'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for July 6, 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:

Did you hear the latest? At the end of June, Chicago's long-running hit Broadway musical, "Million Dollar Quartet," announced yet another extension at the Apollo Theater on Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park. The show will now be running at least through December 31, 2011, marking over three years of shows. Are "Wicked"'s bragging rights as "Chicago's longest-running Broadway musical" in danger? Or does "MDQ" not count, as it opened here before opening on the Main Stem? Thoughts? At any rate, producer Gigi Pritzker must be thrilled. And she must have worked VERY hard to get results like this. Awesome! 

Chicago's MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET Extended 

A performer who's been with "MDQ" from the beginning of their Chicago experience (it opened at the Goodman Theatre's Owen space before transferring [as planned, I expect] to the Apollo) is Kelly Lamont, in the role of Dyanne, Elvis Presley's girlfriend. Lamont was tapped recently to don another hat--that of audition coach--for an installment of a web series called "The Process," all about the young working Chicago actor. Host Julie Langan has experience in the sketch comedy world, and the series reflects that, but for this episode the focus was on the audition process and the popular musical styles needed for today's musical theater scene. Lamont's episode was taped today at the iO Theater on Clark Street (I know because I was honored to be the audition accompanist for the episode!). I'll let you know when it's edited and posted. 

Million Dollar Quartet - Official Site 

One of my friends was startled recently to see the amount of demolition work that's been done at Stage 773, the former Theatre Building Chicago, as it enters its renovation phase. Yes! It's all going to be new on the inside! I'm not sure how long the renovations are planned to take, though. Does anybody have the word? We in the Mosh Pit hope it isn't very long! Though, landlords at some other north side venues are probably glad the competition is somewhat lighter with this complex temporarily off the grid. Here's hoping it all goes smoothly, and all turns out beautifully. 

Stage 773 

One of the complex's usual tenants, Porchlight Music Theatre, is facing not only temporary displacement to other performance locations, but the departure of artistic director Walter Stearns after 14 years (he's already heading up the Mercury Theatre on Southport Avenue, not too far away from Belmont and Racine). But a week from Sunday, July 17, Porchlight will be honoring Stearns at its annual gala benefit brunch, "Journey On," at the University Club in the Loop (76 E. Monroe Street). (I think the award they are giving him is named after the late actor Guy Adkins, btw.) Some of our favorite Porchlight performers will be in the spotlight during the event, including young Michael Reckling (right out of college) and red-hot Bethany Thomas (right out of Court Theatre's "Porgy And Bess"). Tickets are $100 apiece for what sounds like a lovely afternoon. 

News & Events: Porchlight Music Theatre, Chicago 

The 2011-2012 term of Midwest New Musicals has been announced by Light Opera Works. The Evanston-based company (soon moving its offices to Wilmette) has been the administrative home of John Sparks's school for musical theater writers since it left the Theatre Building Chicago in 2009. Sessions are one weekend per month on the North Shore, beginning September 24, and are open to bookwriters, composers and lyricists. What are you waiting for? 

Writers Workshop - Midwest New Musicals 

Speaking of new musicals, here's a Mosh Pit first. I'm going to talk about a non-musical play! I know, crazy! Sounds crazy, no? The play is "The Homosexuals," and it's been getting a great deal of buzz and some pretty great reviews. It's a world premiere of a play by Philip Dawkins, produced by About Face Theatre and being performed (through July 24) in the Richard Christiansen Theater at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater. Here's why I'm mentioning it: from what I understand, it begins with a scene of several gay men watching the Tony Awards on television. Specifically, they are watching the 2010 Tony Awards, the one where Catherine Zeta-Jones so memorably (!) performed "Send In The Clowns" from "A Little Night Music" and later won the Best Actress award for her efforts. There's reportedly dialogue concerning same. Any play with a scene in it like that gets a mention in this column! If you know of any others, please, send word along. I'm sure we can all relate. Indeed. 

Welcome to About Face Theatre 

Regarding actual musicals, folks are interested in the "Godspell" up at Northwestern University this month. It's the 40th anniversary of same, and Dominic Missimi is staging the show with a young cast of thirteen, choreographed by Matt Raftery. Reduced and "modern" orchestrations created in 2000 by Alex Lacamoire ("In The

Heights") for six instrumentalists will be utilized, and the song "Beautiful City" (written for the film version of the show) will be included. No matter your views of religion, this show is required viewing for students of the rock musical. Remember that its composer/lyricist (Stephen Schwartz) wrote "Wicked" over 30 years after having three shows rack up impressively long New York runs. It's important to know that "Day By Day" is not the only memorable song from the show, too. You know the legend of the show's first Toronto production, don't you? (Paul Shaffer was the musical director, for starters.) "Godspell," you guys! 

'Godspell' July 7 to 24 : Northwestern University Newscenter 

For reasons that are not quite clear to me, a bunch of people I know are performing the first "official" Stephen Sondheim revue (the British "Side By Side By Sondheim") for one performance, a week from Saturday (July 16th). If that single performance weren't odd enough, they will be performing it outdoors, and on the lawn of the rectory of Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel Church, on Belmont Avenue between Halsted Street and Broadway. The performers are Megan Long, Ashley Shea, Garrett Johannsen and David Baldwin, with Eric Budzynski and Jimmy Morehead playing the two-piano score. I'm sure there will be some lovely singing. Has the church done something like this before, and I just missed it? Somebody let us know what the scoop is! 

Look for page 8 in the church's weekly bulletin for more info! 

Opening that same day, for a two-week run at the Chopin Theatre on Division Street, is the Chicago Folks Operetta production of "The Rose Of Stambul," the Midwest premiere of this 1916 Viennese operetta by Leo Fall. The show made its U.S. debut in 1922 at the Shubert Theatre in New York (current home of the Tony-winning "Memphis") but this production, directed by Kathryn Kamp, is the first in this area. If this is your cup of tea, you've got ten performances to catch it! Chicago Folks Operetta has persevered where other small opera/light opera companies have failed, and the cast is drawn from Chicago's musical theater and opera worlds. It's in English, too, in a new translation by Hersh Glagov and Gerald Frantzen. And you really can't sneeze at a 19-piece orchestra these days. "The Rose Of Stambul!" 

Chicago Folks Operetta 

And, lest we forget, Wednesday, July 13 is "Broadway Rocks!" night at the Grant Park Music Festival in Millenium Park (at the Prizker Pavillion, of course). Beginning at 6:30 pm, the Grant Park Orchestra, joined by our very own Chicago Gay Men's Chorus and special guests Christianne Noll, Capathia Jenkins, Rob Evan and Doug LaBrecque, will bring the sounds of Broadway's rock musicals to life. But that's not all, because Wednesdays are always Showtune night at Chicago's The Call nightclub, at 1547 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, in the Andersonville neighborhood. It's the same night! And I'll be at both events. But that's still not all! Because at midnight, it will be my birthday--I'm turning 50, y'all. I'm 50! 50 years old. So, come help me celebrate at "Broadway Rocks!" beginning at 6:30 downtown, and then again at an Afterparty for "Broadway Rocks," at The Call beginning at 9:00 or so. It's a BroadwayWorld Chicago "Showtune Mosh Pit" party, and it won't be the same without you. It's all a week from today, and continuing until 2:00 am! Y'all come! 

Broadway Rocks! | The Grant Park Music Festival 

Welcome to The Call 

And so, summer is upon us. And so, we have outdoor theater and outdoor concerts, new works and promises of new works, parties and student productions and building projects and a forgotten gem from one of musical theater's most important precursors. And that baby boomer youth musical "Godspell" is 40 years old. I think I need a beverage! And so, I'll see you under those video screens, right? See you then!.....-PWT 

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