Items filtered by date: June 2026

Oscar Wilde once said “Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.” For Leo Gold, that diary is filled with an anguish that has haunted his memories and greatly impacted his life. Battling with Alzheimer’s and the recent death of his wife, retired statistician Leo Gold attempts to unravel the pain of his past while bringing a sense of logic to the horrors that he lived through.

A beautiful and often poignant play, Number of People, written and directed by Emilie Beck, is a one man show about Leo Gold, a Holocaust survivor who struggles through his memories and the pains of his past. We chance upon Leo in a minimalist stage at the Piven Theater. He awakes from a slumber to find us (the audience), in his home. Like a welcomed though unrecognizable guest, we are immediately brought into Leo’s world, sharing his past experiences and life stories. Leo Gold, played by the seasoned Piven actor Bernard Beck (the playwright’s father), brings the grumbling, humorous, confused, and tragic elderly Gold to life. He engages the audience much like an eager paternal grandparent wanting to tell his grandchildren about his life. Telling jokes that only an elderly grandfather would find funny; “There are two groups of people in the world, those who put people into groups and those who don’t.” Leo shares his memories of the birth of his daughter, the number 1 person in his life, the memories of his wife, “a perfect figure eight,” and recounting tales two gruesome and horrifying to fully comprehend.

Beck’s main character is dealing with Alzheimer’s, but there is something missing from the character. For anyone who has seen the deterioration of a loved one's mind knows the pain and turmoil that comes with the disease. They are often battling with an invisible enemy that skews memories, twists details, and leaves the person confused, saddened, and angry. Beck’s Gold tangents from one memory to the next, but there is one trait that he fails to convey, throughout his entire 90 minute monologue; many Alzheimer’s patients segue from memory to memory, their logic understandable and predictable only to themselves. Beck always brings the audience back to a central theme of numbers, odds, and statistics, so that we, and Gold, are never really too confused, though he reminds the audience (his guest) that he does not know who we are. But perhaps this is the point.

Gold is a man whose life has been impacted from one of the most horrific events in history. The way he acted throughout his life, from telling his wife she was not really cold when the heat went out in their Sweden apartment “you don’t know what cold is!,” to Gold’s relationship with his daughter, and to the experiences he had counting dead bodies during other worldly tragedies, Gold’s actions are a result of the horrors he endured and survived. From the whistle of a train to the laughter of children, Leo Gold’s life was so defined by his events in a concentration camp that he can trace everything back to what he survived through. He uses numbers and odds in order to understand how he survived “if you stood in the back you were less likely to be chosen,” when one stood in the front, they were chosen and they died.

When Number of People is on target it is poignant, tragic, and mystifying. Beck’s vulnerability and old-age charm draws an audience in, as eager as young children listening to a grandfather’s tale. Beck as a playwright crafted a beautiful story of one man struggle to understand one of the most horrible catastrophes in history. While the play lacks in some areas, the play is worthy of being seen. Though the run time is too long and often too heavy handed, the play reflects on one of the core messages of the play; that if you remember, someone we loved is never really forgotten; if we remember the past, the life of one person, they don’t become a statistic, their life had a purpose, and it is remembered.

Evanston, IL- Piven Theatre Workshop continues its 2009-10 season with the world premiere of Number of People, written and directed by Emilie Beck. The production will run through April 11, 2010 at Piven Theatre Workshop, 927 Noyes Street.

Hailing from the lower decks of the movie Titanic, Gaelic Storm shows audiences why they were cast as the “party band.” Gaelic Storm has continued to perform more than 125 shows each year and their record, What’s the Rumpus, debut No. 1 on Billboard’s World Albums chart. The numbers speak for themselves by the sheer volume of people at the House of Blues.

Gaelic Storm turned the House of Blues into the biggest Irish pub I’ve ever seen!  The crowd was friendly and ready to sing along to every word of each tune. The scene made me think of my junior high talent show filled with middle-aged white folks and old Aunt Gladys. Gaelic Storm presented a show that was fit for all ages. They’re able to tell great stories through music and accentuate the characteristics of Irish music that people love: bagpipes, accents and words that are simple enough to sing along with when you’re drunk.

Bagpiper and auxiliary percussionist Pete Purvis, along with fiddle player Jessie Burns accent the band to a joyous melody while playing a tune so contagious that it seems to beckon concertgoers to dance their own versions of an Irish jig. Singer Patrick Murphy walks the stage like an actor portraying his soliloquy from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, allowing the perfect timing for each word to be heard and sung to. Steve Twigger accompanies Murphy’s lyrics well through playing the guitar, other various stringed instruments and vocally. Percussionist Ryan Lacey lays a beat on two-hand drums that provides a great pulse for the band to follow. Overall, Gaelic Storm is extremely entertaining and they put on a great show. So grab your Guinness and your dancing shoes, and see Gaelic Storm when you have the chance.

Phillip R. Smith and Allison Torem star in Lookingglass' "Trust" directed by David Schwimmer and Heidi Stillman

When you enter the lobby of Lookingglass Theater to see the play “Trust” which details the rape of a 14 year old girl by an internet pedophile, you will see a table set up by Rape Victim Advocates to provide information and support after the show.  The startling statistics they provide, including the fact that 13 percent of teenagers reported receiving an unwanted sexual solicitation online each year and that one in three children admit they considered meeting face to face with someone they met on the internet indicate what an important cautionary message this play is trying to convey. 

Co- writers David Schwimmer and Andy Bellin (co-directed by Schwimmer and Heidi Stillman) all did a great job of bringing the script to the stage, which is also now being completed as a feature film starring Clive Owen. 

I was extremely impressed by the use of photography and video screens to dress the stage. A picture really is worth a thousand words when you see the safe, colorful and intimate confines of a girl’s upper middle class bedroom change to depict the various portions of the rape kit used to examine her in the hospital. 

I also liked the way the constantly changing background images of familiar locales, including O’Hare airport, Old Orchard shopping mall, and other recognizable locations give the play a modern immediacy. The screen of her brand new Mac Pro is shown as she receives instant messages from the predator online, which effectively convey the fast paced world we live in today, that looks so safe, warm and cozy but in actuality is exposing young people to far more stimulation and encroachments on their privacy and safety than a parent would like to admit. 

Allison Torem gives a strong and subtly nuanced performance portraying Annie, the slightly awkward, sensitive, once spunky soccer-playing child who is seduced bit by bit and ultimately has difficulty even realizing that she was raped by a serial pedophile. 

Phillip R. Smith, who plays her father Will also gives a strong performance culminating in his anguished, gut wrenching cry of “Something… happened!” to his son returning from college unaware of what has transpired.  Smith’s characters’ disintegration into anger and depression displays sharply how parents and eventually the whole family unit are slowly destroyed by a crime like this. Also how the family unit and even investigators burned out by the ultimately futile search- as is true in many cases- for the criminal and the resulting extension of feelings of corrosive guilt to everyone involved. 

“Trust” is an important play, not just for young people and their parents who need to be reminded how easily this kind of crime can occur but also for anyone who has been the victim of a sex crime or molestation because it does a wonderful job of showing that rape is rape, even if you were manipulated into participating in the crime. Perhaps, especially so, because the play demonstrates so effectively that the feeling of “I allowed this… it was my fault.” is an insidious virus given by the perpetrator that causes a victim and their family to spiral downward into dark prisons of guilt and accusation long after the crime has been committed. 

Kudos to David Schwimmer, a long standing proponent of Rape Advocacy for using his star power and time and effort to bring attention and illumination to such an important and difficult issue. In fact, Lookingglass’ production of “Trust” has teamed up with the Rape Victim Advocates in which a member will be available after each performance to inform those interested on sexual crime prevention and coping. For more information on their wonderful organization, visit www.rapevictimadvocate.org. 

For many years I have written about and feared the upcoming tsunami of child molestation and rape that the internet has made possible to pedophiles and am very impressed that David Schwimmer has had the guts to go out on a limb and create a vehicle to convey this.  I highly recommend seeing “Trust” and hope that in time it will become required viewing for grade school students aged 11 and up. “Trust” is playing at Lookingglass Theatre through April 25^th.  

There are several reasons why I love Citizen Cope’s music. It’s the kind of music you put on to cook breakfast with your sweetie. It’s music you just can’t help but sway along to.  It’s music that doesn’t get the party started, but wraps it up neatly, and that’s exactly what I was looking for last Friday March 5th.

At 8PM, a rather eclectic sold out crowd gathered around the stage at the Vic, prepared to get down and enjoy the easy going, laid back music that is Citizen Cope. At least that was my plan. Waiting for Clarence Greenwood, the mastermind behind Citizen Cope, to take the stage was a journey in itself. Trying to get a beer was like traveling through a thick wilderness of alpha males and bubble-gum pop girls in hopes that you’ll make it to the fermented oasis. Word of advice Chicago concert goers, when you get to a show, get your drink, find a spot and don’t move. People want to see a show, not you and your twelve friends, linking arms and trying to squeeze to a closer vantage point.

Without an opener, shortly after nine, Clarence Greenwood took the stage to a huge cheer. Going solo acousticly for the first few songs, he showed off his guitar chops flawlessly performing, “Salvation” and “D’Artagnan’s Theme.” Unfortunately it seemed that only me, Mr. Greenwood and the entire balcony section seemed to feel the laid back vibe. The rest of the crowd seemed more interested in what they were doing after the show, than the actual show itself. As he finished his acoustic set, the rest of the band joined him to complete the complex puzzle that is Citizen Cope.

Citizen Cope’s set list was full of older favorites like “Son’s Gonna Rise”, “Pablo Picasso,” and “Every Waking Moment,” mixed with some great new songs like “Keep Askin’,” and “Healing Hands” from The Rainwater LP, just released this February. While he kept rolling through his diverse catalogue of mellow grooves, he rarely stopped to address the crowd, except for the occasional expression of sincere gratitude. He truly is a musician, doing what he does for his pure love of music. When he bowed to the crowd and looked out at the hundreds of people who showed up to his concert, I truly felt that he expressed some of the purest gratitude I’ve ever seen at a concert.

A definite highlight was during his most popular, and arguably best song, “Let the Drummer Kick,” where everyone started feeling the vibe and just bobbed their heads to agree that yes, this jam is awesome. It also marked one of the few times during the night where crowd participation helped fuel the song. Using the simple, yet amazingly deep lyrics to bring the whole room together in unity.

What I loved about the show was how much it was about the music, not putting on some elaborate stage show. It was the perfect show to grab your lady (or in my case, an extremely handsome photographer) and sway along to the groovy tones. You sip on your beer, you close your eyes and you let the tasty melodies and hooks grab you and take you elsewhere.

Regardless of how rude the crowd may have been throughout the night, I had the night I wanted. I’m not a teenager, or even a young adult anymore. I’ve matured and that’s why I dug what they had to offer. It wasn’t a night for crowd surfing and jumping, but for swinging and sing-a-longs. When you go to a Citizen Cope show the only thing you need is a lighter for waving, a lady for swaying, and a drink for sipping; I just wish the rest of the crowd agreed with me.

Look, I don’t want to waste your time, so I’ll preface this piece with a brief questionnaire determining your potential appreciation of Doug Stanhope and his comedic stylings…

1.)   Are you amused by freecreditreport.com and his hijinks?

2.)   Do you collar-color coordinate comedy?

3.)   Are you offended by anything?

If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, I don’t know, go check out Robert Klein or something. If not, what’s wrong with you? And go see Stanhope. He’ll probably tell you.

Last Friday I was fortunate enough to witness his performance at the Lakeshore Theater, and he did not disappoint. Before I fill you in like a jelly doughnut, I should mention how unique and rare a talent he is.

Or maybe I should start with what he’s not:

- hip enough for alternative comedy.

- patient enough for observational comedy.

- patronizing enough to make a dick and/or fart joke without using it as an analogy to express a greater overarching statement about the hypocrisies of our sociocultural zeitgeist.

Still following? Thanks. I wrote this for you.

Stanhope showed the crowd where it’s at with two beer bottles and a microphone. Opening with a recollection of previous Lakeshore performances, Stanhope exclaimed “I can’t believe they still want me to perform here!” mentioning a time in which he may or may not have urinated into a bucket on stage, invited an audience member up to smoke a cigarette, and kicked aforementioned bucket into aforementioned audience member’s face. “When I got the call, I was like really?!” said Stanhope.

Those familiar with Stanhope’s material know that he is a libertarian with a reputation for lacerating political figures on the East and West coasts of ideology land. Fed up with bureaucracy preventing legislative progress, Stanhope briefly ran for president in 2008, but later changed his mind. Much like Lenny Bruce and Bill Hicks, two brilliant men whom many consider his predecessors, Stanhope is not a contrarian for contrarian’s sake. He believes in what he says.

This is perhaps why Stanhope’s performance was less political than usual. “I could go off on Glenn Beck, or Sarah Palin, or Nancy Pelosi, but I don’t fucking care anymore! I’ve done that shit before.” Said Stanhope “I used to believe I could create a better world by preaching to rooms of 100 drunk people.” Stanhope then poured beer into his eyes, ear, and shirt, while simultaneously vociferating the failures of past and present administrations. Well played, sir. Well played.

“Now I just get pissed about little stuff, like why whenever I peel the foil off the yogurt, a glob of it always gets on my fucking thumb!” adding “That’s why I hate observational comedy, there’s no bloodlust in it… I don’t know what the ‘deal-with-that’ is, Jerry [Seinfeld], but it makes me want to kill somebody!”

Spotting a camera, Stanhope called to an audience member “Dude, that blue dot; it creeps me out.” The audience member replied “My bad. Sorry.” Stanhope later told the audience “Don’t worry about it, I’ll whore it up with all of you after the show.” He even offered to sign a ball or two – pretty generous for a non-athlete!

I would have been happy as a clam to whore it up with this man, but that, unfortunately, did not happen. After the show, I spotted Stanhope chatting with someone at the merch booth for a moment, and decided to respectfully wait for their conversation to conclude before approaching him. A moment later, I turned around and noticed a person packing up the material from his table and leaving. No Stanhope in sight.

Overall, it was a great show from a fantastic performer. I could say more about Stanhope’s passion, style, and delivery, but it’s all been witnessed and articulated before. If you have thick skin and appreciate unflinching honesty and humor, be on the scene for one of the last few substantive comedians of our time, while you still can.

 “An Evening with Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin”

You may ask, what is so entertaining about two singer/actors, simply dressed all in black with nothing on stage except a pianist, bass player and thirty or so antique stage lanterns? Plenty, when the two accomplished singer/actors are Toni Award winners Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin.

In today’s’ world of reality TV stars and American Idol making the study of the craft of theater acting seemingly obsolete, I am sometimes embarrassed to admit that I have a degree in Theatre Arts and Theatre History. However Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin demonstrated in one fantastically inspiring evening of theatre song and dance at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in downtown Chicago, that when you have talent of their caliber and are as wonderfully skilled in movement, comedy and drama as they are, all you need onstage are the stars themselves.

Mandy Patinkin absolutely wowed me with his stunning rendition of “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific. At the end, Mandy hit a glorious falsetto on the last lines “Once you have found her, never let her go” that sounded just like the voice of a 1930’s radio show star. It has got to be the most delicious sound and interpretation of a classic song I have heard come out of a singer’s mouth this entire year. Mandy is also widely known to be one of the best interpreters alive today of Sondheim’s classic music.

Likewise, the adorable Patti Lupone, who still has an opera quality singing voice, showed her delightful mastery of comedy in “Not Getting Married Today” from the musical “Company”. Her heart wrenching and soul-stirring rendition of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from Gypsy one of her recent triumphs on Broadway also blew me away.

Together these two have such a great chemistry onstage- it sizzles and crackles like electricity- making the audience wonder what is going to happen next between these two and what could possibly keep them from falling into each others arms and making love right there on the stage!

I also loved the hysterically funny stage dance performed to Murray Grand’s “April in Fairbanks’, while seated in spinning office chairs, which was so cleverly choreographed by Anne Reinking.

Grace, humor, stunning voices, sex appeal, great songs and high romance, “An Evening with Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin” is an evening of high styled and masterfully delivered entertainment, not to be missed.

Alicia Keys is a huge star in the entertainment industry, and it doesnt take her dozens of appearances on the Oprah show to convince me of that. She's backed by music powerhouse Clive Davis and has thrown out hit after hit ever since appearing on the music radar years ago. While she's toured before, her current tour is her biggest yet, and it started here in Chicago Wednesday night.

"The Element of Freedom Tour" follows the recently released album of the same name, and it's a very good album. However, Keys has problems in the delivery of her show. While she's a very powerful, independently strong woman, her songs and video images just don't match up. While throwing up words like "freedom" and pictures of Martin Luther King, Keys was busy singing dopey, fast-paced love songs and doing her best "Sasha Fierce"  impression. Understandably in this day in age to compete with the Beyonce's, Lady GaGa's, and Britney's you just can't just sit at a piano all night...however its on the piano where Keys does her best work. Oh by the way...Keys is smoking hot, wether she's dancing or playing piano.

The night started with newcomer Melanie Fiona, who had a solid performance as an opener, highlighted by her hit "It Kills Me". Up next was an energetic set by crowd favorite Robin Thicke. With an arena filled with mostly women, Thicke had the ladies in his hands all night long, dressed upas a grown up Justin Timberlake in a suit. The band was solid, and the songs he chose connected with the crowd very well, especialy for a balladeer. Thicke went with to the Lil' Wayne well twice, with a fun performance of the Lil' Wayne assisted "Shooter", an under-appreciated favorite, while still getting great reactions for the love songs, especially his current hit "Sex Therapy". Thicke's show looked more like a modern version of old Marvin Gaye footage. Overall it was a great perfromance by Thicke and his gang, who were clearly having fun as they left the stage rapping and dancing to Lil' Wayne's"a Milli"

Then came the main event, Alicia Keys. Now again,you don't have to tell me twice what a huge star Keys is...its clear just from the auidence she attracts. It wasn't just a black crowd, or younger crowd, or female crowd, or anything you'd picture...every aspect of America was in the audience, older, younger, black, white, men,women,Asian, Hispanic...I spent my night with an older white couple on on side of me, an older black and Hispanice couple in front, 4 drunken white ladies behind me, and 2 pre-teen girls,one white, one black, just bopping away next to me,definitely inspired by every word Keys said or put on the screen.

Keys; show started with a cage around the stage while trapped in a cage singing "Caged Bird"...clever, even clever was her escape. And while the show wasnt exactly fluid and had several bumpy and dis-jaunted moments, Keys did her best work with her voice and her piano. Shei s un-matched talent-wise when its just singing...no Tori Amos or Ben Folds antics, just an amazing voice and a piano, and its that the crowd came to appreciate most.

Keys put on a good performance, but again, she really didnt seem sure if she wanted to be Beyonce or Bono, when she should've just stuck to being Alicia. Keys may be one of music's top artists, but her stage show is clearly built to be a opener for concert professionals like Jay-Z (which ironically is how she ended the show, singing her version of the hit song she has with the rapper, having many in the crowd hoping for an appearance by Mr. Carter).

Set-List:
opened with "Caged Bird”

encore : “Empire State of Mind (Part II) ” Mike Kincaide

On the heels of the sprawling 2009 double album Communion, which has earned the band some of the most favorable reviews of its 15-year career, Swedish psychedelic rock veterans The Soundtrack of Our Lives returned to Chicago and wrapped up a three-week US tour at Lincoln Hall Sunday night. The show began slightly later than the scheduled 9:15 start time, which was appropriate – fans possibly suffering from Olympic fatigue arrived in a steady trickle up until the band took the stage to a mostly full house.

The band played a varied set drawing equally from Communion and from the rest of its catalog. Highlights included a muscular version of “Big Time” that breathed new life into the single from 2005’s often-overlooked Origin Vol. I, Communion track “Flipside,” and a radical reworking of Nick Drake’s  Bryter Layter classic “Fly” that frontman Ebbot Lundberg claimed was “one of our favorite songs, mostly because we didn’t write it.”

Much has been written about the iconoclastic Lundberg and his larger than life stage persona.  The singer was a treat as always, resplendent in robes and scarf and in particularly fine voice (especially considering that it was the final night of the tour). Lundberg’s announcement to the crowd that T.S.O.O.L. was here to “take it easy and relax” was belied by the band’s intensity and energy level, in particular the high-kicking theatrics of red-clad guitarist Mattias Bärjed. To close the set, Bärjed and guitarist Ian Person traded kicks and heroic riffs during a rousing combination of Stones-y Communion track “Thrill Me” and “Sister Surround,” a single from the band’s 2002 stateside breakthrough Behind The Music.

Late in the show, Lundberg remarked to the crowd that the show “(felt) like a really short concert,” and it was. At 55 minutes and with only two bands (the opener Empires playing for only 30 minutes), the main set was disappointingly brief. The band satisfied, though, with a nearly thirty-minute encore featuring Behind The Music’s “Mind the Gap” and a transcendent   “The Passover ” that saw Lundberg wander into the audience (a common occurrence at T.S.O.O.L. shows) and commandeer an obliging fan’s cowboy hat.

The performance was not without its hiccups. Though the sound at Lincoln Hall was excellent as always (especially in the treatment of Lundberg’s voice and the crystal-clear thump of Åke Karl Kalle Gustafsson’s bass guitar), there were continual problems with the visual component of the band’s show. A projected collection of images, video clips and visual effects was often out of sync with the songs and interrupted by computer command prompts.  I was left wondering if the distraction of an elaborate and imperfect video presentation was necessary given the band’s formidable stage presence and constant movement, particularly in such a small venue. Also, the energy built up by the band’s magnetism in-song was occasionally derailed by long, awkward breaks.  Lundberg’s banter (with the crowd, the band, and at times himself) amused, but a fairly quiet crowd and short set left one wanting for more fluidity between songs and downtime.

Ultimately, bearing witness to The Soundtrack of Our Lives is a strange and satisfying experience, and is highly recommended. The band’s energy is unmatched by most, the songs are tightly played but given a satisfying amount of room to “stretch out” sonically, and Lundberg’s unique personality and presence can only be fully appreciated in person.  Sound clips, updates and more can be found at http://www.tsool.net or at http://www.myspace.com/officialtsool .

New York, NY: SOULFLY are wasting no time getting out on the road for a month of advance touring in support of their forthcoming seventh album, Omen, due in stores May 25, 2010. The tour kicks off March 2 in San Antonio, Texas and runs through April 1 in Reno, Nevada.

The bill will feature Prong, Incite and Rotting Corpse as the support acts.

Tommy Victor of tourmates Prong lends his voice to the song "Lethal Injection," which appears on Omen, and fans will experience Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera singing the song live with Victor on this tour!

In addition to the tour, a video for "Rise of the Fallen" will be shot next month. The song features guest vocals from Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato. Omen, by far the band's most in your face, punk leaning album, will feature an original cover illustration by artist David Ho, depicting the seven deadly sins.

Tour dates are as follows:

March 2 - Scout Bar - San Antonio, TX
March 3 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
March 6 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
March 7 - Firestone - Orlando, FL
March 8 - State Theater - St. Petersburg, FL
March 9 - The Loft at Center Stage Atlanta - Atlanta, GA
March 11 - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
March 12 - Crazy Donkey - Farmingdale, NY
March 13 - The Expo Center at Marriot Hotel - Fitchburg, MA
March 15 - Higher Ground - South Burlington, VT
March 16 - Lupo's - Providence, RI
March 17 - Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY
March 19 - Peabody's Downunder - Cleveland, OH
March 20 - Al Rosa - Columbus, OH
March 23 - The Midland Theatre by AMC - Kansas City, MO
March 27 - MacEwan Hall - Calgary, ALB
March 28 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, ALB
March 29 - Knitting Factory Concert House - Spokane, WA
March 30 - The Venue - Vancouver, BC
March 31 - Knitting Factory Concert House - Boise, ID
April 1 - Knitting Factory - Reno, NV