Chicago Lifestyle Podcast & Video Blog
In this episode of “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee,” Rikki Lee Travolta interviews Elizabeth Swanson co-director of “A Streetcar Named Desire” (with artistic director Jim Corti) at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora featuring Amanda Drinkall as Blanche, Casey Hoekstra as Stanley, and Alina Taber as …
“Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi under the direction of Francesca Zamnello, and conducted by Enrique Mazzola is opera in the grand tradition at Lyric in Chicago for the first time in more than a decade. [*Please note there was confusion in the names on the podcast. …
Bill Wilson is an alcoholic who realized the help he needed could only come from someone who understood first hand what he was experiencing. After meeting a fellow sufferer of alcoholic addiction, the two realize this process could help others. As a result Bill and Bob become the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Guest theater reporter Rikki Lee Travolta interviews director Ronnie Marmo who also stars in “Bill W and Dr. Bob” onstage March 7, 2024 at the Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago.
You can hear Rikki and Ronnie’s entire interview at LifeandTimes.biz
Dr. Aileen Dillane of the University of Limerick presents excerpts from her thesis in which she makes the case that the city of Chicago itself is imprinted in the work of Cheif Francis O’Neill who is credited with saving Irish Folk Music through his preservation efforts in the early 20th Century.
Can you shake loose the pain of the past and reclaim your legacy? Shortly after the end of the Civil War two former slaves ruminate on their experiences living and working within Monticello, the estate of former President Thomas Jefferson. In doing so they find …
This Madkap Production of “A Chorus Line” at the Skokie Theater, directed by Wayne Mell is on pointe, tapping into the essence of a story of love and dedication to the art of dance.
“A Chorus Line” is an anthology of songs and monologues bringing to light the collective motivations, and inspirations that keep people involved in a mentally and physically demanding occupation that requires intense dedication while offering only rare substantial successes. Through the individual stories and seemingly endless rehearsals we are reminded of the hard work and athleticism required to make moving to music look artful and effortless.
In the song “What I Did For Love,” (music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban) beautifully sung by Diana (Marcela Ossa Gomez), she says of the grueling work and unmet promises “We did what we had to do – – Won’t forget, can’t regret — What I did for love.” In this context it’s the love of the craft, the love of dance.
Click on the player above or click here to listen to the entire review.
CAST: Erin Renee Baumrucker, Elizabeth Bushell, Sean Caron, Luis Del Valle, Emma Drazkowski, Trevor Hendrix, Ben Isabel, Lili Javorka, Khnemu Menu-Ra, Tyler Meyer, Marcela Ossa, Madelynn Oztas, Chandler Paskett, Ben Paynic, Madison Jaffe-Richter, Rae Robeson, Sarah Sapperstein, Jason Sekili, Maddy Shilts, and Whitney Wolf. Directed by Wayne Mell, Music Direction by Jeremy Ramey, Choreography by Susan Pritzker.
Pippin was co-written and originally directed and choreographed by Chicago native Bob Fosse in 1972 who was at the very epicenter of his highly successful and frenetic career and possibly the pinnacle of his drug addiction that at least partly explains this bizarre tale of …
An entertaining Asian-American rockabilly musical at the Lookingglass Theatre, Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon by Matthew C. Yee is a light romp with a dark twist followed by a hasty, muddled ending wrapped up in a cloud of very good music all of which is performed …
For a professional theater experience in Chicago you can’t do much better than the Lyric opera production of West Side Story. This Leonard Bernstein / Stephen Sondheim musical deemed cutting edge and somewhat avantgarde when first introduced is now a classic.
West Side Story leans more toward opera as the story is told primarily through song, so this venue is a natural. Many of the musical numbers such as Maria, Tonight, and One Hand One Heart have found their way into the Great American Songbook.
The set design of Peter J. Davison, featuring the iconic fire escape, towers over the audience while the Lyric’s massive Civic Opera House stage gives the dancers ample room to move.
Listen to the entire podcast review with commentary to learn more about this important work in general as well as specifics about this specific production.
Details: West Side Story at the Civic Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, runs through June 25, 2023. Running time is 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. For tickets and information visit LyricOpera.org
West Side Story is based on a conception of Jerome Robbins with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Original production directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins.
Originally produced on Broadway by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince.
Lyric Opera Chicago cast member are:
Tony- Ryan McCartan
Maria- Kanisha Feliciano
Anita- Amanda Castro
The Jets
Riff- Brett Thiele
Action- Nathan Keen
A-Rab- Kyle Coffman
Baby John- Maurice Dawkins
Big Deal- Matthew Aaron Liotine
Diesel- Thomas Sutter
Snowboy- Steven Blandino
Gee-Tar- Michael Francis McBride
Tiger- Michael Olaribigbe
Jet Girls
Graziella- Laura Savage
Velma- Paige Fraser
Minnie- Whitney Cooper
Clarice Morgan- McDaniel
Pauline- Julia Fleckenstein
Anybodys- Ayden Pratt
The Sharks
Bernardo- Yurel Echezarreta
Chino-Mark Daniel Aguirre
Pepe- Joseph A. Hernandez
Indio- Jorge Guerra
Luis-Alex Aponte
Anxious- Dean De Luna
Nibbles- Andres Acosta
Juano- Martin Ortiz Tapia
Toro- Henry Julián Gendron
Shark Girls
Rosalia- Joy Del Valle
Consuelo- Orianna Hilliard
Francisca- Abigail Paschke
Teresita- Natalia Nieves-Melchor
Estella- Kiana Rodriguez
Margarita- Monica Garcia Bradley
Adults
Doc- Genevieve VenJohnson
Lt. Schrank- Keith Kupferer
Officer Krupke- John Lister
Glad Hand – Lillian Castillo
Conductor James Lowe
Director Francesca Zambello
Set Designer Peter J. Davison
Costume Designer Jessica Jahn
Lighting Designer Mark McCullough
Sound Designer Mark Grey
Chorus Master Michael Black
Choreographer Jerome Robbins
Original Choreography Reproduced by Joshua Bergasse
Associate Choreographer Kiira Schmidt Carper
Dance Captain Whitney Cooper
Diction and Dialect Coach Sammi Grant
Sound Mixing Engineer Stephanie Farina
Sighted and visually impaired members of the Chicago Uptown Lions Club enjoyed a special tour of the new state-of-the-art Pepper Family Wildlife Center recently opened to replace the old Lincoln Park Zoo Lion House. Fans of the old Lion House originally built in 1912 will …
This is a very interesting and well done documentary produced by the Jewish Neighborhood Development Council about the West Ridge / West Rogers Park neighborhood that includes a fair amount of history as well as current activity driving the popularity of this neighborhood particularly among …
This podcast episode can be described as a day in the life of a Jeopardy! champion. As a huge fan of the popular game show I was very excited to talk with seven time winner Brian Chang about the behind the scenes action from a contestant’s point-of-view.
Chang was one of the first to play the game after a short break following the passing of long time host Alex Trebek. The show resumed with a series of guest hosts beginning with Ken Jennings, the highest-earning American game show contestant of all time who with 74 consecutive wins holds the record for the longest winning streak on the iconic quiz show.
A native of Davis, California, Chang is a Chicago attorney currently living in the Lakeview neighborhood and a bass clarinetist in the Windy City Winds community orchestra.