Welcome to our highlights of events and entertainment on stage at Chicago’s theaters. From local productions to Broadway hits, our guide has the latest on shows in the city. Bookmark this page and check back for updates and ticket information.

‘Why Dogs Don’t Talk’

D. Rice Photo

When: July 27-Aug. 8

Where: Online

What: First Folio Theatre presents an online production of David Rice’s adaptation of a short story by Dean Monti. Filmed in an Evanston apartment, the comedy ponders the question: Is man a dog’s best friend? The cast includes Landree Fleming as Hubert the dog and August Forman as the bewildered dog owner Mel. Tickets: a sliding scale of pay-what-you-can.

More information: firstfolio.org

‘And Away We Stared’

When: 8 p.m. July 22-24

Where: Online

What: For its latest performance, Trap Door Theatre, the company dedicated to staging challenging yet obscure works, has devised a piece using text from the works of Chuck Mee, Gertrude Stein and Matei Visniec. In the absence of humans, the stage has gained the ability to put on mechanized performances to please only itself. In a series of theatrical dares, the actors of Trap Door attempt to retake the stage, confronting notions of live performance, automation and the cycles we perpetuate. Devised and directed by Skye Fort and Mike Steele. Tickets: $10, $15.

More information: trapdoortheatre.com

The Annoyance Theatre

Provided

What: Live comedy shows have returned to The Annoyance, including a one-night performance of “Messing With a Friend” (9:30 p.m. July 22, $10) featuring improv great Susan Messing performing with another favorite, Rachael Mason. Also on the lineup is Annoyance artistic director Mick Napier’s new solo sketch revue, “System of a Clown” (8 p.m. Friday-Saturday through September, $10, $20), plus returning favorites including “Green Show Live,” “Trigger Happy,” “Hitch*Cocktails,” “Cigarette Sandwich” and more.

More information: theannoyance.com

Rhythm World

Photo by Kristie Kahns

What: The comprehensive festival of tap returns under the direction of Jumaane Taylor. This year’s 30^th anniversary event offers three weeks of classes and performances. An array of performers will take to the stage at the Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth (July 27, Aug. 3, 10; $30, $60), Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand (July 28, free), DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56^th Place (Aug. 7, $30) and the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago (Aug. 14, $30).

More information: chicagotap.org

‘Sea Change’

Christopher Andrew

When: July 15-25

Where: BRNDHAUS PL-ZEN, 1727 W. 21st.

What: Cabinet of Curiosity presents an outdoor series of puppet shows that explore the power of the sea and the feminine divine. The wild and strange pieces are mostly written by emerging female playwrights and lyricists: “Whale Song” by Lindsey Noel Whiting, “A Mermaid’s Tail (If There’s a God)” by Bethany Thomas and Liz Chidester, “More” by Kasey Foster and “The Lookout” by Seth Bockley.

Tickets: $25. Visit cocechicago.com.

‘The Tempest’

Maia Rosenfeld

When: July 15-Aug. 21

Where: Austin Gardens, 167 Forest, Oak Park

What: Oak Park Festival Theatre returns to outdoor performances at Austin Gardens with what is thought to be one of Shakespeare’s final masterpieces, a story of shipwreck, romance and magic. Artistic director Barbara Zahora directs, and the cast includes Kevin Theis as Prospero, Bernell Lassai as Ariel, Matt Gall as Caliban and Deanalis Resto as Miranda.

Tickets: $35. Visit oakparkfestival.com.

‘Cooking With Bubbie’

MadKap Productions

When: To Aug. 22

Where: Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln, Skokie

What: MadKap Productions and Orchard Street Productions present Jay Kholos’ new musical set at a fictional TV cooking show where everyone’s favorite Jewish grandmother entertains with an old-fashioned variety revue with dancers, music and comedy. Chicago comedian Jan Slavin and Gold Coast Cabaret Award-winner Carla Gordon alternate in the role of the Bubbie.

Tickets: $45. Visit skokietheatre.org.

Teatro ZinZanni

Michael Doucet

What: The immersive, whirlwind theater experience that is Teatro ZinZanni has reopened featuring a new show with a cast of comedians, aerialists, acrobats, singers, dancers and a gourmet meal, it brings comedy, music and cirque back after a long pandemic hiatus. Included among the performers are powerhouse vocalists Storm Marrero and Cunio, aerial acts Lea Hinz and Duo 19, veteran comedians Frank Ferrante and Joe DePaul and acrobatic dancers Mickael and Vita.

When: Ongoing

Where: Spiegeltent ZaZou on the 14^th floor of the Cambria Hotel, 32 W. Randolph

Tickets: $119-$189; limited show only tickets $69. Visit zinzanni.com/chicago.

The Artistic Home Theatre

What: The Artistic Home presents “Summer on the Patio,” a seasonlong event which invites theatergoers to share in the creative workshop process via free staged readings and open rehearsals of three contemporary plays: Maria Irene Fornes’ “Mud” (To Aug. 27), Martyna Majok’s “Ironbound” (To Aug. 28) and Craig Wright’s “The Pavilion” (To Aug. 22).

Where: It all takes place at the company’s new space at 3054 N. Milwaukee with rehearsals in July and staged readings in August.

Admission: free

Visit theartistichome.org

Summer in the Parks

What: Brightside Theatre and the Naperville Park District present “Summer in the Parks: The Music of Rodgers & Hammerstein.” The free hourlong revue features tunes from the iconic composers’ musicals including “The King and I,” “South Pacific,” “Oklahoma,” “The Sound of Music” and more.

When: Performances are at 7 p.m. June 30, July 21 and Aug. 11

Where: Wagner Family Pavilion in the 95^th Street Community Plaza, 3109 Cedar Glade Dr., Naperville.

Visit: brightsidetheatre.com

Steppenwolf Theatre

Joan Marcus/WP Theater

What: The final entry in the Steppenwolf NOW virtual season is “Where We Stand,” a storytelling tour-de-force about community and accountability written and performed by Donnetta Lavinia Grays. Through poetic verse and music, the drama challenges our ability to forgive and our ideas of mercy and who might deserve it. The filmed play captures a performance originally presented at Baltimore Center Stage co-produced with WP Theater.

When/tickets: A $75 ticket includes all six of the productions in the NOW series available online through Aug. 31

Visit: steppenwolf.org/now

Writers Theatre

Michael Halberstam

What: In Reginald Edmund’s “Ride Share,” a co-production of Black Lives, Black Words and Writers Theatre, everything in Marcus’ (Kamal Angelo Bolden) life is going smoothly until he’s laid off from his job. To make ends meet, he becomes a ride share driver. Edmund says the drama, directed by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway, “takes us on a journey into the depths of the Black male experience in America.”

When: Streams June 23-July 25

Tickets: $40-$100

Visit writerstheatre.org

Summer Nights with Northlight

What: Summer Nights with Northlight is a cabaret series held at Evanston restaurants to benefit Northlight Theatre. The performers are Alexis J. Roston and Kelvin Roston Jr. (June 10, Good to Go Jamaican, 711 W. Howard), Linda Solotaire (July 27, Sketchbook Brewing Company, 4901 Main, Skokie) and Heidi Kettenring (Aug. 24, Peckish Pig, 623 W. Howard).

When: Performances times are 6 p.m.

Tickets: $60 includes light dinner and select drinks. Visit northlight.org.

Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collective

What: Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collective presents “Emerge,” a cabaret series featuring music, drag performance, comedy and spoken word.

When: every second Friday of the month

Where: Porkchop, 1132 W. Grand

Tickets: $20. Visit labyrinthartsperformance.com.

Read More

The launch of a new federal effort to combat gun violence across the country brought Attorney General Merrick Garland back to his native Chicago, where he called gun violence an ongoing tragedy Thursday and said, “I feel it particularly in my hometown.”

Garland’s first official visit as attorney general to Chicago came in the wake of three mass shootings in a single day. One of them took place just down the street from St. Agatha Catholic Church, where Garland met with community members Thursday and talked briefly with reporters.

Shortly before Garland arrived at the church, a police chase erupted outside.

Pool, Getty

“Here, today, the threat of violent crime, particularly gun crime is a tragedy that is just ongoing. I feel it particularly in my hometown here,” said Garland, who was raised in north suburban Lincolnwood and graduated from Niles West High School in Skokie.

It’s the second time this month such a visit has been marred with gun violence. President Joe Biden arrived in Chicago on July 7 right after a Chicago police officer and two federal agents were shot while working undercover.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot huddled with Biden during that visit. And now, Garland has come to town to help the Justice Department launch what it’s calling a set of cross-jurisdictional “strike forces” in five key areas across the country, including Chicago.

The new program does not deploy new personnel into those areas, unlike with President Donald Trump’s “Operation Legend” in 2020. Rather, a key goal is to link law enforcement in cities like Chicago, where the violence occurs, with their counterparts in regions where guns first begin to make their way into the hands of criminals, through so-called straw purchasers.

Chicago-based U.S. Attorney John Lausch will lead the effort here, and Garland told reporters Thursday that Lausch has connected with his counterparts in potential gun source areas in downstate Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

“Straw purchasers and unlicensed gun sellers enable violence,” Lausch said in a statement, adding that the new program will “enhance our longstanding efforts to hold accountable individuals or groups who illegally traffic firearms into Chicago.”

After landing at Midway Airport, Garland visited the Harrison/11th District police station, at 3151 West Harrison St. on the West Side, along with Lightfoot, Lausch, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, and Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who joined Garland on his flight to Chicago.

Pool, Getty

There they toured the Strategic Decision Support Center. Speaking to reporters after Garland left, Lightfoot sent an unflinching message warning of hefty federal prison sentences.

“If you pick up a gun, if you shoot indiscriminately into a crowd, not only are we gonna find you, we’re gonna take you to federal court and we’re gonna ship you off to South Dakota and you’re never gonna see your family again,” Lightfoot said.

Garland then moved on to St. Agatha, where he met with members of the Heartland Alliance and READI Chicago, which directly engages with people at high risk of experiencing violence.

At the start of that meeting, he acknowledged the recent nearby shooting.

“This is life,” Garland told the group. “This is not some theoretical law thing.”

Garland also attended a youth baseball game with Lausch on Thursday in Columbus Park. On Friday, Garland will meet with local Justice Department officials in Chicago.

It all amounted to the latest federal effort to address another wave of violence in Chicago. A 15-year-old boy was killed and 28 other people were wounded here Wednesday, when the city saw three mass shootings. The first and fatal shooting took place at Douglas and Christiana — a few blocks from St. Agatha, 3147 W. Douglas Blvd.

Lightfoot called the need for federal help “a matter of incredible urgency” after she met with Biden during his visit earlier this month. But she also insisted she did not want “federal troops” who “don’t know how to do local law enforcement.”

Brown also met with Biden and Garland at the White House last week, where Brown said Garland made a “significant commitment” to help the city. Meanwhile, the superintendent is also creating a new team of about 50 officers who are also expected to target gun traffickers, separate from the federal effort.

Contributing: Lynn Sweet, Tom Schuba

Jon Seidel/Sun-Times

Read More

He was the first African American sports hero and the first Black athlete to compete regularly in open, integrated competitions. He was the first and only African American to win a cycling world championship. He was known as the fastest man in the world, nicknamed “Major” in his Indiana youth and later “the Worcester Whirlwind” after his adopted hometown in Massachusetts. President Theodore Roosevelt was one of his biggest fans. He was one of the wealthiest athletes of his time, too, before dying penniless in Chicago.

This is the story of Marshall “Major” Taylor — whose life was marked by struggle, fame, despair and greatness, and ended in Chicago.

The city keeps the memory of Taylor alive in the “Major” Taylor Trail, which stretches 7 1/2 miles, was created in 2007 and includes a 400-foot mural on the bridge over the Little Calumet River that was painted by Chicago artist Bernard Williams in 2017 to honor the legacy of Taylor. Painted with highly durable acrylic paint on curved metal panels, Williams used his artistic skills to chronicle Taylor’s life based on Taylor’s autobiography, “The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World.”

Wikimedia Commons

“What I designed was a visual response to his autobiography,” Williams said. “The wall is split into something like 40 panels, so that gave me a design structure to think about a sequential arrangement of symbols and images and words that would tell his story. I was excited that it was an international statement. He was an international star all over the globe riding that bike.”

The bridge mural was a refreshing page-turner for the community, as the wall on which the mural was installed was long-vandalized with graffiti. The mural quality holds up four years after its installment, and Williams said it should stay that way for the next 10 to 15 years. Today, it may be the largest mural in the country dedicated to Taylor.

A lesser-known mural to the public but a classic fan-favorite to die-hard riders of the trail is featured in the Dan Ryan Woods on the north side of 111th Street, installed with the help of Paula Robinson, Morgan Park Civic League managing director, and painted by Carvell Ray in 2013. It reads, “Major Taylor was the first internationally acclaimed African American Sports Superstar. Held seven world records in 1898. Won the world 1-mile bicycling championship, Aug. 10, 1899. American Sprint Champion 1900.”

An event to commemorate that anniversary is being held Aug. 21, with a bike ride and festival.

Taylor died a pauper at age 53 on June 21, 1932, in the charity ward of Cook County Hospital. He was buried in an unmarked grave at the height of the Depression. In 1948, a group of former pro racers and Schwinn Bicycle Company owner Frank Schwinn had Taylor’s body exhumed and reburied at Mount Glenwood Cemetery.

Today, members of the “Major” Taylor Trail Keepers and Friends of “Major” Taylor want the community to remember Taylor for his tenacity and his ability to surprise the masses, overcome preconceived notions and stun crowds with spectacular demonstrations of endurance, grit, passion and determination.

“I was born and raised five blocks west of the trail,” “Major” Taylor Trail Keepers board president Brenda Dixon said. “There is a sense of pride that fills me because this is someone who was a person of color in a white sport. The trail is in a predominantly minority community — it’s named after someone that looks like us, and I’m honored that he’s visible in the community that I live in.”

Taylor competed against intense racism at home. Cyclists intentionally crashed him. Death threats were sent to him frequently. And in one instance, Taylor said in his autobiography that he was pushed off his bike in Boston and choked by a white cyclist until he was unconscious.

In spite of the severe prejudice toward his participation in a major sport — cycling was one of the most popular sports in the 19th century — Taylor won world championships abroad at lightning speed, amassing seven world titles by the age of 20.

“Initially, the [2013] mural was there to make people in the community gain more information on who ‘Major’ Taylor was,” Robinson said. “This mural and trail weaves through so many different communities and organizations. It was a project that connected people from all over in the city — and the world. It was a placeholder and a starting point; it was the lightning rod for other projects we’ve worked on like the bridge and now a statue.”

Click on the map below for a selection of Chicago-area murals

Read More

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.

Buffalo Nichols

Mike Dunn Photo

When: 7 p.m. July 23, Space, 1245 Chicago, Evanston ($20); 7:30 p.m. July 30, The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia ($10)

What: Until last year Milwaukee-based Carl Nichols was best known as one half of the folk duo Nickel & Rose. Inspired by the classic blues music he grew up loving as well as the gospel and African music he would later play, he has rebranded himself as Buffalo Nichols focusing on acoustic blues and returning it to his songwriter roots. “I always related to the blues,” Nichols says. “I grew up in abject poverty. I experienced racism. And when I would sit down with a blues record, I could hear that in the songs. Now I want to be that person that I never got to see on stage.”

More information: evanstonspace.com; hideoutchicago.com

Chicago Latino Jazz Festival

Courtesy of Luiz Ewerling

When: July 23-24

Where: Outside the Humboldt Park Fieldhouse, 1440 N. Humboldt Blvd.

What: The Jazz Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Park District present a family-friendly free event. Performing both nights are Brazilian drummer and composer Luiz Ewerling & AMADA (6 p.m.) followed by James Sanders’ Conjunto (7 p.m.) performing new Afro-Latin music written during the COVID-19 quarantine .

More information: jazzinchicago.org

Opera Festival of Chicago

Provided photo

What: The festival returns with three works at three different venues. First up is Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s whimsical one-act opera “Il Segreto di Susanna” at 7 and 9 p.m. July 24 (Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport, $15-$75) with Stephen Powell as Count Gil and Emily Birsan as Susanna. Next is “Dante 700,” which celebrates the impact Dante and his “Divine Comedy” has had on opera’s rich history, at 8 p.m. July 28-29 (Artifacts Events, 4325 N. Ravenswood, $15-$35). The festival concludes with Puccini’s tale of loss, love and betrayal “Il Tabarro” at 7 and 9 p.m. Aug. 5 (Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport, $35-$75).

More information: operafestivalchicago.org

House City Series

Courtesy Chicago Park District

What: The Departments of Cultural Affairs and Special Event’s tribute to house music continues with House City, a new series of free events popping up throughout the summer in the neighborhoods that helped create the house music genre over 35 years ago.

When/Where: vent dates and communities are July 23 in South Shore, July 31 on the Southeast Side, Aug. 14 in Humboldt Park, Aug. 28 in Englewood, Aug. 29 in Lakeview, Sept. 12 in South Shore and Sept.19 in Bronzeville. DJs playing include Traxman, Lori Branch, Deeon, Elbert Philips, Duane Powell and more.

Info: For locations and times, visit chicagohousemusicfestival.us

Courtesy Origin Records

Chris Foreman at the Green Mill

What: The Green Mill has reopened and that means the return of Chris Foreman, a Friday night fixture at the popular jazz club. Foreman, a jazz organist blind since birth, is a master on the Hammond B3 and regarded as Chicago’s best. His playing is a blend of blues-gospel and jazz honed in his professional experience, which has included work with Hank Crawford, Albert Collins, Bernard Purdie, The Deep Blue Organ Trio and The Mighty Blue Kings.

When: 5-7:30 p.m. Fridays

Where: The Green Mill, 4802 N. Broadway

Cost: No cover charge

Visit greenmilljazz.com

Ravinia Festival

What: The Ravinia Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in the country, returns with reduced capacity. As usual, the lineup is a varied slate of music from classical to pop, jazz and rock. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra returns for a six-week run with conductor Marin Alsop leading seven concerts in her first season as Ravinia’s chief conductor. Also on the roster are: Garrick Ohlsson, Cynthia Erivo, Counting Crows, Kurt Elling, Brian McKnight, John Hiatt and the Jerry Douglas Band, The Roots, John Legend, Madeleine Peyroux, Midori, Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Joffrey Ballet.

When: July 1-Sept. 26

Where: Highland Park

Tickets: prices vary

Visit: ravinia.org.

Grant Park Music Festival

Patrick Pyszka

What: The Grant Park Music Festival is fully open for capacity audiences in the seated area and the lawn.

When: July 2-Aug. 21

Where: Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Michigan and Randolph.

Admission: free

Visit: gpmf.org

Chicago Philharmonic

Courtesy of AdrianDunn.com

What: Chicago Philharmonic returns with a three-concert outdoor chamber series at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts parking lot, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie. The opening performance at 7 p.m. June 27 is “Chicago Phil Brass: Brass with Sass” and features Edward Elgar’s “Chanson du Matin,” Astor Piazzolla’s “Oblivion,” Fats Waller’s “That’s a Plenty,” Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” and more. There’s also a free streaming concert “Redemption” (June 29-Aug. 27), which features spirituals and gospel songs conducted by Adrian Dunn.

When: Subsequent concerts are July 25 and Aug. 5.

Tickets: $36-$42

Visit: chicagophilharmonic.org

Summer Nights with Northlight

What: Summer Nights with Northlight is a cabaret series held at Evanston restaurants to benefit Northlight Theatre. The performers are Alexis J. Roston and Kelvin Roston Jr. (June 10, Good to Go Jamaican, 711 W. Howard), Linda Solotaire (July 27, Sketchbook Brewing Company, 4901 Main, Skokie) and Heidi Kettenring (Aug. 24, Peckish Pig, 623 W. Howard).

When: Performances times are 6 p.m.

Tickets: $60 includes light dinner and select drinks. Visit northlight.org.

Tuesdays on the Terrace

Copyright MCA

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.

Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collective

What: Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collectivepresents “Emerge,” a new cabaret series featuring music, drag performance, comedy and spoken word.

When: every second Friday of the month

Where: Porkchop, 1132 W. Grand

Tickets: $20. Visit labyrinthartsperformance.com.

Lollapalooza

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.

Pitchfork Music Festival

When: Sept. 10-12

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.

Riot Fest

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.

Read More

Welcome to our roundup of movie screenings and events in Chicago. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on shows and activities.

International Queer Film Festival

Ariztical Entertainment

When: July 18-Aug. 14

Where: Online

What: Featured are 29 films from eight countries streaming online in four separate programs. The diverse selection explores the range of queer life topics ranging from comedy to drama to science fiction and Zoom dating. Three programs of short films each run for a week with the festival’s final week devoted to “Boy Meets Boy,” a new feature by German filmmaker Daniel Sanchez Lopez about two men who develop a deep connection over one long night in Berlin. Tickets: $12 per program.

More information: pridearts.org

‘Movies on the Lawn’

When: To July 31

Where: Lincoln Yards, Ada and Concord

What: Last summer Lincoln Yards launched a popular drive-in movie series, but this summer moviegoers will be able to walk up for a picnic-like outdoor movie experience on a first-come, first-served basis. The roster for the series, a collaboration between Sterling Bay and Lincoln Square’s Davis Theater, is “Field of Dreams” (July 15), “The Wizard of Oz” (July 16), “The Karate Kid” (July 17), “Caddyshack (July 22), “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” (July 23), “Jurassic Park” (July 24), “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (July 29), “Raya and the Last Dragon” (July 30) and “”Dirty Dancing” (July 31). Tickets: $10. Bring a chair/blankets to sit on, and you will need an FM radio or cell phone to tune into the audio.

More information: davistheater.com

‘Movies in the Parks’

When: To Sept. 14

Where: In parks throughout Chicago

What: The Chicago Park District’s series returns with films ranging from Hollywood classics to retro childhood favorites and family-friendly offerings from recent years. Admission is free.

More information: For a complete list of films and parks, visit chicagoparkdistrict.com/movies.

Garden Movies

Music Box Theatre

When: All summer long

Where: 3733 N. Southport

What: The Music Box Theatre is screening films in its expanded courtyard under the stars. Tickets: $9.

More information: musicboxtheatre.com

Read More

The Blackhawks’ 2021-22 regular-season schedule was released Thursday.

The Hawks will play a full 82-game slate, with 41 home games at the United Center and at least one home and away game against every other NHL team, in a refreshing return to normalcy.

The season begins Oct. 13 on the road against the Avalanche, the start of a three-game road trip that includes visits to the Devils and Penguins. The Hawks then begin a four-game homestand, starting with the Oct. 19 home opener against the Islanders.

The schedule includes a break from Feb. 3-24 for the All-Star Weekend and Winter Olympics, but NHL Olympic participation is not yet certain. A second version of the schedule without an Olympic break was also distributed to teams Thursday but not made public, Hawks general manager Stan Bowman said.

As a result of the February break, the regular season will run longer than usual: through the end of April. The Hawks’ home finale will be Apr. 27 against the Golden Knights; their season finale will be Apr. 29 at the Sabres.

The Hawks will face the expansion Kraken for the first time Nov. 17 in Seattle and host them for the first time Apr. 7. Rivalry home games include Oct. 24 against the Red Wings and Nov. 26 and Feb. 27 against the Blues. Holiday dates include hosting the Stars on Dec. 23 and visiting the Predators on Jan. 1.

The Coyotes will join the Central Division this season because of the Kraken’s addition to the Pacific Division. The Hawks will face every Central team four times except for the Stars and Jets (three meetings each), every Pacific team three times and every Atlantic and Metropolitan team twice.

The Hawks will also play a six-game preseason schedule from Sept. 29 to Oct. 9.

A full calendar of the schedule can be seen below:

Read More

The launch of a new federal effort to combat gun violence across the country brought Attorney General Merrick Garland back to his native Chicago, where he called gun violence an ongoing tragedy Thursday and said, “I feel it particularly in my home town.”

Garland’s first official visit as attorney general to Chicago came in the wake of three mass shootings in a single day. One of them took place just down the street from St. Agatha Catholic Church, where Garland met with community members Thursday and talked briefly with reporters.

Shortly before Garland arrived at the church, a police chase erupted outside.

Pool, Getty

“Here, today, the threat of violent crime, particularly gun crime is a tragedy that is just ongoing. I feel it particularly in my hometown here,” said Garland, who was raised in north suburban Lincolnwood and graduated from Niles West High School in Skokie.

It’s the second time this month such a visit has been marred with gun violence. President Joe Biden arrived in Chicago on July 7 right after a Chicago police officer and two federal agents were shot while working undercover.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot huddled with Biden during that visit. And now, Garland has come to town to help the Justice Department launch what it’s calling a set of cross-jurisdictional “strike forces” in five key areas across the country, including Chicago.

The new program does not deploy new personnel into those areas, unlike with President Donald Trump’s “Operation Legend” in 2020. Rather, a key goal is to link law enforcement in cities like Chicago, where the violence occurs, with their counterparts in regions where guns first begin to make their way into the hands of criminals, through so-called straw purchasers.

Chicago-based U.S. Attorney John Lausch will lead the effort here, and Garland told reporters Thursday that Lausch has connected with his counterparts in potential gun source areas in downstate Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

“Straw purchasers and unlicensed gun sellers enable violence,” Lausch said in a statement, adding that the new program will “enhance our longstanding efforts to hold accountable individuals or groups who illegally traffic firearms into Chicago.”

After landing at Midway Airport, Garland visited the 11th District police station on the West Side along with Lightfoot, Lausch, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, and Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who joined Garland on his flight to Chicago.

Pool, Getty

There they toured the Strategic Decision Support Center, 3151 West Harrison St. Garland then moved on to St. Agatha, where he met with members of the Heartland Alliance and READI Chicago, which directly engages with people at high risk of experiencing violence.

It all amounted to the latest federal effort to address another wave of violence in Chicago. A 15-year-old boy was killed and 28 other people were wounded here Wednesday, when the city saw three mass shootings. The first and fatal shooting took place at Douglas and Christiana — a few blocks from St. Agatha, 3147 W. Douglas Blvd.

Lightfoot called the need for federal help “a matter of incredible urgency” after she met with Biden during his visit earlier this month. But she also insisted she did not want “federal troops” who “don’t know how to do local law enforcement.”

Brown also met with Biden and Garland at the White House last week, where Brown said Garland made a “significant commitment” to help the city. Meanwhile, the superintendent is also creating a new team of about 50 officers who are also expected to target gun traffickers, separate from the federal effort.

Contributing: Lynn Sweet

Read More

Chicago Bears: New Aaron Rodgers news is exciting for Bears fans by Ryan Taylor

Just two days ago, Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant was pulled in the fifth inning of a game versus the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bryant was pulled due to “hamstring fatigue,” we later learned. That, in and of itself, was an odd descriptor and set off a small alarm in some fans’ heads.

What some may also remember is that same day, a report came out via ESPN’s Jeff Passan which stated that Bryant was “as good as gone.” The rumor mill then began churning faster than ever.

Isn’t it funny that, in the same day that report came out, Bryant was pulled in the fifth inning against the Cubs’ bitter rival? Something isn’t quite right.

It could be a giant coincidence, but the Chicago Cubs may also be very close to a Kris Bryant trade.

If Bryant was truly suffering from tightness and fatigue in his hamstring, then pulling him was the right call. But, he’s also sat out since that night and was not in the lineup for the second straight game.

Kris Bryant is not in #Cubs lineup for 2nd straight game with right hamstring fatigue/heavy legs.

Ross said he’s available off bench & should be back in lineup tomorrow. He acknowledged cautious approach: “I’m never going to put somebody in harm’s way.” https://t.co/fPXTO5SnU1

— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) July 22, 2021

Now, the reports are not only fatigue, but “heavy legs.”

This is getting stranger by the day, and with the MLB trade deadline right around the corner, one has to ask a few questions.

Is Bryant actually hurt? Or, are the Cubs very close to a trade and unwilling to risk a legitimate injury?

If he is hurt, then the Cubs have to be holding him out because they are close to a deal — right? David Ross says he is not willing to risk Bryant’s health, and that’s the right call. But, for something that seems so minimal, so trivial… have we, in fact, witnessed Bryant’s last game in a Cubs uniform? The answer to that question could wind up being an unfortunate, yet understandable, “yes.”

Bryant has had a mostly strong season, all things considered. He has bounced back from a couple of down years in a big way, reverting to the guy Chicago once saw finish as the NL MVP.

On pace for over 30 home runs and nearly 100 RBI at this point, Bryant is slashing .264/.346/.489 through 86 games in 2021. His OPS is also up nearly 200 points since 2020, sitting at .834.

One of the top rumored candidates to land Bryant is the New York Mets, and they make perfect sense. The question, still, is whether or not the Cubs have named their price for the All Star. Depending upon the price, the Cubs could net a pretty decent return for Bryant. But, Thursday morning, ESPN’s Buster Olney stated Chicago had yet to give a firm asking price for guys like Bryant and Craig Kimbrel.

Next: Cubs: 3 under-the-radar trades for Kris Bryant

It seems no one knows the truth at this point, but many of these rumors and reports are starting to add up. Bryant appears to be out, and very soon.

Read More

Disturbing new details about former Blackhawks video coach Bradley Aldrich’s May 2010 sexual assault of an anonymous former Hawks player have come to light.

Amended versions of both lawsuits against the Hawks were filed Thursday and obtained by the Sun-Times. The first amended lawsuit claims Aldrich forced the Hawks player, identified as “John Doe 1,” to have nonconsensual sex — a specification that was previously unclear.

The lawsuit alleges Aldrich invited Doe 1 to his apartment “under the premise that Aldrich would go over game clips” with him. Upon Doe 1’s arrival, however, Aldrich allegedly turned on pornography and began to masturbate in front of Doe 1.

When Doe 1 tried to leave the apartment, Aldrich allegedly “blocked the only exit” and “physically threatened” Doe 1 with a souvenir Cubs baseball bat, telling him he would “never play in the NHL…if [he] did not engage in nonconsensual sexual activity with Aldrich at that time,” according to the lawsuit.

With Doe 1 “paralyzed in fear,” Aldrich then allegedly “exposed himself” to him, “forcibly touch[ed]” him, performed other “lewd and lascivious conduct” and finally “ejaculated on” him, according to the lawsuit.

Hawks skills coach James Gary later convinced Doe 1 he was responsible for the incident, according to all versions of the lawsuit.

Another skills coach, Paul Vincent, allegedly told a group of Hawks executives — including then-president John McDonough and current general manager Stan Bowman — about the incident on May 17, 2010, but the group refused to notify police. The Hawks claimed in a motion to dismiss earlier this month that they had no “statutory duty” to report the incident to police because Doe 1 was not a minor, not disabled and not in a care facility.

Bowman spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since the original lawsuits were filed but before the amended lawsuits were filed.

Bowman said he does “not condone or tolerate harassment or assault of any type” but won’t talk extensively about the allegations until an investigation currently being conducted by Chicago law firm Jenner & Block into the matter concludes.

“We need to give the experts [investigating this] the necessary time and the latitude to do their job well,” he said. “I am eager to speak about this in more detail in the future, but for now I have to respect the pending litigation and the independent review that’s underway. I’m not going to be able to make any comments about that at this time. We have to let the process play itself out.”

Bowman said he will give the investigation his “full cooperation” but dodged the subject of whether the investigation’s findings will be made public, a clarification the Hawks and NHL have repeatedly avoided providing over the past month.

Other upper-level executives and coaches who were employed by the Hawks at the time but now work for other teams — including Panthers coach Joel Quenneville, Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff — have denied knowledge of Aldrich’s alleged assault but said they will participate in the investigation.

The lawsuit filed against the Hawks by the man identified as “John Doe 2” — a Michigan high school student, then 16 but now an adult, whom Aldrich confessed to sexually assaulting in 2013 — was also amended Thursday.

The primary change in that lawsuit was alleging the Hawks provided a “positive review and/or employment verification” of Aldrich specifically to Houghton High School, where Doe 2 was a student and Aldrich worked in 2013 as a volunteer coach. That is intended to refute the Hawks’ motion to dismiss that case, which called the lack of allegations of a reference specifically to Houghton High a “fatal omission.”

The Hawks did not respond to a request for comment after the amended lawsuits were filed.

Aldrich left the Hawks after the 2010 Stanley Cup championship parade. He briefly worked in 2012 as an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio) University, and two allegations of Aldrich forcing unwanted sexual contact there have also surfaced this summer; the university is conducting an investigation into his tenure there.

Meanwhile, more new details described in the amended Doe 1 lawsuit provide additional context about what happened before and after the alleged May 2010 incident.

In April and May 2010, Aldrich “repeatedly invited young interns” working for the Hawks “to his private apartment” to “watch various sporting events,” according to the lawsuit. Hawks management and coaches were allegedly “aware of this behavior and believed it to be quite unusual,” but did nothing about it, according to the lawsuit.

And in the years after the alleged incident, Doe 1 was allegedly subject to homophobic and “humiliating trash talking” relating to the incident at hockey practices and scrimmages at which Hawks-employed coaches were present.

The Hawks “permitted its players to repeatedly harass [Doe 1]” by calling him slur words and asking if he “wanted to suck someone off,” according to the lawsuit.

Read More

It’s been a little more than seven months since Democrat Tammy Wendt joined the Cook County Board of Review, but she’s already being accused of “flagrant nepotism” — and firing back that her fellow commissioners are “territorial” bullies who haven’t exactly rolled out the welcome wagon.

The fireworks on the obscure panel that handles appeals to property tax assessments started when Wendt allegedly hired her first cousin, Todd Thielmann, for a cushy $150,000-a-year job as her chief of staff office.

“This flagrant nepotism flies in the face of the transparency and good government that Cook County taxpayers deserve,” Board of Review Commissioner Michael Cabonargi said in a written statement Thursday.

Wendt fired back that “this an attempt to silence me because I am not part of the ‘Good ‘ole Boys’ network.”

Wendt is best known as a member of former Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke’s defense team. She was elected to the county panel last year, and it doesn’t appear to have been a smooth transition.

During a contentious meeting of the three-member board last month, Wendt’s staffing decision came under scrutiny as a violation of the county’s ethics rules and the appeals board’s own newly amended ethics policy.

Both Cabonargi and the third member of the board, Commissioner Larry Rogers, tried to question Wendt about the apparent ethics violation, but Wendt refused to directly address their questions, saying “I’m not on trial here.”

Screen images.

On Thursday, Cabonargi said in his statement that he informed Wendt that hiring Thielmann was a violation of the county’s ethics policy “which forbids hiring and managing a first cousin.”

“It has also come to my attention that Commissioner Wendt advocated for Mr. Thielmann to have a starting salary above and beyond what a first year Chief of Staff should make,” Cabonargi said.

“Mr. Thielmann should be fired immediately and Commissioner Wendt’s handling of this situation should be investigated by the Cook County Inspector General.”

Records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show Thielmann’s salary was bumped from $135,000 to $150,000 in January.

Wendt issued her own statement on Thursday, neither confirming nor denying that Thielmann was her cousin, but arguing she “hired the best person for the job who has extensive experience and qualifications.”

She also said that she consulted one of the “nation’s top election attorneys” and was told the hiring “did not violate any policies.”

During the board meeting last month, Cabonargi and Rogers sought to amend the property tax appeal board’s ethics codes to bring it more in line with Cook County’s ethics rules surrounding the hiring of familial relationships, specifically adding first cousins to the board’s list.

Wendt didn’t vote to approve the change, which would specifically bar her hiring her first cousin. She also repeatedly refused to discuss it with her fellow Democratic commissioners.

Screen image

Wendt objected that the office should have a qualified, unbiased attorney involved in reshaping the ethics policy and others in the office.

Rogers pointed out to Wendt that all three of them are lawyers. But she fired back that none of them specialize in ethics law.

The discussion went further south when Rogers asked Wendt if she agrees the board should conform to county ethics codes. When Wendt didn’t directly address the question, Rogers asked if she knew of any violations of the ethics policy.

“I’m not answering your questions,” Wendt said during the June meeting, which is posted on YouTube. “I’ve answered as much as I’m going to answer.”

During the meeting, Cabonargi said he put Wendt on notice about violating the policy in her third week in office.

Wendt accused Cabonargi and Rogers of hiring each other’s family members.

The two commissioners denied the accusation, though the county’s inspector general previously found the office’s hiring process pulled in politically connected workers, including the child of one commissioner’s law partner.

Wendt accused the two fellow Democrats of working against her since she joined the board and not “welcoming me with open arms.”

Antonio Perez/pool/Chicago Tribune

“You have been nothing but bullies, to be frank, since I got here,” Wendt told Rogers and Cabonargi. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m a female. I don’t know what the problem is, but you’re both very territorial.”

Wendt elaborated on that in her statement on Thursday.

“I did not hire who was sent to me nor do I owe any political favors,” she said. “The effort to change the [Board of Review’s] Ethics policy is an obvious attempt to control and silence me while ignoring other practices that are not in the public’s best interest.”

She went on to say she welcomes a “county-wide, independent, public investigation into all hires at the BOR and the county, insider tax favors given to cronies and ‘exchange hires’ of family and business associates.”

The Chicago Sun-Times reported earlier this month that the FBI is investigating a Cook County Board of Review employee who allegedly used his position to lower property assessments in exchange for thousands of dollars in cash bribes, according to a federal court affidavit.

That employee also said the money would be split with others in the office, insisting that, “I’m just the middle guy.”

Cabonargi and Rogers both responded to the revelation by vowing to open an internal investigation. Wendt called for a “full forensic accounting,” saying at the time, “I hope this serves as a wake-up call to everyone.”

Wendt is a former assistant Cook County state’s attorney best known for being part of the defense team that represented Van Dyke in the 2014 shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery.

In November, Wendt was elected to the Board of Review, which reviews and potentially modifies property assessments in Cook County. She ousted the board’s lone Republican Dan Patlak.

“I am looking forward to filling my staff with qualified professionals who I can lead into this next chapter with the Board of Review,” Wendt said after the final votes were tallied.

Read More