CHICAGO at the Hollywood Bowl

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 8:50am

he Los Angeles Philharmonic Association today announced the Hollywood Bowl summer 2013 subscription series and single events for its 92nd season at the historic venue. The Hollywood Bowl is one of the most renowned summer cultural venues in the world and has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 1922.

The 2013 summer season spans 14 weeks, from June to September, and features a wide variety of the world's greatest artists from all genres of music with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at its core. New subscriptions for the Hollywood Bowl 2013 summer season are available starting today and the Hollywood Bowl box office opens for single ticket sales in early May.

"Gustavo Dudamel returns for his fourth season at the Hollywood Bowl, a venue cherished by him and by the people of Los Angeles, who have made the Bowl an essential part of summer for generations," said Deborah Borda, LA Phil President and Chief Executive Officer. "This season Gustavo's programs celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi with performances of his Requiem and a concert presentation of his renowned opera Aida. The iconic Bowl stage will also play host to an impressive lineup of guest artists from across the musical spectrum, including returning friends Michael Tilson Thomas, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Josh Groban, Kristin Chenoweth and John Williams. Herbie Hancock, entering his fourth season as Creative Chair for Jazz, and Thomas Wilkins, Principal Guest Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, also return, collaborating with an array of the world's greatest musicians.

Chicago: The Musical (July 26-2
Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse * Music by John Kander * Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Based on the play Chicago by Maurine Dallas Watkins
All-star cast to be announced
Come on babe, we're gonna paint the town... it's Chicago, the brilliantly sexy tale of
fame, fortune and all that jazz. Set amid the razzle-dazzle of the 1920s, this winner
of six Tony Awards will come to decadent life with a sensational all-star cast in a
one-of-a-kind Bowl production, steaming up the night with sass, brass and a#$.

Kristin Chenoweth (Aug 23/24)
Los Angeles Philharmonic * Mary-Mitchell Campbell, conductor Emmy- and Tony-winning actress and recording artist Kristin Chenoweth returns to the Hollywood Bowl with her first solo show, featuring the Los Angeles Philharmonic for a special evening of music and more. The uniquely talented and acclaimed star performs her Broadway, television and film successes, as well as some personal favorites, time-honored greats and entertaining surprises. A spectacular fireworks show caps off the evening.



Read more: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Hollywood-Bowl-Announces-CHICAGO-as-Summer-Musical-Plus-Concerts-by-Chenoweth-More-20130129#ixzz2JN9jkHHJ

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 9:29am

What's the chance of the revival cast coming back together to do this?
Or and I mean this in a nice way are they now too old?

Keep on missing Cheno every time she is in LA, looking forward to finally seeing her.

[peachesr82]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 10:13am

Hmmm wondering if they'd talk CZJ into doing this.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 10:24am

I'm sure they could try to talk the original revival cast into it, but my guess is they'll go for big "star" names. Unfortunately.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 10:29am

Oh god, here we go with the casting guesses. Can't wait to see the same five names they should cast.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 10:44am

I doubt CZJ would do it. Just a hunch, but I don't see it happening. Only one from the movie I could see doing this is Queen Latifah as Mama.

[Johnnycantdecide]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 11:22am

A few years ago I would have thrown out bigger and more interesting names.
Now, we'll more than likely get the same C stars that have played the revival. Ashley Simpson and Jerry Springer... people along those lines. :/

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 12:40pm

I hope and pray (though I know how unlikely it is) for Bette Midler as Mama Morton since she didn't do the movie as rumored at one time!!!

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 12:54pm

Uma Thurman for Velma?...Anyone?...Anyone?

[Wildcard]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 1:23pm

I'd have to agree with Johnnycantdecide. These would be B to C list celebs. Forget about the CZJs and Zelweggers.

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 2:10pm

Every so often in the past few years there have been somewhat surprising names.

I like the idea of Hollywood Bowl as community theatre for A, B and C listers more than I like it as "just another Broadway-affiliated regional house." Last year's Producers, with mostly production veterans, was kind of predictable for this reason.

[DAME]

Posted: 1/29/13 at 4:48pm

This one will totally depend on the casting, But I am not expecting much. Somsthing tells me it will be Rebeca Romjin ( whatever her last name is) Bebe Neuwirth, and Tony Danza.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 9:12am

I strongly suspect the only reason they're not attracting some of the talent we have in mind that they might very well desire is that the stars' salaries are prohibitive.

At which point you use the obvious loophole: pick a relevant charity, and do it for them. Guys and Dolls, for example, had an obvious partner in the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. Rent could have benefited just about any AIDS charity on the planet, from Equity Fights AIDS to Love Heals to Friends in Deed, or even a combo of the three. (I'm just citing two examples from their past programming.) You guilt the star by attaching a charity to it, so they either take a massive pay cut or look like a douche when they won't do the show. I know, I know, the Hollywood Bowl doesn't get a lot of take-home pay from that, but surely there's some way to chisel it.

Theater as social entrepreneuring is starting to get really big, and in a couple years, it may be the only way to sustain an Off-Broadway scene if New World Stages continues to be the revival-palooza popularity contest and the other commercial venues continue to dry up.

Sometimes you gotta play dirty tricks, within reason and the bounds of what is legal and licit, to get what you want.

Updated On: 1/30/13 at 09:12 AM

[RemlapLBC]

Posted: 2/2/13 at 1:31am

I'm going to Chicago for sure, but what tier I buy tickets in fully depends on who's cast. I too, for half a second was hoping they were bring in the revivals original stars, but then started to do the math on when that was.

Hairspray was great.
The Producers made me realize how great Nathan and Mathew were in the show as the Bowl was a bit of a yawn.
Les Miz worked, not as a musical, but the songs with full orchestra sounded great and made you not notice about following the plot.
Guys & Dolls worked really well.
(I skipped Rent)

The Bowl weekend I'm really confused about is Blue Man Group.
1, BMG acoustic w/ orchestra?
2, I'm not sure how their act will play to that size of venue.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 2/3/13 at 12:01pm

Going to the immense Hollywood Bowl to see a semi-staged Broadway musical has always been a crapshoot. 'GUYS & DOLLS" and 'THE SOUND OF MUSIC" did in fact feel a lot like community theater. But the productions of 'HAIRSPRAY" and "RENT" absolutely blew us away-- Who knew that multiplying the ensemble to 40 or 50 could actually work wonders for these shows! All credit to their directors and cast for somehow making big moments land, and subtle touches carry to the back row (thanks to the indispensable video screens). We had goosebumps and tears of joy both nights.

As for the choice of "CHICAGO"-- meh. We saw a pretty bang up rendition on the cruise ship Allure of the Seas, believe it or not, and don't need to see that show immortalized under the stars any time soon.