“Bastille Day Concert” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

 Highly Recommended **** Norman’s Bistro, on Chicago’s South Side, served as the backdrop for our July 14th Bastille Day celebration with a terrific cabaret performance by Working in Concert. Singers Claudia Hommel and Ava Logan together with accordionist Patricia Spaeth presented us with an evening’s worth of entertainment that also featured vocalists Dave DeGooyer (with his ukulele) and Barb Smith (on guitar). Billed as having two seatings—at 6:00 p.m. and at 7:30 p.m.—we were treated to two one-hour-long sets in honor of French Independence Day: le 14 juillet.

With red, white, and blue banners hanging from the ceiling and a fine sound system, this fabulous show featured songs such as “Under the Paris Skies”, “Bonjour Paris”, “Beyond the Sea”, “Champs Elysées”, and “The River Seine.” Hommel has a gorgeous voice with an incredible vocal range from D-major to high soprano; she owns the floor with her flirtatiousness. Logan’s voice is exquisitely stellar with a very different French feel. This vivacious performance was also quite educational, as the audience learned something about Zazou and French jazz. With the exception of this one gentleman in the back of the room who was screaming into his cell phone during part of the performance, you really felt that you had left the U.S.A. and were enjoying the pleasant scenery, shops, and amour of Paris, live and in person.

This concert happened to be the very first live performance that I have attended since the onset of COVID and the relaxing of the mask mandates in Illinois (and in Chicago). So I was honored to be in attendance. What a great way to celebrate the beginnings of normalcy with a celebration of freedom!

For more information about Working In Concert and their future performances in and about the Chicago area, please go to their website: https://workinginconcert.org. Note that they are particularly proud of one of their latest initiatives, having to do with celebrating 100 years of black voices in cabaret.

This show was brought to us with the support of the Paris Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International and Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion.

Norman’s Bistro is located at 1001 E. 43rd Street, in North Kenwood (Bronzeville), on the southeast corner of 43rd and Ellis. Reservations were required for the evening, but there was no cover charge. See: https://www.normansbistro.com/ for general information. Although a full American Creole inspired menu was available (with a Brazilian twist), there were many menu items that were not spicy (for someone like me). My friend and I found the food to be excellent and reasonably priced, and the service was wonderful. We ordered the grilled salmon, sweet potato fries, collard greens, and island coleslaw, and loved it all. I was told by one of the other patrons that the shrimp, chicken and lobster gumbo was “to die for.” We had carrot cake and bread pudding for dessert and couldn’t decide which one was better.

The best part of the show was being greeted by all of today’s stars and, being thanked personally by Norman Bolden, who has invested in heart and soul into this community. Without the owner’s vision and his investment in this four-block stretch of 43rd Street (a/k/a Muddy Waters Drive), we could not have had this unique dining and entertainment experience which made our Bastille Day celebration truly special!