I said before that if Oprah leaves Chicago, it won't be good for us. Well, now that she's announced the end of her CBS-syndicated show, my opinion remains unchanged. Since Discovery Communications, the company that's going to partner with her for her OWN cable network, isn't located in Chicago (except for a sales office), that means that a lot of resources and opportunities are going to disappear from our fair city.
Let's hope that another innovative, successful person in Chicago steps up to the plate to keep our city prosperous and dynamic.
Saturday night, director and performer Mae Phillips gathers her friends in the burlesque community for a night billed as "bizarre, theatrical, empowering burlesque". The event is queer-friendly, involves a wide variety of bodies and definitions of "sexy", and lots of crystal-covered tease. Plus it offers a few departures from the genre. Phillips has been around the burlesque block long enough to know what she wants in a good show, so there's no emcee, and instead between acts the stage will pop with snippets of vaudevillian performance or informative sex talk from the likes of Early 2 Bed.
Local production house Split Pillow is releasing their latest, a locally-produced horror flick that tries to pay homage to the types of psychological/metaphysical thrillers that gave birth to the best of the horror genre. Complete with creaky mansion! Eye of the Sandman felt a bit like Gaslight + Frankenstein's monster + a Misfits song / Tongue-In-Cheek References to Convention. The premiere tonight at the Gene Siskel Film Center is sold out, but a third show was added for Saturday at 8pm.
It's difficult to write reviews of movies like Eye of the Sandman. Done on a low budget with local actors, obviously the job is not to judge it against the types of movies that Steve at the Movies over there in your right-hand column tackles. Yet having been subjected to the vanity projects of any number of aspiring musicians/filmmakers/artists, I don't have much patience for something that doesn't grab and hold my attention, and provide entertainment value worth the time I'm sacrificing. So before I popped the press screener of Eye of the Sandman into the DVD player, I decided my rubric would be: if I was standing outside the theater where the movie was playing, and the people in line asked me if they should be forking over cash or time to see the movie, what would I say?
Here's what I would say: It'll actually entertain you, one way or another. And it looks good.
The first time we see vampire Edward Cullen (still pale with ruby red lips, and hair slightly less crazy than in Twilight), he's walking through a high school parking lot in slow motion, looking like he just stepped out of a goth band's music video. For about 90 percent of New Moon, Jacob Black (a beefed up Taylor Lautner) is walking around shirtless, wearing only tattered sweatpants, looking like he just stepped off a gay porn set. Never having read any of Stephenie Meyer's novels about the tortured romance between Edward (Robert Pettinson) and human heroine Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), I may be a little late to this revelation, but seeing Edward and Jacob at their best and worst in New Moon made me realize that this is a film about the classic female dilemma — does she allow herself to fall for the more stable but still temperamental, hunky jock (he's also good with machines), or does she stray to the dark gothy side of life, possibly even becoming a vampire herself (which she seems more than willing to do)?
It's that time of year again: when holiday lists, coupons and gift ideas jotted down on post-its fill your desk. But sometimes, shopping at department stores just doesn't cut it for your more eclectic, arty friends. So, for those unconventional one-of-a-kind gifts, you may want to hit up the School of the Art Institute this weekend.
Photographs, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints, drawings, jewelry, fashion accessories and handmade paper designs crafted by students from one of the most influential independent art schools in the country will be sold on Friday Nov. 20 (11am- 7pm) and Saturday Nov. 21 (10am - 5pm) at the MacLean Center Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave.
Who knows, you could be investing in a piece by the next Walt Disney, Grant Wood, Edward Gorey or Jeff Koons. Visitors will also have the opportunity to chat with some of the art students before taking home a piece of their work.
The school's 21st Annual Holiday Art Sale is also a chance for the starving art students to luck out as well: 85 percent of the individual art sales' proceeds go directly to the artist -so think of it as a gift that keeps on giving.
For more information on the event contact SAIC Campus Life at (312) 629-6880 or student_life@saic.edu.
If you are reading this I can assume you go to art shows often enough to warrant reading an arts blog. Whether that is true or not, I am sure Tipping Observation at the Mars Gallery would be one of the most shiny show you would come across in, and for, quite some time.
Syndy Ziegenfuss' work consists of painting, collage, I am sure some printmaking as well as other sorts of mark making. What seems to separate Syndy's work from other collage/mixed medium works is partly their size, all of these works are 50" X 50". In their presence you are almost enveloped, an illustration that was once only 3 inches now looms, life size, in front of you, kind of both creepy and kitschy.
Now on to the shiny part. These large collages are covered by a thick blanket of resin, poured by Syndy's wife, it is like the tables at Lazo's on Western. This resin covers everything, and at first being in front of these works is fun and playful. That doesn't last however mainly because of the standard quality of each piece.
We often find ourselves in front of paintings or prints or even collages and the surface quality changes. Maybe not within the same piece but between works there are usually some changes in the surface, but not in this case. There are numerous studies about how when you eat something, with a distinct texture, your mouth gets tired and bored quickly. I would use that same analogy about my eyes in an art show that utilizes the same exact surface quality throughout. Individually, or part of a group show these works would stand out because of their approachability and surface, unfortunately those qualities do not stand up in this case.
"Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals changed me from a twenty-year vegetarian to a vegan activist," Natalie Portman wrote for the Huffington Post. Tonight Foer spoke about his new book, Eating Animals, at Harold Washington Library in the packed Cindy Pritzker Auditorium.
Famous for his novels Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, this is Foer's first venture into non-fiction. Wavering back and forth as a vegetarian since he was nine, Foer felt with the birth of his son a sense of urgency about decisions: his own and the one's he would make for his son.
He read a short excerpt from his book about his grandma and used the bulk of the time to facilitate audience questions and discussion. He answered every question thoughtfully and respectfully making sure the audience understood he wasn't there to persuade anyone.
His strongest and most enlightening thought was the idea of a vegetarian spectrum. Foer dismissed the notion that one is either a vegetarian or they're not. He told a story many people are familiar with in which someone says they are vegetarian for so many years. Then one day they ate meat and that was the end of it. This binary ideal is detrimental because people feel they either need to do be a vegan activist or be completely careless. He counteracted with the point that if everyone replaced just one meal a week with a vegetarian one, it would be like taking 5 million cars off the road.
Embroidery, once a craft embraced by grandmothers and the perpetually pregnant, is getting a contemporary facelift this Saturday thanks to the ladies at Renegade Handmade, 1924 W. Division.
Embroidery empress Jenny Hart will host a workshop and sign copies of her latest how-to book, Embroidered Effects: Projects and Patterns to Inspire Your Stitching, on November 21st from 4:30 to 8pm. The event kicks off the third in Renegade's Spotlight Series, the In Stitches Showcase, which features the handiwork of 15 fabric artists adept at stitching slightly sardonic designs into overly precious mediums. (Ironic sayings prettily sewn into lacy pillows, anyone?)
The first 15 buyers of Hart's new book will get a sit-down course on how to amp-up their stitchery. Everyone else is privy to a book signing and reception with purchasable work from all artists in the exhibition. And free wine and beer.
Pictured artwork available from Chicago-based crafter Mandy McGee, via Etsy.com.
Cinema 16, a touring film program that brings the feeling of silent 20s film viewing to the modern age, is making their final stop here in Chicago November 25th at the Chopin Theatre. Cinema 16 picks three short films and finds one local act to make an original score to accompany the films, letting audience have an old movie house experience complete with cocktails. Chandelier will provide a live score to the three films with DJ Hunter Husar playing between screenings. Each film brings something different to the mix from the strange story-writing of William S. Burroughs in Junky's Xmas (1993), the dance-driven Oramunde (1933), or the first and final film by Wallace BermanAleph (1966).
The event is sponsored by Drambuie, who will be providing free cocktails throughout the night. Because of the free drinks provided this event is 21+. The screening starts at 7:30 pm and admission is free with RSVP.
World War II is going poorly for Hitler and the Nazi party. So the Fueher decides the best way to turn the tide in the war is to kidnap Santa Claus and take control of Christmas and all of Santa's magical secrets. The only thing standing in the way of their evil plot is a misunderstood elf, a misfit toy and a couple of hit men reindeer. Will that be enough to save Christmas? Find out when The Hot Karl presents, "Santa Claus Conquers the Nazis: The Musical."
"People expect us to do a dirty funny show, so that's nothing new. But thanks to musical director Steph McCullough and a cast of thousands -- actually a nine-person chorus -- it's a real holiday musical with real songs," said Hot Karl member Zach Thompson. "You should really come see it." It's only going up five times, every Saturday from Nov. 21 to Dec. 19. Shows start at 11:59pm at Comedy Sportz, 929 West Belmont. Tickets are $10, and you can get 'em here or call 312-559-1212.
I really wanted to like Collaboraction's latest performance G.I.F.T.
It's such a cool idea: examine and evaluate "gift," from the action of giving, the circumstances in which we give, the feelings and motivations behind gift-giving and the impact a gift makes on the gift receiver.
G.I.F.T. brings audiences through a four-part interactive performance where you are the ensemble's client and the actors - "giftistas" - compile and evaluate your dreams, memories and hopes. The presentation of that analysis unravels into the many scenarios and outcomes (wanted and unwanted) of gift-giving.
See? It sounds cool. But I couldn't get behind it.
The audience involvement was at times awkward with these other-worldy giftistas. The actors certainly played each mini-scene well, portraying the emotions and the baggage that goes along with gifts. But the underlying dynamic of one young giftista being "ready" was lost on me. Whether it was because the beings were so other-wordly or because we never got a chance to empathize with them, I didn't find myself caring one way or another what happened to these giftistas or what I was supposed to get from them. The performance didn't bring me in and that is disappointing because, like I said, it is such a good idea.
Dress warmly. Much of the performance is outside, and the space inside is chilly.
G.I.F.T. runs through Nov. 29 on Fridays and Saturdays at Collaboraction's performance space at 1850 W. Hubbard. Tikets are $15-$25. Visit www.collaboraction.org or call 312-226-9633
Stepping is an art form that has long been a tradition of African-American fraternities and sororities on college campuses across the country. Brian Williams, founder and executive director of Step Afrika explains the history of stepping and its ties to Africa, as well as its impact on today's dance culture.
Step Afrika is the world's first professional dance company dedicated to stepping, how did the company get started?
We are celebrating our 15th year performing and teaching stepping all over the world. The company was founded in December 1994 as a way of connecting art form and culture. We also conduct outreach to children in the community.
The company is based in Washington, DC -- is there any significance to that?
I attended Howard University and am a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The university can be considered as the cradle of black Greek organizations especially since many of them were founded there. It is simply a place that holds a special spot in terms of black Greek life, so Step Afrika is based there.
I am old enough to remember when Walter Jacobson and Bill Kurtis hosted, I mean read, the news on Channel 2. The newsroom was behind them and had a realistic, gritty, serious feel to it. But we're in the 21st century now--news has changed. So it was weird to see them together on Friday (you can see the video here). And I wonder if younger viewers were puzzled about what all the hype was about, and if they cared. What demographic did they think they were appealing to?
UK-by-way-of-Vancouver comedian Glenn Wool will be coming to the Lakeshore Theater November 20th and 21st. A popular name among the up and coming English comedy circuit, Wool is doing a rare US tour after a string of overseas engagements, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow.
Wool will be playing the Lakeshore Theater (3175 N. Broadway) on Nov 20 & 21, showtimes 7:30 & 10:30 each night. Tickets are $15 and available online or at the door.
Here is a clip of Wool, musing on the ineffectiveness of swearing.
Fin Kennedy came up with the idea for How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found after stumbling across the UK missing persons website, which features a gallery of faces with brief descriptions of what they were last seen doing. Curious, he contacted the people behind the site, and they told him that most of these cases are not the products of abductions or murders. Instead, most of these people wanted to disappear. They wanted to start over. When he asked what sorts of people do this, they told him that a lot of them are young professionals--usually men in their late twenties, early thirties, with good jobs. Sure, maybe a little depressed, but they seemed to live relatively charmed lives. Kennedy based the protagonist of his play on this model. Charlie, (played by Carlo Lorenzo Garcia,) is an average man with short brown hair who wears a suit to work at an ad agency.
In the American cultural landscape, tap dancing has fought hard to be regarded the same as other dance forms. Lane Alexander, founder and director of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project (CHRP), explains tap's global impact, and why it is finally... Read this feature »
