Jonny knows that there are some people who take their camp very seriously, while others are happy to take it in quantity. The latter are blessed with an overflowing cornucopia this summer as numerous theater troupes attempt to out-camp one another with fashionably gay and/or dragalicious theatrical delights.
Corn Productions appears to have created an instant camp classic with its current show, The Bad Seed—The Musical, which is transferring to Bailiwick Arts Center for an extended 10-week run, July 8-Sept. 9. Not to be outdone, Corn Productions' arch rival, Hell in a Handbag Productions, is set to open another wannabe instant camp classic, Scarrie: The Musical, July 2 at Theatre Building Chicago. The Windy City Times expert in all things campy and classical onstage is theater critic Rick Reed. He saw, and liked, The Bad Seed and is assigned to see Scarrie ... so watch these pages for his certain-to-be-instantly-camp-classic comments. And don't miss the special 'Scarrie' cover for the pride issue of Nightspots.
A Reasonable Facsimile Theatre Company, a troupe not known for its pursuit of theatrical camp, nonetheless also is placing its tongue in its cheek this summer, offering a late-night production of the inimitable Charles Busch's Psycho Beach Party, also at Theatre Building Chicago ( really, they're going to have to tie that place down ) , July 8-Aug. 6, Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30 p.m.
The Neo-Futurarium has a summertime weekly series designed to keep all those Andersonville movie queens ( you know who you are ) happy as pigs in popcorn. Spawn of the Neo-Futurarium offers some of the best bad movies ever made, not in screenings but in live, staged readings of the screenplays. Every Thursday night at 8 p.m., another great old rotten movie will be read out loud by members of the Neo-Futurists, the House Theatre of Chicago, Barrel of Monkeys and guest artists. The series kicks off July 7 with Death Wish 3, followed by a July 14 double creature feature of The Thing from Venus and The Love Butcher. Call the Neo-Futurist hotline for complete info, ( 773 ) 275-5255. Tickets are $10 except for the double feature, which is $15. Jonny wants to know: can patrons have sex in the back row?
Even the staunchest cabaret troupers sometimes grow weary of recycling the classics of Gershwin, Berlin, Rodgers, Hart, Arlen, Bernstein, Blitzstein, Sondheim and all the other Jews with a little Cole Porter thrown in. So Amanda Coon, Mike Descoteaux and Tim Meade have come up with novel idea of a cabaret show built around the music of The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. Tramps Like Us, as they call the show, opens July 2, 8 p.m. at Davenport's ( 1383 N. Milwaukee ) , and thereafter plays Saturdays in July. Two drink minimum and $15 cover.
Davenport's also will be offering a drag show ( its first, Jonny believes ) when New York's top-rated drag queen appears for one show only, July 1 at 10:30 p.m. The 6'4' Edie was voted New York City's Best Drag Performer by the readers of the gay publication HX Magazine, Best Dance Artist by her peers at the Glammy Awards ( the Oscars of Drag ) and Entertainer of the Year in a Glammy Awards on-line vote. Edie promises to offer a high-energy '60s mod mix of song, comedy and lots of dance—everything from tap to jazz to Broadway to Fosse to go-go. Why, just writing about is enough to take Jonny's breath away! Jonny's exhausted already. As usual, $15 cover plus two drinks.
Chicago leading lady Heidi Kettenring will play Nessarose in the new company of Wicked that begins previews this week at the Ford Center/Oriental Theatre, prior to a July 13 official opening night. The popular musical comedy star joins already-announced Chicago favorites Ana Gasteyer as Elphaba, Steppenwolfie Rondi Reed as Madame Morrible and Gene Weygandt as The Wizard.
You can see some of the Wicked crew this Monday night ( June 27 ) in a free taste of Broadway at Taste of Chicago. A 6 p.m. concert at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park will honor of the fifth anniversary of Broadway In Chicago and the 25th anniversary of Taste. The 45-minute concert with live orchestra and performers will feature cast members from Wicked, Little Shop of Horrors and The Lion King as well as the Chicago Children's Show Choir. Broadway In Chicago also will give away 50 pairs of tickets to an upcoming show. NOTE: this is at the old concert shell at Columbus and Jackson, not in the new Millennium Park Pritzker Pavilion.
