'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 3, 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:

 

HOLIDAY MUSICAL ROUND-UP: PART ONE

As Halloween fades from our collective conscience, and as Standard Time takes over our clocks, our thoughts have been turning to one thing-holiday theater! Welcome to your very first Holiday Musical Round-Up! And, hot on the heels of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" getting such good notices out at the Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace (running now through December 20), we are going to begin with that ever popular favorite category, Non-Holiday Musicals for the Holidays!! Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year's have never looked so.........just like any other day! (We'll hit the Holiday Musicals themselves next week).

But first up-we have not one but two big, big musicals in town which were perfect for Halloween, only they missed it! You might have heard of a little show called "Young Frankenstein," and its national tour is here! Playing today through December 13 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre on Randolph Street, this 2007 Mel Brooks musical, based on his legendary 1974 film of the same name, was not as successful on Broadway as its creator probably hoped. It had a very odd reception from the New York theater community, and audiences came, but didn't come back. (Maybe they were terrified by the very large-looking sets!) 

But now, in this almost-brand-spanking-new touring production (with original stars Roger Bart and Shuler Hensley as Dr. Frankenstein and his famous monster), you can see for yourself what the hype, or lack thereof, was all about. "Put the candle back," Roll in the hay," "He vas my boyfriend," "What hump?" and all your other favorite catch-phrases are here, rest assured. And the "Puttin' on the Ritz" production number is a legendary Susan Stroman creation in its own right. Enjoy it while you can!

http://www.youngfrankensteinthemusical.com/home/#/home 

Beginning performances next week, and playing November 13-January 10 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre (also on Randolph Street, of course) is that other Halloween musical, "The Addams Family," in its long-awaited pre-Broadway try-out! Tony winners and theatrical royalty Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth star as Gomez and Morticia Addams, with a great-sounding supporting cast including Terrence Mann, Carolee Carmello and Wesley Taylor as a visiting family, along with Kevin Chamberlin (Fester), Jackie Hoffman (Grandma) and Zachary James (Lurch). Krysta Rodriguez and Adam Riegler are Wednesday and Pugsley Addams. Puppetry by Basil Twist will apparently account for Thing (I don't know about Cousin Itt), and "Jersey Boys" alumnus Sergio Trujillo choreographs, with JB bookwriters Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice writing the book here as well. Andrew Lippa is the composer-lyricist, and it is directed and designed by the "Shockheaded Peter" team of Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch. This is international theatrical news happening right under our noses, people. Do not miss it, because you KNOW you will want to talk about it!

http://theaddamsfamilymusical.com/

Two other Broadway-sized productions will hit Chicago this holiday season. For one paltry weekend, out at the Rosemont Theatre, Lincoln Center Theater's Tony-winning revival of "South Pacific" will play November 24-29. Thank goodness it's one Blue Line stop short of O'Hare, that's all I have to say about that! 

http://www.southpacificontour.com/

And following "Young Frankenstein" into the Cadillac Palace Theatre will be the Tony-winning new musical of 2008 "In the Heights," which just began its national tour last week in Tampa, Florida, but which will have hit six cities by the time it reaches us. The Lin-Manuel Miranda musical plays December 15-January 3, and would need a snowstorm to cool its hot, hot choreography and sensuous storylines. 

http://intheheightsthemusical.com/tour-news.html 

Two theatres in Chicago's northern suburbs are offering more modest shows (with a certain flair, to be sure), opening this month. "Souvenir," the play with music telling the unbelievable but true story of wealthy socialite and tone-deaf amateur singer Florence Foster Jenkins, will take the stage at Northlight Theatre in Skokie from November 12-December 20, starring Neva Rae Powers as the diva in question, directed by the Goodman Theatre's Steve Scott. 

http://www.northlight.org/pages/souvenir/79.php 

And up in Glencoe, Writer's Theatre is (surprisingly) offering the 1970s-era composer retrospective revue "Oh, Coward!" in its smaller performance space, from November 17 all the way through March 21. Featuring Kate Fry, Rob Lindley and John Sanders, with direction by Jim Corti and musical direction by Doug Peck, this Noel Coward evening sounds like a marvelous party, doesn't it?

http://www.writerstheatre.org/boxoffice/production?id=0073 

Following "Hairspray" into the Marriott Theatre up in Lincolnshire will be one of the preeminent gems of mid-century musical stage, "My Fair Lady," from December 9-February 14.

http://www.marriotttheatre.com/show.aspx?show=11 

And back downtown, as mentioned in the Mosh Pit last week, Drury Lane Water Tower Place is firing up this holiday season with one-man musical shows by Hershey Felder and Peter Gallagher. Felder offers several of his piano-based evenings from November 13-December 31, and Gallagher's "Don't Give Up on Me" plays November 22-December 14. 

http://www.drurylanewatertower.com/now_playing.html#hershey

Lest we forget, we have two quartets of boys playing successful runs here: the "Jersey Boys" will be at the Bank of America Theatre on Monroe Street in the Loop, concurrent with their Broadway incarnation, until January 10. And the "Million Dollar Quartet" continues its open-ended commercial run at the Apollo Theater on Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park (prior to running concurrently with a Broadway version at the Nederlander Theatre this coming spring). Tickets are on sale here through January 3. 

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

http://www.milliondollarquartetlive.com/ 

And what is "Banana Shpeel?" If it's a musical, we're talking about it! The Cirque du Soleil production runs at the iconic Chicago Theatre November 19-January 3, prior to New York. It probably has music!! 

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/banana-shpeel/default.aspx 

Well, those are the non-holiday themed musical shows on Chicago stages this month and next. As I said, next week I'll talk about the holiday musicals that actually ARE about the holidays! And there's a lot to talk about. Stay tuned! Until then, I'll see you under the video screens.....--PWT