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The Chicago Reader

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Blogs, Bleader Dec 22, 2017
It’s a Wonderful Life at Stage 773 and more of the best things to do in Chicago this weekend

The Lincoln Lodge's Christmas Feztacular and more events the weekend of 12/22-12/24
- By Steve Heisler
- Tags: Arts, Do This, macabre, house of horrors, the last jedi, daisy ridley, lightsaber, Luca Cimarusti, tony adler, it's a wonderful life, stage 773, american blues theater, the bangers, hideout, christmas feztacular, lincoln lodge, re:picture, peter drake, vga gallery, the ears have walls

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Dec 21, 2017
Thirteen holiday shows that will delight (or disgust or bore or just entertain) you

Hell in a Handbag's 20th annual production of Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer is among the yuletide highlights.
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Barney the Elf, the Other Theatre Company, Dixie Lynn Cartwright, Roy Samra, Christmas Bingo: It's a Ho-Ho-Holy Night, Late Nite Catechism, Vicki Quade, Nuns 4 Fun Entertainment, Royal George Theatre, A Christmas Carol, Goodman Theatre, Henry Wishcamper, Tom Creamer, Larry Yando, Charles Dickens, The Christmas Schooner, Mercury Theatre, John Reeger, Julie Shannon, L. Walter Stearns, Hellcab, the Agency Theater Collective, Will Kern, Rusty Schwimmer, Profiles Theatre, American Blues Theater, It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, It's a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra, Bedford Falls, Gwendolyn Whiteside, Camille Robinson, John Mohrlein, Michael Mahler, The Nutcracker, E.T.A. Hoffmann, the House Theatre of Chicago, Haley Seda, Chris Matthews, Q Brothers Christmas Carol, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Hell in a Handbag Productions, David Cerda, Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer, Michael Jack Hampton, Terry McCarthy, Graham Thomas Heacock, Kristoffer Bottrall, Black Ensemble Theatre, Sammy: A Tribute to Sammy Davis Jr., Daryl D. Brooks, Kenny Davis, This Way Outta Santaland (and Other Xmas Miracles), Theater Wit, Mitchell Fain, The Santaland Diaries, David Sedaris, Meghan Murphy, Yippe Ki-Yay Merry Christmas: A Die Hard Christmas Musical, MCL, Die Hard, Alan Metoskie, Michael Shepherd Jordan, Gary Fields, The Customer Is Always Right? Holiday Edition, the Annoyance, improv

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Nov 29, 2017
A Dickens Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, and nine more new stage shows

A clever mashup of fact and fiction and a "radio show" version of the holiday classic are among this week's best bets.
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Garrett Allain, Jeff Bouthiette, Altered Boy, Pride Films and Plays, Bite Size Broadway, the Annoyance, Bobby Lloyd Webber, Andrew Lloyd Webber, musical parodies, Evan Mills, Mark Walsh, The Customer Is Always Right? Holiday Edition, A Christmas Carol, A Dickens Carol, Madison Street Theatre, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Charles Dickens, Kevin Theis, Ned Crowley, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, White Christmas, holiday shows, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Randy Skinner, The Customer Is Always Right? Holiday Edition, improv, Grimoire, Jon Matteson, James Harvey Freetly, It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, American Blues Theatre, It's a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra, Zach Kenny, John Mohrlein, Michael Mahler, This Way Outta Santaland (and Other Xmas Miracles), The Santaland Diaries, David Sedaris, Macy's, Mitchell Fain, Meghan Murphy, Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas: A Die Hard Christmas Musical, Michael Shepherd Jordan, Alan Metoskie, Gary Field, Die Hard, Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, MCL, Q Brothers Christmas Carol, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Q Brothers

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Nov 8, 2017
Akeelah and the Bee, Die Walküre, and 14 more new stage shows to see

An inspirational kids' show and a not-be-missed Lyric Opera production are among this week's best bets.
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, Akeelah and the Bee, Adventure Stage, Cheryl L. West, Scripps National Spelling Bee, La Shone T. Kelly, Aaron Quick, Brandon Rivera, Daryl Brooks, Bob: A Life in Five Acts, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, the Comrades, Derek Bertelsen, Will Quam, Bobby Pin Girls, Nothing Without a Company, Janey Bell, Grace Hutchings, Emilie Modaff, Debo Balogun, Peter Wilde, Ben Kaye, The Consul, Gian Carlo Menotti, Chicago Opera Theater, Andreas Mitisek, refugee crisis, Patricia Racette, Victoria Livengood, Justin Ryan, Kristof van Grysperre, 42nd Street, Michael Stewart, Mark Bramble, Harry Warren, Al Dubin, Michael Heitzman, Gene Weygandt, Emilio Sosa, I'll Be Seeing You, Broken Nose Collective, Kevin Jandrist, standards, the Derrick Tate Connection, J.B., Archibald MacLeish, City Lit Theater, The Book of Job, Brian Pastor, John Sabine, The Low Upside, stand-up, Promethean Theatre Ensembl, Marisol, Juan Castañeda, Newsies, Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre, Patrick Rooney, Alex Sanchez, Man of La Mancha, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, MadKap Productions, Rocket City, Alabam', Mark Saltzman, Ashley Schaeffer, Michael Dalberg, Wayne Mell, School of Rock, Jack Black, Mike White, Julian Fellowes, This Wonderful Life, It's a Wonderful Life, American Blues Theater, Frank Capra, James Leaming, Carmen Roman, Joe Huppert, Steve Murray, Yasmina's Necklace, Rohina Malik, Susaan Jamshidi, Ann Filmer, 16th Street Theater, Goodman Theatre, Die Walküre, Lyric Opera Chicago, Richard Wagner, Andrew Jones, Christing Goerke, Eric Owens

Blogs, Bleader Dec 9, 2016
Shame on Wheels, It's a Wonderful Life, and more things to do in Chicago this weekend

Donut Fest, Irish Christmas Market, and more happenings from December 9-11.
- By Isabel Ochoa Gold
- Tags: Arts, Do This, Poetry Foundation, Nicholas Rudall, Dylan Thomas, Electra, Court Theater, Irish Christmas Market, It's a Wonderful Life, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Chorus, American Association of University Women Chicago, Jane Addams, Not Normal Tapes, The First Annual Infestational, ChiTown Futbol, Donut Fest, Moe's Cantina, A Voice for Victims, Uri-Eichen Gallery, We Still Like You, Cole's

Blogs, Bleader Dec 18, 2015
Video
The longest night of the year, plus more new reviews and notable screenings

New reviews and notable screenings in this weekl's issue
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Film, Opening, Leah Pickett, The Big Short, Michael Lewis, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Youth movie, Paolo Sorrentino, The Great Beauty, Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, Jane Fonda, Christmas Again, Dreams Rewired, Tilda Swinton, Flowers movie, Sisters movie, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, John Paizs, Crime Wave, Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly, On the Town, Frank Tashlin, Susan Slept Here, White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, Video

Blogs, Bleader Dec 11, 2015
Video
The fountain of Youth, plus more new reviews and notable screenings

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Film, Opening, Youth movie, Paolo Sorrentino, The Great Beauty, Almost There, Peter Anton, The Big Short, Michael Lewis, The Danish Girl, Eddie Redmayne, Don Verdean, Napoleon Dynamite, Jared Hess, Gabo: The Creation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Keeping Room, Macbeth, Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, David Thewlis, Paradise Is There, Natalie Merchant, Stinking Heaven, Theeb, Michael Curtiz, White Christmas, Frank Capra, It's a Wonderful Life, Jacques Tati, Playtime, Busby Berkeley, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Tobe Hooper, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, movies, Video

Blogs, Bleader Jan 2, 2015
Frank Capra: Miserable cynic, 1930s celebrity, and a man for our time

The Music Box Theatre's current weekend matinee series revives six films Capra made at the height of his popularity.
- By Ben Sachs
- Tags: Film, History, Frank Capra, It's a Wonderful Life, Lost Horizon, Mr Deeds Goes to Town, Mr Smith Goes to Washington, The Miracle Woman, Music Box Theatre, Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart

Blogs, Bleader Dec 27, 2014
Learning to appreciate Christmas movies

Why Christmas haters can still appreciate Christmas movies
- By Drew Hunt
- Tags: Film, Christmas movies, It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, All That Heaven Allows, Rushmore, Suspiria, Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, The Shining, The Gold Rush, Wake in Fright, Rear Window, Satantango, Punch-Drunk Love

Blogs, Bleader Dec 19, 2014
Video
The Tolkien franchise is over!—plus more new movie reviews and notable screenings

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Opening, Film, Peter Jackson, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug, The Battle of the Five Armies, Drew Hunt, The Babadook, Annie movie, Quevenzhale Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Jamie Foxx, Awake: The Life of Yogananda, Paramahansa Yogananda, In Bloom, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Gene Siskel Film Center, Music Box Chicago, White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, Delilah's, The Star Wars Holiday Special, Johnny Cash Christmas Special, Stanley Kubrick, movies, Video

Blogs, Bleader Dec 12, 2014
Video
Chris Rock is an auteur now, plus more new reviews and notable screenings

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Opening, Film, Top Five, Chris Rock, Paramount Pictures, The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Ridley Scott, Gladiator movie, Once Upon a Time Veronica, Point and Shoot, Sagrada: The Mystery of Creation, Antonio Gaudi, Sagrada Família basilica, Sundance Film Festival, The Two Faces of January, Patricia Highsmith, Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac, Steve James, Hoop Dreams, Gene Siskel Film Center, Frank Capra, It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Music Box Chicago, John McTiernan, Die Hard, Chris Columbus, Home Alone, movies, Video

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Jul 9, 2014
Recommended
A Brigadoon for modern times

The Goodman Theatre's 21st-century revival retrieves a postwar classic from the misty past.
- By Albert Williams
- Tags: Theater Review, Brigadoon, Goodman Theatre, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Oklahoma!, World War II, the Holocaust, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Carousel, It's a Wonderful Life, Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, Robert Burns, Tam o' Shanter, Brian Hill, Rachel Rockwell, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Nigeria, Africa, Roberta Duchak, Jennie Sophia, Kevin Earley, The Heather on the Hill, Almost Like Being in Love, There But for You Go I, From This Day On, Agnes de Mille, Gordon Peirce Schmidt, Rod Thomas, Jordan Brown, Maggie Portman, Mara Blumenfeld, Kevin Depinet, Shawn Sagady, Aaron Spivey, Recommended

Blogs, Bleader Dec 13, 2013
Video
Persons of interest, and this week's screenings

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Film, Amir George, Seen & Heard Music Video Showcase, Chicago Filmmakers, Empty Bottle, Joe Swanberg, Drinking Buddies, Kissing on the Mouth, Hannah Takes the Stairs, John Akomfrah, Black Cinema House, The Punk Singer, Music Box, Caught in the Web, Chen Kaige, Farewell My Concubine, Go for Sisters, John Sayles, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Peter Jackson, The Last Days on Mars, Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Olivia Williams, Saving Mr. Banks, Walt Disney, Mary Poppins, White Reindeer, Leo McCarey, The Awful Truth, Northbrook Public Library, Charles Chaplin, City Lights, Gene Siskel Film Center, Harold Lloyd The Freshman, Frank Capra, It's a Wonderful Life, River East 21, Century 12 CineArts 6, Clutch Cargo, movies, Video

Blogs, Bleader Jan 4, 2013
Four evil eyes in Winchester '73 and The Paperboy

Comparing two sets of violent eyes: James Stewart in Winchester '73 and John Cusack in The Paperboy
- By Ben Sachs
- Tags: This Will Kill You, Film, Gene Siskel Film Center, Winchester '73, Anthony Mann, James Stewart, psychopaths, Bend of the River, The Man From Laramie, It's a Wonderful Life, John Cusack, The Paperboy, Lee Daniels, drag revue

Arts & Culture, Theater Review Nov 28, 2012
The ho ho ho show review

Reader critics weigh in on eight new holiday shows
- By Tony Adler, Keith Griffith, Justin Hayford, Jack Helbig, Dan Jakes, Marissa Oberlander, and Zac Thompson
- Tags: Theater Review, Christmas 2012, A Christmas Carol, Goodman Theatre, Tom Creamer, Larry Yando, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, Susan Wojciechowski, Provision Theater, Timothy Gregory, Michael Mahler, El Stories: Holiday Train, CTA, el train, Waltzing Mechanics, Zack Florent, Greenhouse Theater Center, The Gifts of the Magi, Mark St. Germain, Randy Courts, O. Henry, Mark Lococo, Porchlight Music Theatre, Stage 773, It's a Bieberful Life, ComedySportz, Mel Evans, Justin Bieber, George Bailey, Frank Capra, It's a Wonderful Life, Maria Randazzo, Street Tempo Theatre, It's a Wonderful Santa Land Miracle Nut Cracking Christmas Story . . . Jews Welcome, Santa Claus Vs. the Easter Bunny, Michael Houghton Wagman, Vampire Koala, Donny's Skybox Studio, The Santaland Diaries, David Sedaris, Mitchell Fain, Jeremy Wechsler, Theater Wit, Provision Theater Company, Greenhouse Theatre, ComedySportz Theatre

Blogs, Bleader Dec 16, 2011
Video
This week's movie action

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue.
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Film, Carl Jung, Michael Fassbender, David Cronenberg, A Dangerous Method, Sigmund Freud, Viggo Mortensen, Sabina Spielrein, Keira Knightley, That Girl in Yellow Boots, Lads & Jockeys, Frederick Wiseman, The Last Circus, Alex de la Iglesias, El Crimen Perfecto, New Year's Eve, Garry Marshall, Pretty Woman, Valentine's Day, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, The Sitter movie, Jonah Hill, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, John le Carre, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, Music Box, Hiroshi Teshigahara, Antonio Gaudi, Gene Siskel Film Center, The Johnny Cash Christmas Special, Delilah's, Vincente Minnelli, Meet Me in St. Louis, Northbrook Public Library, Mitchell Liesen, Remember the Night, Portage theater, Northwest Chicago Film Society, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Santa Sangre, Chicago Cinema Society, film societies, movies, Video

Blogs, Bleader Dec 23, 2010
This Week's Movie Action

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue.
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Film, True Grit, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Coen brothers, Charles Portis, Rabbit Hole, Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, All Good Things, Andrew Jarecki, Capturing the Friedmans, Gulliver's Travels, Jack Black, Jonathan Swift, Little Fockers, Meet the Parents, Rare Exports A Christmas Tale, Somewhere Sofia Coppola, Golden Lion, Venice film festival, White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, movies

Blogs, Bleader Nov 26, 2010
Video
This Week's Movie Action

New reviews and notable screenings in this week's issue.
- By J.R. Jones
- Tags: Film, Jake Gyllenhaal, Pfizer, Anne Hathaway, Love and Other Drugs, Jamie Reidy, Hard Sell The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman, Jake Whitney, Burlesque movie, Cher, Christine Aguilera, Doghouse movie, Faster, Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Made in Dagenham, Sally Hawkins, Happy Go Lucky movie, Ford Motor Company, 7 Days in Slow Motion, Sing The Music of Sesame Street, Stigmata movie, Sundance Institute 2010 Shorts Program, Sundance Film Festival, Tangled movie, Rapunzel, Three Days With the Family, Terrence Malick, Badlands movie, Music Box, D.W. Griffith, Broken Blossoms, Stanley Kubrick, Eyes Wide Shut, Georges Franju, Eyes Without a Face, Museum of Contemporary Art, Alfred Hitchcock, Frenzy (1972), Saturday and Sunday at Music Box; the full-length cut of Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate, Frank Capra, It's a Wonderful Life, Pritzker Park, movies, Video

Blogs, Bleader Dec 4, 2009
Video
Bedford Falls as the Promised Land

"U.S. Catholic" columnist Patrick McCormick plumbs the theological implications of "It's A Wonderful Life" in a screening and lecture Sunday 12/6 and Monday 12/7 at Dominican University.
- By Ed M. Koziarski
- Tags: Lit & Lectures, Film, Books, It's A Wonderful Life, Frank Capra, Jimmy Stewart, Bedford Falls, Pottersville, Promised Land, U.S. Catholic, Patrick McCormick, Dominican University, Siena Center, Priory Campus, River Forest, Video

Blogs, Bleader Feb 27, 2008
Dharma in disguise

It's a more wonderful life than anyone ever thought!
- By Pat Graham
- Tags: Film, Buddhism, Frank Capra, It's a Wonderful Life, Lost Horizon, Benito Mussolini, Jimmy Stewart

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