Chicago Lifestyle Podcast & Video Blog
An update of a few events we enjoyed recently with a look to what’s happening soon including an excerpt of Rikki Lee Travolta’s interview with Evan Jackson, artistic director of “What the Weird Sisters Saw” a retelling of Macbeth from the Witches’ point of view …
Jersey Boys features 30 musical numbers while walking us through the life and times of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons a New Jersey based rock and roll quartet that appealed largely to blue collar teens nationwide in the 1960s with songs like “Sherry” and …
Rikki Lee Travolta interviews Ronnie Marmo appearing in “I’m Not a Comedian….I’m Lenny Bruce” under the direction of multi-award-winner Joe Mantegna at the Biograph Theater in Chicago. This production produced in partnership with Lenny Bruce’s daughter Kitty Bruce tells the story of the life and early passing of one of the most legendary comedians of all time. The play originally opened to rave reviews in Chicago in October 2019 and is returning as a part of an ongoing national tour.
Rikki Lee talks with Ronnie Marmo about the development of the work and his association with actor and Chicagoan Joe Mantegna who agreed to direct the show.
This is part 2 of a longer interview Rikki Lee conducted with Ronnie Marmo that can be heard in its entirety at Rikki’s website also be sure to listen to part 1 right here at CBN .
Additionally you can immerse yourself entirely in the mid-century club scene by listening to our podcast review of Live at Mr. Kelly’s . The film is being featured at an exhibit about the club at Chicago’s Newberry Library.
In this episode of “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee,” Rikki Lee Travolta interviews Elizabeth Swanson co-director of “A Streetcar Named Desire” (with artistic director Jim Corti) at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora featuring Amanda Drinkall as Blanche, Casey Hoekstra as Stanley, and Alina Taber as …
“Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi under the direction of Francesca Zamnello, and conducted by Enrique Mazzola is opera in the grand tradition at Lyric in Chicago for the first time in more than a decade. [*Please note there was confusion in the names on the podcast. …
I had an opportunity to “bond” with spy movie expert Tom Pizzato at the press opening for the new 007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond beginning March 7, 2024 and running through October 2024.
The museum has partnered with Eon Productions who own the rights to all things Bond in order to pull off this exhibit which focuses heavily on the science and industry aspect of the popular spy franchise. The inventive nature of the “cold war” spy world era anticipated many technological advances that we take for granted today, including car phones, personal communication devices, miniature cameras as well as a prototype jetpack and suction cup climbers.
Running into Tom Pizzato who is the co-founder of SpyMovieNavigator.com was lucky for me and for you too since Tom is a veritable expert on James Bond films. In this podcast Tom will share what he found to be interesting at this exhibit and give you some insight into what you can expect to see.
Whether you are a Bond fan, spy fan, movie fan or just haven’t been to the Museum of Science and Industry in a while consider a trip to Hyde Park to visit one of Chicago’s gems just steps away from the University of Chicago and in the shadow of the Obama Library scheduled to open in late 2025.
Bill Wilson is an alcoholic who realized the help he needed could only come from someone who understood first hand what he was experiencing. After meeting a fellow sufferer of alcoholic addiction, the two realize this process could help others. As a result Bill and …
Beginning in the 1950s and ending in the 1970s Mr. Kelly’s on Rush Street was the premiere Chicago nightclub featuring some of the most popular entertainers of the period. The Newberry Library at 60 West Walton Street, Chicago is launching a new exhibit on March …
How did a Chicago Policeman become known worldwide as a collector, publisher, and the savior of Irish traditional music?
After immigrating from Ireland as a young boy Captain Francis O’Neill (August 28, 1848–January 28, 1936) rose through the ranks to become Chief of Police of the Chicago Police Department serving from 1901 to 1905
Since so many individuals had fled the Erin Isle as result of the Great Famine much of the local traditions and cultures were at risk of being lost.
This was similarly true of many other European immigrant populations as well, ultimately making America a repository of cultural traditions which became frozen in time as emigres continued to perform customs and music that was slowly changing and eroding away in their native lands.
Chief Francis O’Neill was a lover of music and took it upon himself to collect the tunes he heard in the pubs, taverns, churches and on the streets of Chicago which had a sizeable Irish descended population.
He recorded much of the music he heard onto newly invented wax cylinders and transposed the tunes into written music that he published. His text quickly became the standard reference for both professional and amateur performers of this genre.
Eventually, these publications made their way back to Ireland during the latter part of the twentieth century where Chief O’Neill has been credited for essentially saving Irish folk music.
Dr. Aileen Dillane of the University of Limerick has written a thesis in which she makes the case that the city of Chicago itself is imprinted in the work of O’Neill.
She describes a perfect storm of opportunity that provided O’Neill not only with the raw material in terms of music and musicians but also the requisite entrepreneurial bedrock he needed to successfully assemble, print and distribute his published collections.
This program was recorded at the Irish-American Heritage Center by Chicago Access Network Television (CANTV).
The following program is biographical sketch produced by WTTW TV and narrated by John Callaway.
*Many Chicagoans have become aware of Cheif O’Neill through the popularity of the cozy Irish pub on Elston Avenue that bears his name.
March is National Reading Month and National Women’s History Month. Let’s investigate some Chicago Women who have left a mark on our local history and on the world stage. ChicagoBroadcastingNetwork.com encourages you to investigate the lives and works of many notable Chicago women especially a …
Can you shake loose the pain of the past and reclaim your legacy? Shortly after the end of the Civil War two former slaves ruminate on their experiences living and working within Monticello, the estate of former President Thomas Jefferson. In doing so they find …
Flyover Chicago is a multisensory, multimedia event that includes all of the thrills and excitement of an amusement park ride.
The attraction will be taking over the former IMAX Theater location near the entrance to Navy Pier opened on March 1, 2024.
Before you head off to experience it for yourself sit back and take a listen to the people who designed the attraction including the writer, film director, music director, score composer and others to get a first hand glimpse of what you might encounter and how the whole attraction came to be.