L A N C E B A K E R

To my mom and dad, et al--

So I saw the new Johnny Depp movie "Public Enemies" last night-- I believe
it was the 1st time it's ever been shown for the public. And I did make the
final cut-- no lines, but you can't miss me. For those who may go to see
it, look for me about an hour and a half into the movie, after Johnny Depp,
sitting on a park bench, reads a letter from his girl in prison. I'll be on
the left side of the screen at the start of the next scene, looking badass.

I've enclosed cell phone pics you can follow along to. Look at the invite--
I had no idea this was going to be a big deal. I almost showed up in jeans
and t-shirt. I dressed up a little, almost to be "ironic," thinking the
theatre was going to be full of Chicago people getting to see the film first
as a "thank-you" to the city. Then, approaching the movieplex, we noticed
the street was blocked off-- I said, oh no, this is a bigger deal than I
thought, I hope they still have my tickets reserved. Walking into the main
lobby, every single poster frame had been filled with "Public Enemy"
posters-- the place had been taken over! They rented the whole damn
building, shutting down all but two of the 21 screens for the duration of
the night. We checked in, our tickets were not only there, but reserved
seating! Although I was a bit disappointed that they were row 'A'-- front
row at a movie? Not usually my idea of a good time. My neck can't take it
anymore. We went up the first escalator and checked out the view of the
crowd from the windows-- there were hundreds of people behind barracades, a
press tent, vintage cars, and an honest-to-god red carpet. There was free
popcorn and soda laid out, and we grabbed them, said hello to some friends,
and went inside. Sure enough, front row center, but how cool was it when
(30 minutes late) the director Michael Mann came out and said a few words in
praise of the city. And then, he introduced all three of the leads-- they
all made it! Bale, Depp, and Marion Cotillard (the only Oscar winner among
them). They said nothing, smiled, waved, left to give the same speech in
the adjacent theatre (where they apparantly did a bit where Mann said the
three actors had prepared a little song they were going to sing-- they
cleared their throats, opened their mouths, and cracked up at the tease).
Then, the movie. I didn't care for it much-- like most Michael Mann movies
it was overlong, not very engaging, too caught up in period and historical
details, and not clear about what story it was telling. Anyone who saw
"Heat" will see this guy doesn't have a whole lot of new tricks up his
sleeve-- there's the same overly long and loud gun battle in the middle, and
the same slo-mo faceoff between the good guy and bad guy in the end, set to
the same kind of atmospheric techno music and fog machines. But look, a
vintage train! A vintage plane! Vintage automobiles! The love-interest
story was repetitive and hackneyed. Bale had nothing to do-- you know he
worked way too hard for what was asked of him. Cotillard had some lovely
moments, but was given very little to work with-- same with Depp. So many
characters in this movie, whispering to each other about plans you couldn't
understand. With all the hard work the production took making Chicago look
authentically 1930's, you never had a very clear idea of where you were,
where the characters were going to or coming from-- the scene where
Dillinger is gunned down could have been a you-are-there moment of realistic
excitement-- instead it was a swirly haze. The book it was based on told
the story of the origins of the FBI, but the movie's too interested in
Dillinger, and so the whole thing is torn between two (or many many more)
stories and it never quite coheres. On the plus side, I didn't hit the
cutting room floor as I have done so many times in the past with movies that
come through Chicago. And the thing will still make 100 million, though not
much more. Bring on the residuals!

Then we went to the afterparty-- free food and drinks, good stuff. Bale
left, Depp came in. Depp left, Coltillard came in. Coltillard left.
William Peterson and John Mahoney were also around, though surrounded by far
fewer flashbulbs and screaming teens clutching bouquets of glow in the dark
roses. Three drinks and time to relieve the babysitter. That's it! Sorry
the pictures suck-- I swear I had no idea there was going to be anything to
take a picture of.

Bye!

Just found this very interesting dissection of a single moment I carried out in Northlight's "Mauritius" on Benedict Nelson's The@er blog.  The entry is a few months old, but it's funny: being called a "really great actor" who does "amazing" things seems to have no sell-by date....

LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE @ NORTHLIGHT

"Due to the overwhelming response we’ve received from the Chicago theatre community, we have added one more Industry night this coming TUESDAY, MAY 12.  We also have a Pay-What-You-Can Performance on SUNDAY, MAY 10 at 7pm.  Call 847.673.6300." http://www.northlight.org/

THE OVERWHELMING @ NEXT THEATRE

For Monday, 5/11/09, 7:30PM-- $10 Industry tickets – call the box office 847/475-1875, extension 2. (The show has been selling out and there are not many seats left for even this Industry night – so if you’re interested, call ASAP. www.nexttheatre.org, . 

PUMPGIRL @ A RED ORCHID THEATRE

5 bucks off-- Click here for online discount-- code "Sandman" -- or call b.o. and mention "sandman." 312-943-8722

http://www.aredorchidtheatre.org/

AND JUST GO SEE FLU SEASON @ BLACK SHEEP ALREADY

*The Lieutenant of Inishmore*, Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie,
IL, www.northlight.org

*This is for Wednesday, 5/6/09, 7:30PM.*

* *

For your FREE tickets, e-mail mmihlfried@northlight.org no later than 4PM on
Wednesday with the # of tickets you’d like. Subject to availability – you
will receive a confirmation e-mail if your request is fulfilled.

* *

Enjoy the show!

John B

FOR STUDENTS $10 Student Tickets* For EVERY PERFORMANCE with a current, valid Student ID. Purchase in person at the Box Office, by phone at 847.673.6300, or online at northlight.org. Subject to availability. Valid for students 25 years or younger. Student ID required for ticket pick-up. Limit 1 ticket per ID.

FOR INDUSTRY $10 Industry Tickets For all preview performances April 29 through May 5.   Offer available by phone or walk-up, Call the Box Office at 847.673.6300  and mention the code "INDUSTRY" to reserve.  Proof of industry (headshot, business card, etc.) requeste

GENERAL PUBLIC $25 Thursdays** $25 Tickets are available every Thursday! Purchase in person at the Box Office, by phone at 847.673.6300, or online at northlight.org. **Excludes Opening Nights. Offer applies to select seats only. Standard convenience fees apply to telephone and online orders. Subject to availability.

$20 "Day-Of" Discount**Limited supplies of $20 Tickets are available for purchase the day of performance, in person at the Box Office or by phone at 847.673.6300.***Offer applies to select seats only. Available day of performance only. Standard convenience fees apply to telephone orders. Subject to availability.

"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. The downward spirals of these three people, and their very different but terrible fates, is exquisitely unspooled by the actors.  And Spallen's clear-eyed vision of her characters' lives -- their language, their hidden poetry, their hunger for something more, and their mix of devouring self-knowledge and a tragic compulsion to self-destruct -- is enough to rattle any soul." Chicago Sun-Times

INDUSTRY NIGHT Tue 4/21 8pm pay-what-u-can *reservations encouraged*
312-943-8722
Pumpgirl on Facebook

SunTimes: "Recommended... a razor-sharp moral tale ideally cast... terrifically nasty twists... All five actors are ideally cast and make every second of the play snap, crackle and pop as 'the takers' and 'the taken' duke it out. It's not pretty, but it emits a pretty irresistible scent of blood."

WBEZ: "A big audience-pleaser... critics will have a few quibbles, but the parts that work absolutely crackle.  The veteran cast is first-rate."

Pioneer Press: "Suspenseful, jagged-edged and terrifically entertaining... a series of scene-ending cliff-hangers that leave you awaiting each new plot twist like a kid between death-loops on a roller coaster.  Baker is exquisitely villainous, looking like he's dyed his very eyeballs black for the role. He also manages to imbue one of the world's most commonly used two-word, seven-letter imperative expletives with more shades of emotion than a week-long therapy session."

Steadstyle: "Lance Baker, who’s shed the bulk and splendor of Emperor Joseph in "Amadeus" to play Sterling, a lean, hungry looking man who appears wired and greedy enough to send high frequency threatening waves throughout the theatre. "

Reader:  "Exhilarating... as long as one doesn’t expect stunning insights or airtight dramaturgical logic, there’s a lot of fun to be had here."

Windy City Times: "Expertly played, has the right stuff to be an audience-pleaser. As played by Anne Adams and Lance Baker, the Act II scene easily is the highlight of the show, with the threat of explosive confrontation always thisclose."

Centerstage Chicago: "Really, you should see this part-mystery and part-action drama play for the talented acting ensemble. Rebeck's dialogue is stimulating, intelligently savvy and full of unexpected humor... when the fireworks start, take cover. Stamp collecting has never been so dangerous. "

Free Press: "Makes for a crackling puzzle play... tough stuff with crude characters. Its aggression is very accessible as the tug of war between sisters and collectors tumbles to a satisfactory ending."

Kozlowski: "It's not a play that will be revived in 2075 on the moons of Jupiter, but it's also not a play that made me react with furor that it made it to Broadway. It's a good time for all... entertaining as all get-out.... My other favorite was Lance Baker in full mobster regalia as a nefarious thug with an ejaculatory soft spot for rare stamps."

TimeOut: "Four Stars...brisk, tidy, kinda dumb, really entertaining domestic caper... You could probably watch it twice without getting bored... The complicated, frequently impeccable Baker, stepping far out of his comfort zone into a broad caricature role, takes at least half the evening to disappear completely into the part of an oily, pin-striped tiger shark. But he finds his buffed-wing-tip footing in a kinky negotiation scene to fine effect."

Chicagocritic.com: "Excellent entertainment... this mystery will keep you locked until the end.  Lance Baker is superb as the villainous Sterling."

NewCity: "An undeniable crowd-pleaser... fun... a good time.... As for cast highlights, Lance Baker, one of this city’s drollest comic presences, plays the stamp thug with equal parts scariness and sarcasm—you never know if he’s joking or serious which is exactly what the part calls for."

Tribune: "Three Stars... it isn’t a great play, but it is a very clever, involving, fast-moving and juicy one.  Lance Baker... in... shtick... mode."

TICKET DEALS:

• Every Thursday is $25, call or walkup
• Day-of tickets go for $20, call or walkup
• Student tickets available for $10
• And, as always, click my email at right if you'd like to make a deal.
  

Broadway World preview here.

Official page here.  Previews start February 25th.

This Suntimes best-of list includes a mention of "Amadeus" and the "superb" performances therein.

Nina Metz calls "Scientology Pageant" one of the top 5 shows of 2008.

This NYTimes blog gave a shout-out to our online trailer.

Kerry Reid also gave end-of-year props to "Pageant" in the Tribune, as well as Hedy Weiss in the SunTimes (links no longer available).

The Onion's Decider interviews the cast about religion and such.

YouTube preview now up.

Sun-Times Hedy Weiss says "Genius!  The most hilariously funny, perfectly realized and in many ways most profound hour of theater now on a Chicago stage.  Co-directors Lance Baker and Steve Wilson have not only done a brilliant job of casting, they've also shrewdly shaped their ensemble of prodigies by using the kids' innate personalities to maximum effect.  In a season that has featured an unusual number of superb stage performances by children, this ensemble is something special. Highly Recommended!"

Tribune's Kerry Reid says "A brilliantly satirical little gem!  The ensemble of ten youngsters in the cast, many playing multiple roles, get the right mix of solemnity and whimsy... entrancing and surprising... delivers a lot of emotional and philosophical treasure under the glittering witty tinsel.  Three and a half stars!"

Centerstage's Zach Freeman says "The most engagingly hilarious hour you could spend in Chicago between now and December 28th.  Equal parts The Polyphonic Spree concert and Second City sketch night... a hilarious mix of deadpan comedic moments, unabashedly cheesy musical numbers, laugh-out-loud jokes, and sight gags with perfect comic timing befitting actors twice their age."

NewCity's Nina Metz says "Wow!  These kids are hilariously cute. I can't remember the last time I saw young actors this good-- I defy anyone to resist their enthusiasm.  The show is a half-snicker away from full snark... but there is something much deeper and more affecting going on here... the show is so much more than a stupid comedy about Scientology.  RECOMMENDED."

Time Out's Chris Piatt says "4 STARS!  This weird treat deserves, at the very least, a cult following. A hysterical send-up of the orthodoxy practiced by TomKat and Kirstie Alley (who, naturally, make appearances)-- it's a ticklish breeze to watch.  All ten tykes are great!"

The Reader's Albert Williams says "Recommended! The young performers' earnest innocence is funnier than any adult's irony could ever be."

Rob Kozlowski says: "An exceptionally funny romp."

Tribune preview article (and lively comment section) here.
Chicagoist preview here.
The anti-Scientology pranksters "Anonymous" stopped by the theater [has video of their "protest"]