Internet access was spotty all weekend so my enthralling stories about the street vendor tour and Japanese dancing will have to wait. In the meantime, here's something to ease you into the work week (trust me, it's funny):
August: Osage County is the biggest show in Chicago right
now and I saw it last weekend. The run
is sold out, so I got a standby ticket (#27 on line) and nabbed a seat in the
back corner.
It’s fantastic of course. It's a dysfunctional family drama with that brutal, drag down type of script the Steppenwolf tends to do so well. It's been compared to O'Neill and Albee, but it's not… it’s Tracy Letts. R-rated, heart rending, and utterly hilarious at the least expected moments.
We got a few bonus laughs Friday night during an irreplicable, live theater moment:
A perverted uncle has been trying to get into his 14-year old niece’s pants (told you this was R-rated). By Act III, he’s gotten her high and is getting aggressive.
He: come on, I'll show you mine if you show me yours
(Audience gasps)
She: I don't want to see yours.
(Light audience laughter)
He: Well…
Then someone in the last row finally gets the joke and bursts in hysterics.
Then the rest of the audience laughs at her.
Then the actors start laughing at her.
Then the audience laughts.
Then the actors can’t control themselves.
Now the audience can’t control themselves, cheering ensues.
Then we calmed down.
And the show went on.
Haven't had much time to post this summer. But a summery summer it's been. Chicago summers are basically over by Labor Day, so with 3 weeks left, it's checklist time:
Bike through the forest preserve, get swarmed by cicadas - check
See over the top shows at massive music fest - check, check, and check
See even-more-bizarre set at neighborhood fest - check
Theater on the Lake - check!
Strolling by the Lake at dusk - check
Movie in Grant Park - check, though I zoned out here and there
Classical music at Millennium Park - big ol' check for Mahler's Fifth
Break for occasional YouTube fun - he he he... yeah
See photography show, remain obsessed with it weeks later - hmmm, check
And it's not on the list, but tonight I ate Korean food for only the 3rd or 4th time in my life. I manned the grill for a few rounds of beef and spareribs. This after our more knowledgeable hosts worked out the meal package. "Does the family-style order include meat and seafood? Just one? No substitutions? We need portions for 12, 1 of us is vegetarian. Yeah, she'll eat eggs... Yes, we can read the menu but what we'd really like is..."
I sense the Yalta Accords went smoother than this. Then our 'negotiator' started conversing in Korean and everything was alright. As far as I could tell. I mean, the next 2 hours was a procession of veggies, starches, BBQing and chowing on the aforementioned meat, and downing a sake car bomb (gotta make my inner Korean frat boy happy).
Now I smell like meat.
