CAVALIA ODYSSEO

Making its 2017 Midwest debut on April 1st, ODYSSEO brings 65 majestic horses and a football field sized village to Chicago in what has been billed as the largest touring show on earth. As you enter the enormous production complex, you realize that at its heart, ODYSSEO is a unique experience between horse and handler and all of the mechanics that surround this production serve only to enhance the intimate relationship.

On March 27th, we had the pleasure of visiting Cavalia village to speak with the production team, artists and trainers involved in mounting the 2017 version of the show founded in 2003 by Normand Latourelle. An earlier version played here in 2009, but it has grown many times in size, scope and complexity since then. 

For starters, there are nine different breeds of horses from seven countries that perform in free riding displays throughout. The four-legged stars of ODYSSEO were flown in on a 747 and then spent a leisurely two-week break at a local farm in Bristol, Wisconsin to recharge and relax before the run with matinee and evening performances through April 23rd under the white big top. Back at Soldier Field, the crew has worked for 17 days to mount the dazzling series of tents and staging that is transported in 110 semi trucks.

In this week's CONVERSATION, we spoke with Resident Artistic Director Darren Charles about the overall vision of ODYSSEO. It was a bit of a surprise to learn that Sam Alvarez, an electrical engineer, and Elise Verdoncq, an aspiring attorney, had both changed course in their careers and have been with the the show since its inception. Alvarez, an aerialist, performer and coach for the high-flying routines, took us through a few of the show's highlights. Verdoncq told us that after busy days in training, it all comes together for her as a featured performer in Liberty, a unique program element where horses respond only to her voice, body and hand movements.

With over 150 crew members, 50 performing artists, riders, aerialists, acrobats, stilt walkers, dancers and musicians, an enormous hydraulic carousel, 10,000 tons of stone, earth and sand … and horses, everywhere, Cavalia Odysseo is sure to please and not to be missed.

Rider Steven Paulson on the premise of the show … 

“Liberty meaning freedom in French is the premise of our show … Horses at freedom … no bridle, no saddle … Following us based on cues of body language ... It is all about the bond between horse and rider.”

Darren Charles, Resident Artistic Director and Choreographer, on the epic scale of this production …

“We are back with the largest touring show in the world. We have 150 resident employees, 65 horses and 50 artists … aerialists, ground based acrobats, video, equestrians … amazing lighting … It is almost like you are watching a movie rather than watching a show … Something no one has ever seen before.”

Sam Alvarez, Aerialist and Coach, on his change in careers …

“I have been with the show since its beginning … I started as a gymnast, diver, dancer as a kid but I was not looking to be in any circus. I was studying to be a computer electrical engineer … and there was a chance occurrence … I happened to audition for circus … I decided my body is only going to be good at this for so long so why not. I have been in it for over 20 years now I would say.”

Featured artist, rider and trainer Elise Verdoncq on her relationship with the horses …  

“There are horses that will be more sensitive about the way I move and talk. I would say to have a horse completely ready [for the show ] would take a year. If you just train one horse it will take less time but in this number all the horses need to learn their place and that is the longest process … I really enjoy spending my day with my horses. You learn every day with them.”

PODCAST

ODYSSEO by CAVALIA
Soldier Field South Lot
1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
(Entrance at parking gates on East 18th Drive)
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CALL: 866.999.8111

NOW EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 3, 2017

KARL HAMILTON - SUPER TROUPER

From leading roles playing Gomez Addams to Harry Bright, two stops on the cyclone and a wonderful town to call home, Karl Hamilton has been on a wild professional ride these days.

Currently playing now through April 16th in the smash hit Mamma Mia! at the Marriott Theatre, Hamilton has been a fixture on stages for over a decade at dozens of productions at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre and Porchlight Music Theatre.

The versatile performer earned a Jeff nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in The Addams Family at Mercury Theater in 2015 and was featured in the Chicago Shakes and Off-Broadway productions of Rachel Rockwell’s Ride the Cyclone. Last summer, Hamilton shined in a lead role in Mary Zimmerman’s Wonderful Town at the Goodman Theatre, a big stage treatment of the Bernstein classic.

Karl Hamilton joined the conversation on February 27th to talk about Mamma Mia!, the transition of Ride the Cyclone to New York and his take on the business of show.

On his experience starring in Wonderful Town …

“I am still affected by it in so many ways … It was so beautiful and lush … I got to work with one of the most amazing casts I have ever been a part of. There was so much love in the room. Those are the times when it feels so profound to be an artist … to be an actor … to get to do this thing that I love and it reminds me through all the hardships why I do this.”

Being in the Mamma Mia family …

“It is pure joy … It is hilarity, hijinks, and amazing music. There is something really contagious about ABBA … this is the second time I’ve done Mamma Mia … once you are part of the Mamma Mia family it is part of your blood. It fills your heart.”

On his role as Gomez in the Addams Family ...

“I had so much fun being this passionate, love-at-all-costs, crazy man. It is one of the favorite roles of my entire life.”

On making theatre more accessible …

“There is nothing like the energy in a live theater … I would like to see the shows that we have become accessible to more audiences … the people who cannot afford higher priced tickets. It seems counterproductive to make art just for those people who can afford it.”

His suggestion …

“What I think Chicago is renowned for is its storefront theaters that are trying new and different things. I would love to see some sort of workshop in a mid-sized house where you can get a good sampling of what the effect  would be in a large house and one of the small store fronts … Some pilot program that would adapt maybe dual casting … A way to create more work for the artists without sacrificing the integrity and I think everyone would be able to benefit … I would like for Chicago which has a reputation for being dynamic and inventive to try something new … something that has not been done before.”

The importance of talent …

“I do not believe in talent … Talent is the insidious American Dream. It’s this place on high where all of your problems will be solved. I do not buy it. I think there is persistence. I think there is courage, tenacity and availability to the material … vulnerability … Those are the things I can rely on and those are things I can measure. I cannot measure this ubiquitous talent … Work well with others, be prepared, work hard and never give up. If you can do those four things you can have a career in the artistic world.”

The power of Mamma Mia …

“All of us are having a wonderful time out there. There is nothing not to love about singing ABBA and wearing spandex … except maybe the spandex part … There is something that happens when the story is over and you just get to enjoy some of the songs … you let go … you realize there are opportunities to just feel joy and dance. sing and exult … this is one of those shows. I love doing serious work … work that holds the mirror up to a very dark nature of the human condition. I feel those are absolutely necessary especially this day and age … but you also need the other side. You need the comedy to the tragedy mask. Our show does that.”

MAMMA MIA! - MARRIOTT THEATRE now through April 16th
NOW PLAYING THROUGH APRIL 16th
MAMMA MIA!
Marriott Theater
Ten Marriott Drive
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
847-634-0200 (Box Office)
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RACHEL ROCKWELL - MAMMA MIA!

You could say that Rachel Rockwell has spent well over a decade on a tropical island where everyone sings ABBA songs and dances up a storm in spandex.

As a performer, Rockwell was a member of the Broadway company of Mamma Mia! in 2004 and Equity Dance Captain for the 2nd National Tour of the show that followed. Today, Rachel Rockwell is a multiple award-winning choreographer and director – well over a dozen and counting – and has recently completed the Off-Broadway run of Ride the Cyclone, a show that had its US premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre in 2015,

We caught up with Rachel Rockwell to discuss the continuing appeal of Mamma Mia! to new generations of performers and audiences.

CWET: Mamma Mia! has toured around the world for nearly two decades. Another international tour is launching in 2018 and an estimated 60 million people have seen the musical. Beyond the iconic ABBA score, which connects generations together, what is it about the story that keeps audiences engaged and coming back?

RR: At its core, it is about relationships: mother/daughter, and the deep and abiding friendships of women. That is its magic. That's what people come for, beyond the fantastic song book. I say this jokingly - husbands and boyfriends may come and go, but your girlfriends are forever!

CWET: How much of a responsibility does a director and creative team have to the audience to stay within the margins of a high-speed juggernaut like Mamma Mia! or are there areas to explore that might challenge us to look at the work in a different way?  

RR: This piece isn't broken. You really don't need to spend a lot of time reinventing it. You just have to make sure the relationships are compelling, and that it has the expected ABBA sound. Critics are always talking about how the book is thin and formulaic, but I've spent years with this material and I can tell you that it is extremely tightly constructed. You can't force something onto it that it isn't intended to be, or you will crush it. The simplest of terms, when you want a Cosmo, you want a Cosmo. You can upgrade the vodka, but you don't need to put extra things in it, or it will ultimately be disappointing. It just wants to be sweet, bright, and ultimately a lot of fun!

CWET: Is there an example you can highlight from the Marriott production?

RR: The songs are used to tell a specific story. There's a little room for interpretation, but if you're veering too far off road, you run the risk of alienating the audience that comes with high expectations. One exception is the number "Under Attack". In the original production it is a nightmare sequence in which Sophie is besieged by these funny sea creatures. It's visually fun, but it doesn't really tell a story, so we made a nightmare about her dads stalking her and abandoning her. The entire ensemble is dressed like the dads and they all have neutral masks on their faces, so she is adrift in a sea of fathers and can't find the real one. That felt more like a nightmare that our ingenue would have.

CWET: The production at the Marriott Theatre is performed in the round. What advantages does this theatre offer over a more traditional proscenium staging?

RR: I love staging in the round because it is more natural. You face the person you're talking to, the way you do in life. You see people's backs-it's interesting and human. Also, the intimacy of the Marriott space really brings these friendships right into your lap. You really want to be sitting on Donna's bed with her girlfriends because their chemistry is so real (in part, because they are wonderful friends in real life), and the cast is so close you can get up and dance with them. And people do, which I love!

CWET: Mamma Mia has been a big part of your life. What new rhythms appear when you revisit it again with the next generation of actors, singers and dancers?

RR: When I was a dance captain, my job was maintain someone else's vision of the material. Still, I had to analyze it as if the vision were mine, so I could inspire and "sell it" to the performers. Every time I dig deeply into the material, I have more respect for what Phyllida Lloyd and Catherine Johnson created, along with Anthony van Laast's choreography and Martin Koch's exquisite orchestrations and vocal arrangement. No other juke box musical has this kind of international success. They really struck gold. I feel privileged to know the history of the making of this piece first hand. I think it helped me understand what is sacred and where you can afford innovate. I'm really happy to be a part of a piece that is bringing a lot of joy to the audience. Joy is not to be underestimated.

NOW PLAYING THROUGH APRIL 16th
MAMMA MIA!
Marriott Theatre
Ten Marriott Drive
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
847-634-0200 (Box Office)
TICKETS    MORE INFO

Images and video courtesy
Marriott Theatre & Heron Agency

JAMES EARL JONES II - THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS

Music, art and theater are healing devices, according to James Earl Jones II, the triple-threat performer currently playing in Porchlight Music Theatre’s production of Kander and Ebb’s The Scottsboro Boys. Diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome as a child, Jones early goal was to become a doctor. That plan changed and Jones received a scholarship to study opera at the University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign. Theater and dance followed, and a decade later, the multiple Jeff nominee has been at home on dozens of stages in a wide range of roles.

The impressive list of his Chicago and regional credits includes the title role in the world premiere of Carlyle and a superb turn in a featured role in Wonderful Town both at Goodman Theatre last season. He has also appeared in Sondheim on Sondheim at Porchlight, Dreamgirls and The Full Monty at Marriott Theatre and numerous other productions at Court Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers Theatre, Lookinglass, Drury Lane, Northlight, Ravinia and Broadway in Chicago. His operatic credits include the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera and in a national tour of The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. His television and film credits include Pokerhouse, Chicago Fire and Empire. His work has been recognized by the Black Theatre Alliance Awards and Black Excellence Awards. 

James Earl Jones II joined the Conversation on February 15th for a frank and open discussion about living with Tourette’s and how the musical of The Scottsboro Boys story helps to broaden our understanding of a very dark and tumultuous time in our history.

How his difficult birth may have changed his life … “I had a very traumatic birth which I believe caused me to have Tourette’s Syndrome. I was a preemie and I was breached. The doctors thought that my spine would snap … there was a lot of pressure at the base of my neck … They say that Tourette’s is a hereditary disease but seemingly no one else in my family had it … So, I thought to myself ‘well certainly things have to come from somewhere’ …  and being that Tourette’s is a neurological disorder ... extreme trauma to your spine and neck could do something like that, so that was my assumption.” 

Advice for coping with Tourette’s Syndrome ... “The arts, my career in the arts, has certainly helped me … and to know that even if you have things that are evident within your Tourette’s that other people can see … try to believe and truly understand that you are no different than anyone else. You are a regular – if there is – a regular human being that deserves the same amount of love, decency, consideration and respect as the next.”

On portraying an historical character in The Scottsboro Boys …  “Unlike other shows this is someone’s real life … and there is something about telling that story, honoring them, honoring their family … that is really significant and important … You want to be earnest and truthful and in that same vain, you want the audience to feel their highs and their lows, their joys and their pains … so it compels them to not just be moved in the moment but even to possibly leave the theater and want to learn more about that person.”

On Cynthia Clarey’s role as "The Lady" … “She speaks volumes without speaking.  She stands for nurturing, hope, and the future.” 

On truth and justice, then and now … “The truth … when people talk about ‘the truth will set you free’ … you hope that is the case, but it is not always the case … Pardoning all of these boys took almost a century even though they never raped those girls. I thing that speaks volumes of where people think we are versus where we really are.”

MORE INFO | TICKETS
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SPECIAL VIDEO:
JAMES EARL JONES II & ENSEMBLE SING "GO BACK HOME"

Kander and Ebb’s The Scottsboro Boys, now playing at Stage 773 through March 12th, is based on the true story of nine black youths accused, convicted and imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. James Earl Jones II, in the role of Haywood Patterson, leads the company in Go Back Home. The brilliant ensemble performances of the Jeff recommended Porchlight Music Theatre production, all housed in the context of a minstrel show, combine to tell a stark and tragically compelling story of the boys harrowing journey of racial injustice.

Video & Photo Credit: Porchlight Music Theatre

THE BOOK OF JOSEPH - Q & A WITH RICHARD HOLLANDER

The Book of Joseph, by Karen Hartman based on the life of Joseph A. Hollander and his family, is directed by Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. The world premiere event currently playing in Chicago through March 5th features a superb ensemble cast led by Sean Fortunato as Joseph Hollander, Francis Guinan as Richard Hollander and Adam Wesley Brown as Craig Hollander. The story centers on the discovery of one of the most complete archives of family correspondence during the Nazi occupation of Poland and is a window into how the family existed in the ghetto in Krakow. It is the journey of one man who attempts to change the course of his family history and reveals the importance of telling your story before it is too late.

Richard Hollander, who discovered the archive of his family letters in a suitcase following the death of his father, published the letters  in Every Day Lasts a Year(Cambridge University Press 2007). Mr. Hollander is president of Millbrook Communications, a marketing/advertising firm in Baltimore, Maryland and previously worked as a news reporter for two daily papers and for WBAL-TV in Baltimore.

We asked Mr. Hollander four questions following the opening weekend of the play:

CWET - The discovery of your family letters is a powerful turning point in your life story and must have been an equally powerful moment for you personally to relive in the staged play. It is through these events that we understand the importance of searching for truth and understanding. Tell us how the moment unfolded for you when you realized that a theater audience was now becoming part of, and witness to, your family’s story?

RH - There was a confluence of emotions. The experience was wrenching and exhilarating; humbling and joyous. I felt both vulnerable and proud. Obviously, it is an unimaginable experience to see one’s parent portrayed on stage as a hero. I am rather private and inherently uneasy about exposing myself and the family to the public. That said, there are several powerful themes in The Book of Joseph. Sharing them is a mission rather than a burden. Almost without exception, people who have read Every Day Lasts a Year or seen The Book of Joseph come up to me with their story – metaphorically speaking – their briefcase. That bond with the reader and audience is most gratifying.

CWET – Can you give us an overview of the process and interaction between you, your family and the playwright in putting this piece together?

RH- The creative process is very different given the fact that The Book of Joseph is based on real people, actual events, and the very words of the characters.  For want of a better phrase, the play could be called a docu-drama. Playwright Karen Hartman conducted extensive interviews with me; my wife, Ellen; my son, Craig; and Arnold Spitzman and his family. I am sure she researched Krakow, Poland and the Holocaust. The immigration story came out of court records and transcripts of hearings. While writing a play is challenging under any circumstance, this was far more difficult. Karen had to create art from reality. 

CWET – Your “role” as storyteller is essential to the arc of the play. What areas in its telling were particularly important to you? 

RH - By training (grad school locally at Northwestern) and trade, I am a storyteller. Much of my career was as a print and TV journalist. So, in reality that “role” comes easily to me. I see my character in the play having two distinct roles. One is the personal journey of literally and figuratively opening the briefcase. The second role is leading the audience on its own journey as they relate to what unfolds on stage. I believe it is most important that the storyteller does not make the value judgments for the audience. For example, as a journalist, I am much more comfortable presenting the facts, as in the immigration story, and give each person in the theater his or her freedom to determine whether it relates to contemporary America.

CWET - A key element of The Book of Joseph is understanding the relationship of generations of family members, their stories and how they are told. How you collaborated with your son and found common ground is also a major theme in story. What do you say to people who ask for advice in bringing their family members together to tell their own story?

RH - The obvious answer is don’t wait until one can no longer ask the questions. The Book of Joseph is about family secrets – with a different twist. No one was hiding an ugly family secret. Joseph and Richard were trying to protect each other out of an abundance of love. They created a boundary so that neither would inflict emotional pain on the other. My guess is many, if not most, families erect boundaries. To me, one of the enduring themes is family legacy, which is depicted in the father/son; Richard/Craig relationship. We give our children and grandchildren our memories and our values. Ultimately, Richard and Craig share a legacy. 

THE BOOK OF JOSEPH
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Navy Pier
Now playing through March 5th
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ANGELA INGERSOLL - BEYOND THE RAINBOW

If you have been fortunate to see Angela Ingersoll recently on stage or in concert, you already know what the big buzz is about. She is smart, sassy, sexy, and above all, a natural born talent.

Ingersoll’s critically acclaimed performance as Judy Garland in the recent Porchlight Music Theatre production of End of the Rainbow channeled every ounce of her powerhouse talent to elevate our imagination and richly stir our compassion for the fragile and falling star. It was all there – electrifying stage performances, manic vitality, childlike enthusiasm and reckless abandon – all seeming to unfold effortlessly in the moment in Ingersoll’s unforgettable performance.

Her theatre resume is impressive spanning dozens of stage appearances with Marriott Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Drury Lane, Madison Rep, Playhouse on the Square and others. She has appeared with Second City Hollywood and on television in Chicago PD. No stranger to the Garland songbook, Ingersoll continues to perform concert versions of her one-woman Judy Garland show with the Artists Lounge Live concert series produced by her actor/singer husband, Michael Ingersoll.

Angela joined the conversation on February 1st to discuss the run with Judy, what’s happening next for her live concert career and how she met and fell for the special ‘Jersey Boy’ in her life.

On which Judy Garland song brings her most joy … “It’s an impossible question … Of course, ‘Rainbow’. It’s arguably one of the best pop songs ever written.  It so perfectly captures the human experience both musically and lyrically ….  ‘Man Who Got Away’ is the most comfortable … feels like home … it sits right in my body and I have worn the grooves of that record on my throat the longest. I love singing ‘Stormy Weather’ … it really is very important to me … my favorite moment of Carnegie hall … one I have recently taken on is ‘Rock-a-Bye Your Baby’ . I stayed away from it for a few years because I was intimidated … it was maybe her favorite … it is so sexy!”

On her relationship with Judy Garland … “I like being old Judy, I’m not a young Judy. I’m an old Judy. … I never really put her on the shelf or put her away. She has been a part of my life my entire life and continues to be. It is just more public now.”

On sharing the human experience in Artists Lounge Live shows …“We find an artist who is so influenced by an icon that they seem to be the torchbearer for that person’s legacy going forward and there is a real intimacy in the storytelling. It is about the storytelling … the very human aspects of the person’s life.”

Connecting with Judy beyond the music … “One of the most important parallels is she had a very strained relationship with her mother and I have had a complicated relationship emotionally with my mother … So many of her emotional scars were handed down to me … not by her own fault … Inheriting a lot of her pain has informed me a lot … It is my window into the kind of pain with which Judy lived.”

What’s ahead … “Judy’s centennial is coming up in 2022. In 2021, we will have the 60th anniversary of Carnegie Hall. I am working toward having relationships with orchestras … so I can be the foremost person doing this in the world, quite honestly. I know that is a lofty thing to say but ‘we gotta dream somewhere’ and I am trying not to censor myself.”

PODCAST
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WATCH PERFORMANCES OF ANGELA INGERSOLL
Over The Rainbow
Come Rain Or Come Shine
The Man That Got Away

Angela Ingersoll Performance Photo Credit: Amy Boyle Photography
Materials Courtesy: Artists Lounge Live

THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS "TAKE WINGS" AT BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER

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You probably know what “Break a Leg!” means to an actor, but what do you say to a dancer? If you are Rueben D. Echoles and Rashawn Thompson, who are portraying the legendary Nicholas Brothers on stage in Chicago next month, it’s “Take Wings!”.

They are headlining the highly-anticipated opening production of Jackie Taylor's Black Ensemble Theater’s 41st Season with My Brothers Keeper - The Story of The Nicholas Brothers. Written, directed, choreographed and starring Echoles as the younger Harold Nicholas with Thompson as Fayard Nicholas, the production has BE’s cultural center jump jivin’ night and day with a cast of 16 and the Black Ensemble Orchestra under the direction of Robert Reddrick.

They have been called the greatest tap dancers who ever lived and the most beloved dance team in the history of entertainment. Born seven years apart into a performing family, the brothers had front row seats to the talents of the great black Vaudeville acts of the day. A ground-breaking appearance at the Cotton Club in 1932, when the brothers were only teenagers, led to Hollywood a few years later and then to Broadway in the 1936 Ziegfield Follies. They would go on to headline in venues all over the world, in films and on television for over six decades.

During a break from rehearsals, we joined Rueben Echoles and Rashawn Thompson to talk about the creation and development of the show and what it is like to fill the shoes of these legendary entertainers.

Reuben on advancing the Black Ensemble Theater’s mission …
"We will eradicate racism by letting us all know that we have common things that bring us together, music is one of those things … And we are celebrating the greatness of who we are. When we are proud of who we are, other people can look at us and say the same and respect who we are.”

Reuben on the Nicholas Brothers dance style …
“In terms of choreography no one can duplicate what the Nicholas Brothers did. So, what I do is I watch carefully and then I use accents of the things that will remind people of the videos. We do a lot of tricks that they did but not as many. If they jump down ten stairs, we will jump down four because no one has been able to duplicate what they have done since then. And I just don’t think I want to risk it.”

Rashawn on the importance of the Black Ensemble Theater’s Education Program …
"I had a tough life growing up. When I came to the theatre it gave me a chance to speak my mind. It gave me a chance to talk and be heard because I felt I was not heard a lot as a child. In the theater, I was able to be as big as I want to be and everybody’s listening … I know that with me being a mentor … there’s a lot of kids like me … how I was … and I see it and pay attention to them. I understand how to work them through it … try to make it a little easier than it was for me.”

“Break a Leg!” or ...
Reuben: “We say “Take Wings!” because we literally need to fly on that stage.”
 

TICKETS AND INFORMATION HERE 
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WILD BEN HOLLIS

As it turns out, BEN HOLLIS has been having an on-going conversation with all of us for almost four decades.

He is the co-producer and original host of WTTW's WILD CHICAGO, and many other Emmy Award-winning programs, that feature his engaging interview style and zany humor, all mixed with unbridled excitement. A consummate storyteller, his focus is squarely on people and places, which is ultimately the point of his shows: to appreciate and learn a little bit more about ourselves and everything around us.

His near-legendary persona – that of the ever-vigilant explorer in pith helmet and khaki shorts with run and gun reporter microphone in hand – places him in a class all by himself.  Hollis is smart, well read, spiritual, worldly and yes, hysterically funny, both on and off camera, about whatever topic he’s talking about … including his real-life experiences, which are front and center in his next project.

We caught up with Ben on January 9th as he was making final preparations for his upcoming solo show “How the Beatles Nearly Ruined My Life and How David Bowie Saved It” debuting later this month at the Skokie Theatre. The new live stage venture is a long time in coming, unexpectedly interrupted a year ago with, well … brain surgery!

As you will hear on this episode of CONVERSATIONS, Ben’s life took a dramatic turn last January when he was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a rare and life-threatening condition if left untreated. That medical journey, and the road to the new show, are among the many topics covered in our conversation.

As his ever positive and optimistic attitude will attest, we have only begun to scratch the surface of the many talents that Ben Hollis brings to the stage... and we are truly blessed that he is still here to tell the tale.

Ben Hollis on brain surgery ...

“I was the happiest brain surgery candidate I think anybody’s ever seen. I’m sure that those doctors and nurses and orderlies thought I was out of my gourd. Folks, imagine watching me with my pith helmet on the gurney being wheeled in there going ‘Woo hoo! This is the wildest journey I’d been on!’”

The gift of laughter …

“I’ve been given gifts. We’ve all been given gifts and talents … let me bring them fully to bear and trust that it’s the right thing to do … and that somehow it’s going to help other people too. Even if helping other people is only making you laugh and smile for an hour and a half, that’s not nothing.”   

Jack Brickhouse’s influence on his career …

“Jack Brickhouse, Cubs announcer for many years on WGN, always used to say early in the broadcast ‘Put down your worries. Put your feet up and just be with us for a couple hours. You don’t have to worry about anything else’ ... As a kid, you hear that and you go ‘what a bunch of malarkey’ … [But] Jack was so right … that’s exactly what we get from a movie or watching a ball game. The older we get maybe the more we pile up in our brains. If I can lighten anyone’s load, I am there to serve.”

What to expect in his upcoming show at the Skokie Theatre …

“A lot of what people are going to take away is joy in remembering their own life story. It’s going to appeal to a lot of Boomers in particular … it’s really the story about how music saved my life ...  The Beatles nearly ruined it. Bowie saved it by giving me another chance.”

HOW THE BEATLES NEARLY RUINED MY LIFE AND HOW DAVID BOWIE SAVED IT

TWO SHOWS:
January 21   8 pm    January 22  2 pm

Skokie Theatre
7924 Lincoln Ave
Skokie, IL 60077
Tickets: $22 Online or Call: 847-677-7761

Ben Hollis Links
WEBSITE: Video Production
BUY: Rent-a-Friend  

CONVERSATIONS FTA - CHRIS JONES - NOVEMBER 19, 2013

CHRIS JONES
author of
Bigger, Brighter, Louder: 150 Years of Chicago Theater as seen by "Chicago Tribune" Critics
University of Chicago Press (October 4, 2013)

Chris Jones, chief theater critic and a Sunday culture columnist for the Chicago Tribune, joined the conversation at the Hubbard Inn on November 19, 2013 to discuss his new book. 

Also featured in this episode of CONVERSATIONS FTA (From The Archives) is a performance by World War II veteran JUDY BRUBAKER, who played the role of Ms. Leach in the original Chicago cast of Grease in 1971.

CHRIS JONES on Claudia Cassidy and Richard Christiansen ... “The Tribune had two critics who held the job for most of the 20th century … one of them was Claudia Cassidy and one was Richard Christiansen. … They were very different critics. One was largely despised by the people she covered and one was largely beloved by the people he covered. One was known for vitriolic prose – horribly nasty prose in some cases, by today’s standards anyway – and one was known for a certain courtly gentlemanly understanding. And yet, both of them at their different periods of time, seemed to give this city what it really needed.”

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AMERICAN BLUES THEATER - IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: Live in Chicago!

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No holiday season is complete without a visit back to Bedford Falls with George and Mary Bailey, Bert and Ernie, Mr. Potter, and an angel named Clarence. Frank Capra’s classic film, It’s A Wonderful Life, is the timeless and endearing story that tells the importance of one life to lives of others.

A holiday tradition not to be missed, and 15 years in the making is, It’s A Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! The American Blues Theater's production is a show for the entire family, set on stage in the style of a 1940’s radio broadcast with an original score, Foley sound effects and holiday songs. There’s something to comfort everyone here … right down to the milk and cookies served by the cast.  

The production is directed by Wendy Whiteside, Producing Artistic Director since 2010, who has played the role of Mary six times over the years. In that time, the Joseph Jefferson Award recipient and nominee has led a remarkable period of artistic growth and professional recognition for the 37-member Ensemble whose mission is to explore the American identity through the plays it produces and the communities it serves.

Wendy Whiteside, and Foley artist and designer, Shawn J. Goudie, joined the conversation on December 8th to tell us more about their wonderful lives in Chicago … and Bedford Falls.  PODCAST

Wendy on directing a live radio play …

“Most important thing when you tell a story live on stage is to be present in the moment … We direct our actors to be in the moment with this audience as well as the listening audience at home. Sometimes the actors will break the fourth wall and look into the audience … and sometimes they will direct the entire piece into the mic and close their eyes and imagine they have an audience member at home in their pajamas on the couch with hot cocoa.”

 What It’s A Wonderful Life means to her …

 “… Every season I am reminded of how important every single soul is to the present time we are living in.”

 Shawn Goudie "The Foley Guy" ... 

“It is such a wonderful art form and a lot of it, in fact, does still occur in films and radio as well … but you just do not think about it as much … It is easier for a one-person show to run things on an app but if you have the ability and the tools to do it … there is nothing like the crispness of that live sound.”

Live sound effects demonstration …

SG: Clarence leaping off the bridge to save George, and George subsequently jumping off to save him.

CUE FOLEY - WATER EFFECTS

ET: I feel like I’m right at home in my bath tub.

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2017 SEASON - The American Blues Theater presents It’s A Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! from November 16, 2017 to January 6, 2018  at the Stage 773. WEBSITE BOX OFFICE: (773) 327-5252

BILL LARKIN - KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE

Somewhere between the on-stage chaos of his physical comedic persona and the satire laced lyrics and music of his one-man show, there is a wonderfully funny and madcap place that Bill Larkin calls home.

An accomplished and award-winning stage actor, comedian, club performer and writer, Larkin now has his sights firmly fixed on the release this week of his new comic album, Bill Larkin-Knowing Your Audience, recorded live at the Green Mill in Chicago. If you were lucky enough to have been there, you already know that Larkin’s humor is fresh, edgy, perceptive and highly charged. It could be rated “M” for “Mature” or “Manic” … take your pick.

Larkin’s stage credits in Chicago in recent years are extraordinary. He received his first Joseph Jefferson Award as Principal Actor in Porchlight’s A Class Act in 2013, and nominated again for A Funny Thing That Happened on the Way to the Forum in 2015.  This year, he appeared as Max Bialystock in Mercury Theatre’s The Producers.

All this followed a multi-year career of theatre including Disney’s Aladdin at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Broadway in Chicago and shows at Second City, Davenport’s, the Green Mill and on television in Chicago PD and Comedy Central. Along the way, he has performed for 16 years at Howl at the Moon.

Bill Larkin joined the conversation on December 5th, 2016 to talk about how knowing your audience could help you to find out more about yourself.

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On his award-winning role as Ed Kleban in Porchlight’s A Class Act …

“As I’m rehearsing and reading through the script and getting to know who Ed Kleban was … older, balding gentleman who was a songwriter, very neurotic, had his own problems ... I thought ‘This is perfect for me. Where do I sign?!’ …  It was very odd how this show came to be at the time it came to be. I was going through my own issues at the time and the show was like therapy ... I felt like I was throwing myself into this performance trying to be true to Ed Kleban but throwing a lot of myself into it … It’s amazing how much I saw myself in him … amazing cast … amazing performance and Porchlight, you know, they do the best.”

The Pink Hippo Effect ...         

“I tend to find roles, like the genie in Aladdin, that are very exhausting. I kind of call it the ‘pink hippo effect’ because I used to work at Disney world, and I was in a parade.  It was Fantasia themed, and they needed someone to be the pink hippo … huge costume, huge dress …  It’s a huge undertaking and no one else wanted to do it because they thought it would be tiring and, of course, me, I was like ‘I’ll do it!’ because I saw how silly the role could be. You just go out on the street and lift your dress and everyone laughs. I’m like ‘yay!’ … and it did take a toll … I still do that to this day. I take roles that are fun undertakings, but you quickly learn that you have to pace yourself … Forum, The Producers and Aladdin were like that. I was entering my 40s at that time, and you find out if you do not pace yourself, it will take a toll later.”

Early influence …

“I owned a lot of Tom Lehrer albums growing up. He has been my biggest influence.  As a kid I would listen to his songs,  and I wouldn’t understand half of what he was saying … all I knew was that the audience was laughing … he was sitting at a piano, saying things that made them laugh… and I thought ‘that’s what I want to do.’”

On Matt Crowle …

“I was in awe of him in Forum but Producers …  I would watch on the sidelines as he would do “I Want to Be a Producer” …  and I would listen to the audience’s reaction, I mean he may well be, I think he is, the most joyous performer I have ever seen … I would watch him in Bye Bye Birdie at Drury Lane and just grin from ear to ear watching him … watching his facial expressions, watching his dance moves, watching the joy that he has. It is infectious.”

What to expect from his new album Bill Larkin-Knowing Your Audience …

“This album is different from the first one … which was on the clean side … as I got older I thought ‘I’m a bit angrier now’ … it’s very therapeutic to write about something I’m  not happy about and some of my stuff is Facebook rants set to music … a lot of these songs … there is definitely language … it definitely reflects the time … I’m very proud of the album because while there are songs about silly things here and there … there is a lot of myself in it … maybe too much of myself, but that’s what I like too. I’m breaking down walls … I’m very happy about it.”

On his song titled “Making a Difference” …

“You write what you know about ... one thing I know about is being online for too long … we write out how we feel online … you are venting … after a while you feel like ‘I’m really helping others in doing this. My taking a stand online is all I really need to do’ and of course that is not the case. It is called “Making a Difference” because we feel as if we are, but the actual ‘making a difference’ is leaving the house, going out there, volunteering, holding up a sign that says how you feel, contributing in a meaningful way. A post is a post, and it disappears in a few minutes.  You get a few likes and you are like ‘oh I have done my part.’ No, no you have not. To actually make a difference requires a bit more.”

VISIT: BILLLARKIN.COM     BUY|DOWNLOAD CD: HERE

STEVE SCOTT - GOOD TIMES AT THE GOODMAN

Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim return for the Goodman Theatre’s 39th annual production of A Christmas Carol from November 19th through Dec 31st, 2016. According to Goodman Producer Steve Scott, who has directed three of those productions in his 36-year career with the Goodman, the holiday classic is a labor of love.

Scott’s directing talents are in high demand as well, currently directing at Eclipse Theatre and Redtwist Theatre in Chicago. He is a multiple Joseph Jefferson Award nominee and his work has been recognized with an After Dark Award, the Illinois Theatre Association’s Award of Honor and others.

Steve Scott joined the conversation on October 24th to talk about the summer and fall seasons, Bob Fall’s extraordinary contribution as artistic director and the theatre community’s support for Season of Concern. 

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Steve Scott on the 2016 - 39th Annual - production of A Christmas Carol ...
"It’s like coming back to an old friend … now a 39 year-old friend. Christmas Carol is perhaps the production we work the most on each year, so we’ve been celebrating this Christmas since January 1st of this year.ma It’s a great story. It’s nice to have new actors in the roles some years and to have returning actors come back … it really gets to you. As many times as I’ve seen it and have directed it, it still moves me."

Which one would you be?  Past, Present and Future ...
"Hopefully, present. I try not to concern myself too much with the past, and there’s nothing you can do about the future except to do what you can in the present, so I try to live each day as you live it and make it count."

On the influence of Robert Falls ...
"When Robert Falls started as Artistic Director in 1986, he brought a more complete vision to the Goodman and what we provided to our community in Chicago … what we had the capacity to do and what we should be doing in terms of large scale works … in terms of musical work … in terms of commissioning and building careers of playwrights. And also that we had a responsibility to the entire community, to reflect every facet of the Chicago community in what we were doing. When Bob came it really kind of energized us and marshaled the forces."

Impact of the 1992 Regional Tony Award ...
"Under (Bob Falls) direction now for 30 years, but at that point for 6 years, we had already done a number of really outstanding new work … had begun to receive national acclaim for the quality of the work we were doing. So it was kind of a steady growth … the awarding of the Tony Award jazzed us even more to see what else we could do. And the theatre has really mushroomed since the Tony Award."

On Bob Falls first production of Brecht’s Galileo in 1986
at the Art Institute Theatre ...
"It was the largest production that Goodman had ever done … a cast of nearly 30 … I remember one of the most fabulous sequences in the play was when Galileo was looking up into the heavens, Bob used the old dome that was in the middle of the theatre at that point as a projection screen. It was the first time I had ever seen a play in that space where I felt we’re not only seeing the play at a distance but we were kind of encompassed by the play."
 
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