Chicago Lifestyle Podcast & Video Blog
Mike Royko was an outspoken Chicago journalist, who in the 1960s through 1990s railed against the political machine and championed the cause of the underdog with the same zeal he displayed toward his beloved Chicago Cubbies. Mitchell Bisschop’s roughly two-hour performance as Royko serves as …
Reno Lovison, Executive Producer comments on the documentary Time Passages by Chicago filmmaker Kyle Henry who tenderly reviews his relationship between himself and his mother, whose memory is slowly slipping away due to dementia. Looking at other people’s lives is always interesting. We can’t help but to …
An aspiring African American actress, Vera Stark (Ashayla Calvin) works as a personal maid to fading 1930s movie star Gloria Mitchell (Caitlin Jemison), once known as “America’s Little Sweetie-Pie.” The two have a close relationship and have a shared struggle to find success. However, due to race barriers and prejudices it is clearly more difficult for Stark than it is for Mitchell. Playing at the Den Theatre in Chicago through November 17, 2024. Review by Reno Lovison
This is a film review of “The Light of Truth: Richard Hunt’s Monument to Ida B. Wells following the Chicago artist’s creation of a monument to the civil right champion and woman’s suffrage leader. The film premiered at the 60th Annual Chicago International Film Festival …
Letter writing is more akin to internal dialogue and can have a kind of naked intimacy that is difficult to achieve in the flesh. This is a smart biographical drama providing us a glimpse into the lives and thoughts of two interesting, actual people, who …
Kicking off this popular Chicago ensemble theater company’s 49th season a rather incompetent troupe of actors are expertly portrayed by a considerably expert cast, in Steppenwolf’s revival of Michael Frayn’s classic comedy “Noises Off,” directed by Anna D. Shapiro.
A co-production with Geffen Playhouse. Featuring ensemble members Audrey Francis, Francis Guinan, Ora Jones and James Vincent Meredith with Vaneh Assadourian, Amanda Fink, Rick Holmes, Andrew Leeds and Max Stewart. Now Extended Through November 3, 2024 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago.
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 Goodman Theatre reminds us that the more things change the more they remain the same in this production of the classic courtroom drama, “Inherit the Wind.”
Small town school teacher Bertram Cates is on trial for breaking a state law that prohibits the teaching of evolution.
The prosecution is aided by the bombastic self-important fundamentalist bible thumping Matthew Harrison Brady while Cates is represented by famed Chicago lawyer Henry Drummond, a clever defense attorney known for taking on difficult and controversial cases.
Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Beethoven’s message of freedom of expression in this captivating, new to Chicago, contemporary production of Fidelio. It’s interesting to see how easily this 18th Century music transforms to modern times. It’s and story of good triumphing over evil but most importantly a story of hope combined with the courage to speak truth to power while taking action to stand up to tyranny and oppression in order to right a wrong. Twenty-first century audiences will appreciate the portrayal of a strong female hero and the allusions to political oppression that sadly continues to be perpetrated around the world.
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven an opera in two acts in German with Libretto by Georg Friedrich Treitschke
Presented October 2, 5, 10, 2024
Conductor Enrique Mazzola
Director Matthew Ozawa
Set & Projection Designer Alexander V. Nichols
Costume Designer Jessica Jahn
Lighting Designer Yuki Nakase Link
CHARACTERS IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE
Jaquino – Daniel Espinal
Marzelline – Sydney Mancasola
Rocco – Dimitry Ivashchenko
Leonore – Elza van den Heever
Don Pizarro – Brian Mulligan
1st Prisoner – Travon D. Walker
2nd Prisoner – Christopher Humbert, Jr.
Florestan – Russell Thomas
Don Fernando – Alfred Walker
Across from Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Randolph Streets on land donated by Civil War Veterans in 1893 stands what used to be Chicago’s Main Public Library. Re-imagined in 1977 as the Chicago Cultural Center it is host to more than 1,000 …
This timeless classic amounts to an enchanting evening that deserves to be seen and heard. Whether you are experiencing it the first time or you are coming from a place of nostalgia, the musical South Pacific includes some of the best and most recognizable tunes …
If you think you know something about Georgia O’Keeffe, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised. Her styles at this time while living in New York during the 1920s seems to have generally drifted away from her previous more colorful and amorphous forms, and instead varied from monochromatic abstracts to more realistic sepia toned cityscapes reminiscent of Stieglitz’ photos.
Georgia O’Keeffe: “My New Yorks” is at the Art Institute of Chicago through September 22, 2024. For details visit The Art Institute of Chicago (artic.edu)
Podcast review by Reno Lovison.