Tune's 'Turn' a musical romp through 20th century

Some years ago, Tommy Tune did Robert Falls a favor when he agreed to let the fledgling director sit in on a rehearsal.

This summer, Falls returned the favor when he offered the Goodman Theatre for the world premiere of "Turn of the Century," the new musical directed by the nine-time Tony Award winner. With Tune at the helm, a score comprised of 20th century standards, book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the Tony-winning writers responsible for "The Jersey Boys" and film star Jeff Daniels and Broadway veteran Rachel York playing the leads, "Turn of the Century" has a pedigree that will likely propel it to Broadway.

For now, the creative team is settled happily at the Goodman, which Tune described as the "Rolls-Royce of regional theaters," preparing for Monday, Sept. 29's opening of what may be the ultimate jukebox musical in the sense that its score spans a century's worth of standards. The story concerns a struggling cabaret duo played by Daniels and York who, on New Year's Eve 1999, are transported back in time to 1899. There, they appropriate some of the world's greatest tunes as their own, hoping to find in the 19th century the wealth and fame that eluded them in the 20th.

"Chicago is a great musical town, it's a great jazz town," said Brickman, who with Elice and Tune whittled 100 years of tunes into a suitable score. "The Chicago audience is closest to the ideal audience for our show."

Of course it helps that the city so readily embraced that other Brickman-Elice project. Still, the writers acknowledge that following a hit jukebox show with another jukebox show has its perils.

In fact, after "Jersey Boys," said Elice, "the riskiest thing we could do was to do another jukebox musical."

So that's exactly what they did. But then, Brickman's a gambler from way back, ever since he and Woody Allen went with their hearts instead of a sure thing and wound up with a couple of best original screenplay Oscars for "Annie Hall."

The producers found another risk-taker in Daniels ("The Squid and the Whale," "Terms of Endearment," "Dumb and Dumber"). Daniels, founder and artistic director of Michigan's Purple Rose Theatre Company, got a call asking him if he'd like to do a musical with Tommy Tune.

"Where do I sign?" he said.

Even though it meant taking a chance on an unproven show, no one had to ask him twice.

Debuting a new work "is a bigger risk," acknowledged Daniels, "but the rewards are so much greater. You're on a tightrope. The gun's to your head. We may fail miserably, but if we succeed it's twice the success."

The consensus from Daniels and others involved in this production seems to be that there's no way the show can fail with Tune in charge.

"Everyone brings something to the table," said music director Michael Biagi, "and the best idea wins. That's what makes (Tune) such a joy to work for."

"Intimidation doesn't happen," said choreographer Noah Racey, "awe happens."

"Turn of the Century," opens Monday, Sept. 29, at Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. $25-$82. (312) 443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org.