STEVE BIOSSAT - JUMP JIVIN' AT THE DRAKE

You can be sure that if the very hip sounds of Steve Biossat's SWAY CHICAGO are in the house, be prepared to dance the night away.  At the top of everyone's date list, Biossat's band can be seen regularly at major corporate events, exclusive private parties and weddings and at monthly appearances at The Drake. And there is more to come when Speakeasy Swing returns to The Drake's famous Palm Court on Friday, March 17th.

There is something for everyone on the band's "SwayList" from Top 40, Motown and Classic Rock to R&B, Funk, Disco, Jazz, Swing, Big Band and ethnic music. At the core of SWAY CHICAGO's talented, versatile, high energy group is a quartet of Chicago's top vocalists. Their sound -- backed by a hip, hop, jump jivin' beat -- is fresh, unique, non-stop and always entertaining.

Steve Biossat joined the conversation on February 3rd to talk about the relaunch of Speakeasy Swing with vocalists Alyssa Allgood and Marcus Gress, growing up in the US and abroad, and how that effected his approach to music and working in Chicago's busy music scene.

On the Resurgence of Swing Music and Dancing …
“It has always been a passion of mine ... jazz and swing have been something I have loved since I was a child. I do see it resurfacing a bit more now. I do not think it is quite what the craze was in the late 90’s and early 2000’s … We were playing five or six nights a week ... featured on national and Chicago compilation CDs … There were 10-12 piece swing bands playing all over the country … There is still a great subculture of dancers hard core involved in the swing dance movement and because of that I am getting to be more active in that community once again.”

The Sway Chicago Allure ...
“We have a following of people from their 20’s to their 90’s. We have a couple of ladies who are consistently there every month … I think it really gives them this outlet to be social and sometimes they dance, sometimes they just listen. I think SWAY CHICAGO has that allure because we try to put on a show that people can listen, watch, be entertained and also dance.”

Developing the "SwayList" ...
“Developing a list that works is probably the most important thing a band or musician can do. We have our staples that stay with us year after year … but being that it is a top 40’s band through the decades, that also means we have to stay viable and current. January is our time to develop the new songs for the season … We do a lot of research, not to see what songs are new and cool, but songs that are new, cool and will last through the season, hopefully a couple of seasons.”

Technology’s Positive Impact on Live Performances ...
“I used to have to carry four huge racks to every gig … huge mixing consoles … a lot of weight to carry around and a lot of setup. Nowadays, we have everything controlled by computer and iPads … I personally go out with the same rig that Adele tours with … It fits in one small box.  It is short attention span theater these days. People do not want to hear five-minute version of songs. They want to hear three or two-minute versions, and if I want to change gears quickly I can. It is all due to the technology available probably in the last ten years.”

Gena's Surprise ...
“Gena is a godsend … literally, I prayed for her and she came into my life. I wanted to do something special and include our friends and loved ones in this monumental thing for me and her. The Drake hotel has always been a special place for both of us … There was not supposed to be entertainment that evening but they agreed to staff the room and bring everyone in for this special occasion. Standing room only. The whole band came in and learned a special song for Gena … I was concerned with overwhelming Gena with a public proposal, so, I did the proposal intimately in a side room … We both cried. We look over the picture to this day and revel in all the love that was in the room that night.”

VISIT: SWAY CHICAGO
DRAKE HOTEL
1st Friday
Speakeasy Swing
3rd Friday(beginning March 17th)

MORE AT: DE USURIS

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
MORE AT DE USURIS 

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

TAMMY MCCANN - THE NEARNESS OF YOU

If you are looking for sweet conversation, that brings a sensation, you need look no further than our time with the extraordinary Tammy McCann. No surprise that McCann adores the Hoagy Carmichael-Ned Washington standard, Nearness of You. It happens to be her husband’s favorite.

Things might have been very different for McCann if she had pursued a classical music career. Following her heart, and the inspiration of jazz legends like Ramsey Lewis, Von Freeman and the immortal Ray Charles, all of whom she has performed with, McCann has established herself as one of our most gifted and talented jazz vocalists.

Internationally recognized and hailed by critics as a rich interpreter with extraordinary vocal technique, the musical journey of McCann’s concerts and stage appearances in Chicago, New York and beyond have put her in a class by herself.

Tammy McCann joined the conversation on February 7th fresh from a concert in Norway to talk about her upcoming appearances at Winter’s Jazz Club, the City Winery debut of Jeannie Tanner’s Words & Music, the 8th Annual Chi-Town Jazz Festival, and the most important part of her life, raising a young family in Chicago.

A mom’s perspective … “One of the things I always wanted to make sure was my children knew that they were the priority in my life … I had the opportunity to travel all over the world before I became a mom and now I see my career as a way to show my children the world and to see the world through their eyes.”

On Ann Hampton Callaway …“The only thing bigger than Anne’s talent is her heart. She is the most giving, warm, supportive individual that I have ever met in this business.”

Storytelling through song … “I think it is the pairing of the words and the music that creates a story. The music sets an emotional tone that then opens the door for the lyrics to take your hand and take you some place ... take you to a memory … take you to a dream … sometimes take you to a sadness … I feel strongly that we as vocalists are messengers, and I think it is important that you really think about what message you are going to share. It is not an arbitrary thing when people welcome you into their intimacy … When people say music is the soundtrack of their lives, that is a real thing.” 

Of all the love songs out there … “My favorite is my husband’s favorite … ‘Nearness of You.’ About when everything is washed away … There are no roses, no wine, no candlelight … The only thing that makes everything right is to have you by my side.”

Tammy McCann's Website
Buy the CD HERE
Winter's Jazz Club

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
INFO|TICKETS
BUY THE BOOK

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
WEBSITE

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

ROBERT SIMS - PASSING THE TORCH

ROBERT SIMS, the classically trained lyric baritone who has performed for decades in prestigious venues around the world, evokes the passion and presence of Paul Robeson, Roland Hayes and others before him with every song he sings. His music, which comes from a rich and soulful place that most of us can only imagine, and the spiritual concerts that are his trademark, are keeping the archive of African American spirituals alive for future generations. 

Sims has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, in concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Gilbrator Philarmonic, among many others, and has had a long and distinguished operatic career.  He toured nationally in the ensemble Three Generations, a celebration of American spirituals and folk songs with George Shirley, the late William Warfield and Benjamin Matthews.

High in demand as a performer and vocal coach, Sims has recorded numerous CD’s and collaborated on the recent biography Roland Hayes: The Legacy of an American Tenor with Christopher A. Brooks.

Robert Sims joined the conversation on January 27th following a concert appearance in Detroit to talk about how his career was influenced by Robeson and Hayes and the challenges they faced breaking down barriers. 

Robert on the legacy of “Ol’ Man River” …

“It was considered Paul Robeson’s song and Bill Warfield’s song … and I’ll tell you how I started singing it. We were giving a concert in Philadelphia. On the morning of the concert Warfield had a heart attack … Three Generations went on as a duo (with Matthews) … and I sang ‘Ol’ Man River’ from William Warfield’s score from the movie. Then I started singing ‘Ol’ Man River.’  It means something different every time … [Bill] said he remembered singing it after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated … and the meaning then was like the river, we are going to keep flowing and keep fighting for civil rights ... Paul Robeson turned the song into a song of protest … Sometimes I think of it the way Paul Robeson thought of it … sometimes it is a song about the river flowing … how life continues to flow.”

On celebrating the history of spirituals …

“We do not tend to celebrate it in that … Out of this ugly experience came a music that has influenced the world. If I was in Japan right now, I would hear R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz … all of that came from our contributions to music. There are some African Americans who are ashamed ... ‘We have new music!’ ... there is nothing new … they didn’t invent this.”

On the power of music …  
 
“This is a very, very interesting time, but music heals. It stirs something up in the soul … And I think it is something that is needed now more so than ever … I am sure there will be some recycled folk songs, freedom songs, and civil rights songs that will come out of this time. Probably some songs about love and unity ... It is going to be very interesting to look back at this time in America and see what came out of this experience.”

On inspiring future generations … 

“The voice is something so interesting because it is an instrument that is not outside of ourselves … One has to feel good about themselves … one has to feel that they can get up in front of people and present and that they are worth it … one has to feel that they have something to say … I am finding more than anything there is healing I have to do … to tell my students that they can do this. Then, when I get past that, I can say, ‘Now do it with joy.’”

CONVERSATION PODCAST
ROBERT SIMS  WEBSITE 
VIDEO PERFORMANCE  Ol' Man River

ROBERT SIMS FEATURE PERFORMANCES (AUDIO)
Lit'l Boy
Wait 'Til I Put On My Crown

CONVERSATIONS ARCHIVE