'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for May 22nd, 2013

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:

And summer is upon us! At least, psychological summer is, which begins on Friday with the start of Memorial Day weekend. Astronomical summer be damned, we like starting things off with a holiday! And to mark this auspicious summer start, we at the Mosh Pit will be bringing you a two-part summer preview! We'll start today with a look at the musical Theater Productions in the Chicago area that will keep you in theater seats all summer long. And next week, we'll take a look at summer theaters in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, to see what you will see if you take a summer road trip and add a little theater to your boating, shopping and sleeping. Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, there is plenty of great theater in Chicago in the summertime. You just have to know when and where to look.

But first up--Chicago! And if you are a loyal Mosh Pit peep, er, reader, you are aware that there is no bigger summer musical theater production in town than the world premiere of "The Jungle Book" at the Goodman Theatre, located at the corner of Dearborn and Randolph in the heart of the Loop Theatre District. Director and bookwriter Mary Zimmerman has been given apparently free reign by the powers that be at Disney to give theatrical life to the studio's classic animated film, and surviving film composer Richard M. Sherman has been on hand to work with Zimmerman, musical director Doug Peck and the cast, headed by Broadway's Andre De Shields and Kevin Carolan, Chicago's Larry Yando and Usman Ally and young Akash Chopra as Mowgli. This is the must-see event of the summer, June 21-August 4, 2013.

http://www.goodmantheatre.org/season/Jungle-Book/

Just a few blocks south and east of the Goodman, at the Bank Of America Theatre, "The Book Of Mormon" continues its successful run here, though last week Broadway In Chicago announced that the show would indeed follow its destiny as the Second National Tour of the 9-time Tony Award winner, launching away for points other than here when fall arrives. But they did grant us an extra four weeks to see Elders Cunningham and Price yuck it up with the warlords of mysterious Africa. The show is now playing through October 6th. We've recently given you the rundown on BIC's other summer offerings, "West Side Story" at the Oriental Theatre (June 11-16), "Buddy" at the Cadillac Palace (June 18-30) and "Flashdance" at the Cadillac Palace (August 6-18). And let's not forget "The Australian Bee Gees Show" at the Broadway Playhouse on the Magnificent Mile (July 9-August 4).

http://www.broadwayinchicago.com/

Just east of the Mag Mile, on Navy Pier, Chicago Shakespeare Theater's extension of the very well-received "Othello: The Remix" runs through June 15. And a 75-minute version of the Broadway musical "Shrek," staged by Rachel Rockwell, runs July 13-September 1, aimed squarely at the family-friendly Pier demographic.

http://www.chicagoshakes.com/

In tourist- and money-friendly Lincoln Park, the production of "Million Dollar Quartet" that spawned the Tony-nominated Broadway production shows no signs of stopping at the Apollo Theater. Brandon Bennett, Chris Damiano, Lance Lipinsky and Shaun Whitley star as the famous foursome, with Tim Decker and Whitney Kraus Jones.

http://www.milliondollarquartetlive.com/

At the Royal George Theatre on Halsted Street, "The Pianist Of Willesden Lane" ends its surprising run this weekend, but the transfer of the BroadwayWorld Chicago Award-winning Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre production of "Smokey Joe's Café" continues in the Royal George Cabaret space through June 30th, directed and choreographed by Brenda Didier.

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/smokey-joes-cafe/6154/

A little further north on Halsted, the Briar Street Theatre is still home to "Blue Man Group," after something like 15 years. I'm still not sure what it is, but maybe that's why it's popular!

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/blue-man-group/200/

The folks at Porchlight Music Theatre perform at Stage 773, west on Belmont from the Briar Street, but they are only barely touching the summer this year, and on both ends. Their acclaimed production of "Pal Joey" closes this weekend, and their season opener, "Double Trouble" (a Chicago premiere), doesn't open until August 31st. But they snuck into the summer preview, didn't they?

http://porchlightmusictheatre.org

Next door at Theater Wit, the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble will quite soon bring us a revival of Kander and Ebb's "Kiss Of The Spider Woman," running May 31-June 30 in a production directed by Peter Marston Sullivan and choreographed by Linda Fortunato. Jennifer Grubb is the titular arachnid.

http://www.bohotheatre.com

When that production closes, the new Haven Theatre will move right on in, producing John Cameron Mitchell's "Hedwig And The Angry Inch" from July 5-August 11 in the Wit space, directed by Kyle Trent and starring Ryan Lanning and Lauren Paris. Trust me, these two can sang!

http://www.haventheatrechicago.org/

North of those twin bastions of Off-Loop Theatre, the Mercury Theater still has "Barnum" on the boards until June 16, starring Gene Weygandt and Cory Goodrich in a rare full staging of this Cy Coleman circus-themed musical. But work has already begun on the first ever local staging of "The Color Purple," opening August 14th for a long fall run. Should be exciting!

http://mercurytheaterchicago.com/2013-season/

Perhaps the edgiest show of the summer will be in Bucktown, where Broken Nose Theatre will present the Chicago premiere of composer Paul Scott Goodman's Off-Broadway show "Rooms: A Rock Romance," from July 6-August 11 in the Flat Iron Arts Building's Collaboraction space, the Pentagon Theater. Benjamin Brownson directs.

http://www.brokennosetheatre.com/rooms-a-rock-romance/

In Uptown, Black Ensemble Theater is preparing for the revival of its "Ain't No Crying The Blues: In The Memory of Howlin Wolf," running June 1-August 11. Rick Stone of the movie, "Cooley High," stars as the blues legend.

http://www.blackensembletheater.org/2013-season

And in Rogers Park, on its No Exit Café stage, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre is readying its summer revue, "A Cole Porter Songbook," running June 6-July 21. This original tribute to the songbard of Peru, Indiana, is directed by Fred Anzevino, with musical direction and arrangements by Aaron Benham. The cast consists of Chris Logan, William Lucas, Sierra Nibbe and Jill Sesso. Previews start on May 31st!

http://www.theo-u.com

Among suburban musical theater offerings, the Theatre At The Center in southeast suburban Munster, Indiana is running "What A Glorious Feeling" (the play with music about the creation of the film, "Singin' In The Rain") only through June 2, but just announced the cast for its production of William Finn's "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," running July 11-August 18 and directed by David Perkovich. Cory Goodrich and Jake Mahler star as Rona Lisa Peretti and Douglas Panch, with Bear Bellinger as Mitch, Nicole Miller as Olive (she will also choreograph), Patrick Tierney as Leaf, Jonathan Wagner as William, Frank J. Paul as Chip, Landree Fleming as Logainne and Rose Le Tran as Marcy.

Theatre-at-the-Centers-THE-25TH-ANNUAL-PUTNAM-COUNTY-SPELLING-BEE

Out west, the Drury Lane Theatre's successful and large-cast production of "Oliver!" winds up June 2, to be followed by the comedy "Boeing, Boeing" (June 13-August 4). But then, never you fear, for the highly anticipated Chicago regional premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical "Next To Normal" is next, running August 15-October 6. Oh, but when will they announce the cast??? We can't wait! William Osetek directs.

http://www.drurylaneoakbrook.com/

Even further out west, in Naperville, BrightSide Theatre is offering a production of "Rent" for the start of summer (speaking of Pulitzer Prize winners). Jeffrey Cass directs Rusty Koenig as Roger, Kyle Michael Kuhlman as Mark, Nicole Lambert as Mimi and Stephanie Souza as Maureen, running June 14-30 in the Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall at North Central College.

http://brightsidetheatre.com/

Somewhere west of here is the Pheasant Run resort in St. Charles, where Fox Valley Repertory operates. The company is presenting Roger Bean's 1960s revue, "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" from June 6-July 28. Kyle Donahue directs.

http://www.foxvalleyrep.org/Fools/

In northwest suburban Arlington Heights, the Metropolis Performing Arts Center is halfway through its presentation of "Five Course Love" (through June 16), a series of musical theater vignettes by Gregg Coffin and directed by Krista Hansen. Amanda Bloom, Greg Foster and Amy Malouf star, musical directed by Micky York.

http://www.metropolisarts.com

There's a lot going on at the Marriott Theatre in far north suburban Lincolnshire, where "South Pacific" wraps up a rapturously received production on June 2. Following that will be the love revue, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," starring Alex Goodrich, Kelly Anne Clark, Johanna Mckenzie Miller and Bernie Yvon, and running June 5-August 11. But the summer isn't over, as "9 To 5" will take over from August 14-October 13 (no casting is announced for the Dolly Parton tuner just yet).

http://marriotttheatre.com/

In Evanston, Light Opera Works is preparing Gilbert and Sullivan's immortal "H.M.S. Pinafore" for its June voyage to comic opera hilarity and high-jinx, running June 8-16 at Cahn Auditorium on the campus of Northwestern University. And in August, LOW will bring us its artistic director, Rudy Hogenmiller, starring in Kander and Ebb's probably immortal "Cabaret," directed and choreographed by Stacey Flaster and running August 10-25. This should be something.

http://light-opera-works.org/

And lastly, we shouldn't forget the Grant Park Music Festival's two annual offerings of musical theater. "A Rodgers And Hammerstein Celebration" will take place on July 17 in the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, starring Rebecca Luker, Doug LaBrecque and William Michals. And Broadway In Chicago's annual season preview will surely happen, but it hasn't been announced yet! Maybe soon, peeps, maybe soon.

http://www.grantparkmusicfestival.com/

So that's our whirlwind tour of the immediate vicinity's more prominent theaters and their summer musical offerings. I'll see you back here next week for a look at the half-day's drive region. And until then, I'll see you under the video screens.....-PWT

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