August 2014: Chicago again!

Lollapalooza

The popularity of this music festival, which celebrates 10 years in Chicago this year, continues to grow with 3-day passes and single tickets selling out within minutes now instead of hours or days. There was one true highlight this year for me and that was Lourde, who was thankfully given one of the main stages during the day (as opposed to jamming a crowd into one of the smaller spaces at night like they did for Lana Del Rey last year). I fell in love with Lourde’s debut album rather late in the game (late enough to actually miss her in concert in St. Louis). I became a total fan after Lolla though given her energetic performance style that at first seems incongruous with her music, but definitely adds another layer. Best in show! Honorable mentions go to Eminem (mainly for the three songs that Rihanna joined him for!), Calvin Harris for his great main-stage DJ set, and Glen Hansard’s charming and fun rainy-day set. There was a big miscue though in putting Iggy Azalea on the DJ stage; no one could see her (and everyone in the park seemed to want to) on the lower level of that stage where DJ’s usually are perched on a platform high up in the air.

Brigadoon at the Goodman

This Lerner and Loewe musical in a new adaption by Chicago director-choreographer Rachel Rockwell is highly lauded, but I still found the piece too old-fashioned for my tastes despite an attractive physical production (great use of projections onto a string curtain) and excellent cast, especially lead Kevin Earley. Meh.

The Qualms at Steppenwolf

This new play commissioned by Steppenwolf by Clybourne Park author Bruce Norris is a lot of fun. What that play did for race, this one does for sex as a relatively new couple attempt to integrate themselves in a long-established group of middle-age swingers. Of course hilarity ensues with the script attacking the proceedings and subject matter from all angles. While probably not the most commercial or meaningful of plays, it’s still a lot of fun!