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Mrs. Doubtfire – Nederlander Theatre – March 3, 2024

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Mrs. Doubtfire is fun. Rob McClure isn’t Robin Williams. But vice versa. McClure is one of those Broadway stars we often don’t get to see in Chicago unless it’s in a pre-Broadway tryout, which can be disappointing (I think back to when I saw Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth in a easily-forgotten production of The Addams Family) or the performer is somewhat past their sweet spot in terms of Broadway demand (too many examples to mention), having been replaced by the next generation of ubertalent.

Speaking of the next generation, Giselle Gutierrez, a sophomore in college, as Lydia Hillard, displayed a voice and stage presence that will undoubtedly take her to Broadway some day.

McClure has more energy at age 41 than I had at age 17. When he isn’t acting (with his real-life wife as his stage wife), singing, dancing (in a variety of styles, with an awesome ensemble around him), nailing jokes, and doing at least eight or ten different voices, he’s busy getting in and out of the Mrs. Doubtfire mask, wig and costumes, and sharing the process with the audience, so that I can confidently say that he puts his pants on one leg at a time, but quickly, and without falling on his face.

The show has a somewhat checkered past, having started previews three days before all Broadway productions were closed for a year-and-a-half due to Covid, and then shutting down again for two months after only a month of performances due to more Covid concerns. McClure finally got enough stage time to get nominated for a Tony Award, but the show had lost all its momentum and didn’t last long on Broadway, which led to McClure’s interest in doing the national tour, to our great benefit.

Grant Park Music Festival – 2024 Festival Season 
Highlights Presentation – February 22, 2024

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Even in winter, with the glass doors closed the Pritzker Pavilion stage at Millennium Park is warm and cozy. As is my wont, I hung out near the back, near the food, in a spot probably inhabited by a percussionist during a summer concert.

As to the hors d’oeuvres, who decided long ago that kabobs were the way to go at such events? They’re really not finger food. Eating off a stick just doesn’t measure up to eating off the bone. They don’t slide easily off the holder, perhaps because they’re usually too dry unless you dip them in some messier than tasty sauce, and you risk impaling the inside of your mouth with the sharp end. But the wine and cheese were good.

The program was better. Christopher Bell, Director of the Grant Park Chorus, walked around in a natty hat, looking a lot like a Truman Capote impressionist, and gave us a rare insight to a normally well-guarded secret, of which we were not sworn to secrecy, so here it is.

During last year’s Chicago Nascar event, Bell became aware of, and fascinated by the fact that, a driver of the same name was competing in the race. One thing led to another, and Nascar will be sponsoring this year’s 4th of July concert and Chicago’s Bell will be wearing (this part’s the usual non-reveal) a special Nascar racing suit with the number 1 on it (also with, I assume, some red, white and blue).

Two musicians from the orchestra performed beautifully, one on the double bass (sorry, I didn’t get her name) and new orchestra member  Josh Jones, who lit up the room playing  the marimba.

Carlos Kalmar spoke about his upcoming final season as the orchestra’s conductor, aided by some recorded selections from this year’s lineup, and one that was inserted accidentally, not that any of us would have noticed had he not pointed out the faux pas. He was very pleased to tell us that his final concert will include a Vienna children’s choir directed by his daughter.

After the bassist played a second short piece to close the program, and the audience rose to clap, I made my quick exit (first one to the coat rack!), walking past Kalmar, who was standing in the wings. I expressed my surprise that my departure had been greeted with such applause, which brought a smile to his face, so I guess we’re buddies now.

Anything Goes (Take 2) – Porchlight Music Theatre – February 16, 2024

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I raved about Anything Goes when I saw it on opening night. It was even better the second time around, so I felt the need to expand upon my earlier praise.

Emma Ogea graced us with her beautiful voice again, and this time she seemed even more comfortable in her role as Hope Harcourt, settling in while she continues to attend Columbia College!

I am continually amazed (I’m apparently a little slow) at the new talent coming out of our local schools and performing like veterans. Among the rest of the cast, Logan Becker also is a student at Columbia and Rachael Dec just graduated Northwestern last year. Gabriel Solis has three other plays under his belt and probably hasn’t even started high school yet.

Among the more veteran performers, Luke Nowakowski (as Billy Crocker) impressed me even more than I already was with his vocal range.

Ciara Hickey was a treat and I now realize I saw them perform at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre’s 2022 It Came from Outer Space, which I loved.

Steve McDonagh (Moonface Martin) gets to ham it up big time, and does so very successfully.

Jackson Evans (Lord Evelyn Oakleigh) still gets to display some wild dance moves, but they tightened his choreography up a little to allow him to shine even more.

And last, but never least, there isn’t much I can say about Meghan Murphy that I haven’t said many times before, but I would suggest that she has taken what was already a star performance and upped her game even more, if that’s even possible, with what seemed like an increasing array of facial reactions and physical gestures that could be their own highlight film.

Meghan has been nominated six times for a Jeff Award, but never won. I ‘m guessing that this will be the seventh time and the charm.

2024 GRAMMY Awards – Los Angeles – February 4, 2024 (Guest Blogger – Samme Orwig)

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The atmospheric river that hit Los Angeles County did nothing to dampen the spirits of those attending the 66th GRAMMY Awards. Armed with storm ponchos and umbrellas, we made our way into the Premiere Ceremony at noon – before the rain began – and settled in for the three-hour, YouTube-streamed program where many of the lesser-known, but equally-important, performers, receive awards in 80 or so categories, such as Best Album Notes, Best Americana Performance, Best Remixed Recording (whatever that is?) and Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

We were there to root for Chicago and Chicago-adjacent musicians such as Laura Strickling and Daniel Schlosberg (nominees for #92, Best Classical Solo Vocal Album), Jessie Montgomery (#94, Best Contemporary Classical Composition, which she won!), Pacifica Quartet, and most of all, Third Coast Percussion, a four-man ensemble marking its seventh trip to L.A. as GRAMMY nominees.

Did it matter to us that Third Coast Percussion was up against classical fan favorites Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, and Leonidas Kavakos? No! And it didn’t matter to the Recording Academy voters, either; they chose Roomful of Teeth (love the name) for #90, the Chamber/Small Ensemble GRAMMY.

With a measure of humble disappointment, and rain paraphernalia in hand, we made our way through a downpour to the vast Crypto Arena (formerly Staples Center), where the pop production emceed by the gifted and upbeat Trevor Noah was about to begin. This made-for-TV show does not disappoint. Some of the icons performing this year included Billy Joel, Miley Cyrus, and Dua Lipa, whose lively opening act, “Training Season,” was choreographed in and through a huge cube-shaped jungle gym that dancers lifted, rotated, and carried across the floor. Note to self: my workout routine is impossibly dull.

Some of the finest moments, though, tapped into history. There was Joni Mitchell, making her GRAMMY show debut at age 80!; Stevie Wonder recounting Tony Bennett’s enduring influence; Luke Combs talking about Tracy Chapman’s 1988 hit “Fast Car.” And we were schooled in the history of Memphis Soul when award #77, Best Album Notes, was announced. The winner? Writers Robert Gordon & Deanie Parker, for Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos.

The duo’s concise comments, scripted to fit within the 45-second time limit, represented less an acceptance speech and more a narrative of Stax Records and the phenomenal years of research that went into this project. But … had Gordon and Parker written a second, equally compelling acceptance script, just in case Written In Their Soul won award #78, Best Historical Album? Yes, they had! (For more history on this project, Stax Records, and Deanie’s career there, see this New Yorker article.)

As great as everything was, something was still missing, so I created a few more award categories. They are:

Long Overdue Award: Miguel Zenon, who finally won his first GRAMMY Award after 12 nominations (Best Latin Jazz Album).

Vivacious Energy Award: For the way boygenius members Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus bolted up to the podium to claim their first GRAMMY. And then returned to the stage, still overjoyed, to pick up their second.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Being Perfectly Charming Award: To singer-songwriter-guitarist-cellist Laufey (it’s pronounced LEY-Vey, y’all), singing “From the Start.” See for yourself.

Best Riff on Classic Rock Tunes Award: Brandi Clark’s “Dear Insecurity,” whose first few measures evoke the seemingly impossible combination of “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” and “Desperado.”

Most Complementary Back-Up Band Award: SistaStrings, which performed the role of expert House Band to anyone needing string orchestration.

Best Grammy Moment Award, No Contest: Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs singing Chapman’s “Fast Car” together.

Dan Friedman: Stay Radical – The Art Institute of Chicago – February 2, 2024

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When modernism just isn’t enough, why not radical modernism, of which Friedman was apparently the father. But that was years ago, so I looked up ultraradical to see how far things have gone. The second definition of that involves the complete surgical removal of organs in a body cavity, so I’m glad he didn’t go there. What would that design look like – a blank canvas?

When asked, the security guard standing ten feet away from the door to the Architecture and Design room where the exhibit was housed didn’t know where the exhibit was, so I dared to be great and read the sign next to the door, which informed me.

I liked Friedman’s work, in particular the Gallimaufry and ICA Street Sights posters, Deep Sea Meltdown (a startling replica of my hall closet) and Tornado Fetish (an even more startling replica of my brain in the morning).

Friedman was said to have scavenged streets for materials and displayed them at home, using his apartment as a lab, recycling at its best.

And, just when I thought I had seen it all, I read that he was inspired by the futuristic decor of the Jetsons. If I could have snuck his Asteroid Lamp under my coat, I would have considered it. I wasn’t worried about the security guard noticing.

Pacifica Quartet – Mandel Hall – January 27, 2024

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The last time I saw a concert at Mandel Hall, over fifty years ago, it was Chuck Berry singing and playing his guitar for three straight hours, while throwing in an impressive display of duckwalking across the stage.

The old place looked much the same to me, only nicer, and more comfortable. Sure enough, I found that it had been renovated in 2013.

The Pacifica Quartet, the 2023-24 Ensemble in Residence, stayed in their chairs and didn’t sing about school days, but, like Berry, they probably have something Beethoven in their repertoire, and sure can pluck those strings, though they only deal with four each, while Berry had six.

Behind the quartet, the University of Chicago Symphony Orchestra barely squeezed onto the stage, leaving no room for duckwalking even if they wanted to. They probably had to pick pieces with short bow strokes to avoid hitting each other.

The two groups combined beautifully for Paulus’s Three Places of Enlightenment, while the orchestra nicely opened with Montgomery’s Starburst and closed with Suk’s Scherzo fantastique, Op.25.

I didn’t leave with an earworm of Berry’s double-stop licks, unison bends, and major-minor modal shifts, but felt very entertained, relaxed and satisfied.

Decision Week in Review – Jan. 26, 2024

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I am so tired of hearing that Greta Gerwig was “snubbed” by not getting nominated for the Oscar for Best Director. Excuse me, but there were four other directors of Best Picture-nominated movies who also didn’t make the cut. Ten nominees in one category and only five in the other – I can do the math.

The easiest solution would be to even it out. Ten and ten. The directors of all Best Picture-nominated pictures, and only those directors, are automatically nominated for Best Director. But then some of those people writing the articles about the snubs might be out of work, which, they might be anyway, based on the L.A. Times staff reductions this week.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists left the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight. In explaining their decision to not move the clock, the organization nevertheless expressed concern about “a new nuclear arms race,” the “lack of action on climate change [that] threatens billions of lives and livelihoods,” biological research that presents the risk of causing a future pandemic, “and recent advances in artificial intelligence . . . that could . . . threaten civilization in countless ways.”

I wonder what kind of news would have been required to move the clock forward – Alex Rodriguez getting elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame despite his admissions about using steroids during his career? Or perhaps Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce breaking up.

Anything Goes – Porchlight Music Theatre – January 18, 2024

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In Porchlight’s aptly-named production of Cole Porter’s hit-filled Anything Goes, it does.

Meghan Murphy (aka Big Red) doesn’t just enter a stage, she commands it, as is only right in a broad comedy. And her fans in the audience, which now is all of them, hooted and hollered in acknowledgement every time.

Original book writers, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse (and subsequent revisers Timothy Crouse and John Weidman) and lyricist Porter throw everything and then some against the wall, and most of it sticks. Am I the only one who thinks the character name Elisha (Eli) J. Whitney somehow relates to his constant consumption of alcohol, which I assumed to be gin.

In a bizarre way, related to his manipulation of the English language, Yale graduate Porter reminds me of Harvard graduate Tom Lehrer (who, coincidentally, had a roommate named Crouse – no kidding, no relation). And then throw in the fact that I last saw Jackson Evans, who plays Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, when he portrayed Princeton in Avenue Q in 2014, and you’ve got more ivy than the outfield walls at Wrigley.

Speaking of Evans, his limb-splaying comedic dance moves reminded me of Squidward’s dancing in The SpongeBob Square Pants Musical, only Evans only needed two legs, not ten.

And speaking of dancing, watching tap dancers strut their stuff on a big Broadway stage is one thing, but watching the same number of them fly across the compact Ruth Page space in a synchronized frenzy of fun is a whole different level of entertainment.

And then there are the beautiful singing voices of Luke Nowakowski (Billy Crocker) and Emma Ogea (Hope Harcourt), who, ridiculously, is still in college.

But back to Murphy, who held her pose and smile for so long every time the crowd gave her an extended ovation at the end of her songs that I thought her face would freeze in that position like that of Mr Sardonicus in the 1961 William Castle film.

If all that isn’t enough for you to run out and buy a ticket, one last thought, the band alone, nailing the memorable Porter tunes, is worth the price of admission.

Boop! The Musical – CIBC Theatre – December 17, 2023

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There are 25 cast members in Boop!, if you don’t count the character Pudgy (real name unknown), the dog marionette, but you should. It’s a star (as is its marionettist, Philip Huber).

There could have been no better way, on a Sunday afternoon, to avoid watching the Bears tie the NFL record for the most 10+ point 4th quarter leads blown in one season (three and counting).

Twenty-three year-old Jasmine Amy Rogers, as Betty Boop, is a star. And her 16-year-old accomplice Angelica Hale, as Trisha, has a singing voice beyond her years.

Neither of them was even born when castmate Faith Prince won her Tony in Guys and Dolls, but she’s still got it (not the cold).

As in any pre-Broadway run, tinkering continues, even after rave reviews, and cast members perform flawlessly as if nothing has changed.

One song, She Knocks Me Out, has been added since the program was printed (as evidenced in the insert), and I imagine some dialogue has been altered. What probably hasn’t been touched is the great choreography and dancing and the bonanza of technical aspects of the show.

The cost of the costumes alone probably exceeds the GNP of several small countries.

And even someone with cataracts might be blinded by the palette of colors once Betty enters the real world.

As a further bonus, one song even gives us a little captioning, ala Mitch Miller, with the aid of a bouncing ball, which never hits the ground (unlike the tragically-comedic Hail Mary pass at the end of the Bears game).

The Hip Hop Nutcracker – Cadillac Palace – Dec. 13, 2023

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While Tchaikovsky waited in the wings, and I let my mind wander, the show opened with special guest emcee Kurtis Blow doing a bit of an opening act, as if we were in Las Vegas.

Then Marissa Licata walked out, violin in hand, and got things going in a direction more to my tastes, the first act culminating, as stated in the program, when the “Nutcracker, aided by a magic pair of sneakers, defeats the Mouse King.” As Mars Blackmon told us in 1989, as if he were watching the dancing on the stage, “it’s gotta be the shoes.”

The beginning of the second act goes back in time to a nightclub, in 1984, using cool video effects that convinced me that time travel, via a very fast subway train, apparently is possible.

That setting provided the opportunity for the cast to show off their acrobatic dance skills, one-by-one, as if they were competing in an Olympics gymnastic floor exercise. I awarded each and every one of them a ten. Simone Biles would have been hard-pressed to keep up with this crew.

There were lots of moves that should be physically impossible, demonstrating remarkable strength and flexibility, all to the beat of the music, but I was most intrigued by Jessie Smith’s ability to move six or seven body parts simultaneously in different directions.