Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Saturday, April 20
September marks a special time for the visual arts in Chicago. It is the annual kick-off to what is known as the art season. Out of the many art happenings that took place this month, Art on Track might possibly be one of the most anticipated annual events. It is an intriguing combination of site-specific installations on one of the Orange Line CTA train cars circling the loop.
— A/C
— Kelly Reaves
One of the oldest cliches in film criticism is the classic adage "You'll laugh, you'll cry." I'm pretty certain I've never used that expression in my career... until now, because there is truly no better way to describe the cancer comedy 50/50, based on small doses of the experiences of screenwriter Will Reiser, a TV writer and producer who was diagnosed with cancer when he was still in his 20s, and also happened to be good friends with Seth Rogen, who co-stars in the film as the lead character's best friend. What are the odds?
— Steve Prokopy
Angel Otero, who studied at SAIC and is now living and working in NYC, has returned to show an amazing selection of paintings at the Kavi Gupta Gallery.
Angel has invented a process of painting on glass, removing the paintings and adhering them to canvas. The show is up through Nov. 12 and definitely worth a visit.
— MartinJon / Comments (1)
Summer and Smoke is a somewhat lesser known play by the great Tennessee Williams. Although it may not have the clout of, say, Streetcar Named Desire, I learned last Friday that it is a phenomenally deep and layered piece which leaves the audience stunned by talent of the two leads, Josh Odor and Eve Rydberg, who star as John and Alma.
The play is emotionally wrought, passionate and deeply expressed through Rydberg and Odor's connection. Both actors have become immersed in their roles: Alma, a woman who never concedes to her passions, and John, a man, who can do anything but. True to form, the greatest loves are the most difficult to get off the ground, and Alma and John spend on hot summer navigating their relationship through highs and lows. It's truly a heartbreaking and deeply emotional bond, which is built effectively through detailed direction and deliberate spatial organization of the set.
The Den, which performs the play through October every Friday night at 8pm, has in the past offered Chicago the gem Bus Stop, which opened to wonderful reviews and left an impressive mark for a freshman performance. In this sophomore attempt, it's clear that this theatre house is going to be a force to reckon with.
— Katie Richardson / Comments (1)
The 2011-2012 theater season kicks off in a big way for the Black Ensemble Theater; in addition to celebrating 35 years of musical stage plays, the theater company will also celebrate the highly-anticipated grand opening of the new Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street, on November 18.
For Jackie Taylor, the new facility is not only a milestone, but is also an opportunity to broaden the Black Ensemble audience as well as its theater education projects. "The new building will allow us to expand our audiences and pursue our educational efforts, while our shows will remain true to the Black Ensemble style, delivering 'feel good' stories with outstanding music," said Taylor, the theater's founder and executive director.
— LaShawn Williams
Meeting of Styles (MOS) is an annual meet-up of graffiti writers and aficionados. Artists are invited and assigned to an area on stretches of wall space. Public focus is emphasized at the main wall called the "Wall of Style" located at 30th and Kedzie Avenue. The remaining permissioned wall locations are segmented in general proximity to the Wall of Style. To get a good perspective about the event and it's general history, graff writer and organizer of Meeting of Styles (MOS) Đmn ÔloǤy chatted it up with me regarding his experience and involvement with the event and graffiti writing culture. In addition to speaking with the organizer, two former participants provided a better understanding about their experiences with participating in past MOS events.
Nicolette Caldwell: How many times have you participated in MOS?
Đmn ÔloǤy: Well, since I am one of the organizers, I have been involved since the inception of Chi MOS, starting in 2003, 7 times... but I have also participated in several MOS outside of Chicago, in Germany, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area.
— A/C
Get a head start on Chicago Artist Month this weekend with the kickoff event -- the Ravenswood Art Walk, which will feature the work of over 200 local artists, including over 40 open studios. This opening night event this Friday will also include live performances and some damn good food by some of Ravenswood's best restaurants.
The Friday night event will kickoff at 7pm in and around the Ravenswood Event Center (4011 N. Ravenswood), with ample spillage out into the street (Ravenswood Ave. itself will be shut down between Montrose and Sunnyside for a street fair)(Stop by the GB booth!). The fun won't stop Friday, though, so make sure to stop by on Saturday and/or Sunday for more festivities. Bring the kids. Details here. MORE details, including a schedule of performances, can be found here. Click here for a map. Best of all, admission is FREE!
— Kelly Reaves
By Darryl Holliday. Illustrated by Erik Nelson Rodriguez.
We consider it a sort of genre-bending -- journalistic reporting with comic books. Graphic journalism.
Our first story follows one Chicago woman through her marriage at the Cook County courthouse to her fiancé, an inmate at the county jail who will eventually be tried for first-degree murder. His next court date is Oct. 13, 2011.
All illustrations and narrative are pulled from a flow of events during this year's annual Department of Corrections ceremonies. All of the words spoken by people in this story are actual words spoken by actual people. Everything else is up for interpretation.
Click on the icon at the bottom right corner of the slideshow to view full screen.
This feature is supported in part by a Community News Matters grant from The Chicago Community Trust and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. More information here.
— A/C / Comments (12)
The hotly debated R and G words are taken by the horns in this candid and confrontational two-act play by Bruce Norris.
Set in 1959 in the fictional Chicago neighborhood of Clybourne Park, first introduced to us in A Raisin in the Sun, the first act picks up where Raisin left off, introducing us to the white family who is moving out of their house -- the house that The Youngers in Raisin are so looking forward to moving into.
— Kelly Reaves
Sitting in the audience of Jimmy Carrane's show, Improv Nerd, put me in the mind of a talk show taping, minus having to drag my ass to New York or L.A. and stand in line for hours making small talk with a bunch of tourists. Carrane, known for his work on WBEZ's Eight Forty-Eight, is a Chicago improv veteran. His credits include: The Annoyance Theater, where he is a founding member; the improv troup Armando at the IO; and several one man shows. He is a certified improv nerd, and in this interview-style show he brings a different Chicago improv icon onto the stage of the recently renovated Stage 773 Black Box theater each week.
Sunday's guest was Second City alum Susan Messing, who's show, Messing With a Friend, runs every Thursday night at 10:30pm at the Annoyance Theater. Carrane warmed up the audience of about 30 people with a brief monologue about why he is still friends with a man he calls "Shitty Dave," followed by an interview with Messing, with topics of conversation ranging from the show Co-Ed Prison Sluts , which Messing started in 1988, to her unsuccessful audition for SNL, to parenthood.
— J.H. Palmer
Tuesday, September 20, Cheetah Gym--Andersonville
— Mark Addison Smith / Comments (1)
Get ready to "ease on down...King Drive," for The Wiz, Chicago Style, a Chicago-centric version of the legendary Tony Award-winning musical, The Wiz, later turned into the cult classic feature film that starred Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
Of course, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man are still around, but in this Windy City adaptation, Chicago staples including The Jesse White Tumblers and Chicago "Style" Steppers are also part of the show, with a special surprise guest as "The Wiz."
Catch the encore performance of The Wiz, Chicago Style at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Dr., Friday, Sept. 30 at 7pm. Tickets are $20-$25 and are available at the box office; for more information, call 312-835-1878 or email mtcproduction@yahoo.com.
— LaShawn Williams
Sphinx Virtuosi
The world renowned Sphinx Virtuosi (formerly Sphinx Chamber Orchestra), an organization that promotes cultural diversity for young classical musicians and is comprised of top Latino and African-American string players, returns to Chicago for a one-time performance at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance.
This special program, presented in collaboration with the Music Institute of Chicago and featuring the Catalyst Quartet, will feature solo performances by two teen musicians--both products of the Music Institute of Chicago--violinist Alexandra Switala and cellist Gabriel Cabezas.
Join Sphinx Virtuosi as they celebrate 15 years of promoting diversity for youth in classical music on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 3pm at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph; tickets are only $10 and are available at the box office or online. For more information, call 312-334-7777.
— LaShawn Williams
On a sunny afternoon early in September, I drove to the Humboldt Park studio home of Chicago artist Lauren Levato. We drank coffee with chocolate, smoked cigarettes on her back patio, and spoke at length about her work. I first became acquainted with Levato through our mutual friend, Chicago artist and provocateur Tony Fitzpatrick, for whom she works as a Girl Friday. Diligent, focused and at times hard-boiled, Levato has been a fixture of Fitzpatrick projects ranging from stage plays to trade booths at art fairs, including (full disclosure) the Art Brooklyn fair I organized this past March. After trading emails and Facebook messages about writing and art, it became clear there was a story to tell, and so we took Briefing Room along to get it all on tape. (scroll down to end for image credits)
Let's talk about the ideas behind your work, and some of your history. I know you do a lot of writing too, and I wanted to discuss that and how you got into the visual work you're doing through that. The historical development, how it all got started.
I started working at Woman Made gallery when I was in undergrad at Purdue and I would work there as I could doing art handling and PR. I was pursuing a writing degree, and was working for local papers as a stringer immediately out of high school in '96 and was a reporter and editor until 2006. I'd always been interested in visual art, and Woman Made just made sense because I was also getting a degree in Women's Studies. So, I am just one of those people who does a lot of different things at once, holding down three jobs or whatever. I'm from Hobart, Indiana and the state has a great program, being the daughter of a disabled vet, they paid 75% of my tuition if I stayed in-state, so that's how I ended up at Purdue. They had a professional writing program and being a Midwesterner through and through, I was like "How do I do this practically?" meaning, how do I make money?
— Michael Workman / Comments (3)
Garfunkel and Oates, who may be best known for the youtube sensation Pregnant Women Are Smug, will be performing their musical comedy at Chicago's Mayne Stage Theater on September 30 and October 1. I recently had the opportunity to spend a few minutes on the phone with Riki Lindholm, or as her fans know her, Garfunkel.
— Nellie Huggins
— Kelly Reaves
Perhaps more than any other sport in existence, baseball is the one Americans love to romanticize in film, and hours have been spent analyzing why, so I won't add to the discussion except to say that I think it has something to do with the pace of play. There's a lot of time to think both on the field and in the stands, and with that extra time habits are born, superstitions are invented, and rituals take shape. And although I wouldn't call myself a baseball fan, it is the sport that I attend more than any other in a given year — more a product of living 10 minutes (on foot) from Wrigley Field, one of the oldest ballparks in existence.
And because fans are as attached as players to the ritualistic and meditative ways of baseball, as well as the utterly bizarre methods by which scouts seek out new blood for their teams with a formula of accomplishments and "intangibles" (as they are called in this film), I can clearly understand why anyone coming into the sport with a computer and absolutely no regard for how much personality a player might have could be deemed a threat to everything the game is about. And that's exactly how Oakland A's general manager Bill Beane was perceived when he brought in experts on Sabermetrics to rebuild his team from the ground up.
— Steve Prokopy
For many, the '70s sitcom "Good Times" is seen as the standard when it comes to showcasing life in Chicago's public housing projects; for Shepsu Aakhu, the story is deeper, richer--and untold. Here, the playwright and MPAACT Executive Director discusses Speaking in Tongues: The Chronicles of Babel, and its mission to tell an authentic tale of life in public housing.
A play about life in a public housing project is not something often heard about; how did you get the idea to write Speaking in Tongues: The Chronicles of Babel?
We [MPAACT] do plays about black life and its myriad of representation. The joy for me with this play is that these are really my own family stories.
So the play then, centers on your real-life family that grew up in housing projects.
Yes--these are my family stories. I have two aunts that lived in buildings that faced each other and having gone to Holy Angels, I spent an enormous amount of time in the projects with them.
— LaShawn Williams
It's hard to think of the cheesy, goofy Three's Company as groundbreaking television, but when it comes to cast changes, the show went where no sitcom had gone before. Everyone knows the three roommates were Jack, Janet, and Chrissy. But when Suzanne Somers left the show after a now-infamous salary dispute, Three's Company went on without a Chrissy...for four entire seasons.
First, Chrissy's cousin Cindy took her place for most of season five. Then Terri, the sexy nurse, stepped in for seasons 6-8. And of course, when new landlord Mr. Furley (played by Don Knotts) replaced the warring Mr. and Mrs. Roper, he carried on the misconception that Jack was gay -- otherwise, his living with two ladies would be scandalous! Nowadays, the idea of one guy and two girls as roommates seems like no biggie...maybe Three's Company was groundbreaking television after all.
Check out #2: Ladies of Cheers
— Marissa Flaxbart
I recently spoke with Robert Buscemi, who is best known for his offbeat standup as well as the many characters that he showcased on the local hit game-show, Don't Spit The Water. Buscemi is returning home to Chicago next Sunday, Oct. 2 for his one-night-only show at The Annoyance Theater. Here is what he had to say about it.
Welcome back to Chicago. How does it feel to be performing on the old stomping grounds?
Great. I love seeing who the cool new stand-up kids are, what the new hot shows are, and seeing some old friends whose talents and experience are paying off. And I love hitting the Annoyance again, which is the coolest comedy venue in America. And hitting Chicago Underground Comedy at The Beat Kitchen is like coming home.
— Nellie Huggins
Birth control commercials are the worst. It's bad enough that birth control is a culprit behind hormonal outbursts, weight gain, breast tenderness, and blood clots amongst its users, but to add insult to injury, birth control commercials are often packaged as saccharine sweet, sexist ads that treat women as though they're too delicate to handle a straightforward birth control commercial. But the silver lining of the birth control commercial rain cloud is that it provides plenty of fodder for comedians to tackle.
Some of the talented women at Second City recently put together a hilarious commercial for the Birth Control Ninja, what could very possibly be the next advancement in birth control technology. The prospect of having a tiny ninja in your cervix is actually slightly less unnerving than the prospect of having a birth control-induced stroke!
— Dyan Flores / Comments (3)
A pair of upcoming screenings of classic movies at the Music Box Theater will feature directors talking about the films -- though not necessarily the directors of the films being shown.
On Wednesday, Oct. 5, The A.V. Club presents Wet Hot American Summer as part of its New Cult Canon film series. Co-writer/director David Wain will join A.V. Club critic Scott Tobias to discuss the film's legacy on its 10th anniversary. Tickets are $10 in advance, $13 at the door if they're available.
On Saturday, Oct. 8, author Susan Orlean comes to the Music Box to promote her new book, Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, and takes the opportunity to also screen and discuss Adaptation, based on her book The Orchid Thief as well as a classic Rin Tin Tin film, Clash of the Wolves. Adaptation plays at 2pm and costs $10, while the Rin Tin Tin event will cost you $12 -- $35 if you want a copy of the book. You can do a double feature for $17 ($40 with the book).
Lastly, on Sunday, Oct. 16, Robert K. Elder, author of The Film That Changed My Life: 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark, brings filmmaker Kimberly Peirce to the theater to talk about the movie that drew her to cinema, The Godfather. Elder and Peirce will do a Q&A and sign books after the screening. Tickets for the 3pm screening are $18, or $32 if you'd like to throw in a copy of the book. If you're interested, you can also turn the evening into a double feature with Peirce's own Boys Don't Cry at 8pm for an extra $3.
— Andrew Huff
The look of the Mercury Theater last night set the mood for the mid 1960's in the south: a framed photo of LBJ rested on the table next to the press packets; the set included two televisions simultaneously rolling archival footage of the march on Selma and other iconic moments in the civil rights movement; and ambient bus station sounds filled the theater, including an old timey ring tone which I initially mistook for my cell phone.
I generally keep from reading other reviews of plays and musicals that I've been assigned to cover, not because I think I'm so unbelievably proficient in the art of writing reviews, but because it's easy for me to second guess my own opinion and I don't want to open myself to influence that might change the language and opinions I express in my own review. The last time I saw a Bailiwick production I was so blown away by it that I wanted to pay for my own ticket and see it again, so I was confused by my not-so-hot reaction to Violet, and felt I had to do some research. After all, this musical has won awards.
— J.H. Palmer
When everything changes on one of TV's most popular shows, it can be pretty harrowing.
That's what happened when Shelley Long left Cheers, putting an abrupt end to the show's primary continuous plotline -- Diane and Sam's tumultuous romance. Rather than create a Diane Redux, the show's producers introduced the sweeter, much less self-assured Rebecca (Kirstie Alley). Most of the show's old fans were won over, and some hold-outs who were turned off by the haughty Diane became Cheers converts.
Those of you who watched Monday's premiere of Two and Half Men will recognize this "let's make the new character nicer" tactic in the swap from Charlie Harper to Ashton Kutcher's Walden Schmidt. The show is no doubt hoping their big twist will be blessed with the same success it brought the Rebecca-era Cheers.
Check out #3: Bewitched's Great Darrin Swap
— Marissa Flaxbart
When it comes to cast changes, it doesn't get ballsier than just replacing an actor and acting like nothing happened. That's what went down on Bewitched when Dick York, who played Samantha's husband Darrin, was in poor health and replaced by Dick Sargent as...Samantha's husband Darrin. In the immortal words of Wayne Campbell, "Shyeah, right, as if we wouldn't notice! Oh hold on: Dick York, Dick Sargent, Sergeant York... Wow, that's weird."
Check out #4: Roseanne
— Marissa Flaxbart
The saga of Becky, the slightly dopey eldest child of Dan and Roseanne Conner, Becky was played by Evanston-born Lecy Goranson until season five, when Goranson left the show to go to college. She was replaced by Sarah Chalke, now of Scrubs fame, until season eight, when Goranson returned.
Except when she didn't. Sometimes, if Goranson wasn't available, Chalke would fill in. The Becky-Switching was a kind of running joke on the show, until producers decided to keep going for a ninth season, Chalke returned full-time, and the self-referential casting jokes stopped.
Check out #5: The Office
— Marissa Flaxbart
Lynn Nottage, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Broadway favorite, is known for writing thought-provoking plays about African women and the African-American experience. Here, Phyllis Griffin, Associate Professor at the Theatre School at DePaul University, discusses directing Nottage's Intimate Apparel and why it was chosen to kick off the school's 2011-2012 theater season.
Phyllis Griffin, DePaul University
How did you become involved with this project? Were you always a fan of Lynn Nottage?
I had been aware of Nottage's work and have become a fan of hers since directing this play. I think she's a powerful writer with interesting subject matter.
Of all Nottage's plays, why was this one specifically chosen for performance at DePaul?
Intimate Apparel is regarded by many of us in the Theatre School as her strongest play. We also chose it because I'd be able to work with a cross section of actors within the casting pool--I hadn't really been able to do that for a long time because normally, I had selected plays that are totally African-American. I did this in an effort to support the black actors at the theater school because I believe they need to be in that kind of environment at least once before they step out of the building.
— LaShawn Williams
Columbia College's Glass Curtain Gallery has taken interactive art to another level with their current exhibition, CoLaboratory. Two artist collaboratives - ED JR. and (f)utility projects have joined forces to create a site specific video installation with moveable screens that, although quite beautiful in its own right, is made manifest by you - the visitor. Visitors are invited to adjust the structures on which video projections are shown, amending and re-forming the evolving images as they move. If that's not enough interaction for you, check out one of ED JR.'s free, public workshops at the gallery (Thursday, September 22, 6-8pm; Saturday October 1, 3-5pm; Thursday October 27, 6-8pm), where you can get your hands dirty and be featured in a video, which will be later projected in the space.
— Kelly Reaves
James Fritz is one of the most sought-after stand-up comics in Chicago; he has performed with comedy greats such as Doug Stanhope, Jamie Kilstein and TJ Miller. He was featured in the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Chicago and his comedy album, Deflated, was rated number one on iTunes. He was recently voted the number one comic in Chicago by The Chicago Reader and on Tuesday, September 27, Fritz is headlining Queer Comedy at Zanies alongside Ever Mainard, Candy Lawrence, Nyle Fisher and Meg O'Rourke.
— Nellie Huggins
Next Entry: Two Necessities for Online Dating: Courage and Chicken Wings
I, like the other seemingly millions of Chicago members of Match.com, never intended to join an online dating site. I was a romantic, clinging to the notion that real love was found at the Big Shitty at bar time or over a sticky table of beer pong in a stranger's backyard. After all I mused, what would happen to the world if all our interactions became digital and people could pick out mates like they would a used futon on craigslist.
And then, a series of kismet events happened. First I went on a slew of wretched dates, the final straw being an electronic instrumental concert with a pessimistic young suitor I had met at a bar. Then there was my best friend abandoning me for the glory of the east coast and my suddenly very open social calendar. But the clincher, was coming across an NPR article validating online dating services.
If NPR says it is OK, this yuppie is jumping on board.
— Niki Fritz / Comments (1)
Thursday, September 15, The Evanston Print and Paper Shop--Evanston
— Mark Addison Smith
Ah, now for a cast-change drama that's still playing itself out! When Steve Carrell's contract expired during last season (the seventh for the US version), he decided to part ways with the popular NBC show. An Office without Michael is difficult to fathom, but Will Ferrell's run as interim branch manager helped soothe the break. Whether or not a Michael-free Office will make any sense -- and, in fact, who the new boss will be -- remains to be seen. The show's 8th season premieres on September 22.
Check out
#6: That '70s Debacle
#7: The Hogan Family
— Marissa Flaxbart
For this edition of Briefing Room, we check in with artist, artist agent, writer, and independent curator Jenny Lam. A recent transplant to Chicago from a stint at Columbia University in New York, Lam has embraced her engagement of the Chicago scene with wave-making zeal, landing in the press and in conversations for her work at the Zhou B Art Center, 4Art and, most recently, at the Fulton Street Collective. "Exquisite Corpse," the frenetic exhibit she organized for the Collective, drew notable crowds for its open embrace of artistic collaboration. We sat down with the Northbrook native to get some perspective on her splashy re-introduction to the Chicago scene, and here's what she had to say. (scroll down for photo credits)
Tell us a little about your background, what brought you here, etc., and what got you interested in art.
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and lived in New York City for four years while studying at Columbia University. There, I split my time running the undergraduate art gallery, Postcrypt; interning at Christie's and at Eyebeam; getting weirded out by people folding their pizza slices; and tagging. And yeah I guess there was schoolwork too. I returned to the Midwest after graduating two years ago (a severe lack of money brought me back), and I moved into the city about half a year ago.
— Michael Workman
This article was originally published on Sixty Inches from Center on Sept. 12.
By Miles Johnson
The invention of the camera gave the world the ability to capture a single moment and preserve it on film. No longer would people have to rely on paintings or their own murky memories to recall the past. In a photograph one could peer into yesterday just as it was then. With photography one could effectively stop time. So how ironic is it that film, this original vehicle of permanence, has been powerless to halt the rise of digital photography? Now anyone with a cellphone, much less a camera, can snap a picture and view it instantly. If one requires a physical copy any Walgreens or computer printer can print one out . Cameras, as they have transitioned from skilled tool to everyman's toy, have transcended the need for film.
— A/C
— Kelly Reaves
I've now seen Drive, the latest movie from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, twice, and both times I loved it equally for different reasons. The first time was back in July, and I got into the film's retro, Michael Mann-ish qualities -- colors and light that popped off the screen, the almost pornographic way that Refn lets the camera glide over the curves of the vintage cars that populate the movie, and the sleazy electronic score and songs (usually with a female singer) that is draped across every scene. I fell in love with the vibe of the film before the plot even kicked in.
— Steve Prokopy
This article was originally published on Sixty Inches from Center on Sept. 5. This is the first of a series of content exchanges with them.
By Zachary Johnson
Last week, while exploring Chicago's Polish Village, I interrupted my friend mid-sentence as a familiar sight came into view. "Another one!" I exclaimed. Quickly, we crossed Milwaukee and headed towards a wall featuring the street art of Mental 312. Mental's thick, blue lines were similar to his other pieces: bold and expansive, almost Aztec in their geometric style. I didn't know how old the piece was, but judging from what I've observed of Mental's other works, it may have been around for a while. What strikes me about the pieces is that people don't seem to mind them. The ones that first went up last winter along the Garfield and Indiana Green Line Stations are still there, and those at the Sheridan and Bryn Mawr Red Line stops have stayed up for months as well. In fact, the Bryn Mawr piece looks even older, as if it's been around for years.
— A/C / Comments (3)
As silly and campy as it was, That '70s Show had a way of just making you feel good. But the show also stands as a classic example of a sitcom outliving its stars. By the final season, Topher Grace, who played Eric Forman, had decided to move on.
It's hard enough to keep on trucking without your main character, but fan favorite Kelso (Ashton Kutcher, whose upcoming role on Two and a Half Men inspired this countdown) was also missing from the final season. In their place came the uninspiring Randy (Josh Meyers) and a slew of changes to keep things remotely plausible. The gang could still hang out in the Formans' basement, because Steven lived there with his new stripper wife, Samantha. But the action could also take place at Grooves, the record store where Hyde and Randy worked, or at Fez and Jackie's new apartment. With all that excitement, who needs a central character!
— Marissa Flaxbart
For fashion with a twist, don't miss "The Evolution," the ultimate fashion event celebrating "the journey of every woman." This fashion extravaganza, hosted by WCIU-26 personality Art "ChatDaddy" Sims, will showcase designs by several local designers including GOCA Designs, The Double Stitch Twins, Fraley Le and Bouye Designs.
What makes this fashion show different is the "The Green Carpet Fashion Show," a virtual display of designs via a green screen. With this technology, audience members can join in the action by experiencing a live, virtual runway show, with guests getting the chance to join in the action by taking photos against the backdrop of Chicago's skyline. Live runway models are also part of this fashion experience.
— LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)
Last Friday several galleries around the city kicked off their fall programming with opening exhibitions featuring work by their crème de la crème. A/C writers Natalie Edwards and Kelly Reaves each spent the night frantically hopping from show to show, trying to absorb as much of it as they could, with their powers combined. Here are their impressions:
Kelly: This is an engaging, quality group video show in a cool, new(ish) space. The first piece that confronts you upon your entering the gallery is chopped up footage of Whitney Houston from The Bodyguard. She is on two "battling" monitors, which you can stand between, walk between, or awkwardly squeeze around. I believe one Whitney is only singing "I" and the other is only singing "you". I thoroughly enjoyed it and it looked like other people were enjoying it, too. I would have liked to stand between the monitors but, at least on the opening night, the amusement proved too popular for my tight schedule.
— A/C
It would be easy to blow off Miss Representation as just another panties-in-a-bunch feminist documentary; and I imagine a good majority of the penis-clad population might do just that and not read past the word feminist. But at the risk of sounding like a naggy bitch, please don't. Miss Representation is not just another "Annie get you guns" feminist mantra meant only to enrage the vags and turn us all into lesbians. Miss Representation is the story about our society; it is a story about the increasingly bruised and bloody relationships between the media and the women; and the lesson of this story is how shitty media hurts vags and penises alike. So if you have a vagina or just love vaginas in all their equal glory, this documentary is your story as well.
Newest Miss Representation Trailer (2011 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection) from Miss Representation on Vimeo.
Through simple facts, complex personal stories and embarrassingly real media clips, Miss Representation shows how the media is permanently damaging the self esteem and future of hundreds girls in direct and indirect, obvious and subtle, disturbing and accepted ways. But beyond telling the story, the movie tell viewers to stop whining about the insanity of man-made media, stop accepting Barbie (or Bratz dolls for the newer generations) as inevitable and make a change, particularly through their own traitorous wallets.
In hopes of inspiring the women of Chicago to act, the YWCA put together a screening of the new documentary. The first screening sold out in weeks, so the YWCA put together another screening, which sold out as well. The packed house at last Thursday's showing included Joycelyn Winneke from the Tribune, Shia Kapos from Crain's as well as an entire Girl Scout troop. They were all there to see the show but also to make a change.
— Niki Fritz / Comments (1)
Comedy Cares is a non-profit fundraising organization founded by Chicago comedian Ever Mainard that utilizes comedy as a source of revenue for programs and individuals in need of assistance. This months event will raise revenue for the Broadway Youth Center and the services that it provides.
The show will take place on September 23 at 8pm at the Lucky Shamrock (2723 North Halsted) and will be hosted by Mainard, who is best known for her podcast Dates with Ever and as a member of Chicago Underground Comedy.
The lineup features the best acts in Chicago and includes: Lisa Laureta (the people under the stairs), Kelsie Huff (the kates, Bruiser, Boulder International Fringe Festival) Bill Cruz (host of Gutter Mouth open mic) Ryan Walker, Gwen Laroka (winner of Last Loca Standing) Adam Burke (host of Coles Open Mic, Chicago Underground Comedy) Caitlin Bergh (Cameron Esposito's Side Mullet Nation), and Jeff Gandy.
— Nellie Huggins
Friday, September 9, The Lucky Platter--Evanston
— Mark Addison Smith
This burlesque spoof on the Star Trek classic, "Wrath of Khan," is a fun trip down nerd lane. If you're a fan of the series, you'd love the jabs that this production takes at Spock, Kirk and Khan himself. Plus, you'll dig the sexy dances that the ladies in this show have perfected. While the production lacks some finesse, it's so lighthearted and kitschy that you won't mind.
— Katie Richardson
Get ready for lots of laughs at this year's Chicago Comedy Film Festival (CCFF), the annual festival that celebrates the art of comedy via feature length and short comedy films.
In addition to being the nation's first Chicago-based film festival totally devoted to comedy, the CCFF also boasts a variety of films starring iO and Second City alumni, as well as notable names including Steppenwolf Ensemble Member and Chicago-area native Gary Cole (Dr. Limptooth) and John Larroquette (Sudden Death!). The festival also includes the screening of Bright Day!, featuring funnymen Bill Maher, Michael Cera and Richard Belzer.
The Chicago Comedy Film Festival runs Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14th and 15th at the ShowPlace ICON Theater, 150 W. Roosevelt Rd. And for even more laughs, CCFF features "Laugh Out Local," a bonus hour of shorts followed by Mick Napier's newest feature film Bandicoot!,on Sunday, Oct. 16 at the Annoyance Theater, 4830 N Broadway. All tickets are $8; contact tickets@chicagocomedyfilmfestival.com for all ticket-related questions. For a complete schedule and other information, visit the festival's website.
— LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)
Brian Posehn, best known for his involvement in The Comedians of Comedy, is performing at the Cubby Bear this Saturday, Sept. 10. I recently had the opportunity to talk with him about comedy, fatherhood, the Insane Clown Posse and pot smoking. Here is what he had to say.
I was just re-listening to your most recent album, Fart and Wiener Jokes, in preparation for our call, and I was literally crying.
Nice. Out of laughter, right?
Definitely laughter, not sadness or regret or anything like that.
OK, good.
— Nellie Huggins / Comments (1)
Okay, this is a weird one.
Do you remember The Hogan Family? These days, the late-'80s sitcom is notable primarily as the first starring role for a teenage Jason Bateman (he played the oldest brother, David). You might also remember that it was set in Oak Park. But today we're focusing on another highly notable facet of the program: one historic casting change.
When launched in 1986, its title was Valerie, and it was intended as a vehicle for its star, Valerie Harper. What's that you say? Valerie Harper wasn't on The Hogan Family? Well, you're right, sort of. Valerie was fired from the show just two seasons in, after sternly objecting to plans to shift the show's tone and focus. Matriarch and prior focal point Valerie was "killed off" in a car accident, and the show was now about the rest of her family-- her three sons, her pilot husband, and now her husband's sister. Sandy Duncan was brought in as Aunt Sandy, and the show went on, awkwardly at first, as Valerie's Family: The Hogans (logical enough: the old show was about Valerie, now this new show was about her family). Aunt Sandy and the gang would carry the show through 1991, accounting for four of the show's six seasons.
Meanwhile, Harper was suing producers for breach of contract, a case she eventually won, and before long those same producers decided "Valerie" should be eradicated from the title, too. In 1988, it became The Hogan Family we know and love. Or at least know. Unless this is the first you've heard of it. In which case, tune in next time for a more familiar #6 in our Sitcom Cast change Countdown.
Check out #8: A Death in the Family, #9: The One With the Magical Morphing Baby, and #10: Saved By the Bell
— Marissa Flaxbart
Briefing Room is a new series produced for the Gaper's Block Arts and Culture section showcasing notable figures in Chicago art, culture and letters (scroll down for photo credits). In advance of next week's massive and unique Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusements festival in Eckhart Park, September 16-18, we sat down with Pitchfork Music Festival and BCOPA Producer Mike Reed to ask him a few questions about his concept to reinvigorate the variety show. Here's what he had to say.
— Michael Workman
Alright, guys. This is it. This is a big weekend for gallery openings, with many (most?) of them kicking off their fall programming with the best of the best tonight. If you only make it out art-hopping once this year, go tonight.
...and there are surely many more I've missed. Check back on us in a few days -- A/C's newest contributor Natalie Edwards and I will have a recap of the opening chaos, including our two cents on the art we were able to catch glances of while smooshed amongst the drunken hordes.
— Kelly Reaves
This Saturday, after the big opening night of the art season, you might want to get a bit of the hair of the dog down at Prospectus Gallery in Pilsen. Walter Fydryck has been working on a new series of drawings that features prominently in this one man show. For a long time Walter has been inventing and perfecting a process of painting on Plexiglas, a few of these are present and help to understand the place where the drawings are coming from.
— MartinJon
Although this tale of two brothers that both fight in the same Mixed Martial Arts tournament contains many familiar moments and emotions featured in other sports films (including Miracle, which director Gavin O'Connor also helmed), I think I'm safe in saying that you have never seen a film quite like Warrior, a work that represents powerful, brutal, thunderous, intimate filmmaking at its very best. This is due to two of the most sweat-and-blood masculine performances I've seen since Stallone first entered the ring as Rocky and changed the world.
— Steve Prokopy / Comments (2)
Although Fashion's Night Out began in New York City, the event has quickly spread across the country as a way to celebrate the artistry of the designer and the return of fall. Chicago's Fashion's Night Out promises to be the most eclectic and broad celebration the city has seen (especially with celebrations at new British arrivals such as AllSaints and Topshop). Below are some recommended events taking place tomorrow in the city, beginning tomorrow at 6pm. More information about Fashion's Night Out and additional events taking place throughout the city is available here.
Fame, Fashion & Flavor: 900's Night Out
900 North Michigan Shops
This event -- hosted by Brad Gorecki of The Rachel Zoe Project -- includes a beauty bazaar with mini manicures, massages, eyelash extensions, brow waxing, and hair styling from Mario Tricoci Hair Salon & Day Spa and Bloomingdale's. Guests may also taste food from local restaurants such as prasino and Cibo Matto and craft beers from BridgePort Brewing Company and Trumer Pils. Additional activities include personal styling, a photo booth, and a flash fashion show with clothing from Mark Shale and Bloomingdale's, among others.
AllSaints Chicago
700 N. Michigan Ave.
Featuring DJ Avi Sic, this celebration at the newly opened British import includes complimentary cocktails from Tanteo, the chance to create digital flipbooks, and a 20 percent discount on items throughout the store.
Chanel
935 N. Michigan Ave.
Guests can pick up the newest CHANEL Nail Colour Collection, Les Jeans de Chanel -- created exclusively for Fashion's Night Out by Peter Philips, Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup. These colors, inspired by traditional denim fabric, will be offered along with complimentary mini manicures.
— Britt Julious / Comments (1)
Things are looking up for women in comedy. As a society we seem to be over the whole "Are women funny?" debate, and for the most part we've collectively come to the conclusion that indeed they are. Movies and sitcoms written by and starring women are proving to be both critical and commercial successes, and slowly the tides seem to be changing for the better. However, women still have a ways to go. Here in Chicago it's still the norm to see a ten person improv group with only one or two token female members, and a recent Comedy Central "Comics to Watch" showcase didn't include a single woman. Enter Chicago Ladies in Comedy.
Chicago Ladies in Comedy (CLiC) originally took shape as the Chicago Women's Improv Forum and has evolved into an organization that fosters and supports women involved in not only improv, but any type of comedic performance. When discussing the need for an organization like CLiC, founding member Rebecca Grossman shared her own experience, "I was feeling safer in a place of all women because I was used to the way women communicate, so I could learn the skills needed to be onstage with women or men easier and faster and in a stronger way, when it was all women. And I thought if this is working for me, it might work for other women too." Grossman has a background in theatre and sketch/improv, and other members also come from stand-up, burlesque, music, and other genres.
Since its inception, the group has transformed from weekly improv workshops into an organization that offers workshops in a variety of disciplines, a stand-up showcase, networking events, and more. This weekend the organization is hosting a panel discussion titled, fittingly, "Ladies...in Comedy!" The discussion will be moderated by Deanna Moffitt, and the panelists include Tara DeFrancisco, Cameron Esposito, Jet Eveleth, Anne Libera, Rachael Mason, Susan Messing and Katie Rich. They're a venerable "who's who" of beloved and respected Chicago comedy players who have experience that runs the gamut from improv to stand-up to sketch to directing. The forum is open to both and women and men, and is sure to be an insightful event for both novices and veterans of the Chicago comedy scene.
"Ladies...in Comedy!" is this Saturday, September 10 at 3:30 p.m. at Comedy Sportz (929 W. Belmont). Following the forum is an all-women ComedySportz improv show at 6 p.m. To keep up with other CLiC happenings check out their website or follow them on Facebook.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (3)
ART WAR | September 16 & 17 from David Burkart on Vimeo.
This is not your mother's art exhibit, it is an event. An art attack. An art war.
In fact, this two-day event is called ART WAR, and it is the first in a series of new explorations of the forces behind art. ART WAR, inspired by Tolstoy's writings of civil disobedience & non-violence, will involve the 7,000 square foot loft in Little Village known as Treasure Town being filled with artworks by over 100 artists from all backgrounds. From interactive installations to an entire circus, a dance war with fake blood on a blank canvas to the most inspiring local musicians, ART WAR promises to "not say what we do not think or feel."
Admission is a suggested 5-10 dollar donation, and every dollar earned goes directly to the contributing artists & future like-minded shows. This event will take place September 16 & 17 at Treasure Town Loft. Details can be found on Facebook. PS: The Tamale Guy will be there. Bring your hungry pants.
— Kelly Reaves
If you are a minority choreographer, The Joffrey Ballet has exciting news for you--a call for artists--with a chance to be one of the recipients of the Choreographers of Color Award. The award, now in its second year, is designed to heighten awareness of the work of minority choreographers.
A synopsis of the guidelines is as follows:
— LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)
In TV and movies, sometimes cast changes leave the realm of fussy babies and moody stars and enter the territory of the tragic. When an actor dies unexpectedly, a sitcom's producers have some big decisions to make: do they go on with him, or do they fill his spot with a replacement character (and a replacement actor)? Is it more respectful to the actor's memory if the character he plays dies as well, or does it make more sense to have him be on some kind of permanent vacation?
The sitcom world has had two "sudden death" cast changes in the past few decades. Both situations were handled relatively well, but neither resulted in a long second-life for their respective shows. In 1998, the tragic and bizarre murder of Phil Hartmann caused national shock. It also left his sitcom, NewsRadio, with a barely-won fifth season to totally retool. The show elegantly chose Hartman's fellow SNL (and Groundlings) alum Jon Lovitz, as Max Louis. Hartman's character, Bill, was said to have died of a heart attack. Lovitz, like Hartman, was just one of an ensemble cast on NewsRadio, but it's the loss of Hartman's Bill may have been the final death knell for the show, which lasted only one more season.
A similar scene played out in 2003, when John Ritter died suddenly of a heart complication. One big difference: RItter had been the star of his show, 8 Simple Rules. Ritter's character, Paul Hennessy, was the patriarch of both his program and his TV family. Upon Ritter's death, the producers decided his character had died in a similar manner. Katey Sagal, who played Mrs. Hennessey, became the show's star. In a star-for-star move similar to NewsRadio's, James Garner and David Spade were brought in as relatives (grandpa and an adult nephew, respectively). Needless to say, this changed the nature of the show quite a bit. It lasted two more seasons, for a total of three.
All things considered, the loss of two actors, particularly those as precious as Hartman and Ritter, goes far beyond the downfall of a hundred NewsRadios. But a change had to be made, and that's what we're documenting here.
Check in Thursday for #7. It will be a little more upbeat, I promise.
Check out #9: The One with the Magical Morphing Baby and #10: Saved by the Bell (Jessie + Kelly = Tori?)
— Marissa Flaxbart
Photo courtesy of: Expo 72
"Soul Train," the syndicated dance show that for over 30 years was considered Saturday morning "must-see TV," pulled into Chicago in a huge way to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Through photography exhibits, film screenings and other events over the summer, the celebration culminated in a free Labor Day concert last night in Millennium Park.
Of course, the show is mostly known for being in Los Angeles; however, lifelong Chicagoans know about "Soul Train's" humble beginnings when it debuted on WCIU-Channel 26 in 1970 with its "conductor," Chicago's own Don Cornelius. Although the show is no longer on the air, except for occasional episodes on some cable stations, there is no denying its indelible impact on American culture.
— LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)
Wednesday, August 31, Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House--Uptown
— Mark Addison Smith
— Kelly Reaves
Oh sure, Mr. Studio Man. Hide things I actually want to see, like Shark Night 3D and Apollo 18, from my prying eyes, but allow to to ingest garbage like A Good Old Fashioned Orgy from first time feature writer-directors Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck. This long-on-the-shelf comedy starring a bunch of TV actors (I guess Jason Sudeikis could be considered a movie actor now, but not when he made this originally) playing vapid characters whose only point of intersect are blow-out parties thrown every few months at the Hamptons summer home of the dad of Eric (Sudeikis, with dad played by Don Johnson). Seriously, these idiots don't talk about anything but the next party, and who they're banging or not banging.
When Dad announces that he's selling the house, Eric and best buddy McCrudden (Tyler Labine) decide that instead of their typical themed parties with hundreds of guests, they would have an intimate gathering of their closest few friends to have an orgy. Some of these friends, whom they've known since high school, are in relationships but most aren't, so eventually the idea gets a little heat behind it, and everyone is game. Big shocker, since, you know, it's right there in the title.
— Steve Prokopy
Local online and print art publication Jettison Quarterly made a splash at NEXT as part of the larger Art Chicago weekend with their newly formatted print edition of the magazine. Their latest issue -- featuring artist Scott Reeder and former MCA curator Tricia Van Eck -- promises to deliver on locally focused news, art and culture. To celebrate their latest release, the publication will be joining Old Style and Longman & Eagle for a free block party on Kedzie and Schubert. The event will feature a pig roast and dance party with tunes spun by DJs from the ever-popular Windy City Soul Club. The What's Happening!! block party takes place this Sunday, September 4 from 4pm to 10pm.
Additional copies of Jettison Quarterly will be available Sept. 9 at the Kavi Gupta gallery as part of the opening night for the fall art season, the Renegade Craft Fair on Sept. 10-11, and at various cafes and venues in the city.
— Britt Julious
Architecture critic Paul Goldberger talks about Frank Gehry's life and work in a new book.
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