Happy fall, kittens! As you can see from my “CTA Tracker” (as Beyoncé would say, “to the left, to the left”), this Chicago Theatre Addict is going to be quite busy very soon. On top of this, nominations for 2010-2011 Equity Jeff Awards were announced, and there are a lot of them. And I’ve some thoughts:

Huzzah!
+ Merry over Merrily We Roll Along: I’m so happy Jeff gave this pitch-perfect production some nomination love. Seriously, it was one of the best productions of a musical I’ve seen in years.

+ Get it, Bethany Thomas: Her performance of “My Man’s Gone Now” in Court Theater’s Porgy and Bess made the show for me. I’m hoping she wins it. And that she sings her acceptance speech in a high belt.

+ A Twist of Water: This beautiful play deserves all the accolades it has coming for it, Jeff-wise.

Harrumph.
+ The Tracy Letts factor: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everyone’s saying he’s a lock for his blistering turn in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, but I have to say Harry Groener is my pick for ChiShakes’ The Madness of George III. While Letts was wonderful in a wonderful production, Groener took a rather ho-hum production and elevated into the stratosphere with his showstopping performance.

+ A Chorus Line love: I didn’t care much for Marriott’s production, so its multiple nominations surprised me. Yes, it featured a strong ensemble cast and good music direction, but Rachel Rockwell, as hard as she tried, could not make this show work in the round. I mean, when seasoned Broadway hoofer Mara Davi (Cassie) was so dizzy spinning around on that stage for her 10 minute “Music and the Mirror” solo that she literally fell out of her final iconic pose on press night, you know something’s off.

Huh?
+ The Morton snub: I think I’m not alone is asking, “Where the @#$&^% is Amy Morton’s nomination for her daring, counterintuitive take on Martha in Steppenwolf’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” I mean: huh? The best actress in a play nominations are always a tight race, but this seems absurd.

+ Detroit shutout: And speaking of Steppenwolf, Detroit, a new play by Lisa D’Amour which I loved, was completely shut out. I wonder of it’ll still transfer to Broadway?

What did you think of this year’s Equity Jeff nominations? Comment away!