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Portland Opera in the Windy City- Act III

Submitted by PDX OPERAbeat on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 15:34

Touring the Windy City
On Friday morning we started our day with a tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park:

Photo 1- Act III

The home and studio were clearly the creation of a unique architectural mind. Wright disliked attics and basements because they gather clutter, so there are none in his home. He preferred open spaces and minimal furniture, so some of the rooms have padded benches built in to the walls. He loved nature and sunlight, so every room has abundant windows and views relating to what is outside in the yard.

He loved music, and had a piano built in to the wall (again, to keep as much open space as possible) of his music room. He also had an upper balcony installed to provide a place for his children to put on plays for the adults. Here we are in the music room:

Photo 2- Act III

As luck would have it, our own John McCormac grew up a few blocks away from Wright's house! Our tour van took a detour to John's street, where he showed us his childhood home. He explained that his mother had the city replace the "Dead End" sign on his street because she so disliked seeing those words every day. It was changed to something like "No Outlet."

With John and Ginny McCormac, in his neighborhood:

Photo 3- Act III

Joe suggested we go to Portillo's for lunch, famous for it's Chicago style hot dogs, and other quick grub. It was utter chaos. It reminded me of a Jets game from back home in NJ - very high energy and loud, with crowds of people shouting out orders and running around with plates of hot dogs, beers, and whatnot. It's clearly very popular with the locals, but the place was nuts:

Portland Opera in the Windy City- Act II

Submitted by PDX OPERAbeat on Mon, 03/12/2012 - 15:23

Going to the Opera!
The Lyric Opera of Chicago performs at the Civic Opera House, which is part of a huge office building in downtown Chicago:

Blog 1- Act II


The theater has 3,563 seats, and was built in 1929. The interior was named The Ardis Krainik Theater in 1996, after the former General Director. It has a stunning Art Deco design:

Blog 2 - Act II


Rinaldo
Seeing Rinaldo was a great start to our trip!  The opera is very beautiful, and, we found out, is also indestructible - even when trapped within a wacky 'Euro-trash' production. Below are some images from the production.

I assume the balloons represent the fully blossomed love between Rinaldo and Almirena??? When she is captured, the evil sorceress Arimda "imprisons" Almirena inside the floating harpsichord - cool! Rinaldo (center stage) however, swears to rescue her, while his soldiers strut their stuff and shake their booties in preparation for battle - cool!
 

Blog 3- Act II


Armida keeps a liquor drawer within the floating harpsichord - cool! She gets plastered as she wanders the stage, scotch bottle in hand, lamenting her fate, and seething with jealousy over Rinaldo's love for Almirena. Her jealousy is perhaps represented by the floating green eye???
 

Portland Opera in the Windy City - Act I

Submitted by PDX OPERAbeat on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 18:33

Our latest trip for opera lovers is to Chicago ("that toddling town"), where we will attend three performances at the Chicago Lyric Opera. This is the sixth trip Portland Opera has taken with Act I Tours, each with Jacqueline Sale as the perfect tour guide. I'm delighted to be hosting such a great group of friends, subscribers, fellow opera-lovers, and to be back in the great city "windy city" of Chicago!

We arrived on Wednesday, March 7, and kicked off our trip with dinner at the top of The Willis Tower (formerly named The Sears Tower). Here we are in the lobby, about to go up 103 floors (yes, that's the Peter Bilotta on my arm):

 Chicaco Trip Photo 1

Thursday morning we met Joe Cunniff, who was born and raised in Chicago and knows the city inside-out. Joe teaches at DePaul University and at the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the greatest museums in the world. Joe has been regularly attending the museum since he was eight years old. We could not have asked for a more informed and passionate museum guide. Here's Joe talking to the group, with El Greco's The Assumption of the Virgin hovering above us:

Chicago Blog Photo 2

It's difficult to describe the impact of the Art Institute of Chicago. The hours we spent there this morning were truly unforgettable. The museum owns so many famous paintings, and they are beautifully displayed in spacious, well-lit galleries. What follows are just a few highlights of the visit...


Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte. Sondheim fans will recognize this painting as the basis for his great musical, Sunday in the Park with George.

Chicago Blog Photo 3

Joe explains how Toulouse-Lautrec, similar to Alfred Hitchock in his films, will often appear in his own paintings. He's the short guy standing at the bar in the back:

Chicago Blog Photo 4

Here we are in an entire room full of paintings by Monet:

Chicago Blog Photo 5

The original American Gothic, by Grant Wood, is in this museum. Joe informs us that it is one of the most copied and parodied paintings in the world.

Chicago Blog Photo 6

Louis and Judy McCraw with an Edward Hopper:

Chicago Blog Photo 7

John and Virginia McCormac with a "blue-period" Picasso:

Chicago Blog Photo 9

Julie Reiersgaard and Loran Mate with a "cubist" Picasso:

Chicago Blog Photo 10

Our mighty group enters the modern wing:

Chicago Blog Photo 11

And finish our museum visit with a delicious lunch:

Chicago Blog Photo 12

Tonight, we attend our first performance at the Lyric - Handel's Rinaldo!

I'll be back tomorrow...

Chris Mattaliano