Arts

Set in the halls of a fictional high school, I Am the Music: A Rock Operetta tackles the subject of cyber bullying, cliques and mean girls.

The production included 35 Girl Scouts from 23 cities around northern Illinois. Each girl auditioned and was chosen for the musical.  Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois is partnering with the  filmmakers at Comtech Corporation to generate a video that raises awareness of how to stop bullying.

Facing Bach's St. Matthew Passion, I often feel a combination of anticipation and dread. It's a great work, profound in its humanity and spirituality, with sublimely beautiful music. But it's a long haul, and if it's not a good performance, well, I'm stuck. And it can be not-good in various ways: either too solemnly pious or too much an exercise in musical style rather than emotional drama. A new DVD recorded in 2010 at Berlin's great concert hall, the Philharmonie, would be of major interest under any circumstances.