About Face Theatre Company has a new managing director, only the second for the six-year old GLBTQ troupe. He is Christopher Sink, who arrives from the much larger and older Shakespeare & Company, a nationally known classical troupe based in Lenox, Mass., in the scenic Berkshire Mountains. In his 12 years at Shakespeare & Co., Sink oversaw the multimillion dollar acquisition of a spacious new property. It is just such expertise that made him a prime candidate for About Face, which is seeking major budget expansion, a permanent home and a national profile over the next few years. Sink started May 5.
The Center on Halsted remains a possible home for About Face, despite opinions to the contrary expressed by Center management as reported several weeks ago in the Windy City Times. Back-channel sources tell Jonny that the door is not completely closed yet, and that the Center and About Face continue cautious discussions about the possibility.
Legendary 1920s raconteur, wit, radio star, critic and member of the famed Algonquin Round Table, Alexander Woolcott, is at the center of a new musical at Northlight Theatre, May 14-June 22. At Wit's End, by Chicagoans Cheri Coons and Michael Duff, portrays a love triangle in which Woolcott is smitten with fellow Round Table member Jane Grant, who is launching The New Yorker magazine with her husband, Harold Ross. It's a fine conceit for a musical. Trouble is, Alex Woolcott was homosexual, although he had many female friends. But romance? No way!
Such bending of the truth is far too commonplace in the entertainment world, dating back at least to Night and Day, the late 1940s biopic of Cole Porter, who was portrayed by Cary Grant (!) as heterosexual. Much more recently, the award-winning Mike Leigh film about Gilbert and Sullivan, Topsy-Turvey, portrayed Gilbert as happily married and Sullivan as a bachelor womanizer. In fact, Gilbert was a dedicated rake (although married) while Sullivan was discreetly gay. In this day and age, one would think that such literary lies no longer would be either necessary or desirable.
Sure to sell out: Tony Award winners Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald will join forces Aug. 22-23 at the Ravinia Festival for concert performances of Stephen Sondheim's Passion. LuPone will play ugly Fosca to the beautiful Clara of McDonald. The lead male role, a handsome officer, has not yet been cast. This is the third show in Ravinia's march towards Sondheim's 75th birthday in two years. Tickets are on sale now. Last year, response was so great that Ravinia even sold tickets to the dress rehearsal of A Little Night Music.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich has proposed a budget of $18.5 million for the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) for Fiscal 2004; a reduction of less than 10% of the current IAC budget of $19.6 million. The proposed figure would maintain public arts funding at about $1.50 per capita. While arts advocates publicly call for a funding increase to $2 per capita, privately they regard the Blagojevich proposal as a triumph in a year in which Illinois faces a deficit of $5 billion. Our new guv understands both the economic and cultural importance of the arts.
One of Jonny's favorite Cute Guys, Stephen Rader, has put together a cabaret show of all Dolly Parton music! While Rader doesn't sport nearly as much up front as Ms. Parton, he does sport washboard abs and a lot of musical talent. He's performing Dolly Would! at Davenport's on Saturday nights through May 31.
As readers know, Jonny promotes very few benefits; there simply are too many of them. But there are occasional exceptions. One such is coming up Monday, May 19: a one-night only performance of the Kander and Ebb revue, And the World Goes Round, as a benefit for the very special HealthWorks Theatre, in honor of the troupe's 15th anniversary. And what a line-up they have! Among the performers: Alexandra Billings, Nan Mason, Michael McAssey, Tom Michael, Suzanne Palmer and Honey West. Tickets are $45 in advance and $50 at the door, with a few VIP seats for $100. All tix include light hors d'oeuvres before the show (cash bar), which is at 7:30 p.m. at the Mercury Theatre. Call (773) 929-4260. In case you don't know, HealthWorks is an educational and intervention theater troupe that tours shows to schools with HIV/AIDS and Youth Violence prevention themes.