There you have it. The great thing about commercial theater producers—and Lang is an especially down-to-earth and likable one—is that they are willing to cut to the chase.
"Shout," which opens Thursday at the Drury Lane Theatre at Water Tower Place in an open run, ain't "Macbeth" or even " Oklahoma." But it hits a lot of desirable demographic groups. Especially for a show setting up shop just a few steps from the well-traveled, retail-hugging sidewalks of Chicago's Magnificent Mile.
"Shout" is a revue composed of the soundtrack of the Swinging London of the 1960s.
Not all the stars of that era made the transition across the Atlantic—the likes of Lulu, Petula Clark and Cilla Black remain much bigger celebrities in the U.K. than in the U.S. And Dusty Springfield, one of the best known stars of the Carnaby Street-era and the singer who made the most successful inroads Stateside, died in 1999 at age 60.
But many of the catchy, bouncy hits of the time—"I Only Want to Be With You," "Downtown," "Those Were the Days"—have proved their longevity. Furthermore, the perennial popularity of James Bond movies ("Goldfinger," "Diamonds Are Forever" and so on) and the satirical ministrations of Austin Powers have given the catalog a further shot in the arm.
"Shout" has been knocking around the block for a while. It's played in Florida and in New York. And wherever it has stopped, it has unabashedly pitched itself as a party show—90 all-singing, all-dancing, all-nostalgic minutes, with martinis in the lobby.
Clearly, business will be bigger on the weekends. So "Shout" is doing an unusual three-show Saturday—performances are at 2, 6 and 9 p.m.—followed by yet two more on Sunday. If this were an Equity show, it couldn't do that.
But right from the start, Lang has cast young, non-Equity performers (although the show comes with big-name Broadway designers and union musicians). "We saw 92 girls at the auditions," Lang says. "This cast is even better than the one we had in New York."
After the Chicago run—which could last through Christmas—the Chicago production is being booked on a national tour. But for now, Chicago will be the only place in America you can see "Shout."
"Altar Boyz," the last show at the Drury Lane, did not do as well as its producers hoped. But although I liked the show very much, some people though it was strictly for gay audiences; others thought it was only for churchgoers.
"Shout!" doesn't need much explaining. Especially to the women who will be buying the tickets.
AS SEEN ON TV:
Beginning Sunday, Chris Jones reviews Chicago theater each week on the WBBM CH. 2 Sunday morning news at 10 a.m.
'Shout! The Mod Musical'
Bring back the Carnaby Street-era.
When: Open run begins Thursday
Where: Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St.
Price: $45-$55, contact 312-902-1400, ShoutTheModMusical.com and broadwayinchicago.com
