"Working" Press Junket (Broadway In Chicago)

Stephen Schwartz walking around in old person white sneakers.

Every now and then, we get invited to really strange things that are totally awesome. For example, a few weeks ago, we got invited to have a meet and greet with the cast and creator of the new Broadway In Chicago show "Working", now on stage at the Broadway Playhouse.

I'm not a huge musical theatre fan, but was actually pretty excited to meet Stephen Schwartz. Schwartz composed Wicked, Pippen, Godspell, and a bunch of other shit, too.

When I arrived in the morning at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, I didn't know what to expect, so I decided to wear a sweater and tie which turned out to be right, even though I was still the weirdest looking dude in the room. While I'm at it, let me tell you what this thing was like:

I was WAY over my head here. The Ritz-Carlton is a very fancy hotel. I go up to this ballroom with this other black guy from undoubtedly a black guy website and Janet Davies from ABC News. We get up there, and there's tons of cameras and junk and then some press guy comes out and tells us that Stephen Schwartz wants to play a song or two for us.

Janet Davies' sweet ass blocking my view of the legend.

So this dude plays a song called "Fathers and Sons" from Working (which was beautiful) and, besides the cameras, was just played for me, the black guy, and Janet Davies. I had a private concert with Stephen Schwartz and I was abuzz with excitement and grandeur!!

The cast of Working sings the hits.

Then the entire cast of the show came out and did a couple numbers. There was a piece sung by the legendary E. Faye Butler, and another by the glamorous Barbara Robertson. This whole day was super fun so far and not anywhere close to being over!
After the songs were sung and the last bagel had been shmeared, it was time to do some work and get serious about doing my interview.

My press contact told me to go set up in the corner of the room, not too close to the black guy or piano, and far out of the way for Janet Davies and her 47 cameras. As I was waiting for my first interviewee to show up, I was prepping my area and scoping out the competition. I know that Eric and I are just two thirty year old dudes with a dream and a can-do attitude, but sometimes when we try to bring you the exclusives, it's easy to feel inferior to the others. For example, as I was getting ready, I saw the black guy setting up his portable studio equipment. Janet Davies was talking shop with one of her numerous assistants, making sure the coffee is ready and her couch is comfortable, and I was...Oh no, I have a major hole in my sweater! As I check out my sleeve, the edge of the table I'm sitting at cuts my finger open, and as a finger cut can, started bleeding profusely. So now, my only clean piece of notebook paper, used for interview the Legends of Broadway is stained with the sanguine fluid of a thousand mendicants.

Do I have time to go to the restroom and try to bleed this out under warm water? No! It's time to get to work and bring home the scoop.

The first guest to my Gore Cage is none other than the illustrious Gene Weygandt. A lot of younger actors in town might not be familiar with this man, because he was already pretty fucking famous and has been ever since. Gene came up with the rest of the early Steppenwolf crew at Illinois State University (Redbirds! Flying High!) and moved to Chicago in what must have been the late 70's/early 80's. This was when there were only a couple companies you needed to know. They were Wisdom Bridge, Igloo, Remains, and Organic. These were the companies to beat. Now if you've ever seen Gene Weygandt before, you know that he has an infectious smile, a loud voice, and the mischievous eyes of a dark and magical fox.
Weygandt recently played the Wizard in Wicked, so this was another chance for him to work with Schwartz.
"Such a nice guy, and I am so blessed to just be around guys like him." Weygandt smiles.
We talk and talk about everything from his favorite restaurant (Petterino's) to where he lives, ("I will always call Chicago my home") to what next steps I should take with this gaping and bloody wound on my hand ("You are sort of grossing me out, kiddo").
Well, we are laughing and visiting and having the best time ever when our session has ended. Gene has to go back to rehearsal.
Before he goes though, let me tell you this. We should look at actors in our community like Gene and Barbara Robertson and be humbled that someone so great and known on Broadway and U.S. stages everywhere would be so happy to still call Chicago his or her home. Their kind fled to New York and L.A. when the companies around here gave them an outlet to television.
"Fuck it, man! Let them come to us, right?" Gene chuckles as he floats back into his light portal. An amazing talent with an amazing transporting light portal.

So, after I was asked to leave, and dripping blood on the marble flooring, I hit the cool Chicago air with my face and thought about how lucky I was to be a part of this great town and have such incredible and unparalleled experiences.


Go get 'em, Chicago! We can do it!!

Broadway In Chicago
A+

Gene Weygandt
A+

-Anderson Lawfer, Eric Roach

Neverwhere - Lifeline Theatre (theatre review)

Hainsworth and Kauzlaric enter a Neverhole

This past Saturday, I left the beautiful sunny world of Chicago Illinois and ventured into a sick, twisted dimension of beasts, weirdos, funny accents, dry ice, and stage combat at the storied Lifeline Theatre.  That's right, I saw their already number one hit Neverwhere!

So, this show is one of those shows that makes use of Magical Realism or Urban Fantasy...that is, it's the author's intent to make a show that is like a Dungeons & Dragons game, but he didn't want to use gay unicorns or bags of holding.  Seriously, if I would have known this show had griffins or minotaurs in it or something I would have Never gone There.  Yep.

The show is based on funny books by Neil Gaiman, who is like a much nicer and better smelling Alan Moore.  It was adapted once already for the BBC, and I didn't see it but I bet it had fucking Daleks in it or weird acronyms that normal people never use.  Rob Kauzlaric adapted the show, and also starred as the protagonist Richard Mayhew.  Rob is really pretty and makes you want to join him on this epic journey into a sewer.  Paul S. Holmquist directed it, and his nimble fingers make deft use of having no money to actually make awesome monsters.  Sometimes, I appreciate having to use my imagination, and Holmquist gets inside your brain and does a sexy number on your pleasure centers.

The set is the traditional Lifeline showoff set, by showoff king Alan Donohue.  I don't know how he does it, or how drunk he gets at afterparties...but it's pretty drunk, guys, really.  Also, Alan's porno name is Mr. Brute Force.

So, this Richard Mayhew is a Scotsman in London with a boring ass job and a boring fiance (the chameleon-like Elise Kauzlaric) who wants him to be the Brit equivalent of a Lincoln Park Chad...which in London is a Nigel, I'm told.  They're running along, being all United Kingdomy and run across this poor woman named Door (a subtly radiant Katie McLean) who is a denizen of London Below - sewers - and is in a lot of trouble.  She talks to some rat puppets and Richard helps her out and enlists the help of the Marquis (Chris Hainsworth, channeling a young Treat Williams) so she can get back to the underground.

Then all hell breaks loose and Richard's life has disappeared in London Above.  WTF, y'all????  So, he goes on a pretty standard Joseph Campbell style hero's quest into London Below to try and get his life back.

Did this guy just lose his marbles?  All of a sudden, he's involved with a woman who can make doors appear anywhere, two apparently ancient hitmen cutthroats (Christopher Walsh and Sean Sinitski make the most of these scumbags, evoking all the fine British comedy teams like Benny Hill and naked chicks, or Graham Chapman and bags of coke), a black huntress who MIGHT just be playing both sides against the middle (Kyra Morris brings down the house, Angela Bassett watch out!), and a fallen Angel who has a +7 Key of Opening (Phil Timberlake creeping it up).

I don't mean to be a negative nelly, but I had no idea what was going on for a while.  But then, I realized that doesn't matter.  With a crazy quest show like this, it's about the journey not the destination...and what an ambitious and whack-job journey it is!

If you are a fan of shows that explore what it means to make important decisions about life and really bitchin' lighting effects then go check out Neverwhere at the Lifeline!  Also, their staff is so sweet and nice...they even put blankets out if people are too cold in the air conditioning, which is really super since the place used to be a meat packing plant.

B, but A- if you know what your THAC0 is.

-Eric Roach, Anderson Lawfer