Daily Rehearsal: ‘Chicago’ (the musical) sets a new record

Daily Rehearsal: ‘Chicago’ (the musical) sets a new record
Daily Rehearsal: ‘Chicago’ (the musical) sets a new record

Daily Rehearsal: ‘Chicago’ (the musical) sets a new record

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1. Zachary Whittenburg at TimeOut has some very thorough coverage of the finale of the Chicago Dancing Festival that was this Saturday. He did a nice thing and talked to some of the people who attended, one of whom is from the U.K., but had just arrived on a Greyhound bus from Denver. He’d also never seen professional dancers live before. I want to know more about this guy!

2. Name that guy! “I want Chicago to be one of the cities where dance is one of its great art forms.” It was Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in an interview last week. This Sun-Times article goes over Emanuel’s history with dance, and the potential for the scene in Chicago to get even bigger under his influence. He was apparently full of advice for the CDF, even emailing several times to give them suggestions on who to bring for this year’s festival. It’s sort of like when your mom emails you to tell you to hang out with the cousin you already thought about seeing. Like, thanks mom…

3. Chicago (the musical, not the place we are in right now) has become the fourth-longest-running play in history, surpassing A Chorus Line. Don’t worry, it hasn’t moved past The Phantom of the Opera, Cats or Les Miserables

4. Cyrano opened at the Chopin Theatre this weekend. The play, by House Theatre, has a lot of fight choreography and “spectacular swordplay.” It’s a retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac and is the opening of House’s 10th season.

5. Relatedly, Babes with Blades’ new production of The Double sounds a little

similar to Cyrano…: “Screwball comedy meets swashbuckler in this world-premiere tribute to Cyrano de Bergerac and the 1940′s. Featuring single sword and unarmed combat, THE DOUBLE promises laughter, love, and derring-do.”

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.