In Between Trains: Music for Union Station
There’s something special about hearing music in a public setting when it is free and unexpected. And when it is held in a train station, especially so. It’s one thing […]
Review: Protest Documentary Deaf President Now! Chronicles a Changing Moment in Deaf Community’s Fight for Rights
From directors Nyle DiMarco (a Deaf activist making his directing debut) and Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for “Superman,” Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie) comes a lesser-known chapter […]
Review: In Its Sixth Installment, Final Destination: Bloodlines Offers Plenty of Death, Smartly Connects the Franchise’s Mythology
Two things have always separated the Final Destination films from other horror franchises. First, the villain (Death) is never seen, only experienced—there are no clever quips or certain types of […]
Review: The First Homosexuals: The Birth of a New Identity 1869–1939 Fulfills an Ambitious Goal at Wrightwood 659
In the new exhibit at Wrightwood 659, curators Jonathan D. Katz and Johnny Willis have realized the full version of an ambitious goal. To create an art exhibition that recognizes and […]
Your Chicago Curated Weekend: 5/15 and Beyond
It’s *checks calendar* the middle of May so that means two incredibly hot and rainy days followed by a week of cooler temps. Honestly I wouldn’t have it any other […]
Interview: Local Farms Come to the Table at Farm Bar
Farm Bar recently launched their spring menu which hits all the usual highlights of spring including ramps and asparagus. But the true hero of this seasonal shift on the menu […]
Review: The Antiquities at Goodman Theatre Reminds Us That Humans, As Creative as We Are, May Have an Expiration Date
The Antiquities at Goodman Theatre is a panorama of human invention and storytelling beginning in the 19th century and continuing into the 23rd century, when humans may be .extinct. These scenes […]
Review: Ichiko Aoba’s Beautiful Sounds Delight a Reverent Thalia Hall
There are few venues that can transform themselves for their performers as well as Thalia Hall can. Usually when going to see artists like Ichiko Aoba and Gia Margaret, you […]
Review: Allison Russell Brings a Gospel of Love, Memory and Empathy for Our Time to the Vic
In my years living and working on the North Side of Chicago, the Vic Theater has had an interesting evolution. It started as the Victoria Theatre with vaudeville shows before […]
Review: Robots Rule in Century-Old Play, R.U.R. Rossum’s Universal Robots, at City Lit Theater
Will robots or humanoids some day rule the world? A play written 105 years ago predicts the rise of the robot over its human creators. You can see the clever, […]
Interview: Cat Ridgeway Is Bringing Good Vibes to Subterranean
When Orlando-based singer-songwriter Cat Ridgeway and I scheduled an interview for 9 in the morning on a Saturday ahead of her show this Wednesday at Subterranean, I lamented losing an […]
Review: Pianist Evgeny Kissin is Amazing at Symphony Center
What kind of performance has 10 curtain calls and three encores? Evgeny Kissin’s piano recital at Symphony Center on Sunday afternoon does. It was something reviewers dream to hear: a […]