“Here’s to staying positive and testing negative!” – Toast from Diane Dunbrowski, a.k.a. “Chicago Party Aunt.”

Embrace the cliches, Chicago.

The Netflix animated series “Chicago Party Aunt” is a bawdy, rollicking, farcical, hilarious and surprisingly warmhearted love letter to the Chicago (and the Chicago area) of deep-dish pizza and pictures of “The Fridge” on the fridge, of Wrigley Field and the House of Blues, of Gibson’s and Rosebud, of shots of Malort, of Ribfest and the Chicago Marathon and the CTA holiday train.

And oh, the characters you’ll meet! Not since the heyday of Bill Swerski’s Superfans on “Saturday Night Live” have we heard so many folks speaking in such broad Chicago accents and behaving in such stereotypical Chicago ways — but the satire is executed with wit and affection, and we’re too busy laughing and nodding our heads in recognition to even consider being the least bit offended.

Based on the insightfully funny Twitter account created by St. Charles native and former Chicago writer-actor Chris Witaske, “Chicago Party Aunt” gives his alter ego a name: she’s one Diane Dunbrowski (voiced by Lauren Ash in a terrific performance), a middle-aged, part-time hairdresser and full-time party animal who squeezes her “mom bod” into too-tight jeans, treats even a weeknight like it’s New Year’s Eve, is fiercely devoted to all things Chicago sports and is prone to making observations like, “Sucking face with a rando is what Halloween is all about,” and “[Chicago’s] bridges are like gas station Viagra. You have four or five minutes before it actually goes up.”

Diane!

With relatively simple, brightly colored animation setting the tone, “Chicago Party Aunt” follows a sitcom-type format, with each episode running 23 or 24 minutes and featuring self-contained adventures — but there are also some running storylines, and we get to know and like the key players a little bit better with each chapter.

Diane lives in a Wrigleyville loft apartment so close to the Cubs’ home field you can see the stadium lights through her windows. Not that she can afford such a place; she’s there by the grace of her suburban-based and judgmental sister Bonnie (Jill Talley) and Bonnie’s milquetoast husband Mark (Ike Barinholtz), who own the property and are about to sell it when Bonnie has second thoughts and comes up with a proposition: Diane can stay there, but her nephew Daniel (Rory O’Malley), who is gay and shy and uncertain about his future and has decided to put off going to college, will be moving in, and it’s up to Diane to look after Daniel and help him find his way. Oh, Bonnie. Have you learned nothing from being Diane’s sister all these years?

The cast of wacky and lovable supporting players includes Witaske as Diane’s ex-husband Kurt (two times over), who proudly displays a Ditka mustache and works for the TSA at Midway Airport; Jon Barinholtz as Mikey, Diane and Kurt’s refrigerator-sized son, who has been hit in the head with a ball or a puck at virtually every major Chicago sporting venue; Katie Rich and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Diane’s friends and co-workers, and RuPaul as Gideon, a recent arrival from New York City who is transforming the hair salon into something modern and holistic, much to Diane’s horror.

RuPaul provides the voice of Gideon (center), who runs the hair salon where Diane works with two other stylists (voiced by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, left, and Katie Rich).Netflix

Various episodes of “Chicago Party Aunt” are set in such familiar spots as a tailgate party at Soldier Field prior to a Bears-Packers game; the Field Museum, site of the annual awards known as “The Beefys,” honoring Windy City excellence, and Roscoe’s Tavern, where Diane attends a Halloween costume party. Sometimes the puns are borderline corny, but they’re still pretty great, as when Diane mentions “The Ghost of Christmas Pabst,” or when there’s an accident and we’re told, “Looks like a steamroller took him out on Manhattan road,” or when we visit “Osco Jewelers,” LOL. Many of the Chicago references (Styx, Jim Belushi, “Chicago Med”) also have national recognition, but when Diane pulls into the parking lot of Binny’s, or there’s an animated version of a certain local weather forecasting legend, it feels like the jokes are all ours.

Through all of Diane’s madcap adventures, from her penchant for messing things up with her extended family to her refusal to acknowledge it’s no longer 1995, we sometimes cringe at her behavior, and we often understand why she drives everyone crazy — but there’s also something lovable about her as well.

Maybe that’s because just about everyone has a Chicago Party Aunt in their life, whether she’s actually an aunt or not.

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Eight people were shot, one fatally, in citywide gun violence Tuesday.

Early Tuesday, a man was shot to death in Fernwood on the Far South Side.

Brandon Gray, 29, was attacked about 12:45 a.m. while with two other people in the 200 block of West 107th Street, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. A friend told police he was inside a home when he heard the shot and ran out to find him with a gunshot wound to the head.

The man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

In nonfatal attacks, a 17-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting in South Chicago.

He was standing on a sidewalk about 12:26 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Manistee Avenue when two males fired shots in his direction, police said. The teen was struck in the leg and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was in good condition.

A 14-year old was shot Tuesday night in East Garfield Park on the West Side.

The teen was on a front porch about 8 p.m. in the 300 block of North Francisco Avenue when two males approached and opened fire, striking him in the arm, police said. He was taken to Norwegian Hospital, where he was listed in good condition.

Hours later, another 14-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting in Chatham on the South Side.

The boy was walking on the sidewalk about 10:15 p.m. in the 7600 block of South Wabash Avenue when someone inside a vehicle opened fire, police said. He was struck on the foot and was taken in good condition to the Univesity of Chicago Medical Center.

Late Tuesday night, a teenage boy was shot while driving in Englewood on the South Side.

The 17-year-old was traveling in his vehicle about 11:15 p.m. in the 5500 block of South Morgan Street when someone in a gray car fired shots, police said.

He was shot in the chest and self-transported to St. Bernard Hospital, police said. He was later transferred to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.

At least three other people were wounded in shootings Tuesday in Chicago.

Four people were killed and 10 others were hurt in shootings across Chicago Monday.

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The 17-year-old was traveling in his vehicle Tuesday night in yhr 5500 block of South Morgan Street when someone in a gray car fired shots.

By

Sun-Times Wire

Sep 15, 2021, 2:44am CDT

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A 14-year-old boy was shot September 15, 2021 in Chatham. | Adobe Stock Photo

The boy was walking on the sidewalk about 10:15 p.m. in the 7600 block of South Wabash Avenue when someone inside a vehicle opened fire.

A 14-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting late Tuesday night in Chatham on the South Side.

The boy was walking on the sidewalk about 10:15 p.m. in the 7600 block of South Wabash Avenue when someone inside a vehicle opened fire, Chicago police said.

He was struck on the foot and was taken in good condition to the Univesity of Chicago Medical Center, police said.

No one is in custody as Area Twi detectives investigate.

Hours earlier, another 14-year-old boy was shot in the front porch of an East Garfield Park home.

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Moon Alert

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions until 10:30 p.m. Pacific time. The moon is in Capricorn.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You might feel rebellious dealing with parents or authority figures. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to break free of restrictions; however, do remember never to underestimate the power of courtesy. Whatever you do, be civil and strong. If you sound reasonable, you will more easily silence opposition.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Sudden travel plans might arise. Alternatively, scheduled travel plans might be canceled or delayed because everything is in flux. You might meet someone unusual, perhaps from another culture? School plans along with medical and legal matters might have some speed bumps.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Double check banking details because something unexpected could affect financial matters for you, especially a surprise related to shared property, inheritances, debt and insurance matters. An unexpected gift might come your way? (Keep your pockets open.) When it comes to your assets, know what’s happening.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Someone close to you might throw you a curveball today. They might surprise you with a new suggestion? They might want more freedom in the relationship? They might want to do things differently? Keep an open mind. (But not so open that everything falls out.)

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Something will interrupt your work routine today. Staff shortages, technical glitches or perhaps the introduction of new technology? You might also see a better way of doing things and want to suggest improvements and reforms to coworkers. If you own a pet, be vigilant. Expect the unexpected.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

A surprise invitation might come your way today, especially to a sports event or a social outing. You might even be surprised by an unexpected flirtation? Meanwhile, parents — be vigilant because this is a mildly accident-prone day for your kids. Nevertheless, creative ideas will soar!

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Stock the fridge because a spontaneous gathering might take place at your home. Unexpected company might drop by, which triggers a fun gathering. Perhaps a family member, especially a female, will have a surprise for you? You’re restless because you want to do things your way.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

New faces, new places and new ideas are the theme for your day today. Stay light on your feet so that you can quickly go in any new direction. Do not dismiss some way-out ideas that occur to you. Write them down for future consideration because today, you can think out-of-the-box!

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Keep an eye on your money and your possessions today because it’s a crapshoot. You might find money; you might lose money. Be smart and guard your possessions against loss, theft or damage. Meanwhile, pay attention to your original, money-making ideas because they might be worth future consideration.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Today you feel impulsive and rebellious because you crave emotional excitement. This is why you will break with routine and do something spontaneous. When dealing with others, you might advocate change and new ways of doing things. “To the gates!”

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You feel restless today because some unexpected changes might be taking place behind the scenes or in your domestic environment. You might do something impulsive, even rash, because you want adventure and you want to embrace new ways of doing things!

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

This is the classic day to meet a real character — someone unusual who is “different.” Or perhaps someone you already know will do something that surprises you? In discussion with a friend, they might encourage you to change your goals or explore new avenues? Anything is possible.

If Your Birthday Is Today

British Royal, Prince Harry (1984) shares your birthday. You have a strong zest for life. You are loyal to relationships. Romance is important to you. People often seek out your advice, comfort and support. You are a sensitive person with the courage to follow your own calling. This will be a quieter, gentler year for you because your primary focus will be on your closest relationships.

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The teen was standing on a front porch in the 300 block of North Francisco Avenue when two males approached and opened fire, Chicago police said.

By

Sun-Times Wire

Sep 14, 2021, 11:43pm CDT

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Two weeks into a new school year during which Chicago Public Schools officials said they would be “committed to testing 100% of CPS students and staff each week” for COVID-19, only 3.3% of students and less than 20% of staff have signed up for the voluntary program, according to new data released by the district Tuesday.

The school system is also planning to administer tests at only one-third of its schools this week, for the second time delaying the full implementation of its testing plan until the end of September. Officials had originally said the program would be ready at the start of the school year in late August, then earlier this month pushed that date back to this week.

CPS spokeswoman Emily Bolton said the delay is partially due to the company handling testing for the district, Fisher Scientific Company LLC, hiring new employees who require background checks before they’re assigned to schools.

“We are working diligently to expand testing capacity and, in the meantime, encourage all students and staff members to opt-in to the testing program,” Bolton said in an emailed statement.

As of this week, only 9,400 out of 290,000 eligible students were registered to be tested weekly, according to CPS records. Another 6,300 teachers and staff have signed up, or 15%. And tests will be administered at a total of 171 schools this week, about 33% of the 512 district-run buildings.

Chicago Teachers Union attorney Thad Goodchild questioned how the district planned to test all students at the start of the school year when, three weeks in, Bolton is saying its vendor doesn’t have enough employees to test a mere 3% of students. The district’s contract with Fisher Scientific also wasn’t announced until the Friday before classes resumed despite officials having all summer to prepare for the fall reopening.

“We are deeply concerned about the absolute inadequacy of the COVID-19 testing program CPS is running right now,” Goodchild said. “This is complete madness.

“At this point it’s fair to ask whether CPS actually wants to run an effective testing program, or whether they’re taking a page from the former twice-impeached president and trying to avoid testing so as not to find out about positive cases because they’re more concerned about bad press than they are about the consequences of positive cases in schools.”

CPS officials told CTU leaders in a meeting Tuesday that only 638 COVID-19 tests were administered across the district on Monday, according to Goodchild.

Testing is only mandatory for CPS students who participate in sports, and staff who aren’t yet vaccinated ahead of the Oct. 15 employee deadline.

Tests are optional for the remainder of students, whose parents have to fill out an online form to opt into the program. CPS has not widely advertised its testing plan and only emailed a sign-up link to parents after 9 p.m. the Friday before the start of the school year.

Goodchild called the district’s minimal effort to get families to consent to testing “an abject failure.”

President Joe Biden last week called on districts to administer regular testing to keep schools safe and open for in-person learning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said officials should receive parent consent before swabbing children but has stressed that tests can help catch early infections and keep positive cases out of schools.

CPS has been criticized for not following the mandatory testing model used in Los Angeles public schools. In L.A., parent consent is sought for weekly tests regardless of vaccination status, but those who opt out can only attend remote learning. L.A. also tested students and staff before they returned to schools, helping detect thousands of cases before classes started. And last week that school board approved a vaccine requirement for eligible children.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said this month that a student vaccine mandate would be “premature,” despite leading experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci backing such requirements.

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When Enrique Mazzola steps into the pit on Sept. 17 to lead Giuseppe Verdi’s “Macbeth,” it will be his first production as Lyric Opera of Chicago’s new music director — a position he views as a dream job.

When he left Chicago after guest conducting his final performance of Bellini’s “I Puritani” in February 2018, he allowed himself to imagine how “beautiful” it would be to serve as Lyric’s music director.

The Spanish-born Italian maestro felt a strong rapport with the company’s orchestra and chorus, and equally important, he really liked Chicago. “I’m very European,” he said, “and I’ve seen other [American] cities which do not have a concept of city as we Europeans have. Here in Chicago, it’s more European style, and you can really walk from Lincoln Park to the South Loop.”

Those were just musings, though, because Andrew Davis had been the company’s highly effective music director for nearly 20 years and seemingly had no plans to leave. But a year or so later, everything changed. Davis decided to retire, and the company approached Mazzola about taking over as his replacement. He couldn’t believe his ears when the proposal came.

“I was stunned,” Mazzola said. “I could not say yes in a proper way, because it was such an emotional moment.”

When Mazzola’s five-year appointment was announced in September 2019, Anthony Freud, Lyric’s general director, president and CEO, said the company compiled a list of more than 20 qualities it sought in candidates for the position, ranging from being a world-class vocal coach to possessing a serious commitment to education and community engagement.

“Enrique checked all the boxes, I have to say,” Freud said at the time. “He has worked here now on a couple of occasions, and those were extraordinarily happy experiences for everybody . . . It quickly became apparent that Enrique was the ideal successor to Sir Andrew.”

Mazzola, 53, has led numerous opera performances on many of the world’s major stages like the Salzburg Festival, Metropolitan Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and served seven years as artistic and music director of the Orchestre National d’Ile de France in Paris.

He believes that two of the most important ingredients for being a good opera conductor are understanding the workings of an opera company from top to bottom and getting the necessary experience in the pit. Both points might sound obvious, he said, but some young conductors try to find short cuts, which don’t always work out.

Enrique Mazzola will lead three operas a season as Lyric Opera of Chicago’s new music director, and he plans to make a point of always conducting the season opener, as he will this year with “Macbeth.” Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

“The jump from the symphonic podium to the pit podium is very difficult,” he said. “In the end, in the show, everything is in the hands of the conductor. I start. I close. I accelerate. I save. I smile. I support.”

Mazzola discovered conducting as a member of the children’s chorus at Milan’s La Scala when he was 7 or 8. He was asked to sing a solo in Alban Berg’s “Wozzeck,” and though it was not until the end of the opera, he had to arrive early, get into costume and wait for his moment.

While sitting backstage, he watched famed conductor Claudio Abbado on a grainy monitor and became enthralled as a gesture elicited a roaring bass drum. “This is magic,” he remembers thinking. “I want to do what this man is doing.”

He will lead three operas a season as Lyric’s music director, and he plans to make a point of always conducting the season opener, as he will this year with “Macbeth,” followed Sept. 26-Oct. 8 by Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love.”

“Macbeth” is part of Mazzola’s plan to lead five of Verdi’s early and comparatively less frequently heard operas — one a season. The project began in the fall of 2019 when Mazzola led “Luisa Miller” as music director designate and it was supposed to have continued last year with “Attila,” but because of the COVID-19 shutdown, that production turned into a digital series of concert highlights.

“‘Macbeth’ is such a classic,” the conductor said. “What is unique is that we have two geniuses, Shakespeare and Verdi, for the price of one.”

Mazzola also intends to put an emphasis on contemporary opera, including company commissions and a continuation of Lyric’s plan, announced several years ago, to present a recent English-language work each season.

“It is in my natural DNA to make commissions, to help people create new music,” he said. “I want to develop a dialogue with the people of Chicago, to explain to them that contemporary opera is not necessarily difficult or not nice to listen to. But it’s important, because it tells us about contemporary problems and issues.”

His third production Jan. 22-30, 2022 will be Missy Mazzoli’s chamber opera, “Proving Up,” which the company plans to present in the Goodman Theatre’s Owen Theatre. “She is an American woman composer,” he said, “and this is very important. We cannot continuously present men. We have to acknowledge that there are fantastic women composers, and this is their moment.”

The new music director embraces the calls for greater diversity and inclusion stemming from George Floyd’s killing last summer and intensified discussions surrounding race and gender inequities. In addition to trying to make Lyric’s offerings more accessible to everyone, he believes it’s important that systemic change happen within the company.

Mazzola acknowledges that he might like to add a complementary symphonic conducting post some day. But for now, when he is not in Chicago, he will devote himself to his principal guest conducting duties at Deutsche Oper Berlin and guest conducting, including regular visits to the London Philharmonic and Vienna Symphony.

Kyle MacMillan is a local freelance writer.

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Actor Harry Lennix III, who stars in the TV show “The Blacklist,” is advancing a dream that he said will honor his roots in Chicago: Building a performing arts center for African American culture on the South Side.

Lennix has submitted a zoning proposal to take over a two-story warehouse at 4343 S. Cottage Grove Ave. In a partnership with Chicago developer Keith Giles and contractor Michael Wordlaw, Lennix would turn the old Marshall Field warehouse into a 350-seat theater with a smaller performance space of about 100 seats.

The venue would have a tie-in with the Chicago Public Schools. “I’m a former CPS teacher. I taught music there,” said Lennix. The Northwestern University graduate attained notice here at the Goodman Theatre and elsewhere before moving on to work in New York and Los Angeles.

“My basic dream is to bring a performing arts space to the South Side of Chicago. It doesn’t have that,” he said in a phone call between takes for “The Blacklist.”

It would be called the Lillian Marcie Center, a reference to his mother, Lillian, and a mentor, Marcella “Marcie” Gillie on the South Side. Lennix said he’s raised about 60% of the funds needed for a roughly $20 million project.

Giles, who has long been active in the South Loop and Near South Side, said he hopes to start construction at the building in early 2021 and complete the project about a year later. He said he’s working on tax credits and incentives from federal, state and city programs.

In July, the city’s Community Development Commission approved a $3 million subsidy for the project under tax increment financing.

The 15,000-square-foot building is a twin of the Briar Street Theater, 3133 N. Broadway, which itself went through a transformation. The home of the long-running show Blue Man Group is listed as a former stable for Marshall Field & Co. horses.

The South Side venue would house a museum, Lennix said, while providing performances in “dance, theater, opera, spoken word, you name it.” He’s tapped the Chicago firm Nia Architects to assist.

The zoning proposal, introduced to the City Council on Tuesday, would allow for the conversion to a theater, with a lounge and rooftop deck for events. The investors want a special use permit to provide 45 parking spaces on a nearby lot.

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The inspector general charged with investigating widespread allegations of sexual misconduct among lifeguards at the Chicago Park District was forced out after a controversy came to light regarding an affair she had with a co-worker at a previous job.

Elaine L. Little resigned Tuesday, hours after a WBEZ investigation showed that while overseeing investigations at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, she had an extra-marital affair and a child out of wedlock with a colleague. That triggered a conflict of interest probe that was cut short when she resigned in 2018.

Little’s ouster as the internal parks watchdog comes less than a month after she abruptly fired her deputy who headed the day-to-day probe into sexual harassment and abuse of the city’s lifeguards.

She could not be reached for comment.

For weeks, Mayor Lori Lightfoot backed her parks IG hired last October to a $140,000-a-year post. On Tuesday the mayor left no doubt that Little was forced out and that she was among those doing the pushing.

The mayor said she never met Little, ex-wife of Chicago Democratic State Rep. Curtis Tarver II, and had no idea who at the Chicago Park District was responsible for vetting her. But the mayor said she became aware of Little’s “lapse in judgement and, perhaps misconduct” at the Juvenile Detention Center on Monday, adding, “They deeply concerned me.”

“I think it’s really important–as I’ve said over and over again–that this investigation of allegations of serious misconduct and, in some instances, criminal conduct, be treated with due seriousness and that the integrity and independence of the inspector general has to be maintained,” the mayor said.

“Her resignation was appropriate under the circumstances. Had she remained in charge of this investigation given what we now know–which she’s acknowledged about her background–would have cast a pall over all of the work that was done. And that does a disservice to the victims.”

Lightfoot demanded that a Park District Board that includes two new members she appointed convene as soon as possible, hire a “true independent investigator” to pick up the pieces and “make sure there are no stone[s] left unturned.”

“That person or people that are hired have to be beyond reproach, have total experience in conducting these kinds of investigations and make sure that the work that is done is trauma-informed,” she said.

“I worry about what these victims are thinking today. I worry about whether or not they believe that they’re being treated fairly, that their allegations are being handled with the seriousness that they deserve.”

“I will also just say I think it’s critically important–given that some of the women have alleged criminal conduct–that the state’s attorney open up an investigation…if that hasn’t been done already.”

For weeks, Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed confidence in the integrity of Little’s investigation of alleged physical and sexual abuse of Park District lifeguards. She maintained that stance even after Little suspended then fired her lead investigator deputy inspector general Nathan Kipp without warning or explanation and without a hearing required by Park District rules. She has yet to pass judgment on Park District Superintendent Mike Kelly, who promised a victim he would take immediate action to handle her complaints but instead waited six weeks to forward them to Little’s office.

Kipp has accused Little of pushing him out to dead-end the investigation into dozens of complaints of sexual assault, sexual harassment and physical abuse of the lifeguards who’ve staffed the city’s beaches and pools — and to make certain Kelly isn’t never implicated in an alleged coverup.

Kipp also had called repeatedly for State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to take over the internal investigation.

Foxx’s office declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation involving the City of Chicago’s Inspector General.

In a statement, Park District Board President Avis LaVelle said the board instead will hire private lawyers “to complete its oversight and review of the investigators’ findings and to examine the handling of this issue and related policies and practices by Chicago Park District Management,” she wrote in a statement.

“The Board has nothing to gain from anything less than a complete and exhaustive investigation and CPD disciplinary actions will be guided by the facts as determined by the investigation. The resignation of the CPD Inspector General today will not deter the Chicago Park District from its goal to investigate and root out inappropriate behavior by Park District staff and/or management.”

Related

https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2021/9/2/22654846/park-board-nominees-lifeguard-scandal-sexual-assault-harassment-drug-alcohol-abuse-pools-beaches

https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2021/8/4/22609937/lifeguards-chicago-park-district-sexual-harassment-drugs-alcohol-oak-beach-kelly-inspector-general

https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2021/8/26/22642883/lifeguards-sexual-harassment-abuse-chicago-park-district-deputy-inspector-general-investigation

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