Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 132

Tough talk from a frustrated star aum Theatre Cour? 6 PREMIERES PLUS REVIVALS FAVORITES THE JOFFREY BALLET AND NEW WORKS Caan hdsn't always listened to that advice, having turned down among others, he says the title role in "Superman." "Marlon (Brando) called me and said, 'I heap you're not gonna do the film. Why not? I'm doing It. Not enough I told him, 'No, the money's fine, But you won't have to wear the suit. I Still, the problem of Caan's career remains. Ha doesn't seem to be associating himself with the hot directors and the hot films.

For example, he turned down, he says, Martin Sheen's role in Coppola's "Apocalypse Now." "I couldn't have spent 18 months in the Philippines on that," he says. "I have trouble doing six weeks in Chicago on this." Asked what he wants to dojn the near future, Caan replies with a personal not professional preference: "Giggle." Today, Caan is applying himself to 'Thief and to a role he says he finds exciting. It 's the story of a crook; who leaves prison and begins pouring his ill-gotten gains into establishment businesses like bars and dry cleaners. After six weeksof Chicago filming, mostly on Hie city's North Side, the "Thief" company is scheduled to return this week to Los Angeles for four mora weeks of shooting. The $7 million production, which is just an average budget for a Hollywood film these days, is being directed for release next May by Michael Mann, a former Chicagoan who earned an Emmy Award for his last film, a fine made-for-TV prison drama called "The Jericho Mile." As for Caan, maybe all he needs is a couple ot months of sleep.

"I've gotten to the point where I'm supporting about 45 people," he says with only slight exaggeration. (He has long been known as an easy touch for old friends and relatives.) "So I need to keep working to take care of them, and I get guilt feelings every time I think of stopping." Well, says a visitor, don't let it get you down, you' still have a lot of fans who like you. "Yeah, well, they're even working on that," he says, referring to the press reports of his former wife's lawsuit." James Caan then hitches up his jeans, straightens his leather jacket, and leaves his trailer to face the end of a cold and lonely night in deserted downtown Chicago. Sure he was making a good buck, but somehow his stardom didn't seem worth envying. Continued from page 2 build a following.

They couldn't believe Ihe good reviews." To encounter Caan in such a frustrated state is to wonder, simply, if he's OK. "Not really" is his answer, and that's too bad, because during the '70s he had participated In some extremely tine films. For sure, many moviegoers are drawn to his sexuality, but those who know his film work well also have responded to Caan the actor. His best performances include leading roles In Francis Coppola's "The Rain People" and "The Godfather," Karel Reisz's "The Gambler," and Claude Lelouch's "Another Man, Another Chance." "It gets kind of frustrating," says Caan, after listening to that list. "Those are my favorite films, too, but with the exception of 'The they all did nothing at the box office.

You can get to the point in this business where you just say, 'Gimme the And that's precisely the point where some fans of Caan fear he might be. His starring role in Neil Simon's "Chapter Two" is a case in point. Asked for his opinion of the film, which has become a modest box-office success, Caan says, "It's nothing. Although I do like working with Marsha (Mason). Frankly," he adds, "I needed the had been working on 'Hide in Plain Sight' for nearly two years.

I didn't have any money." Caan's predicament illlustrates a problem that has been examined in these pages many times before the problem of the successful actor who becomes a star only to find out that stardom has little to do with acting and, often, is antithetical to acting. "I know what you're talking about," Caan says. "You can get to the point in this business where you don't get a chance to take risks anymore, where you're not given a chance to fail. If you do a supporting role in a film, or if you do a TV show, people start saying, 'He's broke, he's It's not that way in England. You can do the stage, anything." By contrast, in Hollywood, actors of Caan's status invariably acquire agents and lawyers whose incomes vary directly with the incomes of their clients.

"Yeah," he says, "if you're offered a film that will pay $250,000 and a film that will pay $1 million, your advisers always manage to come up with an argument for why you should take the million-dollar picture." -M MAY 13, 8:00 PM: SUITE SAINT-SAENS: RODEO: PAS DE DEUX: ILLUMINATIONS (Ctigo Joltrey Premiers). MAY 14, 8:00 PM: MOMENTUM (Chgo A Jollrey Premiere). FANFARITA (Revival): ILLUMINATIONS (Chqo Jollrey Premiere). KETTENTANZ (Revival). MAY 15, 8:00 PM: NEW ARPlNO BALLET (World Premiere): PAS' DE DEUX: MYTHICAL HUNTER (Joffrey Premiere): RODEO.

MAY 16, 8:00 PM: LES PATINEURS: EPODE (Auditorium Th. Premiere); RANDOM DANCES (Chgo Joffrey Premiere): SUITE SAINT-SAENS. MAY 17, 8:00 PM: NEW ARPlNO BALLET (World Premiere): PAS DE DEUX; MYTHICAL HUNTER (Joffrey Premiere): RODEO. MAY 18, 2:00 PM: LES PATINEURS: EPODE (Auditorium Th. Premiere): RANDOM DANCES (Chgo Jollrey Premiere): SUITE SAINT-SAENS.

MAY 17, 2:00 PM: MOMENTUM (Chqo Jotlrey Premiere): FANFARITA (Revival); ILLUMINATIONS (Chgo Jotfrey Premiere): KETTENTANZ (Revival). SECOND WEEK PRICES: $18. $14, $8 50 $6 50, $4 50. Box Seals $17 All Programs subjecl to Change Tickets available al the Auditorium theatre Box Office or any Ticketron outlet. til THE JOFFREY BALLET RETURNS TO CHICAGO MORE ROBUST AND SPARKLING THAN AMUSEMENTS AMUSEMENTS TODAY AT 3PM 40'S MUSIC TOUGH TO BEAT! The Big Broadcast of 1944 offers a choice opportunity to dig into the roots of contemporary music." PHILADEPHIA DAILY NEWS "I'd say scold or steal to get in.

It's sass with a smack. Put on your spring threads, strut your stuff, grab your honey and stay out late." GLENNASYSE, Chicago Sun-Times "The Chicago cast is every bit as fine as the original it gets the audience clapping." LINDA WINER, Chicago Tribune "First rate entertainment. makes it difficult to sit still in your seat." AARON GOLD, WDAIIChicago Tribune "You ain't behavin' if you don't see 'AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'." IWKUPCIItET, Chicago Sun-Times I 11 This is a profsionol rodeo with jrf' cowboys competing on rough mkf and tumble livestock for chomp- ionship points. FRIDAY, SAT. SUN.

I I MAY 16, 17 18 ,1 Performances 4 t- i 2 JP.M. Sot. Son. -I I 8 PM- Fri J. jp i featuring I I Medinah Black XjLr, 1 Horse Troop f'f I PremiS8S 0SAND 7 fiffite1 ilUU BEST MUSICAL 1978 TONY AWARD WINNER N.Y.

DRAMA CRITIC'S CIRCLE AWARD 1979 GRAMMY AWARD WINNER Original Cast Album Now Available on RCA Records Tapes TlX-BY-PlIOMi 298-2170298-3730 FOR MAIL ORDERS: Please Include $1 .00 lor handling and a selt-addressed, stamped envelope Make check payable and mall to: MILL RUN THEATRE, 600 Mill Shopping Center, Mies IL6064B it NOW THRU JUNE 8 TICKETS AT BOX OFFICE ft TICKETRON (Sears 4 Wards) IXies-Thurs $11.75 Fri Sat SI2.75 For Ticket Information Call Sal 3pm Sun 3 $1 1.75 541-5220 I ticket info (312)977-1700 We accept major credit cards GROUP SALES: 977-1705 GROUP RATES AVAILABLE ft BLACKSTOXE THEATRE eoe emtio, cincigo n60605 Page 8 Section 6 CHICAGO TRIBUNE Arts Fun-May 11, 1980, iJi.eililllf4!im.