Interview: Jay Roach on Conflicts, Costumes and Creating a Character for Bombshell
For some, it may be tough to reconcile the idea that Jay Roach, the same man who directed all three Austin Powers films and both Meet the Parents movies, also […]
Christmas Was a Blooming Rose at Two Classical Brass Concerts
The holiday concerts presented by Music of the Baroque and Chicago Philharmonic had a few things in common. Both performances were a pleasure to attend. They both featured brass […]
Review: Sub Urban Impresses at Schubas
Dealing with viral fame at just 19 years old is no easy task. For Sub Urban, however, it seems like a breeze. The singer-songwriter and producer, known for his hit […]
Review: Filmmaker Greta Gerwig Creates A New Classic in Fresh, Delightful Adaptation of Little Women
You may be thinking, for any number of reasons, that a new film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is not a great idea, and therefore you aren’t planning […]
Review: The Raw World of 13-Year-Olds Comes Alive in Steppenwolf’s Dance Nation
There is dancing in Dance Nation, now at Steppenwolf Theatre. It’s sometimes clumsy, sometimes graceful, and generally amateurish. Clare Barron’s play is about a crew of 13-year-old girls (and a […]
Wrestling a Weaponized Squash into Multiple Meals
This is the season of miracles. So let’s call this the Miracle of the Humongous Squash. You may be a subscriber of Imperfect Foods. If not, you may by now […]
Review: Deep South Side, Lee Bey’s Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago’s South Side
Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago’s South Side By Lee BeyNorthwestern University Press, 192 pages, $30 Reviewed by Patrick T. Reardon When Lee Bey writes about Pride Cleaners, he […]
Review: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Rendered the Brandenburgs Well
In the latest installment of what’s become an annual Yuletide tradition, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center gave a wonderful performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s six Brandenburg Concertos before […]
Review: Theo Ubique’s Working Is a Musical Homage to the “Extraordinary Dreams of Ordinary People”
Working transforms Studs Terkel’s iconic 1974 book of interviews with American workers of all stripes into a musical revue that pays homage to the value of work and the pride […]
Review: Terrence Malick Explores the Beauty of Defiance in A Hidden Life
There is no denying that writer/director Terrence Malick has created some of the most evocative and moving films in history, since his earliest works Badlands and Days of Heaven. He […]
Cookies: To Bake or Not to Bake? That is the Holiday Season Question
To bake or not to bake. Should you haul out the mixer, stock up on candied sprinkles, carve out several hours to preheat, mix, bake, frost and package? I for […]
Review: Chained For Life Beautifully Balances Depth and Dark Comedy
One of the genuine pleasures of seeing nearly 200 films in a year (I’ll probably fall a half dozen short of that in 2019) is discovering truly independent gems like Chained […]