Gapers Block has ceased publication.

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.
 Thank you for your readership and contributions. 

TODAY

Tuesday, March 19

Gapers Block
Search

Gapers Block on Facebook Gapers Block on Flickr Gapers Block on Twitter The Gapers Block Tumblr


A/C
« Mud Blue Sky at Red Orchid Shows Why the Skies Are Not so Friendly Brick Mansions, The Other Woman, Alan Partridge, On My Way, Watermark & Teenage »

Television Wed Apr 23 2014

"My Chicago" Premieres on WTTW this Friday

The producers of "Check, Please!" are launching a new half-hour series about Chicago, focusing on local residents and lesser known locales. Hosted by The Interview Show's Mark Bazer and WBEZ journalist Odette Yousef, "My Chicago" premieres this Friday at 8:30pm.

"We interview people at a place that has significance to them," Bazer says, "their workplace or home, or someplace they hang out a lot, and then drive around with that person in their neighborhood. Sometimes we pick up a second person who sits in the back seat -- for example we interviewed (Chicago comic and Vocalo personality) Brian Babylon, and during the segment we picked up Peter Sagal (host of 'Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!') Having a second person provides an interplay between the two."

"Having a second person changes the interplay of the conversation," Yousef adds.

odettemark.jpg

Did you get a lot of nominations for interview subjects?

Odette: We got about 30, mostly along the lines of "I nominate myself." For the first season we wanted to get people who were local notables to give the show a little bit of credence. We were pleasantly surprised at how many people said "yes" for a show that had no track record. We both had our wish lists for people to have on the show. Not all of them are attainable.

Mark: The people producing the show did Check Please! so they have a good track record. It's a testament to Chicago that people are usually up for sharing their time and stories.

Do you think you could get Rahm Emmanuel to do it?

Mark: Rahm might do it; put down that he's doing it.

Odette: He does random media.

Mark: We interviewed (Cook County Board President) Toni Preckwinckle, and (Congressman) Luis Gutierrez. We picked him up at his home, then he left his house keys in the car.

What are your hopes for the show?

Odette: My hope is that people call us to do the show, and it's important to get a real diversity of people from all kinds of neighborhoods and backgrounds who have had all kinds of experiences. I want to continue to do that.

Mark: I learned a lot about different places in Chicago, even places close to where I live, I hope it opens people to different places than they would usually go to. I interviewed Stephanie Paul from the Albany Park Theater Project, and I didn't really know what it was. I had an inkling, and I know they had a show at the Goodman, but for whatever reason hadn't explored it further, so I picked up Stephanie in Albany Park, and hopefully people who are watching the show are like "OK, I didn't know about that, this person is great," and it will be on their radar now.

Who else have you interviewed for the show?

Mark: Phil Ponce, and on Thursday we'll be on "Chicago Tonight." We interviewed Phil for the show, we went to this coach house where the family hangs out. He rides a bike, it looks like Pee Wee Herman's. He's the nicest guy in the world. His sons are really nice, they're singers, so they sang a song in the car.

Odette: It was like the Von Trapp family sitting in the car. No spoilers -- I won't say what song they sang.

~*~

"My Chicago" premieres this Friday at 8:30pm on WTTW. If you'd like to nominate someone for the show, fill out the nomination form on the WTTW website.

 
GB store

randolf hurts / April 24, 2014 10:59 AM

this might be one of the worst interviews i read. which is sad as i'm interested in the show.

GB store

Architecture Tue Nov 03 2015

Paul Goldberger Describes the "Pragmatism and Poetry" of Frank Gehry's Architecture in His New Book

By Nancy Bishop

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger talks about Frank Gehry's life and work in a new book.
Read this feature »

Steve at the Movies Fri Jan 01 2016

Best Feature Films & Documentaries of 2015

By Steve Prokopy

Read this column »

Blogroll

ACRE
An Angry White Guy
Antena
AREA Chicago
ArchitectureChicago Plus
Arts Engagement Exchange
The Art Letter
Art or Idiocy?
Art Slant Chicago
Art Talk Chicago
Bad at Sports
Bite and Smile
Brian Dickie of COT
Bridgeport International
Carrie Secrist Gallery
Chainsaw Calligraphy
Chicago Art Blog
Chicago Art Department
Chicago Art Examiner
Chicago Art Journal
Chicago Artists Resource
Chicago Art Map
Chicago Art Review
Chicago Classical Music
Chicago Comedy Examiner
Chicago Cultural Center
Chicago Daily Views
Chicago Film Examiner
Chicago Film Archives
Chicago Gallery News
Chicago Uncommon
Collaboraction
Contemporary Art Space
Co-op Image Group
Co-Prosperity Sphere
Chicago Urban Art Society
Creative Control
Defibrillator
Devening Projects
Digressions
DIY Film
ebersmoore
The Exhibition Agency
The Flatiron Project
F newsmagazine
The Gallery Crawl...
Galerie F
The Gaudy God
Happy Dog Gallery
HollywoodChicago
Homeroom Chicago
I, Homunculus
Hyde Park Artcenter Blog
InCUBATE
Joyce Owens: Artist on Art
J-Pointe
Julius Caesar
Kasia Kay Gallery
Kavi Gupta Gallery
Rob Kozlowski
Lookingglass Theatre Blog
Lumpen Blog
Marquee
Mess Hall
N'DIGO
Neoteric Art
NewcityArt
NewcityFilm
NewcityStage
Not If But When
Noun and Verb
On Film
On the Make
Onstage
Peanut Gallery
Peregrine Program
Performink
The Poor Choices Show
Pop Up Art Loop
The Post Family
The Recycled Film
Reversible Eye
Rhona Hoffman Gallery
Roots & Culture Gallery
SAIC Blog
The Seen
Sharkforum
Sisterman Vintage
Site of Big Shoulders
Sixty Inches From Center
Soleil's To-Do's
Sometimes Store
Steppenwolf.blog
Stop Go Stop
Storefront Rebellion
TOC Blog
Theater for the Future
Theatre in Chicago
The Franklin
The Mission
The Theater Loop
Thomas Robertello Gallery
threewalls
Time Tells Tony Wight Gallery
Uncommon Photographers
The Unscene Chicago
The Visualist
Vocalo
Western Exhibitions
What's Going On?
What to Wear During an Orange Alert?
You, Me, Them, Everybody
Zg Gallery

GB store

 

Events


A/C on Flickr

Join the A/C Flickr Pool.



About A/C

A/C is the arts and culture section of Gapers Block, covering the many forms of expression on display in Chicago. More...
Please see our submission guidelines.

Editor: Nancy Bishop, nancy@gapersblock.com
A/C staff inbox: ac@gapersblock.com

Archives

 

A/C Flickr Pool
 Subscribe in a reader.

GB store

GB Store

GB Buttons $1.50

GB T-Shirt $12

I ✶ Chi T-Shirts $15