What do you do as a followup to cracked eggs and roasted chickens courtesy of “To Master the Art,” the delicious William Brown-Doug Frew play about Julia Child’s initiation into French cuisine that is set to open the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, where it will run Sept. 10-Oct. 6?
Well, it looks like you go on to learn a thing or two about spanking and bondage by way of “50 Shades! The Musical,” a parody of British writer E.L. James’ bestselling “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy — the books that have had suburban housewives lining up at bookstores in recent years. (32 million copies of the books have been sold in the U.S. alone). The show, which had a brief engagement here earlier at the Apollo Theatre, and has already been seen in New York and at the Edinburgh Festival, will run Oct. 22-27 at the Broadway Playhouse, 175 E. Chestnut. It arrives well before the expected Aug. 2014 release of the Universal Pictures feature film.
“50 Shades! The Musical” opens with a ladies book club deciding to read the book. Through their interpretation of the novel, the audience is led on a comic roller coaster ride that features dance numbers, 11 original songs (“They Get Nasty”, “I Don’t Make Love”, and “There’s a Hole Inside of Me”), and a live band.
The show, produced by Marshall Cordell, Albert Samuels and Emily Dorezas is only for those age 18 or older, but it claims it “does not cross boundaries that would make general audiences squirm.”
Individual tickets ($29 – $49) are now on sale. many performances. Call (800) 775-2000 or visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
