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Sinfonietta's MLK Jr. tribute shows Jan. 19-20
Chicago Sinfonietta will be presenting its annual MLK Tribute Concert—celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through family, equity and the encouragement to execute positive change. The orchestra's concerts will take place Sunday, Jan. ...
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SHOWBIZ Taylor Swift, GLAAD, music festivals, CW renewals, Jake Gyllenhaal
GLAAD will honor global superstar Taylor Swift and award-winning director, producer, writer and advocate Janet Mock at the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on Thursday, April 16, a press ...
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City names 2020 'Year of Chicago Music'
Recently, Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events ( DCASE ) Commissioner Mark Kelly, Grammy- and Oscar-winning artist Che "Rhymefest" Smith and other civic, arts and music leaders recently announced plans to designate 2020 as ...
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SHOWBIZ Best LGBTQ films, Eddie Murphy, Obama's songs, DJ retires
Advocate released its list of the 30 best LGBTQ films of the 2010s. Some on the list include Appropriate Behavior, Moonlight, The Kids Are All Right, Spa Life, The Handmaiden, Colette, Tangerine, Weekend, Booksmart, Rafiki, Beats ...
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MUSIC Whitney; The Joy Formidable; Roy Kinsey
Despite my predictions for a gloomy holiday season, Christmastime in Chicago turned out to be just short of blissful. With nary a snowflake or raindrop in sight and with temperatures lodged in the 50s, a near-record ...
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SHOWBIZ Judi Dench, HIV+ musical comedy, Black LGBTQ musicians, Ryan Reynolds
Dame Judi Dench ( perhaps jokingly ) had a different take on Old Deuteronomy, her character in the panned movie Cats, Out.com noted. The role is traditionally played by a male actor, but Dench was tapped ...
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Frankie Knuckles celebration Jan. 19
Queen!, in association with The Frankie Knuckles Foundation, will hold "For Frankie! A Celebration of his 65th Birthday" Sunday, Jan. 19, 9 p.m.-4 a.m., at Metro Chicago, 3730 N. Clark St. Among the people slated to ...
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PASSAGES Broadway giant Jerry Herman dies
Legendary Tony-winning Broadway songwriter Jerry Herman—who was behind the iconic musicals Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La Cage aux Folles—passed away at 88 from pulmonary complications, media outlets reported. Herman told NPR that seeing Irving Berlin's Annie ...
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Sami Grisafe: Immersed in L.A., but keeping Chicago ties
Sami Grisafe got some high-profile exposure for the first single to be released from her upcoming album, Manifest. The former Chicago Force star quarterback who has transitioned into a Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter/actor, Grisafe played the acoustic ...
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SHOWBIZ Billy Porter, Olivia Wilde, Tessa Thompson, 'Ragtime,' Dan Levy
Stars of stage and screen have come together to celebrate Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning star for Billy Porter's lip-sync video for his chart-topping dance single, "Love Yourself," a press release noted. The video features Porter's ...
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CONCERTS November shows: 'Killer Ballads,' Rev. Horton Heat, 'Horror'
Given the staggering amount of unrest in the world with environmental disasters ( volcanic eruptions in New Zealand, flooding in France and Italy, glacial meltdowns in Greenland, and rampaging wild fires in Australia, Brazil, and California ...
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Levi Kreis singing in Chicago on Dec. 21
Out singer Levi Kreis will host the 5th Annual Home for the Holidays show Saturday, Dec. 21, 12 p.m. at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St. Kreis' music has been featured in film and television shows ...
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Artemis Singers to hold new member night Jan. 9
CHICAGOâ"With the launch of its 40th anniversary, Artemis Singers, www.artemissingers.org, Chicago's lesbian feminist chorus, will hold a new member night Thursday, January 9, 2020. Artemis Singers is a non-audition chorus open to all women singers, regardless ...
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New Dylan Rice album out
After more than two years, and with the backing of more than fundraiser campaign donors, out musician Dylan Rice's third solo album, Fits and Fevers, has been released. Recorded by engineer/co-producer Adam Munoz at Fantasy Studios ...
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Joffrey's Chicago-set 'Nutcracker' through Dec. 29
The Joffrey Ballet's reimagined classic, The Nutcracker, by Tony-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, returns to open the holiday season at the historic Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr., in performances through Dec. 29. This season's ...
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SHOWBIZ Neil Patrick Harris, Mary J. Blige, Jane Lynch, Pet Shop Boys
Neil Patrick Harris and husband David Burtka are in Walgreens' new #TrueHolidayStory campaign, which finds the beauty and humor in memorably imperfect moments, NewNowNext.com noted. In the new spots, Harris and Burtka's holiday is less than ...
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WINDY CITY TIMES annual Holiday Gift Guide, Part Two
I'll drink to that Inspired by TV host Giuliana Rancic, Giuliana Prosecco ( $14.99; TerlatoWines.com ) is smooth, with a fruity scent and deceptively complex taste. It may sound weird to say you settled down with ...
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Renee Fleming in rehearsal with Lyric Opera for The Light in the Piazza
CHICAGO ( December 11, 2019 )—Rehearsals are underway for Scenario Two's presentation of the beloved Tony Award-winning musical The Light in the Piazza at Lyric Opera House, starring four-time Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee ...
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'Nat King Cole' holiday show Dec. 16-17
Writers Theatre, in partnership with Artists Lounge Live, will present a limited engagement of An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas, starring Evan Tyrone Martin. An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas will be presented Monday-Tuesday, Dec. 16-17 ...
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SHOWBIZ Jamie Lee Curtis, Taylor Swift, trans model/activist, Lil Nas X
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis told interviewer Chris Azzopardi she supports the outing of closeted lawmakers who advocate for anti-LGBTQ causes, The Washington Blade noted. During an interview in support of her knew film, Knives Out, the ...
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Queer as Polka: Lakeside Pride plays a new tune
Kaitlyn Hollysmith has added the "oom-pah-pah" rhythm to the many styles and sounds Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles plays through the new ensemble Queer as Polka. Hollysmith was born and raised in Long Grove, Illinois. In fourth ...
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Caucus launches The Prosperity Project
Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus has launched The Prosperity Project—a three-year campaign to eliminate HIV among Black gay, bisexual and same-gender-loving men in Chicagoland. The caucus is asking our Black SGL men about their strengths, weaknesses ...
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WINDY CITY TIMES 2019 Holiday Gift Guide Part One of Two
Feel the heat We all know the polar vortex may be revisiting sooner rather than letter, so be ready with Heat Holders socks and gloves ( various prices; HeatHolders.com ). The socks, specially developed with cashmere-like ...
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Vaginal Davis exhibit at Art Institute in 2020
The Art Institute of Chicago is slated to run "Vaginal Davis: The White to Be Angry" Feb. 1-April 26, 2020. Davis is a key figure in the history of queer music, performance and video art. Naming ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Will & Grace,' LGBTQ singers, legendary divas, Ellen's surprise
Will & Grace will pay tribute to I Love Lucy by building an entire episode around the iconic sitcom this spring, EW reported. In the episode that will air as part of the sitcom's final season, ...
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OPERA REVIEW Don Giovanni
Score: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Libretto: Lorenzo Da Ponte At: Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Dr. Tickets: 312-827-5600 or LyricOpera.org; $39-$299. Runs through Dec. 8 When opera companies revive old productions, the original director typically ...
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Chicago Gay Men's Chorus to present HOLIDISCO
CHICAGO, October 29, 2019 — Chicago Gay Men's Chorus presents HOLIDISCO, running December 6-8, 2019 at three venues in the Chicagoland area. Experience this unforgettable show complete with all the tantalizing glitz and glamour that the ...
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Lil Nas X among Smithsonian Magazine 2019 American Ingenuity Awards honorees
Washington, D.C. — Nov. 19, 2019 — Smithsonian magazine, the flagship publication of the Smithsonian Institution, today announced the honorees of the eighth annual American Ingenuity Awards. This year's awards honor individuals across seven wide-ranging categories: ...
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Brewery has Nov. 22 event with Chicago House
Revolution Brewing is again teaming with Chicago House and Social Service Agency to raise funds for HIV/AIDS-affected, disenfranchised individuals as well as the local LGBTQ community. The second annual "We Are Family" fundraising event will take ...
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Currie, Darling in Chicago on Nov. 25
Los Angeles-based female rock icons Cherie Currie and Brie Darling are embarking on their first-ever tour together in support of their recently released album, The Motivator—and will perform at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St., on ...
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Artemis Singers part of LGBTQIA+ improv show
In a return engagement, members of Artemis Singers, Chicago's lesbian feminist chorus, will perform as part of the Friday, Dec. 6, Dreamboat LGBTQIA+ improv show at The iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury St. The show, in ...
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The Joffrey Ballet's reimagined classic The Nutcracker begins Nov. 30
CHICAGO ( NOVEMBER 12, 2019 )— The Joffrey Ballet's critically-acclaimed reimagined classic, The Nutcracker, by Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, returns to open the holiday season at the historic Auditorium Theatre, in downtown Chicago at 50 ...
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Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chorus present Merry, Merry Chicago! concerts
CHICAGO—Symphony Center celebrates the 2019 holiday season with programming that offers a wide range of musical experiences perfect for audiences of all ages and tastes, beginning November 29 for Thanksgiving weekend and continuing through December 23. ...
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SHOWBIZ Out singer, 'Hamilton,' 'Sense8,' Dolly Parton, Shangela
LGBT singer Michael Longoria released a music video for "Kiss Me ( Like They Do In The Movies )," an original song written by Longoria and arranged by James Dobinson, a press release noted. The music ...
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Singer Greyson Chance in Chicago Nov. 29
Out musician Greyson Chance will be performing at Bottom Lounge, 1375 W. Lake St., on Friday, Nov. 29. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the all-ages show will start at 8 p.m. Chance became famous ...
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Val's halla Records to close by Nov. 30
Iconic Oak Park store Val's Halla Records will close by Nov. 30, The Chicago Tribune reported. The business has been open for 47 years. Named after founder Val Camilletti, the original Val's Halla opened on July ...
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City of Chicago Announces 2020 Festival Dates
2020 initiatives highlight the "Year of Chicago Music," Chicago's Music Legacy and thousands of public programs in downtown Chicago and across the city's neighborhoods The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events ( DCASE ) is ...
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'Chicago Celebrates Sondheim!' Nov. 16
The Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr., salutes composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, who celebrates his 90th birthday this season, with a one-night-only performance on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m. Directed and produced by Chicago's ...
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SHOWBIZ Rachel Weisz, John Waters, Jeff Goldblum, Lady Gaga
Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz will play Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor for female directing duo Bert & Bertie and UK-Australia producing powerhouse See-Saw Films in A Special Relationship, Deadline reported. Slumdog Millionaire scribe Simon Beaufoy has written ...
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Opera Review Dead Man Walking
Score: Jake Heggie; Libretto: Terrence McNally At: Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive. Tickets: 312-827-5600 or LyricOpera.org; $39-$279. Runs through Nov. 22 Dead Man Walking takes audiences on complex moral journey. And this opera, ...
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OCTOBER CONCERTS Yoke Lore; Matt and Kim; ayokay and Wingtip; San Fermin; Jonathan Bree
As much as I love big spectacular arena-sized concerts, it was a relief to catch a batch of low-key shows in intimate venues last month. The last two weeks of October offered maybe too many options ...
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Hozier in Chicago on Nov. 3-4
Multiplatinum singer/songwriter Hozier has added dates to the fall leg of his Wasteland, Baby! Tour—and will perform Sunday-Monday, Nov. 3-4, at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St. He recently performed at the Chicago musical fest ...
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Tegan and Sara discuss high school biography
Twin sibling performers Sara and Tegan Quin—aka Tegan and Sara—stopped by the Museum of Contemporary Art on Oct. 15 to discuss their collaborative memoir High School. Tegan said that the duo originally contemplated producing a concept ...
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Salute to Robert Ollis on Nov. 4
Pride Films and Plays' 2019 "Simply Sensational" benefit to salute music director Robert Ollis will take place Monday, Nov. 4, at The Broadway, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, at 7:30 p.m. Ollis won won the ...
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OPERA 'Dead Man Walking' makes Lyric debut
It has taken nearly two decades for the Lyric Opera of Chicago to finally stage Dead Man Walking. But that's just a blink of an eye considering the more than four centuries of operatic history. Dead ...
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Lesbian Chorus Artemis Singers at Improv Comedy Nov. 1
CHICAGOâMembers of Artemis Singers, www.artemissingers.org, Chicago's lesbian feminist chorus, will perform as part of the Friday, Nov. 1, Dreamboat LGBTQIA+ improv show at The iO Theatre, Chris Farley Cabaret, 1501 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago. Dreamboat begins ...
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NUNN ON ONE: MUSIC Counterfeit Madison not faking it
Singer Sharon Udoh, also known as Counterfeit Madison, is possibly the most interesting person you will ever meet. Raised in Cincinnati by two Nigerian, extremely religious parents, Udoh wasn't allowed to listen to secular music. She ...
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SHOWBIZ George Michael, Billy Porter, Michael Hutchence, LGBTQ-history film
The holiday romantic comedy Last Christmas (starring Emilia Clarke, Emma Thompson and Henry Golding) won't just feature the music of George Michael—it will also include a previously unreleased song by the late queer pop legend, Out.com ...
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Honey West, Freddy Allen to reunite for cabaret performance at Drew's
Chicago LGBT Hall of Famer, two-time After Dark Award-winning entertainer Honey West and two- time After Dark Award winner and Chicago Pressie Award Winner for Best Local Entertainer Freddy Allen, reunite for their first Chicago cabaret ...
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CONCERTS Roselit Bone and Reverse Cowboy; New Pornographers; Charli XCX
Alhough the chilly winds and the abundance of pumpkin-flavored coffee-creamer ads on television have signaled the end of summer, the year for queer music is nowhere near winding down. This summer turned out to be the ...
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Artemis Singers workshop Oct. 30
As part of its 40th anniversary celebration, Artemis Singers will hold a free workshop at the Harold Washington Library, 400 S. State St., on Wed., Oct. 30, 5-7 p.m., to collect stories from women in the ...
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Ravinia president/CEO leaving post in 2020
Ravinia President and CEO Well Kauffman announced Oct. 19 that he will depart the festival upon completing his 20th anniversary year at its helm, following the 2020 season and the opening of the RaviniaMusicBox experience center. ...
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Story Jam features local celebs in a show to raise money for immigrant youth
Chicago, IL November 17th, 2019—Story Jam, a show that is part live-lit and part music concert combining storytellers and songwriters with a rocking band, will return to City Winery on Sunday, November 17th at 12pm for ...
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Karen Mason to perform Nov. 14
Singer and Chicago native Karen Mason—star of musicals Love Never Dies, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray!, Wonderland and Sunset Boulevard—will perform Thursday, Nov. 14,, at 7:30 p.m. at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Transparent,' Tyler Perry, 'Drag Race,' singer Halsey
The soundtrack to Amazon Prime Video's The Transparent Musicale Finale—the movie musical fantasia of Jill Soloway's series Transparent—is available for streaming and digital purchase in conjunction with the finale premiere on Amazon Prime Video, a press ...
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Mixtape coincides with Warhol exhibit
As the Warhol exhibit comes to the Art Institute of Chicago this October, DJ Heaven Malone is releasing a mixtape, Factory Girls, honoring the women throughout the decades of The Factory, Warhol's studio. Malone is an ...
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'Activists and Icons' to end Oct. 27
"Activists and Icons: The Photographs of Steve Schapiro," an exhibit at Skokie's Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, will close Sunday, Oct. 27. It was originally slated to close June 23. Schapiro, a Chicago-based photographer, has ...
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Oct. 21 benefit for homeless at Metro
More than 40 Chicago punk, prog, noise, rock and surf musicians—including current and former members of PiL, Naked Raygun and Local H—will perform at a benefit concert to raise money for the Chicago Coalition for the ...
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Chicago's queer hip-hop scene: Visibility, evolution and culture
Chicago has long been known as a mecca for hip-hop culture. Within recent years, however, there's been a rise in queer and gender non-conforming hip-hop artists in the city. From Kidd Kenn, who recently signed to ...
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Simply Sensational Benefit to salute Music Director Robert Ollis Nov. 4
Pride Films and Plays' annual fall benefit, SIMPLY SENSATIONAL, celebrates theater artists who have had a tremendous impact on all they work with. This year's event will honor a beloved figure in the Chicago theater scene ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans actor, 'Judy,' 'Concert for America,' Dolly Parton
Trans actor Brian Michael Smith was one of three casting announcements made ahead of Fox's 9-1-1 spinoff, Lone Star, which debuts in January, Out.com noted. This next installment in Ryan Murphy's burgeoning franchise will take place ...
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Ladysmith Black Mambazo returns to Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf Theatre will hold its world premiere production of Lindiwe—featuring music written and performed by the five-time Grammy winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo—Nov. 7, 2019-Jan. 5, 2020 in the Downstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. Written ...
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Madonna at Chicago Theatre now Oct. 16-28 (UPDATE)
In what is being billed as a series of intimate concert experiences, Madonna will perform seven shows on select dates between Oct. 16-28 at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St. (The show previously scheduled for ...
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Mark Farris at Drew's Oct. 4-5
Vocalist/musician Mark Farris—who has performed in piano bars and cabaret lounges throughout the world—will return to Chicago cabaret at Drew's On Halsted, 3201 N. Halsted St., on Oct. 4-5 at 8:30 p.m. Farris debuted in 2000 ...
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Don't lose the magic: Checking out the Chicago Magic Lounge
When Joey Cranford's wife jokingly bought him a magic kit as a Christmas present, she had no idea what she had unleashed. "There was an especially good trick in there," he said, one that spurred the ...
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Takei, Elling at Oct. 14 'Galaxy' concert
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's spectacle "The Galaxy's Greatest Hits"—which will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing—will take place Monday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. ...
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SHOWBIZ Ricky Martin, Tina Fey, Lee Daniels, Megan Fox
The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) will honor singer and actor Ricky Martin with the HRC National Visibility Award at HRC's 23rd Annual National Dinner in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 28, a press release noted. ...
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Girlpool dives into a tour around the world
Los Angeles band Girlpool is made up of only two members, Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker. Both sing vocals with Tucker playing guitar and Tividad playing bass. On their second album, Powerplant, Miles Wintner was added ...
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Samantha Sidley--Out jazz singer engages in 'Girl' talk
Samantha Sidley is an out jazz vocalist from Los Angeles. Her debut album Interior Person was just released by Me Records—and the lead single from it, "I Like Girls," already makes her a standout from many ...
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PERFORMANCE Johnny Bash talks career, partner, upcoming show
Performing has been a part of Johnny Bash's life since he was a child growing up in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Since then, Bash has parlayed that into a decade's long career as a singer and entertainer at ...
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MUSIC Looking back at this year's Riot Fest
The 14th Annual Riot Fest invaded Douglas Park in west Pilsen Sept. 13-15 and proved that you can please all of the people all of the time. The hard rock/heavy metal/punk festival didn't actually offer anything ...
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Operas of the fall
The fall 2019 opera season is already in full swing. There is plenty to take in from the tiniest of fringe companies to the most lavish spectacles filling the stage of the 3,563-seat Civic Opera House. ...
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LGBTQ ally Amy Armstrong talks cancer, giving back, 'Amy and Freddy'
When LGBTQ ally Amy Armstrong was growing up in Detroit and later Camden, Michigan she dreamed of becoming a performer. Since graduating from Henry Ford Community College and Wayne State University, she has parlayed that into ...
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SHOWBIZ Brandi Carlile, Karamo Brown, campy classic films, Cara Delevingne
Out Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and performer Brandi Carlile won Artist of the Year at the Americana Music Association Honors & Awards, a press release noted. Carlile also performed "The Mother" at the awards ceremony, which will ...
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NUNN ON ONE Lance Bass, Baptists, Broadway and 'The Boy Band Con'
Popular performer Lance Bass wears many hats these days. After rising to fame in the boy band NSYNC, he moved into working in movies and television. Along the way, the Mississippi native even became certified to ...
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