I viewed the blood red moon from my roof this a.m. It was underwhelming. It looked like a distant, fuzzy, orangish circle. I took a picture but it was even less impressive in a photo. To make the most of my roof excursion, I snapped a picture of day breaking. Now, that’s something amazing to ...
Review “Capriccio” (Lyric Opera): Music is the winner!
Lyric Opera of Chicago presents CAPRICCIO. This is my second experience with Composer Richard Strauss’ debate of words verses music. Although Strauss aided Clemens Krauss in creating the libretto, there is no doubt what Strauss believes to be more important. Under the spirited baton of Sir Andrew Davis, the music dominates the stage from the overture ...
Wharton’s masterpiece
“Age of Innocence” was our most recent read in the Roaring 20s Book Club. The movie with Daniel Day Lewis and Michelle Pfieffer is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time. Tom hosted the book discussion at his house. He has a projection movie set-up so we also screened the movie. It ...
It wasn’t a disaster as much as a nonevent!
Dear Redmoon Theatre, When you invite the city to a party, you need to be prepared when they show up. Last night, Redmoon Theatre launched the first annual Great Chicago Fire Festival. The pre-spectacle press materials described it as a theatrical fire showcase taking place on the Chicago River from the State Street Bridge to the Columbus ...
Review “The Vandal” (Steep Theatre): Riveting Enigma
Steep Theatre presents the Midwest Premiere of THE VANDAL. In his playwright debut, Hamish Linklater nails it! THE VANDAL is engrossing and poignant. Linklater’s story is multiple stories told by three characters. From the start, we are engaged in these people’s lives. A precocious Jack Miggins (boy) aggressively needles a sullen Kendra Thulin (woman) at a ...
I did a handstand…twice
Yesterday, I did this pose at yoga...twice. Of course, I had a shirt on. And I’m fluffier than this guy. Plus, I only did it for a couple moments. BUT I did it. The action freaked me out. I’m getting stronger. My body is changing. I’m not dropping significant weight but that was never my primary ...
Review “Don Giovanni” (Lyric Opera): Deliciously Wicked!
A funny thing happened on the way to the opera... Well, not so much funny as annoying. Tuesday evening, we arrived at the Lyric at 7:10pm. We found a line coming out of the building and wrapping around the corner of Madison and Wacker. I’ve never experienced any line in my nineteen years of attending the ...
Review “Smokefall” (Goodman Theatre): Total original!
Goodman Theatre presents a remount of the successful 2013 premiere of SMOKEFALL. This show is different. The set, designed by Kevin Depinet, hints of that immediately. A massive, slanted wooden ceiling covers an ordinary-looking two level mid-century decorated home. A cut-out window in the roof looks to a sunlit sky. Artificial grass carpets a floating staircase ...
“In the end only kindness matters.” – Jewel
I woke abruptly from a good night sleep this morning. I was having a nightmare. Typically, at this time of year, I have many nightmares about my November fundraiser. It’s my mind restlessly running through ‘what if’ scenarios. It’s the adult equivalent of dreaming about going to school naked or in your pajamas. These ‘what ...
Review “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (Idle Muse Theatre): True Psychological Killer
Idle Muse Theatre Company presents DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. The well-known tale of physician-by-day and killer-by-night gets an intellectual makeover in Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation. Hatcher has one Jekyll and several Hydes. Each ensemble member plays one of Jekyll’s various colleagues but they also each play his mental nemeses, Hyde. The notion is clever. And ...