More Chicago

TT had the inspiration to take a Gangster Tour of Chicago which turned out to be huge fun.

The big black bus took us to all the famous gangland sights including where the St. Valentine's Day massacre took place. Our tour guide, "Slippery" Sloop, was charming and hilarious. There were even prizes of books and coffee mugs, none of which we won.

We expressly went to Chicago to see Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole in the new musical WAR PAINT (about the famous rivalry between Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden)  which we loved

 but we also found time to see DEATH & HARRY HOUDINI , an entertaining and elaborate magic show, at a gorgeous little theatre on Division Street.

Naturally we paid a couple of visits to the Art Institute to see Seurat's La Grande Jatte

which was like visiting old friends after 30 years of listening to SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.

and we were reacquainted with some other gorgeous pieces.

and we visited two, count 'em two Frank Lloyd Wright houses.

Incidentally, the suburb where FLW built his first home has another celebrity home just around the corner.

I'm a NYMF-ette!!!! (From Playbill.Com)

Newton’s Cradle and Dust Can’t Kill Me Among Top Winners of NYMF Awards

BY ROBERT VIAGAS

AUG 08, 2016

Victoria Clark and Lesli Margherita are also among the winners.

Newton's Cradle ( Michael Kushner )

Newton’s Cradle, Dust Can’t Kill Me and A Scythe of Time were among the top winners of the 2016 NYMF Awards for Excellence at the New York Musical Festival ( NYMF), previously known as The New York Musical Theatre Festival. 

This year's festival ran July 11-August 7. Awards were given August 7 at 42West Theatre.

The 2016 NYMF Award for Best Musical was awarded to Newton's Cradle, with the Best of Fest Awards for Readings, Concerts/Events and Productions going to Artemis In The Parking Lot, ILLA: A Hip Hop Musical and Children Of Salt, respectively.

Newton’s Cradle took home the most awards, with Dust Can’t Kill Me and A Scythe Of Time taking home multiple prizes as well.

Here is a list of the winners and nominees:

BEST MUSICAL 
Winner: Newton’s Cradle – Music By Heath Saunders, Lyrics by Heath & Kim Saunders, Book by Kim Saunders

Nominees: 
A Scythe of Time 
Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Forest Boy 
Newton’s Cradle 
Nickel Mines

OUTSTANDING OVERALL DESIGN 
Winner: A Scythe of Time – Scenic Design by Starlet Jacobs, Costume Design by Lindsay McWilliams, Lighting Design by Nick Solyom, Sound Design by David Margolin Lawson, Projection Design by Dan Scully

Nominees: 
A Scythe of Time 
Children of Salt 
Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Forest Boy

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS AND ORCHESTRATIONS 
Winner: Dust Can’t Kill Me – Max Gordon & DJ Stanfill

Nominees: 
Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Forest Boy 
Newton’s Cradle 
Nickel Mines

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY 
Winner: Andrew Palermo , Nickel Mines

Nominees: 
EJ Boyle , Forest Boy 
Paul Stancato , ICON 
Nick Kenkel , The Last Word 
Andrew Palermo , Nickel Mines

OUTSTANDING BOOK [of a Musical] 
Winner: Aya Aziz, Eh Dah? Questions for My Father

Nominees: 
Alan Harris, A Scythe of Time 
Aya Aziz, Eh Dah? Questions for My Father 
Scott Gilmour, Forest Boy 
Sebastian Michael, ICON 
Kim Saunders, Newton’s Cradle

OUTSTANDING LYRICS 
Winner: Heath and Kim Saunders, Newton’s Cradle

Nominees: 
Elliah Heifetz, Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Aya Aziz, Eh Dah? Questions for My Father 
Scott Gilmour, Forest Boy 
Sebastian Michael, ICON 
Heath and Kim Saunders, Newton’s Cradle

OUTSTANDING MUSIC 
Winner: Elliah Heifetz, Dust Can’t Kill Me

Nominees: 
Elliah Heifetz, Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Claire McKenzie, Forest Boy 
Heath Saunders, Newton’s Cradle 
Dan Dyer, Nickel Mines

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 
Winners: 
Elizabeth A. Davis, Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Trent Saunders, Newton’s Cradle

Nominees: 
Matthew Dengler, A Scythe of Time 
Richard Crandle, Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Elizabeth A. Davis, Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Brian Charles Rooney, LUDO’s Broken Bride 
Trent Saunders, Newton’s Cradle 
Marisha Castle, Nickel Mines 
Josephine Rose Roberts, Nickel Mines 
Felicia Finley, The Last Word

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE 
Winners: 
Lesli Margherita, A Scythe of Time 
Andrea Jones-Sojola, Newton’s Cradle

Nominees: 
Lesli Margherita, A Scythe of Time 
Kathryn Gallagher, Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Will Connolly, Forest Boy 
Sam Simahk, ICON 
Andrea Jones-Sojola, Newton’s Cradle 
Heath Saunders, Newton’s Cradle 
Morgan Hollingsworth, Nickel Mines 
Izzy Castaldi, Normativity

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE 
Winner: Dust Can’t Kill Me – Michael Castillejos, Richard Crandle, Elizabeth A. Davis, Adrian Blake Enscoe, Kathryn Gallagher, Paul Hinkes

Nominees: 
A Scythe of Time 
Camp Rolling Hills 
Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Forest Boy 
Nickel Mines

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION 
Winner: Victoria Clark, Newton’s Cradle

Nominees: 
David Alpert, A Scythe of Time 
Srda Vasiljevic, Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Robert McQueen, Forest Boy 
Victoria Clark, Newton’s Cradle 
Andrew Palermo, Nickel Mines

THE FOLLOWING RECEIVED OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE AWARDS: 
Aya Aziz, Eh Dah? Questions for My Father 
Adrian Blake Enscoe, Dust Can’t Kill Me 
Rosemary Fossee, The First Church of Mary, the Repentant Prostitute’s Fifth Annual Benefit Concert, Revival and Pot Luck Dinner 
Michael Graceffa, The Last Word 
Brandon Malafronte, LUDO’s Broken Bride 
April Ortiz, Children of Salt 
Rachel Kara Perez, Newton’s Cradle 
Sabina Petra, Forest Boy 
Tony Sheldon, ICON 
Phili Jackson Smith, The Last Word

SPECIAL CITATIONS 
Best Performance by a Last-Minute Understudy – Alex Gudhe, A Scythe of Time 
Fight Choreography – Mick Bleyer, The Gold 
Social Relevance and Impact – Andrew Palermo, Dan Dyer, Shannon Stoeke; Nickel Mines 
Outstanding Emerging Artist – Jaime Jarrett, Normativity 
Outstanding Family-Friendly Show – Camp Rolling Hills and Tink!

Created by the NYMF Board of Directors' Executive Committee, The Executive Committee wishes to acknowledge the outstanding productions of Camp Rolling Hills and Tink! for engaging our younger audience members. This significantly supports our mission to ensure the future vitality of musical theater.

2016 SHOW-SCORE BEST OF FEST AWARDS

BEST OF FEST: READING 
Artemis in the Parking Lot – Book and Lyrics by Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Music and Lyrics by Laura Grill

BEST OF FEST: CONCERT/EVENT 
iLLA: A Hip Hop Musical – Book, Music and Lyrics by Ronvé O’Daniel, Music by Jevares Myric, Story Consultant J. Kyle Manzay, Music Consultant Will Stone

BEST OF FEST: PRODUCTION 
Children of Salt – Music by Jaime Lozana, Book and Lyrics by Lauren Epsenhart

That Toddlin' Town

We went to Chicago just for the hell of it because we'd never been. And we LOVED it.

Michigan Ave. runs through the centre of downtown and is called the Magnificent Mile because it has all the high end shops. We were told to visit the Signature Lounge on the top floor of this building to get the best view of the city.

We did the Architectural boat tour of the Chicago River

The Wrigley Building (above)