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Blind Boys, Staples glorify black music
If you knew absolutely nothing about black music, you would have learned all there is to know in the recent Symphony Center Presents concert featuring The Blind Boys of Alabama and Mavis Staples. In the two and a half hours that the two groups occupied the Armour Stage, they explored Gospel, Soul and Rhythm & Blues from its earliest roots in rural Alabama (Blind Boys) and Mississippi (Staples) and demonstrated its connections to the world of contemporary pop, rock and hip hop. The two entities each have about 60 years of performing experience under their belts and their proficiency on stage proved it.
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Bravo Gustavo! Dudamel Meets Mahler At CSO-by Dwight Casimere
In an open letter that is the forward to the program notes of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 2006-2007 season entitled “From The President,” CSO president Deborah R. Card writes of the orchestras efforts in “seeking new ways to attract, engage and inspire audiences.”
In an age when the internet, cable, home video, computer games, rap and 24 hour on-demand music, drama and sports has fragmented audiences, classical music faces a real challenge. Enter twenty-something year old guest conductor Gustavo Dudamel to the Armour stage in last week’s regular subscription series concerts featuring a program of Venezuelan composer Evancio Castellanos, a brilliant composer little known outside his country, where he is considered a national treasure, Max Bruch ,with violin heavyweight Pinchas Zukerman doing the honors on his Violin Concerto No. 1 and the conductor’s namesake, Gustav Mahler and his monumental, but little understood Symphony No. 1 and you have the makings of a concert that remedied all of the concerns raised in president Card’s open letter and more. That the concerts occurred during a week when a number of young people were in the audience due to the Easter break was a plus, because Dudamel’s spirited performance overflowed with youthful enthusiasm that had them cheering as if they were at a rock concert.
Dudamel, even at his tender age, has fast become a major force on the international conducting scene. He’s in demand by every major symphony orchestra in the world. Five minutes into his performance of the Mahler with the CSO proved why that is so. He has the showmanship to make the music interesting and alive to the audience and the musicianship to make even the most familiar warhorse in the repertory seem fresh to veteran musicians and aficionados. Watching Dudamel is like watching a music video. Every limb is in constant motion, marking the precise nuances of the music. Even the hair, which rivals American Idol’s Sanjayah’s for length and buoyancy gets into the contrapuntal mix. He’s really something to watch, especially when he takes flight in the climactic crescendoes! It’s a pity Dudamel was only around for one week as many of this season’s guest conductors get to linger for at least two. But then again, he’s in demand. We were lucky that this young shooting star was able to land in Chicago, even if only for a brief stay. Expect more fireworks on the Armour stage when the CSO hosts superstar cellist Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, to which the Chicago artistic and cultural community has devoted the entire year, in concerts Thursday April 12, Friday April 13 and Tuesday April 17th with Miquel Harth-Bedoya conducting and in a Chamber Music Series concert Sunday, April 15th at 3pm. For tickets and information, visit www.cso.org.
Zapatista-like a night in Cabo
By: Dwight Casimere
Zapatista Mexican Grill, 1307 S. Wabash, is the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat if you're heading into Chicago for one of the free summer festivals or the Grant Park Symphony concerts at Millennium Park. It’s just a short cab or bus ride from the Metra station and there's plenty of parking. Zapatista has flourished as a casual dining bastion of creative Mexican cuisine that combines a relaxed atmosphere, a copious list of premium tequilas and tequila drinks, imaginative margaritas and absolutely delicious food that will remind you of some of those great dinners you had a sunset in Cabo.
Zapatista is named for Emiliano Zapata. The legendary Mexican revolutionary, immortalized in film and song, who led the land reform movement in the early 1900s and was assassinated after being betrayed by one of President Venustiano Carranza’s
generals. A visit to Zapatista is just like dropping in at Carlos and Panchos in Puerto Vallarta on a perfect summer night. The outdoor patio is always jammed - but it’s just as much fun sitting indoors with the chance to people watch. more on story ore on story
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The Color Purple celebrates life
By: Dwight Casimere/TW
The long-awaited Chicago premiere of The Color Purple is finally underway at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in downtown Chicago. While singer Fantasia is getting all of the notoriety on Broadway in the lead role of Celie, Chicago can pride itself on the
quality of this production. The high-energy cast sweeps the audience along in this epic tale of a young girl’s journey from male-dominated oppression to personal and spiritual growth and independence. The singing is among the best I’ve ever heard on stage, outside of Lyric Opera. The dance numbers, particularly the ones in Act One in the juke joint
and in Act Two in Clie’s evocation of Africa are simply dazzling.
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Goodman 'Contiuum' puts global spin on HIV problem-by Dwight Casimere
Goodman Theatre's production, "In The Continuum" is the most important theatrical production to walk a stage in the Chicago area this year. A collaboration between writers and actors Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter, who developed the play while graduate students at NYU, the play explores the HIV/AIDS pandemic from two diverse perspectives; one African and the other, American. The results are astounding. Each of the actors portrays their character with conviction and explores their seperate, but fatally intertwined worlds through the eyes of the unique personalities and events that surround them. Abigail is a successful married news anchorwoman in Zimbabwe, a symbol of the new breed of African woman in a society where women are still treated as property and subjected to abuse, both sexually and psychologically, by their men. The worst is the subjugation to HIV. Men take it upon themselves to engage in as many sexual liaisons as possible outside their marriages with no thought that they might endanger their partners with a deadly disease. Such is the fate of Abigail, who learns that her unfaithful and emotionally cruel husband has given her the AIDS virus while she is pregnant with their child. Nia is a head-strong southeast Los Angeles teen who has the hots for a local boy with athletic prowess and the potential to be scouted by the NBA. She gets pregnant by him without a word of commitment on his part and quickly learns that she too has been bitten by the HIV bug, thanks to Mr. Air Wonder. The play is told through the eyes of Nia and Abigail and the multiple characters that inhabit their worlds. Gurira and Salter are like chameleons, transforming themselves with a simple headwrap or a wig into a completely different personality. The effect is riveting. With virtually no scenery and a few dramatic lighting shifts, the two actors are able to take the audience on an emotional odyssey. This is theatre stripped to its bare essentials and in that spareness, it is most astounding. In the capable hands of Director Robert O'Hara, the hour and 40 minute intermission-less running time races by.. The audience reaches the end of the play like a marathon runner, emotionally spent. but richly rewarded for having completed the experience. In spite of sold out performances and pent-up demand, the play was forced to end its Chicago engagement so the two actor/creators could return to South Africa to begin an extended, sold-out international run. The last performances, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 22, 23 & 24 were sold out, with a few last-minute turn-ins available. For more information on Goodman Theatre performances, visit www.goodmantheatre.org
Summer begins with Grant Park music festival-by Dwight Casimere
One sure sign that the summer season is underway is the opening of the Grant Park Music festival at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion in Millennium Park.
There is no more perfect outdoor venue to hear a concert. It’s free. You can bring a picnic basket and sit out on the lawn, or pay a nominal membership fee and sit in reserved seating. With the state-of-the-art sound system honey-combed throughout the lawn area, on a clear, star-studded night, that is actually the preferred seating choice.
From the opening bars of the National Anthem, on a perfectly clear, lake breeze-infused evening, it was apparent that this would be a special season indeed. Music Director Carlos Kalmar has left his indelible imprint on the orchestra and even with limited rehearsal time, turned in a stellar performance of Beethoven’s stirring Symphony No.8.
The real musical entrée was Brahm’s majestic Piano concerto no.2. with Canadian super-pianist and Grant Park favorite Marc-Andre Hamelin doing his best to channel the true commanding spirit and lyrical Romanticism of the piece. Never mind that opening night jitters caused a slight flub in the opening cadenza or that heat and humidity played havoc with an earlier tuning of the Steinway, Hamelin quickly settled in by the second movement and delivered an emotionally engrossing performance. The duet between he and cellist Patrick Jee in the slow movement almost brought tears. It made one realize how fortunate we are to have this music so readily available. It is truly healing in a way that nothing else is. And there’s no better place to hear it than Millennium Park. The concerts are readily accessible by Metra and CTA and there’s ample parking in the Millennium Park and Grant Park garages. Upcoming programs include the wonderful world of Latin music featuring composer Leo Brouwer’s Guitar concerto with Eduardo Fernandez on Guitar, Friday, June 22 at 6:30pm and Saturday, June 23 at 7:30pm. For more information, visit www.grantparkmusicfestival.com
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Denyce Graves: A True Diva Descends on CSO-
by Dwight Casimere
The much anticipated solo concert by opera megastar,
Mezzo-Soprano Denyce Graves with the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra conducted by veteran opera maestro Emmanuel
Villaume was a world-class event in every sense. From
the moment she walked on stage in an asparagus green
empire gown, worthy of a Greek goddess, Graves exuded
star-power. This is a performer truly worthy of the
term Diva.
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Vocal warhorses herald end of one season and beginning of another
The second week in June was the ultimate indulgence for those who crave large-scale choral symphonies. Two warhorses were presented at opposite ends of Michigan avenue in the Loop during the same week; Verdi’s massive Requiem with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at Millennium Park.
Thursday night’s regular subscription concert performance of Verdi’s Requiem was the next to last of the regular season at
Symphony Center before the orchestra moves on to Ravinia Festival.... more on story
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Goodman 'Contiuum' puts global spin on HIV problem-by Dwight Casimere
Goodman Theatre's production, "In The Continuum" is the most important theatrical production to walk a stage in the Chicago area this year. A collaboration between writers and actors Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter, who developed the play while graduate students at NYU, the play explores the HIV/AIDS pandemic from two diverse perspectives; one African and the other, American. moreon story |
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Gioco: Tuscany trip takes south loop detour-by Dwight Casimere
> If you're planning to be in Chicago for a day of shopping, or catching
>"The Color Purple" at the Cadillac Palace, a perfect place to have a
>pre-theatre lunch or dinner is Gioco in the south loop . Its just a short
>cab ride from the Metra station and, if you take the Stevenson in, its very
>convenient to get off at the King Drive exit and make your way to 13th and
>Wabash where the restaurant is located. There's a valet and plenty of
>on-street parking. There's also a convenient and inexpensive lot a
>half-block away. Once you've tried the food, you'll wonder how a trip to
>Tuscany got detoured to the south loop. more on story
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Blomstedt man for Beethoven's finest hour-by Dwight Casimere
Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Beethoven’s landmark Ninth Symphony with former San Francisco Symphony music director, and now Director Emeritus, Herbert Blomstedt at the podium was an inspired event in every sense of the term.
The feeling outside orchestra hall reminded one of those old movie scenes you’d see of Carnegie Hall, with the SOLD OUT sign plastered over the poster display and people desperately seeking last-minute tickets. Inside, every single seat was filled and the buzz of conversation was filled with anticipation as the orchestra tuned up with that all-too familiar dissonance that is so comforting to hear if you’re a serious music fan. more on story |
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Asian music fires Grant Park band’s musings-by Dwight Casimere
Grant Park Music Festival’s third program was an exploration of modern Asian music and sensibilities through the eyes of a new student/composer from Thailand, a cosmopolitan, bi-cultural sophisticate from the last century and a fiery Chinese vanguard, forged in the fires of the Chinese revolution.
Composer Narang Prangcharoen is just 34 years old, but he has already received a host of international awards for his compositions. His work, “Phenomenon…The Mysterious and the Unexplained “ received its Grant Park Music Festival premiere before an enthusiastic audience on a spectacular summer evening. Next came German/Italian composer Ferruccio Busoni’s “Turandot Suite” after the 18th Century Chinese court drama of Carlo Gozzi. Busoni’s decidedly romantic piece set the stage for the magnificent distillation of European and Chinese influences that marks the superb work of modern Chinese composer Tan Dun.
Tan Dun is China’s most prolific and internationally recognized composer today. Born in rural China under the repressive regime of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, he showed a propensity for musical expression, even as a child. Denied access to musical instruments, he fashioned ‘symphonies’ from primitive instruments and readily available music-makers like pots and pans. With the death of Mao in 1976, he was able to gain a scholarship to study at the Beijing Conservatory with visiting Masters from Europe and some of China’s finest composers. Immediately, he began winning major prestigious awards for his composition . His career quickly flourished and he was in demand by the worlds greatest orchestras. more on story
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