Hometown Coffee & Juice—Building Community One Cup at a Time
When Julie and Lou Rubin opened the first Hometown Coffee & Juice in Glencoe in 2018, their goal was simple: create the kind of neighborhood gathering place they felt their […]
Interview: Elizabeth Todd-Breland on Writing Karen Lewis’ (Auto-)Biography, I Didn’t Come Here to Lie
Karen Lewis was a teacher, labor leader, and president of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU)—among many other things. Reading through I Didn’t Come Here to Lie: My Life and Education […]
Review: Tiler Peck and Friends Fire It Up with a Blazing Turn It Out at the Auditorium
Turn It Out With Tiler Peck and Friends is a visual and musical feast of modern dance, ballet, and tap. The dances are set to amazing live and recorded original […]
Review: Changing Channels at City Lit Theater Reminds Us About Another Scary Time in US History
Midcentury America was a scary time. We worried about the Bomb because the Russians had one too—and it might be bigger than ours (theirs was plutonium). Today is scary too […]
Interview: For Amy Landecker, Writing, Directing and Starring in For Worse, a Personal Story About Love and Divorce, Just Made Sense
Although actress Amy Landecker (Transparent, The Handmaid’s Tale, I Love My Dad) has dabbled in directing television, shorts, and web series in recent years (most notably Tig Notaro’s hilarious Under […]
Interview: Chicagoan Piper Curda on Her First Voice Acting Role in Hoppers, the Physicality of Voiceovers, and Coming from an Acting Family
The latest film from Disney-Pixar asks the eternal question: “What if you could talk to animals and understand what they say back to you?” But Hoppers is no ordinary talking-animal […]
Review: Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials Rock Fitzgerald’s with the Release of Slideways
The “Ed Heads” were out in force at the storied Fitzgerald‘s in Berwyn. (Svengoolie fans holla Burrr-wynn!) The weather was a balmy 65 degrees, and it was even hotter inside. […]
Review: Grossman Ensemble Entertains With Coronation Riot and Other New Works in Hyde Park
Under the direction of David Bloom, the Grossman Ensemble gave an enjoyable performance at the Logan Center Performing Hall in Hyde Park on Friday. This 13-member ensemble commissions and performs […]
Review: Hamilton Returns to Chicago and It’s Powerful and Timely
The celebrated hip-hop historical musical that took the world by storm, Hamilton, by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is back in Chicago after a two-year absence, and it does not disappoint. The intelligent […]
Bites: What Author Marisa Walz Eats in a Day
If you’re looking for moral ambiguity, passion, and raw emotion, look no further. Marisa Walz’s debut novel, Good Intentions, landed on shelves several weeks ago and offers all that and […]
Quick Spins: PONY, Department, Snowcuffs, MX LONELY, Grace Inspace, and Mirah
Quick Spins takes a quick look at recently released albums to make certain you’re listening to all the quality music being released these days. And with today being Bandcamp Friday, […]
Review: Satyajit Ray’s Days and Nights in the Forest Shimmers in New Restoration
Days and Nights in the Forest has emerged from the wilderness. Sayajit Ray’s film was not widely available following its 1970 release, but with special thanks to Wes Anderson and […]