Theatre

Photocall

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   Some of you may have heard that this past week the iconic Loretta Swift of MASH fame joined the Chicago cast of Love Loss and What I Wore. Well it has been quite the roller coaster ride, and Swift was a fabulous edition. Her experience in the biz is rare and she has stories to boot!  It is amazing how many little things can change when a new cast member is added. One is never necessarily better than the other, but just different, and a little change always keeps you on your toes. It was the recent photo call that really made the cast feel like a little family.

Our tribute to MadonnaSwift has done the show before and will be taking it back to New York and on tour in 2012.  Having worked frequently as a replacement, it is now interesting to be on the other side, of sorts.  I have found that staying open, listening to the smallest of changes and letting the text reveal its layers had been particularly helpful in this process. As we continue on this ride I can’t wait to see what we will find and discover.

With Love,

W.

Interested in Tickets? Contact us!

EyesonWhitney@gmail.com

Kisses for Barbara!

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This Sunday was Barbara Robertson’s last performance with the Chicago cast of Love Loss and What I Wore. The cast and crew celebrated with a little bowling at Lucky Strike. (Best game Whitney has bowled to date!)

Barbara is a phenomenal actress, singer and teacher. Some of her incredible credits include Wicked and Working.  Sitting next to her every night was a gift and one that will not be forgotten. There is so much girl power in the cast and it really is a great show for ladies of every type. LLWIW will be running at the Broadway Playhouse through December 3rd.

*Special thanks to our wonderful Company Manger Susan for setting up the event.

How we gonna pay…RENT

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This weekend was another round of auditions for ATC and About Face’s joint production of RENT. RENT will run Spring of 2012 at ATC and is now being directed by the very accomplished and highly acclaimed David Cromer .

   Whitney has worked on two productions with About Face (Stupid Kids, Oklahomo for the Holidays) and our fingers are really crossed for this one! About Face has an amazing way of combining a focused mission with great artistic programming. Their outreach programs have helped hundreds of GLBT youth across the city. About Face is led by Bonnie Metzgar.

ATC is helmed by the multi-faceted PJ Paparelli, the company recently closed the smash hit Grease. Whitney first did RENT in 2009 with Night Blue Theatre company directed by David Walters and Brian LaDuca.

The callback was packed with many friends and old cast members. The fact is all of those actors could and should do the show but we all know the realities of the casting process.

Nevertheless it was a great audition to have before the holidays and seeing all those familiar faces was a reminder that you never know what is in store for the future. As 2011 comes to a close it’s great to remember that there are many opportunities for all of us and many paths to take.

Only Love is Real

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    Sometimes you have to give a shout out to memorable experiences so here is some Passing Strange Love!  The show premiered in Chicago this past spring and was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award (Best Ensemble) and won several awards from the Black Theatre Alliance.

It was one of the singularly most exhilarating theatrical experiences Whitney has had to date as the piece pushes boundaries and features a stunning score. The musical first premiered on Broadway in 2008 and won the Tony for Best Book.

Whitney had the privilege of playing Desi, a revolutionary living in an artist commune.  Special thanks to Bailiwick Chicago, Lili-Anne Brown and everyone who came out to the show during its run.

As Desi says “Only Love is Real”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Berlin! by Jay Kennedy

Watch the trailer below!


Weekend Gigs

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   It was another busy weekend full of shows and concerts. It started off with opening night of Love Loss and What I Wore at the Broadway Playhouse. The show runs eight times a week through Dec 4th which means plenty of weekend performances.

Each show brought the cast closer together and audiences went away charmed and entertained. The process has been really unique as the cast only had two days of rehearsal before going into performances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday night Whitney had a floor thumping show with JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound at the Double Door. It was a funky way start to Halloween weekend and the venue was packed. In addition to several Uptown Sound songs they also covered Janelle Monae’s Tightrope which was an instant crowd pleaser.

 

This was Whitney’s second performance with the group.

Special thanks to everyone who came out!

Curtain!

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We were so excited to see Whitney’s info up on the Love Loss and What I Wore site! Check it out! Her cycle’s cast includes the incredible Cindy Gold (Jeff Award nominee, Northwestern University Prof.), Taylor Miller (All My Children), Loretta Swit (MASH), and Roni Geva. Whitney will be joining the cast through December 3rd and her first performance will be October 26th.  Looking forward to working out those opening night jitters and sitting alongside these accomplished women on stage!

Read Hedy Weiss’ of the Chicago Sun Times review!

Read the Broadway World Press release

 

A lil’ gumbo and lots of love

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The cast of Spunk! bid adieu to the Court Theater this past weekend. It was a very successful and heartfelt journey.  Working at Court is like being temporarily adopted by a really kick ass family. The creative team and staff work together to put a piece up and go out of their way to include you in their traditions.  How many casting directors make huge pots of gumbo, bread pudding, and a mound of cornbread muffins for the cast and team every show? Casts have been known to literally run off the stage to get a bowl of Cree Rankin’s food on “Gumbo Day”.

     It is going to be particularly difficult to say goodbye to jazz phenomenon Kelvyn Bell,  “The Kelvynator”.  His fervor for arts and music is inspiring to say the very least. With his help Whitney is now on the path to becoming a 4 star scat singer. Kelvyn has a wealth of stories and experience and is one of the most creative minds in music and theater.  Oh well… until Whitney’s next job at Court Theatre, we will be dreaming of Cree’s Gumbo!

And now Announcing: Love Loss and What I Wore

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A little while back we posted that there was an exciting announcement coming up. Well, after getting the official paperwork we are really excited to say that this winter Whitney will be joining the cast of Love Lass and What I Wore directed by Karen Carpenter and based on the book by Ilene Beckerman. The show will be running at the Broadway Playhouse in Chicago through December 7th.

The show has featured actresses like Rosie O’donnell, Fran Drescher, Tichina Arnold, Emmanelle Chirqui and many more. This was one of those bookings you feel really proud of: waking up early and crashing an Equity call, waiting in line for hours, finally being seen, and getting called back. It reminds you that if you see something you believe is fit for you, go after it. This will be Whitney’s first Broadway in Chicago show. Stay tuned for behind the scenes access and more information!

The Playhouse

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Thanks so much to everyone who tuned into the Playboy Club on NBC last night! Next week the plot thickens and there will be more bunnies, more music and a lot more drama.

    Recently Whitney stopped by the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place to check out the scene and it was looking as beautiful as ever.  Soon we will be announcing some very exciting news so check in! Here is another shot of the outside of the theatre.