Schedules, shows and even theater ownership have all been in such flux in Chicago’s downtown theater district this winter that it’s been near impossible to keep track of what’s going on in the Loop.
So here’s a spring update on the new downtown landscape–theater by theater by theater.
Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St.
This one’s easy–the new Chicago-originating touring company of Disney’s “A Lion King” currently is in rehearsal and will begin performances on April 23 (the official opening, though, is not until May 3). It will occupy the theater for nine months before heading to San Francisco. In general, some tickets still are available for summer, says Eileen LeCario of Broadway in Chicago, but weekends already are very full.
After an initial push, Disney’s marketing juggernaut has gone quiet in recent days, but it will back in full force after performances begin. Ergo, summer performances likely will sell out, meaning that one would be well advised to book right now. Another good ticket-buying strategy is to watch for the show’s fake “extensions,” when additional ticket blocks go on sale. The winter slate will be coming soon–a good time to pounce on the inventory like Simba on a mouse.
Shubert Theatre, 22 W. Monroe St
There had been some speculation that the Shubert would have been closed for renovation right about now. But that renovation has been pushed back and still lacks precise dates. In the meantime, you’ll be able to see Jonathan Larson’s “Tick Tick . . . Boom” May 13 through May 25. Regarded as a risky national tour because it lacks a well-known title (or star power), this semi-autobiographical show is nonetheless likely to appeal to fans of Larson, the author of “Rent.” Larson wrote this three-actor musical–an idealistic effort about a young composer who hopes to change the face of musical theater–back in 1990, before his death in 1996.
Come June, Elaine Stritch finally will be in town. After postponing her solo Steppenwolf engagement, the grand dame of theatrical self-revelation–who won last year’s Tony Award for her “Elaine Stritch at Liberty,” is expected here for a week in early June (though at press time, there are no dates–or formal confirmation). “Sweet Charity,” which was supposed to open in July, has been postponed–there still is no new date.
The Noble Fool, 16 W. Randolph St.
After a slow start, this new venue at the corner of State and Randolph Streets has been doing better as of late. Its recent musical, “Vikings! A Musical in Two Axe” was the company’s first critical hit in its new home. In April, Noble Fool will present its first true co-production: Chicago Theatre Company’s very funny version of “Cut Flowers,” a show about a group of African-American men who work in flower shop.
For the big tourist season, says artistic director Jimmy Binns, Noble Fool will be relying on a major revival of Woody Allen’s play “Don’t Drink the Water,” which Noble Fool hopes will play throughout July and August. The Fool also will be co-hosting the Chicago Improv Festival in May (for the first time) and plans to ramp up the number of performances of its improv shows “The Baritones” and “Sex in the Suburbs.” Noble Fool certainly is catching a lot of out-of-town business by focusing on comedy. On a typical Friday or Saturday, Binns points out, they have nine shows a night.
Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St.
Things will be quiet at this downtown house until a non-Equity production of “Miss Saigon” comes through town in June. Based on a viewing in Springfield (a prior stop on the tour), this is a good deal better than the typical non-union road show. Nonetheless, if you’re planning to see it, note that it is in no way the same production as the Nicholas Hytner effort. No chopper here–although some would argue that always was scenic overkill.
Following “Miss Saigon” is a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Starlight Express” (June 24 through July 6) wherein men play train engines and women cabooses. This new version of the show–which ripped up theaters with roller-skating rolling stock back in the 1980s–now features special effects requiring 3D glasses. Other than that, there’s been little or no advance word on what this show will be like.
And toward the season’s end, “Mamma Mia,” the Abba-musical that sustained a long run the summer before last, is coming back. If all goes well, that show will be here from July 24 through at least Labor Day–which is good news for downtown businesses, which should benefit from warm-weather long-runners at two downtown theaters.
Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St.
This venerable venue currently is up for sale–and thus is seeing very little action at present. It’s being courted by two buyers–TheatreDreams Chicago, a group headed by Lawrence J. Wilker, the former president of Cleveland’s Playhouse Square Center and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Chicago Theatre Alliance, a joint venture of the Chicago Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA), Broadway in Chicago and Jam Productions. Until the ownership of the theater is sorted out (probably in early May), the direction of future programming there will not be clear. When the decision finally comes down, whichever party gets the historic venue, they’ll have something to prove. So expect some flashy programming–in the short term, at least.
Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Pkwy.
Spring at the Auditorium means dance–between now and May you can see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. And then the theater goes dark for the whole summer. According to Jan Kallish, the Auditorium’s executive director, it’s likely that the theater will see yet more restoration work.
By the way, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” will be at the Auditorium in the winter of 2004 for a 10-week run–surely the last Chicago visit for the masked warbler.
