Jonny extends congratulations to About Face Theatre artistic director Eric Rosen, who has been nominated for 2001-2002 Barrymore Award for Excellence in the Theatre. The Barrymore Awards are Philadelphia's equivalent of our own Joseph Jefferson Awards. They are named after the legendary American acting dynasty that produced four great drama queens, Ethel, Lionel, John and Drew Barrymore.
Rosen was nominated for something he's never done in Chicago, directing a musical. He staged Myths + Hymns, by composer Adam Guettel ( best known for Floyd Collins ) , at the Prince Music Theater last April and May. In fact, Rosen received two Barrymore nominations: for directing, and for outstanding overall production. The handsome Adam Guettel ( grandson of Broadway composer Richard Rodgers ) also received a nomination. We'll know later this month whether or not Eric and Adam win Barrymore Awards, though Jonny thinks they both are winners, of course.
Musical theater queens will have a rare opportunity to see and hear composer Stephen Sondheim in person Nov. 14 at 7 p.m., when he delivers a Lyric Opera Preview Lecture about his work, Sweeney Todd, which Lyric is staging in November and December. However, the one-hour talk will set you back a pretty penny. Lyric is charging a truly outrageous $30 a ticket, double the normal price of a Preview Lecture. Hell, second balcony seats for the whole show start at less than that. On the positive side, it will be a relatively intimate talk for less than 1,000 people. Call the Lyric Opera Education Department for tickets, ( 312 ) 827-5912.
Construction has begun at last on the $4.5-million new home of the Lookingglass Theatre Company, in the historic Water Tower Pumping Station. The theater will have a state-of-the-art 250-seat mainstage, and an 80-seat studio, both of which have been designed to accommodate the kind of elaborate visual and physical work typical of Lookingglass shows. If all goes according to schedule, the troupe will inaugurate the venue next June with The Secret in the Wings, an adaptation of five classic fairy tales by grand auteur director Mary Zimmerman. The new Lookingglass home is being funded in part by $1 million grants from the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois, plus leadership gifts of several hundred thousand dollars from the Polk Brothers Foundation, and Lookingglass co-founder David Schwimmer. Is he still the cutest Friend or what?
Chicago has seen the all-male version of Tchaikovsky's ballet, Swan Lake. Now comes Birdbrain, the "cygnature" version of the classic by the Australian Dance Theatre, at the Dance Center of Columbia College, Nov. 7-9. Jonny confesses that he is intrigued, and not just at the prospect of seeing some Aussie hunks in tights. Birdbrain reportedly is a deconstruction of the familiar romantic ballet, utilizing elements of classical and contemporary dance, martial arts, breakdance, yoga, gymnastics, electronic music, video art and dozens of tee-shirts ( many of which Jonny hopes will be strategically torn ) . It could be garbage, it could be brilliant. It could be brilliant garbage. Whatever, it sounds like a hoot. Tickets are $24; call ( 312 ) 344-8300.
The Raven Theatre Company has extended its lovely production of Marvin's Room, by Scott McPherson, through Dec. 8 at its handsome and comfortable new space on Clark Street at Granville.
House Theatre has extended its critically acclaimed production of The Tragedy of Peter Pan through Dec. 13 at The Viaduct. Even our own Mary Shen Barnidge liked it.
And Bailiwick has extended the musical revue Naked Boys Singing forever, or at least until the boys are old enough to have boys of their own, which some of them already are.