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THEATER Michael Dalke makes Pretty Woman: The Musical happy and gay
The fairy-tale story of Pretty Woman was brought to life as a musical by openly gay theater director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell in 2018. He debuted the original production of Pretty Woman: The Musical premiered in Chicago at ...
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Moises Kaufman takes audiences to Paradise
Paradise Square is a new musical that opened in Chicago last month at the James M. Nederlander Theatre. This is based on a true story set in New York City in 1863, when Black and Irish immigrants lived together in a ...
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Hell in a Handbag Productions to present Christmas Dearest Nov. 27-Dec. 31
--From a press release
CHICAGO (December 2, 2021) — Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to continue its 20th anniversary season with the return of one of its most popular holiday musicals: Christmas Dearest, featuring book and lyrics by ...
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DANCE Joffrey's Winning Works winners named
The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, announced the recipients of the twelfth annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition: Audrey Ipapo Baran, Joffrey Company artist Edson Barbosa, Taylor Carrasco and Derick McKoy Jr. ...
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Director Paris Barclay talks about virtual reading of 'The Normal Heart'
The seminal Larry Kramer play The Normal Heart—which focuses on the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City in the early 1980s, through the perspective of the character Ned Weeks—is the subject of a ...
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ART 'Frida: Immersive Dream' coming to Germania Place in 2022
Lighthouse Immersive, North America's leading producer of ground-breaking experiential art exhibits, and Maestro Immersive Art announce their newest immersive art installation, "Frida: Immersive Dream." This exhibition will run at Lighthouse ...
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THEATER 'It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!' through Dec. 31
American Blues Theater marks its return to live, in-person theater with its 20th annual production of It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, from Frank Capra's film. The production will run through Friday, Dec. 31, at ...
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THEATER 'Wicked' returning to Chicago in 2022
The blockbuster musical Wicked will return to Broadway In Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., on Sept. 28-Dec. 4, 2022. Now the fifth longest-running show in Broadway history—and featuring songs such as "Popular" ...
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THEATER 'Who's Holiday!' running through Dec. 26
Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont St., is running the Chicago premiere of Who's Holiday!—a production about a booze-guzzling, cigarette-smoking, adult Cindy Lou Who reminiscing about the night she first met The Grinch. The show is being ...
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Billy Masters
"The obvious one would be A Little Night Music. I know I could do that role very well now that I've gotten to this stage in my life, and you know it's a beautiful song in there. It's perfection."—Sarah Brightman reveals ...
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Trans-focused documentary part of South Side Film Festival
The documentary Mama Gloria—which features Chicago transgender icon Gloria Allen—was part of the South Side Film Festival line-up on Nov. 28. Born in 1945, Allen grew up amid the celebrated Black "sissy" balls on Chicago's South ...
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SHOWBIZ Netflix, Kal Penn, Dennis Rodman, 'The Voice,' 'Euphoria'
Video below
Terra Field—one of the Netflix employees who organized the walkout around Dave Chappelle's comedy special The Closer—has resigned from the streamer, Deadline reported. Field, along with B. Pagels-Minor, organized an ...
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M3 Dance presenting 'The Nutcracker' in Elgin on Dec. 4-5
M3 Dance and Synergy Dance Academy will present Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 2 and 7 p.m.; and on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 2 p.m. at Elgin's Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 ...
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THEATER REVIEW Lighthouses in the Desert
Title: Lighthouses in the Desert. Playwright: Richard James Zieman At: Schwartz Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets: $25; GlassAppleTheatre.com. Runs through: Dec. 19 Nowadays, the term "one-act play" can be applied to nearly ...
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Broadway titan Stephen Sondheim dies at 91
Stephen Sondheim, one of the giants of Broadway songwriting, died Nov. 26 at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, according to media reports. He was 91. Among the works in the legend's oeuvre are Company (1970), Follies ...
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Virtual reading, Q&A of 'The Normal Heart' with mostly LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC cast on Dec. 4
ONE Archives Foundation, in collaboration with Invisible Histories Project, announced today that a brand-new Q&A will follow an encore and final presentation of the historic virtual reading of Larry Kramer's Tony-winning play The Normal Heart. The ...
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Goodman Theatre's 'A Christmas Carol' running through Dec. 31
Now in its 44th year, Goodman Theatre's classic production of A Christmas Carol is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge's discovery of kindness, compassion and redemption. Director Jessica Thebus co-adapted and helmed the 2020 audio streaming version, ...
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EVENTS John Grumpy Co. presenting 'Black Sunday' Nov. 28
John Grumpy Co. is hosting "Black Sunday," which will take place at HVAC Pub, 3530 N. Clark St., on Sunday, Nov. 28, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.. This event will feature celebrity DJ Jamal Smallz. "Black Sunday" will ...
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THEATER 'Q Brothers Christmas Carol' Dec. 7-23
The 80-minute hip-hop holiday hit Q Brothers Christmas Carol—created by Chicago sensations the Q Brothers Collective (GQ, JQ, Jax and Pos) and developed with Creative Producer Rick Boynton—is back in a limited engagement in The Yard ...
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MUSIC Grammy nominations announced; GLAAD comments
On Nov. 23, the nominations for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards were announced. John Batiste, the musician who also serves as the bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, led among all nominees with 11 ...
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MUSIC Controversial rapper DaBaby postpones shows
DaBaby's return to touring following fallout for making anti-gay comments at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami this past summer has been postponed, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The rapper's been promoting his "Live Show ...
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Ivan Aguayo brings eclectic background to 'evolution' of dance
By Cris Villalonga-Vivoni
In the center of the A&A Ballet studio stood the Mouse King. His long, felt tail trailed behind him as he made attempts to pose both for the camera and the numerous other ballet performers in ...
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TV JoJo Siwa in finale of 'Dancing with the Stars' and the winner is…
Queer social-media and reality-show figure JoJo Siwa made history on this season of Dancing with the Stars by being part of the series' first same-sex couple (with partner Jenna Johnson)—and the twosome made it all the ...
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Billy Masters
"Back in the '80s, I did blow at that Chevron and dropped acid at that 7-Eleven."—Belinda Carlisle gives her son, James Duke Mason, a walking tour of West Hollywood. Watch The Go-Go's get inducted into the ...
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SHOWBIZ '9-1-1,' Billie Jean King, Lena Waithe, singer Mary Lambert, White Party
Actor Rockmond Dunbar left the Fox show 9-1-1 after four seasons over a vaccine mandate, Deadline noted. His gay character, Michael Grant, was abruptly written off in the Nov. 15 episode, leaving fans of the first-responder ...
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THEATER REVIEW Bug
Title: Bug. Playwright: Tracy Letts At: Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N. Halsted St. Tickets: $20-$110; Steppenwolf.org. Runs through: Dec. 12 When you hear the word "bug," do you think of an insect, a microbe or a ...
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Rainbow Railroad plans 'When I Am Free' benefit concert to get LGBTQI+s to safety
--From a press release. Videos below
Chicago, IL (November 12, 2021) - The annual Chicago 5 Lives Fundraiser hosted by Rainbow Railroad is proud to return this year with "When I Am Free", a benefit concert offering attendees a premier evening of ...
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THEATER 'Cinderella' at Paramount through Jan. 9
Aurora's Paramount Theatre is presenting Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella through Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. According to a press release, "Paramount's Cinderella promises to come with all of the spectacle and splendor audiences have come to ex ...
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MOVIES 'Dante and Beatrice in Florence' Nov. 28-Dec. 5
Porchlight Music Theatre is partnering with Hershey Felder Presents: Live from Florence and its second season of productions. The launch of this new season from Hershey Felder is the new musical film Dante and Beatrice in ...
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Goodman Theatre updates its 2022 schedule:
--From a press release
(Chicago, IL) Goodman Theatre announces an update to its production schedule for the early months of 2022. The world premiere of Christina Anderson's play the ripple, the wave that carried me home, directed by Miranda Haymon—a ...
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Chicago Magic Lounge announces next show in Artist-in-Residence series
--From a press release
Chicago, IL — Chicago Magic Lounge, Chicago's home for close-up magic, continues its Artist-In-Residence series with Kayla Drescher: Magic in Heels, Wednesdays at 7:00pm, January 5 — March 30, 2022. Kayla Drescher: Magic in Heels is ...
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THEATER AstonRep's 'God of Carnage' through Dec. 12
AstonRep Theatre Company is running a revival of Yasmina Reza's frenetic dark comedy God of Carnage, translated by Christopher Hampton and co-directed by directed by Derek Bertelsen and Robert Tobin. God of Carnage is running through ...
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Cirque du Soleil's "Twas the Night Before' Nov. 26-Dec. 5
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) and Cirque du Soleil announced that the family holiday theatrical event "'Twas the Night Before…" by Cirque du Soleil is returning to The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., ...
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Lil Nas X part of 'Jingle Ball' on Dec. 7
Queer rapper Lil Nas X will headline KISS FM's Jingle Ball Presented by Capital One this year, run in coordination with iHeart Radio. The event will take place Tuesday, Dec. 7, at Allstate Arena at 7:30 ...
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'When I Am Free' concert supporting Rainbow Railroad on Dec. 3
"When I Am Free: A Benefit Concert for Rainbow Railroad" will take place at Center on Halsted's Hoover-Leppen Theatre, 3656 N. Halsted St., on Friday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m. During this event, there will be ...
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Billy Masters
"I was like, 'I hope this doesn't make anyone uncomfortable, but this is how I feel.' I love this person, and I want to be open in every way … and hopefully show people that they also don't need to hide ...
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SHOWBIZ Theater items, Lady Gaga, 'Justice League Queer,' Tom of Finland
Eighteen months after he died of COVID, the life of playwright Terrence McNally was celebrated in a packed house Nov. 1 at the Schoenfeld Theatre, Gay City News noted. Tributes poured in from theater artists, while ...
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THEATER Melissa Gilbert and Dan Butler talk 'Rehab,' LGBTQ+ issues
Straight from the mind of Chicago sports-radio personality Harry Teinowitz comes a play built on diversity called When Harry Met Rehab. Former ESPN personality Spike Manton teamed with Teinowitz to write the script, and Jackson Gay ...
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ATTRACTIONS 'The Dr. Seuss Experience' at Water Tower Place
It's certainly a time and place to be immersed in nostalgia. The family-friendly attraction "The Dr. Seuss Experience" is running through Jan. 2, 2022, at Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan Ave. It's certainly hard to ...
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Britney Spears' conservatorship ends
The conservatorship that has controlled Britney Spears' finances, personal life and medical decisions since 2008, and which for many years was controlled by her father, Jamie Spears, has ended. On Nov. 12, Los Angeles County Superior ...
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THEATER REVIEW Pump Boys and Dinettes
Title: Pump Boys and Dinettes. Playwright: Book, music and lyrics by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann At: Porchlight Music Theatre at the Ruth Page Auditorium. Tickets: $45-$74; PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. ...
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Hell in a Handbag Productions to present Christmas Dearest
--From a press release
Book & Lyrics David Cerda Music by David Cerda and Scott Lamberty. Directed by Derek Van Barham. Nov. 27 — Dec. 31, 2021 at Ebenezer Lutheran Churchz CHICAGO (November 11, 2021) — Hell in a Handbag ...
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Venus Cabaret hosting monthly comedy night
Venus Cabaret Theater, the 80-seat intimate performance space at Mercury Theater Chicago (3745 N. Southport Ave.), is presenting the monthly Comedy Night Series as part of The Dark Night Series. ...
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THEATER REVIEW The Last Pair of Earlies
Title: The Last Pair of Earlies. Playwright: Joshua Allen At: Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets: $40; RavenTheatre.com. Runs through: Dec. 12 Is there any story beginning more romantic than lovers fleeing hostile authority figures? ...
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Joffrey announces return of reimagined classic, The Nutcracker
--From a press release
CHICAGO (November 8, 2021)— The Joffrey Ballet's critically acclaimed reimagined classic, The Nutcracker, by Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, will be a part of the Joffrey's first-ever season at the historic Lyric ...
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TV 'General Hospital' star blasted for anti-trans post [UPDATE]
Ingo Rademacher, a star of ABC's General Hospital since joining the show in 1996 as Jasper "Jax" Jacks, has been slammed by castmates for posting a transphobic social-media message, Deadline noted. Rademacher had previously been known ...
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Billy Masters
"Of course I have. I'm an actor, for f**k's sake!"—Tom Hardy, when asked if he's had sex with men. Good to know. Sherri Shepherd is having a busy fall. She kicked off October by returning to ...
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SHOWBIZ Gay men's chorus, upcoming films, 'Tiger King,' Mariah Carey
Video below
The New York City Gay Men's Chorus announced its return to the rehearsal room, per a press release. On Nov. 1, 51 members gathered at P.S. 11 in Chelsea, Manhattan, to sing for the first time ...
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STAYCATION REVIEW The Gwen
Since opening in 2015, The Gwen, A Luxury Collection Hotel (521 N. Rush St.; https://www.thegwenchicago.com/) has earned plaudits from all over the globe. Some of the most recent honors came courtesy of the readers of Conde ...
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MUSIC ABBA releases new album, Voyage
ABBA, one of the most successful pop groups of all time, released Voyage—their first album in nearly 40 years. Details of Voyage were announced in early September, along with "ABBA Voyage," the new concert that will ...
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THEATER 'A Recipe for Disaster' extended through next spring
James Beard Award-winning Chef Rick Bayless and Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein announced the extension of their immersive production, A Recipe For Disaster, through March 27, 2022. The fully immersive event gives audiences the ...
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Actress Angelica Ross transfers leadership of trans talent incubator to E.C. Pizarro III
By Max Lubbers
In 2017, E.C. Pizarro III listened as Angelica Ross presented about TransTech Social Enterprises, an incubator to build and promote transgender talent in technology fields. He approached her afterward, volunteering to design artwork for TransTech. Now, ...
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THEATER Immersive 'Edgar Allan Poe' extended to Nov. 21
Oak Park Festival Theatre's 2021 Jeff-recommended production of David Rice's immersive The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story at Oak Park's historic Pleasant Home, originally scheduled to run through Nov. 7, has been extended ...
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Bisexual youth tell their identity stories in new book
While Zoomer (Gen Z) and millennial young adults are increasingly rejecting traditional sexual labels, Ritch C. Savin-Williams explores the topic of bisexuality in his newest book BI: Bisexual, Pansexual, Fluid ...
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MOVIES 'Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol' Nov. 26-Jan. 3
Chicago's interdisciplinary performance collective Manual Cinema is ready to virtually broadcast Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol, its inventive mixed-media adaptation of the most famous holiday tale of all time. Tickets, on ...
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Steppenwolf opens Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center
On Nov. 2, Steppenwolf Theatre Company opened its new 50,000-square-foot theater building and education facility, the Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center. Designed by architect Gordon Gill FAIA of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill ...
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THEATER REVIEW My Name Is Inanna
Title: My Name Is Inanna. Playwright: Ezzat Goushegir At: Red Tape Theatre at The Ready, 4546 N. Western Ave. Tickets: Free; RedTapeTheatre.org. Runs through: Dec. 11 Given the propensity of pre-Christian deities to behave as inconstantly ...
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Lesbian director sails again with Lyric Opera's 'Florencia en el Amazonas'
Lesbian director Francesca Zambello has successfully ferried the Spanish-language opera Florencia en el Amazonas (Florencia in the Amazon) throughout its entire existence. Zambello not only staged its wildly successful world-premiere ...
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Actress Kristen Stewart announces engagement
Actress Kristen Stewart announced she and actress/screenwriter Dylan Meyer are engaged in an interview with Howard Stern, CNN.com noted. "We're marrying, we're totally gonna do it," Stewart said. "I wanted to be proposed to, so I ...
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Black Harvest awards to go to directors of 'Dionne Warwick,' 'Reopening'
The Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago announced the 2021 winners of the Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Black Harvest Film Festival Prize—a cash award given to both the ...
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Billy Masters
"Happy Birthday to @jessetyler the object of my desire. This love affair has gone on for what seems like an eternity...I love this man more than pussy."—Lea DeLaria posts a very disturbing Instagram birthday greeting to ...
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THEATER 'Christmas Dearest' Nov. 27-Dec. 31
Hell in a Handbag Productions will continue its 20th-anniversary season with the return of one of its most popular holiday musicals: Christmas Dearest, featuring book and lyrics by Artistic Director David Cerda; music by Cerda and ...
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Trans Netflix employees file labor suit
Two transgender Netflix employees have filed labor charges against the streaming giant in the wake of the Dave Chappelle controversy concerning his special The Closer, alleging the company retaliated against them for speaking out against the ...
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Actor Kal Penn announces engagement to boyfriend
Actor Kal Penn (TV's House and Clarice; the Harold & Kumar films) revealed to People that he is engaged to marry his longtime partner, Josh, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The couple, who have been together for ...
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SHOWBIZ Non-binary actor, holiday TV specials, John Waters, Grammys
Video below
Non-binary actor E.R. Fightmaster (TV's Shrill and Work in Progress) is joining the cast of ABC's long-running medical drama series Grey's Anatomy as a recurring member: Dr. Kai Bartley, the show's first non-binary doctor, out.com. ...
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THEATER REVIEW The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
Title: Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. Playwright: Cheryl L. West At: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. Tickets: $15-$45. Runs through: November 21 The custom nowadays is for shows to finish their ...
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Chicago International Film Festival screens messages of diversity, inclusion at 57
The International Film Festival turned 57 in 2021. While it was scaled down from previous years, much of the festivities seemed just like old times. On Oct. 13-24, North Americans longest-running competitive film festival held screenings ...
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THEATER 'A Michael Martin Tribute' Nov. 11-28
Curious Theatre Branch will host a three-week celebration of the solo performance monologues of the late Michael Martin, curated by Kelly Anchors. A Michael Martin Tribute will take place Nov. 11-28 at Pride Arts Center, 4139 ...
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Annie Leibovitz at Chicago Humanities Festival on Dec. 7
On Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m., influential photographer Annie Leibovitz will come to the Chicago Humanities Festival for an exclusive conversation—her only event in the Midwest to celebrate the publication of her newest collection, Wonderland. ...
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THEATER Melissa Gilbert joins 'Rehab' cast with Dan Butler
Melissa Gilbert—an Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated actor, director, producer and New York Times best-selling author known for her role on TV's Little House on the Prairie—will join the cast of the upcoming world premiere of When ...
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MCA to showcase Justin Vivian Bond on Oct. 30
On Saturday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m., The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave., will present "Music Talk: Justin Vivian Bond and Jim Hodges," featuring singer-songwriter, author, painter, performance artist and actor Mx. ...
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Billy Masters
"There was talk of Harry Styles, but I think he ran. He was too scared."—Boy George discusses who will play him in a biopic—or, rather, who won't. The frontrunner currently is Yungblud—a young British singer. If ...
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REVIEW Randy Rainbow tackles politics, shows talent at The Chicago Theatre
YouTube sensation Randy Rainbow brought The Pink Glasses Tour to The Chicago Theatre on Oct. 22. Best known for videos that parody musical numbers with a focus on politics, the heavily curated show began with a ...
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SHOWBIZ JoJo Siwa, Haring/Ortiz mural, Jamie Lee Curtis, Billy Porter
Dancing the foxtrot alongside partner Jenna Johnson to Olivia Newton John's "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" for Dancing with the Stars' Grease night, 18-year-old social-media star JoJo Siwa received the season's first perfec ...
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MUSIC Indie band Fleece is queering country
Eight years ago, gay songwriter and lead singer Matt Rogers and his friend, bisexual drummer Ethan Soil, founded Montreal quartet Fleece. A few years later, bisexual vocalist Megan Ennenberg and straight man Jameson Daniel—who are both ...
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