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THEATER REVIEW Andy Warhol in Iran juggles art, celebrity and geopolitics
Andy Warhol in Iran. Playwright: Brent Askari At: Northlight Theatre at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie Tickets: 847-673-6300 or www.Northlight.org; $30-$89. Runs through Feb. 19 The prolific 20th century gay ...
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Chicago theater charges on through the cold months
The ongoing 2022-2023 theater season—roughly September to June—will be the first complete production season in Chicago in three years. A few troupes cautiously returned to live performances late last spring, but most companies waited until the ...
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Billy Masters: Harry Styles' Pleather pants parting, and all the dish you need
"I will always love Pamela, always in my heart. I left her $10 million in my will. And she doesn't even know that. Nobody knows that." —Jon Peters reveals his bequest to ex-wife Pamela Anderson. Pam ...
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Billy Porter discusses his fashion choices, personal ambitions
Billy Porter—the Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner—needs no introduction—especially to the many fans of his character Pray Tell on Ryan Murphy's hit TV series Pose. Coming up exclusively in theaters Feb. 3, Porter will star as ...
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SHOWBIZ Lil Nas X, Sam Smith, tennis items, Oscars, Queerties
Famed children's entertainers The Wiggles sent parents into a frenzy when they posted a photo with out rapper Lil Nas X to their Instagram account and wrote, "New collab in the wind?," according to LGBTQ Nation. ...
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Director Lukas Dhont's Oscar-nominated drama gets 'Close' to audiences everywhere
Belgian director Lukas Dhont's new French-language film Close—a nominee for Best International Feature Film for the 95th Annual Academy Awards—tells the touching story of two 13-year-old best friends, Leo (Eden ...
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Billy Masters: George Santos gets to be a real drag, and all the dish you need
"If you're an enemy of drag, you're an enemy of mine." —George Lopez criticizes Ron DeSantis' "War on Drag Queens." There are some stories I try to stay away from, and that includes George Santos—if I ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Planet Sex,' Critics Choice Awards, Madonna, Theo James
The show Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne will debut on Hulu on Feb. 14 (Valentine's Day), Out noted. Planet Sex is a six-episode docuseries following the model/actress. "On this immersive journey, she puts her mind and ...
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Des Plaines Theater cancels anti-LGBTQ hate group event after outcry from citizens
DuPage County-based Awake Illinois was set to hold an event called "Out of the Echo Chamber: Coalition for Kids" at the city-owned, but not city-operated, Des Plaines Theatre Wednesday, Feb. 8. This event has now been ...
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Theater Review: Princess Ivona is a dark but comic portrait of power
Playwright: Witold Gombrowicz. At: Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. Tickets: 773-384-0494 or www.trapdoortheatre.com; $25 (two-for-one admission Thursdays) Runs through Feb. 18 Trap Door Theatre is now tackling the ...
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ABC Audio launches third season of "Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson"
--From a press release
ABC Audio launched today the third season of "Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson," its award-winning podcast focused on LGBTQ+ issues. The new, six-episode season, hosted by ABC News contributor and Emmy® Award-winning journalist LZ Granderson, ...
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Billy Masters: Prince Harry tells all and nothing, and all the other dish you need
"As a gay man, I want to apologize for all the gays on behalf of what we tried to do to her on that boat!" —Jerrod Carmichael takes a moment out of the Golden Globes to apologize to White Lotus star ...
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SHOWBIZ Indigo Girls, LGBTQ+ films, GALECA nods, Jeremy Pope
Indigo Girls will perform at an opening-night celebration for the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 19 in Park City, Utah, Variety reported. The Grammy-winning lesbian folk-rock duo are debuting their new documentary, It's Only Life After All, ...
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Chicago Red Stars select four players in 2023 NWSL Draft
From a press release
CHICAGO—The Chicago Red Stars took part in the 2023 National Women's Soccer League Draft, tonight, selecting Penelope Hocking from Penn State University with their first-round pick (seventh overall). In ...
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Jordan Vasquez treats Chicago to Fosse's Chicago
Actor and openly gay performer Jordan Vasquez, an Illinois native now living in New York City, is giving Chicago audiences "the old razzle dazzle" in the fabulous musical Chicago. This dynamically talented performer brings with him ...
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Black LGBTQ+ film festival among Chicago NEA grant recipients
The Black Alphabet Film Festival—the world's oldest Black LGBTQ+-focused event of its kind—was part of the first round of grant recipients from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), receiving $20,000. In a press release, Black ...
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Billy Masters: A weatherman's thirst trap triggers a bomb cyclone, and all the other dish you need
"Upon arriving home I'd been horrified to discover that my nether regions were frost nipped...While the ears and cheeks were already healing, the todger wasn't. It was becoming more of an issue by the day." —As ...
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SHOWBIZ Diversity report, Dave Bautista, Leslie Jordan, greatest singers
The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative's latest "Inclusion in the Director's Chair" report analyzes the gender and race/ethnicity of the directors behind last year's 100 highest-grossing movies in the country, while the San Diego State Center ...
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Billy Masters: It wasn't Jim Parsons' soul Kirk Cameron stirred up...and all the dish
"Look, the best guess I could probably give you is that I did think Kirk Cameron was awfully cute when I watched Growing Pains. So maybe things arose then." —Jim Parsons' response to Andy Cohen's question of ...
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SHOWBIZ Best in theater, TV, film and music; Obama's favorites; 'Glass Onion'
Deadline's Broadway critic revealed his picks for the best of 2022. Leopoldstadt topped his list, but other productions included Kimberly Akimbo, Some Like It Hot, Into the Woods, Hangmen, Ain't No Mo', A Strange Loop, Topdog/Underdog, ...
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Billy Masters: All the retrospective you'll need to show 2022 the door
"He doesn't like gay people. Doesn't want them in Russia. And then he's got the wonderful basketball player and he won't let her out. Make up your mind! He's always acting so butch and strutting around. You know what that ...
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PrideArts, Chicago drag artists co-produce story of a drag family's tribulations
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — PrideArts will celebrate the arrival of the year 2023 by teaming up with the Chicago drag performers Tirrany Reigns and Ramona Mirage to stage Reigns' original Queer Family Dramedy, set just after New Year's ...
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Oak Park Festival Theatre makes history with new artistic director
The Oak Park Festival Theatre (OPFT)—the oldest professional classical theater in the Midwest—announced that Peter G. Andersen will be joining the company as its new artistic director in January 2023. It is the first time that a person ...
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Billy Masters: Redford won't follow Babs back to the well, and all the dish you need
"These gays — they're trying to murder me!" — Jennifer Coolidge's character, Tanya, on The White Lotus finale. Here's a headline that grabbed me: "Florida man busted for public sex with dog, wrecking church nativity scene". ...
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SHOWBIZ Best and worst films, Broadway, Adam Lambert, 'Proud Family,' women's hockey
IndieWire revealed its list of the best LGBTQ+ films and TV series of 2022. Just some of the selections included Benediction, Bros, Do Revenge, Fire Island, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Inspection, Los Espookys, P-Valley, ...
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Life is a Cabaret for James Harkness these days
Out performer James Harkness is one of the many performers in Cabaret ZaZou's Luminaire, the latest project from the creative team behind the successful show Teatro ZinZanni. Currently in an open run since Sept. 7, 2022, ...
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Billy Masters: Anthony Rapp becomes a dad, and all the dish to start your week
"And haters, if you're watching this because I know you are—you work hard, but I work harder!" —Todrick Hall's message to critics. BTW, he's back on the air with HGTV's "Battle of the Bling" with Kim ...
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SHOWBIZ Jerrod Carmichael, 'Heartstopper,' Lena Waithe, Gyllenhaal, Cher
Out comedian Jerrod Carmichael will host the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Deadline reported. After a yearlong hiatus, the three-hour telecast will air on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023 from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on NBC and ...
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Theater Review: Mosque4Mosque
Author: Omer Abbas Salem. At: About Face Theatre at The Den Tickets: www.thedentheatre.com; $7.50-$41.25. Runs through: Dec. 17 Sara and her children are Syrian immigrants with a nice suburban house. Sara (Rula Gardenier) is an accountant, ...
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Filmmaker reworks locally-produced holiday film Scrooge & Marley for upcoming stage reading
It's been 10 years since Chicago writer/musician/perfomer Richard Knight, Jr. co-directed and co-wrote the LGBTQ+ holiday film Scrooge & Marley. "One of the most memorable nights of my life was the premiere at the Music Box, ...
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Actor Colby Minifie portrays an unfamiliar 'Homebody' in new film
Actor Colby Minifie inhabits a whole new 'Homebody' in new film By Matt Simonette The new film Homebody, featuring actor Colby Minifie (The Boys, Jessica Jones) and helmed by gay director Joseph Sackett, initially seems to ...
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"A Secret I Can't Tell" book updated and reissued
-- From a press release
NEW YORK, NY — NOVEMBER 14, 2022 — In 2020 the United States Supreme Court ruled that 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian, and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex. But now Florida's "Don't say gay" ...
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Chicago Fire FC wins first-ever Midwest Emmy Award
-- From a press release
CHICAGO (Dec. 6, 2022) — Chicago Fire FC has been awarded the Club's first ever Regional Emmy Award in the category of "Outstanding Crafts Achievement for Graphics Arts/Motion Graphics/ Art Direction/Set Design" as a part of ...
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Billy Masters: Mariah fails to storm the Christmas castle, and all the other dish you need to start the week
"Thank you, Lord! Congrats to all the other Queen of Christmases around the world, living and whom have passed!" —Darlene Love celebrates Mariah losing her bid to trademark the term "Queen of Christmas." Did you know ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Bros,' awards, Bjork, video-game love story, 'White Lotus'
The gay rom-com film Bros started streaming on Peacock on Dec. 2, Out noted. Written by Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller (and directed by the latter), Bros was produced by Judd Apatow and starred Eichner along with an all-LGBTQ+ ...
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A stocking stuffed with holiday shows!
Christmas follows fast on Thanksgiving's leftovers, which means sugarplums-and-treacle time for Chicago theater, when many troupes offer holiday shows. There are at least 40 of 'em, from biggies such as the 45th annual A Christmas Carol ...
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Billy Porter receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
On Dec. 1, award-winning actor/director/singer/playwright Billy Porter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "I'm just so blessed and so grateful to be here," he said, according to KTLA. "James Baldwin said, 'It's an ...
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Peppermint barks while Broadway bangs, and all the other dish to start the week
"I love Broadway. I love what they do—Broadway Cares, but I also want to say the show is extraordinary!" —Nicole Kidman's impromptu speech after bidding $100K to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for Hugh Jackman's hat after ...
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SHOWBIZ Elton John, Leslie Jordan, Joel Kim Booster, Janelle Monae
Elton John gave Los Angeles concluded a three-show run on Nov. 20 back inside Dodger Stadium, taking a final bow as part of his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The concert ...
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Baton Show Lounge unveils new male burlesque
On the evening of Nov. 17, Baton Show Lounge, 4713 N. Broadway, presented Burlesque Royale, a new male review featuring local and national talent. Produced by noted photographer Ramsey Prince, the sold-out show featured vocalists Danika ...
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New York theaters bounce back: Four shows ask questions about identity
All theater critics worth their salt should take a bite of the Big Apple now and then, savoring the bright lights of Broadway and a soggy slice of what passes for pizza. On my first visit in nearly three years, Broadway ...
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Billy Masters: Candace Cameron Bure keeps it in the family, and all the Thanksgiving dish you need to start the week
"I will be dating Pete Davidson next." —Dionne Warwick tweets she'll be the next woman in Davidson's long list of ex-paramours. Davidson's former SNL co-star Jay Pharoah says Pete told him the secret of his success. ...
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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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Red Stars update roster; Blackhawks, Bulls lose; Hossa's thoughts
The Chicago Red Stars have updated the status of the club's roster as the team prepares for the 2023 season. With 13 players already under contract at least through next season, ...
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Wright re-signs with Red Stars; NU wins; Cubs' offer rejected
The Chicago Red Stars announced the re-signing of defender Arin Wright to a two-year contract. ...
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Gay man to head Chicago Latino Theater Alliance
The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) announced the appointment of Jorge Valdivia as its new executive director, according to the Lawndale News. Valdivia's previous position was director of performing arts at the National Museum of Mexic ...
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Hong Kong lesbian romance premieres at local film festival
Hong Kong Lesbian Romance Premieres At Film Festival by Vernon Hester �As part of the semi-annual Asian Pop-Up Cinema Film Festival, which ran from September 10 through November 6, The First Girl I Loved had its ...
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Filmmaker Elegance Bratton reflects on The Inspection
Gay writer and director Elegance Bratton has come a long way after growing up in New Jersey and being unhoused for 10 years. He eventually joined the Marine Corps, which led to his becoming the filmmaker ...
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Siah Berlatsky writes a love letter with new play Malapert Love
Transgender playwright Siah Berlatsky has created an original work called Malapert Love that is currently being presented by the team of The Artistic Home. The world premiere opened on November 10, 2022, at The Den Theatre ...
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Billy Masters: Everyone counts their eggs before they're hatched, and other dish to start the week
"I'm Not Defending us.Haters are Gonna Hate...Doesn' Matter That we're Happy & Not Bothering Anyone" —Cher tweets her response to criticism of her relationship with music producer Alexander Edwards—who is less than half her age. ...
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Bears fall to Lions; Bulls get blown out; Hossa celebration
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, the Chicago Bears (3-7) fell to the Detroit Lions (3-6) 31-30 at Soldier Field on Nov. 13. The loss happened despite another stellar performance from Chicago quarterback Justin Fields—and ...
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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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Blackhawks win; NU loses again
The Chicago Blackhawks (6-5-3) edged the Anaheim Ducks (4-10-1) 3-2 in California on Nov. 12. It was the Blackhawks' first win in regulation since ...
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Nagasato re-signs with Red Stars
The Chicago Red Stars announced the re-signing of Yuki Nagasato to a one-year contract with a one-year option. Nagasato was a member of the Red Stars during 2017-2020 and spent one year in Kentucky as a ...
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THEATER REVIEW: The Mark of Kane
The Mark of Kane
Playwright: Mark Pracht At: City Lit Theatre Tickets: www.cityl ...
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U.S. women's soccer makes history after loss to Germany
The United States women's soccer team lost again, falling 2-1 to Germany on Nov. 10 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. According to The Guardian, it's the U.S. team's first three-game skid since 1993 ...
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Billy Masters: Connor shocks by holding hands with a girl, and other dish to start the week
"Beverly Hills is riveting. It is riveting for many reasons. All the gays that I have are obsessed with it, so I would go on that one. Lisa Rinna is such a good villain. So I like that one." —Jennifer Coolidge ...
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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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Actress Rebel Wilson gets engaged, announces birth of first child [UPDATE]
Actress Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) is engaged to girlfriend Ramona Agruma after dating for seven months, according to Page Six. ...
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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
Video below
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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Young trans playwright queers Shakespeare in new production 'Malapert Love'
The Artistic Home will debut Malapert Love on Nov. 5-Dec. 11 in Wicker Park at The Den Theatre's Upstairs Mainstage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. The gender-bending, Shakespearean romantic comedy was written by 18-year-old Siah Berlatsky, who's ...
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THEATER 'The Golden Girls' holiday special Nov. 26-Dec. 30
Hell in a Handbag Productions is in The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, The Obligatory Holiday Special, playing Nov. 26-Dec. 30 at The Hoover-Leppen Theatre at The Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. Dorothy, Rose, ...
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'Cirque Dreams Holidaze' to take place Dec. 22-24
Cirque Dreams Holidaze is set to dazzle Chicago audiences with a Broadway-style production infused with contemporary circus arts. The production will play for six performances on Dec. 22-24 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 Ida B. Wells ...
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16th Street Theater to close at the end of the year
The board of Berwyn's 16th Street Theater announced that the award-winning, nationally acclaimed Equity theater company will close at the end of 2022. A statement read, "For 15 inspiring seasons, plus two years of the pandemic, ...
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Blackhawks notch fourth consecutive win
After starting the season with two losses, the Chicago Blackhawks (4-2-0) have won four straight games. The latest victory was 4-2 over the Florida Panthers (4-2-1) on Oct. 25 at the United Center. Chicago led in ...
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ATTRACTIONS SkyBridge Michigan opens as world's longest timber-towered suspension bridge
SkyBridge Michigan is now open as the world's longest timber-towered suspension bridge. After more than a year in the works, SkyBridge Michigan made its debut to the public on Oct. 15, hosting thousands of guests on ...
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Cody Estle to step down as Raven Theatre artistic director
Raven Theatre's board of directors announced that Cody Estle will step down as the company's artistic director at the end of November. Estle has been the company's artistic leader since 2017. He will join Milwaukee's Next ...
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The Chicago International Film Fest's OutLook Series: Bigger, better, bolder in 2022
The Chicago International Film Festival has presented moving pictures from around the world to the public for 58 years after being founded in 1964 by openly gay graphic artist Michael Kutza. During Oct. 12=23, cinephiles were ...
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Billy Masters
"The audience needs to be confronted with what we're confronted with. We have to look at each other's dicks every day. We have to be naked every day. As an audience, you have to decide whether ...
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SHOWBIZ 'P-Valley,' Dan Levy, trans/non-binary panel, Christina Aguilera, Spirit Day
Video below
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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Chicago Theatre Week 2023 to take place Feb. 16-26
-- From a press release
Chicago—Chicago Theatre Week (#CTW23), an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatergoing in Chicago during which visitors and residents can access value-priced tickets, will take place Feb. 16-26, 2023. ...
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'Lady Day,' 'Rock of Ages' part of Mercury Theater Chicago's 2023 season
-- From a press release
Chicago — Mercury Theater Artistic Director Christopher Chase Carter, Managing Director Kristi J. Martens and Executive Producers L. Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizon announced the 2023 Mercury Theater Chicago season ...
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