“I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow.” - Woodrow Wilson SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24 | SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25 2024
NO. 591 | A JWC MEDIA PUBLICATION PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE CONCUSSION LEGACY FOUNDATION
NORTH SHORE DOINGS Find out what's happening in your town with our weekly events listing pg3
#HASHTAG
Meet North Shore native and economic consultant Peter Hickey and find out what's trending in his world p7
BLEEDING LOVE
A gritty film starring Ewan McGregor and his own real-life daughter gets 2 stars from our critic Rex Reed pg8
LEAP OF LOVE Lake Forest musician Megon McDonough will perform from the Burt Bacharach songbook next week in Chicago. pg6
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INDEX
NEWS
IDITAROD SLED RACE GATHERING
Food, pups, movie. . .and learning!
3 north shore doings Your go-to guide for all the latest local events
LIFESTYLE & ARTS 7 #hashtag
Wilmette resident Peter Hickey, an expert in financial markets litigation and regulatory matters, shares a few of his favorite things
8 bleeding love Critic Rex Reed gives this film about a former addict driving his daughter to rehab a dismal 2-star review
9 disco boy A debut feature about an undocumented immigrant finding his way in Paris won a Silver Bear award in Berlin but gained only 1 star from our reviewer
LAST BUT NOT LEAST 10 sunday breakfast
New Trier HS graduate and longtime Wilmette resident Brad Bergman, 58, reached the century mark in countries visited late last year
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@ TheNSWeekend THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
NEWS
NORTH SHORE DOINGS
EDITED BY CHEYANNE LENCIONI THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
NOW TO FEBRUARY 25
JOFFREY BALLET STUDIES IN BLUE WHERE: Lyric Opera House The Joffrey Ballet presents a mixed performance called Studies In Blue. This program includes original work choreographed by Liam Scarlett, Andrew McNicol, and a world premiere by Stina Quagebeur. The most innovative voices in dance today will perform deep moving works that showcase the range of the company’s repertoire. There will be 10 performances at the Lyric Opera House with such pieces as “Yonder Blue,” “Hungry Ghosts,” and “Hummingbird.” joffrey.org
NOW THROUGH FEBRUARY 25
“ENRICHING LIFE” WHERE: Brushwood Center Join the Brushwood Botanical Artists for the 9th Annual Botanical Art Exhibit: “Enriching Life” now through February 25. This fantastic art gallery provides a colorful respite from the wintery grays seen this time of year. The exhibiting artists are current and former students of Heeyoung Kim, founder of the Heeyoung Kim Botanical Art Academy. brushwoodcenter.org THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
NOW THROUGH MARCH
PRESENTING THE ALDEN FINNEY BROOKS COLLECTION WHERE: Kenilworth Historical Society The Kenilworth Historical Society’s main gallery exhibit features more than 90 items of the Alden Finney Brooks Collection. Brooks was a well-respected American artist known for his portraiture and landscape scenes. He spent some of his life in Kenilworth, which is captured in several of his paintings, some of which are on display in the exhibit. This event will be open through March. kenilworthhistory.org
NOW TO MARCH 17
SILENT SKY WHERE: Citadel Theatre Citadel Theatre’s Silent Sky tells the story of 19thcentury astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, who explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific and heart-bound discoveries. With music and math bursting forth onstage, Henrietta and her female peers change the way we understand both the heavens and Earth. citadeltheatre.org
NOW TO MARCH 24
THE ORCHID SHOW OF WONDERS WHERE: Chicago Botanic Garden Enjoy a hint of spring with 10,000 blooms from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Orchid Show of Wonders at Chicago Botanic Garden. Walk under Ferris wheel seats and marvel at unicycles on tightropes under the big top for this carnival-themed event. Tickets range from $10 for members to $21for nonmembers. chicagobotanic.org
Highland Park Players present Winnie the Pooh
NOW TO MARCH 31
PICKUP HIGHWOOD WHERE: Everts Park Looking for a way to maintain and connect with the community? Join Pickup Highwood’s weekly clean-up event where participants will meet from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoons at Everts Park to
The Orchid Show of Wonders
collect trash. Please bring gloves, trash bags, and a picker/reacher. All garbage collected will be disposed of in bins at home. This event is free to join and interested parties can sign up at meetup.com
NOW TO SEPTEMBER 7
CIRCUSVILLE: PLAY UNDER THE BIG TOP WHERE: Chicago Children’s Museum Bring your kids to the Chicago Children’s Museum to play at the circus! Children can try their hands at all of the vital roles in a circus: star of the show, ticket taker, acrobat,
hot dog vendor, and more. Props and costumes for families will be provided. The circus will be in town until September 7. chicagochildrensmuseum.org
NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 13
“SHTETL IN THE SUN” WHERE: Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center In the late 1970s, photographer Andy Sweet took numerous photos of Holocaust survivors living hopeful and joyous lives in South Beach, Florida. Through his images, it provides a poignant display of life after tragedy. The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center’s exhibit, “Shtetl in the Sun: Andy Sweet’s South Beach 1977-1980,” celebrates
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24 | SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25 2024 |
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NEWS
MARCH 2 TO 4
Evanston Dance Ensemble
Sweet’s work as a tribute to those who lived during that time. The exhibit will run through October 13. ilholocaustmuseum.org
FEBRUARY 24
IMANI WINDS WHERE: Nichols Concert Hall, Evanston The Music Institute of Chicago presents the Grammy-nominated quartet Imani Winds in their performance “Black and Brown: A celebration of composers of color.” Imani Winds is a trailblazing ensemble whose playlist includes traditional chamber music repertoire and newly commissioned work that reflects on history and our current times. Composers include Paquito D’Rivera, Wayne Shorter, Billy Taylor, and Damien Geter. The performance is held at 7:30 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston. musicinst.org
FEBRUARY 24 TO MARCH 3
WINNIE THE POOH WHERE: Heller Nature Center Step into the HundredAcre Wood as the Highland Park Players take you on a magical journey. Join Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga, and Roo on a musical adventure to rescue
Christopher Robin from the mysterious Backson. This production will be held at the Heller Nature Center in Highland Park. There will be two shows each day at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. highlandparkplayers.org
in Chicago. These performers include Drew Hansen, Emily Kuhn, Brent Griffith Jr, Frank Morrison, Dave Miller, and Micah Collier. Cheese and wine will be served. mya.org
FEBRUARY 25
LET’S PLAN A TRIP TO EUROPE WHERE: Zoom Join travel expert Eugene Flynn in a program presented by Wilmette Public Library. This virtual presentation will share tips and tricks for travelers looking to vacation in Europe while adjusting to a changing world. Registration is required. The program will run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Zoom. wilmettelibrary.info
FOREVER YOUNG WHERE: James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, Grayslake College of Lake County is hosting the touring group Forever Young for a night of some of popular music’s greatest hits. Forever Young is the unforgettable music journey about a group of friends as they discover Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, The Beatles, Queen, and more. The show includes powerhouse vocals and dynamite choreography and will be held at 4 p.m. Tickets are $32; $28 for seniors and military; and $15 for students. foreveryoungshow.com
FEBRUARY 25
MUSIC AT THE FORT WHERE: MYAC at Fort Sheridan The Midwest Young Artists Committee (MYAC) jazz faculty are holding a recital from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The artists will perform a mixture of original music and personal favorites alongside one of the most swinging rhythm sections
FEBRUARY 26
Public Library Uncover the history of your home with a workshop at Wilmette Public Library from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Author and local historian Julia Johnas leads you through a step by step process on how to research the history of your house. Participants will also have access to maps, ownership
USED BOOK SALE WHERE: Glencoe Public Library The Friends of Glencoe Public Library is holding a used book sale March 2 through March 4. Thousands of respectfully used books, DVDs, and CDs for all ages will be sold. All proceeds will support the Glencoe Public Library. The sale is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. On Sunday, March 3, there will be a half-price sale from noon to 5 p.m. Monday March 4 will sell items for $4 a bag from 9 a.m. to noon. glencoelibrary.org
MARCH 3
2024 PRESERVATION AWARDS WHERE: Gorton Community Center The time has come to nominate a favorite historical property for the 2024 Preservation Awards. Each year the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation honors
are eligible for this award. Nominations can be made by the interested individual or by a second party and will be accepted online or through a form at the office. To discuss the judgment criteria for the Awards, the Gorton Community Center will hold a program discussing practices for preservation, maintenance, and updating historic homes from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. RSVPs are required. lfpf.org
MARCH 3
THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC WHERE: Madame Zuzu’s Madame Zuzu’s Cinema Series continues at 5:30 p.m. in Highland Park. The March installment will feature The Passion of Joan of Arc with a live piano accompaniment by Anastasia Royal. The Passion of Joan of Arc is a silent black and white film from 1928. It is in French and chronicles the trial of Joan of Arc. madamezuzus.com
FEBRUARY 29
TEA SOCIAL GROUP WHERE: Lake Bluff Library Warm up your winter day with tea at Lake Bluff Library. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. participants can sample different teas and create a unique blend from their favorites. Registration is required and this program will be held in the Spruth Room. lakeblufflibrary.org
MARCH 2
DISCOVER THE STORY OF YOUR HOME WHERE: Wilmette
The Passion of Joan of Arc at Madame Zuzu's
indexes, and other information. This program requires registration and will focus primarily on residences in Wilmette. wilmettelibrary.info
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individuals and organizations who demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the preservation of Lake Forest’s architectural heritage. Structures and landscapes over 50 years old
MARCH 5
SUITE ESCAPE MORNING BREW WHERE: Suite Escape, Lake Forest Lake Forest College President, Dr. Jill Baren, THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
LIFESTYLE & ARTS will host a Morning Brew program from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Suite Escape in Lake Forest. Dr. Baren will share her personal story of finding her passion in medicine and teaching along with her perspective on liberal arts. This event will include a Q&A with Dr. Baren, networking opportunities with like-minded women, and coffee, tea, matcha, and Moll’s Muffins. Tickets are $40 per person and there is a 24-hour cancellation refund policy. lfsuite-escape.com
MARCH 5 TO 17
FIND LUCKY THE LEPRECHAUN WHERE: Winnetka Lucky the Leprechaun will be hiding in different parks throughout Winnetka each week. A new clue will be posted on Winnetka Park District’s (WPD) Facebook page at noon every weekday. Lucky will travel to a new location weekly and find a hiding place. New clues will be posted to hint at his location. Bring a camera to take photos of Lucky in his hiding spot and share them in a private message to WPD’s Facebook. The first five people to share a photo each week will win a $10 gift card to a local Winnetka business. winpark.org
MARCH 7
ARTISTS ON THE BLUFF WHERE: Lake Bluff Park District Join March’s Artist on the Bluff speaker’s event featuring Roslyne Smith at 6:45 p.m. at Lake Bluff Park District. Smith graduated in Graphic Design in South Africa before moving to the U.S. She is now a full-time artist. Her art is described as “vibrant, textural, and full of movement.” General admission is $10 but it’s free for those who are members of Artists on the Bluff and The Deer Path Art League. AdmisTHE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
sion is to be paid at the door. artistsonthebluff.org
MARCH 7
PREPARING FOR SPRING BIRD MIGRATION WHERE: Northfield Public Library Tim Joyce with Wild Birds Unlimited will be hosting a program from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Northfield Public Library discussing bird migration and how bird lovers can provide for their flying friends. Topics will include bird feeders, food, what to do to attract orioles and hummingbirds, and the best place to put feeders. Registration is required for this program. Families and adults are welcome to attend. wnpld.org
be followed by a discussion, which will end at 8:30 p.m. Contact Suzanne Hale for more information. kuc.org
MARCH 14 TO 17
EVANSTON DANCE ENSEMBLE “AMERICAN PORTRAIT” WHERE: Northwestern University Evanston Dance Ensemble will be performing “American Portrait,” a collection of world premier pieces choreographed by nine different artists. This performance is inspired by what it means to be an American and will be held at the Josephine Louis Theater at Northwestern University. Tickets are $15 for the premier show on March 14 and the performances on March 15 through 17 are $15 for children and $25 for adults. evanstondanceensemble.org
MARCH 16
MARCH 9
PAWS FOR PATRICK WHERE: Lake Forest Public Library Paws For Patrick will be holding a presentation and therapy dog visit from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Lake Forest Public Library. This event is open to adults and teens and registration is required. Paws For Patrick is a nonprofit organization that connects young people with emotional support dogs. Therapy dogs will be present at this event. lakeforestlibrary.org
MARCH 12
MOVIE NIGHT WHERE: Kenilworth Union Church Every second Tuesday of the month, a group of movie lovers gather to enjoy a night of cinema. The film begins at 6:30 p.m. and will
EGGSTRAVAGANZA EGG HUNT WHERE: Clarkson Park Enjoy a family fun Easter Egg hunt at Clarkson Park. Children ages 2 through 8 can meet the Easter Bunny at the gazebo from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. before the egg hunt begins. This event is free and children are encouraged to bring Easter baskets to collect their eggs. northfieldparks.org
MARCH 23
DOGGIE EGG HUNT WHERE: West Elm Park Spend your Saturday morning at an Easter Egg hunt for man’s best friend. Dogs will hunt for treatfilled eggs and have photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at West Elm Park. All dogs must be on a non-retractable leash at all times and wear a current rabies tag. Registration is required. winpark.org
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To submit your event for consideration, please email events@nsweekend.com. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24 | SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25 2024 |
5
LIFESTYLE & ARTS LEAP OF LOVE
From PG 1
which I honor about 15 of my very favorite women vocalists, I don't have to encourage my generation to sing along; they all have at it right away.
BY GREGG SHAPIRO THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
You have a long history of living on the North Shore, including your current home in Lake Forest. What would you say are some of the most appealing aspects of North Shore living? The first word that comes to mind is beauty. It’s simply beautiful, and beauty always inspires me. There’s an African expression, “Your heart sits down.” My heart sits down when I take Sheridan Road up north from Evanston, where I lived for six years, it’s simply breathtaking. I will have to say, in the summer it's breathtaking! You’ve got Lake Michigan, and beautiful homes, beautiful gardens. I feel really blessed that our son got to go to New Trier. That was a lovely perk of living on the North Shore.
If you grew up listening to the radio in the Chicago area, AM or FM, the name Megon McDonough will be familiar to you. A local musician, McDonough, now based in Lake Forest, had her performance breakthrough as a teenager when she won a talent contest sponsored by WLS. A recording contract with Wooden Nickel Records (also an early home to Styx), led to the release of a few albums, and a performance career, including the stage musicals “Beehive” and “Always…Patsy Cline,” that continues to this day. On February 29 (yes, you read that right, it’s a leap year), McDonough will be performing her tribute show “Leap of Love: The Burt Bacharach Songbook,” at 7:30 p.m. at Carnivale, 702 W. Fulton Market, in Chicago. McDonough generously made time to answer a few questions in advance of the concert.
Are there any Lake Forest spots, such as restaurants, coffee shops, or other businesses that you frequent and would like to recommend to the readers? Oh, gosh! We now have a Le Colonial in our midst. I have to say that Deer Path Inn will always be my number-one go-to for charm, and beauty. The vibe is so beautiful. I've been singing and hanging out with my dear friend and producer Steve Rashid, who with his wife (Béa), created Studio5 (in Evanston) where Fred and I have performed. Steve is the music director at my favorite church to sing at called the Community Church of Lake Forest & Lake Bluff. I grew up Catholic, and now I'm sort of a Buddhist, but it's beautiful. During the winter months, the service is on the Lake Forest Col-
Megon, at what age did you discover that you had a talent for singing? I was 14. I was 14 going on 18 in my head. I was like, “Yeah, I know everything.” I won the WLS “Big Break” talent contest. When did you first start writing and performing your own songs? Around that time. We had a neighbor, my best friend Syd Barthell. Her dad played baritone ukulele. I thought that was so cool and unusual. My mom was a singer. She was a sort of a club singer, and she toured with the USO in the ‘40s. (Syd and her family) were my introduction to folk singing. Syd and I became fast and famous friends. We were over the moon for The Beatles. We created a duo, Meg and Syd. We started writing songs. Our first song was called “Leaves Do Fall.” It was not bad!
At the time of the release of your first few albums in the early to mid-1970s, regional radio was the dominant force. You mentioned WLS, and that was the place many of us heard our favorite artists being played in heavy rotation. Do you remember how it felt the first time you heard one of your songs played on a local radio station? Oh my gosh! It was unbelievably thrilling! I had recorded my first LP. I had been living in Los Angeles and I came home for Christmas. A family friend picked me up at O'Hare. We were driving home, and my song “Guitar Picker” came on the radio. I thought I would lose my mind. It was an unbelievable experience to hear your song on the radio, a thrilling thing for an artist. In 1993, by the time Four Bitchin’ Babes— the female quartet consisting of you, Christine Lavin, Julie Gold, and Sally Fingerett— recorded Julie Gold’s “From A Distance,” it had already been a hit for Nanci Griffith and Bette Midler. What did it mean to you to
Lake Forest musician Megon McDonough
not only get the chance to sing it, but to do so with the person who wrote it? Julie Gold is probably one of the most magnificent human beings you will ever meet. She is hysterically funny; sort of a no-nonsense New Yorker, which I adore. She's just a glorious human being. Extremely humble and brilliant. If you ever have a chance to hear her, something she’ll speak at an ASCAP event or something, you must go. She rarely leaves New York. To sing (that song) every night—it’s a Grammy-winning hit song! It's just an incredible honor. Your new show "Leap of Love: The Burt Bacharach Songbook," features songs by the legendary songwriting combo Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Was Bacharach’s passing in February 2023 the impetus for this show or was it already in the works before his death? It was already in the works before his death. I love these songs. They're so clever. They're so beautifully crafted. They are the
perfect marriage of melody and lyrics. In the way that Sondheim’s songs are perfect. Bacharach and David weren't friends. They weren't exactly pals. But I think that was a match made in heaven. Do you think of it as a kind tribute show now that Bacharach has passed? Absolutely. People love singing along, which I always encourage. Anytime I'm doing a tribute show, such as “An Interesting Bunch of Gals,” in
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lege campus in the Lily Hope Reed Chapel which is a beautiful, old, and a little goth. I like to hang out at Market Square, where Marshall Field’s was for years and frequent the different shops. The Lake Forest Bookstore is fantastic, and I can spend hours there! I have also performed at The Gorton Center, where I’ve also seen wonderful performances and films, and attended events there. Slowly but surely, I'm discovering little haunts. THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
LIFESTYLE & ARTS #HASHTAG EDITED BY DUSTIN O'REGAN ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL
Along with his partners, North Shore native PETER HICKEY has just launched Peregrine Economics, an economic consulting firm. Hickey focuses his expert practice in the areas of financial markets litigation and regulatory matters, business valuation disputes, and complex commercial litigation damages. Hickey lives with his wife Dody and their three children in Wilmette where his children attend Saint Francis Catholic School and Loyola Academy.
#ON MY NIGHTSTAND Wisdom of Finance and How Finance Works by Mihir Desai (Harvard
University). Both of these books are
approachable for non-finance types and I highly recommend them. I worked on a consulting project with Mihir and he
was very good at explaining something fairly complicated in terms that are
easy to understand. I also just finished a
heartbreaking yet uplifting book written by a college friend and talented execu-
tive coach Nick Shaw called My Teacher My Son in which he bravely shares his
experience dealing with the tragic death of his 9-year-old son William in 2019.
#ON MY MOBILE I read The Wall Street Journal all day and also do a lot of LinkedIn surfing, where I think you get what you give. Their al-
gorithms are pretty good at putting great posts at the top of my page based on
things I have posted or liked. LinkedIn
is a great tool to keep in touch with old
contacts and meet new professional contacts, especially as we are now spreading the word about our new firm.
#IN MY EARBUDS I am a sucker for true crime podcasts but as my wife points out, they never solve the case. Right now I am listening to
Rob Reiner’s Who Killed JFK and anx-
iously awaiting episode 8. I also enjoyed Anderson Cooper’s All There Is. In the
car I listen to mostly the Grateful Dead Channel or ‘80s music, much to the annoyance of my children.
THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24 | SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25 2024 |
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LIFESTYLE & ARTS
BLEEDING LOVE
A film about a former addict driving his daughter to rehab in New Mexico relies on pointless subplots rather than revealing the complexities of what brought them on this journey.
BY REX REED ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL
RUNNING TIME: 1 HOUR, 42 MINUTES RATING: 2 stars
In the unpleasantly named Bleeding Love, an estranged father (Ewan McGregor) and his deeply disturbed 20year old daughter (played by his real-life daughter, Clara McGregor) share a 14hour road trip from San Diego, California to Santa Fe, New Mexico. She chain-smokes, pops opioids, steals alcohol from a convenience store, and self-indulges in an array of misery. She’s a mess, covered with tattoos, who overdosed that morning on drugs, and resents her father’s insincere attempt to rescue her after years of neglect. He’s a 47-year old ex-addict, too, who now works in a regular, responsible job as a gardener and outdoor landscaper, so guilty for the past torments he inflicted on his long-suffering wife and unhappy daughter through when she was growing up that he assumes the responsibility for personally escorting her to a rehab facility in New Mexico. There are occasional tender moments here and there, but the film concentrates mainly on this unmatched pair’s exchanges
inside the car—in execution, not exactly riveting. Like just about everything else these days that passes itself off as a movie, Bleeding Love moves too slow for its own good and hobbles its way to an inconclusive and unsatisfactory ending. One longs for originality or a moment— no matter how small—of discovery. But there is little insight provided by Ruby Caster’s sketchy, underdeveloped screenplay, and the first-time direction by Emma Westenberg constantly shows her lack of experience behind the camera. Every time the film comes closer some revelation about the inner problems that turned father and daughter to addiction, it deflates into another in an annoying series of contrived subplots introducing pointless tertiary characters. These unnecessary, less than fascinating interruptions serve no other purpose than to drag out the running time and warn any viewer who contemplates seeing America by car. Occasional glimpses of beautiful western scenery are rare. The dominant impression
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is that the American highways are largely inhabited by dangerous creeps just waiting to pounce. There’s nothing creepy about the McGregors. The daughter, unfortunately, has not inherited Dad’s good looks, but his talent for easygoing naturalism shines through. Newcomers are always attracted to downbeat roles as lost, unfocused losers. Ewan McGregor is polished enough to establish a mood of unflagging realism, undaunted by a script that provides almost no opportunity to keep the momentum going. Emma handles the emotional turmoil gallantly. Bleeding Love is a vanity production in which the accomplished father wants to show off his daughter’s talent and give her the start she needs to launch her career, and she wants to prove to her famous father, inspiration, and possible coach that she is good enough to meet his professional standards. Alas, the vehicle they’ve chosen to share fails to plunge the viewer any deeper than a surface level. THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
LIFESTYLE & ARTS
DISCO BOY
A genre-defying German film about an undocumented immigrant trying to make his way in the world lacks coherence and meaning.
RUNNING TIME: 92 MINUTES RATING: 1 star It won a Silver Bear in Berlin for “outstanding artistic contribution”, whatever that means, so somebody must have considered the bizarre curiosity Disco Boy worth sinking some money into for an understandably limited New York run. They were wrong. I seriously doubt if more than 10 people will bother to check this one out, but since it stars Germany’s Franz Rogowski, hot on the heels of inexplicably and undeservedly winning the 2023 Best Actor award from the New York Film Critics Circle for an obscurity called Passages, I guess it’s worth mentioning. In Passages, he played a “lost” bisexual loner who cannot commit to a relationship with a partner from either sex. In the genredefying Disco Boy, he tries to find a new identity as a member of the French Foreign Legion but fails. In the end, he becomes a “disco boy,” broke and without passport with his future in limbo, living illegally and dancTHE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
ing half-naked in a seedy Paris nightclub. It’s a debut feature by director Giacomo Abbruzzesi, who displays a fondness for odd camera angles and an abhorrent disregard for narrative coherence. Rogowski plays an undocumented immigrant from Belaurus named Aleksei who arrives in France after an arduous journey from Poland, seeking refuge from oppression, but all he has is a three-day tourist visa. His best friend and traveling companion drowns on the way and now, with no money, identification, or legal papers of any kind, Aleksei is lonely, terrified, and desperate. The Foreign Legion will welcome anyone from anywhere, regardless of what kind of trouble they’re in, so he enlists with nothing to offer but courage, a willingness to take risks, and some basic French he learned from the movies. After following him through a rigid training program, the film then moves to Nigeria, where the local rebels are fighting to save their people from slavery and political corruption at the hands of foreigners. The ensuing battle sequences are filmed in ultraviolet light, with pieces of bodies highlighted in
red, making it impossible to see who is fighting whom and for whatever reason. A lot of people die in the escalating violence and you never know who they are, while Aleksei is plagued by compassion, resisting orders to protect women and children, taking the time bury his victims and risking his future career as a soldier. It’s routine war footage, except you ever know who anyone is or what side they’re on. When the soldiers go to Paris on leave, the girls and the discos are equally routine, but more fun than the front lines and Aleksei doesn’t have to wonder about things like motives. Everyone is there for the same reason—money. The lecture to the men when they’re standing at attention is unconvincing: “In war, we are the peace. In disorder, we are the light. In doubt, we are the reason.” The Legion, his brigade is told, is your new birth. The Legion is your only family. The movie doesn’t do a very forceful job of proving the words or making them come true. Aleksei gets it for a while, but he likes discos better—and the rock music that goes
with them. It is here that the film introduces two peripheral characters: an exotic dancer named Manuela and Jomo, a Nigerian terrorist fighting to help his fellow natives in the Niger Delta survive. From the jungles of war to the nightlife of Paris after midnight, Manuela and Jomo become objects of obsession in parallel stories to Aleksei’s struggle, and their destinies merge across borders as they try in their distinctly different ways to forge new identities. Eventually, Aleksei’s dream of redemption as a Legionnaire fails, loftier ideals are abandoned, and hope for the future is symbolized by the cacophony of music. He’s a disco boy at last, and for the first time in the movie, he faces the camera and smiles. This conclusion is too cynical to make me smile, too. Rogowski’s performance is too focused on understatement to make much of an impact. The writing is too vague, the direction too deliberately avoids any commitment to coherence, and if there is a deeper meaning in Disco Boy than what is seen on the screen at any given time, it eludes me totally.
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OH, THE PLACES HE’S GONE! S U N D AY B R E A K FA S T
Pick a country, any country. Chances are super—think sun will set in the West today—that peripatetic Wilmette native Brad Bergman had set foot in your pick at least once. He hit the century mark in countries visited late last year.
BY BILL MCLEAN ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT
Brad Bergman isn’t traveling, finally. He sits statue still on a February morning at a restaurant’s table in his native Wilmette. The 58-year old, who had visited the United States’ other 49 states before graduating from New Trier Township High School in 1984, retired from a career in finance at the age of 39—39!— and has essentially been lapping the annual miles logged by the Harlem Globetrotters every year since. Last year Bergman traveled to his 100th country (Turkmenistan) in the month Americans consume more turkey on a certain day than in the other 364 days combined. “I’m off to Yemen tomorrow,” he says. Or country No. 101. There’s at least one country in the world that begins with every letter of the alphabet except for “X.” Before his trip to Yemen, Bergman needed only a “Y” to complete the 25-pack. He’d first heard of the traveler’s Alphabet while conversing with a Canadian Mountie on a “chicken bus” trip from Guatemala to Belize in April 2019. Bergman’s “D” was Djibouti and he spent a night in a yurt in his “K,” Kyrgyzstan. “Find me a country (that starts with “X”) and I’ll go,” he writes in one of his snappy, entertaining Trip Notes to friends and family. “Until then, I guess, it’s Xi’an, China.” Bergman, you’re thinking, must have been an adventurous, curiouser-than-George lad. He wasn’t. He mowed grass, shoveled snow, participated in track and field at New Trier, and “taped up half of the school’s varsity football team” as a volunteer assistant athletic trainer. “I was a pretty normal kid,” says Bergman, who’s single and owns a place in Wilmette and an abode in Lincoln Park. “Our family, we’d go on vacations just like everybody else did. My senior year in high school we visited Europe. My dad (the late Richard, an accountant) once took me to Indiana to visit a U.S. Steel plant. “I retired in 2005 because I wanted to do stuff, and I didn’t want having to work to be my excuse for not doing stuff, for not traveling.” Bergman didn’t start small as a rookie retiree, sailing from Bermuda to Palma, Mallorca, via the Azores. To date he has traveled 33,076 nautical miles. His longest duration
at sea: 21 days, 12 hours, 9 minutes, 18 seconds. And no, a buddy holding a stopwatch didn’t accompany Bergman at sea. It’s likely nobody along the North Shore knows the value of travel better than Bergman does. It’s why, several years ago, he presented his sister’s son, Richard, with an opportunity to escape the U.S. for two months of education and enlightenment. Uncle Brad would pay for the flights as long as Richard—then a recent high school graduate, bound for Indiana University—would plan the entire trip, from jet bridge to jet bridge, with some stipulations: choose nonEnglish-speaking countries and/ or non-Christian countries and absorb the cost of his share of food, lodging, and activities. Richard was in. All in. The pair started in Costa Rica for two weeks and visited Dubai for four days. Then it was off to Sri Lanka for a few weeks, followed by stops in China and Japan. “Teens become self-sufficient through travel
experiences,” Bergman says. “Putting them in unfamiliar situations, or out of their comfort zones, helps them grow. Richard hadn’t selected Sri Lanka in his original proposed itinerary. His annoying uncle—that would be me—called for revisions to the draft. “You know what Richard told me after we left Sri Lanka? He said, ‘That was awesome!’” Niece Rebecca was next, in the summer of 2022. The future Michigan State University freshman joined her uncle for journeys to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, India, and Uganda, among other destinations, from June 7 to August 6. They took a gorilla trekking tour somewhere on the planet and none of the apes resembled Roddy McDowall. “Being immersed in this travel experience allowed us to concentrate and focus on the situation, learning, developing skills, and understanding cultures and customs,” Bergman writes in a Trip Note. “We did not dip a toe into the foreign travel experience;
Brad Bergman
I retired in 2005 because I wanted to do stuff, and I didn’t want having to work to be my excuse for not doing stuff, for not traveling.
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we stood at the edge of the proverbial pool and dove into the deep end, and she quickly and easily learned the backstroke. “In fact,” he continues, “she is already planning her next adventure, visiting the Seven Wonders of the World (she has already seen three of them).” Another niece, Elise, is firming up the details of her proposed itinerary for Uncle Brad as you read this. Countries in the Balkans are high on her Where I Want To Go Before I Become a College Freshman list. Bergman went to the University of Iowa and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1988. Eight years later he got his MBA—with concentrations in Finance, Accounting, Economics, International Business, and Policy Studies—at the University of Chicago. “The most impactful class I took at New Trier was a business one, freshman year,” Bergman recalls. “I learned all about stocks and bonds. My father, in addition to urging me to be a good person, stressed the importance of being financially prudent.” During his college summers, Bergman served as a camp counselor and a maintenance worker for the Wilmette Park District. He also umpired when a scheduled umpire didn’t show up. Shifts from 8 a.m.-9 p.m.? Bergman didn’t mind them. Didn’t mind walking to Wilmette Federal Bank to deposit his paychecks, either. In 1987, in the summer before his senior year at Iowa, he landed a primo internship with the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago. First National Bank of Chicago hired Bergman as a planning analyst in June 1998. His final post at JP Morgan Chase was VP, in 2005. Goodbye, business suits. Hello, safari helmets and rain pants. “I was in Thailand once, just outside an open-air temple, when I saw the King of Thailand get out of a gold Rolls Royce,” Bergman says. “He then entered the temple for what I later found out was a graduation ceremony for monks. “I tried to get in but was told by a guard that I couldn’t because I was wearing shorts. I’d packed a pair of rain pants. I put them on. I was then allowed to enter.” Minutes after sharing that anecdote, the Traveling Man vacates his chair at the restaurant. It’s time to move again. It’s time to pack again. Yemen is on his mind. THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
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