'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for May 12th, 2010
By: Paul W. Thompson May. 12, 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:
The non-Equity Jeff Award nominations were announced last week! Many Mosh Pit residents and friends are among the nominated, and many others may have seen the productions and performances that are lucky to be on the list. Congratulations to all involved with the 26 different theater companies with nominated productions!
Much has been made of the leading nominations coming from two theaters operating a block apart in Rogers Park. Both the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre had eleven nominations in total, with eight for their musical productions of "The Glorious Ones" and "Chess," respectively. Circle Theatre's mounting of "The Who's Tommy" is up for six Jeffs, and Quest Theatre Ensemble's musical "Evolution/Creation" is up in five categories. These four productions naturally are duking it out in several categories, including Best Production--Musical.
Other shows prominent on the list, with three nominations each, include Theo Ubique's "Man of La Mancha" and "Poseidon: An Upside Down Musical" from Hell in a Handbag Productions. All productions come from the April 2009 through March 2010 time period, and the awards will be handed out on Monday, June 7, 2010 at the Park West. Sounds like a blast!
Click Here for the Jeff Awards
In my discussion of the fairly evenly distributed Tony Award nominations last week, I neglected to point out the Chicago origins of two New York performers nominated as Best Actor/Actress in a Musical this season. I believe that Sean Hayes ("Promises, Promises") is a Glen Ellyn native, and Kate Baldwin ("Finian's Rainbow") is from Evanston. They rock, you know.
Looking forward to Chicagoans at next year's Tony ceremony, many of us are looking with excitement on this week's announcement that David Cromer will be making his debut as a director of a Broadway musical next season. The director of "Adding Machine" and "Our Town" here and Off-Broadway, who's been in town helming "A Streetcar Named Desire" for Writers' Theatre in Glencoe (performances began May 4th), has been tapped to bring the current Off-Broadway musical "Yank!" to Broadway (no theater or date yet named) next season. This was a surprise announcement for many in New York, but when we met the show's creators (brothers David Zellnik and Joseph Zellnik) a few weeks ago, many of us were hoping that something was afoot. How exciting for the Mosh Pit, Chicago and Broadway!
Yank! A World War II Love Story - A New Musical
Speaking of Writers' Theatre, their runaway hit production of "Oh Coward!" closes this Sunday after a run of six months. It was originally scheduled to close in March. It spawned two replacement cast members and what amounts to an original cast album ("Bright Young People"). I certainly hope you saw it. Even though it's only a fifty-seat theater, many people saw it, and loved it!
Another well-received production will also be departing from our boards soon--"Ragtime" at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace will close as scheduled next Sunday, May 23, 2010. I'm sure that the recent Broadway revival deserves every bit of the attention and award nominations it has received, but many who have seen Oakbrook's production (directed by Rachel Rockwell and starring Quentin Earl Darrington, Cory Goodrich and Mark David Kaplan, with a top drawer Chicago supporting cast) would put it right up there next to it. By all means, get out there and see this production if you haven't! You will regret missing it when the Equity Jeff nominations come out.....
We haven't noted a production of "Nunsense" lately, that mainstay of small theater companies in the late '80s and '90s. There's one going on now through May 23, at the Saint Sebastian Players, in their church basement venue at St. Bonaventure Church, 1625 W. Diversey in Chicago. With book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin, this show ran for years Off-Broadway and around the country, spawning (at least) two sequels, television and video versions, cast albums and lots of laughs. Seeing it in a church can only raise it into some meta-theatrical level of ultra-reality, right? Sounds like a good choice for the company!
And "Vaudeville Vivat!" has only two more Saturday nights to go, May 15 and 22. This new "multi media, sketch, improve, music and dance" show from EP Productions is at the Playground Theater on Halsted Street. The 1916-style show's description on their website sounds fascinating. "'Vaudeville Vivat!' will be structured similar to a classic vaudeville or showboat performance with an improvised storyline thread that ties sketch comedy, improv, multi media, dance, improvised choreography, improvised songs, classic vaudeville songs, traditional vaudeville acts, and circus acts." Got that?
A new performing arts venue is opening, or rather, re-opening, in Rogers Park. Mayne Stage, formerly called the Morse Theatre when it was open for a time a year or so ago at 1328-30 W. Morse Avenue, is coming back. Tickets will go on sale this week for some comedy performances in June, and it's been reported that Ann Hampton Callaway and other cabaret artists will be announced for summer dates by next week. That's exciting!
And a benefit for Porchlight Music Theatre will be held at the Mayne Stage on June 7th! "Chicago Sings Sondheim" is scheduled to include some of Chicago's top showtune performers, including E. Faye Butler, Barbara Robertson, Peggy Roeder, Ross Lehman, Susie McMonagle, Rebecca Finnegan, Michael Lindner, Heather Townsend....well, the list just goes on from there. And it's only $38. Sounds like a blast!
And, last but not least, I wouldn't be true to showtune fans of a certain age if I didn't mention that Barbra Streisand's CD and DVD of her New York Village Vanguard performance last September have been released. "One Night Only," it's called. It's showtunes and standards, performed by Barbra and a jazz quartet. I mean, come on. At this point, anything that she sings is required listening, right? Love it or leave it, attention must be paid. This is Barbra Streisand! Her legacy extends to Betty Buckley, Celine Dion, Linda Eder, Lea Michele and so many others. But she is the original. Nobody sang like that before. Nothing against the late, great Lena Horne (R.I.P.), Judy Garland, Blossom Dearie, Doris Day or many other pop singers of earlier times, but come on. Attention must be paid!
The Official Barbra Streisand Site
Soapbox stored--you can come out now! Go about your business. Speaking of which, I hope to see you creeping in and out of Chicago area theaters, bars and nightclubs all week. I'm pretty sure I will. And this weekend, I'll see you under the video screens.....--PWT
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