'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for February 9, 2011

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: 

It's a three-tour week in Chicago! Broadway In Chicago has filled all three of the traditional touring houses in the Loop Theatre District this week, led in most people's minds by Cameron Mackintosh's 25th anniversary re-staging of his international megahit "Les Miserables" (still playing in London in its original version, by the way). This tour, which originated at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, New Jersey, is here all month, and the some of the cast were at Sidetrack on Monday night to celebrate their surviving last week's record 20+ inch snowfall here. Chicago as a whole should be celebrating the fact that the show is so great. And Munster, Indiana is celebrating the fact that both of the leads of Theater At The Center's last summer production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" are in the cast of this tour and are performing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through February 27, 2011. BroadwayWorld Award winner Max Quinlan has joined BWWA nominee Joe Tokarz on the road, and both are telling friends they are having the time of their lives in "Les Miz." 

Les Miserables 

Along with "Les Miz," "Burn The Floor" plays its second and final week this week at the Bank Of America Theatre, and has gotten some really positive reviews ("sexy," "sizzling," "stylish," etc.). 

Burn the Floor 

And joining them this week, for this week only, is "Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles," through February 13 at the Ford Center For The Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre. The show is currently playing in New York (though is in between theaters at the moment, I believe). "Burn The Floor" played Broadway in 2009, and the touring version of "Les Miserables" may or may not be eyeing the main stem, depending on whose opinion you seek out. But this tour of "Rain" was always designed to co-exist with its Big Apple sister, and for those who love all things Beatle, it's reportedly pleasing. If you're going to enjoy "Rain," you'd better bring a bucket downtown, so you can catch it before it stops.... (Er, sorry for the terrible pun, folks!) 

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles 

This past week, a show was announced to play April 26-May 8 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, even though it is not yet on the Broadway In Chicago website. It is "Cirque Eloize: iD," whose name recalls "Fuerza Bruta: Look Up" as well as the various shows mounted by Cirque Du Soleil. Cirque Eloize hails from Montreal, the home of "Traces," which apparently did pretty well for BIC when it played the Broadway Playhouse this past fall. Perhaps it will do better than "Fuerza Bruta" did at the Auditorium Theatre of Reoosevelt University early last summer. 

Cirque Eloize headed to Chicago 

The other big show coming onto the scene right now is "Guys And Dolls," which officially opened on Sunday up at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire (it plays through March 27). The Frank Loesser classic was recently named one of the three greatest American musicals ever by a panel of musical theater observers (their process was described in "New York" magazine--here's the link to the magazine article, if you didn't have a chance to read it). Anyway, the Marriott has hired triple-threat performer and high-flying local choreographer Matt Raftery to make his directorial debut with this production, with the added novelty of casting the Mueller sisters, Jessie Mueller and Abby Mueller (daughters of actor Roger Mueller, who is also in the cast) as Miss Adelaide and Sister Sarah Brown, respectively. Brian Hissong is Sky Masterson, and Rod Thomas as Nathan Detroit. George Andrew Wolff gets to be Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and whole slew of other popular local actors populate the remainder of the cast. 

Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire 

Regular readers of the Mosh Pit are probably aware that our three suburban Equity theaters (Marriott, Drury Lane and At The Center) are in the habit of opening up a children's show once their mainstage shows are up and running. The show that the Marriott will be running on the "G&D" set (and on the set of the next mainstage musical, "42nd Street") isn't your usual fairy tale or children's book adaptation. It's an adaptation of some of Aesop's "Fables," and it's by one of our hottest young local musical theater writing teams, Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler. Called "How Can You Run With A Shell On Your Back?," it follows some school students sent to detention, as they discover Aesop's world. Check it out, daytime, from March 3-May 22. 

How Can You Run With A Shell On Your Back? 

The Wilmette Theatre is presenting two of its most popular interactive musical film experiences this month. Next Saturday, February 19 at 1 pm, the theater will host a sing-along screening of "Little Shop Of Horrors," the 1986 film starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene and Steve Martin. Live actors and puppeteers will perform along with the movie. The following Friday night, February 26 at 9:30 pm, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" with Tim Curry will be screened, with the full, traditional audience participation and character reenactments. Sounds like they are mastering a fun kind of movie/theater hybrid up there, doesn't it? 

Movies at Wilmette Theatre 

Columbia College Chicago is halfway through an exhibition entitled, "The Sound Of Failure: Broadway Musical Flops And The People Involved," open on the first floor of the college Library in the south Loop, January 24-February 28. And in connection with this exhibit, a special program is planned for Thursday night, February 17, at 6:00 pm. It's a discussion and musical performance with Dr. David Spangler, founder and artistic director of a new work institute in Florida called Lovewell. (He has also just finished a collaboration with "Next To Normal"'s Brian Yorkey called "Play It By Heart.") At Columbia, Spangler will talk about his musical, "Nefertiti," and Columbia students Bailey Haseltine and Alex Newkirk will perform selections from the show. 

Columbia College Calendar of Events 

I don't know just how they've pulled it off, but apparently it's happening. The Chicago area's first local, professional staging of the longest running musical in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom Of The Opera," will take place soon at the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center in west suburban Cicero. Headed by artistic director Eddie Sugarman (author of the "Meet John Doe" musical now in production by Porchlight Music Theatre), Jedlicka is gaining the reputation for staging musicals that other theater companies shy away from. Auditions were held this past weekend, and "Phantom" is scheduled to run April 29-May 14. Dante Orfei will direct, with musical direction by Austin Cook. 

Jedlicka Performing Arts Center 

And, you may have heard about a little show about a high school swing choir, a little TV show called, "Glee." Well, on top of the show's two original episodes this week, post-Super Bowl and pre-Valentine's Day, word came this week that the cast will embark on a multi-city concert tour in late spring, and yes, Chicago is on the list! June 3, 2011 at the Allstate Arena is the magic date and place, and Mosh Pit peeps are already scrambling to figure out how to snag some tickets. I expect that all your expectations and more will be fulfilled, and please note that the number of cities and the size of the venues have both substantially increased from one year ago! This is how it should be, of course. The Gleeks have spoken. 

GLEE Launches Sophomore Summer Tour 

It's pretty cold outside, but the inside of a theater is usually pretty warm. So, I hope you're spending your fair share of this winter safely ensconced inside a theater, or a showtune video bar, of your choice. If it's the former, wave to me over the footlights, won't you? And if it's the latter, well, I'll see you under the video screens.....--PWT

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