kelly Anne Clark (who appeared in it off-Broadway) and Johanna Mckenzie Miller. It's all in good fun, I'm sure. Next up for the Marriotteers? An August "9 To 5."

http://marriotttheatre.com/show.aspx?show=70

At the other end (almost) of Chicagoland, Naperville's BrightSide Theatre is presenting "Rent" on the weekends between June 14 and June 30, at the Theatre At Meiley-Swallow Hall at North Central College. Rusty Koenig and Kyle Kuhlman star as Roger and Mark, with Nicole Lambert as Mimi and Stephanie Souza as Maureen. No day but today! Just because it's June!

First-Look-at-BrightSide-Theatre's-RENT

Over on Navy Pier, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater is readying its summer children's musical, and this year it's "Shrek," with a strong A-list cast consisting of Michael Aaron Lindner as the Ogre himself, and Summer Naomi Smart as the Princess Fiona. This 75-minute version of Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire's Broadway musical will also feature Cameron Conforti, Adam Fane, Caroline Heffernan, Emily Leahy, Sarah Page, Alexis J. Rogers, Joey Stone, Matthew Uzarraga, Norm Boucher, Tommy Lucas, Rebecca Pink, Liam Quealy and Will Skrip. Rachel Rockwell directs, as she did with "Beauty And The Beast" last summer, with musical direction by Michael Mahler. "Shrek"'s running dates are July 13-September 1, 2013.

Michael-Aaron-Lindner-to-Lead-Chicago-Shakespeare-Theaters-SHREK

CST is also over the moon over the highly regarded "Othello: The Remix," which keeps getting extended. I've lost count! Is this the third time? It's now running through July 27th, after opening on March 12th and originally announcing a close of April 28th. The Q Brothers have tapped, er, rapped into something.

http://www.chicagoshakes.com/OTHELLO

And a few weeks ago when I brought you the summer musical theater preview for Chicago, I completely forgot about The Second City's ongoing production of "Let Them Eat Chaos," in open run after an early April opening at the venerable comedy institution in Old Town. Directed and guided by Matt Hovde, with musical direction by Julie B. Nichols, the company's 101st mainstage revue features the Jeff Award-winning actor Edgar Blackmon, along with Ross Bryant, Holly Laurent, Tawny Newsome, Katie Rich and Steve Waltien. Chaos!

http://www.secondcity.com/performances/detail/1559/

So that's it for this week's Mosh Pit, peeps! I hope your summer is going swimmingly so far. And it hasn't even arrived yet! We have another week and a half of meteorological spring, and then, look out! Peeps will be busting out all over. Have a great week, y'all, and I'll see you back here next time. And until then, I'll see you under the video screens.....-PWT

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