ArcaMax

When you go to the opera you go for more than the story. The fact that this story included everyone alive at the end of the opera is unique. Most operas are usually so full of intrigue, betrayal, and sex, someone usually dies. But you also go for the grandeur of the architecture that is the Civic Opera House. You go for the staging, the lighting the amazing music and of course the vocal performances. The whole dressing up and being fancy is all part of the experience.

Compare that to going to a wrestling match on a Saturday night and there is really no comparison. The wrestling makes you laugh and cheer. We all know it’s staged. Some of the punches are so far off it has to be nothing but laughable. But those guys really do prep. They are in fine shape; their physiques chiseled. Their costumes are over the top and the audience members who are there as loyalists really get into cheering on their guy.

A Sondheim play you can recognize as soon as the first performer opens up their mouth to sing. The rhyming in those productions is so creative. And the lyrics advance the plot like no other play style. This particular play is a ‘mashup’ of lots of fairy tales we all read as kids. There was a Broadway production run, this one is in Chicago for a time, but there is also a movie in the works starting Meryl Streep. The odds of the movie producing an Academy-worthy performance are doubtful in my prospective opinion. The creativity in pulling parts from several fairy tales (that have nothing to do with each other) and then melding them into a wholly other, creative production was delightful. As an aside it was also a treat to watch the faces of the youngsters in the crowd. The play was three hours long with one intermission. The little girl who sat in front of me was about six years old. She had a bright pink outfit on and little red glasses. She reminded me of myself. (I got my first pair of glasses when I was just 18 months old). She curled her feet up into her seat and sat mesmerized for three hours. That’s an amazing feat for a six year old and a tribute to the playwright and the performers.

And lastly, who can go through life without seeing at least one performance at Second City. It was not my first time, but it was the inaugural visit for our guest. By the end I was laughing tears. I walked out needing a new makeup job. I think it was funnier than anything I’ve seen on Saturday Night Live and I started watching that show when it first came on air. We all know so many famous Saturday Night Alums that got their start at Second City. Gilda Radner, John Belushi, George Wendt, OMG… Mike Meyers, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Martin Short, Tina Fey and Steve Carell. And more. I could go on for another paragraph!

Sinatra declared Chicago his “kind of town”. I have to say I agree with him. It’s my kind of town too, for the variety of entertainment, as well as so many other reasons.

Chicken Verde (Mexican Chicken With Green Sauce)

This is going to taste just like a traditional enchilada without the tortilla. If you have Mexican food fans in your family, this is a hit!

Serves 4

For the chicken

3 boneless, skinless, chicken breast pieces
1 cup organic chicken broth
1.5 cups of water
1 clove of minced garlic (jar garlic will work)
1 good grate of sea salt
For the sauce
1.5 lb of tomatillos (Peel them. They will be sticky. Don’t worry. Then cut them in quarters)
3 serrano peppers chopped. (Take off stem and cut crosswise into slices. You can even add the seeds. Careful not to get juice in your eyes)
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ of a medium white onion, chopped
1 cup of chicken broth

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