Ravinia Festival News

Tickets for Goodman Theatre's production of Animal Crackers go on sale today, August 14. They may be purchased at GoodmanTheatre.org. Beginning August 17, tickets may be purchased by phone at 312.443.3800.

The latest unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars

Goodman Theatre is proud to announce the complete creative team for the 2009/2010 season opening musical Animal Crackers, written by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, with music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Director Henry Wishcamper taps Tony Award-nominee John Carrafa (Sex and the City; Broadway's Urinetown, Into the Woods) to choreograph the cast of nine, including the four roles originated by the Marx Brothers, joined by Chicago favorites, Clowning Director Paul Kalina (500 Clown's Elephant Deal and Macbeth) and Music Director Doug Peck (Court Theatre's Carousel; Caroline, or Change).

Eighty-Eight Entertainment, Samantha F. Voxakis and Lee Kaufman present Hershey Felder's COMPOSER SONATA at Drury Lane Water Tower Place from November 13th through December 31st in a strictly limited engagement culminating in a special New Year's Eve Presentation of Hershey Felder's The Great American Song Book Sing-A-Long. These tour-de-force presentations, Beethoven, As I Knew Him; Monsieur Chopin and George Gershwin Alone; as well as The Great American Song Book Sing-A-Long, are written and performed by Hershey Felder and directed by Joel Zwick.

The National Touring Company of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC will be led by Rod Gilfry (Emile de Becque) and Carmen Cusack (Nellie Forbush), with Anderson Davis (Lt. Cable), Matthew Saldivar (Luther Billis), Keala Settle (Bloody Mary), Gerry Becker (Capt. Brackett), Peter Rini (Cmdr. Harbison), Sumie Maeda (Liat), Rusty Ross (Professor) and original 2008 Broadway cast member Genson Blimline (Stewpot).

Ripped apart when they were teenagers, ten years later, Elle & Jeremy are thrust into each other's lives again and forced to discover if maybe they're meant to be together after all. THE CONSEQUENCES is a bittersweet rock and roll love story about the road not taken, dreams not followed, and whether you can start over again.

On July 31, 2010, Ravinia Festival will honor great American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim on the occasion of his 80th birthday, with an all-star cast of soloists who have been featured in Ravinia's musical initiative. The evening reunites the on-stage and behind-the-scenes talents that created Ravinia Festival's acclaimed productions of the Sondheim shows A Little Night Music, Passion, Sunday in the Park with George, Anyone Can Whistle, Sweeney Todd and Gypsy, among others. Highlights of these musicals will be presented by Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Michael Cerveris and George Hearn, under the baton of Paul Gemignani and the direction of Lonny Price.

Ripped apart when they were teenagers, ten years later, Elle & Jeremy are thrust into each other's lives again and forced to discover if maybe they're meant to be together after all. THE CONSEQUENCES is a bittersweet rock and roll love story about the road not taken, dreams not followed, and whether you can start over again.

Aaron A. Flagg, who has been executive director of the Music Conservatory of Westchester since July 2005, has been named dean of The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. Flagg, who has a dynamic career in performances, music administration and music education, will assume his new role on June 30, said University of Hartford President Walter Harrison and Provost Lynn Pasquerella in a joint statement.

Chicagoland natives Jessica Redish and Justin Stein will return home this summer to work on La Red Music Theatre's World Premiere Production of B.R.A.T.T. Camp, by Bobby Cronin. Highland Park native Jessica Redish will direct and choreograph the production, and Glencoe native Justin Stein will portray the principal role of 'Cody.'

Theatre legend Patti LuPone has issued a response regarding the recent run-in with a Las Vegas audience member who was texting during the show. The action forced LuPone to stop the show, and calmly repremand the texter.

Theatre legend Patti LuPone has once again stopped a show cold. The incident took place June 21, while the actress was performing her brand-new show, Gypsy In My Soul, at the Orleans Showroom in Las Vegas. While introducing the iconic 'Don't Cry For Me, Argentina' LuPone noticed an audience member texting on his cell phone. Steve Friess of VegasHappensHere.com was at the show, and Tweeted (@thestrippodcast) immediately after the event.

Now that her already legendary run in Gypsy is over, Patti LuPone is set for a number of concert dates throughout the year, in addition to the previously announced dates with Mandy Patinkin for 'An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin' she will make a concert stop in Las Vegas at the Orleans Casino & Hotel on June 20th and 21st. She can also be seen (and heard) at the Cincinnati May Festival in Kurt Weil's 'The Seven Deadly Sins', Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. James Conlon will be the Musical Director for the series of concerts. For her complete schedule visit her official website at, www.pattilupone.net. Patti LuPone swept the 2008 theatre awards winning the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress in a Musical and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance for her performance as Rose in the critically-acclaimed new Broadway production of the classic Jule Styne-Stephen Sondheim-Arthur Laurents musical Gypsy, directed by the show's author, Mr. Laurents, currently at the St. James Theatre.

UnsungMusicalsCo. is proud to announce the development of a new production of How Now, Dow Jones (www.HowNowDowJones.com) starring Sarah Litzsinger (Beauty and the Beast), Colin Hanlon (Rent) and Fred Berman (The Normal Heart). With book by Max Shulman, music by Academy Award winner Elmer Bernstein and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Carolyn Leigh, this newly revised version will be presented as part of the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival.

Chicagoland natives Jessica Redish and Justin Stein will return home this summer to work on La Red Music Theatre's World Premiere Production of B.R.A.T.T. Camp, by Bobby Cronin. Highland Park native Jessica Redish will direct and choreograph the production, and Glencoe native Justin Stein will portray the principal role of 'Cody.'

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will embark on a two-week journey of South American music with conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the ¡Música Ardiente? Festival, May 27-June 6.The festival, presented by CNN en Español, will feature three programs.

Writers' Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce the World Premiere of A Minister's Wife, a new musical adapted from George Bernard Shaw's Candida, conceived and directed by Michael Halberstam with musical direction by Richard Casey. A Minister's Wife was adapted by Austin Pendleton with music by Joshua Schmidt and lyrics by Jan Tranen.

Two-time Tony Award winners NATHAN LANE (The Producers, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) and BEBE NEUWIRTH (Chicago, Sweet Charity) will star as Gomez and Morticia in THE ADDAMS FAMILY, a new musical based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams. Produced by Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt and Five Cent Productions, by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical, THE ADDAMS FAMILY will open on Broadway Thursday, April 8, 2010 at a Nederlander theatre to be announced. Previews will begin Thursday, March 4, 2010 following a pre-Broadway engagement at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre in Chicago that begins November 13.

Conductor Erich Kunzel, affectionately known worldwide as the 'Prince of Pops,' has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and his medical treatments will prevent him from conducting Ravinia Festival's June 5th opening night concert as scheduled. Stepping in for Kunzel is celebrated Broadway conductor Paul Gemignani, who will lead the concert production of Camelot starring Sylvia McNair, George Hearn and Rod Gilfrey.

With songs such as 'Take the Money and Run,' 'Rockin' Me,' 'Jet Airliner,' 'The Joker,' 'Fly Like An Eagle,' 'Livin' in the USA' and 'Abracadabra' to his credit, blues/rock singer-songwriter-guitarist Steve Miller is one of the cornerstones of classic rock. The STEVE MILLER BAND will be performing at the Providence Performing Arts Center on November, 8, 2009 at 7:30P. Tickets for this event will go on-sale this Saturday, May 2 at 10A; Box Office remains open this Saturday through 8P.