Have you ever thought you had a fair understanding of something only to find out there was a huge gap in your knowledge bank? A gap so big that it made you a little embarrassed for being so presumptuous? That’s how it was with Take Me to the World, an exuberant Zoom extravaganza filled with …
Disney may have hit the motherlode when it bought the film rights to Hamilton for $75 million, but both theater lovers and film buffs are reaping big entertainment rewards from the move. Originally intending to release the film version of the worldwide Broadway smash in movie houses next year, the Covid pandemic caused Disney’s strategists …
The personality of one-time-only art exhibits and the feel of a traveling exhibit can vary so wildly, it’s startling. Both can either showcase the creative expression of a single artist or take on a broader view and feature artists who share aesthetic sensibilities. Few celebrate the vision of a single curator; making Duro Olowu’s Seeing …
In theater, there aren’t many things as enthralling as the unmistakable sound of reality. It startles to you to alertness and makes your ears perk up as if you’ve just heard an air raid siren. It’s the writing of course that ignites this response, which then leaves it to actors to blow life into words …
Stirring back to life, Chicago’s jazz scene is taking careful and cautious steps to regain its former strength and vigor. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be an easy recovery. Phase 4, Illinois’ Revitalization phase, is significant. Gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed, effectively greenlighting arts related entities to finally open their …
Mi Tocaya Antojeria made such a splash when it opened three years ago, there was hardly a drop of water left in the pool. And rightly so. Here was a Mexican restaurant intent on being unapologetically authentic in addition to unabashedly wonderful. Even though Chicago boasts the second largest population of Mexican immigrants in the …
Passing down a craft, a sustaining livelihood, from generation to generation may be a fading phenomenon, but Dennis Watkins never misses an opportunity to thank his grandfather for sharing his incredible skills with him. Watkins’ granddad not only owned a magic shop, he was also an accomplished sleight of hand magician. And now, thousands of …
Finding something small and quiet and intelligent that outshines just about everything else in its orbit is no small triumph. Which may be why some people call The Midnight Diner, Tokyo Stories a hidden treasure in the Netflix galaxy of video amusements. Premiering in 2016, the series is enjoying a fifth season of telling simple …
Midnight Diner Tokyo Stories, Classic Storytelling at its Best Read More »