My Dinner with Mr. B, Redux

Dinner with workmates and a former workmate who is now works for Chicago Shakes...

Finally, an excuse to try Spacca Napoli.

Sparrow, Redux

Went to see The Sparrow, this time at Steppenwolf. Still terrific. See the 2/10/2007 entry for an exerpt of Chris Jones's review.

Jeanne Gang at Yale Club

Went to hear Jeanne Gang talk about her work at the Yale Club. Among her new works in Aqua.

Chicago Opera Theatre: Ulysses

A really great production (again) at Chicago Opera Theatre. Tribune review excerpt below:














By John von Rhein
Tribune music critic

March 30, 2007

It has taken Chicago Opera Theater nearly seven years to complete its cycle of the three surviving Monteverdi operas in productions by conductor Jane Glover and director Diane Paulus. The spare but potent realization of "The Return of Ulysses" ("Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria") that opened COT's spring season Wednesday in the Harris Theater at Millennium Park makes the wait worthwhile.

The moral of "Ulysses" would seem to be that even the meddling of the gods in human affairs cannot stay the course of true love and constancy.

On one side are the deities Jove (Jason Collins), Minerva (Fiona Murphy) and Neptune (Darren K. Stokes), for whom mortals are mere pawns on a cosmic chessboard. On the other side are Queen Penelope (Marie Lenormand), stoically awaiting the return of her husband, Ulysses (Mark Le Brocq), from the Trojan War. Disguised, he slays her greedy suitors and convinces her of his true identity before they join in a sensuous love duet.

"Ulysses" is positively Shakespearean in its fusion of heroic, tragic and broadly comic elements. Paulus has made the highly stylized conceits of early Italian Baroque opera feel as fresh to modern ears as the tangy, colorful continuity of sounds Glover, working from her own edition of the score, elicits from her fine period-instruments orchestra.

Together they inspire a large, mostly young ensemble -- typical of general director Brian Dickie's shrewd casting of singers -- to make the words and notes of this text-driven opera really matter to us. The result is living, breathing drama that speaks with a contemporary voice.
...

The unit set by the celebrated architect Rafael Vinoly abstracts the island of Ithaca into a minimalist, multi-leveled construct, with folding doors that disclose blood-red interiors suggesting the decadence of the court. Simple ancient-modern costumes and pastel lighting by Aaron Black add to the show's stark, clean look. Less is emphatically more here: An undulating blue cloth and puffs of dry-ice fog are enough to represent Neptune's oceanic realm.

Final Four

Florida again...ho hum.

Wonder where this guy will go in the NBA draft?

Mr. P's Long, Long Trip...

...in California. Highlight was Harper Lecture by Jonathan Lear talking about his new book, Radical Hope, which focuses on Plenty Coups, the last leader of the Crow nation.

San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego. Too much for one trip...

Wooden Breeks at Lookingglass

Scotty: "Aye, Captain, I'm giving it all I can...."

Unfortunately, not quite enough. The chance you take with Lookingglass...

Richard Thompson

The ever fabulous Richard Thompson at a theater deep, deep somewhere in the suburbs. Luckly, Mr. P's workmate, Mr. B drove. A good time had by all. And Ms. S was obliged to get the massive RT disk set for Mr. P for his birthday.

Work Trip to NYC

Mr. P was on a work trip to NYC. Took in two shows. Spring Awakening, which was disappointing, and reminded me how much the House Theatre in Chicago has going on, and Company, directed by John Doyle, with all the actors doubling as musicians, which was terrific.

The Sparrow at House Theatre

A great, great show. Carolyn Defrin was...amazing...

Excerpt from Chris Jones review below...

Chicago Tribune: A stirring, heart-wrenching 'Sparrow' takes flight
Chris Jones
January 15, 2007

To see "The Sparrow," the fantastic new show by the House Theatre of Chicago, is to experience the same kind of goose bumps currently available (at much higher prices) at the Broadway production of "Spring Awakening."

You can smell and taste something new, something passionate, something original, something strong, something fresh, something true and, above all, something young.

And God knows, the American theater needs something young. That's why "Spring Awakening" is rousing theater-loving New Yorkers from their bored stupors. Here in Chicago, we never sunk quite so far into our dotage. But we still need shows like "The Sparrow," the stirring, heart-wrenching original tale of a small-town Illinois teenager with telekinetic powers and gaping emotional wounds, to smack us in our sedentary chops and re-engage with the vital spirit of the Chicago theater.

And here we have it. This show is among the very best original theater pieces I've ever seen in this town. It is a thrilling, riveting celebration of the power of imagination that adults and teens can enjoy, and understand, together.

Uncle Vanya at Court

The translation was loose and "modern vernacular," the set was by SOM, and the result was energetic and vibrant. Was it really Chekhov? Who knows. Kevin Gudahl was absolutely terrific as Vanya.

Prince Plays Superbowl Halftime!

Oh, yeah, and the Chicago Bears were playing football. I think Devon Hester scored a touchdown or something.

Three Musketeers at Chicago Shakes

They sing! They Dance! The Whole Thing Runs A Little Long in the Second Act!

Noism07 at the Dance Center

"Thirty-one-year-old choreographer and dance Jo Kanamori is at the vanguard of Japan’s new generation of dancemakers and serves as Artistic Director for Noism07, the only residential dance company in Japan. The company will present NINA – materialize sacrifice-simple version, an amazing physical performance that requires sustained tension between black costumed dominant male dancers and mannequin-like female dancers moving slowly and stiffly in nude-colored leotards. This full-evening work is set to music by Vietnamese-French composer Ton That An."

A little obvious at the end, but...

Sonia Flew

One of the better "dysfunctional families" from Steppenwolf. "An exploration of how world events shape our families and how families shape our lives, through the eyes of a Jewish-Latino family in Minnesota." Nicely directed, nicely acted (with some new faces), and an inventive set.