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Monday 20 December 2010
'The Nutcracker' by House Theatre: Christmas is in Clara's hands in warm, four-star 'Nutcracker'
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to be missed — and the shows to avoid at all costs. The Theater Loop is hosted by Chris Jones, chief theater critic for the Chicago Tribune. We're the online destination for breaking news and reviews of Chicago-area theater, from the downtown shows to suburban theaters to the off-Loop scene. Stop here often to feel the pulse of America’s most vibrant theater city. Plus coverage of Broadway and beyond, and reviews from Tribune writer Nina Metz and contributor Kerry Reid.
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• HOT NEW FACES: Our annual picks
of 10 young actors to watch for on Chicago-area stages.
News. Criticism. Gossip. The shows not to be missed — and the shows to avoid at all costs. The Theater Loop is hosted by Chris Jones, chief theater critic for the Chicago Tribune. We're the online destination for breaking news and reviews of Chicago-area theater, from the downtown shows to suburban theaters to the off-Loop scene. Stop here often to feel the pulse of America’s most vibrant theater city. Plus coverage of Broadway and beyond, and reviews from Tribune writer Nina Metz and contributor Kerry Reid.
• About Tribune theater critic Chris Jones | CONTACT
• CONTACT Tribune theater editor Doug George
Get the latest news and reviews from Chicago theater on The Theater Loop, delivered to your mailbox weekly. To receive free newsletters and alerts, please register here. If you are already registered, sign in and view your member profile to add or remove newsletters or alerts.
• HOT NEW FACES: Our annual picks of 10 young actors to watch for on Chicago-area stages.
• 2010 JEFF AWARDS: "Chad Deity" to "Ragtime," the winners of the Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards.
• DEAR MR. NEW MAYOR: An open letter about the arts in Chicago, and how to follow in Richard M. Daley's remarkable footsteps. Plus HEAR FROM MORE TRIBUNE CRITICS.
• SAME WHEN WE'RE OLDER? Pondering age for artists, critics and audiences.
• "Aftermath" ???½
Through Jan. 23 at Signal Ensemble Theatre
• "Barnum's FUNundrum" ???
Through Nov. 28 at the United Center
• "Billy Elliot the Musical" ? ? ? ?
Through Nov. 28 at the Oriental Theatre
• "The Four of Us" ???½
Through Dec. 4 at Theatre Wit
• "Home" ????
Through Dec. 12 at Court Theatre
• "The Hundred Dresses" ???½
Through Dec. 2 at North Shore Centre for Performing Arts
• "Kid Sister" ???½
Through Dec. 19 at Profiles Theatre
• "The Lion King" ????
Through Nov. 27 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre
• "Million Dollar Quartet" ? ? ?½
Through May 29 at the Apollo Theater
• "The Music Man" ???
Through Jan. 9 at the Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire
• "The Nutcracker" ????
Through Dec. 26 by House Theatre at the Chopin
• "The Piano Teacher" ???
Through Dec. 5 Next Theatre, Evanston
• "Traces" ????
Through Jan. 1 at the Broadway Playhouse
• "To Master the Art" ???
Through Dec. 19 at TimeLine Theatre
• "Winter Pageant" ???
Through Jan. 2 at Redmoon Central
Creepy New INBREED Teaser Trailer Shows Brutality
Plot Synopsis: "A disparate group of young urban offenders and their care workers embark on a community service weekend in the strange, remote Yorkshire village of Mortlake, which prides on keeping itself to itself. A minor incident with some local inbred youths rapidly escalates into a blood-soaked, deliriously warped nightmare for all involved. This is a demented horror film with nowt taken out."
INBREED is written & directed by Alex Chandon and stars Jo Hartley, Seamus O'Neill, James Doherty, James Burrows, Nadine Mulkerrin, Neil Leiper, and Terry Haywood. The film is currently in post-production and is looking to pick up a distributor. Stay tuned for more information on this film as we get it in.
Source: INBREEDMovie.com
THE WALKING DEAD Article You Need to Read - Frank Darabont talks NBC, Straying from the Comics & Ending the Show
Obviously AMC made the right decision. THE WALKING DEAD in six short episodes has proved it can hang with the other Hollywood big boys. As to why this season was stuck with being just six short episodes long was simply due to AMC wanting the show to premiere after their most popular programing lineup - "FearFest". Because of that tight schedule, Darabont and staff had to shoot the episodes quickly in Atlanta, Georgia during one of the hottest heat waives the area had ever seen. Add into the mix the fact that AMC wasn't sure they would be able to renew the show if it bombed and you had a recipe of uncertainly. Basically Darabont had to rush to get it on TV and then ended it without a big "cliffhanger" ending because he frankly didn't know if the show would be back. It obviously will be, with the shows ratings do extremely well, but fans will have a lengthy wait because season two doesn't hit until, get this, October 31st of 2011. A long time for fans to wait and a risk AMC is hoping will pay off.
Another big concern Darabont had was making sure the show has a solid end point. He and Kirkman will get together to create a point where they both agree the story will stop. It's the TV show "LOST" type syndrome Darabont is wanting to avoid thus making sure the series has a proper sendoff when it eventually ends. A master-plan is always good when trying to put out the best product you can. Now comes a few SPOILER ALERTS for those of you that haven't read the comic.
So we will say SPOILER ALERT again, our avoidance for hateful e-mails knows no bounds does it?
Will the infamous Governor appear in the TV show as he is a large part of the comics? Darabont assures fans the Governor will make it into the show and he is looking forward to it! Also expect the prison scene to be a large part as well. When asked by EW Darabont joked about going back a prison. After all he did direct THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and THE GREEN MILE. "I can't seem to get away from prion." teased the director. As for speculation that Merle will end up being the Governor Darabont replied, "Really? Interesting, I'm saying nothing." Should we read into that? Hmmm.
Be sure to pick up the latest copy of Entertainment Weekly to read the entire article. Fans of horror reading this right now, this show is putting our believed genre into he homes of those bright eyed, innocent, non-horror fans. It will eventually lead to a life of loving the genre thus creating more interest for an overwhelmingly fan driven segment of the movie industry. THE WALKING DEAD doing well for AMC is not just good for AMC, but horror fans in general. And that Bidites is why we can wait patiently till Halloween 2011 for season two to begin.
Source: EW
Sunday 19 December 2010
Amy Morton and Tracy Letts, ready to tear it up in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'
Amy Morton and Tracy Letts, ready to tear it up in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' - The Theater LoopJobsCarsHomesApartmentsDealsContact UsAdvertiseHome deliveryPerks
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« Change is coming in the Loop: Hello 'Wicked,' farewell and thanks to 'Billy Elliot the Musical' |Main| 'A Christmas Carol' at the Goodman: Sentimental Scrooge needs a heartlessness transplant »November 26, 2010Amy Morton and Tracy Letts, ready to tear it up in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'Share|
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The Theater Loop RSS ABOUT THIS BLOG News. Criticism. Gossip. The shows not
to be missed — and the shows to avoid at all costs. The Theater Loop is hosted by Chris Jones, chief theater critic for the Chicago Tribune. We're the online destination for breaking news and reviews of Chicago-area theater, from the downtown shows to suburban theaters to the off-Loop scene. Stop here often to feel the pulse of America’s most vibrant theater city. Plus coverage of Broadway and beyond, and reviews from Tribune writer Nina Metz and contributor Kerry Reid.
• About Tribune theater critic Chris Jones | CONTACT
• CONTACT Tribune theater editor Doug George
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER• NEW THEATER LOOP NEWSLETTER
Get the latest news and reviews from Chicago theater on The Theater Loop, delivered to your mailbox weekly. To receive free newsletters and alerts, please register here. If you are already registered, sign in and view your member profile to add or remove newsletters or alerts.MORE ON THEATER
? HOLIDAY GUIDE: Our top-10 list
of the most promising seasonal fare.
Plus 32 MORE SHOWS | SLIDESHOW
? Reviews are in for "THE NUTCRACKER"
by House Theatre, "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" at the Goodman, "A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS" at Northlight in Skokie and the Redmoon Theater's "WINTER PAGEANT."
? COMING AT STEPPENWOLF: Amy Morton and Tracy Letts are ready to tear it up in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."
? THAT STOREFRONT EXPERIENCE: Read Mark Caro's story "Take your pick of the best — or only &8212 seats in the house." Swiping candy from Michael Shannon's desk?
? HOT NEW FACES: Our annual picks
of 10 young actors to watch for on Chicago-area stages.
? 2010 JEFF AWARDS: "Chad Deity" to "Ragtime," the winners of the Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards.
CHRIS JONES RECOMMENDS
?SLIDESHOW Shows are rated on a ???? scale
? "Aftermath" ???½
Through Jan. 23 at Signal Ensemble Theatre
? "The Four of Us" ???½
Through Dec. 18 at Theatre Wit
? "Home" ???★
Through Dec. 19 at Court Theatre
? "The Hundred Dresses" ???½
Through Dec. 2 at North Shore Centre for Performing Arts
? "The Importance of Being Earnest" ??½
Through Jan. 9 by Remy Bumppo at the Greenhouse
? "Kid Sister" ???½
Through Dec. 19 at Profiles Theatre
? "Million Dollar Quartet" ? ? ?½
Through May 29 at the Apollo Theater
? "The Music Man" ???
Through Jan. 9 at the Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire
? "The Nutcracker" ???★
Through Dec. 26 by House Theatre at the Chopin
? "The Piano Teacher" ???
Through Dec. 5 Next Theatre, Evanston
? "Traces" ???★
Through Jan. 1 at the Broadway Playhouse
? "Travels With My Aunt" ???
Through March 27 at Writers' Theatre
? "To Master the Art" ???
Through Dec. 19 at TimeLine Theatre
? "Winter Pageant" ???
Through Jan. 2 at Redmoon Central
Quick linksHomeNewsSuburbsBusinessSports DealsEntertainmentTribUOpinion « Change is coming in the Loop: Hello 'Wicked,' farewell and thanks to 'Billy Elliot the Musical' |Main| 'A Christmas Carol' at the Goodman: Sentimental Scrooge needs a heartlessness transplant »November 26, 2010Amy Morton and Tracy Letts, ready to tear it up in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'Share|
Actor Amy Morton, left, and actor and playwright Tracy Letts in a rehearsal space for Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. They will appear together in the upcoming "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)
When Tracy Letts and Amy Morton ignite George and Martha's Fun and Games in “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” it will mark the first time that a play by Edward Albee has ever appeared on the stage of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
“Not for lack of trying. Not for lack of trying,” said Martha Lavey, the company's artistic director, in a telephone interview. “We approached Mr. Albee about this play many times. Believe me, a lot of our ensemble members were very interested in doing this play.”
“I think,” said Letts in a separate interview outside the rehearsal room where “Woolf” was being wrought, “that Mr. Albee was probably aware of Steppenwolf in its early days, with its reputation as a wild, rock ‘n' roll kind of theater and thought, ‘Well, that's great, but not with one of my plays.'”
“I can only hold a grudge,” said Albee, in the same rehearsal room a day later, “for no more than 25 years.”
When the famously precise and irascible Albee — who insists on casting approval for all major productions of his plays and has never been shy about withholding permissions — is not only flying in from New York to attend rehearsals but cracking jokes about his own stubbornness, it's a pretty good bet that any and all hatchets have been buried. Previews for the Steppenwolf “Virginia Woolf” start Thursday; the show opens Dec. 12.
In an interview, Albee made passing reference to “some kind of problem of some sort” and “Steppenwolf once wanting to do something naughty with one of the plays,” but he mostly brushed off that line of questioning. Attending the end of the third week of “Woolf” rehearsal, he professed himself “very pleased with the quality of the work I've seen.”
“These are first-rate actors,” Albee said of Letts and Morton, whose complex professional and personal relationship goes back roughly the same number of years that George and Martha have been married. “And, of course, I think the play is pretty good.”
The 1962 drama, of course, is the much-studied and revered story of a vituperative, middle-aged academic couple — bored with their mundane, impotent New England lives, yet endlessly stimulated by their fantastically fertile marriage — whose drunken, late-night domestic antics ensnare Nick (played at Steppenwolf by Madison Dirks), a younger and insufficiently wary fellow faculty member, and Honey (Carrie Coon), his somewhat hysterical wife. Truths are told. Eventually. At heavy cost to all involved.
There would seem to be several causes for the great Albee-Steppenwolf thaw of 2010 — not the least of which was Steppenwolf's decision to hire Pam MacKinnon, one of Albee's preferred directors of his work and a woman with whom the playwright “has a shorthand” — but the melt is certainly welcome to the Chicago theater company, which has been on a major role ever since the summer of 2008, when Letts' “August: Osage County” first opened in Chicago and took most of the English-speaking world by storm.
Albee would later see that play — which he described last weekend as a “beautifully written, gold-solid, naturalistic play” — on Broadway. And when Letts received an award (one of many the Pulitzer Prize-winning play received) from the New York Drama Critics Circle, he was moved to see that Albee was up on stage doing the introduction.
“I told a story at the time,” Letts recalled of that event in May 2008, “about my being a little kid at home in Oklahoma with my father's copy of ‘Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf' and playing George. I was never a Nick.” Clearly, the mutually admiring relationship between Letts and Albee was a further help.
And, of course, Albee had seen the on-stage art of Morton, who was nominated for a Tony Award for her work in “August.”
Morton is, in many ways, counter-intuitive casting for Martha, a role inextricably associated in the minds of many with the extravagant, Oscar-wining actress Elizabeth Taylor, who appeared in the 1966 movie version alongside Richard Burton. And, indeed, when “Virginia Woolf” was last seen on Broadway, it starred Kathleen Turner, another actress associated with extravagant theatricality.
Morton, by contrast, is known primarily for the theatrical expression of no-nonsense, unadorned, Chicago-style truth.
Many of the actresses who have played this role seem at ease with cocktail-party gossip. Morton famously abhors idle chit-chat.
“Martha is a performance-centered role, for sure,” MacKinnon said. “But within that is an ugly core that we need to know she is covering up. Layering layer upon layer of artifice is outside Amy's — dare I say it? — comfort zone. But with Amy, the normally difficult stuff — and Martha is a character who is truly inconsolable — is there right from the get-go. That is what is so exciting for me as a director.”
“She is capable of bravura and duplicity and yet I believe every word she is saying,” Albee says of Morton. “And here you don't have a situation, which I have had a number of times with this particular play, where the actress playing Martha thinks the play is all about her.”
Lavey — the other Martha in Morton's current orbit — says that Martha is the role that Morton identified as the role she most wanted for her post-“August” return to the stage, and that had earned the right to call for such an opportunity.
“I do not know of an actress,” Morton noted, “who has not at least fantasized of playing Martha.” Indeed, Morton had an up-close view of her fantasy when she directed a production of “Virginia Woolf” at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta in 2004. The late Margo Skinner played Martha.
Letts played George.
He may have done the role twice, but he's also an unconventional choice. A big man with a commanding and frequently relentless on-stage presence, Letts is a seemingly different type from a very precise and clipped actor such as Bill Irwin (who played opposite Turner in Anthony Page's 2005 Broadway revival). George's power-games often play out as the passive-aggressive gamble of a man familiar with impotence. Letts — who invariably professes a lack of comfort with the social requirements of the business in which he now occupies quite a powerful position — suggests a rather different energy.
“Ah yes, Tracy plays a deceiving game,” says MacKinnon. “He radiates a certain verbal acuity. And if Martha is the bravura performer, George is the wit in the house. But you know, I cast this young Chicago actor as Nick. He's not any bigger than Tracy. But he's 20 years younger. He could probably take him. Youth has that power.”
“There is something about George's insecurities, his verbosity, his sense of humor,” Letts says, wryly, “that makes a certain kind of sense to me.”
Morton and Letts, who are now very much the age of Albee's two most famous characters, go back a long way together. Indeed, at least some of Morton's profound acting success in “August” was a consequence of being handed a role that was written especially for her. They have an intimacy, they clearly share a sardonic sense of humor, and they often seem to know what the other is about to say and, more tellingly, when the other needs help.
With a play such as this — Morton says it feels very much “like an improv with text” as distinct from a typical drama where an actor can define clear, moment-by-moment objectives — such a supportive partnership is a major asset.
But even from the outside, it's clear that the Letts-and-Morton thing is rather more complex than mere long-term friendship.
In “August,” Morton was speaking Letts' lines. In “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” she will be playing in, and to, his face. It is Albee, finally. And it is also a further chapter.
“There is always,” says MacKinnon, “this weird stuff flowing between them at all times. It is not an invention.”
Posted at 12:10:00 AMin "August: Osage County", Steppenwolf Theatre CompanyCommentsPerhaps you should have mentioned that Morton and Letts have appeared together at Steppenwolf before, notably in "Betrayal" in 2007.
Posted by:ALS |November 26, 2010 at 08:49 AMBetter to leave "Betrayal" unmentioned. I thought that was a particularly unfortunate role for Amy Morton.
Looking forward to the Albee, however.
Posted by:chaucerquest |November 29, 2010 at 05:32 AMVerify your CommentPreviewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
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The Theater Loop RSS ABOUT THIS BLOG News. Criticism. Gossip. The shows not to be missed — and the shows to avoid at all costs. The Theater Loop is hosted by Chris Jones, chief theater critic for the Chicago Tribune. We're the online destination for breaking news and reviews of Chicago-area theater, from the downtown shows to suburban theaters to the off-Loop scene. Stop here often to feel the pulse of America’s most vibrant theater city. Plus coverage of Broadway and beyond, and reviews from Tribune writer Nina Metz and contributor Kerry Reid.
• About Tribune theater critic Chris Jones | CONTACT
• CONTACT Tribune theater editor Doug George
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER• NEW THEATER LOOP NEWSLETTER
Get the latest news and reviews from Chicago theater on The Theater Loop, delivered to your mailbox weekly. To receive free newsletters and alerts, please register here. If you are already registered, sign in and view your member profile to add or remove newsletters or alerts.MORE ON THEATER
? HOLIDAY GUIDE: Our top-10 list of the most promising seasonal fare.
Plus 32 MORE SHOWS | SLIDESHOW
? Reviews are in for "THE NUTCRACKER"
by House Theatre, "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" at the Goodman, "A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS" at Northlight in Skokie and the Redmoon Theater's "WINTER PAGEANT."
? COMING AT STEPPENWOLF: Amy Morton and Tracy Letts are ready to tear it up in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."
? THAT STOREFRONT EXPERIENCE: Read Mark Caro's story "Take your pick of the best — or only &8212 seats in the house." Swiping candy from Michael Shannon's desk?
? HOT NEW FACES: Our annual picks of 10 young actors to watch for on Chicago-area stages.
? 2010 JEFF AWARDS: "Chad Deity" to "Ragtime," the winners of the Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards.
CHRIS JONES RECOMMENDS
?SLIDESHOW Shows are rated on a ???? scale
? "Aftermath" ???½
Through Jan. 23 at Signal Ensemble Theatre
? "The Four of Us" ???½
Through Dec. 18 at Theatre Wit
? "Home" ???★
Through Dec. 19 at Court Theatre
? "The Hundred Dresses" ???½
Through Dec. 2 at North Shore Centre for Performing Arts
? "The Importance of Being Earnest" ??½
Through Jan. 9 by Remy Bumppo at the Greenhouse
? "Kid Sister" ???½
Through Dec. 19 at Profiles Theatre
? "Million Dollar Quartet" ? ? ?½
Through May 29 at the Apollo Theater
? "The Music Man" ???
Through Jan. 9 at the Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire
? "The Nutcracker" ???★
Through Dec. 26 by House Theatre at the Chopin
? "The Piano Teacher" ???
Through Dec. 5 Next Theatre, Evanston
? "Traces" ???★
Through Jan. 1 at the Broadway Playhouse
? "Travels With My Aunt" ???
Through March 27 at Writers' Theatre
? "To Master the Art" ???
Through Dec. 19 at TimeLine Theatre
? "Winter Pageant" ???
Through Jan. 2 at Redmoon Central
Man Sought For Attempted Homicide Nabbed
Posted: 4:42 pm EST December 1, 2010
POTTSTOWN, Pa. -- The second suspect wanted for the brutal assault of a woman is now in custody. Joshua Ledford was arrested Wednesday at a relative's home in New Jersey. Police said he helped his neighbor, George Robbins, assault and try to kill Robbins' girlfriend in Pottstown, Montgomery County. They said arrangements are being made for Ledford's extradition to Pennsylvania. Copyright 2010 WFMZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Surprising Trend: Homeless Not Always Flocking To Shelters
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