Well, my dears, the national touring company of Wicked has opened at the Ford Center/Oriental Theatre and—oh, my—what a witches' brouhaha! Why, it's enough to make one turn absolutely green.
The critical response was mixed, very mixed, decidedly mixed, and none more so than dear Hedy Weiss—she of the flowing auburn tresses—in the Chicago Sun-Times. She didn't like Wicked at all! So along comes the show's director, the notable Tony Award winner, Joe Mantello, and dashes off a Weiss-is-a-Wicked-Witch herself letter to the Sun-Times, which printed it, of course. Wisely, Ms. Weiss didn't respond in kind, although she would have won if she had. There's an old showbiz axiom: never get into a pissing match with a critic.
It does seem like a tempest in a teapot, doesn't it? After all, the New York reviews were decidedly mixed when Wicked opened on Broadway. But it survived both the not-so-hot notices and the bad notices to become a huge hit, win Tony Awards and develop devotees who have seen it multiple times. As the fastest-selling show in the history of Broadway in Chicago, Wicked would appear able to cast the same spell here, no matter what ANY print or broadcast critic has to say about it.
The present company of Wicked will play here through June 12 and then click their ruby slippers and transport to Los Angeles, the next stop on the tour. But they will leave all the scenery behind at the Oriental, to be taken over by a brand-new Wicked company organized specifically for Chicago, and planning on running here for several YEARS. That company will be composed mainly of Chicago performers, among them Gene Weygandt as the Wizard and Steppenwolf bombshell Rondi Reed as Madame Morrible, with Northwestern graduate Ana Gasteyer as Elphaba. The Chicago company begins previews June 24 and opens for the press July 13.
Now, Jonny may have made a terrible error in judgment—after all, Jonny is infallible only in matters of faith, and the Pope gets it wrong almost every time—but Jonny decided Windy City Times readers would rather read a review of the permanent Chicago company than the touring gypsies, vagabonds, minstrels and munchkins currently in town. Let Los Angeles have them, Jonny declares! If you care to see one of them perform, pick him up at the bars. They're sure to be wearing their very expensive Wicked show jackets.
You heard it here first: About Face Theatre and the Museum of Contemporary Art—the folks who brought you I Am My Own Wife—will team again next February to offer the world premiere of A Long Gay Book, a new musical with a text by Gertrude Stein and a score by Stephen Flaherty, composer of Ragtime and A Man of No Importance. Theatrical polymath and Santa Claus look-alike Frank Galati—director of Ragtime on Broadway—thought up the project, adapted the text and will direct. Galati and Flaherty workshopped A Long Gay Book last year at Northwestern University, where Galati is a professor of Performance Studies.
The League of Chicago Theatres has moved its Downtown flagship Hot Tix store. The new location is 72 E. Randolph, within the Chicago Tourism Center. The League promises it's bigger, better and more patron-friendly. Hot Tix, which sells over 100,000 tickets a year, will continue to offer both half-price day-of-show tickets, and full-price advance sale tickets. Keep in mind that you also can purchase tickets for all Ticketmaster events at Hot Tix, including theater, concerts and sporting events. Play Money gift certificates also are available.
Our community's very own improv and sketch comedy troupe, GayCo, was the hit of the recent Chicago Improv Festival with Weddings of Mass Destruction, the show ya' just can't kill with a stick. GayCo's first show sold out way ahead of time, so a second show was added to the April 29 schedule. Maybe next year the Festival organizers will book 'em in a venue larger than the Athenaeum Studio Theatre.
Today, May 25, is Jonny's birthday. Jonny is youthful—always—for whatever age Jonny happens to be. The proper gifts are French champagne and emeralds ( Jonny's birthstone ) . Both may be delivered care of this publication.