Chicago Music and Theater

JULY SIZZLES WITH SUMMER MUSIC AND THEATER​​​​

 

Following is a look both forward and back to some of the best Chicagoland music and theater.

 

CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AT RAVINIA: Since 1936, the CSO has played regularly at Ravinia, and they begin their six-week summer residency on July 11 in the new Hunter Pavillion with Marin Alsop conducting a program including Ravel’s Piano Concerto with pianist Yunchan Lim.

 

On July 16 and 18, James Conlon conducts semi-staged performances of Mozart’s comic opera “The Abduction from the Seraglio.” On July 23, Alsop conducts Mahler’s mighty and challenging Symphony No. 6. CSO Music Director Klaus Makkela makes his Ravinia debut Aug. 6 and 8 with programs including Siblius, Stravinsky’s “Firebird,” and Richard Strauss’s “An Alpine Symphony.” Visit Ravinia.org. (847) 266-5000.

 

GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL: The new Grant Park Symphony Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero began Opening Night of the beloved festival with Joan Tower’s thought-provoking, 13-minute one-movement fantasia on “America the Beautiful” called “Made in America.” The much-admired Tower at age 88 is still teaching at Bard College.

 

Then Leonard Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances from ‘West Side Story’” held the audience spellbound. You had be thinking of words beyond “great” or “genius” to describe Bernstein’s extraordinary abilities.

 

Aaron Copland was an influential teacher of Bernstein, and he too of course is considered one of America’s most distinguished composers. When Guerrero conducted Coland’s epic Symphony No.3 on Saturday night, you had to wonder if this might be America’s greatest symphony.

 

That program opened with Indian-American composer Reena Esmail’s most interesting “Black Iris,” which combines Indian musical forms with Western ones to express deep personal feelings.

 

Then the virtuoso pianist Stewart Goodyear won a standing ovation with his amazing performance of Prokofiev’s fiendishly demanding Piano Concerto No. 3.

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July Festival highlights should include Carlos Kalmar leading the Sibelius Symphony No. 2 July 8; Leonard Slatkin conducting Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 July 10 and 111; and a big Broadway Night July 21 and 23. Visit GPMF.ORG. (312) 742-7647.

 

THE JOFFREY BALLET thrilled audiences with knockout performances of “Eugene Onegin.” Based on a story by Pushkin, “Onegin” became a famous opera by Tchaikovsky. I had wondered if they would dance to that score, but I was surprised and instantly won over by the gorgeous romantic score by Ilya Demutsky, with Scott Speck leading the Lyric Opera Orchestra. The choreography by Yuri Possokhov is stunning, and the brilliant dancing so skillfully blends the old and the new.

 

Joffrey is now gearing up for their September show “Liliom,” dance to the music of Michel Legrand. Joffrey.org.

 

ASHTON REP THEATER: Ann Chekhov was a Russian doctor who only lived to be 44. Today he is considered one of the greatest modern playwrights, and his “Uncle Vanya” is receiving its U.S. premiere in a colloquial adaptation by Liisa Repo-Martel, directed by Derek Bertelen.

 

I especially liked the performances of Natalie Hurdle as Sonya, Robert Tobin as the doctor, and Liz Cloud as Marina. Lovers of Chekhov can check this one out through July 5 at the Edge Off-Broadway Theater, 1138 W. Catalpa Ave. www.ashtonrep.com (312) 620-4583.

 

SECOND CITY ETC: While Second City’s “Pandemonium!” is going strong, their resident cabaret-style e.t.c. (which stands for Second City’s other theater) serves as an experimental proving ground for top talent.

 

The up-close 200-seat theater, in which people can purchase food and drink, features improvisation and audience input, so no two shows are alike. Their 50th review, Improv Supernova, runs 90-minutes. 230 W. North Avenue. Visit secondcity.com (312) 337-3992.

 

WRITER’S THEATER’s production of Tom Stoppard’s “Leopoldstadt,” with 475 costumes and which cost more than a million dollars to produce, runs through July 19, at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. writerstheatre.org. (847) 242- 6000