Archive for April, 2009
Chicago Theater Openings and Closings – don’t miss out!
THE BIRD SANCTUARY - the side project THE COUCH – Cornservatory GHOSTWRITTEN – Goodman Theatre HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH – American Theater Company HOW CAN YOU RUN WITH A SHELL ON YOUR BACK? – Northwestern University Theatre JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH – Paramount Theatre PUMPGIRL – A Red Orchid Theatre THE ROCKS – the side project SATELLITES – Gorilla Tango Theatre STOREFRONT THEATER MUSICAL – Cornservatory WHITE JAZZ – Annoyance Theatre WINK WINK, SKYPE SKYPE – Gorilla Tango Theatre
Show Closings – don’t miss out!
THE CHANGELING - Caffeine Theatre
THE GATHERING – Improv Playhouse
IDIOT TANGO – Annoyance Theatre
MODIGLIANI – The Artistic Home
RENT – Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre
SAINT JAMES INFIRMARY – Congo Square Theatre
TALLGRASS GOTHIC – Caffeine Theatre
WATER – Gorilla Tango Theatre
Theater Thursday: "God’s Ear" and Dog and Pony Theatre
Thursday, April 9
God’s Ear by Jenny Schwartz
Dog and Pony Theatre at the Viaduct Theatre
3111 N. Western Ave., Chicago
Don’t miss this special evening of reflection and discussion with the creative team of God’s Ear. Following the performance, please join the cast and crew for pizza and beer and participate in an intimate and animated discussion of the work. God’s Ear is a heartbreaking work that uses unconventional structure and language while exploring a couple’s relationship as they mourn the death of their son.
Show begins at 8 p.m.
Event begins immediately following the performance
TICKETS ONLY $20
For reservations call 773.296.6024 and mention “Theater Thursdays.”
Midwest premiere directed by Artistic Director Krissy Vanderwarker.
The Cast: Gina D’Ercoli, Jeff Fisher, Luke Hatton, Faith Noelle Hurley, Teeny Lamothe, Elizabeth Levy, and Mike Trehy.
The Crew: set design by Grant Sabin; sound design by Stephen Ptacek; lighting design by Aaron Weissman; props by Linda Laake; composition by Abraham Levitan of Baby Teeth.
For a complete list of upcoming Theater Thursdays, click here.
===================================================
All Theater Thursday postings sponsored by this fine entertainment accessory retailer.
Aside: This Chicago ticket broker offers a great selection of tickets in the city – Purchase tickets for Blue Man Group in Chicago and Chicago Jersey Boys tickets – which is now celebrating its second year of sellout performances!
Actor Kal Penn becomes arts groups liason for the White House!
Actor Kal Penn Joins White House Staff
Great news! The Obama administration is definitely following through on their promise to support the arts in a greater way, knowing that a vibrant American arts community creates a more vibrant American society. Specifically – actor Kal Penn, known for his roles in the "Harold and Kumar" movies and the television series "House," has been hired by the White House to serve as a liason between the administration and arts groups.
"I was incredibly honored a couple of months ago to get the opportunity to go work in the White House," Penn told Entertainment Weekly. "I got to know the president and some of the staff during the campaign and had expressed interest in working there, so I’m going to be the associate director in the White House office of public liaison."
"They do outreach with the American public and with different organizations," Penn continued. "They’re basically the front door of the White House. They take out all of the red tape that falls between the general public and the White House. It’s similar to what I was doing on the campaign."
The actor acknowledged that he would be taking a pay cut to take the job.
"There’s not a lot of financial reward in these jobs," he said. "But, obviously, the opportunity to serve in a capacity like this is an incredible honor."
White House spokesman Shin Inouye confirmed to the Associated Press that Penn would join the White House staff. In addition to serving as a liason between arts groups and the administration, he will also work to connect the president to Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities.
Penn’s start date has not yet been set. His character on "House" apparently committed suicide in last night’s episode. (aside: Eek!)
Sunday Night Sondheim: “What More Do I Need/Opening Doors” – with Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway sings Stephen Sondheim’s What More Do I Need? (from Saturday Night) followed by a performance of the Opening Doors sequence from Merrily We Roll Along where Hathaway is joined by Eric McCormack (of Will & Grace fame), Alexander Gemignani (Sweeney Todd revival, Les Miserable revival), and Stephanie D’Abruzzo (of Avenue Q). Featuring original Broadway cast member Jason Alexander special appearance by Bernadette Peters.
Performed in honor of Stephen Sondheim’s 75th Birthday on July 8, 2005 at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles.
Chicago Theater show openings this week
CARTOON - Chemically Imbalanced Theater
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) - Gorilla Tango Theatre
DELFOS DANZA CONTEMPORANEA – Dance Center of Columbia College
DIVERSEY HARBOR - Theatre Seven of Chicago
DRIVING MISS DAISY - Village Players Performing Arts Center
THE GATHERING – Improv Playhouse
JESSICA PRESENTS – Gorilla Tango Theatre
KATRINA: THE GIRL WHO WANTED HER NAME BACK – Adventure Stage Chicago
A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN – First Folio Theatre
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE - Loyola University Theatre
SCAPINO – Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University
THE TEMPEST – Steppenwolf Theatre
Video: Aerial training for Steppenwolf’s “The Tempest”
Came across this YouTube video featuring Emma Rosenthal and Miles Fletcher discussing their aerial training for “The Tempest“, which opens this weekend at the Steppenwolf Theatre, directed by ensemble member Tina Landau. Heard on the video, this tamer-than-it-sounds quote from cast member Miles Fletcher:
“I can’t tell you how many times we were told to wear tight-fitting clothing to our callback and audition.”
Who needs the health club when you have rehearsals like the one in the video!!
“The Tempest”, by William Shakespeare, also features ensemble members Alana Arenas, K. Todd Freeman, Frank Galati, Jon Michael Hill, Tim Hopper, James Vincent Meredith, Yasen Peyankov, Lois Smith and Alan Wilder with Eric James Casady, Miles Fletcher, Stephen Louis Grush, Emma Rosenthal and Craig Spidle
Thespian mice discovered in Goodman Theatre’s rafters
In a major scientific discovery, Dr. Vince Shlomi from SW Labs has verified that a high-intellect species of mice has been discovered in the rafters of Goodman Theatre in Chicago’s Loop.
“It was the weirdest thing,” said Anna Clifford, Goodman stage manager and Starbucks barista. “We’d come in for rehearsals, and things would be moved around. The lighting would be adjusted, or the scripts would be chewed on. I just figured it was someone from the cast of Mary Poppins.”
The discovery occurred a week into the run of Goodman’s present production, Come Back, Little Shicksa. On a routine check of the lighting, set designer and taxi driver Radhakant Baijpai, noticed that a Shakespeare book of plays was tucked between the rafter beams. “I bent down to pick up the book,” said Rhada “and it started to move – so I grabbed the book, and there underneath was five or 6 of those critters, all moving their arms wildly and emoting!”
So as to avoid calling in health inspectors, the Goodman box office placed PETA-approved traps amongst the rafters, along with copies of the American classic about the downfall of a washed-up Avon lady – Dearth of a Saleswoman – as bait. The theatre-loving mice were soon caught and trucked off to SW Labs, which is where they discovered that the mice responded more to Shakespeare than to slices of cheese.
When Goodman artistic-director and Elvis-impersonator Robert Falls was asked for a comment regarding the theatre mice, he just offered a terse “It’s all much ado about nothing”.
Chicago Theater first – Cirque du Soleil comes out of the tent
Cirque du Soleil to premiere major new show format in Chicago this fall
It will be called “Vaudeville.”
And the new Cirque du Soleil show in the works will both rehearse and start in Chicago—most likely at the Chicago Theatre. According to information circulating in New York, Cirque du Soleil is preparing a major new proscenium-style show under the direction of David Shiner (“Kooza”) and written by Larry O’Keefe (“Bat Boy” and “Legally Blonde”). The choreographer is listed as Jared Grimes, known for his tap and hip-hop work.
Says Chicago Tribune:
The idea is to create a 90-minute hybrid of a Cirque circus-style show and a more traditional musical-theater production. This would be the Montreal-based Cirque’s first foray into Broadway-style theater. It is likely to be a high profile show in the Loop next holiday season. Plans call for rehearsals this fall in Chicago, followed by an opening here in November. Thereafter, the show will move to New York’s Beacon Theatre for a run of six months or more and, most likely, a tour elsewhere. The Beacon Theatre is owned, like the Chicago Theatre, by Madison Square Garden Entertainment.
A Chicago spokesman for Cirque wouldn’t comment about any future projects. The Cirque has long said it wanted to explore new arenas for its work. This one will be as close as Cirque has ever come to Broadway, complete with the traditional Chicago tryout.
More links:
- Cirque du Soleil to bow major new show here (ChicagoBreakingNews.com)
- Cirque de Soleil’s reported new show will start in Chicago (Metromix.com)
Guilty of fraud: Poducers of “Ragtime” and “Kiss of Spider Woman”
Livent Producers Drabinsky and Gottlieb Are Guilty of Fraud, Canadian Courts Say
Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottlieb, the producers who gave North American theatre a shot in the arm with award-winning productions of Show Boat, Ragtime, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Fosse and more, were found guilty of fraud and forgery carried out at their production company Livent, Inc., a Canadian court ruled March 25.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Mary Lou Benotto made her judgment in Toronto, 11 months after the trial began. The judge asserted that the producing duo’s “creative success” was “spectacular” but that “widespread and long-standing” fraud and “deliberate misrepresentation” clouded their success and theatrical contributions.
There’s a Chicago connection to Drabinsky and Livent: the company refurbished Chicago’s ornate Oriental Theatre, where they produced a successful run of their Tony Award winning musical Ragtime. (personal note: Ragtime is easily one of my top 3 musicals, along with Parade and Sweeney Todd)
Story courtesy of Kenneth Jones of Playbill.com.
photo by Michael Cooper
