Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is all about love. And yes, I love my family and friends so much. And even though I’m missing romantic love, I know I am truly blessed. Yesterday, someone at the office told me I looked like I was dressed for Valentine’s Day. I responded, “I did it intentionally to prove I’m ...
What the funk?
It’s Friday the 13th! I’m not really a superstitious gal but I did wake up in a gloomy funk. And I like the idea of a mystical reason rather than the reality of my life. This week has been hard. I’ve been in week 2 of the never-ending cold. I don’t feel super horrific – thankfully- ...
Review “Sondheim on Sondheim” (Porchlight Music Theatre): A Keepsake to be Shared
Porchlight Music Theatre presents the Chicago Premiere of SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM. Composer Stephen Sondheim handwrites his award-winning pieces on legal pads in pencil. He does it sipping a shot of whiskey while reclining on a couch. How do I know? He told me. In this intimate musical documentary, Sondheim himself narrates us through his 50 year ...
Review “Tannhauser” (Lyric Opera): Lust to Love
Lyric Opera presents TANNHAUSER. Wagner’s love debate of intellectual connection verses physical attraction opens with sensual athleticism. On a surreal set featuring a grand stage on the Lyric’s grandeur stage, Michaela Schuster (Venus) seduces Johan Botha (Tannhauser). He watches from a chair. She beckons from the stage. Reality is blurred. Venus becomes several ladies. Tannhauser becomes ...
Review “Circle-Machine” (Oracle Theatre): Imaginative Spectacle
Oracle Theatre presents the world premiere adaptation, CIRCLE-MACHINE. REVIEWERS DISCLAIMER: I, unfortunately, had an obscure vantage point. The show is set up as partial thrust staging. The bulk seats are on either side of the stage. Then there is an odd elevated row along the middle wall in-between. The six seats are recessed and against a ...
Review “Red Bud” (Signal Ensemble Theatre): Playful to Toxic in 70 Minutes!
Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the U.S. Premiere of RED BUD. Playwright Brett Neveu captures perfectly what’s good and awful with annual male rituals. In his ode to the Midwest, Neveu has his guys gather for Red Bud, a championship motorcross race. The show starts off slowly as camp is set up. Each of the men arrives ...
Athletic transformation
I can't do this pose,,,YET! Yesterday, I completed a survey for Ganesha Yoga Studio. They were doing a business analysis and I was happy to help. I’ve been practicing yoga there for over two years. And learning yoga at Ganesha is the impetus for completely changing the way I view my body and embracing an ...
How I spent Blizzard 2015
I survived the Chicago blizzard of 2011 and 2015. So, I’ve got that! It seems like the very act of surviving is a resume builder, conversation starter or just a smug reality. Chicago endures disaster in style. We don’t get bogged down in the idea of epic weather. We go out in it. How I spent my ...
EXTENDED Thru Mar 22 “Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play” (Theater Wit): Oozing Ingenuity
Theater Wit presents the Midwest Debut of MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY. Although I’ve always enjoyed The Simpsons, I’ve only seen a few dozen episodes over their 15 +year run. I appreciate the show’s clever writing. And I’m impressed by its staying power as a comedy icon. So, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised it survives ...
Review “The Adventures of Tapman” (Tapman Productions): A Superhero to Love
Tapman Productions presents THE ADVENTURES OF TAPMAN, the first show in their inaugural season. Tap dancing gets a comic makeover in this superhero saga. Inspired by his childhood love of comic books, Artistic Director Tristan Bruns has conceived his tap dancing showcase as a crime fighting adventure. Bruns plays Tapman, a dancer dedicated to stopping the ...