i’m just a broadway baby

Broadway In Chicago and Taste of Chicago…Oh, What A Night! 

Janet and Craig get things underway.

This was my second Broadway In Chicago Concert in the Park experience.  I love this concert!  It is such a great preview of the shows going on now and the ones that are coming.

Last year, I performed with my company of JERSEY BOYS, but this year I had the extreme pleasure of co-hosting with ABC7’s Janet Davies!  I had such a blast!  Janet was so fun to work with.  We hit it off right away and had so much fun together.  I have to admit I was a little nervous when I got a glimpse of the 10,000+ crowd, but when Janet introduced me and the crowd greeted me with such an enthusiastic and supportive response, the nerves went away and the fun began.

I can’t talk enough about the performances. The concert kicked off with my buddy John Michael Dias (Frankie Valli in JERSEY BOYS) singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” so beautifully. 

MARY POPPINS was the first show to perform.  Ashley Brown, Gavin Lee, Aida Neitenbach, and Justin Hall performed a beautiful medley of songs from the show and the crowd loved it.  I need to talk about Ashley Brown’s voice.  WOW! Forget “Practically Perfect.”  It is just “Perfect.”  From the sound of the crowd, they thought so too.

Olga Merediz with members of the Niles North High School Choral Department at the Broadway In Chicago Concert in the Park

Another performance that truly blew me away was the number from IN THE HEIGHTS.  I think that Chicago will completely fall in love with this show.  I saw it in NYC and LOVED it.  Olga Merediz, who was Tony nominated for her IN THE HEIGHTS performance, sang “Paciencia Y Fe.”  I don’t even know where to begin with this one.  Inspiring is the word that comes to mind.  Olga was absolutely outstanding and everyone at Jersey Boys is still talking about her performance.  There was also a special treat with this number.  BIC and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of In The Heights, arranged to have the Niles North High School chorus back up Olga.  It made for a truly spectacular number.

I also thought that Dennis DeYoung’s 101 DALMATIANS was a lot of fun with very catchy music. I am still singing it!  I am really excited to see how this brand new show develops by the time it comes to Chicago in February.

Roger Bart, whose talents I have always admired, and Justin Patterson flew in from NYC to give Chicago audiences a taste of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.  They were hysterical.  I saw this HILARIOUS show in New York and I thought it was great how strongly the crowd reacted to “Puttin on the Ritz.”  From that reaction alone I can imagine it will be a hard ticket to get.

The Chicago Company of JERSEY BOYS at the Broadway In Chicago Concert in the Park

 The finale of the concert was…you guessed it…JERSEY BOYS!  My company did a medley of the hit songs from the show.  From the first notes that were played, it was mind boggling how nuts the crowd went!  People were screaming, singing, and dancing in the aisles.  It was absolutely awesome.  I know I speak for my entire company when I say how much that meant to us and how much we loved it!!!

JERSEY BOYS finished off the concert with a Four Seasons-style rendition of “My Kind of Town.”  It was a thank you to Chicago for embracing us for nearly two years now.

It was a fantastic night with phenomenal performances.  Thanks to all who attended.  Go see a show!

-Craig Laurie (Bob Crewe/JERSEY BOYS)

too good to be true

We kept looking at the weather forecast this past Saturday.  Praying it wouldn’t rain.  Broadway In Chicago had a lot at stake.  Sunday we had a float in the Gay Pride Parade and Monday was the concert at the Taste of Chicago.  God must have heard us because  Sunday was so beautiful..just about a perfect day.  I was sitting at my desk Sunday late afternoon doing reports when the Marketing Interns burst into the office- jubilant, exhausted, sunburned and singing.  Some of them are brand new so this was their first Gay Pride Parade and boy did they have stories.  See the photo:

 

 

I wasn’t too sure even a novena would help me when I woke up Monday morning and saw both papers predicted rain in early evening.  The Taste Concert attracts over 10,000 attendees and is an incredible free event.  It is labor intensive for the entire Broadway In Chicago staff who must coordinate casts from six different shows, musicians and crew.  This year I had thrown in a new element.  Broadway In Chicago was hosting a reception in the Hospitality Tent for Season Ticket Holders with reserved seating for the actual concert.  Marc and Maureen Schulman had donated Eli’s cheesecake even though they were in the middle of the Taste with their own booth.  I had staff scheduled, RSVP lists…what if it rained?  I pictured 10,000 people dashing down Columbus Drive leaving the casts of MARY POPPINS, JERSEY BOYS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, 101 DALMATIONS, IN THE HEIGHTS, BOYS VERSAS GIRLS  standing on stage at the Perillo Band Shell staring out at the empty seats and lawn.

 

It did not rain.  The season ticket holders stood up and danced along with the JERSEY BOYS.  The Schulmans gave us so much cheesecake we even had some left over for lunch (okay- I ate some for breakfast) on Tuesday.   We are still getting emails and calls from people saying that this was the best Taste Concert we have ever done.    Even if I say so myself…It was absolutely fabulous!

 Gemma

oh, those summer nights…

Yes…you probably heard.  This weekend was tough – we lost a performance due to technical difficulties at MARY POPPINS.  It was sad but we are doing everything we can to get those that missed the performance into another performance before MARY POPPINS closes on July 12.   There is the joy and heartbreak of live theatre and Saturday Night June 27 at 8:00 p.m. was heartbreaking.

 

However, today is a great day – there are so many things to do!

 

You can buy ½ price tickets through Hot Tix and attend either MARY POPPINS or JERSEY BOYS or both through the 4^th of July Weekend – don’t wait the 1776 tickets were made available today through Hot Tix on-line and they are going fast.

 

And/Or, you can attend the Broadway In Chicago Concert in the park for FREE.   See Roger Bart from YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the entire cast of JERSEY BOYS, the stars of MARY POPPINS, selections from 101 DALMATIONS with an introduction by Dennis DeYoung from STYX and more.

 

It is a perfect day to visit the TASTE and enjoy this great concert.

 

This is the one day of the year that I get to go out enjoy summer and the Taste and it is part of my job!  – The one performance of the year that is not in a dark room!

 

Don’t waste the day …. come and join us.  If you do all three things above you will be building quite the theatrical summer!

Eileen

these are a few of my favorite things…

This is what the marketing office looks like today:

 

  

You may be asking yourself if a bomb went off, or perhaps you think we are building a box fort… the answer is far more exciting than that. (at least for all of you!)

 

The reason for this mayhem is that we have an action-packed weekend planned! As you have probably heard, Monday is the Broadway In Chicago Concert in the Park, but we will also be participating in the annual Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday. Needless to say, we have been as busy as can be trying to make this an absolutely spectacular, albeit slightly hectic, pair of events.

 

On Sunday morning at the obscenely early hour of 9am, Andrew, Basia and myself will meet here at the Broadway In Chicago office to transport all of our materials to the parade route. I will have to work on my Tetris skills for the next couple days, because we somehow have to fit over 15,000 pieces of promo merchandise and three people into a Honda Accord. Seriously.

 

The parade itself will kick off around noon—keep an eye out for float #102 if you are at the parade because we will have tons of fun goodies to give away. There will be 14 BIC staffers and perhaps a cast member or two out supporting the GLBT community…and having a great time in the process! If you haven’t been to the Parade before, you should definitely try to join us—it is truly an unforgettable experience.

 

Then it’s time to run home for a good night’s sleep before the Concert in the Park! This is probably my favorite event of the year. What could be better than sitting outside listening to some amazing performers sing songs from my favorite shows? This year’s concert will include performances from Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys, Young Frankenstein, In the Heights, 101 Dalmatians and Boys v. Girls. Not only that, but Roger Bart, Dennis DeYoung, Ashley Brown, Gavin Lee and the whole cast of Jersey Boys will be there along with an Olympic athlete!

 

 I have been attending these concerts for far longer than I have worked at Broadway In Chicago, so it is a lot of fun to be in on the planning process this time around. Sure, there is a lot of work involved—have you ever tried to transport dollies laden with fun merchandise through the packed streets of the Taste of Chicago – but there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces as they leave the concert.

 

I truly hope that everyone joins us for at least one of these wonderful events this weekend. We put a lot of effort into making these experiences fantastic for all who attend, and love to share our passion for theatre with everyone that we can. See you this weekend!

 
-Mary Brennan (Marketing Coordinator)

it’s too good to be true

Dominic Scaglione Jr. in a scene from JERSEY BOYS. Photo: Joan Marcus.

Playing Frankie Valli in the town that Billy Sunday could not shut down has been a blast! June 10th marked my one year anniversary with the show and I was so excited to have been able to celebrate it here in Chi town! Being born and raised in Essex County, New Jersey, it is such an honor for me to see how this story and this music from where I grew up touches the people of Chicago. The passion and enthusiasm that I see each and every night on the faces of the people of this city overwhelms me. I want to thank everyone that has welcomed me with open arms and that has cheered so loudly every night. Keep coming out to support this show because we love being here is this remarkable city!

Jersey Boys has allowed me to do so many amazing things and nothing could top being at the Tony Awards to represent Chicago as Frankie Valli. Standing on that gigantic stage was a sight I will never forget. Being around all of that talent really made me proud to be a part of this incredible business. I was able to walk the red carpet with my fellow 5 Frankies and the Seasons from Broadway who I had the pleasure of working with before I came here and we were in the middle of James Gandolfini and Kevin Spacey…good company I would say! Another highlight was running into Geoffrey Rush in the stairwell while I was warming up and him remembering me from rehearsal…and all I could do was look in awe as he held his Tony Award. It went by so fast but it was something I will never ever forget.

See you guys on the stage!

-Dominic Scaglione Jr. (Frankie Valli/JERSEY BOYS)

memories like the corners of my mind

I was giving pep talk to the Sales Staff who are manning the Season Ticket table in the lobby over at FIDDLER ON THE ROOF this morning, and everyone started thinking of subscriptions they had sold as gifts, one stranger than the next!

David had a great mother-in-law story. A woman calls every season to renew her son and daughter in law’s season tickets. She not only pays for the subscription but mentioned she also babysits for them so they can have a relaxing “date night.” Now that is a great mother in law!

Mary in marketing said she could top that story. Her friend purchased two subscriptions as a wedding present for his wife last year and this year it became her anniversary gift. Maybe when they have children they will add to their subscription and bring the kids.

And speaking of children, one woman brings her teen age daughter to the shows. She has a Sunday evening subscription because her daughter is so busy with extra-curricular activities so that is the only time they have to spend together. And heaven knows any mother would jump at the chance to have a few pleasant hours with a teenager, where no conversation is required and the only drama is on the stage.

What memories…
-Gemma

what does the future hold

Hello from NY – what a weekend!

Sunday afternoon, I met Heather Schmucker, who we work with on a project that Broadway In Chicago is doing with American Musical Theatre Project at Northwestern. Together we saw GOD OF CARNAGE – produced by Stuart Thompson, who is also working on SHREK. All those stars on stage – Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden – and a hilarious play! But the stars weren’t only on stage. Right next to me in the seat was Meg Ryan. Now that is a real bonus.

There are so many great shows that we are all hoping will tour and come to Chicago first or longest. Just a few:

• BILLY ELLIOT
• ROCK OF AGES
• GOD OF CARNAGE
• WEST SIDE STORY
• NEXT TO NORMAL
• HAIR

What are you hoping for? At this point, all we can do is wait and see what develops.

-Eileen

fiddle me this

Matthew J. Kilgore

Fiddler opened Wednesday night in front of an amazing Chicago audience at the Oriental Theatre. It was an exciting night for me personally, as I grew up about 6 hours south of Chicago and went to college in Decatur, IL. During school, I spent many weekends in the Chicagoland area visiting friends’ families, performing with Midwest Ballet Theater in The Nutcracker, and playing Bugs Bunny in What’s Up, Rock?! at Great America in the summer of 1997. Chicago was also one of the places I cut my teeth in professional regional theater having danced in the ensemble of Annie Get Your Gun at the Marriott Lincolnshire a few years ago. So, needless to say, it was a dream come true to step out onstage Wednesday night in a city so close to my heart.

Fiddler on the Roof is a show about family and they way they navigate through their changing beliefs and traditions as the world changes around them. It seems to strike a chord with just about anyone in the audience which is why, I believe, the show is still as popular today as it was 40 years ago. Every person in the audience can relate to something that takes place during the show in some way.

On June 21 at 7:00pm, the cast of Fiddler on the Roof will take the stage at THE SPOT in a cabaret benefit entitled Fiddlin’ Around to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Chicago House.

We would love to extend an invite to all of Broadway In Chicago’s patrons to come enjoy a night of music to benefit these two wonderful organizations. Admission is $10 at the door and will include a drink ticket good for a free domestic beer or house wine. We will also be raffling off prizes and souvenirs throughout the night. Come on out and join us at THE SPOT!

Matthew Kilgore (Bottle Dancer; Ensemble/FIDDLER ON THE ROOF)

on the run

I looked out my door at the Sales Office just now and everyone was putting sneakers. My first thought was that they were all participating in some kind of WALKATHON after work. But then I remembered that tonight is the first night of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and they are on the way over to put notes on the seats of any subscriber who has not renewed yet for next season.

Oriental Theatre

Bethany, David, Nick, Michael and Rachel will run up and down the Balcony, around the Dress Circle and across the Orchestra sticking the notes on seats. They have a very small window (15 Minutes) between the time the sound check is finished and the House opens. Run, run, run!

The Season Sales Staff will be doing this every performance of FIDDLER. We used to put a flower on each seat but sometimes they would wilt, fall on the floor and be stepped on so now it is just the note reminding them about their subscription.

If you haven’t checked out being a Season Ticket Holder (all four shows for as low at $68), visit the website or call 312-977-1717 and talk to Bethany, David, Nick, Michael or Rachel. If they sound a little out of breath you will know why.

-Gemma

we’d like to thank you

Michael Ingersoll, Dominic Scaglione Jr., Shonn Wiley and Michael Cunio in the Chicago production of JERSEY BOYS. Photo: Joan Marcus

Welcoming our 1 millionth patron to Jersey Boys isn’t simply a testament to the vitality of our show and the commitment of our producers and Broadway In Chicago, both of which I’m tremendously proud. It also means that even during the most difficult economic times we’ve seen in decades, people will still make an evening at the theatre a priority, showing that live theatre is still vital to the cultural health of our community.

I also think it fitting that we are telling the story of the Four Seasons during this challenging time as it is an exciting, life-affirming story that earns it’s standing ovations without artifice. I am so thankful to the people of Chicago and to all of the tourists who bought a ticket to Jersey Boys this year. Thank you for investing in live theatre, in Jersey Boys, in this amazing community, and in the men and women who make a living on the stage. Our fans are simply the greatest.

-Michael Ingersoll (Nick Massi/JERSEY BOYS)