Blood was flowing at the opening of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2010-2011 season the evening of Oct. 1. Giuseppe Verdi’s powerful “Macbeth” starred the mighty American baritone Thomas Hampson in the title role and slim, sensual German soprano Nadja Michael as his fiercely ambitious partner in crime. Sex accompanies the violence in this production […]
Mary Zimmerman’s imagining of Voltaire’s “Candide,” with the score of Leonard Bernstein’s Broadway musical, opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago Sunday evening. It is a very fine show with a strong cast, plenty of laughs and, of course, superb songs. The first question about “Candide”—often done as an opera and rightly so—is who will […]
The long distance connection goes both ways. Here are some suggestions for parents who want to keep their children connected with their out-of-town grandparents. Skype You have to make an appointment, which is not easy, but the impact of real face time is enormous. Live coverage Use a pocket-sized mini-cam at sporting events, birthday […]
How far back would we have to go to find a time when grandparents lived down the block from their grandchildren? For a fortunate few, that is still the case, but for others, mobility has scattered families from coast to coast, challenging grandparents to find ways to connect with their precious grandchildren. Grandparents enjoy […]
Hey suburbanites, listen up! The sliding doors to the backyard barely open and the patio is uneven. Plus, since human nature is the same everywhere, even beyond the city limits there are—surprise!—human problems. That’s what Lisa D’Amour‘s new play, “Detroit,” which opened at Steppenwolf Saturday, Sept. 18, is trying to tell us, though her method […]
“Voltaire is a relatively recent writer for me to adapt,” says Tony Award-winning Director Mary Zimmerman. She was having lunch on the tiny outdoor balcony on the fourth floor of the Goodman Theatre during a rehearsal break for Goodman’s production of Leonard Bernstein’s Broadway musical “Candide,” based on the novella by Voltaire. The show […]
The 2001 movie “Shrek” is a quirky fairytale, with its story of a swamp-dwelling ogre and a homely, chubby princess who fall in love. “Shrek, the Musical,” which runs through Sept. 5 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, tells that story in a frantic, over-amplified production, with crude humor (farting and the like) that’s […]
One of our favorite places to watch a movie at dusk is Northwestern University’s Block Cinema, part of the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art. This summer, they’re featuring classics set in Chicago (think The Breakfast Club, Blues Brothers and Breaking Away) along with the biggest hits of the past year. Avatar under the […]
Every community loves their July 4th (or 3rd) celebration. How many feature a band formed in 1917 by John Philips Sousa and the chance to spend the holiday with members of the U.S. Navy? For that honor, head up to the Great Lakes Naval Base. The vast 1,628-acre facility is open to the public at […]
Want a guaranteed date night? Then put aside the remote, get off the couch and treat yourself to live theater. Now is when 2010-2011 seasons are announced, so it’s the ideal time to lock in good seats at the best prices—some 25 and even 30 percent less than single performance tickets. But which theater […]
