Integration, and the cultural changes that come with it, have changed the way Chicagoans (and Michiganders, and Upstate New Yorkers) talk.Read More
Why the Classic Chicago Accent is DisappearingWhet Moseron May 27, 2021 at 3:00 pm Read More »
Rookie Scouting Portfolio creator Matt Waldman is back for more great football talk with Draft Dr. Phil and Shane “The Smartest Man” Marsaw and then the creator of the AIQ (athletic intelligence quotient), Dr. Scott Goldman, joins the 100 Crew to discuss the test and just how well Justin Fields excelled at it.
The post Keepin It 100: A Chicago Bears Podcast – Quarterback Geniuses first appeared on CHI CITY SPORTS l Chicago Sports Blog – News – Forum – Fans – Rumors.Read More
Looking for something to do with your family? Check out our highlights of current events and activities for kids.
Welcome to our highlights of events and entertainment in Chicago for kids and families to enjoy. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on the latest activities.
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When: Through June 18
Where: North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 N. Pulaski
What: The Lyric Opera, Chicago Park District and the Greater Chicago Food Depository team up to present free, live performances of Engelbert Humperdinck’s 1893 opera based on the fairy tale. This is a new production conceived and directed by Matthew Ozawa and sung in English.
More information: lyricopera.org/hanselandgretel
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When: 7:05 p.m. May 28 and 29
Where: Impact Field, 9850 Balmoral, Rosemont
What: The baseball team’s home season opens with the first of 53 games in Rosemont. Named after Chicago’s favorite culinary tradition, the Dogs will honor Chicago’s favorite condiment by giving complimentary mustard costumes and bottles of Vienna Yellow Mustard to fans at games on May 28-29. Tickets: $9-$25.
More information: thechicagodogs.com
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When: Permanent
Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.
What: The MSI’s Boeing 747 reopens with a reimagined exhibit that explores modern aviation and the science of flight. The plane’s interior has been restored and new interactive elements have been added. Tickets: $12.95, $21.95.
More information: msichicago.org
Welcome to our highlights for concerts, festivals and live music in Chicago. From free shows at Millennium Park to large festivals like Ravinia and Lollapalooza, and intimate shows at small local venues, our guide has all the latest music entertainment. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on concerts and events.
When: live performances May 27-June 13
What: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra returns with live performances May 27-June 13. The first program (May 27-30) conducted by Michael Mulcahy includes Aaron Copland’s iconic “Fanfare for the Common Man” and Samuel Barber’s 20th-century interpretation of a Bach chorale paired with works by Tilson Thomas, Bernstein and Schuller. Erina Yashima conducts (June 3-6) two “Novelettes” by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Schubert’s Symphony No. 5, the string orchestra version of Jessie Montgomery’s “Strum” and Kodaly’s orchestral “Dances of Galanta”; and Edo de Waart (June 10-13) conducts Mozart’s overture to “Don Giovanni,” Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll” and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40.
Where: Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan
Tickets: $29+; cso.org
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When: livestreamed show at 8 p.m. May 28 from City Winery Nashville
What: Singer-songwriter Shannon McNally celebrates the release of her new album, “The Waylon Sessions” with a livestreamed show from City Winery Nashville. She’s assembled an all-star band along with special guests Rodney Crowell, Buddy Miller and Kenny Vaughn. On the album, McNally puts a woman’s spin on outlaw classics by Jennings and his cohorts. The result is not so much a tribute but a rethinking of a catalog long considered a bastion of masculinity.
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When: 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays June 1-Aug. 31
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art’s outdoor sculpture garden, 220 E. Chicago
What: Tuesdays on the Terrace returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art’s outdoor sculpture garden. The popular jazz concert series features an array of Chicago jazz musiciansFirst up on June 1 is Alexis Lombre’s Ancestral Awakenings. Free with advance reservations. Visit mcachicago.org.
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When: Streams free May 28-June 13
Where: City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph
Tickets: $35. Visit citywinter.com/chicago
More information: Get ready for some furious fingerpicking and perfect harmonies when the Chicago bluegrass band Henhouse Prowlers celebrates the release of a new album “The Departure” with four shows at City Winery.
When: Streams free May 28-June 13
Where: Visit ipomusic.org.
What: The final online event of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra’s season includes Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” and Eric Ewazen’s Symphony in Brass, Valerie Coleman’s “Portrait of Josephine” and Joan Tower’s “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1,” which is often viewed as a feminist counterpoint to the Copland work of similar name.
When: July 29-Aug. 1
Where: Grant Park
What: Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park July 29-Aug. 1 with Foo Fighters, Post Malone, Tyler, the Creator, Miley Cyrus, Dababy, Marchmello, Journey, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, Kaytranada and more. $375+/festival pass. Visit lollapalooza.com.
When: Sept. 17-19
Where: Douglass Park, Chicago
What: Riot Fest is back, this year with Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, Run the Jewels, Pixies, Faith No More, Devo, Lupe Fiasco and more.
Tickets: $125+/day $155+/festival pass. Visit riotfest.org.
When: Sept. 19-12
Where: Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph
What: The Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph. Performers include Erykah Badu Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, The Fiery Furnaces, Angel Olsen, Kim Gordon Waxahatchee, Flying Lotus, Thundercat and more.
Tickets: $90/day, $195 festival pass. Visit pitchforkmusicfestival.com.
Things to do in Chicago for music fanson May 27, 2021 at 1:00 pm Read More »
Cue the pop jazz theme music, designer fashion labels and the New York City cityscapes: The “Sex and the City” ladies are back — well, at least most of them.
Sarah Jessica Parker (who played Carrie Bradshaw) in January announced the new “Sex and the City” reboot series “And Just Like That …”, in which she will star (and executive produce) with Cynthia Nixon (Miranda) and Kristin Davis (Charlotte). Parker, 55, posted a teaser video of iconic New York City locations and sounds to Instagram on Jan. 10 with the caption, “I couldn’t help but wonder … where are they now? X, SJ.”
But what about the series’ love-to-hate character Mr. Big?
On Wednesday, HBO Max announced Chris Noth will reprise his role as John James Preston, Carrie’s complicated love interest. (Remember, “Sex and the City 2” ended with Carrie and Big being married with a black diamond ring and living happily ever after.)
“How could we ever do a new chapter of the ‘Sex And The City’ story without our Mr. Big?” executive producer Michael Patrick King said in a press release.
Months later, fans are still excited to know more, as details surfaced that production would begin in late spring. Here’s what we know so far:
The revival, in New York City (of course) follows three of the series’ main characters – Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte — as “they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s,” HBO Max says.
As before, the series is based on the Candice Bushnell book “Sex and the City” and the influence of the original 1998-2004 HBO series created by Darren Star. But HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys told TV Line he’s “not trying to re-do Sex and the City.”
“And Just Like That …” will consist of 10 30-minute episodes and will stream on HBO Max. So far, the streaming service has only revealed plans for one season.
A premiere date has not been announced.
Fans of original series will notice a major character missing — Samantha Jones, who is not included in the reboot’s description.
The original girl squad consisted of four career women: Carrie, a columnist obsessed with fashion, dating and relationships; Charlotte, an art dealer obsessed with the idea of marriage; Miranda, a Type-A lawyer; and Samantha, who was a public relations professional with an emphasis on relations. Samantha spent much of the series chasing sexual conquests and offering NSFW punchlines.
Actress Kim Cattrall played Samantha in the series and the two “Sex and the City” movies in 2008 and 2010, which received mixed reviews. But in a 2019 Mail Online interview, she vowed to “never” appear in another movie, squashing any hopes of her return to the franchise.
“Never. It’s a no from me,” the 64-year-old actress said at the time, implying her decision was rooted in her feud with former co-star Sarah Jessica Parker. “You learn lessons in life and my lesson is to do work with good people and try and make it fun,” she added.
Fans commented on Parker’s Instagram post about a missing Samantha. One user @j.asminemartin explained in the comments: “they dislike each other.” Parker replied: “I’ve never said that. Never would. Samantha isnt (sic) part of this story. But she will always be part of us.” Another user, @sylviasalcedola, wrote that she “will miss Kim/Samantha.” Parker wrote back, “we will too. We loved her so.”
Cattrall’s conflict with Parker has unfolded on social media.
When Cattrall’s brother died in 2018, Parker sent condolences on Instagram. Cattrall followed up with an post that read “I don’t need your love or support at this tragic time @sarahjessicaparker.”
She added: “Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now.”
Bloys says Cattrall’s absence is indicative of the story line for “And Just Like That …”
“Friendships fade, and new friendships start. So I think it is all very indicative of the real stages, the actual stages of life… They’re trying to tell an honest story about being a woman in her 50s in New York,” he told TV Line. “So it should all feel somewhat organic, and the friends that you have when you’re 30, you may not have when you’re 50.”
One “new friendship,” as Bloys put it, possibly blossoming on the reboot could involve Sara Ramirez (“Grey’s Anatomy”).
HBO Max announced a new reoccurring character is coming to the city: Che Diaz, a nonbinary podcast host played by Ramirez. Diaz uses them/they pronouns with a “big heart,” “outrageous sense of humor and progressive, human overview of gender roles,” according to the character description.
Contributing: Cydney Henderson, Bryan Alexander, Charles Trepany
Read more at usatoday.com
MILAN — Carla Fracci, an Italian cultural icon and former La Scala prima ballerina renowned for romantic roles alongside such greats as Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov, died Thursday at her home in Milan. She was 84.
The La Scala theater announced her death with “great sadness,” without giving a cause. Italian news reports said she had been fighting cancer.
The Milan theater recalled the “fairy tale rise” of the daughter of a tram driver who, through “talent, obstinance and work became the most famous ballerina in the world, has inspired generations of young people, and not just in the world of dance.”
“Carla Fracci was a cardinal figure in the history of dance and that of La Scala, but also a point of reference for the city of Milan and Italian culture,” the theater said in a statement.
Fracci was born in Milan on Aug. 20, 1936, and spent World War II with relatives in the countryside to escape the frequent bombardment of the industrialized Lombardy capital. In a recent interview with Sky TG24, Fracci described her younger self as a “farmer,” who knew nothing of the theater or the world of dance “much less those little shoes.”
But after the war, an observer remarked on her “grace and musicality,” recommending she try out for La Scala’s academy.
She was accepted at age 10, riding her father’s tram each day to the academy, and graduated in 1954, at age 18. Her first stage appearance was in 1955 with other graduating ballet students at the close of a staging of Bellini’s “La sonnambula” conducted by Leonard Bernstein, directed by Luchino Visconti and starting Maria Callas.
She got her first break substituting for French dancer Violette Verdi in “Cinderella” the same year, and by 1958 had risen to the role of prima ballerina.
Her global fame spread immediately, with invitations to the Royal Festival Hall, followed by doors opening in the United States, even as she maintained a central role at La Scala. She was most identified with the role of “Giselle,” which she danced with Nureyev and Baryshnikov as well as Danish star Erik Bruhn.
Later partners included La Scala’s own Roberto Bolle, who remembered Fracci for her “human generosity.”
She last danced at La Scala in 2000, in the role of Luce in “Excelsior.” She was invited back in January of this year to teach a masterclass on “Giselle,” which was broadcast on La Scala’s social media channels and is part of a documentary by RAI state television.
“It was very moving to be back at La Scala, after more than 20 years,” she told SKY TG24.
Fracci is survived by her husband of 57 years, theater director Beppe Menegatti, and their son, Francesco Menegatti.
Carla Fracci, La Scala prima ballerina, dies at 84on May 27, 2021 at 1:02 pm Read More »
Welcome to our guide of events and entertainment in Chicago for kids and families to enjoy. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on the latest activities.
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When: Through June 18
Where: North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 N. Pulaski
What: The Lyric Opera, Chicago Park District and the Greater Chicago Food Depository team up to present free, live performances of Engelbert Humperdinck’s 1893 opera based on the fairy tale. This is a new production conceived and directed by Matthew Ozawa and sung in English.
More information: lyricopera.org/hanselandgretel
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When: 7:05 p.m. May 28 and 29
Where: Impact Field, 9850 Balmoral, Rosemont
What: The baseball team’s home season opens with the first of 53 games in Rosemont. Named after Chicago’s favorite culinary tradition, the Dogs will honor Chicago’s favorite condiment by giving complimentary mustard costumes and bottles of Vienna Yellow Mustard to fans at games on May 28-29. Tickets: $9-$25.
More information: thechicagodogs.com
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When: Permanent
Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.
What: The MSI’s Boeing 747 reopens with a reimagined exhibit that explores modern aviation and the science of flight. The plane’s interior has been restored and new interactive elements have been added. Tickets: $12.95, $21.95.
More information: msichicago.org
Things to do with kids in and around Chicagoon May 27, 2021 at 1:30 pm Read More »
Still looking for Memorial Day plans? Skip the crowds (and expensive air travel) to road trip somewhere new! Here are four great Memorial Day getaway trips that are driving distance from Chicago. Don’t forget to pack lots of snacks, a killer playlist, and extra change for tolls along your journey. Happy travels!
IN THE CAR: 140 miles / 2.25 hours
Miles and miles of stunning beach along Lake Michigan. All sorts of winding, wood trails. Fresh organic eats from award-winning chefs. Just a few reasons you’ll fall in love with the quaint town of Saugatuck. Need a few things to do? No worries, we put together an itinerary for you!
Saturday: Catch some rays at Oval Beach, one of the top freshwater beaches in the United States. Just a heads up, parking is $10 but the views are absolutely worth it.
Sunday: Red or white? Spend the day sipping vino and feelin’ fancy with your squad at Fenn Valley Vineyards.
Monday: Work up a serious sweat by climbing all 302 stairs at Mount Baldhead. Oof.
IN THE CAR: 80 miles / 1.5 hours
It might sound corny but this one-of-a-kind lake town will take your breath away. And with so many fun things to do, it’s hard to pick just a few. But we got you covered. Not sure where to stay? Check out the Lake Lawn Resort for some Memorial Day festivities including a pig roast on Sunday! One, two, or three-night packages are available and the Lakeside Pig Roast and Lawn Party is open to resort guests as well as day visitors.
Saturday: Head to the Fireside Theatre for “Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay” featuring classics from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Get your tickets here.
Sunday: Who doesn’t love shopping? Load up on souvenirs at White River Gifts and the Waterfront Gift Shop located inside the Abbey Resort.
Monday: Soak up the sun at Lake Geneva Riviera Beach. Admission is $8 for adults.
IN THE CAR: 90 miles / 2 hours
Head to north Wisconsin’s largest city for a weekend full of excitement. Whether you’re looking for well-deserved rest and relaxation or a schedule packed with activities, Milwaukee delivers. Here’s some stuff to do during Memorial Day in MKE.
Saturday: Spend the day exploring and learning at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Ticket prices are $22. Get yours here.
Sunday: Feeling outdoorsy? Do some urban hiking at Lapham Peak State Park, featuring more than 17 miles of challenging loop trails.
Monday: Head to Juneau Park or West Milwaukee Park to peep out the Traveling Beer Gardens. And you can feel good with every sip: all revenue collected goes back into improving the parks!
IN THE CAR: 180 miles / 3 hours
Ever been to Hoosier country? Do yourself a favor and drive south to Indiana’s capital. From the world’s largest children’s museum to the world’s largest single-day sporting event, Indy has major fun at every turn. Here’s what’s happening.
Friday: Head to the Indy 500 for Miller Lite Carb Day, the most exciting practice session of the year! Drivers racing in the Indianapolis 500 will have two hours to make their cars race ready during this final practice. Tickets are $25, get yours here.
Saturday: Spend an evening at Mallow Run Winery for their Picnic Concert Series Kickoff with My Yellow Rickshaw. Music starts at 6pm. Plus, enjoy FREE admission!
Sunday: Go for a Gondola Ride with the World Famous Singing Gondoliers! A 60 minute ride for 2 people will set you back about $180.00 each. Book your experience here.
Memorial Day Getaway Featured Photo by Cam Brennan on Unsplash
The post 4 Places Near Chicago For the Perfect Memorial Day Getaway appeared first on UrbanMatter.
