OPENING: Little Shop of Horrors at Drury Lane Theatre Through October 28, 2018

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Drury Lane Theatre announces the cast for 

Little Shop of Horrors

Music by Alan Menken

Book by Howard Ashman

Direction and Choreography by Scott Calcagno

Musical Direction by Roberta Duchak

September 6 – October 28, 2018

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we can't wait to see Drury Lane's take on this perennial crowd pleaser! Playfully macabre, Little Shop of Horrors has long been one of our favorite musicals. With it's charmingly dark humor, catchy score, and absurd plot, it's a hit for all ages from tweens to twilight years. 

Drury Lane announces the cast for Little Shop of Horrors, with music by Alan Menken, book by Howard Ashman, direction and choreography by Scott Calcagno, and music direction by Roberta Duchak. Little Shop of Horrors runs September 6 – October 28, 2018, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The press opening is Thursday, September 13 at 8:00 p.m.

The cast of Little Shop of Horrors is led by Kelly Felthous (Audrey), returning to Drury Lane after earning a Jeff Award nomination for her performance as Roxie Hart in Chicago, and Will Lidke (Seymour Krelborn) who was last seen at Drury Lane in Saturday Night Fever. The production also features Melanie Brezill (Ronette), Candace C. Edwards (Crystal), Melanie Loren (Chiffon), Ron E. Rains (Mr. Mushnik), Lorenzo Rush Jr. (Voice of Audrey II), and Steven Strafford (Dr. Orin Scrivello D.D.S.). Audrey II will be brought to life by puppeteer Matthew P. Sitz.

The creative team includes Kevin Depinet (Scenic Design), Lynda Myers (Costume Design), Ryan O’Gara (Lighting Design), Ray Nardelli (Sound Design), Cassy Schillo (Properties Design), Martin P. Robinson (Puppet Design), Claire Moores (Wig & Hair Design), and Sammi Grant (Dialect Coach).

This gem of a musical inspired by the 1960 dark comedy horror film will charm your heart with infectious doo-wop songs and endearing characters. A down-on-his-luck resident of Skid Row is offered the girl of his dreams, fame, and success from an all-powerful, R&B singin’ carnivorous plant, but at what cost? Little Shop of Horrors is the winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical.

SCOTT CALCAGNO (director) returns to Drury Lane, where he most recently directed Seussical the Musical last spring. Other Drury Lane credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and, for the last 10 seasons, A Christmas Carol. For Warner Bros and Rail Productions, Scott is the current director and writer of The Polar Express Train Ride™, a live theatrical production aboard a moving Amtrak train out of Chicago’s Union Station and New Orleans’ Passenger Terminal and on the Whippany Express outside of NYC. Other credits include: Legally Blonde (Civic Theatre), Second City Divas (Mercury Theatre), Bye, Bye Birdie (Long Lake Theatre), and Unmasking What Matters, a one woman show for Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera actress Sandra Joseph. Scott is also the director for the youth acting program for Drury Lane, RegardingActors.com. 

KELLY FELTHOUS (Audrey) is returning to Drury Lane where she was last seen as Roxie Hart in Chicago, which earned her a Jeff Award nomination. Most recently, she starred as Sally Bowles in Paramount Theater's Cabaret! National Tours include: Wicked (Glinda, Nessarose u/s), Flashdance (Gloria), and Grease (Marty). New York credits include the original companies of Trip of Love (Caroline), Max and Ruby (Ruby), and Seussical (Mayzie). Other favorites are South Pacific (Nellie) at Asolo Rep; Rock of Ages (Regina) in the regional premiere at The Gateway Playhouse; Legally Blonde (Elle) at North Shore Music Theatre; Bring It On (Eva), originating the role at the Alliance Theatre; A Chorus Line (Val) at Maine State Music Theatre; Singin’ in the Rain (Kathy) at North Shore Music Theatre; Gypsy (June) at Sacramento Music Circus; and Jane Eyre at La Jolla Playhouse. She is a graduate of NYU/CAP21.

WILL LIDKE (Seymour Krelborn) returns to Drury Lane where he previously appeared in Saturday Night Fever. Most recently he was seen as Monty in Griffin Theater’s production of Violet. Other credits include: Ride The Cyclone and Tug of War: Foreign Fire at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes at Mercury Theater, and Bat Boy at Griffin Theater. On television, he appeared in Chicago Justice (NBC). 

Featuring: Melanie Brezill (Ronette), Candace C. Edwards (Crystal), Kelly Felthous (Audrey), Will Lidke (Seymour Krelborn), Melanie Loren (Chiffon), Ron E. Rains (Mr. Mushnik), Lorenzo Rush Jr. (Audrey II), Matthew P. Sitz (Audrey II Puppeteer), and Stephen Strafford (Dr. Orin Scrivello D.D.S.)

Creative Team: Kevin Depinet (Scenic Design), Lynda Myers (Costume Design), Ryan O’Gara (Lighting Design), Ray Nardelli (Sound Design), Cassy Schillo (Properties Design), Martin P. Robinson (Puppet Design), Claire Moores (Wig & Hair Design), and Sammi Grant (Dialect Coach)

Dates:
Previews: September 6 – 13, 2018
Regular run: September 14 – October 28, 2018 
Press Opening: Thursday, September 13 at 8:00 pm

Schedule: 
Wednesdays: 1:30 p.m.
Thursdays: 1:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Fridays: 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 5:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. 
Sundays: 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Location:
Drury Lane Theatre at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace

Tickets:
Previews: $45 – $60

Single Tickets: $50 – $65
Wednesday and Thursday matinees: $50
Thursday and Sunday evenings: $60
Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees: $65
Student group tickets start at $30
Senior Citizens start at $45 for matinees
Dinner and show packages available 

Box Office:
100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace
630.530.0111, Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000
or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com

2018/2019 Season and Subscription Information
The 2018/2019 season opened with the Tony Award-winning Rodgers & Hammerstein landmark musical South Pacific (April 5 – June 17, 2018) and continued with Tennessee Williams’ sultry family drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (July 5 – August 26, 2018) followed by the darkly comedic musical Little Shop of Horrors (September 6 – October 28, 2018). For the holiday season, Drury Lane brings to life the treasured story of Belle with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (November 9, 2018 – January 27, 2019) and then closes its 18/19 season with the global smash-hit Mamma Mia! featuring the music of ABBA (February 7 – April 14, 2019). The 2018/2019 season runs April 5, 2018, through April 14, 2019, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

Subscriptions for the 2018/2019 season are priced from $157 to $187 and are currently on sale. Subscribers receive special offers on dining, flexible ticket exchanges, and early notification and priority seating for added events and concerts. For more information, visit DruryLaneTheatre.com.

The performance schedule for all productions is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Student group tickets start as low as $30 and Senior Citizens start at $40 for matinees. Dinner and show packages are also available. For individual ticket on-sale dates and ticket reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111 or TicketMaster at 800.745.3000 or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com.



About Drury Lane Theatre 
Under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis and Artistic Director William Osetek, Drury Lane Theatre is a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, presenting world-class productions in collaboration with some of the nation’s leading actors, artists, writers, and directors. Over the past 30 years, Drury Lane has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for more than 360 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane is committed to breathing new life into beloved classics and introducing audiences to exciting new works. 

Throughout its 30-year history, Drury Lane has employed more than 7,500 actors and 10,000 musicians, designers, and crew members to entertain upwards of nine million audience members. Originally founded by Anthony DeSantis, Drury Lane Theatre remains a family-run organization known for producing breathtaking Broadway classics, top-rated musicals, bold new works, hilarious comedies, and unforgettable concert events.

OPENING: THE ADDAMS FAMILY – THE MUSICAL at Mercury Theater

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, presents the spooky kooky production of THE ADDAMS FAMILY – THE MUSICAL. The weird and wonderful family comes to devilishly delightful life on January 28th and will be laid to rest on April 5th, 2014. ChiIL Mama and the kids can't wait to check it out and we'll be there for opening night to review for you. 

THE ADDAMS FAMILY – THE MUSICAL runs January 28th through April 5th 2014. Curtain times are Wednesdays at 7:30pm, Thursdays at 3pm (2/8 thru 3/1) and 8pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm and Sundays at 3pm and 7pm (3/5 thru 4/2).

Individual tickets range from $25-$65, and are available online at www.MercuryTheaterChicago.com, over the phone at 773.325.1700, or in person at 3745 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago.

This musical previewed in Chicago before to moving to Broadway. After Broadway, the show was dramatically re-written by its creators with the support of veteran director Jerry Zaks. THE ADDAMS FAMILY-THE MUSICAL is now a wholly new musical which Chicago audiences haven’t seen. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune described THE ADDAMS FAMILY – THE MUSICAL as a “classic, full-tilt, fast paced, old-fashioned musical comedy!” and John Simon of Bloomberg News called it “uproarious! A glitzy-gloomy musical entirely worthy of the macabre drawings by Charles Addams.”

This magnificently macabre new musical comedy is created by Jersey Boys authors Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, and Drama Desk Award winner Andrew Lippa. The production will be led by Jeff Award winners L. Walter Stearns (Director), Eugene Dizon (Musical Direction), and Brenda Didier (Choreography).

THE ADDAMS FAMILY – THE MUSICAL is an original story, and it’s every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family. A man her parents have never met. And if that weren’t upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before — keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY – THE MUSICAL stars Karl Hamilton (Mamma Mia in Las Vegas) as Gomez with Rebecca Prescott (How the Grinch... at Madison Square Garden) as Morticia. The family includes Harter Clingman (Peter and the Starcatcher Tour) as Uncle Fester, Dara Cameron (Marriott’s Hero) as Wednesday, Brennan Dougherty (Mercury’s The Christmas Schooner) as Pugsley, Jeff Diebold as Lurch and Amanda Hartley as Granny. The “square” family who dine with the Addams include Jeff Award winner Cory Goodrich, Jason Grimm and Henry McGinniss. The ghostly chorus of Addams Ancestors includes Sarah Hayes, Leah Morrow, Jared Rein, Tyler Sawyer Smith, Alexander Walker, Lucy Zukaitis.

The spooktacular production is designed by Jeff Award winning scenic designer Robert Knuth, costumes by Frances Maggio, lighting by Nick Belley, sound by Mike Ross and magic by Neil Tobin.

   

The beautifully renovated Mercury Theater Chicago is an intimate jewel box of a theater in the heart of the Southport Corridor, a sophisticated neighborhood of restaurants and boutiques just steps from Wrigley Field. A delightful theater destination, Mercury Theater Chicago takes care of its guests from the moment they arrive with valet service, dining at its adjoining restaurant, Deleece. 

Under the leadership of Executive Director L. Walter Stearns, Mercury Theater Chicago will follow THE ADDAMS FAMILY– THE MUSICAL with RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH opening on April 30th 2015.

The Magic of Musicals Via Netflix #StreamTeam #NetflixKids #Ad

This month our Netflix Stream Team Theme is school plays and spring musicals. 

It couldn't be more timely. My 11 year old daughter, Sage, was just in her first musical, Fiddler on The Roof, as the fiddler!  They had no budget and cardboard scenery, but these kids put their hearts and souls into the show and it was awesome. 

Sage got to do the infamous "bottle dance" and show off her mad gymnastics skills with splits & a back walk over, in addition to singing and dancing all the chorus numbers. Most of all she had a blast with the cast!

Disclosure:  ChiIL Mama is a proud member of the Netflix Stream Team. We've been compensated for sharing monthly posts with our readers.  All opinions are our own.

Back in high school, I too was in Fiddler on the Roof and Annie Get Your Gun.  Though not a musical, in college I was also in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Now I generally stick to reviewing musicals and plays and/or shooting stills & video interviews with the performers for ChiIL Mama (family friendly) and our sister site ChiIL Live Shows (adult).

Whether you were Sandy in your high school's adaptation of Grease or have two left feet and sing off-key (we're not judging!), we have some titles that will get you and your kids singing along to some popular show tunes. And although you may not realize it - or be willing to admit it - you probably know the words to more than you'd think!

Check out our list of titles to stream on Netflix, then share one of your favorites with your kids. For older kids, we've pulled a list of our favorite musicals, and for little ones, we have a few fun sing-a-longs (perfect if you need something other than Let It Go in your head).

And speaking of Let It Go, moms, dads and older teens, check out Rent, starring Idina Menzel.  I've had press tickets to see the Broadway touring production of RENT twice, during different Chicago runs, and it's fantastic. Now Netflix lets you catch it on your own time. 

12 Musical Titles Available on Netflix:

For your big kids:

1. Shrek the Musical  Here at ChiIL Mama we LOVE this one and have seen &  reviewed both the Broadway touring version and the awesome Chicago  Shakespeare Theatre production LIVE on stage and the Dreamworks version shown here as well!  Before I take the kids to theatre we love to play the "SAME/DIFFERENT GAME".  This means we check out the movie on Netflix if possible, read the book as a family, then go see the live show and compare what elements stayed the same and what changed. Fun fun.   Click here to check out loads of ChiIL Mama's Shrek the Musical coverage. Shrek Parfaits! (Mmmmmmm kiwi) Remember that scene in Shrek when Donkey says, "Parfait’s gotta be the most delicious thing on the whole planet!"? We agree. Click here to learn how to make your own Shrek-inspired parfait! 2. High School Musical 3. Grease 4. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang  This is another of our family's all time favs, as we raved about here last month *see below. (I love it as a kid but didn't fully appreciate it till I rewatched it with my own kids. Remind you of James Bond a bit... with the goofy girls' names and wacky inventions? There's a reason. It was written by Ian Fleming, too, and produced by Albert Broccoli, who produced many of the Bond films! Road Dahl adapted it for the screen. Didja know Benny Hill is in it, too?) 5. Footloose 6. The Phantom of the Opera  "He's here... The Phantom of the Operaaaaaaaa!" It was my great pleasure to take my daughter to see the Broadway touring production in Chicago a few months ago. We even got a signed poster!  It was beyond awesome with stellar stage effects and songs that have become beloved, timeless classics. It was a pleasure to be serenaded by some of the Broadway touring cast of Phantom of The Opera, at a Women Driving Excellence Event later that week. They had a post performance Q &A and I was one of the lucky few to score an autographed Phantom of The Opera poster. Sage and I had press tickets to review opening night and we loved it! Sage raved about all the parts she enjoyed, but conceded she was also a bit creeped out by the Phantom.  She even coined a new term and told me she'd been "dramatized" ie: traumatized by drama. 7. Camp Rock

And your little ones:

(though my big ones still dig Mulan & Pocahontas at ages 11 & 13)

1. Mulan 2. Pocahontas 3. The Prince of Egypt 4. Leap Frog: Numberland 5. Rock-A-Doodle PS:  If you've been following along on our monthly Stream Team updates, we were last heading for The State History Fair in Springfield.  My 13 year old son, Dugan, wasn't picked to advance to nationals, but he still rocked state and came home with a blue ribbon for a "Superior" presentation.  ChiIL out with us this summer in Chi, IL and beyond.  Check back with ChiIL Mama for more cool Stream Team Themes every month!  Stay cool and stream on... Disclosure:  Once again, ChiIL Mama is a proud member of the Netflix Stream Team. We've been compensated for sharing monthly posts with our readers.  All opinions are our own.

ACT OUT: CATS at Marriott Theatre Through May 25th

Terry James, Executive Producer

Andy Hite, Lead Artistic Director

Aaron Thielen, Artistic Director

PRESENT

THE WORLD’S BEST-LOVED MUSICAL

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S

CATS

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've been so slammed with all the spring openings to review in the city, we haven't made it out to The Marriott for this production. Still, we've been impressed with the quality and professionalism in past productions we've seen there. The Marriott Theatre is a gem in the dearth of high quality, suburban, theatre arts and not that far for a trek out, if you live in Chicago, like we do. Traffic isn't too bad, once you leave the heart of the city, so even though the distance is greater, the drive time can be shorter than getting across town or downtown to Chicago theatre. And free parking is always a welcome incentive!

We have seen the touring Broadway cast of CATS and it is one of the most playful, fun musicals out there. It's a great choice for multigenerational family fun and appeals to all ages. Check it out.  

The Marriott Theatre is proud to present one of the biggest blockbuster musical hits of our time, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS.  Based on the poems of T.S. Eliot, CATS runs through May 25 at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, IL.  CATS is Directed and Choreographed by multiple Jeff Award-winner Marc Robin with Musical Direction by Ryan T. Nelson.

Since premiering in London in 1981, CATS went on to become the longest running musical in the history of British theatre and the longest running musical on Broadway.  In 2003, the Marriott Theatre presented a new production of CATS, directed and choreographed by Marc Robin, which quickly became the best-selling show in the theatre’s long history.  One of the audience’s most requested encores, the Marriott Theatre presents a whimsical, environmental production in which our intimate surroundings bring you closer than ever to the “The Jellicle Ball.”

CATS stars Heidi Kettenring as “Grizabella” (National Tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Broadway in Chicago’s Wicked, the World Premiere of Hero at the Marriott Theatre) and Matthew R. Jones as “Old Deuteronomy” (Broadway’s Titanic and Phantom of the Opera); with William Carlos Angulo, Brian Bohr, Ellen Green, Shanna Heverly, Raymond Interior, Patrick Keefe, Jake Klinkhammer, Tammy Mader, Luke Manley, Christine Mild, Johanna McKenzie Miller, Alexandra Palkovic, Sagiya Eugene Peabody, Andy Planck, Liam Quealy, Buddy Reeder, Sam Rogers, Laura Savage, Summer Naomi Smart, Adrienne Storrs, Amanda Tanguay, J. Tyler Whitmer, George Andrew Wolff, and Melissa Zaremba.

The CATS production team is led by the Marriott Theatre’s Lead Artistic Director Andy Hite.  Set Design is by Tom Ryan, Costume Design by Nancy Missimi, Lighting Design by Jesse Klug, Sound Design by Bob Gilmartin and Properties Design by Sally Weiss. The Marriott Theatre orchestra is conducted by Musical Supervisor Patti Garwood.

The performance schedule is Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.  Ticket prices range from $40 to $48, excluding tax and handling fees.  Students 17 and under and senior citizen 62 and older receive $5.00 off a full price theatre ticket for Wednesday Matinee, Saturday Matinee, Sunday Matinee and Sunday Afternoon performances.  On Wednesday and Thursday evenings a limited number of Dinner and Theatre tickets are available for only $55.00 per person. For Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening dinner reservations in The King's Wharf or Fairfield Inn, please call 847-634-0100. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.