Review: Cirque du Soleil Performs a Holiday Thrill Ride in ‘Twas the Night Before
As we were making our way to the Chicago Theatre on Thursday, my friend asked me how I thought Cirque du Soleil was going to pull off their feats of […]
Review: Conspiracy Theories, Trust Issues Abound in Leave the World Behind, Starring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke and Mahersahala Ali
I’m guessing that the societal subtext of author Rumaan Alam’s National Book Award-nominated novel Leave the World Behind is a bit more subtle and sinister than the current adaptation by […]
Review: Iconic Animator Hayao Miyazaki Gifts Us a Magical, Meaningful The Boy and the Heron
Last week, I waxed poetic about the latest documentary from the legendary Frederick Wiseman, who at 93 is still making some of the most vital work of his decades-long career. […]
Review: Boop! The Betty Boop Musical Sizzles Thanks to Its Star—But Its Plot Fizzles
What do you say about a priceless diamond in a shabby setting? That it shines brilliantly, no thanks to what surrounds it—a dull distraction than can, by contrast, sometimes make […]
Review: Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Revisits a Stop-Motion Animation Classic for a New Generation
Easily one of the most reliable and joyful animation houses functioning today, Aardman Animations delivers a sequel to one of its most beloved works, 2000’s Chicken Run (the highest-grossing stop-motion […]
Dialogs: Chicago Humanities Festival Explores Colonial Looting, Museums and Restitution
“Colonial Looting, Museums and Restitution, a dialogue about the return of cultural objects” Purported looting by ordinary people made headlines during recent protests against institutional racism, but who are the […]
Review: Angel Olsen & Joanna Sternberg Get Emotional with Thalia Hall
This past weekend Chicago was treated to a very fun three night affair at Thalia Hall. Angel Olsen is ending off her year with the Forever Winter Tour, which she […]
Review: A Second Breezier History of Chicago’s Great Fire, The Burning of the World: The Great Chicago Fire and the War for a City’s Soul, by Scott W. Berg
As someone who writes books, I felt a pang of empathy for Scott W. Berg when I heard that he’d published in September a new book about the Great Chicago […]
Review: Third Coast Percussion Commemorates 400 Years of Zildjian Cymbals
Third Coast Percussion commemorated a 400-year anniversary with the help of composer and percussionist Michael J. Burritt, who was their professor 20 years ago at Northwestern University. Burritt, who has […]
Recap: Fargo (S5, Eps1&2) — Acclaimed Crime Series Returns in Strong Form After Extended Hiatus
I can’t properly articulate how badly I wanted Fargo to come back—and be good. After a disappointing, narratively messy fourth season and a subsequent three-year hiatus, I was itching for […]
Review: Hulu’s Artful Dodger Sequel Series Is Often Fun but Narratively Flawed
There needs to be more television like The Artful Dodger. While 2023 has been a great year for television, it’s also been a heavy one with several incredibly dark endings. […]
Recap: The Curse (S1, Ep2) — Tense Second Episode Sheds More Light on Whitney’s Motivations
What’s wrong with Whitney Siegel (Emma Stone)? Last week’s outstanding premiere of The Curse focused more on her equally neurotic husband Asher (Nathan Fielder), but there’s a fairly even split […]