Sarah Palin and Chicago theater.

You guys, seriously, this Sarah Palin business has to calm down, if only so I can get some work done. I've been useless at the office this week, what with the steady stream of entertainment coming down the Alaskan pipeline. Campbell Brown eviscerating McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds* on live TV? Peggy Noonan calling her "bullshit" on mic? Secession movements? Jews For Jesus? Babywarming presents from Jamie Lynn Spears? It's all too much, and I need it to end, because I'm about to have a lot of reviews to write. The new theater season unofficially kicked off last night with September's first opening, the Hypocrites' Threepenny Opera.

"Adventurous," the Palin selection seems to say, is not necessarily a desirable attribute for campaigns choosing a running mate. There are other vetting groups, though, that appear to be dangerously low on derring-do.

Last week, as is our habit, Christopher and I took the Jeff Awards committee to task for everything they missed with another round of ultra-safe nominations. Last May, in our response to the Non-Equity Wing's nominees, we lamented that the Hypocrites' daring Miss Julie had been left off the list.

Today, the Jeff committee members present last night failed to recommend the Hypocrites' daring Threepenny.

Sigh.

Look, I'm not saying this Threepenny would have swept the Non-Eqs next June. But knowing that Sara Sevigny's performance and Allison Siple's costumes and Lee Keenan's set and Tommy Rapley's choreography and the work of every artist who contributed to a really interesting take on a classic musical—that none of them will even be eligible to be nominated next June? That most of the Jeff committee won't even see the show to consider it? That's a problem.

The Hypocrites have taken home Jeffs before, and they will again (likely starting with Our Town, eligible in next summer's ceremony). But looking at the shows in the past year that have been passed over by the first-nighters, or that got the recommended stamp but were snubbed on nomination day, it's hard not to see a pattern. From Merchant on Venice to Court's Titus Andronicus to BackStage's How I Learned to Drive to Weapon of Mass Impact, some of the best productions aren't getting invited to the party. Consider that Dog & Pony has only been nominated for one show; consider that TUTA has never been recommended. If you argued that the Jeff committee didn't favor the middlebrow over the adventurous, I'd say you were being intellectually dishonest with yourself.

Of course taste is subjective, and award-givers reward the middlebrow all the time. Titanic sweeps the Oscars. Two and a Half Men gets Emmy nominations. Rabbit Hole wins the Pulitzer. And often enough, middlebrow is cool. I liked Lookingglass's Around the World in Eighty Days, and I'm glad it got a bunch of Jeff noms. But all the national media industries have all sorts of different awards to be won; if you don't get an Oscar nomination, there's always the SAG Awards or the Independent Spirits or the MTV Movie Awards or the Kid's Choice. New York's theater is similarly flooded with awards parties every spring. With all due respect for the Orgie committee—who I think make great picks but whose anonymity and lack of ceremony unfortunately affect how seriously people take them—the Jeffs are all we've got.

And if you honestly think that they're acknowledging all of the best of Chicago theater, that they're truly engaged with honoring the best work, that nothing deserving  of recognition is being passed over—then John McCain has got a terrific vice president for you. Speaking of great theater, I'm going to watch Palin's speech.

*Is it possible to be named Tucker and not grow up to be a professional Republican?

Comments

[Ryan]

Which is why Time Out Chicago should sponsor its own, hipper theatre awards party/celebration.

I'm serious.

[Kerry Reid]

So I'm not watching any of the GOP convention because, even though I'm not exactly old, I ain't exactly young, either, and there is a history of premature stroke in my family. Just sayin'...

But anyhoo, in one of my many feeding frenzies through the blogosphere, I came across this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMkchLnAdEM), and it's just had me in stitches. First I was like "Why is Barbara Bush talking?" Then I was like "Who the hell is Jo Ann Davidson?" And then I heard "Sarah Pawlenty" and I just spit chamomile tea all over my keyboard. Because that is beyond comedy gold right there.

I imagine she was backstage kvetching with the GOP women who actually have some professional street cred (Snowe, Hutchison, Whitman) and they were saying "Who the hell is this woman? Why not one of us? Whose dick do I have to suck to be taken seriously in this Hee-Haw Party, anyway? At least Hillary got passed over for someone who's been around for a bajillion years. Christ on a Holy Cracker, even PAWLENTY wouldn't have been as insulting as this straight-up bullshit!"

And then she had to go out there and do her little intro, and out pops "Sarah Pawlenty!"

Hoo doggies!

[Ed]

Gah! Sara can't be nominated for that performance!? I thought she was stellar. Of course, she's a friend so I'm biased, but even so. Boo, Jeff Committee, boo. Sometimes their decisions make sense to me, but some real head scratchers come along, and this is a doozy. It wasn't a perfect evening out, but it was pretty awesome. That said, the preview I saw it, I do remember several people didn't come back after the first intermission. They were relatively elderly- at the risk of stereotyping I wonder if the Jeff Committee judges opening night had similar feelings. In their defense if I had to point to one weak spot in the show it was the acoustics. I was seated dead center of one of the kidney beans and might not have had nearly as good a time if I didn't already have at least a nodding acquaintance with the score and script- a lot of lyrics were getting lost due to distance and the volume of the piano.

[Tucker Curtis]

Chicago-area actor Tucker Curtis is most definitely NOT a professional Republican and urges you to come out and see "Escanaba In Love" at the Circle Theatre with previews beginning this Friday and officially opening Wednesday, September 10th.

Just sayin', is all...

[Tony]

"TUTA has never been recommended."

That's pretty astounding.

[Paul Rekk]

Speaking of Dog & Pony and the friendlies on the Jeff 'mittee, I still hold As Told By The Vivian Girls as my "What were they thinking?" pick (or lack thereof) for the year. I suppose if you're gonna go, go all out, or something like that...

[Scott Barsotti]

If we end up with President Palin (and let's be honest, if they win, it's inevitable she'll ascend for one reason or another, my guess is a right-wing conspiracy to oust McCain via scandal or maybe arsenic), at least we'll speed up global warming even more with all of the piles of burning books. I hear "A Man For All Seasons" sets ablaze with ease.

[Mark Jeffries]

When I went to see "Vivian Girls," the Dog and Pony person told me that D&P looked at the Jeff committee people on opening night, saw that they were not avidly following the show everywhere and knew that they weren't going to get diddle from them.

The question is: Is the Jeff committee going to do something about this or are they going to write it off as a bunch of young "weirdos" at a "weirdo" magazine who don't like anything but "weirdo" shows? I only say that because there seems to be a feeling among some older theatergoers that theater is the last bastion of True Culture that hasn't been corrupted by the kids (which I guess is a middlebrow view, if Susan Jacoby praises "Masterpiece Theatre" and hates the "Gossip Girl" books).

And Kris--you forgot Gay Chicago's After Dark awards.

[Sara Sevigny]

I can attest that Tucker Curtis is NOT a staunch Republican.

...and heartfelt thanks, Kris. We're all very proud of what we've pushed as an ensemble to create.

[Kris Vire]

I would hate to besmirch the fine name of Tucker Curtis, who I've certainly praised in print. Tucker, I'm sorry the Carlsons and Boundses of the world are besmirching it for you.

[dianna]

using the esoteric "besmirch" twice in one sentence Kris?
boo.

[Kris Vire]

Two sentences, Dianna, and the repetition was intended, but point taken. Considering that I was mocking a press release yesterday for using "mythic" twice in the same sentence, perhaps I should be more careful about my own word choices.