By the time I got to Chicago with 'Gershwin' I knew the stamina required, ... But this show has a whole different set of demands -- it's really a concert -- and I won't know how well I can sustain six performances a week until I perform it for a while.

Chopin suffered from melancholia -- what today would be diagnosed as bipolar disorder, ... And by the end of their time together Sand was his caretaker, his nursemaid, and she'd had enough. But she was a crucial force in his life -- the person who gave him a home, a family.

The idea is to have the stage strewn with music from all the major songwriters and to let the members of the audience just pick their favorites,

For Chopin, everything was a pure expression of the soul and emotion, ... His playing had a silvery tone, and I've found it helpful to think of him as an early Debussy, with that exquisite airiness and shimmer.

We are expecting big groups from California and Chicago. They use this time to reconnect with their roots and listen to good music.

I'm excited. I heard (Greg) Maddux talk about him when I was in Chicago all the time. He's a pitcher's pitching coach. I talked to him for 45 minutes. He's a little spark plug.