Dawn breaks a dramatic vista over The Fox, a fitting suspenseful backdrop of clouds, color and light, as I’m about to tell you here of the upcoming Jeff Awards this coming Monday night, October 17…oh, it’s nerve-wracking, exciting, yet perfectly balanced with a love of community as this gathering brings our Chicago theatre family together, looking our best, handshakes and warm hugs with friends and colleagues we mostly only get to see once a year. I think back how I started here … omg, almost 50 years ago? I got my Equity card in 1969? Yes. This is why this night always feels like coming home! Chicago, you really got a hold on me. This is where I started. After a couple of ten year stints in New York, national tours, regional theaters, I always felt the pull of this, my artistic home town, where I began acting and directing classes at Loyola University and as an undergrad began choreographing while playing leads in the spring musicals. By the time I got my BA, I had spent summers at The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and got my first Equity Chorus Contract at Pheasant Run after rehearsing an ill-fated production of Mame, starring Jane Kean, that never opened. (Standing at the door of our Winthrop Ave. apartment, by the looks of me, my roommate thought someone had died!)
Chicago always seemed to be calling me back. I think it was in 2005, Michael Weber, then artistic director of Drury Lane Water Tower Place (now The Broadway Playhouse), called me in to direct and choreograph The Full Monty. We opened the place just as the new theater’s paint dried. From then, Drury Lane Oakbrook had me back to direct Meet Me in St. Louis (starring Jesse Mueller) and then Sweet Charity, for which I moved to Chicago to stay and direct Cabaret. This was just the beginning of a lot of work and for which I owe so much gratitude to Drury Lane.
And here it is, back in Oakbrook, that all of “the fam” return annually for the Jeff Award ceremony, our own “Super Bowl” of Chicago Theatre! Paramount received 16 nominations last year and brought home to Aurora, five trophies. This year, we have been honored with 14 nominations, and they are:
For Oklahoma!
- PRODUCTION-MUSICAL-LARGE
- ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE-MUSICAL: Colte Julian (Curly)
- CHOREOGRAPHY: Katie Spelman
- MUSIC DIRECTION: Tom Vendafreddo
For A Christmas Story
- MUSIC DIRECTION: Tom Vendafreddo
For Hairspray
- ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE-MUSICAL: E. Faye Butler (Motormouth Maybelle)
- COSTUME DESIGN-LARGE: Theresa Ham
For West Side Story
- PRODUCTION-MUSICAL-LARGE
- DIRECTOR-MUSICAL: Jim Corti
- ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE-MUSICAL: Mary Antonini (Anita)
- CHOREOGRAPHY: William Carlos Angulo
- MUSIC DIRECTION: Tom Vendafreddo
- SCENIC DESIGN-LARGE: Kevin Depinet
- LIGHTING DESIGN-LARGE: Jesse Klug
Congratulations to these and all the Chicago artists nominated! We all receive so much as players in this great arena of theater; learning, creating and growing strong in the love of our art and each other. Monday night will be thrilling sharing the joy of being together all under one roof!
Keep a good thought!
Love & thanks,
Jim