Displaying items by tag: my girl
Good Vibrations in the Suburbs; The Temptations and The Beach Boys at Ravinia
On a recent Throwback Thursday, a suggested playlist popped up on Spotify that caught my attention, “Oldies but Goodies.” I started the playlist enthusiastically, not having the ability to pre-screen the mix. The first song to play was Sisqo's "Thong Song." At that moment, I wasn't quite sure what offended me more, that a song from my middle school days was considered an oldie by some younger-than-me-millennial, or that Sisqo would be in a category of "Oldies but Goodies." An oldie evokes ideas of classics, songs that withstand the test of time and musical fads. Songs, bands, singers, and songwriters that make "Greatest Songs of All Time" lists by the most reputable industry minds. "Oldies but Goodies" are timeless, and the best example of this happened only one short week ago at Ravinia with The Temptations and The Beach Boys.
No better groups epitomize Golden Oldies than The Temptations and The Beach Boys. Together they represent an incredible era of music from the 50, the 60s, and 70s from the pop-like rhythm and blues of Motown to the surf sound with electric guitars and vocal harmonies. Both musical styles were on full display Sunday night at Ravinia.
The Temptations performed with the gusto of men half their age. Their glee was palpable as they breezed through their dancing arrangements in perfect unison to their major hits like "Ain't to proud to beg," "Papa was a rolling stone" and their anthem "My Girl." Accompanied by a big band and master of ceremony, the group moved seamlessly from song to song not breaking for more than a breath or a drink of water. For 45 minutes straight the five men put on a show that is simply unseen in today's music. They were charismatic and engaging, their vocals and showmanship from another era. Unfortunately, their performance was lost on the audience in the pavilion seats. With tickets running as high $150/seat you'd expect those spending the money to see the group up close would be eager to see them, sing with them, dance with them. On the contrary, the pavilion guests appeared by bored, almost inconvenienced when they were asked to get up and sing and dance along. It seemed like they were there more for nostalgia; not present as fans of the music or the musical legends, but in remembrance of a bygone era and in mourning for youth. The seats were lost on those that tried to buy their time back.
The Beach Boys' set, in contrast to the rhythm of Motown, played with the same ease of an ocean at sunset, each song getting its play and lazily meeting the next. "Good Vibrations" had plenty of time to crash across the lawn seats before the group started "Sloop John B" or "God Only Knows." I rode the sound waves out to the lawn to meet up with friends and stretch my legs from the pavilion seats. Perhaps it was the extra space and freedom of the lawn seats, or perhaps just The Beach Boys themselves, but people were up, dancing and belting out every word. Beach balls by the dozens were hit from fan group to fan group, smiling and laughing even when some were smacked into heads, or in my case, my wine. The evening really captured the surf sound, listening to wavy-like music against a setting summer sun with a cold drink and good friends. This vibe still couldn't penetrate the pavilion seats, and having left my seat I couldn't return until there was a designated break in the music set. Though the group took at least 4-5 minutes to get from song to song there wasn't enough time to get people to their seat. But watching the audience I was reminded of The Beach Boys' earliest days, performing in matching short-sleeved button up shirts, slouchy with their hands in their pockets. Most guests sat the same way, slouchy, hands in their pockets and grimaces on their face. I spent the rest of the show on the lawn hitting beach balls, drinking wine, and crooning along to "Kokomo."
You can classify Sisqo as an oldie to appeal to older millennials and get clicks on trendy music apps, but true oldies (songs and bands) live across generations, draw thousands of fans to a suburban music venue, and can be enjoyed by kids young and old. Those are the only songs that can be considered Oldies But Goodies, even if the goodies can't be enjoyed by the people who are now "oldies." Ravinia has shows that extend through September, see what they have to offer at www.ravinia.org.
Poetry in Motion: Joffrey's Eugene Onegin enraptures at the Lyric Opera
05 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewThere’s something magical about stories. Stories have the power to transcend time, reaching across the centuries to share their thoughts,…
Redtwist Theatre presents Anatomy of A Suicide August 12-30
04 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreProduced in partnership with JunkHeart, The Metal Shop Performance Lab is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Anatomy of a Suicide, August…
Juneteenth Prelude: Celebrating Freedom and Black Expression, an evening of entertainment and community
04 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBlack Ensemble Theater Founder and Executive Director Jackie Taylor proudly announces Black Ensemble's Juneteenth Prelude: Celebrating Freedom and Black Expression, as part of…
4 Chairs Theatre's Good People coming to Theater Wit July 17th through August 23rd
03 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreWelcome to Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, this month’s…
REDTWIST THEATRE’S 21ST SEASON, “DEFIANT FEMMES,” CONTINUES WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF DESERTED JUNE 14 - AUGUST 2
03 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreAward-winning Redtwist Theatre presents Deserted, playing June 14 through August 2, a world premiere by Melanie Coffey and directed by Laura Sturm*, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W. Bryn…
Black Ensemble Theater continues its 50th Anniversary Season with the revival of the hit musical revue Men of Soul
03 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBlack Ensemble Theater continues its 50th Anniversary Season with the return of the celebrated musical revue Men of Soul, written and directed by Artistic…
Collaboraction Theatre announces June shows and events in its new House of Belonging in Humboldt Park
03 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreNow fully activated, Collaboraction Theatre Company’s new House of Belonging in the Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Ave in…
keerah - Lost Between Myth and Reality
03 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewDefinition Theatre's Amplify New Play Program exists to elevate emerging voices, and Netta Walker's keerah certainly arrives with ambition. Loosely…
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre presents The Wizard of Oz July 8th through August 9th
03 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreMetropolis Performing Arts Centre, located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights, 111 W. Campbell St., is proud to announce the cast…
No Dogs in the Kitchen Theatre Company Presents 'The Importance of Being Earnest' July 9-26
01 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreNo Dogs in the Kitchen Theatre is thrilled to continue its third season with The Importance of Being Earnest, written by…
Kokandy Productions Presents SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE - August 13 – November 1, 2026 at The Chopin Theatre
01 June 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFollowing is critically acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, Kokandy Productions once again celebrates the great Stephen…
'The Last Word' - A Cocktail of Comedy, Mystery, and Heart
01 June 2026 in Theatre in ReviewSome theatrical experiences ask you to sit back and watch. "The Last Word" invites you to pull up a chair,…
Paramount’s smash hit, immersive Million Dollar Quartet returning to rock Aurora’s Stolp Island Theatre, March 4-May 31
30 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreParamount Theatre’s smash hit, immersive musical Million Dollar Quartet wrapped its spring run at downtown Aurora’s Stolp Island Theatre this…
The Second City's Laughing For All The Wrong Reasons - Paramount's Copley Theatre - Through June 20th
28 May 2026 in Now PlayingParamount Theatre is proud to host the world’s most influential name in comedy, The Second City, back for for a…
Award-winning musical Mexodus makes Chicago premiere at Studebaker Theater in November
28 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreStudebaker Theater (Erica Berger and Jacob Harvey), P3 Productions (Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin) and Audible, in collaboration with Teatro Vista…
About Face Theatre announces 2026-2027 season
28 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreAbout Face Theatre is proud to announce its 32nd season featuring the Pulitzer Prize winning musical A Strange Loop and the Midwest Premiere of i…
Announcing the 2026 Broadway In Chicago Summer Concert
27 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBroadway In Chicago will bring its free annual SUMMER CONCERT to Millennium Park on Monday, August 10, 2026. Sponsored by…
Lookingglass presents Ice Cream Circus, June 2-7, as part of Night Out in the Parks
27 May 2026 in Now PlayingLookingglass Theatre Company presents Ice Cream Circus! 2026, a free, family-friendly theatrical event presented as part of the Chicago Park District's Night Out…
YI Love Jewish and Arts Judaica Chicago Premiere of A PEOPLE at Theater Wit June 18 – July 5
27 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe South Florida based YI Love Jewish and Chicago-based Arts Judaica proudly join forces to present a limited engagement of the Chicago…
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH Coming to Chicago July 9th
27 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreJK Entertainment is proud to announce the final production of their inaugural season: HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, the cult-classic created…
Porchlight Announces Felicia P. Fields and Anthony Rapp join its Artistic Advisory Board
27 May 2026 in Theatre BuzzAward-winning Porchlight Music Theatre announces today that the recent stars of Porchlight in Concert’s production of Follies, Tony Award-nominee Felicia P. Fields and Broadway’s…
Kokandy Productions Presents HAIR - July 2 – September 13, 2026 at The Chopin Theatre
27 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreHot off their record-breaking, award-winning runs of Jekyll & Hyde and Amélie, Kokandy Productions is pleased to launch its 2026 Season with the revolutionary "love-rock"…
Babes With Blades presents the world premiere premiere of yo ho., July 19 - August 29
27 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBabes With Blades Theatre Company’s (BWBTC) 2026 season opens with a world premiere, yo ho., by playwright SMJ, directed by JD Caudill and fight choreography by Carly…
PrideArts to present BEHIND THE CURTAIN: UNTOLD STORIES FROM CANADA’S TEAM BROADWAY on Monday, July 6th
27 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatrePrideArts announced today that Craig Ramsay and Catherine Wreford will bring the magic of Broadway to the Hoover-Leppen Theatre at…
Music Theater Works presents WEST SIDE STORY, August 13 - 30
24 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreMusic Theater Works is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the second production of its 2026 season, West Side…
Whammy, Indeed: Koechner’s Stand‑Up Evolves at The Den
24 May 2026 in Theatre in ReviewDavid Koechner stormed into The Den Theatre’s Mainstage this weekend with the kind of unruly, big‑hearted presence that instantly reminded…
League of Chicago Theatres welcomes the summer theatre season
22 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreChicago continues to produce some of the most exciting work in the country this Summer, offering a wide variety of plays…
Spaceman: Into the Quiet Terror of the Void
22 May 2026 in Theatre in ReviewSpaceman, presented by [producingbody], touches down at The Edge Off-Broadway with a quiet, unnerving force, pulling audiences into the fragile…
Inside a Real ‘Fire House’ You Are Immersed in Phantasmic Lives of Firefighters
22 May 2026 in Theatre in ReviewSet in Chicago’s oldest fire station (now Firehouse Art Studio) the immersive play "Fire House” is only loosely tethered to…
Spamalot Is Every Monty Python Fan’s Dream Come to Life
21 May 2026 in Theatre in ReviewSpamalot rides into the Windy City courtesy of Broadway In Chicago, inviting theatergoers to join King Arthur’s quest now through…
Latest Articles
-
Poetry in Motion: Joffrey's Eugene Onegin enraptures at the Lyric Opera
Written by Kendall RoyzenThere’s something magical about stories. Stories have the power to transcend time, reaching across the centuries to share their thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Tales of heartbreak, anguish, squandered youth, and missed chances written in the 1800s have a way of… -
Collaboraction Theatre announces June shows and events in its new House of Belonging in Humboldt Park
Written by Buzz Center StageNow fully activated, Collaboraction Theatre Company’s new House of Belonging in the Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Ave in Humboldt Park, is a sleek, 4,000-square foot space featuring a new 99-seat flexible studio theater and a 50-seat cabaret with… -
Redtwist Theatre presents Anatomy of A Suicide August 12-30
Written by Buzz Center StageProduced in partnership with JunkHeart, The Metal Shop Performance Lab is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Anatomy of a Suicide, August 12 - 30, at Redtwist Theatre, 1044 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, written by Alice Birch and directed by Alex Mallory. Previews are Wednesday, Aug. 12 and Thursday,…
-
Juneteenth Prelude: Celebrating Freedom and Black Expression, an evening of entertainment and community
Written by Buzz Center StageBlack Ensemble Theater Founder and Executive Director Jackie Taylor proudly announces Black Ensemble's Juneteenth Prelude: Celebrating Freedom and Black Expression, as part of the series Another Night @ BET. This celebratory evening, curated by Bernard Lilly, Jr., engages the Black Ensemble community with performances from BE…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.