Book of Mormon - the musical

The Book of Mormon has received substantial publicity (positive and negative) since it opened on Broadway in 2011.  I attended the Chicago company's production of the show which has been running for several months.  The show has colorful language, questions belief and unbelief, reinforces and exploits stereotypes, stretches reality, and more.  It is ultimately a well-crafted and entertaining show.

 

Big Fish - the musical

The world premier of Big Fish, the musical, is in Chicago before it moves to Broadway.  The musical is based on the movie and the book of the same name.

Big Fish centers on Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest... and then some!  Edward's incredible, larger-than-life stories thrill everyone around him - most of all, his devoted wife, Sandra.  But their son, Will, about to have a child of his own, is determined to find the truth behind his father's epic tales.

This was the third show I've seen in the past year (following Kinky Boots and Catch Me If You Can) that explored father-son relationships.  In the end father and son reconcile and the son comes to better understand his father and continues the tradition or "big fish" stories with his own son.  This show is headed for Broadway.  I'm not sure if it will have long-lasting success.  The music was good but not completely memorable.  The actors did an excellent job but the material isn't compelling to me.  There are some interesting sets such as the pit being "filled" with water.  Time will tell whether or not this show will be little more than a memory from 2013.

Catch Me If You Can

Having seen the musical Catch Me if you Can on Broadway in New York, I wasn't sure if I would see it when a touring production came to Chicago.  However, a cheap ticket persuaded me to head out for the evening.  The show is based on the book and movie of the same.  It follows the story of Frank Abagnale, Jr. who impersonates airline pilots, doctors, lawyers, and more while scamming and scheming to get rich and have fun.  In the end FBI agent Hanratty catches up with him.  In the real-life version of the story, Frank goes on to work for the FBI after he is released from prison.  Few people knew better than he did how to get around the law!  The show is filled with catchy melodies eye-catching choreography.  The clip below is a performance from the 2011 Tony Awards.

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

A colleague said this show was not to be missed!  So, I got a cheap ticket and headed over to see it.  Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, is an over-the-top visual and musical spectacular with a thin plot and plenty of familiar tunes.  Incidentally, the lead actor of this Broadway touring show was someone I had seen perform in several region theater productions when I lived in Portland.

This outrageously fun show tells the uplifting story of a trio of friends, on a road trip of a lifetime, who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship in the middle of the Australian outback and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed.

Too Hot to Handel

A few years ago I had tickets to Too Hot to Handel, a jazz-gospel version of Handel's Messiah.  At that time, I couldn't attend because I was out of town for work.  This year I took advantage of my proximity to the theatre and attended the concert!  I was not disappointed.  The original Handel's Messiah puts me to sleep but this one kept me awake throughout.  The music is based on the original, keeping the same text and structure, but it done in with a jazz and gospel flair.  I'm not sure I will need to attend every year, but it is something to experience at least once!  Get an extended sample from the clip below.

Kinky Boots

Kinky Boots is making it's world premier in Chicago before moving to Broadway.  The show is written by Broadway veteran Harvey Fierstein with music buy Broadway novice (but pop music veteran) Cyndi Lauper.  It is an adaptation of the film of the same name which was based on a true story.  The show comes across as a hybrid of Billy Elliot (setting in working-class Britain) and Priscilla (colorful spectacle).

Charlie Price has suddenly inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola. A fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos, Lola turns out to be the one person who can help Charlie become the man he’s meant to be. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible… and discovers that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world.

The show is headed to Broadway and I predict it will be well-received in New York.  The show is playful, but touching; colorful and light, but with heart.  I think it will be a hit!  I saw it toward the end of the tryouts and Chicago run so I'm not sure where it started.  Since it was a new musical and Chicago was the time to get it ready for Broadway, I read that some substantial changes were made during the process.  It seems to hold together well although comes across as a bit didactic and preachy as it struggles to come to an end without leaving any loose ends hanging.

Indonesia

Facts about Indonesia 

• Archipelago comprising approximately 17,508 islands (about 6,000 uninhabited)
• Home to over 238 million people (world's 4th most populous country)
• Capital city:  Jakarta (population over 10 million)
• Dutch colony for over 350 years (Independence in 1940s)
• Drives on the left
• World's largest majority Muslim country
• Currency:  Rupiah (~9400 IDR = 1 USD)
• Strattles the equator (between latitudes 11°S and 6°N, longitudes 95°E and 141°E)
• Official Language:  Bahasa Indonesian (form of Malay)

EVA Airlines

EVA AIR (長榮航空) is an airline based in Taiwan.   They serve over 40 international destinations on 4 continents.  I was satisfied with my flight although we were one hour late in departing from SFO.  I slept most of the hour so it didn't affect me much.  There was plenty of on-board entertainment (movies, games, music) to choose from on the personal seat-back screen.  Service was great with plenty of food, snacks, and refreshments.

EVA Boeing 747

Dinner is served:  salad, fruit, chicken and rice, vegetables, roll, cake

Breakfast is servied:  croissant, fruit, yogurt, sausage, eggs, potatoes

Lunch is served:  salad, fruit, chicken and rice, vegetables, roll, mushroom jello

All the Broken Pieces

Ann E. Burg, the author of All the Broken Pieces, visited a local middle school to visit with the students and teachers.  The whole school (and the broader community) had adopted this book for a community-wide reading program.  It was interesting to hear from the author on her writing process, the origins of the book, and her future writing plans.

This book was a quick read, but also a good read that kept me wanting to know more.  Unusual for a book written for students in the middle grades, the entire book is written in verse (like an extended poem).  In addition to a good story, the cover is very attractive and each page is also attractive given the shape of the lines and the demarcations indicating the end of thoughts or sections.  I would strongly recommend this book to teenagers and adults!

Ordeal by Cheque

Here is a story told with several checks.  Click on the link...  What do you think happened?  What is the story behind this series of checks?

A Long Way from Chicago

I'm taking a class for state teacher certification.  Among other assignments, we are to read kids' books.  One that I chose was A Long Way from Chicago (Richard Peck, 2004).  One reason I was intrigued by this book was its setting in Central Illinois.  The author grew up in Decatur, IL, so he is writing about an area familiar to him.

A Long Way from Chicago describes annual summer visits Joey Dowdel and his sister Mary Alice make to their grandma's home "downstate".  Each chapter chronicles events of the summer from 1929 to 1942 when the siblings are away from their home and parents in Chicago and living with feisty Grandma Dowdel.  At times Grandma engages in more shenanigans than the kids!  The chapters are like short stories and are engaging although, at times, a bit hokey.  The reviewer in this video is more optimistic about the book than I was when reading it.

Hot Club of San Francisco

You just have to tap your foot to the music performed by HCSF! The group gets musical inspiration from Django Reinhardt and French gypsy jazz.

All I want for Christmas is a real good tan

Not sure how much sun I'll get, but I'm going to enjoy Christmas in the Caribbean again this year.

Blind Boys of Alambama

I attended a concert given by The Blind Boys of Alabama.  They gave a good performance and had the crowd on their feet by the end of the show.  The group has performed for over 60 years (although some of the personnel has changed).  The clip below was filmed elsewhere but it gives a taste of their music.

Sara & Sean Watkins

Sara & Sean Watkins, originally of Nickel Creek fame, were the special guests of the Blind Boys of Alabama.  The played several songs during the concert.