Morning Rehearsal: Chicago theater 5/9

Morning Rehearsal: Chicago theater 5/9

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1. It’s really summer, because the summer performance season has begun. And tonight, the new performance collective Strong Works is beginning their monthly reading series “The Cannon: A Night of Performed Fiction”, which will feature Chicago actors performing pieces chosen by Will Litton, fiction editor of Wag’s Revue, and Sam Nyhart, company member of Strong Works. What will “The Cannon” consist of? Expect to see “staged readings of new plays, genre-bending improv, engaging panel discussions, musical performances and more.” The event is at Bonny’s in Logan Square at 9, and there will be jazz music, DJs and DANCING afterwards. $5 suggested donation.

Oprah at

2. Who gave this sound bite: “But yes, this is really going to happen. … Life is too short.”? It’s Oprah, and Chris Jones reports she wants to become a real actress (again). Winfrey’s goal seem a little at odds with her recent claim to EW that her new network OWN is “not where I want it to be,” due to the lack of time and energy she’s been able to put into it. Winfrey explained to EW that once this final season of The Oprah Show was wrapped up, she would be devoting significantly more effort towards making OWN what it should be. Though her schedule will be much more free once she’s out of her normal shooting schedule, the Queen of Media is clearly not slowing down at all.

3. Some Enchanted Evening, the Rogers and Hammerstein review at Theo Ubique Cabaret, has been extended through June 5. WBEZ’s Jonathan Abarbanel originally said of the production that “The white, marbleized platform set is a bit overwhelming for the space but there’s no argument with music. No talk, no history of R&H, just pure music and most of it familiar and all of it sung with heart.”

4. New productions from Chicago Children’s Theatre for 2011 to 2012 include Good Night Moon and Brown Bear, A Moon and A Caterpillar: Treasured Stories by Eric Carle. You’ll most likely recognize these as adaptations from either your favorite book as children, or that of your child who would not put them down.

5. I admittedly know little about opera, so let us leave it to the people who do: Andrew Patner has a lovely review of Chicago Opera Theater’s latest program, desrcibing it as “musically very strong, even moving.”

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.