Chicago Lifestyle Podcast & Video Blog
Horace Vandergelder meets his match in the person of Dolly Levi in the Marriott Lincolnshire production of “Hello Dolly.” The popular Jerry Herman musical based on Thornton Wilder’s hit play “The Matchmaker” is a perfect wedding of story and music. No doubt the original 1964 …
The music of Regina Harris Baiocchi performed by the Six degrees Jazz Ensemble was the opening act for the 2022 Chicago Jazz Festival. Baiocchi dubbed this a performance of love and peace. This video produced by Chicago Broadcasting Network Executive Producer Reno Lovison includes a …
I had a little melodramatic fun with this review/announcement of the world premiere hybrid radio drama, Orson Welles’ Dracula onstage at the Raven Theatre, at Clark & Granville through September 25, 2022.
The Glass Apple Theatre cast includes: Andrew Bosworth as Dracula . . . with Connor Brennan, Chris Jensen, Madeline Logan, Sam Martin, Katie O’Neill and Howard Raik.
Ticket information is available at glassappletheatre.com
Note: Music and sound effects are the fabrication of podcast host / editor Reno Lovison and not that of the theater producers who likely have a much higher artistic standard.
Update: We are reposting this article in memory of Stann Champion (born Stanley Higgins) May 16,1952 – August 16, 2022. Elixir Strings Proudly Announces the selection of Chicago Award Winning Culture Music Legend Stann Champion for Elixir’s, “Endorsing Artist Program” for 2019. Based in Chicago, …
This episode of our podcast is a remix of an earlier interview conducted by Chicago based journalist Brett Stewart recorded with Blues authority Bill Dahl, feature writer for the Chicago Tribune, radio broadcaster and author of the books , “Motown the Golden Years” and more …
“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 the time of this writing it’s available to view through Apple TV.
Written and directed by Minhal Baig, born and raised in Roger’s Park, the film is inspired by her life experiences growing up in a Muslim family while attending Northside College Prep in the North Park neighborhood.
Seventeen year-old Hala Masood (Geraldine Viswanathan) is a Pakistani American Muslim girl struggling to navigate high school, hormones, and harmony within her home. Her sexual awakenings have her laser focused on Jesse, (Jack Kilmer) a non-Muslim boy in her school, bringing her into direct conflict with her family and the cultural dictates of her ethnic community.
The film location makes this story of particular interest, from a Chicago perspective, to those of us who know and understand this neighborhood.
Also look for Chicago native Anna Chlumsky who is perhaps best known for her juvenile role as Vada Sultenfuss opposite McCauly Culkin in the 1991 film My Girl. After a hiatus from acting, to study International Studies at University of Chicago, Chlumsky has returned to TV and film, and is here all grown up, giving us one more Chicago connection.
“Hala” is definitely worth the viewing for both the sensitive and well told story as well as its distinctive Chicago vibe. (Listen to the entire podcast review and please like, share and subscribe.)
Chicago native produces documentary, “Searching for Mr. Rugoff” If you are a fan of indie films, an aspiring filmmaker, or a movie industry insider you might have a particular interest in “Searching for Mr. Rugoff” a documentary film about the man whose professional business decisions …
I got a sneak preview of “Belfast” which was one of the highlights of the 57th Chicago International Film Festival. This podcast includes my review followed by some pre-movie comments from the writer/director Sir Kenneth Branaugh who was present to introduce his semi-autobiographical film and …
Connie Wilson talks about the film “Passing” and chats with director Rebecca Hall (Christine, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) on the red carpet at The 57th Chicago International Film Festival.
Update: I finally got around to actually seeing the film “Passing” on Netflix over the 2022 New Year holiday and found it oblique and somewhat over stylized. The story set in the 1920s about a black woman who “passes” for white is compelling but I never really got around to caring that much about the characters. I’ve known a few people who could easily “pass” and just didn’t believe either of these two might actually pull it off. Rebecca Hall should have cast herself but I think she was afraid of going “too white.” Anyway that is a minor detail. The acting was a bit introspective for my tastes. The costumes were very good and the story was “enjoyable” enough but I would not travel far to see this. If you have Netflix and the subject matter is intriguing then check it out.
You can read Connie Wilson’s more extensive review here.
Rebecca Hall was recently featured on an episode of “Finding Your Roots” which was far more interesting and certainly enlightening for her as she discovers more insights into her own family background.
“Oscar Micheaux -The Superhero of Black Film Making” is a useful contribution to the library of Black History subjects placing Micheaux into the pantheon of individuals who contributed to the rise of twentieth century African American culture and ultimately, in a more “woke” sense, to …
The 57th Annual Chicago Film Festival brought together two interestingly similar subjects, Mayor Harold Washington who became Chicago’s first African American mayor and Mayor Pete Buttigieg who was the mayor of nearby South Bend, Indiana who went on to become the first openly gay candidate …
Pre-opening preview review of “Broadcast Signal Intrusion” with Harry Shum.Jr. (Crazy Rich Asians) inspired by a true Chicago mystery. Also capsule reviews of SHORTS 1, a collection of 8 short subjects produced by filmmakers with ties to the Chicago area. Featuring works Winning in America, Close Ties to Home Country, Sink, Monochromatic Dreams, Get Well Soon, Speck of Dust, By the Time I Reach Him, and The Year I Went Looking for Birds by Amrita Singh, Akanksha Cruczynski, Curtis Matzke, Ashley Thompson, Simo Ezoubeiri, Kristen Butile, JP Olsen, Brian Zahm, Meg Walsh, and Danny Carroll.