Ravinia 2025- David Foster et al

***** What a fantastic night at Ravinia. When I was working on the shows that I truly wanted to visit Ravinia for this season, Jane brought up tonight’s concert. Tonight they featured David Foster & Chris Botti, neither of which I had any idea about and a featured performer, Katharine McPhee, a former contestant on American Idol ( runner-up in season five), who has gone on to Broadway , recording and concert work. She was the reason Jane wanted to go. We went! I saw! I not only enjoyed, I loved the show, and if it were to play a second night, I believe I would go back again.

During the course of the evening ( roughly two hours with NO intermission) I learned a great deal about not only the three featured players, but a host of others including a young man who is a graduate of GBS ( Glenbrook South in Glenview) John Splitoff, an amazing talent, who was brought onstage to do some solos and a few duets. The band on the stage is that operated by  Chris Botti who is one of the best trumpet players I have ever heard ( or at least since the days of The London House). He doesn’t have the puffed cheeks that I recall from the old days and players like Luis Armstrong, but today they can mic the trumpet, so the sound is very special. They also had a young violinist, Anna, who had a mic on her violin, again, making the sound very special. Botti is quite the showman and then “the David Foster” story- wow!

He is a song writer, record producer, piano player and a mentor for many young talents. He told his story and that of Katharine, who is his wife and the mother of his child, along with all of the works he has done and with which groups ( Earth, Wind and Fire and Chicago to name a few). The evening was filled with lots of music from all the different sorts: films, Broadway, night clubs, concerts and even some great jazz. While there is no way that you can see this show at Ravina ( a one nighter), I tell you this so you will understand just what importance this festival concert ground has to those who play it. All of the people assembled on the Ravinia stage were overjoyed to be on that stage, and on a night that was calm and in fact, better than the weather people said it would be. I might say, this was a perfect night for an outdoor concert and the people on the lawn had a perfect night and enjoyed a perfect show.

To see what else Ravinia has instore for us, visit www.ravinia.org

Ravinia is in Highland Park just off Lake Cook Road and Green Bay Road and is the perfect place to spend a summer evening- today was the longest day of the year, but for Jane and me, the sweetest!