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Fast Company
14 minutes ago
- Climate
- Fast Company
The June full moon tonight is also a low ‘strawberry moon.' Here's what that means and the best time to see it
The hit 1962 song 'Up on the Roof' reminds listeners that when the world is getting you down, 'at night the stars put on a show for free.' While not expressly stated in Carole King and Gerry Goffin's lyrics, it's implied that the moon gets in on the action and romance as well. About once a month, the night sky takes things to the next level with a full moon. June's offering, which is nicknamed the Strawberry Moon by the Old Farmer's Almanac, is extra special for those in the Western Hemisphere because its peak will be at its lowest in almost 20 years thanks to a major lunar standstill. Let's break down the science of it all before we discuss how best to view the nighttime spectacular. Strawberry Moon: What's in a name? The origin of the Strawberry Moon nickname comes from Native American culture and has nothing to do with the appearance of the full moon. The Algonquian, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota people used the moniker because that's when the delicious summertime fruit is ripening and ready to be picked. This year, because of the moon's low position and the wildfires in Canada, the orb might actually have a pinkish tint. Why is the full moon so low this month? The Strawberry Moon is always low because of the time of year. The orb is always opposite the sun and June's full moon takes place around the same time as the summer solstice, when the sun is at its highest point. This year it is even lower because of a recent major lunar standstill. The Earth orbits the sun and the moon orbits the Earth, but in different planes. This 5 degree tilt impacts the appearance of the moon in the night sky. Every 18.6 years, this tilt goes through a cycle of change. When the moon is in the highest or lowest periods of this cycle, it is called a major lunar standstill. When is the best time to see the Strawberry Moon? The Strawberry Moon will reach peak illumination at 3:43 a.m. on Wednesday, June 11. If that seems too early, never fear, you can catch it this evening (Tuesday, June 10) and it will already appear full to the naked eye. There's no need to lose any sleep. In fact, thanks to the moon illusion—the phenomenon that makes the orb seem bigger near the horizon because our brains compare it to nearby objects, such as trees and buildings—it is better to view it when it is rising: If you are in New York City, this takes place at 8:26 p.m ET Moon watchers in Los Angeles should look up at 8:05 p.m. PT. To find out when the moonrise occurs in your city, use this handy tool from TimeandDate. Once you know the optimal time, head up on a roof, preferably away from city lights and enjoy the show. Your cares might just drift right into space like King and Goffin promised.
Chicago Tribune
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: In ‘Beautiful' at Drury Lane, Carole King's story begins with her as a 16-year-old songwriter
Midway through 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,' the chart-topping composer responds to a colleague's suggestion that she perform in public with a modest question: 'I'm just a normal person; who wants to hear a normal person sing?' He replies, 'Other normal people.' Their exchange sums up the whole vibe of this biographical jukebox musical about a middle-class young woman from Brooklyn making her way in show business and finding her own voice after years of writing hit songs for other artists. As played by Samantha Gershman in her Drury Lane Theatre debut, King is the quintessential girl next door: sweet, earnest and family-oriented. And, when she sings, mesmerizing. Unfortunately, the musical struggles to overcome one of the typical challenges for this type of show: It features plenty of nostalgic tunes of the era — in this case, pop music and rock 'n' roll of the late 1950s through early '70s — but the plot isn't all that compelling. The major conflicts stem from King's turbulent first marriage and the difficulties of being a working mother in the music industry. It's a warm story of personal resilience and growth, but the dramatic tension doesn't hold up over the course of two and a half hours. Not that this shortcoming has hampered the success of the musical, which has a book by Douglas McGrath and music and lyrics by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. 'Beautiful' ran on Broadway for nearly six years, transferred to London's West End and has toured the U.S. twice. More recently, it's made the rounds of Chicago's regional theaters: the Marriott in 2023, Paramount in 2024, and now Drury Lane in a production directed by Jane Lanier with choreography by Gerry McIntyre and music direction by Carolyn Brady. The show begins with 16-year-old Carole Klein, soon to be known as Carole King, getting her first break by selling an original song at the Brill Building in Manhattan, the center of publishing and songwriting for the pop music industry at the time. A precocious student who graduated from high school two years early, she meets her future lyricist and husband, Gerry Goffin (Alex Benoit) as a freshman at Queen's College. By age 17, Carole is married, expecting their first child and writing her way to the top of the Billboard charts with Gerry. With its focus on King's early career, the show offers an inside look at how the music industry operated in this era, when fewer performers wrote their own music but rather relied on songwriting teams such as King and Goffin — and the couple's friends and rivals, Barry Mann (Andrew MacNaughton) and Cynthia Weil (Alexandra Palkovic). Ensemble members portray some of the artists they wrote for, including the Drifters (Averis Anderson, Makenzy Jenkins, Austin Nelson Jr. and Michael Turrentine), the Righteous Brothers (Maxwell J. DeTonge and Ian Geers), the Shirelles (Lydia Burke, Raeven Carroll, Alanna Lovely and Chamaya Moody) and Little Eva (Moody). Popular tunes such as 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow,' 'On Broadway' and 'The Locomotion' are given lively renditions, providing snapshots of their journeys from the writing studio to full-fledged hit. King and Weil make familiar foils in their contrasting approaches to work and family life. Both are ambitious, competitive artists, but King dreams of raising children in the suburbs while Weil resists the institution of marriage despite her budding relationship with Mann. While King comes across as a bit buttoned-up, and certainly not a fiery second-wave feminist, she asserts her autonomy in her own time and way. On opening night, the audience cheered during the scene when she finally draws a firm line with her unfaithful husband. Gershman's performance is certainly worth seeing if you're a fan of King's music. She captures King's unembellished tone and homey Brooklyn twang with a relaxed stage presence that makes her seem like someone you could get coffee with. And if you're patient, you'll hear '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman' and 'I Feel the Earth Move' — so don't leave before curtain call is over. Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic. When: Through March 23 Where: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace
