Review: American Blues Theater’s The Last Wide Open Is a Charming Romantic Comedy
“You know what I wish? Just once for my life to be like the movies.” Lina and Mikołaj sit on the ground of the Polish diner where they both work. […]
Review: Romeo and Juliet Simmers With Young Love and Tragedy in Midsommer Flight’s Theater in the Park
Is there anything as lovely as theater in the park on a warm summer evening? That’s the concept behind Midsommer Flight’s annual summer series of Shakespeare in the park. This […]
Review: Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus Offers Stephenson, Beethoven, and a Beautiful Requiem by Maurice Duruflé
On yet another lovely evening, the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus gave an equally lovely performance on Friday at Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Leading the orchestra and chorus was Giancarlo Guerrero […]
Review: Otherworld Theatre Tackles Problems of Parentage and Demigodly Puberty in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical made its Broadway debut in 2017 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and went on a national tour in 2019. The show’s source material, […]
Review: Theatre L’Acadie’s The Swan Is a Surreal Concoction of Magical Realism and Mythology
Theatre L’Acadie describes The Swan as a psychosexual fever dream. It is that, but there is more simmering beneath the murky surface. Playwright Elizabeth Egloff’s play takes place in Nebraska […]
Review: Sun-Drenched French Family Drama Last Summer Is as Sexy as It Is Complicated
Writer/director Catherine Breillat returns to cinemas this week with her first film in a decade, and what a return it is. Last Summer is so quintessentially French, so perfectly seductive, […]
Review: Guy Pearce Stars as a Historical Figure Inserted Into Indigenous Affairs in Smart, Beautifully Rendered The Convert
New Zealand-born director Lee Tamahori has a proven track record for character-driven action films (The Edge, Once Were Warriors)—he even made a Bond movie (Die Another Day). With The Convert, […]
Review: Documentary Sorry/Not Sorry Recounts Comedian Louis C.K. Scandal, Cancel Culture and Its Repercussions for Perpetrators and Victims
The stories that led to the downfall of beloved and admired comedian Louis C.K. are unique for many reasons. Chief among them is that, when confronted with the allegations, C.K. […]
Review: Memories, Missed Connections and What Could Have Been in Touch, a Moving, Emotional Story of Searching
Why anyone would release an awards-worthy drama like writer/director Baltasar Kormákur’s Touch in the heart of the summer is a mystery to me, but don’t let this deeply moving film […]
Review: Longlegs Chronicles a Decades-Long Connection between Killer and Investigator, Relying Too Much on Genre Tropes
Writer/director Osgood Perkins has gotten quite the reputation as a horror filmmaker when it’s never truly seemed to be his goal to scare people. His objective with film like The […]
Events: Togetherness Through Tacos at Rogers Park Taco Crawl
Rogers Park is very much a vibe. A vibe that consists of neighbors who know each other’s names and always say hello, a global community, and of course really great […]
Review: Raw and Emotional Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Haven Chicago
This is a love letter. To Stephen Trask’s brilliant music and lyrics and John Cameron Mitchell’s searing wit. To one of the best musicals to ever come out of New […]