There are Renaissance men and Renaissance women and sometimes there are Renaissance kids, those wild, scrappy phenoms who come out of the womb with such a panoply of talent their path to success is inevitable.

That would be my brother, Paul Amandes. Musician, writer, singer, comedian, teacher, he embodies that person who not only entertains but has found a way to inspire others to learn more about the craft itself, about what it is they do that’s entertaining. He teaches theater at Columbia College in Chicago and is one of those beloved professors kids huddle around and want involved in their projects. He makes them the best they can be then trumps them, raising the bar always higher. I’m in awe of his ability to be both a heady technician and a lunatic performer who fears nothing…a potent mix that has brought him much respect and a wide fan base. He has a long history in Chicago, performing often with our brother, Tom Amandes, in projects that cover the gamut from the rough and rowdy Irish band, The Rogues, to performances of Shakespeare in the park. And on top of that, he can make you laugh until you pee. That funny.

There are choices every artist makes about where they’ll plant their feet, where they’ll find their way towards whatever it is they want to discover on their creative path and Paul made Chicago that place for himself. The city feeds him; the people, the artists he’s known and nurtured over the years, are all a part of the tapestry he’s woven in the lifetime he’s lived there. And he’s as much a part of the tapestry of Chicago theater and music as those things are a part of him. He loves this place, he loves the people, and he loves what he does. And they love him back. It all just goes together.

He’s now in the midst of a personal triumph: after years of workshopping his ideas, both in Nebraska and Chicago, fine-tuning the music and intriguing backers and performers, he has mounted Local Wonders, an original play with songs based on the 2004 book “Local Wonders; Seasons in the Bohemian Alps” by poet Ted Kooser, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 2005 and former Poet Laureate of the United States. Adapted by Paul and Virginia Smith, it explores not only Kooser’s work but his struggle with with cancer and it’s enjoying a month long run at Chicago Dramatists, 1105 West Chicago Avenue in the city.

I have not been able to get to Chicago to see the show but friend and writer Cris Carroll has and she just posted a beautifully written piece about it at her blog. I’m linking it here for your information. Actually, you should get to know Cris’s writing as well so this is a two-bird situation I’m happy to pass on. Cafe Imagine: Local Wonders.

If you’re going to be in Chicago between now and January 9th, get down there: Local Wonders: Brown Bag Tickets. You’ll enjoy seeing a local wonder make good in his own town.
Performance photos/CD cover courtesy of Local Wonders

Photo of Cris Carroll with her permission. 

Tom is my little brother. I admit I’ve occasionally allowed reference to him as my older brother for the sake of age-vanity but family pictures do not lie and, in truth, he is not only my younger brother but my brother; meaning the younger sib I was assigned to wrangle from the time my two older sisters and I took charge of our burgeoning family. Quite a responsibility, Tom-wrangling, and I took it seriously. Still do.

A phenomenal brother, a great friend; a brilliant actor, he has spent the last chunk of his career most predominantly in television. After a stellar beginning in Chicago theater where he and my other extraordinarily talented brother, Paul Amandes (that’s them on the left, vamping – as usual…photo by Ron Austin), stormed the Windy City stages, often together, sometimes with their rowdy band The Rogues, and individually as the unique actors, singers and writers they are, Tom relocated to Los Angeles when he was cast as the iconic Eliot Ness in the ’90′s version of The Untouchables. This propelled a major sea change in his career and from there he jumped into films (The Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis, Brokedown Palace with Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale, From the Earth to the Moon for producer Tom Hanks at HBO, etc.) and a wider range of TV roles.

There are still fans, quite a few actually, who mourn the untimely passing of his WB series, Everwood, in which he played the curmudgeonly but lovable Dr. Harold Abbott. It was a memorable role that tapped into both his zany and serious sides and in the five years the show ran, he built a loyal following and jump-started his directing career by helming several of the more pivotal episodes.  Detailed information can be gleaned from the bio page on his website (www.tomamandes.com…ignore the dated play information; I’ve got some updated play information to tell you about.)

Since Everwood, Tom has spent the bulk of his time writing, more directing (Brothers and Sisters) and making stand-out guest appearances in a variety of shows, most recently as a crazed plastic surgeon on Fox’s The Good Guys (Colin Hanks and Bradley Whitford) and a recurring role as Dr. Pelikan (the autism doc) on NBC’s Parenthood. Good stuff but this guy’s got chops for days and it was time to hit the boards.  So it was back to Chi-town….

…”an American classic five decades in the making. America’s greatest living playwright pairs his provocative classic, The Zoo Story, the one-act that launched his career fifty years ago, with a new first act Homelife.” At Home At the Zoo, written by Edward Albee, directed by Dennis Začek and starring Tom, runs from October 1 (with previews; official start is October 11th) through October 31, at The Victory Gardens Theater, at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. (773) 871-3000. Tom appears in both acts and from the buzz that’s being generated by early previews, it looks to be a smash.

So if you’re going to be in Chicago in October — and October is a great month to be in Chicago — make time to experience a night (or matinee) of classic Chicago theater. It’s some of the best and with Edward Albee, Victory Gardens and Tom Amandes involved, you can’t go wrong. I promise; I was there for many of the basement shows (I might have produced one or two) and I’m pretty sure I taught him everything he knows.  Really. :)

Photo credits:

Everwood press photo @ wikipedia.org/wiki/Everwood

At the Zoo production photos by Liz Lauren 

All other photos courtesy of Lorraine Devon Wilke