'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 6th, 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:

As the time approaches for the presentation of the Equity Jeff Awards on October 19th, folks are beginning to wonder: Are we in the midst of some sort of Golden Age of Chicago Musical Theater? On top of all the great productions from last season which are nominated for awards ("Caroline, Or Change" at the Court Theatre and "Miss Saigon" at the Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, to name just two), just think about what is running right now on Chicago's more prominent stages. Great work by just about everyone, with nearly universal great reviews and audience reception, that's what!!

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

First off, there's all the new musicals ("prior to New York," if you will, whether official or not), like "Million Dollar Quartet" at the Apollo Theater (starring the Next Big Thing, Levi Kreis-spottEd Strolling about at the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts last month, looking fine, btw).  Not to mention "Yeast Nation (the triumph of life)" at American Theater Company, by the authors of "Urinetown," and the reboot of the Marx Brothers musical "Animal Crackers" at the Goodman Theatre, a house friendly to musicals, but not exclusively so. 

http://www.apollochicago.com/home/index.php

http://www.levikreis.com/live/

http://www.atcweb.org/

http://www.explorethegoodman.org/#show1 

And even the fairly new but big-hitter Chicago Children's Theatre has entered the new musicals picture just this past weekend, with "A Hundred Dresses" (music by Ralph "Ralph's World" Covert) on the mainstage at the Royal George Theatre. Pretty impressive for early fall, I'd say.

http://www.chicagochildrenstheatre.org/ 

Then there's the shows here which are pretty direct facsimiles of shows still on the boards in Manhattan, like "Jersey Boys" at the Bank of America Theatre and "The Marvelous Wonderettes" at Northlight Theatre.  They are what they are! 

http://www.jerseyboysinfo.com/chicago/

https://www.northlight.org/

Musicals in "standard repertory" (if you will) are in abundance here as well, in productions that would be the envy of any city, including New York. (Come to think of it, the Big Apple never sees this many standard shows on professional stages simultaneously, does it?)  First off, we've got "Hairspray" at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, "Cabaret" at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace and "Man of La Mancha" at Theatre at the Center in Munster.  Our three suburban Equity houses have all hit the bullseye this fall, with productions receiving rave reviews from every side. Check out the scorecard! 

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/tictop.php 

Other important shows you can see right now in our fairly windy city include "The Fantasticks" at Porchlight Music Theatre in Lakeview, "Cotton Patch Gospel" from Provision Theater Company on the Near South Side and "High Fidelity" from Route 66 Theatre Company at Piper's Alley in Old Town. 

http://porchlighttheatre.com/current.htm#fantasticks

http://www.provisiontheater.org/

http://www.route66theatre.org/ 

Looming on the horizon in the next few weeks are three more big musical events, too, a tour of "Cats," in its ninth life at the Cadillac Palace Theatre next week, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," opening at month's end at that Oakbrook Terrace hot spot, and the big international news of our fall schedule, the world premiere of "The Addams Family," with Tony winners Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre. The marquee signs are already up there, and the anticipation is palpable!

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/playdetail.php?playID=3388

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/playdetail.php?playID=3056

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/playdetail.php?playID=2951 

In addition to all the musical theater thrills, Showtune Mosh Pit fans are excited about the resurgence in the cabaret art form in Chicago lately. The Chicago Cabaret Professionals are hosting their Annual Gala this Sunday night, October 11th, at the Park West Theater, where they are honoring the legendary Karen Mason, among others, in a performance-packed night. 

http://www.chicagocabaret.org/news.php 

In Bucktown/Wicker Park, Davenport's is going strong with ten years and counting, now featuring a diverse line-up including Ron Hawking, Daryl Nitz and George Howe, Gwen Pippin, Alma Mendoza and Chicago Redline in its two rooms. 

http://davenportspianobar.com/ 

Even Honey West and the Chicago Cabaret Project (currently singers Meredith Freyre, Kelli Morgan, Olin Eargle and Kyle Hustedt, along with pianist Brian Felder) found themselves rather downtown this past Sunday evening, as they performed a one-night special show in the Palm Court at the Drake Hotel. That smell you noticed was the dust being blown out of the Grey Lady of Michigan Avenue by Halsted Street's own brand of music and sensuality. They're back at Hydrate on Tuesdays at 9:00, have no fear! 

http://chicagocabaretproject.com/ 

The Mosh Pit is reading a novel which came out last year, "Attack of the Theater People" by Marc Acito. If you went to acting school and ever even THOUGHT about heading to New York to pursue your big dreams as a Broadway star, this is the book for you!  Do you like the 1980s? Have you ever run around Manhattan with your best friends, or dreamed about doing that? Do you sing showtunes and wave your hands wildly in the air......oh, wait, you do, don't you? Yeah, this book is for you.... 

http://marcacito.com/atpbook.htm 

And, if you ever thought that today's musical theater world was full of jealousy, professional animosity or too many workaholics, I can tell you that at last week's opening night gala for "Hairspray" up in Lincolnshire (a benefit for the Chicagoland theater community's HIV/AIDS charity "Season of Concern," by the way), there was no such vibe. We spotted the star of "Cabaret," Jim Weitzer, the star of "The Fanstasticks," Jeff Parker, the stars of the upcoming "Thoroughly Modern Millie," Holly Ann Butler and Mark Fisher, the stars of the upcoming "The Christmas Schooner," Brandon Dahlquist and Cory Goodrich,....chorus girls and boys and artistic personnel galore, and, well, you get the idea. Never let it be said that musical theater professionals are too busy for a social event, or to raise money for a good cause, or to support each other's artistic endeavors. It was a beautiful thing to witness, indeed.

http://www.seasonofconcern.org/

And on that note, and with so much to see and do this week, I look forward to the weekend, when I'll see you under the video screens.....--PWT

To post a comment, you must register and login.