| Good afternoon. I've seen a bucketload of shows in New York and Chicago since last weekend's newsletter. In Chicago: the fabulous revue "Going Bacharach" at the Apollo Theater, the awful "Fault" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the tense “Job” at Writers Theatre and the deeply emotional "Follies," a one-weekend-only treat from Porchlight Music Theatre at the packed Studebaker Theater. Genevieve Thiers, Sybyl Walker, Honey West, Michelle Duffy, John Concepcion, Dennis Zacek, Angela Ingersoll, Susie McMonagle, Mary Robin Roth, Lauren Miller and Felicia P. Fields in a concert staging
of “Follies” by Porchlight Music Theatre at the Studebaker Theater. (Michael Brosilow) What a pleasure to see some of those great Chicago actors again, in some cases after years away. Reviews of the tour of
"Gatsby" and the Brendan Hunt one-person show, "The Movement You Need," which opened last night, are coming soon. In New York, this was the last week of openings for the Broadway season. I caught every Broadway show this year and my last batch of reviews includes "Schmigadoon," "The Lost Boys," "Rocky Horror Show," "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" and
"Beaches." I see a lot of shows, but not usually this many! Some news: Writers Theatre has announced the massive cast of its upcoming production of Tom Stoppard's
"Leopoldstadt." You'll be seeing Justin Albinder (as Zac/Nathan), Ian Barford (Hermann), Ella Bopari (Young Sally/Mimi), Levi Charnay (Young Jacob/Heini), Hanna Dworkin (Poldi/Older Hanna), Jessie Fisher (Hilde/Rosa), Sean Fortunato (Ernst), Kate Fry (Gretl), Sam Bell-Gurwitz (Jacob/Leo), Erik Hellman (Fritz/Percy), Asha Dale Hopman (Young Rosa/Bella), Rachel Jones (Ensemble), Theo Clark Leber (Young Jacob/Heini). Morgan Medina (Young Rosa/Bella), Andrew Mueller (Otto/Civilian), Grainne Ortlieb (Jana/Sally), Sarah Coakley Price (Wilma), Barbara Robertson (Emilia/Older Eva), Adeline
Rosenthal (Young Sally/Mimi), Emma Rosenthal (Eva/Nellie), Sebastian Rus (Pauli/Young Leo), Caleb Scherr (Pauli/Young Leo), Joey Slotnick (Ludwig) and Brenann Stacker (Hanna/Hermine). Opening night is June 12. Ricardo Rosenkranz, the "Physician Magician," opens a new show May 14 at the Rhapsody Theatre in Rogers Park. David Pasquesi, Matt DeCaro and Ron OJ Parson in a rehearsal for "Romance," by David Mamet at the Goodman
Theatre in February 2006. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune) Finally, the Chicago theater community mourned the loss this weekend of Matt DeCaro, an actor and teacher whom I was privileged to watch and review for more than 25 years. He died while working in a show, as he surely would have wanted. But it's a painful diminishment of the city's creative community, and my condolences to all
his family and friends. See you at the theater. — Chris Jones, chief theater critic Christopher Donahue and Rae Gray in “Job” at Writers Theatre in Glencoe. (Hugo Hentoff) Our current list of Chris Jones Recommends: “Theater of the Mind” in an open run by the Goodman at the Reid Murdoch Building; “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” through May 3 at the Goodman Theatre; “The Merry Wives of Windsor” through May 3 in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater; "Windfall” through May 31 in Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theatre; “Heartbreak Hotel” through May 31 at the Marriott Theatre; “Windfall” through May 31 in Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theatre; “Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon” through May 17 at the Apollo Theater; “Job” through June 14 at Writers Theatre. | 
