Daily Rehearsal: Chicago Opera Theater makes 2012 season updates

Daily Rehearsal: Chicago Opera Theater makes 2012 season updates

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1. Get to know the final four teams in the United States of Improv bracket (they are Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, and Vermont) in this A.V. Club interview with specific folks. The first part of the final stretch of the tournament is tomorrow night at iO.

2. Portlandia: The Tour came to Chicago Wednesday, and famous people were there (as was Chicagoist). Fred Armisen stopped by WBEZ during his trip, taping an interview for Sound Opinions, and dropped by Eight Forty-Eight for a brief moment.

3. Did you know Steven Speilberg was a theater dork? He’s the EP of Smash, so now it’s painfully obvious, if it wasn’t from classics like Saving Private Ryan. And so is the man who greenlit the show Robert Greenblatt, who was a props assistant in an Illinois community theater, and is now chairman of NBC’s entertainment division. Which one, which one? “There’s thrilling, fun mystery in how Broadway creates such wonderful illusions and imagery in the limited space of a stage,” Speilberg told the New York Times. “That’s a rich story.”

4. Pete Holmes is at UP next weekend, performing 5 shows; book your tickets now for the man who is actually the voice of the e*trade baby, like the one below, that got the company into trouble with Lindsay Lohan. I’m sure Pete loves talking about all of that.

5. Chicago Opera Theater’s 2012 cast and artistic teams have been released, and there have been a few updates. “Since the season was originally announced last March, Michael Beattie has replaced Christian Curnyn as conductor for Teseo, due to conflicts with Christian’s schedule,” says this press release. This will be Beattie’s first Chicago performance. Additionally, the production of The Magic Flute from Canadian Opera Company has been replaced with a new production by Michael Gieleta for Chicago Opera Theater, conducted by Steuart Bedford, content unknown.

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.