Frank Brichetto

Chicago Correspondent

The weather has been so off kilter recently; it’s been far too warm, mostly, then there’s a sudden chill that threatens the buds and flowers. We will just have to keep our eyes on the skies (and weather reports) while we adventure forth this month. Please remember that many of our activities require advance reservations, so please go to the appropriate websites and keep your tickets handy.

We have another month with quite the full schedule, starting right off tonight, Friday, April 5^th, at the Harris Theater, www.harristheaterchicago.org, 205 E. Randolph. We’re here to attend the Spring performance of Giordano Dance Chicago. This is their 61^st season, and they are calling it UNLIMITED. These amazing dancers are always at the top of their game. This is Season 61, and the company promises to take us “to the edge of expectation, continuing to push the boundaries of jazz dance.” The program features “Gershwin in B” a one act World Premiere by Al Blackstone, and “unconditional” a pas de deux by Adam Houston. These magnificent dancers are always so delightful, aren’t they? The fluid, elegant grace which they all poses, making those incredible moves seem so effortless – isn’t it all just astounding?

Whew! That was fabulous! We’re exhausted just from trying to take it all in. See you tomorrow.

It’s Saturday, April 6^th, the famous Biograph Theater, 2433 N Lincoln Ave., https://victorygardens.org/,   has reopened, and we need to go.  Meet us at “Galit”, 2429 N Lincoln Ave., www.galitrestaurant.com, for an early dinner, about 5:30pm. Galit won a Michelin star in 2023, and it’s no wonder. Look at this menu: four courses, with all these selections, and we get to share. There’s hummus, salatim and mezze, classic Near and Mid-Eastern small plate shareable delights. Yes, pick some; they even have sunchokes with gribenes – here, see, crispy bits of chicken skin sauteed with onions. Mmmm, yes, the taste is even better than the smell.

For the main course I’m having the walleye with leeks and latke. I know you love pastrami, how is yours? Yes, it’s all just fabulous, isn’t it?  We haven’t even gotten to the desserts yet. Oh boy, phyllo pie, for me with apples and walnuts, and I’m really enjoying sipping the sahleb drink. Genuinely tasty treats, all around, agreed?

On to the theater! Tonight, we’re seeing “BILL W. and Dr. BOB” https://billwanddrbobonstage.com/. It tells a condensed version of the individual circumstances, life-changing events, and seemingly random coincidences that brought these two self-admitted drunks together. Their friendship got them through their struggles with alcohol, and together they formed what became Alcoholics Anonymous. Our show starts at 7:30; we’re on time, so let’s find our seats.

We’re watching intently as a cast of six bring this story to life with skill, grace, and emotional authenticity. This small, spare stage really lets the actors shine through the story, doesn’t it? They are bringing us right into the characters’ lives in a way that larger theaters (or any movie ever) cannot equal. They both stayed married, despite the financial difficulties and huge emotional stresses, even though the recovery process, as they developed the AA program and continued to spread the word; that, by itself, is amazing. The characters also have a lot of good-natured humor. It’s easy to relate to each of them.

This has been great. Hey, tell all your friends- this play is not just for people struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction; it’s emotionally gripping and quite inspiring.

Remember to take this Friday off of work; we’ve got another adventure planned.

This morning, April 12^th, is Free Friday at the Illinois Holocaust Museum, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie, www.ilholocaustmuseum.org. Let’s get together about 10:30am, and we’ll take in a new exhibit: “I’ll Have What She’s Having”: The Jewish Deli. A good Jewish deli (is there a such a thing as a bad Jewish deli?), is one of the most delightful places to buy food. It has also served as the focal point of neighborhoods around the country for over a century. Look how Jewish immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe brought their traditions with them; in America they adapted their traditions to their new home, and in the process created a singularly American restaurant.  Not only has the local deli provided connection and support for Jewish refugees, particularly Holocaust survivors, it’s also become a recognizable cornerstone of American food culture,

Over here, by these neon signs, there are displays of photographs, menus, advertisements, even some TV and film clips. Now we get to make our own deli memories – see these photo op stations? Smile!

Are we hungry yet? We’re in luck, the Museum’s cafeteria is loaded with authentic deli sandwiches, matzoh ball soup, cookies, and more from Once Upon A Bagel, a great, family-owned deli in Wilmette. I’m going to eat too much and I don’t care. Yes, to the big pastrami sandwich, yes to the soup and even to the cookie. Isn’t it wonderful?

Now let’s look through another newer exhibit. Its’ called Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II. What is all this? Inflatable tanks and cannons? Phony US generals? Look at all this! Did you know anything about the top-secret U.S. Army’s 23rd Headquarters Special Troops? Me neither. let’s read up on this “Ghost Army,” their 82 officers and 1,023 artists, engineers, professional soldiers, and draftees. It seems they really helped win the war by pretending to be two whole divisions totaling 30,000 soldiers. I’ll bet that kept the German military rolling men, equipment, and lots of munitions around empty territory, while bigger campaigns were launched elsewhere. HA! And they did it all with nothing heavier than .50 caliber Browning machine guns. The Allies kept all this secret – the first mobile, multimedia, tactical deception unit in U.S. Army history – saving thousands of lives and playing an important part in the Allied victory in World War II.

They were active throughout the war, and kept secret for over 50 years. Holy cow! Don’t you truly enjoy learning this kind history?

It’s time for something a little different, so today, Sunday, April 14^th, let’s go to the MAC, McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Ave., Glen Ellen, just before 2pm. The New Philharmonic is featuring classical pianist Wael Farouk with Brahms’ Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 on the program. The concert starts at 3:00pm, and there’s a free MAC Chat at 2:00pm that we can attend to learn more about the music and musicians.

Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 is a work for piano and orchestra that premiered in 1859.  His Piano Concerto No. 2 had its premiere 22 years later. It’s frequently described as colossal, while Brahms himself, gave this tongue-in-cheek description: “… a very small piano concerto with a very small and pretty scherzo.”

Born with disabilities in both hands, he nevertheless has proved himself to be among the world’s accomplished pianists. Dr. Nash Naam, the President of the American Association of Hand Surgery, learned of his challenges, approached Farouk, and in 2022, Farouk delivered the lecture “My Perfect Hands” to members of the American Association of Hand Surgery, to help them better work with children with unusual hand conditions.

He is a teacher as well as concert pianist, and now he’s using virtual technology in his classes, providing lessons to students in places such as Nigeria, Egypt and Ukraine. Currently he is on the piano faculty at his alma mater, the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

Today, Saturday, April 20^th, join us at the Auditorium Theater, 50 E Ida B Wells Dr.,  https://auditoriumtheatre.org, for the 1:00pm show from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, https://www.alvinailey.org. The company is bringing works to the stage by new boundary-busting choreographers, so this will be an excellent show. Today’s program is bringing four new works to the stage: Me, Myself, and You by Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish (Midwest Premiere), Solo by Hans van Manen, Following The Subtle Current Upstream by Alonzo King, and CENTURY by Amy Hall Garner (Midwest Premiere). Let’s find our seats.

Modern dance is always thrilling, and this famous company is fabulous, aren’t they? The music is particularly rhythmic, and the dancers exceptionally fluid. Did you see the entire group leap and jump simultaneously? WOW! When we talk to our friends, how will we describe what we’re watching? It’s all so superlative, I don’t know where to begin. Well, we’ve got a whole week to talk about it at work. We’ll see you on Friday.

How about some live music tonight after work? It’s Friday, April 26^th, and about time we visited The Sanctuary, a space within Epiphany Center for the Arts, https://epiphanychi.com, 201 S. Ashland Ave., where the doors open at 5:00pm, and we can indulge in some “light bites” and a nice drink after a long work week.

It’s also Free Blues Friday, and the Freddie Dixon Blues Band, https://freddiedixonbluesband.com, will be up on stage in just a bit. Freddie Dixon, the second son of Blues legend Willie Dixon, leads a powerful and energetic group.  Their music is popular with multi-generational blues lovers as well as blues newcomers. Listen up, this is really good Blues. It rocks, it peers into your soul, and for me it’s deeply inspiring. Yeah, I’m moving and dancing while they are playing. You are too!

The month is over and we’re not done yet. Let’s finish our adventures today, Sunday, May 5^th, with another trip to the MAC, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, www.atthemac.org, where we’ll take our seats and view the World Premiere of “Into the Earth with You” by Brian Watkins. The program tells us:       Granddad is gone. No elegies. No dirges. It all goes in the grave. But his three

granddaughters cannot forget what is buried. When an impossible discovery upends

their notions of loss, it has them asking, “who among us has been digging?”

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble is just full of great actors and directors, and doesn’t it show on stage now? The turns of events, the emotional intensity of the actors, and who ever heard of a “dramedy” with a ghost? Wow, this is great.

Friends and readers, the month is over, Spring is in full swing, even the air seems fresher somehow. Until next month, keep up your own adventures.