Russian On The SIde

This week is the last chance for Chicago audiences to catch Russian On The Side before it is taken to Broadway.  The Broadway producer, Michael Alden, wanted to open the show in Chicago before taking it to Broadway because "Chicago audiences are diverse, smart and discerning.  From downtown musicals to daring new dramas, Chicago has fast become the city where new art is nurtured."   Following in the footsteps of other shows that opened here and became the Toast of Broadway:  August: Osage County, The Producers, Spamalot, to name just a few.

In Russian On The Side, the incomparable Mark Nadler takes the audience on a zany 90 minute comedy-in-music adventure from Stravinsky to Sondheim. Based on the song "Tschaikowsky and other Russians" (a lyric that catapulted Danny Kaye to stardom in the 40 seconds it takes to tunefully rattle off the names of 49 Slavic composers), Nadler deconstructs the Ira Gershwin/Kurt Weil song bringing a unique insight into the correlation between the 49 composers mentioned in the song and The Great American Songbook of today. Along the way he also uncovers some spicy details about some of the world’s great composers and the lives they led.

Born from the world of Cabaret, Mark Nadler is a combination of the musical talent reminiscent of Bobby Short, and the zany comedy of Danny Kaye and The Marx Brothers. His singing, dancing and comedic prowess is only overshadowed by his skill at the piano.

Russian On The Side is playing at the Royal George Theater and tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.

Spotlight On Chicago Theatre

The spotlight continues to be on the Chicago theatre scene as the Tony Awards approach, with the Steppenwolf Theatre's August: Osage County nominated for the seven 2008 Tony Awards and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater the recipient of the 2008 Regional Theatre Tony Award.  On Monday, June 9th there will be a press event at the Chicago Cultural Center to salute the award-winning theater community. Speakers include Mayor Richard M. Daley, the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg, Barbara Gaines and Criss Henderson- respectively, the Artistic Director and Executive Director for Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Martha Lavey and David Hawkanson-respectively, the Artistic Director and Executive Director for the Steppenwolf Theatre.

The Chicago theater scene also received a complimentary note in the June 6 issue of The Wall Street Journal in which drama critic Terry Teachout wrote:  "Now that New York is playing host to Chicago’s August: Osage County and Adding Machine, I decided to fly west and spend the next couple of weeks reporting in person on some of the plays currently being performed in and around the Second City, which ranks second to none- Broadway most definitely included- when it comes to the quality of its theatrical offerings." 

He also added that The Lion In Winter, which he saw while here is "one of the finest shows I've seen in recent seasons, not just in Chicagoland but in all of America." To read more, visit the WSJ.com or Terry's blog at www.terryteachout.com.

Staged Reading of Terrible Films

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theater...!  The Neo-Futurists present their seventh-annual series of staged readings of some of the most obscure, trashy, goofy, bizarre, cheesy, and all-around terrible film scripts of all time!  These immensely popular one-night-only readings feature some of the best worst films ever made, brought to life on a shoestring budget by The Neo-Futurists and guest artists.  It Came From The Neo-Futurarium VII: Revenge Of The Neo-Futurarium! runs June 26 through July 31, Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. at 5153 N. Ashland.  This year’s roster of films and artists:

June 26:  Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
The Revelettes, Chicago’s plucky all-female performance troupe devoted to the lost art of 1960s go-go dancing, present this classic summer smorgasbord of sanitized sex, surf, and skydiving, with numerous odd appearances by an aging Buster Keaton.

July 3:  Ring of Fear (1954)
It Came From The Neo-Futurarium creator Rachel Claff directs this dangerous thriller about an escaped mental patient bent on revenge against the circus that drove him insane!  Featuring the Clyde Beatty Circus as the Clyde Beatty Circus, pulp-noir author Mickey Spillane as pulp noir author Mickey Spillane, and ex-marine Jack Stang as ex-marine Jack Stang!

July 10:  Masters of the Universe (1987)
What happens when He-Man, Skeletor, and the rest of the characters from the popular toy franchise bring their never-ending conflict to Earth?  This swords-and-sorcery fantasy epic brings its preposterous brand of commercial combat to Southern California for One! Final! Battle!  Directed by Dina Connolly, and starring Ryan Walters as Dolph Lundgren as He-Man.

July 17:  The Cross and the Switchblade (1970)
In 1963, the streets of New York City are rife with gangs of young hoodlums, committing all manner of heinous crimes.  David Wilkerson (played by wholesome pop singer Pat Boone), a rural Pennsylvania preacher, enters the ghetto and proceeds to take back the streets... using the unstoppable power of Jesus Christ!  Directed with pious, jive-talkin' aplomb by Neo-Futurist Founding Director Greg Allen.

July 24:  Ninja III: The Domination (1984)
A mysterious, relentless masked warrior kills a scientist, his entourage, and half of the local police department before being gunned down on a golf course... and then his soul possesses the body of a sexy aerobics instructor to continue his mission of murder!  Floating swords, mysterious one-eyed martial artists, vaguely Asian mysticism, and the erotic properties of tomato juice combine into an action-packed kill-fest directed by Dana Dardai of Camenae Ensemble.

July 31:  Coyote Ugly (2000)
A raucous coming-of-age story about Violet Sandford, a girl whose dreams of music stardom can only be realized at the infamous Coyote Ugly, where the drinks are on ice but the ladies tending bar are ON FIRE!  Phil Ridarelli (Single White Female), presents a film guaranteed to bring out your inner Girl Gone Wild.

New Comedy Theater Opening in Schaumburg

Chicagoland's newest place for improv comedy will be celebrating their Grand Opening on Friday, June 13. The new Laugh Out Loud Theater will be unveiled with a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a night of improv showcases featuring some of Chicago's best improvisers.  Tickets to this event are free with free drinks and hors d'oeuvres, as well as the opportunity to win prizes, see the revamped space, and meet the ensemble and staff. Free tickets to this event can be reserved by calling 847-240-0386.

Laugh Out Loud Theater has cabaret-style seating for 100 and is spacious yet intimate, with no seat more than 30 feet from the action on stage.  Owner Lillie Frances explains, "I wanted to create an atmosphere where you could bring a date, a bachelorette party, an outing of co-workers, or your whole family and everyone would have a great time.  We can even get members of your group on stage to be a part of the show!  Plus the improvisational nature guarantees that no two shows are alike."

Laugh Out Loud Theater is located in the Streets of Woodfield, 601 N. Martingale Road, Schaumburg, just off of I-290, south of Woodfield Mall. The regular schedule of Laugh Out Loud is two performances every Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 and 9:30.  Every show is completely improvised on the spot based upon audience suggestions in the style of the TV show "Who's Line Is It Anyway," except without Drew Carey. The 7:30 performances are always guaranteed to be family appropriate and fun for all ages.  The 9:30 shows are geared more towards adults and usually tend towards a PG-13 rating. Tickets prices for the regular shows are $18 for adults, $12 for kids 18 and under, and $15 for seniors. For more information visit loltheater.com.

158 and counting….

Theatre In Chicago welcomes back contributor Anne Nicholson Weber, who hosts this week's Talk Theatre In Chicago podcast. 

Anne interviews the Artistic Director of the Mary-Arrchie Theatre, Richard Cotovsky; company member Carlo Lorenzo Garcia, and director Kevin Christopher Fox about their production of John Patrick Shanley's Beggars In The House Of Plenty, which is currently playing at the Angel Island Theater.

Anne is the author of Upstaged: Making Theatre in the Media Age, which includes interviews with Tony Kushner, Julie Taymor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Martha Lavey, and Sir Peter Hall, among many others. Her work has been published in American Theatre Magazine and other national publications.

Anne will continue to host various upcoming Talk Theatre In Chicago podcasts. The popular podcast, launched February 13, 2006, has produced a new episode each Monday for 122 consecutive weeks and has featured a total of 158 different guests.

To listen to this week's podcast, click on the Talk Theatre In Chicago page.