A Wicked Good Time in Kenmore Square

- Scott Kearnan

Last night I attended a lecture given by Gregory Maguire, the local author of several popular novels... including, most famously, Wicked. The lecture was held at the Boston University School of Management on Blandford, a mere block (or two?) from Kenmore Square... a locale that, until recently, offered little more than a huge, glowing gas station sign that has achieved its fame primarily through tackiness and nostalgia, rather than architectural merit. Don't get me wrong, I love that eyesore as much as anyone, and would defiantly handcuff myself to the neon tubes if they ever threatened to tear it down. But still... we're not exactly talking Times Square here, people.

Nonetheless, anyone who has read Maguire's Wicked (the theatrical rendition of which will bewitch crowds at the Opera House in April) should be familiar with one of its major themes: The duality of Good and Evil, light and dark, salvation and damnation. The popular novel undoes the character and story archs that have become so familiar to Wizard of Oz audiences. It humanizes the Wicked Witch of the West, portraying Elphaba not as a cackling, green-faced harpy... but as a well-intentioned political revolutionary who - while tragically flawed - is mostly just misunderstood. The book's main purpose, it seemed to this reader, was to convey how - by changing just a few words, altering a few brush strokes, or making a few small renovations - that which has seemed interminably darkened can suddenly be thrust into a new, splendid light.

Return now (figuratively speaking, though I highly suggest a literal return as well) to Kenmore Square: Not long ago, it seemed nothing more than the undesirable, eyesore of an axis around which the spokes of the Green Line revolved. Aside from the aforementioned Citgo sign, the Lansdowne clubs (that, as a general rule, seemed to be growing seedier by the year) and a certain Green Monster we all know and love, there wasn't much to speak of in the area. Convenience stores, Blockbuster Video, and permanent construction sites do not a hotspot make.

Amidst the much-publicized hubbub regarding "the revitalization of Kenmore Square," it's easy to be cynical and take potshots at how far the location still has to go. But, as someone pretty well acquainted with cynicism, let me be the first to say... Kenmore Square has indeed made some impressive strides in a short amount of time. Between the opening of Hotel Commonwealth's three new dining destinations (Great Bay, Foundation Lounge and Eastern Standard), the forthcoming Trinity condominiums, the usual Lansdowne businesses, and a halo effect from the commerce of The Landmark Center and its adjacent Fenway 13 cinema... not to mention the flurry of activity during baseball season... this previously bleak repository of McDonalds wrappers is really springing to life. It's as if the perpetually hungover streak of sidewalk has finally decided to take a shower, a shave and three Tylenols. And what do you know? It cleans up nice.

I enjoyed a delightful time out there last night: First, we attended the Gregory Maguire lecture. One might rightfully assume that a lecture like this is populated mainly by college students... it is, after all, at a college. Still, there were a few older faces in the audience and a few - like myself and my comrade - who were neither middle-aged nor cutting calculus class to attend. The lecture was fantastic, with a very animinated Maguire sharing those anecdotes from his childhood that provided the impetus for Wicked, philosophizing on the nature of good and evil, and providing more than enough guffaws and trivia factoids (the name "Elphaba" is a play off "FLB"... as in, Frank L. Baum) to fill the hour. I listened in rapt attention, though trying the whole time to conceal the sweatshirt I wore under my long, black wool coat: You see, earlier that morning a sweater I selected for the day managed to get lost in the long, arduous journey from my closet to my gym bag. Thus, over my colorful button-down shirt I was forced to wear the big black hoodie I crawled out of bed in (it was too cold for a shirt alone!) ... a sweatshirt that I just happened to acquire on an autumn trip to Salem, and just happened to have the orange silhouette of a witch, careening wildly on her broomstick, emblazoned across the front.

Serendipitous, that.

So I clutched my coat closed throughout the lecture, lest I look like a sad, Wicked groupie in a cutesy sweatshirt. I didn't want to be "that guy." It's like wearing the shirt of the band you're going to see... but dorkier. And on the subject of dorkiness, I implore you, Art Bar attendees, culture mavens and other assorted members of the Boston intelligentsia: Do be sure to frequent lectures like this. Even if pop novels aren't your interest, there's something going on, somewhere, that would have your inner geek in a tizzy. Boston has some of the best colleges and universities in the nation... the world, even!... and it's a shame that the typical Boston resident - though clinging proudly to our academic reputation - doesn't attend free, informative lectures like this more often.

As Art Bar is always willing to demonstrate, of course, it's best to combine the cerebral with the social! So we ducked out during the Q&A portion of the proceedings to meet with some good friends back in Kenmore Square, proper. Cocktails and conversation commenced at Great Bay, one of Chef Michael Schlow's popular dining destinations (Radius and Via Matta are the others). For the most part, our crowd indulged only in drinks - I selected The Poe off the specialty cocktail menu, a perfect sherry-bourbon combination that preserved a masculine flavor in the increasingly more girl-friendly world of Boston martinis. As the lone fat cat of the table, I decided to forego some scrumptious (looking, anyway) appetizers for a full entree... Olive Oil Poached Halibut. It was nearly flawless, perfectly complemented by house cured bacon and oyster sauce. My one small quibble: A bit "heavier" than I expected. Still, it was truly delicious and provided a great incentive for a return visit... though the open, inviting decor and high ceilings had already accomplished that task.

We also took in a drink at Foundation Lounge next door - which, luckily for us - is accessible through the main lobby of the Hotel Commonwealth, and did not necessitate once again donning my hoodie and invisible dunce cap to brave the cold. Foundation Lounge is dark and sepulchral where Great Bay is light and expansive. Dimly lit yet furnished in hues of green and deep orange, it's a sea of low booths and ottomans that populate the cavernous space like short, squat stalagmites... the perfect atmosphere for sharing an intimate liquid date. Though my previous experiences at Foundation Lounge were nothing to rave about - on the contrary, I found the drinks poorly prepared and the service spotty - last night may have opened the door to a revised opinion. For once, the place was rife with activity and a generous crowd... the service was prompt, and the drinks well-made. Fortuitously combined with an entertaining live band, it was an enjoyable time. A few more visits before I come up with a final verdict... but if the evidence continues to prove otherwise, I'm willing to acquit the place of my initial, negative judgment.

So to take that convenient, literary tactic of summarization: Maguire, insightful. Great Bay, very good. Foundation Lounge, working the kinks out. Eastern Standard (visited on previous occasions), spectacular.

And Kenmore Square, in the local vernacular so eerily recalled by my prescient sweatshirt... a WICKED good time.