Displaying items by tag: Ravinia
Cat Power & Rufus Wainwright at Ravinia Music Festival
"Anybody got a pick?" asked Cat Power, after losing hers in the Ravinia Pavilion on Wednesday night. She was halfway through her set, which started a bit late, and would go until a stagehand cut her audio when she tried to do a 20-song medley as her last song.
The 42-year-old is a rare talent, with a career spanning nine albums of varying and blurring genres. Armed with only a piano, two guitars, and her raspy, weathered voice, she entertained with popular songs like "Colors and the Kids" to "The Greatest." Her characteristic unpolished performance was peppered with apologies, twitches, and self-reassuring head nods. If she were an actress playing a role, she was captivating; but she is a person, so my captivation was colored with concern. Her set felt plagued by her crippling stage fright and echoed a past of alcohol abuse – despite her announcement of sobriety in 2006.
The audience was supportive throughout her set, filled with fans and leftovers from Rufus Wainwright's flawless opening set which included two cameos – his sister and his sister as Liza Minnelli. But Cat's support, at times, felt like helping a stumbling friend home after a hard night, rather than the usual support of applause, attention, and album-buying. Wainwright, a remarkable talent and gay icon, served as a perfect pairing, and the mash-up heightened what is unique about each artist: a polished, soaring tenor with a rougher, earthy alto.
Ravinia's star-studded, eclectic season continues through September 20. Info and tickets @ https://www.ravinia.org/
Divergent Viewpoints Distract: The Birth of the Pill at Timeline Theatre
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GDC Premieres New Work by Al Blackstone in "untamed passion" at the North Shore Center November 6th and 7th
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Dance Theatre of Harlem returns to Chicago for first time in 10 years at The Auditorium October 17th
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The Gift Theatre announces casting for Netta Walker's Hayward
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Steep Opens New Home with Simon Stephens' U.S. Premiere A Slow Fire
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2027 Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards School Applications Now Available
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Full Casting Announced for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's ADIRONDACK CHAIR CIRCLE – October 22 – December 6, 2026 – World Premiere!
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Porchlight Announces "Little Shop of Horrors" Cast & Creative Team
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Chicago Premiere of Tin Drum Theatre's A DARK WOOD to be performed at Greenhouse Theater Center, Oct 15 - Nov 1
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Embrace The Change: Menopause the Musical® 25th Anniversary Tour to play Aurora’s Paramount Theatre Saturday, October 17 at 3 p.m.
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Paramount’s Mean Girls Delivers a Fierce, Fetch Night Out
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The Man Who Fell - Trap Door Theatre - Through September 19th
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Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Dark Children’s Tale Translates to Stellar Show in ’The Man Who Fell with the Rain’
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'The Snow Queen' presented by The Impostors Theatre Co. November 6th through November 21st
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City Lit announces August Wilson's KING HEDLEY II October 16 through November 29 - here the cast
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Standing Room Only Crowd for Chicago’s Leading Theater Artistic Directors
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Joffrey Ballet announces planned leadership transition: President and CEO Greg Cameron to depart in December 2027
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The Best of Us: Marriott Theatre’s Come From Away
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Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Gala: Radiant & Sumptuous at the Harris
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Vape! The Grease Parody Is High-Energy Fluff
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BrightSide Theatre Announces "Monte Carlo Night" 15th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser on September 25
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GDC Hosts 19th Anniversary “Dancing With The Giordano Stars” Ballroom Dance Competition October 8th
01 September 2026 in Upcoming DanceGiordano Dance Chicago (GDC) hosts its highly anticipated 19th Anniversary "Dancing With The Giordano Stars" ballroom dance competition 7-11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8…
A Loving, Delight‑Packed Celebration: Joan Crawford Goes to Hell Marks 25 Years of Handbag
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An Immersive Sunday in the Park with George at Kokandy Productions
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Robert Falls to Direct the World Premiere of FLYING MONKEYS, by L.C. Bernadine, at Redtwist Theatre, Dec 6 - Jan 17
31 August 2026 in Upcoming TheatreAward-winning Redtwist Theatre, launching its 22nd season with Prayer Circle, September 17 - November 8, by Erik Gernand and directed by Executive Artistic Director Dusty Brown, announces today…
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble Names Daniel Millhouse as New Managing Artistic Director
31 August 2026 in Theatre BuzzBuffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE), the professional theater company in residence at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), is pleased to announce that, in keeping…
Blood of the Lamb - The Den Theatre - Through October 3rd
31 August 2026 in Now PlayingPromethean Theatre Ensemble announced today it will offer post-show audience talkbacks following two performances of their Chicago premiere of BLOOD OF…
City Lit’s Shane Saddles Up a Classic Western With Fresh Heart
30 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewCity Lit Theatre’s world premiere of Shane, adapted for the stage and directed by Mark Pracht, brings a fresh, nostalgic…
In Sisters, Barrie Turns an AI Fable into an Impressive Character Study
29 August 2026 in Theatre in ReviewThe rise of artificial intelligence raises many questions about its effect on humanity. What does it mean if we become…
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Divergent Viewpoints Distract: The Birth of the Pill at Timeline Theatre
Written by Kendall RoyzenThere are always two sides to every story. The writer or playwright will tell a story offering key details and scenes that move the story forward in the way that leads the audience to a message or conclusion the writer… -
GDC Premieres New Work by Al Blackstone in "untamed passion" at the North Shore Center November 6th and 7th
Written by Buzz Center StageGiordano Dance Chicago (GDC), America's original jazz dance company, returns to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd. at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday Nov. 7. The engagement, part of GDC's 64th season, features the… -
Dance Theatre of Harlem returns to Chicago for first time in 10 years at The Auditorium October 17th
Written by Buzz Center StageThe Auditorium (Chicago's landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) begins its 2026-27 Dance Season titled North American Dance with a highly anticipated performance by the acclaimed American ballet company Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH). The evening marks the company's first…
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The Gift Theatre announces casting for Netta Walker's Hayward
Written by Buzz Center StageThe Gift Theatre, led by Artistic Directors Brittany Burch and Jennifer Glasse, continues its 25th Anniversary Season with the world premiere of Hayward by Gift ensemble member Netta Walker, directed by AmBer Montgomery. Presented in Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre, 1700 N Halsted St in Chicago, Hayward runs October 14 – November 15,…
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