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How And Then We Danced changed a nation
Levan Akin’s latest feature makes history for LGBTQ+ visibility in Georgia. It is a testament to the power of art when a fictional film can change how an entire country addresses LGBTQ+ rights. Such...
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Madama Butterfly is the ultimate bad date story
"Honor incarnate" meets a dirtbag in Puccini's opera, with tragic results. A Letter from Butterfly Dear Chicago Reader:…
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The Boys in the Band returns for the first time in decades to Chicago
The action in Mart Crowley's landmark gay play surrounds the audience at Windy City Playhouse. The Boys in the Band is a groundbreaking work in American theater history. Windy City Playhouse's superb...
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Adaptation is retro fun
Theatre Above the Law produces an Elaine May deep cut. The Boys in the Band at Windy City Playhouse isn't the only 1960s counterculture show in town. Theatre Above the Law's current staging of Elaine...
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Alabaster brings two women together in the aftermath of loss
Audrey Cefaly's story of a photographer and an agoraphobe goes far beyond Madison County. Audrey Cefaly's new play, receiving its world premiere at 16th Street Theater as part of the National New Play...
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A new adaptation brings contemporary verve to A Doll's House
Two standout performances anchor Raven's production of the Ibsen classic. In the Chicago premiere of this Henrik Ibsen adaptation, Raven Theatre and director Lauren Shouse create masterful...
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Roan @ the Gates traces the consequences of whistleblowing
American Blues Theater takes a page from the Edward Snowden story in its latest."You're a traitor to me." Everything about Roan @ the Gates, the magnificent show by playwright Christina Telesca...
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Andersonville’s Little Madrid has tapas where you least expect them
A native Madrileno knows how it’s done. Francisco Bolanos wouldn't tell me how he makes the smoky salsa brava he dresses his fried potatoes with. Over the phone he told me it's a "family secret,"...
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Freedom Ride gives voice to an important chapter in American history
Chicago Opera Theater's exploration of the civil rights movement traces one fictional woman's journey. Dan Shore started working on his one-act opera, Freedom Ride, nine years ago. It was the 50th...
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Mako Sica headline a showcase of challenging homegrown experimental music
Since it opened two years ago, Sleeping Village has become a hub for some of the city’s best (and most affordable) local shows. A fine example is this concert, headlined by Chicago underground...
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Polish death-metal legends Vader return, proving you can’t keep a bad Sith...
Polish death-metal legends Vader have seen many major world changes in their 35 years as a band, some of which have directly impacted their career. Following the fall of the Iron Curtain in the early...
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Dorian Electra’s Flamboyant is an ode to being extra
With their ruffled shirts, baggy Tripp pants, and signature painted-on mustache, Dorian Electra always look like they’re ready for a goth meetup at the Renaissance Faire. The nonbinary pop star is all...
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Musa Reems and David Ashley bolster the lineup for one of the winter’s best...
Chicago rapper-singer Rich Jones brought his multigenerational monthly hip-hop series All Smiles to a close in April 2019, but its spirit lives on at this Subterranean show he’s headlining. The bill...
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Amalea Tshilds’s new Love on the Ground turns French poetry into harmony-rich...
Amalea Tshilds is a familiar face to anyone who’s ever enjoyed a meal at Logan Square’s beloved Lula Cafe, but in the past few years she’s also raised her profile as a singer-songwriter. It’s a...
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Even winter is outdoor concert season at Music Frozen Dancing
Chicago has grown into a full-on hub for summer music festivals. We’re home to some of the biggest and most beloved fests on the planet, and every weekend from late spring to early fall you can find...
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Chicago’s Mountains for Clouds bring an aged touch to the new emo ecosystem
In 2013 mathy Chicago emo band Mountains for Clouds dropped their debut album, Maybe It's Already Everywhere, just as the scene underwent major changes. Fourth-wave emo was on the rise, and went on to...
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Indie children’s musician Justin Roberts reflects on his newfound fatherhood...
Since 1997, Evanston indie rocker Justin Roberts has built a deep discography of children’s music that treats listeners of all ages with respect. He first got an inkling that he wanted to make...
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Oren Ambarchi and Crys Cole open the Frequency Festival with entrancing sound...
Sound artists Oren Ambarchi and Crys Cole have both had thrilling careers. Ambarchi has run experimental label Black Truffle for more than a decade, and he’s collaborated with a wide array of...
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Jacob Wick’s trumpet playing proposes some queer notions
Trumpeter Jacob Wick grew up in the Chicago area and now lives in Mexico City. Like his contemporaries Birgit Ulher, Peter Evans, Axel Dörner, and Nate Wooley, he employs extended techniques that...
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Man or Astro-Man? go surfing in outer space
There’s a difference between surf and instrumental rock—not every rock ’n’ roll tune without a vocal is surf. The likes of Duane Eddy, Link Wray, and even Booker T. & the MGs have all been...
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