An R-Rated Rydell

These days, you may be more likely to forget the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner before forgetting the lyrics to your favorite song from the classic musical Grease. It's certainly hard to imagine anyone living in America who's never at least seen the 1978 film version starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. Grease is also perhaps the most often produced musical of the past fifty years, so whenever a theater company decides to mount it once again, audiences come with expectations. The American Theater Company in Chicago concludes its twenty-sixth season with The Original Grease, a new production of an old script written by two Chicago natives Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.

Chicago and Grease have an interesting history together. In early 1970, two emerging actors started composing a musical based on their teenage years living on the Northwest Side of Chicago, set to the music of the 1950s. After the artistic director of the former Kingston Mines Theatre heard some of the catchy songs Jacobs and Casey had penned, she decided to give their show a one-weekend run in her season. In January 1971, Grease opened and was a smash hit in Chicago and ran for another eight months. This original production of Grease was much edgier than even the Broadway script we know today. In fact, it was a hardly a musical at all, the first production was more like a play with incidental music. A couple of Broadway producers happened to see Grease and decided that with a few changes it would make a great musical. "We took a three-quarter book, one-quarter music show and turned it into a three-quarter music, one-quarter book show," said Jacobs, "Lets make it more about singing and dancing and not so much gang fights." Through several rewrites before its Broadway debut, all of the copious Chicago references were dropped and almost all of the music was rewritten including the number Foster Beach which became Summer Nights. Grease opened on Broadway in 1972 and ran until 1980, and has been revived and toured almost constantly since.

For their revival of Grease, the American Theater Company and Jim Jacobs worked together to restore the original script of that first production in 1971 from drafts that have been held for years in the Harold Washington Library archives. This version is much more reliant on dialogue to tell its story, and there's more story here to tell than what subsequent rewrites filtered out. The relationship between Danny and Sandy is still a large plot thread but considerably less prominent than Rizzo's pregnancy scare which becomes the crux of Act II. Patty Simcox, a character largely excluded from the film is even bigger in this production as her relationship with Danny is much more fleshed out. The characters are much more realistic in their dialogue, chock full of the f-word and other filthy obscenities, initially more true to how Chicago street-kids would have talked in the late 1950s. For instance, when Jan says to Sandy during the pajama party, "If she screws up she can always fix your hair so your ears don't show," the restored text changes it back to, "If she fucks up-." In addition to being more rude and crude, there are some characters that modern Grease enthusiasts won't recognize as they were written out for the Broadway production, Miller for instance is one of the Burger Palace Boys that didn't make the final cut but is fully restored in this version. That's right, before they were T-Birds they were the Burger Palace Boys. The score is another notable change as the new songs written for the Broadway version are replaced with the original rockabilly inspired songs Warren and Casey wrote. You may recognize a few of the reorchestrated numbers, including a much racier version of Greased Lightnin,' but most are exclusive to this production of The Original Grease.

The American Theater Company is surely showing off their budget for this show. Space in this 200-seat theater is limited and ordinarily their sets are minimal, but in this production ATC makes great use of the intimate nature of their auditorium. One would expect that with a feel-good show like Grease that the set would be full of bright colors and hot lights but ATC's artistic team decided to go in the opposite direction. The set is intricate but for the most part pretty dark, using a lot of dark greens and black. Taking the idea of an auto-shop class, the set looks like a garage, complete with the front-end and the back-end of a vintage VW Bug, adorning both sides of the multi-leveled stage. There's also an entire bathroom set constructed above the back of the audience that's only used briefly. The actors use all 360 degrees of the theater with some numbers taking place in the aisles. The set looks authentic and very Grease, though it hardly changes throughout the show, you never have a hard time placing the characters or events because the props are vivid and plentiful. The costumes are another thing done exceedingly well in this production, they're colorful and authentic to 1950s Chicago, you won't find a poodle skirt here, which have become cliched costume choice for Grease throughout the years. Even the Pink Ladies jackets are toned down, accurately showing the working class background being portrayed. Another awesome asset this show has is the live band, inconspicuously tucked away among the set pieces.

The show starts off by unnerving the audience. In the latest revivals and tours, the song Grease written for the film by Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees, has been the opener, but even that is a major change since the original Broadway production. The Original Grease starts with the 50th reunion of Rydell class of 1959 led by age appropriate actress Susan Fay who vamps by selecting random audience members to dance with her on stage. Fay's commitment to this cheeky character make this portion scary for audience members with stage fright. Sandy Dombrowski is played by Kelly Davis Wilson who brings a lot of life to the do-gooder character especially in scenes of conflict between Danny Zucko, but her biggest fault is her operatic voice simply does not fit in with the rock-n-roll sound of Grease and she struggles to find the balance. Rizzo played by Jessica Diaz leads the Pink Ladies but tends to overact her lines in Act I but truly shows her vocal and acting range in Act II during her solo There Are Worse Things I Could Do. The rest of the Ladies are played by Jessie Fisher who takes the character of Frenchy in an adorable and refreshing new direction as well as the sultry-voiced Carol Rose who plays Marty up a bit more to the forefront in her solo Freddy My Love. Jan is hilariously played by Sedieh Rifai. The Pink Ladies are each more distinct than the Burger Palace Boys, underwhelmingly led by Adrian Aguilar as Danny Zucko. Aguilar could have been sexier and more natural. Teen Angel played by Bryan Connor is the biggest miss of the night with his awkward rendition of Beauty School Dropout. There's a lot of energy in this cast and they make it a blast to watch. The ensemble tends to shine the most during group numbers especially in a striking a capella version of We Go Together closing the first act.

The sharp dialogue of The Original Grease is what separates this production from the rest. Occasionally the story gets a little cheesy with the reunion scenes but it's still considerably less saccharine than the film. The story and characters are made much deeper and the play becomes more serious with the sense of a playwright, even Sandy's drastic transformation at the end is much more logical due to a more complex relationship with Rizzo. For as much fun as this R-Rated version is, for those of us who grew up with the movie Grease this production leaves you wanting a little something more. The dance sequence is great as it always is in any production but what is Grease without You're the One that I Want? For one thing, audiences will learn a lot more about the characters they fell in love with in the film but it raises the question, would Grease be as iconic if this script was all we knew of it?

The American Theater Company's production of The Original Grease is well directed by PJ Paparelli and the cast is a lot of fun to watch. The overall theme of this show is that like its characters it doesn’t give a f@*k what you think of it. See what Chicago was like in a simpler time: the 1950s seen from the vantage point of the 1970s. Though this may not look or sound like the Grease you know so well, nevertheless it’s a fascinating look at the first draft of an American classic.

Proof the Arts are Still Breathing in the 2000s

Atonement Ian McEwan (2001)

When a young girl accidently sees something she does not understand, the effects are disastrous. Atonement by Ian McEwan is novel set against the lush backdrop of WWII. This book stands out among the best in the early 2000s because of McEwan's storytelling technique. You may wonder while you're reading why he retells the same instance a few times. The result is a Faulkner-esque telling from multiple vantage points so that when the life changing moment happens the reader knows the truth where as some of the characters do not.

Before the moment where main character Robbie is wrongfully arrested, the novel has a tendency to move slowly though told with beautiful prose. McEwan's prose is unmatched by any other writer working in his sales demographic. From his meticulous descriptions of place and character it's quite evident that Mr. McEwan is a great student of Dickens. Not only does this book recall a witty allusion to Dickens in its prose but also in its sweeping story. A true, old-fashioned romance in the literary sense of the word is what Anchor books offers with this imprint, a tale that crosses from upper class England to the frontline battle of WWII France and all the grizzly details of war. It's clear that McEwan knows his history, and how to use that to play upon reader's heartstrings, and like any great Romance novel there's a twist ending that will blow your mind.

The Squid and the Whale (2005)

In his third feature film, director Noah Baumbach tackles the occasionally overdone subject of divorce. This film is different in its approach to divorce because Baumbach's script is always more about honest characters than theme. What makes these characters so great are their strong roots in the books and movies they enjoy. The father played by Jeff Daniels is a failing writer who constantly asserts his literary opinions over his family including his up-and-coming writer wife played by Laura Linney. The seeds for divorce are slightly planted early on in the film when the two naive children played by Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline, overhear their parents fighting. The movie is short so there is not much prologue before the parents explain their separation in a time where divorce was hardly as prevalent as now. Stylistically Baumbach is channeling the 80s in which his film takes place in both costume and music choices and the result has a Wes Anderson feel, as he lent a hand in the production of this film.

What makes this movie truly excellent is the acting. Daniels is quite a surprise as the aging patriarch. Most remember Daniels from his comedic days of the 1990s but these days you can find him on Broadway and his acting chops are impressive in this film. As always Laura Linney, another Broadway vet steals the show with her honest portrayal of a wife and mother who isn't perfect. Eisenberg is tolerable as Walt, the oldest son but is upstaged by younger actor Owen Kline who plays Frank.

Let it Die- Feist (2004)

Long before she had us counting 1234, Canadian folksinger Leslie Feist released this full length album. It would be unfair to compare her latest album The Reminder with her first U.S. release Let it Die but both albums can easily be included among the best albums of the 2000s. Feist has the ability to swoon you to sleep and get you on your feet dancing. Her crystal clear voice on this album is in a word, classic. When you listen to this album, you get the feeling of a 50s nightclub in Paris. In fact, if you've been to a café in the last ten years, it's likely that you've heard at least one song from this album.

The folksy songs are never angry but convey touching heartbreak in songs like title track Let it Die. Have no fear, the quirky chanteuse will have you smiling as you stroll down the street listening to your iPod with her catchy tune Mushaboom, a song which has become a staple among the indie crowd. Feist does something few international artists do when releasing music in the U.S., she includes a song entirely in French trusting that her voice and music are enough to keep listeners interested and the result is Tout Doucement, which essentially translates to "all gently," which is exactly the feeling this album conveys.

Better Slate than Never

Is there anything better than a new magazine?It's sleek, attractive, cutting edge and hasn't yet had the opportunity to disappoint you with its banalities. Slate.com offers readers real content everyday and surprisingly without all the fluff. This convenient, online news magazine boasts over 30 contributing columnists and writers. Slate also contracts dozens of freelancers, so you're never stuck reading the same ten writers. The magazine was created in 1996 by a division of MSN and Microsoft and was bought by the Washington Post Company in 2004. In 1998, the Website garnered some attention when it attempted to be the first online publication to charge yearly subscription fees. The plan was not a success and Slate has returned its content to free. Since 2008, Slate has been by managed by Slate Group which manages other web-only publications.

This Website is simple in its layout. If you want Arts just hit the the tab and the seven or eight most recent postings come up. The date is April 24th the most recent posting in the Arts is from early this morning. That is up to date. With things constantly going up on this Website you have to wonder are they good or just slapped together for the purpose of upping readership? The content here is pretty solid, none of that dry, textbook voice that can sometimes annoy even the most regular readers of the New York Times. The site offers much more than pop culture. There are additional tabs for News & Politics, Business & Tech, Science, Podcast & Video and Blog. The site loads quickly and without being overburdened with ads. This is a clean Website which blends the hands-on newscasting of 2011 with the old school journalism of years ago, but not without stunning daily photography. It was a pleasant surprise to see all those old Magnum prints adorning the site like seeing old Warner Bros. cartoons late at night.

With today being a holiday and all Slate published a fascinating response to the question why Easter hasn't turned into the commercialism of Christmas. This is an edgier article that you wouldn't see in the front section of any major newspaper because of the demographic of newspaper readers. The author James Martin, supposes that the basic story surrounding Easter is grizzly and hard to not think about where as Christmas' story is about birth and suggests more of a warm and cuddly feeling. He also continues to say that it is on the idea of Christ's return to life that Christians differ from other religions limiting this holiday to only true believers. This article is written with a lot of energy and clever sentences. It never points the finger and never criticizes any religious groups or ideas but clearly forms an opinion on a topical issue. Again, most newspapers are aimed at a suburban audience, where an article like this would almost certainly offend someone. It has a place on Slate because of the interesting nature of their publication.

This news magazine despite being almost twenty years old, is still closer to the direction of modern journalism than any other news source. The articles are fresh, well written and nicely layed out, even the name suggests the kind of cool work Slate produces.

A New Era Continues

2012 may not bring the end of the world, but it certainly may be the end of reality TV. In just the last few years major networks have made great strides to the improve programing rather than rely on all-too-easy reality. Whether these reality replacements are worth watching may be debatable however it’s the effort that should be applauded. On the major networks like ABC and NBC the reality format is even parodied in shows like The Office, and Parks and Recreation, this sort of satirical attack can only mean that Americans no longer want to watch that sort of programing, that we may be bored with the old laugh-track but too smart for wiggly cameras and overblown confessionals. The new sitcom seems to borrow the filmed-on-location look of HBO series and yet keeps the lightheartedness of the sitcom glory days of the 1990s.

ABC premiered a new titled Happy Endings which marks another effort for the network to shy away from dying trends and go back to sitcom roots, a la Modern Family. What this show has to offer is a group of early 30s, Chicagoans dealing with the issues of being single, married and the in-between. The characters are not terribly deep yet, but show the groundwork for development. The pilot opens with a wedding at precisely the moment when Alex, the wife-to-be is to deliver her vows but is interupted by her second thoughts and an unexpected protest. Alex skips the wedding leaving her jaded fiance Dave. Along for the ride are best friends Max, Brad and Penny as well as Alex's settled sister Jane. The rest of the episode finds the friends dealing with Alex and Dave's separation, played by Zachary Knighton and Elisha Cuthbert.

In our PC world this show, akin to other network sitcoms, has its bases covered. There's the openly gay sidekick, Max play by Adam Pally as well as an interacial marriage between Alex's sister Jane and her husband Brad, played by Eliza Coup and Damon Wayans Jr. With distinct characterization this show has the ability to make the characters even more unique as well as flush out compelling and humorous plotlines each week. The show itself is quite funny, the dialogue is fresh however in further episodes the writers would benefit from smoothing out dialogue that occasionally becomes too cluttered.

The acting, while probably not going to garner any emmy nominations, isn't going to offend any ABC fans enough to boycott. Some may remember Casey Wilson from a few seasons back on Saturday Night Live, who's contract was not renewed by the show after her only season. This show could be her second chance at a television career. The actress playing hopelessly single Penny tended to stand out for her comic delivery technique. What this cast will hopefully work on in subsequent episodes is the honest delivery of lines, occasionally the comedy of what the actor was saying was lost in how they were saying it. The show could also keep in mind that the sister characters often look too much alike to be completely distinct, which comes down to wardrobe.

This show is easy to watch in that it's fast paced, funny and a little bit dirty. It's also a show that you won't find yourself lost if you missed last week. The themes are relatable to a vast audience and shouldn't have a problem maintaing a viewership because of its later timeslot of 10 pm. How long can this show last? Well, that's a question for the writers and the talent, how long can any show go for? We've all seen the shows that go on too long and we've all seen the good shows that went off too soon. It’s a little early yet to tell but the rest of the season looks promising.

ABC has truly made a turn around in the past few years with their single-camera, sitcom genre. They may not be throwing in the towel just yet on the overdue Bachelor but Happy Endings is a step in the right direction for the network. What it comes down to is the watchability. For awhile the network struggled with their larger-than-life epic series like Lost and time will only tell what the next genre-of-the-week will be, but for now ABC has a lot of great comedies with a lot of potential.

More than Bricks and Mortar

Victor Hugo once wrote ,"architecture has recorded the great ideas of the human race. Not only every religious symbol, but every human thought has its page in that vast book." Though American architecture is nowhere near as old as Hugo's Paris, it is still an exciting industry. In just the past century America has built it's most notable urban monuments and through preservation they will continue to thrill tourists and citizens. Chicago has always been a city with a taste for iconic buildings, the home of The Seers Tower, The John Hancock, The Bean and now The Aqua.

The art of designing a building can seem like a thankless job. How often do we look at the buildings that are not iconic and think about their history or even their future. America tends to be a culture that has no issue knocking down its history, think of all the stadiums that have come and gone. Even just in the past few years Chicago has considered tearing down one of its most notable creations, Wrigley Field, in order to put a brand new stadium in. Some things so Chicago-centric are not even safe, the L has even faced demolition ideas. To quote Joni Mitchell, "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot." As downtown Chicago continues to modernize and its many diverse neighborhoods become more gentrified, we should consider the trendy architecture verses historical landmarks and what that says about our culture. Aqua is a nice symmetry between artful construction and the demands of Chicago residents thus promoting longevity in an unsentimental culture.

Located just south of the Chicago river, this new building by designer Jeanne Gang is the first skyscraper her firm has created and also the biggest project ever created by a female architect. The building functions as a hotel, office/retail, condo and apartment complex, a hybrid which is a first for downtown Chicago. A big goal for this building is to promote sustainability, which is a major concern in today's market. The terraces were specifically designed to enhance solar shading, energy-efficient lighting and rainwater collection are also important features. The top floor of the building is a green space and the largest in Chicago.

The magnificent design of this building is influenced by its proximity to Lake Michigan. The title is also a reflection of the lake. The building can be seen in its glory from the right bank of the Chicago river in Streeterville. This skyscraper is uniquely distinguishable by it's pattern of recessed terraces, forming a pattern of waves, hence the name Aqua. One could drive right over the Link-Bridge on Lake Shore Drive and completely miss this new addition to the skyline but those fortunate enough to see it in a hazy three o'clock sun will never forget to look for it. The orange light reflecting off the water bathes the white limestone in gold and refracts in the black waves of the Aqua and it's as breathtaking as the Seers Tower on a foggy spring day. Chicago can be proud of its architecture and with new ideas popping up all over the city it's hard to imagine where the future will take it us.

More architectural firms should be following the example of Studio Gang Architects. The mission with this new building is entirely clear. Aqua blends perfectly with the needs of Chicagoans, the taste of the skyline and the necessity remain modern in an ever changing world. Architectural enthusiasts from all over will love this piece of art and residents of Chicago will continue to be enchanted when catching it on a great day. Next time you find yourself cruising down Lake Shore Drive, keep your eye out for Aqua.

Jeff Koons: Art or Smut?

It's been over twenty years since former Art Institute of Chicago student Jeff Koons unveiled his Made in Heaven exhibit in Europe. This infamous collection of work contained sculptures and paintings of the artist engaging in graphic sex with his then porn-star wife. The paintings range from spread-eagle images of his wife to images of sieman dripping from Koons' penis into her mouth. None of the paintings mentioned are actually done with paint but rather, like magazine centerfolds pasted onto canvases. Under medias used it reads: ink and canvas. This leads the discussion to, is this art? And to expand the idea to the bigger argument, what is art?

To compare Koons to Warhol is an insult to Warhol, what Wahol may have lacked in substance he made up for in vivid color, technique, irony and staying-power. This is not to say Jeff Koons is not memorable but is it memorable for the wrong reasons? This emperor has no clothes, quite literally. His work seems to cater to the shallow, American 1980s. His pieces are hardly artful and so tasteless this publication will not reproduce their image. Nudity and sexuality are not the problem in Koons work, it’s the clear lack of technique. Not only does it lack technique but its content is just ridiculous, it's like an X-rated Lisa Frank folder. If art is supposed to mirror life then what kind of life are these pieces mirroring? A late 1980s coke binge? A vintage porno? Or an extremely self-inflated artist.

The artist himself claims there is no hidden meaning behind his work and yet the pieces sold for an alarming amount of money. This all leads back to the question, what is art? Is it art if someone pays millions for "ink on canvas" (even if they can buy essentially the same thing at any newstand for about ten dollars) Is it art because someone else did it instead of you? Perhaps Koons is the only one who can honestly say what his paintings in this series mean but to the ordinary-joe it's simply pornography.

Blaze Starr in her Living Room

It used to be that you had to go to the circus to gawk at the freaks but Diane Arbus brings absurdity right to your coffee table. Her iconic photograph, Blaze Starr in her Living Room depicts a former stripper dancing modestly in her living room with a small dog. The essence of 60s interior design is captured effortlessly in the background from the carpet to the furniture, making it a riveting artifact.

Arbus' strongest asset as a photographer is her ability to capture the most natural expression of her subjects. Blaze Starr's face is exactly how it would be while she performed and her dance is frozen in an alluring pose. Even the puppy's giddy imitation is caught perfectly. Arbus' subject is photographed so honestly that one has to wonder whether the photographer is exploiting her characters or celebrating them.

To speak technically, Arbus' black and white photographs are just the right balance of light and dark, full of contrast and light. No detail of this shot is faded into obscurity. Arbus treats even the smallest details of Blaze Starr's living room with care, showing that Arbus was a master of the medium format film. The angle this photo is shot at is extremely inviting, the carpet draws your eye right up the ample leg of the subject almost to the point that you want to add a cymbal crash when your eyes meet the face.

It's hard to choose just one photo from her anthology Revelations because each one is completely unique. All of the images in this book have her signature style and voice. It's a difficult thing for a photographer to give voice to their images without words but Arbus has a way of frankly presenting subjects that make you think and add the voice yourself. Perhaps if the details of Arbus' tragic suicide were not known, we wouldn't see the melancholy in her photographs. The playful spirit of Arbus is quite evident in Blaze Starr in Her Living Room showing that the artist only wanted to engage with the fascinating individuals she met in her life.