Catch up post … a late Sept-Oct chance to see Italia through the eyes of Phil Stefani, buddy and restaurateur. A culinary safari through his ancestral Tuscany! We HQ’d in Forte Dei Marmi,… visiting his family’s homestead, seeing long time chef friends and collecting stops at Michelin stars .. main course was always laughter.
Luca, Pisa, Florence, Collodi (home of Pinocchio) all became our “village” … always marveling at the beauty in simplicity. Too many tales to tell.
Special appearance by the Honeymooners :-)
Delicious. All of it.
❤️ ⚾️ While the best game of baseball was played seven years ago today - CHEERS TO THE PRESENT & THE 2023 SEASON! Kicked off with work trips to the Grapefruit 🍊 and 🌵 Cactus League for the Red Sox and Brewers - incredible franchises - and enjoyed hanging with David “Big Papi” Ortiz and legend Bob Eucher! Followed by a long pre-season weekend with the Cubs in Az .. A good run before opening day! A roller-coaster season for the Cubs and a new roster to learn and meet (hello Dansby) ..the highlight … seeing my beloved team in my old home town .. LONDON (when two great things go great together). 🇬🇧 so many friends old and new and seeing everyone’s BOSS.
Congrats to the Rangers for the win and the Diamondbacks for making it to the final. Thanks to baseball for being America’s pastime 🇺🇸 … and thanks to the Red Sox, Brewers and Go Cubs! Go!
As the saying goes … there’s always next year! Can’t wait. ⚾️
Go, Go, Go Sean Hayes, Doug Wright and “Good Night Oscar”! So much love and passion in this show … and as brother-in-law to the exceptional playwright, minor investor and HUGE supporter - I’ve never had the chance to experience a work of art so deeply and from so many angles of exposure. Rachel Hauck’s design - sublime. Lisa Peterson Directing - genius. The creation of every character by the formidable cast and their relentless energy in every performance - exceptional. The career tour de force of Sean Hayes (and yes that is him playing the piano)! BTW - Sean is not only a talented actor, artist and producer but an incredible leader! One of the many highlights has been the interviews and late night debriefs on every aspect of the show - including its backstory and the work to bring Oscar to stage. Sean and Doug’s collaboration in and of itself has been an inspiring venture and business lesson.
But the awe starts - of course - with the script. Written by Doug Wright, human extra-ordinaire. I’ve nearly memorized it and I see my daily life differently as a result. As things happen - a nuance of a challenging day, a funny moment, a tense confrontation, a new idea, love, dedication, media, humor, mental health, giving it your all, obsession, .. even catching an episode of the Tonight Show … everything in that show has a moment that runs parallel to everyday life. And then there is Oscar Levant himself, revisiting Jack Parr and the early days of late night tv and larger than life GERSHWIN … his music and his persona “forever tattooed on our soul.”
And so many celebrations and friends … In the words of Jack Parr towards the end of the performance. This play “it’s a gift Oscar a g*d damn gift.”
#goodnightoscar #GoodmanTheatre #belascotheatre
Further congratulations to Alex Heller and team … Sometimes you just don’t know where a project is going to take you … the script for “The Year Between” struck a nerve with us and we signed up as Associate Producers (thank you to Chicago Media Angels, PT Clement and Matthew Clement for your diligence) … and we have watched the work unfold. There is the making of a movie and then there is it’s second act .. watching the impact … the film was well received at Tribeca and CHIFF but it continues to touch the hearts and minds of those who have been through a mental health crisis (directly or through a loved one) and it seems to rally all those involved. Special thanks to Marny Zimmer who saw something in it that she felt needed to be introduced to the National Association of Mental Illness, mental health professionals told two friends … and then they told two friends .. and so on and so on ..
“The filmmakers are partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness Chicago to create resources and dialogue about the use of storytelling as a tool for healing, with NAMI Chicago steering the film’s education and impact.. Alex Heller displays her talent both in front of and behind the camera with a deeply personal story with a healthy dash of comic relief to keep audiences engaged and entertained. We’re excited for audiences to experience her story and we look forward to her future career.”
“Everyone who’s mentally ill is out here experiencing it really differently. This movie is just one example of what that might look like. I made it for people like me, and for people who care about people like me. And to the people I didn’t make it for– your money is still good here,” said Heller.
#theyearbetweenfilm #mentalhealth #chicagomediaangels #markglassgow
A MUST SEE. Congrats to @marymccartney for today’s release of her spellbinding film on the history of Abbey Road Studios. She takes us on her own journey as she puts together research and interviews with the legends that made the studio the hallowed grounds of music including her childhood recollections of her father (Sir Paul) and Mom (Linda) and The Beatles. Mary’s photographic eye, curiosity and reverence bring together a story only she could tell AND in a way that only she could tell it!
The movie is spectacular and was a hit at the Chicago International Film Festival where it was previewed and where I saw it first … and the film continues to garnish rave reviews. A great deal of the history will be surprising to the viewer … as it was surprising to Mary herself … “I had no idea that Elton John and Jimmy Page had been session musicians there!”
And what an incredible opening night – still surreal to have been there in person. Walking behind that studio gate – the one I stared through almost every day when we lived on Abbey Road - I felt like Charlie walking into the Chocolate Factory for the first time. Mary, our former SJW neighbor, has a warmth about her and it came through that night in the curation of a friendly and gracious crowd (as it does in the film). Sir Paul, Sir Ringo, Sir Elton John and other interviewees like Pink Floyd, the Hollies were all there and were as excited as they were supportive of the project.
A fave recollection, “I really liked that DJ” I say to Bobby Elliot, the drummer of The Hollies. “Oh great he’s a friend of mine I’ll tell him!” says Bobby. I ask “Is he a DJ?” Response “No he was in a band called Oasis.” A bit flabbergasted I ask, “And what about this new DJ?” He looks and says, “I believe she was a Spice Girl.”
#disneyplus #ifthesewallscouldsing #thehollies #bobbyelliottthehollies #abbeyroadstudios #melaniecmusic #spicegirlsforever #shekukannehmason #chicagointernationalfilmfestival #paulmccartney #eltonjohn #ringostarr #americanschoollondon #stjohnswood
A delayed 2022 post but an optimistic way to start the new year …. This incredible museum in Dubai is dedicated to the future … predicting a world where all buildings are as sustainable as this one … where society is open, free and equal … and tech is more friendly than big brother. Conversations with leaders in the shadow of this structure matched the aspirations inscribed on the walls of what is called by some, “The most beautiful building in the world.” It’s a great plan - now let’s stick to it humanity! Expecting big things from COP28 in this location. #sustainability #cop28uae
London > Saudi Arabia > COP27 in Egypt > Dubai … caught this image of Kerry headed into our dinner with WSJ … unusual to see him smiling, the messages at COP27 were pretty dire and encourage a sense of urgency … common acknowledgement that the 1.5 degree target is a lost cause and we are on track for a 2.75 degree change … which is accounts to an ecological disaster (1.5 degrees is what scientist believe the Ecosystem can handle). At the same time there is incredible determination … as John Kerry stated, “It’s a heavy lift, but it is our only alternative.” Key themes:
*AFRICAN VOICES. Africa and islanders are experiencing ecological devastation. Coastal cultures and tribes are being displaced by raising water levels and storms related to water temperatures. As the CEO of WWF shared with me, “We are the least responsible, we are the most impacted and we can only hope that you care.”
Quickest trip ever … In advance of COP27 a run to Buckingham Palace and the US Embassy for JCI’s CEO to compare notes with his Majesty King Charles III, the UK Prime Minister and other leaders that are part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI). Kudos to the former Prince now King … his commitment to sustainability was early and has been consistent. Great to be back in London and to catch up with Daniel Franklin from the Economist … but just never long enough in my old home town. Delightful Running into old friends also involved in the SMI effort! More on SMI here:
Remarkable stroll down memory “road” with Mary McCartney at her Chicago premier of “If These Walls Could Sing” … Mary lived a few doors down from us when we lived on Abbey Road, near the studio where she grew up. Her film is a compelling must see … an authoritative and insightful study of Abbey Road Studios’ history … a star studded portrait of a magical place. We had a long evening recounting tales of the studio, the neighborhood too, memories of NW8 Halloweens, the Clifton Pub and Bruno’s Deli and of course our little tramp Rocky. One of my favorite stories was the pic I took of her dad at an NBA game (Mary is in the background :-) … just before we locked arms and sang “na na na na … good bye” on the jumbotron. The film’s narrative, access and footage are stunning. Mary’s instincts as a photographer are a gift to every interview. #disneydocumentary #lindamccartney #thebeatles #eltonjohn #pinkfloyd #oasis #johnwilliamsmusic #jimmypage #felakuti Kuti #jacquelinedupre #NW8OJT #stjohnswood #sircliff @mitten1
Congrats to the cast and crew of “Good Night Oscar”! After an amazing sell-out run in Chicago it is off to Broadway! We could not have had more fun with this production team in Chicago and looking forward to continuing the adventure in NY! Thanks to all that turned out!!! Way to go Brother-in-law Doug Wright, super talented Sean Hayes and the entire incredible team… read more here … /2022/09/sean-hayes-broadway-good-night-oscar-doug-wright-play-1235121919/amp/ @goodmantheatre@smartless@seanhayes@quillsauthor62@declementia … Illustrations by @jeffyorkchicago
Great to catch-up with long time collaborator Marc Benioff recently … amazing venue … a restaurant filled with purpose and deliciousness … a fascinating group … the outstanding poetry of @j_ivy and @davematthewsband doing a heartfelt acoustic set as we discussed real challenges and possible solutions - kudos to Marc! He’s a deserving success and icon … I can’t speak more highly of his thoughts and leadership around “stakeholder capitalism” … what a journey the last 20+ years has been since he started SFDC … as one of my favorite clients used to say “from little acorns big things come.” Oh and always #FightOn!
Belated congrats to the CHIFF team and another amazing festival!! After this period of isolation - a fantastic reminder of how far we can travel … how much of the world we can see by simply walking into a theater ... and it is SOOO much better when shared with a crowd. Highlights:: Comparing notes with marvel Sir Kenneth Branaugh - a personal hero and absolute auteur (his film BELFAST was my personal festival favorite); Being back at the Music Box Theater complete with organ music; enjoying sneak peeks of The French Dispatch, Dune, King Richard (did I hear someone call Oscar?) and a little gallows humor with Halloween Kills; meeting my new favorite photographer and filmmaker Franziska Stunkel; Chats about film and the economy in England’s Chicago Ambassadorial residence with the Economist Magazine and scotch makers; and of course hanging with Vivian, Mimi, the staff, volunteers, judges and supporters like me! Well done team you pulled it off against a backdrop of once in a generation challenges!
Films I still need to see: Drive My Car by director Ryusuke Hamaguchi from Japan; Punch 9 for Harold Washington by Director Joe Winston; The Last Execution by Franziska Stunkel; MEMORIA by Director Apichatpong Weerasethaku … actually I want to see all 80+ films!
Background: The 57th Chicago International Film Festival, North America’s longest-running competitive film festival featured screenings in theaters, at the drive-in, and streaming virtually to your home - over 80 films and more than 60 shorts films from around the world, ranging from heart-wrenching dramas to eye-opening documentaries to midnight shockers!
#ChiFilmFest
#franziskastuenkel
