Storm Large and Le Bonheur, The Crazy Arc of Love, Wednesday, June 22

The Grant Park Symphony has wonderful concerts at Millennium Park.  Usually about a hour in length at 6:30 pm, they attract flocks of workers from downtown to the park for picnic dinner and entertainment.  We were kindly invited to join friends who have real seats (about half the seats are free and the lawn in huge) and live on Randolph St., directly across from the park.

Weather, ominous, predictions of rain.  Result, not so many folks there.  We picniced in our friends apartment to spare ourselves the wet grass and scooted over to enjoy Storm Large. Her real name, so she says.  This lady does have a large and wonderful voice.  She fronted for Pink Martini for several years and is now on her own, doing all sorts of interesting things, like appearing with symphonies.  Best number of the night, hands down, was her symphonic version of Steven Tyler's "Dream On".  She rocked!  Interesting side bet of the evening, "Would Storm fall out of her dress?"  The one in the photo is what she wore.  She remained intact.

And, as we were boarding the 151 bus to take us home, the skies opened and it rained for hours.

"A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara (Doubleday, 2015)

Clocking in at 720 pages, this is not a read for the faint of heart.  But it is so worth the journey.  The story is one of friendship, love, family, child abuse, molestation, despair and no redemption.  The writing is excellent.  Unlike 2014’s long book, The Goldfinch by Diana Tartt, which I found long and often uninteresting, A Little Life is like a sturdy raft on a smooth stream – the length slips by like water.  

I gained insights into the loss of “self” that results from child abuse, especially sexual abuse. While reading the book, I had conversations with a friend who was severely abused and she confirmed what the book reveals – the development of two levels of existence in the adult survivor.  Highly recommended, but not for the beach.  

An Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse Songbook

Produced by Theo Ubique Cabaret Theater

Who doesn’t remember these songs:  “On a Wonderful Day Like Today,” “The Candy Man”, “Pure Imagination,” “Goldfinger” “Once in a Lifetime” – the list goes on through 20 songs in 70 minutes.  Theo Ubique presents these wonderful cabaret productions each summer, featuring strong local talent. 

The staging was unique – mime-ish, with tattered steam-punk costumes.  I enjoyed it and thought it suited the songs, but DBH and Norah felt it detracted from the evening.  Best of all was the pianist, Jeremy Ramey, who made an upright seem like an orchestra. 

Dinner was at the Heartland Café, a block north of the theater.  It is one of the original vegetarian restaurants in the area and continues to provide healthy, hearty food.  Cod fish cakes topped by poached egg.  Just like my mother used to make for Catholic Friday meals. 

Score:  musically a Prince, less royal for the staging.  

Physical Fest Chicago 2016

Per my friend, Wikipedia, “Physical theatre is a genre of theatrical performance that pursues storytelling through primarily physical means. Several performance traditions all describe themselves as "physical theatre", but the unifying aspect is a reliance on physical motion of the performers rather than or combined with speech to convey the story. In basic sense, you talk through hand gestures, body language, use of objects and many more physical features."  Mimes, sure, but so much more – puppets, masks, dance, sound effects – components that take “suspension of disbelief” to another sphere. 

Last year, my sister-in-law, Norah, and I stumbled on one night of Physical Fest 2015 and were swept away by two performances:  a one-man show “A Little Business at the Big Top” that recreates the world of circus and “Popol is Gone,” described as "a journey through madness, revolution and solitude" that is conveyed as a dialogue with the audience.  We vowed to return.

And we did, with Festival passes (not quite like Taste of Chicago or Lollapalooza passes), and dragged DBH along, though he did not much protest.  This year we attended all five productions – and wished we could have attended the workshops.  Here’s the lineup with our feedback.

Hominus Brasilis

Hominus Brasilis by Cia Manual (Brazil).  6o minutes of non-stop movement and a few words (mostly jibberish) that told the story of Brazil from the creation of the world to Zika virus and the Olympics.  You see the size of the “stage” in the photo.  And the movement rarely stopped on this lily pad for performance.  Magical, definitely a Prince.

Laura Simms

How to Find Romania, written and performed by Laura Simms.  Simms is a storyteller, and a substitute in this lineup.  You would not normally put a verbal performer into this festival.  She’s good, sometimes really good.  But, her performance is too long, with sections that could have been easily edited out.  Score:  Toad

The Bag Lady

The Bag Lady by Malgosia Szkandera, a Spanish artist of Polish descent.  Magic with plastic bags, mostly the common white grocery kind.  Such amazing physical control of her body to provide movement for her tiny puppets. What imagination! Definitely a Prince.

Sad Songs for Bad People by Rough House Puppet Theater (Chicago).  Puppets again, mostly with dark themes and, unfortunately, dark lighting.  Instead of regular spots, they used #10 cans on poles wired for lighting.  One sequence featured “black light”, but everything was so dim you could not follow the action.  Understandably they are attempting to create an atmosphere of amateurism, but they must be a bit more appreciative of the needs of the audience to accomplish this reverse of technique.  Some of the sequences were stunning, so very sad.  Score:  Very dark Prince

Sad Songs for Bad People

Hold Onto Your Butts by Recent Cutbacks (New York).  This rocked the house.  If you have seen Return to Jurassic Park, picture the whole story told by two men and a Foley (sound effects) artist.  Raunchy, punchy, over-the-top athletic with amazing sound-effects and sight-gags.  I want to see it again and again… Score: Prince.

You can actually share a bit of their wild and crazy show on this video promo.

“Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure” by Kevin Douglas, Lookingglass Theater Company

This won’t be a rant about brand being a promise of quality – especially since we attended a preview performance.  Thaddeus and Slocum, as we saw it, is not up to the quality of a Lookingglass production.  This is Kevin Douglas’s first full length play.

The subject matter is difficult:  an interracial Vaudeville (black/white) duo in which the “negro” wears black face because an interracial act would not be booked in either black or white theaters at the turn of the century.  (Probably would not have been booked in most of the U.S. until into the second half of the 20th century.)  So, right away you have a social/moral conundrum, interspersed with a love story, and Vaudeville acts.  Lookingglass is known for their outstanding physical theater – precise dancing, gymnastics, incredible staging – this in no way measured up. And the story is poorly written, not compelling.
Score: Toad

"Sender" by Ike Holter, a Red Orchid Theatre production

Oh to be 35 again – and experiencing Chicago theater for the first time.  Sender, by Chicago playwright Ike Holter, would have sent me to the moon.  This play is well crafted; the acting is excellent; the direction sharp and coherent; the stage and the theater small and gritty. 

But, it’s 30 years later and we’ve been there, done that.  Guess this is part of the price of seniority – not much wows us.  However, this play and Steep’s The Few are the best we have seen this summer.

We saw Holter’s Exit Strategy last summer at the Jackalope Theater.  It dealt with Chicago teachers facing the closing of their high school – a reality in the Chicago Public School District.  It, too, was well written, but Sender shows growth and maturity - also a better troop of actors. 

Interesting that both Sender and The Few begin with the surprise appearance of the male central character who has disappeared for one and four years.  Did the authors attend the same workshop?  It is an interesting device for introducing all sorts of mayhem. 

There is an extended sequence in this play where the two male characters, one the returnee and the other the bereft best friend, rebond.  The language and action seemed so real and true (lots of beer involved, of course) that I asked DBH after the performance how, as a man, he felt about the scene.  He confirmed my reaction. 

Like The Few, Sender deals with characters living on the fringe - in this case, artsy, marginally employed millennials.  One works at Groupon.  Ever read their offer descriptions?  Groupon prides itself on employing Chicago artsy folks, especially actors who need day jobs.  They are given license in writing up offers, often resulting in unintelligible jargon probably fun and funny to their cronies.  They make good grist for the playwright.
Score:  Prince

“Mary Page Marlow” by Tracy Letts - Steppenwolf Theater

The six Mary Todd Marlowe actresses

Tracy Letts is a remarkable playwright – and a remarkable actor.  I’ve not seen all of his plays, but “Killer Joe” and “August Osage County” are memorable.  And his turn on “Homeland” as the nefarious Senator turned CIA Director Lockhart was evil fun.
 
So where did this loving, tender story of an unremarkable woman come from?  It’s told in 90 minutes of vignettes from the life of MPM.  Played by six actresses, with no attempt at physical cohesion, and a large supporting cast, you see MPM from birth through life-accepting senior. What you experience is a woman who grows and learns and makes poor choices, pays the price and moves on.  You want more.  You want a cherry on the top, or a large reveal – and there is none.  

The Chicago Tribune reviewer, Chris Jones, gave it four stars.  And one of his reasons is that the six actresses each have the opportunity to hit it out of the park in their turn on stage – and he’s correct, they do.  But, I was left wanting more.  That’s not a bad thing, and usually indicates that the playwright is crafting a good tale, but it left me undernourished.  

Score:  Toad

The $500 Cup of Coffee: A Lifestyle Approach to Financial Independence by Steven Lome and David Kramer

I loved this little ebook.  Written by a man I met at BEA, Steve Lome.  I offered to talk with him about PR - so I had to read the book to be of any help - and loved it.  It is well researched, well-written and well-organized.  It reminds me of the self-help financial books the Wall Street Journal published, but this one is fun to read.

OK, so there was lots of information in this book that I already know - and am too old to put into practice.  I'll be long dead before saving $100 a month with compound interest from wise investments is going to help fund my retirement.  I did learn about robo-investing and will look into that. But for Millennials, for high school and college grads, for folks leaving the military - this book is a financial bible.  And, it does not tell you "what to do".  It explains all of the financial options so you can make wise decisions.  It is no "get rich quick" lecture.  It is more the tortoise than the hare, but it contains the keys to financial security - at least in the world as we know it today.  

The Old Filth Trilogy by Jane Gardam

Old Filth (Europa Editions 2006)
The Man in the Wooden Hat (Europa Editions, 2009)
Last Friends (Europa Editions, 2013)

What delightful reads – well written, humorous and melancholy at the same time.  The trilogy deals with the lives of “raj orphans”, children of British colonials sent back to England for education, and to get them out of the parent’s hair.  Once in England, most attend boarding schools, but in the case of Edward Feathers, the main character, he was too young, so with distant cousins was sent to live with a stingy Welch couple who made life hell for all.  

Tragedies are not dwelt on throughout the trilogy – stiff upper lip and all.  These books respectfully tell how raj children made their adolescent lives in England, their careers back in the colonies and their retirements in England.  Abandonment is a big theme.  Edward Feathers’s nickname, Old Filth” is an acronym for “Failed in London, try Hong Kong”.  Once educated, the raj children were more successful returning to the colonies than in England, where they lacked social continuity.  

Highly recommended for the tight, yet easy writing and the "new-to-me" information about yet another aspect of British colonial life.  Good stories, too.