'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 26th, 2014

By: Nov. 26, 2014
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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:

It's all things "A Christmas Carol" this week at the Showtune Mosh Pit! From productions traditional to productions innovative, there are five interpretations of Charles Dickens' timeless classic tale on Chicago stages right now. Five with music, that is! There's bound to be one for you.

The granddaddy of them all is widely acknowledged to be the production at the Goodman Theatre, where many decades of telling the story of Scrooge have resulted in a show that changes a bit every year, and yet remains vividly familiar. Larry Yando (pictured above, and coming direct from his BroadwayWorld Chicago Award-nominated performance as "King Lear" at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater) returns as the miserly menace of Victorian London, as do Ron E. Rains as Bob Cratchit and Joe Foust as Jacob Marley. And Malcolm Ruhl is back as the musical director and onstage accordion player. Henry Wishcamper's staging of Tom Creamer's adaptation (through December 28th) has gotten great reviews once again, and this year includes Patrick Andrews as a sexy and winged Ghost of Christmas Past a la "Angels In America" (he's nominated for the BroadwayWorld Chicago Award--against Yando--for TimeLine Theatre Company's "The Normal Heart"). Multi-cultural, colorblind and universal, maybe this year God really will bless us, everyone.

http://www.goodmantheatre.org/

Though it is a Theatre For Young Adults production, "A Christmas Carol" at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook certainly has its fans, playing for more than 25 years (this year through December 23rd). Scott Calcagno directs Bradley Armacost as Scrooge, Rob Riddle as Fred, Derek Hasenstab as Marley, and Megan Long as Belle. Karl Hamilton and Rebecca Finnegan are the Fezziwigs, Andrew Weir and McKinley Carter are the Cratchits. Pretty good cast for a kids' show! Ann McMann coordinates the music.

Drury-Lane-Theatres-A-CHRISTMAS-CAROL

The Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights is also remounting its annual production of ACC, playing November 28-December 24. Just last week there were news articles that the Village Of Arlington Heights was coming to the MPAC's financial rescue, in a way, and commissioning an impact and viability study. Let's hope this year's production isn't the last one in the lovely downtown venue.

http://www.metropolisarts.com/

In the category of alternative versions of the redemption story we find "A Q Brothers Christmas Carol," which has gotten great reviews in its first full production ever in the Upstairs space at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. If you like Christmas rapping (sorry, folks), this is the production for you (through December 31st).

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/a-q-brothers-christmas-carol/7300/

The most innovative ACC in town, however, is surely the fifth (and final) annual presentation of "A Klingon Christmas Carol," this year in Studio Two at the Athenaeum Theatre on Southport Avenue. The Commedia Beauregard production originated in St. Paul, Minnesota, but reached its full flowering here. And yes, it's Dickens' story, translated and appropriated into the Klingon language and culture as depicted in the "Star Trek" television and film franchise. Catie O'Donnell will direct Christopher Kidder-Mostrom and Sasha Warren's adaptation, starring Phil Zimmerman as SQuja' (Scrooge) and Kidder-Mostrom as the Vulcan narrator. Whatever your question is, I think the answer is "Yes."

Commedia-Beauregards-A-KLINGON-CHRISTMAS-CAROL-to-Return

The gay-themed 2012 film "Scrooge And Marley," an updating of the story to Chicago in the 21st century, will be screened at the Music Box Theatre on Southport Avenue (see what I did there?) on Saturday, December 6th. David Pevsner, Tim Kazurinsky, Rusty Schwimmer and Bruce Vilanch star, and yes, it's a musical. Also on the holiday docket at the art house movie palace are the sing-along "The Sound Of Music" (Friday, November 28) and a double bill of the classic post-war films "White Christmas" and "It's A Wonderful Life," one of which has a lot more music than the other. But, you know, it's Christmas!

http://www.musicboxtheatre.com/events

Now playing (with only December 5, 6 and 7 remaining) is "Plaid Tidings," the holiday sequel to "Forever Plaid," the guy-groups-of-the-50s show. It's a production of the Beverly Arts Center, on Chicago's far south side on 111th Street. Yes, Virginia, the City Of Chicago goes that far. You might even live there.

http://www.beverlyartcenter.org/_mainstage/index.php

In downtown Chicago, "Dee Snider's Rock And Roll Christmas Tale" is being joined by a second world premiere at the Magnificent Mile's Broadway Playhouse, "Hansel And Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious Musical Treat." This daytime TYA show (10:00 am!) by Chicago playwright Ernie Nolan and Chicago children's singer-songwriter Justin Roberts plays through January 4, 2015, in a production by Nolan's Emerald City Theatre. He directs and choreographs.

http://www.emeraldcitytheatre.com/shows_1415_hanselandgretel

A-way up north in Crystal Lake, Williams Street Rep is pushing the envelope at this time of year with the regional premiere of the Broadway musical "Hands On A Hardbody," about a truck-touching contest in Texas. Running now through December 7th at the Raue Center For The Arts, the Doug Wright, Amanda Green and Trey Anastasio (of Phish) musical is directed by Mark Mahallak. The cast features Teresa Arnold, Matthais Austin, Bree Beelow, Roy Brown, Chris Davis, Amanda Flahive, Frank Gaughan, Marian Kaderbek, Shannon Mayhall, Alex Newkirk, Don J. Orlando, Dominic Rescigno, Rob Scharlow, Sarah Weinstein and Frederick Harris.

Williams-Street-Rep-to-Open-Chicago-Debut-of-HANDS-ON-A-HARDBODY

Not quite so far north is the Marriott Theatre, currently home to a well-received production of one of the gems of the genre, "The King And I." We as the collective Mosh Pit peeps are thrilled by it. Following it will be "La Cage Aux Folles," from January 28-March 22, with a cast headlined by Gene Weygandt and David Hess, co-starring Brian Bohr, Elizabeth Ford and Joseph Anthony Byrd. Joe Leonardo directs, with Melissa Zaremba as choreographer and musical direction from Ryan Nelson. The best of times, anyone? Anyone?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/news/chi-marriott

Lastly for this Thanksgiving week, it was announced that a certain Idina Menzel would make the circuit of the nation's outdoor performance venues. Only the tour is for next summer, 2015! (Let's all think about summer for a moment, shall we?) The date for the "Let It Go" girl to perform at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park is August 16, 2015. I suppose she will have left Broadway's "If/Then" by then, if it is still running, of course. Decisions, decisions. Of course, her last outdoor concert was a previous BroadwayWorld Chicago Award winner for Best Special Theatrical Event. Care to make it two, Ms. Menzel? Voters? Anyone? Anyone?

This-Just-In-Idina-Menzel-Announces-2015-World-Tour

So, that's it for now. Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone! And I'll see you back here next week, with all the excitement that December can bring. Until then, I guess I'll see you under the video screens.....-PWT

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