Christopher James Rose
The Tides of the Tempest roar again… not in Las Vegas, Boston, or California, but Chicago!
For those of you who are unaware, for the past two years I have been officially working on a production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” that was re-written and adapted by Teller (of Penn & Teller) and Aaron Posner into a shipwrecked magic show. The project was one of the most artistically fulfilling experiences of my life and recently won me a Las Angeles Drama Critic Circle Award for my work on the illusions and magic in the show. Since August 2014, the show has been on a year long hiatus… but no longer. The Chicago Shakespeare Theater has taken up the mantel of making this gigantic, incredible show happen.
You can read about my previous work on The Tempest Here, Here, and Here.
My services have once again been called upon to serve as the production’s Assistant Magic Designer (working with both Johnny Thompson and Teller). In addition, I am also an actor in the show playing a Bird-Headed Minion, the on-site magic expert, and the understudy to Ariel.
As you can imagine, these projects are typically shrouded with mystery and secrecy. However… I am now in a position to give some details as to what is going on. Firstly, I’m very excited to announce that we have an entirely new cast which includes Larry Yando as Prospero. Larry has many credits and is just a delight to work with. From BroadwayWorld.com, I found an article that I will quote below:
Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the full casting and creative team for Shakespeare’s spectacular tale of revenge and romance-The Tempest, staged by award-winning directors Aaron Posner and Teller, of the magic duo Penn & Teller. This inventive reimagining features the music of Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, as well as choreography from the pioneering dance troupe Pilobolus led by Associate Artistic Director Matt Kent.
One of the final works in Shakespeare’s canon, the play transports audiences to an enchanted island where nothing is quite as it seems. Heralding the celebration of Shakespeare’s four-hundred-year legacy in 2016, The Tempest inaugurates Chicago Shakespeare’s 2015/16 season in the Courtyard Theater, September 8-November 8, 2015.
For the interested parties, the entire article can be found here.
I wish I could explain to everyone just how exciting it is to be back on this project, but I will get more chances to do so in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned for updates, but in the meantime questions can be asked in the comments below.
