CNCJA Winter 2011 Issue

Clef N tes Chicagoland Journal for the Arts winter 2011

FASHION

A

nd the

RTS

Chicago designers point the way to fashions fit for the gala performances that grace Chicago’s cultural calendar every season. p. 37

Preview of Joffrey’s “The Merry Widow.” p.60 Conversation with Performance Artist (Story-Teller) Laurie Anderson. p. 46 TIMELINE THEATER’S HISTORY IN THE MAKING. p.16

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Contents Winter 2011

CNCJA

FEATURES

14 Make Room For Gustavo

There’s a new big-man-on-campus at Chicago’s Luna Negra Dance Theatre and his name is Gustavo Ramírez Sansano.

Emily Disher profiles the newly named artistic director with a Q&A on his work and mission to take the dance company to even greater heights.

16 History in the Making

On the heels of a wildly successful run for Frost/Nixon, TimeLine Theatre takes leaps and bounds toward its mission of exploring human events through the staging of works based on our history.

Dan Scurek examines this unique Chicago cultural institution and its intriguing work.

21 Arts Rewind

Actress Laurie Metcalf in Detroit, Lifeline Theatre’s production of Wuthering Heights, Goodman’s Theatre’s Candide, and conductor Pierre Boulez with the CSO are just a few of the many performances we review in this issue’s arts rewind.

37 On The Cover: Fashion and the Arts

Nothing screams fashion quite like a Chicago cultural gala. And with the many we see every arts and culture season, we look to local designers for some incredible fashions that just may steal the show the next time you walk the red carpet.

Cover and Above Photos: Designs by Sam Kori George (gown) and Nicholas Joseph Custom Tailors (suit) showcased at Chicago’s historic Auditorium Theatre (Photo by Adam Daniels). Styling by Teddie Kossof Salon and Spa in Northfield, IL. Lower left: P. J. Powers, artistic director of Timeline Theatre (Photo courtesy of Timeline Theatre). Lower right: River North Chicago dancer Jessica Wolfrum (Photo by William Frederking).

Winter 2011CNCJA•3

From the Publisher’s Desk

Photo by Cheri Eisenberg

The Field Museum’s recent Gold exhibit gala is a prime example of the melding of culture and fashion: a high profile cultural event that brings together one-of-akind designs with culture and artistic excellence. It’s actually a marriage that has been in place since the earliest civilized societies. The same creative muse that Reception hall for The Field Museum’s Gold exhibit gala. inspires art and expression fuels the drive that produces some of the greatest fashions throughout the globe.

And each year in Chicago, culture and fashion merge rather dramatically in the many gala, opening night, and benefit performances our cultural calendar sees.

For us then, it was a no-brainer that we dive into the mix with “Fashion and the Arts,” a new feature that will explore the many ways in which fashion design impacts—and is impacted by—culture and the performing arts. Our first foray takes the form of a photo spread featuring the works of two Chicago Gold Coast custom design firms, Nicholas Joseph Custom Tailors (men’s custom designers) and Sam Kori George Atelier (designer of the evening gowns worn by models presenting at the 2009 Academy Awards). Both creating art in their own right, these designers provided some stunning options for the 2010-2011 gala season.

And we present them to a backdrop no less spectacular than Chicago’s historic Auditorium Theatre, no better way to showcase these remarkable pieces than in an equally remarkable setting. The marriage of these creations and an incredible historic theater was a thrilling experience, and one that enhanced our (and hopefully your) appreciation of the creative aesthetic it took to develop each of these individual treasures.

What occurred to me after this photo shoot was how much every aspect of life is enhanced by the art and artistry around us. I mean, of course, we all know that creativity must be a driving force in every aspect of our world. But when you look at the ease with which our society downsizes arts education and exploration, it isn’t exactly clear that this importance is recognized across the board. Perhaps it is because we live in a city so vibrant and rich with some of the world’s best examples of artistic excellence that it’s easy to take for granted the impact it has on every facet of our daily lives.

Take, for instance, the theater. In this issue’s “Kids and Culture,” Patrick Curran examines the impact that early exposure to live theater has had on three very prominent women in Chicago culture, including Eileen LaCario of Broadway In Chicago, one of the very jewels in the crown of Chicago theater. Take away that early exposure, take away that early inspiration and direction, and what kind of void would that leave in Chicago’s own pattern of cultural excellence?

In this issue, we also preview Joffrey Ballet’s highly anticipated Chicago premiere of “The Merry Widow,” a work first created for the opera, and now set to ballet. With this new production, we now have the privilege of experiencing a new perspective on a work written hundreds of years ago, in effect broadening our vision and expanding our language for the interpretation of artistic ideas centuries old. How many countless applications does this kind of forward thinking have on modern life? How empty would our society be without it? Arts and culture is our playground for such growth. In fact, from the earliest age, the development of the creative process begins with the arts, where we have the freedom to pursue ideas and explore the widest variety and modes of expression.

And that is why we at Clef Notes take such great pleasure in bringing you coverage of some of the greatest cultural offerings on the globe, and why we hope you will take a moment to explore and appreciate the vast opportunities for arts enjoyment through the pages of Clef Notes Winter 2011.

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Clef N tes

Chicagoland Journal for the Arts winter 2011

Publisher D. Webb

Editorial

Editor Patrick M. Curran II Editorial Support Christopher Hopper

Staff Writers and Contributors Emily Disher Scott Elam Dinah Grossman Holly Huffstutler Alex Keown David Kulma Gabrielle Levy Daniel Scurek Dana Simmons David Weiss Alexandra Zajac

Graphics

Art Director Phillip Carlton Contributing Photographer Adam Daniels

Graphics & Design Specialists Chelsea Davis Angela Chang

Advertising

Print Advertising Sales Representatives The Lyon Group, LLC 847.853.7001

Sponsorships

Jason Montgomery 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 © 2010 Clef Notes Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the USA.

Contents Winter 2011

CNCJA

DEPARTMENTS

19 State of the Arts: The Social Arts

From Steppenwolf to the CSO, social networking has become a cornerstone in everything from marketing to program selection with some of Chicago’s most prominent cultural organizations.

44 Curator’s Corner: Ornamental Artistry The New Orleans Collection Historical Society celebrates the unique artistic bent of much admired New Orleanian artist and jewelry creator Mignon Faget.

46 Artist Conversational Patrick Curan talks with performance artist Laurie Anderson in advance of her upcoming evening long show at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance.

Above: Renowned performance artist Laurie Anderson in performance of her new show “Delusion.” Photo courtesy of the artist.

60 Preview: Joffrey Ballet’s “The Merry Widow” Chicago’s own Joffrey Ballet takes on a new production of an old classic in a highly anticipated Chicago debut this spring. Emily Disher sits down with Joffrey Artistic Director Ashley Wheater to talk about what we can expect.

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scuttlebutt Lambrecht’s Jewelers, Inc.

A Toast to Modernity!

Martha Graham, Erick Hawkins and the Martha Graham

Thanks to Alexandra Zajak for her the recent article on the Guggenheim Museum for Clef Notes (Curator’s Corner: “Modernity” Autumn 2010). I’ve never been a a big admirer of modern art, but the analysis created a very interesting context for why modern art is so jarringly different from its more representational predecessors...It was a very interesting article.

Allan Kauffman Chicago - Gold Coast

A Napa State of Mind

Photo courtesy of the library of congress

Dance Company in Graham’s “Appalacian Spring.”

Many thanks for your story on Martha Graham (“Of Legend and Legacy” – Autumn 2010). I have been a student of dance all my life and appreciate the effort to bring recognition to the chief pioneer of modern dance. Her story is inspirational, and I am very glad you took the time to tell it. It led me to explore more about her life and her work. Thank you!

Elizabeth Brooks Chicago - Lincoln Park

I appreciate the intent of your article entitled “Modernity” (Autumn 2010) and it’s attempt to explain the societal influences that led to Modern art aesthetics. But its message doesn’t really serve as the blanket explanation for the radical shift that took place in art in the mid20th century. I understand the desire to set a context. But sometimes artists are simply looking for new ways of expressing themselves.

Modern art was simply a means of doing so.

Charles Oglesby Chicago - Streeterville

Photo courtesy of Music In The Vineyards Chamber Music Festival - Napa Valley, CA

Members of the Pacifica Quartet perform in the caves of Clos Pegase Winery.

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.

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.

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I loved reading your recent article on Napa Valley (“Destination Arts” – Autumn 2010). Napa is one of my favorite destinations for travel and it’s nice to know there are so many ways I can combine my love of the area with my love of the arts.

Catherine Schmidt Chicago - River North

I was surprised to read in your story on Napa Valley arts (Destination Arts - Autumn 2010) about all of the Chicago ties to the region. I am particularly familiar with Chef Chris Kostow (head chef of The Restaurant at Meadowood) from his days back in Highland Park.

It was nice to find so much local talent injected into such a wonderful part of the country.

Naomi Thompson Highland Park, IL

1131 Central Ave. Wilmette, IL 60091 Tel. 847-251-3284

chicagoperatheater Brian Dickie, General Director

Tod Machover

DEATH AND THE POWERS April 2, 6, 8, 10 Marc-Antoine Charpentier

MEDEA

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HE/SHE May 7, 8, 11, 13 Leoš Janácek

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Winter 2011CNCJA•7

CULTURAL EXTREMES Sometimes even arts and culture can get a bit extreme. “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” doesn’t exactly have the market cornered on the hard-to-believe. Just take a look at a few of the extreme feats we found in the field of the arts.

WORLD’S LARGEST BALLET CLASS The “Guinness Book of World Records” cites The Oregon Ballet Foundation for having held the world’s largest ballet class at McArthur Court (Eugene, Oregon) in 2008. The attempt, which required a total of 35 dance bars accommodating 578 eager dance pupils, was part of National Dance Week celebrations for the foundation. Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy even got in on the act by brandishing an official mayoral ballet slipper while giving opening remarks in support of the arts.

WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Seventeenth century master violin craftsman Antonio Stradivari is believed to have created 1,100 or so violins throughout his lifetime. Of that number, only 650 are suspected to still be in existence.

And those remaining “Strads,” as they’re affectionately called, now fetch a pretty penny three centuries after the Italian craftsman produced them.

Stradivari’s “Lady Tennant” violin sold at a 2005 Christie’s auction for more than $2.3 million dollars—at that time, the highest amount ever garnered for a musical instrument at a public auction.

Fast forward to 2007 and Giuseppe Antonio Guarnieri, grandson of one of Stradivari’s apprentices, steals the master craftsman’s thunder when the sale of one of his own instruments breaks that world record with a cool $3.9 million purse. The rare instrument was purchased by a Russian attorney and was subsequently played for the first time in over 70 years by maestro Pinchas Zuckerman at a private concert in Moscow.

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WORLD’S LONGEST OVATION On June 30, 1991, after a particularly breathtaking performance of Otello in Vienna, famed Spanish tenor and conductor Plácido Domingo was given an 81 minute, 101 curtain call, ovation—the longest ovation in recorded history. That had to be at least as exhausting as the performance itself.

WORLD’S LARGEST SCULPTURE The title of the world’s largest sculpture goes to the four carved images representing U.S. Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt, better known as Mount Rushmore—located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The monumental carvings stand 60 feet high and can be seen with the naked eye from 60 miles away.

Fourteen years in the making, the project was begun in 1927 by artist Gutzon Borglum, whose first task was to blast nearly a million tons of granite from the side of the mountain. Borglum would not see its completion, sadly, as he passed away two months before his son Lincoln Borglum, who began the project with his father, would finish his work.

WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE PIECE OF ART The most expensive painting ever sold was purchased in 2006 in a private sale by David Geffen. The buyer is rumored to have been Mexican businessman David Martinez, and the painting was none other than a Jackson Pollock.

Pollock’s Drip represents the single largest investment in a piece of art in history. Its price is reported to have been a whopping $140 million, enough to give any art buyer sticker shock!

WORLD’S LONGEST RUNNING STAGE PLAY Agatha Christie stage play The Mousetrap is the longest running work for live theater in recorded history. For 56 years, the famous thriller has been wooing audiences in London town. It began its famous run first in London’s Ambassadors Theatre but has since moved to St. Martin’s Theatre, where it can currently be seen captivating tourists and locals alike.

Photos clockwise from top left: Antique violin produced by violin craftsman Guiseppe Antonio Guarnieri, which sold in 2007 at auction for $3.9 million (Photo courtey of Reuters); Spanish tenor and conductor Plácido Domingo (Photo courtesy of Getty Images); Artist Jackson Pollack’s Dip (Photo courtesy of Reuters); Londons, England’s famed St. Martin’s Theatre (Photo courtesy of Fotopia); The Oregon Ballet Foundation’s “Guinness” record-breaking ballet class at McArthur Court in Eugene, OR (Photo courtesy of Getty Images); Mount Rushmore of Black Hills South Dakota (Photo courtesy of Fotopia).

Let’s spend more time together.

wfmt.com/streaming As 98.7WFMT celebrates its 60th anniversary, we are proud to reach the largest audience in our history – in Chicago and around the world. To ensure that WFMT continues for the next 60 years, become a member of the Fine ArTs CirCle at wfmt.com/support or call (773) 279-2020.

Winter 2011CNCJA•9

CULTURAL GIFTING With gift-giving on the minds of shoppers everywhere, we thought it prudent to supply you with a few ideas for those arts-minded individuals who would NEVER ask you themselves for these must-have items.

Gadgets Anyone?

Apple’s sleek iPad offers a world of cultural experiences for the arts loving public with an array of applications available to suit every taste or persuasion. Catch the latest reviews to performances around the world. Buying theater tickets or visiting the online galleries of the most prestigious museums on the globe make this a luxury item for anyone wanting to stay in-the-know with the latest and greatest in arts and culture.

Apple’s iPad starts at $499.00 and is available at Apple.com

Chicago Foodies’ Road Map

Membership Has its Priveleges Museum membership is a great gift for the culturally minded.

And Chicago’s world class institutions offer a wide variety of options for membership-based institutions. Enjoy exclusive openings, previews, gala invitations and much more. With memberships available at the Art Institute of Chicago, The Field Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry and The History Museum, the possibilities are endless.

One year’s membership at the Field Museum starts at $80.

Clockwise from top: The Apple iPad (Image courtesy of Apple

Computers); Michelin Guide Chicago 2011 © Michelin North America; Robo Sue courtesy of The Field Museum of Natural History.

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For that culture-crazed foodie you know, nothing would tickle them pinker than getting their hands on the new “Michelin Guide Chicago 2011.” After two years of rigorous research by Michelin’s team of anonymous American inspectors, the firm introduced the company’s new Chicago installment of its famed restaurant guide, showcasing the finest restaurants and hotels in the Windy City. With the new guide, Chicago joins New York and San Francisco as the only American cities with an annual Michelin Guide.

The guide is available at Michelin.com for $18.99 and features 39 hotels, 342 restaurants, and 42 different types of cuisine in a variety of price and comfort categories.

A Fine Wine

Salerno-Sonnenberg Magic

Of course, you can never go wrong with a fine wine when you’re dealing with a culture fanatic. Anyone who can appreciate a Chagall can appreciate a fine, aromatic wine. That’s why we recommend Rutherford Hill’s 2004 Reserve Merlot for your gift-giving this year.

From the renowned Terlato Wine Group, Napa Valley’s Rutherford Hill Winery creates a dense, yet balanced, merlot in their 2004 Reserve with notes of black cherries wrapped in Belgian dark chocolate that linger from that very first sip.

What do you get when you pair one world renowned violinist and one of San Francisco’s most revered chamber orchestras?

Magic...and that’s what describes the group’s new release “Live: Strauss Barber & Mahler.”

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, one of the most remarkable violinists, and San Francisco’s New Century Chamber Orchestra, for whom she is now music director, team up in their new album, which includes Samuel Barber’s incomparable Adagio for Strings.

“Live: Strauss Barber & Mahler” is available at Amazon.com for $16.96.

Available at rutherfordhill.com for $70.

All The World (Loves) a Stage One of the easiest ways to please a arts junkie is tickets to live theatre. And Chicago has enormously wonderful choices in this rich indulgence. From luminary institutions like Goodman Theatre and Steppenwolf to some of the great boutique theaters around town, the Second City offers some of the best and most diverse selections of live theater productions in the country. And we’re lucky enough to benefit from some of the most stellar talent in the theater today.

Here’s one great example: Chicago’s Goodman Theatre has the honor of presenting Emmy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Regina Taylor’s Trinity River Plays this winter.

A great gift for any live theater lover, ticket prices for The Goodman Theatre’s production of the Trinity River Plays start at $25.00 each.

(GoodmanTheatre.org)

Sondheim’s Illustrious Hat Tipping our hat to legendary musical theater song writer Steven Sondheim, we recommend his new book “Finishing the Hat,” the first of two volumes in the author’s compendium of lyrics, anecdotes and what the New York Times calls a “self-portrait of the artist as an obsessive lyricist,” and his dynamic, unending process of writing music for the live stage.

In it Sondheim reflects on his lyrical output from 1954 – 1981, and the full title pretty much says it all: “Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) With Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes.”

According to the Washington Post, “One of the pleasures (of ‘Finishing the Hat’) is absorbing the songwriter’s rules Sondheim’s Commandments - for the writing of a lyric. He’s at the same time enormously inventive and a strict constructionist, a firm believer in upholding standards, in a meticulous adherence to perfecting meter and cadence and rhyme.”

Clockwise from top: “Live: Strauss Barber & Mahler” album cover (Image courtesy of the New Century Chamber Orchestra). Rutherford Hill 2004 Reserve Merlot. (Imnage courtesy of Rutherford Hill Vineyards).

“Finishing

the Hat” by Steven Sondheim © Random House. Goodman Theatre Executive Director Roche Schulfer, Goodman

“Finishing the Hat” is available in hardback at Amazon.com for $39.95

Women’s Board member Lorrayne Weiss and Goodman Trustee and Event Co-Host Rebecca Ford (City Colleges of Chicago) welcome Regina Taylor to her new home of Chicago at the Arts Club of Chicago. Photo by Abby McKenna.

Winter 2011CNCJA•11

Out and About

Photo by Bob Carl

O

n October 16th, the Women’s Board of The Field Museum celebrated the opening of Gold, a new temporary exhibition at The Field Museum. Guests dined and danced under a golden glow in the Museum’s Stanley Field Hall and were the first to view the exhibition, which delves into the beauty, value and power of the world’s most desired metal. Event Co-chairs Sandra Deromedi of Lake Forest and Kathleen Klaeser of Glenview welcomed 770 guests to the event, which raised $1.3 million through the evenings events, which included a live auction featuring seven days, six nights for two at the Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa in a luxury package donated by Graff totaling $65,000. Funds raised by the gala provide operating support for the Museum’s exhibitions, educational programs and scientific research.

From left: Helen Melchior, Christopher Clinton Conway, Katherine Gehl

Dennis and Kathleen Klaeser, Gala CoChair. Photo by Cheri Eisenberg.

Renee and Lester Crown. Photo by Bob Carl.

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Brent and Odele Hawkins. Photo by Cheri Eiosenberg.

Lydia and Pat Ryan, Jr. Photo by Cheri Eisenberg

Women’s Board President Jeani and Rich Jernstedt. Photo by Cheri Eisenberg.

Museum President and CEO John McCarter with Consul General of Monaco Maguy Maccario. Photo by Cheri Eisenberg.

From left: Kevin McConkey and Josephine Lee with Bill Farley and Shelley MacArthur Farley, and Ellee Pai and John Hong

From Left: Tara Flocco, Matt Pritzker, Terri Hickey, and Crystal Bowyer

Photos by Jeff Schear

O

n Friday, October 15th at The Standard Club in Chicago, nearly 400 philanthropic leaders raised more than $470,000 in support of the Chicago Children’s Choir at the annual “Red Jacket Optional” benefit dinner and celebration. The event honored David D. Hiller, president and chief executive officer of the McCormick Foundation, for the Foundation’s unending commitment to supporting, sustaining and strengthening the Choir’s mission. Choir President and Artistic Director, Josephine Lee, led several performances throughout the evening by the renowned Concert Choir and children’s chorus from the Lyric Opera’s recent production of Carmen. Honoree David Hiller also shared the stage with the Concert Choir singing a solo in “The People’s Song” from Les Misérables, bringing the audience to one of many standing ovations throughout evening.

(Event Emcee) Micah Materre

From left: Meeghan and Michael Nemeroff with Julie and David Fisher

From left: Sydney Sidwell, Unmi Song, Michael Nemeroff, and Josephine Lee

Winter 2011CNCJA•13

New Kid

T

By EMILY DISHER

here’s a new artistic director in town, and he’s bringing a fresh vision to Chicago’s vibrant Luna Negra Dance Theater.

This season, the company has welcomed acclaimed choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano into the role of artistic director.

Born in San Fulgencio, Spain, Sansano has danced with numerous European and American companies, including Ballet Joven de Alicante, Ballet Contemporaneo de Barcelona, Ballet de Communidad de Madrid, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He has won extensive choreographic awards, and has been commissioned to create works for companies across the globe, including Compañía Nacional de Danza in Spain, Germany’s Hamburg Ballet, Ballet

On The Block Met, and Balletto dell’Esperia in Italy. The same passion and drive that has brought Sansano such success at a young age also fuels his fresh vision for Luna Negra; it is no wonder why Luna Negra’s board of directors looked to Sansano to lead the company in a new direction.

After a full day of rehearsals, and just before heading off with the company for a recent leg of touring, the 31-year-old breezed into the empty studio, looking remarkably refreshed. We sat down to chat by the window, through which the early evening sunshine peeked.

Casual, yet garrulous, and possessing an unmistakable dancer’s composure, Sansano answered each of my questions with candid enthusiasm.

Photo by Cheryl Mann

Gustavo Ramírez Sansano

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E.D.: What challenges have you faced while transitioning into this role as Artistic Director of Luna Negra?

G.S.: Well, I was the artistic director of a company in Spain, and that really helped me to face some of the problems that you may have as an artistic director. For the moment, the only thing I can say is that the dance community in Chicago has been treating me really well. Everybody’s been really, really nice. And I really like having a really nice group of people that I choose to work with.

Everything’s been (going) really well. And (I’ve giotten) a lot of attention, I have to say! From newspapers, magazines—that has been really nice.”

E.D.: Of course, you’re not new to Chicago. You had danced here with Hubbard Street…

G.S.: Yes. Eight or nine years ago I worked with Hubbard Street and that’s when I actually met Luna Negra. Eduardo Vilaro (Founder of Luna Negra) knew that I was choreographing, that I had won some awards for my choreography. He called me. Actually, he gave me my first chance to do a professional work. The first time that I got paid for doing choreography was for Luna Negra. And (it’s) one of the pieces that we are going to have in our second engagement, in March.

E.D.: Is it “Flabbergast?”

G.S.: Yes, it’s “Flabbergast,” but it’s a new version. When I did the first version for Luna Negra, we didn’t have a lot of time. So, Eduardo called me again later to make it longer. So, I added one of the songs. And when I was in Europe, one company asked me for something of that kind, and I thought it was a good chance to take more time and make it longer. So, I added three songs, and now it is twenty minutes.

E.D.: You are very well known as a choreographer.

Do you find that it is difficult to balance the duties of being artistic director with your own time to create and choreograph?

G.S.: I have to say that it’s not easy. It’s true

that when I was in Spain, I was an artistic director, but everything was about my work. Here, it’s not just about my work, it’s about others’ work. It’s not harder, but it’s not easier. It’s a lot of little things that you have to solve. They may take some time from your own work, but it’s just a matter of focusing.

E.D.: How would you describe your artistic vision for the company?

G.S.: One of the things that I presented to the (Luna Negra) Board, was the fact that I know the needs of choreographers, and Luna Negra is a platform for Latino choreographers. I know what we want—we want freedom to create.

And I think we should make shows for kids, in addition to the community outreach that we do. Doing something for kids is a whole different way to think of choreographing.

We want to do the kind of shows that the kids can see that can be exciting, can be scary, can be an adventure! We have to get them from the beginning and show them that dance is not boring.

The kind of show Luna Negra has been doing until now is for a bigger audience. And we want to get to all kinds of audiences. You’ve got the bigger audience for big theaters—that’s what Luna Negra’s used to—but we’re going to open up to smaller theaters where we can actually perform more works where the choreographers can be completely free and not afraid of what people think.

Actually, we are searching for a new kind of audience where they want to be surprised, they don’t want to know what is going to happen. For good or for bad, they want to be surprised, or mad, or sad. *** Chicagoans can catch Luna Negra’s Spring Season in March 2011.

(Top) Luna Negra’s “Deshar Alhat,” featuring Stacey Aung

and Eugene Peabody. (Middle) Luna Negra’s“Bate,” featuring Zoltan Katona, Eugene Peabody, Diego Tortelli. (Bottom) Luna Negra’s “Today una Vida,” featuring Zoltan Katona and Monica Cervantes. Photos by Cheryl Mann.

Winter 2011CNCJA•15 Winter2011CNCJA•15

Making History

By DANIEL SCUREK

T

he first thing you notice about TimeLine Theatre’s artistic director P.J. Powers is his smile.

Theatre folks do tend to smile, of course, since any given moment might be a public relations opportunity.

And it’s not that he doesn’t have a lot to smile about. He’s watched his theater’s audience base rise steadily—or by leaps and bounds— since the company’s inaugural production in 1998. But as smiles go, it reads with unusual sincerity. Not rehearsed, not displayed for politeness or out of necessity; when you meet P.J., you immediately know you’re talking to one of the good guys. That makes it even nicer when you get a sense of TimeLine’s skyrocketing success. In a community bursting at the seams with theaters, TimeLine’s story stands out. In 2009, they saw their subscription base grow by 50 percent. At a time, when even theater-goers had to limit their budgets to the essentials, for over 2,000 people, TimeLine seemed to provide their basic needs.

And that makes sense as TimeLine’s greatest strength might just be their focus on the basics. When the six founding members—all college friends—first came together in 1998 to discuss starting a theater, everyone quickly

emphasized the importance of a focused mission. Perhaps necessity created that focus: the idea of heading out into the brutal world with(Above) TimLine Theatre artistic director P.J. Powers. (Above right) David

Frost (Andrew Carter - L) interviews President Richard Nixon (David

Hamilton - R) in Timeline Theatre’s production of Frost/Nixon. Photos by Lara Goetsch.

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out sustenance upon graduation is daunting for any college senior; for theater majors it’s multiplied. The field is not exactly lucrative. And forming a theater group is not exactly the safe route.

But when you have enough talent, passion, focus, intelligence and— perhaps most important— common sense, forming a theater group is not as farfetched as it may seem.

The six DePaul University Theater students might have gone the traditional route of auditions and resume submissions, but instead they jumped right into the deep end, deciding to form a company focused on historical drama. It’s not historical drama, exactly, but, as Powers points out, stories “inspired by history that connect with today’s social and political issues”. Why history? He explains, “History forced us to have some context.”

At that first meeting, in co-founder Nick Bowling’s apartment, the six discussed the kind of theater they were doing in Chicago, what worked and what didn’t. What they noticed in the less successful theaters was a “lack of pointof-view.” Ironically, Powers at first nixed the idea of history as a focus. But, eventually, he came to see the mission as informative instead of limiting. “We started a vigorous debate as to what a history play is and (that debate) continues to this day,” he recalls.

History provides both focus and limitless possibilities. It has allowed the company to explore the world, so to speak, bringing

to Chicago locations as diverse as apartheid South Africa in Athol Fugard’s Master Harold and the Boys and culinary America and France with Julia and Paul Childs in this season’s To Master the Art. These worlds prove effective for audiences. History might be a dry topic for many, but when romanticized in a narrative, it becomes a sure bet. Spectators have always had an affinity for historical dramas. Perhaps the lure of nostalgia makes even tragic events more palatable—familiar enough for audiences to relate but distant enough to not consume us within its context. It’s the same thing that has made “Gone With the Wind” an enduring classic in both book and film, and it’s what made Shakespeare’s history plays so successful in his time and our own, which brings up the question of the bard. A perusal of TimeLine’s production his-

tory reveals a penchant for the 19th and 20th centuries in terms of topic—and for contemporary playwrights in terms of writing talent. Considering the specificity of their mission, it’s interesting to

at the same location, inside the United Church of Christ’s building on Chicago’s north side.

While most theater companies—Steppenwolf comes to mind—eventually move beyond their humble beginnings, Powers says he

ognized groups like Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare and Victory Gardens.

And they have the awards to prove their muscle. To date, TimeLine has earned 42 Jeff Awards (Chicago’s answer to the Tony Award), five just this past year for The History Boys. And History provides both focus and limitless possibilities. It has allowed the company to explore the that’s an important world, so to speak, bringing to Chicago locations as diverse as apartheid South Africa in Athol thing to note because Fugard’s Master Harold and the Boys and culinary America and France with Julia and Paul Childs one of the leaps that in this season’s To Master the Art. TimeLine has made recently was the decision to unionize; they now belong to note that the potential range has hardly doesn’t feel the need to relocate. “This loca- the elite group of Actors Equity theaters, raisbeen tapped. Powers admits to this but tion has always worked for us.” ing their status even further. Not that union maintains that the omission is not delibStill, TimeLine shows regularly sell out; status automatically governs quality—but it erate. When it comes to Shakespeare, he extending runs has become an issue. Their does raise expectations. And TimeLine unsays, “It’s coming.” greatest success, last season’s Midwest pre- dertook another risk last season, submitting Of course, it doesn’t need to—no miere of The History Boys, English playwright a budget that put them in the red before the one is complaining. But one wonders Alan Bennett’s multi-award winning play, season’s first show even opened. With the rewhere the company plans to go. Powers found itself conexplains that TimeLine is comprised of sistently playing to theater artists, not historians—not to over 100 percent slight the mission but to remind us of capacity audiencwhat comes first. Naturally, the artists at es. When it came TimeLine focus on the plays that ignite time for the play to their passions; the choices have clearly end its run, there kept pace with audience tastes. was little question And, of course, the potential palette about doing so. But extends in the other direction, as well; where?

Neil Simon’s autobiographical trilArthur Miller’s ogy would also be a valid choice for All My Sons, The TimeLine. Yet, one can hardly imagine play slated to folseeing Brighton Beach Memoirs on their low The History stage. But Powers contends that there’s Boys’ original nineno bias; TimeLine simply pursues the week run, found projects that interest them. And there itself moved to a seems little need to do obvious crowd different location. pleasers. “The times I thought I was producing Powers says that it the crowd pleasers I was wrong,” he admits. didn’t seem to make And that leads us to a discussion of space sense to pull up the set, the cast, the audience cession in full swing, TimeLine gambled that and risk everything at a different venue. going full steam ahead and placing their bets The strategy paid off; TimeLine found it- on production revenues would cover expensself in the enviable position of managing es. Again, the gamble paid off. The success two successful productions at two different of The History Boys snowballed into their locations at the exact same time. increased subscriber base and TimeLine finAnd they made it work. As Powers ished last season in the black—as they have says, “Slow and steady wins the race.” every season since their first.

Changes are best managed when they need So there’s no rush to stage Henry IV, Part to be managed and TimeLine is comfort- I or Edward II. But it’s good to know that able staying put until a greater need com- they’re sitting in a place where steady doesn’t mands a change. But that time might soon just win the race but sets the pace—because be coming. With a subscriber base at over wherever TimeLine chooses to go, audiences 2,000, and with shows continuing to sell are sure to follow. And that should keep evout—this season’s Frost/Nixon sold out eryone smiling. its run but was not extended—TimeLine and what the future brings. Since their first seems poised to become Chicago’s next break- (Left) The cast of Timeline Theatre’s The History Boys;(Above) Gille production in 1998, TimeLine has staged plays out theater, joining the ranks of nationally rec- (Joel Gross - L) pours a glass of wine for Julia Child (Karen James Woditsch - C) and Paul Child (Craig Spidle - R) in Timeline Theatre’s world premiere of To Master the Art..Photos by Lara Goetsch.

Winter 2011CNCJA•17

Wander the woodlands.

Clomp through conifers.

Ski into serenity.

The Morton Arboretum, official home of Winter.

COMING THIS SPRING: CO

NEW outdoor art exhibition.

NE 18•CNCJAWinter 2011 mo mortonarb.org/2011exhibition

Visit mortonarb.org

to begin your winter adventure and learn more about planting and protecting trees.

STATE OF THE ARTS

By ALEX KEOWN

D

THE SOCIAL ARTS

o you like Chicago culture and want to keep abreast of what’s going on? Well, now you can; there’s an App for that.

In September, The Steppenwolf Theatre Company launched initial marketing for its production of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by introducing its own iPhone App. The free App, available through Apple’s iPhone App Store, provides access to information about current shows, tickets and theater company news. Users can purchase tickets with a mere three taps of the screen.

It offers more than ticket sales though. Fans of Steppenwolf can use the application to listen to podcasts from company members and watch video interviews. The application also links to Google Maps to provide directions to the theater as well as list nearby dining options.

The proliferation of smart phones and laptop computers provides users with instant access to…well anything, but a lot of that anything is social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or Myspace. Ten to fifteen years ago, organizations realized they needed a Web site to help reach their audience. Now organizations are beginning to see the usefulness of a social networking presence. Today, it seems that everyone and their grandmother, up to and including Queen Elizabeth II of England, has a Facebook page.

It’s no secret that social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter play a tremendous role in modern marketing and political campaigns. The use of social media played a big role in the November elections this year, as well as in the 2008 election of President Barack Obama.

Like politicians, Chicago cultural organizations like Steppenwolf are utilizing social media to promote and develop programs in the city. They are promoting upcoming exhibits or shows as well as engaging and exciting the public through social networking.

Chicago institutions aren’t alone in using this “new” medium. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York engages its Facebook friends with featured artwork-of-the day along with essays about the historical significance of their collections.

Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet uses its Facebook page to promote upcoming shows, like “The Nutcracker.” The ballet company includes press clippings and videos on their Facebook page, and they provide still photographs of behind-the-scenes features, like some of the robotic props for the perennial holiday production.

Like Joffrey, The Lyric Opera of Chicago uses its Facebook page to share press clippings and performance images. However they are also currently inviting fans to ask a question of Renata Scotto, a legendary opera singer who is directing the production of A Masked Ball, running through December 15th. One such question was selected to ask the soprano during their October gala. The author of the winning question was provided free tickets to an upcoming performance.

But cultural institutions in Chicago are using social media for more than mere advertising and promotion. Some institutions, like Chicago Opera Theater, are tapping into online interactive ability to get fans and supporters more involved. For three years, the opera company has empowered fans to vote on the opera that will begin each season.

This year, fans of the opera company selected Verdi’s Giovanni D’Arco to launch the 2012 festival. Colleen Flannigan, director of marketing for the company, said they called the initiative “the people’s opera.” But it’s not just voting on an opera, Chicago Opera Theater uses the people’s opera for necessary fundraising efforts. This year’s vote raised $32,000.

Flannigan joked that since the opera house is in Chicago, they encouraged voters to remember the Chicago tradition and “vote early and often.”

Flannigan pointed out that Chicago Opera Theater also uses Youtube. com to heighten awareness of each upcoming season. She said they

primarily show interviews with members of the cast and crew for each performance.

“This is something we can do in-house. It’s inexpensive to do and it helps with our messaging,” Flannigan said.

Other area cultural organizations that utilize Youtube include Broadway In Chicago, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Broadway In Chicago uses Youtube to show excerpts from upcoming performances. The CSO does likewise, but they also create their own “webisodes” about the orchestra’s composers-in-residence.

Flannigan said through the many social media the COT uses, “We’re trying to become more engaging with our audience.” Flannigan indicated another way the opera company is engaging the city’s population is through a guerrilla marketing effort they call “Pop-up” opera.

Similar to flash mob dancing, the COT sends a couple of performers somewhere out into the city to stage an impromptu opera performance.

Once the brief performance is complete, opera staff will ask those who stop to watch to tweet or to share with friends, through electronic mediaa, what they saw and if they enjoyed it. “The key is to keep people engaged with what we do,” Flannigan said.

Keeping people engaged through social networking is also the goal of the Chicago Children’s Museum on Navy Pier. “Our main goal is to create a community of parents and care-givers and give them a platform to know what’s going on at our facility,” said Natalie Kreiger, director of communications for the Children’s Museum.

Kreiger added that they encourage parents and care-givers to use their social networks to discuss the facilities at the museum and share thoughts about their visits. Kreiger said engaging people through social media is a time-consuming challenge, that the frequency with which people are engaged on sites like Facebook must be maintained. “It’s a commitment. It’s about building a community, a relationship with the audience.”

Because of social sites though, Kreiger noted the museum’s audience is “always growing.”

Social networking sites are also being used to meet sales goals. Several cultural institutions in Chicago are using sites like Groupon.com to offer discounted tickets. That’s something that is becoming even more important in these economically challenging times, Kreiger said. But she stressed that it also allows cultural institutions like the Children’s Museum to tap into markets that may not opt to visit their facility.

“It allows you to hit a broader audience,” she said.

The Children’s Museum is not the only site in Chicago to use Groupon.

Other museum’s such as The Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium use the crowd sourcing medium as well. Groupon members can buy an adult ticket for the Field for as little as $10. A standard price for the same ticket is $22. Likewise, Groupon users can save $25 for a family membership to the Chicago History Museum.

On Facebook, the Joffrey Ballet Company recently advertised a successful Groupon deal for five adult dance classes for the low price of $35—a savings of $40.

While social networking is a part of the modern marketing scheme, questions remain as to how effective it truly is. Flannigan and her staff at Chicago Opera Theater attempt to track tweets and re-tweets about the “Pop-up” performances as well as any Facebook postings. She said it’s hard to determine if social networking has any direct impact on ticket sales, that it’s often difficult to determine if sending out a stream of Twitter messages is reaching a wide audience, or if it is largely ignored.

That may indeed be the case, according to a new study by Sysomos, a Canadian social-media-analytics company. Time Magazine reported in October that a recent study by Sysomos found 71 percent of tweets get absolutely no response.

Winter 2011CNCJA•19

Walking the Walk

tidbits

Ever wanted to get a birds-eye view of Chicago’s historic theater district from an architectural perspective? Well, now you can. The bright lights of Chicago are the focus of a new walking tour of the Loop theater district sponsored by the The Chicago Architecture Foundation (architecture. org). The new “Razzle Dazzle” tour includes a look at four theaters along with stories about the history of public entertainment in Chicago— from the frontier days to vaudeville to “legitimate” theater.

The upcoming schedule of December 16, 18 and January 20 at 10 a.m. makes it is great holiday outing for architecture lovers and theater buffs alike. The 1 ½ hour tour meets up at the Bank of America Theater at 22 W. Monroe and ends at the National Landmark Chicago Theatre.

Delayed but Not Dismayed Maestro Riccardo Muti was regrettably forced to withdraw temporarily from his duties as music director of the CSO on October 2, 2010, the evening of the Symphony’s annual Ball, featuring guest violinist AnneSophie Mutter. The symphony announced that due to illness, the conductor was forced to cancel two weeks of planned programs as he was suffering from “extreme gastric distress.”

The news came only two weeks after his tenure officially began with the orchestra. Mr. Muti expressed his great regret for the withdrawal in a statement released by the CSO. Pierre Boulez, longtime conductor emeritus for the symphony, stepped in for critically acclaimed concerts featuring Mahler’s 7th Symphony. Fortunately, Maestro Muti is resting comfortably at his home in Milan and is expected to make a complete recovery. He is scheduled to return to the CSO podium in February, where he will welcome pianist Mitsuko Uchida in a program featuring Schumann’s Piano Concerto.

Dancing the Dance!

Now in its 12th season, The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago is gearing up for its FamilyDance Matinee Series, featuring a variety of dance traditions and styles. And for the first time, children’s admission is free. For spring 2011, FamilyDance Matinees will be presented by the Joe Goode Performance Group (February 5), Robert Moses’ Kin (February 26) and Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre (March 12). The Dance Center will also present regular evening performances by both companies during the same weeks as their FamilyDance Matinees.

Each FamilyDance Matinee features a special 45-minute family-oriented performance preceded by a free workshop that encourages parents and children to move with the artists. Bring your little ones and get involved by visiting column.edu/dancecenter.

Top right: Music Director Riccardo Muti leads The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Photo by Todd Rosenberg). Bottom left: Participants of The Dance Center of Columbia Chicago’s Family/ Dance Matinee (Photo courtesy of The Dance Center of Columbia College).

20•CNCJAWinter 2011

Passing The Baton Goodman Theatre is launching a new Playwright’s Unit, a brand new season-long residency program designed to nurture Chicago’s most promising playwrights. The four inaugural writers, selected

by Artistic Director Robert Falls, Director of New Play Development Tanya Palmer and the Goodman’s artistic staff, are Seth Bockley (Jon, The Twins Would Like to Say; winner of the Goodman’s 2009 Ofner Prize), Lisa Dillman (Detail of a Larger Work, Rock Shore), Laura Jacqmin (Ski Dubai, Look, We are Breathing) and Rohins Malik (Yasmina’s Necklace, Unveiled). The writers will develop new plays over the course of the residency, culminating in final readings of their works-in-progress in spring 2011. The ambitious program has resulted in such works as the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winner Ruined by Lynn Nottage and the upcoming Stage Kiss by Sarah Ruhl and Mary by Thomas Bradshaw.

Photos: Top Clockwise from botom most left:The Old Lady (Hollis Resnik) Helps dress Cunegonde (Lauren Molina) as she expresses how to “Glitter and be Gay in Goodman Theatre’s Candide (Photo by Liz Lauren); Nurse (Ora Jones, L) tells Juliet (Joy Farmer-Clar, R) that Romeo has arranged to marry her that very day in Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet (Photo by Liz Lauren); 14. Anna Christy, Peter Rose, A Midsummer Night’s Dream)Photo by Dan Rest);Bottom clockwise from topmost Left: Romeo (Jeff Lillico, r) persuades Friar Laurence (David Lively, l) to wed him to Juliet in chicago shakespeare theatre’s romeo and juliet (Photo by Liz Lauren); River North dancer Brittany Blumer (Photo by William Frederking); Soprano Measha Bruggergrossman (Celia von Tiedemann); The Joffrey Ballet Company’s “After the Rain” (Photo by Herbert Migdol); Cast of Wuthering Heights at Lifeline Theatre (Photo courtesy of Lifefine Theatre); Kate Arrington and Laurie Metcalf in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of Detroit by Lisa D’Amour, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton. (Photo by Michael Brosilow).

In This Quarter Year

Winter 2011CNCJA•21

DANCE REVIEW

Joffrey Brandishes Its “AllStars” in Fine Fashion October 13, 2010 - On Wednesday evening, the Joffrey Ballet contin- Adroit comedic timing and humorous details fueled the work.

The Joffrey presented two additional works in the program: ued the momentum of its highly successful 2009-2010 season, which brought Chicagoans the unforgettable production of “Othello.” The Balanchine’s “Tarantella,” and “Stravinsky Violin Concerto.” company opened the 2010-2011 season with “AllStars,” which show- “Tarantella,” the evening’s cased three Joffrey premieres created by beloved choreographers second work, was a fun, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Christopher Wheeldon. though brief, spot of color in Accompanied by the Chicago Sinfonietta, “AllStars” was, in a word, the program. First set on the Joffrey’s last spring program, enchanting.

Indisputably, the most beautiful, distinctive, and memorable the performance seemed a bit performance of the evening occurred during Wheeldon’s “After the incongruent with the other Rain,” which features a pair of starkly different pieces set to the music works in “AllStars.” Yet, of ArvoPärt. The steel gray and coldness of the first act dissolved as Victoria Jaiani, wearing a pink leotard with her long hair unpinned, accompanied by Fabrice Calmels clad only in white pants, entered from stage right.

As they danced, the pair infused the stage with all of the struggle, joy, romance, and pain inherent in the piece. Never before have I witnessed Jaiani and Calmels exhibiting the level of chemistry they displayed in Wheeldon’s sensual work. Jaiani’s wilting form against Calmels’ tender, but strong, frame created emotionally moving moments. Repeatedly, he swept her up as though she was a meer feather, and she melted against his frame like wax dripping onto a candlestick.

Jaiani moved so fluidly that her limbs seemed united with the music, her body bending backward and forward with the suppleness of a flower. Not an instant of hesitation or awkwardness could be distilled from Jaiani’s Yumelia Garcia and Derrick Agnoletti lit up the stage with energy performance. The execution seemed so natural that the piece may as for a few bright moments, wowing the audience with quick, supple footwork. well have been choreographed for her.

Despite the performances of Jaiani, Daly, and Temur Suluashviliin, Calmels himself exhibited the star quality to which the program’s this evening’s opening piece, “Stravinsky Violin Concerto,” suffered name alludes. The handsome dancer has always captured attention from a distracting pairing. for his stalwart presence on stage alone—even to the point of distracMiguel Amngel Blanco, though impressive in his solo work, tion from his artistry. Yet, in this piece, his dancing showed maturity.

Tenderness shone through his athleticism and masculinity as though struggled to partner the lovely Daly, with moments more awkward the work had tapped into something that resonated uniquely with the than angular.

The Joffrey Ballet has shown constant evolution with dancers like dancer’s innate artistry unlike anything before.

Following this ethereal but heavy piece, the Joffrey lightened Jaiani setting the bar high. The company’s evolving talent is exciting the mood with Robbins’ clever “The Concert (or The Perils of to watch. If “AllStars” indicates what the Joffrey has to offer this seaEverybody).” The company seemed to have a ball with this piece, as son, we won’t want to miss a second of it! did the audience; the piece was great fun, right down to the powder blue pointe shoes. Jaiani sparkled as the comedic diva of the concert, Photos: (Center) Victoria Janini and cast of “The Concert“ from Joffrey Ballet’s “AllStars” this autumn at the Auditorium Theatre. (Inset) Joffrey’s “After The and April Daly’s interactions with Matthew Adamczyk (who dances Rain.” the role of a husband with a wandering eye), drove home the humor.

22•CNCJAWinter 2011

Photos byHerbert Migdol

By EMILY DISHER

MUSICAL THEATER REVIEW

Goodman, Zimmerman Give Fresh Face to Voltaire’s Candide

Photo by Liz Lauren

By GABRIELLE LEVY

Cunegonde (Lauren Molina) and Candide (Geoff Packard) discover and declare their passionate love for one another in “Oh Happy We.”

October 11, 2010 - For a work that premiered more than half a century ago, based on a story written in French three hundred years before that, Candide is unexpectedly modern, fresh and relevant. As re-imagined by Tony and Jeff Award-winning director Mary Zimmerman (Journey to the West, Silk), Candide is elevated beyond its clever lyrics and memorable, and occasionally stunning, music. It’s often absurdly minimalist set design removes the clutter of the show’s weighty history, providing enough room for Voltaire’s magical satire to come alive.

At the start, the eponymous Candide (Geoff Packard), an illegimate nephew naively living in his uncle’s Westphalian castle, has no reason to doubt his tutor’s rose-colored philosophy. He lives, it seems, in “the best of all possible worlds,” untouched by tragedy or hardship. But the revelation that he loves Miss Cunegonde (Lauren Molina) gets him thrown out of his uncle’s, and benefactor’s, home and begins the systematic dismantling of his optimistic outlook.

Candide’s journey, which takes him across Europe to Buenos Aires and to El Dorado, is a systematic deconstruction of blind optimism. The tutor, Pangloss (Larry Yando), faces tragedy and tribulations that bluntly demonstrate to Candide the folly of those beliefs, as do the difficult pasts of the characters Candide meets—such as the Old Lady (Hollis Resnik) or Martin the unemployed philosopher (Tom Aulino).

But Goodman’s production yields much more than its resonant philosophical commentary. Leonard Bernstein’s mu-

sic and Richard Wilbur’s lyrics are sophisticated and clever, and Goodman’s cast digs into its challenges with verve.

Particularly noteworthy was one of the operetta’s famous scenes, Cunegonde’s “Glitter and Be Gay.” Molina conquers what can only be described as a monster of an aria, reaching its improbably high notes with ease and wry humor.

Throughout the show, Molina’s transformation of Cunegonde from spoiled, innocent girl to broken, worldly woman is remarkable. Packard’s performance as Candide is no less transformative; Resnik, whose long-suffering character’s fall takes place before she appears on stage, is wonderful to watch.

One of the hallmarks of the operetta is its use of narration to advance the plot, and Zimmerman’s staging makes excellent use of the device. Together with Mara Blumenfeld’s costuming and Daniel Ostling’s sets, Zimmerman makes brilliant use of minimal props (a woodblock’s representation of the city of Lisbon and plastic green Army men standing in for the real thing) and set to encourage imaginative engagement.

But Voltaire’s philosophy, apparent in the Job-like sufferings of his characters, is not the centerpiece of Goodman’s production. Despite their pain, Candide, Cunegonde, and their friends are able to eke out some bit of joy in their lives. They learn to lean on and appreciate one another, rather than material objects, and in so doing, serve as a reminder to all of us to do the same. Winter 2011CNCJA•23

THEATER REVIEW

Photo by Liz Lauren

Shakespeare Theatre Delves Below Surface in Romeo and

By DAVID WEISS Juliet

Romeo (Jeff Lillico) promises his bride Juliet (Joy Farmer-Clary) that his banishment will not keep them apart.

November 1, 2010 - Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s latest production takes on possibly the most well-known work in Shakespeare’s canon, a tale often regarded as one of literature’s greatest love stories. Yet, with her bold new staging of Romeo and Juliet, Australian guest director Gale Edwards makes it clear she believes there’s more going on in the play than just a romance. Verona here is a despairing realm: the edges of the stage appear hacked off with an axe, and Brian Sidney Bembridge’s set looks as though a crumbling palace has been crossed with the underside of an El station, and then blasted with volcanic ash. In such an unforgiving world, young love would seem a thing to be pitied more than rooted for.

But root for it I did, due in large part to winning performances by Jeff Lillico and Joy Farmer-Clary as the show’s ill-fated duo. With crackling verbal facility and appealing energy, both actors create characters that feel appropriately poetic, relatable, and, most importantly, young. Lillico sounds every bit like an earnest but impulsive teenager who’s in over his head, and Farmer-Clary skillfully evokes a headstrong fourteen-year-old delighted by the first flush of love.

Edwards’s thoughtful cutting of the script places further emphasis on the pair’s near-childlike innocence, a smart move that makes their romance seem both endearing in its purity and hopeless in its naivety.

Indeed, with such innocents in the title roles, the story’s adults unavoidably take on a greater culpability in their sad trajectory. Friar Laurence (played with delicious ambiguity by David Lively) is presented less like a benevolent man of God and more like a second24•CNCJAWinter 2011

rate political schemer trying to placate the warring families. Ora Jones’s Nurse, though pleasingly bawdy and loving at first, is later revealed to possess only limited devotion to her mistress. And Judy Blue’s statuesque Lady Capulet is gradually shown to be a woman sick with worry about her daughter’s future, but who ultimately doesn’t try hard enough to change it.

Unfortunately, many of the production’s younger characters fail to register with equal depth. Zach Appelman’s Tybalt (blandly wrathful), Steve Haggard’s Benvolio (blandly worried) and Brendan MarshallRashid’s Paris (blandly courteous) are barely blips on Verona’s radar.

Ariel Shafir, as Mercutio, understands the character’s sly sexual subtexts, but not the anarchic glee that drives them. And Rick Sordelet’s fantastically creative fight choreography is frequently rendered lifeless in the hands of these young performers.

However, the production gets a boost from Lindsay Jones’s original compositions, which often heighten the mood and only occasionally veer into bombast or sappiness. Ana Kuzmanic’s costumes contribute stylishly to the harsh modern aesthetic, and John Culbert’s lighting gets admirable mileage out of the mostly unchanging set.

All in all, Edwards’s production is most impressive for suggesting that the play’s central romance is merely part of a larger tapestry of humanity. In her hands, Romeo and Juliet are not tragic because theirs was a love for the ages, but rather because their love barely even had a chance to begin with.

EXHIBIT REVIEW

Sabraw Exhibit a Breathtaking Nod to Sustainability

By ALEXANDRA ZAJAC October 12, 2010 - Nestled in Chicago’s West Loop gallery district is the Thomas McCormick Art Gallery, which is currently exhibiting works by artist John Sabraw.

An artist deeply interested in natural phenomena, Sabraw’s colorful, intriguing works depict his artistic explorations using paint and time as his mediums. Fascinating and breathtaking, Sabraw’s works can both depict something microscopic or something massive, depending on the viewer’s personal perspective.

To render such a stimulating visual effect, Sabraw juxtaposed several layers of various colors mixed to different viscosities, and then allowed them to interact with one another and with environmental forces, such as varying degrees of humidity, temperature, and air movements. Over a period of days, weeks, and sometimes even months, the layers of colors would collude, resulting in an intense, vivid topography of colorful amalgamation.

Each work is created on an aluminum composite panel using water-based paints, dry pigments and other dry media in order to develop a sustainable, permanent image. In fact, most every aspect of Sabraw’s works is executed with sustainability in mind.

Even his frames are made from organically grown and sustainably farmed bamboo.

Indeed, it makes sense that a painter so concerned with sustainability is moved to create such abstract, yet natural, works that are immediately reminiscent of nature, both large and small.

Alluvium G:7 appears to show a bottomless canyon, and Joules: 12(4) a vast aquamarine pool of water, while Ebb: 01:11:10 has so many fine particles that it appears as if it was a magnified specimin in a Petri dish. Alluvium E:5 reveals tiny vein-like lines that not only make the painting look like a live organism, but also lend movement and levity to the intense colors of the piece. Syncline: Cochineal looks like the most vivid, graphic sunset you’ve ever seen, while Ebb 12:01:22 looks as though you are zipping by a poppy field at a breakneck speed.

Playing with perspective, Alluvium A:1 mixes oranges, blues and greens in such a way that one can almost see a picture of sky, grass, and ground at the top of the painting, the earth’s core through the middle, and again the grass and sky at the bottom. Without being entirely deliberate, the paint creates such a remarkable effect that it really allows the imagination to run wild with interpretations.

Photo courtesy of The Thomas McCormick Art Gallery

Installation view of the John Sabraw Exibit at the Thomas McCormick Art Gallery in Chicago’s West Loop.

Winter 2011CNCJA•25

CLASSICAL CONCERT REVIEW

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Boulez and CSO Explore Nuanced and Textured Mahler and Webern Program

October 16, 2010 – Stepping in for the ailing Riccardo Muti, recovering from a recent illness expected to pull him away from his duties as Music Director until February 2011, longtime guest conductor and beloved Conductor Emeritus Pierre Boulez was vibrant as Conductor Emeritus and Principle Guest Conductor ever at the third of four perforfor the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Pierre Boulez mances on Saturday evening at Symphony Center. With only a few weeks notice, Boulez returned to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with an extraordinary program of Mahler and Webern to replace the anticipated Cherubini Requiem.

The sans intermission concert began with Anton Webern’s first opus, Passacaglia. The hyper-romantic style was unexpected from a composer known for his aphoristic, atonal miniatures. The orchestra played warmly in longing, expressive melodies moving kaleidoscopically through the ensemble. Each strand was audible as Boulez propelled the orchestra through the dense, contrapuntal textures. The swirling strings and punchy, muted brass ably reinforced the work’s dark, chameleonic mood.

Boulez’s choice of this well-crafted, Romantic remnant made for a worthy prelude to Mahler’s Symphony Number 7.

After more players filled the stage, Boulez led a straight-forward and purposeful reading of what is arguably Mahler’s least-familiar sym-

By DAVID KULMA

phony. His conducting style was well suited to this episodic and longwinded work. Stationary on the podium, and leading with diminutive, yet expressive gestures, Boulez infused the work with a smooth, natural air, avoiding over-sentimentality in the gorgeous moments and haste in the more spectactular passages.

Other conductors often attempt to pull and stretch Mahler’s symphonies into grandiose affairs of pain, suffering, and redemption. Boulez’s approach made for quite a sober reading of the work. The opening movement’s dark march was brooding with wonderful tenor horn solos from Michael Mulcahy. His performance brought a sense of power, breadth, and grandeur to the performance. A subsequent contrasting calm was glorious with shimmering chords in the low winds and strings. The scherzo was devious and playful rather than pounding, with the loud bassoon strikes eliciting more than one chuckle from the audience.

The lighter Nachtmusik was joyful and exuberant with waltz memories and mandolin buzzing. The orchestra was marvelous with clean and sparkling playing throughout. The many climaxes brought the famous CSO brass to their peak at the risk of overpowering the compliment of the orchestra.

Boulez’s reading, along with the splendid Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s musicians, revealed how even the least-known Mahler symphony can ignite excitement within an audience. A well-deserved standing ovation followed the Seventh’s last movement, full of celebration.

Although Muti was indeed missed this evening, Boulez’s Malher and Webern program proved to be the perfect substitute on a warm autumn evening.

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Brueggergosman Brings Expressive, if Diminutive, Mahler to Symphony Center and CSO Debut

By DAVID KULMA yond the orchestration. Her presence and nuanced emotive abilities, however, enlivened the varied selection of Mahler’s Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn.

Her sprightly and cheerful phrasing in “Rheinlegendchen” was delightful, while her droll multi-character portrayal in Verlorne Müh’! brought laughter from the audience. Brueggergosman’s haunting and mellifluous Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen and stark, whispering Urlicht showed the soprano well within her element. Zweden and the orchestra exuded wonderful character shifts and a beautiful solo from principal oboist Eugene Izotov.

Shostakovich’s war-torn Symphony No. 8 clearly held the staying power of the evening. Zweden, at once clear and animated, forged with the orchestra a sensational, hair-razing account of one of Shostakovich’s most contrasting and dynamic symphonies.

The opening, reminiscent of the composer’s Fifth, set the tone for the sprawling first movement. When the orchestra reached the first powerful climax, the tempo suddenly turned fast, and an even greater dynamic unfurled. After the music pounded away into ecstatic leaps, the smoke cleared to an extended English horn solo from Scott Hostetler, whose crafted phrasing and poise showed him at his best. After a crisp, pounding second movement, Zweden zapped the orchestra into an even rowdier third-movement scherzo.

His nearly prestissimo tempo left me flabbergasted, and the orchestra’s ability to maintain fire and tempo throughout is to their lasting credit (especially the low brass). This movement also builds to a frenzied climax that gives way, unexpectedly, to a unison recitative, leaving the listener with slow, mourning music. The unexpected major-chord transition to a mildly happy last movement leaves me wondering where the anger escaped to, rather than basking in the sparkling final chords. No matter the interpretational battles of the composer’s meaning, the work as a whole, and van Zweden’s thrilling, polished reading showed the CSO as a fantastic and incredibly dynamic organism.  Photo by Paul Elledge

October 29, 2010 – Dutch conductor Jaap van Zweden led a stunning concert with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the second of two performances at Orchestra Hall on Friday night. Dmitri Shostakovich’s powerhouse Symphony No. 8 capped a program that featured two CSO debuts: postminimalist composer John Luther Adams and Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman in songs by

Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman.

Gustav Mahler.

Adams, winner of Northwestern University’s Nemmers Prize, is best known for his sprawling, meditative works that evoke a grand sense of space. According to the composer during the pre-concert conversation, Dark Waves is “all about sound.” Its twelve-minute span is a grand single sweep from low growling depths to a massive climax and back. The “rich, complex, always evolving sonority” paired with the dynamic possibilities of the orchestra achieve an amazingly visceral effect, evoking the beauty and terror of the sea.

Zweden, earbuds in place, led a fine and clear performance balancing the ensemble and the undergirding electronics.

Brueggergosman left a notably mixed impression. Typically, Mahler singers have fluid tone and large, powerful voices that easily reach the audience. Brueggergosman’s lively vibrato overpowered a consistent sense of tone, and her small voice rarely projected be-

Winter 2011CNCJA•27

EXHIBIT REVIEW

Gray Collection Reveals The Brilliance of Sketch Art

By ALEXANDRA ZAJAC October 13, 2010 - Several of the most influential art collections the grid lines depicted on Giovanni Battista Naldini’s Study of a found in museums around the world would not be possible without Seated Youth, c. 1575, provide insight into the artistic process of the contributions from private art collectors. Their collections are borne from their artistic eye and their inherent love of art, which makes for unique compilations full of personality.

This season, the Art Institute of Chicago is featuring the Gray Collection, exhibiting works from Richard Gray, a prominent dealer of contemporary and modern art, and his wife, Mary Lackritz Gray, a scholar and lover of art history. The Grays, who are very involved in Chicago arts and culture, have shared over 120 paintings, drawings, and sculptures with the museum. As Art Institute President James Cuno explained, “The Gray Collection is distinguished by both the quality of the individual works and the range of interests they reflect, while the memorable coherence of their holdings represents Richard and Mary’s personal vision and the evolution of their taste.”

Their collection includes works of art that span from the 15th century through the early 20th century and beyond.

The most notable aspect of The Gray Collection is the abundance of sketches on display from early Italian draftsmen to sketches by Degas, Picasso and Lichtenstein. What makes these items so striking is the level of intricacy and detail exhibited within each.

One of the most arresting pieces can be found at the exhibit’s entrance.

Bernardino Lanino’s Madonna and Child, a Warrior Saint and a Group of Worshippers, 1565/70, was drawn in thin lines and subdued hues, yet there is nothing subtle about the scale of the piece, nor the emotions of the figures represented. Very intricate, the lines of the drawing and the expressions of the characters depicted provide the viewer Avenue of Pollard Birches and Poplars, March 1884 - Vincent Van Gogh with an intimate perspective of Lanino’s own emotional state as he created the piece. creator.

Moving through the exhibit, one can easily lose track of time Viewing the sketches in The Gray Collection makes for a very and become absorbed in the details of each work. Some of the most revealing and intimate experience. Typically, when one thinks of miraculous works are the intricate drawings from draftsmen of the “sketches,” a very rough template of a greater work is imagined.

15th through 17th centuries. The faraway stare of Guiseppe Porta’s Yet this exhibit reveals that nothing can be more engaging or more Bearded Man with His Right Arm Raised, 1562/64 is engaging, and personal than an artist’s sketch. Lines are drawn and retraced in rep28•CNCJAWinter 2011

cusing more on the form than on the details. However, earlier drawings by Picasso were full of re-drawn lines, such as his Man with a Clarinet, 1911, while Matisse’s prior works featured thicker and more sweeping lines, such as The Seamstress, from 1900. By observing the contrast between their early works and those they created later in life, one can begin to see how each artist evolved and honed their own aesthetic.

Although different from the sketches of earlier times, the modern and contemporary pieces on display are just as fascinating and engaging. Through their use of color and inventive, expressive techniques, these more recent pieces stand in contrast to the more subdued and intricate sketches of the 15th through 19th centuries.

In particular, Jim Dine’s works were very intriguing, especially when one considers how adeptly he incorporates his own sketching into a comprehensive work of art that is both bold and intimate. Also interesting was a guestbook signed by Roy Lichtenstein.

It is fascinating to think that a sketch he signed in passing is not only art, but also a window into his creative mind.

A great example of a sketch brought to life is Claes Oldenburg’s and Coosje van Buggen’s Typewriter Eraser, 1977. Drawn with crayon and watercolor, the sketch appears hastily completed, yet is full of character. Extraneous drops of watercolor dot the page, and the figure itself is very colorful and voluptuous. Next to the sketch, the exhibit reveals the actual sculpture of the Typewriter Eraser. Although it is also bold, it has less fluidity and movement than the sketch, making the two dimensional drawing appear more lively and playful than the physical three dimensional sculpture.

Overall, The Gray Collection exhibit represents a terrific collection of original works depicting a variety of aesthetics and time periods. Expertly curated and displayed in an intimate gallery of the museum, the exhibit is worth visiting. The works are unique and and drawings of famous artists whose infamous works are typically engaging, making for an intimate experience full of artistic insight. only displayed in finished form, but it is also exciting to see how Each work of art provokes inspiration, effectively moving the viewer much their sketching techniques differ. through eras of artistic invention. While Matisse’s Study of a Woman, April 1939, features shad- Top photo: Youthful St. John The Baptist - Giovanni Frechesco Barbieri; Bottom photo: Bearded ing and a characteristic repetition of lines, Picasso’s Reclining Nude Man with His Right Arm Raised, 1562/64 - Guiseppe Salviati.

(Sleeping Woman), 1969 was more simply drawn and elegant, foImages Courtesy of The ArT Institute of Chicago

etition as the artist goes through the process of setting down the bones for their masterpiece. In viewing these works, one gets a sense that these are very personal pieces, which makes the exhibit all the more fascinating and appealing.

Particularly interesting are the sketches drawn by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Not only is it stimulating to see the sketches

Winter 2011CNCJA•29

THEATER REVIEW

Timeline Draws Heights with Subtlety and Concept

PHOTOs BY Suzanne Plunkett

By DANIEL SCUREK

October 17, 2010 - The challenge of adapting prose into drama isn’t just a matter of omitting scenes or condensing a two-hundred paged novel into two hours of stage action. It isn’t even about whether or not the performers look or sound the way readers visualize the characters. The issue is really one of conceptualization: if the author had chosen to write the piece as a stage drama, how would he or she find the soul of a piece? The task can be as daunting as finding a concrete definition for a word as abstract as “soul.”

At Lifeline Theatre, this challenge is a familiar one. The Rogers Park theater that focuses on original literary adaptations has mastered the art. But even in expert hands, one imagines the task of adapting Emily Bronte’s episodic, gothic classic, Wuthering Heights, to be more than daunting. The time span is great, the complex relationships of the characters, intricate,

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and the settings so seemingly ornate that prose seems like the only way to sort out the tangles. If something is unclear in a novel, it can be reread; you can’t press rewind in the theater.

Yet Lifeline, once again, manages to sort the tangles.

The heart of the English novel involves a lifelong love/ hate affair between Heathcliff and Catherine, who are reared together after Catherine’s father finds the abandoned Heathcliff as a young boy and brings him home to live. Catherine and Heathcliff become inseparable as they grow into adulthood.

The problem is Heathcliff is a gypsy. Catherine’s high-breeding conflicts with her animal attraction to him, and Heathcliff is deeply wounded by her disdain; he spends the bulk of the novel destroying as many lives as possible to avenge her dismissal of him.

Adapter Christina Calvit balances the narrative within tight dramatic scenes. She wisely eschews the novel’s timeline and places past and present side-by-side, illuminating the ironies and clarifying the connection between then and now.

In fact, the show is almost too tightly paced, hardly allowing any breathing room. But director Elise Kauzlaric has conceptualized a highly stylized production incorporating subtle dance moves to emphasize the emotional connections, and transitions have a fluid, dreamlike quality that helps balance the pace.

But perhaps the production’s greatest accomplishment is in the role of Heathcliff, played by Gregory Issac. One of the most enigmatic characters in all of literature, he is as fascinating as he is befuddling, his boundless rage legendary among literary characters. Nothing satisfies his vengeance, and we’re not completely clear as to why it runs so deep, though Catherine’s rejection certainly plays the biggest part. Interestingly, we never doubt its validity; something about his anger seems so honest that, where similar characters in other stories might wear on us, Heathcliff never ceases to fascinate. Isaac portrays him with such eloquent rage that the audience never loses their fascination for his mysterious animal powers. He fills any gaps we might find in the romance, for a character and a story that is as fascinating as it is unknowable. Above left: Heathcliff (Gregory Isaac) is haunted by the memory of his lost love, Cathy (Lindsay Leopold - left background) in Lifeline Theatre’s world premiere of Wuthering Heights. Inset: Nelly (Cameron Feagin - r) comforts Cathy (Lindsay Leopold - l) who suffers from tortured visions in Lifeline Theatre’s world premiere of Wuthering Heights.

DANCE REVIEW

River North Dance Offers Edgy, Thrilling Fall Program November 13, 2010—River North Chicago Dance Company’s fall engagement at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance showcased seven diverse works, including the world premiere of esteemed contemporary choreographer Sidra Bell’s “Risoluta.” While the company had previously performed many of the pieces included in the program, the performances remained engaging. The evening featured a company of consistently high-level talent, from solos to full corps pieces.

The first half of the program was, in a word, sexy. The company’s world premiere of Sidra Bell’s Inferno-esque “Risoluta,” the evening’s apex, achieved a delicate mix of seduction, athleticism, and aesthetic forms. An underlying sense of enslavement bubbles up in various moment of the piece, accentuated by Bell’s precise balance of both stilted and fluid movements. Both the dip-dyed black/red costumes, marked by cage-like criss-crossing bands, and distinctive lighting reinforce the otherworldliness of the piece. The music, an original composition by jazz pianist and composer Dennis Bell, strengthens the modern feel of the work and complements the striking visual experience.

Preceding “Risoluta,” a short, structured improvisation called “Beat” (2001), shaped by Ashley Roland, mesmerized the audience. The piece featured the company’s Christian Denice, whose skilled interpretation of the music was greatly

tangled webs of restraint. nuanced—right down to his perfectly Rounding out the full seven works, timed, fluttering fingertips. The scantRiver North Chicago’s fall engagement ily clad Denice, illuminated by a single also included Kevin Iega Jeff’s fullspotlight center stage, moved expertly company piece “Sky” (2006), Chaves’ and organically to each drum beat. The dramatic “The Mourning” (2003), and piece was as sexy as it was athletic.

Lauri Stallings’ “Suppose” (2010).

After intermission, Robert Battle’s “Sky,” which opened the program, fea“Three” (2010), a quirky, fun piece features countless forceful lifts and aggresturing dance battles between three male sive developpés. dancers easily drew audiences back into Chaves’ “The Mourning,” which the program. Battle sets the work to the diverges from the sophisticated drama rhythms of musical excerpts from “Beat of “Forbidden Boundaries,” is excesBox Battle” by Eleventh Hour, “Great sively histrionic. Unfortunate red socks Taiko Drum Solo,” by Taiko Drums, that distract from the dancing, as well as “Music of Japan” by Les Tambours du extreme convulsive movements, nearly Bronx, and more. In this work, Denice derail “Suppose.” joined fellow dancers Michael Gross Aside from a few errant turns, River and Ricky Ruiz for another strong exNorth Chicago’s fall engagement showample of the refined athleticism of the cased a powerful and multi-faceted company’s male dancers—packaged up company, as well as several masterwith a bit of comedy. pieces like “Risoluta” and “Forbidden The company’s revival of Artistic Boundaries,” which we hope to see Director Frank Chaves’ “Forbidden from River North Chicago again and Boundaries” (2009) emerged as the again. evening’s second masterpiece. Chaves’ inventive use of white sweaters enabled innovative movement and allowed for an exquisite display of confinement.

The piece is both aesthetically beautiful and, at times, challenging to watch, River North Chicago Dance Company in “Forbidden as dancers create and struggle against Boundaries,“ choreographed by Frank Chaves

Photo by Ericka dufour

By EMILY DISHER

Winter 2011CNCJA•31

THEATER REVIEW

Detroit a Showcase of Brilliant Steppenwolf Talent

PHOTO BY Michael Brosilow

By DANIEL SCUREK

Ensemble members, Kate Arrington, Kevin Anderson, Laurie Metcalf and Ian Barford in Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of Detroit by Lisa D’Amour, directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton.

October 17, 2010 - Upon entering Steppenwolf’s Mainstage Theatre to see the world premiere of Lisa D’Amour’s Detroit, an initial impression is made. Before a single line of dialogue is uttered, right there on Steppenwolf’s mainstage, two suburban houses sit brooding over the audience. The facades of two neighboring backyards are perfectly detailed, down to the yellowing foliage and the fading paint. Scenic designer Kevin Depinet has not only created the vivid world of the story but has taken something commonplace and made it more overpowering than ever in real life. This is the type of thing theater can do. And it works nicely as the right setting for a play that shows us the dark, decaying side of the American Dream so often symbolized as home ownership.

The play begins with Mary (Laurie Metcalf) and Ben (Ian Barford) at a backyard barbeque entertaining their new next-door neighbors, Sharon (Kate Arrington) and Kenny (Kevin Anderson). We quickly see that Mary and Ben—the rooted, “stable” couple—represent everything that Sharon and Kenny—the transient, “unstable” couple—seem to want. But, of course, things aren’t always what they seem, and we quickly begin to observe the cracks in all four characters. The better established pair harbor darker vulnerabilities, and that’s something that Sharon and Kenny are able to exploit, leading to disastrous results by story’s end.

This is the type of landscape American plays have been built on for decades, ever since Willy Loman became the anti-hero of the stage 32•CNCJAWinter 2011

in Death of a Salesman. But under skilled hands, the tale has legs and Lisa D’amour has the skills.

Each character has their own particular pathology that complements and repels the others at just the right moments. Sharon admires Ben’s minor British affectations just enough to flatter him; he therefore develops a soft spot for her that she takes advantage of. And the sharp dialogue is delivered with the kind of precision audiences have grown to expect from the Steppenwolf ensemble.

And that’s the real purpose of the piece: to showcase the talents of Steppenwolf’s brilliant company of actors. This is a complete ensemble work; each of the five parts is played by an ensemble member (including an outstanding cameo by Robert Bruhler). Laurie Metcalf and Kevin Anderson are the Steppenwolf veterans. As sharp as ever, they fill their everyday characters with nuances, subtleties and mannerisms that are instantly recognizable and accessible. But the two newer ensemble members, Ian Barford and Kate Arrington have no problem keeping up.

It helps distract from the reality that the script really doesn’t tell us anything that we haven’t heard before. The idea of the play is to present characters that we all know—but don’t really know. These are people who have honed their public personas so well that, even though we instinctively recognize them, we also recognize that there must be more to their story. Still, like good voyeurs, we find ourselves waiting on the edge of our seats to find out exactly what their particular brand of dysfunction will bring.

CLASSICAL CONCERT REVIEW

Chicago Chamber Choir and Milwaukee Choral Artists Combine for Poignant Message

By DAVID KULMA

The concert, first pro-

Photo by Scott cooper

October 24, 2010 – The art of choral Paula Foley Tillen’s A Prayer for Peace showed a singing was alive and well at Nichols testing, then meditative, knowing joy in its undulating melodies.

Hall in Evanston on Sunday afternoon.

The Chicago Chamber Choir’s return to the revealed how music is The Chicago Chamber Choir teamed stage brought Randall Thompson’s Alleluia into a up with the Milwaukee Choral Artists bounty of baritone grandeur. Morten Lauridsen’s able to move the senses for a powerful, moving program titled Sure, On This Shining Night contained mild disand the mind. The well “Songs of War and Peace.” Timm sonances that buzzed and calmed the senses. The Adams, artistic director of the Chicago selected program and its concert’s final work, Hope for Resolution by Paul Chamber Choir, summed up the perCaldwell and Sean Ivory, was a celebration of fatwo technically assured formance stating that the first half exmous plain chant. plored “the enormous human cost of Adams and the Milwaukee Choral Artists’ ensembles held me in war,” while post-intermission centered Music Director, Sharon A. Hansen, were both awe of the possibilities on “the profound search—longing— poised and animated as they led their respective for peace.” ensembles. The family Brusubardis, Ernie on piademonstrated by this The concert, first protesting, then no, and Kristian on violin ably accompanied. The deeply probing collection young violinist’s firm sense of pitch and balance meditative, revealed how music is able to move the senses and the mind. The will take him far. Two vocal solos deserve particuof works. well selected program and its two techlar mention. An oracular Elliott Nott was seering nically assured ensembles held me in and poignant in Go Down, Moses, while in Hard awe of the possibilities demonstrated Times Come Again No More, Charmaine LaBelle by this deeply probing collection of works. The ensembles’ crystal struck a beautifully nostalgic tone. diction, flawless accuracy, finely graded dynamic range, and glorious The CCC presents its next installment of the popular Christmas voicings were sounds to savor.

Around the World series with concerts on December 12th at The “Songs of War” began in repentance with a set of powerful Music Institute of Chicago’s Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston and Kyries. Lee Keeselman’s Kyrie/Allah husm’hus salaam gave a clear on December 16th at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Lincoln punch to the forthright questions at the center of war and conflict. Park. For more information visit chicagochamberchoir.org.  The Chicago Chamber Choir then built a steady climb of protest that was especially potent in the two songs where the men alone perMembers of The Chicago Chamber Choir. formed, particularly Nick Page’s setting of Stephen Stills’s “Find the Cost of Freedom.” A theatrical march to the middle of the hall at the close of the music made for a powerful, dramatic statement.

The Milwaukee Choral Artists’ set focused on two works. August 1914

by Joel Boyd, winner of the group’s 2010 Young Composer’s Competition, showed great craft with a propensity for pungent harmonies and dissonant counterpoint. Horobi No Naka Kara

by Kevin James, added spice with its rhythmically charged whispers.

Following intermission, “Songs of Peace” began with the fluid, Greekinspired Dance of Zálongo by Carol Barnett. Joan Szymko’s moving “Only Light, Only Love” brought both choirs’ women on stage, and brandished equal claim to potent and powerful singing.

Winter 2011CNCJA•33

OPERA REVIEW

Lyric’s Dream a Work of Wonder

Cast of Lyric Opera’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

November 13, 2011 – The Lyric Opera premiere of its new production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Benjamin Britten, inspired nothing short of sheer wonder Wednesday night at the Civic Opera House of Chicago. The spectacle of imagery that comes to mind with this enigmatic, yet passionate, piece of fantasy can easily run the gamut of scenic showmanship. Yet set and costume designer Dale Ferguson brought an effective minimalist’s approach, draping the barren stage with a dramatic canopy that swayed surrealistically throughout the 144-minute performance, casting a murky, otherworldly haze over the production and reminding us throughout of the underlying fantasy world that haunts our story’s more human characters.

Truly two worlds are at work here in this farcical plot based on Shakespeare’s classic comedy of the same name. And the lines of delineation are drawn ever so succinctly from start to finish.

This is necessary when staging Britten’s esoteric work, because there’s just so much going on; it’s easy to get lost in the layers of story, let alone Britten’s marvelous score. A world of fairies toys dangerously with the passions of the humans unaware of its existence. There’s the opera within and opera that pokes fun at the very medium it honors. And, of course, there’s that wild mix of dissonant, yet almost Baroque score that uses so generously the offsetting discord of complex harmonies to create the musical shadows that undergird Shakespeare’s dreamlike plot.

Yes, the lines of demarcation within this production can become very murky if not tooled just right. Fortunately, Lyric Opera was savvy enough to tap experienced Britten director Neil Armfeld, who has had previous successes with Midsummer at the Houston Grand Opera in 2009, to steer the performance.

Conductor Rory MacDonand set the stage brilliantly with Brittens swooning glissandi that meander in and out of tonality. Dissonant finishes curl the air into a mystical haze fit for the story at hand. MacDonald never encroaches upon the vocal lines of the opera, yet he adroitly swings from roars to whispers, aptly depicting the ebb and flow of this numinous world at work.

David Daniels was a marvelous Oberon (king of the mystical fairy world). Like every aspect of Britten’s score, Oberon’s part is constructed to heighten the magical characteristics of the story. Singing in the difficult role of countertenor, Daniels gave the high-register vocal line surprising imaginative depth. And while, at times, his voice may have disappeared behind Britten’s complex orchestral textures, vocal dexterity and nuance helped to flesh out an Oberon that was both believable and sympathetic.

Soprano Anna Christy was stunning in the role of Tytania, Oberon’s dis34•CNCJAWinter 2011

PHOTO BY Dan Rest

By SCOTT ELAM

gruntled queen. She brought a delightful polish and clarity to the coloratura Britten envisioned within this role. Christy’s enchanting tone and breathtaking leaps fanned out throughout Lyric Opera House dramatically, capturing the wistful longing of the compelling queen protecting her young ward from an opportunistic Oberon.

Adding to the mystery was the standout performance of the Chicago area troupe of young singers called Anima, which brought charm and great depth to the roles of the fairies at Tytania’s command. The wonderfully trained young singers managed to perform dissonant jumps with spot on clarity, bringing to life the mysterious, ethereal creatures they portrayed with a sense of wonder and awe.

Esteban Andres Cruz was delightfully impish as Puck, Oberon’s mischievous minion. The spoken role is one that balances the esoteric score with a constant thread of witty counterpoint.

The opera’s human characters brought a more grounding finish to the production. Performing in more traditional opera voice, the four lovers seemed to aptly depict the natural world so easily tampered with by Shakespeare’s more eccentric characters.

Soprano Elizabeth DeShong was captivating as Hermia. Her breathtaking range and rich, crystal tone reached every corner of the hall. Tenor Shawn Mathey performed in the role of Lysander, Hermia’s beau. Mathey seemed to lack the vocal power to counter DeShong’s Hermia throughout.

Baritone, Lucas Meahem brought a commanding swagger to the role of Demetrius. And Erin Wall was a bright and effortless Helena. Helena pines over Demetrius, who is enraged that Hermia and Lysander have stolen away to marry before he can stop them and steal Hermia for himself.

The four created a sensational quartet that never got confused or muddled.

Brittan’s play on Shakespeare’s opera within an opera was the showstopper. Four bumbling worker bees rehearse a play for the local royals and become entangled in the mischief at work when Puck changes one of their most colorful members (Bottom) into a donkey. Baritone Peter Rose managed to pack an amazing amount of vocal color into Bottom’s performance while keeping the character’s traditional buffoonery and naiveté. And Armfeld pulls taught the thin line between comedy and camp, while never crossing it once.

With all the tools at their disposal, Lyric skillfully employed talent and nuance to showcase the amazingly warm and communicative forces at work in Brittens complex score, avoiding the pitfalls intrinsic to that score and using a vast collection of abilities to the service of the beauty inherent to the orchestral masterwork.

Kids

& CULTURE

By PATRICK M. CURRAN II

Photo Courtesy Photo courtesy of Chicago Children’s Theater

Photo Courtesy of Broadway In Chicago

Steppenwolf responsibilities, Gordon also serves as artistic director for the Chicago Park District’s Theatre on the Lake and is a Board member of the United States Center for the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People.

Her own transformational moment may have occurred as a young girl growing up in Los Angeles. Gordon’s mother took her to see the musical A Chorus Line. She was so enamored by the musical and the performance that Gordon pursuaded her mother take her back for another showing that very same day. She soon came to find Hallie Gordon, director of that her high school theater group became Steppenwolf For Young Adults and her family away from home as she began artistic director for The Chicago Park District’s Theatre on the Lake. to devote herself increasingly more to the theater.

Jacqueline Russell, artistic director of the Chicago Children’s Theatre and former Executive Director for the Lookingglass Theatre, has received quite a bit of national and international attention for her organization’s groundbreaking theatrical outreach program for children with autism. The child of a multinational oil company employee, Russell grew up far from America and the Broadway stage. She recalled her first exposure to the arts was during the formative preschool age of 4-5 years old. While her father, a member of the U.S. military, was stationed in Beruit, Lebanon, her parents enrolled her in a nearby French preschool. There, amongst children of many nationalities, Russell was immersed within a unique educational environment based upon music, movement, and dance. To this day, Russell remembers how special a time those years were for her. She mentioned that, even today, producing a new work at the Chicago Children’s Theatre inspires the same sense of wonder and excitement she felt those days back in that French preschool.

All three women work extensively with productions directed toward younger audiences. However, LaCario’s Broadway In Chicago often actively seeks productions that appeal to young teens while, at the same time, presenting more adult themes and humor to create the appeal that keep parents engaged. It is often a difficult balance to achieve, but as LaCario pointed out, Broadway In Chicago has had some significant success in doing so with smash hits like Wicked, Shrek, Mary Poppins, and 101 Dalmatians. LaCario says productions like Shrek translate very well from the silver screen. This transcending allows for the “branding” so crucial to the continual growth of the theater audience. Just as the major auto companies try to secure longterm brand loyalty by seating new car buyers in one of their models, LaCario intends to build long-term theater audiences by bringing on productions that appeal to younger audiences and adults alike.

However, the impact on the young viewer is hard to ignore. “Those who saw Wicked, I guarantee you have seen other productions,”

Chairperson of the Board of The League of Chicago Theaters and Vice President of Broadway In Chicago, Eileen LaCario.

Photo Courtesy of Steppenwolf Theatre

A

s part of Clef Notes’ continuing focus on children and the arts, I recently sat down with three very unique women within the Chicago cultural community whose personal and professional lives epitomize the powerful influence the arts can have on the development of young minds and dreams. Each of these women was touched and shaped by early encounters with the arts, be it professional musical theater, school productions, or the words or actions of cast members. Their lives were so influenced by the arts that each now holds an executive role at one of Chicago’s leading cultural institutions.

We’ve all read the articles or been made aware of the studies regarding the impact and benefits of the arts upon a child’s development. You don’t have to look any further than the early lives of these three women to see this firsthand.

Eileen LaCario, chairperson of the Jaqueline Russell, artistic director for Chicago Children’s Theater of Chicago at work in one of the organizations acclaimed outreach programs League for children (Photo courtesy of Chicago Children’s Theater).

Theatres’ Board of Directors and Vice-President at Broadway In Chicago, instantly remembered the one event in her early childhood that convinced her that she was going to be part of the arts community.

LaCario recalled that, immediately following a middle school field trip to a dance performance at the Auditorium Theatre starring renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp, Tharp and other dancers held a question-and-answer session. While she didn’t remember everything Tharp said that day, she did recall the realization that at that very moment, she wanted to be just like her. “I loved everything she said.”

It was through her mother that LaCario developed a strong appreciation for the Broadway musical. “She loved live shows, and the best part of the year was when I was able to play hooky from school and attend the shows with her,” recalled LaCario. She remembered that the train trips downtown from her home in Berywn took on an almost adventure-like quality as the two would travel to the theater to see such classics as No No Nanette and Hello Dolly.

As director of Steppenwolf for Young Adults, Hallie Gordan has directed and produced a number of the theater’s renowned works, including Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and Bryn Magnus’ World Set Free. In addition to her

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Kids &

CULTURE

LaCario noted, “and have extended their reach and attended other theater productions.“ Unlike Broadway In Chicago, Steppenwolf and the Chicago Children’s Theater are able to provide productions focused on topics more specific and relevant to—and targeted toward—children between the ages of 5-18 years of age. Both Gordon and Russell have devoted their professional careers to creating venues from which productions that inspire and speak to the lives the children can be performed.

Russell’s purpose for establishing the Chicago Children’s Theater back in 2005 was simply to inspire children to be better people. “I feel a responsibility to have stories that have empathy and which empower children, empower social change.” Russell explained.

Similarly, Gordon has developed a large, diversified young adult theater program at Steppenwolf that has become a regional powerhouse. In addition to the two professional productions presented each season, Steppenwolf’s youth theater showcases select works that are performed at other regional venues as well.

In addition to live theatre, Gordon has also developed a Young Adult Council, which selects 25 young adults to train about the business of theater. They learn how to properly attract productions, select proper venues for shows, meet cast members—all those behind-the-

scene responsibilities rarely acknowledged but essential to the success of any live theater institution.

Like Steppenwolf, Russell’s Chicago Children’s Theater is also devoted to providing child- and young adult-focused productions like the theater‘s most recent play, 100 Dresses. Written in the 1940s and dealing with issues of bullying, 100 Dresses transcends time and speaks to youth who are experiencing today’s form of bullying via cyberspace. In a similar vein, Gordon’s production of Toni Morrision’s The Bluest Eye deals with the horrifying issue of incest. The ugliness of the story, Gordon stated, is not hidden from the young adult audiences. “We (youths and adults) are all struggling with the same issues but we handle things differently by our age.”

Both Gordon and Russell acknowledge that children’s theater no longer carries the same trite connotation it once did. Thanks in part to the increasing number of foreign and domestic playwrights and production companies (Connections Program of the National Theater in London) committed to exploring those topics which affect today’s youth, Steppenwolf and Chicago Children’s Theater are opening up the world of theater to new audiences every day.

This unique sort of branding is further cemented by the relationships these three institutions have forged with the Chicago Public School (CPS) system. Working individually with various CPS schools or in cooperation with corporate sponsors like Target, these three women are working hard to open theater to a new generation of theater-goers. While each institution’s level of educational interaction varies, common elements exist among the three. Pre- and post-performance question-and-answer sessions occur with field trip attendees.

Many of the stage actors and show producers are present to answer any questions regarding their roles or the meanings behind various scenes and will often act out various portions of the productions for further discussion. Educators are often provided with literature and discussion topics prior to the performance to prepare students on the major issues the productions explore.

In the case of the Chicago Children’s Theater, Russell notes that corporate sponsor, Target, supports a number field trips to the theater by providing transportation to and from the venue. Target also provides funding to allow Russell to offer generously discounted student ticket prices.

Affiliation with the CPS by all three of these institutions has indeed proved to be a laudable success in increasing the popularity of live theater among Chicago area school children. In fact, the Chicago Children’s Theater has had to turn away a number field trip requests simply because of the lack of space to accommodate all of the students. However, Russell pointed out that the theater is currently undergoing construction to increase its capacity considerably.

Furthermore, Russell has received a phenomenal amount of positive feedback from the CPS educators affiliated with her program. In fact, one teacher recently conveyed that their recent interaction with the group was the most significant and successful educational initiative that she had witnessed in 27 years of teaching.

To these three women, this kind of feedback makes all of their hard work meaningful and further supports their common belief in the powerful, positive, and life-changing impact that early exposure to the arts can have on any child. Clockwse from left: National tour cast of Shrek The Musical (Photo by Joan Marcus); Cast of

Steppenwolf Theatre’s To Kill A Mockingbird. (Photo by Michael Brosilow).; Cast of Chicago Children’s Theater’s 100 Dresses (Photo courtesy of Chicago Children’s Theater).

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Fashion & the

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ADAM DANIELS

arts

Fashion and the arts represents a most natural pairing, and nothing is more indicative of world class fashion than the red carpets of some of Chicago’s most highly anticipated gala and opening night cultural events this year. We offer a few ideas for your gala evening wear in this extraordinary cultural season.

Nothing says luxury, elegance, and comfort quite like mink. From the York Furrier 79th Anniversary Collection, this refined black natural ranch mink provides just the right amount of drama before the show, creating a stylish and sophisticated entrance for your next black tie gala.

Pricing available upon request by contacting York Furrier with locations in Elmhurst or Deer Park, IL (YorkFur.com)

PHOTOGRAPHED AT CHICAGO’S HISTORIC AUDITORIUM THEATRE STYLING AND MAKE-UP PROVIDED BY TEDDIE KOSSOF SALON AND SPA OF NORTHFIELD, IL (TEDDIEKOSSOF.COM)

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Back to Basics Since 2005 Nicholas Joseph Chicago Custom Tailors, located on Chicago’s Gold Coast, has specialized in custom made suits, tuxedos and dress shirts for clients all over the globe. Each handmade piece is crafted by one of three exclusive custom tailors with over 50 years’ combined experience cutting, sewing, and fitting custom suits and other formalwear to the man of singular taste and style.

Nick Hansen of Nicholas Joseph Custom Tailors provides this meticulously crafted, custom charcoal three-piece suit in Super 120’s fabric. Proper for any appointment with the red carpet, this look provides a slim notch lapel jacket and a five-button vest with wool back and pocket flaps. This custom suit is priced at $1,195. The custom Egyptian cotton shirt with moderate spread collar and French cuffs is priced at $185.

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Glamour It was a little more than six years ago that Sam Kori George first launched the atelier that bears his name. When he won the 2009 “Oscars Designer Challenge” and designed the gowns that presenting models would wear that year, he caught fast attention of fashion elite from around the world. His meticulous eye for detail and passion are what his loyal Gold Coast clients see in every one of his remarkable creations.

Box seats are the only option with this unbelievably glamorous fire red, crushed silk taffeta corseted gown by Sam Kori George.

This gown is priced at $6,900. (skgatelier.com)

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A view of this glamorous red-carpet stunner from the back reveals the asymmetrical draped bodice side train accented with the most delicate orchid detail. (skgatelier.com)

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Classic

One can never go wrong with tradition at a gala event. That’s why Nicholas Joseph Tailors have provided this custom, single button tuxedo with peak lapel and fancy lining in Super 120’s fabric. This tuxedo is priced at $1,095. The custom Egyptian cotton tuxedo shirt with wing collar and French cuffs is priced at $185. (customsuitsyou. com)

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If a bold look is what you desire, then risk stealing the show with Sam Kori George’s plum duchess satin corset piece. Dazzle with his strikingly beautiful tulle overlay and multi-colored tulle ball skirt. This custom design from Sam Kori George’s new collection is priced at $6,450. (skgatelier.com) Nick Hansen gives him just the right amount of classic elegance to sport on the red carpet. This custom, navy, pinstripe three-piece suit offers Super 130’s fabric with fancy lining, contrast button hole thread, and side vents. Trousers have side pulls and a smartly-tailored watch pocket. The custom suit is priced at $1,695. The handmade, charcoal Italian silk tie is priced at $75.(customsuitsyou.com)

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Bold and Brilliant

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Ornamental Artistry Curator’s Corner

T

By ALEXANDRA ZAJAC

his season, Louisiana’s New Orleans Collection Historical Society is featuring the works of the celebrated New Orleans artist and jewelry designer, Mignon Faget. A fifth-generation New Orleanian, Faget draws her inspiration from the city where she grew up and which she has held dear to her heart.

Faget finds inspiration in every aspect of the city, including its nature, culture, and architecture. The Collection features a variety of Faget’s works, including both her commissioned and commercial pieces.

According to The Collection’s executive director, Priscilla Lawrence, the exhibit, which has been opened since September, has been well-received by attendees. “The fact that this exhibition, which features jewelry, is being hosted at a historical society speaks volumes about the level of esteem that Faget holds in New Orleans,” said Lawrence.

Mignon Faget embarked on her artistic career at a young age when she began designing clothes. After graduating from the Academy of the Sacred Heart High School, she enrolled at Newcomb College where she received her BFA in sculpture with a specialization in metalwork.

While at Newcomb, she took a course that would make an invaluable impression on her artistic aesthetic. The fateful program was on “design in nature” and was taught by Robert “Robin” Durant Feild.

Feild strove to train his students to see elements of nature as if it was their first time every time, and then to create a series of drawings turning what they were seeing into abstracted forms of the object. This deconstructed process of analyzing subject matter is now critical to Faget’s design aestetic.

In addition to several of her notable works, the exhibit also provides insight into Faget’s life by presenting items by which she was influenced and inspired, such as an extensive collection of shells. Also on display are pictures of the artist herself, both hard at work and at play with her 44•CNCJAWinter 2011

staff. There are even early drawings and prints of her designs, which help depict the evolution of Faget’s work. Such personal touches make this a very revealing and engaging exhibition.

Looking at Faget’s creations, it is clear that she not only was heavily influenced by the nature of New Orleans—as evidenced in her sterling silver Cockle Shell Belt Buckle from Sea, 1970—but also by the culture, architecture, and mystery of the Big Easy.

One of her notable pieces, Faget’s Voussoir Collar from Romanesque Return, 1990, mimics the Voussoir arch, which so happens to have been used in many of Henry Hobson Richardson’s architectural designs.

Richardson—himself a famous Louisiana native—is known the world

over for his architecture. For the collar, Faget uses vermeil, red tiger eye, garnet and braided cord, which all contrast one another either in color or texture, yet complement one another in such a way that allows them to come together and work as a single, unified, gorgeous piece of wearable art.

As Lawrence pointed out, Faget uses metals and other industrial materials juxtaposed with soft, feminine elements to make jewelry that is full of strong emotion, yet it can still look as delicate as a scarf.

The Voussoir Collar in particular represents an ode to the city and a fellow inspiring, influential New Orleanian, Henry Hobson Richardson.

Known for his strong lines and strong structures, it only made sense for Above: Cockle Shell Belt Buckle from Sea, 1970; Right: Voussoir Collar from Romanesque Return, 1990.

Photos courtesy of the new orleans collection historical society

Faget to complement him and his artistry through a strong, bold piece of her own.

Even in her personal life, Faget is very attached to the city, and shows it not only through her art, but also through multiple philanthropic gestures to various community organizations. “I was born here and I’ve lived here all of my life,” Faget said. “What is so beautiful about Louisiana Left: Mignon comes out through my work. It is a mysterious place.”

Faget carving; Indeed, she must do justice to the legacy of Louisiana, a place steeped Below: Mignon in history and intrigue, since she has secured a spot in The Historic New Faget with Orleans Collection. She is one of the region’s most recognized artists and members of her team in their work designers, and there is no doubt that this exhibit will only further the pubstudio. lic’s knowledge of, and in turn appreciation for, Mignon Faget. 

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Performance Artist (Story-teller) Laurie Anderson

By PATRICK M. CURRAN II

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ARTIST CONVERSATIONAL

M

erriam-Webster dictionary defines performance art as “a nontraditional art form often with political or topical themes that typically features a live presentation to an audience or onlookers…and draws on such arts as acting, poetry, music, dance, or painting.” Performance art has existed in some from or another since before the rise of the Roman Republic.

Today, however, performance art is so ingrained within contemporary art and culture that it is often difficult for many of today’s younger generation to see the genre as it was once; a separate and unique art form that, in essence, simply tells a story.

In the late ‘60s, a young musician by the name of Laurie Anderson, fresh from America’s heartland, arrived in New York City. Ten years later, her name was synonymous with the art form. I recently spoke with Ms. Anderson about her life, goals, and thoughts about her legacy as she continues to be the torchbearer for the genre.

Like many of my contemporaries, I first experienced Anderson’s art via my generation’s (‘80s) internet: MTV. While Anderson had been performing since 1969, her 1981 single “O Superman” went to #2 in the UK, and MTV premiered the video to a then unprecedented global audience. Who can forget the first time they experienced the underlying rhythmic, technotronic voice “Oh, Oh, Oh,” as Anderson’s own voice, also technically altered, used language such as, “O Superman…Oh Mom and Dad, Ha, Ha, Ha, Hi, I’m not home right now, Ha, Ha, Ha...” Flash forward 29 years, as I leave a performance of the world famous Blue Man Group, I realize just how much things really have come full circle.

A child of Chicago’s western suburbs, Anderson didn’t have the atypical childhood many would associate with the development of her unique talents and gifts. “As a child,” Laurie mentioned, “I did a lot of painting and music—all sorts of things… (my parents) enjoyed the arts and they really just wanted everyone to do what they wanted to do, and so there was no pressure to anything in particular.”

If there is one underlying theme to Anderson’s work it is her role as storyteller. She was more accepting of the term than that of performance artist.

“I do not use that term, I’m a storyteller…I like making portraits of people…I love stories with lots of weird characters.”

Language has underscored all of Anderson’s work. She recalled that in her early years as a musician, she “loved Philip Glass and the minimalist composers—very trance-like and I love trance-like things. I try to make in certain ways trance-like music so that language can float on top of it…I use lots of media (in performance) but the media in part isn’t what’s really important to me. I use films and music and software to tell stories…it’s really the stories that make the difference.”

It’s that inherent sense of the storyteller that has permeated Anderson’s work, and that continues to define her art to this day—a time where performance art, so to speak, is considered so much less separate or unique from the mainstream. “Everyone uses technology today and multimedia—it’s not a big thing. When I started out, it was kind of like ‘Wow,’ you press a button and something happens. Now it’s nothing. It’s like saying, ‘What kind of typewriter do you use to write your novel?’”

Left: Laurie Anderson; Above: Cover of Anderson’s album entitled “Delusion.” Photos courtesy of the artist.

Winter 2011CNCJA•47

ARTIST CONVERSATIONAL

Photos courtesy of the artist

Laurie Anderson in performance.

Artistically, what continues to differentiate Anderson from an increasingly popular and crowded genre is her unique ability to tell her stories her own way, where language truly exists separately from, but also in unison with, the sounds that create her individual stories.

When I asked Anderson whether she thought her work and performance art as a whole personified a level of eccentricity, she stated, “I don’t try to be eccentric. I try to tell stories that people can relate to. I have never really tried to be exotic. I’ve tried to work with everyday situations and people and just put a little spin on it…I love things that are surprising, and that’s very different from eccentric.”

(Eccentricity to her, she mentioned, would be typified by audience members scratching their heads in bewilderment— a reaction she doesn’t see.)

Eccentric or not, Anderson’s work has always been, and continues to be, anything but conventional. In the late ‘70s Anderson personally created a new instrument of music, the Tape Bow Violin. The Tape Bow produces sound by drawing a bow, strung with a length of recorded magnetic tape—rather than hair, across a magnetic tape

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head placed on the instrument where the bridge would typically be. The unique sound this produces was a precursor to the lateremployed practice of “scratching” popularized in rap and hip-hop music. Anderson has also developed a “talking stick” that she uses in performances today. The modern day musical baton replicates sounds it captures and separates them into distinct parts, then plays them back. What these innovations really offered the artist was a different way of telling her stories, a unique voice through which to tell them, and that is what puts the “art” in performance art.

While the genre today is much more ingrained within American pop culture, Anderson has discovered, over decades of touring, that her work is most appreciated amongst select groups rather than a broader, homogenous cross-section of audiences.

“I’ve learned that the best place to perform is on my international circuit of cities. When I travel I don’t say, ‘I’m going to Germany,’ I say that I’m going to Berlin…not going to Italy, I’m going to Milan. I’m calmer in Berlin than I am in say Tallahassee (Florida). People that live in cities are kind of connected in a certain way to the culture…it’s just my lot—I’m not trying to be special.’”

Language has underscored all of Anderson’s work. She recalled that in her early years as a musician, she “loved Philip Glass and the minimalist composers—very trance-like and I love trancelike things. I try to make in certain ways trance-like music so that language can float on top of it…I use lots of media (in performance) but the media in part isn’t what’s really important to me. I use films and music and software to tell stories…it’s really the stories that make the difference.”

Recently, Anderson’s work attracted the interest of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Between 2003 and 2005, Anderson served as the space agency’s official Artistin-Residence. Anderson immersed herself within the position and became the proverbial fly on the wall as she traveled to NASA facilities across the United States. What she created for the program was a poem that she later developed into an evening-length performance piece made up of solo music and spoken word called The End of the Moon. As Anderson pointed out, it might not have been exactly what the space program had in mind.

“They called me up (later) out of the blue…and I said to them, ‘What did that (Artist-in-Residence program) mean to the space program?’ And they said they didn’t know—‘but (asked me) what did I think of that?’ So I thought, boy, this is crazy…I took the job because it was completely undefined, and I went around to a lot of places…I think (NASA) expected me to do some sexy techno project like bounce light from one satellite to another on the dark side of the moon. When I said to them (in the beginning of the project) that I was going to write a long poem, they were pretty disappointed…It was a crazy job and I did it for 2 years.” But that was Anderson’s own way of telling the story she gleaned from her experiences there, her own contribution to the program in her own individual way.

Anderson returns to Chicago’s Harris Theater with her newest work, Delusion, a colorful fusion of video, music and the spoken word that explores brief, but poignant vignettes of Anderson’s world view and experiences. The Los Angeles Times called the

evening-length performance piece a, “powerful, moving, incredibly rich work,” that strips the artist and her audience “bare of (their) deepest, most troubling communal delusions.” Like The End of the Moon, Delusions takes the form of episodic diatribes that examine compelling views and experiences surrounding anything from American foreign policy to the wearing away of personal liberties.

And what’s next after Delusions? Anderson is currently immersed in creating an opera—yes, an opera. She’s also attempting what most would consider impossible, transferring select performances, in all their brilliance, into book form, and she continues to tour that circuit of international cities.

When all is said and done, it’s clear that Anderson remains one of the nation’s most unique storytellers. “I like it when people are impressed by the familiarity in (my work). They are able to understand and relate to it really well. So that’s the most exciting thing, when people say ‘I learned so many things from your show,’ and I love that. When they tell me the things they learn and I don’t even recognize that I said that (in my performance) it means that people are processing stuff and using it in ways that are really unpredictable, so I really like that.”

Anderson’s Delusion comes to Chicago on January 11, 2011, for one performance at the Harris Theater.. I for one recommend to you do everything you can to secure a ticket so that 20 years from now when performance art has taken on forms we have yet to imagine, you can tell your children or grandchildren that you were witness to the genre’s quintessential protagonist and torchbearer. 

The Soviet Arts Experience An unprecedented 16-month, 26-venue, citywide festival showcasing the works of artists of the Soviet Union

THE EIFMAN BALLET OF ST. PETERSBURG DON QUIXOTE, OR FANTASIES OF A MADMAN April 21 & 23, 2011

auditoriumtheatre.org

HIGHLIGHTS FROM WINTER 2011 Chicago Symphony Orchestra

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January 7 and 9, 2011

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4 EASY WAYS TO PURCHASE TICKETS

THE STATE BALLET THEATRE OF RUSSIA SWAN LAKE February 4 & 5, 2011

Prokofiev 5 January 6 and 8, 2011 Call 312.294.3000 or visit cso.org for details.

University Theater – University of Chicago War Reflections: A Night of New Russian Readings January 14, 2011 Call 773.702.9315 orr visit ut.uchicago.edu for details.

PHONE:

800.982.ARTS (2787) ONLINE:

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DuPage Symphony The Genius of Prokofiev Sunday, February 13, 2011 Call 630.637.SHOW or visit dupagesymphony.org for details.

312.431.2357

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For the full Soviet Arts Experience calendar, please visit sovietartsexperience.org Winter 2011CNCJA•49

Oprah’s Kennedy Center Nod The Kennedy Center has announced its 2011 Kennedy Center Honorees, and low and behold, Chicago’s own Oprah Winfrey is among them. The unrivaled empress of all things media is one of a very short list (that includes talk show legend Johnny Carson) of traditional media luminaries that have been honored with the award that is typically reserved for the most accomplished of traditional performing artists. Other 2011 honorees are musician-songwriters Paul McCartney and Merle Haggard, dancer-choreographer Bill T. Jones and composerlyricist Jerry Herman of Hello, Dolly! fame. You can watch the awards, which take place on December 5, 2011 in a CBS broadcast on Tuesday, December 28.

Night After Night After Night At The Museum Kate McGroarty of Chicago, winner of the Museum of Science and Industry’s Month at the Museum contest, rose to the top of more than 1,500 applicants to reserve her “roommate” spot at the Museum this fall. She moved into the Museum’s historic building on Oct. 20, 2010 and began the unique experiment of living 24/7 in the largest science Museum in the Western Hemisphere, and exploring the 14 acres of exhibits and countless events and activities that it has to offer.

During Kate’s 30 days, she’s spent time diving into the Museum’s various interactive and groundbreaking exhibits and talking and interacting with students, teachers and guests. Kate visited MSI’s learning labs and live science experiences with students on field trips—helping them explore DNA, renewable energy, dissect eyeballs and make medical diagnoses on a real human-patient simulator.

But she’s also seen a side of the Museum that few, if any, have experienced. And along the way, she’s been plugged into the public through her blog, Facebook and Twitter, sharing a multitude of her amazing experiences. “These 30 days have been a whirlwind of ‘firsts’ for me, and it’s been such a great experience,” said McGroarty.

“As Kate leaves MSI, she leaves with the $10,000 prize as part of the competition, but she also gets something pretty amazing and intangible—30 days of unique experiences, and a newfound sense of wonder about science,” said Rob Gallas, vice president and chief marketing officer of the Museum. “And all along, that was part of the reason MSI wanted to do something like this. We believe this Museum is a pretty special place, full of wonder and inspiration. We wanted to see how 30 days here could change someone’s outlook, and we believe in Kate’s case, it has.”

Antiquing at the Mart...

In October, the Merchandise Mart in Downtown Chicago was host to the city’s recent International Antiques Fair, where over 100 antiques dealers from across the globe descended on the Windy City to show off and sell their merchandise. Many of the vendors were from the Chicago area, but some came from as far as England and Russia.

Thousands of patrons wandered the aisles of the Mart, exploring the stalls containing a wide variety of antiques. Book lovers perused hundreds of editions of fiction and tales of ancient lore and art lovers examined African sculpture dating back to the 18th century.

But this fair was different from those in previous years as the organizers opted to include contemporary pieces as well in a section called “Emporium.” The Emporium featured numerous antiques between 50 and 100 years old. Items included contemporary Pop-art and advertising signage dating from the 1950s.

The fair featured multiple art dealers selling a wide variety of works, including traditional landscapes and portraits. Antique jewelry was also on display. Some of the pieces were museum quality, particularly a collection of Greek bracelets dating to the time of the Athenian orator Pericles. The fall Antiques Fair is smaller than its spring counterpart, which takes up two floors of the the Merchandise Mart. The spring Antiques Fair will return in April 2011 and will provide a bounty of antiquing possibilities by anyone’s standards.

Kate Mulgrew on the roof of the Museum.

Chicago Celebrates Film For two weeks in the unseasonably mild month of October, Chicago rolled out the red carpet for some of the finest cinematic works of the year. Cinema/ Chicago’s 46th Annual Chicago International Film Festival, one of the nation’s longest running film events, highlighted the best in national and international independent film production. Showcasing over 150 films from over 40 different countries, the festival played host to a multitude of independent and mainstream directors and actors, including academy award winner Forest Whitaker, actor Edward Norton, and actor/director Edward Burns. Also on hand was Chicagoan David Schwimmer, whose work Trust, the story of a young teenage girl who falls victim to a cyber sexual predator, was well received at the festival and highlights Schwimmer’s growth as a director. The work was based on the stage play of the same name that Schwimmer’s Lookingglass Theatre premiered last season. In addition to the seemingly unlimited number of film screenings, the festival held panels on topics ranging from music in African American films to new, up-and-coming female directors highlighted in the “Reel Women” panel. Continuing a well honored tradition, festival promoters, in cooperation with the Chicago Public School officials, were able to bring in thousands of students of various ages to select film screenings, exposing these young minds to cinematic works of art and storylines from around the world.

Top photo: Oprah Winfrey (Photo by Getty Images); Left: Director Ed Burns; Bottom: Films from the 46th Annual Chicago International Festival from left - Cold Weather, Trust, Stone, Certified Copy, Nanerl Mozart’s Sister and Debt. Photos courtesy of the Chicago International Film Festival.

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Photo by J.B. Spector

goings on...

Winter 2011

Cultural Almanac

Winter 2011CNCJA•51

DECEMBER 2010

Songs of Good Cheer Symphony Center w/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org) CSO: Glagolitic Mass Pierre-Laurent Aimard Holiday: A Chanticleer Christmas Afterwork Masterworks: Tchaikovsky Piano Concertos CSO: Tchaikovsky Piano Fantasy CSO: Tchaikovsky Piano Concertos 2 and 3 Chicago Symphonyh Orchestra Brass Welcome Yule!

Symphony Center's Jazz at Symphony Center (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org) Regina Carter's Reverse Thread/Esperanza w/Spalding Chamber Music Society

Chicago Chamber Choir (Tel. 312.409.6890, chicagochamberchoir.org) Canciones de Navidad: A Spanish Christmas The Elgin Community College Arts Center (Tel. 847.622.0300, tickets.elgin.edu) Civic Ballet of Chicago: The Nutcracker Harris Theater for Music and Dance (Tel. 312.334.7777, harristheaterchicago.org) Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Winter Series Holiday Pops Chicago Children's Choir MUSICNOW #2 (featuring Cliff Colnot and musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) John Waters: A John Waters Christmas Midwest Young Artists: Be Festive!

Apollo Chorus of Chicago The Joffrey Ballet (Tel.312.739.0120, joffrey.com) The Nutcracker Lyric Opera of Chicago (Tel. 312.332.2244, lyricopera.org) A Masked Ball The Mikado 2010 Renee Fleming Concert Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) JASC Tsukasa Taiko: Taiko Legacy 7 Music of the Baroque (Tel. 312.551.1444, baroque.org) Christmas Oratorio Holiday Brass and Choral Concerts Music Institute of Chicago (Tel. 847.905.1500 ext. 108, musicinst.org) Music and Stories with Susan Reed Old Town School of Folk Music (Tel.773.728.6000, oldtownschool.org) Roger McGuinn Come Sunday Pine Leaf Boys Over the Rhine December Songs w/Dan Navarro, Amy Speace, Jon Vezner and Sally Barris 1

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The CNCJA Cultural Almanac listings are representative of schedules from participating institutions available at time of publication.

Above from left: Stephanie Blythe (Photo by Terrence McCarthy, RenḖe Flemming (Photo by David Chambers); Cast of The Joffrey Ballet’s “Nutcracker” (photo by Herbert Migdol); Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Photo by Todd Rosenberg); Conductor Mark Elder (Photo by Sheila Rock).

Music and Dance

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DECEMBER 2010

A Red Orchid Theatre (Tel. 312.943,8722, aredorchidtheatre.org) The Iliad Apollo Theatre (Tel. 773.935.6100, apollochicago.com) Million Dollar Quartet Biograph Theatre (Tel. 773.871.3000, victorygardens.org) It's a Wonderful Life Broadway In Chicago (Tel. 312.977.1700, broadwayinchicago.org) Traces Wicked Irving Berlin's White Christmas Circle Theatre (Tel. 708.771.0700, circle-theatre.org) Kiss Me Kate Court Theatre (Tel. 773.702.7005, courttheatre.org) Home Goodman Theatre (Tel. 312.443.3800, goodmantheatre.org) A Christmas Carol The Congo's The Nativity The House Theatre of Chicago (Tel. 773.251.2195, thehousetheatre.com) The Nutcracker The Majic Parlour Lifeline Theatre (Tel. 773.761.4477, lifelinetheatre.com) Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type Metropolis Performaing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights (Tel. 847.577.2121, metropolisarts.com) A Christmas Carol Second City's Holidays in the Heights Corky & Megon's Cocktail Christmas Party Northlight Theatre in Skokie (Tel. 847.673.6300, northlight.org) A Civil War Christmas Profiles Theatre (Tel. 773.549.1815, profilestheatre.org) Kid Sister RedTwist Theatre (Tel. 773.728.7529, redtwist.org) Lobby Hero Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Tel. 312.335.1650, steppenwolf.org) Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Timeline Theatre Company (Tel. 773.281.8463, timelinetheatre.com) To Master the Arts Writers Theatre in Glenco (Tel. 847.242.6000, writerstheatre.org) Travels With My Aunt

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from left: Cast of Traces (Photo b y Joan Warren); Entire cast of Million Dollar Quartet (photo by sarah von); Chandra Lee Schwartz and Donna Vivino in Wicked (Photo by Joan Warren);Michael Rogue and Eric Hoffman in Lobby Hero (Photo by Jan Ellen Graves); John Judd as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carrol (Photo courtesy of Goodman Theatre)

Theater

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Art Exhibits

DECEMBER 2010

The Art Institute of Chicago (Tel. 312.443.3600, artic.edu/aic) Looking after Louis Sullivan: Potographs, Drawings, and Fragments Aneicnt Chinese Bronzes from the Shouyang Studio: The Katherine and George Fan Collection Ballplayers, Gods, and Rainmaker Kings: Masterpieces from Ancient Mexico Gray Collection: Seven Centuries of Art Chicago-Scope: The Films of Tom Palazzolo, 1967-1976 The Jack D. Beem Collection: Emerging Japanese Print Artists of the 1960s, 70s and Beyond Focus: Richard Hawkins - Third Mind Contemporary Fiber Art: A Selection froim the Permanent Collection June Wayne's Narrative Tapestries: Tidal Waves, DNA, and the Cosmos Ludovico Carracci: The Vision of Saint Francis Rebecca Warren Jitish Kallat: Public Notice 3 Neither Man Nor Beast: Animal Images on Ancient Coins The Touch Gallery BIGsmall What's Greek about Roman Copy?

Chagall's America Windows Return Arms and Armor: Highlights of the Permanent Collection Holiday Thorne Rooms Cy Twombly: Sculpture Selections, 1948-1995 Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) Luc Tuymans Lost and Found Contested Territory Urban China: Informal Cities Without You I'm Nothing: Art and Its Audience Adler Planetarium (Tel. 312-922-78278, adlerplanetarium.org) Cyber Space Our Solar System Planet Explorers Shoot for the Moon Telescopes Universe In Your Hands Galaxy Wall Chicago Architecture Foundation (Tel. 312.922.3432, architecture.org) Chicago Model City Neighborhoods Go Green Chicago: You Are Here Chicago History Museum (Tel. 312.642.4600, chicagohistory.org) I Do! Chicago Ties the Knot Facing Freedom Lincoln at 200 - Online Exhibition Lincoln Park Block by Block Chicago: Crossroads of America My Chinatown Sensing Chicago The Dioramas Treasures

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Ongoing Exhibits

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The CNCJA Cultural Almanac listings are representative of schedules from participating institutions available at time of publication.

Above from left:From the Telescopes Exhibit at The Adler Planetarium (Photo Courtesy of the Adler Planetarium); Van Gogh’s Avenue of Pollard Birches and Poplars (Photo courtesy of the Art Institute);Voyager from Our Solar System (Photo courtesy of The Adler Planetarium); From the set of Sesame Street (Photo courtesy of The Adler Planetarium)

Museums

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DECEMBER 2010

DuSable Museum of African American History (Tel. 773.947.0600, dusablemuseum.org) Let Your Motto Be Resistance A Slow Walk to Greatness: The Harold Washington Story Africa Speaks The Freedom Now Mural Red, White, Blue & Black: A History of Blacks in the Armed Services Thomas Miller Mosaics Tracing the Civil Rights Movement 1848 to 1968 Field Museum of Natural History (Tel. 312.922.9410, fieldmuseum.org) The Horse Africa Bird Habits Bushman Climate Change Gold Insects: 105 Years of Collecting Lions of Tsavo Mammals of Asia Man-eater of Mfuwe Nature Unleased Portraits of Resilience The Romance of Ants Traditions Retold: Mexican Nativity Scenes Underground Adventure Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center (Tel. 847.967.4800, ilholocaustmuseum.org) Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race Make a Difference: The Miller Family Youth Exhibition Legacy of Absence Gallery The Zev and Shifra Karkomi Permanent Exhibition Museum of Science and Industry (Tel. 773.684.1414, msichicago.org) Jim Henson's Fantastic World Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes Climate Matters Earth Revealed Fast Forward‌Inventing The Future Imaging: The Tools of Science Navy: Technology at Sea NetWorld Pretroleum Planet Science Storms Swiss Jolly Ball The Great Train Story You! The Experience Shedd Aquarium (Tel. 312.939.2438, sheddaquarium.org) Amazon Rising Caribbean Reef Fantasea Oceanarium Reimagined Polar Play Zone Waters of the World Wild Reef Spertus Institue of Jewish Studies (Tel. 312.332.1700, spertus.edu) Uncovered & Rediscovered

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Ongoing Exhibit opens Feburary 18, 2011

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Ongoing exhibit opens December 11, 2010

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Above from left:Colorado Gold from Gold at The Field Museum (Photo courtesy of the field museum); Galileo from Beyond (Photo courtesy of the Museum of Science and Industry); Aptera from Fast Forward (Photo courtesy of The Museum of Science and Industry)

Museums

Winter 2011CNCJA•55

EXHIBIT REVIEW

Wright Robie House Gives Intriguing Look at Modern

By ALEXANDRA ZAJAC In the midst of the quaint, historic campus of The University of Chicago lies Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, a modern masterpiece of architectural form, function, and artistic design. Like many of Wright’s homes, Robie House seamlessly interweaves the nature outside with the home’s interior and exterior aesthetic.

It was in this remarkable home that The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust allowed Petra Bachmaier and Sean Gallero, the designers of Luftwork Design, to set up their latest installation, Projecting Modern. A marriage of light and sound, the work was spread throughout the upper floors of Robie House. The stairway leading to the work greeted visitors with a geometric light installation, Lines, projected onto the vaulted, angular ceiling. The bright

white light cast against the white of the ceiling made for a vivid show of projected geometric and symmetrical shapes. Upon prolonged view, the shapes appeared to be reminiscent of those seen throughout the intricate, original details of Robie House—no doubt inspired by Wright’s interest in Froebel blocks. The light show provided a modern take on the architectural aesthetic of the house itself and showed great promise for the works inside.

Once up the stairs, there was a room to the right of the main section of the exhibit with a video that displayed a duel layered perception of water and glass reflections. The piece, entitled Reflections was projected onto two walls of the room and was in reference to Wright’s frequent comparison of glass to lakes.

By taking up two entire walls, the videos gave the viewer the feeling that they were gazing out of two large windows. Serene and mesmerizing, it was truly enchanting to watch. Reflections reinforced Wright’s inherent love and appreciation of nature by literally bringing nature into the home.

However, it stood in stark contrast to the futuristic shapes first observed at the exhibit’s entrance.

The final component of the exhibit was found in the master bedroom of the house. The inside was dark and open, and printed in large type underneath the windows were quotes that spoke of the fusion between nature and art and could easily be attributed to Wright himself, although no indication was given anywhere in the exhibit as to their origin. Piped into the room was a track of Wright speaking about his work, aesthetic, and nature, and it provided a haunting, yet insightful, ambiance to the experience.

While an overall engaging show, there was little cohesiveness between the installments in each room, save for their referential ties to Wright’s aesthetic and love of nature. Yet in style, they were all distinctly different, thus hindering a natural flow from room to room in what could have been a seamless exhibition, given the venue.

One of the best parts of the show could be seen from the outside of Robie House: floating amorphous shapes that were vaguely reminiscent of dandelions. They ebbed and flowed against the roof’s overhang, hitting the brick wall and floating back out toward the sidewalk. It was very peaceful and left the viewer with a sense of serenity after a starkly modern experience. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House. Photo courtesy of The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.

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MUSICAL THEATER REVIEW October 11, 2010 - Transforming a wildly visual animated story, where none of the characters are humans, and fantasy and wonder splash across the screen like so much rain water, into a live Broadway production is pretty much old hat for producers these days. Disney’s The Lion King was one of the first to do it well. And in the 10 years since it first captured the hearts of Chicago audiences, with adaptations of animated treasures like Shrek, 101 Dalmatians and Beauty and the Beast now standard, the show that started it all hasn’t lost a moment’s luster. Chicagoans got the pleasure of refreshing their memories last night with the return of the perennial story of loss, redemption and coming-of-age in Disney’s hit musical The Lion King, playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.

Everyone knows the story well, and yet the power of watching Simba (Adam Jacobs), heir to the throne of Pride Rock, mature from embattled cub to conquering king is as potent and poignant as they come—even to this day. But the magic of The Lion King is truly in its spectacle and visual virtuosity. And how does that happen? I mean there’s just so much happening visually that anywhere along the show (take your pick), anything could go wrong.

But with director Julie Taymor at the helm and Michael Curry’s awe inspiring puppet designs in play, one can expect no less than pure magic.

And that’s exactly what you get. Single characters are portrayed by actors and puppets, often alternating between the two to represent one largerthan-life personality. A tapestry of scenes replete with puppetry, dazzling lighting and costumes, and musical numbers that set you on your heels move the story along nicely without bogging it down. The energy is frenetic, and Elton John’s music swells to create some of the most thrilling theatrical experiences you’ll find, and yet it all works seamlessly to tell a

Lion King Still Reigns

By DANA SIMMONS

The national tour cast of The Lion King in “Circle of Life.” Photo by Joan Marcus.

story we all know. From the very first thrilling moment of “The Circle of Life,” you are propelled along through fantasy and emotion to a wonderful, imaginative live stage experience that takes your breath away. Disney’s The Lion King is a one-of-a-kind experience that is a must see for anyone that appreciates the true magic of theater and story telling. And 10-years or not, for Chicago audiences, this kind of production never gets old. 

EXHIBIT REVIEW

Field Exhibit Good As Gold

Byzanine Coins from the new Gold exhibit at The Field Museum. Photo courtesy of The Field Museum of Natural History.

October 11, 2010 - Gold: it’s one of the most precious and recognizable metals on the planet. Its fever has infected man for millennia. Now its rich history is celebrated in a new exhibit at Chicago’s Field Museum.

Throughout recorded history gold has been a symbol of wealth, beauty and influence. Gold has been associated with the sacred, the immortal and the powerful since it was first shaped by man’s hand. As influential societies and cultures rose throughout the pages of recorded history, gold has played a role. The Field Museum’s Gold highlights that role by taking visitors on a journey from gold in its natural state to baubles fashioned by humans. The Field Museum’s exhibit provides an overall education on the long-coveted element. It explores gold in its natural state and how it has been mined over the years.

The exhibit begins with gold in nugget form, inside rocks, or crystal. Crystals can take the form of wires, or cubes or multi-sided shapes.

Placards on the wall explain the metal’s unique properties, including its

By ALEX KEOWN malleability.

One way the exhibitors demonstrate this is by covering the walls of a special 300 square–foot room with just three ounces of it, which is the same volume as three U.S. half-dollar coins.

Visitors will learn how gold mining has shaped several civilizations, including the multiple gold rushes within the United States. A reconstruction of a riverbed sparkles with gold nuggets, giving visitors a sense of what early miners sought after. Tools of the gold prospectors, such as mining screens and sluices, are on display. It also highlights modern deep-shaft mining techniques.

The exhibit highlights golden treasures shaped by the hands of man from five different continents. Items include religious artifacts from Asia, South America, North America and Europe—some dating 5,000 years old. Gold jewelry created by famed companies such as Cartier and Tiffany & Co. are also on display.

Treasure hunters will also find enjoyment as the exhibit features golden coins, bars and artifacts recovered from American and Spanish shipwrecks.

The exhibit isn’t all ancient artifacts or jewelry, though. To this day, gold plays an important role in the world of entertainment and sports.

Gold also includes Susan Sarandon’s Oscar statuette and the Chicago White Sox 2005 World Series Championship trophy.

Visitors will also get the chance to learn what their value is in gold.

The Field Museum includes a scale where pounds are converted into dollars based on the current market value of gold.

Despite the large number of gold items on display in the exhibit, gold is one of the rarest metals on earth. All of the gold ever discovered by man would only amount to a 20-meter cube—or fill about 60 tractor-trailers.

The Field Museum’s Gold will remain in Chicago until March 6, 2011. Winter 2011CNCJA•57

Music and Dance

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Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (Tel. 312.922.2110, auditoriumtheatre.org) Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah Baroque Band (Tel. 312.235.2368, baroqueband.org) Charlie's Angels - Music from the Court of Charles II Chicago Chamber Musicians (Tel. 312.819.5800, chicagochambermusic.org) Bartók and Frank Harris Theater for Music and Dance (Tel. 312.334.7777, harristheaterchicago.org) Laurie Anderson The Great Summit Chicago High School for the Arts Music of the Baroque: Haydn and Mozart Pilobolus Dance Theatre MUSICNOW (featuring Mouse on Mars) Lyric Opera of Chicago (Tel. 312.332.2244, lyricopera.org) The Mikado Discovery Series: Girl/West Discovery Series Session The Girl of the Golden West Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) Eighth Blackbird: PowerFUL/LESS Music of the Baroque (Tel. 312.551.1444, baroque.org) Haydn and Mozart Music Institute of Chicago (Tel. 847.905.1500 ext. 108, musicinst.org) Julia Bentley and Friends 7th Annual Free Martin Luther King Celebration at Nichols Concert Hall The Newberry Consort (Tel. 312.255.3610, newberryconsort.org) Wayward Sisters Old Town School of Folk Music (Tel. 773.728.6000, oldtownschool.org) Weavermania Tribute to New Wave James McMurtry Comas & Malinky Trad Fest: Foghorn Trio, Bruce Molsky & The Dust Busters Funkadesi Kids Show Leon Redbone Red Horse: John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky & Eliza Gilkyson Lost In The Trees John Hammond Symphony Center w/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org) CSO: Prokofiev 5 Beyond the Score: Prokofiev 5 CSO: Tchaikovsky 6 CSO: Bartók and Elgar CSO: Uchida Plays Mozart Chamber: Anthony McGill, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax Symphony Center's Jazz at Symphony Center (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org) Allen Toussaint's The Bright Mississippi

JANUARY 2011

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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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Above from left: Anthony McGill (Photo Courtesy of the artist); Laurie Anderson (Photo courtesy of the artist); Yo-Yo Ma (Photo by Stephen Danelian); Riccardo Muti and the CSO (Photo by Todd Rosenberg)’; Marcello Giordani ( Photo by Marty Sohl, Metropolitan Opera)

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Winter 2011CNCJA•59

Theat

Theater

Art Exhibits

JANUARY 2011

9-5: The Musical Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Tel. 312.595.5600, chicagoshakes.com) As You Like It Funk It Up About Nothin' Short Shakespeare Circle Theatre (Tel. 708.771.0700, circle-theatre.org) Kiss Me Kate City Lit Theater Company (Tel. 773.293.3682, citylit.org) Volpone Court Theatre (Tel. 773.702.7005, courttheatre.org) Edward Albee's Three Tall Women (Previews Jan. 13 - 21/Press Opening Jan. 22)) Goodman Theatre (Tel. 312.443.3800, goodmantheatre.org) The Trinity River Plays The House Theatre of Chicago (Tel. 773.251.2195, thehousetheatre.com) Odradek Metropolis Performaing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights (Tel. 847.577.2121, metropolisarts.com) Piano Man The Boys Next Door Bikerman and the Jewish Avenger: We had Babies Man Style, A Male's Perspective Northlight Theatre in Skokie (Tel. 847.673.6300, northlight.org) Eclipsed Profiles Theatre (Tel. 773.549.1815, profilestheatre.org) Reasons to be Pretty (Previews Jan. 21-26) RedTwist Theatre (Tel. 773.728.7529, redtwist.org) Lobby Hero Shining City Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Tel. 312.335.1650, steppenwolf.org) Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Timeline Theatre Company (Tel. 773.281.8463, timelinetheatre.com) In Darfur Writers Theatre in Glenco (Tel. 847.242.6000, writerstheatre.org) Travels With My Aunt The Art Institute of Chicago (Tel. 312.443.3600, artic.edu/aic) Aneicnt Chinese Bronzes from the Shouyang Studio: The Katherine and George Fan Collection Ballplayers, Gods, and Rainmaker Kings: Masterpieces from Ancient Mexico Gray Collection: Seven Centuries of Art Chicago-Scope: The Films of Tom Palazzolo, 1967-1976 The Jack D. Beem Collection: Emerging Japanese Print Artists of the 1960s, 70s and Beyond Focus: Richard Hawkins - Third Mind Contemporary Fiber Art: A Selection froim the Permanent Collection June Wayne's Narrative Tapestries: Tidal Waves, DNA, and the Cosmos Ludovico Carracci: The Vision of Saint Francis Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) Luc Tuymans Lost and Found Contested Territory Jim Nutt: Coming Into Character Seeing is a Kind of Thinking: A Jim Nutt Companion

A Red Orchid Theatre (Tel. 312.943.8722, aredorchidtheatre.org) The New Electric Ballroom Apollo Theatre (Tel. 773.935.6100, apollochicago.com) Million Dollar Quartet Broadway In Chicago (Tel. 312.977.1700, broadwayinchicago.org) Traces Wicked Irving Berlin's White Christmas

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Permanent or ongoing exhibits at all museums listed within the Cultural Almanac are aailable on pages 54 and 55.

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joffrey’s “Merry Widow”

By EMILY DISHER

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Photo by Herbert Migdoll

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In February, when the cloudy days and sub-zero temperatures typically begin to weigh on the city, the Joffrey Ballet will bring a splash of color to Chicago. The company will present the Midwest premiere of Ronald Hynd’s “The Merry Widow” from February 1627, 2011 at the Auditorium Theatre. A beautiful score, lavish costumes, light-hearted comedy, and the refined athleticism of the Joffrey dancers combine in this evening-length performance. Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director Ashley

Wheater promises, “’Merry Widow’ is a huge production. It’s very beautiful. It’s very lush. It’s that delicious little moment where you can sit back on a cold winter’s day and be swept away.”

The creation of the ballet began with John Lanchberry and Alan Abbott’s adaptation of Franz Lehár’s famous operetta Die Lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow). A massive production, the ballet incorporated Lanchberry and Abbott’s score, as well as the handiwork of many other artists, including Sir Robert Helpmann, who created the scenario and staging for the production, and Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno, who fashioned the ex-

quisite costumes and rich scenery.

Ronald Hynd created the first and most famous choreography for Lanchberry’s score, unveiled by the Australian Ballet on November 13, 1975. Hynd, who turns eighty this season, joins the Joffrey in January to work with the company for a full month of rehearsals leading up to opening night.

Wheater is very excited to have the opportunity for the company to work with Hynd in preparation for the production. He explains, “It will be a wonderful experience to have Ronnie here for a month working with us. I think another really important element of being an artist is to work with great people, people that are going to give you another dimension of your art form and help you go to the next level.”

In fact, Hynd is not the only important figure Wheater is bringing in to collaborate with the Joffrey on this production. John Meehan, the original lead of “The Merry Widow,” will also work with the Joffrey for three weeks to set the ballet. “To have John Meehan, and Ronnie, and Ronnie’s wife, Annette Page, who was really the second Margot Fonteyn at the Royal Ballet, I hope it’s going to be a wonderful experience for the company.”

The experience should provide challenges and growth to the Joffrey’s dancers. “I had known Ronnie (Hynd)’s work, and what I loved was that he told the story very well.

It has a lot of humor, it’s light-hearted, but it’s hard,” Wheater notes. “It’s got real dancing, really hard dancing for everyone in the company.” It is Wheater’s focus on challenging each and every dancer in the company that continually influences his choices for the Joffrey’s repertoire. “We want to all be dancing,” he says, adding that the Joffrey “is not one of those companies where you have two or four principal dancers and they do everything. It’s about opportunity for everyone. And so when I look at ‘Merry Widow,’ I have the people in the company I think would fit the

‘Merry Widow’ is a huge production. It’s very beautiful. moment where you can sit back on a cold winter’s day and - Joffrey Ballet

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but ultimately, the moral of the story is that love conquers all. Whatever ideas you have for people…ultimately we are all individuals, and we all have to live our lives the way we choose, and not (according to) the choosing of others.”

Joffrey fans will be delighted to learn that this headstrong and funny widow will be danced by the lovely Victoria Jaiani. “I think

Photo by Jim Luning Photography

characters very well.”

Of course, it’s not just the demanding choreography that makes this ballet a difficult one to perform, but also the execution of the humor.

Wheater observes, “The company is at a place now where they take the initiative themselves to dive into a role and discover the layers within that role, and so doing comedy is hard. It is hard to do it well, with the right level of humor and timing….

There is such a subtlety in the timing of the humor.”

With a fair bit of wit woven throughout the storyline, getting the comedy just right is vital to the portrayal of “The Merry Widow.” Set in Paris in 1905, the ballet tells the tale of a wealthy young widow, Hanna Glawari, who unexpectedly reconnects with a former love, Count Danilo Danilovitsch, and she must determine whether it is she, or her money, that has enchanted the love-struck Danilo. Meanwhile, a secret affair between the Baron’s wife, Valencienne, and French Attaché Count Camille de Rosillon throws comedic twists into the storyline, as characters mistake each other’s affections. The tale winds its way to a happy ending, with humor propelling the plot, and amplifying the energy onstage.

For the Joffrey, which presented a rather dramatic season last year with its hit production of the tragic “Othello” and the bittersweet performance of “Cinderella,” this comedic ballet seemed just the right work for the 2010-2011 season. Wheater explains, “When you look at the programming for a season, you want everything. You want drama, you want fun, you want beautiful abstract work to really get a balanced program….Not being able to do ‘Taming of the Shrew’ this season, I thought, ‘What is going to be a great piece for the Joffrey and for Chicago?’ Chicago has never seen Ronald Hynd’s ‘Merry Widow,’ and it’s just charming.”

When asked how “The Merry Widow” remains relevant for today’s audiences, Wheater responds, “There’s an edge to the ‘Merry Widow,’ because she’s a very wealthy widow,

it’s a wonderful role for her because she exudes such warmth and such humor,” Wheater asserts. Certainly, he will receive nods of agreement from Chicagoans familiar with her work.

If all of this weren’t reason enough to join the Joffrey for “The Merry Widow,” Wheater offers one final observation, “It’s really a glorious, romantic ballet that’s charming and fun and entertaining, and it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day. On a February afternoon, just wrap up, come to the theater, sit back and be swept away.”

“The Merry Widow” opens on Wed., February 16, 2011, and continues through Sunday, Feb. 27. All performances take place at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Pkwy.  Opposite page: Miguel Angel Blanco and Victoria Jaiani in Joffrey’s “The Merry Widow.” Above: Joffrey artistic director Ashley Wheater.

It’s very lush. It’s that delicious little be swept away. artistic director, Ashley Wheater Winter 2011CNCJA•61

Music & Dance

FEBRUARY 2011 1

The Joffrey Ballet (Tel.312.739.0120, joffrey.com) The Merry Widow Harris Theater for Music and Dance (Tel. 312.334.7777, harristheaterchicago.org) Gabriela Montero New Black Music Repertoiry Ensemble: Black Prism Chicago Jazz Ensemble Midwest Young Artists: Be Romantic Mark Morris Dance Lyric Opera of Chicago (Tel. 312.332.2244, lyricopera.org) The Girl of the Golden West Discovery Series: Lohengrin Discovery Series Session Lohengrin Discovery Series: Hercules Discovery Series Session Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) Eighth Blackbird: PowerFUL/LESS International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) Music Institute of Chicago (Tel. 847.905.1500 ext. 108, musicinst.org) Sergei Babayan, piano Newberry Consort (Tel. 312.255.3610, newberryconsort.org) Voice and Viols: Something Old, Something New Old Town School of Folk Music (Tel. 773.728.6000, oldtownschool.org) 1 John Scofield Trio Ella Jenkins Kids Show Kurt Elling Cedrick Watson & Bijou Creole, Feufollet An Acoustic Café Evening: Carrie Rodriguez, Erin McKeown and Mary Gauthier Sons of the Never Wrong Ladysmith Black Mambazo Buille & Le Vent du Nord Susan Werner Orion Ensemble (Tel. 630.628.9591, orionensemble.org) Victoria Bond's World Premiere for Orion and Ballet Chicago River North Chicago Dance Company (Tel. 312.944.2888, rivernorthchicago.com) Romance Symphony Center w/Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Jazz at Symphony Center (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org)

CSO: Uchida Plays Mozart CSO: Muti and Mitsuko CSO: Muti Conducts Tchaikovsky & Hindemith Piano: Paul Lewis Chamber: Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Ivari Ilja CSO: Muti Conducts Brahms CSO: Salonen Violin Concerto Piano: Evgeny Kissin Symphony Center's Jazz at Symphony Center (Tel. 312.294.3000, cso.org) Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra

The Dance Center of Columbia College (Tel. 312.369.8330, colum.edu/dancecenter) Joe Goode Performance Group Robert Moses' "Kin"

Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (Tel. 312.922.2110, auditoriumtheatre.org) The State Ballet Theatre of Russia - Swan Lake Chicago Chamber Musicians (Tel. 312.819.5800, chicagochambermusic.org) Bartók All Beethoven

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The CNCJA Cultural Almanac listings are representative of schedules from participating institutions available at time of publication.

Top to bottom: “The Merry Widow” featuring Miguel Angel Blanco and Victoria Jaiani (Photo by Herbert Migdol); Emily Magee (Photo by Clive Barda); Riccardo Muti and the cso (Photo by todd rosenberg); Orion Ensemble (Photo by Cornelia Babbit)

62•CNCJAWinter 2011

Theater

Art Exhibits

FEBRUARY 2011

A Red Orchid Theatre (Tel. 312.943,8722, aredorchidtheatre.org) The New Electric Ballroom Broadway In Chicago (Tel. 312.977.1700, broadwayinchicago.org) Burn the Floor Les Miserables Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles Working Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Tel. 312.595.5600, chicagoshakes.com) As You Like It Funk It Up About Nothin' Short Shakespeare Circle Theatre (Tel. 708.771.0700, circle-theatre.org) The Man Who Came to Dinner (Previews) City Lit Theater Company (Tel. 773.293.3682, citylit.org) Volpone Court Theatre (Tel. 773.702.7005, courttheatre.org) Edward Albee's Three Tall Women Goodman Theatre (Tel. 312.443.3800, goodmantheatre.org) The Trinity River Plays Mary The House Theatre of Chicago (Tel. 773.251.2195, thehousetheatre.com) Odradek Metropolis Performaing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights (Tel. 847.577.2121, metropolisarts.com) Bikerman and the Jewish Avenger: We had Babies Man Style, A Male's Perspective Frindle The Boys Next Door Metropolis Sings Broadway Northlight Theatre in Skokie (Tel. 847.673.6300, northlight.org) Eclipsed Profiles Theatre (Tel. 773.549.1815, profilestheatre.org) Reasons to be Eclipsed RedTwist Theatre (Tel. 773.728.7529, redtwist.org) Shining City Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Tel. 312.335.1650, steppenwolf.org) Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Timeline Theatre Company (Tel. 773.281.8463, timelinetheatre.com) In Darfur Writers Theatre in Glenco (Tel. 847.242.6000, writerstheatre.org) Travels With My Aunt The Art Institute of Chicago (Tel. 312.443.3600, artic.edu/aic) Contemporary Fiber Art: A Selection froim the Permanent Collection June Wayne's Narrative Tapestries: Tidal Waves, DNA, and the Cosmos Ludovico Carracci: The Vision of Saint Francis Museum of Contemporary Art (Tel. 312.280.2660, mcachicago.org) Jim Nutt: Coming Into Character Seeing is a Kind of Thinking: A Jim Nutt Companion Susan Phillipsz: We Shall Be All

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Permanent or ongoing exhibits at all museums listed within the Cultural Almanac are aailable on pages 54 and 55.

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Top to bottom: “Tanguera” from Burn the floor (Photo by Joan Marcus); Playwright and actress Regina Taylor (Photo by Scott Council); Cast of As You Like it at The Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (Photo by Peter Bosey); Artist Jim Nutt’s Bump from Jim Nutt: Coming into character (Image courtesy of the museum of contemporary art)

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Cultural Almanac Pick Lists Jacqueline Carter’s Exhibit Picks Over thousands of years, the pursuit of gold has launched explorers, built empires, and inspired artists. Explore the fascinating story of the world’s most desired metal and discover its natural beauty, its scientific value, and its power to shape history. Gold runs at the filed through March 6, 2011. Visit fieldmuseum.org or call 312.922.9410.

The DuSable Museum of African American History A Slow Walk to Greatness: The Harold Washington Story

Photo courtesy of the field museum

The Field Museum of Natural History Gold

Colorado Gold from The Field Museum’s Gold exhibit.

This new installation takes a closer look into the life and legacy of Harold Washington, twenty years after the passing of the city’s first African American Mayor. This exhibition will afford a new generation of Chicagoans the opportunity to learn about the tremendous impact that mayor Washington had on the city, and the country. A Slow Walk to Greatness: The Harold Washington Story is an ongoing exhibit at The DuSable Museum of African American History. Visit dusablemuseum.org or call 773.947.0600.

Museum of Contemporary Art Jim Nutt: Coming Into Character

Since 1990, Jim Nutt has focused exclusively on female heads in spare line drawings and rich, detailed paintings. This exhibition is a retrospective of Jim Nutt’s work that emphasizes the development of these important paintings through their precedents in his own work. Acknowledging the groundswell in interest in this unique American artist’s work, this will be the first major presentation of Nutt in over a decade. Nutt’s history as an important artist dates to the mid-1960s, where in Chicago he was a chief instigator of the irreverent “Hairy Who” group, now better known as the imagists. Jim Nutt: Coming Into Character runs at the Museum of Contemporary Art from January 29 through May 29, 2011.

Visit mcachicago.org or call 312.280.2660.

Ed Richter’s Theater Picks

Broadway In Chicago Wicked

Wicked became Chicago’s longest-running Broadway musical after a record-breaking 3 1/2 year run of over 1,500 performances. Now the witches of Oz are back by “popular” demand for the holiday season. Named “the defining musical of the decade” by The New York Times, Wicked tells the story of two girls who meet in the land of Oz. One – born with emerald green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for “the most complete and completely satisfying new musical in a long time” (USA Today). Wicked runs from December 1, 2010 through January 23, 2011. Visit broadwayinchicago.org or call 312.977.1710.

Redtwist Theatre Shining City

Photo courtesy of Goodman Theatre

Story by Conor McPherson and directed by Joanie Schultz, Shining City focuses on the issue of regret. Just as a middle-age man is collapsing under the weight of his lifeless marriage and rising rage toward his tender wife, she is killed in a horrific crash. He is wracked with guilt and…haunted by her ghost. A terrifying tale from downtown Dublin with truckloads of compassion for the walking wounded. The production runs from January 29, 2011 to February 27, 2011. Visit redtwist.org or call 773-728-7529

Goodman Theatre The Trinity River Plays

Director of The Trinity River Plays Ethan McSweeny.

64•CNCJAWinter 2011

Regina Taylor’s powerful new trilogy (Jar Fly, Rain and Ghoststory) explores the unique passages in one woman’s life journey. In Jar Fly, a teenaged Iris Sparks teeters on the brink of maturity when an event shatters her innocence—and changes her life forever. In Rain, a 34-year-old Iris flees a collapsing marriage to return home to Texas and the comfort of her mother’s embrace, only to find that the once-solid ground has shifted beneath her feet. And in Ghoststory, a surprise visit from her estranged husband forces Iris to confront the past and the ghosts that have continued to haunt her. The trilogy is inspired by the rhythm of the cicada—a part of Iris’ young life in the south—the insect that emerges every 17 years to take wing.

The Trinity River Plays run from January 15 through February 20, 2011. Visit goodmantheatre.org or call 312.443.3800.

Photo by Herbert Migdol

Carrie Butle’s Dance Picks

Miguel Angel Blanco and Victoria Jaiani in Joffrey’s “The Merry Widow.”

The Joffrey Ballet The Merry Widow

Joffrey’s winter program will feature Ronald Hynd’s enchanting ballet adaptation of Franz Lehar’s operetta The Merry Widow, making its Chicago and Joffrey premiere. Set amid the glitz and glamour of turn-of-thecentury Paris, this full-length ballet tells the rich and intoxicating love story between the beautiful widow, Hanna Glawari and the dashing Count Danilo. Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno’s exquisite costumes and scenery lay the backdrop for a tale of comedic intrigue, filled with elegant ladies, eligible bachelors and famed can-can dancers. “The Merry Widow” has become one of the twentieth century’s most beloved works, with The New York Times calling it “brilliant, joyous and glamorous!” Joffrey’s “The Merry Widow” runs at The Auditorium Theatre from February 16 through 27, 2011. Visit joffrey.com or call 312.784.4698.

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University State Ballet Theatre Of Russia – Swan Lake

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia brings the world’s most beloved ballet to glorious life! This company of distinguished dancers (known in Russia as the Voronezh State Theatre of Opera and Ballet) has showcased the unparalleled art of Russian ballet to countries throughout the world.

Performances are February 4 and 5, 2011. Visit auditoriumtheatre.org or call 800.982.ARTS (2787).

Harris Theater for Music and Dance Pilobolus Dance Theatre

The Washington Post calls Pilobolus Dance Theatre,”what the best in contemporary dance is all about.” Here’s your chance to see a pioneering American cultural institution that is renowned the world over for its imaginative and athletic exploration of creative collaboration as it celebrates its 40th Anniversary season at the Harris. Performances are January 28 and 29, 2011. Visit harristheatrechicago.org or call 312.334.7777.

Scott Elam’s Classical Music Picks Lyric Opera of Chicago A Masked Ball

Thrill to Verdi at the peak of his musical and dramatic genius as he delves deeply into the psyches of three people who love, yet destroy, one another.

Listen for stirring choruses, melodies that run the gamut from elegance to ferocity, and a Verdian cast for the ages. A Masked Ball runs at the Lyric Opera House of Chicago through December 10, 2010. Visit lyricopera.org or phone 312.332.2244.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center Muti and Mitsuko

Chicago Chamber Musicians Music of Bartók and Frank

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Mitsuko Uchida’s performance of Schumann’s breathtaking Piano Concerto was hailed by The Independent in London for its “long, lingering phrasing, capturing the intimacy and yearning but maintaining a sense of wonder.” Music Director Riccardo Muti leads the CSO in Shostakovich’s triumphant Fifth Symphony, the score that made the composer famous around the world and established him as the great heroic voice of Russian music. Performances from December 3 through 8, 2010. Visit cso.org or phone 312.294.3000.

Chicago Symphony Conductor Riccardo

Described as a musical anthropologist, composer Gabriela Lena Frank takes the music of her multicultural Muti heritage and creates masterful soundscapes. Filled with the music of her inspirations, her curated concert brings a world of music to the stage. “With each new piece, Frank becomes a more exciting and necessary voice” (Los Angeles Times). One performance on January 18, 2011. Visit chicagochambermusic.org or phone 312.819.5800.

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Editor’s Picks

Lyric Opera of Chicago The Mikado

There’s too much flirting going on in the town of Titipu — and it’s against the law! So the Mikado (emperor of all) decrees that heads must roll.

But what can you do when love is in the air? Nanki-Poo (wandering minstrel and errant son of the Mikado) longs to marry lovely Yum-Yum — but he’s promised to the older (and unpleasant!) Katisha — and Yum-Yum’s supposed to be the bride of Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner!

Beheading, boiling in oil...punishments galore are devised to make the “criminals” pay. But fear not — this is a comedy, and you’ll be smiling the moment the curtain goes up and humming the tunes for weeks. Hailed as one of the greatest English Operettas of all time, The Mikado runs from December 6 through January 21, 2011. Visit 312-332-2244 or lyricopera.org.

Art Institute of Chicago Ballplayers, Gods, and Rainmaker Kings – Masterpieces from Ancient Mexico

The Nobel Prize–winning poet Octavio Paz once remarked that nations with a colonial past have the obligation to examine and acknowledge their ancient history as they advance into modernity. Attuned to Paz’s directive, the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City, the Museo de Antropología de Xalapa, and the Art Institute of Chicago present an exhibition of sculptural masterpieces from Mexico’s ancient civilizations to celebrate the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence from Spain and the centennial of the 1910 Revolution, which led to the modern Mexican republic. Open since September 16, 2010, the exhibit will close on January 2, 2011. So hurry and get your tickets and plans in order. Visit artic. edu/aic/exhibitions or call 312-443-3600.

Photo by Lara Goetsch.

TimeLine Theatre To Master the Art

Craig Spidle and Karen James Woditsch in To Master the Art

Commissioned by TimeLine in 2008, this world premiere recalls the adventure and romance of Julia and Paul Child’s journey of discovery to Paris during the 1950s. From the bistro where Julia fell in love with food, to the kitchen table where she recreated everything learned during cooking class, to a room where Paul was grilled by U.S. agents about alleged Communist contact, this is the story of a larger-than-life culinary icon and her remarkable husband as they struggle to find themselves as Americans abroad. To Master the Art runs through December 19, 2010. Visit timelinetheatre.com or call 773.281.8463.

Publisher’s Picks

Harris Theater for Music and Dance The Great Summit Chicago Jazz Ensemble

Shake off the January chills with The Great Summit: The Music of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. The Chicago Jazz Ensemble with Music Director Dana Hall performs Ellington and Armstrong favorites from the CJE’s library. Jon Faddis will join the band as special guest conductor for this performance. Performing at the Harris Theater on January 20, 2011. Visit harristheatrechicago.org or call 312.334.7777.

Court Theatre Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women

Wickedly funny, and told with uncompromising truth, Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women. The production will be directed by Artistic Director Charles Newell, whose 2004 production of Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was named “the finest production… (of the play) I’ve seen to date” by Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal. Three Tall Women runs from January 13 through February 13, 2011. Visit courttheatre.org or call 773.753.4472.

Broadway In Chicago Traces

Scene from Traces

66•CNCJAWinter 2011

Photo by Joan Warren

7 Fingers (Les 7 doigts de la main) is an astonishingly talented French Canadian company that has pioneered a whole new brand of theatrical entertainment, and their smash-hit production, Traces, will launch its U.S. tour in Chicago this fall. Combining awe-inspiring acrobatic training with infectious urban energy, seven performers deliver dazzling, gravity-defying displays of skill that produce “one of the most creative and inspiring pieces of entertainment I’ve ever witnessed” (Edinburgh’s The Sun)– balancing on each other’s heads, tumbling through hoops and leaping spectacularly up giant poles without using their hands. More than just a display of acrobatic brilliance, the audience is gradually drawn into the performers’ real life stories and, by the final, dramatic climax of the show, on the edge of their seats, willing them to pull off the seemingly impossible. “Mesmeric, spontaneous and unpretentious,” (London’s Metro), this thrill-a-minute show will leave you begging for more. Traces runs through January 1, 2011. Visit broadwayinchicago.org or call 312.977.1710.

dance

music

RASTA THOMAS’ BAD BOYS OF DANCE

November 5 & 6 2011

HALLELUJAH BROADWAY September 17 2011

Photo courtesy of BAD BOYS of DANCE

ON STAGE WITH… SUSAN WERNER

AXIS DANCE COMPANY

November 19 & 20 2011

AXIS Dance Company in ‘Vessel’ choreographed by Alex Ketley. Dancers Alice Sheppard, Rodney Bell, Janet Das, & Sonshéree Giles. Photo by Andrea Flores.

Photo by Asia Kepka.

BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY March 17 & 18 2012

DRUMLINE LIVE October 29 & 30 2011

‘MAX’ by Ohad Naharin. Photo: Gadi Dagon.

BOSTON POPS ESPLANADE ORCHESTRA WITH ROCKAPELLA

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE GISELLE March 22 – 25 2012

Keith Lockhart.

Photo by Michael Lutch.

Julie Kent in Giselle. Photo by Fabrizio Ferri. © American Ballet Theatre. All rights reserved.

November 30 2011

TOO HOT TO HANDEL: THE JAZZ GOSPEL MESSIAH

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER April 11 – 15 2012

September 24 2011

Rachael McLaren.

Photo by Andrew Eccles.

January 14 & 15 2012

Photo by Dan Rest.

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Winter 2011CNCJA•67