'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for May 6th, 2015
By: Paul W. Thompson May. 06, 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:
Our favorites boys are coming back in town, the "Jersey Boys," that is. The 2006 Tony Award-winning musical that had a two-year tour run at our Bank Of America Theatre (including the five minutes it was known as the "LaSalle Bank Theatre") also played there for nine weeks in 2012. As the BOAT is currently the home of the highly-regarded "The Book Of Morman" (through May 17), this production (the third national touring company) will play a different venue this time (the Cadillac Palace Theatre). But have no fear! Ben Hartman will still be holding down the fort as conductor (a role he stepped into during the original Chicago engagement, while studying for his music Ph.D. at the University Of Chicago).The five leads, Matthew Dailey, Keith Hines, Hayden Milanes, Drew Seeley and Barry Anderson, are new names to me, but they've worked all over. Get to know them during a two-week stint (May 12-24).
http://broadwayinchicago.com/show/jersey-boys-2015/
On the other end of the spectrum, we have a show that to my knowledge has never been produced professionally in the City of Chicago. "[title of show]" is that show, and the "little show that could" will be produced by The Brown Paper Box Co. from July 17 through August 16, 2015, at the Rivendell Theatre in Edgewater. It's a hilarious meta-show, with characters named after the show's real-life authors and a plot involving their attempt to write and perform a Broadway musical (they succeeded in 2008, after an earlier off-Broadway run). M. William Panek will direct Matt Frye and Yando Lopez as Hunter and Jeff, with Neala Barron as Susan and Anna Schutz as Heidi (and Justin Harner as Larry, the accompanist).
Brown-Paper-Box-Co-Sets-Cast-of-TITLE-OF-SHOW-Chicago-Storefront-Premiere
Though we continue to suffer losses of folks gone from our midst way too soon, the Chicago musical theater community also continues to come together to benefit worthy causes, both theatrical and non. And this Sunday night, May 10, "Chris' Birthday Belt-Fest" will celebrate the birthday of multi-hyphenate musical theater artist Christopher Pazdernik while raising funds for the Howard Brown Health Center. It's a special edition of "Option Up!," Pazdernik's monthly musical theater cabaret show with current triple Jeff Award nominee Aaron Benham. At 7:30 in The Cab at Stage 773, the Belt-Fest will feature a smorgasbord of Chicago leading ladies, including Heidi Kettenring, Marya Grandy, Alexis J. Rogers, Charissa Arnon, the aforementioned Neala Barron, Lillie Cummings, Landree Fleming, Kristen Freilich, Angela Ingersoll, Jessica Kingsdale, Molly Kral, Elizabeth Lanza, Samantha Pauly, Lauren Paris, Laura Savage and Amanda Peterson Fails. Line-up subject to change. But what a line-up!
Howard-Brown-Health-Center-Benefit-Concert-Set-for-The-Cab-at-Stage-773
And everything else I have to talk about today is NEW WORK! So many premieres going on these days, and so many theaters promoting the development of new musicals! Is everyone writing a musical these days? (I am.) Full speed ahead, Chicago!
The aforementioned Aaron Benham is currently the musical director of "Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical," which included the aforementioned Lauren Paris in the cast, along with Ryan Lanning, Chris Ballou and Emily Grayson. Stephanie Stockstill stars in Sarah Ruhl's revision of her 2002 non-musical play of a similar title. Back then, the star was Polly Noonan, who now directs. Music by Todd Almond was added to the property for an off-off Broadway run in New York in 2012, and now the work has been fine-tuned for this production, mounted as in 2002 at Evanston's noteworthy Piven Theatre. It's absurdist, but reportedly a blend of comedy and, well, melancholy. As Wilmette native Ruhl is a former Tony and Pulitzer Prize nominee, this one is getting national attention.
http://www.theatreinchicago.com/melancholy-play-a-chamber-musical/7576/
Northlight Theatre in Skokie (where the aforementioned "[title of show]" was produced in 2012) is currently in production for a musical adaptation of its previously-commissioned non-musical play, "These Shining Lives," by Jessica Thebus. Now called "Shining Lives," the musical version credits Thebus with book and lyrics, and she directs the production as well (running May 8-June 14). Andre Pluess and Amanda Dehnert are the co-composers of the music, with Chuck Larkin as music director and Vanessa Stalling as choreographer. The top-notch cast stars Jess Godwin, Johanna Mckenzie Miller, Bri Sudia and Tiffany Topol, with support from Alex Goodrich, Erik Hellman and Matt Mueller.
SHINING-LIVES-World-Premiere-Musical-to-Open-This-May-at-Northlight
Also on the north shore, and also concerned with the plight of working women during the industrial age in America, is "Mill Girls," being developed by The Music Theater Company of Highland Park. With book by Samantha Beach, and music and lyrics by Diana Lawrence, it will be presented as a staged reading on June 14 and 15, conceived and directed by Jess McLeod.
http://themusictheatrecompany.org/index.php/current-season/mill-girls2015
But before that, The Music Theater Company will present readings of "The 9/11 Report," first seen at the company in 2009 and now further developed. It is conceived and adapted by Jessica Beth Redish, with music and lyrics by Michael Mahler and spoken word poetry by Oren Stenesh (May 23 and 24).
http://themusictheatrecompany.org/index.php/current-season/9-11-report
Michael Mahler is having a very busy May, by the way. In addition to starring as a trumpet player's son in the play "Side Man" by Warren Leight, which opened last week (through May 24) at the Greenhouse Theatre Center in an American Blues Theater production, his new musical for young audiences, "Wonderland: Alice's Rock And Roll Adventure" also opened last week (also through May 24) at the Ruth Page Center For The Arts, in its world premiere production by the Chicago Children's Theatre. With book and direction by Rachel Rockwell (also currently represented by "Billy Elliot" at the Drury Lane Theatre), "Wonderland" stars Isabelle Roberts and Ariana Burks alternating as Alice, and includes as actor-musicians Molly Callinan, Lillian Castillo, Matt Deitchman, Jed Feder, Regina Leslie, Jake Mahler, Adam Michaels, Andrew Mueller and Matthew Yee. And it's gotten some pretty stupendous reviews.
http://www.theatreinchicago.com/playdetail.php?playID=7717
In the world of concert readings, FWD Theatre has one coming up this Monday night, May 11. It's "Swift As Desire," written by Arthur Perlman and Jeff Lunden, best known for their musical "Wings" (their adaption of Arthur Kopit's play that won awards for its production at the Goodman Theatre here and at the Public Theatre in New York in the early 1990s). Henry Godinez is directing "Swift As Desire" (music direction by Alex Newkirk) for the reading at City Winery on W. Randolph Street. The cast will include Will Skrip, Elizabeth Romero, the aforementioned Yando Lopez, Laura Crotte, the aforementioned Jeff Award and BroadwayWorld Chicago Award-winning Lillian Castillo, Lakin Valdez, Sandra Delgado, Rodrigo Ignacio Cruz and Charin Alvarez.
The award for the first reading of the month goes to Porchlight Music Theatre, which presented "Gate Crashers" at Stage 773 last night, May 5, directed by Stacey Flaster and music directed by Michael Duff (book and lyrics by Laura Holtz and music by Joseph Shadid). The show's cast included Robb Alton, Erica Evans, the aforementioned Matt Frye, Donica Lynn, Meghan Murphy, Jim Rank, Tavia Hunt, Doug Pawlik, Rob Rahn, Sawyer Smith and Missy Weiss.
http://porchlightmusictheatre.org/gatecrashers-overview/
And lastly, peeps? Well, the biggest new work in town right now has got to be "Sense And Sensibility," the commissioned musical by Paul Gordon (Broadway's "Jane Eyre") and directed by Barbara Gaines at the theater she founded and runs, the big-time Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Running through June 7, the show has received some dazzling reviews. I'm sure there are some tweaks to be had before the show gets produced elsewhere, but the feedback (and the videos and the photos) are pretty impressive. Laura Bergquist is the musical director and Harrison McEldowney the choreographer. The full and accomplished cast includes Sean Allan Krill, Megan McGinniss, Sharon Rietkerk and Wayne Wilcox (pictured at top), along with Michael Aaron Lindner, Paula Scrofano, David Schlumpf, Emily Berman, Colin Morgan, Peter Saide, Tiffany Scott, Matthew Keffer, Megan Long and Elizabeth Telford. Again, national attention must be paid.
http://www.theatreinchicago.com/sense-and-sensibility/7487/
Is that enough excitement for you? These are heady times, folks. New works abound, local companies are turning out high-quality revivals, and the expressway between here and New York runs both ways at a steady speed. Let's hope it all gets documented by video cameras! You know, so I'll see you under the video screens.....-PWT
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PHOTO CREDIT: Liz Lauren
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