DAILYSIZZLE
Check out our blog at suntimes.com/arts_entertainment
‘Jeopardy’ searching for contestants at Chicago Black Women’s Expo
Attendees at the Chicago Black Women’s Expo at McCormick Place on April 6 will have a chance to see if they have what it takes to become a “Jeopardy!” champ.
Would-be contestants will take a 50-clue written test. Those who pass will move on to the second part of the audition process, which includes practice game play and a brief interview.
“We’ve had a number of ‘Jeopardy!’ contestants from Chicago perform well over the years, and we encourage those attending the Black Women’s Expo to audition for a chance to extend the city’s successful track record,” said executive producer Harry Friedman in a statement released Wednesday.
Those successful Chicagoans include Sun-Times reporter Kara Spak, a five-time champion, as well as Fenwick High School teacher Colby Burnett, who recently won the Teachers Tournament and the Tournament of Champions. — Lori Rackl
‘Chicago Fire’ might spread to spinoff
“Chicago Fire,” starring Taylor Kinney, has always been hot with Chicago viewers, but the NBC drama also has been steadily building an audience around the country over the past few months.
Flailing NBC is in desperate need of hits, so it’s not hard to believe a Deadline.com story Wednesday about the network eyeing a spinoff of producer Dick Wolf’s drama.
Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reported “details are sketchy, but I hear the proposed spinoff is also a Chicago-set procedural about another Public Safety division, the police.” When reached Wednesday to comment on the Deadline report, an NBC spokesperson for the show said, “We aren’t able to comment on that at this time.” — Lori Rackl
The New American Folk Theatre will present the world premiere musical “The Marvelous Land of Oz,” featuring music, book and direction by Anthony Whitaker and choreography by Jamal Howard. The show, running from May 10 to June 2 at the Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee, is based on the children’s novel of the same name by L. Frank Baum, the man behind “The Wizard of Oz.”
New American Folk Theatre’s original adaptation of the book, devised for family audiences aims to bring the experience of the Fairylogue and Radio Plays back to life, will employ various puppetry styles, including shadowplay, along with live actors. — Hedy Weiss