'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for February 8th, 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:

 

We all learned the good news about a big chunk of the Broadway In Chicago fall lineup on Monday, didn't we? After an absence of five years, "The Lion King" will return to Chicago at the end of September for at least six weeks at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. The North American Tour will stop there in between the summer run of "Shrek" and the holiday engagement of "Wicked." Looks like it could be longer into the fall if the demand is there. Don't forget, this is the longest-running American musical on Broadway right now, and it's a Tony-winning show with Oscar-winning music by Elton John. Maybe Sir Elton will stop in Chicago to check on his two shows, which will be running two blocks apart on Randolph Street! You do know about "Billy Elliot," don't you? :) 

The Lion King | North American Tour

The status of Broadway's longest-running musical (American or otherwise) used to belong to "A Chorus Line" of course, and that show is coming to town as well, sooner than "The Lion King," and on a more modest scale. The Village Players of Oak Park are currently readying their production of the Pulitzer- and Tony-winning musical about auditioning for a Broadway musical, which will be performed March 13-April 18, directed and choreographed by Shawn Quinlan. Maybe you know somebody's who in it! Let's hope that girl doesn't fall down..... 

A Chorus Line at the Village Players Theatre 

The prize for the longest-running Off-Broadway musical in history goes to "The Fantasticks," of course, and we will soon have a production of that classic gem in our midst as well. Promethean Theatre Ensemble will present the Tom Jones/Harvey Schmidt tuner from February 26th through March 21st at City Lit's performance space on Bryn Mawr Avenue, up on the second floor of Edgewater Presbyterian Church. Promethean Artistic Director Beth Wolf directs, and ensemble members Devon Candura and Nick Lake star. 

Click Here for the Promethean Theatre Ensemble 

In the realm of less successful, but no less enjoyable musicals, we are getting a rare opportunity to view Michael John LaChiusa's "The Wild Party" (written with George C. Wolfe), starting this Wednesday and running until February 21, 2010 at the Getz Theater of Columbia College Chicago. Directed by Tom Mula with musical direction by Andra Velis Simon, this is a production of the stage version of Joseph Moncure March's jazz age poem that ran on Broadway in 2000 starring Mandy Patinkin, Toni Collette and Eartha Kitt. An adaptation of the same poem with music by "The Addams Family" composer Andrew Lippa ran off-Broadway that same season, in one of those weird life happenstances.

Columbia College Chicago: The Wild Party 

Already running at The Second City in Old Town (1608 N. Wells Street) is the world premiere of "Rush Limbaugh! The Musical," advertised as being "by the same team that made Rod Blagojevich Superstar! an instant hit." That would be Ed Furman (book) and T.J. Shanoff (music and lyrics and musical direction), with direction by Matt Hovde, and starring Mark Sutton. The show runs Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays (only) until March 24, and its score features "a pastiche of Broadway musicals such as Spring Awakening, Wicked and Rent." Hm. Okay!

Rush Limbaugh! The Musical

An even more ambitious world premiere adaptation of existing music theater material is being presented now through March 14th, by and at the Building Stage, 412 N. Carpenter Street in the west loop. It's "The Ring Cycle," and yes, it's based on Richard Wagner's 20-hour opera tetralogy, "Der Ring Des Nibelungen." "The Ring Cycle," called "a play that rocks," is shorter than that--six hours in all, including two short intermissions and a 45-minute break for dinner. There's an onstage rock band. There's a couple of fascinating websites. You should check those out, at least! Chicago musical theater does rock, doesn't it? (But you knew that, didn't you--you read "The Showtune Mosh Pit"! lol.) 

The Ring Cycle at The Building Stage

The Ring Cycle tickets 

On Fridays and Saturdays beginning March 13th, Black Ensemble Theater is presenting what looks to be a revival of their musical "My Brother's Keeper: The Story Of The Nicholas Brothers," written by Rueben Echoles and with musical arranged by Thomas Washington. The sixty year career of Fayard and Harold Nicholas is certainly a legacy worth celebrating, in dance, story and song. BET is located at 4520 N. Beacon Street. 

The Nicholas Brothers 

We don't know how we missed it, but the Wishing Star Theatre in far north suburban Libertyville, Illinois mounted a production of Jason Robert Brown's musical "13" in January! This is the musical with a cast of teenagers which ran on Broadway in the fall of 2008. I do not kid.... But do not despair! The show is being remounted for three performances only, at the Genessee Theatre in downtown Waukegan. No, I'm not being snarky--I've heard it's a lovely theater, and this show certainly had its loyalists when it ran in New York. I'm just sayin.' How could we have missed it? And it's by Jason Robert Brown! ("Parade" and "Songs For A New World"). 

13 at the Genesee Theatre 

And last but not least, you know that Sondheim is coming to town, right? On the eve of turning 80, the legendary composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim is appearing at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Millenium Park for one night only, Thursday, March 4th at 7:30 pm. Called "A Conversation With Stephen Sondheim: A Life In The Theater," and part of the "Harris Theater Presents" series, the evening will be moderated by Gary Griffin, Broadway director and Associate Artistic Director at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Did you know that Sondheim was in the audience at the opening of "South Pacific?" (I mean the original one, in 1949!) And you know he wrote......well, everything. A life in the theater, indeed. He will take questions from the audience. I suggest you be there! 

Harris Theater: Stephen Sondheim 

And so, with a blizzard bearing down on us, we look forward to a great variety of musical entertainments, don't we? Not to mention a steady diet of the video variety. There are showtunes wherever you look, it seems! Aren't we lucky, and aren't we proud of what we--artists, business types and audience members alike--are bringing about here in our midwinter, Midwestern metropolis? I'll see you in those theaters! And until I do, I know I'll see you under the video screens.....--PWT