Review: Gin Blossoms Are “On It” at Rivers Casino
After nearly four decades of touring, it’s no surprise that the Gin Blossoms are pretty damn good at what they do. Lead singer Robin Wilson estimates that they’ve performed in […]
Review: Grant Park Music Festival Celebrates Juneteenth with Leah Dexter and Christopher Guzman
Grant Park Music Festival opened their concert at Millennium Park on Friday in an unexpected way. It being Juneteenth, Mezzo-soprano Leah Dexter and pianist Christopher Guzman celebrated with a charming […]
Review: Olivia Wilde Returns to the Director’s Chair for The Invite, a Cringe-y yet Still Captivating Chamber Piece
The opening credits of The Invite, Olivia Wilde’s latest directing effort, acknowledge that the film is based on Cesc Gay’s 2020 dark comedy Sentimental (or “The People Upstairs”). That original […]
Review: Pixar Does It Again with Toy Story 5, Bringing the Franchise into the Digital Age
If the folks at Pixar can keep making Toy Story movies that are as great as all five have been so far, then I’m willing to believe there is hope […]
Review: Lookingglass Theatre’s Untitled Vampire Play Amuses and Charms
We all know that classic moment in a romantic comedy when a partner meets the parents for the first time. There are often nerves all around. What if the parents […]
Review: From Musicmaker to Baker, Chicago to Nashville—Susannah Felts’ Novel The Come Apart Tells the Story
The Spinning Birds is a Chicago indie rock band, with a front-woman singer and songwriter. Susannah Felts’ new novel, The Come Apart, starts with the story of the band’s sophomore […]
Review: Willem de Kooning’s Rich Canon Explored in Art Institute’s Drawing Exhibit
Dutch-American artist Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) and his evolution as an important Abstract Impressionist and producer of a dynamic, seven-decade-long body of work is chronicled in the riveting new Art […]
Review: Family Legacies Run Deep in Steppenwolf’s Catch as Catch Can
Steppenwolf Theatre ends its 50th anniversary season with a production that reflects the company’s core identity. Ensemble member Amy Morton directs Mia Chung’s Catch as Catch Can with trademark attention […]
Review: Writers Theatre Stages Stoppard’s Final Great Work, Leopoldstadt, a Story of 20th Century Tragedy—and His Own Past
Tom Stoppard’s last grand masterpiece, Leopoldstadt, gets a dynamic staging at Writers Theatre, featuring an all-Chicago cast of some of our finest actors, directed by Carey Perloff. The play concerns […]
Review: Theo’s Small‑Scale Damn Yankees Boasts a Big‑Hearted Spirit
If you’re looking for a little baseball‑themed entertainment this summer, you could skip the Friendly Confines or Sox Park (currently its tenants are in FIRST PLACE in the AL Central?!) […]
Review: Steven Spielberg Returns with Disclosure Day, a Fascinating if Slightly Frustrating Exploration of Extraterrestrial Secrets
I’ve often said that someone being disappointed by a film because it doesn’t meet the expectations you had of it going in isn’t the fault of the film; it’s your […]
Review: Bleachers Launch Massive Bleachers Forever Tour at Salt Shed
It’s always an honor when artists choose Chicago as the first stop on their tour and last weekend Chicago was spoiled with not just one but TWO nights with the […]