BEST BACKSTAGE MOVIES.

Everyone loves movies & everyone [should] love theatre.

What better union could exist than the marriage of cinema & stage?

Movies based on musicals tend to be hits & rarely disappoint; 

but more intriguing than the direct translation from stage to screen
are the movies that serve to provide insight into the theatrical process, which got me thinking about...

THE TOP 10 BACKSTAGE MOVIES:

1. CRADLE WILL ROCK 

2. Waiting for Guffman 3. A Midwinter’s Tale

4. Rushmore 5. Center Stage

6. Mangus!  7. Stage Beauty 8. Black Swan

9. Phoebe in Wonderland 10. Shakespeare in Love

THE TOP 10 BACKSTAGE MOVIES [categorically]: 

#1: historic & federal theatre  #2/3/4/6: indie-movies meet the stage  

#5/8: indulgent ballerina movies

#7/10: perfect period-pieces  #9: charming kiddie-theatre

TEN THOUSAND.

ART & Theatre has reached 10,000 views! 
I'd like to thank my mom, sister, & whoever else is out there reading. Now, let's celebrate by reminiscing with:
The 10-Top Most-Viewed Posts:

1. PHANTOM 25th Anniversary Concert  

I am happy this post came in 1st [by a landslide!]

for the following reasons: the pictures took forever to make & 

I really loved this DVD [as was displayed by my justified RedBox charge]

Phantom was also the first show I saw on Broadway & my dad's favorite, 

so it holds a special place in my musical heart.

2. DreamCast: SideShow

This one was a shocker! I love Side Show, but I thought I was alone [w/ my sister] in my opinion. 

The Amy/Isla casting choice was pretty genius, though [not that I can take credit~that was all my sister].

3. Goodbye GlassHouse Part 3: Peter Pan

It was fun to write about my internship, so I'm glad this one was well-received. 

I started this blog after my internship @ Lookingglass ended, 

so it's only appropriate for Part 3 of the GlassHouse series to claim the bronze. 

4. Sex With Strangers @ Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf rules. We all know it.

5. Attend the Tale of Danny Tanner @ Gorilla Tango  

This is a fun show that holds a wide appeal, so I'm not surprised this one made the cut. 

I'm also glad that the smart kids who read my blog have such excellent taste in the 80's sitcoms. 

6. DreamCast: Sunset Blvd

Another surprising DreamCast winner. 

I would have thought other DreamCasts would have been more well-received due to popularity,

but you never know what the smart kids will gravitate towards.

7. Metamorphoses @ Lookingglass

This one totally deserves its' spot in the Top Ten. 

Mary Zimmerman's legendary piece of post-modern genius 

returned to it's original stage with Ms. Zimmerman herself serving as director. 

Obviously, the show ruled, so it made for some fun writing on my part. 

8. The Bodyguard: A New Musical

This musical which was based off a mediocre & strangely iconic movie 
just happened to premiere in strange & sad timing. 

9. Les Mis: Move Trailer

everyone loves les mis & everyone loves movies. 

I thought the review of the movie would hold more appeal than the trailer post, but whatevs.

10. Time Stands Still @ Steppenwolf

As I said in #4, Steppenwolf rules. We all know it.


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thank you for reading!!!

The Thrifty Theatre-Goer: Part II *updated*

I love theatre, but it is an expensive obsession. I've written before on being a Thrifty Theatre-Goer by using HotTix & Goldstar, but there are so many other ways to save money. Here are a few tricks I've picked up along the way.... 

• Groupon usually has some theatre options. They are mostly for comedy shows (or shows in the suburbs), but you can find some gems. Instead of searching the Groupon-esque sites, I signed up for Yipit. Yipit is awesome because it consolidates all the deals from the Groupon-esque sites & emails you when you one of your deals pop up (personally, I get theatre & no-chip manicure notifications.) 
• SEE PREVIEWS. Seeing a show before opening night is a great way to save a few dollars & I have never seen a preview that seemed like it wasn't quite ready or a glorified dress rehearsal. Plus, sometimes a show just looks so good that waiting for Opening Night is not an option (hello, Metamorphoses). 
• Sometimes organizations sponsor a discount code for a particular production. These deals are usually not advertised very aggressively, but you can usually find them in newspaper ads. I recently stumbled across one in The Onion: they are sponsoring a discount code for Navy Pier's Four Star Comedy Fest [details: $11 off preferred area (code Imprv1); $11 off main floor (code Imprv2); $6 off balcony (code Imprv3)]. 
• When an organization links with a production, they also might offer perks that are not necessarily monetary. For example when you buy a ticket to The Blue Man Group, you can get an equal number of tickets to the John Hancock Observatory [code: ELVT] or The Willis Tower Skydeck [code: SKYDECK]. The offer isn't valid with any other offers/promotions, but it's definitely a cool perk. 
• If you love a certain theatre & have no problem with commitment buying season tickets will definitely save you money. I've only bought season tickets one time (for the 2001/2002 season at The Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia); it was fun to know a show was always coming up, but make sure you actually want to see every show coming up or it's not really a wallet-padder. Some theatres also offer the option to buy season tickets mid-way through the season, so skim some websites in January if the second half of a season holds more appeal than the first half. 
• Student Discounts. Most theatres offer student discounts, but they only work if you actually are a student or if you have an ID with no date & don't age. I'm lucky enough to be in the latter group. 
• I hate having my in-box blown up as much as the next person, but selectively choosing a few mailing lists can be profitable (especially if you have a taste for certain theatres). My favorite mailing list is the Chicago TheatreGoers Meet-Up Group. Scott Cowan runs the group & is a Broadway in Chicago member. So, when there are pre-sale opportunites or discount codes, he shares them with the group. Broadway in Chicago is great & usually worth the cost of splurging; the luxury to buy tickets before they go on sale to the public is great because BIC shows don't necessarily have long runs, so they frequently sell out. If they don't sell out, BIC shows usually do offer Rush Tickets during the day of the performance, but the offers vary, so you need to call the specific theatre's box office to find out the details. 
• Speaking of The Chicago TheatreGoers Meet-Up Group, their mailing list's appeal to The Thrifty Theatre-Goer is two-fold: the point of the group is for like-minded people to see a play on the same night, eat, drink, & be merry. There are usually refreshments & sometimes a discount code if you are part of the group. The MeetUps aren't necessarily a huge money-saver, but it is a way to make your money go further. 
• Theatre Thursday has a similar mission as the Chicago TheatreGoers Meet-Up Group. There's always food before or after the show & it's almost always free. The last Theatre Thursday I attended was The Great American Trailer Park Musical @ Theatre Wit. After the show there was an open bar & unlimited White Castle. IT RULED.
• THE ORACLE THEATRE: Their tagline is FREE ART FOR ALL. Obviously, this is awesomely mind-boggling, so here is the explanation from their website of how this miracle exists: Everyone at Oracle believes that art is necessary to live a full life. So, we work with great artists to create great art to share with as many citizens as possible. And we give it to them for free. To fund this endeavor, we depend on The Forty 4 – a sponsorship program supported by members who contribute as little as $5 per month, to as much as $10,000 or more per year. 
• The Reader & TimeOut Chicago offer online discounts [both daily & on-going] for theatre as well as restaurants, services, etc.  

So, there you go: a few ticket tips & tricks laid out on the table by the Ticket Master herself. 

Now, forget about the silly economy & go get yourself some awesome tickets.

My Girl Wrote a Song.

Mrs. Dearing is a skilled actress, my good friend & old roomie from the Massachuesttes years, an accomplished pianist, a pretty stunning lady, & one of the funniest people I've ever met. You're probably thinking, am I crazy or does she look a little familiar? Why, yes, she probably does, especially if you are one of those people who watch the Super Bowl. Leeann appeared in a GoDaddy commercial with Danica Patrick that premiered during the 2009 Super Bowl. Fast-forward to now: Leeann is now an Official GoDaddy Girl. She has also been seen in Everything Must Go with Will Ferrell & has appeared in commercials for Tilted Kilt, Beauty Foods, The Arizona Lottery & PetSmart. Well done, Lee! You are a great actress & awesome friend, but I'm betting you are going to be an even better mother. Oh yeah, she (with a little assistance from her hubby Matt) recently brought a little man named Jack into this world.

And then she wrote this song for him:

NEWS: Will Smith Brings Back the Sun!

According to BBC News, a new remake of ANNIE will start filming in NYC in Spring, 2013. 

Will Smith is producing the film & his daughter Willow Smith is playing the title role. 

Jay-Z is altering the original musical score & Emma Thompson is adapting the screenplay.  

I like ANNIE. I’m usually not a fan of kiddie-musicals (or kids in musicals), but ANNIE holds a stronger, stranger appeal than the traditional token kiddie-show. It has quality music that requires strong singers who can incorporate equally strong acting abilities, unique but eternally interpretable characters, genuinely funny moments that appeal to any age group (with the occasional veiled joke that only rings right-on with adults), the incorporation of historical content as opposed to the setting only serving as a backdrop, & the powerful appeal of nostalgia. Speaking of nostalgia, ANNIE has served as a gateway show for several of our current cinematic starlets (Sarah Jessica Parker, Alyssa Milano, Cynthia Nixon, Andrea McArdle, & Molly Ringwald). Also, I’m a sucker for the artistic styling that ANNIE demands: the ragtag tenement style costumes contrasted against newly-blossoming technology in a nation struggling against the world & themselves. There is a tremendous potential for arts, angles, & architecture in the setting of this musical & I am excited to see how that potential will be explored on the big-screen in this newest adaptation. 

[Hopefully, this movie will surpass the sub-par efforts of Rob Marshall's 1999 attempt at a TV remake. Despite the seeming potential of it’s all-star cast (Alan Cumming, Kathy Bates, Kristen Chenoweth, Victor Garber, Audra McDonald, & even a cameo by Broadway's original Annie Andrea McArdle), this movie was a hands-down flop. It would have been bad enough if it had been an original film, but it seemed even worse considering it was inevitably compared to the beloved classic from which it was inspired. This adaptation needs to learn from it's predecessors' mistakes: no one is interested in a cheesy movie from childhood being translated into a cheesy, contemporary movie.] 

Will Smith has proven himself as a smart producer in the film arena (having produced over 20 films), but he has recently applied his eye for production to musical theatre. Will & Jada Smith (along with Jay-Z) were also co-producers of FELA!, which I saw in the spring at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre & loved it. It was fresh, energetic, informative, & entirely different than any musical I‘d ever seen…overall, a great musical & a smart investment. (Plus, he produced a remake of The Karate Kid for his son Jaden, so it’s only fair that Willow gets her own title role in a remake). Not that I think this is a bad casting choice. She’s grown up in the limelight, so she will be a confident/capable as an iconic central character. More importantly, the girl can sing. She’s released a few videos & has something of a successful singing career; her music is nothing exceptional, but the raw vocal talent is there & I’m predicting an awesome rendition of TOMORROW. 

I’ve long loved Emma Thompson’s presence in female-friendly period pieces, both as an actress in films like Much Ado About Nothing & the screenwriter for Sense & Sensibility [side-note: her upcoming movie EFFIE looks GREAT]; she has also recently conquered the quirky-kiddie genre with the Nanny McPhee movies. She is insightful, quippy, clever, and I have never been disappointed with any art she’s brought to the table. She recently said, “I have been writing the script for nearly three years; it’s exciting. In the autumn, we get to go to L.A. to work with Willow and work on more of the script…Jay-Z has already started working on the music.” Her excitement regarding this project & her teammates only reiterates the faith I have in her screenplay. Jay-Z clearly has a Midas-like touch when it comes to choosing projects & executing innovative ideas. He’s already reworked “It’s the Hard Knock Life” into the song “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” & I loved his reimagining of such a familiar number. Hopefully, this video is a preview of what’s in store for us: 

sneaking around The ARAGON (+ a flea market)

THE VINTAGE BAZAAR @ THE ARAGON THEATRE

EVERY 2nd SUNDAY * 11a-5p * $5 

The Vintage Bazaar is a blog about vintage home decor, fashion, DIY, & selling vintage. 

It is also a pop-up flea market filled with vintage décor, furniture, clothing, & accessories. 

They ALSO offered free tours of The Aragon, but somehow I got separated from my tour group...

My Dressing Room Window 

My Dressing Room

View From The Stage

Fancy Pants Dressing Room

The Vintage Bazaar

Stage Floor East

Thank You, Ken Davenport.

My musical theatre upbringing was substantially influenced by a man named Ken Davenport. I was in 6th grade when I first got the clever idea to write letters to the Human Resources Departments of Broadway theatres to tell them I loved their shows & ask them to send me a playbill. RAGTIME opened the next year & is/was my favorite musical, so I promptly wrote a letter to the Ford Center for Performing Arts. Ken Davenport sent me a playbill, a business card, & a post-it that said he was happy a 13-year from Delaware loves theatre & that one of their production managers was also from Delaware. His business card had his email address; it was an AOL address. This was in the age where AOL was bright, fresh, & shiny; instant messaging was revolutionary. Obviously, I added his AOL name to my Buddy List & IM’d him the first time his name showed up. We chatted online regularly. As a junior high girl who had recently transferred from one school to a starkly different one (picture Bring It On, but worse), his friendship helped to salvage that awkward period. I sent him my first attempts at theatre criticism & he took them seriously. He was kind, smart, and maybe/hopefully saw some of his younger self in me. I wrote a review of the national tour of Show Boat, which he showed to the actual producer of the tour; he encouraged me by not discrediting my opinions despite my age. I remember sending him a cassette tape of the musical Wuthering Heights, which at the time I thought was amazing but has since disappeared into the musical theatre abyss. [I still think that random musical rules, SO CHECK OUT Heathcliff’s Lament, I Belong to the Earth, One Rules My Heart, or If Only]. Eventually, Ken made it possible for my sister & me to see RAGTIME from a perfect pair of front-row seats (which is still, HANDS-DOWN, the best production I have ever experienced). When we picked up the tickets at the box office, I met Ken for the first & only time in person with my parents & sister. He was kind, my parents were appreciative, & we could not be more excited.

Our happy, scrappy snap-shots from that evening:

P.S. RAGTIME IS STILL THE BEST MUSICAL EVER:

NOW, LET'S FAST FORWARD

Ken Davenport currently serves as one of the most important producers on Broadway.

His success is astounding but not surprising.

He produced the current Broadway revival of Godspell,

as well as Chinglish, Oleanna, Speed the Plow,You're Welcome America, Blithe Spirit,

Altar Boyz, The Awesome 80s Prom & My First Time.

He writes an exceptional & insightful blog entitled The Producer’s Perspective,

which addresses the tangible/business-oriented aspects of theatre, gives insight to the inner-workings

of the Broadway world, provides industry classifieds, & offers ticket discounts / giveaway opportunities.

He appeared in a 2008 iPhone commercial,

after creating the highly-successful TKTS iPhone app.

He is the perfect example of the recipe for success as a producer (or anyone in the arts):

work hard, work well, & invest recognition/interest/effort in the future talent.

Thank You, Kenny D. I wouldn’t be blogging without you :)

Happy Birthday, SONDHEIM & LLOYD WEBBER!

Happy Birthday to the Kings of Musical Theatre

Stephen Sondheim & Andrew Lloyd Webber!!!

Today kind of seems like Christmas for the musical theatre community.

My life (especially the junior high years) & iTunes have been infintely improved by these two men,

so their birthdays are certainly worth the celebrating.

I vote that next year, they should do a birthday concert at Royal Albert Hall.

[my boyfriends singing a tribute to Cameron Mackintosh]

[A side note on birthdays & Sondheim: I met Stephen Sondheim with my sister on her 25^th birthday. We were at the Lincoln Center in NYC to see a concert performance of Sweeney Todd  & got to the theatre obscenely early. There was a bar on the empty lobby of the mezzanine & there were 2 people at the bar with their backs to us. Jenny thought one of them was Sir Sondheim, but we couldn’t be sure. Then the lady he was with turned around & we recognized her as Maria Friedman, which meant the man was with her was probably Sondheim. So we approached, using our status as Friedman-fans as the catalyst. And then we met the man himself, breathed his air, & exchanged words. I remember nothing anyone said except his affirmation that my sister looked like Johanna. Talk about a happy birthday.]

Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Concert

The Phantom of the Opera was the first show I ever saw on Broadway.

I went with my parents & sister in the winter of sixth grade.

The tickets cost $15 & our seats were in the 2^nd to last row  (we bought binoculars).

it was amazing.

My father grew to love musicals because of the interest my sister & I exhibited;

this was probably his favorite musical, so it will always mean a lot to me.

In celebration of Phantom’s 25^th Anniversary, Cameron Mackintosh directed an innovative, amazing concert performance 

@ Royal Albert Hall with a cast & orchestra of over 200 & some special guest appearances. and it ruled.

THE PLAYERS

• As our Leading Men, Ramin Karimloo (The Phantom) & Hadley Fraser (Raoul) were both sufficient, but neither brought anything especially heightened or new to their roles. The Phantom needs to seem like he’s constantly on the brink of losing his crazy temper & Karimloo lacked that gruffness. As Raoul, Fraser was romantic & committed, but I like Raoul to be presented as a strong man of society man with striking, impeccable charm. The audience needs to fall in love with Raoul along with Christine, but I just fell into like.
• As Carlotta, Wendy Ferguson immediately established her character as an veteran, 19-year employee of the Opera Populaire who has been taken advantage of rather than the bland, warbling Prima Donna. Carlotta was originally supposed to be played by Kiera Duffy, but, couldn’t perform the role due to illness. I can’t imagine Ms. Duffy could have been better than Ms. Ferguson because she really was the perfect Carlotta. As Piangi, Wynne Evans embodied the male musical diva to compliment his Carlotta; they seemed to have an established history & strong symbiotic relationship that was consistently & subtly communicated throughout the show.
• Barry James & Gareth Snook were great as M. Firmin & M. André. They had great comedic timing without being over-the-top & created fulfilling characters considering their stage time (especially solo-time) was somewhat limited.
• I didn’t love Daisy Maywood as Meg; her performance was a too Ado Annie & lacked the sense of French elegance. I love that Phantom has a brunette lead with a blonde supporting actress, but this Meg was a little too blonde, a little too old, & a little too much. This is especially frustrating since Meg is not that difficult role to perform well. Maybe it was an artistic intention to have Meg have no resemblance to Mme. Giry (physically & in character), but I dislike when familial resemblance is given no regard in casting. I loved Liz Robertson’s Mme. Giry; she was sharp, smart, providing a sense of mystery & backstory (and had that classic French beauty). I have no idea how she could have given birth to this Meg.

And finally…Sierra Boggess as Christine

I immediately recognized our Christine as Ariel from Broadway’s The Little Mermaid. There are some unexpected similarities between Christine & Ariel: the relentless pursuit of misguided goals, easily-manipulated, and having the Voice of An Angel that people manipulate & use to their advantage. Boggess played all the facets of Christine’s character impeccably: the impressionable young girl, the terrified victim, the young starlet shining in a new spotlight, & young woman falling into her first love. Her voice was perfect & liked her half-curled hair with contemporary crimps (much better than the 1980s ringlet-wig from productions past). Overall, a perfect Christine who carried the show & needs to be acknowledged as one of our generation's most-respected, exceptional leading ladies.

• The Prologue’s moment of a “a little illumination” opened the show with the perfect sharp, strong, startling effect. I’m glad they made an appropriate spectacle of the chandelier because that dramatic factor is always underplayed; this chandelier was huge, crazy, & perfect.
• Due to the size of the theatre, the production relied heavily on the use of projectors. Projectors are becoming more & more apparent in musical theatre. When used well, projecting a set provides both an opportunity for further authenticity & further artistry in production design.
• The Royal Albert is the perfect setting for this performance; the setting established the creepy old theatre factor better than any other theatre I could imagine. The opera was so full & vibrant (and Jamaican in color-scheme!). The opera felt operatic rather than a musical’s lame interpretation of what an opera would be. I loved the aerial shots of the ballerinas.
• Think of Me started off too trembling, but I loved the songs’s transformation from a quick, on-the-spot audition to full-costumed glory.
• Music of the Night was performed to an awake Christine (who is such a good actress, she absorbs other character‘s energy), which allowed a more multi-faceted performance of the song; however, my first (and lasting) impression of the Phantom was that he was too clean & needed to be roughened up around the edges.
• All I Ask of You was perfect & beautiful. Their rendition made me re-hear the lyrics for the first time & appreciate them with a more mature perspective & understanding. It is a song that is taken for granted, but really is quite insightful & stunningly in message. Plus, the harps were lovely.

• The Overture was stunning; it reminded me of olden-times Broadway when there were songs worth an orchestrational reprise. I liked the choice to have the orchestra suspended above & behind the actors. It is more respectful to the musicians since the are not hidden in a pit underneath the production & probably provides a fuller orchestral sound for the audience. The first time I saw a production staged in this manner was Sam Mendes’ Broadway Revival of Cabaret. I’m glad this trend has caught on & hope it becomes more apparent in future, large-scale musicals.
• Masquerade was a glorious, old-school glamorous, carnival-vibed gala. The spectacle did astound me & The Phantom appearing as a singing skull (+ the giant projection behind him) was pretty terrifying & effective. I didn’t really get why Raoul was costume looked like a matador (maybe it was symbolic because he taunts the big Phantom BULLy, but I didn’t love it).
• Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again was my favorite part of this show. Christine’s costume was starkly different than the traditional attire for this number; it seemed more intentional in design due to the reminiscence of Little Red Ridinghood lost in the forest; I love that juxtaposition that allows the audience to subconsciously associate her feelings with the feelings we associate with the familiar character that is Little Red. She looked exhausted & still completely immersed at the end of the song (as well she should). It was also a beautiful & emotional element to showcase the strong violinists in the orchestra since Christine’s father was an accomplished violinist.
• The Point of No Return was a strange, sweaty, intense ballad. The moment of Piangi’s lynching was much more terrifying. The mayhem in the theatre was palpable. It is a very interesting dynamic when there is a play within a play factor because the audience is inadvertently forced into playing the role of the audience. This production seemed to incorporate that subtle psychological element (which was largely lacking in previous productions) & I am sure that element enriched the experience of the audience members.
• Down Once More was presented as a character-based finale; there was a simplicity in setting in compared of rest of production. It was a great finale that provided the climax of the play as well as the breaking point for Christine. The dynamics of the finale seemed at a higher stake than the rest of the show, which is appropriate & shows a smart, conscientious attention to pacing & perception.

[I try not to post super-long videos, but this one is worth it.]

• I teared up when MICHAEL CRAWFORD came out. I grew up on his voice & it was great to see the effect on his face of seeing all his fans [like me] thrilled.
• SARAH BRIGHTMAN is a goddess. It was so cool to see her singing the songs that were written for her & inspired by her 25 years ago. She is a perfect, professional performer who still exhibits the wow-factor she did so many years ago. Speaking of so many years ago, there is also the Webber/Brightman love story that is still such an important facet of the creation of this musical. I have such respect for that, despite their divorce, they still speak of each other with such respect  & admiration.
• The PHANTOMS: Colm Wilkinson, Anthony Warlow, John Owen Jones, Peter Jöback. I like them all, but Colm Wilkinson is the biggest, best, all-star Phantom & his presence was the icing on an already heavily-iced cake.

NEWS: Stage 773 Announces 'Funny Women's Festival'

This is a very exciting development. The creation of the festival (dates TBD) itself just awesome, but it also speaks volumes about the progressive nature of contemporary Chicago theatre-goers & smart insight of the theatre professionals behind this project. Chicago is not the only city to take advantage of the current spotlight on the female comedienne. From March 21-25, Boston will host the 4th Annual Women In Comedy Festival. Austin, TX has also hosts the 5th Annual Ladies Are Funny Festival! to be held May 5-7. There used to be a Pacific Northwest Women's Comedy Festival, but that expired in 2010. I am inclined to think Funny Women's Festival will provide the highest quality of performance since Chicago is known & loved for it’s strong comedic roots; Chicago (specifically Second City) has also served as the launching pad & soap box for most of our most beloved female comediennes.

I recently reviewed Bachelorette at Profiles Theatre & addressed the presence of the funny female erupting on-screen & the positive trickle-down effects this trend has had on live-theatre. Equally exciting is the recent emergence of female stand-up comediennes because these women present a new Power TriFecta: The Writer, Actress, Comedienne. The art of humor is an intimidating & difficult arena of performance to conquer; being a talented actress does not necessarily indicate the ability to stand at a microphone in front of a crowd of strangers who are expect lots of laughs, clever insight, & a certain flavor of charismatic charm. My favorite part of this trend is that it allows comediennes like Tina Fey, Chelsea Handler, and Mindy Kaling (whose blog rules) to take their writing to the next level by publishing books. And the more ladies we can get on the NY Times Best Sellers List, the better. Julie Gillis, Producer of Ladies Are Funny Festival!, hit the nail on the head when she blogged:

Women’s stories are important & there needs to be a space for them. People who have stories focused on being women, wanting to be women, what does it mean to be a woman...I have a need for these stories. I’m going to keep making a space for them to be told.  Cause I think it makes the world a more interesting place, frankly.

NEWS: ICEMAN Cometh to Chicago for Pre-Bway Run

Eugene O'Neill's towering masterpiece becomes a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical event,

featuring Nathan Lane & Brian Dennehy

Welcome to Harry Hope's saloon, home to a ragtag band of drunks and dreamers who today celebrate the arrival of Hickey, the charismatic traveling salesman whose raucous presence always ensures a grand good time. But when a newly sober Hickey blows in with a renewed outlook on life, his zealous attempts to fix the lives of his old friends leads to a series of events that are at once devastatingly comic and heartbreaking—and a revelation that threatens to shatter the tenuous illusions that fuel their lives. O'Neill's monumental drama is an unparalleled theatrical journey, "as corrosive as rotgut whiskey, as morbidly funny as a funeral gone amok, as hallucinatory as an alcohol-fueled excursion into purgatory" (Sun-Times).

Runs @ The Goodman April 21 - June 10...

WHICH SUCKETH FOR 2 REASONS:  

1. It’s a really long time away.

2. The production barely missed the cut-off for the benefits from  Senate Bill 397

[otherwise known as “Live Theatre Production Tax Credit”], which goes into effect in July, 2012  

Chicago has long served as a cocoon for premiering pre-Broadway shows (SPAMALOT, The Producers,  MAMMA MIA!, Movin' Out,  AIDA, The Addams Family, etc.) while simultaneously housing long-running Broadway-quality shows (WICKED, Million Dollar Quartet, THE LION KING, Jersey Boys, RAGTIME, ect.). On Dec. 16, 2011, Governor Pat Quinn signed Senate Bill 397, which gives a tax credit for live theatres with 1,200+ seats that boosts the Theatre In Chicago (the bill also benefits Sears, CME Group, & FARMERS!). Beginning in July, certain theatres (excluding those in the suburbs) that produce pre-Broadway or long-running shows with labor & marketing expenses that exceed $100,000 can receive a 20% tax application of their spending (with a $2 million cap per year).

I could not support this legislature more.

My Opinion Is Shared By The Queen & King Of Chicago Theatre:

SOURCES:

TimeOut Chicago

Capitol Fax

Chris Jones