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Organizers found the Cure for the Riot (Fest) in Douglass Park
Picture it: Chicago, 2023. There were punk rockers, some in their golden years, attending Riot Fest in Douglass Park on Sept. 15, 16 and 17. Split between South Albany and South California Avenues, along West Ogden ...
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SHOWBIZ John Waters, Madonna, Miriam Margoyles, Angelica Ross, 'Cassandro'
Openly gay film director John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Serial Mom, Cry-Baby) received his star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, The Hollywood Reporter noted. (Actors Ricki Lake and Mink Stole as well as photographer Greg Gorman were ...
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Jann Wenner comments on women and Black musicians, later apologizes
Openly gay Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner apologized for telling The New York Times that, for his book The Masters, he chose interviews with white male musicians who he called the "philosophers of rock" because ...
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SHOWBIZ Kim Petras, LGBTQ+ movies, TIFF, canceled shows, yachts
Video below
Ahead of her Feed the Beast world tour, Grammy-winning international trans pop singer/songwriter Kim Petras has shared reimagined, symphonic, seven-piece string-ensemble performances of fan favorites from her debut album Feed ...
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Chicago Opera Theater starts 50th-anniv. season with 'Soldier Songs'
Chicago Opera Theater (COT) is kicking off its 50th-anniversary season with David T. Little's Grammy-nominated Soldier Songs—described as "a haunting, heavy-metal infused theatrical cantata about the psychological impact of war." ...
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Billy Masters: Russell Tovey and the new Superman both go to the dogs
"I just can't believe I will be 80 at some point, sooner than I wish. And I will still be wearing my jeans. And I will still be wearing long hair. And I will still be doing the same stuff I've ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Sex Education' star, Rotten Tomatoes, Jessica Lange, Queer/Art
Video below
Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa officially came out during an interview with Elle UK, according to Out. "I remember being at Manchester Pride, going through the streets with all my boys, shaking my cha-chas, living it ...
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Theater Review: A Taste of Soul brings music and food center stage
By Brian Kirst
We all know the sluggish quagmire of weekday work mornings. Often the only thing that gets us moving and able to face the day is our favorite songs. While all of the Black Ensemble Theater productions ...
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Painting Chi-town P!nk at Wrigley Field
P!nk got the party started on a Saturday night at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Aug. 12—and it didn't stop for almost two hours. Thanks to leftover outfits from Barbie movie screenings, much of the crowd knew ...
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Ricky Martin to be guest at Sept. 14 gala in Chicago
Singer/actor Ricky Martin will be the guest of honor at a fundraiser for the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. The 10th Raices Gala will take place at Galleria Marchetti, ...
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SHOWBIZ Military drama, Janelle Monae, Conan Gray, Dylan Mulvaney, Whoopi
The LGBTQ+ military drama Eismayer (from Dark Star Pictures and Golden Girls Film) will be out in theaters on Oct. 6, and on DVD and Digital on Oct. 10, per a press release. The plot is ...
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WORLD Brazilian court, Scottish items, Canadian policy, PEPFAR
The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court ruled nine to one that homophobia is now punishable with up to five years in prison, The Washington Blade reported. Their decision equates homophobia to racism in terms of prison time. ...
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Chicago Gay Men's Chorus leader speaks on group's diversity, 'Sporty Forty'
The Chicago Gay Men's Chorus (CGMC) is marking its 40th-anniversary season this year, and will start this milestone on Sept. 15-16 with "Sporty Forty," an event that is layered in meanings involving stereotypes and the group's ...
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Chicagoans remember Selena at downtown tribute concert
Despite a two-day heat wave topping 100 degrees, a near SRO crowd attended the second annual Selena tribute concert at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park on Aug. 24. The event, which was sponsored by the ...
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'An Evening with Audra McDonald' on Oct. 6 at Lyric Opera
Lyric Opera of Chicago will welcome the legendary Audra McDonald for a one-night-only concert experience on Friday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m. McDonald will team with the Lyric Opera Orchestra, under the musical direction of conductor ...
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Britney Coleman keeps Company
Company is coming to Chi-town on tour with a fresh take on the classic musical that has already garnered five Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. The original material in 1970 was nominated for 14 Tony ...
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Musician Carlos Santana deletes apology after anti-trans rant
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana took down an apology he posted on his Facebook page after a viral video emerged showing him saying transgender people should stay "in the closet" while performing ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Bros,' Lady Gaga, Zaya Wade, Idina Menzel, actor dies
According to an annual report by USC's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, 80% of all transgender characters in the 100 top-grossing movies of 2022 were in one movie—Bros, Out reported. The study revealed that in the top 100 ...
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World premiere of Lil Nas X documentary announced
Lil Nas X (aka Montero Hill) and TIFF (the Toronto International Film Festival) have announced the world premiere of the out gay Grammy-winning rapper/singer/songwriter's documentary, Lil Nas X: Long Live ...
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SHOWBIZ Variety event, Saucy Santana, Liberace, 'Kokomo City,' Robin Roberts
Videos below
Variety held its 2023 Power of Young Hollywood event honoring actress Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria; The White Lotus), out actor Noah Schnapp (Stranger Things) and LGBTQ+ musician Steve Lacy, per a press release. A few of the ...
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Northalsted Market Days: Fun in the sun with spectacular singers and vodka seltzers
The two-day Northalsted Market Days street festival returned to Lake View area for the 41st time Aug. 12-13. Over 250 vendors promoted and sold products in booths from Belmont Avenue to Addison Street along North Halsted ...
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Lollapalooza lit up with LGBTQ+ performers in 2023
The iconic annual music festival Lollapalooza has continually evolved since its inaugural year in 1991, and 2023 was no exception. The original term "lollapalooza" means someone or something extraordinary, and the decision to give the festival ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Scream,' 'Paris Is Burning,' Shea Coulee, Noah Schnapp, Broadway
Gay film director Christopher Landon—who's helmed Happy Death Day and Freaky—will take the reins of the next Scream movie, Out noted. While Landon usually also writes the projects he directs, it is not known if he ...
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SHOWBIZ Tyler Perry, marriages and splits, Beyonce, strikes, Sinead tribute
Videos below
Tyler Perry has offered $100,000 to anyone with information that leads to a conviction in the murder of 24-year-old Black queer musician Josiah "Jonty" Robinson, according to Out. An autopsy concluded that the cause of Robinson's ...
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Broadway stars Mitchell, Foster to perform at Oct. 20 Paramount Theatre gala
Two of Broadway's biggest stars—Brian Stokes Mitchell and Sutton Foster—will perform in downtown Aurora on Friday, Oct. 20, to perform live on Paramount Theatre's historic stage. Mitchell is a Tony-winning performer with a long list of ...
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MUSIC Kylie Minogue to debut Vegas residency this fall
The Venetian Resort Las Vegas revealed details surrounding its new 1,000-seat nightlife space, Voltaire, with the announcement of its first headliner—pop sensation and LGBTQ+ ally Kylie Minogue, a press release ...
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Pitchfork Music Festival strikes up the band again
Pitchfork Music Festival took place in Union Park July 21-23, with three days of music and entertainment on the Near West Side of Chicago. Since 2006, this independent music extravaganza has successfully ran with the weather ...
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Singer Sinead O'Connor dies at 56
Sinead O'Connor—the Irish singer and activist who scored a global smash with a cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" in 1990 and who was banned from Saturday Night Live for tearing up a photo of ...
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SHOWBIZ Nonbinary icons, country music, gay films, queer rapper
The Advocate unveiled its list of 13 nonbinary icons people should know. They include actor Bella Ramsey, singer/actor Janelle Monae (who shared that they identify as nonbinary during an interview on Jada Pinkett Smith's Red Table ...
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Elton John, husband called as defense witnesses in Spacey trial
Superstar singer Sir Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, have been called as witnesses for the defense in Kevin Spacey's trial, Deadline reported. The couple appeared via video link on July 17 from Monaco in ...
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SHOWBIZ Emmys, 'Top Chef,' Hyphen Hyphen, Da Brat, 'Transparent,' Ben Cohen
Videos below
As the Emmy nominations were announced (with Succession leading with 27 noms), openly gay Paris Barclay made history. According to Deadline, the two-time Emmy winner is the first Black (and, certainly, Black gay) director to sweep ...
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A Transparent Musical debuts at LA's Mark Taper Forum, first Amazon original series on stage
--From a press release
CULVER CITY, California—July 10, 2023—For the first time, Amazon Studios has debuted an original series on stage with A Transparent Musical. The musical began performances at Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles ahead of Pride Month ...
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SHOWBIZ Sheryl Lee Ralph, 'The Other Two,' Colton Ford, celebrity splits
Emmy-winning actor, author, singer, philanthropist and community activist Sheryl Lee Ralph, along with The DIVA Foundation, unveiled the new documentary short "Unexpected" at the 2023 Essence Film Festival in New Orleans, a press release noted. The ...
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THEATER The Who's Tommy adeptly reconfigured for the 21st Century
Book: Pete Townshend & Des McAnuff; Score: Pete Townshend with additional music and lyrics by John Entwistle and Keith Moon. At: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.. Tickets: 312-443-3800 or goodmantheatre.org; $40-$160. Runs through Aug. 6 ...
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Pride South Side and DuSable close out June celebrations
On July 1, DuSable Museum and Pride South Side presented Present and Beyond: The Fifth Annual Chicago Black Pride South Side Festival at 740 E. 56th Place. The event was the best-attended of the last four ...
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PASSAGES Music producer, vocalist, business owner Ralph Lampkin Jr.
Music producer, vocalist and business owner Ralph Lampkin, Jr. died June 24 of a heart attack. He was 66. Lampkin was born April 29, 1957, in New York City, where he lived with his parents Ralph ...
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SHOWBIZ Rocker comes out, Billie Eilish, Luke Evans, 'Housewives,' 'Masculinity' book
Josh Kiszka, frontman for the Grammy-winning rock band Greta Van Fleet, came out as gay in an Instagram post, according to Instinct Magazine. He wrote, in part, "The greatest mortal gift of all is our capacity ...
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Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles first out HIV+ board chair works to grow visibility
--From a press release
Chicago, Illinois — Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles, Chicago's premiere music groups for the LGBTQ+ community members and allies, is currently under the direction of its first out HIV+ board chair, Brandon Strawn. Strawn has been a ...
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Madonna postpones tour for health reasons
Madonna's upcoming "Celebration" tour has been postponed, an Instagram post from her manager Guy Oseary noted, according to Variety. "On Saturday, June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several-day stay in ...
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Pride in the Park kicks off weekend with music, drag and food
Chicagoans and visitors flocked to Pride in the Park, the downtown annual celebration in support of the LGBTQ+ community, on June 23-24. For the fourth year, entertainment company Dreambrite Presents created the festivities, which took place ...
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Andersonville hosts Backlot Bash
Partygoers gathered in Andersonville June 24 for the Chicago Pride Backlot Bash, which took place at 5238 N. Clark Street. ...
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Chicago City Council approves landmark status for The Warehouse building
On June 21, the Chicago City Council, among other things, approved landmark status for The Warehouse building that featured a now-shuttered club that catered to queer Black and Brown patrons and that is known as the ...
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DJ Psycho-Bitch talks Frankie Knuckles, career and house music
The Chicago House Music Festival and Conference will take place June 23-24, with the first day spotlighting the conference at the Chicago Cultural Center and the following day being all about enjoying tunes at the Humboldt ...
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SHOWBIZ Janelle Monae, 'The Last of Us,' Christine and the Queens, GALECA, Outfest
Queer singer/actress Janelle Monae released her newest album, The Age of Pleasure, via Wondaland Arts Society/Atlantic Records, per a press release. Executive-produced by Monae, Nate Wonder, Chuck Lightning and Sean "Diddy" Combs, the album includes such ...
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Andersonville Midsommarfest celebration continues Swedish tradition
The Andersonville neighborhood hosted its annual Midsommarfest celebration June 9-11. Thousands of people came to take part in the Swedish summer tradition, and many great musicians, artists, vendors and different kinds of food were on hand on hand. Among ...
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SHOWBIZ Rufus Wainwright, Taylor Swift, Diana Ross, lesbian film, marriage items
Queer Grammy-nominated singer Rufus Wainwright has released the new album Folkocracy, a press item announced. The star-studded collection of folk-music reinventions ...
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SHOWBIZ Romance films, Megan Thee Stallion, Keith Haring, Cher, George Maharis
Video below
Instinct published an article on five gay romance films that the writers feel are especially emotional. They include the 2022 British film In From the Side, about two gay rugby players; the 2019 production Monsoon, starring ...
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Artemis Singers' summer performance urges listeners to be 'defiantly optimistic'
The longstanding lesbian chorus Artemis Singers will use their annual summer concert to implore listeners to consciously choose hope in the face of hardship. The performance, "Better Times Will Come," takes place at the Irish American ...
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SHOWBIZ Warhol, Sarah Paulson, upcoming books, Rufus Wainwright, Elliot Page
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled seven to two that the late artist Andy Warhol wasn't allowed to use a photographer's portrait of Prince for a series of pop-art images, per The Hollywood Reporter. Associate Justice Sonia ...
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SHOWBIZ Cynthia Erivo, 'Next Level' winner, 'All Out,' Madonna, Omar Ayuso
LGBTQ+ actor Cynthia Erivo will star in a film adaptation of the theater sensation Prime Facie, Variety noted. Oscar nominee Erivo will take on the role originated on the West End (and, currently, on Broadway) by ...
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WORLD Spain, South Korea festival, Eurovision, marriage items, Sri Lanka
Spain became the latest country to join a U.S. initiative that seeks to promote LGBTQI+ rights around the world, The Washington Blade reported. "Promoting and protecting the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ...
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Belting for Life returns for an 8th edition
On May 15, Jeff Award-winning director and activist Christopher Pazdernik celebrated his birthday with the eighth edition of Belting for Life, his annual Chicago-style theatrical concert and fundraiser for AIDS ...
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Foo Fighters, The Cure, and Tegan and Sara to perform at Riot Fest
Foo Fighters, The Cure and Death Cab for Cutie are among the headliners at this year's Riot Fest, taking place Sept. 15-17 in Douglass Park. Some of the other acts include queer twins Tegan and Sara, ...
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MUSIC Billy Porter talks 'Mona Lisa,' authenticity and activism
Billy Porter certainly seems to have it all. The actor/singer/director received numerous awards—including two Tonys (for his role in Kinky Boots and as a producer of A Strange Loop), a Grammy (for Kinky Boots as well) ...
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WORLD Turkish president, former congressman dies, Polish case, Uganda, sports
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again attacked the country's LGBTQ+ community in a bid to rally his conservative voters before the May 14 election, france24.com noted. Polls showed Erdogan—whose campaign is dealing with an economic crisis ...
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SHOWBIZ Nathan Lane, Marvel, 'Guardians,' Deborah Cox, Provincetown film fest
Wanda Sykes' 'I'm an Entertainer' trailer below
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics named Nathan Lane its Timeless Star for 2022-23, per a press release. "Nathan Lane is an icon of stage and screen, a master of both drama and comedy, and ...
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Lyric Opera of Chicago introduces first-ever Artist-in-Residence program with soprano Whitney Morrison
--From a press release
CHICAGO (5/11/23) — Anthony Freud, General Director, President & CEO of Lyric Opera of Chicago, announced the launch of a new Artist-in-Residence program. Developed by Lyric Unlimited, the company's learning ...
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Sophie B. Hawkins swoops into City Winery this May
Sophie Ballatine Hawkins is a talented Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter currently out on tour. Her roots in music began at an early age as she attended the Manhattan School of Music for percussion. She found commercial ...
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SHOWBIZ Barry Manilow, 'The Kardashians,' gay Marine drama, Tonys, 'Unleashed'
The Barry Manilow/Bruce Sussman production Harmony will make its Broadway bow in the 2023-24 season, beginning performances Oct. 18 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, with opening night on Nov. 13, according to Playbill. The musical—featuring music ...
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ARC Music Festival expands artist line-up with local acts
The organizers of the Sept. 1-3 house/techno event known as the ARC Music Festival—which will take place in Chicago's Union Park—has expanded its line-up of artists. ARC's phase-two lineup additions include Monnom Black label head an ...
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Artemis Singers presents June 10 "Better Times Will Come" Pride Concert and Dance
--From a press release
CHICAGO─Artemis Singers, Chicago's lesbian feminist chorus, will present "Better Times Will Come" Pride Concert & Dance, Saturday, June 10, at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Ave. ...
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Pansy Division marks 30th anniversary of album with tour that hits Chicago
Pansy Division—one of the first openly LGBTQ+ rock bands—is marking the 30th anniversary of its debut album, Undressed, by performing at several spots across the country. "Pansy Division started in 1991 because we knew there were ...
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George Michael in 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class
The late gay singer George Michael was among the seven individuals receiving impending inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The other inductees include Willie Nelson, Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, Missy Elliott, ...
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Andersonville Midsommarfest to return June 9-11 in its 57th year
--From a press release
CHICAGO (April 27, 2023) — The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is pleased to welcome summer with Andersonville Midsommarfest, one of Chicago's oldest and most beloved summer street festivals. Now in its 57th year, the ann ...
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SHOWBIZ Lily Tomlin, Daniel Craig, Lizzo, 'Noah's Arc,' Maurice Jamal, 'Heartstopper'
Video below
The Peabody Awards announced that Lily Tomlin and Issa Rae will receive honorary awards at the June 11 ceremony, to be held in Los Angeles for the first time in Peabody's 83-year history, per the Hollywood ...
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MUSIC Sawyer Fredericks talks 'The Voice,' artistic freedom, coming out as bi
Life has been a whirlwind for Sawyer Fredericks, who won season eight of the NBC show The Voice at age 16 several years ago. Since that triumph, Fredericks (who explores various aspects of folk music in ...
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Singer/actor/LGBTQ+ ally Harry Belafonte dies at 96
Actor/singer/civil-rights icon Harry Belafonte died at age 96 of congestive heart failure, according to Yahoo! Among the most honored performers of his era, Belafonte won two Grammy Awards (and the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in ...
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SHOWBIZ Janelle Monae, 'SNL,' EDM pioneer, Culture Club, Kim Petras, Wilson Cruz
Videos below
Janelle Monae has re-entered the musical realm with the release of her single, "Float," featuring horns by Seun Kuti + Egypt 80, a press release announced. The song was first heard late last year as the ...
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House History: World-premiere musical was inspired by the early days of '80s house music
Gay composer Scott Free can rattle off the names of several documentaries celebrating the Chicago origins of house music. This style of electronic dance music was pioneered by Black DJs like Frankie Knuckles and Larry Heard ...
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'Birthplace' of house music to become a Chicago landmark
Shortly after being named to Preservation Chicago's annual list of the city's "most endangered" buildings, the Warehouse—the club at 206 S. Jefferson St. that has been often called the "birthplace" of house music—is on its way ...
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Good golly, Miss Cortes honors Little Richard in a big way
The new documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything held a big one-night-only premiere at Gene Siskel Film Center on April 13, the first 2023 film screened for the Doc10 Film Festival, Chicago's only all-documentary festival. Known ...
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City of Chicago, DCASE announce 2023 Millennium Park Summer Season
--From a press release
City of Chicago and DCASE Announce 2023 Millennium Park Summer Season April 13, 2023 Free Concerts, Films, Workouts and More at the Midwest's #1 Attraction DCASE Communications dcase@cityofchicago.org Download Photos ...
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Artemis Singers to present 'Better Times Will Come'
--From a press release
Kick off LGBTQ+ Pride Month with Artemis Singers' next concert, Better Times Will Come, a celebration of hopefulness after this long global slog of fear and separation. Enjoy an uplifting experience highlighting opportunities to create a ...
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Jade McLeod swallows a Jagged Little Pill
Non-binary performer Jade McLeod has one hand in their pocket as Jo in Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill. The other hand is giving a peace sign now that the past controversy is finally settled following the ...
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SHOWBIZ Coming-out film, James Baldwin, Madonna, 'White Lotus,' women's soccer
Director/co-writer Shariff Nasr's intimate coming-out drama El Houb will be out on Digital and DVD on April 4 via Dark Star Pictures (and in L.A. theaters on April 7), per a press release. The film's decorated ...
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