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MUSIC: Sophie B. Hawkins talks LGBTQ+ youth and living an authentic life
In the '90s, singer-songwriter Sophie B. Hawkins made quite an impression on people with the entrancing song "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" and its accompanying video. She also had hits such as "Right Beside You" ...
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SHOWBIZ Grammy nominees, Gabrielle Union, Trevor Noah, Brendan Fraser
Out Magazine compiled a list of some of the 2023 LGBTQA+ Grammy nominees. Among those on the list were Brandi Carlile (who earned another seven Grammy nominations this year, raising her career total to 25), Lady ...
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SHOWBIZ Queer channel, gay actor dies, Jeopardy!, Luke and Chris Evans
Fuse Media—a Latino-owned, multiplatform entertainment company—announced that in partnership with OUTtv, it is expanding its suite of DEI FAST channels with the launch of the channel OUTtv Proud, per a press release. Set for a 2023 ...
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SHOWBIZ Gay racer, GALECA, Lena Waithe, 'Chicago,' LGBTQ+ films
Gay motorsports racer Zach Herrin made his long-awaited debut in a NASCAR-affiliated race in Phoenix, The Advocate noted. "I know I have a lot of eyes on me, and all I want to do is get out there and blur everything ...
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PASSAGES Singer Aaron Carter dies at 34
Singer Aaron Carter—the brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter—has died after apparently drowning at his L.A. home at age 34, according to media reports. TMZ originally reported the news. The outlet said that he was ...
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Openly gay country performer Patrick Haggerty passes away
Patrick Haggerty was the first of his kind. Long before Ty Herndon, Paisley Fields, Brandi Carlile, Orville Peck, Andrew Sa, or Trixie Mattel, Haggerty recorded what is widely cited as the first gay Country music album ...
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SHOWBIZ Nathan Lane, gala, Beyonce, Kevin Aviance, Henry Cavill, Shania
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Nathan Lane is returning to Broadway this winter to star in the debut run of Pictures of Home, per The Hollywood Reporter. Based on the photo memoir by Larry Sultan of the same name and adapted ...
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Dave Koz's annual Christmas concert on Dec. 8 at The Chicago Theatre
Out gay saxophonist Dave Koz has released his eighth Christmas CD, Christmas Ballads, and will perform at the Chicago Theatre on Thursday, Dec. 8, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Dave Koz & Friends Christmas ...
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'Too Hot to Handel' taking place Dec. 3-4
The Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr., welcomes back "Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah" for its 18th presentation. This year, for the first time, the popular jazz-gospel-rock-funk version of G.F. Handel's traditional ...
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SHOWBIZ 'P-Valley,' Dan Levy, trans/non-binary panel, Christina Aguilera, Spirit Day
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Starz has renewed the show P-Valley (the network's most-watched series) for a third season, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The renewal for the series from creator/showrunner Katori Hall arrives more than two months after the sophomore season ...
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Taylor Swift drops new album 'Midnights' as well as special edition
Taylor Swift has released her 10th studio album, Midnights, which she announced while accepting the trophy for Video of the Year at MTV's Video Music Awards in August, Pitchfork reported. In addition to the Lana Del ...
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Sam Smith releasing new album, 'Gloria,' in January 2023
Multi-platinum-selling Grammy-, Brit-, Golden Globe- and Oscar-winning artist/songwriter Sam Smith will release Gloria, their fourth studio album, on Jan. 27, 2023 via Capitol Records. According to a press release, the ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Mean Girls' actor, Melissa Etheridge, asexual singer, Elton John, 'Glee'
Openly gay actor Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls), in an Instagram video, reminded his followers of the importance of regular cancer screenings by documenting his experience getting a mammogram, according to ...
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Queer rapper Chi Waller talks about her journey, music and Chicago connections
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Many people have taken the past couple of years to take stock of themselves and take their lives in new directions (often called pivoting, of course). Queer rapper Chi Waller has certainly done the same thing. ...
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Chelsea Manning, Jessica Lange and more are part of CHF's fall slate
This fall, the Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) is bringing some of the biggest names in film, politics, music, literature and activism to stages across Chicago for conversations addressing the theme of "PUBLIC" and how people are ...
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Rainbow Railroad set to hold fundraising event with out singer Patricia Barber
Rainbow Railroad will hold its fourth annual fundraising event, "When I Am Free"—featuring renowned lesbian jazz singer, composer and pianist Patricia Barber—on Wed., Oct. 26, at Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Ct., 6:30-9:30 p.m. This event ...
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Lakeside Pride members gather to celebrate 25 years of music
In June 2016, shortly after the Pulse nightclub shootings in Orlando, members of a Lakeside Pride musical ensemble took a photo of their spectators at a pride event; everyone in the photo was each formed hearts ...
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AT&T celebrates National Coming Out Day (early) with performances, panel
AT&T—in partnership with Center on Halsted and with the participation of do312.com—held "Turn Up the Love," a pre-celebration for National Coming Out Day that took place Oct. 8 at its flagship store at 600 N. Michigan ...
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WORLD Trans women elected, Zambia protest, Spice Girl, public figures come out
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On Oct. 2, two transgender women won seats in the Brazilian Congress, The Washington Blade reported. Voters in Sao Paulo elected Municipal Councilwoman Erika Hilton, a Black former sex worker who is a member of the ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Black Panther,' 'Horror Story,' Beyonce, video game
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I May Destroy You actress Michaela Coel will play Aneka in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, according to Out. In the comics, Aneka is a Wakandan warrior who identifies as queer and has a relationship with Ayo ...
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Album of 1962 Streisand concerts to be released on CD and digitally on Nov. 4
Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, announced the album Barbra Streisand: Live at the Bon Soir will be released digitally and on CD on Friday, Nov. 4. With new mixes supervised ...
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'Gays and Gospel' on Oct. 11 at Northwestern University
"Gays and Gospel"—a tribute to the LGBTQ+ community and all the contributions it has made to gospel music from its genesis in the 1920s until today—will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11 (National Coming Out Day), ...
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MUSIC Janet Jackson to release deluxe edition of 'The Velvet Rope'
Five-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Janet Jackson will release a new deluxe edition of her sixth full-length album, The Velvet Rope, on Friday, Oct. 7—the 25th anniversary of the original ...
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SHOWBIZ Hallmark film, Oprah, Janelle Monae, 'Dahmer,' Met Gala
As a part of its "Countdown to Christmas" event, Hallmark Channel announced its first holiday movie that focuses on a gay romance, according to Out. The Holiday Sitter will be released on Sunday, Dec. 11, on ...
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World Music Festival Chicago Sept. 30-Oct. 9
World Music Festival Chicago will return Friday, Sept. 30-Sunday, Oct. 9 in venues across the city. The festival returns with 34 bands (including three DJs) representing 22 countries and spotlighting 10 local music groups. Now in ...
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MUSIC Jessie Mueller and Seth Rudetsky at Steppenwolf on Jan. 14, 2023
On Jan. 14, 2023 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Steppenwolf Theatre and Mark Cortale will present Tony winner Jessie Mueller (Beautiful; Waitress) for a hometown concert, hosted and music directed by Sirius XM ...
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EVENTS Fahrenheit heats things in the cool autumn
In the early throes of autumn, the LGBTQ+ organizational development service Lord, Rustin, and Bates Inc. presented part one of the yearly Fahrenheit Humanities Festival at Haven, an entertainment and performance space at 932 E. 43rd ...
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Billy Masters
"I just heard about Leonardo DiCaprio's 25-year rule. His loss. You don't know what you're missing."—Dionne Warwick tweeted her disdain over reports that DiCaprio does not date anyone over 25. Where were you during Queen Elizabeth ...
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SHOWBIZ Cardi B, Sam Smith, 'Wednesday' series, Sean Hayes, Serena
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Cardi B clapped back at someone on Twitter who declared her a celebrity who "came out as bisexual but never dated someone of the same gender," per Out Magazine. The tweet,—featuring pictures of Cardi, Grimes, Lady ...
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MUSIC Cabaret singer Jeff Harnar talks Sondheim, coming out
Jeff Harnar wasn't born in Chicago, but he will tell you first-hand that it is his home. Having spent his formative years in this city, Harnar discovered a passion for musical theater. Decades later, he has ...
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MUSIC 'A Boy Band Christmas' coming to Hard Rock Live on Dec. 18
A Boy Band Christmas is coming to Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana's Hard Rock Live venue in Gary, Indiana on Sunday, Dec. 18. Doors open at 6 p.m. The event will feature Jeff Timmons, Drew Lachey ...
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Artemis Singers to present 'Samhain - Encounters through the Veil' Oct. 29
-- From a press release
CHICAGO─Artemis Singers, www.artemissingers.org, Chicago's lesbian feminist chorus, will present a unique, timely concert, "Samhain - Encounters through the Veil," about the time of year when we reflect on those who have gone before and honor t ...
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Riot Fest heats up (through music and controversy) in 2022
For three days, Riot Fest took rock and roll fans on a rollercoaster of a ride in Douglass Park. Located in Chicago's North Lawndale community area at 1401 S. Sacramento Dr., this loud outdoor celebration of ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Watermelon Woman,' 'Dragula,' Indigo Girls, 'Dahmer' series
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Cheryl Dunye shared a photo on Facebook confirming that her 1996 groundbreaking lesbian-themed film Watermelon Woman is now officially part of the National Film Registry Library. According to the library's website, some of the other movies ...
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THEATER 'Cabaret' at Metropolis through Oct. 22
Musical Broadway classic and hit film Cabaret re-creates the decadent and complicated world of 1929 Berlin at the Arlington Heights venue Metropolis Performing Arts Centre through Oct. 22. Cabaret is Kander and Ebb's legendary musical masterpiece ...
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Park district pushing change as criticisms of Chicago music festivals increase
As criticism increases over the use of public parks for large-scale events put on by private companies, leaders at the Chicago Park District are moving to change their code to mandate a board vote to sign ...
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MUSIC Raue Center to host ABBA tribute on Oct. 15
Raue Center for the Arts will welcome "Mania: The Abba Tribute," from London's West End, to downtown Crystal Lake at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15. "Mania" takes audiences back in time by recreating one of ...
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Elton John's 'last' U.S. show to air Nov. 20 on Disney+
The show being promoted as Sir Elton John's "last" U.S. concert—a Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour gig at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium—will livestream on Disney+ on Nov. 20, Rolling Stone reported. The streaming service officially announce ...
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SHOWBIZ Religion movie, Laverne Cox, 'Will & Grace,' Jeopardy!, Elton John
The LGBTQ+ film Wonderfully Made—LGBTQ+R(eligion) will have its New York premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival on Thursday, Sept. 29, following its world premiere at Out in Film in Atlanta on Saturday, Sept. 24, per a ...
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Chicago House Music Festival to showcase national and local talent Sept. 15 - 18
-- From a press release
CHICAGO—Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced today the full lineup and expanded dates for the annual Chicago House Music Festival and ...
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Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, 'Carrie 2' part of Venus Cabaret Theater's fall programming
-- From a press release
Chicago, IL — Venus Cabaret Theater, the intimate performance space at Mercury Theater Chicago, under the director of Cabaret Director Honey West, Artistic Director Christopher Chase Carter, Managing Director Kristi ...
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George Michael is the focus of the new film 'Portrait of an Artist'
On Christmas Day 2016, the world awoke to shocking news. George Michael, one of music's brightest stars since the 1980s, had died suddenly in his sleep at age 53. So many were left reeling—people who felt ...
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Ricky Martin sues 'maladjusted' nephew for $20 million [UPDATE]
Actor/singer/author Ricky Martin has filed a $20-million lawsuit against the nephew who accused him of sexual abuse, Deadline reported. "The reckless, malicious and culpable actions by Defendant Sanchez were motivated by the desire to expose Plaintiff ...
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Black Excellence Award nominations announced; gala on Nov. 14
-- From a press release
Chicago—The Board of Directors of the African American Arts Alliance (AAAA), and the Black Excellence Awards Committee announce the nominations for the 22nd Annual Black Excellence ...
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SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, VMAs, Emmys, daytime soap, anti-trans comments
Lady Gaga might perform a virtual concert on the popular online video game Fortnite sometime soon, according to Out Magazine, citing Kotaku. In a previous press release by Fortnite developer Epic Games, the studio announced that ...
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MUSIC KOKUMO talks about moving to New York City, other endeavors
The multifaceted artist KOKUMO, The Queen of Queer Soul has recently released a new album, Wildflowa': Da' Prelude Ta' Freedom Mixtape, featuring 16 tracks focusing on traumatology, Afro-Elysium and other ...
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MUSIC Limited-edition box set of George Michael's 'Older' out Sept. 16
Sony Music announced that a deluxe, limited-edition box set of George Michael's album Older will be out Sept. 16. Originally released in the United Kingdom on May 13, 1996, through Virgin Records, Older reached the pinnacle ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Umbrella Academy,' HBO Max, Patti LaBelle, Richard Simmons
The Umbrella Academy has been renewed for a fourth—and last—season at Netflix, Variety noted. Cast members Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castaneda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Justin H. Min, Ritu Arya and Colm Feore ...
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Windy City Performing Arts welcomes Dr. Eric Esparza back as interim conductor
-- From a press release
CHICAGO - Windy City Performing Arts is announcing that Dr. Eric Esparza will be stepping into the position of Interim Conductor for the Windy City Gay Chorus and Windy City Treble Quire this upcoming season. Esparza ...
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MUSIC Chicago Philharmonic to perform 'Ghostbusters' on Oct. 8
The Chicago Philharmonic Society and the Auditorium Theatre will present "Ghostbusters Live in Concert" on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E Ida B Wells Dr. The full Ghostbusters film will ...
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Kelly Clarkson's 'Kellyoke' at Navy Pier on Aug. 27
The Kelly Clarkson Show is bringing its "Kellyoke" segments to fans in Chicago at Navy Pier at 12-7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27. ...
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Music of the Baroque opens 2022-2023 season with Handel's 'Jephtha' Sept. 18-19
-- From a press release
CHICAGO - Music of the Baroque officially opens its 2022-23 season with Handel's "Jephtha" on Sept. 18-19. The season marks the 20th anniversary of the appointments of Music Director Dame Jane Glover and Principal Guest Conductor ...
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Ruido Fest celebrates fifth year
The popular outdoor music fair known as Ruido Fest returned to Chicago for the fifth time on Aug. 19-21 at Chicago's Union Park. Inspired by Spanish words describing noise and sound, this outdoor gathering highlights Latin ...
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MUSIC Mavis Staples added to Symphony Center's 2022-23 programming
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) announced that legendary Grammy winner and soul, gospel and R&B artist Mavis Staples will return to Orchestra Hall for a Symphony Center Presents concert on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, at ...
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SHOWBIZ Ariana DeBose, trans child model, 'Take Me Out,' 'Feud'
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Prime Video and Blumhouse Television announced the upcoming psychological thriller House of Spoils, starring queer Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose, per a press release. The film (directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy from their ...
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Queer Chicago rapper Psalm One to perform Aug. 19 at Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest
Psalm One—a queer rapper from Chicago—will take the stage at the annual Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest on Friday, Aug. 19, at 8:15 p.m. "I'm really, really excited to perform," she told Windy City Times. "I'm nervous, ...
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Taste of Greektown festival returns to Chicago Aug. 26-28
-- From a press release
CHICAGO—Greektown Chicago's Taste of Greektown festival returns for its 32nd year this summer with the city's largest celebration of Hellenic cuisine and culture on Friday-Sunday, Aug. 26-28 along Halsted Street from Adams to Van Buren. The ...
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Chicago trans rapper Lila Star releases new song
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Chicago trans rapper Lila Star (most known for her guest vocals on Shea Coulee's 2017 single "Cocky") has released the music video for her latest single, "Sex Appeal," which may strike some as a tribute to ...
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THEATER Kokandy's 'Sweeney Todd' running Sept. 8-Nov. 6
Kokandy Productions will continue its 10th-anniversary season with a revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street that will run Sept. 8-Nov. 6. The production will feature music and lyrics by Sondheim, ...
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Market Days marks 40 years
The Northalsted Market Days street festival returned to the Halsted Street area for its 40th anniversary on Aug. 6 -7. Running from Belmont Avenue to Addison Street, a $15 suggested donation greeted attendees as they entered ...
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PASSAGES Singer/actress Olivia Newton-John dead at 73
Olivia Newton-John—the Australian singer who charmed generations of viewers in the 1978 blockbuster movie Grease and had such music hits as "Physical," with both garnering many LGBTQ+ fans—died Aug. 8 at age 73, according to media ...
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SHOWBIZ Jane Lynch, Dwayne Johnson, 'Star Trek,' Beyonce, Shea Coulee
NBC has renewed the Jane Lynch-hosted game show Weakest Link for a third season, Variety noted. Season three will run for 20 episodes. The series is based on a British format distributed by BBC Studios that ...
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Lollapalooza lit up with LGBTQ+ acts in 2022
The annual outdoor festival Lollapalooza ran July 28-31 in Chicago, displaying a wide spectrum of talent—including many LGBTQ+ acts—this year on nine stages. The music carnival began as an eclectic ...
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THEATER 'Cabaret' coming to Metropolis Arts on Sept. 15
Musical Broadway classic and hit film Cabaret re-creates the decadent and complicated world of 1929 Berlin at the Arlington Heights venue Metropolis Performing Arts Centre on Sept. 15-Oct. 22. Cabaret is Kander and Ebb's legendary musical ...
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Lollapalooza to be in Chicago for at least the next 10 years
Get ready to see a lot more musical acts, crop tops and (mostly younger) people in Grant Park for at least the next decade of summers. Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced July 31 that the ...
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SHOWBIZ Comic Con, WNBA player, Timothee Chalamet, Kate McKinnon
Out Magazine listed at least seven LGBTQ+-related characters and projects that were unveiled at San Diego Comic Con. Some of them include Michaela Coel (from TV's I May Destroy You) as a queer character in the ...
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Chicago announces lineups for Marquee Fall Music Festivals
-- From a press release
CHICAGO—Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced today music lineups and expanded date information for three of the City of Chicago's most ...
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Northalsted Market Days to take place Aug. 6-7
The 40th Northalsted Market Days—a live music street festival celebrating community in Chicago's Northalsted/Lakeview district—will take place Aug. 6-7. The half-mile long summer festival features all-day lineups of live music ...
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Live music returns to Touche starting July 30 with 'Bear All'
After a nearly three-year hiatus due to COVID-related interruptions, Touche, 6412 N. Clark St., is reviving the bar's live music series "Bear All" at 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 30. Begun in 2011 and produced by ...
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SHOWBIZ Broadway, 'Game of Thrones' prequel, Dexter Mayfield, Shania Twain
The Broadway League announced that theaters will continue their recently adopted mask-optional policy for audiences at least through August, Deadline reported. The mask-optional policy—in which audiences are encouraged but not ...
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Local queer icon DJ's event
Darrell Gordon was the guest presenter for the Lunch Bunch at Third Space at Lakeview Presbyterian on June 1 and 30—the beginning and end of both Pride Month and Black Music Month. ...
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Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra performing historic concert on Aug. 6
The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture announced a once-in-a-lifetime concert event featuring the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra to be held Saturday, Aug. 6, at Chicago's Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. The performance, ...
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MUSIC Hulu to stream Lollapalooza
Hulu announced that it would serve as the official streaming destination for three of C3 Presents' biggest music festivals—Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Music Festival—in 2022 and 2023. To that end, Hulu announced the streami ...
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Band featuring actor Michael C. Hall in Chicago on July 24
Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum—a band that features Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning and Emmy-nominated actor/musician Michael C. Hall (TV's Six Feet Under and Dexter) as well ...
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Pitchfork Music Festival faces a few pitfalls due to the weather
Pitchfork Music Festival faced some tough challenges this year, with unpredictable weather over the weekend of July 15-17. Held in Union Park annually, this gathering to hear a multitude of types of music usually is packed; ...
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