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You will want to make a note that Lizzie Borden is coming to town. The fabled axe madam herself, known for a (disputed) total of 81 combined whacks, will have her story retold by a new professional theatre company making its debut with the Chicago premiere of LIZZIE at the Den Theatre. Stay tuned for more about the show ... but first, Firebrand! Chop! Chop!
Read MoreFirebrand Theatre is preparing for their inaugural production of LIZZIE at the Den Theatre in November. In June, we spoke with Co-Founder & Artistic Director Harmony France as plans were just getting underway.
Read MoreAccording to Tom Dreesen, there's one essential rule for stand-up comedy: be funny. He's quick to add something he learned from Sammy Davis Jr. -- you can't make everyone love you -- which he says, particularly applies to comedians. And, if you are thinking about writing jokes, it helps to know that the setup line has to hide the punchline, that there are no "victimless" jokes, and, according to Mort Sahl, someone is always wrong.
Read MoreA big week with comedian Tom Dreesen who joined us for a fascinating look back at the early days of the Tim and Tom show and a conversation about the finer points of developing a stand-up routine during a recent visit.
Read MoreAs The Joffrey Ballet introduces its 2017/18 season opening with the premiere of Giselle on October 18th, our FTA this week is a memorable conversation with Artistic Director Ashley Wheater this spring. If you did not experience Christopher Wheeldon’s re-imagined The Nutcracker last year, make a reservation today. The Nutcracker returns December 1st.
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When I was growing up in rural Vermont in the early 60's, we had a party line telephone system. Our unique ring was one short and one long, the cue that someone had dialed our number and it was our turn to talk on the line. If you tried to call in when someone was on the phone, you got a busy signal. If you tried to call out, you would sometimes interrupt whoever was talking at the time. Most days, things worked pretty well.
Read MoreIt is a BIG week coming up in and around Chicago for festivals, garden walks, movies and Shakespeare in the Park and some high-flying excitement – namely, Cirque Du Soliel’s Luzia opening July 21st at the United Center.
Read MorePreviews begin this weekend for the Grippo Stage Company's revival of long-time Chicago playwright and actor James Sherman's God Of Issac at the Piven Theatre at Noyes Cultural Arts Center in Evanston. The semi-autobiographical piece centers around a young American Jew searching for his Jewish identity following the threatened 1977 neo-Nazi march in Skokie.
Read MoreFTA CONVERSATIONS with Robert Sims and James Sherman are featured this week along with summertime Chicago events of interest.
Read MoreIf not for a comment by Walter Matthau on the set of Dennis the Menace, Randall Newsome might well be still behind the camera.
Read MoreIn case you were wondering, David Catlin actually grew up in Pittsburgh. At last report, no whales have been sighted in the Ohio River, but that did not deter Catlin’s lifelong fascination with water, the ocean, or, otherwise affect his extraordinary gift for storytelling, all of which intersect in the Lookingglass Theatre’s magnificent production of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.
Read MoreCelebrate the Fourth of July with CONVERSATIONS this week that will fill your heart and stir your soul. And if all else fails, there is always gin!
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