Jeff Equity awards announced

Drury Lane, Oakbrook, hosted the Jeff Equity Awards ceremony and announcement for 2022. (Drury Lane photo)
Drury Lane, Oakbrook, hosted the Jeff Equity Awards ceremony and announcement for 2022. (Drury Lane photo)

The 54th Jeff Equity awards ceremony, hosted by Chicagoan E. Faye Butler and directed by Jim Corti with music direction by David Fiorello, announced 46 winners in artistic and technical categories at Drury Lane Theatre, Oakbrook, Oct. 17, 2022.

The evening was a celebration of in person theater after going dark following the 2019 COVID outbreak. This year, the ceremony featured several nominated productions.

Paramount Theatre walked off with six awards in various categories for its production of “Kinky Boots” and Goodman Theatre earned five awards for “Good Night, Oscar” plus an award for “Gem of the Ocean.”

Red Orchid Theatre took home five awards for “the Moors” and Porchlight Music Theatre received four awards for “Blues in the Night.”

“Short Run Productions” was added this year as a new category to acknowledge the value of shorter productions and also recognize theaters returning to in-person shows following COVID pandemic closures.

For more award listings go to Jeff Equity Awards.  

For acceptance speeches and special moments check the Jeff Awards YouTube channel.

Jodie Jacobs

Three Fun Pumpkin Patches and Mazes

Maze at Krill's Farm (J Jacobs photo
Maze at Krill’s Farm (J Jacobs photo

It’s only midway through fall and October which means it is not too late to take a family field trip out into the countryside to find the perfect pumpkin or explore a corn maze or take a hayride. The following three farms offer a variety of activities and a maze of possibilities for all ages.

Kroll’s Fall Harvest Farm at the far northwestern (the boonies) part of Waukegan must have a local following because it is out of sight, off the main road but reasonably busy.   

After finding Kroll’s with our GPS, we refueled on yummy pumpkin donuts then explored the farm.  Youngsters were having fun feeding the hens and llamas while young adults and couples were taking photos of each other behind cutouts of funny figures. 

Feeding the llamas and hens are part of the Kroll Farm experience.
Feeding the llamas and hens are part of the Kroll Farm experience.

Their next stop was the bench where everyone waited for hayride before wandering through the maze and then going over to the pumpkin patch for the right size large one to carve or small pumpkins to easily carry away.

Kroll’s is a good, low-keyed farm experience. For hours, pricing and more info visit Kroll’s Fall Harvest Farm,  13236 W. Townline Rd. Waukegan, IL (847) 662-5733.

 

All Seasons pumpkin Patch ( Photo courtesy of All Seasons Orchard)
All Seasons pumpkin Patch (Photo courtesy of All Seasons Orchard)

All Seasons, a good apple-picking place in Woodstock, turns to fall with fun activities for different ages.

It has a good-size corn maze of 10 acres with two paths – short and easy and long and harder. There is also a good pumpkin patch, pony rides and excellent apple cider donuts to eat on the way home.

All Seasons Orchard is at 14510 IL Route 176 Woodstock, IL, (815) 338-5637 For hours, pricing and more information visit All Seasons Orchard.

 

James Bond Corn Maze at Richardson Farm in Spring Grove. (Photo courtesy of Richardson Farm)
James Bond Corn Maze at Richardson Farm in Spring Grove. (Photo courtesy of Richardson Farm)

Richardson Farm in Spring Grove, has different experiences for different ages in the fall. It turns 28 acres of corn into a large sprawling maze of 9-10 miles of trails.

They are divided into four mazes to cater to different ages and difficulty. The maze is always interestingly themed. This year, 2022, it has a James Bond spy theme.

Among the other activities are wagon rides, zip lining and a picnic food and area. 

Ricardson Farm is at 909 English Prairie Rd., Spring Grove, 815) 675-9729. Foe pricing, hours and more information visit Richardson Farm

Jodie Jacobs

 

 

Extraordinary Brightness

Brightness of Light at Los Angeles June . 18, 2022 (Photo Credit: Lawrence K. Ho)
Brightness of Light at Los Angeles Opera June . 18, 2022
(Photo Credit: Lawrence K. Ho)

4 Stars

Lyric Opera goers may not have known what to expect when taking their seats Oct. 8, 2022, for “The Brightness of Light,” a hybrid one-act opera-song cycle by composer Kevin Puts.  But it featured popular lyric soprano Renée Fleming and versatile baritone Rod Gilfry, so the house was filled.

It was an extraordinary experience. 

For scenery, the program used the gorgeous artwork of Georgia O’Keeffe, the sensuous photography of Alfred Stieglitz and the dramatic letters they wrote to each other compiled in a projection format designed by Wendall Harrigton.

Puts turned to those letters for his libretto. However, it took the still remarkable Fleming voice and artistry and well-matched baritone of Gilfry to pull off Puts’ intense, challenging music.

“The Brightness of Light,” with Fleming and Gilfry was the Chicago premiere. It is worth seeing and hearing again. Unfortunately, this was a one-time program that has been travelling for a few years. It ended the LA Opera season in June.

Some members of the audience left at intermission to catch trains. Those who stayed were entertained by a charming selection of nine Broadway songs ranging from “Almost Like being in Love” (Brigadoon) to “People Will Say We’re in Love” (Oklahoma).

The entire program featured the Lyric Opera Orchestra conducted by Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola which is always a treat.

As to how this all started, Puts explained the following in a note:

“In 2015, I received the honor of a commission from my alma mater, the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. The school’s orchestra was planning a trip to perform at Lincoln Center and wanted to include a new work written by an alumni composer to feature an alumni performer. The performer they had in mind was Renée Fleming and—to my great excitement—she accepted the offer, thereby initiating one of the most treasured collaborations of my career.

We wanted to focus on an iconic American woman as the subject, and I happened on a quote by Georgia O’Keeffe: “My first memory is of the brightness of light, light all around.”

For more information visit The Brightness of Light | Lyric Opera of Chicago

For more shows visit Theatre in Chicago

 

Jodie Jacobs

 

Around Town early to mid-October

 

 

American Craft Expo features high quality items ranging from wood and ceramics to leather and glass.J Jacobs 2014 photo)
American Craft Expo features high quality items ranging from wood and ceramics to leather and glass. (J Jacobs 2014 photo)

t is easy to miss events when September ends on a Friday and October starts on a weekend. Plus, a COVID break of events for two years changed when some events are re-appearing.

American Craft Expo

Sept. 30 through Oct. 2

Usually held earlier in the year, ACE, as the art exposition is known, will be at the Chicago Botanic Garden again but runs this weekend on the cusp of September/October. A top-notch show of works from100 juried-in artisans, ACE is sponsored by the Auxiliary of NorthShore University HealthSystem and is a fundraiser for NorthShore research and care.

Hours: Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Chicago Botanic Garden is at 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe. For more information visit Chicago Botanic Garden and American Craft Expo. Chicago Botanic Garden, CBG/ACE and American Craft Expo.

 

World Music Festival Chicago (Photo courtesy of Dept. of Cultural Affairs and special Events)
The all-night Ragamala concert of Indian classical music in Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center, September 2018.

 World Music Festival Chicago

Sept 30 through Oct. 9

The festival has free band concerts at the Chicago Cultural Center and locations across the city from restaurants and bars to the University of Chicago. Its artists and ensembles represent 22 countries and areas. A special feature is Ragamala, the largest all-night long presentation of live Indian classical music in the United States. For more information visit World Music Festival Chicago. For the bands and locations visit Schedule.

Lyric curtain before lecture on Fiddler. (J Jacobs photo)
Lyric curtain before lecture on Fiddler. (J Jacobs photo)

Fiddler on the Roof

Oct. 2 through Oct. 7

Opera director Berrie Kosky premiered his “Fiddler on the Roof” at Komische Oper Berlin in 2017. Now it has been adapted by the Lyric Opera of Chicago for its US premiere, but it leaves soon.

Both Grand, with the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus and powerful with fine acting and exceptional dances, “Fiddler” visits the village of Anatevka in 1905 in what became Ukraine (and in 2022 is a war zone.) Lectures on operas and shows are one hour before curtain time.

The Lyric Opera of Chicago is at 20 N. Wacker Dr. For tickets and more information visi. Lyric Opera and call (312) 332-2244.

 

 

An intimate look at the life of a film festival and its director

 

 

Michael Kutza (Photo courtesy of Michael Kuzo and Lyna O'Oconnor)
Michael Kutza (Photo courtesy of Michael Kutza and Lyna O’Oconnor)

Read Starstruck, a tell-all memoir by Michael Kutza, a Chicagoan whom international movie stars and directors know personally and whose face and name would be known to theater critics but he would not be recognized by even regular movie goers.

You will pick up info and gossip they can drop during the next Academy Awards party or when out to dinner with friends who appreciate “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” with Jack Nicholson.

For instance, if you have gone to the Museum of Science and Industry and on purpose or accidently wandered into a room with a doll-house-sized castle you have seen the results of Coleen Moore’s dream

But do you know who Colleen Moore was? The recent widow of Merrill Lynch founding partner Homer Hargrave, she was instrumental in helping Kutza realize his dream.

Already an award-winning film maker and a graphic artist, Kutza wanted to form and maintain an international film festival in Chicago before any film festival existed in the U.S. such as Sundance and before most film festivals such as Toronto popped up all over the world.

Irv Kupcinet who introduced the two of them and is mentioned several times in the book, is simply described as saying Colleen Moore as a “silent movie star.” Kutza describes her as a “real-life Auntie Mame.”

Mostly called Colleen in the book, she was that and much more. You learn that she knew the right people.

And because she loved film and its stars plus knew the movers and shakers – the men and women, who helped get things done in the arts, she adopted Kutza’s idea of having an international film festival in Chicago.

Starstruck by Michael Kutza ( Photo of cover by Jodie Jacobs)
Starstruck by Michael Kutza ( Photo of cover by Jodie Jacobs)

Now you get it. At the young age of 22, Kutza, a West Side (as he says) son of two doctors who expected him to go to medical school, had fallen in love with film and wanted to make more available to the public than standard Hollywood fare. He also wanted film directors, producers and actors to know Chicago.

You learn that Colleen’s friend, Joan Crawford gave Kutza a pair of glasses to make him look older than 22 so people would listen to him.

That was back in 1964, the birth year of the Chicago International Film Festival when things started to come together. The next year, 1965, was the Chicago International Film Festival’s first year of operation with screenings and awards.

Ten years later in 1975, the Chicago Festival held the world premier of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” attended by Jack Nicholson and cast. The film later won an Oscar as Best Picture.

Reading Starstruck, you understand that Kutza realized his dream. The list of premiers and directors who first showed their films in Chicago is long and ranges from Oliver Stone in the United States to Liv Ullman in Norway with dozens more from other countries in between.  

Kutza retired as director of the Chicago Festival in 2018 when he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Cinema/Chicago, now the presenter of the Chicago International Film Festival with the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Starstruck takes you on Kutza’s fascinating journey from the Chicago Festival’s inception to its many awards and film screenings without covering up mistakes, bumps, triumphs and bare bodies.

Reading it reminded me of interviews I’ve done with hotel concierges who spoke of celebrity requests from alcohol and drugs to sex partners.

Yes, star peccadillos are in there. But you also feel closer to the celebrities and film makers Kutza has worked with during his tenure including silent screen star Colleen Moore Hargrave.

You learn that the original “Star is Born” story was that of Colleen’s success and the downhill trajectory of her husband at the time, John McCormick, including his attempted suicide walking into the ocean.

Starstruck by Michael Kutza is published by BearManor Media, 2022.

(The Chicago International Film Festival this year is Oct. 12-23, 2022). 

 

Jodie Jacobs

 

Find your perfect Oktoberfest

 

Celebraate Oktoberfest with German food and beer at The Berghof fin Chicago and at Oktoberfests around the city. Photo courtesy of The Berghoff)
Celebraate Oktoberfest with German food and beer at The Berghof fin Chicago and at Oktoberfests around the city. Photo courtesy of The Berghoff)

 

Background:  It all started with Ludwig I. Born in 1786 in Strasbourg, France on the border with Alsace, Germany, (becoming king in 1825), Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on Oct.12, 1810.

Thus, the Oktoberfest to beat all others today started in 1810 to celebrate their marriage. It takes place Sept. 17 through Oct. 3 on the Theresienwiese, a fairground that held the original fields where Ludwig had invited citizens to gather for the wedding celebration. But that is a long name, so the fairgrounds are also called d’Wiesn and the type of beer drunk at Oktoberfest there is also calaled Wiesn.

So, travel to Munich for the longest running Oktoberfest and find out more about it at Oktoberfest de/information .

Or visit one of the following Oktoberfests in and near Chicago, beginning this weekend.

 

Sept 9-11 – German American Oktoberfest At Lincoln Square in Chicago, it is held by the United German-American Societies of Greater Chicago. A no fee event, it features entertainment, dancing and authentic German Gementuchkeit (food) in tents at Lincoln and Leland Avenues. Its annual Steuben Parade is Sept. 10, 2 p.m. at Lincoln and Irving Park Rd.

Hours: 5 to 11 p.m. Sept 9, with opening ceremony at 8 p.m., noon to 11 p.m. Sept. 10 and noon to 10 Sept. 11.

 

Sept. 15-Oct. 8 The Berghoff Oktoberfest

The longtime German restaurant at 17 W. Adams St., Chicago, is celebrating Oktoberfest with German music and beer. See the menu (and get a pretzel) and full music schedule, Thursday-Saturday at Berghoff Oktoberfest.

 

Sept 16-18 – Palatine Oktoberfest 

Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Palatine as a fundraiser, the Oktoberfest is a free event but money raised supports local charities. The fest features German food, music, beer and wine.

Hours: Family Day with face painting and other activities is Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. German music is 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, 4 p.m. to midnight Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.  The event is under a large, heated tent downtown Palatine.

 

Sept. 23-25 – Oktoberfest Chicago.  

Rated among the 10 best Oktoberfests by USA today in 2015, the event is hosted by St. Alphonsus Church, 1429 Wellington Ave. in tghe West Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Admission is $10.  It features food, beer tastings and music on two stages.

Hours: 5-10 Friday, noon – 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, for specific band times and other information visit Oktoberfest Chicago.

 

Sept. 30 – Oct. 1 – Naper Settlement Oktoberfest

 Held in Naperville west of Chicago, the event benefits the town’s Naperville Heritage Society/Naper Settlement, a large, walkable historic patch of “yesterday.” The event is in a large tent near the Naper settlement for food, dancing and entertainment by polka and classic rock bands. Admission is $20 adults and $15 children 4-12 . Find food choices and drinks at Oktoberfest Menu.. Hours: Sept. 30, 5-10 p.m., Oct. 1, 3-10 p.m. 

Oompa! Prost!

Jodie Jacobs

 

 

 

 

Two different fests Labor Day Weekend

 

You don’t have to go out of town to find something different to do Labor Day Weekend 2022. In Chicago go over to the United Center where the Bulls are generating excitement for their 2022-23 season with Bulls Fest. Or drive up to north suburban Highwood for the sounds and tastes of Nashville.

Bulls Fest 2022 (Photo courtesy of Choose Chicago and The Bulls)
Bulls Fest 2022 (Photo courtesy of Choose Chicago and The Bulls)

Bulls Fest

Go over to the United Center, 1901 Madison St. Sept. 3-4 for entertainment, street food, Bulls and basketball related art and memorabilia and a hoops tournament. Find schedule information here at NBS BullsFest.

The BEATS stage sponsored by Michelob Ultra features Da Brat, G Herbo, Sixteen candles, The Trippin’ Billies, Benny and the Luvabulls. 

Food and drinks are sold outside the UC on Madison Street.

The event basically goes from 8 a.m to 10 p.m. both days.  Admission is free.  For more information visit Bulls Fest 2022.

 

Tala Coffee and the next door Chicago Mike's Ice cream will have "all ages" stages on their parking lots/ patios during Nashfest. Photo courtesy of Tala Coffee)
Tala Coffee and the next door Chicago Mike’s Ice cream will have “all ages” stages on their parking lots/ patios during Nashfest. Photo courtesy of Tala Coffee)

“Nashwood” Highwood Nashville and Food Fest

Known as restaurant town, arguably for more restaurants within its slightly over square mile limits compared to any other small town in Illinois, Highwood is adding Nashville’s sounds to its streets, bars and restaurants Sept. 2-4, 2022.

Folks can where cowboy boots and hats, hear Country, Blues, Bluegrass and Southern Rock bands and singers. Along with Highwood’s regular restaurant choices there will be Southern-style food and drink specials.

Also, visitors can ride the Nashwood Hop On to do a loop to restaurants and bars. The event is free with no cover charges but tip jars will be out. 

Nashwood will run Friday from 5 p.m. until-bar close, Saturday from noon to bar close.  Sunday times vary according to venue. An All-Ages Stage will be at the Chicago Mike’s Ice Cream Co. and Tala Coffee Roasters parking lot/patios.

For more info visit Nashwood.

Have a fun, safe long weekend.

 Jodie Jacobs

Around Town Labor Day Weekend

 

hicago Jazz Festival in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. (Photo courtesy of DCASE)
hicago Jazz Festival in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. (Photo courtesy of DCASE)

Move the bod or just sit back and charge up your mood at the free Chicago Jazz Festiva, downtown Thursday, Sept 1 through Sunday, Sept 4.

The annual event is produced by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) with programming by the Jazz Institute of Chicago.

Today, Sept 1 go to Preston Bradley Hall in the Chicago Cultural Center on Michigan Ave. between Randolph and Washington Streets then tonight, listen to jazz in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.

During the day Sept 2, 3 and 4, head to the Harris Theater rooftop (enter on Randoph St.) or go over to the Von Freeman Pavilion (North Promenade). Then late afternoon and early evening meander over to the Pritzker Pavilion.

The Festival presents a variety of jazz styles by local, national and international talent. For performance and location schedule visit City of Chicago :: Chicago Jazz Festival

Note: outside alcohol not allowed but vendors will have driniks at the venues.

 

 Art Fair on the Square. (J Jacobs photo)
Art Fair on the Square. (J Jacobs photo)

Go to an art fair in a suburb you may not have visited before or very often. 

Fair on the Square, presented by the Deer Path Art League Sunday and Monday, Sept. 4-5, attracts local and nationally known artists. 

Considered among the Chicago area’s oldest art fairs, it is held downtown Lake Forest on the west side of the METRA tracks.

The art fair is also a chance to see the suburb’s historic downtown which is listed among the country’s earliest outdoor shopping malls. Look up at the Square’s architecture to see some hidden niches and nooks.

For more information visit Deer Path Art League Fair on the Square.

Have a fun and safe Labor Day Weekend

 Jodie Jacobs

Find a rainbow of fun at the Color Factory

 

Inspired by the city’s St. Patricks’s Day traditions as well as notable sites and sights like Chicago’s Lakefront Trail, baseball fields and the oldest L line , our custom green ball pit is a joy whether you’re 2 or 200. (IPhoto courtesy of the Color Factory)

 

What is the Color Factory?  Is it an art museum, a place to learn, or an interactive experience? Actually, it’s all three. It’s experiential.

Located in downtown Chicago’s Willis Tower, the Color Factory is more than 25,000 sq. ft. of interactive rooms and activities designed to stimulate your imagination. 

The third permanent installation in the U.S., the company has other locations in New York and Houston.  Each Color Factory embraces its city with a unique color palette and provides a multi-sensory interactive art experience with multi-sensory installations, immersive rooms, and carefully curated moments.

This joy of color celebrates artists, art institutions, nonprofits, and brand partners to bring more art and color to the world.

Working in partnership with photographer and South Side native, Akilah Townsend, the palette celebrates some of Chicago’s most iconic elements and neighborhoods.

Colors from Chicago’s exclusive Rainbow Cone (think ice cream), the dyed Chicago River (St. Patrick’s Day celebration), Lake Michigan, and the beloved Chicago flag are the stars.

It’s called the 36Chicago Color Palette and you’ll find these colors infused throughout the museum. Mirrors create layers of images in multi-sensory rooms to get lost in.

 

At the color Factory in Willis Tower see Artist Camille Walala’s 1,500 square foot maze that with patterns inspired by Chicago architecture. ( Photo courtesy of the Color Factory)
At the Color Factory in Willis Tower see Artist Camille Walala’s 1,500 square foot maze with patterns inspired by Chicago architecture.  (Photo courtesy of the Color Factory)

 

If you go: 

Get your brain wired for a color explosion as you enter the multi-hued walkway.  Check out more than a dozen immersive spaces that tap into all five senses – taste, touch, sight, scent, and sound. Enjoy sweet treats along the way, like delicious (and colorful) macaroons revolving out of a conveyer belt or a green Kurimu honeydew ice cream cone.

 Taste and identify different flavors of “pop rocks.” Take lots of selfies, free with your QR code in each of the rooms. Touch the lightweight colorful balloons and watch them move through space. There was even a chance to quietly sit and draw the person sitting across from you.

The mint green ball pit was a fan- favorite!  The Color Factory is great for kids, teens, and adults. There are enough activities with more sophisticated options to keep everyone happy. Plan to spend around 90 minutes enjoying the Color Factory fully.

DETAILS: The Color Factory is at Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago as an open run.

 For more information, go to ColorFactory.  To receive further updates on Color Factory Chicago, sign up at ColorFactoryChicago.

Mira Temkin

Jeff equity nominations announced

 

 

Goodman Theatre, downtown Chicago. (Photo courtesy of Goodman Theatre)
Goodman Theatre, downtown Chicago. (Photo courtesy of Goodman Theatre)

Nominees for the Equity Jeff Awards ceremony, an annual recognition of the best Chicago area Equity productions, have been announced this week. The awards ceremony will be Oct. 17, 2022 at Drury Lane in Oakbrook, IL  It will be directed by Jim Corti and hosted by E. Faye Butler, with musical direction by David Fiorello.

Started in 1968 to recognize quality Equity (union) productions, the Jeff Awards added recognition of non-equity productions deserving awards in 1973.

Awards are given for all production aspects from individual actors to ensembles and from lighting and sound to costuming and scenery design. They are also categorized by size from large and mid-sized to small companies.

According to a statement from the Jeff Awards committee, the nominees were chosen from shows that ran from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. They came from 38 categories, 43 companies.

Not all equity shows produced during that period fit Jeff criteria. Of the 94 productions attended, 76 were “Jeff Recommended.”

Some years a few productions take several nominations plus not all theaters are in Chicago’s city limits.

This year, Drury Lane Productions in Oak Brook received 21 nominations from five of its shows and Goodman Theatre in Chicago’s downtown amassed 20 nominations that included four shows co-produced with other companies.

Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire received 16 nominations and Paramount Theater in Aurora picked up 13 nominations of which eight were from a single production, “Kinky Boots.”

Shakespeare Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company rounded out the top nominations with 10 each.

Due to the Pandemic and the changing theater scene, the Jeff awards added the new classification of “Short Run Productions.”

To see all the nominations and categories visit Jeff Awards.

Jodie Jacobs