Many years ago, I was challenged to write a restaurant review in the style of a famous writer. I think it was for a contest for the San Francisco Examiner, so it would have been 1992 or 1993.
I, of course, chose PG Wodehouse, with whom I am enamored.
I ended up writing this. Recently found it, and thought I'd resurrect it onto the internet.
Enjoy! (And if you'd care to take the challenge of writing a restaurant review in the style of a famous writer, I would love to read it!)
Jeeves and the Golden Arches
Nobody is more alive than I am to the possibilities of a well-turned out breakfast. If there is one thing that old Bertram can be counted on for in the clutch, it is the enjoyment of a solid slice of toast with butter, followed by a precisely measured swallow of tea, and then soundly supported by the well fried egg and bacon sandwich. I have always said that if you give a man an egg, he will be confused; give a man a fried egg sandwich, and his mind will remain sparkling clear.
With this thought in mind we entered the Golden Arches. There was something slightly Moroccan about the decor: Bright orange walls, a subtle air of mystery, and chaps in little hats bustling around. Quite exotic, I thought.
"What ho, Jeeves! This place is a bit of a pip. I quite like it here. Rather cheery."
"If I may be so bold, sir, I might suggest that our appetites will be better served at another culinary establishment."
"Oh come now, Jeeves. It's not quite so bad. I overheard old Fosly-Postlewaite talking about it just the other day, and he said he had a Chopped Meat Something or Other that was quite tasty. Rather hit the spot, he said."
"True, sir, but I had occasion to speak with Mr. Fosly-Postlewaite's man-servant, who spoke rather disparagingly of the bacterial content contained within the victuals. It seems that Mr. Fosly-Postlewaite managed to contract a case of what is euphemistically known as The Arch Revenge."
I did not like the man's attitude. I detected a glimmer of disdain in his approach. I decided to put my foot down.
"I rather like it, here, Jeeves, and Revenge or no Revenge, I shall have the Egg Sandwich upon a muffin, with a spot of sausage as well." The ice in my voice was extraordinary. When a Wooster is determined, he can be firm.
"Very good sir" Jeeves went and ordered from the server, a dour-looking matron with a hideous smile on her face. He brought back the food on a plastic tray.
"Breakfast is served."
"There, you see Jeeves. Not so bad, is it? No revenge or other silly nonsense happening. I haven't turned into a werewolf or anything like that."
The man was silent. Positively sullen.
"This seems a perfectly respectable sandwich. And now for the eating. What is it that that poet said? Something about his kingly breaches?"
"I believe that would be Shakespeare's Henry V, "Once more unto the breach my friends."
"Exactly. Couldn't have said it better, myself." I took my first bite. "And furthermore---"
I gagged. The taste of fried rubber was all throughout my lower larynx. With the reflexes that made me the champion gobber at school, I spit out the so-called sandwich.
"Jeeves. Start the car. We must leave this place at once."
We got the chance to take off for an evening a couple of weeks ago and have a date night. I wanted to see The Post, but it wasn't playing at a convenient time. My wife really wanted to see the Aaron Sorkin directed movie Molly's Game, and it was playing nearby and at the right time, so we went to it.
We saw the show at the New 400 Cinema, which is kind of a lower budget movie house near the Loyola Campus. Although we didn't get any popcorn, they don't gouge you nearly as much on that stuff, and you don't feel like you are giving your money to a giant corporation. So, it's one of my go-to cinemas in general. Their selection is tilted towards a college audience, so it’s not always an appropriate place to go, but when they have a movie I want, we go.
Molly's Game was quite good. It's based on a true story about a former competitive skier who was driven by her parents to succeed. A shocking injury ended her career, but she was still very driven and very competitive. Through a series of misadventures, she ended up running a very high-end poker game first in LA, and then in New York. She gets busted by the FBI, who are investigating some of the players, including Russian mob, billionaires, and movie stars.
Kevin Costner and Jessica Chastaine have a moment
in the movie Molly's Game.
All of the players were good, especially lead character Jessica Chastain (as Molly Bloom) and her potential attorney Idris Elba. And of course, the writing and the story are very well drawn, as should be expected from dialogue master Aaron Sorkin. In the podcast West Wing Weekly, the hosts recently said something about the fact that Aaron writes really interesting Legal Discovery procedures, and that theory is born out in this movie as well.
One of the themes that I thought was very a propos for this blog is that of the dad who drives his children. Molly's dad (ably played by Kevin Costner) is a psychologist who expects a lot from his kids. There are multiple shots and flashbacks of him pushing Molly past her physical barriers (not in a creepy or weird way, but in a driven way.) As Molly says when asked if her dad pushed her. "Every Olympian has a demanding dad."
Idris Elba is also a high expectations dad, who is asking his daughter constantly to read more, do more work, etc. It made me not feel so bad about being a homework hardass with my son.
Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba in court. This ends up being a very funny scene.
It's not all "Dads are great" though. Molly's father has flaws, but it's clear he loves his daughter, even if it isn't always the way she wants to be loved. And Elba has flaws too as a father. But in both cases, their love and care is evident, even if they can't quite express it, or it isn't all butterflies and hearts.
I would definitely recommend this movie. I don't think it will win the Academy Award, (although it's nominated for best-adapted screenplay) but it's definitely worth watching, especially if you are a high expectations dad and you want some validation. Or if you are an Aaron Sorkin fan. Or if you like movies that involve high stakes poker. (I won the trifecta!)
One of my favorite events of the year, CHITAG (Chicago Toy and Game Expo) has come and gone again. It was fun while it lasted, and I already can't wait until next year.
This year I had a limited window to attend due to a bunch of family/holiday mishegas, including a giant Friendsgiving party that we attended and cooked several dishes for. I could have probably spent a full day at the event or even longer, talking to vendors, trying out new games and toys, and talking to
In selecting what to feature in this post, I am trying to focus on the stuff that seemed innovative and wonderful. If possible, I also like to focus on smaller game and toy companies and local people if I can. Not that I don't love me some big games too, but it's the little guys that make this super interesting. Many of them are risking their IRA's and their kids college accounts on a game or toy that wouldn't get out of their head, and they had to follow it through. My leading question to them is often, "So, what made you decide that you had $15,000 you didn't need?"
(Although to be fair, a lot of them also used kickstarter or other crowdfunding as methods to finance their ideas. Nevertheless, the point is they have significant time energy and money invested in what may be a foolhardy idea.)
Here's a few of the vendors/toys/games that I found most interesting this time around. MINI-SPHERO
The Sphero people (they of the robotic programmable balls) have introduced a tiny version of Sphero, deemed Mini-Sphero. It operates separately from the regular Sphero, with its own app, and one of the most interesting aspects of this is that they've designed methods of controlling the sphero using your face. Yes, as you make faces into your camera, the sphero moves around! You can also program it using javascript, use it as a game controller, and lots of other stuff.
I took a couple of videos of it working, but they aren't nearly as succinct or as well done as the promo for the sphero. Here's that promo:
CARDBOARD PINBALL
I think one of my favorite booths/new products of the year was PINBOX 3000's cardboard pinball machines. They've combined cardboard techology with the maker movement to make cardboard pinball machine kits that you can make on your own and then modify. They have three or four readymade pinball kits (along with art, such as SwampQuest featured) But you can also build your own, swap it out, decorate it yourself.
What I loved about it is how it is low-tech STEM. Here's an easy way for kids to learn about engineering and technology and solving problems without turning on a computer. They've also got an online community to help share solutions and problems.
The cardboard games and constructions are surprisingly sturdy and easy to fix. BUY ON AMAZON
CHARMS- A GAME OF INSIGHT
It's a centuries-old practice to try to make meaning of your life by throwing stones (I Ching) or bones (Throwing the Bones). An Evanston game maker has gamified this idea. You ask a question and throw the charms (each signifying a different aspect of your life) onto a board (which has as its map different spheres of your life.)
Players write a 2-minute interpretation of what this could mean and the questioner decides who is the winner. Then that person gets to throw the charms and ask their question. I'm not 100% sure I'd want to play this game with any but my closest friends (and maybe not even them) but I think it's fascinating how they've turned a spiritual and religious practice into a thoughtful game with actual meaning for your life.
This is a clever add-on game to any other game. It's a way to up the stakes for a game, or decide what happens to the Loser of a bet. The Loser has to draw a card of consequence, and do whatever the card says they have to. They are not all bad, but they are all family friendly (unless you are playing with the adult deck, which could have some romantic consequences. ) They do have a number of expansion decks.
YOYO TRICKS
Part of the day that I was there they had YoYo Trick competitions as part of the Illinois State Yoyo Contest. Kids from all over the country competed with some amazing tricks. You could stay the whole day and just watch some of these amazing yoyo competitors. As well, yoyotricks.com (sponsor of the contest) was on hand with a large amount of different styles of yoyos, strings, trick videos and books. BUY A YOYO ON AMAZON
Here's a video I took of one of the competitors 1 minute performance, posted from my Instagram account. Please note this is NOT speeded up. This guy is just moving that fast!
BEN'S BUBBLES
The last few years I've been attending, I've watched Ben of Ben's Bubble Shows entertain the crowds. He's an Evanston based artist, and he's great at showing off bubbles and doing the tricks.
He's not selling anything other than his show, and it's really really good.
Here's a video of Ben doing his magic. (I didn't take this video, this is from YouTube)
Each year as part of ChiTAG, young inventors come and display their games or toys. The stakes are high, including over $10,000 in scholarship prizes and potential monetization of the game. Last year's winners have a contract and were at the show this year selling their game!
I love meeting those inventors, not necessarily because the games are so great, but because of the great verve and inventiveness that these young game entrepreneurs show. It's invigorating!
One game I saw this year was actually really great! It should be a commercial product. It's called Digit-Dash, and it's got great game play, useful math learning, and can even be tweaked or adapted by teachers for their own uses. The creator is 12 years old, from a local suburb of Chicago. (I redacted his name on the photo for privacy reasons.)
The game is played like this: Players draw 10 random number tiles from a bag. They could be repeated numbers. Each player has a couple of each operand tiles: +, -, x, ÷ and some parentheses.
The teacher pulls another number tile and says go. The players have to create an equation that creates the teachers number tile using their random numbers and their operands. Player who wins gets new number tiles and a point. First person to win five rounds wins.
You can't buy this game yet, but I hope someday you will!
Here's an interview I did with the young inventor.
There was a lot more that I really loved at the show, including a few more kids I interviewed about their games, and a lot of fun games, but I might save those for a different post.
I had the opportunity to see the show RAIN, which is at the Oriental Theatre in downtown Chicago through April 2. Billed as “the next best thing to seeing The Beatles!” (Associated Press), the cast of RAIN performs a chronology of The Beatles' discography live onstage, including some very complex songs that the Beatles performed in studio, but never before a live audience.
The show was great fun and a stroll down memory lane. It was also a great reminder of how prolific the Beatles were, and how amazing they were. Wikipedia tells me that the Beatles recorded 407 songs, and wrote 237. The cast performed just a small fraction, and they were wonderful note-for-note renditions. The actors also looked somewhat like their doppelgangers-- the guy playing McCartney looked a lot like him, as did George. Ringo and John were a little less similar but still successful.
The show starts as a chronology piece-- through the use of video, they bring us to the Ed Sullivan show, where the moptopped Beatles made their American debut.
Later in the show, the video brings us to Shea Stadium.
In the second act, the cast performs the entirety of the album Sergeant Pepper (which the Beatles never performed in concert) in the trademarked band uniforms and mustaches and later brings us to Abbey Road where the band records their final album. The night I saw it there were two encore sets, and the second one was an extended version of "Hey Jude". Disappointingly, they did not play "Let It Be." But, hey, they couldn't play EVERY song.
The cast of RAIN has been together longer than The Beatles, and their teamwork and professionalism shows. The music is great, although it took me a while to get past the verisimilitude thing. Although this wasn't a play, the performers are clearly acting like the Beatles, but not as the Beatles. That is to say, we saw John, Paul, George, and Ringo, but they weren't playing as those names, and there was no idea that I should expect them to actually be them or pretend to be them. They were themselves, but themselves acting as the Beatles. Let's face it, I overthought it. Once I got beyond that, I didn't have a problem.
The only thing I wasn't 100% on was the video screens.
They were used very effectively to place us in time (Ed Sullivan show, Abbey Road, Shea Stadium etc) and there were some concert videos of both audience and performers that would be displayed up there, which were engaging and also kept the people upstairs and farther away engaged.
But some of the songs had cutesy video scenarios as their backdrop, and many of those looked like they were just bad Powerpoint presentations. I am guessing that they are remnants of previous shows from years ago. They need to be tossed and re-done.
The rendition of Sergeant Pepper's entire album was pretty amazing, especially that last chord from "A Day In The Life" They must be using subwoofers, because I felt a barrage of sound in my body from that one chord.
Within the first encore they played some political songs, including "Revolution" "Get Back" and strangely "Give Peace A Chance." I say strangely because that is not strictly a Beatles song. Lennon wrote it with Yoko during his infamous "Bed In"and released it with her. He was technically still a Beatle then, but it was without any of the other guys. Still it was quite moving, and very a propo considering our current political situation here in the US.
It was a reminder of how ensconced in social change and justice The Beatles were, while at the same time making popular music gold.
No matter what your current relationship to the Beatles is, you will find something to love about this show. There was quite a lot of singing along (both encouraged and spontaneous) At one point the singers ask everyone under 18 to sing, and the crowd gets notably quieter.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE IN CHICAGO
3/28 Tuesday at 7:30 PM
3/29 Wednesday at 7:30 PM
3/30 Thursday at 7:30 PM
3/31 Friday at 7:30 PM
4/1 Saturday at 2 PM and 8 PM
4/2 Sunday at 2 PM and 7:30 PM
You can also see where they will be upcoming on their website.
Here's a video of the guys from 2011 when they appeared on Good Morning America. This was 6 years ago, and they've only gotten better since.
TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles at the Oriental Theatre range from $35-$75. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
We saw STOMP last night. It's going to be at the Broadway Playhouse in at Water Tower Place through January 1, 2017.
DISCLOSURE: I received free tickets to attend this event in order to write about it. My review of the show is not influenced by the freeness of the tickets. I take my credibility seriously, and so should you!
The show is stellar. It's been performing on stages pretty much continuously since it opened in 1991. They currently have 4 productions of the show-- a NY show, a London show, a North American tour, and a European tour. They've won numerous awards, been on lots of television shows, and have won the hearts of just about everybody who's ever seen it.
For those who have been living under a rock, STOMP is a percussion show that features 8 performers who bang, hit, slide, and otherwise play on just about everything on stage that ISN'T a percussion instrument. A small sample of what they use in the production include matchboxes, brooms, wooden poles, Zippo lighters, hubcaps, mini-basketballs, plastic tubes, garbage cans, and shopping carts, just to name a few. The performers are immensely skilled, and can pull complex rhythms from just about anything.
Here's a video of the show. PLEASE NOTE: The performers in the current show are different than the ones in the video. Many of the acts/numbers however, are the same.
As you can see from the above video, not only are their rhythms great, their teamwork is also wonderful. They are so in synch with one another that even though they are playing really complicated counterpoints and rhythms , they all manage to stop, start, and switch it up multiple times in one number without missing a (pardon the pun) beat.
The performances here are filled with virtuosity and humor. It's clear these guys (and girls) have been doing the show for a long time, and are expert at it. The interaction between characters and the audience is fantastic.
The show has virtually no words, although there is some grunting. There is a fair amount of call and response from the audience. and our audience was so into it that there was an extended encore.
This is a definite crowd-pleaser kind of show, and I believe that your crowd will be pleased.
It's great for kids of all ages, although probably 6+, as there are LOTS of loud noises that might frighten or startle a less experienced child. This would also make a great date night.
As we left the theatre and took the bus back, all the noises around us - the cars streaming by the bus stop, the little noise the bus stop makes, the horses clacking away in the background-- all started to organize themselves into an amazing STOMP-rhythm of their own.
Tickets for STOMP at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place are on sale now. A select number of premium tickets are available for many performances. Tickets range from $39-$84.
Group tickets for 10 or more are available by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710.
Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Let me start by saying that Mark Binder is one of my oldest friends.
I met him at the Trinity Rep Conservatory in 1987 and we've been close friends ever since. We've worked together on various projects, I went to his wedding reception, I am the godfather to one of his children, he signed my wedding vows, and when we lived in the same state I averaged eating with him and his family twice a week. I ran a New Year's Eve festival for 10 years, and Mark ran the storytelling stage for me every year. Put plainly, I love the guy. And I admit that bias.
Despite my clear bias, I think I can safely say that you will really enjoy his latest project, Transmit Joy. (available on Amazon by clicking the title)
It's an audio book of about 65 minutes length that features 10 of Mark's signature stories.
The stories are varied, from a re-telling of the classic story of The Billy Goats Gruff to the first story ever told (by Og, Caveman) to a wonderful and personal telling of why he writes stories, which features a word portrait of a candy shop that almost makes you taste the chocolate.
The stories are sometimes silly and sometimes profound, but they are all done with a sense of lightness and joy and a sense of humor that makes you glad you listened to them.
There's a German/Yiddish word that describes Mark's work well: Haimishe, meaning homey and well-meaning and comfortable. Mark's mission (indeed, the name of his website) is to Transmit Joy to his audiences, and I think that he succeeds quite well.
Photo of Mark and I making silly faces on Bright Night in 2011.
Mark has been a storyteller and author for almost 30 years, and his expertise shows through in how he crafts the story and tells the story details. He uses minimal sound effects, and his simple but effective character voices bring us right into the heart of the story and of the character.
In short, I think this audio storybook makes a fine introduction to Mark's work as a storyteller and will entertain and entrance all of the members of your family. You should definitely add it to your collection.
To find out more about Mark (and catch the flavor of his storytellingand lots of complimentary accolades), here's his introductory video from his website Transmit Joy:
We went yesterday afternoon to see the Light Opera Works show of Guys and Dolls (I previewed the show earlier on the blog). The show is great, and sadly ends this week, so by all means, if you have the opportunity, you should go!
Light Opera Works is a professional theatre in residence at the Cahn Auditorium on Northwestern's campus. They produce 4 main shows a year, starting in the summer, and ending in December. They specialize in musical theater works. This year their holiday show is Guys and Dolls, next year it will be Die FleiderMaus. Other shows for next year include My Fair Lady and Mame. (On a side note, at the curtain speech the executive director said they are looking for a new name for the theatre, and are soliciting suggestions from the public. If you've got an idea, send it their way!)
Steve Silver (left) as Nathan Detroit betting with Justin Adair
(Sky Masterson) Nathan couldn't remember the color of his tie.
photo by Mona Luan.
Guys and Dolls is a great and classic musical, with lots of great songs and characters. I explained the show to my 7 year old son (who saw the show with us) like this:
Nathan Detroit is a gambler who doesn't have the money to rent a space for his illegal gambling game. To get the money, he bets his friend Sky Masterson that he can't get a lady who works at a church (Sergeant Sarah) to kiss him. While Sky is trying to win the bet, he and the lady fall in love. (It misses a lot of the plot points, but gets the gist across! And manages to avoid the sexual-political mine pits of taking a doll to Havana!)
The show, which featured a full orchestra, was very well-done. The cast were all in fine form, and all of the main characters had excellent singing voices. I was particularly enamored of some of the bit players, especially Cary Lovett who played Nicely Nicely Johnson.
Jim Heatherly and Cary Lovett as Benny and Nicely.
photo by Mona Luan
He had a great stage presence, a wonderful voice, and seemed to be channeling Buddy Hackett. His revival showstopping piece Sit Down Your Rocking The Boat was great, as was the Fugue for Tin Horns and Guys and Dolls with partner Jim Heatherly as Benny Southstreet. I also thought that the chorus of dancers and swings did a great job of making 1930's Time Square come to life.
Both of the actors that played Sky and Sarah Brown also did a great job. Their scenes in Havana and the songs If I were a bell/ My Time of Night both rang true, as did Sky's song "Luck Be A Lady" One song that was well sung, but is now a little dated was the denouement song "Marry The Man Today" In it, Adelaide and Sarah get the idea to marry today, and change their husbands tomorrow.
Here's some of the lyrics:
The two sets of lovers:
Sarah & Sky above (Elizabeth Telford/Justin Adair)
Nathan & Adelaide below. (Steve Silver/Sarah Larson)
photo by Mona Luan
Marry the man today. Trouble though he may be Much as he likes to play Crazy and wild and free Marry the man today Rather than sigh in sorrow Marry the man today And change his ways tomorrow. Marry the man today. Marry the man today Maybe he's leaving town Don't let him get away Hurry and track him down Counterattack him and Marry the man today Give him the girlish laughter Give him your hand today And save the fist for after.
As I said to my wife at the end of the show, "How'd that work out for you?" My point being that getting married with the expectation that your partner will change is a 1940's concept. Now you need to accept your partner for who they are. And if you don't, divorce is in your future. But that's a quibble.
In short this is a great production of a classic musical, and you will leave humming the classic songs, just like we did.
Go if you can, it closes January 3!
SHOW TIMES:
Sunday, December 27 at 2 pm
Wednesday, December 30 at 2 pm
(Family matinee -- meet the cast after the show)
Thursday, December 31 at 8 pm (New Year's Eve)
Friday, January 1, 2016 at 8 pm
Saturday, January 2 at 8 pm
Sunday, January 3 at 2 pm
Tickets start at $34. (Ages 21 and younger are 1/2 price!) They suggest that this show is suitable for kids ages 8 and older.
Production is at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson Street in Evanston.
You can purchase tickets by calling (847) 920-5360 or by visiting their website.
I took my family last week to the Chicago Toy & Game Fair at Navy Pier. It's one of my favorite blogger events/toy events of the year. A whole number of toy and game designers are in a big room at booths, and you get to go and see what's new this year.
That's cool in general, as I am a big toy and game nut, but what I LOVE about this show is the diversity of manufacturers there. Yes, you have the big companies like Razr, Uncle Milton, Mayfair, or Spinmaster, giving us what's going on with the latest in franchised toys: NOTE TO SELF: There's a lot of Star Wars licenses this year, with super cool stuff!)
Here's Legendary Yoda, a video I took at ChiTAG, which is now available in stores!
But even more exciting to me is to see the small toy and game manufacturers. Many of them have only one or only a couple of games or toys that they are making. For lots of those guys, this game is their passion project-- something they believe in enough to risk a lot of time, energy, and money to try to fan it to life. Some of them have been successful already and are trying to make lightning strike twice-- others are still waiting for the lightning to strike.
A game invented by a teenager-- Agitation: The world's best cup of coffee!
The other thing I love about this show is that there is an educational component-- where kids invent their own games and display them just as if they were a manufacturer. Some of the games are incredibly complex with rules that seem as if they were picked by random (or a 12 year old child) while others are worthy of serious game play. Whether or not the games are great or not, I applaud and want to support the amazing creativity that goes into all of them. And those guys will one day be one of the small exhibitors of the show. It's how the food chain works!
As I walked the show, I saw a bunch of toys and games that I wanted to review for the blog and, fortunately many of the manufacturers gave me games to review! Some of them I'll be keeping after my review for my own personal enjoyment-- others I'll be re-gifting. So if you are a friend, and receive a slightly opened game-- know that it was in the cause of science that I opened it!
Please note that I may have received free products, but I promise that my hype or lack of hype of any toy or game is solely my own.
Here are just a few of the small manufacturers that I spoke with during the Fair and a brief summary of the game or product that interested me:
X-cube: A much harder Rubik's cube type game invented by a local young man Dane Christiansen who was an expert at Rubik's and decided to amp it up a notch. He did a Kickstarter campaign a few years ago and doubled his goal. The other cool thing is that originally, they were printed by 3-D printer! He's since created a much easier puzzle to solve The Boob Cube, which has just two moving parts. Even I could solve it!
The Presidential Game: One of the games I was really interested in, and look forward to playing with my family is the Presidential Game. It's kind of like a political version of Risk. In order to win the presidency, you have to capture 270 electoral votes across the map of America. You do that by either campaigning or fundraising in various states, hoping to ultimately control the state's electoral votes. One of the cool things about this game is that it has a web component. You can use your computer to keep score/tally of which side Democrats or Republicans are winning. Of course, there is no third party option (sorry Ralph Naderites!) The problem that I foresee in my household is that no one will want to be the Republicans. (Although I bet Karl Rove kicks butt at this game!)
WEBSITE: http://www.thepresidentialgame.com
BUY ON AMAZON: http://amzn.to/1N1hqEC
Phone Phever: This is a game that I'm still not quite sure about. It's clear that the family who invented this game is putting their all behind it (They were there in force, and one of them was wearing a cell phone costume!) It's a game that's sort of like Trivial Pursuit, but you can use your smartphone to answer the questions. The dad who invented it wanted to bring the fun of family game night, and include his smart-phone obsessed kids. While I get the idea, I'm not sure that encouraging more screen time is where most families want to focus their non-screen time family time. But I applaud the effort, and hope that I'm wrong and they make millions!
WEBSITE: http://www.phonephever.com
BUY ON EBAY: http://tinyurl.com/PHONEPHEVER (available on Amazon soon)
Genius Games: This booth caught my eye with their slogan: Why learn science when you can play it? They have a series of games based on science-- One is about DNA, another about Peptides, another about ionized compounds. It's a fascinating idea-- to gamify the learning process of chemistry, and it looks like they may have done it. I spoke at length with one of their reps. They produce all of their games by Kickstarter (and their website offers some helpful advice about kickstarter) Basically they do that to prove demand and interest for a game- the theory being if you can't get enough people to buy in on the kickstarter level, you maybe should examine the premise of whether you have something interesting on your hands. Their first game over earned by 317%. Their games are primarily about chemistry, and I suggested that their next game be physics related. Which I am pretty sure it will be!
Versa-Bricks: This is a great idea that had to happen sometime. Somebody got the amazing idea of creating a toy/building block that could connect Legos, Hot Wheels, and K'Nex! It's like the Holy Grail of building blocks. This was also the product of a successful kickstarter campaign! The bricks/connectors come currently in only red and black and in a few different configurations/pieces that allow you to meld these different toy-building sets into one monster set. We tried a few out, and although initially a little difficult to figure out, they do work with all the systems. Talk about playing well with others!
WEBSITE: http://www.versa-bricks.com/
BUY ON AMAZON: http://amzn.to/1HLnXnX
Giant Word Winder: This is an educational word game played on a 9x9 (or more)playing surface. Players lay out 16 interchangeable and double sided boards – each board consisting of a grid of 16 letters. 2-3 teams or individual players take turns highlighting words on the board with brightly colored chips. The first players to complete a winding path of words from one side of the board to its opposite side wins! It's a sort of cross between tic tac toe and word search/ which should come as no suprise-- the inventor (David Hoyt) is the guy who co-invented the Jumble and is one of the most syndicated word game creators in the world. The educational elements of this make it great for schools and school systems to pick up (and right now they are running free demonstrations for schools to try it out!) They also have a numbers game that plays similarly.
WEBSITE: http://dlhoyt.com/giant-word-winder/
BUY ON AMAZON: http://amzn.to/1NM9pXH
This is just a small sample of some of the people that I met at ChiTag. I'll be reviewing a few of the games and toys I saw there over the next couple of weeks (just in time for Channukah (and that other CH holiday!)
It was fantastic! The acting, set design, puppet design, and directing all worked together perfectly to create a stunning evening of theatre. And, if you are a persistent reader of this blog, you know I don't say that often.
The show is based on the best-selling kid's book, written by Newberry award winner Kate DiCamillo. When I read the synopsis (about a dapper rabbit that gets lost at sea, goes through multiple owners, and finally finds himself) I was a little concerned that the storyline would be sacharine or sentimental. In the very capable hands of director Stuart Carden, all of the elements of the show move together into a non-sentimental and often very emotional (and at times very funny) show.
The show moves along nicely, and while its story is itself easily graspable, the enacting of it is done masterfully.
Enough can not be said about the 4 actors that portray all of the characters who Edward encounters. All of them play musical instruments.
There's lots of puppetry, including shadow puppets. They move very well. They act with their whole bodies and their whole voices at the same time. They differentiate their many characters beautifully, using dialect primarily, and sheer acting chops. Special shout out to Patrick Budde, who plays the voice of Edward Tulane, starting out as a total narcissistic priss that ends up growing on you, and you end up cheering for him as he learns some very hard lessons. Also a shout out to Melanie Brezill, whose death scene was stunningly acted.
But everybody was really great, and deserves mention. Jessie Fisher acted as the narrator and engaged the audience, drawing us in (and her evil-eye grandmother who gets disappointed in Edward) is hilarious. And Kelvin Roston Jr played the kind natured hobo so simply and well.
I also want to call out to the props designer, who designed a lot of the puppets (but not Edward) Her quilted dog puppet, operated by a bunraku style puppeteer in full view of the audience, was a huge hit. The whole design staff and the director also did a great job.
Basically, I can't say enough good things about this show. From my perspective, it was a complete home run. You should definitely see it, even if you don't have any kids. My 7 year old was enthralled. (There are a couple of heavy death scenes, but its okay to hold your kids hand in the theatre)
The show is playing at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast 1016 N. Dearborn Street, and will run through November 15. (And hopefully there will be an extension!)
If you want to read the book, see the link to the right. The book also has a website: http://www.edwardtulane.com/. It has some great video excerpts talking with the author and the illustrator about the process of writing the book, as well as a great Teacher's guide to the book, which will be useful in talking to students about the show.
I've been admirers of Andrew & Polly's work for some time. I hear them a lot on Kid's Place Live, and their work is kooky, fun, and original. I just got a hold of their new album Odds & Ends, and it collects a lot of the songs that I've heard over the last year.
Andrew Barkan and Polly Hall are a married couple that live in Los Angeles, where they work and perform. Andrew, originally from San Francisco, has been instrumental (yes, I meant that pun!) in all kinds of film music and scoring, working on the Smurfs movie, and has composed the scores for over 30 independent films.
Polly, originally from Arkansas, co-founded a music for interactive company in Brooklyn, holds an MA in Computer Music from Brown University, and is a former Suzuki violinist. Together, they have written music for Nickolodeon, lots of commercials, and they won the 2012 ASCAP Foundation Joe Raposo Childrens' Music Award for their first album Up and At' Em!
There's a great interview with them on ZooGlobble, where you can find out that among other things, they are parents of an 18 month old, that they met in college where they both sang for A Cappella groups, and that they lived in Providence in 2006 when I was doing Bright Night. I would have totally hired them for the New Year's Eve Festival, if I had known about them then!
Zooglobble, by the way, is a great resource for all things Kindie music. You should definitely be reading it!
The albumOdds & Ends is a collection of songs that they've written over the last 5 years. I've heard a few of them over the last couple of years. for a few years on Kids Place Live. They do really delightful cover versions of Ghostbusters, the Beatles song Here Comes The Sun, and the Dylan song Forever Young.
But it's their original songs that are the real winners. I especially liked their song Grapes, which has a Laurie Anderson meets kid's music kind of feel, with a lot of talking/story. It's funny and quirky and weird, and most importantly it's catchy. It caught my attention, anyway.
Most of their original songs are like that.
Here's the song Grapes on Youtube:
The album came out on Friday (although it apparently previewed in Los Angeles at a 1 year old's birthday party!) Awesome party favor!
Other than the album, their latest project together is a cool podcast for kids called EarSnacks. It's for kids, featuring kids, and has lots of interactive features, questions, and just some wacky stuff. Their latest episode is about all kinds of Balls (get your mind out of the gutter!) They play sounds of different bouncing balls, talk about boogers, which leads to a discussion of atoms, planets, and just about everything else. It's a fun hang out session with them. They produce a new podcast once a month or so. (And I believe it also airs on KPL.)
We had the opportunity to see Cirque du Soleil's new show Kurios at the United Center last week, and it was really wonderful. It may be the best Cirque show I've seen. (and I've seen 10 or 11 Cirque shows over the last 15 years so I am speaking with a certain amount of expertise.)
Based on the idea of a nineteenth century curio cabinet (also known as a Cabinet of Wonder), the show transports the audience to a fantastical world where time seems to stop and just about anything can happen. The curio cabinet is stocked with exotic and interesting performers who can do all sorts of things that will amaze, astound, and entertain the audience.
Mr. Microcosmos and his amazing suit. Here, one of the tiniest performers
(Ms Lil) is inhabiting the world inside his costume. Photo by Martin Girard
As with just about every Cirque show, the tent, costumes, and makeup are all great. And the individual circus performers were all marvelous. This show has sort of a steampunky feel, and you say that in the costumes, and some of the gadgets, gizmos, and costumes that the performers use. There are more props in this show than in any other Cirque du Soleil show, and some of them are wonderful. I'm thinking specifically of two costumes, an accordion costume that seems to get longer and grow as need be, and an amazing suit that contains worlds within it.
Poetry, virtuosity, and simplicity in the
Theatre of Hands act.
One of my favorite acts in the show is a hand puppet act. Using just their hands and a video camera/projector (projecting onto a hot air balloon), the performers create the illusion of larger performers doing skateboard and hip hop dance tricks that look nearly impossible and very lifelike. They then move their setup into the audience, playing and improvising with a couple of audience members in a way that was just amazing. Part of why I loved this so much is that it was something so small and delicate that they figured out a way to play to the thousand people in the tent, and part of it was just their incredible virtuosity in performance. (And the fact that it wasn't a typical circus act also helped.)
Traditional circus acts performed with breath-taking virtuosity were also in abundance, including some amazing contortionists, a trapeze trampoline act that allowed the jumper to hurtle 40 feet in the air on each jump, and a stunning duo bungee straps act performed by two men filled with equal amounts of strength and grace. The clowns of the show were also quite good, and brought a good amount of surprise and laughter to the two pieces, including an invisible circus where the props come to life, and a seduction piece where the performer brings someone on to the stage to seduce them, but keeps on getting distracted.
There was also a rola bola act, an amazing yo-yo performer, and a lot of other jaw-dropping stuff.
The show moves to California in October, so you've got a few more weeks to see the show in Chicago before it must close. Don't miss it!
Our family (including the Bear) went to go see Carousel at the Lyric Opera at a recent matinee. It's playing until May 3, so there's still plenty of chances to see it.
The show features a number of Broadway and film stars, including Steve Pasquale (Rescue Me and The Good Wife), Laura Osnes (Cinderella, Grease, South Pacific and Bonnie and Clyde, all on Broadway), Tony Roberts (many Woody Allen films, Promises Promises and Xanadu on Broadway)
There's been some speculation that the show might transfer to Broadway, primarily because of the amount of talent that is in the show. It's like a Broadway tryout but from the Lyric!
Carousel has several moments that feel like a circus.
The show is strong, the musical performances and acting are very good, but it's a strange story which takes a weird twist in the middle.
If you are not familiar with the story, here's a simplified outline.
Rough-hewn but handsome carnival barker Billy Bigelow (Pasquale) meets a factory girl Julie Jordan (Laura Osnes). He loves her at first sight but refuses to admit it. She loves him at first sight, even though meeting with him will ruin her reputation and lose her job. She does it anyway. Because he's sleeping with the Carousel owner, he ends up losing his job too.
They move in together/get married, and several months later, Billy is a drunk who beats his wife and hangs out with criminals. Julie is stalwart in her love and stands by Billy even when he treats her like dirt. His friend Jigger asks him to rob Julie's former boss, the mill owner with him. At first Billy refuses (he's not quite a criminal yet and is having some moral qualms) but then he finds out that Julie is pregnant. Here's where he makes a couple of epic bad decisions.
EPIC BAD DECISION #1: To save his baby, he agrees to rob the mill owner. In the process, the mill owner pulls a gun, shoots Jigger, and has Billy cornered on the roof. And then it's revealed the mill owner didn't even have the money on him. Proving once again, crime does not pay.
EPIC BAD DECISION #2: Rather than turning himself in, he decides to stab himself.
So far, the story has been clearly in the melodrama camp -- but here's where it gets weird.
Billy dies, and ascends to the backdoor of Heaven, where he meets the Star Catcher, who gives him another chance to get into heaven if he can do some good by visiting Earth once again. He decides to take the opportunity and meets his daughter, now 15 years of age, although 15 minutes have passed, since Heaven and Earth work on different time scales. He talks to her but it doesn't seem to do enough, and it looks like he's going down. He asks for an extension and gets it, ending up at her high school graduation. At the graduation, he sees Julie and somehow manages to tell her he loved her. And this act is apparently enough to get into heaven because that's the end of the story!
The musical is based on an obscure play by Ferenc Molnar called Lilliom, and there's a reason why it's obscure. The show changes gears mid-stream. Still, the music is good, and there are several classic songs you will undoubtedly recognize.
I'm not sure how I feel about the story, which seems to set an absurdly low bar for heaven (saying I love you once!) and glorifies a wife-beater and criminal. Still, I thought the performances by the stars were great, and special kudos to Charlotte D'Amboise, who is part of the D'Amboise clan of Broadway royalty. She plays the owner of the Carousel Mrs. Mullin and is the mom of Kelly D'Amboise, who is the director of the Riverdale Y's dance company, where the bear took tap dance classes!
I also very much appreciated some of the comic relief, which was very well done. The characters who played Enoch and Carrie (Julie's best friend) were pretty flawless.
I think this production could transfer successfully to Broadway, as its a classic, its well done, and it has tons of star talent. The show could stand to tighten up 30 minutes (it's almost 3 hours now) Also, the Lyric has a ton of people in this show, and it will have to have a chorus of 6, not 25!
In retrospect, I'm not sure that it was 100% appropriate for our 6-year-old bear. He seemed to enjoy it, but there were a couple of sexual innuendo scenes that went over his head and a couple of violence scenes that I'd have preferred he didn't see. But he did say he liked it, and he sat quietly throughout. (Of course, he's seen about 50 plays or shows, and knows how to be a great audience member. Not sure if every kid could do the same.) I'd say 10 and over is probably best for this show.
The only thing I wasn't 100% on was the video screens.
