'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for November 20th, 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 the seasonal theater offerings continue apace, as we look forward to the Michigan Avenue lights parade this Saturday and a lot of turkey next week. Chicago's homegrown holiday favorite, "The Christmas Schooner," is in rehearsal now for its annual run at the Mercury Theater Chicago, previewing a week from today, November 27, opening December 4 and running through December 29. John Reeger and the late Julie Shannon's musical about the real-life Schuenemann family, who sailed Christmas trees from northern Michigan to Chicago a hundred years ago, will once again be directed by L. Walter Stearns, music directed by Eugene Dizon and choreographed by Brenda Didier. The production returns stars Cory Goodrich, Karl Hamilton and James Wilson Sherman, heading a cast of 15. And while you're there, don't forget to pick up your copy of the CD, "Season Of Carols," benefitting Season Of Concern!

THE-CHRISTMAS-SCHOONER-Opens-at-Mercury-Theater-Chicago

I'm not sure if it's a musical, but the 15th annual Redmoon "Winter Pageant" was announced last week, running December 13-22 at the company's new home in Pilsen, at 2120 S. Jefferson Street. To quote from the company's press release: "The 2013 Winter Pageant presents a new original myth inspired by the poem 'The Conference of the Birds' by Farid ud-Din Atta. It is an intersection between western and eastern culture and performance and Redmoon's robust history of puppet and object-based theater. Through masks, machines, song and dance, a cast of 40 interdisciplinary performers tells the story of a flock of birds that live a playful, happy life protected by their sacred Tree of Light until the Light is stolen by an evil Raven." All that, and post-show treats provided by Eli's Cheesecake! Sounds delectable.

Redmoon-to-Host-WINTER-PAGEANT

The third annual incarnation of "Christmas In Chicago" from the Fine Print Theatre Company was also announced last week, as the "comedic, musical year-in-review" runs the same December 13-22 at the Alley Stage in the Buena Park neighborhood. Written by Patrick Kenney and David Himmel and directed by Aaron Graham, the show stars Heather Bodie, A.J. Miller, Tommy Beardmore, Taryn Wood and Stephen Cefalu, Jr.

Fine-Print's-CHRISTMAS-IN-CHICAGO-Set-for-Alley-Stage

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra's annual Christmas offering uses the phrase "Christmas In Chicago" as the title of one of its perennial sing-alongs. And your faithful Mosh Pit reporter will be among the Chicago Symphony Chorus members when "Welcome Yule!" takes over Symphony Center's Orchestra Hall from December 14-23. Duain Wolfe is the creative director and conductor, and Timothy Gregory is the stage director. There are dancers, actors, singing children, Santa Claus. You get the idea!

http://cso.org/TicketsAndEvents/WelcomeYule!

Timothy Gregory is also the artistic director of Chicago's Provision Theater, and he and Priscilla Hummel are co-directing that company's holiday offering for young audiences, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." The show is on the boards November 30-December 22 for weekend matinees, on Roosevelt Road on the Near South Side.

http://www.provisiontheater.org/

Next spring, Bailiwick Chicago will have two off-Broadway shows for us to enjoy, as the company has announced casting for its upcoming productions of "Dessa Rose" and the long-awaited "Carrie," both in their Chicago premieres. The Lynn Ahrens-Stephen Flaherty "Dessa Rose," directed by Lili-Anne Brown and music directed by James Morehead, will star Sydney Charles and BroadwayWorld Chicago Award-winner Harmony France, with Jayson "JC" Brooks, Brigitte Ditmars, JaSondra Johnson, David Schlumpf and more (March 6-April 5, 2014). And "Carrie," the infamous 1988 Broadway flop reincarnated for the 21st century in 2012, features songs by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford. It will be directed here by Christopher Pazdernik and music directed by Aaron Benham, with a cast led by Callie Johnson and Katherine L. Condit and featuring Samantha Dubina, Kate Garassino and Ryan Lanning (May 29-July 12, 2014). Wow!

Bailiwick-Chicago-Announces-Casting-for-2014-Productions

Until then, we will just have to satisfy ourselves with other outstanding local productions like the one I keep hearing about over and over, the Griffin Theatre's production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." You don't hear such superlatives as these from everyone you know online, trust me. Everyone just LOVES it! The production, playing at Theater Wit through December 15, was directed by Scott Weinstein and music directed by Matt Deitchman. The cast is comprised of Laura McClain, Andy Cameron, Steven Perkins, Landree Fleming, Charlotte Ellison, Rochelle Therrien, William Lucas, Conor McCahill and Daniel Desmarias. Bravo to everyone!

theatreinchicago.com/the-25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee/reviews

One year from now, we will all be in the throes of "Newsies" mania, as we found out last week that the national tour of the surprise hit musical, based on the cult hit Disney film, will be here for four weeks (December 10, 2014-January 4, 2015) at the Bank Of America Theatre. Alan Menken's music and Christopher Gatelli's choreography will be on display in all their Tony-winning glory. Can you wait? Will you seize the day? Do you love Santa Fe? Do you love shorter guys who do athletic dancing? You know you do!!

http://www.broadwayinchicago.com/shows/showtag=newsies14

Speaking of Walt Disney, the studios' next animated feature is getting a lot of buzz from showtune types, as "Frozen" features original songs by Robert Lopez (who wrote both "The Book Of Mormon" and "Avenue Q") and his talented wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez. And the voice-over cast is led by four actors with boffo showtune credentials, Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad. The movie hits theaters (in 3D) one week from today, November 27! Where will YOU be over the Thanksgiving weekend?

Photo-Flash-NEWSIES-Cast-Gets-FROZEN-at-NYC-Screening

But none of that buzz can top the torrents of publicity I am seeing surrounding the NBC-TV live presentation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's immortal "The Sound Of Music," starring Carrie Underwood, Stephen Moyer, Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti and Christian Borle (Ariane Rinehart and Michael Campayno will perform "Sixteen Going On Seventeen"). This is NOT a remake of the Oscar-winning 1965 film, but rather a live soundstage performance of the Tony-winning 1959 Broadway musical, though I understand the film's "Something Good" is being added to the stage score. Underwood as Maria Von Trapp took a lot of people by surprise when this project was announced a year ago, Moyer's casting as the Captain sounded intriguing, McDonald's casting was either baffling or wonderful (given your person history with colorblind casting, I guess) and the addition of Benanti and Borle was reassuring to many. And as far as I know, the show's original book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse is being retained. Neil Meron and Craig Zadan (old hats at this sort of thing) are producing, and the show is being co-directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller and Rob Ashford. Where will YOU be on the evening of December 5th?

http://www.nbc.com/sound-of-music/

That's it for this week, peeps! I have to get to rehearsal. Maybe you do, too! At any rate, after rehearsal is over, or after that show you're dying to see, I'll see you under the video screens.....Won't I?-PWT

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