'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for May 27th, 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

by Paul W. Thompson

Overheard last weekend under the showtune video screens at Sidetrack and The Call:

Broadway In Chicago has a pair of shows starting performances next Tuesday. One is the national tour of "Once," 2012's Best Musical winner at the Tony Awards. The show played here for three weeks in October of 2013, and now it is booked into the Cadillac Palace Theatre for a one-week return (June 2-7). Stuart Ward and Dani de Waal (pictured) star. "Falling Slowly," anyone? How about a show about a Guy and a Girl? Or a show where the orchestra is a part of the cast? Yes, that does happen a lot these days. But how often do you see a dancing cello player?

http://oncemusical.com/

Also starting performances next week, but not officially "opening" just yet, is the hotly anticipated pre-Broadway tryout of "On Your Feet!," the story of the lives and careers of international pop sensation Gloria Estefan and her producer husband, Emilio. Booked into the Oriental Theatre for four weeks, from June 2-July 5, it's expected on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre beginning on October 5, 2015. Film and television actress Ana Villafane, who like Gloria is a Cuban-American who grew up in Miami, plays the star, and Broadway and television star Josh Segarra, long associated with the show through its development process, plays Emilio. With direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell and Sergio Trujillo, respectively, this show has a great pedigree. But will it work theatrically, and will it captivate today's audiences? Stay tuned, Mosh Pit peeps! Chicago will know the answers first.

http://onyourfeetmusical.com/

There was a workshop presentation of a new show last weekend, as Northwestern University's American Musical Theatre Project worked on "The Enlightenment Of Percival Von Schootz" from May 11-22, culminating in a presentation in the Ethel M. Barber Theatre on campus. The show is the work of the young team of Michael Kooman (music) and Christopher Dimond (book and lyrics), and its workshop was directed by Scott Weinstein (who directed "Titanic" in Chicago to great acclaim this past season for Griffin Theatre). Kooman and Dimond have won a lot of awards and have had their original shows performed at prestigious theaters in the US and Europe. Will this show be their breakout hit?

http://web5.soc.northwestern.edu/amtp/current-projects/vonschmootz/

A show with ties to Northwestern and which boasts a Chicago original cast CD is "Loving Repeating," with score by Stephen Flaherty ("Ragtime") and book and lyrics inspired by none other than its subject, Gertrude Stein, as adapted by Frank Galati. The show's first full production in 2006 was by About Face Theatre, and now this Chicago revival is brought to us by Kokandy Productions, playing July 18-August 30 at Theater Wit on Belmont Avenue. Allison Hendrix is directing, with music direction by Kory Danielson. Caron Buinis and Emily Goldberg star as Stein and Toklas, with Amanda Giles as Young Gertrude. Also in the cast will be Sarah Hayes, Andrew Lund, Jake Morissey, Maisie Rose, Stephanie Stockstill and George Toles. Lovely stuff, I think.

Full-Cast-Set-for-Kokandy-Productions-LOVING-REPEATING

Evanston's Light Opera Works is presenting an unusual take on "The Fantasticks" next month, the show which made off-Broadway a tourist destination as well as a local one during its original run of forty-some-odd years near Washington Square Park. That production, many will recall, had just a piano and a harp for an orchestra pit. Well, a full orchestral arrangement was made some years later under composer Harvey Schmidt's direction, but went virtually unheard. Until now. A full, traditional pit orchestra will accompany Light Opera Works' production, conducted by Roger L. Bingaman and directed by Rudy Hogenmiller, he who appeared as The Mute in an international tour of the show in which lyricist-bookwriter Tom Jones also appeared. If ever there was a place to debut this "expanded" version of an intimate classic, Light Opera Works is it. James Anest stars as El Gallo, with Meredith Kochan and Christopher MacGregor as Luisa and Matt. Rick Rapp, Kirk Swenk, Brian Rooney and Clayton Cross also appear, with James Harms as Henry, a role for which he won a Jeff Award--in 1976! Cahn Auditorium is the venue (June 6-14).

http://lightoperaworks.org/Fantasticks.html

And a second legendary show gains a hearing this second, as the fairly new Benevolent Theatre is presenting "Kiss Of The Spider Woman" from July 2-26 at the Trap Door Theatre in the Bucktown neighborhood. Parker Guidry and Jessica Kingsdale star, directed by Jessica Harling.

Benevolent-Theatre-Presents-Kiss-of-the-Spider-Woman

It's perhaps too soon to call it legendary, but the show based on the music of the legendary millennial band Green Day, the Grammy-winning "American Idiot," will receive a new sort of production at summer's end, courtesy of The Hypocrites. Running August 28-October 25 at The Den Theatre in Wicker Park, the production will feature direction by Steven Wilson, with music direction by Andra Velis Simon and choreography by Katie Spelman. Luke Linsteadt, Jay Cullen and Steven Perkins will encounter Alex Madda, Becca Brown, Brian Keys and Malic White, plus an ensemble of ten.

The-Hypocrites-to-Stage-AMERICAN-IDIOT-at-The-Den-Theatre

"Another Kind Of Love" is a new rock musical with music by Heidi Rodewald, book by Crystal Skillman and lyrics by Skillman and Caroline Dorsen. With direction by Mitch Goleb and music direction by Jeffrey Thomas, the show is running May 15-June 14, 2015, at the Chopin Theatre on Division Street. A production of the InFusion Theatre Company, it tells the story of two sisters, reuniting to honor their rock star mother after her suicide. The cast includes Alixon Hixson, Brady Johnson, Courtney Jones, Amber Kelly, Annie Prichard and Tyler Young.

First-Look-at-InFusion-Theatres-ANOTHER-KIND-OF-LOVE

And speaking of popular music stars, we end near where we began the Mosh Pit this week with "Twisted Melodies," currently in performance at the Athenaeum Theater, courtesy of Congo Square Theatre. The tragic story of soul singer Donny Hathaway, the show was written by and stars Kelvin Roston, Jr., with direction by Samuel G. Roberson, Jr. It opened in early May, and runs through June 14. If you're not familiar with Hathaway's music, or the way in which he died, or even if you are, this show reportedly delivers the goods for both.

http://www.congosquaretheatre.org/

Lastly, a word about the noteworthy career and tragic death of American Theater Company artistic director PJ Paparelli, who died last week at 40 from injuries suffered during a car crash while vacationing in Scotland. In less than a decade at the helm of the company, Paparelli brought to fruition through production, writing or directing such noteworthy plays as the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Disgraced" and the current "The Project(s)". On the musical side of things, he directed nationally-noted productions like the award-winning 2011 "The Original Grease," its follow-up, an archival production of "Hair," plus a new work by the writers of "Urinetown," "Yeast Nation (the triumph of life)." The company under his care produced such shows as "It's A Wonderful Life: A Radio Play" and, in collaboration with About Face Theatre, "Hedwig And The Angry Inch" and director David Cromer's take on "Rent." He made our showtune scene more interesting, to be sure. And he certainly had a vision. Gone way too soon, Mr. Paparelli.

American-Theater-Company-Artistic-Director-PJ-Paparelli-Dies-at-40

And so that's it for this week! I hope to see you a week from Sunday night, on June 7, for the Tony Award Viewing Party at The Call Bar in Andersonville. I've got more than a dozen pair of local theater tickets to give away! So I'll see you under the video screens, right?.....-PWT

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