'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for September 29th, 2010
By: Paul W. Thompson Sep. 29, 2010
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:
And "The Lion King" reigns in the Loop once more. Joining the long-running "Billy Elliot" (with whom it shares a composer) and the short-running "Rock Of Ages" (closing Sunday at the Bank Of America Theatre) for a one-week summit of sorts, the Julie Taymor megamusical begins performances at the Cadillac Palace Theatre on September 29, 2010, with an ending date not yet announced (probably November 27, an 8-week run). "Wicked" moves into the same theater by December 1st, so it can't run longer than that! At any rate, "The Circle Of Life" beckons us once more. And you know I always applaud the entrance of the giraffes. I mean, come on. That's an awesome moment. The magic has begun!
The Lion King | The Official Site of the Musical
With the opening of "The Lion King," Chicago's Super September comes to a great conclusion. And what a month it's been! We've seen both a quantity and a quality of musical theater productions that would be the envy of virtually any city in the world. In addition to "The Lion King" and "Rock Of Ages," Broadway In Chicago brought us "An Evening With Sutton Foster" in a remodeled and renamed downtown venue (the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place). Three resident Equity theater companies which only occasionally present musicals did so, and all three received pretty strong reviews. They were a virtually new work ("Daddy Long Legs") at Northlight Theatre, a newsworthy revision of a troublesome, important work ("Candide") at the Goodman Theatre, and a well-received, intimate staging of a charming second tier title ("She Loves Me") at Writers' Theatre.
The large musical houses didn't disappoint, either. The Marriott Theatre opened a strong "A Chorus Line," and Theatre At The Center came through with the regional premiere of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." (Drury Lane Theatre's "Hot Mikado" opened in August, but who's quibbling?) And some of the mid-size companies in the Lakeview neighborhood came through in a major way, too, as Bohemian Theatre Ensemble provided a bang-up "Big River" and Porchlight Music Theatre opened "Sunday In The Park With George" literally right next door (always welcome in the city that houses the Georges Seurat painting which inspired the show). REALLY literally next door, Griffin Theater Company's "Company" shares a roof with Porchlight's SITPWG at Stage 773, and begins previews this week.
Out in the suburbs, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" has just opened at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, joining "The Wedding Singer" at Oak Park's Circle Theater as September entries onto the boards of the smaller suburban venues.
Add all these to the carry-over productions "Billy Elliot" (at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre), "Million Dollar Quartet" at the Apollo Theater, "Blue Man Group" at the Briar Street Theatre, "The Absolute Best Friggin' Time Of Your Life" at The Second City and "Godspell" at the Provision Theater Company on the near south side, and you have a tremendous amount of high-quality, professional musical theater going on right now. The Mosh Pit has been rocking with all the news and excitement. Get thee to a theater!!
Theatre In Chicago's Review Round-Up Of Shows Currently Playing
Speaking of MDQ, Tony Award-winner and singer-songwriter Levi Kreis has embarked on a series of Monday night concerts in different cities around the country, even as he continues to perform 8 nights a week as Jerry Lee Lewis at the Nederlander Theatre in New York. And Chicago's Apollo Theater will host Kreis's return to the venue where he performed for almost a year and a half, on Monday, November 1, at 7:30 pm. One year ago (October 6, 2009 to be exact) I called Levi Kreis "the Next Big Thing." Now, I don't know if he will play "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," but I bet whatever he plays, the crowd will adore it, and will agree with my prior assessment. The "SideXSide Tour," with Eric Himan and Jason Antone as Kreis' special guests, kicks off here before heading to Montreal, suburban Washington, Philadelphia and beyond.
One prominent theater company not listed in the September review above is Rogers' Park's award-winning pocket troupe, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. The company's current production is the non-musical (albeit poetic) "The Lady's Not For Burning." However, more traditional fare (done the Theo Ubique way) is close at hand. The company's home in the No Exit Café on Glenwood Avenue will soon include their production of "Cats." Yes, that "Cats." The one that you can't possibly do on a tiny stage. And yet, they are. The Andrew Lloyd Webber megamusical will run November 19, 2010 through January 2, 2011. I'm not kidding!
The Lady's Not For Burning « Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Speaking of non-traditional musical theater, Chicago had both ends of that spectrum covered last weekend. On the one hand, French stage and film star Gerard Depardieu joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (including yours truly) at Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center for a rarely performed "monologue/melodrama" about the relationship of art, the artist and his muse, "Lelio," by the 19th century French composer Hector Berlioz. And over at the United Center, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters brought "The Wall" to life in a stunning revival of the 1980 concert tour of this seminal rock musical spectacle. These works may not be Broadway musicals, but they are music theater, and they show the great diversity of ways in which music and theater can join together and make each other richer. What a fascinating time for our art form and for our city!
Muti Conducts Berlioz Spectacular
Roger Waters Tickets and Tour 2010
In yet another form of music theater, "Glee" returned to new episodes last week, and this week featured the music of Britney Spears. Is it just me, or are some show tune folks increasingly losing interest in the show that burned so red-hot last season? Could the bloom be off the rose, and the L off the forehead? I'm hearing some carping lately. What think ye, Mosh Pit peeps? Was last season's euphoria too much, too soon? Are guest stars and themed musical selections a legitimate TV show guiding principle, or has the Slushie jumped the shark? Too much autotune? Too much preaching? Too many soap opera shenanigans? Let me know what you think?
There was good news for former Chicagoan Stephen R. Buntrock last week: the guy who played Chris in "Miss Saigon" at the Marriott Theatre just nine years ago is now playing love scenes as a mature leading man opposite Bernadette Peters on Broadway! He's been appearing in "A Little Night Music" since the revival opened last season (as Mr. Lindquist and then more recently as Frid), but is now Fredrik, replacing Tony nominee Alexander Hanson. Livin' the dream.
Stephen R. Buntrock to Replace Alexander Hanson
And Chicagoan/New Yorker David Cromer got a little good news earlier this week! The director of the Chicago-to-New York musical version of "Adding Machine" and the hugely successful revival of "Our Town," tapped to remount the hit off-Broadway musical "Yank" for Broadway next year, was named a Fellow by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. That's the "genius grant," wherein recipients get (ultimately) $500,000, no strings attached. Nicely played, Mr. Cromer! He's promised to keep directing in Chicago (he had two shows here this year), and we intend to hold him to his work, don't we? I just hope he keeps showing up in the Mosh Pit!
Director David Cromer Wins 2010 MacArthur 'Genius' Award
And, last but not least, BroadwayWorld announced last Friday that we are instituting the Theatre Fans' Choice Awards for the Chicagoland theater community! Nominations are being accepted online now through October 15 for awards in 25 categories, to be voted on by you, the fans of theater in Chicago! There will ultimately be five nominations in each category, and the final round of voting will take place in November. Productions which opened between September of 2009 and August of 2010 are eligible. Get those nominations submitted now, and tell your friends and colleagues to do the same!
Here's the Article Annoucing the Awards
And Here's Where to Submit Nominations!
Wow, I'm tired! It has been an exciting and full month. And it promises to be an exciting fall theater season, capped off with the announcement of the winners of the Theatre Fans' Choice Awards in mid-December. I know I'll see you before then! I'll see you under the video screens.....--PWT
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