'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for June 23rd, 2010
By: Paul W. Thompson Jun. 23, 2010
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:
Something was in the air, I just knew it! When talking about the Chicago production of "Million Dollar Quartet" in last week's "Showtune Mosh Pit" Tony Awards Round-Up, I said that it was running through September, "as of this writing." Wouldn't you know it? Twenty-four hours later, the announcement came that the show has been extended at the Apollo Theater again, this time through January 2, 2011 (well over a two-year run). I'm not saying I knew anything, but sometimes you just know, you know? It's about Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Sam Phillips, by the way. It's like "Forever Plaid," I guess. Maybe someday we'll have musicals about the origins of the Backstreet Boys....... It could happen!
Million Dollar Quartet - Official Site
Also recently extended (though for only two weeks, closing July 11, 2010) is "Oh Boy!" at City Lit Theater Company, the Jerome Kern musical with book and lyrics by the legendary comedy writers Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse. It's really quite something, and will most certainly not be seen in these parts for some time to come. Which is really quite a downright shame. Kern was so much more than "Show Boat," and paved the way for so much of the American musical as we know it today. Sean Knight and company await your presence!
The new musical "Low Down Dirty Blues" got great reviews up at the Northlight Theatre in Skokie, didn't it? Felicia P. Fields, Mississippi Charles Bevel and friends are apparently burning it up and bringing things to a boil in this sexy revue of Delta/Chicago style blues. I'm not tooting my own horn, people, I'm drawing your attention to some other people tooting yet other people's horn-tooting horns. In Skokie. But better hurry! It only runs through July 3rd.
Low Down Dirty Blues - Northlight Theatre
Speaking of the suburbs, the "Some Like It Hot" musical "Sugar" got pretty good reviews out in Oakbrook Terrace at the Drury Lane Theatre (running through August 1st). Starring Jennifer Knox, Rod Thomas and Alan Schmuckler, and featuring Tammy Mader, Norm Boucher, Stef Tovar and a whole host of familiar and unfamiliar local names, Jim Corti's production takes a play-within-a-movie conceit that is an interesting take on the original material. Ben Johnson conducts a nine-piece orchestra. Sounds like a mid-summer barrel of fun!
Now Playing at Drury Lane Theatre
You only have the rest of this week to catch yet another well-received suburban production--"The Drowsy Chaperone" at Lincolnshire's Marriott Theatre. James Harms, Linda Balgord, Paula Scrofano, Gene Weygandt, Adam Pelty, Andy Lupp and others have had a great late spring run, under Marc Robin's direction. You saw it, didn't you?
Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire
New shows spring up for summer, though! The big winner at this month's non-Equity Jeff Awards ceremony, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, is back with the revue, "Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen," at the No Exit Café in Rogers Park. Directed by Fred Anzevino, with music direction by Steve Carson and choreography by David Heimann, the show has just opened, and runs through August 8th. A cast of six (two of whom are named Eric, btw) is performing quite an impressive array of standards by Judy Garland's favorite composer--the show's song list is on the Theo Ubique website (we likey this idea!). It's a truly great list--check it, and the show, out!
Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen
A big hit last season for the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble (and a big nominee at the Jeff Awards, winning for Theresa Ham's costumes), "The Glorious Ones" returns for this week only (June 23-27) at the open-air Theater On The Lake, which is, of course, next to the lake (on Chicago Park District beachfront property at Fullerton--with the official address of 2401 N. Lake Shore Drive). What an exciting revival opportunity for this Off-Broadway show by the songwriters behind "Ragtime," Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. And yes, it's summer in the city!
Chicago Park District: Theater on the Lake
And next Monday evening at 6:00 (speaking of summer in the city), Broadway In Chicago will present a free concert at the Taste of Chicago, called (believe it or not) "Broadway In Chicago Concert At Taste Of Chicago." Such an original title! But actually, the concert (at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park) should be pretty fantastic, with songs and casts from the aforementioned "Million Dollar Quartet," "Billy Elliott," "Shrek," "Rock Of Ages," "The Lion King," "Wicked" and "Hair," as well as the new French-Canadian entertainment "Traces" and the new American musical "Not Wanted On The Voyage" (from the authors of "The Story Of My Life," Neil Bartram and Brian Hill). Miss it, and risk being uncool!
Broadway In Chicago Concert at Taste of Chicago
And speaking of Broadway In Chicago, the script for a little show called "Next To Normal" (you know, this year's Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama) has just been published by TCG Books (the paperback version of the show, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, music by Tom Kitt, will ship in July). When, oh when will BIC announce that the national tour of this show is stopping in Chicago--probably for a two-week engagement next spring? Put us out of our misery, already. This is CHICAGO. We support musical theater!!! We do musical theater. We are the land of the "Showtune Mosh Pit! Just give us the dates already, please!!
And with that, we leave you to a week filled with revelry and merriment around and about. Maybe you will squeeze in a little theater,...listen to a few showtunes on some mechanical device or other,...attend a piano bar or karaoke night where our kind of music is favored,...or just hang out with likeminded people and trade quips and quotes from some show or other you've loved or performed. Sounds nice! And over the weekend, at some point, I'll see you under the video screens.....--PWT
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