ASHLEY WHEATER: GLOBAL VISIONARIES AT JOFFREY BALLET

ASHLEY WHEATER Artistic Director, Joffrey Ballet

The Miraculous Mandarin

Episode 47 in rehearsal

Mammatus

For a moment, Ashley Wheater pauses to reflect on the journey that he has been on with the Joffrey Ballet for nearly 10 years.

It’s a short rehearsal break on April 19th during a very busy week, and yet he is thoughtful, generous and speaks passionately on a wide range of topics during our conversation. He calls the excitement generated by the superb debut of Christopher Wheeldon's Nutcracker last fall “incredibly gratifying.” However, his pride shines vividly through in acknowledging that the Joffrey dancers have had so many amazingly creative experiences this season. Like every arts organization, the Joffrey keeps evolving. “Art," says Wheater, “never stands still, and we keep moving forward.”

Things have been moving forward rapidly for the Joffrey Ballet when you consider the new take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet presented here last fall and in New York a few weeks ago, Wheeldon’s Nutcracker, the innovative Game Changers, and now, Global Visionaries, opening April 26th for a 10 performance run through May 7th at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

In our conversation, Wheater provides unique insight into the production development process, the world-renowned choreographers approach to the material and what’s ahead for the Chicago-based company that is raising the bar in the world of dance.

On the Miraculous Mandarin and choreographer Yuri Possokhov …
“Béla Bartók’s score was specifically written for dance. It is quite a dangerously, dark tale ... Yuri has this deep, theatrical flare to his choreography. He grew up in the Bolshoi. He was a principal dancer there, a magnificent artist. He has shown us a very different way of using movement to tell narrative story. It is incredibly gripping.”

Unique staging …
“When we did the collaboration with Cleveland, we did it at Severence Hall … the orchestra and the company on stage together … the logistics of how much space we could find within the confines of an enormous orchestra. The impact was monumental. We have brought it to Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre … We have the fantastic Chicago Philharmonic conducted by Scott Speck … We have raised the pit and built the floor out into the auditorium … The audience will feel like they are really close, both to the music and the action of the dance.”

Developing Episode 47 and Alexander Ekman ...
“Alex wanted to come in and workshop with the company and see what would come out of that dialogue, between Alex and the company. And it really is the entire company. He has them doing a lot of improv … He asked the dancers what it is about their work, their career and what they do every day that brings them joy. And so they are all open to their own interpretation of what is joy in their work. … The one thing about Alex’s work is that he is deadly serious about how it is executed. … His timing is incredible.”

Mammatus and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa ...
“We presented Mammatus (“Formation of Clouds”) in 2015 and it was part of a non-subscription program, so we only had a handful of performances. Coming back to it, we’re able to dig deeper, the company understands it better. … Annabelle, like Alex and Yuri, is a fearless choreographer with very clear ideas. … She started working with the company, took this huge group of people, and made it really evolve and gave stunning parts to everyone in it. … You can look at it as this incredible flood of blackbirds. There is aggression to it, but there is also an incredible beauty to it … All of this amazing push, and then, at the end of the work, two people seem to float within the clouds.”

Understanding multiple layers…
“Our dancers want to understand the work at all the multiple layers. If we are going to do these works, we have to understand them … both in their choreographic language and also in their musical language. All too often we leave the musical phrasing out of things, which I do not agree with. … Whether it's this contemporary program we are doing ... whether it's opening our season next year with Giselle, one of the greatest romantic ballets of all time … whether it’s George Balenchine's Four Temprements, or Jerome Robbins|Philip Glass work Glass Pieces, there is so much in the repertory for the company. What I have found is that every single year they raise the bar because I raise the bar, and I think collectively, we really love the work we are doing here.” 

WEBSITE  BIO 
PODCAST ON ITUNES  
ABOUT CONVERSATIONS

MORE ABOUT
GLOBAL VISIONARIES TICKETS
The Miraculous Mandarin (Chicago Premiere)
Choreographed by Yuri Possokhov
In collaboration with The Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet Resident Choreographer Yuri Possokhov has created a new work specifically for The Joffrey Ballet: The Miraculous Mandarin, a magnificent tale of a girl forced to act as a decoy by thugs, luring a wealthy mandarin to his tragic fate. Set to Béla Bartók’s 1926 score, Possokhov reimagines this story ballet for seven dancers to explore the tragic, dark passions between men and women.

Episode 47 (World Premiere)
Choreographed by Alexander Ekman
Brimming with Alexander Ekman’s trademark originality and humor, Episode 47 explores the feeling of joy through dance to serve as a remedy to our uncertain times. Incorporating movements based on improvisation, Ekman sets this large ensemble work to a modern mix of music including the Grammy-nominated Brad Mehldau Trio’s bluesy Since I Fell for You; Django Django’s psychedelic dance hit, First Light, Tiga’s pop hit Shoes and Moby’s LA5.

Alexander Ekman once again brings his unique vision to the Joffrey with the world premiere of Episode 47, April 26 - May 7 at Auditorium Theatre. More Video | Big Foot Media.

Mammatus
Choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
This powerful, abstract piece features 20 dancers in a series of ensembles and duets set to contemporary composer Michael Gordon’s Weather One. A minimalist stage, equipped with tree branches lit with LED lights, sets the scene while dancers represent surreal insects and birds through organic movements to explore the nonlinear essence of nature and turbulent cloud formations.

Musical Director Scott Speck and Chicago Philharmonic
Images and profiles courtesy of Joffrey Ballet and The Silverman Group, Inc.

---

The Joffrey Ballet’s Global Visionaries opens Wednesday, April 26th for 10 performances through May 7th at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, 50 East Congress Parkway. For the full schedule or to order tickets, call 312.386.8905 or visit Joffrey.org.

CARL BECKER & SON - CRAFTING MUSIC WITH PAUL BECKER

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Becker violins and cellos -- and the family that makes them -- have a long and storied history. The craftsmanship involved in a "Becker" is an art form all to itself, developed and handcrafted with techniques passed down from generation to generation. Four generations, to be exact. When you ask PAUL BECKER about the extraordinary value and longevity of these instruments, he says, in the proper hands, they only improve with age … and can be immortal.

A visit to the new West Hubbard Street location of the Becker shop in Chicago will give anyone a greater appreciation for the artistry involved in creating these fine instruments. Handcrafted to exacting measurements, each has its own tonal identity, sized to fit the artist and adjusted to their own particular requirements. It is hard to imagine the patience and precision necessary for this highly-detailed work that has kept Paul Becker busy since he got his first bench in the family shop at 13 years old.

What has happened in the decades since was the topic of our conversation when we took a tour of his shop. We brought a 100 year old violin -- a Tracy family heirloom -- for show and tell to see whether or not there may still be some music in it and we discovered more about the Becker family’s extraordinary contribution to creating and preserving their craft.

Why instruments are invaluable …
“Well it is art … Art has a beauty. It produces a human voice. It recreates not just a beauty to look at but a beauty to listen to.”

On the intricate detailing and craftsmanship …
“Everything on a violin is important … ten hundredths of an inch, not one hundredth of an inch ... The measurements are incredibly important. This is much finer than a human hair. You cannot see these moves, yet, you will know those moves … anyone will hear those moves … any musician will feel those moves.”

How to create that special sound …
“I am dealing with engineering, chemistry, psychology, hearing … I mean the hearing part is an amazing thing … being in touch with how what I hear makes me feel is what creates that special sound.”

The inspiration behind a musical masterpiece …
“What I am looking for is an instrument that inspires the musician so they want to practice and find that violin … another corner that is in it … a sound or feel they did not have prior. I am looking for that in my work and if I can inspire a musician, then I am more likely to get that masterpiece of a performance from them.”

Loyola University Chicago
2015 Illinois Family Business of the Year
Small Family Business of the Year
Carl Becker & Son Ltd.
WEBSITE

Paul Becker of Carl Becker & Son talks about a 100 year old violin at his shop in Chicago. March 24, 2017

CAVALIA ODYSSEO

Making its 2017 Midwest debut on April 1st, ODYSSEO brings 65 majestic horses and a football field sized village to Chicago in what has been billed as the largest touring show on earth. As you enter the enormous production complex, you realize that at its heart, ODYSSEO is a unique experience between horse and handler and all of the mechanics that surround this production serve only to enhance the intimate relationship.

On March 27th, we had the pleasure of visiting Cavalia village to speak with the production team, artists and trainers involved in mounting the 2017 version of the show founded in 2003 by Normand Latourelle. An earlier version played here in 2009, but it has grown many times in size, scope and complexity since then. 

For starters, there are nine different breeds of horses from seven countries that perform in free riding displays throughout. The four-legged stars of ODYSSEO were flown in on a 747 and then spent a leisurely two-week break at a local farm in Bristol, Wisconsin to recharge and relax before the run with matinee and evening performances through April 23rd under the white big top. Back at Soldier Field, the crew has worked for 17 days to mount the dazzling series of tents and staging that is transported in 110 semi trucks.

In this week's CONVERSATION, we spoke with Resident Artistic Director Darren Charles about the overall vision of ODYSSEO. It was a bit of a surprise to learn that Sam Alvarez, an electrical engineer, and Elise Verdoncq, an aspiring attorney, had both changed course in their careers and have been with the the show since its inception. Alvarez, an aerialist, performer and coach for the high-flying routines, took us through a few of the show's highlights. Verdoncq told us that after busy days in training, it all comes together for her as a featured performer in Liberty, a unique program element where horses respond only to her voice, body and hand movements.

With over 150 crew members, 50 performing artists, riders, aerialists, acrobats, stilt walkers, dancers and musicians, an enormous hydraulic carousel, 10,000 tons of stone, earth and sand … and horses, everywhere, Cavalia Odysseo is sure to please and not to be missed.

Rider Steven Paulson on the premise of the show … 

“Liberty meaning freedom in French is the premise of our show … Horses at freedom … no bridle, no saddle … Following us based on cues of body language ... It is all about the bond between horse and rider.”

Darren Charles, Resident Artistic Director and Choreographer, on the epic scale of this production …

“We are back with the largest touring show in the world. We have 150 resident employees, 65 horses and 50 artists … aerialists, ground based acrobats, video, equestrians … amazing lighting … It is almost like you are watching a movie rather than watching a show … Something no one has ever seen before.”

Sam Alvarez, Aerialist and Coach, on his change in careers …

“I have been with the show since its beginning … I started as a gymnast, diver, dancer as a kid but I was not looking to be in any circus. I was studying to be a computer electrical engineer … and there was a chance occurrence … I happened to audition for circus … I decided my body is only going to be good at this for so long so why not. I have been in it for over 20 years now I would say.”

Featured artist, rider and trainer Elise Verdoncq on her relationship with the horses …  

“There are horses that will be more sensitive about the way I move and talk. I would say to have a horse completely ready [for the show ] would take a year. If you just train one horse it will take less time but in this number all the horses need to learn their place and that is the longest process … I really enjoy spending my day with my horses. You learn every day with them.”

PODCAST

ODYSSEO by CAVALIA
Soldier Field South Lot
1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago
(Entrance at parking gates on East 18th Drive)
TICKETS|WEBSITE 
CALL: 866.999.8111

NOW EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 3, 2017

STEVE BIOSSAT - JUMP JIVIN' AT THE DRAKE

You can be sure that if the very hip sounds of Steve Biossat's SWAY CHICAGO are in the house, be prepared to dance the night away.  At the top of everyone's date list, Biossat's band can be seen regularly at major corporate events, exclusive private parties and weddings and at monthly appearances at The Drake. And there is more to come when Speakeasy Swing returns to The Drake's famous Palm Court on Friday, March 17th.

There is something for everyone on the band's "SwayList" from Top 40, Motown and Classic Rock to R&B, Funk, Disco, Jazz, Swing, Big Band and ethnic music. At the core of SWAY CHICAGO's talented, versatile, high energy group is a quartet of Chicago's top vocalists. Their sound -- backed by a hip, hop, jump jivin' beat -- is fresh, unique, non-stop and always entertaining.

Steve Biossat joined the conversation on February 3rd to talk about the relaunch of Speakeasy Swing with vocalists Alyssa Allgood and Marcus Gress, growing up in the US and abroad, and how that effected his approach to music and working in Chicago's busy music scene.

On the Resurgence of Swing Music and Dancing …
“It has always been a passion of mine ... jazz and swing have been something I have loved since I was a child. I do see it resurfacing a bit more now. I do not think it is quite what the craze was in the late 90’s and early 2000’s … We were playing five or six nights a week ... featured on national and Chicago compilation CDs … There were 10-12 piece swing bands playing all over the country … There is still a great subculture of dancers hard core involved in the swing dance movement and because of that I am getting to be more active in that community once again.”

The Sway Chicago Allure ...
“We have a following of people from their 20’s to their 90’s. We have a couple of ladies who are consistently there every month … I think it really gives them this outlet to be social and sometimes they dance, sometimes they just listen. I think SWAY CHICAGO has that allure because we try to put on a show that people can listen, watch, be entertained and also dance.”

Developing the "SwayList" ...
“Developing a list that works is probably the most important thing a band or musician can do. We have our staples that stay with us year after year … but being that it is a top 40’s band through the decades, that also means we have to stay viable and current. January is our time to develop the new songs for the season … We do a lot of research, not to see what songs are new and cool, but songs that are new, cool and will last through the season, hopefully a couple of seasons.”

Technology’s Positive Impact on Live Performances ...
“I used to have to carry four huge racks to every gig … huge mixing consoles … a lot of weight to carry around and a lot of setup. Nowadays, we have everything controlled by computer and iPads … I personally go out with the same rig that Adele tours with … It fits in one small box.  It is short attention span theater these days. People do not want to hear five-minute version of songs. They want to hear three or two-minute versions, and if I want to change gears quickly I can. It is all due to the technology available probably in the last ten years.”

Gena's Surprise ...
“Gena is a godsend … literally, I prayed for her and she came into my life. I wanted to do something special and include our friends and loved ones in this monumental thing for me and her. The Drake hotel has always been a special place for both of us … There was not supposed to be entertainment that evening but they agreed to staff the room and bring everyone in for this special occasion. Standing room only. The whole band came in and learned a special song for Gena … I was concerned with overwhelming Gena with a public proposal, so, I did the proposal intimately in a side room … We both cried. We look over the picture to this day and revel in all the love that was in the room that night.”

VISIT: SWAY CHICAGO
DRAKE HOTEL
1st Friday
Speakeasy Swing
3rd Friday(beginning March 17th)

MORE AT: DE USURIS

THE NICHOLAS BROTHERS "TAKE WINGS" AT BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

You probably know what “Break a Leg!” means to an actor, but what do you say to a dancer? If you are Rueben D. Echoles and Rashawn Thompson, who are portraying the legendary Nicholas Brothers on stage in Chicago next month, it’s “Take Wings!”.

They are headlining the highly-anticipated opening production of Jackie Taylor's Black Ensemble Theater’s 41st Season with My Brothers Keeper - The Story of The Nicholas Brothers. Written, directed, choreographed and starring Echoles as the younger Harold Nicholas with Thompson as Fayard Nicholas, the production has BE’s cultural center jump jivin’ night and day with a cast of 16 and the Black Ensemble Orchestra under the direction of Robert Reddrick.

They have been called the greatest tap dancers who ever lived and the most beloved dance team in the history of entertainment. Born seven years apart into a performing family, the brothers had front row seats to the talents of the great black Vaudeville acts of the day. A ground-breaking appearance at the Cotton Club in 1932, when the brothers were only teenagers, led to Hollywood a few years later and then to Broadway in the 1936 Ziegfield Follies. They would go on to headline in venues all over the world, in films and on television for over six decades.

During a break from rehearsals, we joined Rueben Echoles and Rashawn Thompson to talk about the creation and development of the show and what it is like to fill the shoes of these legendary entertainers.

Reuben on advancing the Black Ensemble Theater’s mission …
"We will eradicate racism by letting us all know that we have common things that bring us together, music is one of those things … And we are celebrating the greatness of who we are. When we are proud of who we are, other people can look at us and say the same and respect who we are.”

Reuben on the Nicholas Brothers dance style …
“In terms of choreography no one can duplicate what the Nicholas Brothers did. So, what I do is I watch carefully and then I use accents of the things that will remind people of the videos. We do a lot of tricks that they did but not as many. If they jump down ten stairs, we will jump down four because no one has been able to duplicate what they have done since then. And I just don’t think I want to risk it.”

Rashawn on the importance of the Black Ensemble Theater’s Education Program …
"I had a tough life growing up. When I came to the theatre it gave me a chance to speak my mind. It gave me a chance to talk and be heard because I felt I was not heard a lot as a child. In the theater, I was able to be as big as I want to be and everybody’s listening … I know that with me being a mentor … there’s a lot of kids like me … how I was … and I see it and pay attention to them. I understand how to work them through it … try to make it a little easier than it was for me.”

“Break a Leg!” or ...
Reuben: “We say “Take Wings!” because we literally need to fly on that stage.”
 

TICKETS AND INFORMATION HERE 
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

A BOY NAMED MAX - A NIGHT AT THE STEINWAY PIANO GALLERY

Max Lai - Steinway Piano Gallery

After discovering the Steinway Piano Gallery in Hinsdale and speaking with Diane Duncan and Andree Marie Hancock, it was a pleasure to attend the recent holiday recital of Steinway Artist Jue He’s students on December 8th. It was a two-concert evening series with a couple dozen performers ranging in age from 4 to 15. The place was bursting with pride and admiration with a healthy amount of encouragement and goodwill to go around.

And, it is important to mention that these students get to perform their selections on an exquisite 9 foot Steinway concert grand piano. It all takes place in the bright, well-appointed 50-seat performance area that the Gallery provides to piano instructors free of charge. There is no doubt that it is the thrill of a lifetime for these budding musical artists to perform here. It just may be the catalyst that Steinway was hoping for all along to keep these students on a path to bigger and better things. As the old saying goes: “Do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall?” *

Something I did not count on was the amazing talent of every young person I heard at the recital. They are all immortalized on my personal digital recorder and Jue has a You-Tube channel dedicated to her student performances that you can visit to hear more.  

Our conversation with Diane Duncan includes an overview of what Steinway is doing to support young artists and families. We also talk about teaching techniques with Jue. The highlight, however, is the performance and discussion with a 12 year-old boy named Max Lai who has given me reason to believe that the next generation of performing artists is a very talented lot indeed.

* Practice.

Performances on this episode of Conversations with Ed Tracy include:

Snowflake Rag by Nancy Faber performed by Abigail Wong

Rhapsody in G Sharp Minor by Johannes Brahms performed by Max Lai

Special Thanks to Diane Duncan and Andree Marie Hancock.

ERICA LYNETTE EDWARDS AND THE JOFFREY BALLET: INSPIRING STUDENTS THROUGH DANCE

On December 10th, the Joffrey Ballet opens a new version of The Nutcracker at the Auditorium Theatre. The highly-anticipated production, commissioned by the ballet company and penned by Brian Selznick, is under the direction of Tony Award winning choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon. 
 
In Chicago and across the nation, The Nutcracker’s large cast provides a place for emerging dancers at every level. Considering that the Joffrey’s ambitious community engagement program headed by longtime company member and ballerina, Erica Lynette Edwards starts out with four-year-olds, it is no wonder that there is lots of excitement about Wheeldon's world premiere production, set in Chicago just before the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. 
 
Erica joined the conversation on Nov. 8 to talk about the Joffrey Ballet’s outreach program, how influential dance can be on young people’s lives and how to keep grounded when you are always on your toes.  

Listen to podcast HERE

Erica on the importance of community outreach ... 
“Some communities are not familiar with our work, and they hear the word ballet and are turned off a little bit … We are proud that we do not just bring ballet to our schools. We bring multiple dance styles, and students are surprised once we start moving that even though they are learning ballet, they are also learning emotional skills, building self-confidence, they are disciplined … We are looking to excite them by giving them a chance to dance and also enriching their lives by showing them something new that they might not have experienced before.”  
 
The importance of thinking ahead as a dancer …
“A challenge for dancers is 'what are you going to do next' … If you do not become a professional dancer a lot of people are like ‘what do I do now?’ And even people who are professional dancers, when you are done you are like ‘what do I do now?’… Don’t become a ‘bun head.’ I would say you have to figure out what other things you enjoy ... where do your passions lie and continue to do that at the same time you are dancing … I think it is important to think toward the future because when you are young and living your dream you don’t think of much else.”

Her inspiration …
“I was four when I saw the Nutcracker for the first time … My mother said I loved the show so much that she put me in dance classes … Just by seeing the Nutcracker I was excited and wanted to partake in ballet, and we are trying to ignite that same flame in our students starting at kindergarten.”
 
What does the future look like …
“… We are excited to look forward and see how many kids we can impact with our programming because we have already seen such beautiful change from the students we work with right now.”

Purchase Nutcracker Tickets HERE
More on the Joffrey Ballet HERE

BUILDING CHICAGO - LIVE AT THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM

Expert Panel Discusses John Zukowsky's Book at the
Chicago History Museum

A new and extraordinary addition to the great body of work about architectural history in Chicago is now available and should have a prominent place in every public and private collection. At just over 300 pages, John Zukowsky’s Building Chicago: The Architectural Masterworks, published by Rizzoli, covers the sweeping history of Chicago with fresh scholarly commentary and hundreds of images – many from the Chicago History Museum’s vast collection.
 
John Zukowsky, Lee Bey and Rolf Achilles joined the conversation on Thursday, October 20th, 2016 at the national launch of Building Chicago to discuss the evolving landscape of Chicago architecture in the 20th century. 

Rolf Achilles on what has influenced Chicago architecture …
“… Chicago was this amazing vacuum that just sucked everything up … It was also the fastest growing city in 1833. There were 350 people here and by 1900 it was 1.5 million. Well, that 1.5 million needed stuff that the 350 did not. So you have 70 mad years, and that’s what you can see … how architecture affects culture but culture affects architecture too.”
 
Lee Bey on his favorite architect …
“I like modernism … I like the work of Mies van der Rohe … obviously Crown Hall. I like late Mies … Hotel Langham now, the former IBM building … but I like the clarity … how rational the design is.”

John Zukowsky on Chicago and American Modernism …
“What’s interesting to me about Chicago modernism, and it’s true with American modernism … you always think of modernism as being just one solution … in reality it’s about 20 to 30 individual solutions. Every modern building has a different feel and a different look to it … and that’s the same when you look at buildings in Chicago … what I like about that is not just the discipline and rationalism but the variety of expressions that everybody else had around the country.”
 
Bey on growing the city …
“There are two Chicagos. There’s a central area … Cermak to North Avenue, the lake to Halsted and outside that there’s another Chicago where population loss is happening that we need to fix. We have to grow the city …. the central area is going to be taken care of … but we have to figure out the south and west sides of the city … how to get people there, how to grow the population…  put houses, buildings, factories, office buildings, the whole mix in this area.”

Achilles on why other cities have surpassed Chicago …
 “They are all using the Chicago tradition to get in to the future, and we’re not in the same way … it’s not the architecture that’s the problem. It’s the socio-economic state. It’s the politicians … those with a semblance of authority that can make the rules, and they’re not making very interesting rules … It’s like in the 1910’s and 1920’s, Chicago imposed a height limit on its buildings because they were scared you couldn’t get out of a building in a fire. Well, New York wasn’t afraid of that and surpassed Chicago. New York becomes ‘skyscraperville’ and Chicago is this ‘little stubby town in the prairies.’”
 
Zukowsky on who we will be talking about in 100 years …
“I’d include the classics [Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright] … I’d put in pioneers of the 70’s and 80’s Bruce Gray … Stanley Tigerman … Richard Nickel … Harry Weese … Jeanne Gang … I think you’ll also be talking about other architects who built here …  We tend to forget about that especially in the 90's. Foreign architects and New York architects were building here … We’ll be talking about Norman Foster [and] the Apple store ... I think he’s a great architect … so it’s great to have something of his work here, no doubt about it.”

Our thanks to the generous sponsors Bulley & Andrews, Eli's Cheesecake, Rizzoli and the Chicago History Museum.

Listen to Entire Podcast HERE
Purchase Building Chicago HERE

CRAZY FOR CROWLE - A CONVERSATION WITH MATT CROWLE

Matt Crowle, the multi-talented, award-winning veteran of musical theatre in Chicago for the past decade, has a backstory worthy of a Broadway musical all its own. Born and raised in Marshall, Michigan, where he discovered his love for ballet, tap, theatre and comedy at a very early age, Crowle eventually followed a calling to New York City, grinding through years of auditions, dance and voice classes and part-time jobs to make ends meet.  His first real break would come as a member of the touring company of Dr. Dolittle and stage time with Tommy Tune. And then came the Broadway megahit, Spamalot.

These stories are just part of the fascinating conversation we had on September 27th with Matt Crowle, the six-time Jefferson award nominated actor, choreographer and dance instructor. In a wide-ranging discussion, Crowle talks about who helped to shape his performance philosophy, recognizing talent, the importance of training, and, working with one of his best friends, Bill Larkin.

Matt Crowle received the 2015 Jeff Award for his performance as Hysterium in Porchlight Music Theatre’s production of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum and is nominated twice in 2016 -- for his tour-de-force performance as Leo Bloom in Mercury Theater’s The Producers, and, for his choreography in the Drury Lane Theatre production of White Christmas. 

NEXT UP: Matt Crowle is merging all of his formidable talents and vast stage experience as director and choreographer of Drury Lane Theatre’s upcoming production of Crazy For You, running November 3rd though January 8th.

Matt Crowle on his New York miracle and unforgettable Spamalot audition:
"I was working at Ellen’s Stardust Diner and I got a call from Tara Rubin Casting saying we’d love for you to come in next week for Spamalot …  and to be honest, it was an eye-rolling moment because I thought 'you’ve seen me… there’s nothing left to do.' I talked to my mom and said ‘I don’t think I’m going to go. I have a shift that night.’ My mom said ‘So, you’re going to sling burgers around when you can audition for a Broadway show !?!’" 
 
"I almost didn’t make it … I was trapped on the N train, ran upstairs grabbed a cab and said ‘I will give you 50 dollars if you can get me to Chelsea faster than you should legally’ ... and he did …  I think I was the first to go, did the first song, went well, did the first of two scenes, went well, and that was when my mentor Bruce kicked me in the back of the head and said ‘you’re not done yet.’ ... So I launched into the second one and the associate director at the time, Peter Lawrence, leaned in after I finished and said ‘I am very, very glad you did that.’ … So that was at about 11 … and at about 11:15, I had a phone call that said if you want to join the Broadway company Spamalot,  you start in two days …  So I went in there, quit my job at the restaurant, and there you have it.”

About physical comedy and streamlining simplicity:
"I had a knack at a very young age for falling down really well. I was doing prat falls for a very long time. My parents got a video camera … one day, when I played hooky from school all I did for the whole day was fall off from furniture or jump off of things and fall and then I’d go back and watch it in slow motion to see if it was believable enough."
 
"My mom found the tape. She was like ‘What were you thinking?!?!’ It was just before the night I had an opening in a show in high school. ‘And what if you had broken your arm !?!’ [I said] ‘I’m not going to break my arm. I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m a pro!’ … and she just rolled her eyes and said ‘Well, it’s your problem.’ 

“I think the first real exposure to physical comedy for me would have been Steve Martin. My mom and dad loved Steve Martin, listened to his stand up albums, watched Roxanne, The Jerk and, of course, Three Amigos. So much of my generation is about vulgar humor… But I thought clever always spoke to me. Clever and simple because it’s not easy. It’s not easy to weed out all the stuff you don’t need just to find that nugget, that gold nugget of truth and streamline simplicity … And then I was turned on to Keaton and Chaplin and went back over and over again saying, ‘What is it that makes it so perfect'"

Working with Bill Larkin 
"That rehearsal process [for Producers] was incredible because we had so much already from day one … Bill, as brilliant as he is, can be a bit awkward physically and he embraces this … There was a day when the director was trying to get him to lean on a wall a certain way. I felt like I was watching a Steve Martin or Buster Keaton comedy bit where he seriously didn’t know how to lean on the wall ... We had to take a break I was weeping … He’s such a natural, beautiful comedian … I adore him … He’s one of my dearest friends.”

The importance of training: 
“I try to impress upon my students and colleagues that you are never done training … In New York, everyone is always in class … always in voice lessons… always training … I didn’t notice that here so I’ve really tried to change that approach … All you have is your reputation and if you rely on that as opposed to committing to push forward with it you lose, and we all lose … Any time I talk to young performers I say ‘Be the best you can. Then get better.’”

Matt Crowle Website
Peninsula Players Theatre - Peter and the Starcatcher July 2 - 23, 2017

SUBSCRIBE & JOIN THE CONVERSATION

DOREEN SAYEGH - SHAKESPEARE 400 CHICAGO

"I think that Shakespeare really does live in this city, and it’s so clear to see in this year that you have the spirit of Chicago, the grittiness, the strength, the poetry of it really does meet this playwright in an incredible way. It’s why the largest celebration of Shakespeare’s 400-year legacy is happening in Chicago … because the city wants it." – Doreen Sayegh, Festival Producer, Shakespeare 400 Chicago  Listen to entire podcast HERE

In 1616, William Shakespeare shuffled off (his) mortal coil, reason enough 400 years later for an international celebration fit for a King!

In 2016, culminating years of preparation, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater has launched Shakespeare 400 Chicago, an ambitious program series that has brought together cultural and educational institutions, national and intentional theater companies, performing artists and scholars to present their own impressive contribution to the celebration.

Festival Producer, Doreen Sayegh, joined the conversation on August 26, 2016 to discuss everything that has been happening twixt wake and sleep, including what's coming up this fall and a treasury of everlasting “scholarly” joy called City Desk 400.

Doreen on the collective nature of the the festival:
“What has been amazing is that Chicago Shakespeare Theater has worked with 60 different institutions across the city to program 850 events in 2016 ... we have artists and institutions from all disciplines that are pulling together and reflecting on what Shakespeare means to Chicago … bringing in international perspectives, trying to show Shakespeare across the genres and forms … we even have a culinary strand where 38 different restaurants - 38 of Chicago’s greatest chefs- are interpreting Shakespeare’s titles.”

What she loves about her job:
“I feel very lucky to be working on this festival …. to have incredible partners like Barbara [Gaines] and Criss [Henderson] who are inspiring and really daring …  who also took the chance on someone who’s young in their career to help them pull this together.  For me I’ve loved how much the city has come around this. I don’t think any of us imagined it. I think we hoped for it, and we weren’t sure what was going to happen, but you see all of these institutions and all of these audience members really excited about the idea that their city is uniting around a theme … that the theme has been universally celebrated for 400 years and still resonates in all of these different ways.”

On the diversity within the festival:
“Some theaters that we brought in are full of classically trained actors who have done Shakespeare all their life and do these beautiful interpretations. And some of them have conflicted relationships with Shakespeare but have taken a work of his and have used their own cultural lens and experience to produce something that matters to them and their community … to have both of those things under the same festival umbrella is incredibly exciting to me and sort of a gift to be able to see that.”

What Chicago audiences will take away from the festival:
“Audiences will have felt that their city is full of incredible cultural and creative organizations. I think that Shakespeare really does live in this city, and it’s so clear to see in this year that you have the spirit of Chicago, the grittiness, the strength, the poetry of it really does meet this playwright in an incredible way. It’s why the largest celebration of Shakespeare’s 400-year legacy is happening in Chicago … because the city wants it. My goal for the year has really been that everybody feels this festival in some way …. that something has reached them. I hope that people feel the spirit of Shakespeare in the city and excited about exploring the city.”

Listen to the podcast HERE
City Desk 400: HERE
More information on Shakespeare 400 HERE

ANDRÉ DE SHIELDS - CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P.

André De Shields returns to Victory Gardens Theater August 26-28 for a production of his one-man show, Confessions of a P.I.M.P. 

On Broadway, De Shields originated the title role in The Wiz and had long runs in Ain’t Misbehavin', Play On! and The Full Monty -- Broadway performances that have earned him two Tony Award nominations and five Drama Desk nominations.

A multiple Chicago Jeff Award recipient, most recently for his show-stopping performance in Jungle Book, De Shields also received an Emmy Award for an NBC broadcast special on Ain’t Misbehavin’. During a break from rehearsals on August 15th, André De Shields talked about his show, an extraordinary 46-year career and what it is that keeps bringing him back to Chicago. 

André’s advice to young performers at the beginning of their careers:
“It is not easy … it is hard for everyone. But remember there are two things that are guaranteed, absolutely guaranteed, in this industry … now here comes the punch line … It’s not fame and fortune … it’s rejection and insecurity … but that’s the test because when you get hungry, and you will get hungry, philosophically hungry and carnally hungry, your stomach will growl for nutrition. When you get hungry, if you can make your meal of rejection and when you get lonely, and you will get lonely, because this narrow path you’re walking is yours and no one else’s … if you can make a companion of insecurity then the universe will conspire to help you because you both will have realized that you have chosen the correct path.”
 
André shares a special moment with (Dreamgirl)Donica Lynn:
“In one of my Cabaret performances in New York I chose to sing ‘And I am Telling You I’m Not Going’ from a male’s perspective, but I didn’t change the pronouns ... and what I learned about that song is that it has very little to do with gender per se … the essence, the heart of that song is ‘I don’t want to be free.’ I shared that with Donica Lynn and with Doug Peck and during their (Dreamgirls)performance they sent a Facebook message to me and it was a photograph of that part of the music with a huge lip imprint of red lipstick from Donica and it meant the world to me ... because apparently she used that doorway as one of the means to get into that song. And when you hear that song with the emphasis on ‘I don’t want to be free’ it really changes what that song is about … it’s not about the man… it’s not about the woman… it’s about the human condition. ‘I don’t want to be alone. I need a companion’ … and that’s that message I was talking about earlier about rejection and insecurity.  We need company … we need ensemble … we need community in this industry. Otherwise we can’t rise.”
 
André on the ‘power of effective storytelling’: 
“If the story is told effectively then it will transcend the problem and transform the life of an individual … it will transcend the problem and alter the government … it will transcend the problem and change the world into the place you want it to be and you need it to be.”

Entire podcast HERE

André De Shields Website HERE

"... it was a photograph of that part of the music with a huge lip imprint of red lipstick from Donica and it meant the world to me ... because apparently she used that doorway as one of the means to get into that song. " André De Shields August 15, 2016

CONFESSIONS OF A P.I.M.P August 27, 2016 with Denise McGowan Tracy and André De Shields

SUBSCRIBE & JOIN THE CONVERSATION