rumor has it...

Niles North will be performing "Rent" as their musical and West will (allegedly) be perfoming "Urinetown."

Do these seem like appropriate choices for high school musicals? Just curious.

my my, how could i resist you?

I was trawling the Broadway in Chicago website to see when In the Heights was coming (not till December - this is going to be a busy holiday season for me what with the Cirque show, Nutcracker, Addams Family, and now In the Heights) and I happened to notice that Mamma Mia! is coming back! It will be at the Rosemont Theater in January. I'm there!!!! Gosh, I haven't been back there since I opened that place, singing backup for Barry Manilow...so it will be nice to see it again.

One question though - can it be "Broadway in Chicago" if it is in fact in Rosemont?

the beat goes on...

Today, for ABBA Tuesday, is a little pick me up, another Bjorn lead - "Rock me."

a weekend in the country...

Back from a whirlwind weekend in Wisconsin with the girls. Hijinks ensued - Cheese! (except at Culver's where they told us there was a 'recall' on cheese curds. WTF? You're in Wisconsin! Can that even happen??) Wine Floats! (don't ask. please.) Campfires! (uh, sort of) Fish magic! Marshmallows! Republicans! Ho-made eggrolls! Some more cheese! We hung out, played games - in the slumber party spirit, we harkened back to Girl Talk, a game from our youth. Remember? It's a truth or dare game with "wacky" stunts (mostly including prank calling people. thanks to caller id, this is no longer as much fun as it used to be) and zit stickers, etc. The object of the game is to get points from these wacky stunts and earn fortune cards. I gotta tell you now though, those fortune cards are insane. Jane, for instance will be having 412 children sometime in the near future. One of Heidi's daughters will look like Duncan Sheik and I will be naming my daughter Daisy (as if.) Some of the stunts were wackier than others (ahem. Homey, if you are reading this...). Yes, there are photos. No, you will never see them.

Amy's family's lake house was gorgeous and also had a fire pit. We thought (happily) that we could make a fire and roast marshmallows, etc. Isn't setting stuff on fire supposed to be EASY?? It totally wasn't. We are the worst pyros on the planet, and eventually we gave up. After, like, hours of trying to get something going, only to see a little flame and then - embers. The next day we went to the Piggly Wiggly and got us some lighter fluid and newspapers (and cheese curds. Suck it, Culvers.). That night, Beth joined us, and since she is a WI farmgirl at heart (no, really, she is. Her family has a farm somewhere up there.) she totally got that thing started (who knew? Girlfriend has got some MAD firestarting skillz, yo.)

On the CBS Sunday morning show once, they had a story about this old couple with barns full of books. Happily, these barns are near Green Lake and we went off in search of many books. We found it! I got a copy of "The G-String Murders" by Gypsy Rose Lee and some really awesome sheet music (which was purchased for the entertainment value of the titles and/or prettiness of the cover of the music. Heidi won the prize though for finding the song "If you're talking in your sleep, don't mention my name." Where's the originality these days? I ask you.

I also saw my very first live bait vending machine and learned what's up in the kitchen. Oh, and on our drive home yesterday, I saw the funniest sign at the side of the highway: "Vikings paid cash for a clunker" - it took me a little while but then finally I understood. Note here to the clunker in question, Brett Favre - dude, we can't miss you if you NEVER LEAVE.

All in all, it was an awesome weekend. I do have pictures that I am allowed to share with the internets, and I will post them severally tomorrow.

a reminder

I was talking about Freshman Orientation with my mom, who works at my high school alma mater (go Indians!). All of the dear little children are starting their orientation, finding their lockers, etc.

I can't remember much about my orientation, I told my mom, it seems like it was such a long time ago. Because... it WAS a long time ago! I graduated 8th grade in 1993 and thus my freshman year of high school was 1993-94. All I remember was taking Health and Keyboarding in Summer School at Niles North. There must have been an orientation, but I don't recall.

OK, now I feel OLD.

why yes, i am...

the High Priestess of Tinsel...

well, it IS my new motto...

And also, on this ABBA Tuesday, I give you a cute little quiz I found on FB last week. My Life According to ABBA - to do it, I used only song names from ABBA to answer the questions below. (And yes, they are actually all ABBA songs!)

Are you a male or female?
I am Just a Girl

Describe yourself:
I Saw it in the Mirror

How do you feel:
Like an Angel Passing Through My Room

Describe where you currently live:
Summer Night City

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Tropical Loveland

Your favorite form of transportation:
Another Town, Another Train

Your best friend is:
Nina, Pretty Ballerina

Your favorite color is:
Put on Your White Sombrero

What's the weather like:
Should I Laugh or Cry

Favorite time of day:
Sitting in the Palm Tree

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called:
Crazy World

What is life to you:
The Winner Takes it All

Your current relationship:
Love Isn’t Easy (But it Sure is Hard Enough)

Breaking up:
So Long

Looking for:
Money, Money, Money

Wouldn't mind:
Two for the Price of One

Your fear:
I’m a Marionette

Best advice you have to give:
People Need Love

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Cassandra

Thought for the day:
I Let the Music Speak

How I would like to die:
Kisses of Fire

My motto:
Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)

there's a moment you know...

So, I did a LOT of waffling about seeing Spring Awakening. I was intrigued by it, and I'd never made it to see it in New York, although it was on my short list many times. Someone else (take a wild guess) usually won out if there were ticket buying choices to be made. It won a pile of Tonys that one year (2007?) and it was actually quite annoying in its winningness. When I'd heard it was touring to Chicago, I thought I'd definitely come out and see it. Then, when it got here, I just wasn't sure. I know someone who left at intermission and I'd heard of several others who had as well.

But I was still intrigued and decided to go on ahead and go. I decided this last Friday, and the show closed Sunday. Despite the lines of people outside the theater on a regular basis (for rush, I would guess?) the final show of the run was not sold out and that's when I went. As a concession to my uncertainty, I got a balcony ticket. That way, I reasoned, if I hated the show, I would not feel gypped out of a pile of my hard earned money.

I went into it with only a vague idea of what to expect. 1890s Germany, music by Duncan Sheik, lots of sex and "adult content" and intended shock value. So I went and I sat and - let me tell you - when the cast appeared for the first time and took their seats on the sides of the stage, the crowd went apeshit. Like they were rockstars or something. I've never heard anything like it. I actually just sat back and listened to the crowd go crazy - before a word had been sung.

The first half was okay. It was good, you know, and fine and funny. Someone behind me laughed at every.single.line. They were funny, okay, but not THAT funny. I liked the music, and I liked the young leads. I thought the performances were okay but not great. I didn't hate it, I wasn't offended by it and I have no idea why people would have left at intermission (maybe I was too far up to see anything offensive?). I didn't really understand, though, what the big deal was about. I went back to my seat, ate some Skittles, and listened to the giddy teenage girls behind me (one of whom kept humming "Mama who bore me" - they'd apparently sung it in show choir).

I like the idea of the show - taking a cautionary tale from 1890s Germany and blending the society of that day - where failing out brought shame to the family, boys and girls went to different schools and didn't speak or touch, or talk about their feelings, and still believed that babies were brought by the stork. When the characters expressed their frustration, their passion, their thoughts, it was through the much freer, more lively music of today. "There's a moment you know..." Melchior sings at the start of "Totally Fucked" and that was the moment that I started getting into it. The audience was really into it as well - that show has a lot of loyal followers. Kind of fun. While I was in the lobby before the show, I overheard a couple talking Tony's - and wondering what had won best play this year, which got me thinking. I thought really hard about it most of the afternoon. Since I was by myself, the time spent not watching the show was filled with thoughts like this: Mary Stuart? Don't think so. 39 Variations? Speed the Plow? Uhhh. The Norman Conquests? (I was sort of onto something there, actually. It was best revival.) All my Sons? Hahahaha, no! and then I BLANKED. No ideas came into my head. Finally I admitted defeat and looked it up this morning. Does anyone else remember??? It was God of Carnage (I remember one of the presenters did a whole little french thing with all those nominees and so called it "God of Car-NAHJ"). But there's no possible reason on earth that I should need to remember that, ever, so I felt a lot better about my momentary lapse.

Sorry for the sidebar. I just looked it up and so it was in my head. Back to the angsty Germans. Spring Awakening was funny, and sad, and touching, and the music was great. It's not likely to become my new favorite musical, or anything, but I am glad I went.

my rapidly filling dance card!

As the summer is nearing an end, I am starting to fill my calendar with entertainment options... take a peek...

August 16 - Spring Awakening (I was on the fence about this one, but finally decided to go and check it out. As a nod to my own uncertainty, I got a ticket in the balcony. So if I really hate it, I won't have blown a whole bunch of cash on it...)
September 12 - U2 at Soldier Field - rock and roll, baby!
September 17 - Joffrey's FREE performance at Millennium Park!
September 19 - Bill T. Jones dance commission Fondly Do We Hope... at Ravinia
September 25 - Couture & Cocktails fashion show spectacular at the Palmer House (I'll be working, yes, but I WILL be there)
October 7 - Kylie Minogue at the Congress Theater
October 14-25 - The Joffrey will perform Lar Lubovich's Othello - a Chicago premiere!

AND Coming in November - Cirque du Soleil is reportedly bringing a new vaudeville style show to the Chicago Theater, and Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth will be in town for the Addams Family. This is what I am planning for my birthday, if anyone wants to join the celebration - dinner at Petterino's and then watching the cirque show - can't wait!

ABBA Tuesday - Take a Chance on Me...

"You can't sing that backing vocal in one go. That's impossible. No, no, no, no, you do have to breathe." - Benny Andersson

all's weill that ends weill...

Ok, I lied. After the concert ended, the evening wasn't really over... there was a signing by the gift shop. We ambled over there and waited in line for the Diva and Maestro Conlon. The crowd was friendly and happy and there was a nice breeze, so it wasn't a huge deal to wait.

We were admonished by the Ravinia henchpeople not to take photos (although Patti herself amended this - we could take photos, she just wouldn't pose for any) and that she would only sign things to do with her or the performance, which sounded a little odd to me. Also, there went the chances of asking her to sign my (new) glitter lantern. Whatever. As usual, my mind was a perfect blank when I got up to the table. There's so much in my mind that I want to say, but nothing ever seems good enough, or interesting enough. I wish that were different. I wish I could gush away without worrying if I sound too fangirl giddy, or overeager. Instead I think too much. I did speak a little with the Maestro, and may have said something (I have no idea what) to Patti.

But now's my chance - I am much better in writing anyway, because I can take the time to think of what I truly want to say. So here goes: Last week was kind of hellish for me. I had a health scare or two (not at all serious. I am a hypochondriac in the extreme, and a bit of a drama queen to boot, and so I'd whipped myself into a frenzy for no apparent reason), I had a Week at work and I have some personal things that keep popping up among my friends that are proving to be messier and more complicated than I ever would have thought. I know what you're thinking - why on earth would you be whining about your problems to Patti LuPone? Because, quite simply, she made them all go away while I was sitting there. Listening to the CSO playing that music, listening to her sing, everything melted away. I was just there, in that moment, and during that moment, all was right with the world. Nothing else mattered. I think that's the power of music, the power of performance, to capture you in a little bubble and hold you there, transcending everything else, in a perfect, private little world while you escape. I suppose you can see how this might be a difficult thing to convey to someone you admire, someone who has brought you that feeling again and again. I could hardly find the words, much less put together coherend thoughts in her presence, in the space of several seconds.

Thank you, Patti. It means a lot and I hope it's as joyful for you as it is for me in the audience. I also wanted to thank her for standing up to that texter in Vegas, because that meant a lot to me too. Oh, and I was curious if she has a favorite Beatle. But I suppose I have to wait until next time to try and speak actual words to her...

Weill-ing away the hours...

On Saturday, summer finally decided to put in an appearance. Well geez, it only took until August... It was hot, sticky, and humid. Naturally, on such an evening, I had tickets for Ravinia, to see Ms. LuPone singing an evening of Kurt Weill music.


First stop - gift shop! The evening called for jelly rings, and I procured several in rapid succession. Just the thing for a Weill concert, yes?? This one flashes white, but I also got a pink one AND a red, white and blue one. (Not to worry, I silenced them during the show!)

Patti, Patti everywhere...

After taking several turns around the lawn, we settled down for a pre-concert snack - Ravinia sells cupcakes now! So we got one of their giant carrot ones. I am not usually one for vegetables in my pastry, but this carrot cupcake was quite tasty. And then it was time to head into the pavillion. I had actually managed to snag some pretty decent seats - row AA, in the center, and right behind one of the boxes. Even though I like to be closer, it was really kind of perfect because the sightlines were great and we had some legroom. I had no huge idea what the 7 Deadly Sins would be like so I just sat back and waited. I had experienced Weill before, since I'd seen Mahagonny (twice!) in LA.

First, Maestro James Conlon led the CSO in the Symphonic Nocturne from Lady in the Dark which was really lovely. I don't know what other people think of the big screens in the pavilion now, but I love them. It's fun to be able to watch the orchestra and soloists up close & personal. As I was watching though, I felt bad that the maestro had to be sweating up there in full regalia. I mean, I know he wouldn't come out and conduct this prestigious orchestra in bermuda shorts and a t-shirt, but I wouldn't have blamed him one bit if he had. He could have lost the jacket, at least. I wouldn't have minded.

So, anyway. The Maestro gave us a brief introduction on the 7 Deadly Sins, which didn't really help me a whole lot. I decided to wait and see. He brought out the Diva and her backup chorus of 4 guys (two of whom were Anna's parents. And they were both guys. You see?). It was... yeah, fine, I guess. Patti sounded great. I think I would need to listen to it again to really fully grasp what it was saying to me. Weill and Brecht were not subtle in their messaging, which I suppose makes it doubly sad that I wasn't exactly grasping it. It was the same with Mahagonny - I had the feeling I should be getting more out of it than I actually did. John von Rhein's review in the Tribune says something about the chorus decrying capitalist whateverism, and I sure as hell was not getting that. I think I shall blame the heat....

Intermission - the usual dash to the (air conditioned) facilities and then a trip to find a bottle of cold water. Back to our seats. The second half of the program featured better known songs of Weill, Broadway songs, like "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" and "September Song" "Surabuya Johnny" and "Mack the Knife." Patti strolled back out onto the stage, looking much cooler in a shorter dress (for the 7 Deadlies, she was wearing a longer black ensemble. I swear, I was hot just watching her on the big screen. No change, sadly, for the maestro.) and greeted us conversationally with a big, happy "Hi!" She proceeded to give us a little introduction to each song, including the name of the show, some background, who performed it, etc. Like our very own little walking Sicilian program notes. I enjoyed this half a lot better than the first half. And then, suddenly, it seemed over. But wait - Patti and Maestro Conlon reappeared on the stage, and he started saying something - which none of us could hear, and so members of the audience started telling him so. The Diva, who was mic'd, took over - she told us that "Jimmy" and the orchestra were going to the bar for a drink, and that she was gonna sing an encore, while "your CEO" (the multitalented Mr. Welz Kauffman) accompanied her on the piano. She sang two additional Weill songs - including "Lost in the Stars" and I nearly melted into a contented (and sticky) pile of goo. I love that song. Sigh...

Then it was really and truly over. Another beautiful summer evening at Ravinia...

vampires & shfiters & weres (oh my!)

You may recall that my commute of late has been marked by my peering over the shoulders of businessmen to gaze at their headlines and puzzle quietly to myself over the varied punctution of their newspapers (by the way, WSJ also has a "Weekend Journal." section, again with the stupid period!) and one particularly memorable incident where I nearly fell off my seat as I was oggling a pic of Gerry Butler in someone's Red Eye (I was on the train's upper deck at the time, Gerry's hot likeness was on the lower deck). To avoid possible embarassment, my friend Heidi (who is in the great land of Oz as we speak on MY 30th birthday trip - hello? Jealous!) loaned me her great stash of Charlaine Harris novels. Ms. Harris, as you may know, writes the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire mystery series, and this series is the inspiration for the show True Blood. Being without cable at the moment, I only catch fleeting glimpses of the series. I will have to start relying on the kindness of Netflix. The great thing about books though, is that I can take them anywhere.

So I started reading last week and I've been taking books back and forth with me as I commute each day. They are quick and entertaining reads, and I've been enjoying them very much. I'm reading - oh, crap, I don't remember which one, I just started it, it's got "Dead" in the title (hahahaha - little joke there - they ALL have 'dead' in the title!) it has a (were) tiger on the cover. At first I was not sure about a heroine named "Sookie" but I like her a lot. She's got a lot more oomph to her than Bella Swan of the Twilight series - and plus she's not a total moron like Bella is. And these vamps? Don't sparkle. I think I'd much rather have Eric and Pam and Bill in my corner than that Cullen crew (except maybe for Alice. She's awesome.) And one of them is Elvis - whoops, I mean, Bubba. Does it get any better than that? I really think not.

but will she think it's a flash bulb?

Ravinia has a whole page on their blog dedicated to that most singular of sensations - the jelly ring at their gift shop. Last time I was there, for the ABBA show, you may recall that I picked up a kickass glitter lantern. Which, by the way, is still glowing. It is awesome, and possibly the best 8 bucks I have spent in my life. I had planned to get another one this Saturday, when I am seeing (the) Patti, (so I can have one for each hand!! Yesss!) but I might invest in one of these jelly rings instead. Nothing says classy night listening to some Weil like sitting in the pavilion waving a big glowing jelly ring.

I can't wait!!

bjorn says, "it's a crazy world"

And he is not wrong. Happy Abba Tuesday!