"Band Geeks: A Halftime Musical," and "Listen, Kid"
There is a new trend in the Chicago sketch scene: corny, tongue in cheek, subtly dirty musical comedies. Unlike the breed of self important Broadway musicals, these shows have the feeling of a sketch show where the best characters and bits just happen to keep coming back in song.
Listen Kid, by Improv Olympic alum and current Colbert Report writer Peter Gwinn, is a hilarious show that aims to teach lessons to children that their parents wouldn't have the balls to tackle.
That said, do not bring your kids, but do keep an open mind to their advice: everyone could probably stand to hear a song about the fact (yes, FACT) that having a friend with benefits will eventually go awry.
Listen Kid stars seven Chicago improvisers (members of Merman, DSI's The Beatbox, and Baby Wants Candy, to name a few) who can actually sing, and is directed by Rich Prouty. It is running Thursdays at 8 through December 21 at the Del Close Theater at i.O.
Band Geeks: A Halftime Musical features the impressive geometric choreography of the 1989 Elyria Pioneer Marching Band. The book was written by Amy Petersen and Becky Eldridge, two "band fags" who happened to march together in real life for their high school band, also called the Elyria Pioneer Marching Band, also circa 1989. Andy Eninger, of GayCo productions, directs the show.
After a successful run at the New York Fringe Festival in August, the band has returned to Chicago. Thank god, because these characters are worth seeing. Particularly a goth girl and her Ouija Board...and a Mennonite flautist...and a knocked up majorette. Basically everyone whom, in retrospect, you wish you could have been friends with in high school.
Time Out Chicago described Band Geeks as "convulsively funny" and the Chicago Tribune noted "it's no wonder this show has become a late-night hit." Go see it! And be ready to convulse at the funny.
Band Geeks runs Fridays and Saturdays at 11:30 pm through November 4 at Theatre Building Chicago.
