Performing Arts Feature Archives

Toxic masculinity: the musical!

by Catey Sullivan September 17, 2021September 18, 2021

Midway through the first act of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, there’s an unforgettable duet between the bonkers, titular villain and Penny, the woman he’s loved ever since spotting her at the laundromat while his socks and such tumbled and spun. As their voices twine together in “My Eyes,” Dr. Horrible sings of a world as […]

Performing Arts Feature

The Saints are marching in to fall performances

by Marissa Oberlander September 17, 2021September 20, 2021

Tearing Lady Gaga’s ticket. Seeing a tenor dropped in Tosca. Grooving to Mavis Staples from the rafters. These are the magical moments that happen with live performance. They are also just another Tuesday night for The Saints, the quiet backbone of Chicago theater that’s never stopped working, lockdown be damned. The Saints is the only […]

Book Review

From World’s Fair to living rooms

by Kerry Reid September 16, 2021September 20, 2021

To cover Chicago theater is to carry a ghost map in one’s head of all the lost spaces. Some buildings are gone (or nearly gone) altogether, like the original Goodman Theatre at the Art Institute, or the Jane Addams Hull House Center on Broadway at Belmont, which at various points housed Steppenwolf, Bailiwick Repertory, Famous […]

Performing Arts Feature

Jump back into the cultural stream

by Salem Collo-Julin, Irene Hsiao, Deanna Isaacs and Kerry Reid September 15, 2021September 23, 2021

Theaters, comedy clubs, museums, galleries, and other venues are blowing off the COVID-19 shutdown dust and preparing to welcome you back this fall. Many companies are picking up with productions that were cut short in March 2020, while others have world premieres up their sleeves. We suggest calling venues ahead of time or checking their […]

Arts & Culture

Forever Ed Asner

by Mark Larson September 8, 2021September 8, 2021

“Do you prefer I use Ed or Edward in my book about you? People always call you Ed, but when I see your name on the screen, it’s always Edward.” “The reason I use Edward in credits is because Ed is over too fast. It doesn’t maintain the screen or the page. So, I prefer […]

Performing Arts Feature

The unforgettable Jane Blass

by Dorothy Milne September 3, 2021September 3, 2021

Actor, singer, and all-around raconteur Jane Blass, who called Chicago home from 1988-2006 before she relocated to New York, where she performed on Broadway and in the touring companies of many shows, died at 59 after a long struggle with stomach cancer on August 6. Dorothy Milne, her friend and cofounder of the long-running women’s storytelling collective the Sweat Girls, compiled these remembrances from those who knew and loved her in Chicago and New York.

Performing Arts Feature

Live theater is back—but COVID questions remain

by Kerry Reid September 1, 2021September 1, 2021

Spring began so hopefully this past year, with COVID-19 vaccines ramping up and my inbox filling up with announcements of live performances returning in the fall. Back in May, I talked to Deb Clapp, executive director of the League of Chicago Theatres, about what she felt the major concerns facing their members might be as […]

Theater Preview

Theatre Y explores Chicago’s “emerald necklace” in YOU ARE HERE.

by Josh Flanders August 17, 2021August 18, 2021

In 2019, Theatre Y presented The Camino Project, an engaging five-hour miniature pilgrimage through Bucktown and Humboldt Park featuring experiential pieces intermingling dance, theater, and performance art. The adventure culminated in a group meal with audience members and actors breaking bread. It was a delightful experience and an ambitious endeavor having actors guiding guests through […]