Displaying items by tag: Buzz News Chicago

Blind dates can be interesting enough but add in a few surprises and things can get pretty uncomfortable in a hurry. In Recent Tragic Events we meet a couple, Waverly and Andrew, who gets together for a date on the recommendation of mutual friends and as the night progresses they have more in common than they could have possibly thought. 

The date starts precariously. It's the day after the September 11th attacks and Waverly's twin sister has not been heard from. Waverly is somewhat certain that her sister would not have been at the World Trade Center during the attacks but still has a bit of doubt. Andrew, who manages a book store at the airport, is awkward and shy but quickly notices that Waverly has the exact same books as him when picking her up and their admiration for the same authors quickly creates a bond between the two. With Waverly upset about her sister's status the two decide to stay indoors to hand out and order pizza. It's not long after that down-the-hall neighbor Ron intrudes on the date. Ron is a happy-go-lucky musician who doesn’t seem to take too much in life very seriously. The three of them tune in and out of news broadcasts covering the attack, but try to keep things light-hearted though a heavy cloud overshadows their evening. Soon Ron’s married girlfriend joins the group hair disheveled and clad only in an oversized t-shirt and panties. She doesn’t speak, only nodding and making slight sounds in agreement or disagreement. 

The intrigue begins when Andrew tells Waverly that he had met her sister just two weeks prior at a bar. Recollecting his encounter, he tells Waverly and Ron that she had been discussing a position for a company located in the World Trade Center. Of course, that naturally amplifies Waverly’s worst fears. 

Recent Tragic Events is full of funny dialogue and subtle mannerisms, especially once Ron enters the scene, played hysterically by Maximillian Lupine who can induce laughter with the slightest of looks or gestures. Though Lupine gets most of the big laughs, Rachel Christianson is also hilarious – not so much as Ron’s girlfriend Nancy, but as Andrew’s favorite author, Waverly’s grandmother Joyce Carol Oates, who is portrayed by a sock puppet on her hand. Oates even knocks down a few beers with the gang during her visit if you can imagine a sock puppet chugging during a drinking game. Naturally when Joyce Carol Oates needs to use the bathroom, Nancy shows her the way, waits for her before returning together. Matthew Nerber also puts forth a humorous performance as the dweeby bookworm Andrew along with Laura Berber Taylor who displays a fine emotional range.   

The story is well-balanced with both the humor of the gang interacting (often awkwardly)and the drama that a tragedy more personal than expected may have taken place. Once really gets to like the characters, probably because there is a lot of truth in them. The question of free will is challenged, pondering if we really do make our own choices even when we think we do. This is brought to the surface in many ways not only with parallels to the September 11th attacks but even in the actors reading from a script after the “stage manager” alerts the crowd that the story could go in different ways by changing lines every time a chime is heard. Ron and Joyce Carol Oates also have a heated exchange on the subject. 

Recent Tragic Events is worth checking out. It is a show that will make you think past the many good laughs it offers. The characters work well together thanks to a well-assembled cast and solid scripting while the story keeps your attention, though it seems to run a bit longer than it should, quickly changing tone and opting to linger rather than closing on a prior opportune moment or two. 

Recent Tragic Events is being performed at Athenaeum Theatre through April 10th. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.athenaeumtheatre.org .   

Based on the 1988 cult film “Heathers” starring Wynona Ryder and Christian Slater, the talented cast of “Heathers: The Musical” bursts onto the stage with enough energy to "bully" the audience right back into the mean late 80's when this particular tale of murder in high school first raised the issues of teen cruelty over twenty-five years ago. Dark and questionable is the subject matter that it be made into a musical, but the show does have its moments. After all, we are talking about a film that may have forewarned us of the tragic school shootings to come in its wake. 

Veronica, the nerdy girl who becomes a "Heather" at the expense of her friendship to the truly kind "fat girl" in her class is well played here by Courtney Mack. Mack shows a full range of emotions as she realizes what has begun as simple teen angst and bullying has turned her new outsider boyfriend, J.D., whom she meets hanging around a 7-11 store all day into a serial murderer. Adding to Mack’s solid performance, Chris Ballou also does a fine job in taking on the role of J.D..  

Haley Jane Schafer, Rochelle Therrien and Jacquelyne Jones, are each fantastic as the “Heathers" - the meanest, prettiest girls in school who rule with an iron lipstick case. Each of the Heathers' has her own unique flavor of comedy and delivery and each are very good dancers as well as vocalists.

That said, the set which was a big colorless lump full of doorways did not make you feel you were in a high school at all and was actually a distraction at times. Also, the costumes the Heathers DID wear were great - very sexy period costumes, but then they never changed clothes until almost the end of the show, leaving some disappointment. As gorgeous, skinny, fickle fashion mongers, this inconsistency made the show feel much to be desired when it came to dressing them as the story progressed with the lack of colorful, sexy clothing and accessory changes as occurs in the movie and would be a big part of their real high school lives. 

The songs may not have been on the most memorable side, but the show did have a few good laughs. There was some terrific physical comedy in the slow motion fight scene between the two jocks who terrorize all the girls in school with jokes about date rape, etc. 

Certainly a challenging task at hand, James Beaudry's direction in this small venue with so much young and energetic talent falls short in that it seemed the play starts at a very high level of energy and volume and continues at that exact same volume even during the ballads. Instead, there needed to be some genuine reflection and time to rest for the characters to be fully formed and also to rest the audience’s ears – simply put, more dynamics. 

All in all, this cast did a great job with the materials they were given and delivered a funny, bitter and scary version of what life in high school was like then and now. See "Heathers" with the expectation of a few decent yuks, a handful of entertaining musical numbers ("Big Fun" comes to mind) and a sometimes pretty accurate nostalgic peek at high school in the late 1980's.   

Kokandy Productions of “Heathers: The Musical” is being performed at Theater Wit through April 24th. For more show information, visit www.theaterwit.org.  

The curtain rises about two and a half feet, revealing the iconic image of fifty or so legs clad in tap shoes of every color of the rainbow.  And with that, the tap dancing spectacle of 42nd Street begins with an exciting, energy-packed dance number as Broadway hopefuls dance their hearts out at the audition for what is destined to be the next great Broadway musical. Set in 1933, famed director Julian Marsh, played by Matthew J Taylor, is preparing the next show stopping musical, Pretty Ladies. A group of energetic young hoofers are joined by the talented, but a bit clumsy, out-of-towner Peggy Sawyer, played by Caitlin Ehlinger, who comes to New York City from her home in Allentown PA for her chance to be a star. This musical within a musical takes a turn when the leading lady breaks her ankle on opening night creating the opportunity for Peggy to take center stage.

42nd Street is packed full of tap numbers and some of the most iconic songs of Broadway including “We’re in the Money”, “Lullaby of Broadway” and of course “42nd Street”. While Peggy becomes the star of Pretty Ladies, the star of this production of 42nd Street was certainly the exceptional tap dancing. With new choreography by Randy Skinner, it maintained some of the classic original choreography known and loved by many while updating some parts to keep things exciting and fresh. The dancing was clean and the sounds strong and clear. The opening song “Audition” and the finale “42nd Street” were spectacular bookends to an overall strong show.

The set is fairly simple letting the dancers and amazing costumes take center stage, perfectly setting the scene in 1933 NYC from auditions, to parties, to trains, to the Pretty Ladies musical. Amazingly and with seemingly lighting speed, a cast of over 20 dancers seem to change from rehearsal costumes to show costumes in the blink of an eye. With number after number, the cast reappears on stage in everything from casual rehearsal wear to tails and top hats, to glamorous gowns, to flower costumes and sequined gold dresses. 

42nd Street really is an ensemble show, but this production has its standout individual performances as well. Caitlin Ehlinger in the role of Peggy was fantastic. As she takes on her first performance as the star of Pretty Ladies after a mere 48 hours of rehearsal, you can feel her nerves and watch as she finds comfort in the spotlight of the show and transforms into a star. Matthew J Taylor was fantastic as Julian Marsh and proved he was more than just a strong actor when he wowed the audience with “Lullaby of Broadway”.  And Natalia Lepore Hagan, playing the role of Annie, really gave Ehlinger a run for her money in the tap dancing department!

36 years after its original opening in 1980, 42nd Street is still a fun and crowd pleasing musical. With outstanding choreography and tap dancing, paired with dazzling costumes, iconic music and the over the top characters you expect in musical theater, this national tour production has the whole package. 42nd Street is playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through March 20th. Get your tickets before the show shuffles off to Buffalo!

Jazz legend Ramsey Lewis can take the melody of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and turn it into a work of art. After watching and listening to him, I am sure of this. Eighty-years-old, he has the musical energy of a much younger man. He also brought to MacIninch Art Center a very talented group of musicians. 

First up was Henry Johnson on guitar. The first thing I thought of was Wes Montgomery. For those of you not familiar with Montgomery’s style, Wes mostly played with just his thumb on his right hand. Henry switched between that and a pick which he must have held in his palm while using his thumb. Johnson’s other influences include Kenny Burrell and George Benson. As a fledgling jazz guitar player myself, I found him to be a tasty player and learned a lot watching him play.

Joshua Ramos was on bass. He switched between upright bass and a five string electric through the set. Ramos got some serious applause from his solos. He played with the fluency most lead guitar players might envy. Having said that, he stayed in the pocket when he needed to do so.

On drums was Charles Heath. Heath is an amazing jazz drummer, switching from sticks to brushes depending on the song.  I found out he started playing drums at an early age and I am not surprised. He started working as a musician at the age of fourteen and earned a degree in music at Shaw University. His list of playing credits is quite long.

Then, of course you have Mr. Lewis, “the great performer”. Ramsey certainly lives up to the title. Though understandably a bit slow walking across the stage, it did not reflect his musical energy. He took Pop melodies to new heights. The Beatles’ “Here There and Everywhere” was my personal favorite. Another Beatles song he did amazing things to was “Hard Day’s Night”. Stevie Wonder’s “Living For The City” was very nice as well. I didn’t hear too many songs that one would consider jazz standards, except possibly his own compositions. Lewis did have a few hits in his heyday, most jazz musicians cannot claim that. The ability to take a familiar melody and turn it into something greater is truly an art. I overheard someone say how he never played one of the songs the same way twice. The jazz musical mind just seems to work like that. Lewis did not give you a heavily rehearsed, boring performance. It showed the listener how music can be spontaneous and structured at the same time.

The art of jazz is not as popular as it once was in America. You could tell this from the crowd. The average age was at least sixty, if I had to estimate. Personally, I find it so refreshing to see great musicians actually perform without the use of gimmicks. The raw energy of the performance was the key on this particular Saturday night. 

If you have any interest in seeing real music played the way it was supposed to be played, go see it now before all the classic players are all gone. At eighty-years-old, Ramsey won’t be around forever. The music will live forever, but the performers will not. I don’t want to sound like a cynic, but I think a lot of this is lost in music today. Go support music being played by real musicians like The Ramsey Lewis Quartet. Good music elevates you mind, body and soul to new heights. 

In the end, I found the performance inspirational and highly rewarding. The reward was an emotional sense of elevation. Music is the ultimate escape. For one hour and forty-five minutes I had no problems in my life. Even after coming back to reality, I felt better. I wish to thank “the great performer” for this. Ramsey Lewis is simply amazing and it was great to see and of course hear him.

Ramsey Lewis Quartet

March 12, 2016-7:30 PM

MacIninch Art Center

College Of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, IL

Filled with clever and rapid-fire dialogue exchanges, The New Sincerity is a fast-moving comedy written by Alena Smith, one of the nation’s top young, up and coming women writers. The play’s title is explained well in its press release - "Erudites among us know "New Sincerity" is an actual term used in music, aesthetics, film criticism, poetry and philosophy, generally to describe art or concepts that run against prevailing modes of postmodernist irony or cynicism." And there is plenty of cynicism and irony to be found in the latest comedy/drama at Theater Wit that deals with millennials and the idealism of the Occupy Movement. 

As co-founder of a highly regarded online political journal, Asymptote, Benjamin, a Harvard literature graduate, is always looking for hard-hitting and thought provoking material to maintain status among their peers and competitors. Just less than a block away from their office is the Occupy Movement where protesters converge in the park all throughout the day and night. Benjamin’s newly appointed senior contributor, Rose, has a strong interest in doing a piece on the protest, but he is insistent she stay far removed for fear of taking sides. Disregarding Benjamin’s direct order, Rose not only checks out the movement firsthand but creates a relationship with one of the protesters, Django. As feared, word gets out about an Asymptote staff member being associated with the Occupy Movement and Benjamin not only takes the criticisms from his co-owner and faithful readers, but he fears how this will affect his fiance's upcoming book release since her last book, Death of the Left Wing clearly believed that the modern protest is dead and ineffective. Furious at Rose for screwing up the journal’s branding, she finally convinces Benjamin to visit the movement, which he reluctantly does. 

The story then becomes that of an opportunist and the hypocrisies that come about as Benjamin realizes the potential afoot and does a complete turnaround to where he can’t get enough coverage on the movement, even to the point that he lies about being involved from day one. We also see the hollowness in Benjamin regarding his relationship with women as he states he does not really believe in love and deep connections, much the opposite of Rose. 

Smart and brutally honest, The New Sincerity offers tremendous acting performances by each of its four cast members. Drew Shirley as is energetic and finely projects the qualities to make a convincing Benjamin who is incapable of fully connecting emotionally. At the same time, Maura Kidwell as Rose is perfectly cast as the grounded one who seems to get it in the play while Erin Long as the very funny tell-it-like-it-is intern Natasha and Alex Stein as the protest because there’s a protest protester Django also provide a huge spark.

I really enjoyed the set which was a cozy two-story office with large windows giving us a peek at New York City. As the scenes changed, large computer monitors would tell us what month it was giving us a nice idea of a time frame.

I liked the direction of this play by Jeremy Wechsler, as I felt he outstandingly captured the essence of millennium living, ideals, social media marketing and stereotypes. The often overly politically correct gender pronoun usage was also addressed when a friend of Django’s insisted on being called dragon as she did not identify with male or female. I wasn’t quite sure if Smith was taking a jab at renaming our own gender to whatever we want or embracing the fact that we can.   

The New Sincerity has plenty of very funny dialogue exchanges and provides a story that is paced very well with plenty of memorable moments. I recommend this fiercely funny play, which is being performed at Theater Wit through April 17th. For more show info visit www.TheaterWit.org.            

In Strawdog Theatre’s final performance at the popular northside theatre bar, Hugen Hall, we are presented with Elizabeth Lovelady’s world premiere adaptation of Rudolph Mate’s film noir thriller D.O.A.

Intrigue is the name of the game in this whodunit and audience members are kept guessing to the end.

When Frank Bigelow walks into a police station to report a murder, the intrigue begins immediately as we find out the victim is none other than himself. Poisoned and running out of time, Bigelow frantically searches for the reason he has been targeted and the people responsible. Going over past events leading up to the present and speculating on all possibilities as to why someone would want him dead, Bigelow puts the pieces of the puzzle together, bringing to light a few surprises along the way. As the sixty-minute play unfolds, clues are slowly revealed at a nice pace and the plot steadily gains traction.

The plot has enough to keep one interested though not necessarily keeping one on the end of their seat. What makes the play special is its setting. Thanks to commendable efforts by costume designer Raquel Adorno, lighting designer John Kelly, sound designer Heath Hays, prop designer Jamie Karas and scenic designer Mike Mroch, the simple space is nicely transformed to which D.O.A. embodies a classic flatfoot detective style with scenes reminiscent unforgettable films such as The Third Man or Double Indemnity.

Capturing the smallest of details to add a genuineness to the proposed era are the women made up in black lipstick, the stylish 1940s suits and dresses, the smoke-filled room that creates moving shadows amongst the white spotlighting and the snappy dialogue filled with film noir jargon. Actors gracefully walk around the stage and seating area as the scenes quickly change, often leaving a cast member standing or sitting right alongside a member of the audience, making this a unique theatre experience.   

The play also offers its share of humor as a handful of scenes over-emphasize the drama with extended freeze frames, gazes and deadpan deliveries of cheesy lines.

Mickey O’Sullivan leads the capable cast as a desperate Frank Bigelow with fellow cast members contributing nicely – many in dual roles, especially getting strong performances by Sean McGill (Harry, Bartender, Chester) and Kelsey Shipley as Elaine/Ms. Foster.  

Strawdog Theatre’s D.O.A. is being performed at Hugen Hall (3829 N. Broadway) through April 5^th. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.Strawdog.org.      

Have you ever wondered what would happen if a group of washed up superheroes decided to put their powers to use in a new way – a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the world in a slightly less fantastic way? And, what if they were modern dancers? Well so did Julia Rhoads, the artistic director of Lucky Plush Productions (LPP).  Along with her ensemble cast, they combine dance, theater, comic book style video graphics and tons of creativity to tell us the story of seven oddball super heroes, with powers ranging from audio control to lactation, who are working with a marketing company to define the brand and mission statement for their do-gooder non-profit organization. In each of their working sessions, they open with an invocation of the space, go on a training mission and complete individual introductions, each time getting closer to a purpose and forming as a team.

LPP strives to create works that are both dynamic and complex, as well as accessible to a wide audience. Both of those were achieved in this show and despite some slow moments, it was overall an enjoyable twist on a modern dance performance. In all of their works, LPP focuses on experiences that can be shared in the moment between the audience and the performers. In this performance, all of the dancers/actors are mic-ed and as they dance, they also chat with each other or add in the unexpected element of singing, having the effect of bringing the audience into the performance and making it feel more casual – as if they audience were sitting in on the sessions. By breaking down the wall between the performers and the audience, and introducing breaks in the dancing for theatrical moments, it allows the audience to feel more connected to the story and the characters, something often challenging for audience members who are new to the modern dance scene.

The choreography was expressive, moving and energetic. As each character introduces themselves, the choreography style changes to match their personality and super power. All of the styles merged into one representing the strength of the group as they combined forces by the end of the show. The entire ensemble brought vibrant energy to the dancing. The performances of Michel Rodriguez Cintra and Benjamin Holliday Wardell stood out the most. Michel, whose character acquired the powers of the frog after ingesting a frog smoothie, seemed to spring off the floor with powerful and distinctive jumps. Michael is performing in his third season with LPP. Benjamin, a five-season LPP veteran, brought graceful and classical movement to his character inspired by beauty and art. 

The theater element allowed them to make some clear and strong statements about environmentalism, racism, feminism and privilege, and also brought some lightheartedness and humor to the performance as well. As the crew went through session after session, the patterns became a bit repeatable which created moments that dragged due to predictability. On the upside, as they returned for each new session, their costumes evolved into more proper superhero costumes – starting out as basic t-shirts and pants and progressing to full outfits embellished to match their characters. It was a subtle but fun addition to the costuming for the show.

Bringing it all together was the clean and simple set design, comprised of 10 white square panels set up along the back of the stage. The bottom row of panels was on wheels and could be moved to accommodate the needs of the performance. Both live video and pre-arranged graphics were projected onto the screens throughout the show, bringing some excitement to an otherwise simple set. In the scene where we become introduced to Glitch, who has the power to control sound, the combination of perfectly coordinated video projections, sound and movement demonstrated the strong impact that can be achieved with all the elements working together.

Overall, the show was an imaginative combination of dance, theater and video that lowers the barrier for entry to modern dance. The story is clear and easy to follow; the dancing is clean, rich and artistic; the set design and costumes as well integrated into the overall show and it invites the audience in to the journey of the making of Super Strip! 

Trip the Light Fantastic: The Making of Superstrip is being performed at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. For more information visit www.LuckyPlush.com or www.HarrisTheaterChicago.org. 

Black Ensemble Theater does it again, and by that I mean provides a thoroughly engaging and inspirational experience, this time with their latest production Those Sensational Soulful 60’s. Beautifully written and directed by the talented Jackie Taylor, Soulful 60’s takes a peek at the heyday of Motown music featuring music from Otis Redding, Mary Wells, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson, The Supremes, The Four Tops and many more. Currently running in repertory with Doo Wop Shoo Bop (also written by Taylor but this one in collaboration with Jimmy Tillman), Those Sensational Soulful 60’s is a dance-in-your-seat musical treat that is uplifting as it is nostalgic. 

It is Black Ensemble Theater’s 40th anniversary and there is little question as to why they have succeeded for so long. Churning out one memorable production after another, Soulful 60’s is yet another triumph for this ultra-talented theatre company. Black Ensemble has always had a gift of not just bringing relevant music back to the forefront (and also writing worthy originals), but also delivering it in a way that captures its true essence, giving audience members the chance to feel the way they did when they first discovered these golden classics. Those Sensational Soulful 60’s is no different. 

A truly gifted cast helps in bringing the iconic sixties back to life. Melanie McCullough, Shari Anderson, Kylah Frye and Jessica Seals round up the inspiring group of women contributing to this production while David Simmons, Kenny Davis, Rashawn Thompson, Theo Huff and Kyle Smith take on the male vocals with the power and passion to which Otis Redding himself would be pleased. The vocal additions by each performing member cannot be compliment enough. Of course, the other half of the fun is watching the performers move – and move they do. Well-choreographed and well-executed, we are treated to several high energy dance routines, combining a rawness and precision that is thoroughly entertaining to watch, and gives one the feeling that they could easily be sitting in on a Four Tops concert in 1963. 

With “soul” as the production’s focal point, the ensemble even succeeds at honoring standard crooners Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra and jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, explaining they should be included due to the soulful nature of some of their material. Even a soulful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is performed – as Patti LaBelle!   

Kyle Smith starts the show off with a heartfelt reminiscence on Same Cooke – yep, a Chicagoan – and though he died at just thirty-three-years-young, left us with such influential songs such as “Chain Gang”, “Twisting the Night Away” and “You Send Me”. As the show progresses cast members point out interesting factoids about each artist to whom they pay homage. Touching on so many individuals that helped shape music as we know if today, the show is an apropos tribute to a magical and persuasive time in music history.  

Standing ovations frequent the show after several numbers and they are well-deserved. It is apparent the cast members are having as much fun as the audience is having watching them, which adds a genuineness that cannot be manufactured. The songs are certain crowd pleasers with a collection that includes such hits as “Try A Little Tenderness”, “Feel Good”, Mack the Knife”, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and “Higher and Higher”, each and every performer making their mark on many different occasions each time they uniquely honor a soul icon. With many wardrobe changes to highlight each moment, the dazzling costumes and wigs used are not only stunning, they depict the era accurately.    

Those Sensational Soulful 60’s is not only musically entertaining, it is also funny, as writer Jackie Taylor skillfully plant bits of humor throughout the show, including a happy-go-lucky Stevie Wonder being escorted back to his place on stage and a handful of sassy one-liners exchanges.     

Finely-tuned and rich in both quality and quantity, the family-friendly production of Those Sensational Soulful 60’s is being performed at Black Ensemble Theatre, located at 4450 N. Clark Street, through March 19th. This is a show that will not just have you toe-tapping and clapping from beginning to end, it also serves as a valuable lesson in music history. For tickets and/or more show information, visit www.BlackEnsembletheater.org. 

On the 400th year anniversary of William Shakespeare's death Lyric Opera of Chicago appropriately chose to commemorate the famed playwright’s life by putting on an outstanding production of Romeo and Juliet. Helping to make this such a special piece of operatic theatre, Joseph Calleja and Susanna Phillips as the tragically famous lovesick couple do a magnificent job vocally and emotionally throughout the show to bring the real spirit of youthful, love at first sight to life. 

The show begins with the stage curtain up and the entire cast ominously moves towards the audience singing the overture which was very effective in setting the tone of the times the play is set in. 

Soprano Susanna Phillips, perfectly complimenting tenor Calleja, is especially great in her role. Dressed all in pink with gold sparkles, she embodies the very essence of springtime love in her opening number.  When, at one point, she begs her nanny to stop talking about her impending marriage to an older man that Juliet does not love you really want her to get her wish, as her fresh hopeful desire to just dance and enjoy life is very infectious.

Joshua Hopkins as Romeo’s best pal Mercutio and Jason Slayden as Juliet’s short-fused cousin Tybalt also take to their roles with vigor and precision, really capturing the two sworn enemies’ disdain for each other while baritone Christian Van Horn is well cast as Friar Laurence, who means well though his efforts only end in tragedy.   

I loved ALL the costumes by Jennifer Tipton!  The rich, fabrics and colors, her hats and accessories for the women brought the whole stage to life. Also, the swashbuckling style of leather and velvet for the men was extremely entertaining and fitting to watch both their swordplay and Romeo’s lovemaking to Juliet.

Michael Yeargan's unit set is foreboding and appropriately towers over the cast as if to say there is no escape from this time period and its rules. However, I was looking forward to several set changes. Instead, the central platform served as a ballroom dance floor, Friar Laurence's cell, a town square and the crypt where the young couple meet their fate. I felt this modern touch of using a single large white sheet to signify Juliet's bedroom, then the church, and the burial shroud, etc., etc., was very one dimensional. The cast, so visually stunning, is so large even the hefty set seemed to barely contain them in various scenes. Still, overall, the production is a grand spectacle that is as colorful and enchanting as it is memorable.

Directed with fierce and daring force by Bartlett Sher, the Tony Award-winning Broadway director who's making his Lyric debut with this French piece by Charles Gounod, Romeo and Juliet succeeds marvelously on many levels. Of course this can only be accomplished with the comprehensive orchestral conducting of Emmanuel Villaume, who leads the often powerful and sometimes dreamy soundtrack to create a truly hauntingly tragic yet beautiful experience.  The romanticism of the writing is so beautiful, so poetic, I found myself watching the screen high above the stage trying to memorize some of the pure poetry as the play went along. The lines of love and adoration spoken by Romeo and Juliet to each other were so exquisitely written, I have never seen an American adaptation of this or any love story which compares to this poetic version of the play.

No spoilers but there is a slight change to the ending scene that might throw off a few viewers but I still found it quite enjoyable. 

This is a perfect opera to take your date to for an evening of romance that will thrill and delight. Your children will love this show because it renders the story of forbidden love and the destruction of such love because of unforgiving, ignorant family feuding and brings it to life in a compassionate and ever so romantic way.

Romeo and Juliet is being performed at Lyric Opera of Chicago through March 19th and is sure to please the casual and more adventurous theatre and opera lovers alike. For more information on this piece so wonderfully adapted for stage, visit www.LyricOpera.org. 

Nation’s most diverse music festival presents more than 140 events from June 2 through September 11, featuring the 80th-anniversary summer residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Longtime, former music director James Levine returns for the first time in over two decades to conduct Mahler’s Second Symphony, as he did at his Ravinia debut 45 years ago

Eight conductors make their Ravinia debuts, and four of those make their CSO debuts, including Kirill Karabits, Gustavo Gimeno, George Hanson, and Ben Gernon

Legends Paul Simon, Diana Ross, and Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons among 74 Ravinia debuts; Bob Dylan returns for the first time since 1964

Ten premieres include the first violin concerto by Wynton Marsalis, co-commissioned by Ravinia, and Tan Dun’s Water Passion

Stravinsky’s The Firebird named “One Score, One Chicago” selection as Ravinia co-commissions dramatic new staging from the puppeteers behind Broadway’s War Horse

Orchestras perform scores live as Ravinia shows the complete films Titanic, The Planets: An HD Odyssey, The Wizard of Oz, and Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II

A series of vocal programs, including Rachmaninoff’s “Vespers,” celebrates the centennial of master choral director Robert Shaw

Tributes to David Bowie, Oscar Brown Jr., Nat “King” Cole, Jerry Garcia, and Stephen Sondheim are featured

Fourteen chamber programs explore “complete” works by Haydn, Bach, and Bartók and launch a three-year cycle of Beethoven’s piano sonatas by Jonathan Biss

Ravinia welcomes guests at its grand entrance with a new aquatic sculpture by the designers of the Bellagio’s dancing fountains and a wave of water-themed concerts

Classical artists include Jean-Yves Thibaudet; Matthias Goerne; Gil Shaham; Joshua Bell and Chris Botti; Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma; Itzhak Perlman; Alisa Weilerstein; Lynn Harrell; Daniil Trifonov; Jeffrey Kahane; Zukerman Trio; Danielle de Niese; Midori; Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra; the Juilliard, Emerson, and Takács String Quartets; and RSMI alumni in the Chiara, Avalon, and Ariel String Quartets

Non-classical artists include Seal; Train and Andy Grammer; Bonnie Raitt; Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, and Johnny Depp; Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters and Marty Stuart; Don Henley; Bryan Ferry; Barenaked Ladies; Seth MacFarlane; Duran Duran; Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck; Tony Bennett; Patti LaBelle; Phillip Phillips and Matt Nathanson; and Chris Cornell

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.—Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman today announced the 2016 summer season comprising more than 140 events, featuring the 80th-anniversary summer residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In this special anniversary year, maestro James Levine will return for the first time in more than two decades to lead the CSO in Mahler’s Second Symphony—the piece he conducted as a last-minute replacement when he made his Ravinia debut in 1971. Eight conductors will make their Ravinia debuts—four of whom concurrently are making their CSO debuts—during the 17-concert residency. The 15-week season, which is nearly 65 percent classical, features 74 artist debuts—including legends Paul Simon and Diana Ross—and 50 classical works never before performed at the festival. New works include the Ravinia co-commissions of a reimagined staging of Stravinsky’s The Firebird, created by the company behind War Horse on Broadway and the West End, and the first violin concerto fromWynton Marsalis, performed by Nicola Benedetti, for whom it was written. Four films, including Titanic and The Wizard of Oz, will receive live orchestral accompaniment. Several concerts pay tribute to musical giants, from Robert Shaw to David Bowie. Fourteen concerts offer “complete” works, including the launch of a three-year Beethoven project by pianist Jonathan Biss. Tickets go on sale March 9 to donors to the not-for-profit festival and April 26 to the general public.

“Nothing compares to the enviable relationship between Ravinia and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, so it’s a real pleasure to announce the 80th-anniversary summer residency, featuring something for just about every taste in orchestral music,” said Kauffman, who programs the festival, also noting that typically festivals and orchestras are a single entity, such as Tanglewood and the Boston Symphony. “Ravinia, with its welcoming outdoor environment, low prices, and inviting summer programming is well poised to help build the audience for this important art form. If venue loyalty can get just 5 percent of the audience that comes to see Train or Paul Simon to return for a CSO concert, that would be a sea change. We’re especially excited to respond to audience demand by introducing six conductors standing before the CSO at Ravinia this summer, four of whom are also making their CSO debuts.”

For the second year in a row, Allstate has signed on to be Ravinia’s Lead Classical Sponsor. “We are pleased to once again partner with Ravinia on their efforts to bring classical music to the Chicago area,” said Don Civgin, President of Emerging Business at Allstate and a Ravinia Trustee. “We applaud Ravinia’s commitment to education, public outreach, and making world-class performances accessible to all. Allstate and Ravinia recognize the importance of serving the community—together we are a force for good.”

$25/$10/FREE

Ravinia’s popular pricing returns this summer, with most Pavilion seats for all CSO concerts selling for just $25 apiece. Most lawn tickets will be priced at $10 each, and lawn admission for all classical concerts—CSO, special events, recitals and chamber music—is free for children and students through college. A 10-punch lawn pass will also be sold, granting lawn admission for as little as $7 per concert. On film nights, the $25 price for a reserved seat in the Pavilion is the same for a lawn ticket, so patrons can choose the experience they prefer—a seat under the roof with a view of the orchestra or a picnic on the lawn before the giant movie screen—without cost being an issue. The $10 BGH Classics series offers up-close-and-personal musical experiences in Ravinia’s most intimate concert space, the 450-seat Bennett Gordon Hall, for only $10 for a reserved seat, less than the cost of a movie ticket.

JAMES LEVINE RETURNS / GALA

James Levine will celebrate the 45th anniversary of his Ravinia debut by returning to the festival for the first time since completing his music directorship in 1993. On July 23, Levine will conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Mahler’s Second Symphony. This was the first piece he conducted at Ravinia on June 24, 1971, when he was brought in as a last-minute replacement for the Ravinia Women’s Board Gala. Levine’s return headlines the 50th gala, the only performance fundraiser to support the festival and its REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs.

“Little did I know when I first came to Ravinia how important my time there would turn out to be, and the significant development it would stimulate in my artistic growth,” Levine said. “With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, I felt as though we were an ideal match, each provoking the other to strive for the best.”

RAVINIA DEBUTS

Legendary artists Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (June 12), Paul Simon (June 18), and Diana Ross (July 27) make their Ravinia debuts this summer. Bob Dylan (June 24) returns for the first time since 1964, when he was billed as “Robert Dylan,” with Chicago’s own Mavis Staples.

“There remain a handful of artists whose style and careers seem so custom-built for Ravinia’s environment that some people are amazed to discover they are making their festival debuts. This was certainly the case when I first booked Crosby, Stills & Nash in 2010, and I predict it will be that way this summer for legends like Paul Simon and Frankie Valli,” Kauffman said. “You can just picture them on our stage. They belong here.”

Also among the nonclassical artists making their Ravinia debuts this summer are Duran Duran and CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers (July 8/9); as seen on the recent Grammy Awards, the Hollywood Vampires, comprising Alice Cooper,Joe Perry, and Johnny Depp (July 17); Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters and Marty Stuart (Sept. 2);Barenaked Ladies and OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) with Howard Jones in his second visit (June 9);The Commodores (June 23); Shawn Mullins (July 1); Neil Finn of Crowded House with Guster, similarly making its second appearance (July 7); Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Audioslave, and Temple of the Dog (July 3); guitarist Jeff Beck on a double bill with festival favorite Buddy Guy (July 31); Bryan Ferry (Aug. 6); Mariachi Flor de Toloache(Sept. 5); and Katharine McPhee, star of TV’s Smash and Scorpion, opening for the return of Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane with the Ravinia Festival Orchestra (June 22).

Ravinia is proud to welcome the following classical artists making their debuts at the festival. Ensembles: Ariel Quartet (Aug. 30), Avalon String Quartet (Aug. 31), Chiara String Quartet (Sept. 7/8), Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (Sept. 11); Conductors: Mei-Ann Chen (June 16), Cristian Măcelaru (July 12/13), Vasily Petrenko(July 20), Ben Gernon (July 26), Gustavo Gimeno (Aug. 2), Kirill Karabits (Aug. 5), George Hanson (Aug. 12), and George Daugherty (Sept. 11); Vocalists: Klea Blackhurst (Aug. 17) and Ryan VanDenBoom (Aug. 17);Sopranos: Delaram Kamareh (June 10), Ying Fang (July 23), and Danielle de Niese (Aug. 4); Mezzo-soprano:Karen Cargill (July 23); Bass-baritone: Stephen Bryant (June 10); Violinists: Shalini Vijayan (June 10) andAlejandro Loguercio (Aug. 19); Cellists: Cecilia Tsan (June 10), Christoph Richter (July 6), Adolfo Gutiérrez Arenas (Aug. 16), and the Juilliard String Quartet’s incoming member, Astrid Schween (June 27); Double bassist:Roberto Koch (Aug. 19); Pianists: Shani Diluka (June 10), Julia Hsu (July 22), George Li (July 24), Paul Lewis(Aug. 5), Christopher Park (Aug. 16), Michael Abramovich (Aug. 19), Lucas Debargue (Aug. 25), Lindsay Garritson (Aug. 30), Ran Dank (Sept. 1), Joseph Moog (Sept. 3), Dmitri Levkovich (Sept. 4), and Simon Savoy(Sept. 6); Guitarists: Reentko Dirks (Aug. 19) and Jason Vieaux (Sept. 2); Harpist: Yolanda Kondonassis (Sept. 2);Accordionist: Ksenija Sidorova (Aug. 19); Percussionists: Theresa Dimond (June 10), John Wakefield (June 10), and Itamar Doari(Aug. 19); Sound engineer: Yuanlin Chen (June 10); and Actor: Jack Gilpin (Aug. 30).

NONCLASSICAL CONCERTS

The final live national broadcast from Ravinia of A Prairie Home Companion with host Garrison Keillor is set for June 11, featuring special guests pianist Jeremy Denk, a former fellow and faculty member of Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, and Chris Thile, the new host of the internationally beloved program who has previously appeared at Ravinia variously as a member of Nickel Creek and The Punch Brothers, as well as with Yo-Yo Ma in The Goat Rodeo Sessions.

Ravinia looks forward to welcoming back Train and Andy Grammer (Aug. 26/27); Seal (Aug. 28); Bonnie Raitt(Sept. 3); Los Tigres del Norte (Sept. 5); Tony Bennett (Aug. 15); Patti LaBelle (June 23); O.A.R. (Sept. 4); Don Henley (Aug. 14/15);Indigo Girls (July 1); Steve Miller Band (July 2); Chick Corea, with his trio and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and Lisa Fischer (July 4); Phillip Phillips and Matt Nathanson (July 10); Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Sweet Honey in the Rock (July 11); Lyle Lovett & his Large Band and Emmylou Harris (July 18); and War and Los Lonely Boys (Aug. 11).

PREMIERES

Ravinia will present 50 classical and orchestral works never before performed at the festival, including 10 regional or world premieres. 

· Tan Dun’s Water Passion(June 10):Ravinia presents the Chicago premiere of Tan Dun’s Water Passion after Saint Matthew, featuring the Los Angeles Master Chorale conducted by Grant Gershon. It’s one of four Passions (based on each of the Gospels) commissioned for the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death, a set that also included Golijov’s Passion According to Saint Mark, which received its Chicago premiere to great acclaim at Ravinia in 2002. East meets West in this quasi-theatrical telling (that the LA Times called “unexpectedly alien and visceral”) of the powerful Passion narrative, building on Bach’s majestic chorale tradition with Tan’s layering of a variety of vocal styles from his own heritage, ranging from Mongolian overtone singing to what he calls the “calligraphic” writing of Peking opera. Tan also draws upon the vast instrumental wealth of the Silk Road, ingeniously using the familiar violin and cello to evoke the sounds of the East. Water has long played an important role in traditional Chinese festivals, and Tan was drawn to its symbolism of renewal and rebirth, focusing on those joyous, cyclical aspects inherent to the Passion. Soloists include soprano Delaram Kamareh, bass-baritone Stephen Bryant, violinist Shalini Vijayan, cellist Cecilia Tsan, and percussionists David Cossin,Teresa Dimond, and John Wakefield.

· Richard Wernick’s Quartet No. 9 (June 27): Hailed as the “quintessential American string quartet,” the legendary Juilliard String Quartet celebrates its 70th season with an evening of introductions, including the Chicago premiere of Richard Wernick’s String Quartet No. 9 and a performance of Schubert’s String Quintet with new-member cellist Astrid Schween, who will succeed Joel Krosnick in the fall of 2016.

· Wynton Marsalis’s first violin concerto (July 12): The 2016 CSO residency opens with the American premiere of the first violin concerto by jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, co-commissioned by Ravinia Festival for violinistNicola Benedetti, who will mark her third Ravinia appearance. “Working with Wynton Marsalis on his violin concerto has been life-changing,” said Benedetti.“I am so excited to play the piece again at Ravinia with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.” Cristian Măcelaru, winner of the 2014 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award and conductor-in-residence at the Philadelphia Orchestra, makes his Ravinia debut on the podium. He made his CSO debut in 2013 as a replacement for the then ailing Pierre Boulez and has been a frequent guest conductor since then, even leading the orchestra’s outdoor performances at the Morton Arboretum.

· The Planets: An HD Odyssey (July 13): An out-of-this-world program of space-themed music features the Midwest premiere of a new film with jaw-dropping new images from NASA’s most recent missions, set to Holst’s The Planets. Măcelaru returns to conduct. The film will be shown on high-definition video screens in the Pavilion and on the lawn.

· Stravinsky’s The Firebird / One Score, One Chicago (July 26): Ravinia presents the Chicago premiere of Stravinsky’s The Firebird in a production created by Janni Younge of Handspring Puppet Company, widely praised for its London and Broadway spectacular War Horse. Ravinia co-commissioned this new interpretation ofThe Firebird and has made the piece its 2016 One Score, One Chicago selection. Ben Gernon makes his CSO and Ravinia debuts conducting the program, which also includes Debussy’s La mer and Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes.

· James Cameron’s Titanic with live orchestra (July 29/30): The large screens return on July 29 and 30 for one of the most successful films in history, James Cameron’s towering Titanic. The international sensation tied Ben-Hur for winning the most Oscars ever (11), including awards for Best Song (“My Heart Will Go On”) and Best Original Score for composer James Horner, who died tragically last summer. Titanic remains the number-one selling orchestral soundtrack of all time. For this Midwest-premiere presentation, the music has been digitally removed from the film so the CSO, conducted by Ludwig Wicki, can perform the score live as the film is shown. A chorus and soprano, who’ll sing the Irish-tinged vocalizations throughout the film as well as the celebrated theme song made famous by Celine Dion, will join the orchestra onstage.

· David Ludwig songs (Aug. 15): Ravinia presents the world premiere of its third commission from David Ludwig for participants of Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute Program for Singers.

· Wally Gunn’s The Ascendant (Aug. 21): The Grammy Award–winning a cappella octet Roomful of Teethexplores the depth of its vocal range with the Chicago premiere of New York–based composer Wally Gunn’s The Ascendant. Named after a collection of poetry and setting the corresponding text by contemporary Australian poet Maria Zajkowski, the group of songs coupling Roomful of Teeth’s haunting vocals and percussion with Zajkowski’s word painting creates a sudden sense of free-fall for the audience.

· An Unlikely Muse (Aug. 30): Following a July world premiere at Chamber Music Northwest, the stirring music theater work An Unlikely Muse: Richard Mühlfeld, the Last Inspiration of Johannes Brahms will premiere to Chicago audiences in the Martin Theatre this August. Stirred out of retirement by the talent of 19th-century German clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, composer Johannes Brahms created four clarinet-centric chamber works, whose genesis will be brought to life by actor Jack Gilpin, performing as Mühlfeld, pianist André Watts, clarinetist David Shifrin, and the Ariel Quartet.

FILM WITH ORCHESTRA

Building on the success of screening great films with their scores digitally removed so that orchestras can play them live, Ravinia will present five film nights in 2016, with video screens in the Pavilion and on the lawn. 

· The Planets: An HD Odyssey (July 13): Winner of the 2014 Solti Conducting Award, Cristian Măcelaru will lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a presentation of Holst’s The Planets accompanied by a new film of startling and vivid images of the solar system collected over NASA’s many space explorations. The program also features Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra—known in pop culture as the theme from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. “Discovering the mysteries of our universe continues to be one of our greatest achievements. Gustav Holst, in his Planets, brings to life perfect descriptions of these wonderful worlds and depicts their astrological characters,” says Măcelaru.

· Titanic (July 29/30): Ravinia embarks on a first-class film experience by presenting the Midwest premiere of one of the most successful movies in history, James Cameron’s Titanic, with Ludwig Wicki conducting and the CSO performing its score. The international sensation tied Ben-Hur for winning the most Oscars ever (11), including awards for Best Song (“My Heart Will Go On”) and Best Score for the late composer James Horner. Titanicremains the one of the top grossing films of all time, and its soundtrack is still the number-one selling orchestral soundtrack of all time. The Chicago Children’s Choir, directed byJosephine Lee, and vocalist Clara Sanabraswill sing the Irish-tinged vocalizations throughout the film as well as the celebrated theme song made famous by Celine Dion.

· The Wizard of Oz (Sept. 10): Ravinia presents of one of the most beloved films of all time, The Wizard of Oz, with Emil de Cou leading the Chicago Philharmonic in its unmistakable music. This marvel of the late 1930s has been stunningly remastered frame by frame and is accompanied by entirely new transcriptions of Harold Arlen’s brilliant lost score. Hearing Judy Garland’s original 1939 studio recordings, backed by lush, live orchestration, will transport children and adults alike. With this version of The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, moviegoers will be treated to the Oscar-winning film as it has never been seen before.

· Warner Bros. Presents Bugs Bunny At The Symphony II (Sept. 11): Perhaps the most fondly remembered integration of pop culture and classical music from the likes of Mendelssohn, Rossini and Wagner (whose “Ride of the Valkyries” takes on new life as “Kill the Wabbit”) projected on the big screen while their extraordinary original scores are played live by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, in its Ravinia debut. Conducted and created by George Daugherty, this collection of classic (directed by the masters Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng) and recent shorts starring the world’s most beloved Looney Tunes characters—Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Sylvester, and more—has delighted concertgoers around the world, and spotlights such classics as “What’s Opera, Doc?”and “The Rabbit of Seville” alongside Warner Bros. theatrical shorts “Rabid Rider” and “Coyote Falls.”

ROBERT SHAW CENTENNIAL

In recognition of what would be the 100th birthday of conductor Robert Shaw (1916–99), who not only shifted but set new paradigms in choral music, Ravinia is celebrating that lasting legacy with several concerts that showcase the wide variety of works, ensembles, and other leaders that grew out of his influence.

“Too frequently musical genius is forgotten too soon, and it would be an injustice indeed if the dean of choral music went unsung,” said Kauffman. “So we honor Robert Shaw this summer with the vocal vigor he deserves in his anniversary year the same way Ravinia will honor Bernstein at his centennial in 2018 with his protégée Marin Alsop as guest curator.”

· Los Angeles Master Chorale (June 10): Founded by Shaw’s friend and classmate Roger Wagner, the Los Angeles Master Chorale already scored raves with the splashy premiere of The Gospel According to the Other Mary at Ravinia, and now returns for the Chicago premiere of Tan Dun’s dramatic Water Passion, conducted byGrant Gershon. The piece relies on many vocal styles from Mongolian overtone singing to the “calligraphic” music of Peking opera.

· Man of Many Voices—Documentary film (June 15): A new documentary about Shaw that traces the journey of a small-town California boy who planned to be a minister like his father, but instead became the greatest conductor of choral music the world has ever known, will be shown in the Martin Theatre.

· The Singers (June 15): The Singers, which emerged from the Dale Warland Singers—Warland being another revered choral colleague—return to Ravinia to perform one of the most captivating choral works of all time, Rachmaninoff’s “Vespers,” conducted by Matthew Culloton, A special dinner package will be available combining admission to the documentary (listed above) and this concert.

· Ladysmith Black Mambazo / Sweet Honey in the Rock (July 11): The South African and African-American (respectively) choral groups share the bill on a concert that evokes not only Shaw’s worldwide embrace of music but the spirit of his civil rights work in the then largely segregated city of Atlanta, where he devised multiple collaborations between the Atlanta Symphony and Spelman and Morehouse Colleges and frequently performed in black churches.

· Chanticleer (July 19): Any group whose name derives from the French words for “sing” and “clear” must owe a debt to Shaw. “He had an exquisite sense of what togetherness in music can be: that’s what Shaw was all about,” says Chanticleer director William Fred Scott. Ravinia audiences will see that togetherness in action when the group dedicates itself to an evening of songs about the moon.

· Chicago Symphony Chorus (July 23): Shaw’s passion for the voice reverberated through Ravinia’s concert halls with the arrival of James Levine, who was an assistant conductor at the Cleveland Orchestra during Shaw’s final three years there as an associate conductor, between 1964 and ’67. As Levine returns this summer, so too will that vocal prowess with the gala performance of Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony, featuring the impeccableChicago Symphony Chorus and guest soloists soprano Ying Fang and mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill. “Shaw transformed our thinking about choral music,” said Duain Wolfe, director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. “He elevated the performing standards of choruses by inspiring attention to detail.”

· Chicago Children’s Choir (July 29/30): One of the music world’s most sought-after teachers and mentors, Shaw was an admirer of children’s choirs, as demonstrated by his arrangements that have inspired generations of singers. Josephine Lee directs the Chicago Children’s Choir in tandem with the CSO’s performance of the Oscar-winning score to Titanic.

· Shaw’s Favorite Composer (Aug. 9/10): Welz Kauffman, who worked closely with Shaw at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, shares a favorite composer with the great choral director: Brahms. Kauffman programmed Shaw’s two favorite symphonic pieces, the composer’s Second and Fourth Symphonies, to be performed by the CSO under the baton of David Zinman on successive nights. Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes will be performed by singers and pianists from Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute on Aug. 10.

· Master Class for Singers (Aug. 13): Two of Shaw’s fondest acolytes, soprano Sylvia McNair and mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson, will lead a master class for RSMI fellows that is free and open to the public. The class will focus on vocal works for which Shaw was famous, many of which these spirited singers performed with him.

· Roomful of Teeth (Aug. 21): Founded in 2009, a full decade after Shaw’s death, the Grammy-winning octetRoomful of Teeth, devoted to finding adventurous new expressions of the human voice, is a group that Shaw would have loved: “I wanted this tribute to Shaw to feature a newer group that demonstrates how his influence reaches into the future,” Kauffman said. It will present the Chicago premiere of Wally Gunn’s The Ascendant on a program that includes works by Ted Hearne, Michael Harrison, and its own Pulitzer Prize–winning member, Caroline Shaw (no relation).

· A Robert Shaw Christmas (December): Shaw left a legacy of beloved Christmas recordings, so Sylvia McNair and the Chicago Children’s Choir, directed by Josephine Lee, will return in the holiday season to perform renditions of his classics as part of Ravinia’s year-round $10 BGH Classics series.

TRIBUTE CONCERTS

Several Ravinia events will celebrate the lives and art of music’s brightest lights. 

· The Gershwin Experience (June 11): Pianist Richard Glazier, whose music journey “From Broadway to Hollywood” was one of last year’s fast-selling concerts, returns with his musical storytelling style to essay the works of George Gershwin.

· Tribute to Jazz Greats (June 19): Creating the perfect Father’s Day outing, jazz giants Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli salute the late, great jazz pianist and velvet-voiced singer Nat “King” Cole. On the same program, renowned pianist Monty Alexander makes his Ravinia debut with a tribute to one of the festival’s all-time favorites, Tony Bennett (who returns to Ravinia on Aug. 13). This concert also celebrates the next generation of jazz talent by welcoming the Grammy-nominated 12-year-old piano wunderkind Joey Alexander for his first performance on the Pavilion stage after making his Ravinia debut in Bennett Gordon Hall last summer.

· Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration (June 26): Singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Allman Brothers BandWarren Haynes evokes the style and sound of the late Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia with a symphonic dimension provided by the Ravinia Festival Orchestra.

· Over the Moon (July 19): Billed as “an orchestra of voices,” the Grammy-winning male chorus Chanticleerperforms an evening of classic songs and new works in praise and awe of the Moon—everything from the Sinatra standard “Fly Me to the Moon” and Henry Mancini’s timeless “Moon River” to Nico Muhly’s Pierrot Lunaire, written just for them.

· You’re the Top: Cole Porter’s 125th Birthday Celebration (Aug. 17): Pianist Kevin Cole, fresh off his heartfelt tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at Ravinia last summer, returns with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as host and pianist to honor one of the wittiest songwriters of all time. The program also features singers Klea Blackhurst,Sylvia McNair, and Ryan VanDenBoom with David Alan Miller conducting.

· A Love Letter to Stephen Sondheim(Aug. 18): The singer who gave Stephen Sondheim his biggest chart-topping hit with “Send in the Clowns,” Judy Collins devotes an entire evening to the works of her favorite composer with the Passenger String Quartet.

· Something About Oscar (Aug. 29):Singer/dancer/actor Morris Gearring celebrates his friend and mentor, Chicago jazz great Oscar Brown Jr., in this one-man show on the $10 BGH Classics series.

· Bowie—The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (Sept. 9): Classic Albums Live, known for its pitch-perfect, note-by-note re-creations of rock’s all-time most important records, will give a faithful performance of David Bowie’s fifth studio album, which tells the story of the fictitious rock star Ziggy Stardust. The group will end the show with a sample of other Bowie hits.

COMPLETE CHAMBER “SAMPLER”

Music lovers will get the “complete” picture of key areas of several composers’ output over several evenings. 

· Haydn’s Complete Op. 76 String Quartets (July 5): The Emerson String Quartet performs the complete Haydn Op. 76 string quartets—including the “Sunrise,” “Fifths,” and “Emperor”—on one program.

· Beethoven’s Complete Piano Sonatas (Aug. 18/20/22): The festival launches a three-year exploration of Beethoven’s piano sonatas with pianist Jonathan Biss. It begins Aug. 18 with five of the sonatas, including the “Waldstein”; followed by four more on Aug. 20, including the “Tempest” and “Appassionata”; and wraps up the first year on Aug. 22 with five more, including the “Moonlight.” An internationally recognized Beethoven authority, Biss was commissioned to write a book about performing the great composer’s sonatas, Beethoven’s Shadow, and he is committed to recording all of the sonatas for the Onyx label (the first four volumes have already been released). His exceptional online Coursera course, Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas, which reached 55,000 experts and novices in its first go-around, was relaunched in January.

· Beethoven’s Complete Cello Sonatas (Aug. 16): Celebrated Spanish cellist Adolfo Gutiérrez Arenas makes his first appearance at Ravinia with Bernstein Award–winning pianist Christopher Park to present Beethoven’s complete sonatas for cello and piano.

· Bach’s Complete Sonatas and Partitas (Aug. 17): Over two separate concert performances just hours apart, at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 17, the director of the RSMI Piano and Strings program, Miriam Fried, celebrates her 70th birthday by scaling the Everest of the solo violin repertoire.

· Beethoven’s Complete String Quartets (Aug. 26–28): The Pacifica Quartet, in residence at the University of Chicago since 1999, performs all 16 of Beethoven’s string quartets in five concerts over three days: 6 p.m. on Aug. 26, 1 and 6 p.m. on Aug. 27, and 1 and 6 p.m. on Aug. 28.

· Bartók’s Complete String Quartets (Sept. 7–8): In a performance dubbed “Bartók by Heart” because they use no sheet music, the Chiara String Quartet performs the composer’s complete string quartets over two evenings.

AQUATIC SCULPTURE / WATER MUSIC

To christen Ravinia’s brand-new aquatic sculpture—Chorus, designed by WET, the artists behind the Bellagio’s dancing fountains—a water theme flows through the season. The sculpture will greet guests at the grand entrance and underpass. The sculpture will be unveiled in a free community event on May 28. Ravinia thanks Life Trustee Dolores Kohl Kaplan for supporting the creation of the Morris and Dolores Kohl Kaplan Fountain.

· Water Passion (June 10): Tan Dun’s take on “the greatest story ever told,” crafted for the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death, employs bowls filled with water to great musical and theatrical effect.

· Shani Diluka(June 10): Pianist Shani Diluka gives a recital of water-inspired works by Chopin (“Raindrop” Prelude and Barcarolle), Debussy (Jardins sous la pluie), Liszt (Les jeux d’eaux a la Villa d’Este), and Schubert (Auf dem Wasser zu singen), on the $10 BGH Classics series.

· Handel’s Water Music Suite (June 16): The Chicago Sinfonietta, conducted by Mei-Ann Chen, returns to Ravinia for a program that includes a suite from Handel’s Water Music, which has become a cultural landmark, sampled in everything from Ren & Stimpy to The Dead Poet’s Society. It was famously used as the music to Walt Disney World’s Electrical Water Pageant, making it doubly appropriate for celebrating the festival’s new aquatic sculpture, as the original water feature at Ravinia when it opened in 1904 was an electric fountain and refectory. This will be the Sinfonietta’s first Ravinia appearance since its triumphant performances of the South African works Princess Magogo and uShaka.

· Fountains of Rome(July 12): Cristian Măcelaru leads the CSO in Respighi’s Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome on a program that also includes the first violin concerto from Wynton Marsalis.

· The Planets(July 13): Bowie musically questioned if there was “Life on Mars,” and NASA scientists’ recent discovery of water on the “red planet” suggests that there just might be, so the CSO dives into Holst’s The Planets—An HD Odyssey, complete with a startling new film boasting images from the latest space discoveries.

· Fire and Water (July 26): Perhaps the definitive water-themed piece of orchestral music, Debussy’s La mer is paired with Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes on a program that features Ravinia’s co-commissioned new staging of Stravinsky’s The Firebird, created by Janni Younge. Ben Gernon conducts.

· Titanic (July 29/30): Rolling like an Irish brogue and smelling like the sea, the late James Horner’s minor chords helped make Titanic a major motion picture. The CSO plays the Oscar-winning score live while James Cameron’s epic movie is screened.

· Anything Goes (Aug. 17): Pianist Kevin Colehosts You’re the Top, Cole Porter’s 125th Birthday Celebrationincluding memorable tunes from his hit-filled musical Anything Goes, set aboard a sailing ship, performed by the CSO.

CHAMBER MUSIC AND RECITALS

Although celebrated for providing one of the finest outdoor music experiences, Ravinia also presents one of the world’s most expansive chamber music series, presenting more than 50 indoor concerts and recitals in its two halls, the exquisite 850-seat Martin Theatre and the state-of-the-art 450-seat Bennett Gordon Hall, home to the $10 BGH Classics series. Martin Theatre concerts are broadcast to the lawn; Bennett Gordon Hall concerts are not. Highlights include:

· Juilliard Introduces New Cellist (June 27): The Juilliard String Quartet introduces its newest member, cellistAstrid Schween, with a performance of Schubert’s String Quintet on a program that also features Mozart’s String Quartet in C Major, K. 465, and Richard Wernick’s String Quartet No. 9. The concert marks the final Ravinia appearance with the ensemble of cellist Joel Krosnick, who is stepping down after 42 years with the group.

· Menahem Pressler (July 12): Gramophone and American Classical Music Hall of Fame pianist Menahem Pressler, a longtime faculty member of RSMI, gives his first solo concert at Ravinia since 2003.

· Four-hands Piano (July 22): Pianists Julia Hsu and Peter Serkin perform selections from Brahms’s Hungarian Dances, Schumann’s Six Studies in Canonic Form, selections from Bizet’s Jeux d’enfants, Schubert’s Allegro in A Minor and Grand Rondo in A Major, and Mozart’s Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 358.

· Zukerman Trio (July 28): The legendary violinist Pinchas Zukerman and his ensemble perform selections from Glière’s Duos for Violin and Cello, Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, and Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major.

· Danielle de Niese debut (Aug. 4): The luminous star of the Lyric Opera’s Bel Canto, Danielle de Niese makes her Ravinia debut accompanied by the director of the RSMI Program for Singers, Kevin Murphy.

· Gypsy Carmen (Aug. 19): Accordionist Ksenija Sidorova infuses a bright and wild gypsy spirit into her take on Bizet’s Carmen with pianist Michael Abramovich, percussionist Itamar Doari, guitarist Reentko Dirks, violinist Alejandro Loguercio, and bassist Roberto Koch.

· All-Russian Evening with Zuill Bailey (Aug. 23): Cellist Zuill Bailey performs Stravinsky’s Suite italienne,Prokofiev’s Cello Sonata in C Major, and Rachmaninoff’sCello Sonata in G Minor.

· Double-duty Debargue (Aug. 25): Pianist Lucas Debargue proves he’s a major talent as both a jazz and classical pianist over two concerts. He re-creates his Moscow Critics Award–winning program of Medtner’s Piano Sonata No. 1 and Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit at 6 p.m., then returns at 8 p.m. to showcase his jazz skills (separate admissions). The 24-year-old Debargue, caused a stir at the Tchaikovsky Competition when he came in fourth place, prompting a judge (who asked to go unnamed) that “Not giving Lucas Debargue at least a Bronze was an outrage and further evidence that these competitions are more political than artistic in nature.”

· Songs of Struggle and Redemption (Aug. 30): Bass-baritone Dashon Burton of Roomful of Teeth sings spirituals and songs of freedom with pianist Lindsay Garritson.

· Fantasy for Harp and Guitar (Sept. 2): In their Ravinia debuts, harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and guitaristJason Vieaux present an evening of solos and duets that demonstrate the beauty of their respective string instruments with such works as Montsalvatge’s Fantasy for Harp and Guitar, Máximo Diego Pujol’s Suite mágica, Salzedo’s Chanson dans la nuit, and Hovhaness’s Sonata for Harp and Guitar.

RAVINIA’S STEANS MUSIC INSTITUTE

The best young musicians from around the world compete for about 60 coveted fellowships each year to Ravinia’s highly immersive and highly regarded summer conservatory to work individually and in ensembles with the superb faculty.

“It’s essential that Ravinia’s relationships with the artists it shapes at RSMI do not end when they’ve finished their studies. What use is it to send these young talents out into the world to perform without giving them a place to perform?” Kauffman said. “I’ve become deliberately dedicated to featuring RSMI alumni and our talented faculty on our stages, and this year 20 of our alumni, including those in the Ariel, Avalon, and Chiara String Quartets return to us. I urge you to join in their journeys.”

In addition to these alumni performances, including the Aug. 16 concert by the Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma, which boasts two alumni (violist Nicholas Cords and violinist Colin Jacobsen), 10 current faculty members will also perform as will this year’s fellows.

· Faculty concerts: Key to the success of RSMI is that is faculty members each have successful performance careers of their own. Violinist Miriam Fried, director of the RSMI Piano and Strings program, will perform the Bach’s complete solo sonatas and partitas over two programs (5:30 and 8:30 p.m., Aug. 17); Kevin Murphy, director of RSMI’s Program for Singers accompanies the Ravinia recital debuts of Metropolitan and Lyric Opera stars Matthew Polenzani (Aug. 1) and Danielle de Niese (Aug. 4); acclaimed pianist Menahem Pressler gives his first solo recital at Ravinia in 13 years; and Fried and Pressler are joined by fellow Piano and Strings faculty members violinist Midori, violists Atar Arad and Paul Biss, and cellist Christopher Richter for a recital that includes Mozart’s Piano Trio No. 6 in G Major and Brahms’s String Quartet No. 2 in G Major (July 6).

· $10 BGH Classics: This summer’s RSMI fellows will perform a “Jazz Grandstand” with fierce young performers playing original compositions as soloists and in ensembles (June 17), three different piano and string concerts celebrating Beethoven (July 11, 18 and 29), and vocal programs marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with songs inspired by his writings and works by his contemporaries (Aug. 8), featuring Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes (Aug. 10), and presenting the world premiere of songs by David Ludwigcommissioned for RSMI (Aug. 15).

· Free Master Classes: Violinist Donald Weilerstein (June 30); violist Atar Arad (July 8); pianist Leon Fleisher(July 15); tenor Matthew Polenzani (Aug. 2); soprano Danielle de Niese (Aug. 6); singers Sylvia McNair andMarietta Simpson (Aug. 11)

· Free RSMI Concerts: The world’s top young professional piano and string players collaborate on a series of free 2 p.m. matinee concerts on July 2, 7, 9, 10, 14, 16, 17, 22, and 23; and the RSMI vocalists present a free 2 p.m. matinee concert of intimate song repertoire on July 31.

· RSMI in Chicago: The 2016 RSMI fellows will perform on the Dame Myra Hess Concert series at the Chicago Cultural Center at 12:15 p.m. on July 13 and 20; and on the Rush Hour Concerts series at St. James Cathedral, at 5:15 p.m. July 19. All three concerts will be broadcast live on WFMT. 

MISSION STATEMENT

Ravinia is an internationally renowned, not-for-profit music festival that presents outstanding performances by the world’s greatest artists. Ravinia’s principal objectives are:

· to present performances of a full range of classical music in its open-air Pavilion and enclosed recital halls, by the world’s greatest composers and musicians, along with a variety of other kinds of light classical, jazz and popular music;

· to maintain a beautiful park that is welcoming to all and attractive to families in which the music experience is enhanced by a beautiful environment and excellent dining opportunities;

· to enable gifted young performers to study under great teachers and perform in concert settings; and

· to develop broader and more diverse audiences for classical music through education and outreach programs and by maintaining affordable ticket prices.

2016 SPONSORS

Ravinia is a not-for-profit that earns about half its annual operating revenue to achieve its mission through ticket sales. The rest comes from support of private donors, foundations and corporate sponsors. Everyone involved at Ravinia would like to thank the following major sponsors for their support:

· Lead Classical Sponsor: Allstate Insurance Company

· Featured Sponsors: BMO Harris Bank; Discover, Official Card; Exelon; Hyundai, Official Vehicle Sponsor; Midtown Athletic Club, Official Club; Terlato Wines, Official Wine Sponsor; United Airlines, Official Airline

· Season Sponsors: Beam Suntory; Ernst & Young LLP; Fortune Brands; Illinois Tool Works; Jenner & Block LLP; Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP; Kirkland & Ellis; PNC Bank; RBC Wealth Management; Steinway Piano Gallery of Northbrook, Official Piano Sponsor; Wintrust

· Program Sponsors: Baizer Kolar P.C.; Baxter International, Inc.; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois; Consilio; Deloitte LLP; Grant Thornton LLP; Greenberg Traurig, LLP; KPMG LLP; Latham and Watkins LLP; Mesirow Financial; Mayer Brown LLP; Perkins Coie; The PrivateBank; RSM US LLP; Stella Artois and Goose Island Beer Company, Official Craft and Import Beer Sponsor; Walgreens

· Individual supporters: In Memory of Keene H. Addington II; Megan P. and John L. Anderson; Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation; Harriet Bernbaum; Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; The Crossroads Consortium; In Honor of Sandra K. Crown; The Dancing Skies Foundation; The Firebird Consortium; The Deane A. and John D. Gilliam Foundation; Welz Kauffman and Jon Teeuwissen; Lori Ann Komisar and Morris Silverman; Jo and Newt Minow; Holly and John Madigan; Roslyn and James Marks; Sharon and Eden Martin;  Negaunee Foundation; The Planets Consortium; Pinkert Industrial Group; Sue and Tom Pick; Diana and Bruce Rauner; Ravinia Associates Board; Ravinia Women’s Board; The Smart Family Foundation, Inc.; In Memory of Howard A. Stotler; Audrey L. Weaver, in loving memory of Michael D. Vogan; Lynne and David Weinberg; Joan Wing and Family, in Memory of Jack Wing; Nancy Zadek

GENERAL INFORMATON

· Location: Ravinia is located at Lake Cook and Green Bay Roads in Highland Park, about 20 minutes north of Chicago. The Metra Union Pacific North line stops right at Ravinia’s main entrance. On-site parking is limited, so Ravinia runs a free, handicap-accessible bus service to and from remote lots, mostly along the railroad line. Parking on residential streets is prohibited by City ordinance, and violators will be ticketed by local police.

· Drop-offs: Personal cars, driver services (such as Uber), and taxis may not drop guests off on residential streets. The general drop-off points are the Braeside Metra Station and the main (west) gate. Local police will ticket violators.

· Secondary Market: Ticket buyers should be certain to obtain tickets through Ravinia.org. Ravinia is not affiliated with any secondary-market ticket sellers and cannot be held responsible for fraudulent tickets. Tickets for some shows will sell out to donors prior to public sales. The best way to obtain tickets to the summer’s hottest shows is to become a financial supporter of the not-for-profit festival.

· No Smoking: Smoking of any type, including “vaping” and use of electronic cigarettes, is prohibited on Ravinia’s grounds and on Highland Park streets. There are designated smoking areas in Ravinia parking lots.

· Security: Guns, explosives, and other weapons are strictly prohibited at Ravinia. Guests will be subject to bag search and a “wanding” of their person upon entrance and re-entrance both to the park and to the Pavilion. Those refusing cooperation will not be allowed to enter.

· Weather: Ravinia concerts go on rain or shine. Should a concert be canceled due to severe weather in the area, Ravinia will make every effort to contact ticket buyers. Guests can monitor local Highland Park weather through the National Weather Service (ZIP code is 60035).

· Box Office: Tickets for these events and the rest of the summer 2016 lineup may be requested by Ravinia donors at the Affiliate level and above beginning March 9, and the Friend level on March 16. Bravo- and Encore-level donors can begin requesting lawn tickets on April 18. General public ticket sales begin at 5 a.m. on April 26, at Ravinia.org. The Ravinia Box Office phone lines will open for orders on May 10 at 847-266-5100. For more information, please visit Ravinia.org.

· ALL ARTISTS AND PROGRAMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE