Theatre Dispatch From New York, Chicagoist Style
By Julienne Bilker in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 6, 2010 8:30PM
Next to Normal cast photo via playbill.com
We visited Broadway!
Although it was the call of family and friends that drew us eastward this holiday season, we hadn’t been off the plane for eight hours before we found ourselves smack in the middle of Times Square, merrily shoving tourists out of our way. We had finally procured cheap tickets (seriously) to the Tony-Award winning Next to Normal, and we were practically squealing with joy. Granted, that joy was quickly muted by the heavy subject matter - the show's protagonist, for lack of a better term, is a manic depressive mother whose debilitating illness is tearing her family apart - but we couldn't have been more delighted to be plunged into the family's heart-wrenching despair. Sure, the anguish is laid on thick, but we didn't mind. Next to Normal is exciting, honest and not without humor, plus the rock score is awesome - it should be, since composers Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey won a Tony for it. We laughed, we cried, and we left thinking, "This show needs to be produced in Chicago."
Honestly, we don't know all that much about the politics of national tours/semi-permanent productions and the semantics that undoubtedly plague the folks at Broadway in Chicago - we have a feeling that even if the show does make it out here, it won't be for a few years. If that's true, it could be a blessing in disguise, because what we'd REALLY like is: to see it done by one of our own. We know that rights are expensive, if they're even available, but we think any number of off-Loop companies around town could do it up right. The cast is small (six) and no real set is required - besides space for a band, there are little-to-no logistical limitations. If anyone is reading this who can make it happen - please do. Chicago deserves to see this show.
We regained hope for The Addams Family!
We definitely weren't the only ones who hated on the pre-Broadway opening of The Addams Family, and the show's producers certainly took notice. On December 28th, the Addams team announced that four-time Tony Award-winning director Jerry Zaks will be taking creative control of the production, supervising what the NY Times calls "significant changes." This Times article from yesterday makes several good points about the difficulty of translating the sensibility and wit of Charles Addams' original cartoons to the stage, but we have our fingers crossed.
We geeked out on Sondheim!
We never get tired of reading about musical theatre genius Stephen Sondheim. His A Little Night Music is currently running on Broadway, and the NYTimes took the opportunity to talk with the legendary composer/lyricist about his perspective on revivals of his work. Much of the short article discusses the trend toward "chamberization" (reorchestrating music for small chamber-style orchestras) - A Little Night Music has an eight-instrument orchestra, and recent revivals of other Sondheim pieces (Sweeney Todd in 2005, Company in 2006 and Sunday In The Park With George in 2008) have also had pared-down instrumentation. And if that isn't enough Sondheim for you - it wasn't enough for us - the American Theatre Wing has a new podcast interview with the man himself.
We missed Chicago!
In the days leading up to New Year's, we saw lots of "best of the decade" lists and shows - but we particularly enjoyed Time Out Chicago's take on things. For a different sort of glance at the last ten years, check out TOC's "Theater Companies We Were Sorriest To See Go," "Best Theater Sets Of The Decade," "Most Prolific Theater Artists Of The Decade," and "Weirdly Hyperbolic Quotes About Chicago Theater In Non-Chicago Media."
We reflected on the (very near) future!
Now that the sappy holiday commercials have dissipated, we realize we only have a short respite before the Valentine's Day shenanigans start up. For some surefire anti-stupidmadeupholidaybutwe'renotbitterreally entertainment at the Lakeshore Theatre, we have two words for you: Sandra Bernhard.