Newspapers and vaudeville

Looks as if at least one newspaper is turning toward an older, even more dead art form for salvation: Live theater variety shows to tout their product and scrounge for sources of revenue.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/ct-biz-0922-phil-20100922,0,2176408.column

Here's the pertinent part:

An experimental series of six weekly one-hour stage shows set to begin Oct. 14, "Chicago Live!" will have topical Second City sketches and entertainment performances from local stages in addition to newsmaker interviews and sports talk with columnists David Haugh and Steve Rosenbloom. Tribune and News 720 WGN-AM raconteur Rick Kogan will be ringmaster.

"Chicago Live!" will tape Thursday evenings before a $25-a-ticket audience at the 250-seat Downstairs Theatre at the Chicago Theatre (not unlike Chicago Public Media's "Wait Wait … Don't Tell Me!" at the Chase Auditorium) for airing at 11 p.m. Fridays on Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co.'s WGN-AM. There will be a reception after each taping.

Unless they add a little burlesque -- not from the sports department, please -- this has no shot.

 

Steve Rosenbloom is a funny guy; he might draw folks to hear his act.

Recall that Gene Collier (Pitts Post-Gazette) has done some stand-up comedy locally for a while now. Comedy Central is not beating down his doors to give him his own show there, but he keeps it together locally.

Rosenbloom might pull this off. Agree the odds are not good, but it's worth a shot.