It's Been a While...
By Justin Sondak in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 2, 2005 8:10PM
Chicagoist believes the only thing better than finding fun shows and exhibits for our readers is watching them develop. The arts and theater communities continue working long after their 15 minutes on the web expire, we just try to keep up. Consider this report a “Where Are They Now?” sans washed-up celebrities.
The Snubfest ’06 lineup has been announced, and it looks good. Not Aspen Comedy Festival good, but that’s kind of the point.
The very day we previewed Broadway in Chicago’s season, they announced The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee would premiere at Drury Lane Water Tower in March. A baffling feud between producer David Stone and Sun-Times critic Hedy Weiss almost overshadowed this good news. Apparently, Stone wasn’t too keen on Ms. Weiss’ lukewarm review for Wicked and Weiss resented the subsequent lack of access to the Putnam press conference.
We weren’t big fans of The Awesome 80s Prom, but enough folks are that they’ve extended their run through February 25, due to “awesome demand.”
Our friends at the Sandbox Theatre Project are remounting Bottle Can Draft at Matilda over the next three Mondays (Dec. 5, 12, and 19). Tickets are a $15 donation, discounts available for returning audience members. More info at their website. If you can’t get enough of these kids, go see cast members Alex Miles Younger and Amanda Link perform in The Anatomy Collective’s Many Things Are Destroying Me at High School Gallery tonight or Saturday. It's billed as “An evening of intrigue, anguish and absurdity featuring keg beer, visual art, living installation, scripted theatre and music,“ which translates to a very artsy social event.
Bridgeport’s much quieter now that the White Sox and the Select Media Festival are off-season. Plans are in the works for a new Bridgeport MOMA exhibit opening sometime in January. As you recover from your New Year’s hangover, find out more at www.bmoma.org
We correctly predicted that Chicago Humanities Festival speaker Joan Didion would win the National Book Award, which was about as bold as predicting the Patriots’ Super Bowl XXXIX victory. More importantly, the CHF plans to host events year-round. No word yet on what’s next. As you recover from your New Year’s hangover, go to their website and see what transpires.
The good people at Bad at Sports released their 13th podcast this week, reviewing the MCA’s Tropicalia exhibit along with new offerings at Loyola & the Chicago Cultural Center.
Back in September, we interviewed choreographer Tommy Rapley about his work in The House Theatre’s The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz. Kudos to him for making the actors look so graceful. Next up is the House’s Valentine Victorious, the anticipated conclusion to the Valentine Trilogy. Rapley will assistant direct, choreograph, and play sax in the band. This spring, he’ll direct and choreograph Ellen Under Glass, a new House play, at the City’s Storefront Theater.
And finally, I.O. is still I.O., lest the International Olympic Committee sues.
Image via VH1