'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for February 18th, 2015

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:

What a wacky weekend our community had! The calendrical confluence of Lincoln's Birthday (Thursday the 12th), Friday the 13th, Valentine's Day on a Saturday (the 14th), Transfiguration Sunday, Presidents' Day (Monday the 16th), Mardi Gras (the 17th) and Ash Wednesday (today) pretty much boggles the mind, to start with. (Chinese New Year is on Thursday the 19th, by the way). So that's all crazy! But the theater happenings are pretty cool too.

Let's recap. The remarkable production of "Tommy" at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora (pictured) closed on Sunday night, with something akin to a lovefest, be-in happening between the actors and the audience. One of the seminal rock musicals when it was in record and concert form by The Who, visionary as a 1975 Ken Russell film and then one of the Broadway musicals that helped launch the current era on the Great White Way in the mid-1990s, the show got rave reviews for Jim Corti's Kane County production. And if his blog is to be believed, the production elicited such response from onlookers that it has essentially taken on a life of its own, both in the theater and in the spirit of its community. Such is the power of live musical theater. Such is the power of what we do and love.

http://paramountaurora.com/2015/02/tuesdays-corti-joining-celebration/

On a more intimate scale, the weekend found fans of "The Last Five Years" up a creek in Ohio without a paddle, as no theaters in mid-America are screening the tuner, and future plans seem iffy. But a whole lot of folks bought it online or cable, and most everybody who checked in on Facebook about it were over the moon with enthusiasm. Some folks seem to prefer one co-star over the other (either Anna Kendrick or Jeremy Jordan, for those of you crawling out from under rocks), but the lesser favorite star never ruined it, it seems. I understand the soundtrack recording is selling well, too. Maybe some observers who are not Showtune Mosh Pit peeps have some reservations about the cinematic version of this intimate two-hander off-Broadway musical, with a score by one of the heroes of the rest of us (Jason Robert Brown), but those of us already smitten by the bug seem to mostly like it. Now, if some theater in our area would just commit to showing it already!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2474024/

Besides "Tommy," Sunday was also the closing night for "The Book Of Merman" at Mary's Attic, as Leo Schwartz's send-up of "The Book Of Mormon" via the Queen of Musical Theater is moving to the Apollo Theater Studio. The three-hander will re-open on February 26, running through April 5, Easter Day. Four weeks in Andersonville gets you five weeks in Lincoln Park, I guess!

http://pridefilmsandplays.com/the-book-of-merman-by-leo-schwartz/

Of four important productions that opened last weekend, the one coming off best on social media was Mr. Lippa's "The Wild Party," at which he held a post-show talk-back on Friday evening that proved a hot ticket. Northwestern University's production of the show was the occasion, and as it runs only through March 1, you better act fast. Tommy Rapley has directed and choreographed, at the Ethel M. Barber Theater on the Evanston campus.

Andrew-Lippas-THE-WILD-PARTY-to-Run-2-13-3-1-at-Northwestern

And what of all those shows about twenty-somethings in New York that opened just in time for Valentine's Day, hoping to siphon off some audience members from the huge numbers of movie screens showing "Fifty Shades Of Grey?" Well, Bohemian Theatre Ensemble's "Ordinary Days" and Refuge Theatre Project's "Next Thing You Know" are storefront, non-union productions, seemingly with charms and caveats to their short runs. (If you only see one, my recommendation would be "Ordinary Days" at the Heartland Studio Theatre.) But the highly visible (and, one assumes, more expensive to produce) "First Date" (a Broadway title, if you remember), seems to have fallen somewhat short of the mark in its commercial production at the Royal George Cabaret Theatre. Most observers are finding something to recommend it, but are listing various problems with why their recommendations aren't more whole-hearted. Ah, well. You have until March 29 to see it, and to get back to me with your feedback.

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/first-date/7475/

Monday night's reading of "Pride And Prejudice" reportedly went well for the FWD Theatre Project, as a change of church venue had the company putting out the word every way they could that the show was on, but in Lakeview, not the Loop. After last month's reading of "The Black And White Ball," the company is two for two. Now we're just waiting for news of when the other three shows initially chosen for readings ("Swift As Desire," "Exposure" and "Love And Other Fables") will get their Monday in the sun. Amber Mak's brainchild is getting its landlegs!

http://fwdtheatre.org/shows-selected-for-concert-and-readings/

A certain world premiere pre-Broadway tryout got a goodly amount of press over the weekend, as "First Wives Club" began performances at the Oriental Theatre last night. And the first production photos show the three leads (Faith Prince, Carmen Cusack and Christine Sherrill) looking a lot more like Bette Midler, Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn (respectively) that you might think possible. But what about the dialogue we've come to know and love ("Who, Guns And Roses?" "This is a Golden Globe. It's sacred. It's trademarked!" "There are only three ages for women in Hollywood: babe, district attorney and 'Driving Miss Daisy!'")? Shall I go on? Will those lines survive the screen-to-stage transfer? And will any of their shoes change in the middle of a number? Mosh Pit peeps really are hoping that this one's a good one. And I saw a video snippet of a standing ovation from tonight! But regardless of when it opens to critics, the production is scheduled to shutter here on March 29.

http://broadwayinchicago.com/show/first-wives-club/

Yet another production in the seemingly endless parade of Beatles tribute musicals lands at the Rosemont Theatre for two performances this coming Saturday, February 21. "Let It Be" is a 2014 hit production from the UK that is currently touring Canada and the US. People do love this sort of thing. Back in my day, we loved "Beatlemania." I get it.

http://www.rosemont.com/theatre/events/let-it-be/

But what of the shows already up and running hereabouts? Well, Porchlight Music Theatre's "Sondheim On Sondheim" seems to be just about everybody's cat's meow, with rave after rave piling in during the last week. Running only through March 15 at Stage 773, but armed with enough positive vibes to seemingly fuel a commercial transfer, a national tour and a New York run, Nick Bowling's production of James Lapine's multi-media exploration of Stephen Sondheim's singular genius seems to strike a chord in every onlooker. I can't imagine that there are many tickets left, though. Make your plans now, folks. Seriously. NOW!

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/sondheim-on-sondheim/reviews/7449/

Also extremely well received, and running through March 22, is Mr. Sondheim's first effort to reach Broadway, 1957's "West Side Story," for which he provided lyrics to Leonard Bernstein's incendiary music (unless you believe those pesky rumors that both men wrote some parts of both music and lyrics, and then swore each other to never tell). The Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace has mounted a Rachel Rockwell production of the legendary material (book by Arthur Laurents) that everybody is crazy for. Cool. Real cool.

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/west-side-story/reviews/6708/

Also through March 22 is Joe Leonardo's production of "La Cage Aux Folles" at the Marriott Theatre in Lake County, Illinois's Lincolnshire. Veteran Chicago star Gene Weygandt seems to be scoring a career triumph as Albin/Zaza, thus answering my dumb question about what happens when an older actor plays a part that conceivably could be essayed by someone a decade or more younger. Too, it's funny that a show that was so daring when it was first written is seen as so traditional now, save for the gender of dress of most of the characters. Or maybe "funny" isn't the right word. "Reassuring?"

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/la-cage-aux-folles/reviews/7442/

Lastly, Chicago's Mercury Theater Chicago seems to have done about as fine a job as one can do with "The Addams Family" musical, seen here first in its 2009 pre-Broadway incarnation and then again for a post-Broadway tour in 2011. That means we have seen three of the four versions of the show that have existed, now that this regional version is available for licensing. Apparently the writers ("The Wild Party"'s Andrew Lippa and "Jersey Boys"'s Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice) have gotten it as right as they can, for many folks are saying this is the best production of the title to date. Running through April 5, I guess it's not "Fiddler On The Roof," but for a show about a family whose daughter wants to marry an odd choice of boy, you could do worse.

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/the-addams-family/7478/

And so, with shows opening and closely, trying out and holding on, it was a wonderful weekend for musical theater in Chicago, and now is a great week already. There's more to come, of course! Imagine how much theater there will be when the weather is above freezing. Just imagine! Well, perhaps I will see you at a theater in warm weather sometime soon. And before that, I'll see you under the video screens.....-PWT

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