'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for May 20th, 2015
By: Paul W. Thompson May. 20, 2015
THE LATEST IN UNAUTHORIZED GOSSIP AND BUZZ FROM THE HEART OF CHICAGO'S SHOWTUNE VIDEO BARS, AND MUSICAL THEATER NEWS FROM CHICAGO TO BROADWAY
Overheard last weekend under the showtune video screens at Sidetrack and The Call:
In case you missed the official announcement, BroadwayWorld Chicago will throw our third annual Tony Award Viewing Party on Sunday night, June 7th! During the CBS-TV broadcast of the Tonys from New York's Radio City Music Hall, join us at Andersonville's Call Bar for "Chicago At The Tonys" trivia questions and all the fun to be had with like-minded friends and theater fans. More than a dozen Chicago area theater companies have donated pairs of tickets we'll be giving away to those who can answer questions about Chicagoans nominated for Tonys, Tony nominees who've appeared here, and more. The broadcast begins at 7:00, but showtune videos begin on the club's screens at 5:00. Come one, come all! I'd love to see you there!
BroadwayWorld-Chicagos-2015-Tony-Award-Viewing-Party-Announced
The non-Equity Jeff Awards will take place at Chicago's Park West nightclub/concert hall on the very next night, June 8th, and in celebration of that, last night was "Nominee Night" at Sidetrack, the video bar in Lakeview. Pride Films And Plays hosted a night of Jeff-nominated performances, accompanied by Robert Ollis and Jeremy Ramey. What a great idea, right? The Jeff ceremony always includes performances from nominated productions, but given our Chicago theater vibe, they are usually ensemble numbers. Nominee Night was more oriented toward solo spots, from artists like Jim DeSelm, Callie Johnson, Sam Button-Harrison, Matthew Keffer, Shariesse Hamilton and the like. What a great idea, you guys! Keep it up.
Performers-Announced-for-2014-15-Nominee-Night-at-Sidetrack
The original Chicago-style chamber musical that opened last week at Skokie's Northlight Theatre, "Shining Lives" (pictured) has received exceptionally strong reviews. With music by Andre Pleuss and Amanda Dehnert, the show credits Jessica Thebus with book, lyrics and direction of the work, an affirmation of life and a memorial of sorts to the real women who fought Illinois' Radium Dial Company, even as they were dying from the effects of working there. Warm, happy, funny, sad and ironic, all in a brand new musical! It only runs through June 14 th, so I suggest you hurry!
http://www.theatreinchicago.com/shining-lives-a-musical/6893/
It must finally be the year for "City Of Angels," the Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 1990 (it defeated "Grand Hotel," among others). On March 3 and 4, Porchlight Music Theatre presented a concert version of the Cy Coleman tuner, starring Brandon Dahlquist and Matt Edmonds, directed by Christopher Pazdernik and musical directed by Aaron Benham. And yesterday, the Marriott Theatre announced the cast for its production of the film-noir dual reality musical comedy, set for previews on June 10 and running June 17-August 2, 2015. Nick Bowling directs, and Ryan T. Nelson music directs, and the cast stars Kevin Earley (the Marriott's "The Pirates Of Penzance" and the Goodman Theatre's "Brigadoon") and Rod Thomas ("Les Miserables" at the Paramount Theatre and "Next To Normal" at the Drury Lane Theatre); Tommy Rapley choreographs. Others in the cast include Danni Smith (in her long-awaited move to the big time), Gene Weygandt, Summer Naomi Smart, Devin DeSantis, Erin McGrath and Gabriel Ruiz. And "Big Red" (Meghan Murphy) will no doubt burn the place down as Donna and Oolie. Even the ensemble is full of star names (Michael Mahler, Dara Cameron, Brian Bohr, David Lively, etc., etc.).
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Another significant local production, and one that begins performances tomorrow night, is the Court Theatre's production of "The Secret Garden," the show that won the Tony for Best Book in 1991. Beloved for its songs now, almost as much as it ever was for its perennial children's novel storyline by Frances Hodgson Burnett (those songs include "Lily's Eyes," "Wick," "Hold On," "How Could I Ever Know" and "Come To My Garden"), the show is directed and music directed by the successful pairing of Charles Newell and Doug Peck (responsible for Court's "Caroline: Or Change," "Carousel" and "Porgy And Bess"). Rob Lindley and Jeff Parker star as the dueling Craven brothers. I smell a hit (through June 21st).
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The original musical "Soon I Will Be Invincible" will open at the end of this month at Lifeline Theatre in the Glenwood Avenue Arts District. Like "The Secret Garden," it's an adaptation of a novel, this one by Austin Grossman. Adapted by Christopher M. Walsh (book) and sound designer Christopher Kriz (music and lyrics), it's directed by Paul S. Holmquist. The cast includes Phil Timberlake, Christina Hall, Frederick Harris, Jason Kellerman, Tommy Malouf, Corrbette Pasko, Sarah Scanlon and Taryn Wood. Seems to be a superhero/gamer sort of thing (May 29-July 19).
Musical-Adaptation-of-SOON-I-WILL-BE-INVINCIBLE-to-Play-Lifeline-Theatre
Just up the street from Lifeline, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre has finally closed its popular "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the No Exit Café, and is readying its latest original revue, "A Marvin Hamlisch Revue," for performances there from June 4-July 12. And this one is in the hands of the young guard, with direction by Courtney Crouse, choreography by Chris Logan and arrangements and musical direction by the aforementioned Aaron Benham (a current three-time Jeff Award nominee). The cast includes Caleb Baze, Patrick Byrnes, Stephanie Hansen, Sarah Larson, Garrett Lutz and Sarah Kelly-Wasserman. We are promised movie songs, Broadway songs and pop songs by the late, legendary PEGOT winner. Nobody did it better.
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Naperville's BrightSide Theatre is preparing its summer production of "The Sound Of Music," in performance from June 12-28 at the Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall at North Central College. Directed by Jeffrey Cass, Meg McGarry stars as Maria, with Tony Lage as Georg, Michelle Hackman as the Mother Abbess and John B. Boss as Max. And BrightSide has announced its upcoming season as well, to include "Spamalot" in this timeslot one year from now.
In the northwest suburbs, Metropolis Performing Arts Center of Arlington Heights has announced its upcoming season, too. And it includes "Spamalot" as well (September 10-October 25, 2015), plus the annual "A Christmas Carol" (November 27-December 24) and "Rent" (May 19-July 3, 2016). And in the summer of 2016, the theater will present a new work, "Folsom: The Night The Man Became The Man In Black" (July 21-August 28, 2016). Hm. "Ring Of Fire," anyone? The theater is now in the midst of its run of "The Drowsy Chaperone," directed by Lauren Rawitz and starring Shari Mocheit, Matt McNabb, Debbie Di Verde, Brett Baleskie and Sarafina Vecchio (through June 14).
http://tickets.metropolisarts.com
And Chicago's The House Theatre will begin next season with a musical as well, an original work called loosely based on Euripides' "The Bacchae" and called "The Revel." With book by Damon Kiely and music by Jess McIntosh, it will be directed and choreographed by Leslie Buxbaum Danzig. Set for September 3-October 25 at the Chopin Upstairs Theatre, the show promises an "all-new, old-time country gospel score." Based on our track record, I bet Chicago eats it up.
http://thehousetheatre.com/playsandevents/revel
In case you haven't noticed, New York does indeed rely on Chicago for its pool of talent, even as New York actors do appear here. And there were two reminders of that just this past week. Chester Gregory returned to his alma mater, Columbia College Chicago, to receive an honorary doctorate and to deliver the commencement address on Sunday. He's both a Broadway star ("Hairspray," "Tarzan" and "Sister Act" are among his credits) and a BroadwayWorld Chicago Award winner (for a tour of "Dreamgirls"). And while Luis Perez was wrapping up his duties down the street from Columbia as director of Roosevelt University's musical theater program, it was announced last Wednesday that Perez will be the first director of a new musical theater program at the Manhattan School Of Music, beginning in the fall of 2016. That's quite fascinating, actually. So you see, that freeway between Chicago and New York just never stops, does it? It's not a bad thing.
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And so, with hopes that spring will linger, ultimately blossoming into a hot but not dreadful summer, we attend theater. And other locations. I'll see you under the video screens.....-PWT
HAPPY 'LIZA DOOLITTLE DAY, EVERYONE!
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