'The Showtune Mosh Pit' for September 23rd, 2015
By: Paul W. Thompson Sep. 23, 2015
THE LATEST IN UNAUTHORIZED GOSSIP AND BUZZ FROM THE HEART OF CHICAGO'S SHOWTUNE VIDEO BARS, AND MUSICAL THEATER NEWS FROM CHICAGO TO BROADWAY
Overheard last weekend under the showtune video screens at Sidetrack and The Call:
"Oklahoma!" is ok once again! Or better than ok, if the reviews coming out of Aurora are being shouted from smokehouse rooftops as they should be. And did you see the production photos? And view the B-roll footage? Oh, my. The Paramount Theatre's artistic director Jim Corti has fashioned something reportedly both fresh and deep out of the enduring well of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1943 pacesetter, with Colte Julian and Allison Sill (pictured) as Curly McClain and Laurey Williams. Along with Peter Saide, Carl Draper, Lillie Cummings, Caron Buinis and Kareem Bandealy in the other major roles, a large ensemble will be delving into the minds of girls and the frontier on the cusp of womanhood and statehood, respectively (see,...a metaphor...), and kicking it up to the choreography of Katie Spelman, conducted from the pit by wunderkind Tom Vendafreddo. Scott Davis's set is harvesting great notices too. Get thee to Aurora! (Through October 18)
/BWW-TV-First-Look-at-Highlights-of-Paramount-Theatres-OKLAHOMA
And three other productions from Super September have gotten great notices, too. Porchlight Music Theatre's Chicago premiere of the revised version of "Side Show" has received stupendous reviews for what most observers allow is a difficult show at best. This may be one of the best cases to be made for it, according to many. Directed by artistic director Michael Weber, choreographed by Andrew Waters and music directed by Aaron Benham, the production runs through October 25. Also, the little-known "Triassic Parq" has debuted in Chicago with a roar, thanks to the Circle Theatre production at the Heartland Studio Theatre now through October 4. And the Pulitzer Prize-winner "Next To Normal" has only this weekend left in performances at the Skokie Theatre, in a well-received staging from MadKap Productions (closes September 27).
http://www.theatreinchicago.com/reviewlistings.php
I don't know how I missed it, but The House Theatre Of Chicago has been running a Super September show of its own, "The Revel," an original play with music that's an adaptation of Euripides's "The Bacchae." Adapted by Damon Kiely, with music by Jess McIntosh (he's a fiddler, writing here for women's voices), it's directed and choreographed by Leslie Buxbaum Danzig. A cast of twelve actors, singers and instrumentalists is bringing this bluegrassy folk tale of salvation in peril alive through October 25, in the Upstairs Theatre of the Chopin Theatre on Division Street.
The-House-Theatre-of-Chicago-to-Stage-THE-REVEL
MCL Chicago is home to a world premiere parody musical called "One Brain More: A Zombie Les Misical" that began performances last Friday. Written by Chris Gorton, it's directed by Michael Shepherd Jordan, choreographed by Holly Gombita and music directed by Stephanie McCullough, with a run on Friday nights only through October 30, and a special encore closing night on Halloween, October 31. Combine post-apocalyptic zombies, "Les Miserables," and Chicago-style musical sketch-parody, and this is what happens! The cast includes Mark Rudy, Brandon C. Price, Ryan Cashman, Sarah Caitlin Davis, Sophia Shrand, Courtney Fontaine, Allison Taylor, Shanna Brown, Gary Fields, Kerri Morrison and Seth Origitano.
MCL-Chicago-to-Premiere-ONE-BRAIN-MORE-A-ZOMBIE-LES-MISICAL-This-Fall
I don't think I've mentioned it in a while, but since we're on the subject of once-a-week musical sketch, there is always "Cupid Has A Heart On," which bills itself as Chicago's longest-running musical comedy." Created by its director and music director, Brian Posen, and running at Stage 773 on Saturdays at 8:00 pm (Posen is Stage 773's creative director), the rotating ensemble known as The Cupid Players includes the aforementioned Chris Gorton in its number. It's about love, I think.
The aforementioned Porchlight Music Theatre is the source of several additional bits of news. The company's "Porchlight Revisits..." series is the source of a concert version of Rodgers and Hart's "Babes In Arms," the 1937 musical with a Hit Parade of songs like "Johnny One-Note," "My Funny Valentine," Where Or When" and more. A concert staging of the show, with book revised by John Guare, will be presented at Stage 773 from October 6-8, with a cast (yet to be announced) including Chris Logan and Javier Ferreira.
http://porchlightmusictheatre.org/babes-in-arms/
And the company has announced a monthly series of year-based revues to take place at the relatively new Uptown Underground nightclub in, you guessed it, Uptown. It's a series that combines two musical theater ideas in one--the tried-and-true concept of creating a revue based on musicals that opened on Broadway in the same year, and Leonard Sillman's "New Faces" series, presenting new talent in what amounts to a deluxe showcase in premium, intimate packaging. And so, we will have "New Faces Sing Broadway," with the first year in question as 1991. Veteran Meghan Murphy will host, and Christopher Pazdernik will direct. Kory Danielson will provide music direction. The date of the first such evening is Tuesday, November 3rd at 8:00 pm. Additional dates will be March 22nd and June 7th, 2016. Sounds like a great concept!
Porchlight-Music-Theatre-to-Launch-New-Music-Series-with-NEW-FACES-SING-BROADWAY-1991
A show originally slated, albeit tentatively, for the spring has been moved closer and given a definite time slot. It's "Irving Berlin," or, as the publicity materials call it, "Hershey Felder as 'Irving Berlin'." The pianist, producer, writer and actor who brought the world "George Gershwin Alone" returns to the Royal George Theatre once again to star in a sell-penned tribute to yet another composer (Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt and Bernstein have also undergone such treatment), this one the immortal writer of so many well-known songs, it's hard to know where to start. "God Bless America," "White Christmas," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Easter Parade," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Blue Skies," "Heat Wave" and more just scratch the surface of the output of a man who was a musical genius yet musically "illiterate." Directed by Trevor Hay, and previously seen in Los Angeles, Felder will bring Berlin and his music to life beginning October 30. This one would seem to be important to the Mosh Pit, peeps.
Midwest-Premiere-of-HERSHEY-FELDER-AS-IRVING-BERLIN
The Marriott Theatre has announced the cast of its upcoming holiday show, the musical "Elf." And in the most perfect casting this observer has noted in many years in the Chicago musical theater scene, the lead role of Buddy will be played by Jeff Award winner and hilarious curly-haired tall guy Alex Goodrich ("Hero," "On The Town"). Marc Robin will direct and choreograph, with musical direction by Ryan T. Nelson. The show will begin previews October 21, with opening set for November 1 and a run through December 31. Joining Goodrich for all the fun of this musical by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (based on the 2003Will Ferrell film) will be Dara Cameron, Kevin Gudahl, Susie McMonagle, Roger Mueller, Susan Moniz and Cam Ezell, with a large ensemble of new and familiar names.
The-Marriott-Theatre-to-Stage-ELF-This-Holiday-Season
And American Theater Company has announced a change to its season. You may know that a certain television network is presenting a live version of "The Wiz" on December 3rd, starring Queen Latifah as the title character. And there are plans to mount the show with the same creative team and cast on Broadway in the foreseeable future. Well, ATC had announced plans for a "Wiz" of its own, to be directed by Bailiwick Chicago artistic director Lili-Anne Brown. Well, those plans have been scuttled, and Brown will instead direct a production of the musical "Xanadu" for ATC, to run May 27-July 24, 2016. The light-hearted show is said to have been a favorite of late ATC artistic director PJ Paparelli. So get your Jeff Lynne and John Farrar songs working!
American-Theater-Company-Adds-XANADU-to-Legacy-Season
That's all I know for now! I hope that's enough! Quite a lot of variety herein. And on our stages, too. So I'll let you get to it, and I'll see you under the video screens!....-PWT
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