'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for September 15th, 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:

As Super September for musical theater in Chicago reaches its halfway point, there's about to be an unofficial Stephen Sondheim festival going on at Stage 773, the renamed and retooled Theatre Building Chicago. Porchlight Music Theatre opened "Sunday In The Park With George" this week, an ambitious show for almost any theater company, but which Walter Stearns, Eugene Dizon and Co. feel ready for. And with their track record of 12 previous Sondheim shows (including the recent "Into The Woods"), it's no wonder. Starring Brandon Dahlquist and Jess Godwin, and featuring the deepest song I know ("Children And Art"), SITPWG runs through October 31, 2010. Awesome. 

Click Here for SITPWG at Stage 773 

Joining in the fun at Stage 773 in October will be the Griffin Theater Company's production of "Company," beginning previews on September 25, opening October 3 and running until November 14. Jonathan Berry will direct. It's the "Being Alive/You Could Drive A Person Crazy/Side By Side By Side" musical. And that's all that anybody knows right now! Anyone got any further details? 

Griffin Theatre Company 

Speaking of Sondheim, Playbill.com reported that the Holy Grail of the American Musical Theater will soon be available on DVD! Well, they didn't put it in those terms, but I am. "Evening Primrose," the 1966 television musical starring Anthony Perkins ("Psycho" and "Greenwillow") and Charmian Carr ("The Sound of Music") and unseen since, will be available on DVD in October (from El Entertainment). This hour-long show (I think it was live), about people who live secretly inside a department store, includes the songs "I Remember" and "Take Me To The World" within its Sondheim score. This is required Mosh Pit viewing! I think I will hand out some sort of quiz later in the fall, to make sure peeps have followed up on this. It can't stay in release for long. But oh, will future generations worship those who buy copies now! Obscure? Yes. But I like it, too! 

DVD of Stephen Sondheim's "Evening Primrose" 

Continuing our Super September, the new, apparently pre-Broadway musical by John Caird ("Les Miserables") and Paul Gordon ("Jane Eyre") called "Daddy Long Legs" bows at Northlight Theatre this week, running through October 24. It's about a young woman with a mysterious benefactor..., which, if you think about it, is sort of a common theme in all three of these musicals. Why men keep giving toward the support of young woman who sing about the mysterious events in their lives, I have no idea...... But it's worked before! Will lightning strike again? 

Daddy Long Legs - Northlight Theatre

Casting for Northlight's production which follows "Daddy Long Legs" was announced recently. It's "A Civil War Christmas," written by Paula Vogel and directed by Henry Godinez. The show is subtitled "An American Musical Celebration," and I believe it premiered two years ago at the Long Wharf Theatre in Connecticut, directed and choreographed by Tina Landau and starring the late Guy Adkins (he played John Wilkes Booth, among other characters). For its Chicagoland premiere, running November 11--December 19, 2010, the marquee names will be Felicia P. Fields, Paula Scrofano, David Girolmo and Will Clinger. It's an interesting project, to say the least. 

A Civil War Christmas 

In other recent casting news, the return of "Wicked" to the Loop this holiday season will find Chicago favorites back in familiar roles. Barbara Robertson will once again be Madame Morrible and Gene Weygandt will play the Wizard when the Stephen Schwartz blockbuster hits the Cadillac Palace Theatre from December 1, 2010--January 23, 2011. It's a different physical production from the one that was ensconced so comfortably into the Ford Center For The Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre for three and a half years, so some will want to go just to spot the differences. And, oh yes, tickets should be going on sale today! 

Chicago WICKED | Broadway in Chicago 

Another show, albeit smaller in scope, will also be remounted in Chicago soon. It's the NightBlue Performing Arts Company's production from last year of "The Rocky Horror Show," coming back just in time for Halloween. You can catch it October 15th--30th at Stage 773. It's alive! 

NightBlue Theater 

Speaking of campy musical theater, "Reefer Madness" is coming in October as well. Playing weekends, October 14-24, at the Viaduct Studio Theater (Belmont and Western Avenues), the Brown Paper Box Co. production will feature a cast of 13, directed by M. William Panek and musical directed by Katie Colby. Zev Steinberg both heads the attractive young cast and provides the fight cheoreography. 

Reefer Madness 

And speaking of "Glee" (well, you were just waiting for this, now weren't you?), I made a singular discovery last week when I was at Water Tower Place (the Michigan Avenue mall, for those of you who do all your shopping online). In anticipation of next week's season premiere of the award-winning and popular musical/comedy TV series, the Claire's store on level two seems to be selling nothing but "Glee" merchandise! (I suppose their may be other stores doing this, too.) Now, I've never heard of this store, which apparently caters to tween girls (?). And, frankly, the merchandise I saw was all pretty much geared toward that subset of the overall Gleek demographic. But, I figured I should mention it, in case some faithful Most Pit resident and lover of yellow and pink needed to dash over there and buy something with Cory Monteith or Jane Lynch on it for their school locker or their next slumber party. I mean, I don't know who reads this column! Better to mention it! Oh, and they're sponsoring some sort of Gleek Getaway contest.......... 

Ultimate Gleek Getaway | Claire's 

Speaking of downtown Chicago, a very important industry location is moving to new digs this coming weekend. Actors' Equity Association, the performers' union and site of many, many auditions and callbacks, is moving out of rented quarters in the Loop and into a building the union now owns, located at 557 W. Randolph Street in the West Loop Gate neighborhood (the narrow strip of land west of the Chicago River but east of the Kennedy Expressway). This is exciting news! And it's closer to the Metra stations, and is still close to the CTA (via the Green and Pink lines). Awesome. Check out the details! 

The New Actors' Equity Building 

And, finally (and I do mean finally), word arrived this week of the 2011 season at the mammothly important Marriott Theatre in the northern suburbs. It's an interesting mix. After this fall's previously announced "The Music Man," the theater will begin 2011 at the end of January with "Guys And Dolls," ahead of the production of the same show recently slated for Munster, Indiana's Theatre At The Center later in the year. The Frank Loesser tuner will be the first show directed by Matt Raftery at the Marriott. Next will come "42nd Street," directed by hot director Rachel Rockwell and choreographed by tap whiz Tammy Mader. Rockwell will both direct and choreograph the summer production of "Shout!," the musical celebrating the British pop music of the 1960s. And then things get really interesting. 

In August, the Marriott will unveil the world premiere of a stage adaptation of the 1991 Bette Midler film "For The Boys," about World War II USO show performers. It's been adapted for the stage by Aaron Thielen (the Marriott's co-artistic director) and will be staged by Marc Robin. This could be quite a coup! Last in the year 2011 will come "White Christmas," the very same show which Broadway In Chicago is bringing to the Chicago Loop in 2010. Robin will stage it as well. Well. Isn't that interesting? We also note that three of these shows will be musical directed by Northwestern University's Ryan Nelson, fresh off handling the same chores for the theater's "Once On This Island" and "A Chorus Line." Doug Peck and Michael Mahler get the other two assignments. Again--very interesting! 

Marriott Theatre Announces Its 2011 Season 

And so, there you have it. Shows up now, shows to come, and a few odds and ends to keep you musing. Now, get out in the daytime and enjoy the spectacular temperatures. Come in at night and so see a show! And, at certain times during the week, I'll see you under those video screens.....--PWT

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