Clef N tes
Chicagoland Journal for the Arts
The
Guide Stephen Petronio Company is just one of our picks for the best and the brightest in Chicagoland's amazing new cultural season!
A Tale of Two Cities
Andreas Mitisek takes the helm of Chicago Opera Theater with a new collaborative model that just may take COT to a whole new level
Lens of authenticity Interview with Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member K. Todd Freeman
AUTUMN 2012
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C l e f N o t e s J o u r na l . c o m
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OSCAR NOmINee DIANe LANe AND BROADWAy’S FINN WITTROCk DAzzLe IN TeNNeSSee WILLIAmS’ meSmeRIzING, SumpTuOuS CLASSIC.
STARRING: By Tennessee Williams DirecteD By DaviD Cromer
September 14 – OctOber 25, 2012 This stunning American classic takes on new life under the direction of David Cromer, hailed by The New York Times as “a visionary wunderkind.” Laced with humor and Williams’ “characteristically gorgeous lyricism” (The New York Times), Sweet Bird of Youth is a sensual, haunting theatrical journey that will captivate and seduce you.
Diane lane
groups of 10 or more:
single tickets:
312.443.3820 GoodmanTheatre.org/Groups Groups@GoodmanTheatre.org
312.443.3800 GoodmanTheatre.org
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Contents
Photo by Jimmy Ryan
Autumn 2012
CNCJA
FEATURES
26 12 Lens of Authenticity We sit down with Steppenwolf ensemble member K. Todd Freeman as he gets set to take the director's chair in the Theater's season-opening work Good People by Pulitzer Prizewinner David Linday-Abaire.
14 Top 10 Newbies Everyone loves bright and shiny new things. We give our editors' selections for the top ten best new arrivals in Chicagoland's adventuresome cultural landscape.
16 Stubborn Defiance Rich Cotovsky and Lakeview's Mary-Arrchie Theatre have racked up a host of accolades just by sticking to their guns and bringing their very own brand of unflinching and unyielding Chicago storefront theater. On the Cover: Stephen Petronio Company in "Beauty and the Brut" (photo by Sarah Silver);.Above: Jazz Trumpeter Terrel Stafford's October 27th concert at The Music Institute of Chicago in Evanston makes Fred Cummings' picks for one of the can't miss music events of the season in The Guide.
20 The Guide Clef Notes' first annual Guide to the new Chicagoland performing arts season. We bring you our hands-down best bets, must-see cultural events of the 2012-2013 season. Autumn 2012CNCJA•3
From the Publisher’s Desk
Photo courtesy of The City of Chicago
There's something very exhilarating about the whole concept of newness. The idea of unveiling the unexplored stimulates our innate passion for discovery and all things brand new. For culture-lovers, few things sate that passion like a new Chicago arts and culture season. In a city with so much cultural diversity, the thought of discovery can be downright elating when a new arts season is upon us. We have some of the most incredible artistic forces on the planet at work right here in Chicago. And each season, if there's something you can count on, it's the fact that there will always be great wonders to discover for culture lovers of all tastes and persuasions. There will always be sensational performances of great new works, always new enlightenment of timehonored masterpieces, always mind-bending innovations from the most forward-thinking voices, and always, always one-of-a-kind collaborative performances that could never happen anywhere else on the globe. It's what defines Chicago culture, what defines Chicago as a world-class metropolis. Well, the new season Downtown Chicago skyline is indeed upon us and we have all of the above and then some at our doorstep. And we've put together an issue that is sure to whet your whistle for a wildly diverse new season that offers a mother lode of that discovery of which we're so fond. This summer we had a chance to sit down with Chicago Opera Theater's (COT) new general director, Andreas Mitisek, and discuss a bold new plan to amass the forces of COT and Long Beach Opera (which he also heads) to create a unique visionary model for collaborative development that is expected to enhance both the creative and financial resources of the two companies. Our feature on Mitisek unveils an intriguing new approach that could very well point the way for similar cultural institutions around the globe. The new season also yields a fascinating peek at the larger world around us through the lens of the Adler Planetarium's newest exhibit this season The Universe: A Walk Through Space and Time. We take a look at the extraordinary interactive exhibit that transports visitors on a jaunt throughout the cosmos and examines the origins of our worlds. But, of course, most exciting for us is our first annual Guide, our writers' picks for the best and the brightest in Chicagoland's 2012-2013 season. We've gone through the new performing arts calendar with a fine tooth comb and polled some of the city's most prolific artistic directors for insight into their new programs and have brought you a slate of can't miss performances and exhibits that would stagger the most erudite of culture fans. So don't feel overwhelmed, don't stammer at the thought of digesting the new cultural calendar ahead. Simply sit back, strap yourself in and get ready to explore one colossal season through the pages of Clef Notes' Autumn 2012 Issue. Sincerely, D. Webb Publisher
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Clef N tes
Chicagoland Journal for the Arts Autumn 2012
Publisher D. Webb
Editorial Editor
Patrick M. Curran II
Editorial Support Christopher Hopper Rachel Cullen Meaghan Phillips
Staff Writers and Contributors David Berner Fred Cummings Emily Disher Don Fujiwara Julianne Ingles Carrie Miller Brittany Rice Andrew Schmidt Daniel Scurek Myron Silberstein
Art Direction Art Director
Carl Benjamin Smith
Contributing Photographers Alan Klehr Jason M. Reese
Graphics & Design Specialists Chelsea Davis Angela Chang
Advertising Tel. 773.741.5502 Jason Montgomery Jason.Montgomery@ClefNotesJournal.com Adam McKinney Adam.Mckinney@ClefNotesJournal.com Subscriptions Clef Notes is published quarterly (March, June, September and December) each year. An annual subscription to the magazine may be purchased by mailing a check or money order for $18 to Clef Notes Publishing, Inc., 5815 N. Sheridan Road, Suite 1107, Chicago, IL 60660. Bulk rates are also available. Credit card purchases may be secured online at ClefNotesJournal.com or by calling 773.741.5502. Copyright © 2012 Clef Notes Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the USA.
Contents Autumn 2012
CNCJA
DEPARTMENTS
18 Curator's Corner: Cosmic Journey A look at Adler Planetarium's newest interactive experience that takes visitors on an eye-popping journey throughout the cosmos.
42 Artist Conversational: Andreas Mitisek Myron Silberstein sits down with Chicago Opera Theater's general director as he launches a bold new initiative that sets a new standard for collaboration in the world of opera theater.
36
50 Preview: Pieces of Freedom Don Fujiwara previews artist Dahn Voh's new exhibition that literally disects the idea of the iconic symbol of freedom, Lady Liberty, and what she truly stands for.
Photo by Alan Klehr
58 Shall We Dance? Emily Disher profiles the Trey McIntyre Project, ambassadors for American dance, in advance of their fall performance at Harris Theater.
Left: Andreas Mitisek, general director of The Chicago Opera Theater, in the lobby of the innovative opera company's home at Harris Theater for Music and Dance.
Autumn 2012CNCJA•5
scuttlebutt
Letters from our readers... Photo © Julien Benhamou 2009
Bonjour Chicago Culture
The Paris Opera Ballet perform "Giselle."
Physician Heal Thyself
I read you your magazine's (Winter 2011) profile of the Paris Opera Ballet and their recent performance of ("Giselle.") I have not followed dance very much, but was a bit intrigued when I found out that Millennium Park would simulcast the performance this summer. So I ventured down to watch and have to admit I was absolutely thrilled with the whole experience. It helped me to realize just how lucky I am to be living in a city like Chicago, where opportunities to experience cultural events like this one are in such great number. Ellen Dwyers Chicago - Streeterville
I have to take issue with Myron Silberstein for his criticism of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's spring (2012) performance of "Masters of The Keyboard" and the lack of diversity on the concert's program.
Jeff Westmore Chicago - River North
Photo by Henry Fair
Certainly, there are a wide variety of two and four-hand keyboard works, but that doesn't mean that the Society is in any way obligated to create a survey of the chamber keyboard works since the beginning of time in one program. Every concert does not have to be a masterclass in the history of music....I, for one, enjoyed the small vignette of pieces the pianists programmed. It inspired me to look further into that expansive repertoire Mr. Silberstein was so eager to hear. French pianist Jean Efflam Bavouzet
Photo courtesy of First Folio Theatre
High Fives for Folio First It was nice to see First Folio Theatre (Orland Park) profiled in your publication's recent summer arts recommendations. I've attended performances in their outdoor venue several times and there is really is nothing else quite like it. Its small but talented and dedicated group of actors give beautifully creative presentations every performance and they've made a pretty solid name for themselves in a city with as large a theatre contingent like Chicago. Nice choice.
Kris Reilly (Gratiano), Hayley L. Rice (Nerissa), Melanie Keller (Portia), and Kevin McKillip (Bassanio) in First Folio Theatre's production of Merchant of Venice. Readers may submit letters to Feedback, Clef Notes Publishing, Inc. 5815 N. Sheridan Road, Suite 1107, Chicago, IL 60660 or via E-mail to Feedback@ClefNotesJournal.com.
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No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the express written consent of the publisher. Clef Notes Publishing makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s content. However, we cannot be held responsible for any consequence arising from errors or omissions.
Jonathan Rutter Wilmette, IL
35
YEARS
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The landmark 35Th anniversary season BeGins ocToBer 18 Subscriptions start at $75 hubbardstreetdance.com 312-850-9744 2012CNCJA•7 Hubbard Street Dancer Meredith Dincolo. PhotoAutumn by Todd Rosenberg.
Out and About
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he Women’s Board of Ravinia Festival hosted its annual Gala Benefit on Saturday, July 21, entitled “Leading Ladies” and featuring celebrated stars Patti LuPone and Patricia Racette. They were joined by Ravinia Festival music director James Conlon leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, guest conductor Rob Fisher and pianist Joseph Thalken in his Ravinia debut. The evening honored the 50th anniversary of the Ravinia Women’s Board, a volunteer leadership group that has become the single largest contributor to the not-for-profit festival over the past 50 years. The performance included arias by Puccini, Dvorák and Catalani, and hits of the iconic French chanteuse Édith Piaf performed by Racette. LuPone performed songs from Evita, Sweeney Todd, Gypsy and Funny Girl. The annual gala is the only performance fundraiser benefiting the not-for-profit festival’s mission, especially its efforts to bring music back to the schools through its REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs. The special black-tie event, which raised over $900,000, was attended by approximately 800 guests and began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the lawn, followed by the performance and an elegant dinner served in the Gala Marquee. The cocktail reception Patti LuPone performs with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Photo by Russell was sponsored by BMO Harris Bank. Jenkins.
Desiree Ruhstrat and David Cunliffe (members of the Lincoln Trio). Photo by Russell Jenkins.
L to R: Rob and Nancy Rotering (Highland Park), Julie Dann Schneider and Steve Steinmeyer (Deerfield). Photo by Robert Carl.
L to R: Jean Berghoff (Chicago) and Boots Nathan (Winnetka). Photo by Robert Carl.
L to R: Chris and Angie Veber (Kenilworth), Dee and John Fortson (Northfield). Photo by Robert Carl.
L to R: George Gill and Daniella O’Leary Gill (Riverwoods) Nancy and Bruce Payne (Kankakee). Photo by Robert Carl.
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n June 11, Chicago's civic and business leaders gathered to celebrate Chicago Shakespeare Theater's (CST) 25th anniversary season. The second annual "Spirit of Shakespeare Awards" were presented, honoring those who keep the spirit of Shakespeare alive through community service and artistic leadership. This year's Civic Honoree was Frederick H. Waddell, Chairman and CEO of Northern Trust; and the Artistic Honoree was leading classical actor and Tony Award recipient Brian Bedford. The evening Stars of CST's production Follies Holis raised nearly $1 million to sup- Resnick and Brent Barret. Photo by Robert port the theater's education and Carl. civic engagement programs.
Fur ... A Grand Entrance or Exit! Zac Posen Natural Silver Blue Velour Sheared Mink
L to R: CST Board Members Ava Youngblood and Eric Strickland with Deborah Liverett of Northern Trust. Photo by Michael Litchfield.
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L to R: Spirit of Shakespeare Honoree Rick Waddell (Wilmette), Artistic Director Barbara Gaines, Spirit of Shakespeare Honoree and actor Brian Bedford and Executive Director Chriss Henderson (Evanston). Photo by Michael Litchfield.
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Pinto @the Field There's a saying in fashion that goes “What's old is new again.” Never was that more true than with Fashion and The Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto, The Field's newest exhibit that juxtaposes artifacts with chic, contemporary designs by star designer Maria Pinto, putting those artifacts in a startling new light. With Fashion and The Field, Pinto’s artistic perspective provides a fresh look at pieces never really ever thought of as fashionable. For the exhibit, Pinto has hand-selected clothing and elements from the museum's collection, drawn inspiration and created fashion-forward designs that reshape our perspectives on something seen as more function than form. Lovers of art, style, and history alike will revel in the new exhibition which runs at The Field September 14, 2012 - June 23, 2013. We've provided a glimpse of just how much aesthetic principles of apparel design transcend time and geography.
Pinto’s Tema dress (Spring 2010 Collection) is made of bands of black taffeta suspended on a shell of chiffon.
O th er
ex h ib it
fi n d s
Iridescent green sequins make Pinto’s Eva top (Spring 2009 Collection) truly stand out. Like many pieces created by artists from around the world, the Eva top is animated by the wearer’s movements.
This Togo headdress combines the smooth beauty of Cowries, shells of a marine snail, with the horns of an antelope for a fascinating aesthetic that offers both movement and contrast.
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This Inuit raincoat is made of translucent seal intestines. Meticulous stitching with red and blue thread gives the same kind of definition as the banding techniques we see in Pinto’s Tema dress. Both pieces offer striking silhouettes with texture and transparency that flatter the feminine form.
This dazzling headdress was designed and created by an unknown Caraja artist of Brazil. Made of twisted palm cord and the brilliantly hued feathers of Amazonian birds, this work embodies an aesthetic sense prevalent throughout the Amazon.
This handcrafted armor vest from Cameroon is made of crocodile skin. The vest inspired Pinto to explore the way material can be stitched together to take advantage of its patterns and textures.
This beautifully brocaded Mongolian silk tunic called a “deel” was most likely worn during ceremonial occasions.
This large battle shield, made by an Amharic artist of Ethiopia, is constructed from the skin of a hippo. Designer Maria Pinto was attracted to the shield’s unusual material as she roamed The Field’s vast anthropology collections.
Top left: Celebrity designer Maria Pinto (photo courtesy of Maria Pinto); Eva top and Tema dress courtesy of Maria Pinto; Photos of exhibit artifacts by John Weinstein © The Field Museum.
GLAM
@The Harris
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On August 10, 2012, Macy’s welcomed soul and R&B singersongwriter Robin Thicke to its 15th annual Glamorama extravaganza. The event took place at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park. YouTube sensation Karmin also performed at the event.
Photo by adam bellcher
Glamorama 2012 culminated in a high-end fashion show that unveiled the latest fashions from Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Sean John amid a flurry of heart-stopping dance and lush visuals. More than 1,420 guests attended the annual fundraiser, and 1,000 of those made their way to the after-party on the Rooftop Terrace. In total, Macy’s Passport raised nearly $250,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.
A model walks the runway in a designer dress and coat by Jean Paul Gaultier in Macy's 2012 Glamorama at Harris Theater on August 10.
Autumn 2012CNCJA•11
Luminary: se
e K.d Todd s Freeman A.S.: I would image there are specific "draws" for you as an actor, specific themes or works that attract you. Likewise, there might be specific works that draw you as a director. Do you find that these differ in any way? K.T.F.: I'm not drawn to particular themes as an artist, but if you couldn't already tell, I'm not much drawn to the avant garde or non-realism. I gravitate towards realism in style. Bold and honest in its themes. Nothing pretty or safe. Both as an actor and a director. A.S.: It takes a tremendous level of artistic dexterity to manage the wide variety of acting environments that you've mastered with so many credits in film, stage and television. To what do you attribute that flexibility to adapt to the wide range of mediums that you've mastered. K.T. F.: I'm not sure…perhaps simply the desire to do them all? The need to pay bills? (Laughing). I've always desired to act in film, stage and TV. I've not “yet” had the desire to direct film or TV. I've been on the stage since I was 11 years old, “well” over 30 years, so I think it's a natural addition to the skill set.
Steppenwolf Ensemble Member K. Todd Freeman will direct Good People at Steppenwolf Theatre this fall.
By ANDREW SCHMIDT
W
With scores of credits across a wide variety of media including film, television and the live stage, Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member K. Todd Freeman is a man with a dexterous artistry and laser focus. And as he heads to the director's chair for the opening of Steppenwolf's season-launching work Good People, Freeman makes it very clear that as the lens peering into a playwright's voice, his work is most powerful when it is honest and authentic, without extraneous personal indulgences. It's a safe bet he'll make for a thoughtful opening to the theater's season-long exploration of the theme “The Reckoning,” when characters are finally faced with the inescapable task of having to pay the piper.
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A.S.: Does a relatively young, but acclaimed, work like Good People pose a particular challenge for a director in that it's neither a premier (a work with no precedent and therefore few specific artistic expectations) nor a seasoned work with a long history in the theater, in sort of a Limbo, if-you-will? K.T.F.: Absolutely not! The only kind of "limbo" would be if a play is constantly in "development" and never receiving a fully realized production...It's best to get a play when it is newest, before people have and multiple productions either narrow the scope of what the piece can ultimately be or begin to abstract the piece and use it to manipulate a director's personal agenda, which ultimately has nothing to do with the piece. I will be trying to honor the play and playwright with an honest interpretation as originally intended.
SEPTEMBER 19– NOVEMBER 18, 2012
Based on the myths of Ovid
Written and directed by Ensemble Member
MARY ZIMMERMAN Based on a translation by David Slavitt
Winner, 2002 Tony AWArd® for BesT direcTion of A PlAy
25 TH ANNIVERSARY
SEASON
Lookingglass Theatre in the Water Tower Water Works on Michigan Avenue at Pearson
PRODUCTION SPONSOR
OPENING NIGHT SPONSOR
Additional support provided by Todd and Barbara Leland | Lisa Naparstek Green and Howard Green | The Pauls Foundation | Sponsor of Student Matinee Program JPMorgan Chase
Photo by T Charles Erickson
CALL 312-337-0665 OR VISIT LOOKINGGLASSTHEATRE.ORG
Autumn 2012CNCJA•13
10 TOP
Newbies!
Who doesn't like new stuff?! We list our editor's picks for the most amazing newborns of Chicagoland's amazing new season!
For the stage
Lifeline Theatre
Broadway In Chicago Inspired by a true story and based on the film Kinki Boots, where a young man must step in to save his father's failing shoe business in Northern England and finds help from the unlikeliest of angels, a fearsome and fabulous drag performer. Kinky Boots features a warm and witty book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage, Torch Song Trilogy, Newsies) and a richly diverse musical score from Grammy Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper in her theatrical debut. Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, La Cage, Broadway Bares) has crafted a production bound to move, inspire and set audiences' feet dancing. Kinky Boots runs at Bank of America Theater from October 2 through November 4, 2012.
Adapted by Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Robert Kauzlaric and directed by Elise Kausleric, Lifeline will bring us the world premiere adaptation of Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, an 1889 dark tale of romance and suspense. Wilkie's novel of the same name is considered among the first mystery novels written in English. And Lifeline Theater is considered one the best and most imaginative companies dedicated to bringing to life works from literary history. The Woman in White runs at Lifeline Theatre from September 7 to October 28, 2012.
Goodman Theatre From the imagination of Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman springs a dazzling new musical adaptation of a a timeless favorite, The Jungle Book. Based on Rudyard Kipling’s timehonored children’s tales and featuring music from the classic Disney film, this spellbinding world premiere is sure to enchant audiences of all ages. This new production runs from June 21 through July 28, 2013 in the Goodman's Albert Theater.
A Red Orchid Theatre
Accomplished playwright and ensemble member Brett Neveu takes a look at the hard world of boxing in this world premiere of The Opponent. The production directed by Karen Kessler, features founding artistic director and ensemble member Guy VanSwearingen and runs from October 18 through December 2, 2012.
For the eyes &ears
The new 2012/13 season will see the birth of a new Symphony Center commission, The Great Flood. A film by director Bill Morrison with original music composed and performed by legendary guitarist Bill Frisell, The Great Flood tells the story of the disastrous 1927 Mississippi River flood, which destroyed homes and lives, contributing to The Great Migration of thousands of African-Americans— including many Delta blues musicians—northwards to cities like Chicago. The concert takes place on Friday, October 12, 2012 at Symphony Center. Frisell performs his score live, assisted by Ron Miles on trumpet, Tony Scherr on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums.
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Photos from top left: Grammy Award winning singer songwriter Cindi Lauper (photo courtesy of Broadway In Chicago); cover art from Goodman Theatre's summer 2013 production of The Jungle Book; cover art for Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White (photo courtesy of Lifeline Theatre; A Red Orchid Theatre ensemble member Brett Neveu (photo courtesy of A Red Orchid Theatre); acclaimed guitarist Bill Frisell (photo courtesy of the artist).
For the dance Joffrey Ballet Joffrey Ballet will bring the world premiere of Houston-based choreographer Stanton Welch's “Son of Chamber Symphony,” a work developed expressly for The Joffrey. Welch is the much touted artistic director for the Houston Ballet. The San Francisco Chronicle notes: Stanton Welch is “making the world take notice.” Chicagoan's will no doubt take notice during Joffrey's “American Legends,” performance this winter, where the work will premiere February 13 – 28, 2013.
Hubbard Street Dance In August, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Alonzo King LINES Ballet convened for a residency at The University of California, Irvine, in a first-time, unique collaboration featuring dancers from both companies that will be unveiled during Hubbard Street's fall series. The series launches Hubbard's landmark 35th season at Harris Theater, October 18-21, 2012.
For the unexpected New Fashion This season has even witnessed the birth of a new clothing line! Esteemed designer Maria Pinto teamed up with the Field Museum to develop a new exhibit that explores the elements of design and fashion in many of the artifacts seen in the museum's holdings. The work inspired Pinto to design a new collection on display at the exhibit this season. The Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto runs at The Field from to September 13, 2012 - June 23, 2013.
New Venue New York's popular City Winery has birthed Chicago's newest concert venue this new season: City Winery Chicago, just west of the Chicago Loop. The city's only fully operational winery seats 300 guests, offers complete beverage and dining service and showcases the city's most eclectic spread
Luna Negra Dance Theatre Luna Negra Dance Theater will launch its new season with its fall Harris Theater program featuring a program celebrating the work of Brazilian choreographer Fernando Melo. During that program, the Company will unveil a new work by Melo involving themes surrounding expectation and whimsy. Melo embues a humor in his staging that keeps audiences peeled for subtle subtext and meaning. Also expected on the program is a new work by Luna Negra artistic director Gustavo Sansano Ramirez, who has amped up the velocity of the company's artistry and potency since taking the reigns in 2010.
musical talents from pop to rock to jazz, blues, folk and world music. The venue boasts Grammy winning jazz sensation Esperanza Spalding October 1-3, 2012 among a long list of notable artists across a flurry of genres. Photos from top left: Houston Ballet choreographer Stanton Welch (photo courtesy the Houston Ballet); Nina Pinto's green "power suit" will be displayed alongside ancient Japanese metal gauntlets in the Field Museum's new exhibit inspiring visitors to think about how different clothes can function as armor (photo courtesy of Maria Pinto); jazz sensation Experanza Spalding (photo courtesy of City Winery); Luna Negra Artistic Director Gustavo Sansano Ramirez (photo courtesy of Luna Negra Dance); acclaimed choreographer Alonzo King (photo courtesy of Alonzo King LINES Ballet).
Autumn 2012CNCJA•15
Stubborn
Defiance
Lakeview's Mary-Arrchie Theatre racks up a slew of accolades and a loyal audience through staunch adherence to its core artistic values.
I
By DANIEL K. SCUREK
Photos COURTESY OF MARY-ARRCHIE THEATRE
If you’ve never seen a production at MaryArrchie Theatre, get ready to exercise all powers of logistical dexterity. A GPS can only do so much. It’s not that its address at 735 W Sheridan Road in Chicago’s Lakeview is obscure or remote, or that it won’t register on Google Maps, but in the densely populated neighborhood, finding a second-floor storefront the size of a tree house is best handled on foot. It’s best to look for the neighborhood liquor store mid-block then tilt your gaze toward heaven to the second floor treasure anchored above. There you’ll see MaryArrchie Theatre, exactly where they’ve been anchored for 23 years.
From Mary-Arrchie's recent production of Tracy Letts' Superior Donuts; pictured from left to right are Rich Cotovsky and Preston Tate, Jr.
The location hasn't changed, but the players have. In 2012, Rich Cotovsky stands as the sole remaining founding ensemble member. Grizzled, with long, wiry hair, Cotovsky may very well serve as the poster child of endurance. He certainly could claim that award for the theater for which he acts as artistic director. Mary-Arrchie and Rich Cotovsky are perennial examples Chicago storefront theater: rough, dusty, too tough to die. He is Mary-Arrchie and MaryArrchie is Rich Cotovsky; they’re soul mates, carrying the kind of charisma usually reserved for big names. And in Chicago theater circles, Rich Cotovsky is a household name—perhaps even a brand. What does the brand stand for? Abbie Hoffman and everything 60s. 16•CNCJAAutumn 2012
Symbolically speaking, the counter-culture resides in everything Mary-Arrchie does—especially its annual Abbiefest. Subtitled, “Abbie Hoffman Died for Our Sins,” the event occurs in August to mark the anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival of 1969. True to the real event, volunteer theater groups, individual performance artists, sketch groups—whoever and whatever—perform in five to forty-five minute time slots, non-stop, for three days and nights, just like musical acts did at Woodstock. Patrons can buy $25 tickets and stay for as much as they can physically—or otherwise—endure, because Abbiefest brings out some real gems. But it also brings out anyone who wants to borrow a free stage for a few minutes. And unless you have already planned on what to see, what you get might be a mixed bag. Still, the highly entertaining always outweighs the substandard stuff. And isn’t this what storefront theater is all about? Cotovsky himself is hard-pressed to come up with any true low points during the 23 years of the fest. Then again, talking to Cotovsky is a little like waking up your college roommate the morning after an all-night kegger; in a gravely, almost hoarse baritone, his voice stammers to a standstill, then, out of nowhere, releases a golden nugget of information. True to the storefront brand, Cotovsky seems unwilling (or unmotivated) to discuss the theater group that has defined his professional life. One always feels that “now’s not a good time” to talk. In fact, he carries the outsider image so far, you think it almost seems like an act—because if you’ve ever seen Cotovsky onstage, he can clearly deliver the goods, strong, clear vocal presence and all. Still, one wants to know more about this storefront enigma and, though reticent, Cotovsky will share. MaryArrchie began when Cotovsky was 32. The company was transient in its first three years, performing out of basements, the backs of bars, wherever there was a willing venue to share. The group finally settled on the Angel Island Theater space it calls home in 1989, and that’s where things got shaky—ensemble-wise that is. It seems that a permanent address elicited permanent discomfort from most of the original ensemble. “They
couldn’t handle the responsibility of a permanent space,” Cotovsky explains, “so I kicked them out.” Hard decisions which Cotovsky was clearly capable of making. And the company has only flourished in the years that followed. In the past season alone, Mary-Arrchie has received eight Joseph Jefferson award nominations for outstanding, non-equity theater. Four of those nominations are for the company’s recent production of Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tracy Letts’ Superior Donuts. Their revival has enjoyed the kind of success not always anticipated for a play that had its debut at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre just four short years ago. But both companies share the same flare for polished grit that made Steppenwolf a theatrical phenomenon across the country. Both companies seem capable of presenting visceral material with high artistic standards. But where Steppenwolf grew throughout the 1970s and 80s, moving from space to space until they finally built a complex large enough to house the demand that the public’s hunger for their work generated, Mary-Arrchie has remained in the same space that it moved to three years after they began, above a neighborhood liquor store in Lakeview. But ask whether or not the company ever thought of moving, and Cotovsky seems almost puzzled at the question: “Why move?” Maybe that’s what makes Mary-Arrchie work so well. They are who they are and don’t need to be larger or in a greater limelight or have a larger subscription base. They don’t need to talk to the press, they don’t have to cater to anyone. If they did, we just might lose the greatest testament to storefront theater that Chicago has. Where the name of the game is often bigger-is-better, MaryArrchie continues to win by doing what they know works, nestled neatly and comfortably in plain sight and right out of view in the sky, just above a neighborhood liquor store. (Above): Entrance to Mary-Arrchie Theatre's storefront location; (Inset): Mary-Arrchie founding ensemble member Rich Cotovsky; (Left): From Mary-Arrchie's 2007 production of Sam Shepard's Cowboy Mouth; pictured are Colleen Moore and Hans Fleischmann.
Opens December 14
To purchase tickets, call (888) 700-9069 or visit www.mpm.edu.
800 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI Autumn 2012CNCJA•17
Cosmic journey
If you've ever wanted to take a quick trip around the sun, a new exhibit at the Adler has got just the ticket.
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Is there anyone out there? Are we alone? How big is this place? These are questions man has been asking himself since he first turned his eyes to the heavens and pondered the expanse of the universe. This summer star gazers, dreamers and science fans began fully exploring the secrets of the universe at the Adler Planetarium’s newest exhibit The Universe: A Walk through Space and Time. Visitors are transported across the cosmos and travel billions of light years away from the third rock from the sun, all while remaining in the comfort of The Adler. “The Universe: A Walk Through Space and Time addresses the most compelling questions in astronomy in a fun and dynamic way,” noted Karen Carney, associate vice president for visitor experience and learning at the Adler, “It will help give our visitors an understanding of their place in the universe by letting them discover it for themselves through digital media and hands-on activities.” The Universe starts off not with the pop of a starter pistol, but with the noise of the big bang. Exhibitgoers start their journey at the most logical point: the beginnings of the universe. Visitors witness a visualization of how scientists say the universe was formed nearly 14 billion years ago. It begins as a tiny point of energy, represented by a holographic image, which then expands into stars, planets, galaxies and other components of the vastness of space. That expansion is visualized through interactive graphics and digital imagery that show viewers how the stars, planets and galaxies were formed as the universe expanded. Visitors are taken on the ride of their lives as they travel to the outer edges of the universe and witness dazzling imagery of celestial objects. Dr. Mark SubbaRao, director of the Adler’s Space Visualization Lab, and the exhibition’s science advisor and content producer, commended the exhibit’s designers for creating a “colorful, immersive gallery” that brings the universe to life for visitors using state-of-the-art images from the “world’s 18•CNCJAAutumn 2012
best telescopes.” Touch screens allow exhibit visitors to investigate various celestial objects, including comets, nebulas, asteroids and stars. SubbaRao said scientists have made tremendous progress in understanding the universe, and the exhibition is a way to present those new understandings. While traveling through the outer reaches of the cosmos, voyagers can send e-cards to themselves from such places as the planet Neptune or the Andromeda galaxy as a reminder of their trip. Due to the difficulty of sending cards from such a great distance, it may take about four hours for the postcards from Neptune to arrive. However, if the card is coming from the Andromeda galaxy, it could take approximately 2.5 million years to arrive—even though it’s traveling at the speed of light. Of course, The Universe: A Walk through Space and Time is only the first step in understanding the vastness of the cosmos. The educational exploration continues in the Adler’s Welcome to the Universe in the Grainger Sky Theater, which has a screen that completely surrounds the room, aptly simulating a vast space environment. Welcome to the Universe is a guided film experience whose projected images are based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the largest map of the universe. This allows visitors to see the most accurate positioning of galaxies. SubbaRao was a member of the team that designed the Survey. Adler officials got it right when they said, “This is awesome, this is your journey.” Both The Universe: A Walk Through Space and Time and Welcome to the Universe run at The Adler Planetarium through May 2013. Above: Visitors explore The Universe: A Walk Through Space and Time through touch screen technology which help investigate a wide selection of diverse and beautiful objects in deep space. Opposite page: Upon entering the sleek, virtual environment, visitors encounter the universe from its meager beginnings. Multimedia displays and digital interactives show audiences how galaxies, stars and planets were created as the universe evolved.
Photos © Adler Planetarium
By ALEX KEOWN
CURATOR'S CORNER
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Clef Notes' annual compilation of editors' picks, best bets and down-right must see performances and exhibits for the amazing new 2012-2013 arts and culture season!
MUSIC C Music By FRED CUMMINGS
hicagoland sets the bar pretty high for classical music performance. And when speaking of the best and the brightest here, you're usually talking about the best and brightest anywhere. The city's new arts and culture season will see some of the most profoundly beautiful and diverse music performed by the greatest artists around the globe, and as such, Chicagoans are in for a veritable feast of diverse one-of-a-kind performances. In fact, what makes Chicagoland's 2012-2013 concert season so special is that each concert is so special. There's nothing run-of-the-mill about the new performing arts calendar. So if you plan to indulge, get ready for some pretty wonderful surprises. Symphonic
For fans of symphonic music, there's simply no better place to live than Chicago. Each year, the city enjoys a rich cascade of symphonic programming, and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) (cso.org) as its chief proponent, we experience a broad range of the most sophisticated symphonic literature through performances of the absolute highest order. This season, the CSO brings us nothing short of a symphonic listener's dream through a broad range of programming and wildly talented conductors and solo artists to compliment the CSO's gifted musicians and, of course, Riccardo Muti, one of the world's most celebrated and decorated conductors today. In his third season as music director, Muti has created something of a perfect storm for listeners who enjoy the deeply powerful impact of symphonic literature. Underlay: Chicago Symphony Center Audience (photo by Todd Rosenberg).
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In fact, when announcing the new Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) season, Muti stressed, “I have tried to create a season that reflects a historically broad spectrum of music, from works by Bach and Vivaldi to composers of today, including a commission from Christopher Rouse and works by our Mead Composers-in-Residence, Mason Bates and Anna Clyne...” Three distinct themes permeate CSOA programming this year: the impact of Wagner on that very broad spectrum of symphonic literature; The power and influence of rivers and nature as explored in the canon of music as well as other cultural media; and the centennial celebration of the birth of CSO's beloved eighth music director, Sir Georg Solti. With these intriguing themes at work and a vastly diverse selection of monumental compositions at play, there are more than just a few concerts that I'd recommend you not miss at Symphony Center this season. For starters, on September 29, celebrated violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter returns to the CSO on the occasion of their 2012 Symphony Ball as soloist with Muti and the Symphony in an undoubtedly sumptuous performance of one of the world's most popular concerti, Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin. Mutter's consummate lyricism and technical supremacy make the perfect compliment to Muti and the CSO in Mendelssohn's lavish masterwork. Also, in the first of his two-week residency (October 18, 19 and 20) this season on the CSO podium, Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink will explore the Germanic tradition leading an all-Brahms program featuring two of the composer’s great symphonic works: his lush Double Concerto for Violin and Cello with brothers violinist Renaud and cellist Gautier Capuçon as soloists and Brahms' mighty Symphony No.1. On November 14, Charles Dutoit will conduct Stravinsky’s landmark The Rite of Spring a full century after its notorious premiere. This groundbreaking work still captures audiences' imaginations and inspires artists one hundred years later. Also on the all-Russian program are Mussorgsky’s A Night on Bald Mountain and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 featuring the 2011 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition winner Daniil Trifonov. On January 25th at Harris Theater for Music and Dance (harristheaterchicago.org) and January 27 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, acclaimed Mozartian Jane Glover and the Music of the
Baroque Symphony celebrate Mozart’s birthday with a festive program exploring his genius in works for orchestra, piano and voice. Works on the program include Mozart's Exsultate, jubilate, the Symphony No. 39, and the C-minor Piano Concerto. Russian pianist Vladimir Feltsman and soprano Arianna Zukerman are the evening’s featured soloists. Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen makes the list with his February (21, 22, 23 & 24) appearance in Chicago as part of "The Wagner Effect," the CSO's exploration of the indelible impact Wagner's work has had on the literature. The program will include Act II of Wagner’s stirring and powerful Tristan and Isolde. For his second week of subscription concerts (February 28 and March 1 and 2), Salonen joins forces with CSO Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant YoYo Ma to perform Lutosławski’s dark and esoteric Cello Concerto. This must-see performance is a rare opportunity to hear a deeply contemplative work illuminated by one of the greatest cellists of our time. Rising conductor Mei-Ann Chen makes the list with her CSO subscription debut (May 9, 11 & 14) leading a concert that features the Symphony's first performance of Florence Price’s Mississippi River. The work portrays the river’s history in music through orchestrated folk song. Price (1887–1953) was the first female African American composer to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra; CSO Music Director Frederick Stock conducted the Orchestra in the world premiere of her Symphony in E Minor in 1933 at the Chicago World’s Fair. Chen is the music director for the culturally diverse Chicago Sinfonietta, and only the second in the group's history. Some of the most thrilling symphonic concerts this season will come at the hand of visiting orchestras. And one of the most spellbinding performances I recommend will take place October 21 in the Symphony Center debut of The World Orchestra for Peace. Founded by Sir Georg in 1995, this ensemble is made up of the finest musicians selected from the world’s greatest orchestras, including past and present members of the CSO. The ensemble was founded to affirm, in Solti’s words, "the unique strength of music as an ambassador for peace." Conductor Valery Gergiev leads the orchestra on what would have been Solti’s 100th birthday, hosted by Lady Valerie Solti and featuring vocal luminaries Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Plácido Domingo, René Pape. Widely praised for its exceptional energy and brilliance, internationally acclaimed French-Canadian chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy will return for its second performance at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (October 24, 2012) and its first Chicago performance with celebrated flautist Emmanuel Pahud. The program will offer a unique opportunity to hear a thrilling exploration of music composed by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, and Benda. Esa-Pekka Salonen again makes the list with his London-based Philharmonia Orchestra and their November 7 appearance at Symphony Center. The orchestra's principal conductor, Salonen and The Philharmonia last performed here in 1955. In the over half century
since that appearance, the orchestra has established a stellar international reputation. Salonen leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s Second Symphony, along with Berlioz’s enduring ode to love and obsession, Symphonie fantastique. Solo, Duo & Chamber Recitals Recitals have long been a mainstay of classical music's powerful hold on Chicagoans, and this season is example of just the kind of uniquely gifted artistic weight that makes Chicago a home to some of the most important recital performances on the globe every year. But there are indeed a few select performances I strongly recommend this season that offer particularly thrilling and thoughtful programming paired with particularly insightful and illuminating artistry. On October 12 at Northwestern University's Pick-Staiger Hall (music.northwestern.edu/concerts), pianist Jeffrey Siegel will bring an exhilarating concert of Bach's Toccata in D, the vivacious Italian Concerto, and the soul-stirring Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue. This high-voltage recital is made up of Bach masterworks that display the virtuosity of the artist amid the ambiance of deeply expressive music. On October 14, celebrated American pianist Murray Perahia will return to Symphony Center for his first recital appearance in five years as part of the CSOA's season-long celebration of Sir Georg Solti. Perahia was a frequent soloist with Solti and the CSO. And he brings with him a program that Solti would have reveled in hearing. It includes Schubert's beguiling Six Moments Musicaux, D. 780, Beethoven's beloved (Moonlight) Sonata in C-sharp Minor, and Chopin' s Scherzo No. 1 in B Minor . Next spring British pianist Paul Lewis brings the final program in his widely acclaimed, three-season, five-concert exploration of Schubert's mature piano works to Symphony Center. His recital (March 3) features the composer’s last sonatas, D. 958, 959 and 960. Written during the final months of Schubert’s life, these pieces went unpublished for a decade but are considered stunningly mature achievements and are now part of the core piano repertoire. The greatly admired and enigmatic Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin makes his return Symphony Center appearance on April 28 this season. Having won a Grammy in 2010 for Best Instrumental Soloist for his recording of Prokofiev’s Second and Third Piano Concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Kissin's Symphony Center performance promises to provide listeners an afternoon of his trademark intense and dynamic musicianship. In addition to her appearance this season in the CSOA's Symphony Ball concert, violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter will return on March 10 for her first recital appearance at Symphony Center since 2008. Joined by her longtime collaborator, pianist Lambert Orkis, Mutter will present a varied program that includes works by Schoenberg, Webern and Grieg, culminating in Franck’s lyrically beautiful Violin Sonata in A Major, written as a wedding present for famous Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe in 1886. Midway through the season, Lyric Opera (lyricopera.org) subscribers will be treated to a unique vocal recital event featuring two acclaimed and superbly talented voices, Lyric Creative Consultant, soprano (Opposite Page): violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter with conductor Michael Francis (photo ©Chris Lee/Deutsche Grammophon; (Clockwise from top) conductor Esa-Peka Salonen (photo courtesy of the artist); pianist Murray Perahia (photo courtesy of the artist); (Left): Members of Les Violons du Roy (photo courtesy of Harris Theatre for Music and Dance.
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Renée Fleming and mezzo-soprano Susan Graham. Accompanied by pianist Bradley Moore, the two will take the stage at Lyric in a Subscriber Appreciation Recital on Thursday, January 24, 2013. The recital is an artistic “coming home” of sorts for the two closely linked artists. As Fleming points out, she and Graham, "began (their) singing careers together and have shared the stage happily and often." The Cleveland Plain Dealer lauded Graham's, “lustrous voice that abounds in expressive colors.” and The Toronto Star calls Fleming's singing a “potent combination of unstoppable voice and consummate artistry.” If you are a Lyric subscriber this season, you will have access to one of the most luminous concert events of Chicago's star studded season. The intimacy of chamber music balances Chicago's power packed concert schedule quite nicely every season, and there's no shortage of wonderfully diverse ensembles that explore the expansive chamber repertoire every year. But last season, Harris Theater uped the ante significantly with the launch of its threeyear residency of the world's largest and most esteemed chamber music ensemble, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. As with its highly touted inaugural season, the Society brings, this year, some of the most superbly talented artists in programming that is both adventurous and enlightening. On February 8, 2013, in a concert of works that truly could be called chamber music blockbusters, Strauss, Franck and Rorem will provide some of the genre’s most eloquent and powerful moments this season. Baritone Randall Scarlatta will be joined by a formidable cast of artists including Gil Kalish, piano; Anne-Marie McDermott, piano; Ani Kavafian, violin; Ida Kavafian, violin; Richard O’Neill, viola; and Mihai Marica, cello. The program includes Frank's monumental Piano Quintet in F-minor. On April 5th, 2013, pianist Juho Pohjonen and cellist Andreas Brantelid will return to the Harris Theater with violinist Erin Keefe and violist Paul Neubauer for a program celebrating the remarkable musical friendship of Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn and featuring Schumann’s Piano Quartet. The ongoing collaboration with CMS is representative of the unique components vital to the Harris' approach to programming for Chicago's diverse audiences this season, serving not only as a rare jewel of Millennium Park, but also of Chicago culture. As Michael Ticknis, president and managing director at The Harris, puts it, “Each artist, ensemble and company in the 2012-2013 series imbues something poetically distinct. No two nights will be the same...in Season 9.” Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and often-daring repertoire choices, The Pacifica Quartet has gained international stature as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today. Recently named Ensemble of the Year by Musical America, Pacifica received the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance. On November 4, 2012, at the University of Chicago's Logan Center for the Arts (chicagopresents.uchicago. Above: Soprano Renée Fleming (photo by Andrew Eccles/Decca)
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Also on our Radar September • 1st – Mayne Stage Theatre: Haymarket Opera Company (haymarketopera.org) will present the Chicago premiere of Handel's comic cantata from 1707, Clori, Tirsi e Fileno. • 7th, 9th & 12th – Symphony Center: CSO (cso.org) performs works of Debussy, Stravinsky, Bartok and Messiaen's river-inspired Chronochromie under the baton of Pierre Boulez.
October
• 12th & 13th – Various venus: Chicago Chamber Musicians (chicagochambermusic.org) explores the life and music of Claud Debussy's with members of the Lincoln Trio and Berlin Philharmonic’s Principal Harpist Marie-Pierre. Program to include Debussy's Petite Suite for piano 4-hands and his Danses Sacrée et Profane (Dances Sacred and Profane) for harp and strings. • 13th, 14th & 20th – Various venues: Bella Voce (bellavoce. org) performs Frank Ferko’s complex and luminous Stabat Mate (composed for Bella Voce under the name His Majestie's Clerkes). Concert features soprano Patrice Michaels.
January
• 13th – North Shore Center for the Performing Arts: Ars Viva Symphony (arsviva.org) performs a program of contrasts with works by Vaughn Williams, Mahler and Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C, Op. 21.
March
• 26th, 29th, April 3rd & 6th - Lyric Opera House: Lyric Opera premieres a special staged concert performance of André Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire (in English with projected English texts) written for and starring soprano Renée Fleming.
April
• 10th – Symphony Center: The CSO Chamber Music Series presents the Emerson String Quartet with guests violinist Paul Neubauer and cellist Colin Carr in a program exploring The Wagner Effect including Berg's Lyric Suite and Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht. • 20th, 24th, 26th & 28th – Chicago Opera Theater (chicagooperatheater.org): COT presents Ástor Piazzolla's provocative Tango opera María de Buenos Aires (Libretto by Horacio Ferrer).
May
• 8th – Harris Theater: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center celebrates Benjamin Britten at 100 performing a program of Britten classics including his Phantasy Quartet for Oboe and String Trio, Op.2 and the popular Three Divertimenti for String Quartet.
edu), Pacifica will bring a wonderfully balanced program featuring Bartók's haunting String Quartet No. 6 and quartets by Boccherini and Beethoven. Opera Opera in Chicago turns a page this season as both Lyric Opera (lyricopera.org) and Chicago Opera Theater (chicagooperatheater.org), the city's two eminent opera companies experience a changing of the guard. For Lyric Opera, the advent of general director Anthony Freud brings an increased focused on the company's "Lyric Unlimited" initiative, breaking new ground in opera education and exposing the masses to the joys of truly great opera. In their 58th season, Lyric (www.lyricopera.org) will present nine incredible opera productions, and like always, many of those will be season highlights for Chicago's cultural calendar. In six performances from November 25th through December 15, Lyric will present Don Pasquale, a gem of bel canto comedy, bringing a vibrant and rollicking score to the classic tale of a foolish old man’s eagerness to marry a young wife. Bass-baritone Ildebrando D’Arcangelo is cast against type in this debut role normally sung by an older comic baritone or bass, but as Freud puts it, “(D'Arcangelo) has the right imagination and personality to make (the role) his own – particularly with a director like Sir Thomas Allen and a costar like Marlis Petersen, who captivated Lyric audiences both in Die
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Fledermaus and Lulu.” In eleven performances from January 21 through March 28, 2013, Lyric will bring Giacomo Puccini's revered masterwork, La Boheme, to the Civic Opera House stage. Puccini’s 1892 tale of love among the Bohemians of Paris is one of the most universally beloved operas in the repertoire. On Christmas night in mid-19th-century Paris, the lonely seamstress Mimì and the poet Rodolfo fall in love. You'll fall in love with dazzling soprano Ana María Martínez in this production, whom Freud points out as, “one of the quintessential interpreters of Mimì.” This production, conducted by Emmanuel Villaume and directed by Louisa Muller (debut), comes courtesy of the San Francisco Opera Association. Of course, what would a Chicago opera season be without a Giuseppe Verdi masterpiece? In ten performances from February 25 through March 30, Lyric will present Verdi's 1851 classic, Rigoletto, a magnificent, deeply moving characterization of a hunchbacked, sharp-tongued court jester consumed by bitterness and revenge. This beloved and brilliant score marks a period in which Verdi’s youthful vigor developed into a musical and theatrical maturity that (Above): Soprano Ana María Martínez Mimì in Puccini' La Boheme (photo by Tom Specht).
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became the reference point for Italian opera. Two of the day's premier Verdi baritones, Andrzej Dobber (debut, February 25-March 10) and Željko Lučić (debut, March 14-30) will share the title role in this deeply Shakespearean opera reveling in the staggeringly dramatic blend of tragedy and humor. One production that will definitely become in etched in every opera lovers' schedule this season is the new Lyric production of Richard Wagner's only comedy Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Lyric will showcase this massive work communicating extraordinary warmth, wisdom, and joy in seven performances from February 8 through March 3, 2013, and with Sir Andrew Davis at the podium, you can rest assured that the conductor's uncanny sense of balance will illuminate all of the textural dynamism of this densely packed score. Bass-baritone James Morris, long a favorite artist of the Metropolitan Opera, will star in the role of Hans Sachs. And making their Lyric Opera debuts in this production are bass Dimitry Ivashchenko (Pogner the goldsmith) and bass-baritone Darren Jeffery (Kothner the baker). In four performances this September (15, 19, 21 & 23), for the first time in eleven years, Chicago's most innovative and forward-thinking opera company, Chicago Opera Theater (COT), will present an opera in the fall: a new production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The opera will feature the Chicago premiere of an English translation by Jeremy Sams. Selected by former General Director Brian Dickie, who left the company on June 1, 2012, The Magic Flute will mark the last production of his 13 year tenure. “Brian made Chicago Opera Theater a beacon of the opera landscape, both nationally and internationally,” said general director Andreas Mitisek. “He produced all of the great Mozart operas during his 13 years at COT and The Magic Flute is a brilliant way to say good bye.” The opera will be conducted by Steuart Bedford and directed by Michael Gieleta. Steuart has worked with all of the world’s great opera companies including the English National Opera, the Royal Opera Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera. This season he conducted Salome at San Diego Opera, and is currently conducting Turn of the Screw at Central City Opera. He returns to Chicago Opera Theater after leading the highlyacclaimed production of Britten’s Owen Wingrave in 2009. With a staggering output ranging from symphonies, operas, and a host of works for keyboard, string ensembles and even film, Philip Glass is easily one of the most prolific and important composers of our time, and his haunting and powerful Fall of the House of Usher is just the type of scintillating new work that COT sinks its teeth into with dazzling panache. In four performances this winter (February 23, 24, 27 and March 1) at its home at Harris Theater, COT will present Glass's chilling score set to the libretto by Arthur Yorinks based on the Edgar Alan Poe classic. The work was commissioned by the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA and the Kentucky Opera in 1988. Choral
Chicago enjoys a wonderfully eclectic mix of professional choral ensembles that thrill audiences every season with a vast variety of important repertoire from the canon of choral works, and this season is no different. This fall Chicago a Cappella (chicagoacappella.org), one of the
Underlay: Tango opera Maria de Buenos Aires by Ástor Piazzolla will be performed by Chicago Opera Theater next spring at Harris Theater (photo by David Schneiderman).
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city's vocal jewels, marks the centenary year of Chicago’s renowned composer of Jewish music with new a cappella arrangement of works from his distinctive legacy and other styles in which he excelled, from folk songs to spirituals. In four performances (October 13, 14, 20 & 21), at venues across Chicagoland from Naperville to Evanston, the ensemble will present a uniquely poignant musical portrait of Max Janowski in an artistically stirring light rarely experienced. In his second week in Residence at Chicago's Symphony Center (October 25, 26 and 27), Bernard Haitink leads one of the great choral works in the repertoire, Beethoven’s Missa solemnis. The CSO is joined by the Chicago Symphony Chorus, soprano Christine Brewer, mezzosoprano Bernarda Fink, tenor Anthony Dean Griffey and bass-baritone Hanno Müller-Brachmann as soloists in what's certain to be a moving performance of a monumental work. An annual Thanksgiving-weekend delight, the Vienna Boys Choir returns to Symphony Center on November 24th for a joyful performance to herald the start of the holiday season. Founded more than 500 years ago, the beloved choir has worked with such musical luminaries as Mozart, Gluck and Bruckner, and it once counted Franz Schubert as one of its singers. Today’s ensemble consists of choristers between the ages of 10 and 14 who tour throughout Europe, Asia and North America and perform more than 300 concerts in front of nearly half a million people each year. In four concerts in late June 2013 (20, 21, 22 & 23), Riccardo Muti and the CSO close their 2012-13 season with the Chicago Symphony Chorus in a richly emotive program of choral works. Mezzo-soprano Alisa Kolosova (Characterization) will make her CSO debut as soloist. The program opens with Mozart’s Ave verum corpus, followed by Vivaldi’s Magnificat—which the CSO performs for the first time— and Verdi’s Four Sacred Pieces. Period and/or Early Music In the past two decades, some of the area's finest period-based ensembles have made Chicago an important player in the early music and period performance arena. Groups like Baroque Band that develop intriguing theme-based programming and Music of the Baroque who add intelligent parings of a variety of genres work to spur passionate interest in early music study and performance. This season offers a wide array of vibrant and historically significant period masterworks for Chicago audiences to enjoy. From January 25-27, 2013, Chicago early music pioneer Newberry Consort (newberryconsort.org) will present a unique concert performance of songs and poems of 18th century Scottish poet and composer Robbie Burns. Burns is held as one of Scotland's most beloved poets and his music is treasured as one of the nation's most honored composers and this winter, Newberry will honor his work with a dramatic performance featuring actor Paul Hecht and soprano Ellen Hargis accompanied by Newberry's historically informed chamber ensemble. Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita, set against the backdrop of Roman high society, is the springboard for Baroque Band’s (baroqueband.org) celebration of Arcangelo Corelli, to whom the Band will pay tribute during 2013, the 300th year since the composer’s death. Esteemed by Rome’s 17th- and 18th-century high society, and the foremost violinist of his time, Corelli had a powerful and lasting influence on the orchestra, on violin technique, and on the development of classical music. The Band will celebrate Corelli's formidable influence in three concerts (March 8, 9 & 13) in venues throughout Chicagoland, including Symphony Center's Grainger Ballroom.
On March 27 conductor John Nelson will lead the Chicago Bach Project (chicagobachproject.com) choir and orchestra in the third installment of Soli Deo Gloria's annual Easter celebration of treasured sacred works. Nelson will bring one of music's most significant masterpieces in Bach's Mass in B-minor. Nelson has already provided musically insightful and emotionally vivid readings of Bach's St. Matthew and St. John Passions, and what sets this ensemble apart is Nelson's adroit balance of musical integrity with the composer's original intent. What results is the creation of music that is poignantly charged with the full emotional breadth and depth of the message for which it was created. Performed at St. Vincent DePaul in Lincoln Park and with contrapuntal clarity at its highest, Nelson will bring perhaps the most important reading of Bach's Mass this season. Jane Glover, conductor of Music of the Baroque (musicofthebaroque.org), is well known for her peerless insight into the complex architecture and musical depth of early music. Her performances with the Music of the Baroque Orchestra peel back the layers of musical conventionality and often reveal intrinsic discoveries that create a fresh and unclichéd view of a genre that can be
every bit as powerful as it is architectural. Next spring (April 7 and 8), Glover conducts a choral tour de force by one of music history’s most imaginative storytellers, George Frederic Handel. Water turns to blood, flies buzz, and hailstones rain down as Handel leads us through the ten plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the drowning of Pharoah’s armies in his powerful work Israel in Egypt. The classic 1972 movie “The Godfather” provides the inspiration for an intriguing June 7th Baroque Band program featuring music by J.S.Bach (the godfather of Western Classical Music and whose music is featured in the movie), Telemann (godfather to Bach’s son, C.P.E. Bach), Pachelbel (godfather to one of Bach’s sisters), Sebastian Nagel (godfather to the great J.S. Bach), and C.P.E Bach, whose keyboard concerto will be performed by celebrated Chicago-based artist and Baroque Band harpsi-
chordist David Schrader. New/Experimental Music Always adventurous and welcoming to new and experimental art, Chicago audiences have never shied away from new music. In fact, Chicago has long been held a world incubator for contemporary and new works. And this season offers a glimpse at some of the most varied and cutting-edge new compositions on the horizon. Since its formation by trumpet virtuoso and conductor Stephen Burns in 1998, the mission of Fulcrum Point New Music Project (fulcrumpoint.org) has been to champion new classical music and highlight contemporary composers who are inspired and influenced by popular culture. Programming influences for the ensemble include literature, film, dance, folk, rock, jazz, blues, Latin and world music. Through multi-disciplinary concert performances and educational programs, the 25-member Fulcrum Point ensemble seeks to encourage audiences to make crosscultural connections between new music, art, technology and literature, gaining greater insight into today’s diverse world. On September 11, 2012, in a collaborative program, Fulcrum will commemorate the September 11th tragedy with its "Annual Concert for Peace," this year subtitled Harmony – East Meets West, featuring globally inspired music and guest performers ranging from Native American to Chinese, Pakistani and Israeli. Repertory selections performed by Fulcrum Point include celebrated Israeli composer Shulamit Ran’s East Wind for solo flute, David Dzubay’s Wintu Dream Song, based on a Native American song from the Wintu tribe, and Chinese composer Zhou Long’s otherworldly Harmony, blending traditional Chinese and contemporary Western music styles. Now in its 48th year, and under the direction of composer Shulamit Ran, The University of Chicago's new music ensemble Contempo introduces audiences to the bold visions of today's most innovative composers. On March 1, 2013, the series presents a tribute to one of the giants of American music, Ralph Shapey. Shapely's leadership as founder and Music Director of the Contemporary Chamber Players of the University of Chicago catapulted Chicago to prominence on the international new music scene. nunc, the all-star ensemble of extraordinary performers—headed by Miranda Cuckson, a brilliant violinist and major champion of Shapey's work— will offer a thought-provoking musical experience from the man who left an indelible mark on Chicago's musical landscape. The 2012 – 2013 season marks the 20th anniversary for one of the city's most beloved and gifted chamber ensembles, The Orion Ensemble (orionensemble.org). Comprised of 5 supremely intuitive and technically superior instrumentalists, the women of Orion combine inventive programming with historically informed and musically keen performances that illuminate some of the greatest works in the chamber music repertoire. Next spring (May 5, 8 & 12), Orion will perform a new as-yet-untitled commission to commemorate the ensemble's 20th anniversary on a program entitled “Folk Inspirations with a Mexican Flair.” The new composition is the work of Miguel de la Cerna, who's first new work for Orion last season marked one of the ensembles biggest triumphs. Performances are May 5 (Geneva), May 8 (Ganz Hall/Chicago) and May 12 (Evanston). The 2012/13 season signals the beginning of the third season of the CSO’s two Mead Composers-in-Residence—Mason Bates and Anna Clyne—as curators of MusicNOW, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s critically acclaimed new music series. MusicNOW offers innovative works by some of today’s most prominent composers and young artists. In this third year of Bates' and Clyne's now extended residencies, the two Autumn 2012CNCJA•25
composers will further explore the collaborations they have begun with various partners in Chicago as well as develop new relationships through the MusicNOW program. Again this season MusicNOW features works by today’s most promising composers, as well multimedia and multigenre collaborations on four Monday. Bates (b. 1977) and Clyne (b. 1980) work together to program music with a range of both influence and instrumentation—eclectic and gripping programs that take full advantage of the sound and lighting capabilities at the state-of-the-art Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, which has hosted the series since 2005. In addition to selecting pieces by contemporary composers, both Bates and Clyne will write MusicNOW commissions. Jazz
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semble will pay tribute to one of the 20th century’s greatest jazz composers and collaborators: Billy Strayhorn. The quintet titled This Side of Strayhorn also features saxophone great Tim Warfield Jr.,; keyboardist Bruce Barth; Peter Washington on bass; and Dana Hall on drums. On November 30, Symphony Center Presents Jazz spends a night in Cuba, headlined by the all-star Ninety Miles Project. Named for the distance from Havana to the Florida Keys, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, trumpeter Nicholas Payton and saxophonist David Sánchez join forces for a session that blends traditional Cuban music with jazz. Inspired by Harris and Sánchez’s collaboration with bassist Christian Scott and a group of Cuban musicians that resulted in an album and documentary film of the same name, this project aims to break down the political and cultural boundaries that separate the U.S. and Cuba and celebrate the rich musical cross-pollination that can result. Opening the concert is a solo set from Grammy Awardwinning Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. His most recent album was 2011’s Fé, featuring his compositions for solo piano, and a new album from his trio is due out in 2012. The Monterey Jazz Festival—now in its 55th year—is one of the longest-running jazz festivals in the world; throughout its vaunted history, this annual weekend of jazz has hosted nearly all of the most influential and important artists, from Dizzy Gillespie to Esperanza Spalding. Symphony Center Presents brings Monterey to Chicago on Friday, March 22 with the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour, featuring an all-star line-up highlighted by vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, bassist Christian McBride, pianist Benny Green, drummer Lewis Nash, saxophonist Chris Potter and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusiré. Symphony Center's Jazz series wraps up with perennial favorite Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, making its annual appearance this season on Friday, June 21 (moved from the previously announced date of Friday, February 1). Led by master trumpeter Marsalis, this ensemble keeps the big-band tradition alive, playing both unheralded works from jazz’s golden age and new compositions by its members and other top contemporary composers.
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Probing, eclectic, nostalgic and at the same time forward-looking, jazz has always been a vital part of Chicagoland's vibrant performing arts landscape. And over the last half-century, the genre has spiraled into a myriad of derivatives that have expanded and sometimes challenged the art form. Chicago's 2012-2013 season of world class jazz concerts typify that depth, and the caliber of artists we'll see this season demonstrates just why the city is a hotbed for America's own genre. My first and best recommendation is one of the hottest young jazz artists on the planet and already no stranger to Chicago's jazz scene. This season she comes to us by way of the city’s newest concert venue and only fully operational winery. From October 1-3 at Chicago's City Winery (citywinery.com/chicago) on west Randolph (just west of the Chicago Loop), contemporary jazz sensation Esperanza Spalding will offer an up-close-and-personal look at works from her latest release, Radio Music Society (Heads Up International). Pull up a chair in City Winery's intimate venue and sample some great music (and great wines too) in what will have to Chicago's hottest concerts this season. My next pick harkens back to the early days of jazz and its most memorable classics. On September 29, renowned singer, pianist and music revivalist Michael Feinstein will join Jeff Lindberg’s Chicago Jazz Orchestra to honor the great American songbook. With a 17-piece classic big band orchestra in toe, Feinstein will guide audiences on a journey through some of the most beloved music of the genre, performing classic Folk & Eclectic/Blended Programming songs that have thrilled audiences for generations. Legendary pianist McCoy Tyner has called my next On October 4, Harris Theater will bring Chicagoans a new collabpick, Grammy Award winning jazz trumpeter Terell Stafford, “one of the great players of our time.” On October 27 at the Music orative work featuring Sphinx Virtuosi, America’s most celebrated and Institute of Chicago (musicinst.org) in Evanston, Stafford and his en- influential African-American and Latino youth orchestra ensemble. The
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work, created exclusively for and co-commissioned by Harris Theater, was composed and will be conducted only in Chicago by musician and scholar William “Bill” Banfield and features evocative lyrics by Grammy Award-winning African-American female a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock. These vocalists will be performing as soloists with an orchestra for the very first time. Young performers from the Chicago Children’s Choir, one of the Theater’s resident companies, will join these renowned artists for this one-night only concert. The new symphony, titled Affirmations for a New World, is a co-commission with National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. and Minnesota Orchestra. This version of the work will be a new edition conducted by Banfield. True folk devotees will flock to the Old Town School of Folk Music (oldtownschool. org) on October 12 to hear profound songwriter, Chris Smither. Smithier draws his influences deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets, and philosophers and uses dazzling guitar work, gravelly voice to spin inspiring performances that meld his many and varied influences into a new wonderfully authentic creation. High atop my list of folk performances this season is Nashville-based, Evanston native Abigail Washburn's October 18th City Winery performance. Washburn, a singing, songwriting, claw hammer banjo player, is every bit as interested in the present and the future as she is in the past and every bit as attuned to the global as she is to the local. She pairs venerable folk elements with far-flung sounds. And tucked in among her picked and sung modal melodies you'll find songs with catchy hooks and grooves. Washburn is joined by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kai Welch, whom she stumbled upon playing keyboards with the Nashville band, Tommy and the Whale. Founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John McEuen will bring his own brand of string wizardry to The Old Town School of Folk Music on December 1. Master banjo, guitar, fiddle and mandolin player, in 2010, McEuen won a Grammy for his production of Steve Martin – The Crow: New Songs for the 5-string Banjo, an album that enjoyed a continuous run on the Billboard charts at No. 1 for 7 months. In May 2012 he released what is being praised as one of his most important albums with his sons Jonathan and Nathan - The McEuen Sessions/for all the good, on MesaBluemoon Records. McEuen's Old Town concert will touch upon his 40-years in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band as well as new material from his amazingly expansive folk repertoire. Finally, my list wraps with Chicago favorite and acclaimed jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves. On Friday, January 18, Reeves, along with Angelique Kidjo and Lizz Wright, will bring "Sing the Truth!," a musical tribute to the women of jazz, folk, gospel, the blues and R&B. These amazing artists perform music from three recently passed legends—Miriam Makeba, Abbey Lincoln and Odetta—along with songs from musicians as diverse as Billie Holiday to Lauryn Hill for an evening that celebrates the contributions and spirit of great female artists. So there you have it! Put on your running shoes. You don't want to miss a moment of this extraordinary season of music.
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Clockwise from opposite page: Jazz sensation Esperanza Spalding (photo by Sandrine); Members of a capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock (photo courtesy of Harris Theater); Folk artist Abby Washburn (photo courtesy of City Winery).
Also on our Radar October •
12th – Symphony Center: Jazz at Symphony Center presents a premiere of its own commission, The Great Flood, a film by director Bill Morrison with original music composed and performed by legendary guitarist Bill Frisell. Frisell performs his score live assisted by luminaries Ron Miles on trumpet, Tony Scherr in bass and Kenny Wolleson on drums.
November •
15th, 16th, 17th & 18th – The Jazz Showcase (jazzshowcase.com) Wildly diverse jazz musician Anat Cohen performs works from a variety of styles ranging from modern and traditional jazz to Afro-Cuban styles. Cohen has established herself as one of the preeminent voices of her generation.
March •
22nd – Symphony Center: Symphony Center Presents brings Monterey to Chicago with the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour, featuring an all-star line-up highlighted by vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, bassist Christian McBride, pianist Benny Green, drummer Lewis Nash, saxophonist Chris Potter and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusiré.
September •
28th – Two Way Street Coffee House: The Celtic, Folk and World music duo Four Shillings Short performs songs from their world tour.
October •
13th – Park West: Known as one of the most innovative singer/songwriters of his generations, Keller Williams combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, jazz and other genres in his own unique blend.
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26th – Chicago Theatre: Jackson Brown performs. Browne has written and performed some of the most literate and moving songs in popular music and has defined a genre of songwriting charged with honesty, emotion and personal politics. Brown performs with singer and fidler Sara Watkins.
December •
1st – North Shore Center for the Performing Arts: Music legend Art Garfunkel brings his special brand of American classics to Chicago's North Shore.
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Bolstered by the wide-ranging national a n d international attention of the 2011-2012 season, Chicago’s dance companies are revving up for a thrilling new line-up. Nearly every Chicago dance company will present never-before-seen works this year. New productions will include innovative collaborations, intriguing dance narratives, investigative political pieces, and world premieres by two Chicago choreographers recognized by Dance Magazine as “Artists to Watch” in 2012. Plus, several of Chicago’s most-loved dance companies are celebrating special anniversaries this year, which means audiences will be treated to revivals of past favorites. And, in addition to Chicago’s own talent, this season plays host to a range of visiting companies who will further diversify and enrich the new year in Chicago dance.
temporary dance group Hubbard Street Dance Company (HSDC) (hubbardstreetdance. com), the piece celebrates the company’s 35th season. Cerrudo has been turning heads and quickening pulses with his innovative works for HSDC since embarking on his residency with the company in 2009. Last season, Cerrudo’s mysterious and winding dance narrative “Little Mortal Jump” (2012) thrilled audiences and critics alike. The prolific choreographer’s " O n e Thousand Pieces," inspired by Marc Chagall’s American Windows (permanently on display at the Art Institute of Chicago), is certain to be another hit. Cerrudo’s creation is HSDC’s first full-length production, and will combine dancers from both HSDC and Hubbard Street 2. HSDC's artistic director, Glenn Edgerton, describes how Cerrudo’s recent work encapsulates the spirit of the company’s anniversary season: “(The work) represents how all the small individual glass panes in the artwork come together to complete a major piece of art, just as Hubbard Street has had thousands of incredibly talented individuals in our 35-year his-
“We don’t want to do the expected. We are approaching duction from an American perspective, with modern, -Frank Chaves, River North
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Best One-of-a-Kind Music/Dance Collaboration Leave it to Frank Chaves and his jazz-based contemporary company, River North Dance Chicago (RNDC) (rivernorthchicago.com), to produce some of the most dynamic, jazzy numbers in Chicago. This season, RNDC teams up with Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (CJP) for "Cuban Project," which debuts April 13 at Auditorium Theatre. The work explores the Cuban/Afro-Caribbean roots shared by Chaves and Orbert Davis, CJP artistic director. Chaves’ smooth and spunky “Simply Miles, Simply Us,” which premiered during the company’s 2011 Miles Davis Festival, displayed RNDC’s chops performing to archetypal jazz music. "Cuban Project" does even more to submerge the company into jazz, with a stage shared between musicians and dancers, and improvisa-
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Best Breakthrough Contemporary Premiere "One Thousand Pieces" (working title) promises to be one of the season’s most exciting premieres, debuting October 18-21 at Harris Theater. Created by resident choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo for con-
tory to make our institution as vibrant as it is today.” The company will present other new works this season, including a piece from Stockholm-based choreographer Mats Ek, whose work has never before been produced in the US, as well as a collaboration with Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet.
tion taking a central role in performances of both parties. Creative “jam sessions” have been integral in driving the collaboration, during which Chaves asks the musicians to “play what you see” and the dancers to “dance what you hear” in a back and forth interplay that will result in the finished work. Although the music has Cuban and Afro-Caribbean roots, Chaves notes the choreography won’t focus on cha-cha or merengue movements, explaining, “We don’t want to do the expected. We are approaching the production from an American perspective, with modern, contemporary influences.” In supplement to "Cuban Project," RNDC will work with choreographers NejlaYatkin and Adam Barruch on new additions to RNDC’s repertoire this season. Best Full-Length Ballet Joffrey Ballet (joffrey.com), propelled by the nation-wide release of the documentary Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance in 2012, builds on the strength of the Joffrey legacy in its 2012-2013 season. The acclaimed ballet company will reprise its wildly popular 2009 production of "Othello" in ten performances from April 24-May 5, 2013 at Auditorium Theatre. This dramatic, and, at times, violently passionate ballet is not to be missed—whether it’s your second time viewing this production, or the first. In addition to "Othello," the company will present works from choreographers such as Jerome Robbins, T w y l a Tharp, J a m e s Kudelka, and Kurt Jooss this season. The company will also premiere a brand new work from Houston-based choreographer Stanton Welch during "American Legends," February 13-24 at Auditorium Theatre.
the (Cuban Project) procontemporary influences.” Artistic Director Dance Chicago
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Best Political Dance Theater If you haven’t yet seen The Seldoms (theseldoms.org) in action, consider this company the dark horse of the season. In 2011, Carrie Hanson, artistic director of this outside-the-box dance group, made a splash with "Stupormarket," her moving examination of the global economic meltdown. Then, in the spring, she surprised theater-goers with her unexpected interpretation of space at Harris Theater in "This is Not a Dance Concert." Garnering national attention for her innovation, Hanson was named one of Dance Magazine’s "25 to Watch" in 2012. Hanson’s latest work, "Exit Disclaimer: Science and Fiction Ahead," is an evening-
Clockwise from opposite page top photo: Chicago Move Company in "Love Songs" 2012 (photo by Elizabeth Lentz); Hubbard Street Dancers Garrett Anderson and Ana Lopez at the Art Institute of Chicago's America Windows by Marc Chagall (photo by Todd Rosenberg); Joffrey Ballet's April Daly and Fabrice Calmels in "Othello" (photo by Herbert Migdol); members of The Seldoms performing "Stupormarket" (photo by Brian Kuhlmann); Chicago Move Company in "Coming Forth By Day" 2000 (photo by Elizabeth Lentz).
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ON STAGE WITH…SUSAN WERNER September 15, 2012 MICHAEL FEINSTEIN WITH JEFF LINDBERG’S CHICAGO JAZZ ORCHESTRA | September 29, 2012 Michael Feinstein. Photo by Zach Dobson.
BALLET FOLKLÓRICO DE MÉXICO DE AMALIA HERNÁNDEZ | October 6 & 7, 2012 CANADA’S ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET MOULIN ROUGE® — THE BALLET November 2 – 4, 2012 Serena Stanford. Photo by Nardella Photography Inc. In the spirit of the Moulin Rouge of Paris, Moulin Rouge® is a registered trademark of Moulin Rouge S.A.
TOO HOT TO HANDEL: THE JAZZ-GOSPEL MESSIAH January 19 & 20, 2013 Photo by Dan Rest.
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER March 8 – 17, 2013 Alicia Graf Mack. Photo by Andrew Eccles.
RIVER NORTH DANCE CHICAGO WITH ORBERT DAVIS’ CHICAGO JAZZ PHILHARMONIC THE CUBAN PROJECT | April 13, 2013 World Premiere; Co-commissioned by the Auditorium Theatre Photo by Marc Hauser.
EISENHOWER DANCE ENSEMBLE MOTOWN IN MOTION | April 14, 2013 THE EIFMAN BALLET OF ST. PETERSBURG — RODIN May 17 – 19, 2013 Photo by Stanislay Belyaevskiy.
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Autumn 2012CNCJA•29
Best Milestone Anniversary Celebration Modern dance staple Chicago Moving Company (CMC) (chicagomovingcompany.org), celebrates a landmark 40th anniversary this year. Founded in 1972 by dance dynamo Nana Shineflug (who has received four Choreographic Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Chicago Dance Coalition's Lifetime Service to the Field Award, among many honors), CMC is known for its bold choreography and its verve. The vivacious company will reprise some of its greatest hits next spring, probing a wealth of themes from its 40-year repertoire. During the March 21-23 performances at The Dance Center, CMC will also debut a new piece to mark its 40th season. Shineflug explains, “(The new work) explores the various sounds of the body in work (and) play, paying attention to self and the response of others, and the effects on feelings. (It involves) having clear knowledge of spatial patterns that occur in daily life. It is a very human dance, but…not at all literal.” In September, other Chicago dance artists, such as Margi Cole and Matthew Hollis, will pay tribute to Shineflug by using videos of her works to inspire new choreography. These pieces will be presented September 20-21 at Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theater.
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Best Dance for Families If you were fortunate enough to attend Luna Negra Dance Company’s (lunanegra.org) version of "Carmen" last spring, then you’re familiar with the chops of this gifted Latin-infused company. Gustavo Ramirez Sansano has taken the reigns of the Luna Negra and run with it since becoming artistic director in 2010, and Dance Magazine named him among its “25 to Watch” in 2012. What you might not know is that Sansano can also whip up the most charming children’s tales, engaging younger audiences with the same flair the company has for enchanting adults. Last season, Luna Negra introduced the first production in its Luna Niños series, “Moniquilla and the Thief of Laughter.” This December 1-2 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Moniquilla will embark on a brand new adventure choreographed by Luna Negra’s Eduardo Zuniga, with all the loveable characters from “Thief” in tow. This new production will no doubt inspire as much enjoyment for children and parents as the debut of Luna Niños last season.
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length piece that grapples with the divisive national debate about climate change and will debut October 25-27 at Columbia College’s The Dance Center. Like "Stupormarket," this production takes its cue from questions that inspire the choreographer, such as “What are the economic forces and cultural ethos that influence our behavior and decisions as consumers?” or “What tensions exist between our dual identities as consumer and citizen, and between private goods and the public good?” Hanson expounds on the new work: “The focus of 'Exit Disclaimer' has become not so much about climate change itself, but the discourse surrounding it. The various facets of this debate compel but also sadden and disturb me.” "Exit Disclaimer" is a dance theater work, which means Hanson is “employing spoken word, objects, sound design that includes sound effects (think radio), and physicality ranging from the abstract to gestural to action. And humor/satire.”
When asked what inspires him to create dance productions for children, Sansano explains, “As good as it is to expose kids to dance in any format, we wanted to do something different, something that would really captivate them and give them something to latch on to. Doing this programming specifically for children also makes the company more complete, giving us the opportunity to offer something for everyone.” Of course, Luna Negra will also be producing fantastic grown-up productions this season too. They will premiere works from choreographers new to the US, unveil a collaboration with Turtle Island Quartet, and debut a new production choreographed by Sansano him self in the spring. Best Enigmatic Visiting Company The Dance Center at Columbia College will host an array of visiting companies this season, featuring works from some of the most intriguing, provocative and innovative artists in the country. Among Columbia’s visiting talent, Stephen Petronio Company, performing March 7-9 at The Dance Center, will be one to watch. Petronio is known for his powerful modern fusions between dance, music, and visual art, collaborating with some of the greatest contemporary artists, such as musician Rufus Wainwright, visual artist Nancy Sherman and fashion designer Rachel Roy (just to name a few). Petronio brings to The Dance Center his 2003 evening-length production "Underland," a sexy, powerful piece inspired by the bittersweet music of songwriter Nick Cave. Hope and despair interweave in this dark and moving work, which is recommended for mature audiences due to language and adult content.
Also on our Radar September •
13th, 14th & 15th – Columbia College Dance Center (colum.edu/ Dance_Center) presents “Voices of Strength,” two programs of contemporary dance and theater by women from Africa.
October •
11th, 12th & 13th – Choreographer Andrea Miller's Gallim Dance presents an extraordinary evening of modern dance at The Dance Center of Columbia College.
November •
2nd, 3rd & 4th – Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet performing “Moulin Rouge – The Ballet” at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (auditoriumtheatre.org).
December •
7th through 27th – Joffrey Ballet performing “The Nutcracker Ballet” at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.
January •
31st, February 2nd & 3rd – Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People present “And lose the name of action” at The Museum of Contemporary Art (mcachicago.org).
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Even More Dance! It is impossible to highlight all of the exciting productions Chicago companies are preparing for this dance season. Other Chicago companies, such as jazz-based Giordano Dance Chicago and tap-based Chicago Human Rhythm Project will present new lineups this season. Plus, The Dance Center will again host its FamilyDance series, which gives parents and children opportunities throughout the year to dance with top contemporary groups. Additionally, both Harris Theater and The Dance Center at Columbia College will host several wonderfully inventive dance companies. Visitors like Idaho-based Trey McIntyre Project (November 30 at Harris Theater), Detroit-based Eisenhower Dance Ensemble (April 14 at The Dance Center), and dance theater group Double Edge Theatre (January 18-19 at The Dance Center) are certainly worth catching while they’re in town. Clockwise from opposite page far left:: "Three" by River North Dance (photo by Erika Dofour); Stephen Petronio Company in "Underworld" (photo by Sarah Silver); Luna Negra Dance Theatre's "Moniquilla" (photo by German Anton).
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1st and 2nd – The Hamburg Ballet presenting the Chicago premiere of “Nijinsky,” by acclaimed American ballet dancer and choreographer John Neumeier at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance (harristheaterchicago.org). 16th – Thodos Dance Company performing an evening of world premieres at The North Shores Center for the Performing Arts (northshorecenter.org).
March •
8th through 17th – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre returns to the Auditorium Theatre for an unprecedented two-week run with programs that blend their newest season premieres with classics like the timeless masterpiece “Revelations.”
April •
20th & 21st – Salt Creek Ballet present “Alice in Wonderland” at The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts.
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17th through 19th – Visionary choreographer Boris Eifman brings The Eifman Ballet to The Auditorium Theatre in a performance of his new ballet, “Rodin,” based on the life of French sculptor Auguste Rodn (1840-1917) and his turbulent relationship with his mistress and muse, Camille Claudel. 21st, 22nd & 23rd – Compagnie Marie Chouinard perform “The Rite of Spring” and Henri Michaux's “Mouvements” at The Museum of Contemporary Art. Autumn 2012CNCJA•31
Theater
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Chicago theater has a distinct reputation for excellence that extends well beyond the city limits. Five Tony Awards for excellence in regional theater, two Pulitzer Prizes for scripts originating here, countless actors and actresses that call Chicago home make big names for themselves on Broadway and in Hollywood—not to mention the stars migrating from both coasts for the opportunity to work on Chicago stages. Chicago theater has often impressed on all levels, to be sure. What do theater-goers have to look forward to in the 2012—2013 season? Will Chicago continue to prove to be what Time Magazine called the most important theater town in the country? The upcoming season looks promising, if cautious. In our pained economy, theaters across the country keep placing safer and safer bets; production choices seem more revenue-driven than creatively ambitious. For the biggest names, musicals, revivals, derivatives, adaptations and star vehicles abound with new concepts in relatively short supply. But if one chooses to shop beyond their comfort zones, many of the large and smaller professional houses use risk-taking as a tactic to tempt audiences. Many of these theaters continue to take chances on lesser known playwrights and provocative themes. Still, the best of the big guns find creative ways to push the envelope, ensuring that the 2012-2013 season will promise plenty of diversity. For those interested in the latest New York imports this season, Broadway In Chicago (broadwayinchicago.org) brings an exciting trend using Chicago as a test ground for new works before hitting The Big Apple. The strategy has worked well in the past for Spamelot, The Goodbye Girl and The Adams Family, to name a few. This year, Chicago audiences will be treated to the latest work by Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy), Kinky Boots. Fierstein teams up with '80s pop star, Cyndi Lauper (her first theatrical score), promising to be one of the highlights of the new season. The Bank of America Theater will host the pre-Broadway run this fall (October 2 - November 4) before it hits New York later this year. North of the Loop, Lookingglass Theatre (lookingglasstheatre. org) opens with one of the most anticipated productions of the season. MacArther fellow and Lookingglass ensemble member Mary Zimmerman returns for a re-staging of Metamorphoses (September 19 – November 18), her adaptation of tales from classical Greek poet Ovid. Zimmerman originated the show in 1998 at Lookingglass, where it broke attendance records before moving on to a successful run in New York, winning her the 2002 Tony Award for stage direction. The show features several cast members from the original production as well as new players. On the other side of the Chicago River, another highly anticipated production is Goodman Theater's (goodmantheatre.org) revival of
Photo: Geroge Seurat (Jason Danieley) poses Dot (Carmen Cusack) for his famous work, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte-1884, on display and in the permanent collection of The Art Institute of Chicago, for Chicago Shakespeare Theater's production of Sunday in the Park with George (photo by Bill Burlingham).
2012/13 SEASON
EXPECT
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Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth (September 14 – October 25). Veteran of stage, screen and television, actress Diane Lane provides the star power in this story about a Hollywood actress trying to escape a disastrous film opening and her subsequent encounter with a much younger man. Goodman has experienced phenomenal success working with notable actors like Jeff Daniels, Stacy Keach, Nathan Lane and (most often and most notably) Brian Dennehy. While star vehicles seem like a sure-thing, Goodman’s strategy, nonetheless, has the integrity to cull strong stage performers in roles illuminating their gifts rather than exploiting their stardom. Director David Cromer makes his Goodman Theatre debut in this highly recommended
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production. Although casting has yet to be announced, another Goodman show that promises to flex considerable acting muscle is artistic director Robert Falls’ staging of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure (March 3 – April 14). Considered one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays,” the comedy/drama gets revived less often than the Bard’s more straightforward works. But the story of church politics seems timelier than ever. Black Ensemble Theatre (blackensembletheatre.org) has devised a fresh way to present classic material this season. Their season opener, One Name Only, features the music of the five soul divas most likely to be recognized on first name basis: Aretha, Gladys, Patti, Chaka and Whitney. The world premiere musical is written and directed by Black Ensemble associate director Rueben Echoles. But instead of simply offering a revue of hits, One Name Only (October 7 – November 11) takes divas and their hits and drops them squarely into the world of reality TV. Each contestant tries to belt her way to the top, while the audience votes for their favorite starlet-to-be. Complete with contestant confessionals, a panel of judges and thrilling secret guest appearances, this is perhaps the cleverest concept of the season: with the possibility of five different endings, this show invites theatergoers to see the show repeatedly to find out just who'll win next. One of Chicago’s most recognized theaters, Steppenwolf (steppenwolf.org) looks to stage the newest work of an untried playwright. This September, Pulitzer Prizewinning author David LindayAbaire (The Rabbit Hole) makes his Steppenwolf Theatre debut with, Good People (September 13 - November 11), a humorous tale set in economically opposed South Boston and Chestnut From top: Actress Diane Lane will star in Goodman Theatre's fall production of Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth (photo courtesy of Goodman Theatre); Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member K. Todd Freeman will direct Steppenwolf's fall production of David Linday Abaire's Good People; (photo courtesy of Steppenwolf Theatre).
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Also on our Radar September
• 6th through October 14th – Court Theatre (courttheatre. org): August Wilson's Jitney (drama), directed by Ron O.J. Parson. • 7th – October 28th – Lifeline Theatre (lifelinetheatre.com): The Woman in White (drama), based on the novel by Wilkie Collins, adapted by Robert Kauzlaric and directed by Elise Kauzlaric. • 26th through November 4 – Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (chicagoshakes.com) Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George, directed by Gary Griffin.
November
• 1st through December 9th – Eclipse Theatre (eclipsetheatre. com) Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill (drama), directed by artistic director Nathanial Swift.
November (cont'd)
• 13th through December 2nd – Auditorium Theatre (auditoriumtheatre.org): Sister Act (musical comedy) based on the motion picture featuring original music by 8-time Oscar winner Alan Menken. • 21st through January 6th – Remmy Bumpo Theatre (remmybumpo.org): Geroge Bernard Shaw's You Never Can Tell (comedy). • 23rd through December 30th - Citadel Theatre of Lake Forest (citadeltheatre.org): Little Women (drama), the world premiere adaptation by of Louisa May Alcott's beloved story.
December
• 18th through January 5th - Cadillac Palace Theatre (broadwayinchicago.org): War Horse (drama), based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo and adapted by Nick Stord. • 21st through January 6th – CityLit Theatre (citylit.org): Charles Dickens' The Cricket on the Hearth (comedy), world premiere adaptation by Edward Kuffert.
February
• 12th through March 30th – Raven Theatre (raventheatre. com): A Soldier's Play (drama) by Chris Fuller, directed by Michael Menendian.
March
• 5th through April 23rd – The Hypocrites at Chopin Theatre (the-hypocrites.com): Shakespeare's Coriolanus (drama/tragedy), directed by company member Geoff Button.
April
• 2nd through 14th – Cadillac Palace Theatre (broadwayinchicago.org): Catch Me If You Can (musical comedy), book by Terrence McNally, score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, choreography by Jerry Mitchell.
Church politics is the focus of two dramas staged in repertory at American Theatre Company: John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize winner, Doubt, and John Peilmeier’s Agnes of God. ATC deserves creative credit for pairing what are perhaps the two most intelligent contemporary scripts to take on the topic of Catholic ethics. In true repertory style, the same three actresses will tackle the major rolls of both scripts. Hill, Massachusetts. Ensemble member K. Todd Freeman directs. The production features ensemble members Alana Arenas, Mariann Mayberry and Molly Regan. Just a few miles north of Chicago, Skokie’s Northlight Theatre (northlight.org) presents a star vehicle with Chicago natives George Wendt (“Cheers”) and Tim Kazurinsky (“Saturday Night Live”) in what is perhaps Neil Simon’s most staged comedy, The Odd Couple (November 2–December 9). The pairing of gifted comic actors has Wendt playing the disheveled Oscar Madison to Kazurinsky’s fastidious Felix Unger. Both actors are alumni of Chicago’s Second City. Storefront theaters plan to lend their considerable talents toward several notable Chicago premieres this season. A Red Orchid Theatre (aredorchidtheatre.org) starts its 20th anniversary season with the world premiere of ensemble member Brett Neveu’s play, The Opponent (October 18-December 2), about the hard and harsh world of professional boxing. They follow with the Chicago premiere of Howard Korder’s In a Garden (April 4-May 19), about an ambitious architect’s travail into politics. He takes on a commission to design a “thing of beauty” for the Minister of Culture of a fictitious MiddleEastern country, finding himself pulled into the politics of the region as much as the beauty. The production will feature ensemble member Larry Grimm. Church politics is the focus of two dramas staged in repertory at American Theatre Company: John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize winner, Doubt, and John Peilmeier’s Agnes of God. ATC deserves creative credit for pairing what are perhaps the two most intelligent contemporary scripts to take on the topic of Catholic ethics. In true repertory style, the same three actresses will tackle the major rolls of both scripts. Dates have net yet been announced. Profiles Theatre keeps it topical with two Chicago premieres: Richard Nelson’s Sweet and Sad concerns a New York family’s sense of loss on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks; Chad Bekim’s After follows the life of a man set free after 17 years in prison, exonerated because of new DNA evidence. But perhaps their most anticipated production will be the 20th anniversary remounting of Will Kern’s Hellcab, opening in November. Twenty years ago, Hellcab— the long, nightmarish day and night in the life of a Chicago cabbie and his fares—began its run at Famous Door Theatre before becoming an international phenomenon and a classic cult film. It remains one of
2012/13 SEASON
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should be well worth the wait. And while these lay out my picks for the best bets in Chicago's new season, they are by no means the limit of the great live theater that will hit Chicago stages in the coming months. One thing is certain, however; every theater-goer should find something to lose themselves within in Chicago's eclectic cultural mix. Which script will move on to Broadway and win a Tony or a Pulitzer Prize? Which production will wind up becoming the breakout hit of the season? Chicago’s theater scene continues to grow and excite well beyond its borders. And this season offers plenty to challenge the need for this trend to continue. With a little planning (and a reliable GPS), theater goers should find plenty to satisfy their fix until next season arrives.
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Chicago’s longest running productions. Redtape Theatre (redtapetheatre.org) tests very daring waters with their first production of the season, English playwright Caryl Churchill’s experimental script, The Skriker (September 13-October 20). The script involves two impressionable young women battling to stay one step ahead of a shape-shifter hell-bent on destroying them. Churchill uses storytelling and distorted language in a contemporary urban setting to tell her modern fairy tale. It's a tale of changing values in today’s global ecology, and it sets a standard of innovation rarely reached even on experimental stages. Although it’s hardly the stuff of commercial theater, one must salute Redtape for continuing to challenge audiences. For 26 years, Mary-Arrchie Theatre (maryarrchie.com) in Lakeview has defined the storefront theater experience in Chicago. Their new season includes quite a noteworthy production in the rarely performed Sam Shepard play, Geography of a Horse Dreamer (September 20-October 28). In the past, Mary-Arrchie has come closer than any other Chicago troupe to making Shepard’s challenging (and self-indulgent) early scripts effective. The 1974 play originally debuted in London starring Stephen Rea and Bob Hoskins well before either actor made a name for himself on the silver screen. The story concerns the kidnapping of a horse dreamer (someone who can predict the outcome of a horse race) forced to conjure winning information for his captors. Tension arises when confinement compromises the horse dreamer’s abilities. Many theater companies try reinventing Shakespeare’s works in order to add a fresh spin to history's most often staged scripts. For those interested in a new take on Shakespeare, Oak Brook’s First Folio Theatre (firstfolio.org) will stage their Chicago premiere of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline: A Folk Tale with Music next summer (June 19-July 21). David Rice adapts Shakespeare’s rarely staged—but beautifully written — tale of love and betrayal. With lyrics written by Michael Keefe, Rice sets the Bard’s words to music and moves Shakespeare’s folk tale to Civil War Appalachia in the process. Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (chicagoshakes.com) takes on Shakespeare’s Henry VIII (April 13-June 16) for the first time in the company’s history. The tale of England’s most notorious king is considered one of the weakest of Shakespeare’s history plays, and its authorship has often been questioned. Although attributed to Shakespeare, historians debate the possibility that the script was, in large part, written by one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries with the Bard contributing only sparsely to the work. But artistic director Barbara Gaines is nothing if not a highly skilled stage director, and this production
Also on our Radar April (cont'd)
• 5th through May 5th – Victory Gardens Theatre: The Midwest Premiere of The Whale (drama) by Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Joanie Schultz. • 10th through May 19th – Lookingglass Theatre (lookingglasstheatre.org): Still Alice, adapted and directed by ensemble member Christine Mary Dunford, based on the novel by Lisa Genova. • 18th through May 25th – Steep Theatre Company (steepheatre.com): The U.S. Premiere of John Donnely's The Knowledge (comedy), directed by Steep Theatre artistic associate Jonathan Berry. • 27th through June 2nd – Goodman Theatre (goodmantheatre. org): By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (comedy), by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Ruined), directed Chuck Smith. • 30th through June 29th - Raven Theatre: Brigton Beach Memoirs (comedy) by Neil Simon, directed by Cody Estle. • 30th through July 28th – Timeline Theatre (timelinetheatre.com): Blood and Gifts by J. T. Rogers (thriller), directed by associate artistic director Nick Bowling.
May •
9th through June 9th – Court Theatre: Molière's The Misanthrope, translated by Richard Wilbur and directed by Charles Newell.
June
• 22nd through July 6th – Goodman Theatre (goodmantheatre. org): The Jungle Book (musical), based on the Disney animated film and the stories of Rudyard Kipling, adapted and directed by Mary Zimmerman.
Above: Barbara Gains, artistic director of the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (photo courtesy of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre).
Art By DON FUJIWARA
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ell, it’s autumn 2012, and that can only mean one of two things: either we have no more than three months before the old Mayan calendar runs out and the world ends, or it is only just the beginning of the 2012–2013 season for all Chicago’s art museums. Maybe it’s just the optimist in me, but I’m going with the latter, so I’ve put together my must-see list of some upcoming exhibits that are so apocalyptically good, you’ll want to get arty like it’s 1999. On September 19, the season blasts off with "Vernissage," an exclusive opening night celebration of EXPO CHICAGO (expochicago.com), the first ever International Exposition of Contemporary/Modern Art and Design held at Navy Pier. Over 100 of the top art galleries from around the world will be exhibiting, including hometown players Kavi Gupta and Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Russell Bowman Art Advisory, Corbett vs. Dempsey, and Carl Hammer and McCormick galleries. While you’re there, be sure to check out the reconstruction of Gordon Matta-Clark’s 1970 Garbage Wall. What’s special about this incarnation is that it is made out of trash pulled from the Chicago River—to which, if you’re from here, you’ve likely contributed whether you know or admit it. Also, watch out for a large presentation from Tony Tasset, an exhibit curated by Dawoud Bey, and a satellite exhibit by Allen Ruppersberg. Even the venue itself, Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, will be on exhibit, as the show floor will have been designed by Chicago’s Studio Gang Architects. Both Ruppersberg and Studio Gang will be featured attractions at the Art Institute of Chicago (more on that later). EXPO CHICAGO runs September 20–23. The Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art (blockmuseum.northwestern.edu) at Northwestern University in Evanston will present a couple of pretty compelling shows starting in September. The Block boasts a collection of some 5,000 pieces and also houses the PickLaudati Auditorium, the vehicle for its Block Cinema venue. From September 21 through December 9, the museum will host De-Natured: German Art from Joseph Beuys to Martin Kippenberger, an exploration of work from 10 German artists over the 1960–2010 period in a variety of media. Running concurrently with De-Natured is one of From top: Sigmar Polke, His Highness, or When Do Points Count (S.H. – Oder wann zählen die Punkte), 2002. James Keith Brown and Eric Diefenbach Collection. ©Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.; Martin Kippenberger, Untitled (The Mark), 1990, graphite and Letraset on hotel stationery, mounted on offset printed poster. James Keith Brown and Eric Diefenbach Collection. ©Estate of Martin Kippenberger, Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne.
my favorite picks of the season, Shimon Attie: The Neighbor Next Door. This exhibit re-envisions Los Angeles-born Attie’s 1995 installation originally exhibited in Amsterdam. In the first iteration, Attie projected archival film footage of German soldiers and other period street scenes from the windows of Amsterdam homes that had sheltered Jews during World War II, acquainting viewers with the kind of claustrophobia that comes with living clandestinely. The Los Angeles Times said of The Neighbor Next Door, “Attie treads lightly, resists any presumptuous attempts at closure, and personalizes the loss without undue melodrama.” The Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago (smartmuseum.uchicago.edu) will be presenting Awash in Color: French and Japanese Prints October 4– January 20. This museum, named for brothers in publishing, David and Alfred Smart, has been all about education and accessibility ever since it opened to the public in 1974. What makes Awash in Color exceptional is its exploration of the relationship between Japanese woodblock printing and French color prints, and how that relationship was not at all as one-sided as popular perception holds. This exhibits takes a rather long view, spanning some two centuries, to illustrate how the flow of influence went both ways—rather than simply East to West—and that even prior to Japan’s debut to the modern world, printmaking technique and technology had been evolving in parallel in both France and Japan. This exhibit will feature over 120 prints and illustrated books from names you might expect, like Manet, ToulouseLautrec, Hiroshige and Hokusai, and others not so familiar. Starting March 2, 2013 the Loyola University Museum of Art (luc. edu/luma) at Loyola’s Water Tower Campus continues its mission to propagate art that addresses spirituality across all cultures and societies by exhibiting Archie Rand’s The 613, a depiction of the 613 commandments of the Torah. At 1,700 square feet, it is, according to Rand, “the largest free-standing painting in the world.” Art and Faith of the Creche: The Collection of James and Emilia Govan runs November 2012– January 2013 and is very high on my list of must-see shows this season. For the past four holiday seasons, LUMA has exhibited this collection of Nativities from artists around the world, and, whether you’ve seen it before or not, this fifth installment is a mustsee as the museum is introducing new crèches this year. Since 1993, the tastes of Thomas Masters Gallery
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From top: Vivian Maier Self-portrait, (photo courtesy of Carl Hammer Gallery) ; Artists Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec (photo © Ola Rindal).
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String Theory, an installation in paint, found space and—well, string. Perhaps the exhibit I am anticipating the most this season is EPIC SOMETHING, the climactic twelfth and final installment in the Twelve Galleries Project (twelvegalleriesproject.org), a nomadic Chicago gallery run by Jamilee Polson Lacy. EPIC SOMETHING is the artistic equivalent of When Worlds Collide, only in this case it’s the worlds of visual art and the written word. Media range from drawings and animation, to installation and writing. The largely Chicagoan lineup—featuring such names as Jesse Ball, Edie Fake, DebSokolow and Viktor Van Bramer—will transition, translate and transmogrify the visual into story and narrative and then bring it back again. EPIC SOMETHING runs November 18– February 24. Say an extinction-level event has not occurred, and we’re still around next February, we’ll be in for one beaut of an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (mcachicago.org). The MCA has really undergone a dramatic transformation over the last two years. Since taking the reins in 2010, James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator Michael Darling has instituted sweeping change, including new curators, a new floor plan, even an upgraded digital presence—all in keeping with his vision of clarity in identity. From October 20 through January 20, the MCA will exhibit Rowan and Erwan Bouroullec: Bivouac, a celebration of the 15year collaboration of the Bouroullec brothers, French industrial designers of home and office furniture and storage systems. Destroy the Picture: Painting the Void, 1949-1962 (February 16–June 2) showcases one art movement that rose from the ashes of World War II only to put a unique spin on abstract painting. By dispensing with the paint, Destroy the Picture explores how artists from former combatant nations who, in perceiving the end of one world and the beginning of a new one, incorporated the devastation they witnessed into their art by attaching objects they had ripped, cut and burnt onto the canvas. The integrating of performance and assemblage into painting resulted in the traditionally two-dimensional medium bleeding over into the third. Destroy the Picture highlights 100 works of artists from Italy, Japan, France, the U.K. and the U.S., including Lucio Fontana, Kazuo Shiraga, Yves Klein, John Latham, R o b e r t
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(thomasmastersgallery.com) in Old Town have run parallel to the particular worldview of its owner, artist/musician Thomas Masters. Starting September 7, this space will be showing Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows, in parallel with the release of Richard Cahan and Michael Williams’ book of the same name. This exhibit features silver gelatin prints of select photographs from the book. Maier, who for 40 years worked as a nanny to support her artistic endeavor, died in 2009, before attaining public recognition or exhibition. For over 30 years the Carl Hammer Gallery (hammergallery.com) in Chicago's River North has championed outsider art, and you can’t get much more outside than Oak Park resident Chris Ware. From September 7 through October 27, Carl Hammer, along with Ada Baumgold Gallery, will be exhibiting Chris Ware: Building Stories, which also coincides with the release of Ware’s book of the same name. “Building Stories” follows the denizens of a three-story Chicago apartment building in comic drawings, quite a few of which had first featured in New York Times Sunday Magazine and The New Yorker. The National Veterans Art Museum (nvam.org) will close the doors to its Chicago Loop facility in September, but the good news is the NVAM will hold a reception on November 11, Veteran’s Day, celebrating both its reopening at 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Portage Park, and an exhibit that is so new it doesn’t even have a name yet. I heard it straight from NVAM Executive Director Levi Moore that the as-yet unnamed exhibit will feature work from veterans of the Vietnam War and of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and, at the same time, serve as an intergenerational comparison of the artwork and traumatic impact of two very different eras of conflict. As Chicago’s oldest alternative exhibition space, the Hyde Park Art Center (hydeparkart.org) is a little off the beaten path of your more traditional art venues. But don’t let that put you off, the HPAC and spaces like it offer solid alternatives to the more traditional—and, some may say more sterile—institutions in that they are more inclined to showcase more daring and innovative works. And don’t let the name fool you either; at 5020 S. Cornell, the Hyde Park Art Center is actually in the Kenwood neighborhood, its home for the last six years. Two Histories of the World (September 16–January 6) features sculptures, paintings and illustrations made out of found objects the artists scavenged from the now-demolished William H. Cooper factory. And November 11–February 13, Chicago artist Bette Cerf Hill will unravel the mystery of particle physics in
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Rauschenberg, and more. It aims to frame the artists, many of whom are now established figures, within the context of their early works. The Art Institute of Chicago’s (artic.edu) 2012 lineup includes several of my picks for the season: Allen Ruppersberg-No Time Left to Start Again/The B and D of R 'n' R (September 21–January 6), a paean to American vernacular music in scanned reproductions; and Building: Inside Studio Gang Architects (September 24–February 24), an installation capturing the “studio-like environment” of the Chicago architecture design firm headed up by 2011 MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang. Finally, from February 20, 2013 to May 12, the AIC revisits the city’s favorite cubist in Picasso and Chicago. Through 250 paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings from private collections, as well as its own holdings, the Art Institute celebrates Picasso’s relationship with and contribution to our fair city. So, there you have it. I know it’s a lot to take in, and with all that’s going on in 2012, you’re sure to have your hands full, what with all the planning, and the doing and the seeing. But if you should happen to miss out on an exhibit or two, don’t worry. It won’t mean the end of the world … Or will it?
FRENCH AND JAPANESE PRINTS
Also on our Radar September
• 7th through October 13th – Douglas Dawson Gallery (douglasdawson.com): Exposed – Gallery Highlights, a compilation of some of the galleries holdings in African, Asian, American and Contemporary works. • 7th through November 12th – Gallery KH in River North (gallerykh.com): Carolyn Cole – New Colorful Abstracts.
November
• 1st through 4th – Structural Objects Functional Art + Design at Navy Pier (sofaexpo.com), gallery presented masterworks of contemporary and modern art design.
January
• 1st and ongoing– Dusable Museum of African American History (dusablemuseum.org): Reflections, a documentary-style photography series of black and white photographs of personal living spaces of over 60 renowned individuals whose lives and careers have addressed the fundamental political, economic, and social realities of the 20th century and beyond. • 16th through March 24th – Elmhurst Art Museum (elmhurstartmuseum.org): Photographer David Weinberg's: Mr. Wild's Garden, a provocative re-envisioning of the photographer's childhood.
June
• 26th through September 22nd – Art Institute of Chicago (artic.edu): Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity when artists were fashionistas and the artistic and literary elite utilized the ephemeral and constantly changing innovative qualities of fashion as a means of discovering new visual and verbal expressions.
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Chicago’s many museums always offer exciting and informative exhibitions and the plans for the 2012-2013 season do not fail to deliver. There is a wealth of culture and knowledge in the city’s numerous institutions, but I've put together a list of exhibits you do not want to miss this season. They range from ancient Egypt to Rock-n-Roll to space exploration. There’s something here for everyone, so get ready to plan your next museum adventure. The Newberry (www.newberry.org)—Chicago's independent research library—celebrates its quasquicentennial with an extraordinary exhibition of 125 of the millions of books, maps, manuscript pages, drawings, and photographs in its collection–these featured items not only creating a neat parallelism (125 items for 125 years of existence) but also embodying the Newberry’s mission of supplying relevant research and learning opportunities for Chicagoland. The contents making up The Newberry 125 are some of the library's most immediately awe-inspiring and most utilized, consulted, pored over works in their collection. The ongoing exhibit opens September 6, 2012. Starting in mid-October 2012 the Field Museum (fieldmuseum.org) is adding a new and exciting exhibition exploring the rulers of the sub-continent of India. Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts examines the grand world of India’s rulers from the 18th century to the 1940s when India won its independence from Great Britain. Visitors will be introduced to royal duty and what it meant for the rulers of India. They'll also get a chance to explore palace life, including entertainment and leisure. The exhibition spans India’s tumultuous history, including the fall of the Mughal Empire, the prominence of the smaller kingdoms and colonization by the British Empire. Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts promises to deliver an understanding of the culture and politics that spanned two centuries
in India – much of what reverberates today. The exhibition runs October 17 through February 3, 2013. While at the Field Museum this season, be sure to take time to explore the world of Extreme Mammals. The exhibition, which started in May 2012 and runs through January 6, 2013, brings you nose-to-snout with all kinds of mammals, including those which are now extinct. Visitors will investigate the shared traits of mammals and learn about those that have adapted to their size or environment, like the Solenodon, an animal similar to the shrew, except that it injects venom like a snake. June 2012 through May 2013 has been dubbed “The Summer of the Universe” at Adler Planetarium with multiple exhibits exploring the vastness of the universe. Two exhibits, The Universe: A Walk through Space and Time and Welcome to the Universe exemplify just how awesome the universe is and allow visitors to delve into the oceans of galaxies, stars, planets and other celestial bodies. The Universe: A Walk through Space and Time is a self guided tour that allows visitors to witness the beginnings of the universe and its continual evolution right up to the moment. Touch screens allow exhibit visitors to investigate various celestial objects, including comets, nebulas, asteroids and stars. The exhibit runs through May 2013. What would a discussion of outer space be without contemplating what it would take to colonize the Moon? It might be closer than you think. Head over to the Museum of Science and Industry and explore Lunar Greenhouse a prototype environment developed by Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, which has the potential to provide water, oxygen and half the daily amount of food for an individual to survive. From top: Visitors explore The Adler's newest exhibit The Universe: A Walk Through Space and Time through touch screen technology which helping investigate a wide selection of diverse and beautiful objects in deep space (photos ©Adler Planetarium); One of the first giant mammals, Uintatherium, featured in the Field Museum's new exhibit Extreme Mammals, lived 40-50 million years ago in North America(photo ©AMNH.D.Finnin); Opposite page: A model showcases some of Ebony Fashion Fair's iconic designs (image courtesy of Getty Images).
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The greenhouse will contain plant life grown through a hydroponics process, which will give visitors an idea of how people might be able to grow food on the Moon. The greenhouse will be open through January 27, 2013. While you’re at the Museum of Science and Industry, don’t forget to spend time with the Peanuts gang. Beginning October 25, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy—and of course Snoopy—will be on hand to highlight the legacy of famed cartoonist Charles Schultz. Charlie Brown and the Great Exhibit explores the life and legacy of Shcultz, who drew the strip for more than 50 years. Visitors will see original sketches as well as reproductions of the beloved Peanuts gang. Additionally, visitors can relive the holidays with images from the iconic cartoons shown at Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Visitors will also have a chance to create their own memories through several on-site activities, including making a zoetrope, a device that combines images together to create animation. Charlie Brown and the Great Exhibit runs through February 18, 2013. Folks interested and all things historically fashionable should visit the first exhibition dedicated to the Ebony Fashion Fair when it opens in the spring of 2013 at the Chicago History Museum (chicagohistory.org). This exhibition will showcase the creativity of Eunice W. Johnson, the co-founder of Johnson Publishing Company, who was considered the life force behind the fashion show. Johnson was noted for breaking the color barrier as a buyer in the great fashion houses of Europe. The exhibition will feature 60 garments from the Ebony Fashion Fair collection, including those designed by Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, Stephen Burrows, Yves Saint Laurent, Patrick Kelly, and Christian Lacroix. The exhibition will open March 16, 2013 and run through January 4, 2014. The Chicagoland area is rich in Swedish heritage and a great place to soak that up is the Swedish American Museum. Beginning September 21, the museum will feature the textile and furniture designs of Josef Frank. The traveling exhibit, The Enduring Designs of Josef Frank features designs that celebrate bold colors, floral patterns and comfort. In addition to home furnishings, Frank was also known for designing furniture and other decorative objects. The exhibit will not remain at the museum for an extended stay as it only runs through November 25, 2012. Who doesn’t love intrigue? Head over to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and you can get your fill. With political turmoil and
national security a hot-button issue, Spies, Traitors and Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America explores the balance of civil liberties and individual rights at the Illinois Holocaust Museum—a fitting exhibition for a museum established to combat prejudice and intolerance. The exhibition, a creation of the International Spy Museum, examines these questions through old film footage, interactive displays and other artifacts. Spies explores dramatic events in the nation’s past and reveals reactions—and sometimes over reactions—by the people and the government. At the end of the exhibition visitors can record their own opinions on national security and civil liberties. Spies, Traitors and Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America runs through Jan. 6, 2013. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the National Museum of Mexican Art. What better way to celebrate than to participate in the "Sor Juana Festival: A Tribute to Mexican Women." The festival honors So Juana Ines de la Cruz, a 17th-century Mexican nun who valued educating women. In addition to her vows, she was a playwright, a mathematician and a poet. The festival, which runs August 28- November 11, includes multiple events such as the La Catrina Fashion Show, which highlights Mexican fashion designers; The Wonder Women of Comedy provides a night of laughter with four Latina comediennes; Lunada at the Museum, theatrical performances celebrating 12 years of new and original works by Pan-Latina playwrights; and a reading from "Women in Women" and "Knowledge in Mesoamerica," by author Paloma Martinez-Cruz, as well as a reading from "The House on Mango Street" by author Sandra Cisneros. The various events at the museum range in prices. Check the website of the National Museum of Mexican Art for times, dates and prices.
Also on our Radar September
• 14 through June 16 – The Field Museum (fieldmuseum.org): Fashion and The Field Museum and Collection: Maria Pinto, an exhibit for lovers of fashion art and history. • 30 through November 4 – The Morton Arboretum (mortonarb.org): Fall Color Festival, a season of family activities that celebrate the beauty of the fall season.
October
• 21 ongoing – Chicago History Museum (chicagohistory.org): Shalom Chicago, discover the history of Jewish Chicago through personal stories illustrating the larger community's experience and evolving identity. • 26 through January 13 – Elmhurst Historical Society (elmhurst.org): Centuries of Progress, the history of America's World Fairs comes to life through this national traveling exhibition.
November
• 25 through January 2 – The Shedd Aquarium (sheddaquarium. org): A Holiday Fantasea, The Shedd's must-see aquatic show.
Autumn 2012CNCJA•41
a
Tale 2 Cities of
New Chicago Opera Theater general manager Andreas Mitisek plans a robust collaboration with Long Beach Opera (which he also leads) in a sistership expected to boost artistic and budgetary strength for both innovative houses.
By MYRON SILBERSTEIN
F
For nearly 40 years, Chicago Opera Theater has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the most innovative opera companies in the United States. From its timely 1976 production of The Mother of Us All, Virgil Thomson’s bio-opera of Susan B. Anthony, to its Chicago-premiere presentation this past April of Shostakovich’s satirical Moscow, Cheryomuski, the company has consistently offered Chicagoans fresh, topical opera of the highest artistic order. The past five seasons at Chicago Opera Theater has seen Chicago premieres of works as diverse as Jake Heggie’s recent Three Decembers and Charpentier’s 1694 opera Medee. In perhaps the most stunning recent example of its motto, "Opera Less Ordinary," Chicago Opera Theater hosted the United States premiere of Tod Machover’s Death and the Powers, featuring robot performers and technologicallygenerated soundscapes. Similarly, California’s Long Beach Opera is also at the vanguard of the Los Angeles-area opera scene. Originally founded in 1979 as a traditional grand opera company, former artistic director Michael Milenski launched Long Beach Opera's departure from the mainstream with groundbreaking productions of Britten’s Death in Venice and Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea in its 198384 season. Long Beach has presented several United States premieres by visionary composers such as Szymanowski and Schoenberg as well as ground-breaking productions of standard repertoire works. Given the similarities in the two companies’ vi-
42•CNCJAAutumn 2012
Andreas Mitisek, general manager of the Chicago Opera Theater.
Photo by Alan Klehr
ARTIST CONVERSATIONAL
Autumn 2012CNCJA•43
The two companies’ synergies offer the opportunity for both artistic and financial development. By presenting an unusual or premiere work at both companies, Mitisek hopes to “double the understanding of the music” he programs. This is a tremendous service to the rarely-heard works Mitisek favors... sions, it’s fitting that when Brian Dickie—general director of Chicago Opera Theater since 1999—announced his retirement from the company, Andreas Mitisek—artistic and general director of Long Beach since 2003—was chosen to take his place. Mitisek’s directorship of Long Beach Opera has been a tremendous success both artistically and administratively. Continuing Milenski’s vision for the company, Mitisek has presented overlooked masterpieces such as Michael Nyman’s The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and Vivaldi’s long-lost Montezuma. He has won widespread critical acclaim for his use of nontraditional performance spaces, such as the 2007 production of Grigori Frid’s The Diary of Anne Frank produced in an underground parking garage, which was revived by popular demand the following season. And beyond his artistic successes, Mitisek has increased subscriptions to Long Beach Opera by over 500% during his tenure. Mitisek will remain as artistic and general director of Long Beach while he assumes leadership of Chicago Opera Theater. Indeed, his dual leadership will be marked by an unprecedented, historic collaboration between the two companies. Chicago Opera Theater’s 2012-2013 season, the first to be planned under Mitisek’s leadership, will include a co-production between the sister companies; Philip Glass’s adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher will be presented at Long Beach from January 27 to February 3 and will then travel to Chicago for performances from February 23 to March 1. A second offering in Chicago Opera Theater's upcoming season, Maria de Buenos Aires by twentieth-century Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla, was presented by Long Beach in January-February 2012. The collaboration between Chicago Opera Theater and Long Beach Opera entails what Maestro Mitisek refers to as “a great opportunity to closely align the long-term visionary goals” of the two companies. The two companies, explains Mitisek, are similar both in mission and in their position in their respective communities. Both reside in cities fortunate enough to have a large-scale traditional opera company such as the Lyric Opera and Los Angeles Opera. Both Long Beach and Chicago Opera Theater complement the offerings of their larger neighbors. Thus, repertoire choices well-suited to either of the two companies are often equally well-suited to the other. The two companies’ synergies offer the opportunity for both artistic and financial development. By presenting an unusual or premiere work at 44•CNCJAAutumn 2012
both companies, Mitisek hopes to “double the understanding of the music” he programs. This is a tremendous service to the rarely-heard works Mitisek favors; by creating a greater presence for these works in presenting them in two major cities, Mitisek hopes that other companies will pick them up when they see their success in Long Beach and Chicago. Likewise, by bringing the entire production from one city to the other, directors and singers learning these unusual works are in a position to present their artistry in two different cities. From an economic perspective, the collaboration allows the two opera houses to share commissioning costs for new works and to share sets and costumes for productions. “If we put together our budgets” for the elements of a production, Mitisek explains, “we have more coming out than if we produced these unusual works individually.” The partnership between Chicago Opera Theater and Long Beach Opera, though, is deeper than one of shared talent and shared expenses. Mitisek, who is integral to the repertoire selection for both companies, develops his choices in accordance with what fits neatly within to the repertoire aesthetic for Chicago Opera Theater and Long Beach. The Fall of the House of Usher, for example, is an ideal opera for both companies. Long Beach is incorporating the opera into a season that boasts another rare Poe adaptation, Stewart Copeland’s The Tell-Tale Heart. Chicago, and specifically Chicago Opera Theater, Maestro Mitisek points out, has a long history with Philip Glass. Chicago Opera Theater performed Akhnaten in 2000. The Court Theatre’s 2003-04 season opened with the world premiere of Glass’s The Sound of a Voice. And the Goodman Theatre hosted the world premiere of Glass’s Galileo Galilei in 2002. And, for both companies, the production of Usher is a tribute both to that opera’s 25th anniversary and to its composer’s 75th birthday. Meastro Mitisek spoke with eloquent enthusiasm about the shared production of Maria de Buenos Aires. Piazzolla, Mitisek explained, is known mostly as a composer of From top: Long Beach Opera's 2009 U.S. Premiere of Vivaldi's lost opera Montezuma (photo courtesy of Long Beach Opera); Tango opera Maria de Buenos Aires by Ástor Piazzolla will be performed by Chicago Opera Theater next spring at Harris Theater in Millennium Park (photo by David Schneiderman).
Photo by Alan Klehr
ARTIST CONVERSATIONAL tango. Mitisek points out that the Tango is often thought of as a cliché-ridden art form. But in Maria de Buenos Aires, Piazzolla creates in the protagonist, “not just a personification of the Tango but of the people of Argentina and of their struggle for democracy.” Mitisek was determined to make more of this dance opera than just entertainment. For him it’s a far more visceral experience. As he describes, “The Tango is a form that rips a wound open and puts its finger in there until it hurts and rips and bleeds.” Mitisek’s approach to Maria de Buenos Aires, interpreting it through a political lens, is well in keeping with his overall approach to opera. “My mission as an artist is to show the different facets of what opera can be," he explains, "to point out the relevance of what we do. I’m interested in telling stories that have relevance to who we are with music that deepens that experience.” Indeed, Mitisek has coined an acronym by which to define the word opera: Out-ofthe-box, Provocative, Engaging, Relevant, Adventurous journeys. For Maestro Mitisek, Chicago is an ideal location to embark upon such journeys. As a native of Vienna, Chicago reminds him of home with its deep cultural roots and people who live here so appreciative of the arts. Chicagoans have eagerly taken the provocative journey Chicago Opera Theater has offered for the past four decades. How will that journey change with Mitisek navigating? For one thing, the Chicago Opera Theater experience will be present throughout a greater portion of the year. Rather than the festival format of April-May productions the company has traditionally offered, Mitisek will produce this season’s three operas between February and September. And Mitisek told me that he also, “has a strong urge to go outside the Harris Theater and be present in different neighborhood communities” while maintaining the Harris as the company's primary venue. But his main focus is on a continuation of Chicago Opera Theater's historic trajectory and vision—those shared by Long Beach Opera and soon to be made all the more powerful by the collaboration between the two companies. “This is a great opportunity for the two companies to team up and do something that is only possible between those two companies,” Mitisek says. Chicago audiences are in a unique position to witness how this collaboration springs forward Chicago Opera Theater's incredibly inspiring evolution.
Autumn 2012CNCJA•45
cultural happenings
All's Fair
On Friday, November 2, The Art Fair Company, based in Chicago, will present the critically acclaimed international art fair, SOFA Chicago 2012, at historic Navy Pier. The highly anticipated three-day event features masterworks of contemporary and modern art and design, sculpture, functional art, non-traditional and visionary art, plus related special exhibits
Towering Ideas...
World renowned architect Rafael Viñoly will be in Chicago on Monday, October 8 to talk about design innovation in the 21st century, as well as his current project in the city. The event marks the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust's second annual Thinking into the Future: The Robie House Series on Architecture, Design and Ideas. This year, the event is in partnership with the University of Chicago Logan Center for the Arts, American Institute of Architects Chicago chapter and Chicago Ideas Week. Viñoly, who has been commissioned to design the New Hospital Pavilion at the University of Chicago Medical Center, will speak about his vision for public architecture. He'll also participate in an interactive discussion with leaders from the university medical center about the challenges of incorporating innovation into a building for medical purposes. Viñoly has been a major presence in architecture for nearly half a century, having lead dozens of major public projects worldwide, including the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City and the International Forum in Tokyo. Tickets to the event are available online at gowright.org.
Heavy Gifting
and a lecture series. Now celebrating its 19th year, SOFA, the international Sculpture Objects & Functional Art + Design Fair is the largest and longest continually running art fair in Chicago. SOFA Chicago 2012 will feature nearly 70 art galleries and dealers from 10 countries along with special exhibits by renowned museums, universities and arts organizations, and an extensive lecture series, all included in the admission price.
Heavy Lifting
Barrel of Monkeys (BOM), a Chicago-based arts education theater ensemble, kicks off its 15th season with an all new, crossdisciplinary extravaganza titled Chicago's Weird, Grandma. From the powerhouse theater of Steppenwolf to the experimental dance of BONEdanse to the quirky stylings of the Noah Ginex Puppet Company, BOM brings children's stories to life in an innovative way. Chicago's Weird, Grandma is a new spin on the BOM classic That's Weird, Grandma on Mondays, October 8 through December 17 at 8 p.m. at the Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland. Company members from each guest organization will use elements of theater, experimental dance, puppetry, clowning and vaudeville-inspired performance art to transform the creative writings of third, fourth and fifth grade CPS and Chicago Park District students into original sketches and songs. Each artist will be given three original stories from BOM's in-school residencies to choose from and create a 3-minute sketch. A different guest artist appears each week.
On June 8, 2012, Chicago Opera Theater (COT) was awarded a $500,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This grant will be used over the next three seasons under new COT general director Andreas Mitisek to support works by American composers. Additionally, a portion of the grant is being used to create a cash reserve fund. The grant will support Philip Glass’s The Fall of the House of Usher in 2013, as well as Chicago Opera Theater’s first commissioned opera in their history. “I am thrilled to begin my tenure here at COT The new $114 million Reva and David with this continued vote of confidence from The Mellon Logan Center for the Arts at the University Foundation,” noted Andreas Mitisek. “We see this as a of Chicago (UChicago) officially opens validation of Chicago Opera Theater’s adventuresome to the public with a free three-day Logan work, and the importance our company has on both the Launch Festival, Friday- Sunday, October national stage and in Chicago’s vast cultural landscape.” 12-14, 2012, offering the first chance for In addition to supporting COT’s artistic initiatives, the entire campus community, neighbor$150,000 of the Mellon Foundation grant is designated hood residents, and audiences from across to create COT’s first ever cash reserve fund, one of many Chicago to experience all that the Logan steps Andreas and COT’s Board of Directors are taking to Center will make possible. The festival build on the company’s financial foundation. features ongoing activities throughout Said COT Board President, Gregory O’Leary, “The the facility, representing the wide range of arts at UChicago. Highlights include a festival kick-off creation of a cash reserve fund is an essential ingredient concert by Mexican roots rockers Los Cenzontles with special guest Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo and in putting COT on firm financial ground as we begin our sound installations, a performance, and screening by renowned artist Richard Lerman. next phase with Andreas at the helm.” This is the third grant awarded to Chicago Opera Clockwise from top left: Renowned architect Rafael Viñoly (photo courtesy of the Wright Preservation Trust); Metocanea brooch, Theater by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. 2012 - stainless steel, powder coated, 18 x 18 x 5 cm, ( photo courtesy of Charon Kransen Arts); BOM cast of That's Wierd Grandma
Festive Beginning
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(photo courtesy of Barrel of Monkeys); Artist's rendering of the new Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago (photo courtesy of the University of Chicago); Cast of Chicago Opera Theater's 2011 production of Tod Machover's Death and the Powers (photo courtesy of The Chicago Opera Theater).
Cultural Almanac
Photo by Anna subbotina
autumn 2012 Autumn 2012CNCJA•47
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Musi c& Dance
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Symphony Ball w/Annee-Sophie Mutter
CSO in Millennium Park
Muti conducts Respighi
Symphony Center Presents w/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org)
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Tom Chapin & Friends (Kraft Great Kids Concert)
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YoYo Ma w/The Knights
Julliard String Quartet (Martin Theatre)
Johannes Moser, cello (Bennett Gordon Hall)
Orion Weis, piano (Bennett Gordon Hall)
Ravinia - all performances at Ravinia's Pavilion unless otherwise noted (Tel. 847.266.0641, ravinia.org)
The Fascinating Rhythms of Balkan Dance
Canteca de Macao & Fishtank Ensemble
The Refugees featuring Cindy Bullens, Deborah Holland & Wendy Waldman
Tribute to Doc Watson & Earl Scruggs
Kathy Mattea
Peter Mulvey
Cuerdas Clasicás
Paranormal Jazz Band
Nuala Kennedy Band
Michael Martin Murphey & Jonathan Edwards
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Eric Bibb String Band
Monika Jalili
Old Town School of Folk Music (Tel. 773.728.6000, oldtownschool.org/concerts)
America Windows
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Tel. 312.850.9744, hubbardstreetdance.org)
Ground Effect w/Liz Burritt, Paige Cunningham Caldarella, & Colleen Halloran
Fraction: Dance in Progress
Common Threads: feat. Tapestry Dance Company, Esoteric Dance Project and Robert Welcher
Links Hall (Tel. 773.281.0824, linkshall.org)
Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug
Voices of Strength: Two Programs of Contemporary Dance and Theater by Women from Africa
Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago (Tel. 312) 369-8330, colum.edu/dance_center)
Genius in the Synagogue: A Musical Portrait of Max Janowski
Chicago a Capella (Tel. 773. 281.7820, chicagoacapella.org)
Fanfare Ciocarlia
Deolinda*
Gonzalo Bergara Quartet**
Teitur w/Jodee Lewis*
Suzanne Vega w/Mike Musikanto*
David Grisman Sextet*
Charlie Mars*
Johnny & Jimmy - John Sebastian & Jimmy Vivino*
City Winery (Tel. 312.733.9463, citywinery.com/chicago) [Folk/neo-folk=*, Jazz=**]
W. A. Mozart's The Magic Flute
Chicago Opera Theater (Tel. 312.704.8414, chicagooperatheater.org)
Italian Passion
Chicago Chamber Musicians (Tel. 312.819.5800, chicagochambermusic.org)
Michael Feinstein with Jeff Lindberg’s Chicago Jazz Orchestra
On Stage with Susan Werner
Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (Tel. 312.922.2110, auditoriumtheatre.org)
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The CNCJA Cultural Almanac listings are representative of schedules from participating institutions available at time of publication.
Autumn 2012CNCJA•49
Theaters
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Hamlet
Writers Theatre in Glencoe (Tel. 847.242.6000, writerstheatre.org)
Equivocation
Illegal Use of Hands
Victory Gardens Theater (Tel. 773.871.3000, victorygardens.org)
Good People
Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Tel. 312.335.1650, steppenwolf.org)
The Glass Menagerie
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Sweet and Sad
RedTwist Theatre (Tel. 773.728.7529, redtwist.org)
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Profiles Theatre (Tel. 773.549.1815, profilestheatre.org)
Woody Sez: The Life and Times of Woody Guthrie
Northlight Theatre in Skokie (Tel. 847.673.6300, northlight.org)
Handspring Puppet Company: Woyzeck on the Highveld
John Jota Leaños
Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org)
Freud's Last Session
Mercury Theatre (773.325.1700, mercurytheatrechicago.com)
Metamorphoses
Lookingglass Theatre (Tel. 773.477.9257, lookingglasstheatre.org)
The Woman in White
Lifeline Theatre (Tel. 773.761.4477, lifelinetheatre.com)
My First Time
Seascape
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Six Dead Queens and An Inflatable Henry
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Greenhouse Theater Center (Tel. 773.404.7336, greenhousetheater.org)
Black N Blue Boys
Sweet Bird of Youth
Goodman Theatre (Tel. 312.443.3800, goodmantheatre.org)
The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story
First Folio Theatre in Oakbrook (630.986.8067, firstfolio.org)
Xanadu
Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook (630.530.8300, drurylaneoakbrook.com)
Jitney
Court Theatre (Tel. 773.702.7005, courttheatre.org)
Dearly Departed
Marvin's Room
Circle Theatre in Forest Park (Tel. 708.771.0700, circle-theatre.org)
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The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Tel. 312.595.5600, chicagoshakes.com)
The Lady with All the Answers
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble of Glen Ellyn (630.9424000, home.cod.edu/atthemac/bte)
I Love Lucy Live Onstage
Pinkalicious The Musical
Broadway In Chicago (Tel. 312.977.1700, broadwayinchicago.org)
SEPTEMBER 2012
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c e i Pe s By DON FUJIWARA
T
of
Freedom
Photos by Nils Klinger
he very majesty of the Statue of Liberty is what prompted Emma Lazarus to pen the words, “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” Conversely, a mere half of La Libertéé clairant le monde (French for "Liberty Enlightening the World") prompted a certain Charlton Heston character to rail the equally iconic—if not quite so poetic— "You maniacs! You blew it up!” These only serve to illustrate how glimpses of the Statue of Liberty will elicit different reactions depending on the indi-
vidual. Right now, Vietnam-born artist Danh Vo is only just beginning to fathom the impact his life-size reconstructions of fragments of Lady Liberty will have on the world. On September 23, 201, The Renaissance Society, in collaboration with the Art Institute of Chicago, will unveil its new exhibition of a number of these fragments, themselves part of Vo’s two-year We The People project. This show marks one of his very first 50•CNCJAAutumn 2012
Preview of artist Dahn Vo's new exhibition that literally dissects the idea of Lady Liberty and what she truly stands for.
solo exhibitions in the U.S. Vo’s work is informed by both his family’s assimilation into European society and the tumultuous history of Vietnam, and, indeed, by his life experience, which has not exactly been tumult-free. When he was four years old, Vo’s family fled a refugee camp in a makeshift boat. They were rescued at sea by a Danish freighter, which brought them to Denmark where they became citizens. To hear the Renaissance Society tell it, Vo, who now lives in Berlin, has—well, a history of juxtaposing historic artifacts with personal ones. With We The People, Danh Vo ultimately intends to recreate the entire exterior of the Statue of Liberty, to scale and piece by piece, and he’s having those pieces made in China, using the exact same technique Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi used to create the original: copper sheets are placed against wooden molds and then hammered into shape, in a process called “repoussage.” A given fragment taken by itself may or may not be recognizable for what it is (be it a toe, a nose or a fold of Liberty’s robe), and therein lies the magic. By reconstructing individual bits of Lady Liberty, Vo is actually deconstructing her in both a literal and figurative way. Taken in toto, the original Statue of Liberty stands as a bastion of freedom that bears witness to the waves of immigrants who have come to the United States year after year, as well as the placid waves of New York Harbor. But the individual fragments Vo is constructing—identical to the actual skin of Lady Liberty—are only two pennies in thickness, and that exposes her vulnerabilities both structural and symbolic. The Renaissance Society will present select fragments, as well as other Vo works, through December 16, while other pieces will be on display at the Art Institute of Chicago from September 23 to October 28. Photos: Exhibition view of Danh Vo's July IV, MDCCLXXVI, Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel, 2011.
Autumn 2012CNCJA•51
ArtMuseums
Galleri es
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Dawoud Bey: Harlem, U.S.A.
Fashioning the Object: Bless, Boudicca, Sandra Backlund
The Outdoor Office: Jonathan Olivares Design Research
Fabric of a New Nation: American Needlework and Textiles, 1776–1840
Film and Photo in New York
Katharina Fritsch
Told and Retold: Picture Book Artists from Studio Goodwin Sturges
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Cultural Treasures: Photographs by Vadim Gushchin
Life's a Beach: John John II, Stephen McClymont, Rob Waters
Jennifer Norback Fine Art Gallery (Tel. 773.671.5945, jennifernorbackfineart.com)
Gladys Nilsson
Jean Albano Gallery (Tel. 312.440.0770, jeanalbanogallery.com)
New work by Scott Ashley and Lorna Marsh
Hinge Gallery (Tel. 312.291.9313, hingegallery.com)
Carolyne Cole: New Colorful Abstracts
Jerry Ricketson: New American Landscapes
Gallery KH (Tel. 312.642.0202, gallerykh.com)
Chris Ware: Building Stories
Carl Hammer Gallery (Tel. 312.266.8512, hammergallery.com)
Ken’ichiro Taniguchi: Hecomi Study 24
EC Gallery (Tel. 312.850.0924, ec-gallery.com)
Michael Rea
My Idea of Fun curated by Michael Rea
Ebersmoore (Tel. 312.772.3021, ebersmoore.com)
James Welling
In the Spirit of Walser: Rodney Graham & Josiah McElheny
Donald Young Gallery (Tel. 312.322.3600, donaldyoung.com)
Awash in Color: French and Japanese Prints
Matthew Metzger: Ghost
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Chris Vorhees and SIMPARCH: Uppers and Downers
Renewal and Revision: Japanese Prints of the 1950s and 60s
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From the Land of the Morning Calm: Traditions of Korean Art
Smart Museum of Art - University of Chicago (Tel. 773.702.0200, smartmuseum.uchicago.edu)
Keepers
National Museum of Mexican Art (Tel. 312.738.1503, nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org)
MCA DNA: John Cage
Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec: Bivouac
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BMO Harris Bank Chicago Works: Heidi Norton
MCA DNA: William Kentridge
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Phantom Limb: Approaches to Painting Today
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MCA Screen: Cauleen Smith: A Star Is a Seed
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Skyscraper: Art and Architecture Against Gravity
Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org)
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Theo Leffmann: Weaving a Life into Art
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Shimon Attie: The Neighbor Next Door
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De-Natured: German Art from Joseph Beuys to Martin Kippenberger
Mary & Leigh Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University (Tel. 847.491.4000, blockmuseum.northwestern.edu)
Allen Ruppersberg: No Time Left to Start Again/The B and D of R 'n' R
Cy Twombly: Sculpture Selections, 1948-1995
Chagall's America Windows
Capturing the Sublime: Italian Drawings of the Renaissance and Baroque
Arms and Armor: Highlights of the Permanent Collection
Blood, Gold, and Fire: Coloring Early German Woodcuts
Rarely Seen Contemporary Works on Paper
Danh Vo: We the People
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The CNCJA Cultural Almanac listings are representative of schedules from participating institutions available at time of publication.
Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective
The Art Institute of Chicago (Tel. 312.443.3600, artic.edu/aic)
SEPTEMBER 2012
Autumn 2012CNCJA•53
Galleri es
Carrie Hanson and The Seldoms celebrate 10 years crashing boundaries of modern dance through mind-bending innovation.
Boundless Creativity
SUMMER 2012
Chicagoland Journal for the Arts
3rd Anniversary Issue
Fascinating new MCA exhibit examines the mystique of the skyscraper and the impact its allure has had on our own identity
Identity
TOWERING
Two major Chicago exhibitions examine the prolific photographer's powerful work this summer.
Picturing Dawoud Bey
We talk shop with Grant Park Music Festival artistic director Carlos Kalmar and find out what he has planned this summer for devoted fans of Chicago's Ăźber-popular outdoor music celebration.
Crowd PLEASER
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For a limited time, new subscribers can sign up online and receive Clef Notes at 50% off - That's one year of Clef Notes at only $9.00
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Just visit ClefNotesJournal.com/special and sign up for four great issues of Chicagoland's premier magazine for culture & the performing arts. And when you sign up during the month September, you qualify for our October Subscriber Rewards drawing for two tickets to attend The spring performance of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre at Auditorium Theatre. For more information call 773.741.5502.
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A Slow Walk to Greatness Buried Treasures: Art in African American Museums Red, White, Blue & Black: A History of Blacks in the Armed Services Word, Shout, Song: Lorenzo Dow Turner The Freedom Now Mural Thomas Miller Mosaics
DuSable Museum of African American History (Tel. 773.947.0600, dusablemuseum.org) Places in the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens
Chicago History Museum (Tel. 312.642.4600, chicagohistory.org) Vivian Maier's Chicago Shalom Chicago Abraham Lincoln Chicago: Crossroads of America Facing Freedom Lincoln's Chicago Sensing Chicago Unexpected Chicago
Chicago Architecture Foundation (Tel. 312.922.3432, caf.architecture.org) Bus Rapid Transit: Next Stop, Chicago Chicago Model City Loop Value: The How Much Does it Cost ? Shop One Nation Under Construction The Unseen City: Designs for a Future Chicago
Adler Planetarium (Tel. 312-922-78278, adlerplanetarium.org) Cyber Space From Earth to the Universe Galaxy Wall Gravity Shapes the Universe Hidden Wonders: Preserving the Night Sky Our Solar System Planet Explorers Telescopes Shoot for the Moon The Universe: A Walk Through Space and Time Universe In Your Hands
Jess Dugan, Every Breath We Drew
Summer Group Show
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Michael L. Galfer Fine Arts, LTD (Tel. 847.722.2399, mlgarts.com)
Jack Roth
McCormick Gallery (Tel. 312.226.6800, thomasmccormick.com)
SEPTEMBER 2012
Clef N tes
Museums
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54•CNCJAAutumn 2012
Museums
A Gift to Biro-Bidjan
Uncovered & Rediscovered
Spertus Institue of Jewish Studies (Tel. 312.332.1700, spertus.edu)
Wild Reef
Waters of the World
Polar Play Zone
Jellies
Caribbean Reef
Aquatic Show
Amazon Rising
Abbott Oceanarium
Shedd Aquarium (Tel. 312.939.2438, sheddaquarium.org)
You! The Experience
The Idea Factory
Ships Through the Ages
Science Storms
NetWorld
Genetics and the Baby Chick Hatchery
Fast Forward…Inventing The Future
Earth Revealed
Coal Mine
All Aboard the Silver Streak: Pioneer Zephyr
Charlie Brown and the Great Exhibit
MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition
Museum of Science and Industry (Tel. 773.684.1414, msichicago.org)
Spies, Traitors & Saboteurs: Fears and Freedoms in America
Make a Difference: The Miller Family Youth Exhibition
Legacy of Absence Gallery
Karkomi Permanent Exhibition
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center (Tel. 847.967.4800, ilholocaustmuseum.org)
Treasures of the Collection
The Photographs of Edward S. Curtis
Did You Know They're Native?
Changing Views of American Indian Fine Art
A Regional Tour of American Indian Cultures
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston, IL (Tel. 847.475.1030, mitchellmuseum.org)
Whales: Giants of the Deep
Underground Adventure
Tsavo Lions
Sue The T. rex
Pawnee Earth Lodge
Pacific Spirits
Nature's Toolbox: Biodiversity, Art and Invention
Inside Ancient Egypt
Hall of Jades
Grainger Hall of Gems
DNA Discovery Center
Extreme Mammals
Evolving Planet
Earnst & Young Three-D Theatre
Crown Family Play Lab
Ancient Americas
Africa
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Malaria: Blood, Sweat & Tears
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Field Museum of Natural History (Tel. 312.922.9410, fieldmuseum.org)
SEPTEMBER 2012
Autumn 2012CNCJA•55
Musi c& Dance
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CSO Chamber Music: Alisa Weilerstein, cello and Inon Barnatan, piano MusicNOW: Souvenir (works by Clyne, Finnis & Lindberg) Symphony Center Presents Jazz (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org) The Great Flood: Film by Bill Morrison; Music By Bill Frisell
Haitink conducts Beethoven's Missa Solemnis CSO Chamber Music at The Art Institute: Eastern Inspirations
CSO: Bernard Haitink conducts Brahms World Orchestra for Peace
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Debashish Bhattacharya Carlos Nuñez Brazilian Guitars featuring Renato Anesi & Guests Symphony Center Presents w/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org) Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán Cliff Colnot conducts the Civic Orchestra: Beethoven 7 Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma Murray Piano, piano
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Rory Block
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Chris Smither Robyn Hitchcock
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Roger Knox & The Pine Valley Cosmonauts
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iAN&ANi Cassandra Wilson
Old Town School of Folk Music (Tel. 773.728.6000, oldtownschool.org/concerts) Annie Cordero Septeto Nacional de Cuba Earl Klugh Tom Paxton Eric Ross
Music of the Baroque (Tel. 312.551.1414,baroque.org) Prague Symphony
Luna Negra Dance Theatre (Tel. 312.337.6882, lunanegra.org) Reencuentros Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) Correspondence: Cage and Boulez Song Cycle by Stew and the Negro Problem (Composed by Mark Stewart)
Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago (Tel. 312) 369-8330, colum.edu/dance_center) Gallim Dance The Seldoms Harris Theater for Music and Dance (Tel. 312.334.7777, harristheaterchicago.org) Sphinx Virtuosi with Sweet Honey In The Rock and Chicago Children’s Choir Chicago Syntagma Musicum Les Violons du Roy with Emmanuel Pahud, flute Joffrey Ballet (Tel. 312.386.8905, joffrey.org) Human Landscapes
An Evening with Cheryl Wheeler * The Sea and Cake *
An Evening with Kurt Elling** Glen Phillips & Grant Lee Phillips *
Abigail Washburn with Kai Welch, special guest Rayna Gellert * Mason Jennings w/The Pines*
City Winery (Tel. 312.733.9463, citywinery.com/chicago) [Folk/neo-folk=*, Jazz=**] An Evening with Esperanza Spalding** Tift Merritt w/The Pines * Paula Cole *
Bewitched: More Music for the Dead of Night Chicago Chamber Musicians (Tel. 312.819.5800, chicagochambermusic.org) Italian Passion Debussy Chamber Music Festival Debussy and Impressionism (Special concert at Fullerton Hall of the Art Institute of Chicago) Debussy and Poetry (Special concert at the Poetry Foundation)
Chicago Chamber Choir (Tel. 312.409.6890, chicagochamberchoir.org)
Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (Tel. 312.922.2110, auditoriumtheatre.org) Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández Baroque Band (Tel. 312.235.2368, baroqueband.org) “All the King's Men” Music from the English Chapel Royal
OCTOBER 2012
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Our weekly byte-sized version of the something wonderful we put into every issue of Clef Notes Chicagoland Journal for the Arts!
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Want more Clef Notes? Sign up online at ClefNotesJournal.com for Snippets, our free weekly e-newsletter with updates on arts and culture throughout Chicagoland. With Snippets, we bring you news, interviews, performance reviews and our weekly picks for Chicago's must-see arts & culture performances!
Mike Birbiglia's My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Writers Theatre in Glencoe (Tel. 847.242.6000, writerstheatre.org) Hamlet
Victory Gardens Theater (Tel. 773.871.3000, victorygardens.org) Equivocation
Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Tel. 312.335.1650, steppenwolf.org) Good People The Book Thief
RedTwist Theatre (Tel. 773.728.7529, redtwist.org) Broken Glass
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Black-ademics Chew The Flan While Waiting For Death and/or Tenure Lifeline Theatre (Tel. 773.761.4477, lifelinetheatre.com) The Woman in White
Six Dead Queens and An Inflatable Henry Seascape My First Time The Mistakes Madeline Made
Greenhouse Theater Center (Tel. 773.404.7336, greenhousetheater.org) EL Stories
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First Folio Theatre in Oakbrook (630.986.8067, firstfolio.org) The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story
Goodman Theatre (Tel. 312.443.3800, goodmantheatre.org) Sweet Bird of Youth Black N Blue Boys African Ceremonies
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Bulrusher Court Theatre (Tel. 773.702.7005, courttheatre.org) Jitney
Congo Square Theatre (Tel. 773.296.1108, congosquaretheatre.org)
Circle Theatre in Forest Park (Tel. 708.771.0700, circle-theatre.org) Dearly Departed
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Tel. 312.595.5600, chicagoshakes.com) The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart Sunday in The Park with George The Watch
Broadway In Chicago (Tel. 312.977.1700, broadwayinchicago.org) I Love Lucy Live Onstage World Premiere of Kink Boots
OCTOBER 2012
Sign up online for
Theaters
Autumn 2012CNCJA•57
ArtMuseums
Galleri es& Museums
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Schneider Gallery, Inc. (Tel. 312.988.4033, schneidergallerychicago.com) Jess Dugan, Every Breath We Drew Field Museum of Natural History (Tel. 312.922.9410, fieldmuseum.org) The Romance of Ants
Michael L. Galfer Fine Arts, LTD (Tel. 847.722.2399, mlgarts.com) Charles Dulac Henri Ibels Henri Riviere Paul Davis
Jean Albano Gallery (Tel. 312.440.0770, jeanalbanogallery.com) Gladys Nilsson Jennifer Norback Fine Art Gallery (Tel. 773.671.5945, jennifernorbackfineart.com) Life's a Beach: John John II, Stephen McClymont, Rob Waters Cultural Treasures: Photographs by Vadim Gushchin Shadows: Paintings by Rene Schuler McCormick Gallery (Tel. 312.226.6800, thomasmccormick.com) Jack Roth
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Gallery KH (Tel. 312.642.0202, gallerykh.com) Carolyne Cole: New Colorful Abstracts Hinge Gallery (Tel. 312.291.9313, hingegallery.com) New work by Scott Ashley and Lorna Marsh
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Carl Hammer Gallery (Tel. 312.266.8512, hammergallery.com) Chris Ware: Building Stories
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Ebersmoore (Tel. 312.772.3021, ebersmoore.com) My Idea of Fun curated by Michael Rea Michael Rea EC Gallery (Tel. 312.850.0924, ec-gallery.com) Ken’ichiro Taniguchi: Hecomi Study 24 Elisa Johns: Palisades
Donald Young Gallery (Tel. 312.322.3600, donaldyoung.com) In the Spirit of Walser: Rodney Graham & Josiah McElheny James Welling
Smart Museum of Art - University of Chicago (Tel. 773.702.0200, smartmuseum.uchicago.edu) Chris Vorhees and SIMPARCH: Uppers and Downers Matthew Metzger: Ghost Renewal and Revision: Japanese Prints of the 1950s and 60s Awash in Color: French and Japanese Prints
Jimmy Robert Vis-à-vis National Museum of Mexican Art (Tel. 312.738.1503, nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org) Keepers
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Museum listings for ongoing or permanent exhibits may be found on pages 52, 53 and 54.
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Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) Phantom Limb: Approaches to Painting Today BMO Harris Bank Chicago Works: Heidi Norton
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Steve McQueen
Katharina Fritsch Told and Retold: Picture Book Artists from Studio Goodwin Sturges Fabric of a New Nation: American Needlework and Textiles, 1776–1840 Film and Photo in New York
The Art Institute of Chicago (Tel. 312.443.3600, artic.edu/aic) Danh Vo: We the People The Outdoor Office: Jonathan Olivares Design Research
OCTOBER 2012
AMBASSADORS Trey McIntyre's much-lauded Boise, Idaho dance company is fostering an international cultural exchange in promotion of dance that's uniquely authentic and uniquely American.
Photo © Lois Greenfield
By EMILY DISHER
T
Members of The Trey McIntyre Project
Trey McIntyre Project (TMP) is an American phenomenon—an American dance company performing authentically American works. Its dancers are heralded with a brand of American enthusiasm typically reserved for our sports teams, particularly so by the Boise, Idaho community that the company calls its home. This dynamic group has been making waves as an arts ambassador across the globe and will debut its unique American brand of dance at Harris Theater November 30, 2012. Wichita-born Trey McIntyre, an accomplished choreographer who has created works for renowned dance companies including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, founded TMP in 2005 as a summer touring company. McIntyre’s fresh, earnest choreography, paired with his talented pool of dancers caused quite a sensation, leading to growing demand for the company's work. As a result, McIntyre established TMP as a full-time, year-round performing company in 2008, and moved the group to its home in Boise, where TMP has integrated itself into the community and invigorated the city’s arts culture scene. TMP Co-founder and Executive Director John Michael Schert likens
58•CNCJAAutumn 2012
the relationship between Boise and TMP to that of a city with its hometown sports heroes. “America is very sports-centric,” he insists. “Even if you’re not a fan of a specific team, sports are part of the community conversation. TMP puts arts in that context…. There are no professional athletic teams in Boise. Dancers are heralded and uplifted as one of the greatest things the community has. And TMP reciprocates.” The company has, in fact, taken a prominent role in the community, not just serving as “celebrities,” but in giving back. TMP artists are active in speaking, advocating, and functioning as leaders in the community. Schert notes, “We do weekly presentations to local groups such as the Rotary Club or the Junior League. (We want to demonstrate) arts as a catalyst for other entrepreneurial thought in the community.” TMP is also the Artistin-Residence at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, where company members entertain and teach patients about dance. The fanfare is hardly confined to Boise, however; it’s diffusing across the globe, as the company leaves its profound imprint via touring performances along with the outreach efforts to which TMP is so fervently dedicated. In early 2012, TMP took its community spirit and American style of dance to Asia, touring in China, the Philippines, Vietnam and South Korea
for
Dance
“('LADIES AND GENTLE MEN' showcases what is) a kids’ song in tone and temperament, but (McIntyre’s interpretation) shows a whole new aspect….(The work) surprises you with what it evokes and how it makes you feel. Trey brings the choreography to life. You feel the emotions more than understand it. The dancers are not actors—they just be.” — TMP Co-founder & Executive Director John Michael Schert
as cultural ambassadors for DanceMotion USA. DanceMotion USA, produced by Brooklyn Academy of Music, is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. It showcases contemporary American dance abroad and serves as a diplomatic tool and gateway for cultural exchange. As Schert explains, “DanceMotion USA is about what it means to be an American artist. Trey creates uniquely American work. It speaks to what it is to be an American, to find authenticity and honesty. (His work is) earnest, innovative—modern day America.” The program has made a powerful impact on TMP. Schert described it as “the most incredible experience I’ve ever had as an artist,” adding, “(DanceMotion USA) is such a different tour. It’s a cultural exchange, reaching people in other countries through the universal language of dance.” Often times when a company tours, performances are typically reserved for those who can afford a ticket. And there are classes offered for dance students. DanceMotion USA, however, puts a much greater emphasis on interacting with citizens. In addition to performances and workshops, TMP worked with a broad audience, including cognitively disabled children and homeless adults. Schert explains, while visiting social clubs throughout Asia, “we could interact, dance, have fun….create authentic relationships.”
TMP continues to forge the relationships begun on its DanceMotion USA tour into the second phase of the program, which involves TMP bringing an Asian dance company (the name of which was yet to be revealed at the time of this writing) back to the U.S. to collaborate. The company will reveal the collaborative work this season, and they'll perform it during TMP’s November 30 performance at Harris Theater. In addition to its DanceMotion USA collaboration, the TMP will perform "LADIES AND GENTLE MEN," which premiered at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in August. "LADIES AND GENTLE MEN," was commissioned by the Free to Be You and Me Foundation. Some may be familiar with the 1970s Free to be You and Me record album and television special, conceived by actress Marlo Thomas to teach values such as tolerance, individuality, and gender neutrality to children. Members of the original Free to Be team (including actor Alan Alda) approached McIntyre after viewing TMP perform at Jacob’s Pillow in 2010. Impressed with his work, they offered him the rights to the Free to Be material for a new work. McIntyre eagerly accepted, having grown up with Free to Be. "LADIES AND GENTLE MEN" illustrates how the concepts from Free to Be still apply today, employing music from the original recording performed by artists such as Alda, Shirley Jones, and Diana Ross. McIntyre also incorporates contemporary re-recordings of some of the songs by artists including Merrill Garbus and Alan Cumming. The piece features six TMP dancers, and costumes by Designer-in-Residence Andrea Lauer. Schert explains, “('LADIES AND GENTLE MEN' showcases what is) a kids’ song in tone and temperament, but (McIntyre’s interpretation) shows a whole new aspect….(The work) surprises you with what it evokes and how it makes you feel. Trey brings the choreography to life. You feel the emotions more than understand it. The dancers are not actors—they just be.” Trey McIntyre Project performs for one night only at Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 30, 2012.
60•CNCJAAutumn 2012
Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (Tel. 312.922.2110, auditoriumtheatre.org) Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet Chicago Chamber Musicians (Tel. 312.819.5800, chicagochambermusic.org) Austrian Elegance: Albrechtsberger, Haydn & Schubert City Winery (Tel. 312.733.9463, citywinery.com/chicago) [Folk/neo-folk=*, Jazz=**] David Wax Museum * Ryan Montbleau w/Erin McKeown * Mary Black w/Rosie O* Jorma Kaukonen w/Steve Kimock * Harris Theater for Music and Dance (Tel. 312.334.7777, harristheaterchicago.org) Introducing Nathan Pacheco Puerto Rican Arts Alliance Presents Cuatro Festival Chicago Human Rhythm Project Music of the Baroque (Tel. 312.551.1414,baroque.org) Bravura Bach Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) Martin Creed Work No. 1020 (Ballet) Old Town School of Folk Music (Tel. 773.728.6000, oldtownschool.org/concerts) Rosie Flores w/Marty Brom Guy Mendilow Ensemble Asleep at the Wheel Birds of Chicago & Sean Hayes Kiran Ahluwalia The Be Good Tanyas Henry Rollins Tangolandó Meshell Ndegeocello Un Viaje Musical por Colombia John McCutchen Symphony Center Presents w/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org) CSO: Semyon Bychkov conducts Malher 3 Family: Once Upon a Symphony - Goldilocks and the Three Bears Andrass Schiff Philharmonia Orchestra CSO: Charles Dutoit conducts Beethoven 7 CSO: Charles Dutoit conducts Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring Beyond the Score: The Rite of Spring Disney's Fantasia - Live in Concert Vienna Boy's Choir Afterwork Masterworks -CSO: Sir Mark Elder conducts Dvorak and Shostakovich CSO: Sir Mark Elder conducts Berlioz and Shostakovich Symphony Center Presents Jazz (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org) Jack DeJohnette 70th Birthday Celebration Ninety Miles + Gonzalo Rubalcaba
NOVEMBER 2012
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Photos from left: Members of folk band david wax museum (Photo courtesy City Winery); The Royal Winnipeg Ballet in "Moulin Rouge" (photo courtesy of the auditorium theatre); Folk duo Jorma Kaukonen (Photo courtesy of city winery); FOlk singer Mary Black (Photo courtesty of the artist).
Musi c& Dance
Autumn 2012CNCJA•61
Theaters
Broadway In Chicago (Tel. 312.977.1700, broadwayinchicago.org) Potted Potter Sister Act Les Miserables Cinderella Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Tel. 312.595.5600, chicagoshakes.com) Sunday in the Park with George Circle Theatre in Forest Park (Tel. 708.771.0700, circle-theatre.org) Pippin: A Bollywood Spectacular Congo Square Theatre (Tel. 773.296.1108, congosquaretheatre.org) Bulrusher Court Theatre (Tel. 773.702.7005, courttheatre.org) James Joyce's The Dead First Folio Theatre in Oakbrook (630.986.8067, firstfolio.org) The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story Goodman Theatre (Tel. 312.443.3800, goodmantheatre.org) A Christmas Carol Greenhouse Theater Center (Tel. 773.404.7336, greenhousetheater.org) El Stories The Mistakes Madeline Made Black-ademics Chew The Flan While Waiting For Death and/or Tenure American Storms You Never Can Tell Lookingglass Theatre (Tel. 773.477.9257, lookingglasstheatre.org) Metamorphoses Mercury Theatre (773.325.1700, mercurytheatrechicago.com) Freud's Last Session Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) Mike Daisey's American Utopias Northlight Theatre in Skokie (Tel. 847.673.6300, northlight.org) The Odd Couple RedTwist Theatre (Tel. 773.728.7529, redtwist.org) Broken Glass Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Tel. 312.335.1650, steppenwolf.org) Good People Book Thief Writers Theatre in Glencoe (Tel. 847.242.6000, writerstheatre.org) Hamlet The Art Institute of Chicago (Tel. 312.443.3600, artic.edu/aic) Fabric of a New Nation: American Needlework and Textiles, 1776–1840 Film and Photo in New York Steve McQueen Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) Jimmy Robert Vis-à-vis Smart Museum of Art - University of Chicago (Tel. 773.702.0200, smartmuseum.uchicago.edu) Chris Vorhees and SIMPARCH: Uppers and Downers Renewal and Revision: Japanese Prints of the 1950s and 60s Awash in Color: French and Japanese Prints
NOVEMBER 2012
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Photos from left: The cast of the original broadway production of sister act (photo by Joan Marcus); Actress carmen cusak will perform the role of dotmarie in Chicago Shakespeare theatre's production of sunday in the park with george (photo courtesy of Shakespeare theatre); THe cast of Lookingglass Theatre's fall production of Metamorphoses (photo by liz lauren); cast of Les miserables perform "Us Beggars" (Photo by joan marcus).
ArtMuseums
62•CNCJAAutumn 2012
Donald Young Gallery (Tel. 312.322.3600, donaldyoung.com) In the Spirit of Walser: Rodney Graham & Josiah McElheny James Welling Ebersmoore (Tel. 312.772.3021, ebersmoore.com) My Idea of Fun curated by Michael Rea EC Gallery (Tel. 312.850.0924, ec-gallery.com) Elisa Johns: Palisades Erika Harrsch: Under One Sky Gallery KH (Tel. 312.642.0202, gallerykh.com) Carolyne Cole: New Colorful Abstracts Hinge Gallery (Tel. 312.291.9313, hingegallery.com) New work by Scott Ashley and Lorna Marsh New work by Raul Mendez Jennifer Norback Fine Art Gallery (Tel. 773.671.5945, jennifernorbackfineart.com) Life's a Beach: John John II, Stephen McClymont, Rob Waters Cultural Treasures: Photographs by Vadim Gushchin Shadows: Paintings by Rene Schuler Paintings by Jeanette Pasin Sloan Michael L. Galfer Fine Arts, LTD (Tel. 847.722.2399, mlgarts.com) Charles Dulac Henri Ibels Henri Riviere Paul Davis Schneider Gallery, Inc. (Tel. 312.988.4033, schneidergallerychicago.com) Jess Dugan, Every Breath We Drew
NOVEMBER 2012
C l e f N oT e s J o
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...with Steppenwolf Theatr ensemble member K. Todd Freeman
Surviving Serendipty...
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The Adler's exhibit that takes you for a quick spin around the universe.
Out Of This World! newest
any Stephen Petronio Comp for talks life, music and The crooner is just one of our picks inLarge Band to Ravinia bringing esthis the best and the bright ng new Chicagoland's amazi cultural season!
SUMMER 2011
GuidLyle'se Large Life
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San Francisco Museum of Modern Art examines the impact of the Steins Family and and the passion they inspired in the appreciation of modern art.
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre celebrates a quarter century celebrating Shakespeare.
25 YEARS & COUNTING
A preview of the historic Paris Opéra Ballet as they kick off their American Tour at Harris Theatre.
Paris Comes to Millennium Park
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By Patrick M. Curran II
the Uncommon DivA
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A look at opera star Frederica von Stade as she prepares for her last staged Chicago performance
Mayor Daley’s grand vision for a revitalized Chicago Theater District has been a long time coming, and Broadway In Chicago has had a significant role in making that a reality.
Bringing Broadway to chicago
Winter 2010
Concert Journal for the Arts
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Merit Music’s incredible contribution to the city’s music education legacy
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For special advertising opportunities, contact Account Executive Jason Montgomery Tel. 773.741.5502 or e-mail: Jason.Montgomery@ClefNotesJournal.com
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The CNCJA Cultural Almanac listings are representative of schedules from participating institutions available at time of publication.
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