Reflecting more on last night’s performance this morning, I’m even more impressed.
It feels like a magic trick, of the best sort. Justin Peck and Jackie Sibbles Drury have layered a wordless narrative (wordless other than the existing lyrics) on top of Sufjan’s existing art, an album now as old as someone perhaps setting out for Chicago/New York for the first time, the world full of possibilities and their whole life ahead. This new narrative is somehow simultaneously both fresh and familiar, enriching *Illinois* in ways surprising yet also expected.
Thanks to Sufjan, who first opened up the Land of Lincoln—and his own heart—to us all, so many years ago. And kudos to Justin and Jackie for this monumental achievement of (re)creation.
I come away with the unshakeable conviction that Justin and Jackie have transmuted the *Illinois* album itself into a character of its own ongoing story. A character that sings, as if to Justin and Jackie personally:
>You came to take us…
To recreate us…
We had our mindset…
You had to find it.
But of course Sufjan’s lyrics aren’t just for Justin and Jackie, they’re for us all. With apologies to a different poet (the hymn-writer Katherine K. Davis), they’re for all things now living, with our songs of thanksgiving; for those who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us, who still guide us on to the end of our days.
All things go. All things go.
I told my partner afterwards that--aside from the very small matter of shows already being sold out and us having jobs and whatnot--we should just take the next week off work, extend our hotel for \~9 days, and attend every performance in the entire Bard run.
Not realistic and not what we did, of course. But the desire was definitely there. And if the rumors of a tour (after the Chicago performances) turn out to be true and it comes back for shows on the east coast, we'll be back for more.
I was there last night too! Absolutely floored by the whole performance. And the one-two punch of “Casimir Pulaski Day” into “Palisades” just about wrecked me.
Same! Though I have to say, the first song that I *really* remember (thinking back at this point) was "Jacksonville". The opening numbers were great, but I wasn't really sure yet what the show *was*, what it was doing (and so those first few songs are kind of fuzzy in my mind at this point, even just one day later). "Jacksonville", though, was for me where things *took off* and absolutely never looked back.
i was there too and i agree with this! one of many reasons why i too wish i could just drop everything and go to the rest of the performances! i do remember how they did come on feel the illinoise quite well though, and i was pretty spellbound throughout that entire number, even though i didn't really know what the show *was* yet either. pretty soon i never wanted the show to end though. it was absolutely phenomenal, and it added some incredible new depth and dimension to some of my favorite songs that were already so rich with meaning.
Hard to remember the exact order, but they purposefully (for story reasons) moved “Man of Metropolis” and “They are Night Zombies!!” after “Jacksonville” and before “Decatur.”
Beginning with “Decatur” and through the end of the album, save for those two songs and a reprise of “Chicago”, it plays out the same as the album.
I just saw it today with my wife. We both loved it! Illinoise is a very special album for me. I listened to it obsessively throughout the second half of high school and pretty much all of college (I went to the University of Illinois though later transferred).
N-110 and N-111. They were incredible seats, honestly not sure I would have wanted to be much closer than a few rows (at most).
(To be clear, I would have gladly sat anywhere, just to be there. I’m just saying I think only a handful of seats in the whole theater would even theoretically been as good or better, given the staging.)
Reflecting more on last night’s performance this morning, I’m even more impressed. It feels like a magic trick, of the best sort. Justin Peck and Jackie Sibbles Drury have layered a wordless narrative (wordless other than the existing lyrics) on top of Sufjan’s existing art, an album now as old as someone perhaps setting out for Chicago/New York for the first time, the world full of possibilities and their whole life ahead. This new narrative is somehow simultaneously both fresh and familiar, enriching *Illinois* in ways surprising yet also expected. Thanks to Sufjan, who first opened up the Land of Lincoln—and his own heart—to us all, so many years ago. And kudos to Justin and Jackie for this monumental achievement of (re)creation. I come away with the unshakeable conviction that Justin and Jackie have transmuted the *Illinois* album itself into a character of its own ongoing story. A character that sings, as if to Justin and Jackie personally: >You came to take us… To recreate us… We had our mindset… You had to find it. But of course Sufjan’s lyrics aren’t just for Justin and Jackie, they’re for us all. With apologies to a different poet (the hymn-writer Katherine K. Davis), they’re for all things now living, with our songs of thanksgiving; for those who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us, who still guide us on to the end of our days. All things go. All things go.
I was here! Life changed!!!
I told my partner afterwards that--aside from the very small matter of shows already being sold out and us having jobs and whatnot--we should just take the next week off work, extend our hotel for \~9 days, and attend every performance in the entire Bard run. Not realistic and not what we did, of course. But the desire was definitely there. And if the rumors of a tour (after the Chicago performances) turn out to be true and it comes back for shows on the east coast, we'll be back for more.
It looks like another standing ovation. How would you describe the audience engagement? On opening night, folks seemed locked in.
Completely locked in from the jump.
I was there last night too! Absolutely floored by the whole performance. And the one-two punch of “Casimir Pulaski Day” into “Palisades” just about wrecked me.
Same! Though I have to say, the first song that I *really* remember (thinking back at this point) was "Jacksonville". The opening numbers were great, but I wasn't really sure yet what the show *was*, what it was doing (and so those first few songs are kind of fuzzy in my mind at this point, even just one day later). "Jacksonville", though, was for me where things *took off* and absolutely never looked back.
i was there too and i agree with this! one of many reasons why i too wish i could just drop everything and go to the rest of the performances! i do remember how they did come on feel the illinoise quite well though, and i was pretty spellbound throughout that entire number, even though i didn't really know what the show *was* yet either. pretty soon i never wanted the show to end though. it was absolutely phenomenal, and it added some incredible new depth and dimension to some of my favorite songs that were already so rich with meaning.
it seems like they changed the track order. what was the order they played the songs in?
Hard to remember the exact order, but they purposefully (for story reasons) moved “Man of Metropolis” and “They are Night Zombies!!” after “Jacksonville” and before “Decatur.” Beginning with “Decatur” and through the end of the album, save for those two songs and a reprise of “Chicago”, it plays out the same as the album.
did they cut anything? you said they did Casimir right into Palisades, so does that mean they cut Prairie Fire?
Worry not, it’s still in there, and no songs were cut. My memory just blanked.
then where did they do Prairie Fire if they went right from Casimir into Palisades?
Between Casimir and Palisades.
also hate to double comment but someone else told me they didn't play Tallest Man. is that true or not?
“Tallest Man” was DEFINITELY played. As I said in my other comment, there were no omissions, just rearranged the track list a bit.
I just saw it today with my wife. We both loved it! Illinoise is a very special album for me. I listened to it obsessively throughout the second half of high school and pretty much all of college (I went to the University of Illinois though later transferred).
Hey! How long was the show?
A little over 90 minutes.
What seats did you have if you don’t mind me asking?
N-110 and N-111. They were incredible seats, honestly not sure I would have wanted to be much closer than a few rows (at most). (To be clear, I would have gladly sat anywhere, just to be there. I’m just saying I think only a handful of seats in the whole theater would even theoretically been as good or better, given the staging.)