For those of us growing up in the Rust Belt, dinner theater was the ultimate all-in-one entertainment option. I would purchase my Prime Rib-Pygmalion combo ticket months in advance, waiting for the dusty costumes and faded sets to ship in from some bygone regional theater production. The performance would usually star a long-retired soap opera star and the meal wasn’t much fresher.

Christine Sherrill in "Sunset Boulevard" (photo: Drury Lane Theatre)

Well, times have changed. For decades, Chicago’s suburbs have been home to dinner theater venues like Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire and Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook. They are the filet mignon of dinner theater, regularly snagging Jeff Awards (Chicago’s equivalent to the Tony Awards) and Broadway-caliber talent. This season is proving to be another grand slam for the theaters, which are producing timeless classics along with new works. Currently, Andrew Lloyd Webber seems to be the flavor of the month.

Sunset Boulevard, directed by Drury Lane Theatre’s Artistic Director William Osetek, plays through March 24. It is the final show in a season committed to works inspired by movies. Sunset Boulevard’s original Broadway production won seven Tony awards including Best Musical.

This production stars Christine Sherrill as Norma Desmond, a role originated in London by Patti LuPone and on Broadway by Glenn Close. Chicago Theatre Review said, “Miss Sherrill is luminous in the role made famous on film by Gloria Swanson. Christine deliciously dominates the stage in every scene, whether playing Norma as the spoiled, self-deluded diva, the coquettish aging sex kitten or the desperate, wounded martyr.”

Head north of Chicago to Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, where the best of Chicago’s musical theater performers have staked their claim for more than 30 years. Currently under the watchful eyes of Executive Producer Terry James and Artistic Directors Andy Hite and Aaron Thielen, the venue sells more than 400,000 tickets per year.

Stephanie Binetti and dancers. (photo: Marriott Theatre)

Currently playing is Now and Forever: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. This compilation of some of the composer’s most notable works also features two of Chicago’s leading ladies: Linda Balgord and Susan Moniz.

Balgord is no stranger to Webber’s work. She appeared as the final Grizabella in Cats on Broadway and played Norma Desmond in the First National Tour of Sunset Boulevard. Moniz delivered a legendary performance as Eva Peron at Drury Lane in the 90s and has been belting her way throughout Chicagoland ever since. Now and Forever runs through March 24.

What’s up next?
Oliver! at Drury Lane Theatre, opening April 4.
South Pacific at Marriott Theatre, opening April 3.

I headed to the Windy City last week for Passport Magazine. Stay tuned for a “creative getaway” feature article that will appear in our print publication this fall. What exactly does that mean? Without giving too much away, I’ll say that it involved three days of improvisational belly laughs with (among others) a cigar salesman, a venture capitalist and a guy living in his mother’s basement who could crank out a spot-on Beyoncé imitation.

While chewing my way through non-existent scenery by day, I caught up on Chicago’s theater scene and what to keep your eyes out for this spring season. One of the most exciting projects happening as of late is the Garage Rep at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. This curated collection gives opportunity to storefront theaters to perform their works in repertory under the guidance of this well-established ensemble company.

Associate Producer Jacob Padrón says, “I like to think that great work comes out of company — a collective of artists with shared history, shared values and a real sense of ownership around the work they invest in making together.”

Don’t be confused, though. These are not Steppenworlf productions and they’re damn proud of it. No ensemble members are involved in any aspect. What the company does do is foster an environment for dialogue. Steppenwolf itself began in a church basement in Highland Park and feels a responsibility to these companies which typically rely on whatever venue or rehearsal space that they can afford.

Take the jump for this year’s line-up and an inside look at the shows in rehearsal…
Read more…

When there’s a month with a fifth Wednesday, I’ll be heading Way-Off-Broadway for a look at theatrical happenings outside New York City. This Leap Day, we’re hopping around the country (and across the pond) to find the best spots for Broadway dreaming…

"Kinky Boots" Film Poster. Image via Google.

Mommy, where do musicals come from?

That question used to be easy to answer. “Well, darling, when a bookwriter and composer and lyricist love each other very much, they go to New Haven and try out their baby.” Now, the truth is, musicals are produced through a decidedly less romantic series of non-monogamous readings, staged readings and workshops. The traditional out-of-town tryout is often skipped as too expensive or a waste of a star’s window of availability. But they do still happen, though often in the guise of regional theater productions.

"Metamorphoses". Photo by Joan Marcus.

Over the last week, two major new tuners announced that they will be getting pre-Broadway tryouts in Chicago. Kinky Boots, based on the 2005 British film and scored by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, will play the Bank of America Theater in the Windy City in October.  The following summer, director Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses) will bring her adaptation of Disney’s The Jungle Book to Chicago’s premiere regional venue, the Goodman Theatre.

Why Chicago? Certainly it has a very vibrant theater community and an audience that can intelligently support and critique new work. It was the proving ground for two recent Broadway musicals, The Addams Family and Million Dollar Quartet, which may not have been blockbuster critical and commercial successes but they both live on and may recoup their investments through touring or Off-Broadway productions.

However, if I were a producer, I wouldn’t be looking for a city that fields doubles; I’d be looking for somewhere that has a track record of home runs. Is there such a place? Allow me to attempt a very rough, statistically unsound but amusing analysis… Read more…