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Hell in a Handbag Productions premieres intergalactic queer extravaganza 'I Promised Myself to Live Faster'
--From a press release
Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to continue its 21st season with the Chicago premiere of I Promised Myself to Live Faster, an intergalactic queer extravaganza ...
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Book of Mormon's Sam Nackman knocks on Cadillac Palace door
The Book of Mormon is returning to Chicago on a mission to convert new followers into the musical fold. The masterminds behind the satirical cartoon series South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker created a smash ...
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The Jeff Awards announces recipients of 49th- anniversary non-Equity theater honors
--From a press release
MARCH 27, 2023 — CHICAGO — In its 49th anniversary celebration of non-Equity theater excellence, the Jeff Awards recognized 35 award recipients selected from among 167 theater artist nominees across 28 artistic and technical categories. Awar ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Joy Ride,' Cynthia Erivo, David Bowie, March Madness, Kevin Bacon
Video below
The first trailer for the upcoming comedy Joy Ride has been released, Out noted. The movie stars Ashley Park, queer Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All At Once), bisexual comedian Sherry Cola (Good Trouble) and ...
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Kokandy Productions announces 2023 Season
--From a press release
CHICAGO (March 22, 2023) — Kokandy Productions is thrilled to announce its 2023 season, including two fully produced musicals, plus plans for the return of the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. This summer, Kokandy will dive into ...
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Opera Preview: Life of gay World War II hero Alan Turing transformed into a world-premiere opera
It has taken a decade for The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing to grow from an idea into a full- fledged opera. Chicago Opera Theater stages the world premiere of composer Justine F. Chen and ...
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Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project to present dance concert 'Sans Pareil'
--From a press release
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater joins the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project again to take the stage in a dance concert entitled Sans Pareil—French for "unparalleled," a nod to the Haitian lineage of Chicago's founder, Jean-Baptiste Pointe ...
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House Musical, Coming of Age in the Age of House, coming to Hoover-Leppen Theatre
--From a press release
Campsongs Productions presents the world premiere of House Musical - Coming of Age in the Age of House, with book by Marcus Waller, music by Scott Free (with Michael Foley) and lyrics by Scott Free and ...
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RuPaul's Drag Race WERQ THE WORLD in Chicago Aug. 4
--From a press release
RuPaul's Drag Race WERQ THE WORLD, the largest drag show on earth, returns in 2023 with a show in Chicago Aug. 4 and in 100+ cities across the United States, Canada, Australia, Asia, Europe and Mexico! ...
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SHOWBIZ Little Richard, Indigo Girls, Rodriguez's honor, dance film, Pedro Pascal
Video below
Produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment for CNN Films and HBO Max, in association with Rolling Stone Films, director Lisa Cortes' Sundance opening-night documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything will debut in theaters and on VOD ...
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Steppenwolf Theatre Company's 2023 Gala May 13 at The Old Post Office
--From a press release
CHICAGO (March 6, 2023) — The Steppenwolf Ensemble and Board of Trustees are pleased to host Steppenwolf 2023 Gala—an unforgettable evening celebrating 47 years of powerful and thought-provoking storytelling. Emceed ...
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Center on Halsted presents annual Intergenerational Talent Show
On March 2, Center on Halsted hosted its Fifth Annual Intergenerational Talent Show, featuring performances from participants from the Youth and Family Services and the Senior Services programs. Participants in the free event presented a program ...
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SHOWBIZ Wanda Sykes, Jonas Brothers, 'Queen of Versailles,' 'Bloodshed'
Adam Lambert video below
Award-winning comedian Wanda Sykes' new comedy special, I'm An Entertainer, will premiere globally on Netflix on May 23, a press release announced. The special, directed by Linda Mendoza, was filmed in early February 2023 at Philadelphia's ...
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Theater Review: one in two
Playwright: Donja R. Love. At: PrideArts at Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway Tickets: 773-857-0222; $35. Runs through March 19 Playwright Donja R. Love stresses that lower case letters should be used for the title of ...
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The Jeff Awards to honor Myrna Salazar with special non-Equity honor
--From a Jeff Awards press release
(March 1, 2023 - Chicago) — Recognizing a lifetime of theater excellence, the Joseph Jefferson Awards will honor the late arts activist Myrna Salazar at the organization's 49th Anniversary Non-Equity Awards celebration on Monday, March 2 ...
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PrideArts presents 'one in two'
--From a press release
Title: one in two. By Donja R. Love/ Directed by Jordan Ratlliff Monday, Feb. 20 - 7:30 p.m. Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway, Chicago One in two Black men in America who have sex with other men will be diagnosed ...
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Christine Heesun Hwang personifies Eponine in Les Miserables
Out performer Christine Heesun Hwang "dreamed a dream" of joining the cast one of Les Miserables—now showing at the Cadillac Palace Theater—and now she's made that dream into a reality. Set in 19th-century France, Les Miserables ...
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SHOWBIZ Black queer films, Janet Jackson, Paramore, WNBA, GALECA contest
Queerty ran a piece on 10 films that celebrate Black queer love. Some of them include The Skinny (with Jussie Smollett), Dee Rees' movie Pariah, the Oscar-winning Moonlight, the Marlon Riggs classic Tongues Untied, Brother to ...
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Theater Review: Cabaret continues to reflect on our modern challenges
Title: Cabaret. Book: Joe Masteroff; Score: John Kander & Fred Ebb. At: Porchlight Music Theatre at Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. Tickets: 773-777-9884 or www.PorchlightMusicTheatre.org; prices begin at $25. Runs through ...
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SHOWBIZ Isaac Mizrahi, Viola Davis, Laura Jane Grace, Elton John, GLAAD
On Sherri Shepherd's talk show, entertainer/fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi said he'd love for out actor Dan Levy to portray him in a potential biopic based on Mizrahi's memoir, I.M., The Wrap noted. "Dan Levy, OK," Mizrahi ...
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CGMC to re-create music videos in drag with 'Lipstick & Lyrics: On MTV'
--From a press release
CHICAGO—Chicago Gay Men's Chorus presents their annual live-singing drag show, Lipstick & Lyrics. This year's theme: On MTV. Come enjoy CGMC's drag performers as they recreate epic music videos. With dancers, costumes and sass, these live ...
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THEATER REVIEW Toni Stone at the Goodman
Review by Tracy Baim
Lydia R. Diamond's original play, Toni Stone, is simply wonderful on all levels. Directed by Ron OJ Parson in its Chicago premiere at the Goodman Theatre, the play is about the first known woman to play ...
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The Jeff Awards announces 2023 Non-Equity theater award nominations
--From a press release
Chicago—The Joseph Jefferson Awards announces its nominations for theater excellence among Non-Equity theater. The Non-Equity awards presented in 2023 spotlight 167 theater artists across 28 categories of excellence in theater ...
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SHOWBIZ Jerrod Carmichael, Alan Cumming, Andre Leon Talley, AIDS drama
Openly gay stand-up comic and recent Golden Globes host Jerrod Carmichael is set to star in a comedy documentary series for HBO, according to Entertainment Weekly. The yet-untitled series will center on Carmichael's personal life, following ...
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THEATER REVIEW Andy Warhol in Iran juggles art, celebrity and geopolitics
Andy Warhol in Iran. Playwright: Brent Askari At: Northlight Theatre at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie Tickets: 847-673-6300 or www.Northlight.org; $30-$89. Runs through Feb. 19 The prolific 20th century gay ...
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Chicago theater charges on through the cold months
The ongoing 2022-2023 theater season—roughly September to June—will be the first complete production season in Chicago in three years. A few troupes cautiously returned to live performances late last spring, but most companies waited until the ...
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Billy Porter discusses his fashion choices, personal ambitions
Billy Porter—the Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner—needs no introduction—especially to the many fans of his character Pray Tell on Ryan Murphy's hit TV series Pose. Coming up exclusively in theaters Feb. 3, Porter will star as ...
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Des Plaines Theater cancels anti-LGBTQ hate group event after outcry from citizens
DuPage County-based Awake Illinois was set to hold an event called "Out of the Echo Chamber: Coalition for Kids" at the city-owned, but not city-operated, Des Plaines Theatre Wednesday, Feb. 8. This event has now been ...
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Theater Review: tick, tick...BOOM!
One of the wonders of live theater is that old works can be revived and reinterpreted to respond to changes in culture and society. Often a new directorial approach can make tried-and-true material feel fresh and ...
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Theater Review: Princess Ivona is a dark but comic portrait of power
Playwright: Witold Gombrowicz. At: Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. Tickets: 773-384-0494 or www.trapdoortheatre.com; $25 (two-for-one admission Thursdays) Runs through Feb. 18 Trap Door Theatre is now tackling the ...
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Jordan Vasquez treats Chicago to Fosse's Chicago
Actor and openly gay performer Jordan Vasquez, an Illinois native now living in New York City, is giving Chicago audiences "the old razzle dazzle" in the fabulous musical Chicago. This dynamically talented performer brings with him ...
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SHOWBIZ Diversity report, Dave Bautista, Leslie Jordan, greatest singers
The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative's latest "Inclusion in the Director's Chair" report analyzes the gender and race/ethnicity of the directors behind last year's 100 highest-grossing movies in the country, while the San Diego State Center ...
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SHOWBIZ Best in theater, TV, film and music; Obama's favorites; 'Glass Onion'
Deadline's Broadway critic revealed his picks for the best of 2022. Leopoldstadt topped his list, but other productions included Kimberly Akimbo, Some Like It Hot, Into the Woods, Hangmen, Ain't No Mo', A Strange Loop, Topdog/Underdog, ...
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PrideArts, Chicago drag artists co-produce story of a drag family's tribulations
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — PrideArts will celebrate the arrival of the year 2023 by teaming up with the Chicago drag performers Tirrany Reigns and Ramona Mirage to stage Reigns' original Queer Family Dramedy, set just after New Year's ...
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Oak Park Festival Theatre makes history with new artistic director
The Oak Park Festival Theatre (OPFT)—the oldest professional classical theater in the Midwest—announced that Peter G. Andersen will be joining the company as its new artistic director in January 2023. It is the first time that a person ...
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SHOWBIZ Best and worst films, Broadway, Adam Lambert, 'Proud Family,' women's hockey
IndieWire revealed its list of the best LGBTQ+ films and TV series of 2022. Just some of the selections included Benediction, Bros, Do Revenge, Fire Island, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Inspection, Los Espookys, P-Valley, ...
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Life is a Cabaret for James Harkness these days
Out performer James Harkness is one of the many performers in Cabaret ZaZou's Luminaire, the latest project from the creative team behind the successful show Teatro ZinZanni. Currently in an open run since Sept. 7, 2022, ...
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SHOWBIZ Jerrod Carmichael, 'Heartstopper,' Lena Waithe, Gyllenhaal, Cher
Out comedian Jerrod Carmichael will host the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Deadline reported. After a yearlong hiatus, the three-hour telecast will air on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023 from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on NBC and ...
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Theater Review: Mosque4Mosque
Author: Omer Abbas Salem. At: About Face Theatre at The Den Tickets: www.thedentheatre.com; $7.50-$41.25. Runs through: Dec. 17 Sara and her children are Syrian immigrants with a nice suburban house. Sara (Rula Gardenier) is an accountant, ...
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Michael Horvich: A caregiver remembers his talented husband
Michael Horvich has had many roles in his lifetime, among them teacher, photographer and author. However, one of his most important was being caregiver to Gregory Maire—Horvich's husband of 41 years, who died in 2015. Maire ...
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A stocking stuffed with holiday shows!
Christmas follows fast on Thanksgiving's leftovers, which means sugarplums-and-treacle time for Chicago theater, when many troupes offer holiday shows. There are at least 40 of 'em, from biggies such as the 45th annual A Christmas Carol ...
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Billy Porter receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
On Dec. 1, award-winning actor/director/singer/playwright Billy Porter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "I'm just so blessed and so grateful to be here," he said, according to KTLA. "James Baldwin said, 'It's an ...
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Peppermint barks while Broadway bangs, and all the other dish to start the week
"I love Broadway. I love what they do—Broadway Cares, but I also want to say the show is extraordinary!" —Nicole Kidman's impromptu speech after bidding $100K to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for Hugh Jackman's hat after ...
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New York theaters bounce back: Four shows ask questions about identity
All theater critics worth their salt should take a bite of the Big Apple now and then, savoring the bright lights of Broadway and a soggy slice of what passes for pizza. On my first visit in nearly three years, Broadway ...
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Gay man to head Chicago Latino Theater Alliance
The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) announced the appointment of Jorge Valdivia as its new executive director, according to the Lawndale News. Valdivia's previous position was director of performing arts at the National Museum of Mexic ...
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THEATER REVIEW: The Mark of Kane
The Mark of Kane
Playwright: Mark Pracht At: City Lit Theatre Tickets: www.cityl ...
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Theater Review: Porchlight's Rent is a winner
By Jonathan Abarbanel
Title: Rent. Playwright: Jonathan Larson (book, music, lyrics) At: Porchlight Music Theatre at Ruth Page Center. Tickets: 773-777-9884; PorchlightMusicTheatre.org; $25 and up. Runs through: Dec. 11 From its 1996 premiere ...
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Mister International Rubber takes the stage at Center on Halsted, Riviera Theatre
The MIR26 (Mister International Rubber) competition took place at the Center on Halsted and the Riviera Theatre over the Nov. 4-6 weekend. Pusckatt Pumera Onyx won the competition. The event was co-emceed by Lucy Stoole and ...
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SHOWBIZ Gay racer, GALECA, Lena Waithe, 'Chicago,' LGBTQ+ films
Gay motorsports racer Zach Herrin made his long-awaited debut in a NASCAR-affiliated race in Phoenix, The Advocate noted. "I know I have a lot of eyes on me, and all I want to do is get out there and blur everything ...
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SHOWBIZ Nathan Lane, gala, Beyonce, Kevin Aviance, Henry Cavill, Shania
Video below
Nathan Lane is returning to Broadway this winter to star in the debut run of Pictures of Home, per The Hollywood Reporter. Based on the photo memoir by Larry Sultan of the same name and adapted ...
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Young trans playwright queers Shakespeare in new production 'Malapert Love'
The Artistic Home will debut Malapert Love on Nov. 5-Dec. 11 in Wicker Park at The Den Theatre's Upstairs Mainstage, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. The gender-bending, Shakespearean romantic comedy was written by 18-year-old Siah Berlatsky, who's ...
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THEATER 'The Golden Girls' holiday special Nov. 26-Dec. 30
Hell in a Handbag Productions is in The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, The Obligatory Holiday Special, playing Nov. 26-Dec. 30 at The Hoover-Leppen Theatre at The Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. Dorothy, Rose, ...
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'Cirque Dreams Holidaze' to take place Dec. 22-24
Cirque Dreams Holidaze is set to dazzle Chicago audiences with a Broadway-style production infused with contemporary circus arts. The production will play for six performances on Dec. 22-24 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 Ida B. Wells ...
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16th Street Theater to close at the end of the year
The board of Berwyn's 16th Street Theater announced that the award-winning, nationally acclaimed Equity theater company will close at the end of 2022. A statement read, "For 15 inspiring seasons, plus two years of the pandemic, ...
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Cody Estle to step down as Raven Theatre artistic director
Raven Theatre's board of directors announced that Cody Estle will step down as the company's artistic director at the end of November. Estle has been the company's artistic leader since 2017. He will join Milwaukee's Next ...
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Five Worth Finding: COVID book, 'Wicked' cocktails, 'A Taste of Hope' and more
—COVID-19, the LGBTQIA+ Community and Public Policy: As studies emerge to help us understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on every facet of modern life, it is critical that the effect of the pandemic on ...
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Chicago Theatre Week 2023 to take place Feb. 16-26
-- From a press release
Chicago—Chicago Theatre Week (#CTW23), an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatergoing in Chicago during which visitors and residents can access value-priced tickets, will take place Feb. 16-26, 2023. ...
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'Lady Day,' 'Rock of Ages' part of Mercury Theater Chicago's 2023 season
-- From a press release
Chicago — Mercury Theater Artistic Director Christopher Chase Carter, Managing Director Kristi J. Martens and Executive Producers L. Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizon announced the 2023 Mercury Theater Chicago season ...
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Steppenwolf offering free performances of '1919' on Nov. 1-5 in Chicago parks
Steppenwolf for Young Adults' (SYA) will bring its world-premiere adaptation of 1919 to audiences across Chicago this fall for a series of free performances through the Chicago Park District's "Night Out in the Parks" initiative. The ...
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Haven hosting 'Rocky Horror Picture Party' on Oct. 29-30
Haven is welcoming back its "Science Fiction/Double Feature: A Rocky Horror Picture Party"—an immersive Rocky Horror-themed Halloween party that brings to life in vivid technicolor the world of the cult-classic film. Hosted by Helena Handbasket, the ...
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Jeff Awards for Equity Theater presented
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — In its 54th anniversary celebration of Equity theater excellence, the Jeff Awards recognized 46 award recipients selected from among 201 theater artist nominees across 38 artistic and technical categories on Oct. 17. Award-winning Chicago ...
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THEATER Queer-inclusive original play 'The Cleanup' set to debut
Playwright Hallie Palladino's The Cleanup focuses on four parents, one of whom is a gay father, as they interact behind the scenes of a DIY preschool co-op. The play, directed by Jen Poulin, will run Oct. ...
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THINGS TO DO Open House Chicago taking place Oct. 15-16
The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) is presenting Open House Chicago (OHC) 2022 presented by Wintrust on Oct. 15-16. The public is encouraged to discover a roster of 150+ sites in 20 community areas over the weekend, ...
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Sarah Siddons Society to honor Sandy Duncan on Nov. 14
The Sarah Siddons Society, celebrating its 70th-anniversary year, will present its 2022 Award to three-time Tony Award nominee Sandy Duncan. The annual award is presented to an individual who has achieved outstanding artistic achievement in theater. ...
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THEATER Attendees encouraged to dress in costume at 'Southern Gothic'
Windy City Playhouse Artistic Director Amy Rubenstein, with Goodman Theatre and Greg Schaffert, announced the theater invites guests to attend the Oct. 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30 evening performances of the immersive production ...
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Groundbreaking Broadway musical 'A Strange Loop' set to close
A Strange Loop, the 2022 Tony Award winner for best musical, will close on Broadway on Jan. 15, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The musical, which also took home the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for drama, will ...
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DANCE Deeply Rooted performing Nov. 5 at Auditorium Theatre
The Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr., will present Deeply Rooted Dance Theater—a Chicago-based African-American contemporary dance company—in a one-night-only performance Saturday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. as ...
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BoHo Theatre exec director to leave; search for successor begins
BoHo Theatre Executive Director Sana Selemon announced she will be stepping down from her position in March 2023. Selemon—from Columbus, Ohio—became a company member before taking over as executive director in August 2020. BoHo's board of ...
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Yvie Oddly summons sinful drag queens in upcoming 'Night of the Living Drag'
RuPaul's Drag Race: Night of the Living Drag is coming to the Rosemont Theater on Tuesday, Oct. 25, starring Yvie Oddly as The Boogie Man and featuring ...
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THEATER Steppenwolf running Eve L. Ewing's '1919' Oct. 4-29
Steppenwolf Theatre Company will present the Steppenwolf for Young Adults' world premiere of 1919, adapted by J. Nicole Brooks from Eve L. Ewing's collection of poems about the killing of Black teenager Eugene Williams in 1919 ...
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Celebration of trans icon Gloria Allen's life on Oct. 6
A celebration of life for the late Chicago trans icon "Mama" Gloria Allen will take place Thursday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m. at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., inside the third-floor theater. Allen founded ...
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THEATER About Face showing LGBTQ+ play 'Mosque4Mosque'
About Face Theatre opens its 2022-23 season with the world premiere of Omer Abbas Salem's new play Mosque4Mosque, directed by Sophiyaa Nayar. Mosque4Mosque is a family comedy about a queer Arab-American Muslim man navigating his first ...
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More special guests announced for Chicago International Film Festival
-- From a press release
CHICAGO, Illinois (September 28, 2022) — Today, the Chicago International Film Festival announced new guests and details for its 58th edition, running October 12 - 23, 2022. Film screenings and programs will take place at theaters ...
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MUSIC Jessie Mueller and Seth Rudetsky at Steppenwolf on Jan. 14, 2023
On Jan. 14, 2023 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Steppenwolf Theatre and Mark Cortale will present Tony winner Jessie Mueller (Beautiful; Waitress) for a hometown concert, hosted and music directed by Sirius XM ...
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SHOWBIZ Cardi B, Sam Smith, 'Wednesday' series, Sean Hayes, Serena
Video below
Cardi B clapped back at someone on Twitter who declared her a celebrity who "came out as bisexual but never dated someone of the same gender," per Out Magazine. The tweet,—featuring pictures of Cardi, Grimes, Lady ...
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