On a recent trip to New York, we saw the new Broadway production of Glengarry Glen Ross and were surprised to see that Chicago-based Jam Theatricals was one of three lead producers (out of a total of 11 producers). We called Jam Theatricals president Steve Traxler to find out how Jam became involved.

"Actually, it was our idea," he told us. "We had been pursuing bringing Glengarry Glen Ross to Broadway for many years. It's been 17 or 18 years [since it last was on Broadway] and we thought it was time." An attempt last year fell through, even though Jam had a directing commitment from Daniel Sullivan, plus several stars aligned. This year, Jam recruited New York-based Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel as the other lead producers and the ducks were in a row. Both are experienced theatre hands, Richards primarily as a theatre publicist and Frankel as a producer of numerous shows, among them the Broadway transfer of the Goodman's Death of a Salesman. With Sullivan no longer available, the team brought in Joe Mantello as director. Mantello made an artistic commitment to a strong ensemble cast, beginning with Alan Alda as Shelly "The Machine" Levene, the role originated by Mike Nussbaum.

Each of the lead producers raised about one-third of the $2 million capitalization, Traxler allowed. Since the show will play only a limited run—17 weeks through August 28—we asked Traxler if it was possible to recoup, let alone turn a profit. Emphatically yes, he said, especially with the sell-out business the show is doing at the Royale Theatre (just renamed the Bernard Jacobs Theatre in honor of the late Shubert Organization president). Traxler cited the example of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, which Jam co-produced on Broadway in 2003. Capitalized at $1.5 million, it earned twice that in its limited run. Nonetheless, Jam's next Broadway effort, The Retreat to Moscow in 2004, didn't make a dime, despite a script by William Nicholson (Shadowlands) and stars John Lithgow and Dame Eileen Atkins.

Traxler acknowledged that the economics of producing straight plays are challenging, and demands that one assume a short run. He said that one invests in a play for short term and in a musical—these days costing $8-$10 million—for the long term. "It's like a sprint rather than a marathon," he said.

As for musicals, Traxler and his partners Arny Granat and Jerry Mickelson (the founders of parent Jam Productions) seem to have impeccable instincts, having put money into Rent, Avenue Q and Monty Python's Spamalot. Indeed, Rent was one of Jam's first Broadway ventures five or six years ago when the company decided to become a serious player on the Great White Way. Now Jam stands to add several Tony Awards to its collection, with both the Mamet revival and the manic Monty musical nominated in numerous categories.

Regrettably, there's no immediate benefit to the Chicago theatre industry from all Jam's New York labors. We suggested to Traxler that Jam follow the lead of Dodger Productions in New York, which last year opened Dodger Stages, a complex of four state-of-the-art Off-Broadway houses. Why not open an Off-Loop facility where Jam could develop new work of its own? Traxler allowed that it was a good, expensive idea. But he tossed us a bone, too. He said that Jam is "looking at a few musicals that we want to have try out in Chicago." Hey, Steve, why not go one step farther and make sure they have a Chicago casting call, too?

We also saw the new William Finn musical (with a dandy, very funny book by Rachel Sheinkin from a concept by Rebecca Feldman), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Chicago Finn fans currently are having a field day with Porchlight Music Theatre's festival of four earlier Finn works, and there's no doubt that local producers will line up for Spelling Bee when the rights become available. Indeed, Porchlight artistic director L. Walter Stearns already says he wants to produce it, and his long relationship with Finn might give him an inside track.

It's not likely to be any time soon, however, as the Tony nominated Spelling Bee seems set for a very long run at the comfy and intimate Circle in the Square Theatre. But when the regional and amateur rights do become available, the show will live forever: with a cast of just nine and a score for two-to-six musicians, no dirty words, family friendly and laugh-out-loud funny, it will be sought after by every regional house, dinner theatre, summer stock stage and school in the country. Finn's tunes are bright, easy-listening pop, hummable if unmemorable, but perfectly suited to the tasks they perform in the show.

Meanwhile, Chicago's influence is all over New York theatre like a bad rash. Stars of current Broadway productions include former Chicagoans Richard Kind and Alan Ruck in The Producers, Bruce Vilanch in Hairspray, John C. Reilly as Stanley Kowalski opposite Natasha Richardson (to extremely mixed reviews in Streetcar) and Denis O'Hare in Sweet Charity.

Best of all, perhaps, the Goodman Theatre collaboration with the Intiman Theatre, The Light in the Piazza, is a great critical hit at Lincoln Center and has been nominated for 11 Tony Awards. Another work that received a Goodman world premiere, August Wilson's The Gem of the Ocean, is up for several Tony Awards, including outstanding production/play, even though it no longer is running.

Off-Broadway shows feature Steppenwolfie Martha Plimpton in Marivaux's The False Servant and a gaggle of Chicagoans in Austin Pendleton's Orson's Shadow, directed by David Cromer (essentially the same company he directed in the Steppenwolf world premiere two years ago). Off-off-Broadway Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind continues to wow 'em, having moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan (it's even made New York Magazine's pick list).

In Chicago news, Greg Kolack will step down as co-artistic director of Circle Theatre when the current season ends in August. Kolack has worked with Circle for 11 years. He became a company member in 1996 and has been co-artistic director (currently with Kevin Bellie) since 1998. He's directed 10 productions at Circle, among them Jeff Citation winners Crime of the Century (a Rebecca Gilman-scripted world premiere), A Piece of My Heart, Salome and the current Jeff Citation nominee The Credeaux Canvas. Kolack is leaving to pursue freelance work as a director, actor and designer and already has an established reputation outside Circle's Forest Park home base. The Apple Tree, Bailiwick, Chicago Jewish, Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, Marriott, Pegasus Players and Raven theatres are among his credits. Perhaps lesser known is that he was on the staff of Candlelight Playhouse for many years, and also put in six years with Broadway in Chicago. Circle Theatre is in its 22nd year.

Lifeline Theatre quietly has slipped an honor to Roche Edward Schulfer, its Raymond R. Snyder Award for Commitment to the Arts. The Award was presented May 1 at Lifeline's annual benefit. Says the citation of Schulfer, "Through his work at the Goodman Theatre, the League of Chicago Theatres and on the board of Lifeline, he has had an indelible impact on the theatre scene." Indelible kinda' sounds like an ink blot you can't get out of your shirt, but we know what they mean. Unmentioned in the citation is Schulfer's long service as an arts advocate, including chairmanships of the American Arts Alliance and the Illinois Arts Alliance, his industry service as an officer of Theatre Communications Group and the League of Resident Theatres, and his work with the Chicago Foundation for Women. Without question, Lifeline chose the right guy.

There's more than one way to get a theatre named after you. The easy way is to give a lot of money: the Cadillac Palace Theatre, the LaSalle Bank Theatre, the Merle Reskin Theatre (although Ms. Reskin has done far more than write checks). The hard way is to hang around so effing long and be so impossible to get rid of that they finally name something after you. I'm still waiting. Meantime, that's the way Dennis Zacek and Marcelle McVay have done it. Victory Gardens Theatre has announced that its new 299-seat mainstage house, currently under construction at the Biograph Theatre, will be named the Zacek-McVay Theatre.

As everyone must know, the husband-wife team of artistic director Dennis Zacek and managing director Marcelle McVay has been around forever. It may be true that they've taken Victory Gardens from a good idea to national prominence, winning the 2001 Regional Theatre Tony Award in the process, but still, aren't there any rich people waiting in line? The Zacek-McVay Theatre is expected to be ready in time for the 2006-2007 season.

Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and Redmoon Theatre are among nine recipients nationwide of Future Leaders Mentorships grants from the Theatre Communications Group (TCG). The two-year grants allow the companies to employ and mentor early-career professionals from either the arts or business sides of the non-profit coin. At Chicago Shakespeare, executive director Criss Henderson will mentor Michael Thomas Newberry in producing and program development. Newberry recently received a master's degree in arts management from Carnegie Mellon University, and also has significant life experience in the non-profit sector.

At Redmoon, artistic director James Lasko will mentor Seth Bockley in directing and artistic leadership. Bockley has a BA from Brown University, and already has carved a career as a writer and performer with Chicago credits, among them the PAC/Edge Festival, Walkabout Theatre and Local Infinities. The TCG program is underwritten by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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