Pygmalion Festival Is Back With Three Days of Rock 'n' Roll

The Pygmalion Music Festival will be taking over Champaign-Urbana, with bands and music everywhere, in just about three weeks.

This year, the Festival will run for three days, from September 27 to 29, with venues ranging from Krannert Center for the Performing Arts to the Canopy Club, Channing-Murray Foundation, restaurants and bars like Boltini and Mike 'n' Mollys, and even some outdoor choices. Saturday's the big day, with nine different venues, including Highdive Outdoor Annexes 1 and 2. (A word about the open-air venues... If it rains, it rains. Grab a poncho. But the show will go on.)

The Pygmalion Festival was created by Seth Fein and his Nicodemus Agency, "an agency that books artists of national and international renown," operating right out of Champaign-Urbana.

They're working with Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Red Bull Music Academy, Parkland College's radio station WPCD FM, and Smile Politely, the online magazine serving the C-U area, as well as a host of other sponsors to be able to pull this off.

The latest communication from the Pygmalion Music Festival indicates that they are almost sold out of the $100 season passes, although single tickets are still available if you only want to see one show.

The full schedule is available here if you're checking to see who's coming and where they'll be playing. And if you have questions, feel free to check out the FAQ on their website or email info@pygmalionmusicfestival.com.

Roger Ebert's "Life Itself" Will Be a Movie

Roger Ebert announced on Twitter yesterday that "Life Itself," his memoir published last year by Grand Central Publishing, is being made into a movie. Entertainment Weekly picked up the scoop, providing a few details: It will be a documentary with Steve James, the director of "Hoop Dreams," at the helm, screenwriter Steve Zaillian, best known for "Moneyball" and "Schindler's List," on the team, and Martin Scorsese acting as executive producer.

And Matt Singer of IndieWire got a reaction from Ebert himself that you can read at the linked page.

Ebert's life will certainly provide plenty of material. He was born and raised in Urbana, where he worked on the school newspaper at Urbana High School and won a state championship in radio speaking at the IHSA speech competition in 1958. He began covering sports for the Champaign News-Gazette while still a high school student, and kept that up even as he went to college at U of I and became editor at the Daily Illini.

After a fellowship abroad and graduate work at both U of I and the University of Chicago, Ebert did some reporting for the Chicago Sun-Times, where he was given the film critic assignment in 1967. He did a few screenplays on the side, working with director Russ Meyer on such classics as "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" and "Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens."

But when he teamed with Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel on a show called "Sneak Previews" in 1975, his career as half of "Two Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down" really took off. That show was originally done just for WTTW, the public broadcasting station in Chicago, but by 1978, PBS had picked it up and syndicated it nationwide, making Siskel and Ebert household names.

At that point, Ebert was also dealing with alcoholism; he quit drinking completely in 1979.

The show underwent name changes and production company switches, but it remained a fixture until Siskel died in 1999. After that, Ebert hosted various iterations of the show with various other people, until he had health woes of his own, finally losing the ability to speak, drink or eat after complications from treatments for thyroid cancer. He continued to participate in a show with Richard Roeper, his last co-host, until December, 2011, when "Ebert Presents: At the Movies," closed up shop.

Even without a physical voice, he's remained a steady voice for the Sun-Times, with reviews in print and a very popular online presence.

And Ebertfest, the film festival he began for overlooked movies, continues annually (as a hot ticket) at the historic Virginia Theatre in Champaign-Urbana. Ebertfest 2013 is set for April 17-21, 2013. Films will be announced in March, but festival passes are usually sold out in January or February.

All of which gives any film about Roger Ebert a lot to work with. The book "Life Itself" received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and continues to be a steady seller. From all reports, filming is expected to begin before the end of the year, with a release date still to be determined. Maybe in time for Ebertfest 2014?

It's a Theatre Bonanza Weekend!

You've probably already noticed, but there is a LOT happening in Bloomington-Normal this weekend. Just to recap, so you don't miss anything...

"THESE SHINING LIVES" OPENS TONIGHT AT HEARTLAND THEATRE

Melanie Marnich's play is based on true events that took place in Ottawa, Illinois, in the early part of the 20th century. It's about women who worked in watch factories in daily contact with radium, and how high a price American workers have paid for workplace safety. "These Shining Lives" is directed by Don LaCasse and stars Colleen Longo as the woman at the center of the action. Tonight's performance is a special Pay-What-You-Can preview, and it will be followed by performances September 7-9, 13-16 and 20-23. Click here for reservation information.

"YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU" RESUMES 

TONIGHT AT COMMUNITY PLAYERS

The cast and crew of the classic Kaufman and Hart comedy have one week of performances under their belts, and they will begin Week 2 tonight at the Community Players theater on Robinhood Lane. Director Jeremy Stiller directs this story of screwball family hijinks, with the only normal member of the Sycamore family bringing home her new (somewhat stuffy) boyfriend to meet her crazy Mom and Dad. You can buy tickets right here if you are so inclined.

NEW ROUTE FIRES UP "FABULATION"
AGAIN ON FRIDAY

"Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine," a play by Lynn Nottage, also has a week of performances in the bank. As well as a One Shot Deal last year with a (somewhat) different cast and a (very) different playing space. This time, "Fabulation" tells its riches-to-rags story at the YWCA on Hershey Road in Bloomington, as director Gregory D. Hicks leads a cast that includes Melissa James Shrader as Undine, the one who starts the play as a major player in the world of PR, but quickly loses everything that she thought was important. Tickets are available at the door on the night of performance, or you can reserve a seat by e-mailing new.route.theatre@gmail.com and leaving your name and the number of tickets you’d like to reserve.

"8, THE PLAY" TAKES THE 8th AT THE

ISU CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Dustin Lance Black wrote "8" about California's legal battles over Proposition 8, which sought to ban new and undo existing gay marriages in the state. His play has had star-studded staged readings on both coasts, as well as in Champaign-Urbana. Now it's Bloomington-Normal's turn, as ISU's Kevin Rich directs a reading of "8, the Play" at the CPA Saturday at 7:30 pm. The cast will include ISU alum Tom Chiola, a retired judge from the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago, who will play Judge Vaughn Walker, the presiding judge in the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, at the center of the play. Chiola's role has previously been performed by the likes of Brad Pitt and Bob Balaban, but this may be the first time it's been played by a real judge. You can read more about it here.

THEATRE OF TED DARES TO SUCK

SATURDAY AT MIDNIGHT

No details on what exactly they're doing Saturday, although there are auditions today for "Rocky Horror Picture Show," so that's clearly going to figure into their future equation somewhere. This weekend, however, Theatre of Ted opens the young semester with a performance at CW 301 starting at midnight on Saturday. You can go watch "8," stick around for the post-show discussion, and then hang around Centennials East and West till it's time for Ted.

Also note that Theatre of Ted's first guest performance of the year is happening Monday at 6 pm, when storyteller Brian Rohr takes center stage at the University Galleries inside the Center for Visual Arts. Rohr uses myth and legend to wrap stories and adventures around the audience. Learn! Have fun! Make magic! Bask in the power of storytelling! It's all part of the unique theatrical experience that is the Theatre of Ted.

Talking about Monday means we're past the weekend, so I will close here. But there's certainly plenty of theatre to go around this weekend (and even on Monday) if the mood strikes. And it really ought to strike, with this many awesome choices!

Almost Here: New Fall Shows on TV

It doesn't feel like fall just yet, but that's not stopping the networks from launching their new fall shows. Next week!

NBC has already sneaked the premieres of two new shows: the Matthew Perry vehicle "Go On," about a support group where the lovely Laura Benanti helps stuck-in-a-rut folks (including Perry's character) move past their blocks, and "The New Normal," a sitcom from "Glee" creator Ryan Murphy, about a gay couple and the surrogate who's having a baby for them. Justin Bartha ("The Hangover") and Andrew Rannells ("The Book of Mormon") play the couple, with Georgia King as the single mom who's having their baby, Bebe Wood as her precocious daughter, and Ellen Barkin as her Type A, meddling mother. And, no, the show is not set in Normal, Illinois, which seems like a no-brainer. We are the new Normal, people!

Both those shows will be bowing on September 11th, with "Go On" at 8  and "New Normal" at 8:30 Central. If you'd like to see the "Go On" pilot now, without waiting till Tuesday, it's available on the NBC site here, while video for "New Normal," including its pilot, are here.

Next up is a sneak peek of "Guys with Kids" at 9 pm on the 12th on NBC. It's a show about, you guessed it, guys with kids, starring Anthony Anderson, Jesse Bradford and Zach Cregger as those guys. Anderson is a stay-at-home dad, Bradford is a single dad, and Cregger is a regular old dad. They call him "working dad" in the video preview. Jimmy Fallon exec-produced "Guys with Kids," and he says it's a show "about cool dads." Well, all righty then.

September 17th brings us "The Mob Doctor," involving a surgeon moonlighting for the mob, where there is apparently a great need for surgery on the sly, at 8 pm Central on Fox, and "Revolution," a dystopic futuristic drama about a world completely without power, at 9 on NBC.

"Partners" starts on September 24 at 7:30 pm on CBS, right after "How I Met Your Mother." The partners in the title are a pair of BFFs (Michael Urie and David Krumholtz) conflicted by Friend #1's boyfriend and Friend #2's girlfriend. It looks... Squicky. But you can judge for yourself by watching the preview video here.

Fox premieres "Ben and Kate" and "The Mindy Project" on Tuesday the 25th.

In "Ben and Kate," Nate Faxon is Ben, while Dakota Johnson (the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith) is Kate. They're a mismatched brother and sister; she's practical and smart, while he's a goofball dreamer. What a crazy pair! Don't be surprised if a hot dog makes him lose control while she's all about Crêpes Suzette. Tune in Tuesday the 25th at 7:30 Central.

And then there's "The Mindy Project" at 8:30, after "New Girl." "The Mindy Project" stars Mindy Kaling, famous for being Kelly Kapoor (and writing and producing) on "The Office." It's a highly anticipated show, which is probably why it gets that post-"New Girl" slot. You'll need to buy Kaling as a doctor -- an OB/GYN -- who is as quirky and adorable as Zoey Deschanel. I'm not incredibly thrilled by this idea, but the "New Girl" fans may like it.

It's hard to believe there's room for yet another show with "Vegas" in the title, but CBS is rolling one out at 9 pm Central on the 25th. This new "Vegas" features Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis and is inspired by the true story of a cowboy turned sheriff battling the mob in Las Vegas in the 60s. It's not exactly what you would call high concept. But who knows? Maybe viewers are ready to turn back the clock to see Las Vegas, Old Style. You can see a video preview here.

The next night, "Animal Practice," which sort of looks like "House" with pets (Justin Kirk plays a veterinarian who likes animals but hates people) is followed by "Guys with Kids" (see above) in its regular slot. Those two are back to back on NBC at 7 and 7:30 pm on September 26.

They'll be joined by "Neighbors" on ABC at 8:30 Central. "Neighbors" is eccentric, that's for sure, as a family of regular old people move into a gated community filled with aliens. Aliens from the Planet Zabrvon. Who exude green goo out their ears. Jami Gertz is the mom of the earth family. I love Jami Gertz. But this sounds terrible. Sorry, Jami.

Thursday the 27th brings us "Last Resort" at 7 on ABC, with Andre Braugher as the captain of a submarine and Scott Speedman as his second-in-command. After some nuclear weapon shenanigans, the sub and its crew find themselves marooned on an island. Think "Gilligan's Island" meets "The Hunt for Red October."

That's followed by the newest iteration of Sherlock Holmes in "Elementary," this time with Jonny Lee Miller as the sleuth and Lucy Liu as his Dr. Watson. They're living and solving crimes in contemporary New York. Previews look very good, and I think I will be tuning in to see how it goes Thursday, September 27 at 9 pm Central.

"Made in Jersey" pops up on CBS in the No Man's Land known as Friday, with its premiere on the 28th at 8 Central. The plot sounds vaguely like "Legally Blonde" for brunettes, as a Jersey Girl tries to hold her own against snooty colleagues at a law firm in Manhattan. "Legally Blonde" meets "Working Girl," maybe.

ABC adds yet another intriguing show to an already packed Sunday, offering "666 Park Avenue," set in a spooky apartment building on New York's Upper East Side. Terry O'Quinn ("Lost") and Vanessa Williams ("Desperate Housewives" and "Ugly Betty") are the slinky, dark and dangerous owners of the place, while Dave Annable ("Brothers and Sisters") and Rachael Taylor ("Grey's Anatomy") are the sweet young couple who move in to be the new building managers. So... "Rosemary's Baby"? And a little "Dark Shadows"? It airs right after "Revenge" on ABC at 9 pm on Sundays.

That's it for new series in September, but there are also a ton of returning shows, plus, of course, October! Whew. It's not easy keeping up with TV, is it?

SoDoTheatre Brings Musical Improv to Champaign

SoDo Theatre, which bills itself as "a developing space for visual and performing artists and arts organizations," has been open for more than a year at 114 South Neil Street in Champaign, offering rehearsal, studio and performance space to area artists and performers.

The So stands for South and the Do for Downtown, as South Downtown is emerging as an arts hub in Champaign. So, no, it's not a command like "So do!" More like Soho.

So far, SoDo Theatre has offered all kinds of improv, "Class Act" interactive education and events, Post-Industrial Parfait, Psychic Joker Entertainment, Studio2C, Amy Scott Photography, and a host of other artistic type operations. And coming up soon is another entertaining choice, when Rick and Laura Hall come to town to hold a workshop on musical improv.

Rick and Laura Hall

Rick Hall is a TV and stage actor with deep roots in Chicago improv, while his wife Laura Hall served as the accompanist for the American version of "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?" hosted by Drew Carey. It was Laura Hall's job to come up with impromptu tunes at the piano to fit whatever style the performers were supposed to be singing at hat moment. A number in the style of Ray Charles about cleaning out the litter box? Done. Something in a salsa mood about what it's like to be a psychiatrist? Easy!

SoDo says the workshop is just right for anybody at any skill level, whether you've done song improv before or not. They promise, "Rick and Laura create a supportive, fun environment in which to grow, explore, build vocal confidence and learn to listen to each other and the accompaniment. Then they will move on to creating improvised songs that are a natural extension of scenic work, using character, location and story to create rich and interesting songs."

The workshop will take place on September 6, from 6 to 9:30 pm, at SoDo on South Neil. They ask that you email workshops@zooimprov.com right away if you're interested, and get your $30 in ASAP as space is limited.

For more information, visit the SoDo Theatre website or Facebook page.

Best Labor-Intense Entertainment?

Although labor and labor unions don't seem like prime fodder for entertainment, labor and TV, movies and stage plays have actually had a pretty stellar partnership. As we celebrate Labor Day, I wish somebody had thought to put a few labor-intensive shows on my tube instead of the "Gossip Girl," Jerry Lewis and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" marathons we're getting. Not that there's anything wrong with "Gossip Girl," Jerry or Buffy. I'd just prefer some John Sayles or a little Sally Field. Or Christian Bale kicking up his heels. Or Doris Day in her jammies. You can even watch "On the Waterfront" if you want to see the seamy side of unions. Meanwhile, the shows below will remind you that unions started for a reason, and that reason was to protect workers, whether they were in the coal mines, in a textile factory, making pajamas or selling newspapers on the streets of New York.

So what are my favorite labor-related pieces of entertainment?

1. MATEWAN (1987)
John Sayles is a movie master, and his "Eight Men Out" is not only a great baseball movie, but also a lesson about management taking advantage of and abusing employees, even when they're star athletes. Sayles also dipped into the waters of workers' rights (without the star athletes) with "Matewan," set in mining country in West Virginia in 1920. As coal miners try to unionize, the company strikes back by bringing in "private detectives" (read: hired thugs) to beat down the miners, set them against each other on the basis of race and culture, and even murder them -- anything to maintain control. Sayles uses some of his regular actors -- magnificent David Strathairn and man-of-the-people Chris Cooper, along with Kevin Tighe and Gordon Clapp -- to show what happens when push comes to shove, when ordinary people have to stand up and do what's right, no matter the consequences. "Matewan" is based on real events. And it's an amazing cinematic achievement.

2. THE PAJAMA GAME (1957)
You'll need a break after the tension and drama in "Matewan," so I suggest "The Pajama Game." The poster shown here is for the movie version of the 1954 Broadway hit, with John Raitt (Bonnie's dad) reprising his role as shop steward Sid Sorokin, who represents management and comes into conflict with Doris Day's Babe Williams, the employee rep asking for a seven-and-a-half cent raise for pajama factory employees. It's light and sweet, but there is a message here, as the people "racing with the clock" deserve a pay raise. Janis Paige played Babe on Broadway in '54, with Shirley MacLaine as an understudy in the company. MacLaine famously took over the main dancing role in the show when Carol Haney broke her ankle, and then Shirley got spotted by a Hollywood producer and became a big movie star, right out of the "42nd Street" playbook. Barbara McNair played Babe opposite Hal Linden in the 1973 revival, while Kelli O'Hara took the role opposite Harry Connick, Jr. in the 2006 Broadway production. The score is by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross of "Damn Yankees" fame, and it includes the hit song "Hey There," the one about "you with the stars in your eyes" as well as "Hernando's Hideaway." Olé!

3. NORMA RAE (1979)
"Normal Rae" was a big deal in 1979, with everybody imitating Sally Field's big dramatic moment where, as textile mill worker Norma Rare, she leaps up onto a factory table and holds up a sign that says, "UNION." Director Martin Ritt gave us a movie centered around a warm, appealing character, a single mother just trying to catch a break, someone a lot like the people we know, and Field won an Oscar for the role, changing the trajectory of her career and putting away "The Flying Nun" for good. Like "Matewan," "Norma Rae" is based on a real incident, this time the efforts of a woman named Crystal Lee Sutton to get union representation in a plant in North Carolina. Sutton really did jump up and show her "UNION" sign, getting herself fired and forcibly removed from the premises but she also created a storm, won the fight for a union at that factory, and proved how big one small person can be.

4. NEWSIES (1992)
Child labor laws were one of the major victories of American labor unions, putting an end to five-year-olds dragging carts of coal through narrow mineshafts and tiny children toiling sixteen hours a day in mills, sweatshops and canneries. "Newsies," the musical that tells the tale of the New York newsboy strike of 1899, is about kids who were also workers, and yes, it's another true story. The 1992 film version stars Christian Bale as Jack Kelly, the newsboy who pushes his fellow child laborers to ask for better conditions, while the current Broadway musical features Jeremy Jordan, who will be showing up on "Smash" next season, as Jack for just one more day. Corey Cott, a Broadway newcomer, takes the role on September 5. Also in the cast: Illinois Wesleyan University's Evan Kasprzak.

"Newsies" on Broadway won Tony Awards for its score and Christopher Gattelli's choreography. The score is expanded from the film, with music by Alan Mencken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, and a new book written by Harvey Fierstein. "Seize the Day" is the big anthem, and it was part of the show's Tony night performance. If you can't get to Broadway to see the show, and you want more than just the Tony number, you can at least hear it, since the cast recording (cd cover shown above) is available.

You now have four good choices (five, if you count the Broadway version of "Newsies" separately) to celebrate Labor Day. Olé! Seize the Day!

On Sunday, My Thoughts Turn to "Sunday," Coming Soon to Chicago Shakes

Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's Associate Artistic Director, Gary Griffin, has made a cottage industry of directing Sondheim shows at Chicago Shakes, with much acclaimed productions of "Follies" last year and "Pacific Overtures" and "Sunday in the Park with George" before that, upstairs in the smaller theater.

Griffin and Sondheim will be back in business later this month, with a new "Sunday in the Park with George" in the larger Courtyard Theatre at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier. Given how wonderful Griffin's black-box production was back in 2002, this one on the main stage is eagerly anticipated. Tickets are on sale now and likely to go fast, if the "Follies" pattern is repeated.

"Sunday in the Park with George" is a natural for Chicago audiences, given that the painting ("A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte," seen below) which serves as inspiration for the Sondheim/Lapine musical hangs at the Art Institute of Chicago. You can (and should) check out the painting and the musical in the same trip. Seurat worked in tiny dots of color in a technique called "pointilism," which informs the style and themes of "Sunday in the Park with George."

The cast for this production includes Broadway star Jason Danieley (once noted for having "the most exquisite tenor on Broadway" by Ben Brantley of the New York Times) as artist Georges Seurat, and Carmen Cusack, probably best known for playing Elphaba in the touring production of "Wicked" that came through Chicago, as Dot, Seurat's model and muse.

Others in the cast include Chicago favorites Sean Fortunato, Kevin Gudahl and Heidi Kettenring. And Illinois Wesleyan University School of Theatre Arts has informed us that Sarah Bockel, who graduated from their Musical Theatre program in 2010, is also part of the ensemble as an understudy for several roles, including those played by Elizabeth Lanza, herself an IWU alum from 2007.

"Sunday in the Park with George" happens to be the second show I saw on Broadway, and I have fond memories of it and my own reaction to it. If you are involved in any kind of artistic endeavor, its messages about art, the creative process, color and light, the fleeting nature of life, putting the pieces of one's life and work together, and ultimately moving on, can be very moving and profound.

People strolling through the trees

of a small suburban park

on an island in the river

on an ordinary Sunday

Sunday...

Sunday...