Theatre News Roundup
By Julienne Bilker in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 18, 2009 9:20PM
photo of Loretta Ables Sayre and male ensemble of Lincoln Center Theatre's South Pacific via www.lct.org
After giving ourselves a little vacation (aka “working overtime at our paid jobs”), the theatre staff at Chicagoist got back down to business this week. We’ll have a bunch of reviews coming up for you next week, but we figured we should all catch up on some news first.
News of the Sad
Apple Tree Theatre has folded. Founded in 1970 as the Eileen Boevers Performance Workshop, Apple Tree moved to Highland Park in 2006. Despite its reputation for high-quality work, the company’s diminished funds and audiences were not enough to continue operations through the 2009-2010 season. All programming, including arts education workshops, has been canceled, and all staff members have been let go. Subscribers will not likely receive refunds, but Executive Director Mark Weston is working to have subscriptions honored at other Chicago companies. [Chicago Trib]
News of the Operational
At the end of last year, Bailiwick Repertory Theatre lost its space on Belmont Avenue. Now it will operate without an Artistic Director. David Zak, Artistic Director since the company’s founding in 1982, has stepped down from his position, transitioning to Artistic Director Emeritus. Artistic Associate Kevin Mayes has assumed the role of Executive Director, and leader of an artistic collective put together "to reorganize the company and reenergize its artistic mission." [Chicago Trib, Playbill.com]
News of the See This
The touring production of Lincoln Center Theatre’s South Pacific is coming to Chicago (well, Rosemont) in November. Having seen the New York production, we unanimously agree that the show is a little slice of wonderful. Seriously. We didn’t think we’d like it, and it was damn near perfect. We can’t speak to the quality of the touring company, but we are optimistic that director Barlett Sher will keep his standards high. [Theatre Mania]
News of the HOLY CRAP WE’RE SO EXCITED
Steppenwolf Ensemble member Tina Landau is working with Regina Spektor and lyricist Michael Korie to create Beauty, a new musical inspired by the Grimm Brothers version of “Sleeping Beauty.” The combined musical resume of these three ridiculously talented people includes Floyd Collins (book by Landau), the 2001 Broadway revival of Bells Are Ringing (directed by Landau), Happiness (lyrics by Korie), Grey Gardens (lyrics by Korie), and a whole bunch of CDs (Spektor) that we occasionally (ok, more than occasionally) listen to for days on end. Here’s hoping the show previews in Chicago before hitting Broadway in the 2011-2012 season. [Playbill.com]