Brian Dennehy and Nathan Lane - The Iceman Cometh |
This could be the year for Goodman Theatre in Chicago.
A few days ago, it announced that The Iceman Cometh--which played there during the spring-- was its most successful production to date.
With a 100% turnout for over 50 performances, Goodman Theatre artistic director Bob Falls' revival of the epic Eugene O'Neill stage play attracted patrons from 46 states and 8 countries. In all, 42,000 subscribers and individual ticket buyers attended during the show's run.
But Falls doesn't take sole credit for the success of the play. "None of it would have been possible without an extraordinary team of people--from our creative team, stage managers, crew and staff, to our generous sponsors, incredible audiences and the local and national media," he says. "We share and celebrate this success."
The cast of Crowns |
With just one more production left in the 2011/2012 season, Goodman Theatre hopes to keep the momentum going. Rounding out the five plays on its main stage, The Albert Theatre, is the revival of a popular musical--Regina Taylor's Crowns. It opens next Monday, July 9, at 7:00 p.m. and runs until August 5.
The cast has theater veterans such as Felicia P. Fields (The Color Purple) and E. Faye Butler (Ain't Misbehavin') and newcomers such as Marketta P. Wilder and Jasondra Johnson.
One notable cast member is Pauletta Washington--wife of Academy-Award winner Denzel. But there's no word yet about whether Mr. Washington will be in attendance. However, Regina Taylor--writer and director of Crowns--makes it clear that the message is the most important thing. "I'm interested in the ways in which stories and storytelling connects us to our community," she says.
Based on Goodman Theatre's recent successes, that connection appears to be what keeps patrons coming back for more.
~ Zack A. Isaacs
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