Items filtered by date: November 2007

I love celebrating Halloween and seeing a live stage version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show is a

perfect way to do it. 

Rocky Horror by Awkward pause Theatre Co. is a  funny, stylish and sexy production. They will give you a bag of participation toys including rubber surgical gloves and wedding bubbles and instructions in case you are a virgin. If  just haven't seen Rocky Horror in a while and have forgotten the great adlibs like shouting out “Asshole” at Brad or “Slut” at Janet, they have some plants in the audience to help you out. Seeing Rocky Horror performed live at classic Mayne Stage really brought back great memories of the first times I saw Rocky at the Biograph in Chicago and The Coconut Grove in Miami with my high school and college friends.

A live band brings all the favorite Rocky songs to life including the memorable “Time Warp”, “I’m Going Home”, “Damnit Janet” “Over at the Frankenstein Place” and the upbeat “Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul”. From the opening number “Science Fiction/Double Feature” it was apparent that this was going to be one of the better productions of Rocky Horror. The singing throughout was very good and the costumes were the perfect finishing touch.

Michael Buonincontro was absolutely fabulous as “Frankenfurter” and really took command of the stage from the moment he first appeared to his signature number “Sweet Transvestite”. Erin O’Shea and Corey Mills were tons of fun as “Brad” and Janet” while Megan Schemmel rocked as “Magenta” and Kevin Buswell did a great job as “Riff Raff”.

Richard O’Brien’s “The Rocky Horror Show” is playing select dates at Mayne Stage Theater through Halloween’s midnight performance. Mayne Stage is located at 1328 Morse Ave in Rogers Park. For more information, visit www.aukwardpausetheatre.com.  

1893 brought forth one of Chicago’s greatest accomplishments in the Columbian Expedition World’s Fair. At the time, the gargantuan fair was one of the most stunning spectacles the world had ever witnessed. The site took place on Chicago’s South Side and contained a brilliant collection of monstrous white buildings designed by renowned architect Daniel P. Burnham, who went on to take a chief role in creating The Plan of Chicago. Frederick Law Olmstead’s beautiful landscaping connected the magnificent structures with rich greenery from around the world, peaceful lagoons and streaming canals. It was a rich time for not only Chicago, but also for an America that wanted to outdo the Paris Exposition held just a few years prior. Many things were introduced at the World’s Fair such as the zipper, Cracker Jack, Shredded Wheat, phosphorescent lamps, spray painting and probably the most notable of all, The Ferris Wheel, which was made solely to top Paris’ Eiffel Tower. 

However, no one at the time had any idea that the fair’s top billing would later go to a certain H.H. Holmes who used the fair to lure unsuspecting victims to his nearby hotel, otherwise known as his “Murder Castle”. Herman Webster Mudgett, a.k.a. H.H. Holmes, was in the murder business well before the World’s Fair, but it was during those very six months in which it was open to the public that his hideous nature would reach its pinnacle. 

Rooms for rent was a popular commodity during the fair and Holmes’ tiny ad in the local paper brought plenty of travelers his way. Holmes was also selective in who he rented to, mostly choosing lone tourists or people that wouldn’t exactly be missed very easily. The hotel, located on the corner of S. Wallace Street and 63rd, was filled with trap doors, and rooms that would lock from the outside to prevent escape once Holmes would emit deadly gas into the air from hidden pipes. Holmes also had a walk in vault that he used to gas victims to death after tricking them into grabbing documents from within. But possibly most disturbing of all, was Holmes’ tortures chamber located in the building’s basement where a variety of medical instruments were often used in the worst ways and vats of acid could be found to dispose of the mangled bodies.

Now you can relive the horror.

H.H. Holmes is believed to be America’s first serial killer and Rosemont’s Screams in the Park is doing its part in keeping his memory alive. With a haunted house themed around Holmes “Murder Castle”, we are led through creepy dimly lit hallways reminiscent of the historic hotel. Eerie pictures decorate the walls with many causing double takes as though something may have moved within its frame. As the maze continues, we walk into one frightening room after another not knowing if anything might jump out towards us at any given second. Each room is unique from the other with some exhibiting scenes as imagined directly from Holmes evil hotel and others displaying their own original theme of gore and horror. Screams from other guests are often heard from other rooms adding to the excitement. Ghosts of past victims walk frantically about and H.H. Holmes himself instructs guests to walk through a frightening stretch of pitch black void. 

Thrills, chills and plenty of excitement will certainly be had at Rosemont’s Screams in the Park. The haunted house is by far one of the more original fright factories I have seen in some time. It is quite obvious that tons of thought, effort and precision went into each detail of the house from the moment you walk into the house to the moment you escape with your life. With more heart stopping scares than the “Saw” films combined, this is the perfect Halloween event.

The walkthrough takes a good 20-30 minutes and the price, which includes parking, is very reasonable at $20. “Screams” is open most nights in October from 7pm through 11pm. For more information on this scare fest, visit www.screamsinthepark.com.

 It is truly the closest thing to dreaming while being awake. There are very few shows that have so much going on, so many enthralling acts one after another, that you find yourself wondering when you can see the show again before it's even over and "O" by Cirque Du Soleil at the Bellagio Hotel is certainly one of them.

It's hard to even begin to describe the artistry of this masterful combination of ballet, gymnastics, diving and synchronized swimming. I think my jaw dropped about ten minutes into the show and after that I just kept shaking my head in stupefied awe as I tried to follow and digest every one of the nuances of the individual dancer/swimmer/acrobats as they swam, crawled, and flew in and out of the huge pool and filled every foot of space around it with one visually stunning image after another.

The costumes and makeup reminiscent of the 15th to 20th centuries with an emphasis on the Romantic period, defy description as each character stands out uniquely in vivid colors and lavish, flowing designs full of natural movement that glorify the human body on these dancers already remarkable physiques.

The pool, the cranes and giant swinging barge, trapeze and other floating phenomenon compose the structure of this technically compelling and mind boggling masterpiece. It is interesting to know that when they first developed this show they found major difficulties keeping the Las Vegas audience cool and the soaking wet performers warm. The solution was to create two completely separate temperate worlds wherein the pool area and the air above it stays warm enough for all those amazing dives into the 1.5 million gallon pool, and lightning fast costume changes while the auditorium remains a comfortably cool dry 72 degrees.

Inspired by "the concept of infinity and the elegance of water's pure form", there is no real plotline or dialogue in this show, but none is necessary where heady romanticism, and haunting Fellini-esque scenarios evoke such moving and exciting emotions in the audience of tourists from around the globe. The cast is made up of 85 superbly skilled, Olympic quality performers from more than twenty different countries and gives you an incredibly warm feeling of universal oneness. It really reminds one of a veritable UN of the international theatre community. As I looked around at the faces of the enraptured audience and realized that they had all come together and were enjoying this wonderful piece without words in similar ways regardless of their country or language of origin, it gave me a wonderful feeling of pure theatre acting as a catalyst for world peace.

When citizens are exposed to high culture whether it's on the traditional Broadway stage in New York or right there in good old Sin City, they are transformed into peaceable creatures for the night, clapping, laughing and dreaming the same dream. In this case it's a dream of both unlimited possibilities and impossibly spectacular and graceful feats of daring and skill. It's a dream I plan to share with that beautiful cast and equally beautiful audience again on my next trip to Vegas. I highly recommend "O" as one of the must see shows for anyone looking to buy a single ticket that will absolutely deliver on it's high quality promises of delight and wonder.

"Believe" is the Harley Davidson of magic shows. There are motorcycles and then there are Harley Davidsons. Not that there is anything wrong with many of these motorcycles, but it’s the innovative style, performance, detail and quality that sets Harley Davidsons apart from the rest. Well, in comparison, there are magic shows and then there is “Believe”, the amazingly mind-blowing collaboration of super magician Criss Angel and Cirque Du Soleil. Performing in Las Vegas’ Luxor Hotel and Casino, Criss Angel’s magic spectacular is performed in a theater specifically built to handle the magnitude of such a show. With over forty illusions executed to perfection in each show, “Believe” has all the ingredients to make this an experience to remember for a lifetime – a larger than life set, energetic music, humor, explosions and fiery bursts, sexy assistants and an immensely charismatic magician who has the skill and ability to back up the hype as one of the world’s best performers of magic. Basically, a rock n roll magic show.   

Known for his stardom on the popular “Mindfreak” series, Criss has taken on the challenge of live theater and is in the middle of a ten-year deal at Luxor. In fact, the fifth anniversary of “Believe” falls on Halloween, 2012. Without giving too much away, “Believe” (also designed and directed by Criss Angel) is one breathtaking illusion after another. At one point, Criss Angel dangles upside down, high above the audience as Harry Houdini’s mystifying straight jacket escape is recreated. Rapidly spinning in place, we watch from the edges of our seats to see if an escape will be made in record time. Moments of intensity in the show are frequent and when Criss disappears from the stage only to reappear in another part of the theater in a blink of an eye, it’s…well – Mindfreak! In “Believe” we are also treated to Criss’ unfathomable demonstrations of mentalism, sleight of hand and there is also plenty of audience participation, which always adds to the fun.

Las Vegas has plenty of shows to see but “Believe” should be on the top of everyone’s list. It is also a show that constantly evolves and can be entertaining time and time again.

I met with Criss after the show and, after talking with him for some time, realized the person I was sitting with was a perfectionist, an extremely hard worker and someone who has a deep, perpetual inner drive to continuously better his performance. I also found Criss Angel to be a genuine and down to earth person with the raw energy and excitement of a little kid. Yep, he’s the real deal.

Buzz – So as far as your own creativity and personal touch for “Believe”, is this show mostly your own conception?

Criss – This show itself it basically written, directed, designed by me as far as the magic and illusion goes. I completely designed it. We literally fabricated the stuff in my facility. I have a 60,000 square foot production facility. We manufacture the magic that you see on “Mind Freak” as well as the stuff that you see in “Believe”. Basically, it starts off in my mind and we’ll do some drawings and then some small, little prototypes and then once when we have it evolving to the point that we feel good about it, we’ll start building one. It goes through several phases – several months or even years – before it is developed enough so that it can be used in a practical way for ten shows a week - 46 weeks a year for a ten year deal.

Buzz – So you are the mind behind the show.

Criss - So the illusions you see, I create and design them and the show itself – I wrote the show so all the lines and all the jokes I wrote from beginning to end and directed everybody. Cirque also provided incredible support and creative minds that were able to do the projections, bring in the pyro and add the scenic elements and stuff like that. So it was kind of an evolution - the show is all about magic. There are more than 40 illusions in the show – more magic in the show than any other Las Vegas magic show and it all centers around giving people an experience that is unlike any other magic show – to revolutionize magic as far as awe and wonderment.

Buzz – Sounds like “Believe” is the show to see and based on what I saw, it is.

Criss - Cirque and I take it very seriously with the economy the way it is and people coming to Vegas and not having the disposable income they once had, they have a very important decision to make. They are not seeing two or three shows anymore, they’re choosing one show, and if they choose believe I want to make sure we deliver and the best promotion and marketing in this business as you know is word of mouth. People leave here and tell their friends and they come back. We’ve have people that have seen the show 70 or 80 times. We also have all kinds of fans from six years old to seventy-five years old. It’s really amazing the demographic. It’s really exciting and it’s a big room. It has 1,534 seats, unlike other shows in town that play in venues half the size. We’re very, very, very fortunate and I really attribute that to the great show that we have, and it’s not my show it’s really everybody’s show because without this amazing team, there would be no show. It takes an army to win a war not just one person, and I have the best army in the world.   

Buzz – Do you as a magician go out and see other magic shows?

Criss – I know it’s out there, but I don’t spend a lot of time looking over my shoulder looking to see what others are doing because I try to lead the way, doing things that are innovative. A lot of the stuff that’s out there – not to pick out anybody in particular – but you go see that show and you can see seven other shows that do the same tricks. You know, have the box come out and we’re going to squish somebody that is small or have the box come out and slice people. For both me and Cirque Soleil, we have built our reputation on being able to deliver first class entertainment that’s provocative, that’s engaging, that’s exciting and that’s unique and that is the mantra that we have – and if someone else is doing it, we don’t want to do it. We have an advantage in the fact that the show is built right here and we’re not moving around from venue to venue. This show is here for ten years and maybe five more if we mutually agree to an additional five-year contract.

Buzz – You’ve single-handedly brought magic to a completely new type of audience that has now become a phenomenon, thanks to a platform such as “Mindfreak”.

Criss – Well, I think magic has been is a stagnant position and was just coasting along, not really keeping up with the times in pop culture, in music, in visual and so on, so I wanted to give it a kick in the ass and do something that I wanted to see. Years and years ago I really did not aspire to be a magician – I thought Houdini was fantastic and one of the greats in magic, but magic that was happening at the time just seemed to be kind of hokey. It was really cutting edge that had a mass appeal to a popular culture, so for me it was all about – as a fan – what do I want to see? How can I bring that to people? I think that success really resonated in “Mindfreak” and obviously in “Believe” it has that kind of a concept. If you watch “Mindfreak” a lot of those illusions are in different incarnations in this show, like the cutting in half which I did in “Mindfreak”. There are a lot of different pieces of magic that I did in “Mindfreak” that are in this show, so they are able to work on television and in live performance. I just think the whole nature of it is much more entertaining and more contemporary, if you will.

Buzz – Was that a big transition to go from TV to live performing?

Criss – Well, I’m a live performer first. I’ve been ding this since I was 11-years-old. I performed at kids’ parties and corporate events – all sorts of clubs in New York City, Webster Hall – all sorts of places. I really started to build a following and then television was something that I was involved in as a teenager and I was kind of able to work in both mediums and understood that just because something works in one medium doesn’t mean it will work in the other. I understood that when you work in television, you have to make engaging TV and that’s very different than live performance. When you’re in live performance you can’t do – we’ll television is a completely different thing. When your in television you’re able to use the cameras to zoom into the action, keeping it moving, upcutting so you don’t have to sit there and be bored watching the whole lead up to the effect.

Buzz – Sure. And the attention spans of younger viewers are different these days.

Criss – Right. Kids and audiences today are so overwhelmed by information with the Internet at their fingertips. They don’t have the attention span that they did 10, 20, 30 years ago. So when you create a TV show, it’s got to hold people’s attention. It’s got to be produced and created in a certain way where it connects and brings them into it and that approach is a very different approach than when you’re doing live performance because in live performance you can’t go to a close up shot – they’re the directors. So they’re watching the show from their perspective and you have to provide a show that’s going to keep moving and my goal is to make “Believe” a freight train. You’re on a fright train – a journey that’s going to be exciting, scary, dangerous and sexy. I try to take people and let them feel these different emotions and not kind of repeat the same thing so it’s funny as well. That’s a very different approach than in “Mindfreak” which is more serious. 

Buzz – I have to ask you about that incident on the TV show “Phenomenon” when you called out that mentalist who claimed to communicate with the dead. Was that whole exchange scripted?

Criss – Oh, no. Absolutely not. That definitely was not scripted. I can’t remember his name offhand but he claimed to talk with the dead. I don’t have a problem with that if it’s for entertainment. I don’t have a problem with that - but when you prey upon the vulnerable and you try to go after people for financial gain, or you manipulate their emotions to get money from them, which is what these charlatans do, I have a real big problem with that. I just think that’s completely wrong. Houdini spent half his life disproving psychics and mediums who claimed to talk with the dead – he proved them wrong. Interestingly enough when Houdini passed away in 1926 on Halloween, he said to his wife – because he spent a good portion of his life debunking these people – he said to his wife, Bess, from his deathbed, “when I die there are going to be a lot of people coming out of the woodwork that are going to claim to have made contact with me, so I’m going to give you a secret word – a code – so that when they hold a séance you’ll know whether they are really talking to me or if they are frauds and charlatans.” And the word is “believe”. That’s why the show’s called “Believe”. So I feel pretty passionate about that.

Buzz – Wow, cool. I didn’t know that - a very apropos name for your show. There are sure a lot of TV psychics out there that are able to get family members to trust them.

Criss - To these people that claim to have these powers, I’ve offered a million dollars of my own money if someone can do something that can’t be explained or reproduced and James Randy, John Edwards, Sylvia Brown – that’s all bullshit. It’s all nonsense. It’s just tricks that a magician would use to be able to utilize the person, to gain information so that the way it appears is as though they know something. This most simple example is like discovery. You’re gonna go home and you’re gonna be in traffic, now there are a million cars and you’re never going to notice a specific car. But if you go out tomorrow and by a specific Nissan, the minute you buy that car your going to notice the same car everywhere because your awareness – your perspective – completely changes.

Buzz – That is so true. Happens every time.

Criss – Sure. So if you’re looking for information and I’m able to fill in little pieces in your mind that make sense, then you’re going to give me information by your body language, by your vocal responses  - your gonna feed me with information just like how somebody dresses, how they conduct themselves – I’m gonna know what kind of personality and what kind of financial base they probably come from, etcetera. You become very aware and perceptive to these things so that you’re able to create a scenario that people buy into and as they buy into it, your getting more information from them. It’s called cold reading. That’s the name of the technique.

Buzz – So it’s like mentalism?

Criss – Well, mentalism is a category. Mentalism is basically more of a magician kind of word. Like I do mentalism. Now people that claim to have these beliefs, they’ll say they are clairvoyant or psychic – it’s all kind of the same thing, but I wouldn’t use those terms because I am an entertainer.

Buzz – What’s your favorite trick to perform?

Criss – I get asked that a lot and it’s really funny because we do over forty in “Believe”, but they’re all basically my children. So to pick one over the other is impossible. Each illusion is designed to evoke a different emotion so they’re designed differently to give the spectator a different feel. So to pick one over the other is very, very difficult, but some of them are much more challenging because the show is very physical to do, so sometimes on my body, it’s much more difficult. The straight jacket escape where I’m hanging above the audience and spinning then free falling to where I’m caught by my ankles is sometimes challenging. For me and the cast and the crew, we always go out there and give 110% because we’re very grateful to have such an amazing audience. We put in our best to give the best and I’ve never missed a show in my entire career. 

Criss Angel is the most watched magician in history for a reason and “Believe” allows him to bring the magic right to your seat. Get ready to be bewildered and mystified in a highly intense magic show you will never forget!

“Believe” is performed eight times weekly. For more show information click here.

Mary Zimmerman, an auteur-director with a career as epic as the myths she adapts, remounts her Tony Award-winning “Metamorphoses” as part of Lookingglass Theatre’s 25th season. Six Greek myths are performed by an ensemble of ten, wading through timeless themes of sex, love, and death. The stories - featuring famous mortals and gods like Midas, Eurydice, and Aphrodite - are staged in an iconic pool whose water adds weight to each step and gesture. Over the watery course of 90 minutes, the modernized myths effortlessly ebb and flow between tragedy (a deceased husband appears to his wife in a dream) and comedy (Sleep is rotund yawner with Zs floating around his head). While a few referential transitions will fly over the heads of those who didn’t study the Greeks, the bulk of Metamorphoses requires only an understanding of two great subjects of Western storytelling: sex and death. Water becomes the bed for both in “Metamorphoses.”

So why remount it? King Midas would touch on the financial gain (the production is already set to transfer to the Arena Stage in D.C.), while Narcissus would stare at the piece’s technical beauty. This critic is simply fortunate to experience a play originall conceived eight years after he was conceived; older now, he can take in the beauty, cleverness, and majesty of these staged dreams that soak you in their truth.

“Metamorphoses” is making a splash at Lookingglass through November 18. Tickets at http://lookingglasstheatre.org

My introduction to music started back in 1983. The 80’s were a phenomenal era, and rock music was everywhere, every artist was different, pop music and r&b music had the same sound, and Michael Jackson ruled world. And then Purple Rain happened….changing everything I thought about music. Prince wasn’t like anyone. He didn’t sound like anyone. He didn’t want to be like anyone…and this movie, this movie was just cool. Here was a guy who was bad ass, didn’t care what you thought about what he wore or how he looked and was going to sing and play his ass off. The more I heard from him the more I realized that I need more. This bad ass could do no wrong. His music, not perfect, but provided hit after hit after hit. You couldn’t copy Prince, he was just too original. He was so un-realistic to me, that he didn’t exist in real life, just in music, stories, and the occasional television appearance. He toured, playing in other states, countries, and even here but pushing new material, which may have been good but wasn’t quite up to that standards of the Prince I wanted to see. I wanted the hits. I wanted prince at his best, no restrictions. Finally I got my chance when Prince hit Chicago for a 3 day stint at the United Center.

From top to bottom most people who attended the first show on Monday will tell you it was a disaster.  That won’t change hear. Prince is anything but perfect, yet seemingly a perfectionist. Let’s go on to the last show on Wednesday, which was short on the encore yet had the strongest opening of any of the concerts so far. I’ve seen many shows from some of the greatest artist of my time; nevertheless the opening to Prince’s final show was easily the best I’ve ever experienced. From starting with “Controversy”, Let’s go crazy” Delirious” “1999” “Little Red Corvette”….hit after hit after hit. Prince gave Chicago the proper ending his “Welcome 2 Chicago” stint deserved. With an incredible horn section, including some incredible work done by the legendary Maceo Parker. Prince also has a serious appreciation of the work his cousin Morris Day has done, as he ended the Wednesday show partying it up with fans to “The Bird” and “Jungle Love”.

So with the bad start, and the properly-fitting ending, its Tuesday’s performance that makes Prince’s stay at the UC memorable.

From the get-go Prince was determined to make up for the rough start that was Monday. With the stage set up in the round in the form of his love symbol, prince stomped all over the stage wearing a pair of heels better than most of the women attending the concert. Big on fan participation, Prince often let the crowd do the singing, if not the three lovely (not so) background singers who performed almost every song with him. The show kept a steady rhythm of hits until falling flat when Prince turned over the stage to his latest protégé Andy Allo. While she wasn’t bad, the crowd came specifically to see prince, not Allo, so the energy fell flat.

As if on cue Prince returned and picked up steam quickly, albeit, with a few slow songs. All crowd pleasers, he brought down the house with “Sometimes it snows in April”, Shhh (a song written for Tevin Campbell), and a slowed down version of “I could never take the place of your man”. The biggest reaction of the night came next, with the performance of “Nothing compares 2 u”, as midway through the first verse Chicago’s own Jennifer Hudson took the stage. With a voice bigger than the arena holding her, she owned her part of the duet, bringing tears to eyes and fans out of their seats. It was very funny watching Jennifer (wearing heels) tower over prince (also wearing heels) like Andre the Giant staring down at Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania III. Prince followed that performance with “Purple Rain”, a powerful and magical ending with included confetti and glitter and everything else you’d expect from a Prince performance of the song.

Prince had a lot to make up for on Monday, so four encores didn’t hurt. The fans weren’t leaving, and when they did it only made prince want to come out even more. Whether it was a one song encore, or a musical medley of over 10 songs, prince gave the crowd everything he got, even once screaming “you know how many hit’s I got? We’ll be here all night!”

The end of the night concluded much like Wednesday’s show with fans dancing on stage, with the houselights on (he did this frequently, wanting to see the crowd dance), jamming out to the Batman soundtrack rarity “Partyman”, a fitting song for a man who held the crowd in his hands since the rumors of a prince concert were mentioned. 

And just like that, Thursday morning it was over…like it had never happened, life was back to normal. But for the fans of Chicago who attended, whether the good, the bad, or the great, it was clear (using his own words) that “can’t nobody do it like Prince”.

The Tuesday Night Set-list:

(thunderstorm show intro)

Let's Go Crazy

Delirious

(with Let's Go Crazy)

1999

Shhh…

Let's Work

U Got The Look

Sometimes It Snows In April

People Pleaser

She's Always In My Hair

Dreamer

I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man

Take Me With U

Raspberry Beret

Cream

Cool

(with Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough)

Nothing Compares 2 UP

(with Jennifer Hudson)

Purple Rain

Encore 1:

Controversy

How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore

Encore 2

When Doves Cry

Nasty Girl (instrumental)

Sign O' The Times

Hot Thing

Alphabet St. (instrumental)

Forever In My Life

Darling Nikki (instrumental)

Mr. Goodnight

I Would Die 4 U

Kiss

Encore 3:

Little Red Corvette

Encore 4:

Act Of God

What Have You Done For Me Lately

(Janet Jackson cover)

Which Way Is Up?

Partyman

Saturday night was a night of mystery, intrigue and illusion as young master magician and mentalist, Luis Carreon, amazed with one mind boggling trick after another. Aptly named “Bending Minds and Bending Dreams”, The Amazing Luis uses a unique blend of original magic with fun scenarios to wow his audience and bring them to a world where the impossible is the norm.

Appearing in front of an intimate crowd at the Bughouse Theater (2054 W Irving Park Rd), Luis regularly used participants from the audience to assist in his feats of magic, making it an up close and personal experience to remember for a long time to come. Luis’s show flowed nicely with an element of humor incorporated into the act and each trick was more unexplainable than the last. The show also ends on a dramatic note when it appears Luis confronts death in the face by putting himself at the great risk of consuming a glass of Drain-O. Luis did survive to put on another show, but the trick was well-staged and evoked a good amount of anticipation from show-goers.

From card tricks and astonishing slight of hand to fascinating demonstrations of mentalism, Luis captured his audience from the show’s beginning and never let go. Winner of the Harlan Tarbell Close-Up Competition and 3^rd place finisher in the Chicago Magic Competition, Luis is a genuine talent that has a bright future in front of him. Luis can also be seen as the head demonstrator at the legendary Magic Inc at 5082 N Lincoln.

For more information on The Amazing Luis, visit www.facebook.com/BendingMindsandBendingDreams         

“Godspell” is a musical for everyone. Now that that has been stated, everyone should see this particular production by the Brown Paper Box Company. Creatively directed by M. William Panek, “Godspell” is fun, lively and has the audience captured from the first number “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord”.

Originated in 1970 by director/writer Michael Tebelak for his master’s thesis project, “Godspell” is the Jesus story based on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, though it takes place in a modern, urban environment and has dance-craved, colorfully-dressed kids taking on the roles of the apostles. In this adaptation, Panek superbly captures the youthfulness and energy of the original with well cast roles and is also able to successfully convey meaningful messages throughout by way of parables in the midst of humorous punch lines and physical comedy.

Doubling as “John the Baptist” and “Judas Iscariot”, Jake Mahler excels in both roles thanks in part to a strong vocal performance and finessed guitar playing. While Andrew Lund was aptly cast as “Jesus” and performs the role wonderfully with heart, passion and vocal prowess, the ensemble as a whole really brings the show to life. An all-around outstanding performance by Stephanie Rohr epitomizes the essential of “Godspell”, blending earnest fervor with joy, bliss, eagerness and curiosity. Rohr strengthens an already strong cast, but is not the only star to shine in this production as each member in the ensemble has something to offer and does so when given the chance during their own numbers.

From the classic “Day by Day” to such songs as “O Bless the Lord” and “Save the People” the live instrumentation is every bit as impressive as the cast.

“Godspell” is playing at Collaboraction Studio 300 (in the historic Flat Irons Building - 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave) through October 7th. Parking can be challenging in the heart of Wicker Park so public transportation is a great option. For more information or tickets, visit www.brownpaperbox.org.

*top photo - Andrew Lund and Jake Mahler

*right side photo - Stephanie Rohr with ensemble

1970’s magic is in the air as the highly entertaining musical, XANADU, makes a stop at Drury Lane Theatre. Based on the film starring Olivia Newton John, Gene Kelly and Michael Beck, the show parodies the original every chance it gets from Newton John’s Australian accent to its cheesy love story.

Beginning September 13^th, the show will run through October 28th. XANADU opened at Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theatre to critical acclaim on July 10, 2007 as the first new musical of the 2007/2008 season. Since the 2007 opening, the award-winning musical garnered the best reviews of the season, with critics and audiences celebrating its cheeky humor and far out music. Winner of Best Musical (Outer Critics Circle Award) and Best Book (Drama Desk Award), The New York Times raves XANADU is “heaven on wheels,” and the Washington Post says this musical is “a triumph!” I would tend to agree. This production is especially wonderful thanks to its amazingly talented cast, especially Gina Milo who sings eerily like Olivia Newton John in the role of Kira.

This wildly funny musical delivers a surprisingly touching story about the nine magical muse-daughters of Zeus, who come to earth in 1980 (disguised in roller skates, leg warmers and Australian accents) to inspire humans to create truly great work and discover the meaning of the universe's greatest secret: the Gift of XANADU. Zeus' most important decree is they can’t fall in love with any mortals! But all that changes when the young Kira (Gina Milo) meets the handsome artist Sonny (Chris Critelli), who needs her help in achieving his greatest dream. It is only when Sonny teaches Kira the true meaning of inspiration, that the secret of XANADU is divulged.

XANADU stars Christine Sherrill and Nancy Voigts as the evil Muses Melpomene and Calliope and Gene Weygandt as Danny (played in the film version by Gene Kelly). The cast also includes Stephanie Binetti, Gary Carlson, Tammy Mader, and Sean Blake – all outstanding in their support roles for leads Critelli, Weygandt and Milo, who are each as funny as they are vocally talented.

With a book ingeniously adapted (New York Times) by Douglas Carter Beane, and a score by Jeff Lynne (writer and producer for the Electric Light Orchestra (E.L.O.) and John Farrar (responsible for most of the hits performed by Olivia Newton-John in the 1970’s), XANADU features the top 20 Billboard hits, “Magic”, “Xanadu”, “All Over the World” and “Alive.”

XANADU ticket prices range from $35 to $45 and may be purchased at the Drury Lane Theatre Box Office at 630-530-011, Ticketmaster at 800-745-300 or by visiting wwwdrurylaneoakbrook.com. 

44 years after their inception in 1968, Rush returned to Chicago, amazingly still in top form. The United Center was host over the weekend as the great Canadian trio rocked the crowd for just over three hours. Starting the show with “Subdivisions” the band took immediate charge of the stadium and never let go.

Geddy Lee’s precision with the bass was as good as it gets while his vocals held true to most songs, only straining a bit on an occasional song where his high octave range of yesteryear has become tough to duplicate – even for himself. But lets give Geddy a well-deserved break. The 59 year-old vocalist held his own, and beyond, performing at an optimum level throughout the entire show. At the same time, Alex Lifeson, made the intricate guitar work required in each and every Rush song look so easy, it will be sure to frustrate the up and coming guitarists in attendance, but inspire them simultaneously.

Of course, one of the highlights in every Rush show is watching drummer Neil Peart do his thing. Breaking from songs on three separate occasions to break into a drum solo, Peart showed everyone why he is one of the most revered and influential drummers in the history of rock and roll.

After a ten minute break, the band continued this time with a 9-piece string section for set two, adding a whole new – and awesome – element to Rush music. The good mix of songs brought the band to “Spirit of the Radio” just before kicking off a high-powered encore with “Tom Sawyer” followed by “2112 Part I: Overture”, “2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx” and “2112 Part VII: Grand Finale”.

Bottom line – Rush kicked ass with a phenomenal live show that will hopefully continue to stop by Chicago for years to come.  

Set List United Center September 15^th, 2012

1. 1.Set One

1. Subdivisions 
2. The Big Money 
3. Force Ten 
4. Grand Designs 
5. The Body Electric 
6. Territories 
7. The Analog Kid 
8. Bravado 
9. Where's My Thing? 

(with Drum Solo)

10. Far Cry 

1. 11.Set Two, with string section

11. Caravan 
12. Clockwork Angels 
13. The Anarchist 
14. Carnies 
15. The Wreckers 
16. Headlong Flight 

(with Drum Solo)

17. Halo Effect 
18. Seven Cities of Gold 
19. The Garden 
20. Manhattan Project 
21. Drum Solo 

(The Percussor)

22. Red Sector A 
23. YYZ 
24. The Spirit of Radio 

(no strings)

Encore:

25. Tom Sawyer 
26. 2112 Part I: Overture 
27. 2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx 

28.2112 Part VII: Grand Finale