Chicago Lifestyle Podcast & Video Blog
Video related to books, authors, art, music, theater and performance in Chicago.
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 documentary film, “Live at Mr. Kelly’s” directed by Ted Bogosian is about 90 minutes long …
Wendy’s life changed after escaping her turbulent Rockford childhood home by moving to Los Angeles then eventually landing in Aspen Colorado where she became an assistant to famed gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Kim Campbell interviews former Chicago resident, Wendy Correa, author of My Pretty …
SPECIAL ADDITION I snuck in this review on the heels of Ashland Avenue because I”m Only Blind will only be at the Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge until next Thursday, so for many of you this weekend might be your best chance to see it …
Ashland Avenue at The Goodman is a humorous and poignant look at the end of an era. A dusty TV store on Ashland Avenue in Chicago is the flagging flagship of a once great regional empire that boasted multiple locations. Over his tenure owner Pete …
In this episode, we take a look at Rise Above: The Carl Jackson Story—a powerful new documentary by Chicago filmmaker Maryilene Blondell. Whether you’re a golf enthusiast or not, stick around to learn what happens when a boy from a segregated Southern neighborhood in Georgia …
In this podcast episode I present my film review as well as share some personal recollections of the Maxwell Street and Halsted shopping district where the music known as Chicago Blues sprang to life. If you want a glimpse at a piece of the not …
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 …
The Chicago premiere of Amélie the Musical by Kokandy Productions based on the popular motion picture is a highly recommended musical mosaic, composed by Daniel Messe, whose colorful jagged pieces eventually come together into an enjoyable if not perfectly clear image. Not a musical in …
Buddha’s Birthday, is a story of academic prejudice and unresolved anxiety written by Amy Crider produced by Lucid Theater at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway, Chicago through August 17, 2025. Run time 2 hours with no intermission. Visit www.lucidtheater.com for tickets and more information. …
Tom & Eliza is a fairly brilliant example of absurdist theater written by Celine Song, expertly directed by Aileen Wen McGroddy and beautifully performed by Clifton Frei as Tom and Seoyoung Park as Eliza. EXTENDED: TOM & ELIZA will take a two-week hiatus after its …
Podcast review of FOREVER PLAID by Reno Lovison. Presented by MadKap Productions at Skokie Theater, the performance is reminiscent of a nightclub act from the fifties channeling the sounds of singing groups like the Four Freshmen, Four Aces or The Crew Cuts. * * *EXTENDED …
MadKap Productions live up to their name in this production of Stephen Sondheim’s ridiculous musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” at the Skokie Theatre outside Chicago, directed by Wayne Mell. The story ostensibly takes place in ancient Rome spoofing the …