Chicago Lifestyle Podcast & Video Blog
“Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” is the best musical I have seen in years. Opening night was one to remember. John Berendt, the author of the best-selling book, was on hand for the curtain call and to see this new musical version …
When you cannot adequately express yourself with the nuance and clarity of a native speaker, people do not know that you are actually smart, funny, and kind. Instead, they only hear your imperfect pronunciation and limited vocabulary. You may be easily assumed to be inferior …
In this “Cracking the Code of Spy Movies” podcast, Raymond Benson (author of 12 post Ian Fleming, James Bond books) joins Spy Movie Navigator hosts, Dan Silvestri and Tom Pizzatto in an enthusiastic conversation with John Morris Russell (a/k/a JMR), conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, about his upcoming appearence conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a program of Bond movie music. The event dubbed “Shaken Not Stirred” will be a fundraiser for the CSO Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
JMR and the CSO will be joined at the event by Broadway star and vocal powerhouse Capathia Jenkins in this salute to the notorious secret agent.
This fun roughly 30 minute podcast with get you excited about hearing the music behind the most icon spy genre films of the 20th Century written by some of the most iconic film composers of the era.
Author Benson who is also a pianist tell about playing the music of John Barry for the composer himself.
JMR talks about what to expect in this concert and how it all came together.
Raymond Benson understands James Bond, Maestro John Morris Russell understands film scores, and Dan and Tom understand what audiences want to know about spy movies. So take a listen to get ready for what is sure to be one of the most talked about musical events of the summer.
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. In this podcast we do a quick overview of some of some ways you can experience the Eastern Asian, South Asian, South-East Asian, Central Asian, Western Asian …
Comedy in May. Reno Lovison reviews Judgment Day. “This world premiere comedy is a thought provoking and thoroughly entertaining production with several guaranteed laugh-out-loud moments.” Also a restaurant review of Offshore Rooftop Bar at Navy Pier. Purported to be the nation’s largest rooftop venue. Excerpt …
PODCAST THEATER REVIEW by RENO LOVISON
In this musical comedy, three overworked, underpaid and unappreciated 1970’s era office secretaries seize the opportunity to kidnap and blackmail their domineering misogynist male boss in an effort to change the power dynamic and improve their working environment.
The point being made is that women are an integral part of the workplace, capable of higher order thinking and not simply flesh and blood machinery.
It may be difficult for some younger people today to consider how prevalent this thinking was prior to the 1980s and that the glass ceiling for women was very real.
9 to 5: The Musical is at the Metropolis on 111 W. Campbell Street in Arlington Heights, IL through May 26, 2024. Runtime is about 2 hours with one intermission. For tickets and information visit metropolisarts.com or call (847)577-2121.
Podcast also includes a restaurant review of Peggy Kinane’s, our pre-show dinner choice.
Cast: Janelle Sanabria, Melissa Crabtree, Savannah Sinclair, David Gordon- Johnson, Dani Goldberg.
Directed by Landree Fleming. Musical Director Harper Caruso. Scenic Design Eleanor Kahn.
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 …
A podcast interview with Mark and Sarah Good Mosley the co-directors of the Windy City Winds Chicago community orchestra. They share segments from a few of the band’s recordings, talk with Reno Lovison about music and their life, then enjoy a little Chicago music trivia. …
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 performed by Idle Muse at the Edge Theater. Also a few shoutouts to some northside Chicago restaurants.
Some mentions included:
Lyric Opera of Chicago – Chicago Symphony – Windy City Winds
Chicago History Museum – Museum of Science & Industry
Flyover Attraction at Navy Pier
Edge Theater – Mercury Theater
What the Weird Sisters Saw – Jersey Boys – Aida – Mozart Requiem
Exhibits : CPS History Fair – Back Home Chicago’s Polish Immigrants – 007 Science of James Bond – Mr. Kelly’s
People: Rikki Lee Travolta – Evan Jackson – Mark & Sarah Mosely – Brian Chang – John Yeh – Dominic Pacyga
Restaurants: Italian Village – Orso’s – Riccardo’s Trattoria – Third Coast – Bodega Sur – Jibek Jolu
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 …
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 Stella.
We are happy to share some of Rikki’s theater centric content here at Chicago Broadcasting Network. Though we like to stay within the Chicago city limits as much as possible. The Paramount Theatre is an important regional theater and “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams is an American classic.
“It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” is available at Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
For tickets to “A Streetcar Named Desire” contact the Paramount Theatre box office at (630) 896-6666 or visit www.ParamountAurora.com.
Photo: Amy Nelson