Requiem for the Prince of Wails: A Fan's Farewell to Chris Cornell

When I awoke yesterday--fairly late, as tends to be my norm--I glanced at my phone and saw two text messages from close friends.

One alluded to stunning news and it being a "black day indeed," but the other left no room for mystery, simply saying "RIP Chris Cornell" with a link to a news story about the musician's death in a Detroit hotel room.

A day later it's still somewhat hard to believe...and accept.

Especially given the seeming reality that he took his own life by hanging (though his family is now asserting that his actions may have been affected by taking too much of the anti-anxiety medication, Ativan).

But even before more was revealed throughout yesterday--with coverage of Cornell's passing still ongoing--the news was certainly stunning.

My friend Dave, who had texted that, could have said "One of your musical favorites died," and my mind would probably have gone to fifty other cherished artists before I thought of Cornell.

Not that he wasn't a clear favorite of mine. I loved his primary band, Soundgarden, and saw them four times--including three truly phenomenal performances in the last six years. (In Chicago in 2011 and 2013 and at Lollapalooza Buenos Aires in 2014, where they were the best band.)

I also saw Cornell twice solo--first in 1999, when the rock god seemed almost timid standing onstage by himself, his long locks shorn.

And, to an extent, I enjoyed his work with Audioslave, formed with 3/4 of Rage Against the Machine (excluding singer Zack de la Rocha).

The Audioslave albums have some good stuff on them--particularly "Be Yourself"--though seeing the supergroup twice live also made me think they weren't as good as either RATM or Soundgarden.

For whatever reason, when Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger album was released in late 1991--around the time their Seattle brethren Nirvana (with Nevermind) and Pearl Jam (with Ten) were commencing the mainstream ascendancy of grunge--I didn't buy it or become enamored with the band.

That came in 1994 with the release of Superunknown.

I still remember my workmate Steve and I rocking out to "Let Me Drown," "My Wave" and "Spoonman," atop a parking garage near our office.

And on a trip to Los Angeles in 1996--I had lived there from 1990-92 but moved back to the Chicago area--the then just released Down on the Upside was the main thing I listened to as I tooled around in my rental car.

Bittersweet today, given Cornell's cause of death, but I fondly remember blasting "Pretty Noose" as I drove around.

Though I figured Soundgarden was poised to become football stadium huge like Pearl Jam, in November 1996 I caught them live for the first time at the Aragon Ballroom. After that tour ended, the band broke up in April 1997--and wouldn't reunite until Lollapalooza 2010 (I wasn't there).

Somewhat oddly, the tour Soundgarden was currently on did not include a Chicago date.

If it did, I undoubtedly would have bought a ticket (or at least tried), and given typical tour routings, the show could well have been this week. 

I respect this Detroit Free-Press article suggesting that something seemed off about Cornell during the concert, as I realize troubling nuances can be hard to discern via YouTube clips.

But based on several such clips I've watched yesterday and today, including "Rusty Cage," the show's second-to-last song, Soundgarden and Cornell--truly one of the most gifted rock vocalists ever--sounded routinely fantastic.

I know both too much and too little about depression, let alone the effects of Ativan in prescribed or excessive dosages, to suggest true bewilderment that someone could sing and play--Cornell was a guitarist in Soundgarden along with the lead singer--songs of considerable complexity and quality, to a raucous reception, and take his own life seemingly less than two hours after leaving the stage.

Though Cornell's demons, whether depression or substance abuse, never seemed as publicly pronounced as those of Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley (of Alice in Chains) or Scott Weiland (of Stone Temple Pilots), his lyrics didn't exactly hide his inner turbulence.

"Nothing seems to kill me, no matter how hard I try"

"I can't get any lower, still I feel I'm sinking"

"I fell on black days"

"I wield a ton of rage, just like suicide"

"So kill your health and kill yourself and kill everything you love"

"Burn out any memory of me ever breathing"

"Hang my head, drown my fear, til you all just disappear"

"In dreams until my death I will wander on"

I can't say I gave acute thought to all these lyrics--and many more--until I looked them up and typed them just now.

Clearly there must have been hope, or dare I say presumption, that Cornell was purging his darknesses via alt-rock aggression that made him a star, although to my eyes he was never quite the strutting, machismo frontman people may have imagined based on his 4-octave voice and godly hair.

Certainly his death is stunning, and for me tremendously sad. He was just a few years older than I am, and leaves behind a wife and kids, who by all accounts he dearly loved.

Though the music that will no longer be made isn't the tragedy here, I will acutely miss Soundgarden, one of the truly great rock bands--and, not so incidentally, one of the most real.

When you really think about it, Chris Cornell's far-premature death may not seem all that surprising, even if there was no known reason to acutely see it coming. 

So I'll simply end this by thanking him for brightening many of my days while sorry the "Black Hole Sun" couldn't sufficiently brighten any more of his.

A Pair of Dynamic Duos: Hall & Oates, Tears For Fears Prove Twice as Nice in Rosemont -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Hall & Oates
Tears for Fears
w/ opening act Allen Stone
Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL
@@@@1/2 (for each band)

For reasons I can't strenuously defend, I was much more parochial about my musical tastes in the 1980s than I am now.

Not that my first love isn't still hard rock with plenty of guitar crunch, but whereas in my teens I was going to concerts by Ozzy, the Scorpions, Ratt, Van Halen, The Kinks, Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M. and U2, it wasn't until my 30s that I caught Prince, Madonna, Depeche Mode and the Cure, and only recently--well into my 40s--the likes of New Order, Duran Duran, Johnny Marr (of the Smiths) and, coming up for the first time, Echo & the Bunnymen.

In large part, this is probably due to no longer caring as much about peer pressure or imagined perception, which I think helped prompt my wholehearted embrace of the Broadway musical idiom around the turn of the 21st century.

And once I loved musical theater songcraft, it seemed silly to abstain from poppier (and/or New Wavier) popular artists of appealing quality, especially with the dissipation of truly great hard rock acts--or at least the relative lack of new ones catching my attention.

Allen Stone

So though I've never owned any of their albums or even ever sought out much of their music, for the past few years Hall & Oates have been on a shortlist of artists I'd never seen live but wanted to. (In the past few years, Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire, Bryan Ferry, Judas Priest and Alice Cooper are a few I've knocked off the list.)

There seemed to be opportunities in the past couple years, especially last year at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in Tinley Park, but I'm not a big fan of the venue or effort needed to get there, and subsequently heard from my concert pal Paolo--an avowed H&O fan who did see them last year--that the performance was nothing special.

But I took note earlier this year when Hall & Oates--officially Daryl Hall and John Oates--announced a tour that would bring them to the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, along with co-headliner Tears for Fears.

Back in the 1980s when the British band--centered around Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, the only originals that remain--became quite popular, I liked the ubiquitous "Shout," "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Head Over Heels" and especially "Sowing the Seeds of Love," but still would say I somewhat resisted Tears for Fears and haven't given them too much thought over the years.

And the truth is, they've recorded and toured rather infrequently since the early '90s. Monday was their first Chicago show in at least a dozen years.

But in Spotifamiliarizing myself based on recent setlists, I found they had a depth of quality akin to some of the other British acts I've looked more into of late (such as New Order and Duran Duran).

So I was actually looking forward to seeing Tears for Fears more than Hall & Oates.

And after a nice but quite brief (4 songs) set by a solo singer/guitarist named Allen Stone--I liked his version of "I Say A Little Prayer for You"--Orzabal, Smith and their touring band opened in fine form with "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."

You can see their full setlist on Setlist.fm, but along with the hits from 1985's mega-platinum Songs From the Big Chair and the delightful "Sowing the Seeds of Love," I really enjoyed "Change," "Mad World" and "Pale Shelter," from their debut, The Hurting, and "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending," the title song from their last album in 2004.

Trading off lead vocals, guitarist Orzabal and bassist Smith--augmented by a demonstrably good lead
guitarist, among others--still sounded quite good well into their mid-50s.

Plus, a month removed from seeing Radiohead, for the 8th time, without ever having heard them play "Creep," of course that would be the one cover Tears for Fears would deliver, quite delectably. 

It would be great if this three month tour with Hall & Oates prompts Tears for Fears to do more recording, or at least a headlining tour of their own. (They should be able to fill the Chicago Theatre or similar venues.)

Reminding me why they were hugely popular--at least for a spell--in their heyday, and more musically formidable than I knew, they probably deserve a bit more renown, and fond recollection, than they seem to enjoy.

That said, the Allstate crowd was warmly receptive--it's hard to know how many came largely for Tears for Fears, but most seemed to be seated by the time they started just past 7:15pm--and even "Shout"ed them back onstage for an appropriate encore.

Based not only on my own level of affinity but somewhat lukewarm reviews of Hall & Oates from earlier tour stops, which suggested they overly modified their hits--jazz stylings, elongated versions--I was prepared for H&O to delight me considerably less than TFF.

Though I found Hall not only to still have an impressive head of hair at the age of 70, but a voice stronger than some clips in recent years led me to believe--and the opening quartet of "Adult Education," "Maneater," "Out of Touch" and "Say It Isn't So" was more straightforwardly satisfying than self-indulgently re-imagined--early on I was perceiving it as a @@@@ performance.

But--and you can see the setlist here--up next came a truly resplendent version of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," which Daryl & John had originally covered in 1980.

"One on One" made me think it would have been a great song for a true soul legend--such as the late Luther Vandross--to have covered with a bit more grit, but I reveled in Hall & Oates then reaching back to 1973 for "She's Gone."

With Hall--who began the show playing guitar alongside Oates--moving to a grand piano, renditions of "Sara Smile," "Wait for Me" and the less-familiar "Is It a Star" were quite nicely done.

The singer spent the rest of the show at a center-stage keyboard, first on an extended--but not annoyingly re-interpretive--"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" followed by a buoyant "You Make My Dreams."

I loved hearing "Rich Girl" to open the encores, and though the closing "Kiss On My List" and "Private Eyes" exemplify the Hall & Oates I never really embraced, they reiterated the duo's impressive hit-making mastery--and I can't deny dancing along quite happily (and badly).

Pinpointing a grade on my @@@@@ rating scale is never an exact science, but I wound up liking Hall & Oates' performance about as much as Tears for Fears'--and every bit as much as I would have hoped, probably even more. 

So forgetting how either band compares to those I simply like more, but rather as a measurement of my enjoyment on this particular evening--in which none of the nearly 200 minutes worth of music played was less than pleasurable--I was happily surprised to find @@@@1/2 well-merited.

Twice.

(Unlike other co-headlining concerts I've seen--Billy Joel and Elton John, Chicago and Earth Wind & Fire, Peter Gabriel and Sting, Paul Simon and Sting, etc.--Hall & Oates and Tears for Fears never played together, which I thought could have been nice, perhaps in covering songs by other famed duos such as the Everly Brothers and Simon & Garfunkel.)

Inherent Wonders Enchant, but Lyric's 'My Fair Lady' Isn't the Fairest of Them All -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater / Opera Review

My Fair Lady
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Thru May 21
@@@@

Lerner & Loewe's My Fair Lady may well be the Broadway musical containing--in sum--the best Broadway music ever written.

I certainly would accept and respect arguments for West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Les Misérables, The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Evita and others, but I find My Fair Lady's collection of songs hard to beat.

"Wouldn't It Be Loverly?, "With a Little Bit of Luck, "Just You Wait," "The Rain in Spain, "I Could Have Danced All Night," "On the Street Where You Live," "Show Me," "Get Me to the Church on Time," "Without You" and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" are all rather masterful--and long ingrained in my brain.

Famously based on the play Pygmalion by the widely revered George Bernard Shaw, My Fair Lady has--if Wikipedia can fairly be believed--frequently been called "the perfect musical."

Photo credit on all: Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune

But the current Lyric Opera of Chicago rendition--actually a production by the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris rather than one created under Lyric auspices as with four Rodgers & Hammerstein works in preceding years--corroborates my sense from five previous stage iterations that it is a hard musical to stage perfectly.

First of all, the show's book--penned, along with the lyrics, by Alan Jay Lerner--contains more dialogue than most musicals, with Lerner wanting to incorporate Pygmalion with considerable depth.

Thus, with a long time until, and between, musical numbers, this can make the pacing a challenge.

And while there is presumably plenty of satire in Shaw's London-based storyline--in full disclosure, I've never read Pygmalion--involving Professor Henry Higgins (played at the Lyric by Richard E. Grant) teaching phonetics to Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle (Lisa O'Hare) in something of a wager with houseguest Colonel Pickering (Nicholas Le Prevost), the tonality can be tricky in making Higgins insufferable yet not irredeemable, and the whole thing not feel crassly and anachronistically patriarchal.

While hearing the robust Lyric orchestra under the direction of David Chase play Loewe's scintillating score, with delectable (Broadway-style, not operatic) vocals from O'Hare, Grant and the entire cast, made seeing My Fair Lady unequivocally enjoyable, the challenges above--and others--weren't conquered in a way to make it truly transcendent.

To be fair, my attention and appreciation was initially impaired by a couple of teenagers sitting in front of me, clearly not there of their own volition and disturbing me by talking and laughing amongst each other--seemingly not regarding the show--looking at cell phones, diffusing light to read the program, etc.

I was able to move seats and mostly watch the show without issue, but it was hard to achieve full immersion.

Also, as the Lyric run of My Fair Lady is closer to the end than to the beginning, I can't deny being well aware that the two foremost Chicago theater critics--Chris Jones of the Tribune and Hedy Weiss of the Sun-Times--were rather lukewarm about this production.

Though I was hoping and expecting to like it well more than them--and seem to have--it's not impossible that I was influenced a bit by their reviews and a relative's take that, like mine, was short of scintillation.

Grant certainly brings a depth of impressive credits and sang his part well, but I felt his Higgins was too self-amused and cruel to Eliza in a way--beyond the scripted words--that hardened the necessary softening between them.

O'Hare, who I saw play in Eliza in 2008 without any recollection, is lovely and vocally delightful--I especially enjoyed her take on "Just You Wait"--but understandably and without cause for apology, isn't Audrey Hepburn.

And along with--still--never seeing a live My Fair Lady production that I felt equaled the inherent wonders of the source material, I also haven't seen any I've loved as much as the 1964 Oscar-winning movie (starring Hepburn and Rex Harrison).

Again, there may have been mitigating factors, including a somewhat distant vantage point in a venue likely too large to best enjoy this show, but I found this version lacked any obvious chemistry between Eliza and Higgins (even though My Fair Lady isn't a traditional love story or romantic comedy).

Also, while everything was well sung and performed--including the communal Covent Garden numbers led by Eliza's dad Alfred (Donald Maxwell)--much of the whole affair just felt somewhat muted.

Believe me, I tried to supply--without actually singing, thank goodness--the necessary buoyancy on "With a Little Bit of Luck," "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "Get Me to the Church on Time," and didn't not enjoy them, but unlike, say, the Lyric's resplendent Sound of Music in 2014, this My Fair Lady fell short of absolute bliss.

Flaws or not, I would still recommend it, especially for the right price. (I can't find any specific discounts at the moment, but know some had existed.)

The songs are that exquisite, and--if no one is chattering nearby--you should be smiling from note one of the overture.

Even if my mind wasn't quite blown, there was far more to like than not.

Including a rekindling of my affinity for the film, which is back in my DVD player as I type this.

Now of Legal Drinking Age, 'Rent' Retains Its Powerful Lease on Life With Due Delight -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Rent

Oriental Theater, Chicago

Thru May 14

@@@@1/2

Rent opened on Broadway on April 29, 1996, a few months after its Off-Broadway bow coincided with the sudden death of its 35-year-old creator Jonathan Larson, who wrote the music, lyrics and book with a storyline gleaned from Puccini's La Bohème.

Though I was in New York that November and had noted some hype about the rock musical--perhaps the most prominent since Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar decades prior, though the influence of The Who's Tommy hitting Broadway in 1993 shouldn't be overlooked--I didn't yet care enough about musical theater to try to score a ticket to the latest hottest show. (Though I did get a TKTS booth ducat for Sunset Boulevard.)

My relative lack of theatrical passion also precluded me from getting to the first national tour--which I'm surprised to now note ran in Chicago for a full five months beginning in November 1997--but not long after a Teri Hatcher-led tour of Cabaret rekindled a love of Broadway that has brought me to over 800 shows since, I first saw Rent in September 1999.

Photo credit on all: Carol Rosegg

I instantly loved it--I can't recall if I bought the cast album before or after, but soon and still know every word--and would see another tour in Chicago in 2004, catch the show on Broadway near the end of its run in 2008, attend a 2009 tour featuring original cast stars Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, and greatly enjoyed a 2011 community production in my hometown of Skokie, IL. (I also own the 2005 Rent movie and a DVD of the show's last Broadway performance.)

In this 2012 list, I ranked Rent as my 8th favorite stage musical of all-time. It might be a tad lower now but I think it holds up as the most important musical of the 1990s, and though its current weeklong run--far too brief, given the fully-packed first night--wasn't in my Broadway in Chicago subscription series, I was eager to see it with my similarly rabid pal Paolo (and another friend).

And surprised that it had been so long.

Arriving at the Oriental Theatre for the 20th Anniversary Tour of Rent--a moniker now a year outdated--I was pleased not only to encounter a full house, but many patrons who likely weren't born before the show was.

Though Rent is very much a show set in--and rather emblematic of--the late 20th century, Larson's material in strong enough in all regards for the material to still resonate quite well, even for those who didn't experience the virulence of the AIDS epidemic or don't care about the La Bohème parallels.

It's worth remembering, however, that Rent hit Broadway before Ellen DeGeneres came out as gay on her Ellen sitcom in 1997 and prior to Will & Grace bowing on NBC in the fall of 1998.

If there were openly homosexual characters on TV prior to that--Jm J. Bullock on Too Close for Comfort comes to mind--they certainly weren't commonplace. 

Featuring several LGBT characters--representing each of those letters--who are open, frank, physically intimate and, in some cases, drug-addicted and/or stricken with AIDS, Rent thankfully doesn't feel all that shocking or controversial today, but it wasn't simply the rock score that made the musical so groundbreaking and noteworthy in 1996.

But there will be always be artistically-inclined and immensely-talented young people in the world pursuing their passions despite considerable resistance, struggle and--particularly in Manhattan, where the show is set--ever-exorbitant rents, while finding strength and solace through love, communal camaraderie and fight-the-power protest.

So in the unfortunate age of Trump and what his minions represent, Rent still holds quite a rather forceful currency, even if we are no longer "living in America at the end of the millennium."

And while I am often ambivalent about non-Equity tours--mainly because I'm all for actors being substantially paid, at union rates at least, but also because more seasoned, perhaps Broadway-credited actors can theoretically deliver higher quality performances--the themes of Rent conflate rather well with a group of young performers getting their first big breaks.

Plus, this "20th Anniversary Tour"--with Evan Ensign directing based on Michael Greif originally having done so--began in September (and will run until at least June), so not only must the actors have been quite impressive to make the cast, even if some were pulled straight outta college, they've presumably honed their talents on the road.

There were certainly a few cases Tuesday night at the Oriental where I didn't find the vocal timbres to quite match my memories, whether of previous Rent productions or the Original Broadcast Cast Recording.

But there were no discernible examples of anyone not doing justice to the stellar material, and I found those in the roles of Mark (Danny Harris Kornfeld), Roger (Kaleb Wells), Mimi (Skyler Volpe) and Collins (Aaron Harrington) to be demonstrably good.

David Merino is also strong as the drag queen Angel, though perhaps a bit less so vocally than in the rest of his kinetic performance. (Mind you, I was sitting in the very last row of the cavernous--and always amazingly ornate--Oriental Theatre.)

As Mimi, Skyler Volpe handled "Light My Candle," the overtly sexy "Out Tonight" and the "Another Day" duet with Roger particularly well, while Aaron Harrington's Collins was vocally stellar and poignantly emotive, particularly on the "I'll Cover You" reprise in Act Two.

There are numerous narrative strains in Rent--including a romance between Maureen (Katie Lamark) and Joanne (Jasmine Easler), both well-played--and several other songs worthy of mention, but I don't feel the need to regurgitate all that here.

Rent is one of the best musicals ever created and an eternal touchstone of its time. And though this didn't quite strike me as the best or most electrifying rendition I've ever seen--with even a few technical glitches--it's more than good enough to provide a powerful introduction to new fans while delighting those of us who have been Renting for years.

Not surprisingly given the size of Tuesday's crowd--and there's no reason Rent shouldn't renew its Chicago lease later this year--tickets seem quite sparse on Ticketmaster and not discounted on HotTix or Goldstar.

But if you really want to go, it looks like there may be some scattered singles available at the box office, and you might see if the listing on TodayTix can save you a few bucks.

Otherwise, though there is--as frequently, forcefully and forever poignantly imparted in Larson's score--"No Day But Today," if there truly are no spaces available for Rent, take heart in knowing the 25th anniversary tour is now just 4 years down the road.

At the Wonderful Chicago Cultural Center, 'Eugene Eda's Doors' Vibrantly Open My Eyes -- Art Exhibition Spotlight

Exhibit Overview

Eugene Eda's Doors for Malcolm X College
Chicago Cultural Center
Thru June 25
Recommended

It feels strange to call the Chicago Cultural Center one of the city's great hidden gems, as it comprises a hulking building--long the main branch of the Chicago Public Library--set rather conspicuously along Michigan Avenue across from Millennium Park (between Randolph and Washington).

And anytime I've gone there, I've encountered a good number of people, whether at tables in the first floor lobby area or perusing the various exhibits, attractions and beautiful rooms--including two astonishing stained glass domes--contained within the Cultural Center.

But perhaps because the temporary exhibitions are always free of charge, the center seems to lack the kind of buzz and appreciation it deserves--even among artsy friends--and often doesn't pull me in with great urgency.

It's something of a backhanded compliment to say the Chicago Cultural Center is the best place to go if you're in the Loop with time to kill, for that shortchanges the quality of the exhibits that are regularly curated there.

But last Sunday, my mom and I found ourselves downtown more than an hour before a Goodman Theatre matinee (see my previous post), and without having planned on it beforehand, just kind of naturally gravitated to and into the Cultural Center.

And spent every minute there we could possibly spare.

Just within the foyer near the Randolph Street entrance, there is a display of banners with sayings such as "I AM SOMETIMES INSECURE ABOUT MYSELF," "I AM QUIET" and "I GIVE UP EASILY," which I imagine are meant to suggest feelings of commonality among those who utilize the common space.

In various spots within the Cultural Center, one can currently find various architectural elements that fell off other buildings, rock 'n roll concert posters, a collection of handmade cloth banners with slogans (many denouncing the president) and much more.

Painting by Candida Alvarez

Through July 30, there is a gallery featuring remnants and remembrances of The Wall of Respect, a black power mural that had adorned a south side building, and until August 6, a nice exhibition of a rather diverse selection of paintings by Candida Alvarez.

As usual, the most prominent exhibition is within the Sidney R. Yates Gallery, a sumptuous space on the building's 4th floor that--per Wikipedia--is a "replica of an assembly hall in the Doge's Palace, Venice, with heavily ornamented pilasters and coffered ceiling."

Dating back to January and running until June 25 is an exhibit titled:

Eugene Eda's Doors for Malcolm X College.

This showcases 32 mural-like paintings the college's artist-in-residence Eugene "Eda" Wade created between 1971-1973 to adorn stairwell doors--on both sides--within the West Side institution, which has moved to new buildings nearby.

As you will see below, and more so via a highly recommended in-person visit, as part of the Black Arts Movement that began in the mid-'60s, Eda depicted "African and African-American heritage, history and culture, as well as social commentary scenes"--in a wide variety of styles.

Especially in having greatly enjoyed the work of Diego Rivera on a trip to Mexico City in 2015--and also in Detroit--I appreciate muralist painting, and imagine there are great examples throughout Chicago, some within public view, some not.

Eda's doors were a great example of the latter, but now--at least for another 6 weeks; I'm not sure where they will go once the exhibition ends--the former. And I think you'll agree, they're rather eye-opening.

Poignantly Real Reflections Power Goodman's 'Objects in the Mirror,' but Only So Far -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Objects in the Mirror
a world premiere play by Charles Smith
directed by Chuck Smith
Goodman Theatre, Chicago
Thru June 4
@@@1/2

I like when art exposes me to realities I wouldn't otherwise observe--even, perhaps especially, grim ones--and in depicting the tragedies and travails encountered by a real-life refugee from West African warfare, Charles Smith's Objects in the Mirror has an inherently powerful poignancy.

Under the direction of the similarly named but unrelated Chuck Smith, the Goodman Theatre world premiere of a play developed through its New Stages Festival is worthy of attention simply for its subject matter, and should instill empathy for the typically grim realities faced by refugees--even those who find a "better life."

I should note here that although seen as part of my longstanding subscription to the Goodman's Albert Theater, Objects in the Mirror is technically still in previews. 

Though partly fictionalized, the two-act play is based on Shedrick Yarkpai, a refugee from Liberia now living in Australia and working as an actor. Playwright Smith met Yarkpai when he starred in one of his plays, and opted to chronicle his journey as the main character in Objects in the Mirror.

Excellently-embodied by Daniel Kyri, who never leaves the stage across two hours, Shedrick is forced to leave behind his mom (Lily Mojekwu) and make his way through multiple refugee camps and numerous obstacles with his uncle (Allen Gilmore) and cousin (Breon Arzell)

Act Two finds Shedrick in Adelaide, Australia, doing some house painting for a wealthy lawyer/government official (Ryan Kitley), whose intentions aren't entirely discernible.

It wouldn't behoove me to reveal many more specifics of Objects in the Mirror's storyline, but truth be told I would be hard-pressed to do so.

The first act focuses largely on Shedrick, cousin Zaza and uncle John slowly making their way through the morass of refugee camps in Guinea and the Ivory Coast but--with the candor of occasionally droopy eyelids on my part--it seemed heavy on talk and light on dramatic action.

Even in discussing the play a bit afterwards, I'm rather unclear about the war situation in Liberia, the threats to Shedrick and the motivations and actions of his cousin and uncle, the latter of whose benevolence and truthfulness are enigmatic--and unresolved--throughout the play.

The driving motivation of Shedrick in Act II seems a bit odd, and I had a tough time sorting through various lies and deceptions to grasp any sense of the truth (within the play itself; here Smith admittedly deviated from real-life events).

I'm well aware that confusion often reigns in real life, including among whatever perceptions I've gleaned about African nations, where rulers and rebels, the noble and murderous, "good" and "bad," etc. is either difficult to discern or in constant flux (or both).

So simply for its heartrending look at the refugee experience and related strife in war-torn Africa, plus terrific performances--especially by Kyri--Objects in the Mirror sufficiently rewarded my time in the theater.

But while it's innately compelling, simply as dramatic entertainment I didn't find the play all that engrossing or--per the above and more--clearly understandable.

Sure, Objects in the Mirror may be closer than they appear, but while my respect for this play is estimable, my admiration only goes so far.

Marriott's Take on Bock & Harnick's 'She Loves Me' Merits a Warm Embrace -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

She Loves Me
Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire, IL
Thru June 18
@@@@

My Mt. Rushmore of classic Broadway composer/lyricist tandems--meaning the top 4, which in this case would entail twice the amount of carving--would almost automatically include Rodgers & Hammerstein, Kander & Ebb and Lerner & Loewe. (In the last case, the lyricist's name comes first.)

Simply for West Side Story, Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim could well be my fourth choice, but that was their only collaboration and Sondheim brilliantly wrote both music & lyrics for most of his shows.

Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice obviously did quite well on Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Evita, but rather than take their stately heads for granite, I would opt to depict those of:

Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.

Composer Bock, who passed in 2010, and the 93-year-old Chicago native, Harnick, worked together on eight musicals that ran on Broadway, including the masterpiece, Fiddler on the Roof, and the pretty-damn-close, Fiorello.

She Loves Me, from 1963, came between those two shows--The Apple Tree, which I've also seen, came after--and had a nice Broadway run and a couple revivals, including last year.

It isn't a show that gets staged often.

I had seen it just once--back in 2003 at the Circle Theatre in Forest Park--so I was glad to note it on the schedule at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, which has produced over 150 different musicals but never it, until now.

Given how appreciably She Loves Me seemed to delight the opening night audience, it should fit perfectly well within the wheelhouse of Marriott's large subscriber base and please anyone looking for "a nice show" performed exceptionally well.

Derived from the play Parfumerie by Hungarian playwright Miklós László, as was the 1940 film The Shop Around the Corner and 1998's You've Got Mail, the musical is set within a Budapest perfume shop--Maraczek's Parfumerie--in the 1930s.

As the audience knows from the get-go, Georg Nowack (Alex Goodrich) and Amalia Balash (Elizabeth Telford) are bickering colleagues but also anonymous pen pals who have developed quite an epistolary affinity.

Both leads are likable and well-sung, with Goodrich strong on "Tonight at Eight" and Telford particularly delightful on "Will He Like Me?"

The mostly Equity, mostly excellent cast features Terry Hamilton--who I recall quite fondly from TimeLine Theater's wonderful take on Fiorello some years back, and much else--as the shop's owner, Mr. Maraczek, and the always terrific James Earl Jones II as one of the store clerks, Sipos. They deliver excellent renditions of "Days Gone By" and "Perspective," respectively.

Also swell are Jessica Naimy as another clerk, the lovely Ilona, who dates her smarmy colleague Kodaly (nicely handled by David Schlumpf), and Grant Kilian, who as the young delivery boy, Arpad, delivers a first-rate "Try Me." (Johnny Rabe rotates in the role.)

There really isn't anything not to like about She Loves Me or this fine production of it, directed by
Aaron Thielen with nice period costuming by Sally Dolembo and an elegant set design by Jeffrey D. Kmiec that well suits Marriott's theater in the round.

But this isn't Bock & Harnick's masterwork, or silver medalist, and similarly the show's book writer, Joe Masteroff--who would write the script for Cabaret--and original director, the legendary Harold Prince, would considerably eclipse the accomplishment of a very enjoyable but not quite brilliant musical.

Although She Loves You features several appealing songs that well-accompany the "lonely hearts" narrative--with "Vanilla Ice Cream" being the most memorable--for me none quite rank with the numerous remarkable tunes in Fiddler and Fiorello.

While the sweet storyline should be embraced by romantics of any age, it's entirely predictable at least as far as the two main characters are concerned, and despite the excellent cast, some of the secondary plots begin to feel overdone deep into Act II.

It was great to see the audience warmly deliver a standing ovation, and along with all the actors, musicians and crew involved, I applaud the routinely superlative Marriott Theatre for putting on a musical deserving of greater familiarity.

Even if about She Loves Me I can only reciprocate the affection so far.

In Fact, It's a Gas: For Fans, 'Rolling Stones Exhibitionism' Provides Plenty of Nostalgic Satisfaction -- Exhibit Review

Special Exhibit Review

The Rolling Stones
Exhibitionism
Navy Pier, Chicago
Thru July 30
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If you haven't become an ardent fan of the Rolling Stones over the past 55 years, Exhibitionism--a museum-like showcase of the band's history, now parked at Chicago's Navy Pier after running in London and New York--is unlikely to turn you into one.

And if, like me, you've loved the Stones for decades, the show probably won't greatly educate you, as there are relatively few insights provided about the music itself or the (occasionally lurid) biographies of the band members.

You'll find hardly a word about Brian Jones' dismissal and death, Keith Richards' addictions or what makes Charlie Watts tick. And tick. And tick.

But if you enter without expecting to be converted or particularly illuminated, Exhibitionism should abundantly delight any Stones fan as a viscerally rich reminder of the iconography surrounding the self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Rock 'n Roll Band." (A hard appellation to argue, even if per the famed "Beatles or Stones?" query I forever lean to the former.)

Along with a "best guess" re-creation of the dingy London apartment Brian Jones shared with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards circa 1962 as the band got started, and plenty of instruments on display, Exhibitionism showcases an array of fashions, album covers, stage designs and more.

Simply as a collection of Stones Stuff, the exhibit is quite impressive, and does reveal that Mick especially was interested and involved in working with top photographers--including Robert Frank, whose work adorned Exile on Main Street and who filmed a 1972 band documentary, Cocksucker Blues--graphic designers, fashion designers, stage designers, artists like Andy Warhol, filmmakers and more.

It's no accident that this exhibit was developed in the wake of David Bowie Is--a similar showcase I saw in both London and Chicago prior to the singer's death--and while the Stones didn't quite curate every aspect of their career with Bowie's multi-idiom, artistically expansive breadth, there is an appreciable distinction in how the Rolling Stones presented themselves over the years.

There are paintings by Andy Warhol, a huge gallery full of clothes from various tours, a Martin Scorsese-narrated video about the Stones on film, models of mammoth concert stages, several tour posters and even a "backstage area"--the only place Exhibitionism forbids photography, though only mobile phone cameras are allowed--leading to a 3D concert performance of "Satisfaction." 

The amount of authentic apparel and instruments on hand--including a full studio set-up--should mollify those wondering if Exhibitionism's not inconsiderable admission fee offers value beyond your average Hard Rock Cafe excusrion.

Though I had to fill mentally in the blanks, having a dulcimer played by Brian Jones on hand served to remind how pioneering he was in bringing global instrumentation to rock 'n roll, and seeing a displayed guitar Keith had painted on out of boredom then also appear in a "Sympathy for the Devil" video clip only added to the sense of musical history in one's midst.

I've long felt the Stones' "lips and tongue" logo is the most iconic in rock history--and among the most emblematic of any logo for anything--so I valued a brief gallery on its creation by an artist named John Pasche.

And while I wish there was more within Exhibitionism about the Rolling Stones' music--perhaps the whys and hows of writing certain songs; a few additional handwritten lyrics--I did appreciate an interactive display that let you hear certain songs while controlling the levels of various instruments.

I recommend listening to "Angie" with just the vocals and piano turned up.

Though I saw something suggesting that most Exhibitionism visitors get through in 90 minutes, my friend Dave and I were there for nearly twice that.

Particularly with a $35 Groupon weekend discount ticket saving roughly 20% and, perhaps more importantly, allowing for instant entry on a day when all timed-entry blocks were shown as "sold out," this sweeping glimpse into the Rolling Stones was actually even better than I anticipated.

Satisfaction indeed.
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