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Chicago Tribune
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: ‘That's What Friends Are For' celebrates the songs of Patti LaBelle, Dionne Warwick and Gladys Knight
The most fun I ever had at Black Ensemble Theater was in 2006 at the old Hull House on Beacon Street, and it involved the legendary vocalist Dionne Warwick. By then, theater founder Jackie Taylor's BET had settled into its longtime mode of paying tribute to great recording artists by including their songs within a biographical story and then hiring often knockout young talent to perform the music. The lack of so-called 'grand rights,' which apply to music within a theatrical context, was often an issue, but most of those being honored clearly decided this was a small, non-profit operation and not a problem worth pursuing. But when it came to 'Don't Make Me Over: In Tribute to Dionne Warwick,' Warwick showed up herself to see the show. She was in my line of sight and her face looked very skeptical at first. But the young performers clearly won her over and watched her melt in real time. That started a friendship with Taylor that even led to Warwick, who dabbled in interior design, styling BET's new theater on Clark Street. Warwick is just a third of BET's latest attraction, 'That's What Friends Are For: Gladys, Dionne and Patti,' but the memory came flooding back. We regulars at BET also have seen a prior Patti LaBelle show: 'A New Attitude: In Tribute to Patti LaBelle' (2018), and, come to think of it, this is also not the first time the relationship between Gladys Knight and her Pips has been probed on this stage, either. This time, using the device of a real-life reunion in Las Vegas, the song stylings of all three women can be heard in the same show, as written and directed by Daryl D. Brooks with an eye to the legacies not just of these women but of this theater. As is often the case at BET, you get a 'young' version of all three stars (Michaela Dukes is the youthful Gladys, Bri Buckley the young Dionne, and Courtney 'CO.' Driver is young Patti), and also 'mature' versions (Rose Marie Simmons is Gladys, Sybyl Walker is Dionne and Tamara Batiest is Patti). There are stellar backup singers, a little familiar history and then one song after another rolls out into the hot Chicago summer. I don't need to list the titles. But if you're a fan of all three women, what's not to like? Here, both Pattis steal the show, delighting the audience.. One note: I sorely missed the horn section in the BET house band, which has the most distinguished of histories in Chicago musical theater. No doubt times have become harder but that's one of this theater's signatures. Just like the fun it dispenses. Review: 'That's What Friends Are For: Gladys, Dionne and Patti' (2.5 stars) When: Through July 27 Where: Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark St. Running time: 2 hours Tickets: $57.50-$67.50 at 773-769-4451 and
Chicago Tribune
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: Chicago woman's group was ahead of its time in focusing on outcomes for the most vulnerable
Thank you to Ron Grossman for his terrific article about the Chicago Woman's Club ('Champion of social reform,' March 9). Founded in 1876, the organization was years ahead of its time in its reform efforts in so many areas ranging from birth control to domestic violence to education and health care. As mentioned in the article, members of the Chicago Woman's Club played a key role in establishing the nation's first juvenile court in 1899. These members included Jane Addams, the founder of Hull House who is often considered the parent of modern social work. We should be proud that Illinois was the first state in the country to create a special court with special procedures to hear cases involving children who are abused, neglected or charged with offenses. In time, every state would follow our lead and initiate special courts for cases involving children. The Illinois Juvenile Court Act, which created the court and is still in effect today, is an extraordinary document. It acknowledges that children are developmentally different than adults. It focuses on efforts to educate and rehabilitate child offenders rather than on punitive measures. It recognizes that abused and neglected children are victims, not offenders. It ensures confidentiality for children involved in court proceedings. While we take these notions for granted today, they were remarkably progressive insights in the 1890s. Hopefully, Chicago and Illinois will continue in the tradition of the Chicago Woman's Club and remain at the forefront of creative efforts to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable. — Charles P. Golbert, Cook County public guardian, Chicago Senseless rebranding The people of Illinois have voted against redesigning the state flag, and I think that's a big win. Don't get me wrong — the current flag is no masterpiece of graphic design, but this relentless trend of 'rebranding' needs to stop. Too often, redesigns happen simply for the sake of change — unnecessary, expensive and often worse than what came before. Rebranding is rarely the game-changer companies or teams think it will be. Look at automakers such as GM and Kia, recently tweaking their logos in ways that added no real value. Sports teams, desperate for relevance, throw away decades of tradition on new designs that are often met with backlash. Chicago's soccer teams are prime examples. The Chicago Fire, named in honor of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, once had a meaningful emblem featuring the cross of St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters. Then, for no good reason, they scrapped it. Meanwhile, our women's soccer club, the Chicago Red Stars, abandoned the name chosen by the people of Chicago and watered down their identity in the process. The worst part? Most of these rebrands don't even achieve their goal. If the product on the field, court or marketplace isn't improving, a new logo won't fix it. Consumers and fans connect with authenticity, not a superficial redesign. Legendary designers Charles and Ray Eames understood this when they turned down a lucrative offer to redesign Budweiser's logo, telling Anheuser-Busch (as paraphrased by a documentarian): 'This is a terrific logo for you. It speaks to what your product is. So many people identify with it now.' The company wisely listened. Now imagine if the New York Yankees, the Boston Celtics, the Toronto Maple Leafs — or our own Cubs, Bulls or Bears — decided to change their iconic logos. You can't. Their branding is timeless because it represents something real. Instead of chasing trends, teams and companies should embrace their history. The same logic applies to the Illinois state flag. A redesign wouldn't make our state any stronger or more unified — it would just be change for the sake of change. Tradition has value, and not everything needs a fresh coat of paint. I'll close with a wise reminder from someone I greatly respect: 'Just because you can doesn't mean you should.' — R.J. LaPorta, Chicago Illinoisans have spoken The people of Illinois, who voted for our state flag, have spoken! The final decision should be the Illinois voters, not the legislators. Case closed. — Ann DeFronzo, Woodridge State flag's non-contest Whose bright idea was it to hold a state flag contest that had no winner? Just wondering what this non- contest cost us, the long-suffering taxpayers of Illinois. I'd call it a joke, but I know that I am not laughing. — Jackie Huffman, Chicago Sorry state of Walgreens Growing up in Chicago with a Walgreens everywhere you turned was a wonderful experience. The minute Walgreens agreed to a merger and it was no longer calling the shots, I cringed. The new corporation quickly began making one bad move after the other. My heart bleeds over the destructive way this company eviscerated our beloved Walgreens! It should be held accountable and never run another business again. It should be renamed the grim reaper. So very sad for Chicago. — Margie Cruz, Chicago Congressman's service In his March 2 op-ed about former U.S. Rep. Timothy P. Sheehan, a respected Chicago politician ('A Chicago congressman wanted to annex Canada long before Trump'), author Arthur Milnes writes: 'Sheehan served an unremarkable four terms in Congress.' To that, I say, Milnes needs to do his homework before summarily dismissing Sheehan's political career. On Sept. 18, 1951, Sheehan was appointed as a distinguished member of the Select Committee to Conduct an Investigation and Study of the Facts, Evidence and Circumstances of the Katyn Forest Massacre, known as the Madden Committee. The Soviets were accused of international war crimes consisting of the mass murder of thousands of Polish military officers and intellectuals in the spring of 1940 in a forest near Smolensk in the Soviet Union. The committee, in its final report in 1952, concluded that the Soviets, who blamed the Germans for the atrocities, were responsible beyond a doubt. In 1990, after decades of denial by the Soviet Union, President Mikhail Gorbachev finally acknowledged the truth of those findings. The investigation received tremendous media attention in the U.S. and worldwide. For his efforts on behalf of Poland's government and citizenry, Sheehan was honored by members of the Polish government-in-exile. I knew Sheehan for 29 years, until his passing in 2000, and it was an honor and privilege to serve as secretary to this accomplished, moral and principled man for 22 of those years. — Ruth Susmarski, Chicago
