'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 13th, 2009

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

Sidetrack and Cattle Call showtune video screens:

Chicago said goodbye to three well-received productions over the weekend, as "Cabaret" closed at the Drury Lane Oakbrook, "Man of La Mancha" wound up its run at Munster's Theatre at the Center and "High Fidelity" closed up shop at Piper's Alley. Trust me when I say that "HiFi" will be seen on stages again before too long (you heard it here first). And a completely different production of "La Mancha" actually begins performances this week-Chicagoland's third professional production of this title in calendar year 2009. Take that, New York!

This time it's Theo Ubique Theatre Company mounting the Mitch Leigh tuner, but with a twist. A woman (Danielle Brothers) will apparently be playing Cervantes/Quixote! And the whole thing is co-produced by Michael James, son of original New York producer Hal James. Curious Showtune fans are eager to find out what the tiny, award-winning and intrepid Theo Ubique has come up with this time, in its cozy space in the No Exit Café in Rogers Park.

http://www.theoubique.org/

Coincidentally, another small theater company begins performances of another musical this week, exactly one block north of the No Exit at the Heartland Studio, in Rogers Park's Glenwood Avenue Arts District. The Bohemian Theatre Ensemble is mounting "The Glorious Ones," a 2007 offering by Lincoln Center Theater in its Mitzi E. Newhouse space, penned by "Ragtime"'s Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. We hope it's lovely. 

http://www.bohotheatre.com/ 

We've just received word the cast of "The Addams Family" starts rehearsals in Chicago next week! And not a moment too soon, as Halloween is in the theatrical air here. Two smaller shows are paving the way. First is "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," book and score by whiz kid Tyler Beattie, in a return engagement from last spring. Subtitled "A Folk Musical," Filament Theatre Ensemble is mounting it at the Viaduct Theatre (Belmont and Western) through November 9th. 

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=182991297138&ref=ts

And making its world premiere this weekend for one weekend only is a play with music with one of the longest show titles this side of Anthony Newley, "Professor Marius Mandragore's Salon Symposium Regarding Spirits, Spells and Eldritch Craft." Billed as "A Halloween Show," a cast of eight will entertain and enlighten us at the La Costa Theatre at Irving Park and Elston (2nd floor). It's presented by Terra Mysterium, a performance troupe which seems to take the concept of a grown-up Halloween quite seriously, yet with a distinctive comic flair. Word in the Mosh Pit is that this production is unlike anything else around, and that one of the leaders of this collaborative effort, Matthew Ellenwood, is certainly a talented guy. 

http://terramysterium.com/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=152563298083&ref=ts 

Another play with music has been getting quite good reviews-"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," the August Wilson play set in Chicago's roaring twenties. Court Theatre, has been laying bare music, race relations and so much more in Hyde Park on the University of Chicago campus. But the run ends this weekend, and tickets are reportedly hard to come by.

http://www.courttheatre.org/season/show/ma_raineys_black_bottom/ 

Also in non-Halloween, non-Broadway entertainment, but of interest to some Mosh Pit denizens, is the two-weekend Chicago premiere this month of Lar Lubovitch's ballet, "Othello," presented by our own world-class Joffrey Ballet at the Auditorium Theatre. With music by Elliot Goldenthal (his theater scores include "Juan Darien" and "The Green Bird," though he is better known for film scores like "Interview with the Vampire" and the recent "Public Enemies"), the world will be watching! And, oh, yeah, the promo video is HOT!! 

http://www.joffrey.com/index.asp 

In non-live entertainment, our girl Barbra Streisand hit number one again last week with the debut of her album, "Love Is the Answer." Way to go, Babs! 

http://www.barbrastreisand.com/us/home 

And the trailer for the upcoming Michael Jackson documentary "This Is It," which we caught before a screening of the new "Fame," looked pretty awesome, didn't it? Say what you will about his offstage life, but as a performer and creative auteur Jackson's talent demanded attention, and still does.

http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/home 

Local cabaret favorites Amy and Freddy continue their appearances around Chicagoland with ongoing Wednesday nights at the fairly new upscale nightspot Pops for Champagne, at 601 N. State Street. Our kids are big-time now! 

http://www.amyfreddy.com/

http://www.popsforchampagne.com/

And on a more modest note, a cabaret-style show called "Broadway Uncensored" has two more dates coming up after last weekend's debut at Mary's Attic. The naughty night of showtunes will be at Davenport's on October 18th and Mystic Celt on October 25th. The enterprising young artists of Real Clear Productions are billing it as a benefit in support of their upcoming season of shows.

http://www.facebook.com/amyfreddy?ref=ts#/event.php?eid=130592382761&index=1

http://www.realclearproductions.org/index.html

Last but not least, the Jeff Awards show takes place this coming Monday night, October 19th, at Skokie's North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. The evening's nominees include all the area's most prominent Equity theater companies, and many of our top theater professionals. Will "Million Dollar Quartet" walk off with top musical honors? Or will it be "Caroline, or Change," "Miss Saigon," "Joseph.......," "......Spelling Bee," "The Boys from Syracuse" or "A Minister's Wife?" (That's just one year's worth of great shows, you guys!) We can't wait to find out what happens in the thirty-five categories. And best of luck to all the wonderful nominees!!!

http://www.jeffawards.org/Nominees/index.cfm

That's all for now. Waiting with bated breath for the outcome of the big awards night, I'll see you under the video screens.....--PWT

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