ALPHABET SOUP (1)
Time to shake things up and pick some shows at random.
Well, perhaps not entirely at random. I made up 26 slips of paper, each one
with a letter of the alphabet on it and put them all in my
I-bought-this-in-London-but-I-have-no-idea-why blue coffee mug which, per
the bottom of the mug, was made in Italy. Don't get me wrong; it's a nice mug,
but why I schlepped it home to Chicago from London escapes me. I digress. I
thought it would be fun to mix up the slips of paper, draw a letter, and just
grab the first five shows on that letter's pile. In this case, it's six (same
show, different productions).
Drum roll, please…. Today's letter is….
B
Let's begin!
To start things off, the glamorous Lauren Bacall welcomes
us in classic Bacall style
Thanks, Betty!
Young Jim Dale (45) and Glenn Close (33).
(Note: The Nite 'N Gale has been a fixture in Highwood since 1947. It was our favorite hangout when I did theatre at Fort Sheridan, across the road from the restaurant.)
June, 1972. It's been
suggested that only the Brits can do justice to Noel Coward, and, for the most
part, I tend to agree. However, Canadian Brian Bedford and American Tammy
Grimes hit all the right notes in Coward's delightful comedy about ghosts,
mediums and marriage. Not as sophisticated as other Coward plays like Private Lives or Design for Living, this play is more accessible than most Coward,
which is perhaps why it is regularly done by amateur and community theatres. Make
no mistake, however, this stylish production was anything but community
theatre. Featuring a supporting cast of fine actors, Grimes and Bedford
dominated the evening with their effortless acting and exquisite timing. This
was their second Coward show together. The first was a Tony-winning production
of Private Lives during the 1969-1970
season, which they would bring to Lake Forest in 1971. Following this show,
they would appear together at the Academy Playhouse in The Tavern. Craig Miller (see above) designed the lights and
resident costume and set designer at Barat, William Lane, provided the physical
environment. (Note: I would make my first appearance at this theatre a few
months later when I was cast as a last-minute replacement in Barat's production
of Celebration.) The Academy Playhouse
was a fixture on Chicago's North Shore for several summer seasons, providing
star-driven, New York-quality theatre in the Chicago suburbs, until its
founder, Marshall Migatz, was tragically killed in an auto accident. - at the
Academy Playhouse (Drake Theatre, Lake Forest, IL)
June, 2013. A riveting, provocative play about our
involvement and missteps in the early days of the Afghanistan conflict.
Reminded me of what a dark period the Reagan/Bush years were. Excitingly acted,
with another terrific turn by the always-reliable Terry Hamilton, this production had the production values one expects
from TimeLine. Full of intrigue and suspense and everyone not being who they
initially appear to be, this play was a wonderful discovery. Especially topical
now with potential increased U.S. involvement in the Middle East. - at TimeLine
Theatre, Chicago
It's intermission and once again here's the legendary
Betty Bacall showing off some serious bling.
Those are some "little momentos," Betty! Moving on....
November, 1973. As a young gay man, I found Simon Gray's
acerbic comedy about a day in the life of an alcoholic university lecturer in
London during which he loses his wife, colleague/officemate/possibly lover and
probably his last vestiges of self-respect to be very funny, very dark, very modern
and even a bit titillating. Was/is Ben Butley gay? Straight? Bisexual? Asexual?
All of the above? None of the above? In Brian Bedford's sturdy performance, one
never got a definitive answer about Butley's sexuality, which kept the
sometimes talky play always engrossing, yet you knew absolutely that Bedford
himself knew all the ins and outs of his often unlikeable, often funny and
ultimately sad character. This First National Company also featured solid
performances by Paul Jott as Joseph Keyston, the main object of Butley's abuse
and affection, Sarah Laughlin as a sympathetic and understated Anne Butley and,
recreating her Broadway role, Barbara Lester as Edna Shaft, Butley's
"competition" at the university. For a long while, this was one of my favorite
plays. - at the Studebaker Theatre,
Chicago
(Sidebar: In Chicago back in the 70s and into the 80s, most touring
musicals played the Shubert or, for a relatively short time, the McVickers and
plays were produced either at the Blackstone or the Studebaker. Of these four
theatres, only the Shubert, now called the Bank of America Theatre, and don't
get me started about corporate naming, still operates as a professional
theatre. The Blackstone was purchased by DePaul University and renamed the
Merle Reskin Theatre (but at least it's still in use!). The McVickers was
demolished and an office building now occupies the space. The Studebaker became
the Fine Arts Theatres and was the primary place to see art films and less
commercial movie fare. I saw "The Crying Game" there. The theatres
were closed years ago. I'm not sure what is there now. I suspect just empty
space. I'm including some pictures I found on the Internet of the Studebaker. I
don't remember the theatre being as elaborate as the B/W picture. To me, it was
always the "plain Jane" of Chicago theatres: comfortable, functional,
but not especially pretty.If memory serves, it seated about 1200.)
November, 2003. Thirty years after I saw Butley in Chicago with Brian Bedford, I
had the opportunity to see this Huntington Theatre Company production while on
a layover in Boston. The intervening thirty years somewhat diminished the
initial luster that Butley held for
me, but it still remains a solid work even if it is very much a period piece
and one which absolutely must take place in the early 1970s. The draw
for me was top-billed Nathan Lane as Butley and he didn't disappoint. He
ranted, he raved, he implored, he was adorable, he was abominable. It was a
tour-de-force that only on very few occasions veered into "Nathan
Lane-ism." Beautifully designed by Alexander Dodge, Michael Krass and
David Weiner and skillfully directed by Nicholas Martin, this production was
blessed with a remarkable supporting cast of both local Boston talent and New
York veterans. Playing the pivotal role of Joseph Keyston was Benedick Bates,
the (very, very hot) son of the late Alan Bates, who originated the role
of Butley in London and New York and recreated his role in the film version. A
layover evening well spent in the fabulous city of Boston - at the Huntington
Theatre Company (BU Theatre), Boston
August, 2002. Bob's introduction to the wonder that is
known as Barbara Cook. Although technically a concert on the stage of the
Vivian Beaumont Theatre with just two (amazing) musicians, Wally Harper on piano
and Jon Burr on bass, this had the feel and the vibe of an intimate musical.
Words cannot describe how Barbara Cook can take a capacity audience at the wide
Vivian Beaumont, tell her fascinating stories and gloriously sing her way
through a catalog of exquisite songs and make that capacity audience somehow
feel that she is talking and singing just
for you. She was a 2011 Kennedy Center honoree. She is a true theatre
treasure. - at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York
That's it for now. More later. Ta.
