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Millennium Park Summer Music Series starts Monday
--From a press release
Millennium Park Summer Music Series, presented by the Millennium Park Foundation, features a wide variety of music from established and emerging artists — in 10 genre-defying concerts at the iconic Jay Pritzker Pavilion. This year's series ...
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Logan Center Bluesfest to include Shemekia Copeland, avery r. young
This year, the Third Logan Center Bluesfest will take place Oct. 15-17. It will be a hybrid model with a series of intimate concerts, conversations and special events in which select programming is offered in-person, at ...
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Rapper DaBaby defends anti-gay comments
Rapper DaBaby addressed his recent controversial comments at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami—and drew the ire of many on social media, CNN.com noted. During the performance, he made false and insulting comments about gay ...
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SHOWBIZ Script contest, LGBTQ film, Lady Gaga, Showtime, out sprinter
GLAAD and The Black List—the writer-centric entity whose work includes its annual list, screenplay marketplace, writer labs, and film and television productions—announced plans for The 2021 GLAAD List, the third ...
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Market Days performers include Jody Watley, Todrick Hall, Steve Grand
Northalsted Market Days—taking place Aug. 6-8—will feature a star-studded line-up. Just some of the performers slated to entertain are icon Jody Watley ("Looking for a New Love"), Todrick Hall, Steve ...
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Ravinia to unveil 'Bernstein's Answer' immersive theater experience
--From a press release
HIGHLAND PARK, IL—On Saturday, August 7, the Ravinia Festival and Jeffrey P. Haydon, its President and CEO, will officially unveil the Ravinia Music Box (RMB) and its immersive theater experience, titled Bernstein's Answer, and fully open ...
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MUSIC 'I'm Every Woman: Divas Through the Decades' on Aug. 2
LGBTQ+ party organization Slo 'Mo: Slow Jams for Queer Fam is celebrating its 10th anniversary with "Slo 'Mo Presents: I'm Every Woman: Divas Through the Decades with Akenya & Friends" on Monday, Aug. 2, at Millennium ...
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SHOWBIZ Ben Whishaw, non-binary actor, Cardi B, Obama, 'Grease' prequel
Out actor Ben Whishaw stars in the film Surge, which will debut Sept. 24 and On Demand, a press release announced. Whishaw portrays Joseph, who is trapped in a soulless job, living a life devoid of ...
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American Blues to present 'The Great American (and French) Songbook'
On Friday, July 16, American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, will present The Great American (and French) Songbook, performed by Suzy Petri and guests as part of its music series ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Pray Away,' film contest, LGBTQ book, musicians, 'Star Trek'
The new Netflix Original Documentary Pray Away, from executive producers Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum, will make its global launch on the platform Aug. 3, a press release noted. In the film, former leaders of the ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Hedwig,' Oscars, Demi Lovato, GLAAD, Stevie Nicks
Following 2019's sold-out, three-night engagement at The Town Hall in New York City (and several postponements in 2020), Hedwig and the Angry Inch co-creators John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask are returning with a rock spectacle ...
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'Concert for Love and Acceptance' features LGBTQ artists, allies
Country music artist and philanthropist Ty Herndon, in partnership with CMT, held his annual Concert For Love & Acceptance on June 30. Presented virtually as an exclusive live streaming event, performances included Herndon, Brothers Osborne, Kristin ...
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Judge denies Britney Spears' request regarding father
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny signed an order June 30 denying Britney Spears' request to have her father, Jamie Spears, removed from the financial aspects of her conservatorship, NPR reported. Spears' attorney, Samuel D. ...
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Bienen School of Music launches 'Black Composer Showcase' series
The Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University has launched a new series of videos featuring performances of art songs and chamber music by Black composers. The three-part Black Composer Showcase series (consisting of "Chicago Connections," ...
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ARC Music Festival to take place Sept. 4-5 in Union Park
ARC Music Festival has announced the complete lineup for its Labor Day Weekend 2021 debut at Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St. The dance event will feature acts such as Channel Tres, Derrick Carter, DJ Heather, ...
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MUSIC 'Miley Cyrus Presents Stand by You' airing June 25
Peacock announced that the concert event Miley Cyrus Presents Stand by You will stream Friday, June 25 in celebration of Pride Month. The hour-long concert event, filmed in Nashville, will feature multi-platinum recording artist, songwriter and ...
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Local lesbian couple talks new band The Q's, love story, other endeavors
Singing has been a part of Debra Duncan and Kayla Quiros' lives since they were in high school. Now the married couple and The Q's bandmates have released their debut album, Us Who Know, chronicling their ...
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Mayor Lightfoot and DCASE announce more summer cultural events across Chicago
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced even more returning, new and reimagined summer cultural events across Chicago — plus artist lineups and other details ...
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National Women's Music Festival to stream June 30-July 4
The beauty, power and wisdom of women will be celebrated at the 45th Annual National Women's Music Festival, which will be streamed on Mandolin.com on June 30-July 4. There will be a SheRocks Stage, Spotlight Stage, ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Our America,' Randy Rainbow, Melissa Etheridge, 'Drag Race,' VINCINT
ABC Owned Television Stations announced that the first two-episodes of the Our America: Who I'm Meant to Be docuseries are now available on its 32 connected TV apps across streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, ...
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Ravinia Festival announces updates to 2021 summer programming
--From a press release
HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The Ravinia Festival is pleased to announce the following additions to its summer 2021 schedule: Counting Crows, Aug. 19 Marie Osmond with special guest David Archuleta (Ravinia debuts), Aug. 25 Allison Russell ...
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Chaka Khan, Tiesto, drag queens to be at 'Pride in the Park' June 26-27
The acts have been revealed who will perform at Pride in the Park on June 26-27 in Grant Park. It will be 2-10 p.m. on June 26, and 3-10 p.m. the following day. Performers in the line-ups include Chaka Khan, Tiesto, ...
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Tracy Young: DJ on Kim Zolciak, pronouns and 'Pride in the Park'
From DJ Steve Aoki throwing rainbow cakes into the crowd to drag queens keeping the party pumping for two fun filled days in 2019 at the Petrillo Music Shell stage in Grant Park, music has quickly ...
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MUSIC Adam Lambert, Billy Porter, Demi Lovato
part of 4th Annual Stonewall Day
On June 6, Pride Live held the 4th annual Stonewall Day event—a global campaign to elevate awareness and support for the Stonewall legacy and the continuing fight for full LGBTQ+ equality. This year, Pride Live teamed ...
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SHOWBIZ Todrick Hall, LGBTQIA+ podcast, Pride TV programs, '80s music
Todrick Hall is celebrating Pride with the release of his new album, Femuline, on June 8, a press release noted. The album's lead single, "Boys In The Ocean," is described as "an irresistible funk jam." Femuline ...
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New Streisand album coming out Aug. 6
Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will present Release Me 2—a new collection of 10 previously unreleased studio performances from the legendary Barbra Streisand—on Friday ...
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VIRTUAL CONCERT Lyric Opera airing 'The New Classics' on June 10
On Thursday, June 10, The Lyric Opera will air airtual cabaret featuring Broadway and Lyric artists in "The New Classics: Songs from the New Golden Age of Musical Theater." The event will start at 7 p.m ...
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MUSIC
Chicago Philharmonic announces new Executive Director Terell M. Johnson
After a four-month, nationwide search, The Chicago Philharmonic Society's Board-appointed Search Committee has chosen Terell M. Johnson as the new executive director of the Society, effective July 1. Johnson succeeds ...
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Billy Masters
"I will never trust pants again!"—Lil Nas X on his wardrobe malfunction on Saturday Night Live. To see the incident—and Lil's commentary—check out BillyMasters.com. We have a Memorial Day tradition ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Red Hot' album, 'Drag Race,' 'L Word,' Qveen Herby, Lee Daniels
The Red Hot organization, which raises funds to fight HIV/AIDS, announced Red Hot + Free—a mixtape of dance beats, electro grooves and global anthems, a press release noted. Out July 2 and helmed by producer-provocateur Bill ...
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Lady Gaga releasing 10th-anniversary edition of 'Born This Way' June 25
Lady Gaga announced a special-edition Born This Way: The Tenth Anniversary album that will be released via Interscope on June 25, according to a press release. (The release date was previously June 18.) ...
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Virtual concert 'Night of a Thousand Judys' on June 24
The ninth annual "Night of a Thousand Judys"—the Pride concert to benefit The Ali Forney Center that's written and hosted by Justin Sayre—will be presented as a streaming online event Thursday, June 24, at 8 p.m. ...
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ARTS New cabaret series 'Emerge' taking place this summer
Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collective (LAPC) will present Emerge—a new cabaret series of live music and performance art—on June 11, July 9 and Aug. 13 at 10 p.m. in the cabaret space of Pork Chop, 1132 ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Love, Victor,' R.E.M., Cher, HIV film, Jane Lynch
The Holy teen dramedy series Love, Victor returns June 11, as season two finds a newly out of the closet Victor entering his junior year at Creekwood High, a press release noted. This season, Victor faces ...
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MUSIC Adam Lambert to curate, perform at 'Stonewall Day'
The organization Pride Live announced its fourth annual Stonewall Day—a global campaign to elevate awareness and support for the Stonewall legacy and the continuing fight for full LGBTQ+ equality. This year, Pride Live is teaming with ...
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MUSIC 'Can't Cancel Pride' to include Ricky Martin, Demi Lovato, Lil Nas X
Ricky Martin, Demi Lovato, Lil Nas X and Pink are among the artists who will perform or appear at "Can't Cancel Pride," a virtual relief benefit for the LGBTQ+ community from P&G and iHeartMedia, Variety reported. ...
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MUSIC Foo Fighters, Megan Thee Stallion in Lollapalooza line-up
On May 19, Lollapalooza organizers unveiled the line-up for its festival, taking place July 29-Aug. 1 in Chicago's Grant Park. Some of the big names include Foo Fighters, Megan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus, Steve Aoki, Post ...
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MUSIC Riot Fest returning to Chicago on Sept. 17-19
Riot Fest is returning to Chicago, taking place Sept. 17-19 in Douglas Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Dr. Among the acts in this year's line-up are Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, Big Freedia, Faith No More, ...
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Demi Lovato comes out as non-binary in podcast
On the first episode of her podcast, "4D with Demi Lovato," the singer comes out as non-binary and explores this new journey through their conversation with gender non-conforming writer, performer and public speaker Alok Vaid-Menon. During ...
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MUSIC Lightfoot, Arwady officially announce return of Lollapalooza
On May 18, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady and Lollapalooza organizers announced that the festival will return to Grant Park at full capacity July 29-Aug. 1. The lineup will ...
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MUSIC Pitchfork returning to Chicago Sept. 10-12
The Pitchfork Music Festival will return to Chicago's Union Park on Friday-Sunday, Sept. 10-12. The festival's organizers announced the full 2021 lineup, including headliners Erykah Badu, St. Vincent and Phoebe Bridgers. Some of the other acts ...
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SHOWBIZ Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Miley Cyrus, 'Halston' series, Pink
Tony winners Ben Platt (Aug. 13) and Cynthia Erivo (Aug. 20) are among the musicians slated to perform during the 2021 Citi Music Series on the Today show, Playbill noted. The series will include in-person concerts ...
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Lollapalooza expected to return July 29-Aug. 1
The Lollapalooza Festival will return to Chicago with a four-day event at its usual place and date range — Grant Park, July 29-Aug. 1—according to Variety. The City of Chicago gave the event the green light ...
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Ann Hampton Callaway releases 'Revelation'
--From a press release
The latest in a string of singles, Ann Hampton Callaway, releases "Revelation", a song she composed to a Robert Frost poem which she kept in her jeans pocket when she was a teenager. Callaway wrote the ...
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Tina Turner, The Go-Go's among 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame revealed its 2021 inductees, calling this class "the most diverse list of inductees in the history of the organization." In the Performer category, inductees include The Go-Go's, Tina Turner, ...
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Jody Watley: Conversation with an icon
Singer Jody Watley has been many things during her illustrious career, including an activist, fashion plate—but, most certainly, a musician. Among her many achievements in that latter area are a Grammy win; a Lifetime Achievement Award ...
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SHOWBIZ Tig Notaro, films, E. Lynn Harris, Nick Jonas
Emmy- and Grammy-nominated stand-up comedian Tig Notaro (HBO's Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted), will return to HBO this summer with the first-ever fully animated stand-up special, HBO announced. The special ...
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Ravinia Festival announces 2021 summer programming
--From a press release
HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The Ravinia Festival, under the direction of its new President and CEO Jeffrey P. Haydon, announced the concert schedule for 2021 today, celebrating the reopening of the park for the first time ...
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Mayor Lightfoot, DCASE announce Chicago summer events
--From a press release
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Choose Chicago, and Chicago's cultural community today announced "Open Culture" — the next phase of ...
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Northalsted plans to hold Market Days Aug. 6-8
The Northalsted Business Alliance plans to host Market Days August 6-8, adding a Friday night edition, the first in its 38-year history. As vaccinations increase and Illinois begins planning for stage 5 reopening, organizers of the ...
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Heather Headley to headline Goodman Theatre's May 22 virtual gala
Goodman Theatre announced that Tony-winning Broadway actor and Grammy Award-winning singer Heather Headley will headline the company's "Together Center Stage" virtual 2021 gala fundraiser. "Together Center Stage" is slated to stream Saturday, May 22, ...
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Jeannie Tanner show at City Winery on May 20
On Thursday, May 20, at 7 p.m., City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph St., will host the first in-person performance of "3 Martini Jeannie." Throughout the pandemic, every Friday at 5 p.m., Tanner celebrated the close ...
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Vintage House show honoring Chicago House Music with DJ Lori Branch May 5
--From a press release
Chicago, IL. May 3, 2021. Paving the way for every DJ behind her, DJ Lori Branch is continuously receiving flowers for her talents and dedication to music. Currently, through May, Spotify (spotify.com/chicago) billboards highlighting Chicago music ...
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Windy City Smokeout to return July 8-11
The outdoor country-music/BBQ festival Windy City Smokeout will return to Chicago on July 8-11 outside the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St. Hosted by BBQ joint Bub City and the venue Joe's Bar, the event will ...
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Pride in the Park' on June 26-27
There will be at least one big LGBTQ+ event in Chicago this summer. Pride in the Park is slated to take place June 26-27 in Grant Park. It will be 2-10 p.m. on June 26, and 3-10 p.m. the following day. ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Joe Exotic' series, Luther Vandross, singer's announcement, star couples
Hedwig and the Angry Inch's John Cameron Mitchell has been tapped to play the title character opposite Kate McKinnon in the series Joe Exotic (working title), Deadline reported. The limited series centers on Carole Baskin (McKinnon), ...
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Belting for Life Sunday May 16, streaming through May 31
--From a press release
CHICAGO - Jeff Award-winning director and HIV+ activist Christopher Pazdernik presents the 6th annual Belting for Life (formerly known as Chris' Birthday Belt Fest), an annual benefit concert for Howard Brown Health, one of the nation's ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans singer, 'Pose,' Kate Winslet, Lil Nas X, Broadway
Trans femme indie-punk artist Evan Greer (she/her) released a dystopian new music video for the song "Surveillance Capitalism," a press release noted. She is using it to launch StopSpotifySurveillance.org with Fight for the Future, where she ...
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Story of Chicagoan and Broadway influencer Sister Rosetta Tharpe on to Broadway
--From a press release
NEW YORK (April 4, 2021) — Prolific writer and Chicago native Cheryl L. West (FANNIE: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer; Jar the Floor), will be joined on the creative team of SHOUT SISTER ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Special,' Bonnaroo, Broadway items, Rita Moreno, Bridgerton
The second season of the Netflix comedy series Special will premiere May 20, a press release noted. The series revolves around Ryan O'Connell, a gay man with mild cerebral palsy, and is based on his memoir ...
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Chicago's LGBTQ+ Armenian community aims to 'Cher the Love for Artsakh'
Entanik—a queer Armenian-American organization based in Chicago and operating online and whose name means "family" in Armenian—is holding its first event, "Cher the Love for Artsakh." The event is a virtual drag show featuring 12 Armenian ...
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MOVIES 'The Sound of Identity,' about trans opera star, out June 1
Winner of the 2020 Outshine Film Festival's prestigious Programmers Award of Excellence, The Sound of Identity is a feature documentary that Shout! Studios will present on digital and on demand June 1. Profiling international opera star ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Batwoman,' Adam Lambert, 'Glee,' Janet Jackson, 'Genera+ion'
The character of Kate Kane is coming back to the CW series Batwoman—but Ruby Rose won't be, according to out.com. British actress Wallis Day is joining the cast as Kane, the same character Rose played, after ...
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MUSIC North Coast planning for Labor Day event at new spot
Organizers of the North Coast Music Festival announced that the event will tentatively take place Sept. 3-5 at a new venue: SeatGeek Stadium, in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview. A press that Windy City Times received ...
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SHOWBIZ Tamron Hall, 'Killing Eve,' speedskater, DJ dies, 'Pariah'
On the March 16 episode of Tamron Hall, Hall highlighted groundbreaking transgender trailblazers in Hollywood, a press release noted. Pose/American Horror Story actress and tech CEO Angelica Ross opened up about her difficult coming-out experience in ...
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k.d. lang to release dance-remix album 'makeover' on May 28
In celebration of Pride Month, Nonesuch Records is releasing k.d. lang's makeover—a new collection of classic dance remixes of some of her best-loved songs—on May 28. The album brings these remixes, made between 1992 and 2000, ...
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Ravinia plans to present live music this summer
Taking a step toward resuming pre-pandemic conditions, the Ravinia Festival announced that it plans to reopen in July for the 2021 summer season, presenting its signature mix of classical, popular, and chamber music programming. A press ...
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Women dominate 63rd Grammys
At this year's Grammys (which took place March 14), it was the year of the woman. The winners in the top four categories were Taylor Swift (album of the year, for Folklore), Billie Eilish (record of ...
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Chicago Fringe Opera announces the spring half of the 2020-2021 season
--From a press release
Chicago Fringe Opera (CFO), called Chicago's "alt-opera company" (John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune), announces the spring portion of its seventh season. Built within the parameters of our global pandemic, the ...
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LGBTQ members of Lyric Opera of Chicago's Ryan Opera Center perform online
Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Lyric Opera of Chicago was forced to scrap its season of live performances in favor of filmed online concerts. And in many of those presentations, the featured performers were ...
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SHOWBIZ Leslie Jordan, Zendaya, 'Handmaid's Tale,' Hulu, Chaka Khan
Emmy winner and viral sensation Leslie Jordan announced his debut album. Company's Comin', will drop April 2 via Platoon, a press release noted. Inspired by his weekly "Sunday Mornin' Hymn Singin'" live stream, the album has ...
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Chicago Gay Men's Chorus' 'Diva Dracula' in March
Chicago Gay Men's Chorus (CGMC) will present a virtual production of "Lipstick & Lyrics: Diva Dracula," on March 6, 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. CT. Featuring 15 drag performers, Diva Dracula embarks on a journey ...
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Showbiz: Black gay director, Oscars, soccer couple, Demi Lovato
Paris Barclay, the Emmy-winning TV director and former president of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), will receive the guild's Honorary Life Member Award at the 73rd Annual DGA Awards on April 10, TheWrap reported. Barclay ...
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Queer musician Ari Gold dies at 47
New York City-based dance artist Ari Gold has died at age 47 after a long battle with cancer, according to out.com. Gold—who was also known as Sir Ari and GoldNation— released seven albums as a part ...
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Original Supreme Mary Wilson dies at 76
Mary Wilson, a founding member of The Supremes, died Feb. 8 at her home in Las Vegas at age 76, media outlets reported. Wilson was an original member of the iconic Motown group known for hits ...
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