The Dinner Party
Created and hosted by Elysabeth Alfano
at Mayne Stage, 1328 W. Morse (map)
open run | tickets: $30 | more info
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The best conversations happen over food and wine
Fear No Art Chicago presents
The Dinner Party
Review by Leah Zeldes
Part variety show, part talk show, part tasting, The Dinner Party is a unique Chicago production. The cast of characters changes for each monthly show, except for enthusiastic host Elysabeth Alfano, who introduces the guests and leads discussion. The guests, artists drawn from many genres —music, visual arts, dance, theater and more — talk about the artistic experience in an easy and unstuffy way.
Meanwhile, a local chef provides food to both the audience, seated at cabaret tables, and the people on stage, who sit around a dinner table backed by a large projection screen, where kitchen demos with the chefs are shown. Any meat, Alfano says, must come from sources where animals are humanely treated.
It’s an odd mix, but it works.
The January show opened with a soulful performance by jazz singer Dee Alexander accompanied by Scott Hesse on guitar. Then Alfano introduced her guests, who joined her around a dinner table on stage. This month’s group encompassed rock singer Kelly Hogan; Howard Tullman, a businessman and art collector; and Jackie Taylor, founding executive director of the Black Ensemble Theater.
Alfano led a lively talk about what drives artists. I’ve always been impressed by Taylor anyway, but she was especially articulate and erudite, and full of quotable lines: "What drives creativity is passion," she said. "Fear — you don’t follow that emotion." She was dismissive of aspects of latter-day pop culture, such as hip hop ("What actually gets through is nonsense") and broadcast media ("Our airwaves are owned by hive minds") and generally fascinating.
Hogan, who revealed she’s on the road 80 percent of the time, got in a few zingers, too, as when she called art "that thing you do to keep from killing yourself and others." She also gave an all-too-brief performance, with impeccable guitar by Briton-turned-Chicagoan Jon Langford.
I was less enamored of the video sequence of Tullman leading a tour around his collection, which apparently consists largely of works depicting nude or scantily clad women with breasts not found in nature. The screening just glanced over Tullman’s extensive collection of Pez dispensers, which might have been more interesting. I’d have liked to hear a more in-depth discussion about what drives someone to collect such objects. As an absorber of art, Tullman made an odd fit with the people who create it, and he didn’t have much to say. It might have been better to include him in a show with other connoisseurs of the arts, such as critics and movie or music buffs.
The chefs come on stage briefly after the food is served, but since they’re cooking during most of the show, they get less interaction time with the other artists and the audience. Audience members are actively encouraged to tweet questions during the show, so flashing cell phones will be all around.
Each show is live streamed on the net and will later be posted on the Fear No Art website, so you can see it without a ticket, but then you don’t get the food and wine. The ticket price includes modestly sized food samples and a glass of wine. (Hearty eaters will want to stoke up beforehand or supplement the offerings afterward.) Excellent cocktails and beer are available at additional cost. Chocolate was promised in the promotional materials, but was not served to the tables. Apparently, there were some truffles in the lobby after the show, but they were gone before I got out there.
The next show, Feb. 25, will open with Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen of Dolly Varden and feature Andreas Mitisek, artistic director of Chicago Opera Theater; Carrie Hanson, artistic director of dance troupe The Seldoms; and actor Michael Patrick Thornton (ABC’s “The Practice”) with food by Chef Homaro Cantu of Moto and iNG. This may be the least expensive way you’ll ever get to experience Cantu’s cuisine. Future episodes will showcase dancers, DJs and visual artists. Alfano’s mix of artists doesn’t seem to include authors and playwrights, an unaccountable lapse.
The Dinner Party makes a fun and tasty evening out at an affordable price, not so formal as a concert or theatrical event or so casual as dinner and drinks, but with elements of each.
Rating: ★★★
The Dinner Party continues open run at Mayne Stage, 1328 W. Morse (map), with performances on select Mondays monthly, with the next production Monday, February 25th. Doors open for cocktails at 6:30pm, with the performance at 7pm. Tickets are $30 in advance, and are available by phone (773-381-4554) or online through MayneStage.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at FearNoArtChicago.com. (Running time: 2 hours, no intermission)
Photos by Charles Osgood
February 25th Dinner guests
- Elysabeth Alfano as host
- Andreas Mitsek, Artistic Director of Chicago Opera Theater
- Carrie Hanson, Artistic Director of The Seldoms
- Michael Patrick Thornton, actor from ABC’s “The Practice”
- Chef Homaro Cantu of Moto.
The opening act will be Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen of Dolly Varden. Appetizer and entrée tastings from Moto are paired with wine from Vin Divino and chocolate by Vosges.
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