I’m a big Postmodern Jukebox fan, love what they do reinventing today’s pop songs in other idioms.
This time around Scott Bradlee and his crew gives Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” a vintage Chicago the Musical style. Great reframing of the song musically – you can check it out on iTunes here.
That said, I’m not sure the Fosse dancer in me buys the choreography here. Great ideas in the staging, just not quite on point stylistically.
They’ve amassed over 300 million YouTube views, 1.4 million subscribers, have performed on “Good Morning America,” topped iTunes/Billboard charts and been covered by NPR, Mother Jones, HuffPost, Mashable, LA Times, etc.
PMJ is currently touring the world, with more than 100 dates on sale for 2015 and 2016. Check out the group’s complete tour schedule here.
On Sunday evening, November 23, a Broadway show near and dear to my heart will reach a huge milestone.
On that date, the current company of Broadway’s record-breaking hit musical CHICAGO will welcome back its four original stars — Tony Award winners Ann Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth, James Naughton and Joel Grey.
That evening, CHICAGO will surpass the run of iconic Broadway blockbuster “Cats” with a record-breaking 7,486 performances, making it the second longest-running show in Broadway history.
Only one show — “The Phantom of the Opera” — will have run longer than CHICAGO.
Reinking, Neuwirth, Naughton and Grey — who originated the acclaimed roles of Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly, Billy Flynn and Amos Hart, respectively — will each make cameo appearances at various points in the milestone performance.
As regular readers of The Randy Report know, I was fortunate to be one of the earliest replacements in the Broadway revival of CHICAGO back in 1998. I performed in the Broadway company at the Shubert Theatre, and toured with the show in the US and internationally with five other companies.
My run with the show – off and on – stretched from August 1998 to July 2013, when I was asked to come back and be a part of the show at the Hollywood Bowl. In addition, I’ve been able to explore the brilliant material as a choreographer, staging the show four times. CHICAGO has been a gift that keeps giving.
The revival of CHICAGO first began in May 1996 with a weekend presentation as part of City Center’s acclaimed Encores! series.
At the time, that brief four-performance engagement of CHICAGO — helmed by director Walter Bobbie and choreographer Ann Reinking — was the top-grossing production in the history of Encores!.
Produced by Barry & Fran Weissler, CHICAGO opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 14, 1996. It transferred to the Shubert Theatre in February 1997, and subsequently transferred to the Ambassador Theatre in January of 2003.
CHICAGO received six 1997 Tony Awards for Best Musical Revival, Best Direction of a Musical (Walter Bobbie), Best Choreography (Ann Reinking), Best Lighting Design (Ken Billington), Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Bebe Neuwirth) and Best Leading Actor in a Musical (James Naughton).
Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.
Congratulations CHICAGO!
With Ann Reinking celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of CHICAGO revival on Broadway
With the National company of CHICAGO in Las Vegas 1999
Back in CHICAGO blacks one more time – Hollywood Bowl 2013. I had just turned 50 years old. Giving a little CHICAGO ‘attitude.’
Sears brought four same-sex couples to Chicago Pride where they were married aboard a float during the recent Chicago Pride Parade.
It’s worth noting that not every major retailer – and who’s more MAJOR than Sear? – makes such support for same-sex marriage so clear and unequivocal.
As a gay man married over a decade (with my husband for almost 20 years) I never did the wedding registry thing. We were a little ahead of the retail world in that respect. But sure wish I had. Sears welcomes same-sex couples at their wedding registry.
Let’s face it – every young (or old) couple starting out together can use some wedding gifts. And Sears is happy to welcome you. (Where else do you buy your washer/dryer and other appliances???)
Not every store out there is willing to put that out there in such public terms.
Last summer, I was flattered and thrilled to be asked to step back into CHICAGO the Musical (which I was fortunate to perform in on Broadway, National and International companies) at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
It was a fun, fast and fantastic experience to be onstage again in a show I always loved being a part of.
Today it was announced that the production of CHICAGO the Musical at the Hollywood Bowl won a Broadway World Award for “Best Special Theatre Event.”
Congrats to the whole cast, crew and especially Gregory Butler who handled the choreographic duties and Brooke Shields who directed the production with insight and professionalism.
You can check out some “behind the scenes” blog posts from the rehearsal period here, here, here, here and here.
The experience was one of the very best of my career onstage. Everyone was great to work with – some old friends, some new.
Glad to see this chapter close on such a high note.
Hollywood Bowl cast of CHICAGO the Musical with the fab Brooke Shields
Courtesy of pilot Hank Cain, this pic (shared via Twitter) of Chicago under the “Polar Vortex” shows a beautiful but frozen perspective of the Windy City under the harsh, frigid temperature.
Last year in late January, I was fortunate to be asked to choreograph Chicago the Musical for San Diego Musical Theater. You can read a bit about the adventure here and here.
And there was a very special moment for me that happened during the rehearsal period that I’ll always remember. You can read about that here.
Anyway….
Today, I received word that The San Diego Theatre Critics Circle has announced their 2013 Craig Noel Award Nominations, and the production of Chicago I choreographed received four nominations (with a special something in there for me):
• Outstanding Resident Musical Chicago • Outstanding Choreography – Randy Slovacek (me? wow!) Chicago • Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female – Emma Radwick as “Roxie Hart” Chicago • Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male – Alonzo Saunders as “Mary Sunshine” Chicago
I’m thrilled that the production was acknowledged, and very honored to see my name included for choreography. San Diego has a very vibrant, rich theatre community, so to be included is honor enough.
Very, very snazzy. Thank you San Diego Theatre Critics!
The awards are in February, so Michael and I will be taking a field trip down to SD to enjoy the reunion with cast and creative team, and celebrate with all the nominees.
Two-time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth is heading to her third starring role in the Broadway hit CHICAGO the Musical:
“Simply put, Bebe Neuwirth is Chicago,” said producer Barry Weissler in a statement. “When the revival opened 17 years ago, Bebe was honored with a Tony Award, an Astaire Award, a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and the Drama League Award for her unequalled performance as Velma Kelly. Hers was the performance of the season, and it made an indelible and lasting mark in the history of Broadway theatre. Ten years later, she rejoined the company to star as Roxie Hart, and the results were equally spectacular. And this January she’s back again, now as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, making her the first leading lady in Broadway history to play all three principal roles. I’ll say it again: Bebe Neuwirth is Chicago.”
Bebe heads back to the cellblock Jan. 14, 2014, and will continue through March 9 at the Ambassador Theatre.
I’ve known Bebe casually for years. She is a great talent, and understands CHICAGO like no one else.
Next year, expect the announcement when she takes on “Billy Flynn.”
Very cute video from the players of the CGHA. What they might lack in musical skills they more than make up for in their sense of fun. AND they have a very special holiday message for you!
We want you to put aside your differences. And to spend some time getting closer to your family and friends. If you take a step back and look, you may surprise yourself with how much you have in common with people. The person next to you on the train could become your best friend. After all, aren’t we all just looking for love? Don’t forget to laugh a little. And sing a little. Happy Holidays y’all!
The Chicago Gay Hockey Association (CGHA) is Chicago’s Official gay hockey organization. You can follow them on Twitter @ChiGayHockey
Their mission is to provide a non-discriminatory environment within the hockey community. They invite all people with a passion for ice hockey — novice or pro, male or female, straight or gay — to contact them, learn to skate, play on a team, volunteer for social events, come to the games, and join the organization.
On Tuesday, September 24, the Tony Award-winning stage musical CHICAGO will celebrate a huge milestone with its 7,000th performance on Broadway.
Only twice before has this occurred in Broadway history — by CATS (which closed in its 18th year after 7,485 performances) and The Phantom of the Opera (now in its 26th year).
When I first read the news about the 7,000th performance, I thought of my friends still in the Broadway company now for many, many years. And I warmly reflected “God, think of their pension accounts.” 🙂
Feels cool that I reconnected with the show again this year at the Hollywood Bowl and Sacramento Music Circus. I was lucky to be a part of the show on Broadway and in the national & international touring companies for over 8 years. And I’ve been fortunate to explore the show as a choreographer several times.
I never get tired of the show. Clearly audiences feel the same 🙂
Congrats to the kids down at the Ambassador Theatre. And all that jazz…
Me this past July performing in the Hollywood Bowl production of CHICAGO
My friend Juliet Fischer-Schulein, who just completed the run of CHICAGO the Musical at Sacramento Music Circus as our “Go-To-Hell Kitty,” has written a compelling essay about why we perform, how “the life” finds us, how we find it again and what it can mean.
My road to Chicago is at an end, and it has been a fabulous ride! I have gotten more out of this than I can possibly explain in words, but I will do my best.
This road actually started 10 years ago. The day I became a Mother was of course the best day of my life. But there was a massive change in my actual being. As an actor, we are by nature selfish, we have to be. We ARE the product we are selling, which is why we bore you to death with our resume or how fabulous we were in our last job. It’s the equivalent of you talking Insurance, Computers or what ever vocation you have chosen. But once you bring a child into this world, life ceases being about you. Everything, from a burp to a smile becomes about your baby, and rightfully so.
It was a change I was happy to make. Because the whole time I’m thinking in the back of my head that of course I’ll go back to performing. I just have to wait till the baby is a little older. And then they’re 3 and a second one comes along and again, I’m happy to wait. The shift happens gradually. You exchange your 3’ heels for flip flops. You go from ‘full beat’ makeup, to being happy if you put on chapstick. You go from dressing to the Nines, to….. well, just dressing. You exchange late nights and ‘show folks’ for suburbia and really nice ‘normal’ people.
Juliet Fischer was slowly packed away, and Juliet Schulein aka, Jackson and Cole’s mom became my identity. And I like her, I do! But it was like trying to fit in to a world of Penguins when your really a Peacock. I did my best to tone down and keep my feathers hidden. I didn’t always succeed, but I did pretty good. And then one day you look up and 10 years has gone by. The ‘comeback’ didn’t come.
I encourage you to read the rest of Juliet’s story on her website here. I think it’s pretty grown up and all that jazz. The lesson, as it seems to me, is: it’s ok to have it all. It’s ok to have the kids AND our dreams AND our passions. I think it’s something everyone can think about.
Juliet made me look fab as the choreographer of CHICAGO. I can’t thank her and the cast enough for bringing their talent and jumping in the sandbox with me. It was fun. Who says that about work very often?
p.s. can we talk about the picture above? When you’ve got a Porsche, you don’t keep it in a garage… just saying…
