Stages ’99: A Festival of New Musicals in Progress
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This weekend’s musical-theater marathon–hosted by Chicago’s New Tuners Theatre with the participation of LA’s Lehman Engel Workshop and London’s Mercury Workshop–showcases 11 new works in various stages of development, ranging from “pitches” (short excerpts from recently produced shows seeking a future) to staged readings, as shown in the schedule below. The fest gives audiences and aspiring writers a chance to discuss the art, craft, and commerce of musical theater as they rub elbows during meal breaks between performances. Repeat performances of every presentation have been scheduled to allow audiences to see all the shows. “Stages ’99” opens Friday, July 30, with a gala dinner and performance at the Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario; tickets for this event are $150. Regular performances take place Saturday-Sunday, July 31 and August 1, at the Theatre Building, 1225 W. Belmont. Admission is $10 per performance or $50 for a two-day pass. For information and reservations, call 773-327-5252.
Broadway and TV veteran Nancy Dussault headlines the opening gala benefit at the Arts Club of Chicago; the evening also features the writers of the weekend’s shows performing their own material. The 8 PM show is preceded by cocktails at 6 PM and dinner at 7 PM.
Based on the fantasy film that starred Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer as two cursed lovers–he turns into a wolf by night, while she is transformed into a hawk during the day–Marsha Meyers and Joyce Bramberg’s musical is performed in a staged reading. West theater, 9:45 AM.
Another Summer and Past Time
See listing for 9:45 AM Saturday. North theater, 2 PM.
