Chicago Jazz Magazine

Out and About

By Kelly Hess Goldman

Too Hot to Handel: The Auditorium Theatre's Holiday Tradition

One hundred fifty singers. Fifty jazz and orchestral musicians. A landmark venue. A timeless masterpiece. It all comes together this January when Too Hot to Handel, an ambitious and crowd-pleasing event in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. comes to the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune described last year's performance like this: "Ingeniously reimagined to embrace black musical tradition, the aptly named 'Too Hot to Handel' proved that even the most revered classical masterpieces can be taught to swing…"

Too Hot to Handel transforms George Frederic Handel's Messiah into a new sound that is commonly referred to as the "Gospel Messiah" because it interprets the piece by combining a symphony orchestra with a jazz ensemble infused with R&B, jazz, and gospel vocals. The symphony orchestra and jazz ensemble is conducted by Suzanne Acton, conductor of the Michigan Opera Theatre and artistic director of the Rackham Symphony Choir.

Vocals consist of tenors Rodrick Dixon and Victor Trent Cook, soprano Alfreda Burke, and the city-wide Too Hot Choir. The Too Hot Choir is under the direction of Old St. Patrick's Director of Music, Bill Fraher.

Dixon and Cook are two-thirds of the renowned tenor trio, Cook, Dixon and Young and appeared in the 2005 PBS Great Performances special, "Cook, Dixon & Young in Concert: Volume One." Victor Trent Cook received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Smokey Joe's Café, and has starred on Broadway in St. Louis Woman opposite Vanessa Williams. Rodrick Dixon has performed several roles with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and appeared in Broadway's Ragtime, as well as the revival of Show Boat at the Auditorium Theatre. He also has toured nationally with his wife, soprano Alfreda Burke. Burke's recent credits include debuts with the Chicago Symphony at Ravinia under Erich Kunzel, the CSO's Symphony Center Inaugural Festival, and Show Boat at the Kennedy Center and the Auditorium Theatre.

"It is truly inspiring to see how Chicago audiences have embraced Too Hot to Handel," said Rodrick Dixon. "As Chicagoans, it fills Alfreda and me with tremendous joy and pride to see our community come together for this joy-filled and stirring celebration of Dr. King."

Too Hot to Handel was arranged and orchestrated by Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson; 2008 will be its third year at the Auditorium, which promises to be the best, according to Judy Green, Chief Marketing and Development Officer at the theatre. She explained, "The first year was good, but the musicians didn't fully understand the potential until it all came together during the performance. Last year, they really got it and the performance took on a life of its own." Inspired by the high energy on stage, such as the crowd-pleasing rhythm section and particularly Alvin Waddles on piano and Marion Hayden on string bass, some of the top-rated musicians who haven't been involved before have come forward to do so this year.

Too Hot to Handel will play the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Saturday and Sunday, January 19 and 20 at 7:30 and 3pm respectively. Tickets are available at the Auditorium Theatre Box Office at 50 E. Congress Parkway, by phone at (312) 902-1500 and on-line at ticketmaster.com and auditoriumtheatre.org. Discounts are available for groups and subscribers at (312) 431-2357.