'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 17th, 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:

As the holidays approach, it's shuffle-the-deck time at Broadway In Chicago! At the end of this month, we will say goodbye to "Billy Elliot" after an eight-month run (originally scheduled for ten) at the Ford Center For The Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre, and "The Lion King" will make its scheduled departure from the Cadillac Palace Theatre after two months. 

In their place will appear a return of Chicago's all-time-favorite Broadway production, "Wicked," opening December 1, 2010 for eight weeks at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (NOT the Oriental!), and, two weeks later in December, "White Christmas" will begin a three week stint here (at the Bank Of America Theatre) that I believe will wind up its short 2010 tour. This will be a first appearance here of this stage adaptation of the popular 1954 film musical. 

It's also worthy to note that "Traces," beginning its tour here at the newly-named Broadway Playhouse, has just announced an extension, so all three BIC offerings will run through New Year's. It's too bad that "Billy" will not among them as originally planned, but that tour will move to Toronto after the holidays, as scheduled. Ah, well. 

Looking to the new year, single tickets went on sale November 14th for the tour of the newly re-staged "Les Miserables," playing the Cadillac Palace Theatre from February 2-27, 2011. Some folks may know that Joe Tokarz (most recently seen as Judas in "Jesus Christ Superstar" at Theatre At The Center in Munster, Indiana) and Cooper Grodin (Billy in Light Opera Works's production of "Carousel" up in Evanston) are in the cast of this production.

And tickets for the stop at the Bank Of America Theatre of the tour of Dolly Parton's "9 To 5," which opened this fall in Nashville (and reportedly has been revised from the Broadway version), will go on sale November 19th. "9 To 5" will play in Chicago from January 19-31. The world keeps turning, indeed. 

Here Is The Broadway In Chicago Website 

Speaking of "Les Miserables," please note that tonight, November 17, is the day that the gala 25th anniversary concert of the show, given in London earlier this fall, will be shown in movie theaters around the country! This is the version that stars Nick Jonas as Marius, the student revolutionary (he played Gavroche when he was younger--not that long ago, of course). "Love Never Dies" star Ramin Karimloo is firebrand Enjolras and Lea Salonga (a noted Eponine) appears this time as Fantine (giving Susan Boyle a run for her money by performing "I Dreamed A Dream"). AMC River East 21 movie theater in Chicago is among the local screens where you can catch this worldwide event, as are the Webster Place and City North screens owned by Showplace. 

Click Here For Tickets To Les Misérables in Concert 

This weekend in Chicagoland we have a treat of sorts: dueling university productions of American musicals set in England, featuring all sorts of legit singing. Roosevelt University is mounting 1978's "Sweeney Todd" on the 7th floor of the Auditorium Theatre building, Thursday through Sunday. Faculty member Ray Frewen directs. And in Evanston, Northwestern University has put up the 1991 musical "The Secret Garden" at Cahn Auditorium, in a large-scale production directed by department chair Rives Collins. Performances are also Thursday through Sunday. These schools do high quality work, no question about it.

Roosevelt Theatre Conservatory Season Brochure 

The Secret Garden At Northwestern University 

Though we are not quite yet at Thanksgiving, the theater world tends to skip right over this family and football feast and head right into Christmas. The most popular show of them all, "A Christmas Carol," returns to the Goodman Theatre again this year, starting performances on Friday, November 19th (through December 31st). In 33 seasonal stagings, this show has become synonymous with Christmas in the mind of many theatergoers, and Tom Creamer's adaptation, directed by William Brown and starring new Scrooge John Judd, will no doubt work its anti-humbug magic again this year. I don't even know if it's a musical or a play with music, but here's the link anyway! 

Goodman Theatre : Chicago's award-winning regional theater 

Also beginning November 19th, at the Piccolo Theatre in Evanston, is a different kind of English holiday treat. It's "Robin Hood: The Panto!" by Jessica Pullar, with music by the prodigiously talented Northwestern graduate Tyler Beattie. A distinctly but very popular holiday theatrical tradition in Merry Olde England, the panto is based on traditional stories or fairy tales, and features all sorts of cross dressing characters and satiric variations on stock themes and situations. I think. The show runs weekends through December 18th. 

On Stage at Piccolo Theatre: Robin Hood 

An even more unlikely holiday offering, in an unlikely venue to boot, is (believe it or not) "Alien Queen," inspired by the movie "Alien" and the rock band Queen and brought to Circuit Nightclub in Lakeview by Scott Bradley and Jonny Stax, aka The Scooty and JoJo Show. The show is described as "an audacious parody of Hollywood's most terrifying sci-fi flicks, complete with enormous puppets, a multi-talented gender-bending cast, a laser light show, and a four-piece rock band covering the legendary songs of Queen." And starring as action hero Ridley is Jeff Award-winning actor Ryan Lanning, whose last Chicago stage assignment was as a member of the company of "Candide" at the aforementioned Goodman Theatre. I guess he is nothing if not versatile! Rashada Dawan (star of this summer's "Aida" at Bailiwick Chicago) co-stars. Nick Davio and Dave Saenger will tear up the guitar parts. "Alien Queen" will begin previews December 1, and run through the famous closing date of December 18. 

Alien Queen 

We've all been watching "Glee" during this sweeps month, haven't we? It seems like every bar in town shows the hit show at 7:00 pm every Tuesday, and every Showtune bar features extensive "Glee" clips in their rotation. We've experienced the joys of both young love and Gwenyth Paltrow, and enjoyed numbers from "Singing In The Rain," and next week Carol Burnett drops by McKinley High for some antics. I also understand that there will be another round of open casting calls in mid-December. You know you've thought about it...... 

Glee TV Series - Glee Episode Guide 

And I hope that everyone is spreading the word about our very own BroadwayWorld Chicago Theatre Fans' Choice Awards! Voting remains open (though December 20th), and the votes are very tight in a lot of categories! You can only vote once, but you are welcome to check in often and see how your favorite nominees are doing in the running. And be sure to spread the word about the voting process to fans who may not be loyal BWW or Mosh Pit readers (what, how could that be?). It's all good, and it's all to give YOU a voice in what goes on around here. Meaning: the shows and artists and companies that you love need to know it, and here's how you can show it! Here's the link to the article where all is explained: 

2010 Broadway World Chicago Awards! 

So that's it for now. Pretty soon we'll all be dodging snow flakes, I guess. Maybe we'll need somewhere to camp out and rejuvenate during a storm or two. I've got it! I'll see you under the video screens.....--PWT

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