Wicked took top fundraising honors in the 17th annual Gypsy of the Year Competition. Patty Elvis.
Richard Greenberg, the Tony Award-winning playwright who gave us last year's meaty delight, Take Me Out, about a baseball superstar who comes out of the closet, is back in Chicago. His new play, The Well-Appointed Room, will receive its world premiere at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, opening Jan. 22. But Jonny doesn't want to give you any false hope: do not expect the likes of Kyle Hall and Benjamin Sprunger stripping to their well-buffed glory in this one. Indeed, Take Me Out is the only overtly gay play Greenberg has penned to date, let alone one featuring full frontal nudity. However, those who saw Take Me Out will understand that Greenberg's work really is about social issues and, frequently, our perceptions of time and incident. In other words, Take Me Out isn't about being gay or naked or a baseball player, but about baseball—or whatever—as a metaphor of social attitude. Greenberg is thoughtful and witty in pleasing proportions and has emerged in the last decade as one of the brightest younger ( he's still under 50 ) writers in America. Jonny suggests you take time to see The Well-Appointed Room, which is being directed by Steppenwolf co-founder Terry Kinney ( whom many readers may know from the cable TV prison series, Oz ) .
They may be Wicked, but they sure know how to hustle a buck for a good cause. The Chicago company of Wicked took top fundraising honors in the 17th annual Gypsy of the Year Competition, a national effort on behalf of the charity Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. In the six weeks leading up to Christmas, the Wicked Chicago company raised over $214,000 for the New York-based charity, with Chicago House also named as the local beneficiary. FYI: Wicked continues to do sell-out business at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre where it recently broke the box office record by taking in over $1.2 million for a single week. That's good biz for showbiz!
Chicago theater artists will gather at Steppenwolf Theatre Company Jan. 16 for an evening of readings and performance addressing the challenges and responsibilities of citizenship under the current administration. It's what Jonny and his gang used to call political protest back in the 1960s ( or so Jonny's father tells Jonny—haha! ) . When in the Course of Human Events: Creative Disobedience and Why the World Can't Wait, as the evening it titled, will be held in the Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre and is organized by Steppenwolf artistic director Martha Lavey, Anna D. Shapiro, Sheldon Patinkin, and Joann Shapiro with a variety of performers. The evening is FREE, which Jonny always likes, although a donation will be taken for www.worldcantwait.net . Tickets are available ONLY at the door, and performance time is 7 p.m. Jonny urges all law-abiding, tax-paying GLBT citizens to go and raise your political ire, take to the streets and curse the bastards out!!
In December, the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire celebrated its 30th anniversary. This excellent musical theater house always has had a strong gay presence among its upper management ( Jonny discreetly will not reveal who the gay ones have been except to say that they've all been cute ) , and has employed scores and scores of GLBT artists, technicians and staff. At every opening night party for many years—and there are five parties a year—Marriott collects money for Season of Concern, the Chicago theater industry's AIDS services charity. Founded in 1975, the Marriott Theatre has presented more than 170 productions to an estimated 7,000,000 people. The troupe has the largest musical theater subscription audience in the country, with more than 40,000 annual subscribers. Catch the current production of Oliver! Jonny believes it's the best production of that old warhorse you're likely to see, with an exceptional cast.
Davenport's launches the new cabaret year by reaching out to the younger generation with the girl duo of Kelli Morgan and Cassie Wooley, calling themselves twentysomething. There Jan. 9 and 16 shows will focus on Broadway show tunes, unreleased ballads and pop songs about the trials, tribulations, loves and lives of women of their generation or as they call it, The Girl in the Mirror. Now, Jonny suspects that twentysomething women know as much about life and love as twentysomething twinks on Halsted—and you can take what they know, shove it in a flea's navel and still have room for two hustlers' hearts—but at least Kelli and Cassie can sing! Shows are at 8 p.m.; $15 cover; two drink minimum.
Patty Elvis, a lesbian, and one of the nation's top female Elvis impersonators, will be performing all month at Davenport's and the House of Blues in January celebrating the King's birthday ( Jan. 8 ) . The King lives on with acclaimed female Elvis impersonator Patty Elvis—she will be performing every Saturday, on Jan. 7, 21 and 28 at Davenport's, 1383 N. Milwaukee, 8 p.m., $12 cover charge plus two-drink minimum; reservations ( 773 ) 278-1830. Patty will also be performing at the Elvis Spectacular at the House of Blues, Jan. 19. See www.pattyelvis.com and also see www.davenportspianobar.com .
And a happy, healthy New Year to all from Stage Door Jonny!
