In Argentina – land of beef, short pants and Che Guevara – the blues are called tangos. And don’t think for a sec that the Argentines – with something resembling a democracy, a decent economy, and a Grammy for Los Fabulosos Cadillacs – don’t have anything to get bluesy about. Depression is so deeply institutionalized there’s a whole neighborhood of shrinks’ offices in Buenos Aires affectionately called Villa Freud.
Not that tangos are just about being down in that Prozac-sort of way. Heck no. You can tango about loneliness, about war, about heartbreak, about good and bad sex, about second-degree murder (not first – you gotta have the passion). And if you tango enough, it gets fiery, it gets hot, it becomes art.
Check it out: “Forever Tango,” Broadway’s tribute to and survey of Argentina’s best-known export hits town next Tuesday at the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Rd. in Rosemont. The show runs through May 23. Tickets are $14.50 to $49.50. Call 312-559-1212.
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