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Equity Jeff Award Nominees Announced

Posted on 31 August 2010 by Alissa Norby

The Jeff Awards announced 162 nominations in 31 categories for Chicago Equity theatrical productions which opened between August 1, 2009, and July 31, 2010. The 42nd Annual Jeff Awards ceremony honoring excellence in professional theatre produced within the immediate Chicago area will be held on Monday, October 25, at Drury Lane Oakbrook, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. A pre-show Appetizer Buffet will run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the Awards Ceremony, directed by Michael Weber, will begin at 7:30 p.m., with a Reception immediately following. Musical numbers featuring cast members from nominated musicals and video segments from nominated plays will be included in the Jeff Awards ceremony, emceed by luminary actors Deanna Dunagan and Felicia P. Fields. The evening is black tie optional and the public is cordially invited to attend.

Advance purchase tickets, which include the ceremony and the pre-show buffet, are available through the link on our website: $75 (or $55 for members of Actors’ Equity Association, United Scenic Artists, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and The Dramatists Guild of America) plus a $2 online purchase handling charge.

Complete list of nominees:

PRODUCTION – PLAY – LARGE

“The Brother/Sister Plays” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company

“The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro VistaTheatre With a View

“The Illusion” – Court Theatre

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – Court Theatre

“The Mystery of Irma Vep” – Court Theatre

“A Streetcar Named Desire” – Writers’ Theatre


PRODUCTION – PLAY – MIDSIZE

“Abigail’s Party” – A Red Orchid Theatre

“All My Sons” – TimeLine Theatre Company

“The Farnsworth Invention” – TimeLine Theatre Company

“‘Master Harold’…And The Boys” – TimeLine Theatre Company

“Tobacco Road” – American Blues Theater
PRODUCTION – MUSICAL – LARGE

“Animal Crackers” – Goodman Theatre

“Cabaret” – Drury Lane Productions

“The Drowsy Chaperone” – Marriott Theatre

“Hairspray” – Marriott Theatre

“Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

“Thoroughly Modern Millie” – Drury Lane Productions


PRODUCTION – REVUE

“The Absolute Best Friggin’ Time of Your Life” – The Second City e.t.c.

“Low Down Dirty Blues” – Northlight Theatre

“Oh Coward!” – Writers’ Theatre
ENSEMBLE

“Abigail’s Party” – A Red Orchid Theatre

“Animal Crackers” – Goodman Theatre

“The Brother/Sister Plays” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company

“The Farnsworth Invention” – TimeLine Theatre Company

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – Court Theatre

“Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

“The Wedding” – TUTA Theatre Chicago
NEW WORK – PLAY

Kristoffer Diaz – “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro VistaTheatre With a View

Michael Golamco – “Year Zero” – Victory Gardens Theater

Andrew Hinderaker – “Suicide, Incorporated” – The Gift Theatre

Jim Lynch – “The Tallest Man” – The Artistic Home

Bruce Norris – “A Parallelogram” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company

David Schwimmer and Andy Bellin – “Trust” – Lookingglass Theatre Company

Craig Wright – “Mistakes Were Made” – A Red Orchid Theatre
DIRECTOR – PLAY

Nick Bowling – “The Farnsworth Invention” – TimeLine Theatre Company

David Cromer – “A Streetcar Named Desire” – Writers’ Theatre

Sean Graney – “The Mystery of Irma Vep” – Court Theatre

Tina Landau – “The Brother/Sister Plays” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Shade Murray – “Abigail’s Party” – A Red Orchid Theatre

Charles Newell – “The Illusion” – Court Theatre

Kimberly Senior – “All My Sons” – TimeLine Theatre Company

Edward Torres – “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro VistaTheatre With a View
DIRECTOR – MUSICAL or REVUE

Jim Corti – “Cabaret” – Drury Lane Productions

Jim Corti – “Oh Coward!” – Writers’ Theatre

William Osetek – “Thoroughly Modern Millie” – Drury Lane Productions

Marc Robin – “The Drowsy Chaperone” – Marriott Theatre

Marc Robin – “Hairspray” – Marriott Theatre

Rachel Rockwell – “Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

Henry Wishcamper – “Animal Crackers” – Goodman Theatre

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY

Desmin Borges – “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro VistaTheatre With a View

Brian Dennehy – “Hughie/Krapp’s Last Tape” – Goodman Theatre

Rob Fagin – “The Farnsworth Invention” – TimeLine Theatre Company

Erik Hellman – “The Mystery of Irma Vep” – Court Theatre

Tracy Letts – “American Buffalo” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Nick Sandys – “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Michael Shannon – “Mistakes Were Made” – A Red Orchid Theatre

Chris Sullivan – “The Mystery of Irma Vep” – Court Theatre
ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE  – MUSICAL

Quentin Earl Darrington – “Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

James Harms – “The Drowsy Chaperone” – Marriott Theatre

Max Quinlan – “Jesus Christ Superstar” – Theatre at the Center

Alan Schmuckler – “Sugar” – Drury Lane Productions

Joey Slotnick – “Animal Crackers” – Goodman Theatre
ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – PLAY

Tracy Michelle Arnold – “Private Lives” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Cassandra Bissell – “Mary’s Wedding” – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Janet Ulrich Brooks – “All My Sons” – TimeLine Theatre Company

Kirsten Fitzgerald – “Abigail’s Party” – A Red Orchid Theatre

Natasha Lowe – “A Streetcar Named Desire” – Writers’ Theatre

Lia Mortensen – “The Hiding Place” – Provision Theater

Allison Torem – “Trust” – Lookingglass Theatre Company

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE – MUSICAL

Holly Ann Butler – “Thoroughly Modern Millie” – Drury Lane Productions

Cory Goodrich – “Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

Heidi Kettenring – “I Do! I Do!” – Theatre at the Center

Marissa Perry – “Hairspray” – Marriott Theatre
SOLO PERFORMANCE

Mary Beth Fisher – “The Year of Magical Thinking” – Court Theatre

Dael Orlandersmith – “Stoop Stories” – Goodman Theatre


ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY

Allen Gilmore – “Sizwe Banzi is Dead” – Court Theatre

Francis Guinan – “A Guide for the Perplexed” – Victory Gardens Theater

Tom Irwin – “A Parallelogram” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Timothy Edward Kane – “The Illusion” – Court Theatre

Nick Sandys – “Twelfth Night” – First Folio Theatre

Lindsay Smiling – “Blue Door” – Victory Gardens Theater

Michael Patrick Thornton – “Suicide, Incorporated” – The Gift Theatre


ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL

Mark David Kaplan – “Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

Peter Kevoian – “The Christmas Schooner” – Theatre at the Center

David Lively – “Cabaret” – Drury Lane Productions

Adam Pelty – “The Drowsy Chaperone” – Marriott Theatre


ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – PLAY

Janet Ulrich Brooks – “When She Danced” – TimeLine Theatre Company

Cindy Gold – “Awake and Sing!” – Northlight Theatre

Rebecca Spence – “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

Stacy Stoltz – “A Streetcar Named Desire” – Writers’ Theatre

Wandachristine – “The Old Settler” – Writers’ Theatre

Natalie West – “Abigail’s Party” – A Red Orchid Theatre

Jacqueline Williams – “The Brother/Sister Plays” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICAL

Rebecca Finnegan – “Cabaret” – Drury Lane Productions

Heidi Kettenring – “Hairspray” – Marriott Theatre

Valisia LeKae – “Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

Barbara Robertson – “Yeast Nation (the triumph of life)” – American Theater Company

Paula Scrofano – “Thoroughly Modern Millie” – Drury Lane Productions


ACTOR IN A REVUE

Mississippi Charles Bevel – “Low Down Dirty Blues” – Northlight Theatre

Rob Lindley – “Oh Coward!” – Writers’ Theatre

Gregory Porter – “Low Down Dirty Blues” – Northlight Theatre

Sam Richardson – “Spoiler Alert: Everybody Dies” – The Second City
ACTRESS IN A REVUE

Christina Anthony – “The Absolute Best Friggin’ Time of Your Life” – The Second City e.t.c.

Felicia P. Fields – “Low Down Dirty Blues” – Northlight Theatre

Kate Fry – “Oh Coward!” – Writers’ Theatre

Sandra Reaves-Phillips – “Low Down Dirty Blues” – Northlight Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN – LARGE

Jeffrey Bauer – “A Guide for the Perplexed” – Victory Gardens Theater

John Culbert – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – Court Theatre

Kevin Depinet – “Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

Kevin Depinet – “Thoroughly Modern Millie” – Drury Lane Productions

Collette Pollard – “The Illusion” – Court Theatre

Todd Rosenthal – “A Parallelogram” – Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Walt Spangler – “A True History of the Johnstown Flood” – Goodman Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN – MIDSIZE

Aimee Hanyzewski – “Of Mice and Men” – Oak Park Festival Theatre

James Leaming – “Tobacco Road” – American Blues Theater

Timothy Mann – “‘Master Harold’…And The Boys” – TimeLine Theatre Company

Angela Miller – “Jeeves in Bloom” – First Folio Theatre

Inseung Park – “The Hiding Place” – Provision Theatre
COSTUME DESIGN – LARGE

Jacqueline Firkins – “The Illusion”- Court Theatre

Nancy Missimi – “The Drowsy Chaperone” – Marriott Theatre

Tatjana Radisic – “Cabaret” – Drury Lane Productions

Alison Siple – “The Mystery of Irma Vep” – Court Theatre


COSTUME DESIGN – MIDSIZE

William JMorey – “Into the Woods” – Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago

Sarah E. Ross & Kristin DeiTos – “Tobacco Road” – American Blues Theater

Emily Waecker – “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company
SOUND DESIGN – LARGE

Mikhail Fiksel – “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro VistaTheatre With a View

Joshua Horvath and Nick Keenan – “The Illusion”- Court Theatre

Joshua Horvath and Ray Nardelli – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”- Court Theatre

Ray Nardelli – “Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale” – Lookingglass Theatre Company and Silverguy Entertainment
SOUND DESIGN – MIDSIZE

Victoria Delorio – “Mary’s Wedding” – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Mikhail Fiksel – “War With the Newts” – Next Theatre Company

Nick Keenan – “End Days” – Next Theatre Company

Miles Polaski – “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”- The Gift Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN – LARGE

Brian Sidney Bembridge – “Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale” – Lookingglass Theatre Company and Silverguy Entertainment

John Culbert – “The Illusion”- Court Theatre

Jesse Klug – “Cabaret” – Drury Lane Productions

Jesse Klug – “Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

Jesse Klug – “Thoroughly Modern Millie” – Drury Lane Productions


LIGHTING DESIGN – MIDSIZE

Lee Fiskness – “End Days” – Next Theatre Company

Jesse Klug – “Yeast Nation (the triumph of life)” – American Theater Company

Keith Parham – “The Farnsworth Invention” – TimeLine Theatre Company

Jaymi Lee Smith – “Mary’s Wedding” – Rivendell Theatre Ensemble


CHOREOGRAPHY

John Carrafa – “Animal Crackers” – Goodman Theatre

Tammy Mader – “Thoroughly Modern Millie” – Drury Lane Productions

Marc Robin – “The Drowsy Chaperone” – Marriott Theatre

Marc Robin – “Hairspray” – Marriott Theatre
ORIGINAL INCIDENTAL MUSIC

Alaric Jans – “The Hiding Place” – Provision Theater

Lindsay Jones – “Richard III” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Henry Marsh – “Twelfth Night” – First Folio Theatre

Ray Nardelli and Joshua Horvath – “The Long Red Road” – Goodman Theatre

Ray Nardelli, Andre Pluess and Josh Horvath – “Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale” – Lookingglass Theatre Company and Silverguy Entertainment

Jesse Terrill – “The Wedding” – TUTA Theatre Chicago
MUSIC DIRECTION

Roberta Duchak – “Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

Doug Peck – “Animal Crackers” – Goodman Theatre

Doug Peck – “Cabaret” – Drury Lane Productions

Doug Peck – “Oh Coward!” – Writers’ Theatre

Robert Reddrick – “Nothing But the Blues” – Black Ensemble Theater
ARTISTIC SPECIALIZATION

Bridges Media – Multimedia Design – “Trust” – Lookingglass Theatre Company

Sage Marie Carter – Projections Design – “Ragtime” – Drury Lane Productions

Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi – Circus Choreography and Movement Direction – “Icarus” – Lookingglass Theatre Company

Nick Sandys – Fight Choreography – “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” – Remy Bumppo Theatre Company

David Woolley – Fight Choreography – “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” – Victory Gardens Theater i/a/w Teatro VistaTheatre With a View

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“Daredevils’ Hamlet” a Brainy, Brawny Exploration of the Bard’s Most Enigmatic Character

Posted on 24 August 2010 by Alissa Norby

The cast of DaredevilsHamlet. Photo credit: Candice Conner

Review by Dan Jakes

Heres two parts of a play youd never think to look forward to: pre-show and actors Q&A. Leave it to one of Chicagos most innovative ensembles to make both entertaining.

Before the house lights fade, the cast of would-be stuntmen invites the audience to jump onstage and play four-square with the actors. Is it a gimmick? Sure. But is it effective? Absolutely.

Its this spirit ofwhy not?”—along with an adept comic ear, charismatic cast (particularly Barrel of Monkeyscompany member Brennan Buhl) and fast pacethat makes Halena Kaysperformer writtenDaredevils Hamleta success. The five-man ensemble interweaves classical text, personal narrative, audience engagement and amateur acrobatics to create a high-spirited, physical night of theatre.

And dont let the poster fool you. PromotedJack-Assery!” aside, this is one sharp, thoughtful show. The Neo-futurists deconstruct Shakespeares behemoth titular character and delve into the themes of thought versus action, masculinity, and sacrifice with the ensemblesown personal histories, all while keeping the experience light and accessible. No small feat. Conceptually, daredevil work and Shakespeare may seem like odd bedfellows, but who better to macho up than Hamlet? Mixing the physical commitment of acrobatics with the intensely cerebral nature of the famed prince yields a fresh, very watchable new take on an old story.

Ryan Walters stars in DaredevilsHamlet. Photo credit: Candice Conner

In one of the productions strongest ideas, fog, music, wrestling and poetry recitation are broken up bymoments of thought”—honest, bare, in-the-present check-ups on the actorsmental state.

One by one, the Daredevils step onstage and answer a list of simple questions. (“Are you nervous because its opening night? Why did you choose this image of your father to show?”) Instead of the usual self-indulgence these meta-theatrical tricks usually produce, the Q&A serves as little palette cleansers that provides interesting insight and some humorous ad-libs.

As for the stunts, the “Daredevils’ Hamlet” is admittedly noCirque du Soleil”—which is no problemmuch of the shows entertainment and charm comes from the realization that no one onstage really knows what theyre doing. That goes for the Shakespeare, too. Much of the show revolves around this themean actor playing a classic role just beyond his reach, a singer rocking a song a smidge out of tune and a cast performing tricks better left to professionals.

But whats more captivatingand for that matter, inspiringthan seeing someone throwing caution to the wind and just balls-to-the-wall going for it? Not much.

Recommended

DaredevilsHamlet runs through September 25, 2010 at The Neo-Futurarium at 5153 N. Ashland in Chicago. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.NeoFuturists.org.

For additional theatre news and reviews, please visit www.TheatreInChicago.com.

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Form, Farce Sizzle in Drury Lane’s “Hot Mikado”

Posted on 22 August 2010 by Alissa Norby

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Flowery “Godspell” Lightens its Beautiful City

Posted on 18 August 2010 by Alissa Norby

The company of Provision Theater’s “Godspell”. Photo credit: Ingrid Oyen

Review by Alissa Norby

Despite sustained notions of flower power, organic ponchos and other peace-keeping accoutrements adorning each ofGodspellsvaried arenas, composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz long ago set the record straight regarding the rock musicals assumed Bohemian leanings. The carousal-inspired pastels once donned by the Off-Broadway companys original peacenik pack was in homage to Harvey Coxs treatise, “The Feast of Fools,” an examination of festivity and fantasy, as well as the interface that these two realms often hold with liturgy. As such, conceiver John Michael Tebelaks beloved riff on the Gospel of Matthew is tendered most successfully when balanced between these founding pillars. Expressly aware of both its irreverent whimsy and timeless truths, “Godspellrequires a director equally as primed to take its mirthful plunge.

Director Tim Gregory is never quite apt to venture down that old laissez-faire chute with Provision Theater Companys offering. Gregorys youthfully spritzed staging often solely invests in the materials ebullience rather than its cultural acumen. However this inclination is not what one could hail as a mortal sin when it comes to the oft temporal sphere of the theatreAfter all, spiritual lessons have historically gone down the esophagus more easily with just a dollop of musical sugar.

For those with a taste for the glace, Gregory and his dependably green ensemble have pulled out most of the stops to compose what is surely a festal eveningReplete with a litany of balloon gags, Muppet-inspired puppet shows and Facebook references, ProvisionsGodspellis an undividedly airy offering that plays more like a tamed Sunday school pageant than an artistic examination of human-bred community.

Justin Berkobien (L) and Syler Thomas star in “Godspell”. Photo credit: Ingrid Oyen

Which is a shame, as there is nary a more opportune theatrical window to explore both the psychedelic and psychological than a book that seemingly started, or in this case revitalized, it all. “Godspellinarguably asserted its hallowed status due to then-neophyte composer Stephen Schwartzs pop-inspired score, an eclectic mixing of anthemic rock and meditative folk. But what has wholly embalmed the musical beyond its posturing of the Episcopal Hymnal on chic beats is its unapologetic willingness to posit the love that can bring individuals closer to a messiah but also the insecurity that can lead to entropy.

To be sure, there is plenty of contagious love to go around in Gregorys production. But amid the incessant slapstick, improvisatory fun issued by the wholly willing ensemble, the texts invitation to introspection is an offer that never quite materializes. Syler Thomas renders an all-too mellow Jesus in hisLifeguard on Dutyt-shirt and unworriedl khakis. Consequently, the notion of a communitys penchant for following rock-star leaders and eventual aptitude to debase those whom they have revered is never entirely achieved.

The burden of mortal sincerity too often then falls to Justin Berkobien as John the Baptist/Judas, an assuredly fine musical actor who is relentless in his portrayal of these two sides to human nature accordingly. Berkobien is persuasively gleeful as he baptizes those around him with recycled rain water, and adroitly disquieting when the ultimate deception lets loose its shadows.

But Berkobien is too often solus in Gregorys primordial sea of empty Beatitudes and mawkish Pharisees. The vaudevillian merrymaking often reaches points of infection, but with a dearth of emotional honesty, it is far too easy to refuse the Kool-Aid.

Somewhat Recommended

Godspell runs through September 26, 2010 at the Provision Theater Company. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.ProvisionTheater.org.

For additional theatre news and reviews, please visit www.TheatreInChicago.com.

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Tickets Now On-Sale for ‘AN EVENING WITH SUTTON FOSTER’

Posted on 16 August 2010 by Alissa Norby

Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce that individual tickets for AN EVENING WITH SUTTON FOSTER will go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 13 at 10:00 a.m.  The Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning actress will perform an exclusive, four-night engagement to inaugurate the new Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut) September 2326, 2010.

Tony® Award-Winner Sutton Foster gives a rare intimate concert performance during AN EVENING WITH SUTTON FOSTER with music direction by Michael Rafter (Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Sound of Music, Jersey Boys, The King & I)Although Sutton has been working on Broadway and national tours since she was 17, she became a Broadway legend when she became anunderstudy to the rescueand took on the lead role ofMilliein Thoroughly Modern Millie, eventually winning the 2002 Tony Award® for Best Actress in a MusicalSince then, she has created four original roles in four new Broadway musicals Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein and Shrek The Musical; a record unsurpassed by any musical theatre actress of her generationOf the evening, Broadway World.com recently wroteA stunning performanceMs. Foster proved shes a major force to be reckoned with, not just on Broadway , but in concert as well.”  Foster will perform Broadway hits along with songs from her CD Wish (Ghostlight Records), which was co-produced, arranged and music directed by Mr. RafterAN EVENING WITH SUTTON FOSTER is produced by Fox Theatricals.

Broadway In Chicago and Water Tower Place recently announced the addition of a new venue, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut Street to its family of theatresBroadway In Chicago entered into a long-term agreement with General Growth Properties (owner and manager of Water Tower Place) that will allow the theatre, formerly known as the Drury Lane at Water Tower Place, to re-open as the Broadway PlayhouseIn addition to the inaugural performance of AN EVENING WITH SUTTON FOSTER, Traces will perform at the Broadway Playhouse October 26, 2010January 2, 2011 and a newly adapted version of the musical Working is slated to open on February 15, 2011.

Individual tickets to AN EVENING WITH SUTTON FOSTER are $55 – $60. Single tickets will go on sale Friday, August 13 2010, at 10:00 a.mTickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St. and 18 W. Monroe St.); the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000; all Ticketmaster retail locations (including Hot Tix and select Carson Pirie Scott, Coconuts and fye stores); and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.comGroups of 15 or more should call (312) 977-1710.

The performance schedule for AN EVENING WITH SUTTON FOSTER is as follows:

Thursday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 25 at 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 26 at 2:00 p.m.

SUTTON FOSTER recently starred on Broadway as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical, for which she was honored with Tony and Drama Desk nominations, and the Outer Critics Circle AwardPrior to that Sutton starred as Inga in The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, Janet Van De Graaff in The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, LA Ovation Award) and Jo March in Little Women: The Musical (2005 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Award nominations).  She is the recipient of the 2002 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Astaire Awards for her performance as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, a role she created in the 2000 La Jolla Playhouse premiereOther Broadway credits include Les Miserables, Annie, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Grease!Recordings include The Maury Yeston Songbook (PS Classics), Jule Styne in Hollywood and the original cast recordings of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein and Shrek The Musical. In April 2010 she starred in the highly-anticipated City Center Encores! Production of Stephen Sondheims Anyone Can Whistle. Her debut solo CD, Wish (Ghostlight Records), was recently released to critical acclaim and is now available in storesFor more information, visit her website at www.suttonfoster.com

MICHAEL RAFTER recently returned from Melbourne, Australia where he supervised the music for the hit Broadway show Jersey Boys. Sutton Foster and Michael collaborated on her first solo CD, Wish, that was release in February and performed it live at the Lincoln Center American Songbook seriesThe New York Times wrote: “Michael Rafters subtle, glowing arrangements for ten musicianscreated a softened 1920s sound, at once lifting and refined.” Michael conducted Gypsy on Broadway, as well as the TV movie starring Bette Midler, and won an Emmy award for his music direction of the movieHe has supervised the Broadway and/or national touring companies of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sunset Boulevard, The Sound of Music, The Buddy Holly Story and the current hit Jersey BoysOn Broadway, Michael has served as music director/conductor of Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Sound of Music, The King & I and GypsyAs a guest conductor, Michael conducted the Memphis Symphony and the Tulsa Philharmonic for an evening of Jule Stynes music.

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Get Ready to Rock: Full Cast of ‘ROCK OF AGES’ Tour Announced

Posted on 16 August 2010 by Alissa Norby

Broadway In Chicago and the producers of the five-time Tony Award® nominated smash-hit musical ROCK OF AGES have announced the cast that will rock the nation in the 60-city, first national tour kicking off at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago on September 21, 2010. Tickets for this exclusive two week engagement are currently on sale.

Coming to you direct from Broadway is previously announced Tony Award® Nominee andAmerican Idolfinalist, Constantine Maroulis, who will reprise his acclaimed performance as Drew. Maroulis made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award® Nominated 2007 production of The Wedding Singer and co-starred in Off Broadway’s critically acclaimed production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

Other principals joining the party include MiG Ayesa as Stacee Jaxx (Broadway: Burn The Floor; International: We Will Rock You; PBSs Handel’s Messiah Rocks; CBS-TVs Rockstar INXS), Nick Cordero as Dennis (Off-Broadway: Toxic Avenger), Rebecca Faulkenberry as Sherrie (High School Musical 1 (original cast); High School Musical 2 (original London cast), Patrick Lewallen as Lonny (National Tour: Jesus Christ Superstar), Teresa Stanley as Justice (Broadway: Purlie, Dreamgirls),

Casey Tuma as Regina (Broadway/National Tour: Annie – 20th Anniversary), Bret Tuomi as Hertz (Regional: A Christmas Carol) and Travis Walker as Franz (Jeff Award-Winning production of Chess with Theo Ubique Cabaret). Rounding out the cast is Angela Brydon (Broadway: Wicked), Joey Calveri, Daniel Luis Domenech (National Tour: Rent), Lindsay Janisse (Broadway: Wicked), Sean Jenness (Tour: 25th Anniversary of HAIR), Holly Laurent (National tours: The Wedding Singer and Hairspray), Lauralynn McClelland (Broadway: West Side Story), Rashad Naylor (Broadway: Hairspray), Josh Sassanella (Las Vegas: Mamma Mia!) and Erika Shannon (National Tour: West Side Story).

The music that ignited a generation is heating up Broadway in the smash hit, ROCK OF AGES. The classic rock love story of the decade erupts into Broadways best party, all to the sounds of such feel-good, sing-out-loud songs as Every Rose Has Its Thorn, I Wanna Know What Love Is, Here I Go Again, Dont Stop Believinand more. This hilarious five-time Tony Award® nominated musical is nothinbut a good time.

As on Broadway, the touring production will be directed by Tony Award® Nominee Kristin Hanggi (Bare, Pussycat Dolls on the Sunset Strip) and choreographed by Kelly Devine (Jersey BoysAssociate Choreographer). The book is by Chris DArienzo (writer and director of the film Barry Munday), the Music Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestrations are by Ethan Popp (Tarzan; Europe: We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia) and the original arrangements are by David Gibbs (Counting Crows, Film: That Thing You Do).

Scenic design is by Beowulf Boritt (Spelling Bee, LoveMusik), costume design is by Tony Award® Nominee Gregory Gale (Cyrano, The Wedding Singer), lighting design is by Jason Lyons (The Threepenny Opera), sound design is by Tony Award® Nominee Peter Hylenski (Shrek The Musical), and projection design is by Zachary Borovay (A Catered Affair).

A New Line Cinema film of ROCK OF AGES will be directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray), distributed by Warner Bros. is scheduled to be released in 2011.

Individual tickets to ROCK OF AGES are $18 – $85 and are currently on sale. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St. and 18 W. Monroe St.); the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000; all Ticketmaster retail locations (including Hot Tix and select Carson Pirie Scott, Coconuts and fye stores); and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Groups of 15 or more should call (312) 977-1710.

ROCK OF AGES is part of the Broadway In Chicago 2010/2011 Season Series.

For more information on ROCK OF AGES, visit www.rockofagesmusical.com or www.BroadwayInChicago.com

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Rockwell’s Magic Brings “Pinocchio” to Life

Posted on 26 July 2010 by Alissa Norby

Jameson Cooper and Cory Goodrich star in “Pinocchio”. Photo credit: Peter Coombs

By Alissa Norby

In the realm of fairy tales, the matter of transformation is an infinite and endlessly expandable possibility. Pumpkins require only a gentle flick of a wand to evolve into palatial carriages, a mermaid need only exfoliate more carefully to rid herself of gills, and of course, with just the right amount of ingenuity and integrity, a young lad made purely of wood can become a real boy.

The authorial foresight found in the ilk of Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm siblings has always endowed junior readers with a belief in the possibility of evolution, whether it be in the earthly or ethereal worlds. But a different kind of metamorphosis, one that ensures the longevity of these lore to stage transfers, is much more difficult to come by.

But the immeasurably skillful Chicago director Rachel Rockwell has been around the woods a few times, and fortunately has the artistic prescience to weave the kind of accessible childrens musical after which many of her more financially-backed Broadway contemporaries can merely hunger.

Rockwells latest venture to the land of doting witches and pining heroes is the Marriott TheatresPinocchio, a re-imagined musical adaptation of the original 1883 fable, The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Like its famed Disney predecessor, Robins retelling of the puppets tale combines a slew of the originals chimerical twists, situating the wooden tyke in the hands of a lecherous cabaret duo and famished whale are just a few of the pit stops.

In the hands of adroit designer Jesse Gaffney, the quaint, four-cornered stage of the Marriott is appropriately transformed into an illusory playground, complete with automated rafts and towering candies. And with the playful assistance of an equally unwavering ensemble (Cory Goodrich as the golden-voiced Blue Fairy and Jackson Evans as the tumbling Hopper are particularly winsome), the production requires just the right amount of childhood invention to complete the journey.

Michael Haws and Cory Goodrich in “Pinocchio”. Photo credit: Peter Coombs

But Rockwell dispatches much more than aesthetic excursion to tell her fiction. She recognizes the significance of that age-honored fairy tale duo, a deliberate balance between grounded truth and airborne whim. It is this reverence that ennoblesPinocchioabove its compeers, relying on adult-accessible gag than tired gimmick to cast its spell. Gone are the bouts of euphemized spoofery too often adorned by other musical incarnations. Instead, Rockwell and Robin have packed just the right amount of du jour zest to keep energies high.

Unsurprisingly, it is a welcome and effectual alchemy. Through a sequence of rapping juvenile delinquents (who are surely lovable), life-sized grass hoppers and one elongated nose, Rockwell and Robin are carefully never to speak down to their listeners, even the most vernal of enthusiast. It is truly a production to be eagerly shared by all, with a message of honesty and courage that has always outlasted the most fairy-tested of magic.

Highly Recommended

“Pinocchio” runs through August 29, 2010 at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire, IL. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit www.MarriottTheatre.com.

For additional theatre news and reviews, please visit www.TheatreInChicago.com.

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A Gaseous “Shrek” Still Stuck in the Swamp

Posted on 26 July 2010 by Alissa Norby

The company of “Shrek the Musical”. Photo credit: Joan Marcus

By Alissa Norby

Fairytales should really be updated,” muses the puckish Shrek during a final plea for the affections of a reluctant princess. It is one of those startlingly honest and quietly irreverent insights thatShrek the Musicalis all too wary to boast, but is a welcome dagger into the cavalcade of childhood morality tales that, year after year, infiltrate the bulk of shooting star wishes and Barbie dream-houses.

It is also the simple yet remarkably shrewd concept that elevated the eponymous 2001 DreamWorks animated feature, upon which the subsequent Broadway musical was based, to its now-indisputable status of mega-stardom. Released after a litany of saccharine-sweet Disney lore that rarely if ever veered from audience-approved tropes, “Shrekassailed the family film front with its self-aware, dry, and intermittently perverse tale of a misanthropic ogre who unenthusiastically learns that he may very well need the callous world that surrounds him.

Unsurprisingly, this unexpected edge- well, as close to the edge as childrens fare can loom- was a harbinger for a new, CGI-encrusted cartoon genre. It was one that would take the moniker offamily entertainmentmuch more literally, ensuring that each age demographic, whether through slapstick pratfall or sexual euphemism, got its fair share of the deal.

This green-rimmed formula (the franchise managed to birth three profitably healthy sequels) seems painless enough. Curiously, then, was the musical incarnations inability to find a similar footing on the Broadway stage, a trial that still befuddles productions creative team as it makes its touring bow in Chicago.

Eric Petersen as the green ogre in “Shrek”. Photo credit: Joan Marcus

The musical, composed by the exemplary Jeanine Tesori and penned by Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire, never quite catches up to the sharp and agile tone of its source material. The educational appeal of those time-tested and requisite mores is in short, muddied supply here. And the adult goodie bag of pop culture references and impotency digs seem needlessly gourmandized. The drollFractured Fairy Talegags (one scene opens with the Gingerbread Man in aLaw & Ordertype interrogation room) and whoopee puns that were swiftly winked at in the film are replaced by lumbering citations of fleeting pop culture morsels, including GPS monitors and the VolkswagenPunch Buggy Blueroad trip game. At one point, the Big Bag Wolf actually refers to himself as ahot tranny mess”, alluding to what is even now a dated piece of jargon popularized by a Bravo reality series.

The only bit that was seemingly truant from the cortege was an appearance by the fairytale counterparts ofJersey Shore”. But perhaps that is being saved for the sequel.

It is this kind of reliance on the cultural other-a dawdling batch that also includes copious references to sibling Broadway shows- that thwartsShrekfrom finding its own literary and musical identity. The humor is too often derivative and director Jason Moores puppetry gags too repetitious, that when the pungent ogre does find his heart, and it is a welcome one, its often too late.

But after wiping away its flatulence schtick and belching contests, “Shrekmanages to unearth hints of that candid emotional kernel that has kept the brand pumping for so long. These moments frequently occur during the more authentic ballads of Tesoris score. Swept in with cookie-cutter kid anthems areWho Id Be”, “When Words Fail”, andI Know It’s Today”, a trio of acoustic-based songs that provide the sort of honest character introspection in a production that would be little more than an opulent coloring book without it.

Eric Petersen, Alan Mingo, and Haven Burton star in “Shrek the Musical”. Photo credit: Joan Marcus

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Theatre At The Center’s “Superstar” Plays in Passion

Posted on 20 July 2010 by Alissa Norby

The company of “Jesus Christ Superstar”. Photo credit: Michael Brosilow

Review by Alissa Norby

Perennial novels and short stories have often borne the most commercially viable musical works. As with the more contemporary trend of film adaptation, publications boasting pre-packaged audiences have often been viewed as the most trafficable humdingers for the Broadway stage. There is little wonder then why the Bible, the most widely-read and lauded tome, gave rise to three of the genres most publicly extolled creations, Stephen SchwartzsGodspell”, Andrew Lloyd WebbersJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, andJesus Christ Superstar”.

The latter of which, a piece initially conceptualized by Webber as a rock album with lyricist Tim Rice, hardly seemed ripe for the tourist plucking. Composed in 1960s rock pastiche with the sort of musical edge that more closely mimics the ilk ofHairthan that of Webbers subsequentPhantom of the Opera”, “Superstarwas conceived as an unapologetic re-imagining of Jesus Christs final earthly hours. A a work lodged with willing anachronisms and modish slang, the musical  immodestly paints Jesus and his apostles as an outcast horde, one equally as likely to tout flower power as they do salvation.

It is unsurprising, then, why religious groups initially found the piece an affront to the strictures. But that notion of musical sacrilege has thankfully gone the way of the golden calf.

In a rare and unexpected venture, Theatre at the Center has revampedSuperstarto more acutely echo the savoir-faire of contemporary youth angst. Borrowing aesthetics from a pool that includes the recentHairrevival as well asSpring Awakening”, Stacey Flasters rendering boasts an urbane look and feel that has largely remained absent from her predecessors’. Draped in both grunge ponchos and Converse sneakers, the players here sustain an unflinching air of timelessness, permitting the Webber/Rice tale to groove even further into the universal truths of its fiction.

The musical tells an embellished account of Jesus Christs final week as a corporeal megastar, although it primarily acts as an exploration of the toils of leadership and celebrity that often accompany such fame. All of the requisite New Testament plot points are hit here with varying degrees of sincerity, most splashed with some heavy rock star glitter to match the conceit. A rousing chorus ditty accompanies the thirty-nine lashes. The apostles don tie-dyed headscarves and acoustic guitars during The Last Supper. Even Judas Iscariot is portrayed as a most empathetic soul, a loving disciple who acts out of compassion for his fellow congregants rather than the typical malice or greed. Beatnik rock is the undisputed name of the game, and unlike most seasoned directors who have approached the work, Flaster knows its anything but hip to be square.

Max Quinlan as Jesus in “Jesus Christ Superstar”. Photo credit: Michael Brosilow

Working with Nikki Delhommes cross-generational costumes and Christopher Ashs structurally ambiguous set, Flaster has concocted a highly stylized directorial concept to match the shows unconventional score. Caiaphas and his autocrats appear in caricatural headpieces that more closely resemble a Marilyn Manson video than pious robes. This is of course before King Herod appears in the 11 oclock hour as a relative of the evil clown, serving as puppeteer to his Romanian minions.

Flasters is surely a wide and varied conceptual milieu, but somehow, it works. And at the points (there are several) where both the carefree score and witting director match in respective unorthodoxy, it engrosses.

Fortunately, Flasters giving players, themselves as emerging as their onstage personas, commit to every twist and turn. Max Quinlan gives what may very well be the most searing performance of his tender career in the titular role. Quinlan proves himself here as a most versatile vocalist, capable of traversing genres with an ease of breath.

Quinlan, along with the rest of the impressively capable ensemble, tenders the kind of spirited ductility that has always been vital to this work. Because despite the age-old source material (one about a messiah, at that), when it comes toSuperstar”, youth- and creativity- rule.

Recommended

“Jesus Christ Superstar” runs through August 8, 2010 at Theatre at the Center. For tickets or more information, please visit www.TheatreAtTheCenter.com.

For additional theatre news and reviews, please visit www.TheatreInChicago.com.

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Powerhouse Cast Anchors a Wayward “Island”

Posted on 20 July 2010 by Alissa Norby

The company of “Once On This Island”. Photo credit: Peter Coombs

Review by Alissa Norby

Early on in the Marriott Theatres glossy-coated production ofOnce On This Island”, recent Broadway vet Chasten Harmon opens her abled jowls in release of one of the most sweeping, whole-bodied voices the suburban company has witnessed since its onset. Raw and unflinching, Harmon sinks her teeth into one of the musicals most memorable pop hymns, “Waiting for Life”, that traditional opener that has long remained a staple of both cabaret and audition room. It is a song that beautifully echoes the aches of adolescence, both those tangibles and intangibles that seem just an inch away from reach. Harmon shows no deficit in her want, but the seeming objects of her desire- romance, escape, redemption- are as muddled as the maritime landscape upon which her inexorable journey unfolds.

Unfortunate, considering the musical, limned with flowery language and a spry score, rests solely on the folkloric truths with which it is sowed.

The musical, penned by the prolific duo Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (“RagtimeandSeussicalare also among the canon), has posed a confounding challenge to regional and school theatres- the most common of the shows presenters- since its 1990 Broadway debut. Stocked with an ebullient musical flare and Calypso-flavored beats, “Islandhas long kept one foot in each of its originating sources. Based on Rosa Guys jovialMy Love, My Loveyet inarguably inspired by Hans Christian Andersens originalLittle Mermaid” (a dark fable wholly void of singing crawfish), the musical swims between a sense of flippant celebration and a murkier tale of death and sacrifice. But producing companies have rarely ventured too far into the latter, too often opting instead to augment the musicals fairytale panache.

Chasten Harmon as Ti Moune and Nya as Little Ti Moune. Photo credit: Peter Coombs

Such is the case with David Bells current offering, a production endowed with the most formidable of talents yet ultimately, or rather willingly, subservient to saccharine. In fact, Bell, along with costume designer Nanci Missimi and orchestrator Michael Starobin, frequently seems intent on quietingIslandsmore veridical of themes. Pastel-colored, aerated aesthetic reigns supreme, while tribal fete serves as the staple production device. Foam headdresses and embellished Afro-Caribbean accents are consistently at the ready.

Island”, a piece that was once a light refresher, has been recapitulated here as a candy-coated libation, equipped with all the sugar required to help what was ever only a mild treacle go down.

For those not yet familiar with the vogue musical (or those who have yet to make the trek to one of the copious middle school productions), “Once On This Islandfollows a group of polytheistic denizens of the French Antilles as they recall the tale of Ti Moune (Harmon), a doomed young lover living on the shores of Haiti. Once an orphan, Ti Mounes life is spared by the water god Agwe and is soon delivered to the arms of two adoptive peasants, Tonton Julian and mama Euralie (here played by the dexterous team of Michael James Leslie and Joslyn James). Entranced by those of privilege, or the lighter-skinned Beauxhommes, Ti Moune enlists the watchful eyes of the gods in her quest for amorous fulfillment. The gods, it turns out, have  placed their own bets on the young travelers life, anxious to see whether the force of love (Melinda Wakefield Alberty) can overpower that of death (Jesse Means).

It is Harmon, along with several commanding performers including Leslie and Jones, that manages to serve as bulwark to the honeyed production. Harmon is that rare sort of performer equally game, and equally able, to dispatch the relish with an unflailing emotional core. Melody Betts as earth deity Asaka and Caitlainne Rose Gurreri as Andrea are also standouts here. Each manages to package infectious pep alongside a welcome bite, a careful pairing that, although essential, is given too few chances in Bells rendering.

Regarded as one of Flahertys richest scores, “Islandhas often relied upon  thematic muscle to grip through its chirpy wrapping. Ahrenss book still reflects Rosa and Andersens original works, both of which are rife with religious allegory and earthly aphorisms. But Bell has clearly worked diligently to eschew vestiges of mortal sacrifice and emotional salvation, directing his cast in a way that parrots more closely the Disney animated feature than the musical he is presenting. Ensemble members frequently don literalstorytellinghats rather than embodying the facilitating characters. Indeed, Bell has even discarded the musicals original opening, wherein the islanders decide to regale a young girl with the story of Ti Moune as a way to comfort her from a passing storm.

Surely there is no harm in electing for a fresher prologue. But devising none leaves little but empty context, and this is a musical that needs to keep rooted, else there is nothing left but froth.

Somewhat Recommended

“Once On This Island” runs through August 29, 2010 at the Marriott Theatre, at 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire, IL. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.MarriottTheatre.com.

For additional theatre news and reviews, please visit www.TheatreInChicago.com.

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