Spanning the North Shore. We bring you the Wide Wide World of Holiday Shows. There are dozens of other great shows to see but we are suggesting 5 that have that “Ageless,” sensibility. You go to one of these shows and your friends will say, “that sounds so cool.” And you answer, “cool and the Gang.”
Latino Opera Hour presents “Home For the Holidays” With Luis Antonio Galvez and Roy Cornelius Smith.
Luis
You’ve heard of the Three Tenors. You may have heard of Three Mo Tenors. There are (is) also The Ten Tenors. We’ve got Two Tenors on the North Shore that your will be raving about.
Roy
A native of Lima, Peru, Luis Antonio Gálvez possesses a dark, full-bodied lyric voice. Gálvez has become one of the most sought after tenors in the Chicago area and was recently invited to perform at the Vatican in Rome. The Vatican! Give him a listen. Luis Antonio Galvez on-line.
How about Roy Cornelius Smith? Click here for his audio and video clips. When Smith sang the role of Calaf in Turandot, Musical America said: “Just when you think they don’t make ’em like they used to, along comes Roy Cornelius Smith as Calaf to send you back to the Golden Age for comparisons.”
Sunday December 13@ 7:00, Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door
Skokie Theatre, 7924 N. Lincoln Avenue, Skokie
“A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant.”
Here is the set-up. The characters, played by very talented North Shore kids, gather on a cold winter night to rejoice in telling the story of L. Ron Hubbard. They sing “Hey! It’s a Happy Day!” A narrator notes: “Today we relate the life of L. Ron Hubbard: Teacher, author, explorer, atomic physicist, nautical engineer, choreographer, horticulturist, and father of Scientology!” Hubbard is born in a nativity scene, surrounded by parents and barnyard animals, as an angel proclaims, “Billions of years of evolution had climaxed with his birth.”
Nice. The young actors play the parts of Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley, John Travolta, and L. Ron Hubbard himself. And others from the odd world of Scientology, including Prince Xenu who came to earth 75 million years ago…(that’s what it says in Wikipedia)
Our friends who saw it last year at the Red Orchid said it was a hoot.
December 5 through January 3. $15 Previews, $20-25 regular run. For more info go to the Next Theatre web site.
Next Theatre Company: Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, 847-475-1875 x2.
BURLESQUE AT THE METTE! HOLIDAY SHOW!
“Oh, by gosh, by golly
It’s time for mistletoe and….Salome Slaughter, Ms. Bea Haven, and Red Hot Annie!
And many more sexy, talented ladies at this one-of-a-kind (especially in Wilmette) holiday show. Celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, maybe even Festivus!
Red Hot Annie (photo by Brian James)
Hosted by comedian Greg Mills, this is a 21 and over event. Beer and wine will be sold.
And if that’s not enough, you can experience the alluring Plucky Rosenthal. Quoth Ms. Rosenthal, “I was born with a banjo in one hand – and a BANJO in the other!” Enjoy “this Jewish-American banjeuse and ukulady” as Rosenthal waffles between original songs and archaically dated pop hits and of “today, yesterday, and to-yesterday.” (Check out her myspace page and take a listen.)
Friday, December 11th @ 9:45 pm, All tickets $18.00. The Wilmette Theatre, 1122 Central Ave., Wilmette. Theatre Office 847.251.7424
THE KLEZMATICS: “Woody Guthrie’s Happy Joyous Hanukkah!”
Illustration by Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie’s first wife Marjorie was the daughter of Yiddish poet and songwriter Aliza Greenblatt. In the 1940′s, Woody lived in Coney Island across the street from Mrs. Greenblatt or “Bubbie.” Woody created many artworks to illustrate her poetry and lyrics that were published in Yiddish. Along the way, Woody became involved with the Coney Island Jewish community and was inspired to write songs about Hanukkah, Jewish history and spiritual life.
After Woody’s death in 1967, the songs sat forgotten in archives for decades. But in 1998 the songs were discovered by Woody’s daughter, Nora Guthrie, and she asked the Klezmatics to write new music for the lyrics.
The result, “Woody Guthrie’s Happy Joyous Hanukkah,” intermingles Klezmer music with American folk and bluegrass. Want some new Hanukkah tunes? How about Hanuka’s Flame, Hanuka Gelt, Spin Dreydl Spin,and (Do the) Latke Flip-Flip.”
You don’t believe me, listen to Woody himself.
You want more. I know it.
Saturday, December 19, 2009 @8:00. All tickets $48.00
Centre East, 9501 Skokie Blvd. Skokie, IL 60077. Box Office (847) 673-6300
Duke it Out! “Ellington vs. Tchaikovsky” at the Music Institute of Chicago
In 1960, Duke Ellington recorded, “Three Suites” an album that includes The Nutcracker Suite of Tchaikovsky, Peer Gynt (by Edvard Grieg), and the Duke’s own Suite Thursday. Take a listen. No charge. Click here.
It’s not a jazz version of an old classic. It’s one great composer re-imaging the work of another. Now add Dance Chicago and a special guest soloist from the Moscow Ballet as they perform Classical and Jazz versions of this holiday classic. Music by Axiom Brass & Quintet Attacca
This special children’s program is FREE.
Bring your kids or your grandchildren or both.
Saturday, December 12@ 10:00 AM
Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston
Thanks for the greet article. I love reading it!
spiritual life is really more important than our earthly life’,~
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