The ever-popular English proverb "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb" is a saying first recorded in the early 1700s. And, of course, it can serve as a good, if not always accurate, description of Chicago-area weather. But this is a city where audiences rarely remain homebound if there are wonderful shows, concerts, or other arts events to experience. Here is a sampling of events this March, each of which has Jewish roots in one form or another.
The "oldest established" hit musical
Look back at the 1950s, a decade that saw a slew of brilliant musicals arrive on Broadway stages. A remarkable number of them-all of which remain classics to this day-were scored by Jewish composers and lyricists:
West Side Story
, by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim;
Gypsy
, by Jule Styne and Sondheim;
My Fair Lady
, by Lerner and Loewe;
Pajama Game
, by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross; and the list goes on.
The musical
Guys and Dolls
premiered in New York in 1950. Its book is the work of the Ukrainian-born Jewish writer Joe Swerling and Abe Burrows, a New York-born Jew. Its music and lyrics are written by Frank Loesser, another Jewish New Yorker, whose songs for this show are enduring classics, including "A Bushel and a Peck," "If I were a Bell," "I've Never Been in Love Before," "Take Back Your Mink," "Luck Be a Lady," "The Oldest Established" and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat." Quite a list!
One final note: Music Theater Works will present
Fiddler on the Roof
in August. What could be better, even if you've seen it countless times?
Music Theater Works will present
Guys and Dolls
at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie from March 6 to March 30. For tickets, visit northshorecenter.org or call 847-673-6300.
A truly
Beautiful
musical
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
captures the life and career of famed singer and songwriter Carole King. Born into a New York Jewish family, King has been dubbed "one of the most successful songwriters in American history," forging an extraordinary career as a composer, singer, and pianist.
King, now 83, wrote or co-wrote 118 pop hits from the 1960s on, and has 25 solo albums to her credit. This musical, starring Samantha Gershman as King, homes in on King's early career, and her relationships with her first husband and various singers. It includes many of her greatest hits including "You've Got a Friend," "One Fine Day," "So Far Away," "Up On the Roof," "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," and "I Feel The Earth Move."
Along the way, King has garnered many honors, including four Grammy Awards, and she has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Beautiful is playing at the Drury Lane Theatre at Oakbrook Terrace now through March 23. For tickets, visit drurylanetheatre.com or call 630-530-8300.
'Up-close magic'
Say the word "magician" and most often it calls to mind dazzling and daring performers-a great number of whom had Jewish roots. The word conjures up Harry Houdini, born in Budapest as Erick Weisz, the son of a rabbi; David Copperfield, the son of Jewish parents, born in New Jersey as David Seth Kotkin; Ricky Jay, born as Richard Joey Potash in Brooklyn, and raised in New Jersey; David Blaine, born in Brooklyn, with a mother of Russian Jewish ancestry; and Raymond Teller, of the duo Penn & Teller, the son of a father of Russian-Jewish descent.
But these days there is Jan Rose, a Jewish woman and much-admired magician--and Equity actress--who serves as the emcee and Resident House Magician at the Chicago Magic Lounge in the Andersonville neighborhood. It's a place that has been described as "a luxurious retro-inspired 'speakeasy' where cocktails and small plates are served along with up-close magic acts."
Born in Chicago, she has been married for 40 years to fellow magician Danny Orleans. "My husband was even part of a group of Jewish mentalists who met weekly on Zoom," she added.
Rose started out studying at the Ruth Page Ballet School and later with choreographer Lou Conte. As she explained: "The dance world brought me to the theater world. And right after finishing school at the University of Wisconsin, I began to build a resume, and started auditioning and working on Chicago stages doing character work, comedy, and movement."
Fast forward to magic. Rose was cast as the impish Twinkle, the best friend of a magician in
The Magic Door
, an educational Jewish children's show produced by the Chicago Board of Rabbis. As she put it: "That was how I stumbled into the magic show business, and how Danny and I built our careers and did a lot of corporate entertainment work. And in 1995 my daughter, named Anshe, was born."
"Magic is a kind of intellectual industry," Rose continued. "It's about puzzles, and perception, and creating illusions."
But there is still an element of acting to her job. "Working at the Magic Lounge, and performing monologues that get the audience ready for my close-up magic in what is a beautiful little theater, is a dream job for me," she said.
The Chicago Magic Lounge is located at 5050 N. Clark St. For tickets, visitboxoffice@chicagomagiclounge.comor call 312-366-4600.
