Given the amount of time Broadway actors spend at work, it’s no surprise that they enjoy a good joke—often at a co-worker’s expense! In celebration of April Fool’s Day, Broadway.com asked some of our favorite stars to share their funniest work-related pranks. In some cases, the stars initiated the practical joke; in others, the joke was on them. Read on for true tales of behind-the-scenes tomfoolery.
LIANA HUNT (Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia!)
"Best April Fool's prank? Well, as always, I was on the receiving end. I happen to be very gullible and horrible at pranking people. I was sharing an apartment with one of my best friends, Kevin Metzger, while we were at NYU together studying musical theater. Needless to say, between the two of us, a whole lot of singing, piano playing and rehearsing went down in our apartment. We had a few noise complaints from neighbors, but hadn't taken anything too seriously. On April Fool's Day, Kevin came running into my room with a letter that he claimed was left under our door. I opened the letter to find that we were being evicted due to several noise complaints ...
Thursday, March 31, 2011
An April Fool's Day Eviction Notice Panics Mamma Mia's Liana Hunt
Pop-Up Shops and Events Galore
On Friday, Logan Square's Wolfbait & B-girls, 3131 W. Logan, celebrates five years of featuring clothing and accessories by independent designers by offering 20 percent off. Hours are 10 AM to 7 PM.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/31/pop-up-shops-and-events-galore
Will Laura Benanti Get Naked on TV's The Playboy Club?
Laura Benanti is no stranger to stripping, having earned a Tony Award for playing famed burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee in the 2008 Gypsy revival. Now, however, Benanti may have to show some skin on her new TV project The Playboy Club. Actors on the NBC drama pilot have been asked to sign nudity clauses, according to Variety.
While Benanti's name has not specifically been mentioned in regard to nude scenes, the clause stipulates "nudity as defined above and/or simulated sex acts may be required in connection with player's services in the pilot and/or series." Full nudity on a basic cable network like NBC is nearly unheard of, but any nudity that is shot could possibly be used on DVD releases or later cable syndication. The pilot is currently filming in Chicago and insiders tell Variety that no nude scenes have yet been filmed.
Set in 1963, The Playboy Club follows the Playmate models of Playboy magazine. Benanti will take on the role of Carol-Lynne, a 30 year-old star of the magazine's nightclub who realizes her days are numbered as one of the hotspot's beauties. The project was developed by 20th TV/Imagine TV ...
Source: http://www.broadway.com/buzz/155840/will-laura-benanti-get-naked-on-tvs-the-playboy-club/
Morning Art: Nnenna Okore
Skin, by Nnenna Okore, part of On the Edge, a show of her work opening Fri 4/1, 6-8 PM, at Northwestern University's Dittmar Gallery, 1999 Campus, Evanston, 847-491-2348.
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/31/morning-art-nnenna-okore
Hand Held
- Michael Carroll
After the overthrow of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu in 1989, Boston Globe photographer Michael Carroll captured the squalid conditions and AIDS epidemic ravaging some 400,000 children living in that country's overcrowded orphanages. Carroll went on to cofound Romanian Child Relief, which provides professional development and other support to people caring for abandoned and at-risk children in Romania.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/31/hand-held
Will Laura Benanti Get Naked on TV's The Playboy Club?
Laura Benanti is no stranger to stripping, having earned a Tony Award for playing famed burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee in the 2008 Gypsy revival. Now, however, Benanti may have to show some skin on her new TV project The Playboy Club. Actors on the NBC drama pilot have been asked to sign nudity clauses, according to Variety.
While Benanti's name has not specifically been mentioned in regard to nude scenes, the clause stipulates "nudity as defined above and/or simulated sex acts may be required in connection with player's services in the pilot and/or series." Full nudity on a basic cable network like NBC is nearly unheard of, but any nudity that is shot could possibly be used on DVD releases or later cable syndication. The pilot is currently filming in Chicago and insiders tell Variety that no nude scenes have yet been filmed.
Set in 1963, The Playboy Club follows the Playmate models of Playboy magazine. Benanti will take on the role of Carol-Lynne, a 30 year-old star of the magazine's nightclub who realizes her days are numbered as one of the hotspot's beauties. The project was developed by 20th TV/Imagine TV ...
Source: http://www.broadway.com/buzz/155840/will-laura-benanti-get-naked-on-tvs-the-playboy-club/
Insufficient Weirdness
by Justin Hayford
The world of Chicago writer Joe Meno is strange and often enchanting. Best known for his short stories and novels, Meno has written a play, Star Witness, that's getting a likable first production from the House Theatre of Chicago (which also staged his The Boy Detective Fails in 2006).…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/joe-meno-star-witness-review/Content?oid=3515068
Nurse Jackie's Merritt Wever, Lois Smith & More to Star in Tony Kushner's The Illusion
Complete casting has been announced for Signature Theatre Company’s forthcoming production of The Illusion, Tony Kushner’s “freely adapted” version of Pierre Corneille's L'Illusion Comique. Performances will begin at the Peter Norton Space on May 17, with opening night set for June 5, directed by Michael Mayer.
The Illusion will feature Peter Bartlett (The Drowsy Chaperone, TV’s One Life to Live), Sean Dugan (Next Fall, TV’s Oz), David Margulies (Conversations With My Father, Wonderful Town), Amanda Quaid (Equus, Banished Children of Eve), Lois Smith (The Trip to Bountiful, TV’s True Blood), Henry Stram (Inherit the Wind, See What I Wanna See), Merritt Wever (TV’s Nurse Jackie, Tiny Furniture) and Finn Wittrock (The Age of Iron, TV’s All My Children).
The Illusion is described as Kushner’s most joyfully theatrical play, a tale of passion, regret, love, disillusionment and magic. A lawyer, facing mortality and desperate to find the son he drove away years before, travels in the dead of night to a mysterious cave. There he engages the services of a wizard, who conjures up visions of the romantic, adventurous, perilous life the lawyer's son has been living since his father ...
Finding a Home in Nebraska
by Tony Adler
Man From Nebraska Redtwist Theatre The key word in the title Man From Nebraska is "from."…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/man-from-nebraska-review/Content?oid=3515049
Threewall's Art Farm
by Deanna Isaacs
How is an artwork like a vegetable? Arguably, it's a commodity.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/threewalls-art-commodity/Content?oid=3513770
Zoo Ticket! Check Out Video of Robin Williams in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Robin Williams is roaring into his Broadway debut in Rajiv Joseph's Pulitzer Prize-nominated dark comedy, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. The Oscar-winning actor plays the show's title character: a tiger living in a bombed-out, abandoned zoo, haunting a troubled American soldier in the Iraq war. Want to see Williams get in touch with his animal side? Click below to preview footage of the new play, which officially opens on March 31 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
Nurse Jackie's Merritt Wever, Lois Smith & More to Star in Tony Kushner's The Illusion
Complete casting has been announced for Signature Theatre Company’s forthcoming production of The Illusion, Tony Kushner’s “freely adapted” version of Pierre Corneille's L'Illusion Comique. Performances will begin at the Peter Norton Space on May 17, with opening night set for June 5, directed by Michael Mayer.
The Illusion will feature Peter Bartlett (The Drowsy Chaperone, TV’s One Life to Live), Sean Dugan (Next Fall, TV’s Oz), David Margulies (Conversations With My Father, Wonderful Town), Amanda Quaid (Equus, Banished Children of Eve), Lois Smith (The Trip to Bountiful, TV’s True Blood), Henry Stram (Inherit the Wind, See What I Wanna See), Merritt Wever (TV’s Nurse Jackie, Tiny Furniture) and Finn Wittrock (The Age of Iron, TV’s All My Children).
The Illusion is described as Kushner’s most joyfully theatrical play, a tale of passion, regret, love, disillusionment and magic. A lawyer, facing mortality and desperate to find the son he drove away years before, travels in the dead of night to a mysterious cave. There he engages the services of a wizard, who conjures up visions of the romantic, adventurous, perilous life the lawyer's son has been living since his father ...
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Lupe's Buzzkill of a "Concert"
Lupe Fiasco fans buying tickets for the show at House of Blues on Saturday night could be forgiven for expecting it to be a Lupe Fiasco concert—ads for the event prominently featured Lupe, and tickets started at $27.50 and went all the way up to $97.50 for VIP packages. Given that the night's entertainment consisted mostly of a DJ and a bunch of rappers who weren't Lupe Fiasco, it's not surprising that things turned ugly.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/28/lupes-buzzkill-of-a-concert
Christie Brinkley on Rehearsing For Her Broadway Debut in Chicago: ?I?m Having the Time of My Life!?
Supermodel Christie Brinkley is readying to make her Broadway debut on April 4 as Chicago’s sizzling sweetheart, Roxie Hart. “I’m having the time of my life,” Brinkley recently told Broadway.com about the rehearsal process. “I’m just having so much fun.”
While Brinkley is having a blast in the dance studio, she admits she’s working extra hard to master the complex choreography in the hit musical revival, which recently became Broadway's fifth longest running show. “I’m surprised by how hard some of the moves—which [the cast] makes look so easy—really are to do.”
So is the beautiful blonde expecting to have any opening night jitters? “I just can’t wait for the first performance," she said. "I think it’s going to be great. It’s such a fun show to be a part of. There’s such a sense of play and fun to it.”
Bill would require Open Meetings training
Morning Newsfeed: Muti's Ready to Go, Radiation in the Burbs, Underage Drinking, Losing Out on the Lotto, and More
Former Chicago Police Chief Jody Weis spills the dirt on "whiners" in the department, and why he wore a uniform, even though he was never a Chicago cop. (Tribune)
Oft-injured and ill CSO director Riccardo Muti says he's healthy and ready to lead the orchestra.…
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The Common Review Is Ceasing Print Publication, Going Online Only
The Common Review, the literary magazine of the Chicago-based Great Books Foundation, will 86 its print edition with the upcoming fall/winter issue.
Per the website:
"With the Fall/Winter issue of The Common Review, after ten years, we will cease print publication and shift all our attention to developing a full-fledged online version of the magazine, to premiere in Fall, 2011.…
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Balkan Dance and Music at the International House
My dancing days were over when Medusa's closed so I'm more than impressed to see 84-year-old Atanas Kolarovski hardly break a sweat at the annual Spring Festival at the University of Chicago's International House (1414 E. 59th St.). This year's three-day festival, March 25-27, offers dance and music performances, parties, and sessions featuring the dance and music of eastern Europe with workshops taught by Kolarovski (Macedonian dance) along with Ahmet Lüleci (Turkish dances), Ventzi Sotirov (Bulgarian dances), Ljupco Milenkovski (Macedonian kaval, gajda), Chris Bajmakovich (accordion, Macedonian songs), and James Stoyanoff (clarinet).…
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One Bite: Oden
Oden is a Japanese winter stew in which all sorts of absorbent, wiggly, squishy bits simmer for hours—even days—in a broth based on dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. I had my first taste of it a few months ago at the great izakaya Torihei, in Torrance, California.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/30/one-bite-oden
Balkan Dance and Music at the International House
My dancing days were over when Medusa's closed so I'm more than impressed to see 84-year-old Atanas Kolarovski hardly break a sweat at the annual Spring Festival at the University of Chicago's International House (1414 E. 59th St.). This year's three-day festival, March 25-27, offers dance and music performances, parties, and sessions featuring the dance and music of eastern Europe with workshops taught by Kolarovski (Macedonian dance) along with Ahmet Lüleci (Turkish dances), Ventzi Sotirov (Bulgarian dances), Ljupco Milenkovski (Macedonian kaval, gajda), Chris Bajmakovich (accordion, Macedonian songs), and James Stoyanoff (clarinet).…
[ Read more ]
The Common Review Is Ceasing Print Publication, Going Online Only
The Common Review, the literary magazine of the Chicago-based Great Books Foundation, will 86 its print edition with the upcoming fall/winter issue.
Per the website:
"With the Fall/Winter issue of The Common Review, after ten years, we will cease print publication and shift all our attention to developing a full-fledged online version of the magazine, to premiere in Fall, 2011.…
[ Read more ]
Zoo Ticket! Check Out Video of Robin Williams in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Robin Williams is roaring into his Broadway debut in Rajiv Joseph's Pulitzer Prize-nominated dark comedy, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. The Oscar-winning actor plays the show's title character: a tiger living in a bombed-out, abandoned zoo, haunting a troubled American soldier in the Iraq war. Want to see Williams get in touch with his animal side? Click below to preview footage of the new play, which officially opens on March 31 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
Jesuits knew of priest abuse, motion claims
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Frump Tower Starring Christopher J. Hanke #1: Opening Night at How to Succeed!
Broadway.com’s newest video blogger is ready to share backstage scoop at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in Frump Tower: Behind the Scenes at “How to Succeed” with Christopher J. Hanke (and Bud Frump). Appropriately enough, the star begins his series on opening night of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, showing off amazing first-night gifts (who knew there was ever a How to Succeed board game?!), congratulatory faxes from other shows (who knew anybody still faxed?) and a close-up view of the famous Gypsy Robe. After the performance, the handsome Hanke puts on his black-tie best and sneaks his camera into the cast-only section of the opening night party at the Plaza Hotel. Click on for a fascinating first episode of Frump Tower!
Pitchfork Music Festival Adds Some Local Flavor
The Pitchfork Music Festival just made its second lineup announcement, including the first Chicago acts to be confirmed: former Sharp Darts subjects Chrissy Murderbot and How to Dress Well. Gossip Wolf's prediction that Shabazz Palaces and Gang Gang Dance would show up on the bill turned out to be on the money, but we're still waiting on news regarding Helium/Sleater-Kinney/Minders supergroup Wild Flag (currently cruising on a ton of SXSW buzz).…
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Tony-Winning La Cage Alum Douglas Hodge Eyes Title Role in Barnum Revival
Tony-winning La Cage aux Folles alum Douglas Hodge is in talks to play the title role in a revival of the 1980 musical Barnum, according to an interview with Sirius radio host Seth Rudetsky. Hodge signaled his love for the show by performing Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart’s “Out There” in his recent cabaret act at Café Carlyle in New York.
Barnum enjoyed a two-year run on Broadway led by Jim Dale’s Tony-winning performance as sideshow/circus entrepreneur P.T. Barnum. (A newcomer named Glenn Close played his wife, Chairy.) Michael Crawford won an Olivier Award for the original London production and starred in a film version of the show. Hugh Jackman has been eyeing the juicy role of Barnum in a film that would have no relationship to the stage musical.
No word on timing or venue for Hodge's Barnum revival, although producer Cameron Mackintosh had been rumored to be planning a reboot of the show several years ago.
Pitchfork Music Festival Adds Some Local Flavor
The Pitchfork Music Festival just made its second lineup announcement, including the first Chicago acts to be confirmed: former Sharp Darts subjects Chrissy Murderbot and How to Dress Well. Gossip Wolf's prediction that Shabazz Palaces and Gang Gang Dance would show up on the bill turned out to be on the money, but we're still waiting on news regarding Helium/Sleater-Kinney/Minders supergroup Wild Flag (currently cruising on a ton of SXSW buzz).…
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Phone records lead to suspect in Grant Park attack
Munster police issue alert for missing doctor's car
In Your Morning Newsfeed: Sex & Booze at the Forest Preserve, Superman in Chicago, An Escaped Cobra, and More
Oh, to work at the Cook County Forest Preserve, where investigators found employees on the job to be drinking, having sex with subordinates, and skimming money off the top. The story has gone international.…
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Roar! Broadway Vet Patrick Wilson Checks Out The Lion King
Patrick Wilson may have his eyes set on TV as he readies to star in a supernatural pilot for CBS, but the Tony nominee still has a special place in his heart for Broadway. On March 28, the talented vet of All My Sons, Oklahoma! and The Full Monty treated his wife, actress Dagmara Dominczyk, and their precious son, Kalin, to a family-friendly matinee of Disney's smash-hit The Lion King. After the performance, the Wilson crew went backstage at the Minskoff Theatre to say hello to show stars Dennis Johnston (on for the day as Simba) and Chauntee Schuler (Nala). Take a look at their wild adventure at The Lion King.
Death toll rises at North Side nursing facility
A federally backed watchdog group says it has identified at least five more deaths involving poor care at a troubled Chicago nursing facility for disabled children and young adults, as well as a pattern of the home destroying evidence of medication errors.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Priscilla Star Will Swenson to Direct Mormon-Themed Film Facing East
Tony nominee Will Swenson, who currently stars in Broadway's Priscilla Queen of the Desert, will direct a film adaptation of Carol Lynn Pearson's play, Facing East, according to The New York Times. Facing East follows a Mormon couple struggling with their faith after their gay son commits suicide.
"Getting through my own adolescence as a young Mormon was challenging as it was, but watching my best friend struggle with his identity as a gay teenager was heartbreaking," Swenson said in a statement. A native of Provo, Utah, Swenson was raised in a Mormon family and attended Brigham Young University.
Facing East played at off-Broadway's Plan-B Theatre in 2007. No casting has been announced, although production is expected to begin this fall. A percentage of the film's profits will benefit the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for LGBT teens. Priscilla also recently teamed with the organization for a special campaign featuring Swenson and his co-stars.
Swenson received a Tony nomination for Hair. His other Broadway credits include 110 in the Shade, Lestat and Brooklyn. Swenson also co-directed and starred in the 2004 film Sons of Provo, a comedy about a Mormon boy band.
Men's Style Don'ts
Britain's Telegraph has an amusing slide show illustrating the ten things women hate about men's wardrobes (apparently "vest" is UK-speak for wife-beater). Guys, if you take away one lesson from this, let it be this one: "If there's no beach within a 100 metre radius then men should never ever be seen in flip flops.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/28/mens-style-donts
In Your Morning Newsfeed: Sex & Booze at the Forest Preserve, Superman in Chicago, An Escaped Cobra, and More
Oh, to work at the Cook County Forest Preserve, where investigators found employees on the job to be drinking, having sex with subordinates, and skimming money off the top. The story has gone international.…
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This Week's Food and Drink Events
An ancient beer tasting, a chili cook-off, a paella party, and more.
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/24/this-weeks-food-and-drink-events
Unafraid of Virginia Woolf
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/virginia-woolf-orlando-court-theatre/Content?oid=3475064
Motherf**er Pals Bobby Cannavale and Annabella Sciorra Visit Robin Williams at Baghdad Zoo
Bobby Cannavale and Annabella Sciorra are hard at work prepping their own Broadway show, The Motherf**ker With the Hat, for its April 11 opening, but the co-stars are also eager to check out Broadway's newest offerings. Over the March 25 weekend, Cannavale and Sciorra headed to the Richard Rodgers Theatre to watch Oscar winner Robin Williams in his debut Broadway show, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. After the performance, the duo went backstage to reunite with Williams: Cannavale co-starred with the actor in 2006's The Night Listener, while Sciorra played his wife in 1998's What Dreams May Come. Take a look at the exciting evening below!
Anheuser-Busch taking over Goose Island
Watch Sutton Foster and the Cast of Anything Goes Tap Up a Storm on GMA
Tony winner Sutton Foster woke up Good Morning America on March 25 by leading the cast of Broadway’s Anything Goes in a rousing version of the show's title number. The talented cast shook off the chill of the New York morning by tapping up a storm while singing their hearts out. The classic Cole Porter show is currently underway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre; check out Foster and her tapping sailors in the clip below, and then stop by the theater and check them out in person!
Mormon Man Josh Gad Goes Side by Side by Susan Blackwell on a Dirty Bowling Date
On this month's Side by Side by Susan Blackwell, our hostess goes on a bowling date to Bowlmor Lanes Times Square with one of the newly-crowded comedy kings of The Book of Mormon, Josh Gad. Click below and revel in the delicious dirty talk, ridiculous medley-making and impeccable impersonations (Anyone casting The Susan Boyle Story? We've got your star!) that help make for one of the most memorable episodes yet!
Did How to Succeed and Daniel Radcliffe Delight Our Word of Mouth Critics?
Five decades after its original Broadway opening, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying has entered the 21st century with a brand new production starring Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch. Broadway.com sent Word of Mouth reviewers Morgan, David and Emilie to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre to see director/choreographer Rob Ashford’s revival of one of the few musicals ever to win the Pulitzer Prize. Were our critics thrilled with Radcliffe’s debut as a Broadway song and dance man? Click on to see if How to Succeed was a success in their eyes.
Sexy Rotten Scoundrel! Catch Me Star Aaron Tveit on Scheming, Stressing and Seducing Naughty Nurses
On this week’s episode of Show People, host Paul Wontorek sits down with Aaron Tveit, the 27-year-old veteran of Rent, Hairspray and Next to Normal who's now stepping into leading man shoes as the star of the new multi-million dollar musical Catch Me If You Can. Find out what intrigues the young rising star about the fascinating story of con man Frank Abagnale Jr., how he's prepared himself for the demanding role and why his head might actually explode on opening night.
Pitchfork Music Festival Adds Some Local Flavor
The Pitchfork Music Festival just made its second lineup announcement, including the first Chicago acts to be confirmed: former Sharp Darts subjects Chrissy Murderbot and How to Dress Well. Gossip Wolf's prediction that Shabazz Palaces and Gang Gang Dance would show up on the bill turned out to be on the money, but we're still waiting on news regarding Helium/Sleater-Kinney/Minders supergroup Wild Flag (currently cruising on a ton of SXSW buzz).…
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Sunday, March 27, 2011
DuPage free dental clinic to end services
Aww! Constantine Maroulis Introduces His Rock of Ages Baby to People
Need a dose of Broadway baby cuteness? Check out People.com, where Broadway fave and American Idol alum Constantine Maroulis poses cheek-to-cheek with his three-month-old baby girl, Malena James Reed-Maroulis!
Maroulis and his former Rock of Ages co-star Angel Reed welcomed Malena James to the world on December 23, 2010. Though he and Reed are not currently a couple, the leading man credits the ‘80s metal musical with bringing his family together.
“Rock of Ages has been a huge blessing for me. I met Angel and we had Malena,” Maroulis said, “We’re best friends, and all our focus is on our baby.”
After spending quality holiday time with Malena and her mom, Maroulis had to get back on the road, where he is currently reprising his Tony-nominated starring role in the national tour of Rock of Ages. He plans to return to New York when the gig wraps up in July. The working dad dished on the difficulty of being away from his baby girl.
“It’s really hard [to be away], but I’m working so she can have a better life,” he told People, “One day Malena can look back and be like, ‘My dad did some ...
Dancing With the Stars Siren Kirstie Alley Shares her Broadway Dreams with Jay Leno
Kirstie Alley, who recently cha-cha-ed the house down with her debut on Dancing With the Stars, headed to The Tonight Show on March 24 where she confessed her desire to make a debut of another sort: her Broadway debut. Alley chatted with host Jay Leno about her footlight fantasy, and her ulterior motive for signing up for reality TV.
“I want to do Broadway!” Alley announced to audience cheers. “I’ve never done Broadway, but I’m available to do Broadway now, so I signed up to do Dancing With the Stars.”
Her availability advertised, Alley admitted she missed out on a Rialto shortcut she could have taken. After making the commitment to Dancing With the Stars, Alley recalls talking to longtime pal John Travolta about her master plan to get to the Great White Way. “I could’ve just made a call and gotten you a play right now,” Travolta told her. “Same guys that did Hairspray; they’d love you.”
Shortcut aside, the actress confessed to having a great time strutting her stuff on the dance show. “Maybe those guys that did Hairspray will see me dance,” she told Leno.
Two on Yunus
"Poor people are like bonsai trees," economist Muhammad Yunus said in his 2006 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.
"There is nothing wrong in their seeds.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/24/two-on-yunus
Aww! Constantine Maroulis Introduces His Rock of Ages Baby to People
Need a dose of Broadway baby cuteness? Check out People.com, where Broadway fave and American Idol alum Constantine Maroulis poses cheek-to-cheek with his three-month-old baby girl, Malena James Reed-Maroulis!
Maroulis and his former Rock of Ages co-star Angel Reed welcomed Malena James to the world on December 23, 2010. Though he and Reed are not currently a couple, the leading man credits the ‘80s metal musical with bringing his family together.
“Rock of Ages has been a huge blessing for me. I met Angel and we had Malena,” Maroulis said, “We’re best friends, and all our focus is on our baby.”
After spending quality holiday time with Malena and her mom, Maroulis had to get back on the road, where he is currently reprising his Tony-nominated starring role in the national tour of Rock of Ages. He plans to return to New York when the gig wraps up in July. The working dad dished on the difficulty of being away from his baby girl.
“It’s really hard [to be away], but I’m working so she can have a better life,” he told People, “One day Malena can look back and be like, ‘My dad did some ...
City Hall on edge as Emanuel moves in
A nervous energy is crackling through City Hall as bureaucrats, businesspeople and lobbyists wonder how the first regime change since 1989 will affect their livelihood.
Chase Brock Swings Into Spider-Man as New Choreographer; Geek Chorus Let Go
More changes are afoot at Broadway's Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark. Chase Brock is replacing original choreographer Daniel Ezralow, according to a production spokesperson. Other Spidey changes include getting rid of the show's "Geek Chorus" (comprised of players Mat Devine, Gideon Glick, Alice Lee and Jonathan Schwartz), Broadway.com has learned. There's no word on what will happen to the four actors when that change is implemented after the show's planned hiatus, which begins on April 18.
“We were looking for someone with theater and opera experience, but who specializes in cutting-edge contemporary dance," producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris said about Brock in a joint statement. "We found everything we were looking for, and much more, with Chase.”
Brock has worked as an assistant choreographer on Broadway's Wonderful Town and The Look of Love and performed in the 2001 Broadway revival of The Music Man. He is also known for choreographing the Broadway Experience, a Wii video game.
Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark is currently in previews at the Foxwoods Theatre. The show will go on hiatus beginning April 18 and resume performances May 12. Opening night is scheduled for June 12. Featuring ...
This Week in Reader Music
Considering that we're not even a full week past the music industry's annual expense-account-funded mutual jerkoff session in Austin, it's understandable if just seeing the acronym SXSW makes you break out in hives. But if you can tough it out for the sake of my column on local hip-hop/culture blog Ruby Hornet, you'll be rewarded with the story of an insane recording session in Austin during SXSW with a mansion full of rappers and the surprisingly cohesive compilation that came out of it.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/24/this-week-in-reader-music
Illinois Death Penalty Mitigators Claim Victory, Look for Work
by Michael Miner
Since 2003, defense attorneys in capital cases have been directed by the U.S. Supreme Court to conduct a careful search for the mitigating circumstances of each defendant's life, and by the American Bar Association to retain a specialist who will compile "a comprehensive and well-documented psycho-social history of the client based on an exhaustive investigation." The point of these directives was to make the death penalty less capricious and unjust.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/illinois-death-penalty-mitigators/Content?oid=3472972
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Man attacked, beaten in Grant Park
Two on Yunus
"Poor people are like bonsai trees," economist Muhammad Yunus said in his 2006 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.
"There is nothing wrong in their seeds.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/24/two-on-yunus
Police: Man caught with more than a ton of pot
Two on Yunus
"Poor people are like bonsai trees," economist Muhammad Yunus said in his 2006 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.
"There is nothing wrong in their seeds.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/24/two-on-yunus
Unafraid of Virginia Woolf
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/virginia-woolf-orlando-court-theatre/Content?oid=3475064
Unafraid of Virginia Woolf
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/virginia-woolf-orlando-court-theatre/Content?oid=3475064
The List: March 24-30
by Jessica Hopper
Thursday24 Chants…
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Report: Theft, sex, drinking found at aquatic center
Worker theft, employee sex and underage drinking took place last summer at a Cook County Forest Preserve District aquatic center, according to an inspector general's report issued Friday.
Did Our Word of Mouth Reviewers Have a Religious Experience at The Book of Mormon?
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have cracked up TV audiences for years, but for the first time ever the comedic duo, joined by Avenue Q's Robert Lopez, is taking a stab at Broadway with The Book of Mormon. There's been plenty of buzz around the new musical, but will Parker and Stone's signature brand of humor translate to the Great White Way? Broadway.com sent Word of Mouth reviewers Amy, Jared and Jil over to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre to check out the religious-themed comedy. Did they have a heavenly time, or did Parker and Stone's dirty humor go too far? Click below to see what our panel had to say!
Dancing With the Stars Siren Kirstie Alley Shares her Broadway Dreams with Jay Leno
Kirstie Alley, who recently cha-cha-ed the house down with her debut on Dancing With the Stars, headed to The Tonight Show on March 24 where she confessed her desire to make a debut of another sort: her Broadway debut. Alley chatted with host Jay Leno about her footlight fantasy, and her ulterior motive for signing up for reality TV.
“I want to do Broadway!” Alley announced to audience cheers. “I’ve never done Broadway, but I’m available to do Broadway now, so I signed up to do Dancing With the Stars.”
Her availability advertised, Alley admitted she missed out on a Rialto shortcut she could have taken. After making the commitment to Dancing With the Stars, Alley recalls talking to longtime pal John Travolta about her master plan to get to the Great White Way. “I could’ve just made a call and gotten you a play right now,” Travolta told her. “Same guys that did Hairspray; they’d love you.”
Shortcut aside, the actress confessed to having a great time strutting her stuff on the dance show. “Maybe those guys that did Hairspray will see me dance,” she told Leno.
Illinois Death Penalty Mitigators Claim Victory, Look for Work
by Michael Miner
Since 2003, defense attorneys in capital cases have been directed by the U.S. Supreme Court to conduct a careful search for the mitigating circumstances of each defendant's life, and by the American Bar Association to retain a specialist who will compile "a comprehensive and well-documented psycho-social history of the client based on an exhaustive investigation." The point of these directives was to make the death penalty less capricious and unjust.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/illinois-death-penalty-mitigators/Content?oid=3472972
Friday, March 25, 2011
In Your Morning Newsfeed: Recruiting Fouls at Whitney Young, Cubbie Delusions, GE's Massive Tax Deal, Cutting the City Council, and More
Chicago's Whitney Young High School was allowed to compete in basketball playoffs despite recruiting violations that should have sidelined the team. (Tribune)
President Obama came home from South America, only to find himself locked out of the White House.…
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See Anything Goes in Action! Sutton Foster and Colin Donnell Duke it Out on 'You?re The Top'
Once upon a time Broadway.com brought you a sneak peek of Sutton Foster and Colin Donnell in rehearsal as Anything Goes pals Reno Sweeney and Billy Crocker, and now we’ve got a look at the real deal! After Foster stopped by Good Morning America on March 25 to show off her show's title number, the morning program released exclusive on-stage video of these two performing their classic Cole Porter duet of one-upmanship, “You’re the Top!” Foster and Donnell are currently taking the Stephen Sondheim Theatre by storm; click through to get a look at this talented pair hamming it up aboard the S.S. American.
The List: March 24-30
by Jessica Hopper
Thursday24 Chants…
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Muscles & Mascara with Priscilla's Nick Adams: OMG! Opening Night!
On this week's installment of Muscles & Mascara, the video blog from Priscilla Queen of the Desert star Nick Adams, our vlogger gets emotional as he celebrates the show's whirlwind opening week on Broadway. From picking out gifts for co-stars to getting up early for a Today appearance and seeing his life-size image on the front of the doors of the Palace Theatre in Times Square, there's been a lot going on for Adams. See all the madness from his perspective and get an intimate peek at life backstage as he and co-stars Will Swenson and Tony Sheldon chill out backstage before the big night and the cast celebrates the traditional Gypsy Robe ceremony. Click on and watch for yourself!
This Week's Food and Drink Events
An ancient beer tasting, a chili cook-off, a paella party, and more.
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/24/this-weeks-food-and-drink-events
1982
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/1982-the-reader-at-40/Content?oid=3479668
As the Walls Come Down
by Brian Costello
Chicago Ave and Halsted, created more than just corner to stand on, your walls supported a society where I learned to read and jump double-dutch rope They might have revoked your address, not even realizing what they were doing,…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/cabrini-green-led-art-project/Content?oid=3475071
Key Ingredient: Bananas
by Julia Thiel
Hot Chocolate pastry chef and owner Mindy Segal challenged Mark Steuer, chef of the yet-to-open restaurant the Bedford, to come up with a recipe using bananas for this installment of our weekly feature. "Mindy picked bananas because she knows it's the one thing I can't stand to eat," former Hot Chocolate executive chef Mark Steuer said of his assigned ingredient.…
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/key-ingredient-mark-steuer-bananas/Content?oid=3474698
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Jane Austen�s Harsh Truths
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/sense-sensibility-northlight-theatre/Content?oid=3475067
Did Our Word of Mouth Reviewers Have a Religious Experience at The Book of Mormon?
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have cracked up TV audiences for years, but for the first time ever the comedic duo, joined by Avenue Q's Robert Lopez, is taking a stab at Broadway with The Book of Mormon. There's been plenty of buzz around the new musical, but will Parker and Stone's signature brand of humor translate to the Great White Way? Broadway.com sent Word of Mouth reviewers Amy, Jared and Jil over to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre to check out the religious-themed comedy. Did they have a heavenly time, or did Parker and Stone's dirty humor go too far? Click below to see what our panel had to say!
This Week's Food and Drink Events
An ancient beer tasting, a chili cook-off, a paella party, and more.
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2011/03/24/this-weeks-food-and-drink-events
The Dream of the Burning Boy Heats Up the Roundabout Underground on Opening Night
The New York weather may have been frightful on March 23, but off-Broadway's Roundabout Underground was plenty warm on opening night of David West Read’s The Dream of the Burning Boy. The scorching new play, by turns tragic and funny, traces the effect of a popular high school student’s death on the people who cared about him. Roundabout Underground veteran Reed Birney leads a stellar company that, along with members of the creative team, recently shared their thoughts on this exciting new work with Broadway.com. We caught up with them again on their hyper-realistic high school set as they celebrated a successful opening night.
Elderly woman dies, husband burned in Naperville house fire
A Flower Fashion Show, French Designers Return to Robin Richman, and More
About a month ago Kenmore held auditions for an online fashion reality show. Now you can watch the six finalists compete live tonight at 7 PM.…
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Key Ingredient: Bananas
by Julia Thiel
Hot Chocolate pastry chef and owner Mindy Segal challenged Mark Steuer, chef of the yet-to-open restaurant the Bedford, to come up with a recipe using bananas for this installment of our weekly feature. "Mindy picked bananas because she knows it's the one thing I can't stand to eat," former Hot Chocolate executive chef Mark Steuer said of his assigned ingredient.…
[ Read more ]
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Source: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/key-ingredient-mark-steuer-bananas/Content?oid=3474698