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Victory Gardens presents reading of 'exercise your demons,' a play on trauma of a gay male body
-- From a press release
CHICAGO, IL — Victory Gardens Theater presents the Ignite Chicago reading of exercise your demons: a play on the trauma of a gay male body written by Gage Tarlton and directed by Ryan Dobrin, with movement ...
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THEATER REVIEW The Moors
Title: The Moors. Playwright: Jen Silverman At: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St. Tickets: $30-$40; ARedOrchidTheatre.org. Runs through: Feb. 27 "I've been employed in many houses," declares newly hired Emily, following her arrival at ...
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Hell in a Handbag Productions presenting 'The Drag Seed'
-- From a press release
CHICAGO (January 24, 2022) — Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to continue its 20th anniversary season with a revival of its popular comedy The Drag Seed, an unauthorized parody of the 1956 psychological horror-thriller ...
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PASSAGES Pansy Kings performance artist, education advocate Murray McKay
Pansy Kings performance artist, education advocate, curator, designer and LGBTQ activist Edward Murray McKay died Jan. 4 of cancer. He was 53. McKay was born Oct. 2, 1968, in Brussels, Belgium. The family moved to Toronto ...
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THEATER Red Orchid's 'The Moors' running through Feb. 27
A Red Orchid Theatre is running Jen Silverman's The Moors, directed by Artistic Director and Ensemble Member Kirsten Fitzgerald, through Feb. 27 at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St. The plot is as follows: ...
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THEATER About Face announces cast of queer-themed 'Laced'
About Face Theatre begins its 27th season with the world premiere of Samantha Mueller's drama Laced, running March 17-April 16 at the Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. Set in the aftermath of the vandalism of ...
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Black Ensemble Theatre announces 2022 Season of Excellence: The Season of Healings
-- From a press release
Chicago, IL—Black Ensemble Theater's Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor announces its 2022 Season of Excellence: The Season of Healings. The 2022 Season includes four World Premiere musicals showcasing the power ...
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THEATER DuSable, puppet company to run Toni Morrison's 'The Bluest Eye'
The DuSable Museum of African American History is partnering with the 4th Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival to present a production of The Bluest Eye, based on Toni Morrison's 1970 groundbreaking coming-of-age novel. The production will ...
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THEATER 'This Is Only a Test' Feb. 11-March 12
Broken Nose Theatre, a pay-what-you-can theater company, is welcoming back live audiences this winter with the world premiere of Eric Reyes Loo's drama This Is Only a Test, directed by Toma Tavares Langston. The production will ...
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THEATER Queer-themed 'Queen of the Night' to run Jan. 29-March 13
Victory Gardens Theater is slated to open its 2021-22 Mainstage Season with Queen of the Night, written by travis tate and directed by Victory Gardens Artistic Director Ken-Matt Martin. Queen of the Night features Terry Guest ...
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THEATER 'Mary Rose' running through Feb. 12
Black Button Eyes (BBE) Productions is concluding its 2021-22 season with the world-premiere musical Mary Rose, featuring book and lyrics by Producing Artistic Director Ed Rutherford, music and lyrics by Jeff Bouthiette, direction by Ed Rutherford ...
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THEATER 'Queens of Infinite Space' canceled because of COVID
With the increase in COVID-19 cases in Chicago and beyond, Proboscis Theatre has decided to cancel the performances of The Queens of Infinite Space set to run at Epiphany Center for Arts, 201 S. Ashland Ave., ...
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THEATER Steppenwolf delays '1919' premiere due to COVID
Due to the COVID-19 surge driven by the Omicron variant, and out of an abundance of caution for public health, Steppenwolf Theatre Company has postponed its Steppenwolf for Young Adults world-premiere adaptation of Eve L. Ewing's ...
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Mercury Theater Chicago announces casting and artists for 'Women of Soul'
--From a press release
Chicago —Artistic Director Christopher Chase Carter, Managing Director Shane Murray-Corcoran, and Executive Producers Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizonannounce the cast and creative team for the next Mainstage production of the ...
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THEATER Trans performer Sis is doin' fine in 'Oklahoma!'
This isn't your typical grandma's Oklahoma! The very first musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein opened on Broadway in 1943 and continues to captivate audiences today. The dialogue remains the same, but updated casting choices have ...
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COVID Raven Theatre cancels production of 'Beautiful Thing'
Raven Theatre announced it will cancel its upcoming production of Beautiful Thing due to the current surge of the COVID Omicron variant. The production, written by Jonathan Harvey and directed by Mikael Burke, was slated to ...
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ATTRACTIONS 'Dr. Seuss' extended through Jan. 23
The Dr. Seuss Experience—the immersive spectacle that gives guests of all ages the opportunity to journey through nine different Dr. Seuss books—will now take place on Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, Jan. 23. The attraction is ...
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THEATER 'Winnie the Pooh' running March 15-June 12
After its run in New York City, Jonathan Rockefeller's Disney's Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation will arrive in Chicago on March 15 and will run through June 12 at the Mercury Theatre Chicago, ...
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Theatre Above the Law to run 'Chernobyl' on Feb. 3-27
Theatre Above the Law, a member of the League of Chicago Theatres, will stage its world premiere of Ghosts of Chernobyl on Feb. 3-27 at 1439 W. Jarvis Ave. The production was originally slated to run ...
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THEATER 'Bachelor' parody musical to start Jan. 13
Bachelor: The Unauthorized Parody Musical will run Jan. 13-Feb. 13 at Apollo Theater Chicago, 2550 N. Lincoln Ave. With songs like "Sob Story," "Two-On-One Tango" and "The Date Card is a Riddle," this parody has romance, ...
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SHOWBIZ JoJo Siwa, Jeopardy! champ, director dies, Frank Ocean
TikTok fans of LGBTQ entertainer Jojo Siwa said her new teenage girlfriend, Katie Mills, is a supporter of anti-LGBTQ Republican former President Donald Trump, per LGBTQ Nation. Mills also once questioned if transgender women are "actually" ...
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Local composer finds inspiration in a queer love story
Two melodic soprano voices echoed through the packed theater. Each note, pitch and crescendo was composed to tell a story of queer love overcoming injustice. Ana Miranda and Michelle Ford Knott, dressed in black, faced the ...
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SHOWBIZ The film 'Licorice Pizza,' Aaron Sorkin, WNBA player, Mariah Carey
Alana Haim, who stars in the film Licorice Pizza (now out in theaters), talked with out.com about how the movie incorporates queer representation by including unsung queer political figure Joel Wachs. "Joel Wachs was such an ...
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THEATER Goodman's 'A Christmas Carol' to resume Dec. 26
Executive Director Roche Schulfer announced that performances of Goodman Theatre's A Christmas Carol will resume on Sunday, Dec. 26, in accordance with guidance from the Chicago Department of Public Health. The company has cleared the testing ...
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ATTRACTIONS British magician casts spell with 'Magic Immersive'
Through Sunday, Jan. 2, Chicago is hosting "Magic Immersive," which will entrance people of all ages. Featuring two floors and 360 degrees of magic performances, illusions and interactive displays, the Illusionarium at Magic Immersive offers guests ...
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THEATER Shattered Globe running revival of play about workplace racism
Shattered Globe Theatre (SGT) has announced a revival of Chicago writer Joel Drake Johnson's Rasheeda Speaking, directed by SGT Associate Artistic Director AmBer D. Montgomery. This comedy-turned-social thriller about workplace ...
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Chicago's historic Fine Arts Building launches new website, ticketing for spring productions
Chicago's Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., launched its new look and a website with centralized ticketing and rental platforms that encompass all of the landmark building's spaces: artists' studios, offices, rehearsal halls and two ...
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COVID Chicago gyms, restaurants, venues to require vaccination proof
COVID Chicago to require proof of vaccination at gyms, restaurants, other venues Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will require restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues (for example, sports arenas, movie theaters, bowling ...
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THEATER Windy City Playhouse to present 'Sons of Hollywood'
Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein announced that the theater will present the world premiere of Sons of Hollywood—a searing take on 1920's Hollywood through the eyes of gay silent-film stars Ramon Novarro and William ...
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COVID Paramount Theatre's 'Cinderella' canceled through Dec. 19
Due to COVID-related illness within the cast and crew, all Cinderella performances at the Paramount Theatre through Sunday, Dec. 19, are canceled. The venue has scheduled additional performances to help offer people more performance options. People ...
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Steppenwolf's first show in new theater to be '1919'
Steppenwolf Theatre Company will open its new in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell with the Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) world-premiere adaptation of Eve L. Ewing's 1919, adapted by J. Nicole Brooks and directed ...
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THEATER Proboscis Theatre announces cast for 'Queens of Infinite Space'
Proboscis Theatre has announced the cast and production team of the world premiere of The Queens of Infinite Space, written and directed by Founder/Co-Artistic Director Jeff Mills The production will run Jan. 16-21 at Epiphany Center ...
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Photography giant Annie Leibovitz talks 'Wonderland' at Chicago Humanities Festival
In its classic style of spotlighting creative humans, the Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) hosted "Ellen Stone Belic Presents: In Her Infinite Wisdom Annie Leibovitz: Wonderland" on Dec. 7 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. ...
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THEATER REVIEW When Harry Met Rehab
Title: When Harry Met Rehab. Playwright: Spike Manton and Harry Tienowitz At: Donald Cameron Clark Productions at the Greenhouse Theatre Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Tickets: $42-$85; WhenHarryMetRehab.com. Runs through: ...
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THEATER REVIEW Mr. Dickens' Hat
Title: Mr. Dickens' Hat. Playwright: Michael Hollinger At: Northlight Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. Tickets: $30-$89; Northlight.org . Runs through: Jan. 2 Dickens was NOT dead ...
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THEATER Michael Dalke makes Pretty Woman: The Musical happy and gay
The fairy-tale story of Pretty Woman was brought to life as a musical by openly gay theater director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell in 2018. He debuted the original production of Pretty Woman: The Musical premiered in Chicago at ...
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Moises Kaufman takes audiences to 'Paradise'
Paradise Square is a new musical that opened in Chicago last month at the James M. Nederlander Theatre. This is based on a true story set in New York City in 1863, when Black and Irish immigrants lived together in a ...
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Hell in a Handbag Productions to present Christmas Dearest Nov. 27-Dec. 31
--From a press release
CHICAGO (December 2, 2021) — Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to continue its 20th anniversary season with the return of one of its most popular holiday musicals: Christmas Dearest, featuring book and lyrics by ...
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Director Paris Barclay talks about virtual reading of 'The Normal Heart'
The seminal Larry Kramer play The Normal Heart—which focuses on the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City in the early 1980s, through the perspective of the character Ned Weeks—is the subject of a ...
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THEATER 'It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!' through Dec. 31
American Blues Theater marks its return to live, in-person theater with its 20th annual production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, from Frank Capra's film. The production will run through Friday, Dec. 31, at ...
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THEATER 'Wicked' returning to Chicago in 2022
The blockbuster musical Wicked will return to Broadway In Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., on Sept. 28-Dec. 4, 2022. Now the fifth longest-running show in Broadway history—and featuring songs such as "Popular" ...
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THEATER 'Who's Holiday!' running through Dec. 26
Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont St., is running the Chicago premiere of Who's Holiday!—a production about a booze-guzzling, cigarette-smoking, adult Cindy Lou Who reminiscing about the night she first met The Grinch. The show is being ...
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THEATER REVIEW Lighthouses in the Desert
Title: Lighthouses in the Desert. Playwright: Richard James Zieman At: Schwartz Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets: $25; GlassAppleTheatre.com. Runs through: Dec. 19 Nowadays, the term "one-act play" can be applied to nearly ...
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Broadway titan Stephen Sondheim dies at 91
Stephen Sondheim, one of the giants of Broadway songwriting, died Nov. 26 at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, according to media reports. He was 91. Among the works in the legend's oeuvre are Company (1970), Follies ...
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Virtual reading, Q&A of 'The Normal Heart' with mostly LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC cast on Dec. 4
ONE Archives Foundation, in collaboration with Invisible Histories Project, announced today that a brand-new Q&A will follow an encore and final presentation of the historic virtual reading of Larry Kramer's Tony-winning play The Normal Heart. The ...
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Goodman Theatre's 'A Christmas Carol' running through Dec. 31
Now in its 44th year, Goodman Theatre's classic production of A Christmas Carol is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge's discovery of kindness, compassion and redemption. Director Jessica Thebus co-adapted and helmed the 2020 audio streaming version, ...
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THEATER 'Q Brothers Christmas Carol' Dec. 7-23
The 80-minute hip-hop holiday hit Q Brothers Christmas Carol—created by Chicago sensations the Q Brothers Collective (GQ, JQ, Jax and Pos) and developed with Creative Producer Rick Boynton—is back in a limited engagement in The Yard ...
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THEATER REVIEW Bug
Title: Bug. Playwright: Tracy Letts At: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N. Halsted St. Tickets: $20-$110; Steppenwolf.org. Runs through: Dec. 12 When you hear the word "bug," do you think of an insect, a microbe or a ...
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Legendary costume designer accused of sexual harassment, abuse
Legendary costume designer and six-time Tony winner William Ivey Long—a onetime head of the American Theatre Wing, which gives out the Tony Awards—has been accused of sexual harassment and abuse by two different men, according to ...
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THEATER 'Cinderella' at Paramount through Jan. 9
Aurora's Paramount Theatre is presenting Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella through Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. According to a press release, "Paramount's Cinderella promises to come with all of the spectacle and splendor audiences have come to ex ...
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MOVIES 'Dante and Beatrice in Florence' Nov. 28-Dec. 5
Porchlight Music Theatre is partnering with Hershey Felder Presents: Live from Florence and its second season of productions. The launch of this new season from Hershey Felder is the new musical film Dante and Beatrice in ...
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Goodman Theatre updates its 2022 schedule:
--From a press release
(Chicago, IL) Goodman Theatre announces an update to its production schedule for the early months of 2022. The world premiere of Christina Anderson's play the ripple, the wave that carried me home, directed by Miranda Haymon—a ...
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Chicago Magic Lounge announces next show in Artist-in-Residence series
--From a press release
Chicago, IL — Chicago Magic Lounge, Chicago's home for close-up magic, continues its Artist-In-Residence series with Kayla Drescher: Magic in Heels, Wednesdays at 7:00pm, January 5 — March 30, 2022. Kayla Drescher: Magic in Heels is ...
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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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Cirque du Soleil's "Twas the Night Before' Nov. 26-Dec. 5
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) and Cirque du Soleil announced that the family holiday theatrical event "'Twas the Night Before…" by Cirque du Soleil is returning to The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., ...
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SHOWBIZ Theater items, Lady Gaga, 'Justice League Queer,' Tom of Finland
Eighteen months after he died of COVID, the life of playwright Terrence McNally was celebrated in a packed house Nov. 1 at the Schoenfeld Theatre, Gay City News noted. Tributes poured in from theater artists, while ...
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THEATER Melissa Gilbert and Dan Butler talk 'Rehab,' LGBTQ+ issues
Straight from the mind of Chicago sports-radio personality Harry Teinowitz comes a play built on diversity called When Harry Met Rehab. Former ESPN personality Spike Manton teamed with Teinowitz to write the script, and Jackson Gay ...
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THEATER REVIEW Pump Boys and Dinettes
Title: Pump Boys and Dinettes. Playwright: Book, music and lyrics by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann At: Porchlight Music Theatre at the Ruth Page Auditorium. Tickets: $45-$74; PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. ...
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Hell in a Handbag Productions to present Christmas Dearest
--From a press release
Book & Lyrics David Cerda Music by David Cerda and Scott Lamberty. Directed by Derek Van Barham. Nov. 27 — Dec. 31, 2021 at Ebenezer Lutheran Churchz CHICAGO (November 11, 2021) — Hell in a Handbag ...
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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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THEATER REVIEW The Last Pair of Earlies
Title: The Last Pair of Earlies. Playwright: Joshua Allen At: Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets: $40; RavenTheatre.com. Runs through: Dec. 12 Is there any story beginning more romantic than lovers fleeing hostile authority figures? ...
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THEATER 'A Recipe for Disaster' extended through next spring
James Beard Award-winning Chef Rick Bayless and Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein announced the extension of their immersive production, A Recipe For Disaster, through March 27, 2022. The fully immersive event gives audiences the ...
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THEATER Immersive 'Edgar Allan Poe' extended to Nov. 21
Oak Park Festival Theatre's 2021 Jeff-recommended production of David Rice's immersive The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story at Oak Park's historic Pleasant Home, originally scheduled to run through Nov. 7, has been extended ...
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Steppenwolf opens Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center
On Nov. 2, Steppenwolf Theatre Company opened its new 50,000-square-foot theater building and education facility, the Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center. Designed by architect Gordon Gill FAIA of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill ...
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THEATER REVIEW My Name Is Inanna
Title: My Name Is Inanna. Playwright: Ezzat Goushegir At: Red Tape Theatre at The Ready, 4546 N. Western Ave. Tickets: Free; RedTapeTheatre.org. Runs through: Dec. 11 Given the propensity of pre-Christian deities to behave as inconstantly ...
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Lesbian director sails again with Lyric Opera's 'Florencia en el Amazonas'
Lesbian director Francesca Zambello has successfully ferried the Spanish-language opera Florencia en el Amazonas (Florencia in the Amazon) throughout its entire existence. Zambello not only staged its wildly successful world-premiere ...
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THEATER Neo-Futurists attempting to raise $30K in 60 days
With the resumption of in-person performances, including The Infinite Wrench, The Neo-Futurists are launching their annual fundraiser "$30K in 60 Days: A Fundraiser for The Neo-Futurists." The return to form kicks off with TIW24, the special ...
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THEATER 'Christmas Dearest' Nov. 27-Dec. 31
Hell in a Handbag Productions will continue its 20th-anniversary season with the return of one of its most popular holiday musicals: Christmas Dearest, featuring book and lyrics by Artistic Director David Cerda; music by Cerda and ...
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THEATER REVIEW The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
Title: Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. Playwright: Cheryl L. West At: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. Tickets: $15-$45. Runs through: November 21 The custom nowadays is for shows to finish their ...
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THEATER 'A Michael Martin Tribute' Nov. 11-28
Curious Theatre Branch will host a three-week celebration of the solo performance monologues of the late Michael Martin, curated by Kelly Anchors. A Michael Martin Tribute will take place Nov. 11-28 at Pride Arts Center, 4139 ...
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THEATER Melissa Gilbert joins 'Rehab' cast with Dan Butler
Melissa Gilbert—an Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated actor, director, producer and New York Times best-selling author known for her role on TV's Little House on the Prairie—will join the cast of the upcoming world premiere of When ...
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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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SHOWBIZ JoJo Siwa, Haring/Ortiz mural, Jamie Lee Curtis, Billy Porter
Dancing the foxtrot alongside partner Jenna Johnson to Olivia Newton John's "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" for Dancing with the Stars' Grease night, 18-year-old social-media star JoJo Siwa received the season's first perfec ...
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Stage Left Theatre names new artistic director
Stage Left Theatre announced Bobbi Masters as its new artistic director. Masters has directed plays at theaters around the nation such as No Strings Theatre Company in Las Cruces, New Mexico (The Bald Soprano); and Kitchen ...
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THEATER E. Faye Butler to star in 'Fannie' Oct. 25-Nov. 14
Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., will host the run of Cheryl L. West's Fannie (The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer), which will run Oct. 25-Nov. 14. E. Faye Butler stars as U.S. civil-rights ...
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