Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Stage Door Jonny
by JONATHAN ABARBANEL
2006-06-21

This article shared 2104 times since Wed Jun 21, 2006
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


This is almost too juicy for Jonny to believe: Mayor Richard M. Daley is encouraging cruising in a public park. Oh, sure, they are calling it something else but, hey—nod-wink—we know the truth, right?

Here's the deal: the Mayor's Fitness Council is offering free workouts on the Great Lawn of Millennium Park, every Saturday morning all summer long until Oct. 10.

Each week, instructors from Lakeshore Athletic Club will lead yoga and Pilates classes, followed by a special aerobic-dance session lead by a Chicago-area dance company. Participating dance troupes include Latin Street Dance, The Joffrey Ballet, Muntu Dance Theatre, Ethnic Dance Chicago and instructor Shamila Khetarpal. All levels of experience are welcome. This is the second year of free workouts in Millennium Park, with last summer's four Saturday morning workouts drawing an average of more than 500 people.

The weekly schedule begins with yoga, 8-8:45 a.m., followed by Pilates, 9-9:45 a.m., and ending with dance aerobics, 10-10:45 a.m. McDonald's is the principal corporate sponsor of this year's fitness program, which cannot but make Jonny smile. Burn a few calories, then down a Big Mac and fries, and Super Size them!

They're baaaaack! For the fifth year, the Neo-Futurists offer one of Jonny's favorite summertime treats: staged readings of some of the most obscure, trashy, goofy, bizarre, cheesy and all-around terrible film scripts of the 20th century! These immensely popular one-night-only readings feature some of the best bad films ever made, briefly restored to life by the Neo-Futurists and guest artists. The series, It Came From The Neo-Futurarium: Bride of The Neo-Futurarium!, plays Thursdays at 8:00 p.m.

The series opens June 29 with Single White Female ( 1992 ) , in which three actors and a puppy cover 25 roles in a twisted roommate-on-roommate thriller. July 6 offers KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park ( 1978 ) , a horror of a flick featuring the glam-rock tongue band in a TV movie / rock concert / publicity stunt gone awry. Then, July 13 is double-feature night with Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn ( 1983 ) and RobotJox ( 1990 ) , described by the Neo-Futurists as 'two terrifyingly crappy versions of the future in one evening!' The readings feature the comedy troupe Schadenfreude.

Jonny will update you on other titles as the summer progresses. Tickets are $10; www.neofuturists.org or call 773-275-5255. Remember: These are not the films themselves, but live readings of the film scripts! Being zonked helps, but always zonk responsibly.

Perhaps you need a Japanese screen? Or a three-piece living room suite? A few rickety dressing room chairs? Some industrial lighting? Or maybe a bit of wrought iron railing? The Goodman Theatre is holding a yard sale, liquidating props and even furniture from such shows as Mary Zimmerman's Silk, David Mamet's A Life in the Theatre and Arthur Miller's final play, Finishing the Picture. Sale dates are June 23, 12-6 p.m., and June 24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Terms are cash and checks ( with ID ) only; no credit cards are accepted. Goodman warns that some items are large and will require a van or truck for transport.

The Gerber/Hart Library is celebrating its 25th anniversary all year long with an expanded roster of programs and events, many of them occurring on a regular monthly basis. For example, there are book discussion groups for men and women that meet every other Tuesday. Next one up is for men, on June 27, with a discussion of Tennessee Williams' play The Night of the Iguana. It's a story about strong women and a weak, alcoholic but sexy man and a lizard. You know, the usual—at least for Tennessee.

Gerber/Hart also is running two film series this year, one of them marking the 25th anniversary of the emergence of the AIDS epidemic. Despite the theme, not all the films are entirely grim. Case in point: The next film in the series is It's in the Water, to be shown June 28 at 7 p.m. It's a film about women in a small southern town who volunteer at an AIDS hospice just as rumors spread that the local water supply contains a mysterious ingredient that turns people gay. Say, wasn't there a porno movie like that? The library also offers a monthly Cinema Lesbiana. The next screening is June 30, title TBA.

The Gerber/Hart Library is at 1127 W. Granville; 773-381-8030; www.gerberhart.org .


This article shared 2104 times since Wed Jun 21, 2006
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

LGBTQ+ film fest Queer Expression to feature Alexandra Billings in 'Queen Tut'
2024-04-12
--From a press release - CHICAGO — Pride Film Fest celebrates its second decade with a new name—QUEER EXPRESSION—and has announced its slate of LGBTQ+-themed feature, mid-length and short films for in-person and virtual events in April and May. QUEER EXPRESSI ...


Gay News

Open Space Arts's COCK offers a complex but compelling take on relationships
2024-04-08
By Brian Kirst - Premiering in 2009, Mike Bartlett's COCK was a comic revelation, exploring notions about fluidity and sexual labelling long before they became commonplace discussions. Granted, conversations about these issues will always ...


Gay News

Jeff Awards launches submission period for Impact Awards
2024-04-06
The Jeff Awards announced the opening period for applications submissions for its 2024 honors to help inspire early career artists of color in the Greater Chicagoland area. Two recipients will be selected for awards of $10,000 ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Outfest, Chita Rivera, figure skaters, letter, playwright dies
2024-04-05
For more than four decades, Outfest has been telling LGBTQ+ stories through the thousands of films screened during its annual Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival—but that event may have a different look this year because ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Dionne Warwick, OUTshine, Ariana DeBose, 'Showgirls,' 'Harlem'
2024-03-29
Video below - Iconic singer Dionne Warwick was honored for her decades-long advocacy work for people living with HIV/AIDS at a star-studded amfAR fundraising gala in Palm Beach, per the Palm Beach Daily News. Warwick received the "Award of ...


Gay News

WORLD Israel court, conversion therapy, death sentences, Georgia bill, fashion items
2024-03-29
Israel's Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Population Authority must register female couples as mothers on the birth certificates of their children they have together, The Washington Blade reported. The decision was made following a petition ...


Gay News

City Lit Executive Artistic Director Brian Pastor talks theater, comics, queerness
2024-03-26
City Lit Theater has announced its programming for the 2024-25 season—which will be the company's 44th. It will also be the first season to be programmed under the leadership of Brian Pastor (they/them), who will assume ...


Gay News

The Jeff Awards announces the 50th anniversary awards for non-equity theater
2024-03-26
--From a press release - A complete list of recipients can also be found online in the Non-Equity and News and Events sections at www.jeffawards.org. (March 25, 2024 - Chicago) — Celebrating its 50th anniversary awarding recognition for Non-Equity theater, the ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman
2024-03-21
Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

THEATER Chicago's City Lit has anxiety on tap with 'Two Hours in a Bar'
2024-03-21
Two Hours in a Bar Waiting for Tina Meyer by Kristine Thatcher with material by Larry Shue Text Me by Kingsley Day (Book, Music and Lyrics). At: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.. Tickets: ...


Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance
2024-03-18
Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret
2024-03-05
Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare
2024-03-05
Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted hosts 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show
2024-03-03
On the evening of Feb. 29, Center on Halsted held its 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show in front of a packed audience at the Hoover-Leppen Theater. The event brought together participants of the Center's youth and senior ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion
2024-03-01
Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor
Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.