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|  Thursday, August 7, 2008 |
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The Producers
Aug. 9-Sept. 28
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
It's been an interesting arc for this musical adaptation of Mel Brooks' movie. The stage musical starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick was a blockbuster on Broadway, winning an embarrassingly large pile of Tony Awards and sending audiences into apoplexy. Subsequent replacement casts, though, were criticized for not being able to generate the same laughs. Then the film version-with Lane and Broderick and most of the original show cast-was released with a thud. Those who didn't see the original production were justified in asking what all the fuss was about.
But then rights to the show became available to regional theaters. And with a little distance from the Broadway version and new ideas and energy brought to the creative table, these productions seem to be reclaiming the show as the fun, naughty crowd-pleaser that it should be.
After seeing the original pre-Broadway show in Chicago, the national tour, and the film, I thought I was burned out on "The Producers." But I'm really looking forward to seeing it in the hands of Beef & Boards mainstays Eddie Curry, Doug Stark and the outrageous Jeff Stockberger. For details, click here.
"Thomas Woodruff: Freak Parade"
 Aug. 8-Oct. 4
Herron Gallery
Today's animal-tricks-and-acrobat circuses are mild affairs compared to their equivalents 100 years ago. But even those shows were hum-drum compared to the circus in the imagination of artist Thomas Woodruff.
There's an intense dignity to the "irregulars" portrayed by Woodruff in his defining collection of paintings, "Freak Parade." The long-necked rabbits, the many-breasted majorette, even the pinhead sweeping up the trailing scraps seems to have an acceptance of self that makes attitude a key attribute.
See Woodruff's work (32 pieces in all) at Herron Gallery at IUPUI. And mark your calendar for Sept. 18 if you want to meet the artist. He'll be giving a lecture and attending an open-to-the-public reception that day. For details, click here.
Los Lobos/Los Lonely Boys
Aug. 9
Murat Egyptian Room
You only have to hear some musical acts once to know they've got the chops. Case in point: Los Lonely Boys and its signature song, "Heaven" (Give a listen here.), which brought the trio to national fame in 2004 while landing the band a Grammy.
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This inspired concert pairing puts Los Lonely Boys on a bill with Los Lobos, the Tex-Mex band that hit a generation earlier thanks to the musicianship they applied to the Richie Valens staple "La Bamba." Since then, Los Lobos has picked up a couple of Grammy awards, contributed the score for the movie "Mariachi," and performed with the likes of Tom Waits and Elvis Costello. What's next? Would you believe an album of Disney music called "Funky Old Songs"? It's due out this fall.
For details on the concert, click here.
Maureen McGovern
Aug. 8
Indiana University Musical Arts Center
Vocalist Maureen McGovern was honored this year with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs, which puts her in the company of such greats as Rosemary Clooney, Barbara Cook and Betty Buckley.
In a letter of acceptance, she said of her cabaret singing: "The experience has given me a workshop to explore and fine tune my craft through the years. From there, I have taken the essence of these shows to concert and symphony halls while still maintaining the intimacy and immediacy of a small room."
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| This week, as part of IU's Summer Music Festival, the acclaimed singer won't just bring her act to campus. IU prof (and jazz drummer) Steve Houghton teamed with the singer to create a musical evening incorporating a big band of students and faculty. The second half of the show raises the stakes even further by adding in the University's Festival Orchestra.
Expect to hear songs from Gershwin, Porter and other old-school greats as well as tunes off of McGovern's latest disc, "A Long and Winding Road," which celebrates great songwriting of a more recent era. For a listen to what McGovern's been up to lately-including her take on the music of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Lennon/McCartney- click here.
For concert details, click here.
Carrie Underwood
Aug. 8
Daughtry
Aug. 9
Indiana State Fair
 With Carrie Underwood and Daughtry both playing at the Indiana State Fair this week, who needs an "American Idol" tour? These two acts somehow survived the circus-like TV competition with their identities intact. And their early recordings show promise of a solid shelf life.
Take your pick this week. And enjoy the elephant years.
For details, click here.
This Week's Contest
Want to win tickets to see Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" tour at the Indiana State Fair on Aug. 13. Of course you do. All you have to do for a chance to win is enter here. We'll pull one name at random.
 Just to make things interesting, in the response box, tell us anything you know about Minnesota. Anything.
What you tell us won't help you win, but next week we'll offer a link to our favorite responses. For more information on the show, click here.
By the way, last week we offered a pair of tickets to opening night of "The Producers" at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre (see preview, above) The winner? Stacy Fitzsimmons. We also asked you to tell us your most memorable Mel Brooks movie moment. Your responses are here.
Oh, and make sure to visit www.ibj.com/arts for previews, reviews, blogs and video.
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"The Producers." Don't be stupid, be a schmarty... 
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