Last week, I was all set to highlight an exciting new theatrical event at Steppenwolf Theatre Company starring Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren. But I changed my mind after calling Steppenwolf Communications Director David Rosenberg to see if tickets would be available to the July 13 event by the time the July 8 issue hit newsstands. Rosenberg said it was essentially sold out.
Now, the appearance of British theater royalty like Mirren on a Chicago stage would undoubtedly sell out in seconds. But Mirren wasn't actually appearing in person at Steppenwolf.
Mirren was starring in a high-definition screening of Racine's Greek tragedy, Phedre, from London's Royal National Theatre. Just like the Metropolitan Opera's worldwide live simulcasts to cineplexes and schools, the National Theatre was using satellite technology to go global. Steppenwolf was just one of dozens of theaters that was hosting a screening ( not exactly a simultaneously live one, but a retransmission of a live performance recorded by five cameras ) .
So far, this new experiment spearheaded by National Theatre Artistic Director Nicholas Hytner has generated loads of media buzz and looks to be a success. Of course, having a celebrity like Mirren attached certainly helps, but it is truly a great example of harnessing technology to make theater available to the widest audience possible.
Up next is an October transmission of the National Theater's critically acclaimed production of Shakespeare's problem play All's Well That Ends Well. Two more screenings in 2010 are of a new play by The History Boys scribe Alan Bennett called The Habit of Art, plus a stage adaptation of Terry Pratchett's novel, Nation. Now these other screenings don't have a recognizable star of Mirren's stature attached, but it's likely that theater fans who want to save on London travel costs should try to catch them all locally.
Even more London theater is headed to the Windy City. Playbill.com recently reported that a North American tour of Peter Pan would launch in May 2010 in Chicago.
Peter Pan is currently playing in a specially designed 1,100-seat tent in London's Kensington Gardens ( where Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie found his inspiration after meeting the Llewelyn Davies family ) . Ben Harrison directs the production, which has a new script adaptation by Tanya Ronder, plus designs by Olivier Award-winner William Dudley.
So in addition to Cirque du Soleil visits and the current equine extravaganza Cavalia, it looks like theater spectaculars in traveling tents will be an occasionally exciting sight around Chicago.
In other Steppenwolf news, it was announced last week that Michael McKean will reprise his role as the beleaguered Uptown show owner Arthur Przybyszewski in Tracy Letts' 2008 play Superior Donuts when it transfers to the Music Box Theatre on Broadway this October. ( No other casting has been announced. )
Superior Donuts is Letts' smaller-scale follow-up to his award-winning smash August: Osage County, which recently finished a 648-performance run in New York. A tour of August: Osage County starring Academy Award-winner Estelle Parsons launches this month in Denver. The tour is expected to hit Chicago's Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre next February.
During its Broadway run, August: Osage County played at two theaters: the Imperial Theatre ( which typically hosts big musicals like the current smash Billy Elliot—The Musical ) and the more intimate Music Box next door. Another former Imperial Theatre tenant is headed to Chicago, even though it was a huge flop that only eked out 13 performances on Broadway: High Fidelity—The Musical.
The new formed Equity troupe Route 66 Theatre Company announced recently that it would produce the first professional regional staging of this 2006 Broadway musical based upon Nick Hornby's novel and the 2000 movie starring John Cusack ( which reset the book's London setting to Chicago ) . The production plays a limited engagement starting in August at Piper's Alley in the space temporarily vacated by Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding.
At the time High Fidelity was heading to Broadway, a lot of people were questioning why that particular property was being musicalized ( and not as a jukebox musical, on top of that ) . After all, its record shop hero is the type of person who would despise musical theater ( and if he were to sing, it definitely wouldn't be in a musical theater idiom ) .
But the original Broadway producers ( who also produced Rent and Avenue Q ) had faith in the show and its authors—so much so that an original cast recording was made after High Fidelity's unceremoniously short run.
Musical theater fans are certainly grateful for that decision, since it documented the work of High Fidelity's composer, Tom Kitt, who recently won two Tony Awards for his score and orchestrations to the current Broadway hit Next to Normal. High Fidelity's other collaborators are nothing to sniff at either, since Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire was responsible for the musical's book, while Amanda Green provided lyrics.
So it will be very interesting to see High Fidelity back in Chicago in musical theater form. Who knows? The Chicago production might help the musical version of High Fidelity gain some artistic respect and push its way back into the public's consciousness.
Please send theater news and other performing-arts tidbits to scottishplayscott@yahoo.com .
