Anything Goes, but Don’t Rain On My Parade – Episode 41

Gary and Roscoe are back in form for a whirlwind episode, encompassing everything from elephants to Greenland sharks, from Porter to Streisand, from War Paint to Byhalia, Mississippi. Our new Audience Participation Manager Michelle Houle sits in with us at the studio. First, a shout out to friend-of-the-show Billy Lawless's new restaurant Coda di Volpe, recently opened in the Southport/Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Frequent Booth One listeners will recall Billy's splendid guest appearance during our Taste of Chicago Episode 39. Gary and our producer Betsy were treated like royalty at the Friends and Family soft opening of Coda, and the experience is one to be remembered. This welcome addition to the neighborhood is highly recommended! And they just started serving brunch. Roscoe revisits War Paint with Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole at the Goodman Theatre. Though now closed, and presumably being reworked for a New York run, his review remains unchanged - stellar performances in a show without much dramatic tension. If this show is to have any future life, most agree that there's a lot of work to be done around these two pros of the musical stage. What's the longest-lived vertebrate on the planet? No, not the Blue Whale. It's the Greenland Shark! Living an average of 272 years, some of these natives of the North Atlantic can reach 21 feet long and 2,000 pounds. Many  live beyond 400 years. Blind due to all the parasites crowding their eyes, these sharks are said to have an impeccable sense of smell, which they make ample use of when they hunt. Gary won't be deep sea diving in Greenland any time soon. Just what the world needs - a 4 century-old ocean predator! On to the highlight of Roscoe's year - nearly front row seats to Barbra Streisand! As he struggles to properly describe this Booth One experience without using the word "thrilling" too many times, Roscoe regales us with stories about her concert, her hair, her voice and her song selection. "I could see the whites of her eyes!", he tells us. Babs told a few stories throughout the evening - for instance, did you know that the album cover for People was actually shot on the beach of Lake Michigan right here in Chicago while she was in town for a concert date?                            I've never heard Roscoe so excited. Here's her song list from that night. Act One The Way We Were Everything Being at War with Each Other Everything Must Change Woman in Love Stoney End Enough is Enough Evergreen You Don't Bring Me Flowers Being Alive Papa, Can You Hear Me? Act Two Pure Imagination Who Can I Turn To? (with Anthony Newley on video from the Ed Sullivan Show) Losing My Mind Isn't This Better How Lucky Can You Get? Children Will Listen Don't Rain on My Parade People Happy Days Are Here Again Encore I Didn't Know What Time It Was The show must go on - even without elephants. For the first time in 134 years, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus is sans pachyderms. The new show, "Out of This World", premiered in Fresno, CA in July and is now on tour. Expect an ice floor, an elaborate narrative, and even a smartphone app. But sadly, the elephants have done their last balancing act. Gary and Roscoe plan to attend this new show when it comes to town and will report on that later this fall. Go here for info about Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation. Earlier this summer, Gary was engaged to deliver 2 pre-concert presentations for the Grant Park Music Festival's Cole Porter Celebration. Fans of Porter's work will find this edited excerpt from those presentations fascinating, featuring music director Kevin Stites, and Broadway veteran performers Kathy Voytko and Ben Crawford. "Anything Goes" in this lively discussion of Porter's music and lyrics, his life and times,