REVIEW: Basil Twist's Symphonie Fantastique Film Via The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival

ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List

I was eager to see Basil Twist's Symphonie Fantastique Film, but woke up yesterday with a stomach bug. Fortunately I have some fabulous friends who were more than happy to review in my place. I'll be back out Puppet Festing this Thursday at The MCA, reviewing Macunaíma Gourmet by Pigmalião Escultura que Mexe (Brazil) for ChiILLiveShows.com. Bonnie Kenaz-Mara ChiIL Live Shows/ ChiIL Mama  Review by Catherine Hellmann, Guest Critic    Basil Twist is a New York-based puppeteer (born in Chicago!) who has made a film involving feather and fabric puppets in a 1,000 gallon tank of water. It’s set to one of my favorite pieces of music, Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Inspired by the serendipitous finds of locating a 100-gallon aquarium and a record of the symphony in a box on the street, one must admire his creativity. Making a movie/abstract puppet show based on found items from the sidewalk would never cross my mind. He found the title of the symphony and its length (just under an hour) to be perfect for his project. As Twist observed,”Even dropping fabric into water can be beautiful.”    The piece has five movements with a storyline of an artist who is obsessed with a beautiful woman...that ends badly (spoiler!) with him facing the gallows. Basil Twist matched each movement with a color theme to mark the mood: the first section has many colors, followed by black and white with bits of red, section three features blues, four has oranges and greens. The final movement brings all the colors together.    The music is a piano solo by the extremely talented Christopher O’Riley who plays the entire score (adapted by the brilliant composer Franz Liszt) from memory.  The film shows the live action of the puppet show, the pianist, and some of the backstage movement which is like a well-planned ballet. Five puppeteers must navigate around each other in a choreographed dance. As Twist told the audience at the post-show discussion: “Puppetry is movement.” It would be fun to see this show live which includes a backstage tour of the (tsunami?) water mess.  Upstairs on the 4th floor at the gorgeous Fine Arts Building is a puppet “pop up” of fun displays. We enjoyed getting our photo taken with a giant girl puppet in the cafe. It’s neat that Chicago hosts this worldwide event. Catherine Hellmann teaches Psychology and Humanities at a downtown charter school where she is the ooooooldest teacher in the building. (Thank you, Abbott Elementary!) Rather than get a sensible night’s sleep, she’s usually at the theater on a school night…

Review

by Flo Mano, Guest Critic 

I was mesmerized by the movement & colors & texture! I saw Matisse in the first transparent cutouts! Then Dolphins & eels in a sensual, flirting, playful romance! When the music got intense -the red & black feathers felt like predators-sharks. When it was dark I saw outer space-stars- nebulas & comets! The sparkling broken waves like crystal gems! Then the inward  folding of the fabric like a sea urchin-no needles. The red squiggly fiber optics looked like jellyfish & the interwound, colorful tinsel felt like seaweed! The lighting was magic throughout-eliciting emotions to the music- like a tight Tango-not missing a beat! The Q&A was enlightening. It was also fun being silly at the cafe before the show.

Flo Mano is a CPS elementary teacher-aide/librarian, hairdresser, and theater/film fanatic who catches hundreds of Chicago shows annually. She volunteers at numerous film venues and theaters.

Symphonie Fantastique Film A film by Basil Twist (U.S./New York) Presented by the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago Tickets: $15/$10 students and seniors One show only: Tuesday, January 24 at 6 p.m. Family Friendly - ALL AGES ADA accessible 55 minutes

In 1998, puppeteer Basil Twist debuted his boundary-breaking response to Berlioz's 1830 "Symphonie Fantastique" to universal acclaim. In the two decades since, Twist became an internationally recognized artist in opera, ballet, and on Broadway, winning countless awards including the illustrious MacArthur Fellowship. In 2018 Twist revisited his legendary masterpiece in its original home, the HERE Arts Center in NYC with live accompaniment by the virtuosic Christopher O'Riley playing the exquisite Liszt transcription for concert piano and in a significantly larger aquarium. Symphonie played a critically lauded and sold-out six-month run, allowing the finest performances to be captured on film in front of, behind, and inside the 1,000-gallon water tank by Twist and director Bobby Sheehan.  Soon after, while on a Rome Prize fellowship, Twist collaborated with master Italian film artisans to edit and refine the definitive filmed version of this iconic theatrical experience. The result, Twist’s first full-length film, is not just a document of a performance but an artistic expression in its own right, weaving imagery seen by the audience with the unseen backstage ballet of the puppeteers and the emotional synergy of the live musical performance. It received its world premiere at the 2019 World Puppetry Festival in Charleville Mézières, France, where Twist was the guest of honor.  

While Basil Twist's Symphonie Fantastique Film was a one and done showing for Chicago, Basil Twist's “Dogugaeshi,” is still coming up

Basil Twist, the internationally acclaimed master puppeteer and recipient of the Rome Prize, unfolds an intimate, abstract, contemporary journey of images and emotions. A feast for the eyes, heart and soul, this Chicago premiere is influenced by “Dogugaeshi,” a rarefied tradition of Japanese sliding screen stage technique, and Twist’s own encounters with the remaining rural caretakers of this once popular art form. Winner of the 2005 Bessie Award and an UNIMA Award for Excellence in Puppetry, Dogugaeshi features original shamisen compositions created and performed live by authorized master musicians Yumiko Tanaka and Yoko Reikano Kimura. Basil Twist, a third generation puppeteer, has significantly contributed to the art of puppetry since 1998, known worldwide for creating original abstract adult puppet works focused on their integration with music. His famous work Symphonie Fantastique, which takes place in a tank of water, is performed to the symphony of the same name. (A new film version is screening Tuesday, January 24 at 6 p.m. at the Studebaker Theater as part of this year’s festival.) n 2010, Twist created the puppetry for the Broadway productions of The Pee-wee Herman Show and The Addams Family. Other works include La Bella Dormente nel Bosco, Petrushka, Hansel and Gretel, Master Peter's Puppet Show, the Araneidae Show, Behind the Lid, and Arias with a Twist. He has received national and regional recognition through numerous awards, including a Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome, an Obie Award, a Creative Capital Award in the discipline of Performing Arts and a Guggenheim fellowship. He was a Fall 2015 MacArthur Fellow at the NYU Center for Ballet and the Arts. He attended Oberlin College and graduated from the École Supérieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette in Charleville-Mézières, France. He is founder and director of the Dream Music Puppetry Program at Here Arts Center in NYC. His newest project is leading the puppetry in the Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of My Neighbor Totoro at the Barbican Theatre, London. basiltwist.com 

ONLINE Visit chicagopuppetfest.org for tickets and information about the 5th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, and sign up for the festival’s e-news. Follow the festival on Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo or Twitter, hashtag #ChiPuppetFest.

REVIEW: Blue Man Group Adds NEW Instruments, Interactions, Technology and More To Open Ended Chicago Run at Briar Street Theatre

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Chicago Production Evolves with New Instruments, Technologies and Audience Connections

Guest Review by Flo Mano 

Chicago's gone code "BLUE"... Blue Man Group that is!!  
The Blue Man Group long running show, at Briar Street Theatre, had their revamped, "New Content Debut" this month, under a mood lit tent. It started with a festive, fun VIP reception full of activities. I had a blast creating bicycle spin art on Blue Man Group logo tote bags and decorating hand drums, as memento souvenirs. People could even try their drum skills on colorful pvc pipe drums, just like the actors! In the main lobby there were other percussion instruments, too, awaiting a hands on attempt to create musical sounds, for young and old. Mingling with other guests and enjoying delicious hors d'oeuvres & spirits made for a wonderful way to kick off this celebration! 

After the opening festivities, we entered the theater to a shade of  aesthetically pleasing, blue mood light. I was in the splash zone, where plastic raincoats hang from the chairs, so nobody in the front rows goes home accidentally splatter painted. There I waited eagerly for the excitement to unfold. This was my first time to catch Blue Man Group. 

A hush fell over the crowd, then with the darkening of the stage...BANG!! The Trio of Blue Men appeared in a spotlight and synchronized percussion sounds encompassed the room, to the screaming of the audience!! With a straight face, big expressive eyes, and pantomime, they had the audience in awe from the opening moments onward.

Blue Man Group is magical, imagination filled, knockout entertainment! The neon, face painted accompanying musicians drew attention with their strong score on improvised cues. Meanwhile the blue leads interacted with the audience, like bigger than life balancing gymnast giants, infiltrating and choosing participants to join them on stage. The audience ate it up, with nonstop belly laughter throughout. Amazing statistics and surprises abound. 

At the end, in the lobby, the Blue Men graciously posed for pictures/selfies with their fans prompting grins galore! This show definitely makes for a fun, family friendly special event. Gift your friends and family with lasting memories, with tickets to Blue Man Group. Whether you've never been or seen them many times over, Blue Man Group is a superb show that appeals to all ages!

Flo Mano is a CPS elementary teacher/librarian, hairdresser, and theater/film fanatic who catches hundreds of Chicago shows annually. She's been known to pull over while driving, spring from her car, and excitedly hug favorite actors if she sees them on the street! Flo has an uncanny knack for remembering faces and roles for decades. She volunteers at numerous film venues and theaters, and she has otherworldly ticket karma, frequently showing up at sold out shows and getting standby tickets.

BLUE MAN GROUP CHICAGO DEBUTS 

NEW MOMENTS BEGINNING 

NOVEMBER 8, 2018

Photo Credit: Daniel Boczarski

Blue Man Group, continuing its open run at Chicago’s Briar Street Theatre (3133
N. Halsted), will provide a new experience for Chicago visitors beginning November 8 by unveiling brand new content featuring new instruments, technologies and audience interactions. Developed by Director Michael Dahlen and Creative Director Jeff Turlik, the new elements joining the Chicago production celebrate Blue Man Group’s commitment to experimentation and
evolution. 

Photo Credit: Daniel Boczarski

“When developing pieces for Blue Man Group, we are constantly asking ourselves, ‘What would the Blue Men do?’”, said Michael Dahlen, Director. “In both the new and iconic content for the Chicago show, we follow the Blue Men as they explore various aspects of our rapidly changing world and celebrate our shared joy of being alive. Couple that with moments of playfully
uncomfortable audience participation and you’ve got a unique experience like no other to love.”




Photo Credit: Daniel Boczarski

Newly constructed and remastered instruments such as the Spinulum, Light Horns and Trigger Vibes will bring expressive new sounds to Blue Man Group Chicago. Made from industrial materials, the Spinulum is played in a similar fashion to a slide guitar by moving a specially made hand grip along the stainless-steel neck of the instrument while rotating a clear plastic
disk. Light Horns will allow the Blue Men to call out to the audience in a never-before-done fashion. Part deconstructed xylophone, part drum hardware, the Trigger Vibes will present new but oddly familiar electronic sounds. Original music compositions will also be featured in the Chicago production including the theatrical debut of “Vortex,” a piece from Blue Man Group’s latest studio album “THREE.”

New commentary on culturally relevant themes such as social media, connectivity and technology will be introduced in pieces such as Fast Friendz! and the Blue Men’s engagement with virtual reality headsets backstage during the show. Fast Friendz! playfully and hilariously spoofs society’s over-reliance on technology to enhance their lives. The new content will also create a deeper connection between the audience and the Blue Men by acknowledging and featuring the audience more prominently throughout the show. One lucky
audience member will even be given the opportunity to share the stage with Blue Man Group like never before—becoming a true rock star by playing alongside the Blue Men on yet another new instrument, the Mag Bells.

 Photo Credit: Eric Klein



Blue Man Group is loved by audiences young and old for its ability to surprise, awe, confuse, humble and entertain. Specific iconic elements of Blue Man Group’s ensemble such as the creative uses of paint or the Blue Men’s uncanny ability to throw, catch and make art from an unlikely medium have become ingrained in Blue Man Group’s DNA and are expected and desired by fans. These moments will remain as celebrated components of the production. 


 Photo Credit: Daniel Boczarski

Blue Man Group Ticket Information
Tickets are available from $49-$99. Tickets may be purchased by calling 1-800-BLUE-MAN (1-800-258-3626) or visiting www.blueman.com. A full show schedule and ticket pricing, can also be found at www.blueman.com.
Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more, varying from $46- $69 per person. For groups of 10 or more, call the group sales department to book at: 773-348-3300 or email chicagogroups@blueman.com to request information.


 Photo Credit: Daniel Boczarski

About Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an award-winning show and entertainment phenomenon, performed and
seen by more than 35 million people worldwide since 1991. A dynamic combination of art,
music, comedy and technology, the show’s euphoric celebration of human connection has
universal appeal for a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds. The show is
continually refreshed with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and state-of-the-art
technology. Blue Man Group has permanent theatrical productions in New York, Las Vegas,
Boston, Chicago, Orlando, Berlin and a World Tour. Blue Man Group is owned and operated by
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.

This creative collective has become part of the pop culture zeitgeist. Blue Man Group has
served as the face of branding campaigns for Intel and TIM/Brasil and appeared countless times
on hit shows like “The Tonight Show,” “Arrested Development,” “Ellen,” “Schlag den Raab”
(Germany), “WOWOW” (Japan), and “Caldeirão do Huck” (Brasil).

Beyond the stage show, they are Grammy-nominated recording artists, known for their
contributions to various film and TV scores and multiple Blue Man Group albums, including their
most recent, THREE. Their “Megastar World Tour” rock concert parody played arenas across
the globe. The group’s recently published first-ever book, Blue Man World, is a visually stunning
anthropological exploration of the curious bald and blue character.