Catch-up from the week

I'm supposed to be writing a review right now of Congo Square's The Talented Tenth; assuming I can get it cranked out, it'll be online at TOC by tomorrow evening. Since I'm still trying to sort through my thoughts about the show, I'm procrastinating by blogging here instead. (As a 7-year blogger, I can tell you that procrastination is a huge blogging motivator.)

I had a bit of a break this week, in that I only saw two plays. But a good deal of interesting news came up in the course of the week. Let's hit it bullet-point style:

• Two of the Stratford Festival's three co-artistic directors resigned, which wouldn't have much relevance to Chicago except for two points, both made on the Tribune's Theater Loop blog: the first, by Chris Jones, that two of the three have shows currently running here (Des McAnuff's Jersey Boys and Marti Maraden's Chicago Shakes production of Othello, and the second, by various commenters there, alleging that a system of multiple artistic directors is also hurting our own Marriott Theatre.
• Also from Chris, the news that the Drury Lane Water Tower production of Altar Boyz is done as of today, two weeks before its posted closing date. This doesn't mean that the production, which I admired tremendously, wasn't a success; I haven't confirmed it with anyone involved, though I have no reason to doubt Jones's reporting, but the March 30th closing date was a second extension, if I remember correctly.
• The most fascinating news for me this week was the NYT's report by Campbell Robertson about the newest project for two members of the Avenue Q team. Apparently Tony-winning book writer Jeff Whitty and Tony-nominated director Jason Moore (who is a graduate of Northwestern and, like myself, an alum of Fayetteville [AR] High School) are working with members of queer-tinged glam-rock throwbacks the Scissor Sisters on a musical version of Armistead Maupin's seminal gay soap opera Tales of the City, aiming for a Broadway premiere. CAN'T. WAIT.

Also this weekend, I exchanged emails with Northlight AD BJ Jones about the casting challenges of his announced production of Grey Gardens, but he expressed confidence in the Chicago acting community to produce a Christine Ebersole–level talent, and I hope he's right. I can't wait to see his version of that show, but it may never have come to be if not for the existence of Ebersole. I only hope there's a Chicago version of her waiting in the wings.

Comments

[Mark Jeffries]

What's your view of the slamming of B.J. on Chris Jones' blog? Justified or unjustified? (I haven't seen a Northlight show since they moved up to Skokie, but I've always liked B.J. as an actor and especially liked him as a person.) I can't really figure out the bitterness.

[Ed]

I'll echo my own wistful casting wishes for Gray Gardens- and maybe expand on them a little bit.

For Big Edie in act II- Deanna Dunagan (quite a good singer in addition to her other talents; she did well in "Bounce")

For Little Edie in act II (the Ebersole track)- I agree it's a tough one. But my vote if it goes to a Chicagoan? Rebecca Finnegan. I think she's got the vocal chops, and god knows she can act it.

Little Edie in act I...Jess Godwin maybe? For the young guy maybe Brandon Dahlquist.

I think the really difficult part in that show to case it George Gould Strong- not really thinking of anyone local who can capture that character *and* accompany themselves that well...unless, does Guy Adkins play piano?

[Ed]

Just thought of someone. Let Jon Steinhagen do the part!

[Kris Vire]

Mark: I was sort of mystified by the vitriol aimed at Northlight on Chris's blog as well. I can't say I was around to follow Northlight before BJ's tenure, but still.

Ed: Good instincts, dude. Finnegan had occurred to me as a possibility as well. Of course there are the union issues to consider—if I'm keeping track correctly, only three of your five recommendations are Equity, and I don't know what Northlight's contract calls for.

[Mark Jeffries]

B.J.'s predecessor was Russell Vanden Brouke, a genial sort who was much more of the intellectual type than B.J., and his play choices pretty much reflected that (even though he usually had one more populist piece in a season). It seemed to me that he left shortly after they moved into the North Shore Center and that he got forced out because it was felt his shows weren't commercial enough. Although Vanden Brouke had the unenviable task of following Michael Maggio after he was asked to sit at the right hand of Bob Falls at the Goodman, he managed to stay around and keep the company going through some tough times before Skokie (they lost their original space in Evanston and had the lousy former movie theater in Evanston for a few years).

Where the vitriol seems to be coming is from the show tune contingent who doesn't like how B.J. (or so-called "straight play directors"--see Chris Jones' thread on "Carousel") directs musicals. Although if you read Chris' blog, it almost seems like these people don't like *any* musical directors unless they're imports from New York. They also think that sauerkraut should be put on hot dogs and pizza crust should taste like cardboard. :)

And Ed is dead on. Rebecca hasn't had a knockout role since turning Equity (it often does that, kids) and "Gray Gardens" sure as hell beats doing another Light Opera Works fall revue.

[Jon Steinhagen]

I'm flattered by Ed's suggestion that I could play George in "Grey Gardens," and believe me, I'd leap at the opportunity; however, as Kris points out, I'm a non-Equity actor who also happens to be a union musician. Although I'd kill to work with Rebecca and Brandon again, I have no immediate prospects of being an Equity actor and am not on Northlight's radar. The best I can do is be ready to buy tickets to Northlight's production of what, in my opinion, is one of the three most important developments in musical theatre since 2005. Which doesn't mean I won't keep my fingers crossed!

I hope "Grey Gardens" sparks a trend in future musicals: a marvellously compelling, offbeat story steeped in CHARACTER rather than SPECTACLE, penned by an important playwright with an intelligent, tuneful and dramatic score. And, like Kris, I too cannot wait to see what comes of the Whitty/Moore-helmed TALES OF THE CITY...maybe they should hire the songwriters of GREY GARDENS to write the score? Just a thought. Regardless, this is all good news for MusicalTheatreLand, which always needs an injection of good news.

[Ed]

Hey Jon- agreed that Grey Gardens was an important new piece...in your opinion what are the other two important developments since 2005 in musical theatre? My vote if I absolutely had to name just two would be "The Light in the Piazza" and "Spring Awakening." But I'd love to hear your take on it.