Live Theater

[PopTodd]

Any of you all ever patronize live theater?

Small companies? Large companies? Broadway extravaganzas?

My wife and I are going to see Sweet Bird of Youth (the Tennessee Williams play) tonight, at the Goodman Theater here in Chicago.

This is the first time in a while that we have been to see something on this grand a scale in a long time.

You seen anything recently? Going to see something? Seems to me that this is the one area of the arts that we don't really talk about much.

[bleedorange]

If I lived in New York, I would probably see every single musical and play. I just have to wait for touring shows to come through this area. We have several really nice theaters in Dallas and Fort Worth...it's just a matter of what specific shows come in.

 

I love pretty much all Broadway musicals, though.

[PopTodd]

That's just one more thing about Chicago, the theater scene is incredible. Some really amazing small companies and guerilla theater going on all over town.

The most famous is probably Steppenwolf (now housed in a grand building in Old Town), started in the basement of a suburban church and produced John Malkovich, Gary Sinese, John Mahoney, Joan Allen, Laurie Matcalf, and David Mamet (whose plays they put on the first productions of).

Or, if you consider it, The Second City, whose alumni I probably don't have to name for you.

But there are still great things going on all over the place: The Annoyance, The Neo Futurists, and others whom I cannot name anymore since I've been in the suburbs for 13 years now. But it's an amazing, vibrant scene and I try to go to smaller productions whenever I can.

 

This is my current favorite, and it's even more amazing because I can go with my kids, who love it just as much as I do:

That's Weird, Grandma/

 

And it's probably better than anything that I've seen at even The Second City, in a long time.

[gogo]

I subscribe to ACT, Berkeley Rep, and the Magic. Three very different theaters, each does between five and eight productions a year (depending on special events, holiday shows, etc.), so I see about 18-20 live shows every year.

 

ACT has a core acting company, as well as an MFA program, so you'll see the same performers there on a regular basis. They've also got some very famous alumni (Annette Bening, Danny Glover, Benjamin Bratt, etc.). There are also some folks who appear there regularly (Olympia Dukakis has done a bunch of their productions, she'll be back for Elektra this season). I find their shows to be hit-or-miss, I've enjoyed some tremendously, but they do come up with the occasional dud.

 

The Magic is the little theater that could. It's great claim to fame is that it was the home of Sam Shephard's earliest works. I always describe the Magic's shows as "the greatest high school production you've ever seen". They rarely get big name stars (much easier to get a fabulous playwright than a fabulous actor...), but the writing and acting are always great, even when the production values are... well, let's say "limited".

 

Berkeley Rep is the big dog of these regional theaters. They've put on a number of shows in the past few years that went on to Broadway (American Idiot was first staged there). Bang for the buck, BR is tops among these three, with great production values, great artistic merit, and is always a worthwhile night out. I always say about them, the only problem I have is that it takes forever to get home after the show.

 

I also see the occasional touring Broadway-ish show. Wicked opened here, on a pre-Broadway run, for example, and there's a theater just down the street from my office that puts on touring Broadway shows. Book of Mormon is coming up next month, but tickets were probably even harder to get here than they were on Broadway.

 

I would love to get to New York more often to see live theater (Alan Cumming in MacBeth!!!), when I win the lottery that will be at the top of my to-do list.

[Doug C]

I enjoy live theater or should I say theatre. I don't go nearly as much as I did as a young man but we still go on occasion. Probably my favorite theater experience was A Few Good Men on Broadway with Ron Perlman in the Nicholson role from the movie version. I bought front row seats from the day of place in Time Square. Perlman tore it up. During the climatic 'you can handle the truth' scene, I had the pleasure of Ron Perlman spittle on my face. "Acting!"

[The High Heat]

I've only seen one professional production (for $50 in the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia), and wasn't all that impressed. I have, however, been to several plays on the campus of East Carolina University, and have been impressed with the production and performances of every one of them. Their production of Hello, Dolly may very well be the most entertaining event I've ever attended. I'm excited about their plans to build a modern theater downtown, just off campus. It will only makes the shows and our town that much better!

[gogo]

I think one of the issues people have with live theater is that it can be really pricey. But at ACT, we go to previews and sit in the balcony, and those seats end up costing just about what a movie ticket would run. If you want to go on opening night or sit third row center at a big flashy production, yeah, that'll cost you, but there's lot of great theater out there for reasonable prices.

 

I'm really excited about ACT's new venues that are opening in the neighborhood of my office. One is a tiny space ("the Costume Shop") that hosts little workshop-y things, and the other is a former grand old movie theater, then crumbling porn house, that is being re-furbished into a performance space and workshop complex. Our neighborhood is dicey at best, and we're hoping that these kinds of developments will help to create a more inviting atmosphere for (legal) evening activities in the area.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I hate to admit it, especially on here, but in recent years almost all of the theater I have seen has been Broadway musicals. The company where I work is a big contributor to the local performing arts center, and we have an annual theater night where we get free tickets for a show, and also sometimes we get comped an extra show. The seats for all of these are in the first 10 rows, so it's pretty sweet. I've seen The Lion King, Wicked, The Producers, Hairspray, Spamalot, Annie, Phantom, Les Miz...a bunch. I've already gotten comp tickets to see American Idiot here in the spring.

The only exception was when I went to see a production of King Lear with a friend of mine a few years ago in a small theater. It was cool, but I wouldn't spend that kind of money very often.

[LouieB]

It should be noted that Chicago has over 150 theater companies from the smallest store fronts to some of the most famous regional theaters (the Goodman being the most notable, though Pop Todd also mentioned Steppenwolf which is also highly recognized.) as well as Broadway caliber theaters mostly in the Loop. I always recommend that visitors to Chicago check out a show even if they are more music people. The level of talent here is amazing. You can see a production in a smallish theater that has about as good ensemble acting as anywhere you go.

 

LouieB

[bleedorange]

I hate to admit it, especially on here, but in recent years almost all of the theater I have seen has been Broadway musicals. The company where I work is a big contributor to the local performing arts center, and we have an annual theater night where we get free tickets for a show, and also sometimes we get comped an extra show. The seats for all of these are in the first 10 rows, so it's pretty sweet. I've seen The Lion King, Wicked, The Producers, Hairspray, Spamalot, Annie, Phantom, Les Miz...a bunch. I've already gotten comp tickets to see American Idiot here in the spring.

The only exception was when I went to see a production of King Lear with a friend of mine a few years ago in a small theater. It was cool, but I wouldn't spend that kind of money very often.

 

Why is that something that you would hate to admit?

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Why is that something that you would hate to admit?

Well, this being a Wilco board, I figure people might bust my chops about going to see Broadway musicals. Lord knows I get my chops busted about enough stuff as it is, so when I started writing the post I was already sort of "ducking" in my mind.

[bleedorange]

Well, this being a Wilco board, I figure people might bust my chops about going to see Broadway musicals. Lord knows I get my chops busted about enough stuff as it is, so when I started writing the post I was already sort of "ducking" in my mind.

 

It just struck me as an odd thing to say because I wish I could see more of them. I've managed to catch Les Mis and Mary Poppins this year and I hope to see The Lion King in Dallas this summer. Hopefully, The Book of Mormon will make it down here someday, too.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I enjoy live theatre, but I honestly am not that crazy about most of the music if it is taken out of that "in-the-theatre" context.

That being said, if you can catch The Lion King and have decent seats, it is a must see. I had front row for that one, and I was blown away by it.

[PopTodd]

So Sweet Bird of Youth was last night and I was duly impressed.

Of course, as expected, Diane Lane was excellent, but the young actor in the lead male role was exceptional.

And, in typical Tennessee Williams fashion, every single character was flawed, and not a single one of them learned a thing in the end. A bit of a downer, but still provocative, well worth-while, and enjoyable despite itself!