Chicago Lifestyle Podcast & Video Blog
Long term friendships can be complicated and messy. Honesty can be dangerous and revealing. A fourteen-year friendship between three friends explodes over the purchase of an expensive modernist painting. Art, presented by Remy Bumppo Theatre Company is at the Wit Theater, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago …
Berlin is a case study of how things can go wrong when a country has suffered losses and trauma. As its citizens and leaders slowly turn away from collaborative solutions and towards stark divisions in power and a dark fascist vision, slow motion disaster unfolds. …
A group of bridesmaids find reasons to bond in “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” produced by Saint Sebastian Players. The bonding ritual begins with the common agreement that the dress chosen by the bride is perfectly ridiculous.
The bond is further forged by the realization that they don’t even really like the bride that much. As each woman reveals something of herself they traverse a range of emotions; infuriated, anxious, remorseful, exasperated, frantic, exhausted, flirtatious, but overall hilarious.
Cast List: Frances (Kayla Erpenbeck) – Meredith (Hannah Green) – Trisha (Alexandra T. Cross) – Georgeanne (Claire Rutkowski) – Mindy (Laura Peterson) – Tripp (Trey Sorensen)
Highly Recommended. Details: “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” produced by Saint Sebastian Players at St. Bonaventure Church, 1625 W. Diversey, Chicago, IL runs through May 18, 2025. Running time is 2 hours including a 10-minute intermission. For tickets and information visit saintsebastianplayers.org
Also check out fellow Chicago podcast “The Hangover Series” where you can peek into the life of a 23-year-old girl who is simply just figuring it all out.
This well-conceived stage version of “A Tale of Two Cities,” Charles Dickens’ expose of the French Revolution by Brendan Pelsue and directed by Mikael Burke is cleverly performed and seems a little too close to home in today’s political climate.
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 …
Be sure to enjoy the podcast and the accompanying photos at the bottom of the page.
You don’t need to be an architectural expert to simply look around and enjoy the various styles and building materials that combine to make up Chicago’s diverse urban landscape.
There is probably no better place to begin your observation than the Old Town / Gold Coast area with its abundance of 19th Century wood and brick buildings harkening back to the the city’s roots side-by-side with glass and steel modern, post modern, late modern, and millennium modern examples both large and small.
In these two neighborhoods in the heart of the city you will easily find single family homes and multi-family structures ranging from two to over two hundred units, as well as a myriad of commercial structures some of which were built for their specific purpose and others that have been redeveloped to meet the changing needs of a growing metropolis.
This activity was inspired by Open House Chicago which takes place every year in October and according to their website featured more than 150 sites in 20+ neighborhoods across Chicago and nearby suburbs. My choices were selected from a list of suggestions that were part of this year’s Open House Chicago Program.
As a result my tour is in no way a comprehensive look at the area but instead is an opportunity to take a peek at some of the often overlooked gems that are lurking under our nose on a daily basis.
During the weekend event visitors are treated to some special access and information provided by onsite experts however there is no reason not to follow my tour at any time during the year. In addition I have included a few bonus items not on the suggested list of venues that I spotted along the way.
So lace up some sturdy shoes, put on your earbuds and join me on my podcast walking tour or review the pictures below then sit back in a comfy chair to enjoy my three and a half mile stroll around the Old Town / Gold Coast area observing some of its lesser known features.
UPDATE NOTE: Architectural Artifacts (NOW CLOSED – Moved to Texas) So if you follow this tour simply skip that part.
[Photos and tour by Reno Lovison]
“Hala” is an indie film shot in Chicago that, if you’re like me, you might have missed. Sadly it was on my list for the Chicago International Film Festival but got scratched due to some scheduling conflicts. I finally got to see it and at …
You’ve probably seen ’em. Signs like Throop, Goethe, Paulina and Devon but how do we say them in Chicago and why? Here is a short video from WBEZ that at least tries to tackle the “why” as well as some of the “how.” My friends …
“The Whole Seamus Thing” at Bramble Lofts in Andersonville through April 19, 2025
Review by Reno Lovison – Highly Recommended
Playwrights: Ben Auxier and L.C. Bernadine | Director: Spencer Huffman
Cast: Alexander Attea, Ben Auxier, Gabriel Fries, Olivia Lindsay, Lydia Moss
Publicity photo by George Hudson
Ticket and information at bit.ly/seamusthing
On the heels of the success of The Beatles and Rolling Stones, another group of four working-class lads from the outskirts of London called The Kinks made their mark on the history of Rock and Roll. This energetic jukebox musical, “Sunny Afternoon,” enjoying its North …
The Winter’s Tale at Invictus Theatre is a story of reproach, remorse and reconciliation. This Shakespeare play directed by Charles Askenaizer has something for everyone. It is both tragedy and romantic comedy with sorrow, absurdity, mirth and fantasy. The adept Invictus Theatre Company demonstrates that …
Puccini’s popular opera La Bohème at Lyric Opera of Chicago is a story of youth, passion, love and loss where idealism comes face-to-face with life’s realities such as poverty, illness and death.
Yes, this is the opera where the young lady with the bad cough dies at the end. Puccini’s classic has often been spoofed, and is the inspiration for the popular rock musical RENT.
In this production of La Bohème directed by Chicago native Melanie Bacaling at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Maestro Jordan de Souza conducts tenor Pene Pati (Rodolfo) in his Lyric debut, with Ailyn Perez, soprano (Mimì), Gabriella Reyes, soprano (Musetta), Will Liverman (Marcello), Peixin Chen (Colline), Ian Rucker (Schaunard), Levi Hernandez (Benoit & Alcindoro), Travon D. Walker (Parpignol), Uniting Voices Chicago, and the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus.
“La Bohème” at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, through April 12, 2025. Sung in Italian with easy-to-follow English translation projected above the stage. Running time is 2 ½ hours with one intermission. For tickets and other information call (312) 827-5600 or visit LyricOpera.org/boheme
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New podcast subscriber. Graphic designer and illustrator, Lisa Danielson works digitally and manually including hand lettering with paint markers on chalkboard.You can learn more about her work at www.behance.net/lisa-danielson
Looking to make music of your own? Visit LakeShoreMusicStudio.com
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