The artistic director of a theater company is like the captain of a ship. A captain can’t do everything but must be sure everything gets done. Tasks include overseeing the budget, choosing the repertoire, hiring actors, set designers, costumers and directors. The men at the helm of two important North Shore theaters—BJ Jones, now in […]
You don’t have to buy the hottest ticket in town this weekend—it’s free.
When Janet Louer and I first created a young actor’s Repertory Company at The Actors Training Center (ATC) it was a way to offset costs.
They are “Puttin’ on the Ritz” at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, and Frankenstein’s monster never looked better. The national tour of the Mel Brooks musical “Young Frankenstein” is hanging out in that gloomy castle in Transylvania Heights through Dec. 13, and all the old familiar pals from Brooks’s 1974 film comedy are there […]
Theater wonks prone to grousing over venues, contracts, subscriber bases or other foibles needn’t bother including Fred Anzevino in their gripefests. He doesn’t have the time. Because Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s artistic director is too busy discovering and fostering new talent, creating artistic community, directing, hawking tickets, laughing and secretly planning his next masterpiece to […]
Chicagoland fans of both college basketball and musical theater know Wichita State is not the only team to enjoy an undefeated regular season. Aurora’s Paramount Theatre completes its own 2013-14 perfect campaign with its absolutely spectacular production of “Rent,” following the equally triumphant trio of “In the Heights,” “Miss Saigon” and “42nd Street.” And know […]
Yelpers, you need to relax. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: When you go to a restaurant in the first week after they open, you can’t be surprised that there are glitches. Unless a restaurant has the luxury of a soft open—and even then—there will be service issues. There will be kitchen mishaps. […]
Director Jessica Thebus is a Chicago theatrical community lifer as well as a life-long North Side/North Shore resident. Thebus grew up in the Piven Workshop with John and Joan Cusack, Jeremy Piven and Sarah Ruhl; earned a Doctorate in Performance Studies from Northwestern, where she is now on the faculty; and has worked extensively with […]
On March 5, the guy sitting “midcourt,” row 16, says to his wife, “105 to 94 with 58 seconds left.” “It’s impossible. They’ll never win now,” she answers. “Certainly not very likely,” he agrees One would think this pair was cheering on the Bulls at the UC or Northwestern’s Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Instead, this […]
The James Beard award-winning pair of Paul Kahan and Donnie Madia is a formidable one; their One Off Hospitality Group has managed to crack the code on exactly what makes a restaurant great—and what makes it sizzle. Their newest effort, Nico Osteria at the Thompson Hotel, follows that blueprint. Compelling design? Yes. Well-curated menu filled […]
