Three neighborhoods get Taste of Chicago in June prior to Grant Park in July

 

Taste of Chicago (Photo courtesy of City of Chicago
Taste of Chicago (Photo courtesy of City of Chicago

 

Following a couple of years of virtual and shortened versions of Taste of Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced May 21, 2022, some surprising plural Tastes and other changes.

Taste will first sharpen appetites for a day in three neighborhoods: Austin, Pullman and Little Village in June before moving to Grant Park for three days in July.

The neighborhood expansion is a double-barrel initiative for Taste of Chicago which began in 1980. It’s a chance for Taste goers to get to know other areas of the city and for food vendors to bring their “tastes” to a neighborhood.

Austin is Saturday, June 11, noon to 8 p.m. around 5720 W. Chicago Ave., the event will feature blues bands from Chicago Blues Festival presented by Soul City Blues and a dozen food vendors. For band times and food vendor list visit Taste Austin.

Pullman is Saturday, June 18, noon to 8 p.m. in Pullman Park. 11101 S. Cottage Grove. For the music schedule (hosted by Charise Bennett of Komikal 1 Entertainment) and food vendors visit Taste Pullman.

Little Village is Saturday, June 25, noon to 8 p.m. at Ortiz De Dominguez School, 3000 W. Lawndale Ave. For music schedule and vendors visit Taste Little Village.

Grant Park is Friday through Sunday, July 8-10, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Buckingham Fountain near Jackson and Columbus. There are 32 food vendors, two stages and SummerDance. For the Main Stage and Goose Island Stage plus the SummerDance times and vendors visit Taste Grant Park.

Another change is that no food tickets will be sold.  Food vendors will take cash and credit cards.

All events are free.

For more information visit City of Chicago/Taste.

Jodie Jacobs

 

Three outdoor family activities for Memorial Day Weekend

 

Chicago skyline. (J Jacobs photo)
Old photo of Chicago skyline. (J Jacobs photo))

Chicago’s warm (finally) weather this Memorial Day weekend is perfect for a day laughing at monkeyshines at two zoos or a pirate-ship sail along the city’s shoreline. (Zoo note: both zoos require masks at their indoor animal houses).

 

Sorgum and baby calf at Brookfield Zoo. ( Photo courtesy of Chicago Zoological Society)
Sorghum and baby calf at Brookfield Zoo. ( Photo courtesy of Chicago Zoological Society)

Brookfield Zoo

Visiting the 235 acre Brookfield Zoo can be an all-day family event.

Starting May 26, visitors can see the cute tapir calf just born to his mom, Sorghum. He has been staying indoors at the Pachyderm House but mom and baby might wander to their outdoor space on the north side of the building because the weather will be warm. Now is a good time to see the calf with his white stripes. The marking fade by age six months. The South American tapir is related to the horse and rhinoceros.

Beginning May 28, the Butterflies area, closed the past two years, has reopened and includes moths. Located near the North Gate, entry is $4 adults, $3.50 seniors 65 and older and $3 children. Visitors will be able to see the transformation to butterflies in an off-exhibit space.

Monarch butterfly at Brookfield Zoo. (Photo courtesy of Jim Schulz and CZS)
Monarch butterfly at Brookfield Zoo. (Photo courtesy of Jim Schulz and CZS)

While wandering the zoo, be on the lookout for such ice-age creatures as a 15 ft tall wooly mammoth and the 18 ft long mastodon. They are among Dino Dan’s 30  life-sized animatonic animals staying at the zoo April 1 through Oct. 30, 2022.

Brookfield Zoo entrances are at North Parking Lot 8400 31st St, and South Parking Lot 3300 Golf Road, Brookfield, IL between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways. Current hours: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

There are admission and parking costs. Tickets can be purchased ahead on line and are good for the entire day of entry. Adults $24.95, Seniors 65 and older $19.95, Children age 3-11 $17.95, age 2 and younger free. Parking is $15 and can be paid upon arrival.

*Visitors who have a general admission pass with a barcode, a member guest pass, a Chicago Public Library Museum Pass or a Museum Adventure Pass, can bring that to the zoo for entry, no reservation required.

For tickets and more information visit Chicago Zoological Society and CZS-Brookfield Zoo.

 

The Patio at Cafe Brauer may be a well-kept secret of where to lunch along a quiet Lincoln Park Zoo path and entrance. ( J Jacobs photo)ell
The Patio at Cafe Brauer may be a well-kept secret of where to lunch along a quiet Lincoln Park Zoo path and entrance. ( J Jacobs photo)ell

Lincoln Park Zoo

At 49 acres, Lincoln Park Zoo is doable in half a day. Get a zoo map at the Visitor Center near the main entrance at 2400 N. Cannon Dr.

Time the visit to watch Seal Training at 11:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. near the main entrance . Then, be sure to visit the Pepper Family Wildlife Center.to see Pilipili, a recently born, African lion cub. His name means “pepper” in Swahili.

Lion cub at Lincoln Park Zoo (photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo)
Lion cub at Lincoln Park Zoo
(photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo)

Lincoln Park Zoo is north of Chicago’s Magnificent (shopping) Mile.There are are several entrances with East gate near the paid parking lot being the main one. View the free parking map for all entrances. Current hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. The zoo is free and opened every day. For more information visit Lincoln Park Zoo.

 

On a Tall Ship sail from Navy Pier. ( J Jacobs photo)
On a Tall Ship sail from Navy Pier. ( J Jacobs photo)

Sail on  Tall Ship Windy

For a different sailing experience, take a 75 minute trip along Chicago’s shoreline on Windy, a Tall Ship docked at Navy Pier. Listen to pirate and maritime stories.

Cost is Adults (age 13 and older) $39, children age 3 to 12 $17. For more information visit Chicago Skyline Sail/Tall Ship Windy Chicago.

Jodie Jacobs

 

 

Long Grove Chocolate Fest is back

 

Chocolate charcuterie lesson at Long Grove Chocolate Fest
Chocolate charcuterie lesson at Long Grove Chocolate Fest

Chocolate Fest, a popular festival held by the historic town of Long Grove, IL, is back.

Visitors walk along cobblestone paths, snap photos of the town’s famous  covered bridge, and meander among historic structures and a watermill while noshing on chocolate everything from donuts, cupcakes and dipped fruit to cake pops and chocolate popcorn.

They can get tickets to a chocolate-wine pairing or find out how a charcuterie, now among the latest gourmet trends, can be done with chocolates.

Tickets for the fest are $5 through Ticketweb.com. Tickets for the chocolate  charcuterie are $30 and the same for the wine pairing.

The chocolate charcuteries is at Long Grove Confectionery Co: 114 Old McHenry Road, Long Grove May 20-21 from 3 to 3:45 p.m.

Wine and chocolate pairing is Saturday from 1:30 to 2 p.m. and Sunday from1 to 1:30 p.m. at Corked, 132 Old McHenry Rd., Long Grove.

There is also has a kids’ zone, live music and a carnival.

Details: Chocolate Fest is May 20, 21, 22, 2022 in dwntown Long Grove, 308 Old McHenry Rd. Hours are  Fri, noon– 11 p.m., Sat, 10 a.m.– 11 p.m. and Sun, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The fest is very popular and there is a limited amount of complimentary parking in the public lots, downtown Long Grove so ride sharing is recommended.

A shuttle service will run from the Buffalo Grove Park District parking lot at 530 Bernard Dr. to Archer Road between Robert Parker Coffin and Old McHenry Rd. next to entrance to the Carnival Parking Lot, Sat. from 10:45 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. and Sunday from 10:45 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.

For more music and other information or tickets visit Long Grove Chocolatefest.

Jodie Jacobs

The Cezanne you may not know

 

Paul Cezanne.
Paul Cezanne. The sea at L’Estaque behinf trees 1q78-79, Musee National Picasso-Pariss

Walking through Cezanne, an extensive exhibit now at the Art Institute of Chicago and co-curated with the Tate Modern in London, is like pulling back a curtain to really see and understand the French artist’s various approaches to portraitures, landscapes and figures.

Influenced by Camille Pissarro, Paul Cezanne (1839–1906) was also admired by Pissarro, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

Indeed, “The Sea at L’Estaque Behind Trees” done by Cezanne, 1978-79 was owned by Picasso, and is in the Musee National Picasso-Paris collection on loan for this exhibit.

Works are on loan from several museums and private collections. Visitors should expect to spend close to two hours. The exhibit features 80 oil paintings, 40 watercolors and drawings and two sketchbooks. Some will look familiar. Others will be less known and seldom viewed.

Still Life with Apples; Paul Cézanne (French, 1839 - 1906); 1893–1894; Oil on canvas; 65.4 × 81.6 cm (25 3/4 × 32 1/8 in.)
Still Life with Apples; Paul Cézanne (French, 1839 – 1906); 1893–1894; Oil on canvas; 65.4 × 81.6 cm (25 3/4 × 32 1/8 in.)

Beautifully curated, the exhibit places watercolors of the same or similar subjects close enough to compare. As with many artists, Cezanne’s works reflect different stages of life. Boards near each phase talk about those periods.

Called by some artists and art historians as the “Father of Post Impressionism,” Cezanne’s paintings are a bridge from Impressionism to Post Impressionism.

His early and middle years paintings also became his own bridge. Visitors who think they can identify a work as by Cezanne may be surprised .  His “Still Life with Apples,” 1893-94 oil painting, is quite different from “Still Life with Knife and Watermelon” a watercolor done later, about 1900.

Cezanne’s still life paintings of apples and fruit could easily fill an exhibit on their own. But you will see a still life series of another subject, skulls. They were done in his later years.

Paul Cezanne. The Three Skulls, 1902–6. The Art Institute of Chicago, Olivia Shaler Swan Memorial Collection.
Paul Cezanne. The Three Skulls, 1902–6. The Art Institute of Chicago, Olivia Shaler Swan Memorial Collection.

Part of his appeal to other artists was how his feelings about a subject were expressed by his brush strokes.

“Cezanne pursued an art distinct from his Impressionist colleagues,” explained Gloria Groom, Chair and David and Mary Winton Green Curator, Painting and Sculpture of Europe.

“Whether looking at the countryside around Paris or at a still life arrangement indoors, his was a laborious process and state of mind that involved finding the exact brushstroke to evoke his feelings, his sensations. The exhibition aims to deepen our understanding of this deliberate, singular process,” said Groom.

By the time a visitor exits the exhibit there should be a feeling that some  paintings seen in art galleries and art shows in the current century are not that different in technique from how Cezanne painted.

Paul Cezanne. Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses), about 1894–1905. The National Gallery, London (Photo courtesy Art Institute of Chicago)
Paul Cezanne. Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses), about 1894–1905. The National Gallery, London (Photo courtesy Art Institute of Chicago)

“While Cezanne himself was as interested in long traditions of painting as much as its modernist future, it’s simply not possible to envision twentieth-century avant-garde art without Cezanne’s influence,” said Caitlin Haskell, Gary C. and Frances Comer Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.

“Cezanne approached painting as a technically rigorous yet deeply personal search for truth in art making. And in the process he upended the conventions of artifice in European painting, laying bare the components of color and brushwork used to compose images, and establishing the fundamentals of what would become Cubism, Fauvism, and non-objective art,” said Haskell.

(Note: If you go, get the Art Institute app (know your Apple store password) and go to the number accompanying some of the paintings to hear about Cezanne’s technique and aims. The museum hasn’t been using individual recorded devices since COVID began.)

The exhibition is organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and Tate Modern, London. It is curated by Gloria Groom, Chair and David and Mary Winton Green Curator, Painting and Sculpture of Europe and Caitlin Haskell, Gary C. and Frances Comer Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art, Art Institute of Chicago and Natalia Sidlina, Curator, International Art, Tate Modern.

“Cezanne” is at the Art Institute of Chicago May 15 through Sept. 5, 2022. The museum has two entrances: 111 S Michigan Ave and 159 E. Monroe St. For more information including tickets and hours visit AIC.

Jodie Jacobs

 

Around Town: Three very different art exhibits to see now

 

What is Contemporary Art? How about Modern? How do you value a work of art?

Two Chicago museums are opening retrospective exhibits of famous artists this weekend that will run through the summer of 2022. A suburban gallery specializing in contemporary American artists just opened an exhibit featuring two local artists.  All three exhibitions are worth perusing even though their styles are vastly different. All three feature artists who understand and treasure individual perspective.

 

Nick Cave. Speak Louder

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is celebrating renowned Chicago multi-media  artist Nick Cave in “Forothermore” from May 14 through Oct. 2, 2022.

What to expect: nature and fantasy-based installations sculptures, crafted and textural fashion, videos, performances and kinetic spinners hanging in the atrium and fourth-floor lobby..

The MCA is at 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL · (312) 280-2660. Visit MCA Chicago for hours, tickets and more information.

 

Paul Cezanne. Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses), about 1894–1905. The National Gallery, London (Photo courtesy Art Institute of Chicago)
Paul Cezanne. Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses), about 1894–1905. The National Gallery, London (Photo courtesy Art Institute of Chicago)

“Cezanne” opens at the Art Institute of Chicago May 15 and continues through Sept. 5, 2022.

The first Cezanne exhibition organized by the museum in more than 70 years and the first large retrospective of the artist in the United States in more than 25 years, the exhibit  features 90 oil paintings, 40 watercolors and drawings and two sketchbooks and ranges from very well-known to rarer, seldom seen works.

Done in coordination with London’s Tate Modern, “Cezanne” includes,  impressionist landscapes, portraits, allegorical paintings, bathing scenes and paintings of Montagne Sainte Victoire.

The exhibition is curated by the Art Institute of Chicago’s Gloria Groom, Chair and David and Mary Winton Green Curator, Painting and Sculpture of Europe, and Caitlin Haskell, Gary C. and Frances Comer Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art, and the Tate Modern’s Natalia Sidlina, Curator, International Art.

The Art Institute of Chicago has two entrances: 111 S Michigan Ave and 159 E. Monroe St. For more information including tickets and hours visit AIC.

Mary Jo O’Gara. Gray Roofed Barn Green Hills. (Photo courtesy of the artist and Anne Loucks Gallery)
Mary Jo O’Gara. Gray Roofed Barn Green Hills. (Photo courtesy of the artist and Anne Loucks Gallery)

“Painted Short Stories” features works by award winning artists Rodgers Bechtold and Mary Jo O’Gara at the Anne Loucks Gallery in Glencoe. The exhibit opened April 29 and continues through June 20, 2022.

Rodgers Bechtold, Summer into Fall (Fall Begins) . Photo courtesy of the artist and Anne Loucks Gallery).

For more information visit Anne Loucks Gallery, 309 Park Ave., Glencoe, IL.

Ravinia Festival tickets and update

The Pavilion stage at Ravinia Festival. (Photo courtesy of Ravinia Festival)
The Pavilion stage at Ravinia Festival. (Photo courtesy of Ravinia Festival)

Don’t let April and early May’s bad weather stop you from thinking about enjoying music at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL this summer.

Ravinia concert tickets went on sale to the public online May 4 at 8 a.m. at Ravinia .org   The site has the summer schedule May 20 through Sept. 18, 2022 and ticket info. (Donors already had early access to concert tickets.)

To learn what ticket buyers need to know go to Are you prepared? It includes getting a Ravinia account (needed for tickets), a warning against secondary sellers and suggestions about where to sit. Seating on the lawn directly behind the Pavilion now has reserved spaces.

Along with the Pavilion and indoor theaters, Ravinia will hold a series on the Carousel stage that was new last year on the North Lawn. Seating there is general admission and casual.

The Ravinia Carousel concert series includes many local artists including: Ravinia Festival’s Reach Teach Play Jazz Mentors & Scholars, June 19, Chicago band Summer Drive, June 23, Son Little, June 25, Chicago band Rookie, July 8, Chicago-based Licensed to Sail DJs present Club MTV, August 26, Chicago-based band Tobacco City, September 2, Chicago singer KAINA, September 11 and Flor de Toloache, September 18.

In addition, some opening acts for the Pavilion headliners will appear on the Carousel stage. They include: Southern Avenue opening for Sheryl Crow with special guest Keb’ Mo’, July 7, Mac Saturn opening for The Black Crowes, July 12, Lindsey Ellopening for Little Big Town, July 20, SiriusXM Globalization DJs opening for Pitbull with special guest Iggy Azalea, August 25, Naturally 7opening for Diana Ross, September 4 and Ravyn Lenae opening for Erykah Badu, September 11.

Also, look and listen for performances at the Kohl Kaplan Fountain including a jazz quartet June 2 and 7, a jazz combo June 8, Nanny Nikki June 18, the saxophone quartet Nois Aug. 21 and the Mariachi son de Fuego Sept. 18.

In addition, the Chicago-based Adrian Dunn Singersspiritual and gospel choir joins the concert by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Marcus Roberts Trio on July 16, and Chicago-based vocalistsDevin DeSantis, Susan Moniz, and Bethany Thomas join Brian Stokes Mitchell, Heather Headley, and Alexandra Billings for Yours, Stephen Sondheim: His Letters, Mentorship, and Music with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on August 7.

Canceled:  June 25 performance by Why Don’t We with special guests The Aces and JVKE.

While in the park, visit the Ravinia Music Box. Free to park guests, it has a 65-seat, wraparound holographic theater and a museum gallery space. Figure half an hour if viewing before a concert.

For information about getting to Ravinia, dining there and more about the park and its venues visit Ravinia Festival/About the 2022 Season.

Enjoy Ravinia Festival

Jodie Jacobs

 

Three gift ideas for Mom

 

One of a Kind Show at The Mart features artists' works and gourmet foods. (J Jacobs photo)
One of a Kind Show at The Mart features artists’ works and gourmet foods. (J Jacobs photo)

Nothing wrong with sending flowers to celebrate Mother’s Day, May 8, 2022. but if looking for something different consider saying it with something unique.

Say it with an artistic gift from the Spring One of a Kind Show. It’s at TheMart this weekend, April 29-May 1. A fun show that has loads of gift ideas, even for yourself, items range from gourmet foods, paintings and jewelry to ceramics, leather, wood and glass sculpture. The show’s title means you and your mom are unlikely to find the gift elsewhere.

TheMart is a few blocks north of the METRA/Union Pacific train station on the Chicago River at 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL Visit One of a Kind Show  or call (312) 527-4141 or (800) 677-6278.

 

Shop online for an artistic gift at the Art Institute of Chicago’s store. There are lots of choices and price points such as a 1000-piece William Morris Golden Lily Puzzle for $19.99 that reflects the current exhibition of “The Business of Beauty.”

See the  beautiful Tiffany Hartwell Memorial Window Scarf for $45 or the fun Barbara Kruger “Too Big To Fail” tote for $25. For these and more items visit  Museum Shop ARTIC.

 

The Orchid Show is among many reasons to visit the Chicago Botanic Garden ( J Jacobs photo)
The Orchid Show is among many reasons to visit the Chicago Botanic Garden ( J Jacobs photo)

Or say it with flowers and exhibits that go on all year long via a Chicago Botanic Garden membership. Having that means not having to pay for parking and getting a discount on store items and events. Chicago Botanic Garden

One year for one person is $109 (see other options). Member benefits include:  Admission for 1 adult each visit ($10-$25 savings each visit), free parking ($8 savings each visit), members-only Garden hours 8-10 a.m. daily, 20% discount on most classes, 10% Garden Shop discount, Cafe discount, advance sales and discounts on ticketed events such as Lightscape and Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns. Plus members get free admission to 300 botanic gardens and arboreta nationwide.

Yes, it’s hard to choose so go with more than one options. After all it’s for Mother’s Day

Love,

Jodie Jacobs

Einstein and Picasso view the world at Citadel Theatre

 

Acsione (Picasso), Dan Deuel (Gaston) in Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Citadel theatre (Photo courtesy of CitadeNorth Shore Camera Club l Theatre.
Philip C. Matthews (Freddy), Travis Acsione (Picasso), Dan Deuel (Gaston) in Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Citadel theatre (Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club and Citadel Theatre.

3 Stars

It may be hard to imagine what a conversation would be like between Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso if the two 20th century geniuses met in a Parisian bar before they achieved international fame.

Comedic actor/screenwriter Steve Martin conceived just such a scenario taking place in 1904 in “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” Premiered at Steppenwolf in 1993, the play is once again delighting Chicago area audiences with witty dialogue at Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest.

Reprised 20 years after Citadel co-owner and director Scott Phelps first mounted the show, the dialogue is still meaningful, intellectual, insightful, philosophical and funny.

Mark Yacullo (Einstein) and Juliana Liscio (Einstein's friend, the Countess) Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club and Citadel theatre.
Mark Yacullo (Einstein) and Juliana Liscio (Einstein’s friend, The Countess) Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera
Club and Citadel Theatre).

First to set the scene at the Lapin Agile, a real cabaret frequented by artists in the Montmartre district (18th arrondissement) of Paris, are bartender Freddy (Philip C. Matthews), barfly Gaston (Dan Deuel), waitress and Freddy’s lover, Germaine (Amy Stricker), and a young, yet to be discovered, Einstein.

He is waiting there for a female friend he told to meet him at a different bar but who knows him well enough to show up at the right location later in the play.

Einstein demonstrates his mathematical mind by answering Freddy’s out-loud musings about some supply costs. Meanwhile, Gaston admires a pastoral painting of sheep behind the bar but a small work by Matisse that was just brought in changes the discussion on what constitutes art.

Travis Ascione (Picasso) and Juliana Liscio (Suzanne) in Picasso at the Lapin Agile) at Citadel Theatre (Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club andCitadel Theatre)
Travis Ascione (Picasso) and Juliana Liscio (Suzanne) in Picasso at the Lapin Agile) at Citadel Theatre (Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club and Citadel Theatre)

Next on the scene is Suzanne (Juliana Liscio) who has a sketch Picasso gave her during one of their trysts and who wants to see him again. Also entering the bar is Sagot, (Tim Walsh), an art dealer who has already recognized that works by Picasso will eventually be worth many francs.

Eventually, Picasso (Travis Ascione) whom the theater audience seems to have been waiting for, saunters in. Full of himself, he stops at a mirror near the bar.

As different as the geniuses appeared to be, Picasso with an overblown personality and an Einstein who at the time was reserved, the two found each other to be kindred spirits in their vast observations of the world of tomorrow.

The entire cast is excellent but a shoutout also has to go to Jake Busse who pops in as Schmendiman, a crazy, turquois-top-hat wearing inventor of weird, unusable materials.  He points out he is the third man in their scenario.

Cummisford as A Visitor, Amy Stricker as Germaine, Philip C. Matthews as Freddy, Juliana Liscio as The Countess, Mark Yacullo as Einstein, Dan Deuel as Gaston, Travis Ascione as Picasso, and Jake Busse as Schmendiman (Front). (Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club and Citadel Theatre)
Cast of Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Citadel Theatre Ian Cummisford as A Visitor, Amy Stricker as Germaine, Philip C. Matthews as Freddy, Juliana Liscio as The Countess, Mark Yacullo as Einstein, Dan Deuel as Gaston, Travis Ascione as Picasso, and Jake Busse as Schmendiman (Front). (Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club and Citadel Theatre)

A fourth visitor shows up from the mid-1900’s to as his view of the world. But you have to see the show to find out who.

DETAILS: “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” is at Citadel Theater, 300 N. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, now through May 22, 2022. Runtime: 90 minutes, no intermission. For tickets and more information visit Citadel Theatre or call (847) 735-8554.

For more shows visit Theatre in Chicago

Jodie Jacobs

 

Treat yourself to a joyous experience with ‘The Sound of Music’

 

Addie Morales leads the von Trapp children in "Do Re Mi" in The Sound of Music at Marriott Theater Lincolnshire (Photo courtesy of Liz Lauren and Marriott Theatre)
Addie Morales leads the von Trapp children in “Do Re Mi” in The Sound of Music at Marriott Theater Lincolnshire (Photo courtesy of Liz Lauren and Marriott Theatre)

4 Stars

Wow! “How (do) you hold a moonbeam in your hand?” It’s what I felt I learned walking out of Marriott Theatre Linconshire’s “The Sound of Music.”

It’s been a while since I have left a show thinking it was perfect. With so many factors to consider from vocals, acting and dance to script and music, some elements tend to outshine or are weaker than others.

But upon leaving opening night of Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire’s “The Sound of Music,” April 20, 2022, the word that came to mind was “perfect.”

Of course, given the show’s emotion-packed music by Richard Rogers and the on-point, memorable lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, the “Sounds” of music set the perfect tone.

Addie Morales, L, and Daniella Dalli in The Sound of Music at Marriott Theatre
Addie Morales, L, and Daniella Dalli in The Sound of Music at Marriott Theatre

Add to that there is the clever dialogue of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse who wrote the show’s book based on “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp,

But good as the basics are, there still are a production’s many elements. When going into a show that has been famously portrayed in movies and on soundtracks, audiences can be excused from recalling how in the 1965 movie, Julie Andrews portrayed Maria.

In her debut Marriott role, Addie Morales created her own version of Maria.

Morales who played Eva in Drury Lane’s “Evita” and Maria in “West Side Story” on stages across the country, was exactly what some of us would expect a young girl to look and act like who thinks she want to be a nun. But her star turns are when she joyously leads the van Trapp children in songs.

Which brings us to the seven children, each with their own personality.

They are amazing from Campbell Krausen as Lisel, Brody Tyner as Friedich, and Milia Liss as Louisa to Archer Geye as Kurt, Omi Lichtenstein as Brigitta, Olivia O’Sullivan as Marta and Reese Bella as Gretl. Mention must also be made of Emmet Smith, Lisel’s love interest. He is just right at the bicycle-riding telegram delivery boy, Rolf Gruber.

Daniella Dalli who has performed in national tours of “The Phantom of the Opera” and regional tours of “Les Miserables” has the vocal chops to get “bravo” and long applause in her Marriott debut as The Mother Abbess.

Erik Hellman and Addie Morales in The Sound of Music at Marriott Theatre
Erik Hellman and Addie Morales in The Sound of Music at Marriott Theatre

The rest of the cast are strong actors. Erik Hellman, a Steppenwolf and Court Theatre regular, makes his Marriott debut as Captain Georg  von Trapp and Heidi Kettenring, a familiar name to local audiences (23 Marriott shows) plus Goodman, Shakespeare and other Chicago stages, portrays Elsa Schrader who hopes to capture Captain von Trapp.

Rob Linley who has done national tours of “Phantom” is Max Detweiler, the show arranger who brings the van Trapp Singers to an important festival.

Insightfully directed by Nick Bowling with artistic lead Peter Marston Sullivan, set design by Collette Pollard, charming choreography by William Carlos Angula,  period costume design by Sally Dolembo, lighting design by Jesse Klug, and music led by Patti Garwood, the production team also worked its “perfect” magic.

There are so many memorable songs but the one audiences are humming after intermission and at the end of the show is The Mother Abbess and nuns” “Climb Every Mountain.”

DETAILS: “The Sound of Music” is at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire now thru June 5, 2022. Run time: 2 1/2 hours. For tickets and more information visit The Sound of Music | Show (marriotttheatre.com)

For more shows visit Theatre in Chicago

Jodie Jacobs

Earth Day celebration ideas

 

NASA Earth Day poster 2022 (Photo and poster courtesy of NASA)
NASA Earth Day poster 2022 (Photo and poster courtesy of NASA)

 

Earth Day is April 22, 2022. Here are some ideas on how to celebrate our Planet Earth, but also check with your local park district and forest preserve location.

On the national scene

Join NASA in its live chats with experts or with its virtual trivia games and at the @NASAEarth Twitter Space. See all the activities at Earth Day 2022 | NASA.

In Chicago

The Chicago Park District is doing a cleanup at more than 80 parks including the North Park Nature Center on April 23. To see which park is near you or where you would like to volunteer visit Chicago Park District/EarthDay..

In the burbs

At the Morton Arboretum,  run in the Champion of Trees 10 K on April 23. For more info and to register visit The Champion of Trees 10K | The Morton Arboretum. Then, celebrate Arbor Day with the Arboretum’s giant plant sale April  29-May 1. Ticket still available at Arbor Day Plant Sale | The Morton Arboretum .

At the Chicago Botanic Garden Look for and enjoy the garden’s budding plants or go online April 22 to Budburst which celebrates Earth Day with a webinar about climate change’s impact visit ChicagoBotanic/Budburst.

Jodie Jacobs