Two chairs, a piano and a big bird. That simple scenic design—combined with a creatively structured script and superb performances by four actors playing 20 roles—creates magic on a small […]
With Marin Alsop at the helm, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus gave a huge performance of a gargantuan symphony in the Pavilion at Ravinia on Friday night. The chorus […]
Donny Hathaway is a name tattooed in my mind since childhood. His singing style was otherworldly, blending traditional gospel with R&B and funk. He could bend a note like no […]
Making her feature film directorial debut, actor Embeth Davidtz (Old, The Morning Show) delves into her roots in Africa (her parents are South African, though she was born in the […]
As I said in my review of Eddington, filmmaker Ari Aster is an artist who sculpts nightmares—not just the kind that frequently populate horror film (although his first feature, Hereditary, […]
If “Be Careful What You Wish For” were a film genre, the Italian production Finally Dawn might be one of the better entries in it. Written and directed by Saverio […]
Chicago’s rich improv tradition takes center stage next week as iO Fest 2025 returns July 24-27 to the iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury St., filling four days with comedic performances, […]
Unless you are a theater nerd (guilty) or above a “certain age” (ahem, also guilty), you may not know that before they were global mega-stars, Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett […]
As fans of Stephen Sondheim may know, Passion is not as widely prod’suced as some of his other musicals. There are many reasons for this. The music can be quite […]
Here’s the thing about sequels: people should actually remember the original if you’re going to make a follow-up film almost 30 years later. In 1997, the original I Know What […]
Although originally hailing from Cleveland’s vivacious DIY indie scene, Smut set up shop in our little town of Chicago, earning their keep by releasing one of the greatest Chicago indie […]
Across four films, writer/director Ari Aster has proved himself to be an artist who sculpts nightmares. Not always the stuff of horror movies (although with his debut feature film, Hereditary, […]
