Seth Saith

Warren Piece: Appreciating Mr. Zevon at (What Should Be) 65

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 07:38:00 +0000

The 1970s were a hallowed time for American (and occasionally Canadian) male singer-songwriters, or just solo rockers, if the distinction is discernible and important.

Among those who rose to fame, and/or continued to make stellar music in the seventies, were Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, Billy Joel, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, James Taylor and Leonard Cohen.

Though I was a bit young to attend concerts, at least of my own volition, back then, I feel fortunate that I've seen most of these men live on-stage at some point since, many multiple times.

But an artist who belongs in the same sentence as those luminaries--and like them, in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame--that I never saw live, and ruefully never will, is Warren Zevon.

It's not that I never appreciated Zevon prior to his passing, from peritoneal mesothelioma in September 2003; infectious songs like "Werewolves of London" and "Excitable Boy," among others, have long been favorites and I've owned and enjoyed a greatest hits set since the 1980s.

Illustration by R.J. Matson

But for whatever reason, interest and opportunity never conspired to bring me to the Park West--his typical Chicago venue--or anywhere else he performed. Though I don't recall passing on any specific chances to see Warren Zevon, he stands, like the Ramones and Joe Strummer (of the Clash), as one of those artists I now wish I had made the effort to see, even if it may have been a bit beyond the height of their fame.

For as someone who tends to check Wikipedia to see who was born, or died, on a certain date, on January 24 I noted that Warren Zevon--had things been different--would be celebrating his 65th birthday. Since then I've been listening to a lot of his music, including some of his later albums I just borrowed from the library, and watching myriad clips on YouTube, that portal of videographic immortality.

So I've been both reminded and newly introduced to just how good--and distinct--he was. Even in the late seventies period when, beyond his American peers, Brits like Elvis Costello and Graham Parker were creating driving, incisive rock tunes, there was something about Zevon that stands as completely unique.

I can't think of any rock star who has ever made the piano sound so exciting--not even Billy Joel or Elton John--and his lyrics were, as David Letterman--on whose show Zevon often guested--offers in a clip included below, "...so vivid, just very evocative, and each song you listen to was like watching a motion picture."

And as portrayed through the clips I've chosen to include below--and well beyond--the range of Zevon's subjects and styles was rather amazing, from songs of quiet, introspective beauty to those of bitingly macabre humor. It's not surprising that Zevon was great friends and collaborators with many of his contemporaries--including Springsteen, Browne, Young, Dylan, the Eagles and later, R.E.M.--or that among those who recognize how honest and profound his music could be, he's still widely revered. Just take a look at the comments on most of his YouTube clips; in a forum that's often exceedingly snarky, you'll commonly see posts saying things like "Nobody could do that! He was a genius." and "RIP Warren. It will be a long time before we see another like you."

So whether you're a longtime Zevonophile--and many are much more fervid than I--or largely uninitiated to the man who was born on January 24, 1947 in Chicago (and, after moving to California, studied piano as a child with Igor Stravinsky), here are some great examples from "Mr. Bad Example"--a song of his not included here.

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(Note: The last video below is a compilation of all 12 that you can play through if you'd just like to listen.)

"Excitable Boy" - Like "Werewolves of London," a gleeful rock tune about an disturbing subject. The clip, from a concert in 1982, also shows how great a live performer Zevon was.

"Hasten Down The Wind" - About a romantic breakup, this is, for my money, one of the most beautiful rock songs ever written.

"Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" - In September 2002, Zevon revealed his terminal diagnosis. The next month, he paid his last visit to Letterman's show, where in addition to guest slots he had also filled for Paul Shaffer over the years. He played 3 or 4 songs, with this one--a request from Dave--being the last one he would ever perform in public.

"Disorder in the House" - After his diagnosis, Zevon wrote and recorded a final album, The Wind, on which many of his famous friends made guest appearances, such as Bruce Springsteen did on this song.

"Poor Poor Pitiful Me" - Like most great songwriters, Zevon often proved that songs originally recorded with a full band held up wonderfully when stripped down to just him and a guitar or piano. This clip is one such example, and his 1993 live acoustic album, Learning to Flinch, is even more revelatory.

"Raspberry Beret" - R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry backed Zevon on his 1987 album, Sentimental Hygiene, and the foursome dubbed themselves Hindu Love Gods for a 1990 album of blues covers and this Prince tune, done here (sans R.E.M.) on Letterman.

"Accidentally Like A Martyr" - Another of Zevon's great ballads.

"A Certain Girl" - Further proof of his live prowess.

"Porcelain Monkey" - Off 2000's Life'll Kill Ya, this song's about Elvis Presley.

"Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead" - I prefer the studio version, but have always enjoyed this song. Particularly when visiting Denver.

Letterman Tribute and "Mutineer" - On the day of Zevon's death, Letterman and Shaffer pay tribute to him. There's a clip from his final visit, on which Zevon famously shares that the key to life is to "enjoy every sandwich." Also within the video is a clip of "Mutineer" from the last appearance.

"Werewolves of London" - One of the great songs of the '70s, it never gets old. Done here live in New Jersey, hence Zevon sings "Werewolves of Jersey" at one point.

A compilation of all the above videos that will run straight through.
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With a Kick of Authenticity, This 'Chorus Line' is One Singular Sensation -- Theater Review

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Theater Review

A Chorus Line
produced by and presented at the
Paramount Theatre, Aurora, IL
Thru February 5
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'A Chorus Line' must be a tricky show to cast. For while it would seem obvious to select performers who can sing, dance and act wonderfully--and look great in leotards or men's dance uniforms--those with the polish, poise and vocal panache that often defines Broadway-caliber talent may inherently bring an air at odds with the story of aspirants auditioning to primarily dance in (for most) their first Broadway show. And one set in the mid-1970s at that.

Although I don't pretend to have a clear barometer of what qualifies someone to work literally on Broadway--as anyone who can sing in tune impresses the hell out of me--I've seen enough shows in New York to think I can perceive what distinguishes practitioners at that level from talented people who participate in community theater (for example and in general).

I've also seen enough shows at various levels around Chicagoland to confidently suggest that troupes/venues such as Marriott Lincolnshire, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Light Opera Works, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Northlight Theatre and others often produce top-quality musicals with performers clearly capable of working on Broadway (and/or those who already have).

While the Paramount Theatre--a large, ornate Art Deco venue designed by Rapp & Rapp in 1931--has been presenting short runs of touring musicals for years, last fall they joined the ranks of regional theaters producing their own slate of subscription-series shows. Reviews of My Fair Lady there were phenomenal, but Aurora is a good hike from Skokie, so A Chorus Line is the first such show I've seen under Artistic Director Jim Corti.

I got a walk-up ticket more than covered by the $45 I won at the Hollywood Casino across the way and except for the 19-piece orchestra sounding a bit too soft even in the 6th row--it might be my hearing, but I doubt it could be that much worse than the numerous octogenarians around me--I thoroughly enjoyed the show from beginning to end. Even more so than the Broadway tour edition I'd seen in Chicago in 2009.

Early on, perhaps because I had read that some cast members had performed in the most recent Chorus Line revival on Broadway and/or the national tour, I tried to gauge how the ensemble might compare to what I'd expect to see on the Great White Way. And my first thought was that while no one was obviously deficient, the cast as a whole just didn't seem "Broadway caliber."

But then, the thought that I tried to convey in the first paragraph dawned on me. I wasn't supposed to see the people onstage as obvious Broadway stars; I was supposed to believe--while being thoroughly entertained--that they were upstarts, portraying the insecurities one might expect as they are called upon to offer autobiographical exposition.

I realize this may sound like a backhanded compliment, but I don't mean it to be belittling, as all the singing was strong and the dancing excellent. Nicole Hren made for an endearing Val, Pegah Kadkhodaian, as Diana Morales, delivered excellent renditions of "Nothing" and "What I Did For Love," Broadway cast vet Jessica Lee Goldyn dazzled in her dance solo on "The Music and The Mirror" and Kristina Larson-Hauk, a real Rockette, imbued the sexy Sheila with the right amount of sass and vulnerability.

And though he didn't have a vocal solo, Jay Reynolds Jr. as Paul probably did the most to instill this production with the sort of inherent believability that made it stand out.

A Chorus Line was one of the first musicals I ever saw, in an early touring production when I wasn't yet 10. (If you think songs about "tits and ass" might not be appropriate for someone so young, well, I was also taken to The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.) So I have long thought the material--conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by James Kleban--was first-rate, but have never been completely wowed by local productions nor the 2009 tour.

Without a lead character, it can be a challenging show to calibrate correctly, as it is so dependent on the ensemble, deceptively rag-tag at first but needed to congeal perfectly by the time the show-stopping finale of "One" rolls around. Under the direction of Mitzi Hamilton, who inspired the character of Val, performed in London and on Broadway and has helmed 35+ productions, this production might not quite be the equal of Broadway's best, but of those I've seen, it was a Paramount rendition.

Here's a video to give you a taste:

B-Roll for "A Chorus Line" from Shiloh Studio on Vimeo.

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As a corollary, I recently watched the pilot episode of NBC's Smash (on Comcast On-Demand, as the broadcast premiere isn't until Feb. 6). Being a big Broadway fan and interested in backstage stories, I found it worth exploring and there were some nice songs from the composers of Hairspray. But most of the characters--with the caveat that pilots have to introduce them all, quickly--came off as clichés. In watching it, I couldn't help but think how much realistic A Chorus Line seems in terms of a glimpse behind the curtain. Smash, whose pilot I'd give @@@, will need to get considerably better to live up to its title.

Also, having recently seen Sondheim's Follies, for which Michael Bennett was the original choreographer, I newly considered the connection between that "backstage show" and A Chorus Line. While it might seem interesting to do a Chorus Line "whatever happened to" sequel, it dawned on me that Follies already covers similar ground, perhaps not so coincidentally.

Beholding a Pair of Aces: Impressions on Nadal v. Federer

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:08:00 +0000

Last night, I watched a classic drama unfold in court as Jimmy Stewart battled George C. Scott in Otto Preminger's 1959 film, Anatomy of a Murder.

After setting my alarm to wake me at 2:30am, I then watched a classic drama unfold on court as Rafael Nadal battled Roger Federer in the semi-final of the men's draw of the Australian Open.

(In full disclosure, I was compelled to go back to sleep after the first two sets, but saw Nadal complete his 4-set victory in today's replay on ESPN2.)

While I found the verdict reached in Anatomy to be somewhat questionable, there is little doubt about the 25-year-old Nadal having established decisive dominance over Federer in head-to-head matches. Roger is 5 years older and holds a record 16 major titles to the 10 of Rafa--who can get another if he wins the Australian title on Sunday--but Nadal is now 18-9 against Federer, including 8-2 in majors (i.e. Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open).

Just a few years ago, it seemed that Federer's brilliance was earning him widespread acclaim as the best men's tennis player ever. That this came on the heels of similar acclimation for Pete Sampras, whose 14 major wins were a new benchmark, was rather astonishing. So it's remarkable that Federer's reign as the best player of his era, if not ever, may have already been usurped by Nadal, who himself is now #2 in the world and seeded as such in the Australian behind Novak Djokovic, who beat him in their past 7 matches. Djokovic plays Andy Murray in the other semi-final tonight. Last year, he won three majors and went 70-6 overall in what Sampras called the best season he's ever seen.

I consider myself only a casual tennis fan but I've always enjoyed watching the world's best players compete in the Grand Slam tournaments. Though many of tennis' premier legends were before my time, such as Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall, Fred Perry and Bill Tilden--and I mean no disrespect to the great women players, but I'm focusing this on men--I feel fortunate to have watched guys like Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Sampras and others considered among the very best ever.

While I can offer absolutely nothing in the way of expert analysis, there is no one I recall being any better than Federer. And now Nadal regularly has his number. And Djokovic seems to have his.

It's a lot of fun, especially at a time when it seems that many art and athletic forms--including for one, heavyweight boxing--are far from their historical apex. Federer-Nadal-Djokovic may well be the closest thing to Ali-Frazier-Foreman the early 21st Century has to offer.

Or to put it another way, I can't name a world-renowned jazz musician, a modern-day painter likely to be a museum mainstay 100 years hence or even a phenomenal rock band whose members are all under 30. But early this morning I saw two tennis players who may well be the very best the world has ever seen.

At least until someone better comes along. Which conceivably could have already happened.

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Here's a clip from ESPN of some of the Nadal-Federer highlights. Despite Nadal's 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory, the match seemingly could have swayed Federer's way if for a matter of inches. Federer was up 4-3 and serving in the 3rd set, and later missed by a hair a shot that would have taken it to 5-all in the 4th. But as TV commentator Patrick McEnroe put it, "It all comes down to belief." For though Federer is still playing phenomenally, seemingly with the requisite talent to win several more majors, his confidence appears to have waned, predominantly when facing his nemesis, Nadal.

Obligatory Oscar Opinions: Nominations, Snubs, Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:58:00 +0000

After weeks of anticipation, major entertainment news was announced this morning. Yes, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be embarking on a U.S. tour this Spring.

Unfortunately, those of us in the Chicago area are being passed over, but rumors abound that the Boss and his band--no word yet on how the late saxophonist Clarence Clemons might be replaced--will play Wrigley Field in September, after a run of European dates.

And in other entertainment news, the Oscar nominations were announced.

You can see the actual announcement, of the major categories, in this YouTube clip, and beyond my addressing of those nominees below, you can view all the nominations here (or just about anywhere).

I enjoy the Oscars as a celebration of film and a topic of conversation. They are a fun diversion, but as history has shown, clearly not an impeccable arbiter of cinematic excellence. The Academy is comprised of about 6,000 film industry professionals, whose votes determine the nominees and award winners. Like any electoral process, the Oscars are purely subjective, based on personal--possibly uneducated and/or biased--opinion, with popularity, politics, self-interest and sentimentality often being factors, and thus reasons to take the selections with a grain of salt.

As such, I really don't care if the Oscar choices right or wrong, as there really is no right or wrong. But that won't stop me from pontificating a bit. Here are the nominees for the 84th Academy Awards--to be presented on February 26--and what I think about them (you may also wish to see my recent picks for the Best Movies of 2011).

Best Picture

The Artist
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
War Horse

After years of nominating 5 films, for the 2009 awards (presented in 2010), the Academy went to 10. That seemed unnecessary, as does subsequent tinkering that means that now, between 5 and 10 movies can be nominated (the convoluted tabulation process is explained here). Of the 9 that were nominated, I've seen seven of the films, and have heard that The Tree of Life is quite good though rather challenging. I would excise War Horse, which I found far too sentimentalized, and conceivably for similar reasons, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, whose reviews have been lukewarm. Completely missing in action, from any category, was Trust, a March release that I thought was excellent, and Take Shelter, which got great reviews but which I missed in theaters. I just saw The Ides of March and think it belongs as well, even if not quite in a top 5.

The silent film, The Artist, was the most original movie I saw last year, while Martin Scorsese's Hugo was nearly as inventive. I'll be happy if either wins, and imagine that The Artist will.

Best Actress

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

I haven't seen Close or Streep, but assume both were great. Mara was good as Lisbeth Salander, but Kirsten Dunst was better in Melancholia as was Charlize Theron in Young Adult. I didn't see Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin but she was seen as a likely nominee. Based on what I've seen, I think Williams should win, but Davis would be worthy and I wouldn't be shocked if Streep gets it.

Best Actor

Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

I'm not familiar with A Better Life but can't gripe much about this field. Would've been nice to see longtime Chicago stage actor Michael Shannon get a nod for his heralded work in Take Shelter. I think Clooney will win, not undeservedly, but would vote for Dujardin.

Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

No complaints, though I haven't seen Albert Nobbs. Some nice performances that I also liked include Melanie Laurent in Beginners, Evan Rachel Wood in The Ides of March, Emily Watson in War Horse and Charlotte Gainsbourg in Melancholia. My vote here goes to Spencer.

Supporting Actor

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Didn't see von Sydow and am not planning to. Nolte was good, as was Plummer, probably a sentimental pick to win, but I have no problem with that. It's a shame they couldn't nominate the dog from The Artist, who was outstanding. Ryan Gosling is a surprising omission for his work in The Ides of March (was it considered a leading role?) and Patton Oswalt also gave a notable performance in Young Adult.

Best Director

Michel Hazanivicus, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

I vote for Haznivicus from a strong group, though I don't think that Allen deserved the nom over Bennett Miller for Moneyball.

Best Original Screenplay

Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo, Bridesmaids
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

I'm looking forward to seeing A Separation, said to be sensational. For now, I'll go with The Artist.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Beau Willimon and Grant Heslov, The Ides of March
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Moneyball was a strong adaptation from Michael Lewis' book, but I think I'd vote for Logan for Hugo.

Sorry that I didn't see any of the nominees for Documentary Feature, Foreign Language Film or Animated Feature and thus can't provide an opinion.

If you want to argue about the Oscar nominees or discuss other 2011 faves, consider coming to the Chicago Film Discussion Meetup Brunch this Sunday.

Book Reviews: '11/22/63' Kindles New Interest; a mixed bag from page-turning faves Child, Grisham and Barclay

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:04:00 +0000

11/22/63
by Stephen King
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Quite substantial in its own right, this book had personal significance on a number of levels, and I'm not even referencing its content. Although the man had written 48 previous novels, virtually all best sellers, published over the past 38 years, 11/22/63 is the first book by Stephen King I've ever read. At 849 pages, it may well be the longest book I've ever read, at least recently or that I can readily recall. And it is the first book I've ever read, in full or anywhere near it, in electronic form. I got through it on a Kindle--and occasionally on my iPhone Kindle app--in a little over 2 weeks.

Though King's work in itself is wonderful, I do believe there is much correlation among the points above. While I was intrigued from the moment I saw the recent release in hardcover, the girth of it was not only a bit intimidating, but meant I couldn't readily take it on a plane, train or elsewhere I might have a realistic chance of delving into it. Thus the Kindle, and the app, proved ideal. I doubt I would have read 11/22/63 yet, or perhaps ever, in analog form (even if such is still my preference). And I enjoyed it tremendously.

Ostensibly, the story is about a modern day high school teacher who is shown a way to travel back in time--but only to a specific date in 1958--and does so to position himself to stop the JFK assassination. This was enough of a thumbnail description to make me want to read the book, but 11/22/63 actually succeeds due to its breadth and intelligence far beyond Kennedy, Oswald, Dallas and conspiracy theories. I don't want to divulge very much about the storyline, for that discovery is much of the fun, but what keeps the protagonist occupied between 1958 and titular date is just as compelling as King's twist on the events of that fateful day. And along the way, King provides plenty of shrewd insight about modern times versus what things were like in the relatively recent past.

Any great book winds up being about so much more than its in-a-nutshell synopsis, and that is certainly the case here. In other words, never judge a book by the cover. Even if you read it on a Kindle.

The Affair
by Lee Child
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All of Lee Child's 16 novels revolve around a nomadic and imposing ex-military cop named Jack Reacher, who utilizes both brains and brawn to get himself and others out of difficult situations and/or to right wrongs. While these books clearly fall into the thriller/page-turner category, and I've enjoyed them all on that level, Child does a good job of imbuing them, through Reacher's deductive processes, with keen insight regarding a variety of situations, large and small.

Now out in hardcover, The Affair is Child's latest book, but its story goes back to 1997 to chronicle an episode that would lead to Reacher becoming ex-military. So as an avid Reacherian, I enjoyed it as a bit of flash-backstory. But as usual with works from this series, it reads like a rollercoaster, so there's nothing to stop anyone from starting here. In fact, it might well make sense as the first Reacher novel for the uninitiated to explore.

Though I have a hard time recalling which Reacher novel is which at this point, I don't think The Affair stands among the very best of them. But it's a fun and exciting read, especially if you know Reacher, yet even if you don't. The story involves Reacher arriving in a small town with a military base to explore how a local woman wound up dead, and I have to admit that per a good thriller, the twists and turns kept me guessing. (You can read the first three chapters of The Affair for free on Child's website)

The Litigators
by John Grisham
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With seemingly all of his books going instantly to the top of the New York Times best seller list, John Grisham stands clearly as one of the world's most successful authors. Though even early on, with huge hits like The Firm, A Time To Kill (which he actually wrote first) and The Pelican Brief, he seemed to take knocks from some corners for not being a great literary writer, just a popular one. But I was an unabashed fan and had no problem citing him as one of my favorites.

At his best, his legal thrillers were not only great page-turners, but served to offer a good deal of societal observation and commentary. I recall The Runaway Jury informing me about class-action lawsuits and corporate malfeasance (in that case, regarding big tobacco) well before movies such as The Insider and Erin Brockovich traipsed similar ground.

Though I think I've read at least 15 of his novels, plus a non-fiction work called The Innocent Man, at some point I became less passionate about Grisham's books. Perhaps it was just me--though apparently not--but his thrillers somehow seemed less thrilling. So when his latest, The Litigators, seemed to be heralded as a return to form, I grabbed it eagerly when I saw it available on the Skokie Public Library's Bookmobile.

Unfortunately, I was tremendously disappointed. Grisham's tale of two ambulance-chasing Chicago lawyers who, in conjunction with a young refugee from a large firm, undertake a class-action lawsuit of dubious merit, is a rather tepid affair. I got through it in just a few days, but more because I wanted to be done with it than due to caring about the outcome. None of Grisham's characters were particularly likable, adding to the tedium, though perhaps this was his intent. I have no innate affinity for the legal profession, but the author's condescension towards its practitioners--of many stripes--came across as rather ugly. At some points, he seemed to take an almost absurdly farcical tone--a la Carl Hiaasen or Tim Dorsey--but while failing to make its case on many levels, The Litigators also wasn't a winning work of humor.

To be fair, toward the end the book got a bit better and I almost cared about the conclusion. But not enough to make having gotten there worthwhile.

The Accident
by Linwood Barclay
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A few years ago, my friend Dave turned me onto the works of Linwood Barclay due to my enjoyment of a similar author, Harlan Coben. Though Coben also has a series of mysteries with the same central characters, his "stand-alone" books (Tell No One, Gone For Good, etc.) and Barclay's thrillers typically take place in New Jersey, New York or nearby--in this case Connecticut--and involve a protagonist searching for a missing or dead family member or significant other (or trying to solve a related mystery).

I tend to prefer Coben due to his ability to bring more extemporaneous humor and insight to his thrillers, but Barclay does good work in a similar vein. The Accident, which involves a woman dying in a car accident under mysterious circumstances, a string of subsequent deaths among her acquaintances and her husband's attempts to unravel what happened, is no exception.

It's a quality page-turner and I was rather surprised by the ending, even if the thrill-ride acceleration throughout didn't quite equal Barclay's Never Look Away, Fear the Worst, No Time for Goodbye or Too Close to Home. This one came out in hardcover in August, so should be available at your local library a bit sooner than the titles above, and is certainly worth "checking out."

Today is the Greatest: Celebrating the 70th Birthday of Muhammad Ali (and remembering when he mocked me)

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:29:00 +0000

On March 14, 1992, I was insulted by the Greatest.

Quite justifiably.

I'll never forget it, and today, the 70th birthday of Muhammad Ali, I couldn't help but remember it.

That date might not be exact, but it seems right. I think it was the Saturday of a weekend trip to Las Vegas with my friend Todd. I was living in Los Angeles at the time; Todd had come out from Chicago and we drove to Vegas. It was my first time there, and possibly Todd's.

We stayed in a low-rent, now long-defunct hotel/casino called the Continental, but on Saturday morning we were wandering through the MGM Grand (or perhaps it wasn't the "Grand" yet). I think we were in a gift shop when we noticed a bit of a hubbub, something of a throng in motion.

Upon which Todd, who's almost a foot taller than me and thus quicker to notice the nucleus of the commotion, said, "There's Muhammad Ali." (Ostensibly he was in Vegas due to a title fight taking place that night; I can't recall nor find online who was fighting.)

Although I had grown up a bit too late to see Ali fight in his prime, I was well aware of--and awed by--his legend. In 1992, the Champ was already quite significantly stricken by the effects of Parkinson's Syndrome, but I think that only added to the reverence I had for him. I don't think there are very many celebrities, then or now, that I would be more excited to encounter. Or to photograph.

Unfortunately, as I made my way to the middle of the throng and stood in front of him, I fumbled with my point-and-shoot (well before the age of digital) and missed my chance for a shot of Ali. But, as he was handing out pamphlets about Islam--including one to me--he paused to allow me to snap the photo above.

And though I knew his motor skills weren't what they used to be--when they arguably, at least in a boxing ring, were greater than anyone's, ever--I asked him for an autograph.

Upon which, Muhammad Ali, whose legendary--and often biting--verbosity, but not his acuity, had been stolen by disease, looked right at me and pointed at the pamphlet, as if to say, albeit gently, "Hey you moron, I already signed these." And being a bit dull, I think I still needed Todd to interpret what Ali was telling me.

While I have never actually read the pamphlet, I treasure it to this day.

Later that afternoon, in a shop in downtown Las Vegas, I had a caricature drawn depicting my encounter with Ali. But neither of us was particularly well represented, and I no longer know where this drawing is.

Somewhat amazingly, it has now been nearly 20 years since I met, and was deservedly mocked, by the Great Ali, who was born Cassius Clay on January 17, 1942 in Louisville. I read that when he attended the funeral of his legendary foe Joe Frazier, who passed away in November, Ali was rather frail, but I'm hoping he's still relatively well and able to celebrate his 70th birthday in style.

For far beyond my own encounter with him, I truly believe his self-proclaimed title of "The Greatest" is largely accurate. Not just in terms of what he did in the ring, but out of it as well. I greatly valued my visit to the excellent Ali Center in Louisville in 2006, and high among the many things to admire about Ali--who also had his faults--was that he gave up three years of his boxing career, in the prime of it, when he was an undefeated world champion, because he refused to register for the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. (When Wikipedia comes back up, you may wish to check out his entry as a starting point to learning more.)

You can also find a number of fine tributes and clips of his often hilarious loquaciousness on YouTube. In addition to commemorating his birthday by watching a fine DVD documentary called Muhammad Ali - Through the Eyes of the World (When We Were Kings is also essential), I enjoyed seeing the videos below of two of his greatest fights in their entirety.

Happy Birthday, Muhammad. I hope it's the greatest. And thanks for the autograph.

---
The first clip is of him knocking out Cleveland Williams in 1966 in what many consider his best performance, with his hand and foot speed being astonishing, almost balletic. I find it strange, and a bit galling, that although he had officially changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964, the announcer here, two years later, is still calling him Cassius Clay.

And this is Ali's stunning 1974 victory over George Foreman, who was the undefeated champion at the time. You might want to skip the introductions and get right to the fight, but it's here in full. I was surprised by how well Ali did throughout the fight, in which I believed he was being more thoroughly beaten, even as he employed his famed "Rope-a-Dope" strategy. He didn't have the flash he did in '66, but what he does may be even more impressive.

An Ernest One-Man Performance -- Theater Review: Hemingway's Hot Havana

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Theater Review

Hemingway's Hot Havana
by and starring Brian Gordon Sinclair
Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park
Single performance
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I've had a bit of a heightened interest in Ernest Hemingway of late, sparked somewhat by the 50th anniversary of his death last July 2. Despite such intentions, this still doesn't equate to much reading of his works, even his short stories, but the one-man show at the Hemingway Museum in Oak Park on Saturday was the second presentation by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation I've attended in the past 6 months.

According to his bio in the program, Brian Gordon Sinclair is "considered to be the foremost dramatic interpreter of Ernest Hemingway in the world today." I don't know if this is indeed true, but I also haven't heard of any other dramatic interpreters of 'Papa,' and Sinclair's hourlong, self-authored monologue on Hemingway's time in and fascination with Cuba, was an informative and engaging performance.

Assuming the guise of Hemingway, Sinclair spoke in the first person about Ernest's fondness for "booze, broads, boats and books," as well as bullfights, bears and, although not fitting in alliteratively, fishing. About his craft, he cited the need for writers to write in a room truly their own, with a mission to "try for something that has never been done." Near the end, referencing Hem's mental difficulties and the title character of The Old Man and the Sea, Sinclair offered "Like Santiago, I had gone further than any man had ever gone. But for me, there was no way back."

Stories also broached on women such as Jane Mason and Ava Gardner, his love of animals (particularly two dogs who met unfortunate ends) and the time when he shot a pirate who had the gall to climb aboard his beloved boat, the Pilar.

Though it was chronologically beyond the bounds of Hemingway's time in Cuba, Sinclair--who had previously penned a six-play series about the Oak Park native--also cited Ernest's depression and ECT treatments, which combined to debilitate his memory and creativity, and ultimately his suicide by shotgun.

While impressed with the two 30-minute acts Sinclair put together, the hour was about the proper extent for this type of performance, and even as such there were parts where my attention waned. But I could see where I might enjoy a longer piece covering similar ground, if perhaps done as a small ensemble work. Perhaps if Ernie were to be regaling a fellow on an adjoining barstool, breaking up the monologue just a bit.

With only a single performance, primarily attended by members of the EHFOP, this wasn't high theater and wasn't presented as such, but I still very much enjoyed it, in Ernest.

A Tale of Two Cities -- My Week in London & Paris (Part III of III)

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:53:00 +0000

OK, after elaborating quite a bit on what I did and saw throughout four days in London (see Part I and Part II), I think I should keep my Paris recap rather brief. Especially as it's been about a month and a half since I was there.

I have been to Paris on two prior occasions and have seen many sights and museums I didn't get to this time (although admittedly, my choices this time were repeats). So although two days seems crazily brief for the City of Lights, I made the most of my time and enjoyed my condensed "greatest hits" itinerary.

I arrived on a Wednesday morning via a train from London and found my way to my hotel, Hotel du Nord et de l'Est, which was near the Place de la Republique, which was entirely under construction.

Via the Metro, I made my way to the Champs-Élysées, where I ate a jambon et fromage (ham & cheese) sandwich on a baguette and a strawberry macaroon from a quick-service restaurant called Paul, Parisien locations of which have existed since 1889. I felt this was apropos, given that I would see Sir Paul McCartney in concert that evening.

After walking to the Arc de Triomphe and taking hundreds of pictures, I did the same with the Eiffel Tower. There I took an elevator to the top, and enjoyed the vantage provided by the observation deck, but missed being able to include the tower in the photos I took from it.

Although I had seen McCartney twice at Wrigley Field last summer, which is a much cooler venue than the externally-unique, internally-dated Bercy arena, it was still pretty thrilling seeing Paul in Paris. He put on his typical three hour concert, which the crowd--including me--loved. He even played "Michelle" especially "for the people of France." Most of the setlist matched that in Chicago, but it was nice to hear "Come and Get It," a song which McCartney wrote but gave to Badfinger to record. Like his 2011 Chicago gigs, I would award his Paris concert @@@@@, the maximum rating on the Seth Saith scale.

I didn't get back to my hotel until about 1am, and although I think Paris is generally pretty safe, I did have some trepidations while walking down desolate side streets after exiting the Republique metro station.

Against my norm in a world-class city with about 50 sights I would happily explore and just one day left to see them, the next morning I wasn't quite up and out of my hotel room by 9am, given the late night before. But I managed to make it to the Île de la Cité by mid morning, where I took a good look outside and in of the famed Notre Dame Cathedral. Content not to walk many steps to the top of the towers, nor have a glass of wine with Quasimodo, I was pleasantly surprised to find that entrance to the cathedral itself is free.

Notre Dame is in pretty impressive shape for a cathedral that has pretty much stood as is since 1345 and on which construction began more than two centuries earlier.

Thursday afternoon was spent exploring the Louvre museum. I had been there in 1993 and 2000, but pretty much just to do the Venus-Mona-Wings dash before heading to the Musee d'Orsay to see all the great Impressionist works. But visits to Italy, Amsterdam, Spain and elsewhere have greatly expanded my appreciation for art over the years, so I've really wanted to get back to Louvre. I still could have spent another week there, but did explore it pretty thoroughly in the time I had.

The Mona Lisa used to be displayed on a gallery wall with all the other paintings; now it gets its own special place on a divider wall with a semi-circle bannister keeping anyone from getting within about six feet of it. Unlike in the past, when taking photographs of it was forbidden but everyone did so anyway, the Louvre now allows the taking of photos without a flash. The scene around Mona reminded me of a press conference, with hordes of tourists jostling to get to the bannister to snap their photos.

Although I was one of them, and also had previously been ignorant of many of the other masterworks displayed nearby, I found it funny that there was a mob scene in front of the Mona Lisa while an even better painting by Raphael went largely ignored just around the corner.

I wore myself out--but happily so--getting to see works by Raphael, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Arcimboldo, Velasquez, El Greco, Murillo and many more. Unfortunately, all the Louvre's works by da Vinci were in the London exhibition I couldn't get into (see Part I). I was also disappointed to find the gallery with Vermeer closed, but that prompted me to check out the Royal Apartments (from the age of Napoleon III), which was an interesting glimpse into French opulence of the 19th century.

Exhausted to the point of not really wanting to do anything on Thursday night except crash back at my hotel, I did manage to enjoy a nice lamb dinner--and a glass of wine, but without Quasimodo--at the Palais Royal, a cafe near the museum. If I wasn't so exhausted, I might have been more concerned with what I didn't do on my last night in Europe, but the Moulin Rouge was too expensive (more than $100 without dinner) and seeing a version of Cabaret done in French didn't seem all that important. So I contentedly went to bed, woke up the next morning and took a train to Charles de Gaulle airport.

So that's what I did in Paris; roughly in the order of my description above, here are some photos pour vous de profiter:

A Tale of Two Cities -- My Week in London & Paris (Part II of III)

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0000

(See also Part I and my London travel guide)

As I began detailing in this post, a few weeks ago--OK, now over a month--I had an opportunity to go to London and Paris on the cheap, so I was in the former and then the latter from a Saturday through the following Friday. In London, I stayed with my friend from Chicago, Paolo, who was there on business and put up in a corporate apartment.

In Part I of my travelogue, I got up to about 1pm on Monday, the prior three hours of which I fruitlessly wasted standing in line for a day-of ticket to the da Vinci exhibit at the National Gallery in London.

Monday Afternoon

After that fiasco, I went over to the TKTS booth and was fortunately still able to get tix for the evening show Paolo and I wanted to see. More on that later.

From there I headed to Carnaby Street, which is essentially a 3-blocked pedestrianed shopping district in between Picadilly Circus and Oxford Circus. In the 60s, Carnaby was the epicenter of "swinging London." If you can imagine Pete Townshend and Brian Jones and Ray Davies and Marianne Faithfull, and a bit later Paul Weller and retroactively Austin Powers, well, they probably shopped on Carnaby Street (or wanted you to think they did).

Despite my many past visits to London, I have never knowingly walked through Carnaby Street, so I wanted to do so, especially in getting to Oxford Street, which I hadn't strolled since my initial visit in 1993.

The first Carnaby St. store I saw, coming from the South, was Pretty Green, which takes its name from a Jam song and is owned by Liam Gallagher, formerly of Oasis. Big pictures of Liam, and Paul Weller, were in the windows.

The Pretty Green clothing line was rather pricey and didn't really appeal to me, but the shop clerks had a refreshing lack of attitude. And in the basement of the shop, there was an exhibit on The Who's Quadrophenia album. It wasn't all that stupendous, but worth a look as it had some nice relics like the master tapes.

Other than Pretty Green, Carnaby Street is now rather disappointingly filled with American stores, like American Apparel, The North Face and Vans.

I got some stuff at a store called Soccer Scene, stopped for Fish 'n Chips and a lager at a pub called Shakespeare's Head and got a great cookie at Ben's Cookies. It was fun walking in the footsteps of history and thinking of the days when Hendrix played the nearby Marquee Club, but I can't report that Carnaby Street remains all that swinging.

Now, back to Oxford Street after a 18-year absence. You see, when I first visited London in 1993, I stayed at a Youth Hostel just off Oxford, with Oxford Circus being the closest tube stop. So that was the center of my world on my first, and what remains the longest, exploration of the British capital. But I recall feeling that Picadilly Circus was considerably cooler than Oxford Circus, so though it's only a tube stop and relatively brief stroll away, I'd never gotten back to Oxford Street during my London visits of the '00s.

It was nicely nostalgic to walk east on Oxford from the Circus to the Tottenham Court Rd. Tube stop, and there was more foot traffic on Oxford than I'd seen around Picadilly or elsewhere. It seemed really vibrant, even abuzz. I went into a couple stores, but at this point don't remember which or why. I also strolled around Soho Square, where several media companies have offices. I remember seeing Paul McCartney's MPL Communications headquarters there in 1993, but didn't notice it this time. But there was a good bit of construction going on.

It required a tube ride to get there, but my next stop was Westminster Abbey. I've been to, and toured, the Abbey at least once or twice, but like the architecture, history and all the famous souls buried underneath. It was around 4:30 and the church had been closed to general tourists since 3pm, but a few people were lining up for a 5:00 service. I figured, what the heck, a good way to see the abbey, if only a limited section, for free. And I got the sense that many of the other attendees were also tourists. There was no spiritual awakening, but it was kind of cool.

Theater Review

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Palace Theater, London
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Priscilla is a musical that has been quite successful in London--it opened right around my last visit in April 2009--and is now also running on Broadway. I had never seen it, but Paolo had already seen it 4 or 5 times and really raved about it. So I was excited to see it, more than any other show currently in London, most of which I had already seen.

Based on a 1994 film of the same name that I also haven't seen, it is about two drag queens and one transsexual who travel from Sydney to Alice Springs, a remote resort town in Australia. The music is performed and sung live, but consists of what I can best summarize as old disco hits. This isn't technically true in all cases--you can see the song list on Wikipedia--but high energy numbers included "I Love The Night Life," "Shake Your Groove Thing" and "Hot Stuff," sometimes sung by a trio of divas high above the stage.

The story was enjoyable, with plenty of humor, and made Priscilla much more a theatrical work than Thriller (reviewed in Part I), but the show basically revolved around the high energy songs. Though many were quite fun, in sum it seemed like too much of the same thing. There were also a few song choices that seemed iffy, but I'm guessing rights clearance issues may have been a factor. As a piece of entertainment, Priscilla--the show's name comes from that of the hot pink tour bus of the traveling entertainers--was more good than bad, but I wasn't nearly as enthralled as Paolo. I'm glad I saw it, but don't see it as a show for the ages.

Tuesday

Tuesday morning, I left Paolo's apartment even before he left for work and went for a long walk. The photo at right shows the Shard, a Renzo Piano skyscraper that I didn't walk past on Tuesday, but had on Sunday and Monday. When finished, supposedly in May, it will be the tallest building in the European Union.

The Shard, which is near the London Bridge Tube station, was fairly close to Paolo's flat, but on Tuesday morning, I walked in the other direction in order to reach Tower Bridge, also nearby.

I think the Tower Bridge is the most beautiful bridge in the world, although quite a different structure than the Golden Gate or Sydney Harbor Bridge.

It's possible to walk to the top of the Tower Bridge, but there's a fee involved--and also a bunch of stairs--so I didn't bother. But I enjoyed walking across it, looking out over the Thames, and winding up next to the Tower of London.

The Tower of London, whose "White Tower" dates back to 1078, is one of the best tourist sites in London, but I've toured it twice, so I was content just to take photos from the outside.

The Tower Bridge is at left, with the Tower of London shown below.

It was a somewhat brisk morning in London so I got a good hot chocolate and a couple great pastries at a stand called apostrophe near the Tower.

I then walked through the City of London business district, probably not far from where Paolo was working and wound up at my specific destination: St. Paul's Cathedral. I had been there--and to the top of the dome--before, but not on any of my recent trips and felt it deserved learning a bit more about.

On a prior trip to London, I had discovered an excellent outfit called London Walks, which conducts several different tours throughout the city. In the past, I had taken an Oscar Wilde tour and a Dickens/Shakespeare tour.

This time, the available tour that appealed to me most was one called Secrets & Splendors of St. Paul, taking place at 10:30 Tuesday morning.

When I arrived at the majestic St. Paul's, I discovered that it was the site that Occupy London was occupying. I thought that the tent city there was rather impressive and would have tried to strike up a conversation, but didn't readily see anyone to talk to. And though I generally support and respect the Occupy movement--at least theoretically--I couldn't think of anything that I would ask the London occupiers.

But I was somewhat annoyed at how irritated my London Walks tour guide--who was otherwise quite good--seemed to be by the protesters, who at that point were so peaceful as not to be seen or heard.

The tour--which added onto but discounted the normal admission price to get into St. Paul's--was quite worthwhile. It didn't include a trek to the top of the dome or the Whispering Gallery partway to the top, as the tour guide said she was afraid of heights, but I didn't feel the need--or legpower--to do that again, anyway.

I learned about how St. Paul's was saved from devastation during World War II when much else around it was destroyed. As it was explained, the German "bombs" weren't explosives, but rather fire sticks; buildings weren't blown up, but simply burned down.

With Winston Churchill insistent that St. Paul's must be saved, dedicated groups of Londoners would stand atop the dome and as the fire sticks rained down, they would field them and douse them in sand buckets before they could do much damage. Hence, St. Paul's survived, largely unscathed.

I also noted some of the tombs in the crypt, including famed painters like Reynolds and Turner, and directly beneath the dome, Lord Nelson.

After seeing St. Paul's--no photos were allowed inside--I made my way to the Leicester Square TKTS booth and got a discounted pair for the show Paolo & I desired for the evening.

Although London has several excellent art museums I easily could have chosen to visit on my last afternoon in town--including the National Gallery once again, the Tate Modern and Tate Britain, Victoria & Albert Museum and more--I made my way to the Courtauld Gallery, which I had been to once before but wanted to see again.

On my way along the Strand, I stopped to have Indian food for lunch at a restaurant named Sitar (I had forgotten the name, but just reminded myself via Google Maps street view). I didn't order all that much, some samosas, garlic naan and a half order of a curry with cheese, but it was all good.

The Courtauld Gallery, part of the Courtauld Institute of Art, is within a large building called the Somerset House, which dates back to 1776. There was a ice rink set up in the courtyard, but I didn't join the skaters. The multi-floor gallery isn't that extensive, but it's collection is excellent, with three of the highlights shown below. Though not free like the National Gallery, admission was a very reasonable 6 pounds. I really enjoyed it and was glad I made the effort to get there.

I was supposed to meet Paolo for high tea at the Cavendish at 5:30, but gladly had some time to stop into two nearby shops, one planned, one unplanned.

I had read about a rock 'n roll photo gallery called Snap Galleries because in the past couple years it had an exhibition on photos taken by Eric Meola for Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run album. They still had a few of those photos, as well as an oversized book of BTR session photos, but it was also fun to see other classic photos, of the Beatles, Stones and others. The gallery director was a friendly guy, named Guy, and was fun to talk with.

Through far from being able to afford anything I saw, I really enjoyed two Abbey Road outtakes that were in the windows. After all these years, it's a bit off-putting to see the Beatles walking in the opposite direction than on the album cover.

The other store, I stopped into twice--once because it looked cool, then again a few minutes later when I still had some time and decided I wanted to buy something--was a book store called Hatchards. I hadn't ever heard of it, but they claim to be "the oldest surviving bookshop in London," dating back to 1797. But what caught my eye was all the signed editions they had, of new books by people like Umberto Eco, among others.

On my second time through Hatchards in a matter of minutes, I figured I'd pick up something for my friend Dave, who's a voracious reader. A paperback called War Damage caught my eye, as it was one of the store's best sellers and signed by its author, Elizabeth Wilson. As I brought it to the cashier, he said, "You just missed her, she was just here signing."

Dave reports that the book was pretty good.

So then it was time for high tea, an experience I'd never had. As such it was quite enjoyable to sit within a luxury hotel--the Cavendish--and be served tea with finger sandwiches and pastries. Sure, it felt a bit pretentious and wasn't really "my thing," but as theater--for about half the cost of a half-price theater ticket--it was pleasant to observe and even partake in.

Then it was time for a show Paolo and I were both looking forward to, a recently-opened musical based on a popular movie. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as we had hoped.

Ghost the Musical
Picadilly Theatre, London
@@

Although before departing for London I had noted that reviews of Ghost--the new musical that had opened in July--were rather lukewarm, I still felt it was something I wanted to see. Not only was it one of the few musicals in London yet to play Broadway, or Chicago, for that matter--a Broadway opening is now slated for April--but though far from fanatical about the movie, I recalled it favorably. I figured "how awful could the musical be," especially as the reviews didn't seem to be that negative.

Well, and Paolo would concur, it was pretty darn awful. In fact, about the only good thing I can say about it, is that the actors who played the leads--as did Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in the movie--were, not surprisingly, rather attractive.

But they weren't particularly great singers or actors, and I didn't like the guy who played the creep, Carl, but perhaps that meant he did his job well. And though we got an understudy for Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg in the movie), there was something rather distasteful about her character.

I was somewhat surprised to learn that the movie's writer, Bruce Joel Rubin, had written the musical's book and collaborated on the lyrics, with Dave Stewart (of the Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard. For even though Ballard is noted for many schmaltzy pop ballads, you'd at least expect the music of Ghost to be tuneful. But forget trying to remember any of it over a month later; it was forgettable before we were out of the theater.

In fact, enough time has passed that I can really enunciate all that was wrong with Ghost, just that it seemed hackneyed and amateurish. With many video projections substituting for real sets (although there was also actual scenery), what in small doses seemed inspired, in full felt cheap.

Anyway, it was a disappointing way to end my time in London, as the next morning--quite early, especially in light of a looming transit strike--I would leave Paolo's flat, head to St. Pancras station and take a 2 hr. 20 minute train ride to Paris.

When I post Part III, that's where I'll resume and promise to keep it brief.

To Be Frank, 'Come Fly Away' Entertains, But Not In My Way

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:03:00 +0000

Theater Review

Come Fly Away
a new musical featuring Frank Sinatra songs
conceived, choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp
Bank of America Theatre, Chicago
Thru January 22
@@@1/2

Theatrical productions have historically been classified as either plays or musicals, as per the major Tony Award categories. But there are a number of stage shows that, not necessarily as a negative, don't neatly conform to the common characteristics of either genre.

As a subscriber to Broadway in Chicago for over a decade--primarily due to my fondness for musicals--I have seen several such shows included in my season series. These have included circus-type productions such as Traces and Fuerza Bruta, talent showcases such as the percussion-based Stomp and ballroom dancing revue Burn the Floor and what I would call scripted monologues, whether delivered by one person (Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking) or several (Love, Loss and What I Wore).

Some of these shows were better than others and in small doses, I appreciate my exposure to them. But as a general rule, I need a story to derive emotional connection--and maximum enjoyment--when I am sitting in a theater. Call me a philistine if you must, or just a dullard, but I am not big on the interpretive, nor the overly obtuse. Even Beckett is a bit much for me.

Which brings me to Come Fly Away, the show I saw last night at Chicago's Bank of America Theatre as part of my Broadway in Chicago series. In the Playbill, it presents itself as "A New Musical," conceived, choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp (who also gets credited for the "book") with "Vocals by Frank Sinatra."

But in my parlance, the 70-minute performance was a dance program set to Sinatra, not a musical. Nothing wrong with that in itself, as I know Hubbard Street Dance and other such companies regularly earn raves, but there's a difference between appreciating virtuosity and being emotionally and/or mentally captivated. And on that level, Come Fly Away failed to soar, at least for me.

Tharp's fame is as a choreographer and as one might expect, the dancing here is excellent. (Despite the verbiage of the marquee, Tharp is not in the show and a "resident director" is listed.) But there is no discernible story or cohesive theme.

In fact, although the program lists character names such as Hank and Kate and Sid, it could simply have said "Woman in Red Dress" and "African-American Guy with Shirt Off," for there was no dialogue to serve as any form of introduction (nor were there cast photos in the Playbill). The same dance partners seemed to stick together, so it wasn't simply a random recital, but any implied narrative was lost on me.

At least in Tharp's Movin' Out, which used Billy Joel songs, famous lyrics begat characters such as Brenda and Eddie and let you know when someone shipped out to Saigon.

Though I'm sure Twarp had her reasons for the chosen selections from the Sinatra songbook, obvious lyrical strains were self-contained in each song and didn't drive a clear storyline or overall arc. To my way of thinking, the "everyone take a bow" show-closing rendition of "New York, New York," could easily have been replaced by "My Kind of Town" for the Chicago production, even if different choreography was needed. For there was nothing that had necessarily led us to the Big Apple.

It was cool hearing Sinatra's vocals backed by a live band onstage--though it seems a string section was beyond the tour budget, as those parts were pre-recorded--and seeing a bunch of attractive people dancing beautifully wasn't unpleasant.

Certainly I realize, and appreciate, that musicals have morphed quite a bit over the last 10 years, not just in terms of "jukebox musicals" (Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys and myriad others) but in utilizing different types of music (In the Heights) or having a more dramatic foundation (Spring Awakening, Next to Normal). "Breaking form" and creative brilliance often go hand in hand, and I'm sure there are great works I don't appreciate because I just don't "get" them. This very well can apply to dance as an art form.

But I recall when 2000 Tony winner Contact effectively utilized pre-recorded music and dance routines, and though Movin' Out wasn't fantastic, especially in its pre-Broadway Chicago tryout, it eventually became more pleasing, in part because the narrative was clarified.

Many in the less-than-full first night audience seemed to appreciate Come Fly Away, and there was no reason not to be impressed by the wonderful dancers and fine musicians, including a particularly good saxophonist. Given my introduction above, I think I enjoyed this show more than most non-traditional theatrical performances I've seen. But as "A New Musical," I'm still waiting for the acting, dialogue, narrative and second act for this show to "Fly Me to the Moon."

Here's a link to the official Come Fly Away website if you want to learn more.

[ Re-Post ] Of Heroes, Fame, Changes, Modern Love and Aladdinsanity -- Celebrating the Brilliance of David Bowie on His 65th Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

(Originally written and posted on 1/8/11, when he turned 64. Revised only per his age.)

As far as rock 'n roll birthdays go, January 8 is much more famous for being that of Elvis Presley, in 1935. But 12 years later, a baby christened David Robert Jones was born in London.

While I consider myself an Elvis fan--if not quite a fanatic--and appreciate his immense impact on music, culture and celebrity, the man who would in 1967 rename himself David Bowie (so as to avoid confusion with The Monkees' Davy Jones) has been much more significant to me.

And while he has not recorded or toured since having heart surgery in 2004, David Bowie remains alive, seemingly well and quite vital.

I first "got into" Bowie in the early '80s, before the Let's Dance phenomenon, probably based on hearing "Rebel Rebel," "Space Oddity," "Changes" and "Suffragette City" on rock radio stations like The Loop in Chicago. But I am living proof that it is possible to have been a big fan of David Bowie for a long time without really having a clue as to the depth and breadth of his brilliance.

The first album of his I bought was ChangesOneBowie, and to this day it probably remains the Greatest Hits collection (of anyone) for which I have the most affection. The CD version--which has since been supplanted by other compilations--was expanded and dubbed ChangesBowie, but the original record I had contained the following tracks:

1. Space Oddity 2. John, I'm Only Dancing 3. Changes 4. Ziggy Stardust 5. Suffragette City 6. Jean Genie 7. Diamond Dogs 8. Rebel Rebel 9. Young Americans 10. Fame 11. Golden Years

I imagine that even for passing Bowie fans, this seems like a pretty stalwart collection of songs. Add to it my instant fondness for 1983's Let's Dance album when it was released--along with four excellent songs, including the title track, "Modern Love," "China Girl" and "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)," the record introduced me to Stevie Ray Vaughan, who played guitar on it--and reaching back to discover his remarkable Ziggy Stardust album, I had a rather substantive appreciation for David Bowie by the time I was 15.

Or so I thought.

Yes, the July 1983 Time cover story drew my attention to Bowie's chameleon-like stylistic changes throughout the '70s. Sure, I came to know a number of other songs, such as "Heroes," "Ashes to Ashes," "Panic in Detroit" and "Under Pressure," his outstanding collaboration with Queen. And, after being a smidgen too young to attend the Let's Dance Tour, I saw Bowie for the first time on May 26, 1990 at Dodger Stadium, soon after my relocation to L.A.

But it wasn't until years later, likely revolving around the next time I saw Bowie in January 2004--I attended 2 of his 3 shows at the Rosemont Theater plus one a few months later in Milwaukee--that I decided to delve a good bit deeper into Bowie's oeuvre.

And I continue to dig until this day. Somewhat similar to explorations of The Kinks prior and Steely Dan since, I came to realize that Bowie's greatness goes exponentially beyond his greatest hits. And in saying this, I'm not even alluding to how he introduced the idea of a rock star adopting an alternate persona, how his ever-changing fashion stylings presaged the MTV-era or how he rather successfully transitioned into acting. I'm really only referencing his music itself.

Back when CDs were still the norm--at least apart from illegal downloads--I bought nearly all of Bowie's back catalog and came to hear many of his albums in full for the first time. To give you a sense of the stature of his output from 1970-1980, AllMusic.com awards 5 or 4-1/2 stars to nine studio albums during that span, and two "lesser lights," Diamond Dogs and Young Americans, also have a number of superb songs.

So that's eleven substantive releases in the same number of years, and almost all of his material is so good it's hard to cite my favorite albums. The early output, including Hunky Dory, Ziggy and Aladdin Sane is sensational. I can't argue with anyone who cites 1976's Station to Station as his best record. And his German "triptych" recorded with Brian Eno in Berlin--Low, Heroes and Lodger--are just as rewarding as his more accessible albums. A friend of mine picks 1980's Scary Monsters as his favorite.

And though Bowie's output slid after Let's Dance--some would say with--I really liked both 2002's Heathen and 2003's Reality. So while it certainly wouldn't be wrong to start any exploration with a greatest hits compilation--the 2-disc Best of Bowie seems fairly comprehensive--realize, like I did way down the line, far past his 1996 Hall of Fame induction, that Bowie's legacy goes way beyond the rather remarkable surface.

No wonder my Bowie collection imported into iTunes would keep me audibly occupied for nearly a full day. And although I initially intended to accompany this post with 10 videos mixing more popular songs with some lesser-known gems, I couldn't help but go to 15, and could easily pick a completely different selection every bit as good.

So in response to The Beatles' legendary query, "Will you still need me ... when I'm 64?", my answer when it comes to David Bowie, is a resounding, "Yes." (And even 65, as I thought I should re-post this today.)

Happy Birthday, Mr. Bowie.

To celebrate, I give the rest of you 15 choice cuts from throughout his career, with a compilation video at the very bottom that allows you to run all the songs in sequence. (I put the videos below a "continuation jump" so click below left to see them if you can't.)

The beautiful "Life on Mars" from Hunky Dory.

"V-2 Schneider" from Heroes. Even at his most experimental, Bowie retained a great gift for melody.

"Be My Wife" from Low.

An acoustic version of "Ziggy Stardust."

"Oh You Pretty Things" from Hunky Dory.

"Look Back in Anger" from Lodger.

"Aladdin Sane" from the album of the same name.

One of my favorite versions of "Heroes." For years, I didn't know his intro was referencing this song, made famous by Burl Ives.

"Station to Station" from the album of the same name. 10 minutes long but it's stupendous.

"Rebel Rebel" from Diamond Dogs. For all my talk of Bowie's vast range, this radio staple is probably my favorite song of his.

"Modern Love" from Let's Dance. I love the title cut, but this is a bit quirkier and features a great sax solo, along with fretwork from Stevie Ray Vaughan.

"Blue Jean" from Tonight. I bought the Tonight album on cassette after loving Let's Dance, but this was the only really first-rate song. I found a great live version, but can't embed it.

"Fantastic Voyage" from Lodger.

"New Killer Star" from Reality.

"Changes" from Hunky Dory.

All the videos above in a sequential "reel."

For any of you wondering about "Golden Years," "Young Americans," "Space Oddity," "Starman," "Suffragette City," "Jean Genie," "Fame," "Let's Dance," "TVC15," "Wild is the Wind" or much else, well, that's kind of my point.

You can read more about Bowie on AllMusic.com and Wikipedia, see Bono's David Bowie playlist through RollingStone.com and listen to almost all his albums, in full for free, through MySpace Music.

In Exhibit of Big Name Impressionists, Federico Zandomeneghi Makes a Surprising Impression -- An Art Exposition

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Last Saturday, on the last day of 2011, I went on an excursion to the Milwaukee Art Museum. Although I had already visited "Brew Town" a few times during the year, as tends to be typical, and never need an excuse to see--in Santiago Calatrava's Quadracci Pavilion addition--the most beautiful building built in America this century, my impetus was an exhibit called Impressionism: Masterworks on Paper.

In my own head, it was notable that I had visited the Louvre in Paris on the first day of December. And though over the three days prior, I had seen wondrous works of Impressionism at London's National Gallery and Courtauld Gallery, especially in not having time to once again visit the Musee d'Orsay--Paris' great repository of Impressionism--it seemed rather apropos to see this exhibit on the last day of December. Some kind of abstract symmetry or something.

The exhibit, which opened in October, closes this Sunday, so I won't write a full-fledged review, but highly recommend that those so inclined get to it if possible.

On the Seth Saith @@@@@ rating scale, I would award the exhibit @@@@, as focusing primarily on drawings, I can't say that it was quite as exciting as roomfuls of paintings by the masters of impressionism, but it was extremely worthwhile in providing complementary insight.

I enjoyed seeing drawings--from black line drawings by Seurat that looked nothing like his paintings to full-fledged pastels by Degas (as at left) that were just as beautiful as his oils--by almost all of Impressionism's main superstars. Besides the aforementioned, these included Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Pissarro, Gauguin, Morisot, Cassatt and Signac.

Those who won't make it to Milwaukee may derive value from viewing the exhibition website or an even more in-depth teacher's resource that I stumbled upon.

I should mention that in addition to about 8 galleries of drawings, there were a few paintings, mainly from the museum's permanent collection, but also including this lovely Renoir, borrowed from Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art after the MAM won a gentleman's wager when the Packers beat the Steelers in the 2011 Super Bowl. And though it's not in the exhibit, but rather the MAM's main collection, this painting by Caillebotte is an impressionistic masterwork that shouldn't be missed.

Beyond seeing many excellent and informative drawings--plus a few paintings--by Impressionists (and technically, post-Impressionists) with whom I have long been familiar, even if to a lesser degree such as Redon and Boudin, I was struck by the number of exquisite works by artists whose names I didn't recall.

I have never been an art scholar, but long an avid amateur aficionado, fortunate to have visited many great art museums around the world. Though my memory isn't what it used to be, I have come to know of hundreds of artists across many eras and genres, with the Impressionists long being among my favorites.

So for an Impressionism exhibit in Milwaukee to have among Monet, Manet, Renoir, Pissarro, Van Gogh, etc., works by at least four of their contemporaries whose names--Jean-Louis Forain, Armand Guillaumin, Eva Gonzales and Federico Zandomeneghi--didn't ring a bell, was surprising, but also intriguing and even, in a curiosity-sparking sort of way, exhilarating.

Of the "unknowns," the works of Zandomeneghi--including "At The Fireplace" at right (photo not by me)--were my favorites, and even outshone some of his more famous compadres.

The picture at the top of this piece, titled "Place d'Anvers, Paris" from 1880, is not part of the Milwaukee exhibit. Perhaps that's because it is a painting, not a drawing, but of the relatively sparse array of Zandomeneghi's works that I could find online--this is the best gathering--most seem to be held in private collections, not museums.

Federico Zandomeneghi does have a Wikipedia entry, but it too is very scant, and there are seemingly no English-language books about him I can buy or borrow.

As you might deduce from his name, he was Italian, born in Venice in 1841, but moved to Paris in 1874 and remained there until his death in 1917. He became a close friend of Edgar Degas and his works were included in four of the groundbreaking Impressionist exhibitions (1879, 1880, 1881, 1886). So he seemingly wasn't painting in complete obscurity, unknown in his lifetime.

I have to imagine that in Paris around 1870-1890, there must have been hundreds or thousands of Impressionist-type painters who just weren't worthy of being shown at the Salon (the main exhibition), or if they were, have been forgotten by history, deemed lesser than the legends. After all, not just everyone could have the talent of Renoir and Seurat, et. al.

You've got to figure that beyond the 10-20 Impressionists (and post- and neo-Impressionists) that remain widely revered, the next best 100 or so still had to be blow-your-mind good. Perhaps they didn't become adored by savvy collectors at the time, or by museum curators years later, and maybe their paintings remain hidden in some attic. Who knows?

Perhaps there's a reason I didn't know Federico Zandomeneghi's name (or Jean-Louis Forain or Armand Guillaumin, though he at least is cited in the Wikipedia article on Impressionism).

But I liked what I saw, in the exhibition in Milwaukee and what I've been able to find online since. Probably not all that surprisingly, Zandomeneghi's paintings seem to be a blend of Degas and Renoir. Here are some more examples of an Italian Impressionist, about whom I am now glad to know.

The Best of 2011: The Best New Movies I Saw in 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:30:00 +0000

Due to working a good bit more and other such complications, I saw nowhere near the number of movies in 2011 that I did in 2010. Probably well less than one-third.

I saw a comparable number of new release movies in theaters--plus some 2011 films on DVD--but didn't take in nearly the number of foreign films, documentaries or classic older movies.

So unlike 2010, when I was able to cobble together separate Best Of lists for English-language feature films, foreign films, documentaries and the best of everything I saw from any era, this year I'm really only prepared to give you a list of the best new movies I saw in 2011.

This does include a foreign film or two, and I watched a few documentaries, but primarily covers mainstream movies that were newly shown at a screen near me within the past 12 months.

For Academy Award purposes, some of the films on my 2011 list were actually 2010 releases. But I didn't see them until this year--they weren't released in the Chicago area until then, or perhaps very late in 2010--so for my purposes, they count.

Admittedly, I may not all that vividly remember some of the ones I saw earlier in the year, so take my rankings with a grain of salt. Especially as there are several critically-acclaimed movies I have yet to see, which I have listed underneath (feel free to weigh in with the best of these).

But for what it's worth, here is Seth Saith's list of:

The Best New Movies I Saw in 2011

* = officially a 2010 release; ** = a foreign film (non-U.S., England, Canada)

1. The Artist

2. Hugo

3. Poetry**

4. Trust

5. Rabbit Hole*

6. Barney’s Version*

7. Moneyball

8. The Descendants

9. Beginners

10. Young Adult

11. Super 8

12. Another Year*

13. Blue Valentine*

14. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

15. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

16. My Week With Marilyn

17. Midnight in Paris

18. Margin Call

19. Warrior

20. The Company Men

Honorable Mention
Source Code
Unknown
Life, Above All**
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Bridesmaids
X-Men First Class
Melancholia
Hanna
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
The Adjustment Bureau

Notable 2011 Films Not Yet Seen
The Ides of March
A Dangerous Method
Take Shelter
Drive
Martha Marcy May Marlene
J. Edgar
A Separation**
Shame
Kinyarwanda**
The Tree of Life
Le Havre**
Terri
Margaret
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Certified Copy**
The Help
War Horse
The Iron Lady
Albert Nobbs
Pariah
The Adventures of Tintin
50/50
The Muppets
The Guard
Coriolanus
The Skin I Live In**
In A Better World**
Incendies**
Like Crazy
Crazy, Stupid, Love

My Friend Dave's Top 15

Incendies**
Another Year
The Artist
The Illusionist**
Poetry**
The Housemaid
Bridesmaids
Le Havre**
Rapt**
The Trip
The Descendants
Margin Call
Tabloid
The Skin I Live In**
The Guard

The Best of 2011: The Best Musicals I Saw (i.e. the musical theater productions I enjoyed most)

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Over the past 12 months, I have seen 34 musical theater productions, of 31 different titles.

These have been across a full spectrum of levels and venues, including high school, college, community theater, local non-Equity, local full Equity (actors union) and national tour productions in the Chicago area, plus shows on Broadway and in London's West End.

I found the vast majority of these shows to be quite enjoyable, with some at the supposed "lower levels" more so than ones at the most prestigious levels.

For instance, the high school version of Les Miserables I saw at New Trier and a community theater rendition of Rent at Skokie's Devonshire Playhouse were more tangibly enjoyable than some musicals I recently saw in London.

Of course, that's largely because the source material is superior--Les Miz and Rent are among my top 10 all-time favorite musicals--but in both cases cited above, the productions and performances were surprisingly robust.

Also, while I enjoyed the reworked touring version of Les Miserables I saw at the Cadillac Palace in February, it wasn't as good as on past tours, and thus won't make my top 10 for 2011 below.

So although source material and production quality obviously blend together in providing an enjoyable evening of entertainment--or not--in ranking the best musicals I saw in 2011, I am more heavily considering the productions, rather than just the works themselves.

Sometimes the distillation isn't so clear, but I guess basically I'm ranking how much I enjoyed each performance, with whatever factors go into that.

Thus, rather than being a list of:

The Best Musicals I Saw in 2011

this should more be considered

The Musical Theater Productions I Enjoyed Most in 2011

1. West Side Story - Cadillac Palace, Chicago (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

2. The Book of Mormon - Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York (my review in longer post)

3. Follies - Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (my review)

4. The Sound of Music - Drury Lane Oakbrook (my review)

5. Brigadoon - Light Opera Works, Evanston (my review)

6. Anything Goes - Steven Sondheim Theatre, New York (my review in longer post)

7. Sweeney Todd - Drury Lane Oakbrook (my review)

8. Next To Normal - Bank of America Theatre (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

9. A Christmas Story: The Musical - Chicago Theatre (my review)

10. Working - Broadway Playhouse, Chicago (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

Honorable Mention (in order of preference)

Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark - Foxwoods Theatre, New York (my review in longer post)

Mary Poppins - Cadillac Palace, Chicago (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

The Sound of Music - Chamber Opera Chicago (my review)

Les Miserables - Cadillac Palace, Chicago (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

Snapshots - Northlight Theatre, Skokie (my review)

Follies - Marquis Theatre, New York (my review in longer post)

Merrily We Roll Along - The Music Theatre Company, Highland Park (my review)

Rent - Devonshire Playhouse, Skokie (my review)

La Cage Aux Folles - Bank of America Theatre (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

42nd Street - Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire (my review)

Spring Awakening - Oriental Theatre, Chicago (my review)

The Doyle & Debbie Show - Royal George Theatre, Chicago

Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Palace Theatre, London

Memphis - Cadillac Palace, Chicago (Broadway in Chicago) (my review)

The Best of 2011: The Best Albums I Heard

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:30:00 +0000

As I recently posted, I attended many tremendous concerts in 2011. Coming soon, I'll also post about the best musicals I saw, several of which were similarly outstanding.

So I can't say that this was truly a bad year for music, at least on a personal level. But in the realm of recorded music, especially in the rock genre, 2011 was far from a watershed year.

This is in stark contrast to 1991. As commemorated by several anniversary re-releases, 20 years ago there was an avalanche of great, even groundbreaking albums.

Many have become such classics that it's unnecessary to cite the artist when mentioning works like Nevermind, Ten, Achtung Baby, Out of Time, Badmotorfinger, Use Your Illusion and Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

1991 also brought Metallica's biggest (and possibly best) album, debuts from The Smashing Pumpkins and Blur, swan songs from Queen and the Pixies, personal favorites from Dinosaur Jr. and Material Issue and key era and/or career-defining works by My Bloody Valentine, Matthew Sweet, Spin Doctors, Primal Scream, Jesus Jones, Fishbone and Teenage Fanclub. I won't pretend that rap has ever done much for me, but should recognize Ice-T, P.M. Dawn and Public Enemy as also having important releases in 1991. Even Michael Jackson and Prince put out albums that some consider their last true vestiges of greatness. And though I avoided it, Garth Brooks' Ropin the Wind was the year's top seller.

2011 has Adele.

Sure, I'll manage--after much exploration in recent weeks--to give you a Top 10 list plus several other albums I've liked from this year. But right now, the only one I'm perceiving as a classic is Adele's 21. Though not exactly in my wheelhouse--and as a consequence, I came to the Adele party way late--it is clearly the best album I've heard this year.

You might find it hard to believe--I do, as 21 is the best selling album in many a year and spawned two giant hits--but I hadn't knowingly heard an Adele song until this month. But now that I "get it," even well beyond chanteuses who have had breakthrough success in recent years--Dido, Duffy, Norah Jones, the late Amy Winehouse--I perceive Adele as a transcendent vocal talent, possibly along such exalted lines as Billie Holiday and Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. And she's still only 23, so hopefully her voice can fully recover from recent throat surgery, enabling her career to further evolve & flourish.

With all due respect to still-great rock bands like Wilco, Foo Fighters and the now retired R.E.M., no rock artist put out an album in 2011 that showcased comparable greatness. Sure, it's a different world now, ruled not only by Adele but women like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Beyonce and Rihanna, but if guitar-driven rock wants to remain a relevant musical form, somebody soon is gonna have to blow my mind like it's 1991 again.

But just because 2011 seemingly wasn't a classic year for rock albums--and admittedly, this list represents my tastes, which is why you won't find the Jay-Z/Kanye West collaboration or some other highly regarded releases in various realms--doesn't mean there wasn't some good stuff. I very much enjoy & recommend the albums below and hopefully some will continue to grow on me. Though after the top slot, the order in which these are ranked is largely inconsequential.

The Best Albums of 2011

1. Adele – 21

2. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light

3. The Nightwatchman – World Wide Rebel Songs

4. Wild Flag - Wild Flag

5. Wilco – The Whole Love

6. Willie Nile – The Innocent Ones

7. The Black Keys – El Camino

8. The Decemberists – The King is Dead

9. Red Hot Chili Peppers – I’m With You

10. Florence & the Machine - Ceremonials

Honorable Mention

Lindsey Buckingham – Seeds We Sow

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Smoking Popes – This Is Only A Test

R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now

Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde

The Cars – Move Like This

Yuck - Yuck

My Morning Jacket – Circuital

The Bangles – Sweetheart of the Sun

Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

The Best of 2011: The TV Shows I--and My Friend Dave--Enjoyed Most Over the Past Year

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 07:00:00 +0000

I don't watch nearly enough television.

I mean, it seems like I do--especially if you count movies watched on TV--but despite having a handful of series I watch regularly and other shows I catch sporadically, I somehow seem to avoid everything that friends, critics and the general public seem to love.

I don't watch any reality TV or talent shows, despite my fondness for musicals I haven't liked what I've seen of Glee and I've yet to get into most cable dramas, such as Breaking Bad, Dexter, Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men.

And even though I enjoy sitcoms, between whatever else I do, I just don't seem to ever see
Modern Family, 30 Rock or How I Met Your Mother, to name some that I have enjoyed but not often or of late. And though Parks & Recreation and Community are getting a lot of love on "Best of" lists, such as this one by Paste Magazine, I think I've only seen one or the other once, years ago.

So now that I've told you why you really shouldn't much care what I think--for another more expert opinion, see this list by Maureen Ryan, the former Chicago Tribune critic who now writes online--here are my picks for:

The Best TV of 2011

1. The Good Wife - CBS

2. Friday Night Lights - NBC

3. Person of Interest - CBS

4. World Series Game 6 - Fox - One of the best baseball games I've ever seen. The last day of the regular season was also high drama, but I didn't see that much of it. For me, sports remains the best reality television.

5. Homeland - Showtime

6. Ringer - The CW

7. Beavis & Butthead - MTV

8. Burn Notice - USA

9. Castle - ABC

10. Royal Pains - USA

I also wanted to give a shout out to the HD cable channel, Palladia. It shows all kinds of concerts and pop music movies and is my favorite "time waster" channel. If you have digital cable, you probably have it, so look for it.

In the months ahead, I'm planning to watch all the back episodes of Breaking Bad and Mad Men, the latter of which is returning with new episodes in March. But given my relative lack of breadth in viewership, I've enlisted the choices of my friend Dave.

Dave's Picks (not ranked)

Breaking Bad - AMC

Justified - FX

The Killing - AMC

Curb Your Enthusiasm - HBO

American Horror Story - FX

Modern Family - ABC

Downton Abbey - PBS

Dexter - Showtime

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - FX

Baseball - 9/28/11 - The last day of the regular season

These are in addition to some of the shows I cited, like Homeland, The Good Wife, Friday Night Lights, Ringer and Beavis & Butthead.

Even for the Uninitiated, A Christmas Story Makes a Delightful Musical -- Theater Review

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 20:17:00 +0000

Theater Review

A Christmas Story: The Musical!
Chicago Theatre
Thru December 30
@@@@1/2

The other day, I saw David Fincher's movie version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I thought it was quite good, but having read the book and seen the Swedish film adaptation, I knew the key plot points and actively wondered how Fincher's film would play to anyone coming to it cold. At the very least, the experience of seeing it with fresh eyes would be quite different.

I mention this here because undoubtedly unlike many of those seeing A Christmas Story: The Musical!, I have never seen the seemingly much beloved 1983 movie on which it is based.

I suppose I should, but am glad I went into the musical--recently created, but not a world premiere, now in a high profile run at the Chicago Theatre--unknowing. For though I recognize the challenge of adapting a popular work from one art form to another without either seeming too obvious & redundant, disappointing the faithful or confusing the newbies, ideally each work should stand--and sparkle--on its own.

Though I was drawn to A Christmas Story by strong reviews in both the Tribune and Sun-Times, not only did I not know the film, I didn't bring any kids with me (and am a bit removed from being one myself), I don't celebrate Christmas (being Jewish), I didn't know any of the music going in (unlike with most musicals I see, even new ones with original scores) and I've never heard of the composer/lyricists (Benj Pasek and Justin Paul).

Yet even with all those reasons to possibly not love it, I still did. With a show full of songs that sparkled even on a first hearing, a charming story, a strong cast and impressive scenery, A Christmas Story was thoroughly delightful.

In fact, or at least opinion, other then The Book of Mormon, this was probably the best new musical I've seen in 2011 (and that includes the most expensive musical ever created, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark).

By virtue of his being the understudy for the central role of young, bespectacled Ralphie, I'm guessing Carl Kimbrough isn't quite as polished a performer as Clarke Hallum, the regular Ralphie. At times, Kimbrough's singing was hard to hear over the orchestra and I never took note of his dancing, for which rave reviews have praised Hallum.

But an "underdog" Ralphie seemed rather apropos for the role, and Kimbrough was quite likable along with many other winning child actors. And several Broadway caliber adults were excellent, including Rachel Bay Jones and John Bolton as Ralphie's Mom and Dad, longtime Chicago vocalist Karen Mason as his teacher and Gene Weygandt as the narrator, Jean Shepherd. This was the third show in which I've seen Weygandt this year--Working and Snapshots being the others--and it's a shame his role didn't call for him to do any singing.

For while the quirky story--which I imagine closely matched the movie--was certainly enjoyable, the quality of the music was surprising. As I said, I don't see many musicals without having heard a cast recording, and when I do, only the very best scores capture me instantly. Yet, that was the case here. In fact, I bought a cast recording at intermission (after checking that that the one available at the theater isn't yet carried on Amazon).

The song "Ralphie to the Rescue!" lent itself to the best production number, but almost all the others were quite catchy and tuneful. From what I've read, A Christmas Story: The Musical! has Broadway aspirations, and it's almost a shame that its title will likely make it a seasonal affair. It's also a shame that it's not extending past December 30 in Chicago. But if you can get to A Christmas Story before it wraps, you'll be giving yourself quite a present.

The Best of 2011: The Best Concerts I Attended

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:12:00 +0000

2011 was a really good concertgoing year. Aside from years in which I've seen Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band multiple times--hopefully 2012 will be another such year, despite the sad passing of Clarence Clemons--I can't readily recall a year in which I've enjoyed as many shows to such an extent.

As I've pretty much come to expect, my favorite shows are almost exclusively drawn from old favorites, for there aren't many acts I've yet to see that I knowingly want to.

But Arcade Fire, who I saw for the first time in April, was truly a revelation in terms of just how good they were live. Although I had seen a number of live streaming concerts of theirs previously, catching them in person was a far transcendent experience.

Which is why, although I saw a number of full concerts within the comfort of my condo in 2011-- streaming live over the internet, via Blu-ray/DVD and on the Palladia cable channel--and enjoyed several of these, they are not eligible for inclusion below. Though I was often able to get a sense of an artist's abilities as a live performer, there is much that just can't be replicated without actually "being there." And I'm not speaking simply of the smell of pot or the jerk in front of me arguing with his girlfriend all night.

As you'll see, the top two spots on my list are taken by acts I saw multiple times. Each of their shows could easily have earned its own berth--although the Chicago U2 show seemed slightly better than the Denver one, and McCartney's Wrigley shows felt even cooler than the one I caught in Paris--but I decided not to clog the list with redundancies. And even if you don't bother to click to see my reviews of each show--a few I didn't bother reviewing--I thought I'd mention that the first nine listed all got @@@@@ ratings from me, while the Foo Fighters got @@@@1/2. A good year for live music, indeed.

The Best Concerts of 2011

1. Paul McCartney - July 31, August 1, Wrigley Field (my review); November 30, Bercy, Paris

2. U2 - July 5, Soldier Field (my review); May 21, Invesco Field, Denver (my review)

3. Arcade Fire - April 25, UIC Pavilion (my review)

4. Soundgarden - July 16, UIC Pavilion (my review)

5. Pearl Jam - September 4, Alpine Valley, East Troy, WI (my review)

6. Willie Nile - September 23, Fitzgerald's, Berwyn (my review)

7. Wilco - December 13, Riviera Theatre (my review)

8. Roger McGuinn - June 3, Beverly Arts Center (my review)

9. Ray Davies - November 11, Chicago Theatre (my review)

10. Foo Fighters - September 17, Scottrade Center, St. Louis (my review)

Honorable Mention

Fastball/Smoking Popes - August 27, Backlot Bash, Skokie (my review)

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band - April 2, Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI (my review)

Rush - April 12, United Center

Jerry Lee Lewis - December 3, Congress Theatre (my review)

Ike Reilly/Alejandro Escovedo - July 3, Summerfest, Milwaukee

Steve Miller Band - August 4, Chicago Theatre

The Smashing Pumpkins - October 14 - Riviera Theatre (my review)

The Best of 2011: The Best Plays I Saw

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:09:00 +0000

New York and London are generally regarded as the world's two greatest theater cities. I visited both in 2011 but went to no plays. Only musicals, as is my wont.

But I'm convinced that several of the plays I saw on Chicago stages were every bit as good as what I could have seen on Broadway or in the West End. In fact, some of the productions on my Best of 2011 list have played in or will transfer to one of the meccas, or are the world's first regional stagings.

And my top choice for Best Play of 2011 had its world premiere in my hometown of Skokie. But it starred two Tony winners who would be in demand anywhere.

Two quick notes to keep in mind before I give you my list. Though sometimes the distinction isn't all that clear, even to me, I am ranking the productions I saw, not necessarily the play (i.e. the script) itself. Hence, a classic by Shakespeare is in the middle of the pack, and though many of those listed are new works, not all are. Also, beyond the 15 shows I'll cite below, I only saw 3 additional plays (or non-musical stage works). So omissions may very well be about what I didn't see rather than what I didn't like.

The Best Plays I Saw in 2011 (all in the Chicago area)

1. The Outgoing Tide - Northlight Theatre (my review)
written by Bruce Graham; directed by BJ Jones

2. Clybourne Park - Steppenwolf Theatre (my review)
written by Bruce Norris; directed by Amy Morton

3. Chinglish - Goodman Theatre (my review)
written by David Henry Hwang; directed by Leigh Silverman

4. Red - Goodman Theatre (my review)
written by John Logan; directed by Robert Falls

5. East of Berlin - Signal Ensemble Theatre (my review)
written by Hannah Moscovitch; directed by Ronan Marra

6. The Merchant of Venice - Broadway in Chicago; Bank of America Theatre (my review)
written by William Shakespeare; directed by Darko Tresnjak

7. The Beauty Queen of Leenane - Shattered Globe Theatre (my review)
written by Martin McDonagh; directed by Steve Scott

8. The Trinity River Plays - Goodman Theatre (my review)
written by Regina Taylor; directed by Ethan McSweeny

9. Ann - Broadway in Chicago; Bank of America Theatre (my review)
written by Holland Taylor; directed by Benjamin Endsley Klein

10. The Hot L Baltimore - Steppenwolf Theatre (my review)
written by Lanford Wilson; directed by Tina Landau

Special Mention
(I couldn't count these one-person shows as "plays," but both were very good)

Colin Quinn - Long Story Short (my review)
written by Colin Quinn; directed by Jerry Seinfeld

Carrie Fisher - Wishful Drinking (my review)
written by Carrie Fisher

Honorable Mention

Stage Kiss - Goodman Theatre (my review)
written by Sarah Ruhl; directed by Jessica Thebus

God of Carnage - Goodman Theatre (my review)
written by Yasmina Reza; directed by Rick Snyder

Night and Her Stars - The Gift Theatre (my review)
written by Richard Greenberg; directed by Michael Patrick Thornton

It Is What It Is: Very Enjoyable If Not Quite Perfect -- Theater Review: La Cage Aux Folles

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:46:00 +0000

Theater Review

La Cage Aux Folles
presented by Broadway in Chicago
Bank of America Theatre, Chicago
Thru January 1, 2012
@@@@

With music and lyrics by Jerry Herman--who also wrote Hello, Dolly and Mame--and a book by Harvey Fierstein, La Cage Aux Folles won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1983 and has been revived on Broadway twice within the past 8 years.

It is what I consider a first-rate musical, but not quite among the very best of what I consider to be first-rate musicals.

Last night, the first in Chicago for the current Broadway tour--derived from a 2008 London production that transferred to Broadway--the show that spawned the gay anthem "I Am What I Am" was what it was: very enjoyable with some wonderful songs, but not the best show I've ever seen.

A few years ago, I caught a fine local production of La Cage, but hadn't seen a Broadway, London or touring rendition before this one. Supposedly, the London version that ultimately generated the current tour was intended as a scaled-down affair, so I imagine that's why the drag-queen production numbers (at La Cage Aux Folles, a nightclub in St. Tropez) weren't as over-the-top as I expected.

On this tour, the perpetually tan George Hamilton stars as Georges, the owner of La Cage, where his lover Albin (played by Christopher Sieber) is the star attraction, known by his/her stage name, Za Za.

It was fun to see Hamilton onstage and although not a Broadway-caliber singer, he didn't embarrass himself. And Sieber is a Broadway veteran with an excellent voice, which enabled him to dazzle on "I Am What I Am."

But while it may be trifling, the 72-year-old Hamilton and the heavyset 42-year-old Sieber seemed somewhat mismatched. Not that Georges/Albin's romance would be a real-life impossibility, but with references to their being together for 20+ years, Sieber just seemed too young for his role, which had been played by a considerably older man in the prior version I'd seen. I won't delve into the casting history, which would likely prove my perceptions wrong, but I thought Albin is supposed to be more seasoned, with Za Za getting close to retirement age.

Which isn't to say that Sieber's casting, or the pairing, ruined the show. If a bit implausible, he was certainly solid, but I can perceive that a different performer--or even two--might have elevated things a bit.

Although it's also true that while quite good, La Cage isn't a perfect show. Some of the laughs are cheap and lessen the poignancy, too many songs utilize the same musical refrains and the story--centering around Georges' son wanting to hide his father's and Albin's relationship from his fiancé’s family, despite Albin having served as his mother--comes off as a bit familiar and even silly (though I realize the whole thing would've been more daring in 1983).

But with some great Herman songs, including the rousing "The Best of Times," La Cage--based on a 1973 French play and 1978 French-Italian film--is certainly a show with a lot to like. Yes, better musicals exist and this may not quite be the ultimate rendition, but offering a lot of fun, some wonderful showtunes and quite a bit bit of heart, La Cage Aux Folles is far from a drag.

Inventive Take on Grim Tale Doesn't Fully Satisfy -- Theater Review: Burning Bluebeard

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:17:00 +0000

Theater Review

Burning Bluebeard
written by Jay Torrence, directed by Halena Kays
Performed by the Neo-Futurists
Neofuturarium, Chicago
Thru December 30, 2011
@@@

December 30, 1903 stands as one of the darkest days in Chicago history. Near the start of Act 2 at a matinee performance of Mr. Bluebeard, a play at the grand new Iroquois Theatre--on Randolph Street where the Oriental Theatre now stands--a fire broke out above the stage.

With many theatrical fire codes that would be prompted by the catastrophe therefore not yet in place, the fire failed to be harnessed and many of the 2,000 patrons were trapped as the balcony was instantly consumed by a huge fireball, and many others trampled.

More than 600 audience members--mostly women & children--died, as did a single performer.

Burning Bluebeard, the new short-run evening show by the Neo-Futurists--as opposed to their late-night standby Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind--could probably be best categorized as a play, although per the troupe's trademark, not a straightforward one.

Ostensibly about the Iroquois Theatre fire, as seen through the eyes of a handful of Mr. Bluebeard's cast of hundreds, the show includes trained clowns, various low-grade acrobatics and a pre-recorded choral rendition of "Smells Like Teen Spirit." A version of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" is also performed, as a mashup with the music of "Imagine." This should provide a sense of what I mean by "not straightforward."

While the production prompted historical curiosity about this tragic event in a rather inventive fashion as written by ensemble member Jay Torrence, who also performs in the show, in sum it was a bit too obtuse for me to really like it.

Toward the end, when the actual moments of the fire were described, the show was tremendously gripping. But what came prior, although well-performed, different from much else I see and at times quite funny, didn't quite enthrall me. And I felt the show ran at least 15 minutes too long, with the post-fire unwinding seeming unnecessary.

Burning Bluebeard has been well-reviewed elsewhere and well-attended, so particularly if you're well-acclimated with the Neo-Futurists, you may find it tremendously rewarding. To be honest, I really disliked Too Much Light... the one time I saw it, so perhaps I'm just missing something when it comes to this venerable local troupe.

Given my interest in the subject matter, the quality of the performances, the effort to do something new and the $10 ticket through HotTix, I would say that Burning Bluebeard technically qualifies as worthwhile. But unless your tastes are a good bit more avant garde than mine, you do just as well by reading about the actual fire on Wikipedia and exploring further from there.

An Express Trip to Wonderland

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Attraction Review

Wonderland Express
Chicago Botanic Garden
Glencoe, IL
Thru January 1, 2011
@@@@1/2

The other day, I went on a nice afternoon excursion to the Botanic Garden with my mom, who is a member. That saved me the admission fee, which is charged per car, but there is a cost for the special Wonderland Express exhibit.

Individuals with a Discover card can get a 2-for-1 discount, but we didn't know this until we arrived, and I didn't have my card with me.

The general, outdoor gardens are always enjoyable to walk around, though most exquisitely so when the flowers are in full bloom in late-Spring/early-Summer. But it was rather chilly when we were there, so it was a good thing that our primary focus was the indoor Wonderland Express exhibit, which my mom had already seen but was willing to take in again for my benefit.

Created by an amazingly talented craftsman named Paul Busse and his associates, "Wonderland" is an indoor garden featuring replicas of Chicago's most famous buildings made out of various, mostly natural, materials. There are also model trains running through the exhibit, which likely goes over quite big with the little ones, but for me were secondary to the building models.

As a fan of Chicago architecture and history, as well as artwork and flora, I really enjoyed seeing the imagination with which the various models were put together. For example, though it's not all that easy to see, the Aon Building at left above is made from columns of bamboo, while Marina City's famed ring of balconies are replicated by hardened leaves.

Fittingly, the Art Institute was represented, as were most of Chicago's most notable museums, including the Field Museum and Planetarium, shown in the photo just below.

Underneath, other landmarks include the Bahai Temple (located in the special suburban wing), "Cloudgate" (aka The Bean, represented by a gourd), the Picasso sculpture and a Lake Michigan lighthouse (though it isn't meant to be the Grosse Point Lighthouse in Evanston).

My mom and I both liked the way the trellis over the lawn in front of the Pritzker Pavilion bandshell was replicated by curved branches.

Soldier Field was represented as it looked before the spaceship landed in it...

...while old Chicago Stadium was featured rather than the United Center, but still had a Michael Jordan statue, as chronologically incorrect as it may be.

A brief, interesting movie about the exhibit explained what the MJ Statue was made out of, but I don't remember. The Stanley Cup is shown next to it.

In addition to the instantly recognizable landmarks, also represented were Gold Coast brownstones, Chicago bungalows (including the one where Michelle Obama grew up) and the Obamas' house in Kenwood.

In the same pavilion where the exhibit takes place, there is also a nice display of wreaths--all available for purchase--made of various materials, as well as some enjoyable exhibits in the Garden's library including floral illustrated books commissioned by Prince Charles and miniature felt characters representing Alice in Wonderland & other books. Of course, in the greenhouses, there are myriad indoor plants, some--as shown at bottom--that would fit well in "Little Shop of Horrors."

With Winter Vacation now underway, those families not heading out of town, or those heading in, would do worse than to spend a day exploring Chicago in "Express" fashion.

'The Sound of Music' is Pitch Perfect at Drury Lane Oakbrook -- Theater Review

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:34:00 +0000

Theater Review

The Sound of Music
Drury Lane Oakbrook
Thru January 8, 2012
@@@@@

I realize it would be apples & oranges to say that the production of The Sound of Music at Drury Lane Oakbrook is far superior to any of the three West End musicals I recently saw in London.

For the Rogers & Hammerstein masterpiece is one of the greatest musicals ever created and it's likely that a strong high school rendition would be more satisfying than Ghost: the Musical. And while the other two London shows I caught, Thriller Live and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, featured some fantastic performances, the former was simply a revue with no story and the latter likewise consisted solely of pre-existing music. Both were enjoyable but far from historic.

Mind you, there are many superior musicals playing in London which I have seen previously, there or elsewhere, and my point is not to minimize the quality of the shows and performers working in one of the world's two most prestigious theater districts.

Rather, I mean to herald the heights to which the Drury Lane--and other Chicago area production houses--are now regularly jumping. In a few days I will post my list of the 10 Best Musicals I Saw In 2011 and although my pool includes 18 shows seen in the West End, on Broadway or as a Broadway tour, I am certain that this version of Sound of Music will make the cut, along with a number of other local productions (including Drury Lane's last show, Sweeney Todd).

This is actually the second fantastic production of the fictionalized tale of the real-life von Trapp family I've seen this year. Back in June, I caught one of a 2-show run by Chamber Opera Chicago at the Athanaeum Theater (and wrote about it here). That was the first time I'd ever seen TSOM on-stage and the production was remarkable for how good it was despite the sparsity of performances, highlighted by the efforts of a 30-piece orchestra.

While that rendition was certainly a treat, this one's even better, in terms of overall production values and the performance in the lead role of Maria. Beyond a lovely singing voice, Jennifer Blood imbues the role with a playful exuberance and just the right balance of trepidation and fearlessness as Maria tackles insta-mothering a brood not all that much younger than she is.

Longtime Chicago musical star Larry Adams similarly does a great job of capturing Captain von Trapp's tough and tender sides. While old enough to be Blood's father, he allowed for their romance to come off as believable, and though the Captain doesn't often get to sing, Adams clearly showcased his fine voice on "Edelweiss."

Also demonstrating superlative vocal talents--on a goosebump-raising "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"--was Patti Cohenhour as the Mother Abbess, a role she played in the 1998 Broadway revival. It's obvious the DRO is attracting top notch talent, as as with Sweeney Todd, smaller roles here are filled by local stalwarts with many leading role credits, such as Paula Scrofano, John Reeger, Catherine Lord, David Girolmo and Natalie Ford. I was sorry to miss Peter Kevoian as Max, but on the matinee performance I caught, Craig Spidle quite ably handled the role.

And quite importantly, all of the children were excellent. Although the two boys and some of the younger girls didn't come off as all that individualistic here, Katie Huff did a very nice job as Liesl, Marieclair Popernik made for an adorable Gretl and either Arielle Dayan or Ingrid Lowery was slyly knowing as Brigitta (sorry, I'm not sure which girl performed).

I have now seen four shows directed by Rachel Rockwell and all have been excellent...or even better. Though she may not quite be a household name, as one of Chicago's best musical theater directors, she seems to be elevating herself to a well-deserved "brand name" level, a la Gary Griffin. I wouldn't be shocked if she soon finds herself in demand on Broadway, so all the more reason to take in this terrific production if you can.

Getting a ticket may not be easy as the Drury Lane is rightfully packing them in for this family-friendly show. And without any discount availability on Hottix or Goldstar, you might pay a bit more than at some other area theaters also doing fine work. But the $35-45 you'll spend is not only going to give you all the value of a downtown Chicago show for a fraction of the price, it will also save you from flying to London (or New York) to see musical theatre of the highest quality.

And when it comes to looking back at "My Favorite Things" of 2011, The Sound of Music will long resonate.

(Call the Drury Lane box office at 630-530-0111 to avoid Ticketmaster fees; another reason to love this theater.)

Outtasite! Wilco Rocks Riv With Rollicking Show -- Concert Review

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:39:00 +0000

Concert Review

Wilco
with Eleventh Dream Day
December 13, 2011
Riviera Theatre, Chicago
@@@@@

This was the Wilco of my dreams.

You see, I've liked virtually everything the Chicago-based band has done over the last decade, beginning with 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, an album of great beauty, experimentation and introspection that many consider among the very best of the 21st Century.

But my favorite Wilco album remains 1996's guitar-driven, somewhat Replacementsesque Being There, followed by 1999's Summer Teeth. Although the band, whose personnel beyond singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt has completely changed since the '90s, has rightfully earned worldwide acclaim and swelling popularity, they've more infrequently "rocked"--in the bar chord, pounding drums sense of the word--since the turn of the century.

That's not to say they haven't been good, even excellent, at many of the six Wilco shows I've attended since 2002--plus a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Tweedy perform in a living room--prior to the one on Tuesday night.

The concert was the second of the band's mini-tour of Chicago that saw them play the Civic Opera House on Monday, with shows at The Vic, Metro and Lincoln Hall still to come. I would've liked to go to the Opera House show, but when new tickets were released for the Riv on Friday, I was able to grab a pair. And no matter how good the first show was, or the subsequent ones might be, I'm perfectly satisfied with the one I saw.

For with Tweedy playing an electric guitar most of the show, rather than an acoustic, the band rocked in a way I'd never before witnessed. And kudos to all their sound engineers, because even from the top of the Riv, the sound was phenomenal.

This isn't to imply that Wilco became the Ramones or aforementioned Replacements. A multitude of weird sounds and obtuse textures from the six skilled players were still in ready abundance, such as on the new "Art of Almost" and "Via Chicago," with its breathtakingly thunderous bursts by drummer Glenn Kotche.

Take a look at Wilco's setlist from Tuesday and you won't see that it's full of hits, or even weighted to the early albums.

In fact, there are many songs I would have loved to hear that weren't played. But what was played was performed with such a sonic blast that it didn't matter. And true thumpers like "I Got You (At the End of the Century)," "I Must Be High," "I'm Always In Love," "Can't Stand It," "Just A Kid," "Monday" and "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" ravaged the paint-peeling walls of the 94-year-old, 2,500 capacity venue.

The band played for 2 hours and 20 minutes--the epic "Spiders" in Encore 2 wasn't even the finale, as "I'm A Wheel" followed to end the night--and proved to me like never before that if they aren't America's best rock band, they sure can sound like it when they want to.

Here's just a snippet I shot of "Outtasite (Outta Mind)"

A Tale of Two Cities -- My Week In London & Paris (Part I)

noreply@blogger.com (Seth Arkin) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:00:00 +0000

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Actually, except for waiting in a line--er, queue--for 3 hours to see the Da Vinci exhibit at the National Gallery in London and then being turned away, it really wasn't ever the worst of times, and even that's being rather hyperbolic. But though I wore myself down to the point of pain, as I typically do in exploring foreign locales--even those in America--I had a rather splendid time in two of the world's greatest cities on a quick sojourn a couple weeks ago.

Having just completed a contract work assignment without another having one lined up--always a double-edged sword--the chance to go to London sans airfare (due to having a reservoir of frequent flier miles) or lodging costs (thanks to my friend Paolo being put up in a corporate apartment with a couch calling my name) was too opportune to pass up.

Of course, I tacked on a couple days in Paris and a number of spectator events, but the trip was still rather inexpensive for what it was. And although it was very exciting and while I almost exclusively did "touristy" things, because it came with little advance planning and took me to cities I've previously visited, it was, relatively speaking, a rather low key European vacation.

This was my 7th time in London, where I've often stopped at the end of other trips in recent years, so I certainly didn't deem it vital to get to everything I wrote about in this travel guide. And though it had been 11 years since I'd last been in Paris, two prior visits made this one more quick & focused than all-encompassing.

But here's what I did.

Saturday

After flying into Heathrow and taking the tube (officially known as the London Underground), switching lines and getting off at Borough station, then shlepping my (luckily, rolling) suitcase down a street called Long Lane, I arrived at Paolo's building. Fortunately, he was there.

After a bit of a nap since I didn't really sleep on the plane, we went out to attend the Chelsea football (soccer) game against Wolverhampton at Stamford Bridge Stadium.

We didn't have tickets, but upon exiting the tube station, we found a somewhat shady "tout" with tickets, and even more to be had from his friend with the souvenir stand.

Tickets weren't cheap, even in the nosebleed seats, but only a few quid more than we would have paid for them had we been able to buy them through the Chelsea website.

I'm admittedly somewhat of a world soccer dilettante; appreciating the sport's legacy, lore and cultural impact almost everywhere but the U.S., but often being bored with the game itself. I've been to a handful (and maybe a footful) of games in Chicago, including when Real Madrid, Chelsea and most recently this summer, Manchester United, have come to town for exhibition matches. But I had never been to an English Premier League (the "major leagues" of British soccer) game, so I was glad to have the opportunity to do so.

Though all three of their goals seemed be scored in quick, almost fluke fashion, Chelsea pretty much dominated the whole game. It was fun to see, as well as to get a bit of a flavor of an English soccer crowd. There was one drunk guy who caused a bit of a ruckus, but otherwise the crowd was rather low-key, with a number of fathers and sons reminiscent of a baseball game back home.

Although Stamford Bridge is an old stadium, it was--according to Wikipedia--renovated in the '90s, so I was surprised that it seats "just" 42,000 people and seemingly lacks corporate skyboxes.

Leaving the stadium and returning to the tube station was not so unlike what I've encountered at Cubs, Sox and major events everywhere--I was reminded of my trip to Yankee Stadium in August--but that made it fun in theory, not in sardine can reality.

Also in theory, I should have wanted to catch a West End theatrical performance on Saturday evening. But having flown in that morning, I was pretty much running on fumes after the football game. Even if we had been able to get to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square and snag a seat for something worthwhile that evening, I likely would have been asleep early in Act I. So with Paolo passionate about getting duck with noodles in Chinatown, that's where we went.

And wound up at a place quite originally called London Chinatown. Paolo was like a duck in water over his duck with noodles, but thinking I should get something more original than my typical sweet & sour pork, I ordered pork with noodles. It was fine, but I should've got the sweet & sour.

Sunday

The couch in the flat Paolo had was a 2-seater, not 3. So sleeping on it meant that my feet overhung the end. Though I wouldn't have cared too much regardless, given the dramatic cost savings, I was worried about how I would sleep. I envisioned being up at 6am, so I was somewhat surprised when I woke (as Paolo left the flat for a workout nearby) at 9:14am on Sunday.

The night before I was imagining we might try getting in line for the Da Vinci exhibit early Sunday morning, but based on what would happen on Monday, I'm glad we didn't bother.

After getting out of the flat in mid-morning, we headed to the TKTS booth. Not much plays on Sunday in London, but one of the shows that does is Thriller Live, a tribute to Michael and the Jacksons that was created prior to MJ's death. Paolo had seen it before and praised it, and though I'm not the world's biggest Jackson fan, I appreciated Michael's talent. So we grabbed a pair of half-price tickets for the 3pm show.

Also at Paolo's recommendation, we then went to have a Pub Roast lunch, winding up at a place called the Porcupine. I had lamb with potatoes and Yorkshire pudding; it was quite good. I believe Paolo went with the chicken selection and enjoyed it as well.

We then did a good bit of walking, in one of the world's great cities to do so. Through Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, then across the Thames to the London Eye (which we didn't board), and back across the Thames via the Millennium bridge, then through Leicester Square up to the theater on Shaftsbury Avenue.

This might just sound like killing some time before a matinee, but to me, simply meandering is one of the best things one can do in London. The city--as most European cities are--is akin to an outdoor museum, with so much much of beauty to see and photograph. With the rapid-fire setting on my point 'n shoot, I took literally thousands of snapshots.

Here's one down the Thames; Big Ben and Parliament are the other way, but the sun was too bright.

Theater Review:
Thriller Live
Lyric Theatre, London
@@@1/2

I knew going in that this was just a revue, just musical numbers without a storyline or even much in the way of biography. There were many excellent performers onstage, with at least 4 men, one woman and one male child taking turns singing the lead on songs by the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson.

I enjoyed it for what it was, and have no problem recommending it to those with a hankering to relive some of the most exciting pop songs ever created. But as theater I can't say that it was phenomenal, nor even enriched my regard for Michael.

Not that I really wanted it to have a storyline, but it felt more like something one should see in a Las Vegas showroom than in a prestigious West End theater. Parts of it--as one might expect, Billie Jean, late in the show--really were thrilling, but as a whole it was quite good, but not quite fantastic.

Though I had had a good night's sleep, by 6pm on Sunday--when it was already long dark in London--I was still rather weary. I knew the Bears were playing at 3:15pm in Chicago, but any thoughts of trying to find somewhere showing the game at 9:15pm in London soon became unimportant.

After doing some damage at a souvenir shop near Picadilly Circus called Cool Britannia, where I got this mini-Union Jack guitar, Paolo and I went back to Borough and wound up in a pub called the Trinity, where I got what passes for a good British cheeseburger and a pint of a beer I do not recall.

Monday

Paolo works (mostly in Chicago) for a London-based company, which is why he was in London and availed of a flat, which I was graciously able to share. So during business hours on Monday and Tuesday, I was on my own.

Which, having been in London and elsewhere numerous times by myself, was no problem. Except that he hopefully would have talked me out of waiting in line for the da Vinci exhibit, which would prove to be an exhausting and infuriating waste of time.

Now, I love great art, of which the few extant works of Leonardo certainly qualify, but when I first noticed that the National Gallery was hosting an exhibition, it already too late to buy advance tickets for timed entry (even if I were to be in London through February). But as attested to by this post, the National Gallery has one of my favorite collections in the world, and with free entry, I figured another non-exhibition visit there would quite suffice.

But then I read somewhere, I though in TIME, but I can't find it, something calling the da Vinci the "best art exhibit ever." So per this statement on the exhibit website--A limited number of tickets will be available to purchase in person on each day of the exhibition. However these are subject to availability and likely to sell out quickly--I figured I should get in line prior to the museum opening at 10am on Monday morning and see if I couldn't get a ticket.

When I got to the back of the queue at 9:45am, unaware of just how far it snaked around, a member of the museum's security staff forthrightly told me, "You're not assured of getting in, and if you do, it will be for entry at 4:30pm." She also suggested the wait just to reach the ticket desk was at least 2 hours.

Admittedly, I was stupid for not walking away just then and finding something else to do in London. But though I wasn't expecting to walk right into the exhibit, I had planned to give some time to it, so I asked the guard, "Will you let us know when it's definite that we won't get tickets?" (meaning me and those near me). To which I was told, "Yes."

Soon thereafter, they stopped letting people join the back of the line, so I thought I might have a good chance. Two hours went by with nary a word, so again, I assumed the best, even venturing to turn on my iPhone--with international roaming rates--to try calling Paolo to ask if he'd be able to join me at 4:30. Fortunately, he didn't answer.

Two hours in, the security lady told a woman about 10 people ahead of me that she would likely be the last to get in. Word of this just grapevined through the line, but nothing was said to the rest of us. So I asked another guard if I was out of luck and should just leave. He said, "You're that close, I'd stick it out."

So I did--and not to kvetch too much, but standing for prolonged periods gets rather painful for my legs and back--for what amounted to another hour. At which point, I was two people from being let into the museum. But that would've only been to be a bit warmer while waiting for the ticket desk. That was when we were told we wouldn't get in.

I was rather upset about the time I wasted, my physical discomfort and a sense that the security guards could have been more candid. I mentioned that the one guard had told me to invest the third hour of waiting and he went off about how "he could never win."

Now certainly, there are infinite worse things in the world. But what still pisses me off is that 1) The woman who was told she would be the last to get tickets wound up not being able to. That's goofy. 2) Supposedly they had 500 tickets to sell for the day; likely 50 or so slotted for each half hour. What the heck took 3 hours? Print the tickets, take people's cash, hand out the tickets. Not so hard. Two days later I got into an even longer line to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower; I reached the cashier windows in a half-hour. 3) What would be the harm in letting the last people in line--the ones allowed to queue up, but ultimately shut out--purchase tickets for the next day? Call me crazy, but that would just seem fair.

So while I blame myself for the fiasco, I don't think I'm wrong for feeling something was badly mishandled.

Anyway, after all this, I did go into the National Gallery and saw some of my favorite paintings, such as this one by Raphael and this one by Seurat, but my heart wasn't into it.

Which still only brings us to about 1pm on Monday, but with a book I want to read, I think I'll pause here and bring you Part II (and possibly III) as soon as I can.