Displaying items by tag: Buzz News

Thanks to events like that which I attended last night, the music of Elvis Presley will live on forever – and that’s important, as the King of Rock and Roll is more relevant than ever. In a most fitting way to celebrate the legendary entertainer’s birthday, Northshore Center for the Performing Arts played host to the annual Elvis Tribute Artist Spectacular “Birthday Edition” during its tour of several dates around the Midwest. Unlike many Elvis tributes, we are not only treated to talented impersonators, but we are also met with history itself, that being musicians that actually performed with Presley at various junctures in his career. 

It’s no secret that Elvis was a huge gospel fan. After all he has recorded some of the most sensational gospel songs of all time. As history states, one of Elvis’ biggest gospel influences was the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, an outfit that has been around since 1934. Today, 81 years and generations of singers later, the now simpler named Blackwood Quartet are still touring the world spreading their inspirational music led by Blackwood royalty himself, Mark Blackwood. What better way to begin an Elvis tribute than with a handful of Blackwood Quartet songs of encouragement including a very inspired rendition of “He Touched Me”. The foursome then remained onstage to deliver backing vocals to many Elvis songs as only they could. 

Cody Ray Slaughter was the first of three Elvis tribute artists to take the stage and did so with a bang decked out in that ever so famous gold jacket to the tune of “Shake, Rattle and Roll”. Slaughter, the youngest performer to be awarded “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist” by Elvis Presley Enterprises” had Elvis’ stage moves down pat, inducing screams, oohs and aahs, with just the simplest gyration or dance step. Mostly taking on Elvis earlier hits, he was not only able to harness the charm and subtle humor of The King, Slaughter was also able to deliver a vocal performance with uncanny likeness to Presley himself. Slaughter continued to wow the crowd with hits like “Don’t Be Cruel” (with amazing backups by the Blackwood’s), “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Jailhouse Rock” and “Return to Sender” humorously introduced as “Return My Blender”. At one point Slaughter called on the Blackwood Quartet to join him around the microphone center stage for a lovely version of “Peace in the Valley”, the moving gospel Hymn that Elvis performed for his mother on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1957, despite the reluctance of the network.   

Let me take a breather here to acknowledge to band – the rock solid Fabulous Ambassadors who were accompanied by a good part of the set by original Elis Presley drummer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, D.J. Fontana. Fontana, now 84 years old, played with Elvis for fourteen years, playing with him on over 460 cuts. This was an incredible thrill for the Elvis fans throughout the theatre, of which I should add were of ages ranging both younger and older. It was actually refreshing to see so many younger fans thoroughly enjoying the music of Elvis Presley. And why shouldn’t they? His music is timeless.      

Next up was Ryan Pelton who boldly conquered the stage within moments of making his grand entrance donned in the now-very-famously-known black leather jumpsuit that Elvis wore in the 1968 Comeback Special. For the most part the show stuck to an accurate chronological timeline barring a few exceptions. Pelton did a nice job in recreating some of the 1968 Comeback special, getting his biggest cheers for his performance of “Fever” thanks to his sultry vocals accompanied with a handful of strategic leg thrusts. After a number of memorable Elvis hits, Pelton ended on a high note with “Teddy Bear” where he joked with the crowd and tossed stuffed teddy bears to adorning fans. Slaughter then reclaimed the stage for a very emotional rendition of “If I Can Dream” one of Elvis’ most important songs of his time, a song of peace and understanding dedicated to the late Martin Luther King. 

Just after a twenty or so minute long intermission, The Sweet Inspirations took center stage from their position off to the side where they had been providing additional backing vocals and performed a bluesy song named after their group “Sweet Inspiration” – and they sounded terrific! Sweet Inspiration original Estelle Brown sang with Elvis from 1969 until his death in 1977 witnessing the peak of the rock legend to his unfortunate decline. Brown did offer a story to the crowd, one of her favorite memories of Elvis, where he had found out one of the Sweet Inspirations had just been diagnosed with cancer. Heartbroken, he knelt beside her, put his hand on her stomach and prayed with her. A few days later no traces of cancer could be found. And whether you believe that the power of prayer healed her or not, one can’t help be moved by Elvis’s concern and intent. 

We’ve now gone through the early career of Elvis, to the movie years, to the ’68 Comeback Special. It was now time for Shawn Klush to take over to recreate the Vegas years – personally, one of my favorite eras. Spotlights raced around the audience as the band went into 2001: A Space Odyssey and right on cue Klush entered the stage in his white peacock jumpsuit to get things rolling with “CC Rider”. Klush’s spot on vocals paved the way as he powered through the set with live favorites “My Way”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Suspicious Minds”, “Always on My Mind” (a new edition to the set beautifully done) and “Polk Salad Annie” among others. It was already a set to remember before Klush ended strongly with a powerful version of “American Trilogy” and of course the song that Elvis ended his concerts with “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.

In all, the Elvis Tribute Artist Spectacular is just that – spectacular. If you are already an Elvis fan you will love it, if you are new to Elvis it will win you over. Basically, the show is like several concerts in one creating three hours of Elvis bliss. Following the show fans are able to meet the performers who are all too happy to share their memories of The King. Brilliantly musically directed by James Johnson, The Elvis Tribute Artist Spectacular has become a great tradition surrounding the birthday of Elvis and is something that can be enjoyed over and over again. For show updates and tour dates visit http://www.elvisbirthdaytribute.com/index.html. 

Thanks to shows like this and the other wonderful Elvis tributes that are being performed in Chicago, nationally and internationally, new generations will discover what we already know to be true – Elvis is the greatest entertainer of all time and his music is forever relevant. 

I never got hooked on Lost, it was too confusing after a while. I am not a fan of The Walking Dead or Fear of the Walking Dead. Both are filled with too much gross, face eating bloody gore for my taste. I disliked Twin Peaks which was creepily sexist and unsettling to me. 

My theory for the reason this generation of young people are especially intrigued with increasingly more scary and realistic looking horror films, video games and TV shows is because the world around them is filled with the news of real human against human atrocities every day and these films make them feel safe. As if saying to themselves when they turn off the TV, "Hey my life is difficult, there are innocent people and animals suffering all around the world but at least I’m not being chased every day by flesh eating zombies! 

I probably would not have even watched "Wayward Pines" in its entirety, but after interviewing the extremely nice and forthcoming show's star Matt Dillon and Wayward Pines' executive producer/director, M Night Shyamalan, at Chicago's most popular TV and fiction fan nerd fest, C2E2, I became intrigued. 

First of all, the entire cast was extremely impressive with amazing Oscar nominated supporting cast members like Melissa Leo, Juliette Lewis ,Toby Jones, Carla Gugino, Terrence Howard and of course the show's star, the still handsome and fit Matt Dillon. Dillon, nominated himself for an Oscar for his work in the 2004 film "Crash", is known primarily as a film actor who had not really been seen much on the big screen since his explosively funny portrayal as a blundering private eye in the hit "Something About Mary”. Putting all this great, mature, experienced talent together along with the involvement of wunderkind M Night Shyamalan and I figured there wasn't a way this show could flop unless there was something seriously wrong with the plot. 

The series was adapted for television and written by Chad Hodge. Now, I haven't read the successful series of books by Blake Crouch it was adapted from, which is apparently okay, as Matt mentioned in our interview that the cast was also instructed they need not read the books in order to experience the story fresh as written. 

Hodge did a fantastic job on the script, especially given that he was limited in certain elements by the ten episode series being picked up by FOX instead of a more freewheeling, R rated cable channel like Showtime, HBO or AMC. I asked M Night about this choice of networks and he felt that the limitations of prime time television actually helped the story immensely as it required the writers to infuse the script with sensuality where possible, not nudity and intelligent suspense, not constant gore, which made the show palatable for a huge mainstream audience. After seeing all ten episodes I completely agree.

Of course,  because of M Night's groundbreaking twist in his hit film the "Sixth Sense" I feared that "Wayward Pines" might try and pull off an easy and unsatisfying "this was all a dream" or "everyone is really dead" type of plot curve.  I really enjoyed that the major "secret" underlying Wayward Pines existence (which was revealed around episode five) that the entire town was actually still on earth far into the future ala "Planet of the Apes". 

There were and still are some major holes in the story, like how did Dr. Jenkins, played with mind bending creepiness by veteran actor Toby Jones keep going back and forth in time to get more groups of people?

Also, if someone told you that you and your family had been spared an end of civilization death (albeit without your permission) and forced to live in a nice little town where all the money is fake and you only need to eat, drink and show up for your fake job then enjoy your brand new house and be merry - why would so many go nuts and kill themselves? 

And the biggest hole that many Matt Dillon fans have pointed out online was that with all that super advanced scientific technology and Dillon's character's exceptional defense and fighting skills, why he wasn't able to figure out a way to detonate the bombs remotely that saved the rest of the town without blowing himself up in the process?

I don't want to dwell on those minor plot glitches because Hodge includes many very interesting and relevant ideas about the problems the human race faces right now including how these problems are affecting the minds and actions of today's youth and future generations. 

The Wayward Pines website sets the scene with this quote about the mysterious town and the "Rules" which must be followed by its citizens under threat of execution;

“Imagine the perfect American town, beautiful homes, manicured lawns, children playing safely in the streets... Now imagine never being able to leave. You have no communication with the outside world. You think you’re going insane. You must be in Wayward Pines."

"Do Not Try to Leave. Do Not Discuss the Past. Do Not Discuss Your Life Before. Always Answer the Phone if it Rings. Work Hard. Be Happy. And Enjoy Your Life in Wayward Pines."

This description of their "government" enforced lifestyle along with these eerily intrusive and nonsensical rules for living are in and of themselves a marvelous description of how many Americans and especially young people feel every day. People look at their mindless jobs, their endless struggle to make ends meet, to take care of ailing family members etc., while feeling very alone and almost as if they are going insane in a mad world they did not willingly "choose" to live in. The modern world seems - to young and old alike - to be full of rules written by privileged white men, some of which are highly intrusive, threatening, useless and even deadly.

In "Wayward Pines" Abbies (short for "aberrations") is the nickname for the creatures, once "normal" humans, who have somehow deteriorated into cannibalistic, mindless yet somewhat clever and predatory monsters.

I also enjoyed Hodges' choice that the "aberrations" were once human, not some made up aliens or animals that have suddenly become violently carnivorous, because that is exactly what is happening now all around the globe.

On an international level the Isis members who attacked all those innocent citizens in Paris which would normally be the Wayward Pines or civilized "safe place" while the Isis members are the aberrations.

In India where a woman or female child is raped every 22 minutes, the village center or city is thought to be the "Wayward Pines" (safe place) while men, rapists from these same towns who recently gang raped and in the process murdered two three year old toddlers would be considered the Abbies of that area.

In America, on a community level, the young man who walked into the Sandy Hook day school and killed 26 women and children would be the Abbie. On a family level, in any country, the family home or unit seems to be the "safe place" our youth can grow and  blossom in - but the incestuous relative or stranger rapist/serial killer who attacks and "consumes" children or kills other family members would be the Abbie, etc., etc. 

At the very end of the final episode we find out that even though the children, or "First Generation” as they are proudly called, know the truth about their imprisonment, they continue to idolize the now dead Dr. Jenkins and his methods of watching everyone on hidden cameras and publicly killing those that even speak of resisting. It was a surprising if depressing plot twist but probably realistic that vulnerable, prideful young minds once programmed for violence will continue to practice and propagate this type of behavior rather than try to revolt and create their own peaceful utopia.

Matt Dillon was a brilliant casting choice for the lead in this new type of TV mini-series, partly because of his physical ability at the age of 51, to still realistically play an action character. Dillon has proven in the past that he is both a fine dramatic and comedic actor and also because he has wisely chosen interesting roles here and there that have kept him from becoming over exposed or identified with a lot of B quality projects. Dillon had a fiercely protective and intense presence throughout that kept the show from becoming stagnant or boring. 

In this case, from a talent agent's point of view, not a critic, I think Dillon wisely agreed or even suggested to be killed off at the end of the show, that way if Wayward Pines was a flop, he would be instantly onto the next project, no harm no foul. If Wayward Pines turned out to be a huge success, the writers could easily dream up some way to revive his character from the past, perhaps even through flashbacks alone, which would put Dillon in an excellent bargaining position for future episode rates. 

The final episode seemed to imply that the actor Charlie Tahan who played Matt Dillon's son was going to follow in Dillon's footsteps as the lead actor of the second season. However, Tahan, as good as he is as a sensitive young actor, is just not appealing, sexy or strong enough to carry this show. But who knows? Hot, new, young characters may be introduced that will effectively preserve the show's adult "sexy" factor. 

If the writing and major adult, character actor involvement in the plot lines continues, I am convinced that a second season of Wayward Pines will be a hit even without Matt Dillon's presence. However I agree with many other viewers who have expressed their opinions through social media that they will have little or no interest in the show if Dillon's character is actually finished. Matt Dillon's sexy, strong and urgently heartfelt portrayal as the rescuer in Wayward Pines will not be easy to replace, especially if he and others are replaced by less mature actors in their 20's to just satisfy a younger audience. 

Dillon's next project is Zach Braff’s remake of “Going In Style”. Matt Dillon will costar alongside Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Morgan Freeman and the ageless Ann-Margaret due out in May of 2016. 

Also, after our interview Dillon expressed a strong desire to direct again as he did quite well critically by writing, directing and starring in his directorial debut "City of Ghosts" which also starred James Caan and Gerard Depardieu. Dillon has also been working on a documentary about Afro-Cuban musician El Gran Love.  

Wayward Pines is a production of FX Productions. The series was developed for television by Chad Hodge and executive-produced by Donald De Line, Ashwin Rajan Hodge and Shyamalan. Hodge wrote and Shyamalan directed the premiere episode and the second season is set to debut in the summer of 2016.

"Gotta Dance" is a partly fictional partly true story based on the 2008 documentary film by Dori Bernestein about the New Jersey Nets and the basketball team’s efforts to boost flagging attendance by creating the first-ever hip-hop halftime dance team comprised only of those 60 and older. 

Georgia Engel, best known for her role on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, plays a school teacher who secretly loves, listens and dances to Tupac in her spare time. Engel steals the show with practically every line of hers getting huge laughs, showing that not only can she still sing and dance at the age of 67, Engle has lost NONE of her terrific comedic timing. 

Also, Stefanie Powers most famous for her role on TV's "Hart to Hart" looks, dances and sounds absolutely beautiful in her role as the slightly bitter divorcee. Once crowned Miss NY Subway, she refuses to let go of her youthful image holding on any way she can, including Botox and still taking three dance classes a week at the age of 73.

Two of the best songs in the show “Dorothy/Dottie” and “The Prince of Swing” are the work of Marvin Hamlisch (“A Chorus Line”), who worked on the show just before his death in 2012.

Dance team member Camilla is played by a tall, thin, gorgeous Broadway singer and dancer, Nancy Ticotin, who at age 58 engaged in a HOT, sexy affair with her 25-year-old salsa partner (Alexander Aguilar). Ticotin's excellent dancing and voice are really standouts in this show and her affair with a younger man is entirely believable as she looks and dances with the grace of a woman half her age. 

Mae, who is an adorable, well-meaning but slightly confused and off balance dancer is played by Lori Tan Chinn. Chinn gives heart wrenching but casually delivered rendering of “The Waters Rise”, a moving song about her husband’s deterioration from Alzheimer’s disease. 

The sole man in the dance group is Ron played adorably by Andre De Shields, a still mourning widower who has a fantastic mellowed out yet modern feel to his Jazzy dancing and delivery of straight forward encouragement to the ladies around him in the show. 

Like many of the characters in the show, I "used to be a dancer" until I was disabled in an accident so I really loved the fact that they showed that practically everyone has some of the ability to keep dancing at an advanced age, whether it's hip hop, swing, or tap if you like!

"Gotta Dance" also showed the ageism young dancers face when being "retired" forcibly from their dance squads at the ripe old age of 27. 

I highly recommend "Gotta Dance". This is a funny, fast paced, heartwarming and inspiring show every single person should see at some time in their life.

"Gotta Dance" reminds us all we are spirits living in bodies that may be slowly deteriorating, but we need never give up the JOY of DANCING our young or old bodies - in our living rooms at least! Playing at Bank of America Theatre through January 17th, tickets and more show info can be found at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. 

Bruce Norris, also a member of the Steppenwolf ensemble, wrote and directed this very funny, fast moving play about a gynecologist turned politician, Bill Pulver, who ends up putting a young prostitute into a coma during rough sex play. 

The play opens at a press conference as the news hits the public about the young woman struggling for life on a respirator where it is also noted  with disgust that she was wearing a child's school uniform when found - much like Pulver’s uniforms his own two young daughters wear to school.

As the play goes on, we find out this is not a one-time event, and in fact it is slowly revealed that he has been seeing various prostitutes for over a decade and has spent more than $76,000.00 of he and his wife's money on his “hobby”, or “sex addiction” which is never made clear. 

I really enjoyed that the female characters far outnumbered the male characters in this play. It gave each of the leads especially Mary Beth Fisher, who plays Pulver’s wife Judy the chance to really tear up the stage with some fantastic speeches. 

Steppenwolf favorite Tom Irwin in the lead as Pulver is perfect as the slightly charismatic, Bill Clinton-ish character who thinks he has no reason to say he's sorry to the public or anyone else. Pulver feels that cheating on his wife with a prostitute is not an ongoing affair, but rather a victim-less crime and a necessity for any man who has been married as long as he has. Pulver refuses to apologize to the public at the press conference and seems to think what he has done is as common as using porn anonymously on the internet except that the porn actually comes to you and has sex with you. 

The couple has a preteen daughter they adopted from Asia who shows a slideshow throughout the play describing how different species of animals have much more dominant females than humans do. Some that do not even require a male to reproduce. Cassidy was who was played sensitively by Emily Chang is literally sickened by the arguing going on around her, grabbing her inhaler and running offstage which neither parent seems to notice or really care about. 

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed this brilliantly written, witty, almost manifesto-like feminist play. Refreshing is that Norris is not afraid to bring to the surface such taboo subject matter, for instance when the older daughter brings up how upset she is and genuinely concerned with issues like female genital mutilation, a desperately important and horrific feminist and human rights desecration I did not even know existed when I was a teenager.

But then completely disappointing is when Norris writes a final scene where the victim awakens from her coma and seems to be seeking publicity for a book about her injuries. This scene seemed to turn everything around as if it was her fault or intent in some way to capitalize on his crime and shows the husband and wife on opposite sides of the stage breathing a sigh of relief, almost as if to say that if she's not “dead”, and wants some retribution, she probably is a just a whore who "asked for it”, and he is just a regular cheating husband just like any other husband except that he wanted to hold public office while continuing to cheat on his wife with prostitutes. It was almost as if Pulver should be absolved of his wrong doing and may actually even become the victim when the rest of the play, up until that point, steered us otherwise.

I know some men will be aggravated watching this play but intrigued while women will just love it. In fact, there was a gentleman sitting next to me who stated in the after play discussion, "His wife is such a shrew, I think he had a right to cheat on her." I quickly asked, "Even if that's true, did he have the right to lie to her for a decade? To expose her to any number of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS without her knowledge?" The man fell silent and could not answer me, but I suspect he and his wife had quite a rousing discussion on their ride home! 

Funny, smart and dark, running 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission, "Domesticated" is exciting to watch, full of great performances and highly recommended. “Domesticated” will get you and your partner  talking - and maybe in the process even fuel a few long overdue divorces of its own.

“Domesticated” is playing at Steppenwolf Theatre through February 7th. For more show information visit www.steppenwolf.org.  

I've seen Hell in a Handbag’s production of “Christmas Dearest” before and the dazzling funny and yet touching show has now officially become part of my true Holiday tradition. The reason being is that it takes the classic tale "A Christmas Carol" and throws some six-inch, size 11 heeled, f*ck me pumps on it, tosses back a martini, lights up an extra-long cigarette and says "We love you just the way you are”.  It is Christmas time - the time for Love and Acceptance is really here happening in Chicago! 

David Cerda wrote the script and the book for this adorable musical theater piece and I am continuously blown away by his huge amount of talent. 

Always one to give his shows 110 percent of his energy, no matter how many hats he has to wear at once, I must say Cerda was absolutely on FIRE with the spirit of Joan Crawford at the opening night performance!! Joan has been asked to play "Mary, the Mother of God” on the big screen and Cerda plays her searingly with beauty, ugliness and star charisma. 

Crawford is cheap and cruel and wants to force the entire cast to work on Christmas Day.  Soon the witchy Crawford is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Even the actual "Mary, Queen of Heaven" comes down from her  Royal Heavenly Throne to advise Crawford that she better shape up or she'll be dead soon, along with her dying career.

Hell in a Handbag's company of regulars are essential including the ever-reliably hysterical Ed Jones as Crawford's empathetic assistant/slave. New additions also add punch such as recent Northwestern graduate Frankie Leo Bennett as Crawford's now infamous biographer daughter, Christina, and Roosevelt University undergrad Alexa Castelvecchi who has a great voice and  lovely stage presence as a young Crawford who is shown to have once been a caring, generous young girl before "Hollywood casting couches” and politics ruined her psychologically. 

Also deserving of extra special mention is "Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come” in the form of Bette Davis, played to laughable perfection by Caitlin Jackson dressed in a fantastically dead on and literally dead "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" costume. 

The hysterical and perfectly tailored costumes for every single character by Kate Setzer Kamphausen, and equally indispensable wigs designed by Keith Ryan were colorful and perfectly dated in the most kitschy way possible for maximum laughs. 

Now there are some great theater companies in Chicago where the founder or artistic director would not be missed if absent from a single production but David Cerda is not one of them. Cerda displayed his complete control over the cast and audience when he reached for a martini accidentally placed a few feet too far from his chaise and got the biggest laugh from the audience when he addressed us with a droll improvised "Eight weeks of rehearsal...". 

I highly recommend this darling, genuinely laugh out loud funny and open-minded musical production to everyone ready to rock and possibly drink their way through their heartbroken holidays! Christmas Dearest is being performed at Mary’s Attic in Andersonville through December 29th. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.handbagproductions.org. 

There is no better way to get in the holiday spirit than with the classic Christmas ballet, the Nutcracker. Twenty-eight years after Robert Joffrey’s original production, this is the final year that the Joffrey Ballet will perform this Nutcracker (2016 brings us the world premier of Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker!). Even decades since artistic director Ashley Wheater performed in the opening night of the production, this performance retains the timeless magic of this joyous holiday tradition.

For those unfamiliar, the show takes place on Christmas Eve in the 1850s, opening with a party at the house of the mayor, his wife and his two children, Clara and Fritz. In the midst of the lively party Drosselmeyer, the somewhat eccentric godfather to Clara and Fritz, sprinkles in some excitement to the festivities with enchanted life-size dolls that dance and entertain the guests. However, it is his gift of a nutcracker for Clara, which truly ignites the magic.

After the guests have left and the family has gone to bed, Clara sneaks downstairs to gaze upon her beloved Nutcracker. She soon finds herself in the middle of a battle between the Mouse King and his army of mice and the Nutcracker, who comes to life to fight with his band of toy soldiers.  With the toss of a shoe, Clara knocks down the Mouse King saving the Nutcrackers life and as means of a thank you, he takes her through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets where the many toys from under Clara’s tree come to life in enjoyable and fantastic dances.

Joffrey’s Nutcracker downplays the traditional romance between Clara and the Nutcracker prince, fortifying the role of Drosselmeyer as the catalyst and guide of Clara’s journey to the Kingdom of Sweets. Performed by Michael Smith, Drosselmeyer is a technically strong role but at times, it felt overpowering for my taste, making the role of Clara more infantile and taking away from the romance between Clara and the Nutcracker Prince. 

Another split from tradition was the introduction of male dancers into the Land of Snow and Waltz of the Flowers scenes, however these deviations I found truly fantastic. The combination of beautiful partnering, endless falling snow and the graceful choreography expertly performed by the snowflakes (ladies) and snow winds (men) transports the audience on their mystical journey with Clara through the land of snow. In the Waltz of the Flowers in the second act, again the partnering added an interesting dimension, as did the constant tossing of fluttering flower petals beautifully worked into the choreography.

Overall, the dancers exhibited a wonderful balance of grace and precision creating flowing lines that perfectly complimented the Tchaikovsky score. The company members were fantastic, performing in perfect unison with a look of joy on their face making everything look effortless as a good ballet should. There were many young performers in the show as well who steal the scene with their cuteness! In the Kingdom of Sweets, each piece was accompanied by a tiny tot dressed in character sitting with Clara to watch the dance unfold. As someone who performed in the Nutcracker a number of times as a kid, I enjoyed this element of the show, as I am sure every aspiring ballerina in the audience did as well.

My favorite pieces by far were the Coffee from Arabia pas de deux, where Dara Holmes captivated us with her flexibility and elegant lines and the Grand Pas De Deux by the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince. Instantly entranced by the sparkle of the Sugar Plum Fairy costume, I was continually captivated as Amanda Assucena and Alberto Velasquez brilliantly performed the most iconic piece from the show.  

The Nutcracker runs at the Auditorium Theater through December 27th.  Buy your tickets now! Take your children, take your parents, take your date or take them all for a magical performance that will truly put you in the holiday spirit. 

In a cramped police station in Southern France, a handful of men argue about why they were picked up for questioning. During the Nazi occupation of France in WWII, Germany left Vichy to be governed by France. This didn't exempt the zone from mass deportation of Jews living on false papers. Arthur Miller's "Incident at Vichy" explores the dark themes of a region living in fear, holding a mirror up to our own time.

With direction by Ian Frank, Redtwist gives a faithful production of Miller's under-produced 1964 one-act. Redtwist's best asset from show to show is the intimacy of their performance space. For a claustrophobic play like this, a better space couldn't be found. There are almost as many cast members as audience members and when the room is full, there's an inherent sense of panic.

White men arguing is pretty often seen in mid-century theatre. Usually it's a vehicle for expressing the playwright's world views. "Incident at Vichy" is a play of its time period. That's not to say Arthur Miller's words aren't chillingly relevant. As each character in question slowly divulges the reasons they may be sent away, they prioritize their own right to life over their neighbor's. In those passionate monologues, Miller cuts right to the heart of human nature, which is sometimes primal.

With a large cast and a short play, it's unusual to have so much character development. The ensemble distinguishes themselves well. The play hangs on a stand-out performance by Jeremy Trager as Von Berg (an Austrian nobleman). His character is the only one who seems to express empathy and guilt about what's happening to the people around him. David Giannini and Tim Parker balance out the cast as Bayard and Leduc and turn in strong performances as well.

"Incident at Vichy" is a story of people living in fear. It's a cautionary tale of what can happen when people are apathetic. With all this history, it's shocking in America that some would-be politicians are touting mass deportations of minority groups. To that end, Miller's play has never been more essential.

Through January 10th at Redtwist Theatre. 1044 W Bryn Mawr. 773-728-75329

Everyone's mom has a copy of "Tapestry," and by now the songs are almost as familiar as the Star Bangled Banner. What many may not know is that composer Carole King and lyricist Gerry Goffin literally shaped the sound of early rock 'n roll with their songs made popular by The Drifters, The Shirelles and Little Eva. 

"Beautiful" is a musical based on Carole King's incredible rise in the music business as a teenager. While the show is a fairly succinct tale, it does neglect that Miss King ran in the same circles as many other music heavy weights such as Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon. Impressive even still is that she sold her first hit song when she was sixteen years old. In an age when many careers were off limits to women. 

Douglas McGrath's book is charming and witty. It begins with Carole (Abby Mueller) playing "So Far Away," at a piano, her long frizzy hair moves along with King's signature playing mannerisms. From there it revolves back in time to a less sure of herself King, telling her story through her own songs. McGrath's book has a sincerity not often found these days in blockbuster Broadway shows. He provides heartbreaking context for all the well-known hits written by not just King and Goffin, but also their close friends and competition, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. 

The numbers are somewhat formulaic in their presentation, moving from real life story to full-scale performances (as they would have appeared on American Band Stand) but the songs are incredibly well sung and choreographed by the ensemble. It's nearly impossible not to sing along under your breath, or in full-voice as some audience members were. Mcgrath and director Marc Bruni have struck a perfect balance that both tickles and leaves the audience feeling an emotional attachment to the characters, so that in the end, "Beautiful" isn't just about Carole King and it's also not just about the music industry. 

Local actress Abby Mueller does an impeccable job filling the shoes of Carole King. If you close your eyes, you wouldn't know you're not actually listening to "Tapestry." Mueller's performance pushes past the gimmick of imitation. She connects to the audience and makes the familiar story of a bad marriage very real. When she turns from frumpy housewife into the bohemian California-chic (the Tapestry look) it feels very cathartic, which makes her success as a solo singer all the more triumphant. 

Through February 21st at The Oriental Theatre. Broadway in Chicago. 800-775-2000

Chicagoans' love for historical dramas and our ghost and gangster bus tours are very popular here, so it is not surprising that this very well written and performed ensemble play about the very real, tragic Iroquois Theater fire in 1903 that killed over six hundred people packed in for an oversold Christmas winter matinee would be such a popular production even during the Holiday season. Powerful, heart-rending, imaginative and filled with dark humor, “Burning Bluebeard” is wonderfully directed by Halena Kays, who is able to so effectively take us back in time to revisit one of the greatest Chicago tragedies in this haunting and magical production.

The luxurious brand new and it turns out, unfinished building, The Iroquois Theater, was supposed to be the new "Titanic" of theaters – in this case luxurious and fireproof. So many important things relating to theater safety came out of this tragedy it almost seems destined to have happened in order to teach the world how NOT to construct and maintain theater safety for generations. 

Around 3:15 p.m. on December 30th, not long after the second act began, sparks from faulty wiring in a large lighted moon ignited several of the highly flammable scenery props. The stage manager frantically tried to separate the audience from the burning stage by lowering the massive asbestos flame proof curtain, but when it became stuck it did not take long before the quick and furious blaze spread throughout the theater.

The theater, which had a max capacity of thirteen hundred, was packed to the gills for this particular matinee performance of Bluebeard with over sixteen hundred audience members, most of whom were women and children. It was so packed that patrons sat in the aisles, squeezed in where they could, blocking doorways in the process. The upper levels were separated from the higher priced seats on the main floor by doors locked with chains so that the children could not "sneak' down to better seats or, as it turned out, escape in case of fire. There were fake doorways covered with heavy black curtains whereas if a perseverant theater goer did manage to break open during an escape attempt, they would find a brick wall on the other side. Wall after wall of glamorous mirrors in the lobby created a funhouse effect further confusing the panicked crowd when they could not find any real windows or unlocked doors.  The fire escapes were not yet completed and reached only halfway down the four story building.

Vents in the ceiling were nailed shut and the top of the theater was filled with highly incendiary silk set pieces. The very seats themselves were basically just flammable velvet material stuffed with straw hemp like tinder.

Amidst the chaos, unfortunately one of the show’s actors ordered the children, especially those packed shoulder to shoulder in the upper balcony, to sit back down and stay seated until they could exit slowly and safely.  But that was the worst thing they could have done. There were hundreds of performers in this show trapped backstage and when they finally were able to break down the back door which of course was chained and padlocked shut from the outside, it created a backdraft fireball that literally incinerated all of the children and their mothers in the front and upper rows of the balcony so quickly that all of their watches were stopped at precisely the same moment. 

Superbly written by Jay Torrence and performed by an outstanding ensemble consisting of Jay Torrence, Leah Urzendowski, Ryan Walters, Pam Chermansky, Anthony Courser and Molly Plunk, one cannot help but feel the desperation of the original theater crowd along with the relief of being alive in a world where lit EXIT signs and having working fire extinguishers are just part of what one expects for normal audience safety.

Every member of this troupe plays a unique role but I have to especially point out Molly Plunk who plays the role of an imaginary faerie queen capable of turning back time and causing the whole event to unfold without danger. Plunk’s delicate and whimsical interpretation of this role is key to keeping hope in the audience alive that somehow reliving this tragedy over and over will cause it not to happen again. 

I have recommended this show highly in the past and every friend I've sent young or old has had the same magical experience watching this unique, darkly funny, and fantastic production. Now in its fourth year, due to the show’s growing popularity, “Burning Bluebeard” has moved to yet a larger venue in The Den Theatre. Performed through January 10^th, The Ruffians’ collaboration with The Hypocrites’ “Burning Bluebeard” has become a holiday hit in Chicago and is a sure-fire must see.

More show info can be found www.the-hypocrites.com. The show last approximately one hour and forty minutes with no intermission.

"Funnyman", now playing at Northlight Theatre in Skokie, is a familiar tale about an artist who has reached the end of one phase of his career and has to either adapt to the new environs and trends in entertainment or retire to his old world , hopefully with his dignity intact.

George Wendt, lovingly known for his co-starring role as Norm in the hit series, Cheers, plays the lead character of "Chick", a vaudeville star abused as a child and later who was exploited as an adult in order to rehash, and cash in on, his tired old catch phrase "Wowsa! 

Chick and his faithful agent, Milt Karp, played with real sympathy and humor by talented SNL alumna, Tim Kazurinsky, now makes Chick his only income by doing clownish Bromo Seltzer TV commercials.  

After three years with no offers of theater work, Chick is finally offered a groundbreaking role in a French beatnik production that will bring his gifts to a new young audience and reinvigorate his career indefinitely - if he can pull it off. The flamboyantly gay director, played by Rob Lindley was a real comedic standout and his energy onstage reinvigorated the piece throughout the second act. 

For much of the first act we only see that Chick is very depressed and like other funnymen we have known and loved - Robin Williams, John Belushi, Chick is only "funny' in public when he has to be - as a defense mechanism to get others to like him and finally, after hearing his catchphrase, to leave him alone. 

His grown daughter lives with him after a prolonged absence when she was sent away as child to boarding schools. She presses Chick, Milt, and anyone who knew Chick in the early days and researches the library archives to find out why her father has always been so harsh and unapproachable to her. She also demands to know more about the mystery of how her beautiful showgirl mother suddenly died in a way that no one - least of all Chick - her own father will explain to her.

Although 'Funnyman" is billed as a comedy and there are several good laughs in it, the real satisfaction, and finally catharsis, comes to the audience as the underpinnings of the sometimes harsh world of vaudevillian entertainment come to light. 

Apparently, Chick was used by his mother and father in what they called a "chaser act", meaning they "chase" the audience out of the theater at the end of the show. The thought being that the audience will be less likely to throw bottles and food at a couple holding a baby!

Chick learned as he got older that if he didn't make funny faces at as many as four shows, six days a week, he would not eat. When a four-year-old making funny faces ceased to appease the audience, the family's' routine morphed into what they called a "rough act" where Chick ended up being thrown across the stage for a laugh. 

When one day he actually broke his collarbone after being tossed on stage, the stage doctor told his mother that he could not perform for a few weeks until it healed. His mother, whom Chick believes had sadistic tendencies, tells the doctor without flinching or humor, "No, he can go on, we will throw him underhand." 

At one point Chick makes the observation that "Nobody takes comics seriously until they do something serious." For that reason this production, which was very satisfying as whole on many levels, reminded me of Michael Keaton's Oscar nominated role in the hit film "Birdman".

The audience goes in expecting to see and laugh at the warm, fuzzy, familiar "Norm” from Cheers but leaves feeling they have seen the full dramatic range of what a skilled actor like George Wendt is really capable of when given the right material. 

It's a tragic irony reflecting on the seemingly endless well of insecurity that actors experience in general that in Funnyman they also quote the fact that "The hardest thing in the world... is comedy." 

Great comic actors like Keaton and Robin Williams have forever been trying to prove that they are as "good" or as "gifted" as their more serious counterparts who tend to receive all of the Oscars and respect, when in reality as a skill, comic timing and comic writing are much, much harder to achieve. Comedic timing is quite simply a much rarer gift to be blessed with in this world, a true prolific comic, or comedian/writer is very, very rare indeed. 

Chick's daughter played aptly by Amanda Drinkall finds an old news article about her mother and father performing together and notes that it is quite literally the only photograph of her father truly smiling that exists. Sadly it seems to her that she has never seen that smile on his face in real life - ever.  I don't want to give away this important plot point about the tragedy of his wife's death but it shows that Chick was once a sweet, softie who finally had found happiness with his love, until it was taken away and never returned.  

I loved the video touches with "I Love Lucy" and the Bromo commercial reenactment and the references to the golden age of Broadway including all of the agent to artist arguing and pep talking.

The set was functionally designed to keep the play moving quickly from scene to scene but I found myself wishing for more color, more definition, more character and less generalized nostalgia in each of the spaces. It felt a little sparse and depressing.

I highly recommend seeing this satisfying and ultimately encouraging and heartwarming ensemble type piece about overcoming your greatest fears regarding major transitions in one's life, even if one of your greatest fears, in this case Chick's abusive mother and weak father, are long gone from your life. 

The fear of forgiving those events that have crushed you, and moving on to enjoy present life opportunities with your family and friends that are still here and do love you, must be faced and overcome.

Funnyman, clearly illustrates that if you cannot roll with the changes, especially in later years, then life itself becomes like Chick's life - a joke which has ceased to make people laugh, a bitterly boring and sad repetition of days without laughter or cheer - which is not a life worth living.

Funnyman is being performed at Northlight Theatre through October 18th. For tickets or more show information, visit www.northlight.org.