Latest news with #Chicago-born
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: ‘Twisted Melodies' at Northlight Theatre remembers the mind and music of Donny Hathaway
Back in 2015, I watched a Chicago actor named Kelvin Roston Jr. wrestle mightily with the troubled psyche of Donny Hathaway, the Chicago-born songwriter and soul singer who had a hit with 'The Ghetto,' collaborated with Roberta Flack on hits like 'Where is the Love' and 'The Closer I Get to You,' and also worked for Curtis Mayfield's Curtom Records on the city's South Side. The music business has more famous names than Hathaway, who reportedly died by suicide at the Essex Hotel in New York City in 1979 at the age of 33, but he is widely seen as a foundational influence on artists from George Benson to Elton John. We were in a small studio at the Athenaeum Theatre, where Roston was working on his passion project for the Congo Square Theatre. I remember thinking that he was channeling his troubled subject so intensely, he almost was putting himself at risk. Hathaway had an angelic voice and prodigious amounts of songwriting talent but also suffered from mental illness. In 1971 he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, which led to him popping a plethora of pills that may or may not have helped. He was dead eight years later. Roston is still obsessed with Hathaway, bringing his solo show, dubbed 'Twisted Melodies,' to the Northlight Theatre in Skokie a decade after Congo Square, following other stagings. As before, in the show we meet Hathaway alone in his hotel room, trying to play and work as he fought off demons that told him that others were coming to get inside his skull and steal his talent and his work. That credible worry for Black artists over theft of their work is one of the themes of Roston's piece, as is the question of whether neurodivergent artists are well-served by medication or whether the establishment's attempt at normalization, so to speak, destroys their essence and their art. All good questions. I sat in a relatively small crowd on Saturday night at Northlight, some of whom seemed to be ignited by this piece and some of whom did not. Certainly, the work is a must-see for any big Hathaway fans who've not yet had the pleasure. Roston's immersion in this character, and his commitment to re-creating his very particular sound, remains as intense as ever. But back when I first saw 'Twisted Melodies,' I remember hoping that Roston would get the chance to expand the material beyond this blend of singing and necessarily meandering, introspective text, which can only take the piece so far. His Donny needs someone else to play off (Flack being the most obvious candidate), as budgetarily attractive as one-person shows can be these days. And, to be honest, I think a full accounting of Hathaway involves leaving this hotel room; there is no reason we cannot hear him with a bigger musical accompaniment, too. I suppose this review reflects some disappointment that a show that I felt had so much potential had not been further developed for this run at one of our most important theaters, especially given the addition of Ron OJ Parson as the director. Then again, had I not been there in 2015, I'd most likely have been enthralled by this actor's formidable level of insight for a genius whom Chicago often fails to remember. Hathaway, many readers will recall, could write, sing and arrange pop, R&B, jazz, gospel and soul, gliding from one to another with the ease he never felt inside his own head. I've been listening to him as I write. Review: 'Twisted Melodies' (2.5 stars) When: Through Aug. 10 Where: Northlight Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Tickets: $46-$98 at 847-673-6300 and
USA Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Heritage Foundation founder Edwin Feulner dies at 83
Edwin Feulner, founder and longtime president of the influential U.S. conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, has died, the foundation announced in a statement. He was 83. Feulner, a Chicago-born political scientist, founded Heritage in 1973 and became its president in 1977, a position he held until 2013. Republican President Ronald Reagan awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989. The foundation's statement, released on July 18, did not specify when Feulner died or the cause. Current Heritage president Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby, wrote in a joint statement that Feulner founded Heritage to plant "a flag for truth in a town too often seduced by power." "What started as a small outpost for conservative ideas became - under Ed's tireless leadership - the intellectual arsenal for the Reagan Revolution and the modern conservative movement," they wrote. Heritage continues to deeply impact American conservatism - including being the institution that created Project 2025, widely considered the policy blueprint of President Donald Trump's quick-moving second term. Senator Mitch McConnell, a longtime leader of Congressional Republicans, wrote on social media that Feulner "was a great man" and that "his dedication to promoting peace through strength at the end of the Cold War offers a particularly enduring lesson." Representative Steve Scalise, a Republican and majority leader in the House of Representatives, wrote on social media that Feulner "was one of the architects who built the conservative movement in this country." The Excerpt: Trump, Project 2025 and the plan to remake government (Reporting by Brad Brooks in Colorado; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Heritage Foundation founder Edwin Feulner dies at 83
Agencies Edwin J. Feulner, co-founder of the Heritage Foundation and architect of Project 2025, dies at 83 after reshaping U.S. conservative politics. His leadership influenced both Reagan and Trump, leaving a lasting impact on American policy and governance. Edwin Feulner, founder and longtime president of the influential U.S. conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, has died at age 83, Heritage said in a statement. The Friday statement did not say when Feulner died or the cause. Feulner, a Chicago-born political scientist, founded Heritage in 1973 and became its president in 1977, a position he held until 2013. Republican President Ronald Regan awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989. Current Heritage president Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby, wrote in a joint statement that Feulner founded Heritage to plant "a flag for truth in a town too often seduced by power." "What started as a small outpost for conservative ideas became - under Ed's tireless leadership - the intellectual arsenal for the Reagan Revolution and the modern conservative movement," they wrote. Heritage continues to deeply impact American conservatism - including being the institution that created Project 2025, widely considered the policy blueprint of President Donald Trump's quick-moving second term. Senator Mitch McConnell, a longtime leader of Congressional Republicans, wrote on social media that Feulner "was a great man" and that "his dedication to promoting peace through strength at the end of the Cold War offers a particularly enduring lesson." Representative Steve Scalise, a Republican and majority leader in the House of Representatives, wrote on social media that Feulner "was one of the architects who built the conservative movement in this country."
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Heritage Foundation founder Edwin Feulner dies at 83
Edwin Feulner , founder and longtime president of the influential U.S. conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation , has died at age 83, Heritage said in a statement. The Friday statement did not say when Feulner died or the cause. Feulner, a Chicago-born political scientist, founded Heritage in 1973 and became its president in 1977, a position he held until 2013. Republican President Ronald Regan awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Operations Management PGDM Degree healthcare Cybersecurity MCA Technology Artificial Intelligence Product Management MBA others Finance Leadership CXO Data Science Project Management Data Science Data Analytics Management Design Thinking Others Public Policy Digital Marketing Healthcare Skills you'll gain: Quality Management & Lean Six Sigma Analytical Tools Supply Chain Management & Strategies Service Operations Management Duration: 10 Months IIM Lucknow IIML Executive Programme in Strategic Operations Management & Supply Chain Analytics Starts on Jan 27, 2024 Get Details Current Heritage president Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby, wrote in a joint statement that Feulner founded Heritage to plant "a flag for truth in a town too often seduced by power." "What started as a small outpost for conservative ideas became - under Ed's tireless leadership - the intellectual arsenal for the Reagan Revolution and the modern conservative movement ," they wrote. Heritage continues to deeply impact American conservatism - including being the institution that created Project 2025 , widely considered the policy blueprint of President Donald Trump's quick-moving second term. Live Events Senator Mitch McConnell , a longtime leader of Congressional Republicans, wrote on social media that Feulner "was a great man" and that "his dedication to promoting peace through strength at the end of the Cold War offers a particularly enduring lesson." Representative Steve Scalise, a Republican and majority leader in the House of Representatives, wrote on social media that Feulner "was one of the architects who built the conservative movement in this country." Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
What was the greatest Disneyland era? We look back on 70 years at the happiest place on Earth
Happy birthday, Disneyland. The Disneyland Resort turns 70 today. What was once envisioned by Walt Disney and his team of animators, architects, engineers, horticulturalists and more, has become part of the fabric of Southern California, a landmark as recognizable to our region as beaches and palm trees. An estimated 17 million people come to Disneyland annually to dream, to play and to admire American pop art at its most optimistic. A fake world inspired by a real one that never actually existed, Disneyland is such a constant to our nation that a full unplanned, nonweather-related closure of the park is such an abnormality that it's happened just three times. The walls of the fairy-tale castle — buoyantly pink and cheerfully blue — have stood through multiple wars, civil rights movements, economic downturns and nearly every societal trend, change or tragedy. As for many who reside in the region, Disneyland has become my home away from home, not so much my 'happy place,' as it's often referred, as simply a reminder that there are consistencies through the ups and downs of life. I consider Disneyland a reassurance that possibilities, be it for a better world or just a kiss goodnight, never cease to exist. We look back at seven decades of Disneyland — its monumental launches, fascinating pivots, noteworthy blunders and where it's heading from here. A fantasy world captivates a postwar America. A vision of one man, the Chicago-born cartoonist turned animation pioneer turned entrepreneur Walt Disney, Disneyland arrived amid a post-World War II, Cold War-embroiled America. It opened on July 17, 1955, as a a $17,500,000 temple dedicated to play, a reminder of the power of imagination. To step onto its Main Street, U.S.A., was to wander into a place that conjured a vision of America that never was, an idealized fantastical world with a castle at its end. The first decade created a template, one that has seen many additions — and subtractions — but would remain so formidable that it would spawn an industry and epitomize a unique form of American storytelling, one rooted in hope and the belief that every individual deserves a happily ever after, if only for one day in Anaheim. Many key opening-year attractions still stand — Peter Pan's Flight, the Mad Tea Party, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, the Jungle Cruise, Autopia, the Mark Twain Riverboat, and what we know today as Snow White's Enchanted Wish and the Storybook Land Canal Boats. One could say they're timeless. 'Fantasy,' Disney once stated, 'if it's really convincing, can't become dated, for the simple reason that it represents a flight into a dimension that lies beyond the reach of time.' Its initial decade was one of constant reinvention. The Matterhorn Bobsleds in 1959 would reenvision the thrill ride as one that could house a narrative. The monorail in 1959 would hint at the possibility of new transit. Audio-animatronic figurines would also debut, with the opening of the Enchanted Tiki Room in 1963. As dazzling as singing birds were, in 1965, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln would alter how theme parks bring characters to life. Not all early attractions were a hit. The Kaiser Hall of Aluminum Fame, though home to an aluminum pig, wouldn't last the decade. And before Main Street was the Disney-branded mall it is today, it once featured the intimate apparel shop, the Wizard of Bras. Rapid technological advancement helps Disney push the limits on what a theme park could be. Disneyland was born, in a way, to bring cinematic worlds to life, with Disney's team of animators helping to create a place that felt warm, inviting and just a bit mystical — a back lot where we were the star. As it evolved, however, designers began to experiment with the theme park as its own unique art form. Disneyland turned outward in 1966 with the arrival, from the New York World's Fair, of It's a Small World, a globalist approach at unity after long periods of political upheaval. Its art style referenced the whimsy, unexpected color use and the friendly-but-abstracted tone of Mary Blair, handing Disneyland its own unique take on the peace and love decade. New Orleans Square would give the park a fresh land, one that was instrumental in creating the all-surrounding, immersive approach that is so prevalent today. Pirates of the Caribbean in 1967 and the Haunted Mansion in 1969 became the templates for the so-called theme park 'dark ride,' eschewing direct plot in favor of a tableau of scenes that hinted at larger human themes, from the perils of a life of sin and gluttony to a reminder that our time here is limited and to leave moments for revelry. A remake of Tomorrowland in 1967 emphasized sleekness and opportunities via the arrival of the People Mover, which, along with the monorail, continued to advocate for a world less dependent on cars, while the Adventure Thru Inner Space and Carousel of Progress theorized the ways in which tech could touch our lives. In the early '70s, the Main Street Electrical Parade would not only extend one's day at the park, but do so while introducing the masses to electronic music. Disneyland was forced to close early on Aug. 6, 1970, due to a political protest. About 300 'Yippies,' members of the Youth International Party, a collection of radicals, pranksters and anti-Vietnam War protesters, descended upon the park and ultimately hoisted a Viet Cong flag over a fort on Tom Sawyer Island. The Walt Disney Co. may not cherish this moment, but it signified the way Disneyland had penetrated the American psyche as a representation for our values. Southern Californians are growing up. Say hello to thrills. While Disney is said to have been adamant that he didn't want his park to be a coaster haven, he could acquiesce for the right, story-driven project, as evidenced by the 1950s creation the Matterhorn. A pair of thrill rides in the late '70s would expand on that ride's legacy. The addition of two major mountains — and two adrenaline-releasing attractions — was an acknowledgment that Southern Californians were on the prowl for some more grown-up-leaning experiences. Disneyland was also feeling the effects of new and burgeoning Walt Disney World in Florida, having already lost Carousel of Progress to the East Coast (it was replaced with the patriotic America Sings). While Disney, who died in 1966, wasn't, of course, around when Space Mountain opened in 1977, the attraction dates to his time, as early concepts had the ride considered for the Tomorrowland makeover of 1967. Audiences may have seen it as a nod to the growth of sci-fi and fantasy films, but Space Mountain also tapped into the appeal of exploration, hurtling us into a darkness illuminated only by stars. Two years later in 1979, Frontierland would receive a large makeover, with Big Thunder Mountain replacing the relaxing Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland, which had existed, in various forms, since the park's beginnings. Taking heavy inspiration from Bryce Canyon National Park, Big Thunder remains a majesty of coaster design, leading us in and out of caverns to reflect nature at its most unpredictable and awe-inspiring. Then in 1983, a Fantasyland makeover updated the increasingly outdated and heavily congested Renaissance fair look with with a homey, European-style village. The Disneyland drawbridge at Sleeping Beauty Castle is today locked into place, but when New Fantastyland opened, the drawbridge was lowered for only the second time in Disneyland history. In 1980 at a Disneyland Date Night event, two young men were removed from the park for dancing together. They sued, but it would be some years yet before Disneyland allowed same-sex dancing. Let's go to the movies! The park aligns with Hollywood cinema. Disneyland starts to more intently look beyond its own borders. The park opened a ride that, arguably, would forever change the trajectory of the resort in Star Tours. Previously, a major Disneyland attraction had been the property of the Walt Disney Co., but with Star Tours, Disney recognized its audience was changing — perhaps disappearing — and it needed to partner with owners of other creative properties. Star Tours opened in 1987. Motion simulators were, at the time, a fresh and unique ride vehicle, and the opportunity to explore 'Star Wars' worlds proved so popular that Disneyland was open for 60 consecutive hours when it launched the attraction. Disney would in 1995 team up with George Lucas again for the Indiana Jones Adventure, furthering a relationship that would eventually culminate in 2012 when the Walt Disney Co. bought Lucasfilm. Like Star Tours, Indiana Jones Adventure used new technology, this one a ride vehicle that seemed to have a personality of its own to give the illusion of responding to the environment. Disney Imagineers spoke of the importance of appealing to a generation that was beginning to be weaned on interactive entertainment. You're no longer 'just drifting through as an observer,' said Tony Baxter, one of the key architects of the ride, at the time. In 1989, Disneyland opened Splash Mountain, a ride that featured about 100 audio-animatronic critters, and themed it to the animated scenes of 1946's controversial 'Song of the South,' a choice that was questioned at the time. Toontown and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin also arrived in this period, and the long-running 'Fantasmic!' began lighting up the Rivers of America. Disneyland in 1987 hosted an AIDS Project Los Angeles fundraiser as a mea culpa for once banning same-sex dancing. The company wanted to 'make a positive statement about AIDS care and also dismiss finally all the nonsense that's happened in the past,' said a Disneyland spokesperson at the time. And in 1995, women were allowed to be skippers on the Jungle Cruise for the first time. It's all about a California (and high-growth) state of mind. In a period of grand expansion, Disneyland would start to become a proper resort — a metamorphosis that, while it didn't work immediately, would be course-corrected and set up Disneyland for a new generation of growth. This era added Disney California Adventure, turning the destination into one that the Walt Disney Co. hoped would command multiday stays. A former parking lot across from Disneyland was remade into Disney California Adventure, which would open in February 2001. The long in-development project was designed to honor California culture, but was pitched initially as a West Coast answer to Walt Disney World's Epcot. The Times was kind in its opening coverage, praising the park's change of pace from Disneyland and admiring how its architecture blurred fiction and reality. The hang-gliding simulation Soarin' Over California was an instant hit, and 'Eureka! A California Parade' was Disney theatricality at its weirdest, with floats that depicted Old Town San Diego, Watts and more. But California Adventure's prevalence of amusement park-like rides failed to command the crowds of its next door neighbor. Disney's own documentary 'The Imagineering Story' took a tough-love approach to the park's early days, comparing some of its initial designs to those of a local mall. In time, however — with multiple makeovers and additions — California Adventure would become a beloved, world-class theme park, though it would stray from its initial California-centric conceit. During this era, Disneyland also added the Grand Californian Hotel and its Downtown Disney District. A luxurious take on California's Arts and Crafts movement, the Grand Californian remains the resort's signature hotel and home to its finest dining establishment, Napa Rose, under renovations at the time of writing. Disney would also add a second haunted attraction with the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in 2004. Over at Disneyland, Tomorrowland in 1998 would receive a transformation, one it has yet to fully recover from. The beloved People Mover would be no more, a Jules Verne-inspired art style would come and gradually go, and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters would arrive in 2005. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh would in 2003 evict the Country Bears from their music hall. This era is home to two of Disneyland's shortest-lived major attractions. Superstar Limo at California Adventure was conceived as a ride in which paparazzi would chase celebs, a concept deemed in poor taste in the wake of the death of Princess Diana. It was refashioned as a sort of tour of Hollywood with heavily caricatured figurines of the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Regis Philbin, Drew Carey, Cher and more, but would close within a year. At Disneyland, People Mover's replacement Rocket Rods could never consistently operate, and the ride would last just about two years. The tracks remain. Start your engines — Disney reimagines California Adventure. Disneyland flourished for its so-called 'diamond celebration' in 2015, thanks to a refurbished California Adventure, a host of ride upgrades and a nighttime parade that served as a modern updating of the Main Street Electrical Parade. Crowds responded, as since 2015 Disneyland has often been open late into the night, regularly to midnight. Having hosted now multiple generations of guests, Disneyland had become a Southern California rite of passage. In 2012, Disney California Adventure received a makeover. The centerpiece: Cars Land. Flanked by sun-scarred, reddish rocks that look lifted from Arizona, Cars Land is a marvel of a theme park land, and arguably still Disney's most fully realized immersive creation. Nodding to Route 66, the land is a neon-lit, '50s rock leaning hub of activity with two dancing car rides — don't sleep on the joyful Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters — and the showstopping set piece Radiator Springs Racers. The park's entrance also received an overhaul as well via the creation of Buena Vista Street, a nod to Los Feliz in the 1920s, where Disney first landed after moving west from Missouri. Not as big as Main Street, U.S.A., but still full of charm. The Walt Disney Co. recognized its early missteps with California Adventure, and reimagined the park as one worthy of sitting across from Disneyland. While this era was primarily dedicated to California Adventure, there was also notable prep for Disneyland's 60th anniversary in 2015. A number of rides, especially those in Fantasyland, received upgrades — key additions were made to the Matterhorn and Alice in Wonderland, for instance. Additionally, the exuberant nighttime parade Paint the Night would make its debut. And Finding Nemo's Submarine Voyage opened in 2007 — for nearly a decade before that, the lagoon served only as decoration (a ride inspired by 'Atlantis: The Lost Empire' was long-rumored but never realized). The Haunted Mansion's plot thickened in 2015. This was the year the mysterious Hatbox Ghost made his return. He was there when the ride opened, then mysteriously disappeared just days later, only to return for the park's 60th anniversary. In the decades in between, he became a cult figure, one that would show up on Disney merchandise despite not having a home to call his own. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge arrives — and the rest is unwritten. Disneyland in 2025 shares two major themes with that of Disneyland in 1955. It remains in a state of flux, as in the coming year numerous construction projects are set to begin that will reshape the resort. Yet its core template is firmly in place. Disneyland is at once completely different than it was decades ago yet also uniquely the same. Sleeping Beauty Castle, the It's a Small World facade and even the mountains of Cars Land are now recognizable Southern California landmarks. In 2019, Disneyland received a largest-ever single-land expansion with the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, a grandly ambitious land that rewrote much of the theme park rule book. Forget charming, mini facades, as Galaxy's Edge is larger than life, its spires towering over and around guests. Spaceships are imposing, and both of its rides are experiments — Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is a full-size arcade and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is a nearly 20-minute mash-up of attraction styles. In California Adventure, Avengers Campus in 2021 gave Disney its first superhero-focused land anchored by Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout! in the former Tower of Terror shell. The land remains a work in progress, with two attractions currently in development. Perhaps just as important, Disney began looking at its cultural representation, making changes to a number of attractions, including ridding the park of Splash Mountain's troublesome 'Song of the South' theme by remodeling it as Tiana's Bayou Adventure. The Walt Disney Co. in 2024 announced large expansion plans, which will add 'Coco' and 'Avatar' to Disney California Adventure. The opening of Galaxy's Edge was monumental — not just replacing a petting zoo and barbecue restaurant, but reshaping Disneyland's Rivers of America and taking over a whopping 14 acres. Disneyland space is at a premium, and the company bet big on 'Star Wars' continuing to shape American culture. Disneyland was tweaked tonally as well. In 2017, Disneyland at last gave women agency in its Pirates of the Caribbean attraction by removing a bridal auction scene and reimagining a female 'wench' as a pirate. In 2021, Disneyland struck, in its words, 'negative depictions of native people' from the Jungle Cruise. Disney in 2021 announced that its staff — cast members, in park parlance — would have more freedom in how they appear for work, including the ability to choose gender-inclusive costumes and hairstyles. They also no longer have to hide their body art. Such moves received some pushback from the cultural right, arguing that Disney was getting 'woke.' Yet Disney's theme parks were simply awakening to their cultural reach. The company's willingness to address outdated cultural representations are indicative of the theme park as a piece a living art.
