Profile for BalconyClub

The Tuesday, July 7 audience was lit. Constant laughter, especially in Act 2's Guess the Letter scene.A theatregoer on the main floor had a unique laugh - a laugh that sounded like a paper shredder mixed with a Trouble board game Pop-O-Matic.Mullally slowed the scene down in several spots to let the unique laugh echo in the theatre.In the same scene, Frankenstein has added apostrophe gestures.Elsewhere, in the transition from O'Neill's writing desk to the hotel room, O'Neill poured his libati...

BalconyClub said: In one moment, (last week) Vera Vimm had called “Music” to erupt from the pit. Her short “Music” command has been changed to “Scene change”.The production has changed this again, Vera Vimm now barks "I'm closer."On Wednesday evening, July 1, the upstairs audience was QUIET. Several lines landed with no response. Not sure what was in air.Was it Mullally's eyeglasses? She usually has no eyeglasses.Mullally sported thin, silver-frame eyeware for the entire Wednesday night perfo...

Nothing major to report after viewing the evening performances on Wednesday and Thursday.Just a few tweaks.In one moment, Vera Vimm had called “Music” to erupt from the pit. Her short “Music” command has been changed to “Scene change”.In the Act 2 Guess the Letter Game, the game now ends with punctuation guesses instead of letters. Colon, comma, parentheses …In the hotel scene, O’Neill had been drunkenly falling flat onto the bed twice, once abruptly on his back, then the second time flat out...

Nick Offerman’s scheduled start on Thursday, June 25 was moved up to Tuesday night, June 23.He’s in fine form in his first performance in the production’s 4th preview.At one point, his Eugene O’Neill character smugly referred to Frankenstein as Frankenstein’s Monster.

DaveyG said: "How was the rest of the book and score?"The book is weak in parts - "sleeping in my feces" in POOR LITTLE ORPHAN GIRL, and the too long Guess the First Letter scene in Act 2, but the story shines in other moments: Vera's reaction to receiving a bad review, Vera's brief exchanges with Katherine Hepburn, and O'Neill's constant struggle with writer's block.O'Neill serves as Narrator as well as a participant in key scenes - this works very well.The Act One ending needs fleshed out a...

The initial preview on Saturday, June 20 featured a quartet of standout performances by Sarah Stiles as maid Lambert, Grey Henson as Iceboy, Megan Mullally as Vera Vimm, and Shawn Pfautsch as Eugene O’Neill.I was worried going in that I would need to know more about Eugene O’Neill and The Iceman Cometh, but the script (O’Neill) asks the audience early on about our familiarity. O’Neill wins us over quickly: “If you hear someone talking nearby, Ssshhh the talkers!”The Goodman audience roared at...

Prices are reasonable after the initial high prices of Mr Saturday Night.Grabbed an 860 main floor aisle seat in December.The ticket site mentions HAZE.

At the Jellicle Ball in April, a tall patron arrived upstairs wearing a tall hat.A big hat! Think Boy George, Artful Dodger, or Uncle Sam.I asked an upstairs usher if they could ask the theatergoer to remove their hat during the performance.”We can’t ask anyone to remove their hat,” the usher responded.I was fine approaching the gentleman in the third row of the mezzanine on my own. Curtain time was approaching.”Welcome,” I smiled to the hatted man.”It’s up to you,” I shared, “but it would be...

Tilly’s opening monologue is L O N G yet fascinating. I caught the pay-what-you can Sunday night performance, April 5.It‘s a good script that I’m still thinking about several days later.

Saturday night’s first preview was my first exposure to Schmigadoon!I loved the musical arrangements. It reminded me of the golden years of musical writing, with sweet trumpet passages, zesty saxophone underscores, and a buoyant brightness that was lovely.Thank you, Doug Besterman, for the orchestrations.A theatergoer near me knew about the first night postcard giveaways tucked inside the Playbills. She had collected a full set before the short welcome talk by Cinco Paul and Christopher Gatte...

Billy Eichner and Lea DeLaria were Friday night’s guest judges. Though the idea of guest judges is borrowed from the real deal, the set up bombs at the Broadhurst. Would have liked to have heard a line or two from the judges.Otherwise, LOVED the show, especially the simple shower of DJ sparkle that opens the show, and the reprise of the sparkle when the DJ bids farewell to Grizabella.

Other events to consider:student production of RENT at the Bob Newhart Theatre, Loyola Universitystudent production of FUN HOME in the South Loop’s Getz Theatre, Columbia Collegea night at the wonderful CHICAGO MAGIC LOUNGEWAIT, DON’T TELL ME at the Studebaker TheatreMonday night showtunes at SIDETRACK

To accommodate Nick Offerman’s schedule, the performance schedule was moved to 2 weeks or so later. Subscribers were notified, and the Goodman box office is allowing all subscribers to select ANY night of the run - if the reassigned night offered by the box office ain’t ideal.My night was moved to two weeks later - which is fine - no need to reschedule.

In the Chicago BOOP! tryout, Faith Prince made her first entrance riding inside a pedicab. (But in one Chicago performance, she entered walking behind the pedicab.)The pedicab entry was cut between Chicago and New York.

Les Miserables in French in Montreal at Theatre St-Denis. Caught a second performance of the same production - but in English - the same week at the St-Denis.

Looking forward to a $240 (with fees) performance in October. The Facebook fan page is excellent: the admins review all new posts, then approve or delete as needed.Many on the FB site are sharing pictures of masks, attire, and speculation.

Telecharge sent out an email today to ticket holders, offering ticket holders of Sept 2 to Nov 2 dates the opportunity to exchange their show date to a date before September 2.I’m keeping my October date.

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "How many players in the orchestra?"Looks like 9, with the common doubling or tripling up.1. violin2. flute/piccolo/alto flute3. clarinet/flute/bass clarinet4. trumpet/flugelhorn/piccolo trumpet5. French horn6. trombone/bass trombone7. drums/percussion8. keyboard9. keyboard

sbflyfan said: "Does this use the Angela Lansbury narration during the prologue?"Yes, it’s a solid recording of Lansbury. She is listed first in the Playbill profiles.

In Chicago, the first night, near-capacity audience on Wednesday, July 9 shared extended ovations after GASTON and BE OUR GUEST.I got goosebumps listening to the brass arrangement beneath the Act One closer IF I CAN’T LOVE HER.The show effectively uses LED, with scenes of the village, the countryside, the castle, and wolf attacks, but I wanted more oomph in the title song ballroom scene.The stagewide LED screens are used both upstage and downstage.The cast is great. There is magic shared betw...