Ira Glass Brings Sleepwalk With Me To Chicago

By Steven Pate in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 27, 2012 6:00PM

Stop pinching yourselves, Mike Birbilgia fans. Sleepwalk With Me, the new film from the comedian and This American Life contributor, really has at long last completed its metamorphosis from radio to stage to Kindle to movie theater and will debut to Chicago audiences this weekend with personal appearances by the film's producer, This American Life host Ira Glass. Is this the ultimate way to encounter Birbiglia's funny, confessional tale discovering of his sleep disorder while confronting issues with his relationship and career? Unless Birbiglia and Glass decide to turn it into a video game, probably. And would a video game have cameos from Marc Maron, Kristen Schaal, Wyatt Cenac, and Jesse Klein?

Critical reception so far has been positive, with the film pulling down an Audience Award at Sundance and cleaning up at the box office during its special engagement in New York last weekend. A twitter hashtag campaign and consistent plugging by the Public Radio International all-stars should help as the film opens in wider release. There's even the stirrings of a very serious feud with Avengers mastermind Joss Whedon, which never hurt any movie.

Glass, who also shares a co-writing credit for the film, claims it stands with This American Life's best work, calling it "As good as our very best episodes. Except maybe funnier." The translation of Birbiglia's self-deprecating source material from on-air anecdote to Nathan Lane-produced one-man show, to well-received book has gone well at every turn so far.

Whether this final translation, in which Birbiglia's confessional voice is transformed into and nestled among performances of other people, is as successful is a question only watching the film can answer. Just about anything else can be asked of Glass himself, who will introduce the film and be there to discuss the process of seeing-through the first TAL-affiliated feature film from idea to script to finished product.

Sleepwalk With Me opens on Friday at the Music Box Theater, 3733 N Southport Ave. Ira Glass will be present for screenings on Friday, September 1 and Saturday, September 2. Tickets to some screenings were still available at the time of this writing.