THE MUSIC MAN Comes to the Marriott Theatre in April Marriott Theatre will continue its 2024 season with MEREDITH WILLSON’S THE MUSIC MAN, the six-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy, directed and choreographed by Katie Spelman with Music Direction by Jeff Award Winner Ryan T. Nelson.
Caroline Heffernan Leaves An Extraordinary Theater Legacy In ChicagoWhen Caroline Heffernan leaves Chicago for Los Angeles to share the title role in Amanda Peet's World Premiere, Our Very Own Carlin McClough at the Geffen Playhouse and attend UCLA as a Business Economics major in the fall of 2018, she will likely have spent more hours on Chicago's stages than any other kid in Chicago theatre history. She has starred in leading roles in World Premieres written by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning playwrights (Tracy Letts and David Rabe), guest starred on NBC's Chicago Med and played a lead in Lifetime Movie Channel's My Daughter Was Stolen, filmed in Chicago. She was Steppenwolf's only Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, Paramount Theatre's only Annie in Annie and Chicago Lyric's only Young Kim in Showboat.
Longtime Theatre at the Center Artistic Director to Step DownTheatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana, one of Chicagoland's leading regional theatres, announces today that as of January 1, William Pullinsi will step down after over a decade as Artistic Director to dedicate his time to pursuing other opportunities while remaining Artistic Director Emeritus. Jeff Award-winner Linda Fortunato will assume the role of Artistic Director. During Pullinsi's time at Theatre at the Center he brought to the stage World Premiere musicals including Knute Rockne, All American and The Beverly Hillbillies; and Regional and Chicago Premieres including Ring of Fire, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, A Christmas Memory, Making God Laugh, Miracle on South Division Street, Fox on the Fairway, Do I Hear a Waltz, Leading Ladies, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, What a Glorious Feeling and Nice Work if You Can Get It (which he will be directing during TATC's 2016 season).
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for May 13th, 2015The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Ring Of Fire' and 'Big Fish' bring us a taste of the heartland, 'Beaches' hopes to follow 'Amazing Grace' on the journey from here to New York, and Gorilla Tango and MCL Chicago open new improv-based musicals. Plus the return of 'WOZ,' Stephen Sondheim honored by the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, and Tommy Tune to be feted by the Chicago Human Rhythm Project! Plus Waa-Mu honors Bernie.
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for April 22nd, 2015The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. It's the big guns! New openings at the Drury Lane, Marriott, ChiShakes, Second City, Porchlight, Theatre At The Center, Mercury Theater, Jedlicka and Big Noise theaters, plus 13 world premieres from the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival!
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for December 31st, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Braodway. It's the Top Ten Hot Topix for the last half of 2014, and the BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards Celebration on Wednesday, January 7th, 2015!
BWW REVIEWS: World Regional Premiere of WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN Is Expertly Done, Coolly ReceivedDavid Yazbek has shown himself to be a Broadway composer-lyricist to be reckoned with, after a splashy debut with 2000's "The Full Monty," and a meaningful follow-up with 2005's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." Both film adaptations, they won Drama Desk Awards for him, as well as Tony nominations. 2010's "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", also a film adaptation, was Tony-nominated for its score as well, though it suffered a truncated run of only 69 performances. Theatre at the Center in the Chicago suburb of Munster, Indiana, is the location for the show's world regional premiere.
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for September 24th, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. All the scoop from the amazing FWD Theatre Project gala, and 'The Last Unicorn' gets some big backers. Plus concerts by Chita Rivera, Felicia P. Fields, Sierra Boggess and Donna McKechnie, 'Sweeney Todd' on PBS and 'From Here To Eternity' on movie screens, plus the Marriott announces two casts!
Theatre at the Center Pushes 'WOMEN ON THE VERGE' Opening to 9/21 Following Actor's DeathIn the wake of the tragic loss of Actor Bernie Yvon, 50, in a car accident on his way to rehearsal of WOMEN ON THE VERGE, Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN the theater has moved its press opening to Sunday, Sept. 21 at 2:30pm. Previews begin Saturday, Sept. 13, with George Andrew Wolff assuming the role of the taxi driver that Mr. Yvon had been scheduled to play. After the opening, a small tribute reception will take place at the theater for attendees of the performance.
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for September 10th, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Remembering Bernie Yvon and honoring Bebe Neuwirth. And the show goes on with Route 66's Alanis Morissette tribute, 'Cats' at the Paramount, Bailiwick's 'Wild Party' and BoHo's 'Parade,' music improv at MCL Chicago, the new Refuge Theatre Project, and Chicagoans on tour with 'Sister Act!'
Two Chicago Actors Killed in Separate AccidentsThe Chicago theatre community suffered a shocking loss as two well-known local actors suddenly passed away this weekend. According to the Chicago Tribune, Molly Glynn, age 46, was killed by a falling tree as she was riding her bike on September 5. Bernie Yvon, age 50, died in a car crash on his way to rehearsal on Saturday morning for Theatre at the Center's production of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown in Munster, Indiana.
'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for July 30th, 2014The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Our biggest musical theaters check in: Broadway In Chicago, the Marriott, the Drury Lane, the Paramount and Munster's TATC, plus Victory Gardens' special events, BoHo's 2015 season, 'The Book Of Merman' and new works from Jane Austen and the Everleigh Club!
Theatre at the Center to Present WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, 9/11-10/12In its first professional production since its Broadway debut, the musical comedy WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN makes its Chicago area premiere in a brand new production at Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, September 11 through October 12, with a press opening on September 14. With an irresistible Latin-infused score by Tony Award-nominated David Yazbek and book by Jeffrey Lane (the team behind past Theatre at the Center hit DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS) WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN is a touching and hilarious story of a group of women whose relationships with men lead to a whirlwind of emotions- love as they find them, confusion as they lose them and passion when they need them. This regional premiere is directed by William Pullinsi with Choreography by Danny Herman and Musical Direction and Orchestrations by William Underwood.