Review: Doňa Perón: An Homage to a Legend by Ballet Hispánico
Eva Perón has had many names and titles. A saint, a first lady, a savior, and a dancehall girl–aka prostitute. There are more names and epithets than I can include […]
Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 3/31 and Beyond
It’s the first weekend in April and there’s so much to do! The pandemic numbers are staying relatively low and it’s feeling a little more normal to go out since […]
Review: The Mean Streets of the Near North Side, The Fabulous Clipjoint by Fredric Brown
The Fabulous Clipjoint By Fredric Brown Penzler Fredric Brown’s murder mystery, The Fabulous Clipjoint, first published in 1947, and reissued last December by Penzler Publishers, was good enough to win an […]
Out of Space Takes Over Canal Shores August 4-7 with an Excellent Lineup
Last year, Out of Space, the outdoor festival put on by the wonderful Evanston SPACE organizers, returned after having to take 2020 off. The fest features a great lineup as […]
Dialogs: “Talking Race at the Opera” by the Chicago Humanities Festival
I gave high praise to Terence Blanchard’s opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones. The opening night performance at the Lyric was filled with excitement and local luminaries. The following […]
Review: Porches’ New Sound Makes the Most of Any Stage
On a night where most of the city’s foot traffic is near United Center for the Men’s NCAA Basketball tournament, downtown Chicago is still as busy as ever with Porches […]
Review: The Peculiar Grace of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones at Lyric Opera
My first opera was at age 10 when our parish priest took us to see La Boheme at the Lyric Opera House. I always thought that opera was sung in […]
Review: Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum Can’t Save a Half-Baked, Poorly Scripted The Lost City
In a setup and general vibe that reminded me of films like Romancing the Stone, The Lost City tells the story of frustrated romance novelist Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), who […]
Review: 7 Days Charmingly Brings Two People Together During the Pandemic’s Early Days of Keeping Us Apart
An early candidate for the most adorable film of the year, the festival favorite 7 Days recently won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature for director Roshan Sethi, […]
Review: Harrowing Rescue Story Infinite Storm Offers Brutal but Authentic Character Study
On the heels of what was effectively a one-woman show in the school shooting drama The Desperate Hour, star Naomi Watts returns with another film clearly shot during the pandemic […]
Review: Soprano Soloist Lets Her Coloratura Burst at Music of the Baroque
Watching the audience’s effusive response to soprano Amanda Forsythe’s blazing coloratura at the end of Music of the Baroque’s Classical Heroines concert Monday at Chicago’s Harris Theater, it is easy […]
Review: Animal Collective Hypnotized The Vic with Psychedelic Jams
Following the release of their latest record, Time Skiffs, experimental band Animal Collective made their stop at the Vic a night of ambient psychedelic sounds. Animal Collective have been around […]