Epic Universe opening day draws international visitors
FOX 35's Morgan Parrish joins FOX 35's Garrett Wymer's LIVE coverage of Epic Universe grand opening coverage speaking with guests driving into the park from Argentina and out-of-state from the American northeast.
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Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Review: Grant Park Music Festival opens with Latin dances and a multitasking conductor
Depending where you are, introducing oneself as American in Spanish — soy Americano — might set you up for some playful ribbing. To many, the descriptor is understood to refer to the Americas broadly, not the United States. On Wednesday, a very Americano opening night of the Grant Park Music Festival, led by guest conductor Andrew Litton, took that wide angle. Gabriela Lena Frank's 'Three Latin American Dances' references indigenous American and European sources alike, mixing — like so much Latin American music — in a fluid, unbroken tapestry. The Spanish dances in Manuel de Falla's 'The Three-Cornered Hat,' later in the program, hit home those Old World influences. Even 'Rhapsody in Blue,' the U.S.-of-American piece at the concert's heart, briefly shuffles atop Latin rhythms. Though studiously apolitical, the concert's Pan-American outlook took on added resonance this week amid demonstrations in Chicago and across the country over immigration raids targeting migrants from Latin America. Just a few short months ago, festival music director Giancarlo Guerrero — born in Nicaragua, raised in Costa Rica — placed 30-second ad spots for the festival on Spanish-language radio, a savvy marketing move for a city that is more than a fifth Spanish-speaking. But the festival has opened to a stark new political reality. Guerrero will arrive at the festival starting next week. In the meantime, Litton devised a sufficiently show-stopping opener by conducting and playing 'Rhapsody in Blue.' Doing double duty is doubtlessly a feat, but it's an entirely possible one, Litton told the audience: the solo piano part and orchestral backing more or less trade off throughout. There are about a million ways to tackle Gershwin's perennial, and local audiences have heard a few already in recent summers. On Wednesday, Litton and the Grant Parkers went for contrast: The orchestra's raucous, jazzy heft met the cool steel of Litton's primmer and ever-so-classical interpretation. Litton's necessary focus on the solo part often freed the Grant Park musicians — especially solo voices like clarinetist Trevor O'Riordan and trombonist Jeremy Moeller — to take inspiring interpretive risks. Likewise, Litton seemed more in his element than in the rest of the program. Lines ebbed and flowed with ease, and he briefly superimposed some swing on his cadenza halfway through the piece. However, Litton was less decisive when he recouped his baton. He appeared notably more reliant on the score to 'Dances,' written in 2004, than he did the Gershwin and de Falla's; unsurprisingly, a staid, mostly anonymous account followed. Grant Park's open-air setting is always a daunting container for atmospheric, hazily scored music like the opening of the second-movement 'Highland Harawi.' Here, though, it came off as detached rather than distant, draining the screeching-violin cataclysm a few minutes later of its drama. The lackadaisical tempo of the 'Mestizo Waltz' capper never reached liftoff, either. Overall, this was the rare Grant Park evening where the 21st century work got the short end of the stick. 'The Three-Cornered Hat' fared better. It still had its flat moments — the exposition felt a bit ushered along, as did the beginning of 'The Neighbors Dance' — but in this familiar repertoire, the ensemble did more to rise to the occasion. Cheeky pinprick staccatos from oboist Alex Liedtke and bassoonist Eric Hall enlivened the 'Dance of the Miller's Wife.' Later, the 'Jota' finale thrived in the delightful juxtaposition of grandiosity and mischief, represented by pulsing low voices and tiptoeing woodwinds. It tends to take a program or two for the Grant Parkers to readjust to playing together in the Pavilion. Wednesday was no exception, with several scattered moments. But this ever-flexible orchestra course-corrects quickly: It only took a bar or so for violins to brush themselves off after some disagreement at the top of Frank's 'Dances,' and again in harried moments in 'The Three-Cornered Hat.' But its sound was always gleaming and well-rounded, the instrumental balance impeccable all evening. From the curtain-raising 'Star-Spangled Banner' to the de Falla's hair-raising Jota, this was a banner night for the Grant Park brass in particular. Trombones converged cleanly and mightily for their soli in 'Rhapsody in Blue'; so did trumpets at the flamenco-y start of the 'Mestizo Waltz.' In an uncertain, ugly summer, what a gift it is to have Grant Park. The Grant Park Music Festival continues this Friday at 6:30 p.m. with Holst's 'The Planets,' conducted by festival chorus director Christopher Bell in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St.; free,
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
How The Radical Left Sent Their Moderates To The Right (ft. Link Lauren)
Story #1: As the Left exposes itself more and more during the L.A. Riots, have they sold out any sense of moderatism in an embrace of extremist positions? Will shows how a study explains the shift in diversity of thought from the Left to the Right. Story #2: Link Lauren, Host of 'Spot On with Link Lauren,' joins Will to break down David Hogg's ouster from the Democratic Party, Joe Rogan's claim that two former Presidents tried to get him censored on Spotify, and AI's destruction of the internet and search engines. Story #3: Was Brian Wilson the greatest American songwriter of all-time. Will and The Crew compare how the The Beach Boys legend stacked up against his peers. Tell Will what you thought about this podcast by emailing WillCainShow@ Subscribe to The Will Cain Show on YouTube here: Watch The Will Cain Show! Follow Will on X: @WillCain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Robert De Niro's fictional home in ‘Zero Day' asks $15M — making it among the priciest for sale in its NYC-area county
An estate fit for a president — albeit a fictional one — just hit the market in Westchester County. Rabbit Hill estate, set along the Hudson River in the village of Briarcliff Manor, hit the market for $15 million, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Georgian Revival-style home received significant airtime as the fictional abode of George Mullen, a beleaguered former president played by Robert De Niro in the Netflix miniseries 'Zero Day,' which was released early this year. 12 The red brick estate sits at the end of a long, gated driveway. Daniel Milstein Photography 12 The lush property spans roughly 22 acres. Daniel Milstein Photography 12 De Niro sits opposite Angela Bassett in 'Zero Day.' JOJO WHILDEN/NETFLIX © 2024 The thriller's first episode opens with scenes of De Niro living out his temporary retirement at the house, swimming laps in the 50-foot pool and playing with his dog on the neatly trimmed lawn. In reality, the 22-acre estate is owned by hedge-funder Doug Haynes and his wife, Laurice Haynes, the Journal reported. Rabbit Hill's history dates back to 1929, when it was constructed by American architect Mott B. Schmidt for a Wall Street banker. Schmidt crafted homes for the likes of the Vanderbilts and the Astors, as well as 655 Park Ave. and a wing of Gracie Mansion. The red brick house at Rabbit Hill — accessed via a gated, quarter-mile-long driveway — spans roughly 13,000 square feet. The first floor includes a marbled-checked foyer, a modern kitchen and a sunken family room overlooking the garden. A curved, floating staircase, positioned over a herringbone brick floor, leads up to the second floor and its seven bedrooms. 12 The handsome foyer. Daniel Milstein Photography 12 Vaulted ceilings pair with arched doorways. Daniel Milstein Photography 12 The kitchen recieved a modern upgrade but maintained its colonial style. Daniel Milstein Photography 12 The formal dining room. Daniel Milstein Photography 12 The curved, floating staircase. Daniel Milstein Photography 12 A wood-paneled office. Daniel Milstein Photography 12 The primary bedroom glimpses the Hudson River beyond. Daniel Milstein Photography 12 The 50-foot pool and large pool house. Daniel Milstein Photography Listing agent David Turner, of Compass, told the Journal that part of home's value comes from the land itself, with its roughly 22 acres of lawns, gardens and woodlands overlooking the Hudson River. Rabbit Hill's current owners bought the property in 2016 for $9 million and proceeded to undertake millions of dollars worth of upgrades and restorations, the Journal reported. A location scout for 'Zero Day' approached the couple in 2023. 12 The historic property's acreage and vistas make it one of the most expensive listings in Westchester County. Daniel Milstein Photography What began as a six- to eight-week departure from their home turned into a year-long separation due to Hollywood strikes, and the owners bounced around a Palm Beach home and various rentals, according to the Journal. Netflix compensated the couple for their time away, according to the outlet, and gave the pair a cameo in a 'Zero Day' party scene for their troubles. The home was a principal location throughout the miniseries, which premiered to mixed critical reviews. Rabbit Hill was previously featured in the long-running NBC series 'The Blacklist,' as well.
