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SHOWBIZ Netflix, Kal Penn, Dennis Rodman, 'The Voice,' 'Euphoria'
Video below
Terra Field—one of the Netflix employees who organized the walkout around Dave Chappelle's comedy special The Closer—has resigned from the streamer, Deadline reported. Field, along with B. Pagels-Minor, organized an ...
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THEATER AstonRep's 'God of Carnage' through Dec. 12
AstonRep Theatre Company is running a revival of Yasmina Reza's frenetic dark comedy God of Carnage, translated by Christopher Hampton and co-directed by directed by Derek Bertelsen and Robert Tobin. God of Carnage is running through ...
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Venus Cabaret hosting monthly comedy night
Venus Cabaret Theater, the 80-seat intimate performance space at Mercury Theater Chicago (3745 N. Southport Ave.), is presenting the monthly Comedy Night Series as part of The Dark Night Series. ...
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REVIEW Randy Rainbow tackles politics, shows talent at The Chicago Theatre
YouTube sensation Randy Rainbow brought The Pink Glasses Tour to The Chicago Theatre on Oct. 22. Best known for videos that parody musical numbers with a focus on politics, the heavily curated show began with a ...
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Trans employees plan Oct. 20 walkout at Netflix [UPDATE]
Netflix's trans employee resource group is planning a company-wide walkout Wed., Oct. 20, to protest statements made by co-CEO Ted Sarandos regarding Dave Chappelle's latest comedy special The Closer, according to The Verge. "Trans Lives Matter. ...
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MOVIES Holiday comedy short centers on Muslim family and BIPOC queer relationship
The short film The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night follows Noor, a Muslim queer woman, and her experience with bringing her Puerto Rican partner home to meet her family for the first time. When Noor's ...
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COMEDY Janeane Garofalo at The Den Theatre on Nov. 19-20
The Den Theatre will present comedian Janeane Garofalo for four performances on Nov. 19-20 (at 7 and 9:30 p.m. each night) on The Heath Mainstage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. Garofalo has had many memorable and critically ...
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LGBTQ+ groups call out Dave Chappelle over latest special
Dave Chappelle's new Netflix comedy special, The Closer, is already making headlines due to material several groups have called anti-LGBTQ, Variety reported. In a statement, GLAAD called out the pattern of derogatory jokes, saying that "Chappelle' ...
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THEATER 'Hot Pink, or Ready to Blow' available for download
It's Pompeii meets Heathers as New American Folk Theatre continues its "season of audio theatre" with a new studio recording of its 2018 hit comedy Hot Pink, or Ready to Blow. The production was written by ...
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THEATER Out actor Dan Butler to be in 'When Harry Met Rehab'
Don Clark, a Chicago-based film/theater producer as well as co-owner of the Chicago Magic Lounge, will present the world premiere of When Harry Met Rehab—a comedy that takes sobriety seriously and is based loosely on the ...
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AstonRep Theatre Company announces 2021-22 season:
--From a press release
CHICAGO (Sept. 13, 2021) — AstonRep Theatre Company is pleased to welcome back live audiences this fall, kicking off with a revival of Yasmina Reza's frenetic dark comedy God of Carnage, translated by Christopher Hampton and ...
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THEATER 'American Mariachi' at Goodman on Sept. 18-Oct. 24
Goodman Theatre is running American Mariachi—a new comedy about the freedom to dream big, written by Jose Cruz Gonzalez, directed by Goodman Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez and presented as part of Chicago Latino Theater Alliance's ...
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SHOWBIZ Billy Porter, 'Death Drop,' Brandi Carlile, vintage films, Gaga
Billy Porter will direct a queer teen comedy feature titled To Be Real for Amazon Studios, which is being helmed by Gabrielle Union's I'll Have Another Productions, NME.com noted. Porter, who is currently working on his ...
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TV Netflix animated series 'Chicago Party Aunt' debuts Sept. 17
The LGBTQ-inclusive series Chicago Party Aunt will debut on Netflix on Friday, Sept. 17. Inspired by the popular Twitter account Chicago Party Aunt, this eight-episode adult animated comedy follows Diane Dunbrowski and nephew Daniel as they ...
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COMEDY Cameron Esposito at The Den on Oct. 2
The Den Theatre will present out comedian Cameron Esposito Saturday, Oct. 2d at 8 pm on The Heath Mainstage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave.. Esposito is a standup comic, actor and writer who has appeared across television ...
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Five Worth Finding: Gerber/Hart, 'Mr. Soul!,' S'mores desserts and more
—Stacks of Laughter: Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, 6500 N. Clark St.. will host a comedy benefit, "Stacks of Laughter," on Saturday, Sept. 18. At 6 p.m., there will be a VIP reception with local historian John ...
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Gerber/Hart comedy benefit Sept. 18
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, 6500 N. Clark St.. will host a comedy benefit, "Stacks of Laughter," on Saturday, Sept. 18. At 6 p.m., there will be a VIP reception with local historian John D'Emilio. Also, a ...
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Aug. 11 CHF Comedic Showcase to feature Abby McEnany
On Wed., Aug. 11, 7-8 p.m., the Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) will host "Work in Progress: A Comedic Showcase of Chicago," featuring Abby McEnany, on Navy Pier's Lake Stage. There will be a virtual introduction by ...
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PrideArts 2021-22: "The Search for Identity Among Queer Communities"
CHICAGO — An Australian musical, a comedy-drama from the writer whose play was adapted as the hit movie JUDY, an Uptown holiday celebration, a new Ruth Bader Ginsberg bio, and a fifth play to be announced, ...
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Blue Man Group returning Aug. 18
Blue Man Group will return to Chicago's Briar Street Theatre on Wed., Aug. 18. A dynamic combination of art, music, comedy and technology, Blue Man Group encourages audiences to reconnect with their inner (and outer) child ...
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New queer comedy series revisits the women's bathroom
Gal Pal Presents recently premiered a new comedy web series, titled Stalled, which aims to capture the gay nightclub women's restroom scene that you may have experienced, but may have flushed out of memory. The five-episode ...
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COMEDY Bianca Del Rio announces 'Unsanitized' comedy tour
Comedy queen and RuPaul's Drag Race champion Bianca Del Rio announced her "Unsanitized" comedy tour, which will hit 26 cities this fall. Among the stops will be the Chicago venue The Vic, on Oct. 10. Del ...
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Cast announced for May 18 virtual reading of JEFFREY
--From a press release
CHICAGO — PrideArts today announced the full cast for its upcoming reading of Paul Rudnick's comedy JEFFREY. David Belew, founder and former artistic director of Eclectic Full Contact Theatre, will direct a cast that will include ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Special,' Bonnaroo, Broadway items, Rita Moreno, Bridgerton
The second season of the Netflix comedy series Special will premiere May 20, a press release noted. The series revolves around Ryan O'Connell, a gay man with mild cerebral palsy, and is based on his memoir ...
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MOVIES Director Mike Mosallam discusses queer Muslim film 'Breaking Fast'
A warm romantic comedy that may seem simultaneously recognizable and unfamiliar to many viewers, Breaking Fast follows Mo (played by out actor Haaz Sleiman), a practicing Muslim still reeling from heartbreak. When an All-American guy named ...
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Hell in a Handbag Productions to present
Out, Darn Spot!
--From a press release
CHICAGO (Jan. 15, 2021) — Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to present the campy comedyOut, Darn Spot!, written by and starring ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith* and directed, filmed and edited by Stephanie Shaw. ...
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'The Prom' out Dec. 11 on Netflix
The Prom—a musical-comedy film directed by Ryan Murphy and adapted by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin (from their and Matthew Sklar's 2018 Broadway musical of the same name)—will be out on Netflix on Dec. 11. The ...
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Theater community to offer online plays, musicals, dance, comedy for holidays
--From a press release
Chicago, IL (November 10, 2020)— The Chicago theater community will produce a wide variety of online festive plays, musicals, dance and comedy offerings this Holiday season. Theatre venues in Chicago and across the world remain closed ...
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Interrobang launching season with 'The Spin'
Interrobang Theatre Project (ITP) is launching its 11th season with The Spin, a virtual dark comedy ripped from the headlines, written and directed by Spenser Davis and commissioned by ITP. The plot is described as follows: ...
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'Schitt's Creek' dominates Emmys
The Canadian LGBTQ-centered comedy series Schitt's Creek cleaned up for its final season when the Television Academy showcased the Emmy Awards the evening of Sept. 20. This was the 72nd Emmy ceremony, and was largely virtual ...
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'SNL' adds lesbian cast member
Saturday Night Live, or SNL, will start its 46th season Oct. 3 with at least one major change: The show is adding a member of the LGBTQ+ community to its cast. Punkie Johnson is an out lesbian comedian/writer whose recent credits ...
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MOVIES David Pevsner brings performance to home screens
Although Los Angeles-based performer David Pevsner's solo performance piece Musical Comedy Whore! is technically a one-man show, Pevsner takes care to differentiate it from others. "I think people are kind of surprised by it, [thinking] that ...
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TELEVISION
Caroline Aaron talks social justice, podcasting,'Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'
Caroline Aaron is known for her many captivating roles in film, TV, Broadway and, most recently, as Shirley Maisel on the award-winning show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Talking with Windy City Times, Aaron described the values ...
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'Christmas Bingo: Summer Edition' online through July
Christmas Bingo: Summer Edition—written by Vicki Quade, one of the creators of the hit comedy Late Nite Catechism—is streaming through Friday, July 31. A portion of every ticket sold will go to help the Daughters of ...
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TELEVISION Marvel's first openly trans actor on Pride, BLM and Hollywood
Zach Barack made cinematic history as Marvel's first openly trans actor in the 2019 film Spider-Man: Far from Home. He talked with Windy City Times about his experiences in Hollywood, his stand-up comedy, current social issues ...
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Queer creator Quentin Lee honored, announces three new TV series
Los Angeles, CA. June 17, 2020. Roddenberry Impact Awardee Quentin Lee (White Frog, The People I've Slept With, Comedy InvAsian) is co-creating with author Adi Tantimedh (The Ravi PI series from Simon & Schuster) a sci-fi ...
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'Christmas Bingo: Summer Edition' online through July
Christmas Bingo: Summer Edition—written by Vicki Quade, one of the creators of the hit comedy Late Nite Catechism—is streaming through Friday, July 31. A portion of every ticket sold will go to help the Daughters of ...
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Shout! releasing all 11 seasons of 'The Carol Burnett Show'
Shout! Factory TV announced that, on June 1, all 11 seasons of The Carol Burnett Show will be made available for viewing on streaming platforms. The show is one of the most acclaimed and influential TV ...
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Out comedian joins Humanities event
On April 16, comedian Cameron Esposito joined the Chicago Humanities Festival for its first virtual event of the spring 2020 season. During the live-streaming conversation—moderated by Kristen Kaza, co-founder of Slo 'Mo: Slow Jams for Queer ...
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SHOWBIZ Global concert, TV doctors, Sean Hayes, GLAAD event, 'Circus'
Some of the world's top stars helped to raise nearly $128 million for the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic by performing in a concert broadcast globally, CNN.com noted. Dozens of celebrities and musicians—including Lady ...
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Melissa Villasenor at The Den in July
Saturday Night Live's Melissa Villasenor will bring her stand-up tour to The Den Theatre for five performances on July 9-11 on The Den's Heath Mainstage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. Villasenor broke barriers by becoming the first-ever ...
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Margaret Cho at Chicago Improv on May 8-9
Actress/comedian/author Margaret Cho will perform at Schaumburg's Chicago Improv Comedy Club, 5 Woodfield Rd., on May 8-9. Cho, among other accomplishments, has three Grammy Award nominations for Best Comedy Album under her belt. Her tours sell ...
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Out comedian Cameron Esposito in town March 29
Comedian Cameron Esposito will bring her "Save Yourself Tour" to The Den Theatre Sunday, March 29, at 8 p.m. on The Den's Heath Mainstage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. Esposito is a standup comic, actor and writer ...
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WORLD Bollywood film, UK employers, assault, Rainbow Railroad
The India film capital of Bollywood is releasing its first major romantic comedy with a lead gay character, Advocate.com noted. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (translation: Be Extra Careful About Marriage) stars Ayushmann Khurrana as a young ...
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NUNN ON ONE COMEDY Zach Zimmerman bringing 'Fabulous' tour to Chicago
Out comedian Zach Zimmerman's first comedy album Clean Comedy debuted at number one on the iTunes Comedy charts. He's a Princeton University graduate that performed in Chicago with The Second City Theatricals. He took his act ...
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OUTspoken at Beverly Arts Center to Place LGBTQ Stories in the Spotlight
The Beverly Arts Center presents an evening with LGBTQIA storytelling collective OUTspoken on Friday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. The performance will be hosted by Chicago-based comedian Elizabeth Gomez and features ...
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COMEDY 'The Haggard Unicorn:' Queer trans comic talks representation, hurdles
KJ Whitehead wants to see unrepresented voices take over the comedy world and her latest project, The Haggard Unicorn, is a reflection of that ambition. "Something strange. Something different. Something radical," she said when asked to ...
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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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Funny Feminism: Podcast "The Guilty Feminist" comes to Chicago
Deborah Frances-White knew there was humor to be mined from her bungled attempts to be a good feminist. Which is why the U.K.-based Australian comedian/writer/producer co-created the comedy podcast The ...
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NATIONAL Lily Tomlin, St. Louis, activist slashed, LGBTQ political candidates
Iconic LGBTQ comedian Lily Tomlin joined with several other comedy legends for a PSA in support of aging pets, The Washington Blade noted. In the video that The Grey Muzzle Organization produced, Tomlin is featured alongside ...
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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 for the ...
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CAKE applications due Dec. 14
Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) is accepting exhibitor applications for CAKE 2020 until Saturday, Dec. 14. CAKE is a weekend-long celebration of independent comics, inspired by Chicago's rich legacy as ...
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"Scrooge & Marley" screening Dec. 18
"Scrooge & Marley" is a modern day variation on Charles Dickens' classic story of the holidays, "A Christmas Carol." Recounted from a gay sensibility, with heart, comedy and music, the magic of Dickens' timeless tale of ...
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THEATER REVIEW Laura and the Sea
Playwright: Kate Tarker At: Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, 5779 N. Ridge Ave.. Tickets: RivendellTheatre.org 773-334-7728; $38. Runs through: Dec. 8 "The mind is a tricky camera," observes a character in Kate Tarker's dark and quirky comedy receiving ...
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DRAG PERFORMER OF THE WEEK Kalli Mauri
BEHIND THE NAME "I chose Kalli Mauri because I wanted to make sure I stayed true to my comedy roots it's a pun. I also wanted people to know that I may look feminine but there is still a tentacle lurking ...
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COMEDY Whitney Chitwood makes the case for Chicago
Six years ago, Whitney Chitwood was living in New York, trying to make it in theater, and feeling disillusioned, "because I did it all my life. So I would go to comedy clubs and watch shows a lot, and got bit ...
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Lesbian Chorus Artemis Singers at Improv Comedy Nov. 1
CHICAGO─Members 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 ...
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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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CRITICS'PICKS
Be Here Now, Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit, through Oct. 19. By rejecting romcom clichés, Deborah Zoe Laufer's mostly comedy leads to a smarter, quirkier and even MORE romantic happy ending in this well staged ...
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THEATER REVIEW Twice, Thrice, Frice
Playwright: Fouad Teymour At: Silk Road Rising, 77 W. Washington Street. Tickets: 312-857-1234; SilkRoadRising.org; $38. Runs through: Nov. 10 This world premiere comedy concerns assimilated, Upper Middle Class American Moslem ...
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Guy Branum, queer comic, coming to Zanies
Out comedian Guy Branum is returning to Chicago with a brand new zany stand up act. Hailing from Yuba City, California, he went to college at the University of California, Berkley and later studied at the ...
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Lesbian comedian's release show Oct. 17
Chicago-based lesbian comedian Whitney Chitwood will have a new album, The Bakery Case, out Friday, Oct. 18—and she will have a release show the previous night. The release show will take place Thursday, Oct. 17, at ...
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The Second City marking 60 years with special events
The Second City turns 60 on Tuesday, Dec. 16. However, the celebration kicks off this month with special events and launches that give audiences a peek behind the curtain of the comedy theater. The company will ...
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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. The 23rd ...
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Second City kicks off 60th with a new book, special events
CHICAGO, IL - (September 19, 2019) The Second City turns sixty on December 16, but the celebration kicks off this month with a slew of special events and launches that give audiences a peek behind the ...
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'Savage Love Live' in Chicago on Sept. 26
Author, sex-advice columnist, podcaster, pundit, public speaker and It Gets Better co-founder Dan Savage will bring his famous column to Chicago when "Savage Love Live" takes place at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., ...
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NUNN ON ONE COMEDY Rachel Dratch talks Biance del Rio, gay friends
Rachel Dratch is originally from Massachusetts; she moved to Chicago to further her comedy career by working with The Second City and ImprovOlympic. When asked what one thing she learned from her days in the Windy ...
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'Second City Divas In Concert' Sept. 9
Season of Concern (SOC) will present the benefit performance "Second City Divas—In Concert"on Monday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave. Season of Concern is the ...
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Invictus Announces 2019-20 Season
CHICAGO— Invictus Theatre, a theater company that emerged in November 2017 with an intimate production of OTHELLO and followed it with Shakespeare's comedy LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST in November 2019, has announced its expansion into a season ...
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NUNN ON ONE: COMEDY Flame Monroe's career heats up
The Netflix comedy special Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready premiered recently on Aug. 13. Haddish hand-picked her favorite comedians to spotlight on various segments. One of them is Chicago's very own Flame Monroe, who is the ...
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NUNN ON ONE COMEDY Chuck Norment, 'Grin' is in at Second City
The Second City e.t.c.'s 43rd Revue: Grinning from Fear to Fear continues an open run, with many sold-out shows on the second floor of 230 W. North Ave. The troupe consists of returning cast member Andrew ...
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The Second City salutes Pride
The Second City's Salute to Pride is waving a welcoming flag this June with an all LGBTQ identifying cast. Head upstairs to UP Comedy Club on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and there you will find drag queen ...
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COMEDY Hannah Gadsby pops into Chicago
The Australian, lesbian comic Hannah Gadsby became popular with American audiences thanks to the trail blazing Netflix special Nanette. The show was her tenth and thanks to the hit special she won a Peabody Award. Gadsby ...
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THEATER REVIEW Four Places
Playwright: Joel Drake Johnson At: Den Productions at the Den, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. Tickets: TheDenTheatre.com 773-697-3830; $45. Runs through: June 30 We start out anticipating a comedy: our setting in the first scene, after all, ...
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'Tales' producer discusses return to 28 Barbary Lane
Producer Alan Poul, who is gay and is among the returning crew and cast for Netflix's Tales of the City revival, said that he's "thrilled" to return to Armistead Maupin's cast of characters at 28 Barbary ...
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