'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for October 5th, 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 finally here! The show that every observer in town (yours truly included) listed as their number one must-see, most-anticipated musical of the fall season begins its limited run of performances this week (October 4-November 6). (And it doesn't hurt that there is a Broadway revival of the same show running in Times Square.) Of course I'm talking about Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's "Follies" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier, directed by Chicago's very own graduate to Broadway, Gary Griffin. The production stars Broadway's Brent Barrett and London's Caroline O'Connor as Ben and Phyllis Stone (she's the one who sings, "Could I Leave You?") and Broadway and Chicago's Robert Petkoff and Susan Moniz as Buddy and Sally Plummer ("Losing My Mind"). A host of Chicago stage talents (most with national credits) will deliver some of the other well-known songs in the Tony-winning score ("Broadway Baby," "Beautiful Girls," "Who's That Woman?" and, of course, "I'm Still Here").  I think there are 29 people in the cast, and 12 in the orchestra. If the names Hollis Resnik (nine Jeff Awards) and Mike Nussbaum (original casts of David Mamet plays) don't ring many bells, well, I'm sure some other names will. It's a star-laden cast, performing one of the musical theater's major titles, albeit one that's notoriously tricky to get right. Just ask Bernadette Peters. And there are theater chat rooms and message boards with national profiles talking about this production, too. It's a big, big deal.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater - Follies

Griffin isn't the only director from Chicago's theatrical trenches who's found New York prominence and then come back to direct here again. David Cromer is making that formula work as well. The MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant recipient and noted director of the world's longest-running production of "Our Town" will be directing "Rent" here next spring (performances from April 28-June 17, 2012), in a co-production of American Theater Company and About Face Theatre. Originally, the two theaters planned to have artistic directors PJ Paparelli and Bonnie Metzger co-direct, but that's been changed. Cromer's schedule opened up-even though he has several New York productions in the works, I believe, including the Broadway premiere of the Off-Broadway hit musical "Yank." 

American Theater Company

And of course, Chicago Shakespeare Theater isn't the only large regional house around here that's putting up a Stephen Sondheim musical right now. The Drury Lane Theater is Oakbrook has "Sweeney Todd," starring Broadway's Gregg Edelman and Liz McCartney as the blood- and pie-hungry leading couple. But the show closes this coming Sunday! Better hurry now or you'll miss it. But never fear-a fun collection of backstage photographs of this production appeared on Playbill.com, hosted by actors George Andrew Wolff (The Beadle) and Emily Rohn (Johanna). Did you see it? It's like a time capsule of the very best of Chicagoland theatre, backstage style! 

Behind the Scenes at Drury Lane's Sweeney Todd 

Speaking of pictures of suburban Equity theater productions, the current show at Munster, Indiana's Theater At The Center looks pretty good, if the production photos are any indication.  But you better hurry on this one as well. It closes in two weeks (on October 16th)!  Norm Boucher, Robert Hunt and J. Chris Baum look like they're having a blast with the leading male roles in this "Guys And Dolls." And Angie Stemberg and Caroline Kobylarz look great, too, as Miss Adelaide and Miss Sarah Brown. Artistic Director William Pullinsi directs. 

Photo Flash: Theatre at the Center's GUYS AND DOLLS 

Director and choreographer Stacey Flaster, whose direction of shows like "Jesus Christ Superstar" in Munster helped make her reputation of late, will be directing and choreographing "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," its ALW/TR predecessor and something of a children's skit writ large, at another of our large suburban musical venues, the Paramount Theatre in Aurora (November 2-20). And the full cast was just announced this week. Northwestern University senior and Wheaton native Brian Bohr will star as Joseph, with Vasily Deris as Pharaoh and George Keating as Jacob and Potiphar. In addition to a full adult cast and 16-member orchestra, the production will also feature a children's chorus, making 38 cast members on stage in all. Scene and lighting designs are by Kevin Depinet and Jesse Klug, veterans of numerous productions up the metaphoric street at the Drury Lane in Oakbrook. 

Paramount-Theatre's-JOSEPH 

Interestingly, our region will have two productions of "Joseph......" running at the same time, albeit on a different scale and at geographically distant theaters. The second one (running weekends from November 11-December 4, but not over Thanksgiving) will be at the Wilmette Park District's North Shore Theater of Wilmette. I understand they were looking for more men for their cast... I hope they're finding them! (Note also that the spring show for this group, on the last three weekends of April, 2012, is "Guys And Dolls." Lol. Some shows are just in the air. 

North Shore Theater of Wilmette | Wilmette Park District 

Speaking of the north shore suburbs, Light Opera Works is opening "Rodgers & Hart: A Celebration" this weekend at its Second Stage facility, 1420 Maple Avenue in Evanston. The show runs through November 6, and features Amy Brophy, Tiffany Desmond, Bethany Thomas, David Geinosky, Jon Landvick and Rob Riddle, singing the great songs of the sophisticated and perpetually heart-hopeful duo. 

Second Stage at Light Opera Works 

Even farther north, in Lake County, the Little Sisters of Hoboken will make an appearance at Austin's Fuel Room in Libertyville from October 20-22, courtesy of Liberty Town Productions. The original "Nunsense" is directed and choreographed by Annie Snow. Carly Wilson Alcorn, Erin Callahan, Laila B. Hermano, Deb Smith and Marilyn Roland (as Mother Superior) star in one of off-Broadway's longest running hit shows. 

Nunsense in Libertyville 

On the cabaret side of things, impresario Ralph Lampkin, Jr., is booking a series of acts into the new cabaret space at the renovated Stage 773 in Lakeview. Legendary songbird Audrey Morris kicked things off this past Saturday. A different act will perform each Saturday at 8:00, except for Christmas Eve. But the New Year's Eve act will make up for that--it's Hollis Resnik, with musical director Doug Peck. That's quite a ticket! Other highlights are October 8 (Stephen Rader), October 29 (Jeremy Rill, with musical director Robert Ollis and directed by David Zak), and the December 17 show, a benefit for Pride Films And Plays, featuring the artists in the PFP ensemble. 

/Lampkin-Music-Group-Presents-Saturday-Intimate-Nights 

And, last but not least, for the videophiles among the Mosh Pit peeps, I'd like to discuss a movie musical (sort of) from the 1980s, one that was adapted into a Broadway musical a generation later (with local productions here as well) and was then made into a film again. And no, I'm not talking about "Hairspray." Rather, I'm talking about "Footloose," the 1984 film with songs directed by Herbert Ross, that was the basis for a 1998 stage musical that ran for a respectable 709 performances. Well, now we have another "Footloose" movie. However, unlike "Hairspray," this second Hollywood product isn't a movie version of the stage musical, but, rather, it's a remake of the first film, set in a different location but using only the songs in the first film, along with a handful of new ones, and none of the Tom Snow songs from Broadway. Well, hrrmph. I mean, I get it. But I can still be disappointed, right? Why not build on what others have put into the property, instead of taking a step backward? Or sideways? Or it is just me? Was the stage "Footloose" that bad? Ah, well. The film opens October 14, 2011. And at least we have the weird trivia of knowing that Julianne Hough starts in this new film, and that her brother Derek Hough starred in the London production of the stage version. But he's not in the new film, nor is Zach Efron--he was in "Hairspray." Movie number two. Confused? Somebody write a term paper about all this, please! 

Footloose (2011 film) on Wikipedia 

Well, we survived early fall, and now we have a week of sunlight. Everybody get outside and make some new friends, and then when the sun sets, take them to the theater with you! Or, at least, to Sidetrack or The Call, where I'll see you under the showtune video screens.....-PWT 

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