Stephanie Umoh and Jared Zirilli

This is the second local production of Elton John’s “Aida” programmed in the wake of last year’s “Billy Elliot” mania—ironically, “Billy” did not even last long enough to be around for this déjà vu vu vu, if you count the fact that the original work gestated in Chicago over a decade ago.

“Aida” represents the third and final collaboration between Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, all for animated Disney films: “The Lion King,” “The Road to El Dorado” and “Aida,” which was never made. Based on the Verdi opera as it was adapted for a children’s book by soprano Leontyne Price, the definitive “Aida” of her generation, an “Aida” concept album was recorded in 1998, much as Rice had done with his longtime collaborator Andrew Lloyd Webber for properties such as “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Evita” before they became stage works.

When the animated version fell through, Disney Theatrical put together a mammoth stage adaptation with Goodman Theatre’s Robert Falls as director and one of three credited co-writers, always the signal of a troubled past. It was that version that previewed in Chicago with Heather Headley (Nala in the Broadway “Lion King”) and Adam Pascal (the original Roger in “Rent”) in late 1999 before hitting Broadway in March of 2000, though not before the elephantine scenery that had so many problems—even infamously injuring Headley and Pascal here in Chicago—was simplified before opening on the Great White Way. Read the rest of this entry »

As the economy slowly lifts us back to our feet and we look around, we see a remarkable sight: a performance industry in Chicago that survived the worst recession since the Great Depression wholly intact. Sure, we had a few brushes with death, and no doubt a few very small, very new theater companies threw in the towel, as they do even in good years, but unlike many other cities across the country, we’re in pretty good shape. How good? The League of Chicago Theatres issued a press release last week proclaiming our town as America’s theater leader, with more than 250 professional theaters, including four Regional Tony Award winners, and a combined annual budget of $250 million serving five million audience members. Add in our thriving dance community, a comedy scene that’s the envy of the nation and two world-class opera companies and you’d have to say we’re doing pretty damn good. But neither the economy nor any cultural organization is fully out of the water yet, and the dramatic uncertainty injected into the political sea by Mayor Daley’s decision to call it a day means Chicago’s performance community will need some steady hands at the wheel these next few years. Accordingly, for this edition of The Players, we’ve broadened our horizon and taken a closer-than-ever look at the individuals in charge of the financial fitness of our local institutions. Read the rest of this entry »

Adam Pelty, David Kortemeier, Matthew Crowle and Sean Allan Krill/Photo: Brett Beiner

RECOMMENDED

The ongoing love affair between “Monty Python’s Spamalot” and Chicago, where the show had its pre-Broadway tryout five years ago, continues. Eric Idle’s wife of thirty years is a Chicagoan and Idle is frequently back in the area as he was over the holidays, even checking out the rehearsals at Drury Lane. Judging from the end product, it would be hard to imagine that Idle wasn’t extremely pleased at his sound judgment in giving Drury Lane permission to give the show’s regional theater premiere.

Making use of the costumes from the London West End production, which recently closed, means that the Drury Lane production looks as good as “Spamalot” ever did, even if the sets are less elaborate. Terry Gilliam’s animations and John Cleese’s voice as God are notable no-shows but the gags and comic timing are far more effective in an intimate environment. When the audience member was chosen to come onstage to celebrate the finding of the Holy Grail, the audience went nuts and the guy was so excited that he dropped his inhaler along the way, all effective fodder for the onstage humor. Read the rest of this entry »

Krapp's Last Tape/Photo: Liz Lauren

Top 5 Shows
“The Brother/Sister Plays,” Steppenwolf
“August: Osage County,” Broadway In Chicago
“Hughie”/”Krapp’s Last Tape,” Goodman
“1001,” Collaboraction
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Steppenwolf
—Brian Hieggelke

Top 5 Play Revivals
“A Streetcar Named Desire,” Writers’ Theatre
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Steppenwolf
“To Kill a Mockingbird,” Steppenwolf Young Adult
“Private Lives,” Chicago Shakespeare Theater
“After the Fall,” Eclipse Theatre
—Dennis Polkow

Top 5 Performances
Brian Dennehy, “Hughie”/”Krapp’s Last Tape,” Goodman
Karen Janes Woditsch, “To Master the Art,” TimeLine
Tracy Letts, “American Buffalo,” Steppenwolf
Amy Morton, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Steppenwolf
Mary Beth Fisher, “Seagull,” Goodman
—Brian Hieggelke

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Chris Yonan, Hallie Cercone, Jarret Ditch, Cara Salerno/Photo: Brett Beiner

RECOMMENDED

Ordinarily, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” is a throwaway show for regional theaters, allowing a large cast of dancers to take the spotlight and giving actors and singers some time off. Not so this time: the sumptuous Drury Lane production of “Seven Brides” is a wonder to behold on every level.

The 1954 film began life as a demonstration for the then-new wide screen process called CinemaScope: what better way to showcase what wide screen could do than to have no less than seven main characters, all with their own respective brides. The challenge for director Stanley Donen and choreographer Michael Kidd was to fill up the entire frame with some of the most elaborate and exuberant dance sequences ever put on film. Although an Aaron Copland-like score was provided by Adolph Deutsch and Gene DePaul wrote some nice songs for the occasion with lyrics supplied by Johnny Mercer, the film was conceived primarily as a CinemaScope showcase for dance. Read the rest of this entry »

What makes Chicago’s theater world special? We picked up the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly for clues. In the cover story, “CSI” star William Petersen explains his decision to leave his role as one of the top paid actors in television, earning a rumored $600,000 an episode, to move back to Chicago and Chicago theater: “It was too safe for me at this point. So I needed to try and break that, and the way to do that, for me, is the theater.” EW went on to credit Petersen for much of the show’s success, notably bringing a theatrical ensemble philosophy to play in its production. Or consider the runaway success of Steppenwolf’s “August: Osage County,” which transferred to Broadway,  receiving critical acclaim and multiple Tony Awards, not by shaking it up with Broadway “names” but instead by virtually transferring the Steppenwolf production intact, with the addition of lead producer and fellow Chicagoan Steve Traxler. What makes Chicago theater—or for that matter, Chicago dance or any other form of performance practiced on our stages—special? We’d contend it’s the power of the ensemble, the spirit of collaboration that champions artistic risk-taking and subordinates the commercial. And so, in that spirit, the critical ensemble responsible for Newcity’s ongoing stage coverage presents our take on the most influential people on and offstage in Chicago. Read the rest of this entry »