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Finding comfort in a troubled timeKerri K. Morrison May 19, 2020 at 12:08 am

Cancer Is Not A Gift

Finding comfort in a troubled time

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Finding comfort in a troubled timeKerri K. Morrison May 19, 2020 at 12:08 am Read More »

11 Most annoying things YouTubers doTron Griffinon May 19, 2020 at 12:26 am

Keeping An Eye Out

11 Most annoying things YouTubers do

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11 Most annoying things YouTubers doTron Griffinon May 19, 2020 at 12:26 am Read More »

Watch Wirepoints’ Ted Dabrowski predict on March 19 that it would have been better not to shut down the IL economy, Cable & WebJeff Berkowitzon May 19, 2020 at 1:26 am

Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz

Watch Wirepoints’ Ted Dabrowski predict on March 19 that it would have been better not to shut down the IL economy, Cable & Web

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Watch Wirepoints’ Ted Dabrowski predict on March 19 that it would have been better not to shut down the IL economy, Cable & WebJeff Berkowitzon May 19, 2020 at 1:26 am Read More »

I hope Donald Trump isn’t lying about taking hydroxychloroquineHoward Mooreon May 19, 2020 at 9:11 am

I’ve Got The Hippy Shakes

I hope Donald Trump isn’t lying about taking hydroxychloroquine

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I hope Donald Trump isn’t lying about taking hydroxychloroquineHoward Mooreon May 19, 2020 at 9:11 am Read More »

What are the greatest moments in Chicago music history?Deanna Isaacson May 18, 2020 at 2:00 pm

Chicago has sent a lot of great sound into the world, not always getting back the recognition due. If you’ve got an opinion about which moments in our city’s music history were the most important (CSO’s first concert, 1891? “Johnny B. Goode” at Chess, 1958? Muddy? Mavis? Ardis?), the Arts & Business Council of Chicago wants to hear it. They’re making a list, and offering a prize for help in compiling it.

Last time I talked with A&BC executive director Kristin Larsen, she was explaining how the organization was about to expand its reach. The A&BC, which has been providing pro bono business savvy to arts organizations for 35 years, was arranging to put itself where it could be most useful, sending staff and consultants to Park District facilities on the city’s south and west sides for drop-in office hours and other services. It was all about having a physical presence in those communities.

That was four months and a different world ago.

Thanks to the pandemic, the A&BC’s presence in those (or any) neighborhoods is–for now–virtual. Staff and consultants are still meeting with artists and arts organizations to provide the financial, marketing, and management advice the A&BC has given to more than 600 arts businesses over the years, but it’s by phone or Internet. At the same time, the need for that kind of help has become more dire than ever.

To support this effort, and in honor of the city’s similarly virus-challenged 2020 Year of Chicago Music, the A&BC is marking its 35th anniversary with an online fundraiser and contest that’ll designate the 35 greatest moments in Chicago music history. Starting today, and through June 19, the public is invited to go to ChiMusic35.com to submit candidates for the list and vote on nominees.

There’s no charge for nominating or voting, but those who can are invited to participate in an associated raffle (which will end July 3). All winners will be announced July 23; look for them at ChiMusic35.com and here.The Chicago Reader is collaborating with this project by publishing a seven-part series spotlighting Chicago music luminaries who are serving as #ChiMusic35 ambassadors. The first feature–an interview with Lori Branch, widely acknowledged as the first woman DJ in Chicago’s house scene, conducted by Ayana Contreras of WBEZ and Vocalo–will run in this week’s issue.

Raffle proceeds will keep the consulting help coming to Chicago artists and arts organizations at a time when it’s desperately needed. v






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What are the greatest moments in Chicago music history?Deanna Isaacson May 18, 2020 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Hubbard Street evolves with a ‘new paradigm’Irene Hsiaoon May 18, 2020 at 10:30 pm

On March 12, the dancers of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago were onstage preparing for opening night of their spring program, Ohad Naharin’s DECADANCE/CHICAGO, at the Harris Theater. They continued to rehearse until 5 PM, the hour when Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced guidelines for the cancellation of large-scale and community events to stem the spread of COVID-19. “How could we justify performing [that] night when the following day was not safe?” recalls artistic director Glenn Edgerton. With performers at the ready, the show was canceled just hours before curtain.

Yet while many companies have furloughed dancers during the lockdown, HSDC has continued to create in quarantine. “We immediately kicked into gear. We started having virtual classes, we started a lot of activity online, and we’ve been thriving,” says Edgerton. Though its season at the Harris has been canceled, HSDC is moving forward with Unbound: A Virtual Season Finale, with virtual performances of Peter Chu’s Space, in Perspective, Robyn Mineko Williams’s Undercover Episode 018: Home Video, and (stay)Inside/Out, the annual showcase of choreography by HSDC dancers. For a company nearly always seen polished to perfection on a proscenium, the pandemic has prompted a “new paradigm,” says Edgerton, of work that is rehearsed from home for presentation over Zoom and Vimeo, placing the company in previously unimaginable spaces and situations. “There is a great spirit of collectivity from the company, and I’m thrilled on a daily basis to see their ingenuity and how they have put themselves into this new world order.”

Sheltering in Place with Space, In Perspective

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” This quotation, broadly attributed to Maya Angelou, was the seed for choreographer Peter Chu’s Space, In Perspective. Created with HSDC and its new professional training program HSPro in 2017, the piece ambitiously roamed the Harris Theater, bringing audiences through scenes in hallways, dressing rooms, and loading docks, to finish with viewers and dancers onstage together, facing the empty seats of the theater. “I want to show the liminal space in dance–the space between, the uncertainty, the rarely admitted experiences of dancers, by allowing the audience to breathe with them, hold their hands, dance with them,” says Chu.

In the weeks leading up to the lockdown, Chu had been working with HSDC and HSPro to revise the piece for (in Edgerton’s words) “a normal setting, where the audience is sitting in the audience, and the dancers are behind a proscenium.” Post-lockdown, Chu continued to work with HSPro remotely from his home in Las Vegas, when Edgerton approached him to continue his process with the company. “I said, ‘What does this mean? The dancers haven’t had time to grieve. I haven’t had time to grieve. Our world has turned upside down.'”

Chu let movement and meditation lead the way. “The first week, I just taught class, a mindfulness movement class based on [Chinese energy and martial arts practices] qi gong, tai chi, and improvisation. I wanted to be sensitive to the dancers’ space. I tried to understand where they all were. We had private meetings after class to understand what they felt comfortable doing and sharing. After that week, I thought, you know what? I think we can pull off a virtual Space, In Perspective. I don’t think it should be a performance. I think now is not the time for product. I want to throw that word away. It needs to be a sharing and an experience. This is a time for our communities to come together.”

The newest iteration of Space, in Perspective, designed for Zoom, retains Chu’s original vision of sharing and gathering in an array of spaces real and virtual, with scenes HSDC dancers perform live from home, as well as interactive experiences in breakout rooms that invite audiences to breathe, dance, and move along. “It was 100 percent collaborative,” says Chu. “David Schultz plays piano, and his father plays saxophone, so we incorporated live music. David said, ‘I have a camera,’ so I was like, let’s make a film. I tried to use inspiration from all of them.” HSDC artistic liaison Jonathan Alsberry, by all accounts a Zoom “mastermind,” stepped in as technical director. “The material from the past was the starting point, and we riffed from there.”

Of the process, Alysia Johnson, who joined the company in 2018, says the work was introspective and healing: “Peter’s approach is to focus on our feeling, whether that’s physical or mental. We used several techniques, [including] qi gong and traditional Chinese medicine. The whole process is cultivating life energy. It has a free range of amplitude and intensity of physical exertion, so it was great to feel I have choices and options when in reality I don’t have many choices and options for physical activity now.”

Jacqueline Burnett says, “Peter was very open. He let the dancers tell him what was possible. My scenes around the theater [had been] choreographed. We had to make them fit into different spaces, so this virtual experience became more improvised for me. But because I already had a language of choreography from Peter, it was a transition that was comfortable to make.”

“It didn’t change the process much for me. He directed it, but it was hands-off [and] lends itself well to doing in a more removed way,” says Schultz, who played vibraphone, piano, and harmonica, and improvised during scenes at the Harris. Furthermore, he notes, the situation has prompted new outlets for creativity: in anticipation of a government stimulus check, Schultz availed himself of a camera, editing software, and filmmaking classes. “I felt this [quarantine] was going to be a long time, so let’s learn to make video. I mentioned it to Peter, and he immediately tasked us with making a movie. I’m so glad I had the opportunity. And I’m still waiting for that check!”

For experienced dancers, the work has sometimes been disorienting. “After our first virtual experience with Peter [a private showing for HSDC friends and family], I broke down in tears,” recalls Burnett. “What is this? Live performance has such immediate feedback, and with this virtual experience, I was like, what did we just do? I can’t even imagine what it felt like for someone in a completely different space and environment.” Schultz adds, “With the technical snafus that occur, there is a level of stress and a level of amateurism we’re not at all used to. We [usually] feel uninhibited. Nothing about live shows throws me off anymore. Now it feels very intense.”

Ultimately, however, the risk yielded rewards. “An hour later, people started calling and sharing their experiences of being there, and it did do what we hoped it would do, and then I felt better,” says Burnett. “It’s a learning curve that we’re having to experience. Hopefully we’ll come out better artists.” Adds Johnson, “My dad, mom, and grandmother participated. Not only were they able to watch the performance, but they were able to move and get educated. I’m a young educator myself, so this experience is going to go into my toolbox.”

“What I like about this time is that we’re able to be creative, and we’re healing through our creativity,” says Chu. “We don’t have the theater, but a part of it is still with us. We’re doing the best we can with a lot of obstacles, so let’s celebrate that. I don’t feel we should do a show. This is about connection.”

User Experience and Undercover Episodes

Choreographer and former HSDC dancer Robyn Mineko Williams was also developing new work with HSDC to premiere this spring when the pandemic halted the process. “In March, when the lockdown went into effect, I did a small video project [Create with Hubbard] right off the bat. After that, I didn’t know what to do. Peter was in an online process, and it was offered to me to do the same, to continue rehearsals over Zoom. I didn’t do that because I wanted to know what I was working towards. Was I working towards finishing the piece for the stage or livestream?”

Like Chu, Williams realized the time was ripe for exploring how dancers are inhabiting their homes with Undercover Episodes, a 50-minute work initially created for a theater and since developed into a site-malleable work. Since its 2016 premiere at Links Hall, Williams has restaged the work in a variety of spaces, including homes, bars, and art galleries. “It’s the same piece, the same music, the same order, the same choreography, but it feels different in each space, and there’s a rotation of dancers coming in and out of the work.”

Undercover Episodes was initially inspired by Susan Cain’s 2012 book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. “I was thinking about that weird juxtaposition of being so confident, wild, and fearless onstage, when in real life, I did not feel the same at all,” says Williams. Her extroverted brother JT Williams, who created projections for the work, pushed her to focus on the audience first. “He’s a graphic designer/art director in user experience, so he’s always thinking about that. At Hubbard Street, we weren’t conditioned to think about the audience. We were grateful to have them, but I was thinking about what was happening between the artists.” The conversation resulted in unconventional seating arrangements at the premiere. “We decided to give the audience the choice to sit in the bleachers or sit in chairs spread around the dance floor at Links, which naturally wove into the idea of introversion and extroversion and comfort with being in the action or further away to see the fuller picture.”

After seeing that the piece worked at close proximity, Williams decided to restage it in another setting. “We tested the idea at the Violet Hour in Wicker Park to see what it looked like in a space that has a lot of character, as opposed to the clean blank slate of Links Hall. That was a first taste of putting Undercover Episodes into new environments. It worked so well that we decided to continue.” Transferring the work to alternative venues also gave the project an unexpected reach. “It allowed us to bring dance to people and places that would not otherwise seek dance or see dance,” says Williams, citing a pop-up performance at Humboldt Park’s Sportsman’s Club. “There are so many people who think of dance as something you can’t understand or something you have to buy an $80 ticket [to see]. Humans move. Humans dance. It’s about people, a feeling, a vibe. It doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating.”

For Undercover Episodes 018: Home Video, Williams says, “Every dancer in Hubbard Street is involved. In some households, there are three dancers quarantining together, which is great for trios and duets!” The process is collaborative and geared to quarantine: “I bought a projector and some LEDs and put together a little lighting package that we’re wiping down and passing to a few of the houses, and we’re filming remotely. I’m usually on FaceTime. I virtually tour all the spaces. We set up the lights together, set up the projection, set the framing and the cinematography. They film on their phones and send it to me, and we adjust.”

“It doesn’t feel like a COVID piece to me,” says Williams. “It feels like something we would do in time regardless, make a film. The way we have to make it is affected by our current time, but what I love most about this project is that it feels kind of normal. It’s been really nice to feel at home again. This is what we do. This is how we work.” v






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Hubbard Street evolves with a ‘new paradigm’Irene Hsiaoon May 18, 2020 at 10:30 pm Read More »

These Professional Athletes Are Giving Back in Big Ways During the PandemicDrew Krieson May 18, 2020 at 4:22 pm

Recently, many athletes stepped up to give back to their communities ever since statewide shutdowns and stay-at-home orders began in March. And in times like these, every little bit helps.

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The people of New Orleans have been incredibly welcoming and supportive since I was Drafted by the Pels last June, and some of the most special people I have met are those who work at smoothie King Center. These are the folks who make our games possible, creating the perfect environment for our fans and everyone involved in the organization. Unfortunately, many of them are still recovering from long term challenges created by Katrina, and now face the economic impact of the postponement of games because of the virus. My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have, and so today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days. This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates and hopefully we can all join together to relieve some of the stress and hardship caused by this national health crisis. This is an incredibly resilient city full of some of the most resilient people, but sometimes providing a little extra assistance can make things a little easier for the community.

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A post shared by Zion Williamson (@zionwilliamson) on Mar 13, 2020 at 2:24pm PDT

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Athletes Giving Back During COVID-19

One of the first athletes to provide support was Cleveland Cavaliers PF, Kevin Love. When the NBA suspended the 2019-2020 season, Love quickly came to the support of arena workers in the Cavs organization. The team decided to support hourly workers already but Love’s donation of 100,000 kickstarted a trend of support from athletes.

Another NBA player who made headlines was New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson. With the season on hold, Williamson pledged to cover the salaries of all the workers at the Smoothie King Center.

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NBA players aren’t the only professional athletes offering their support during the pandemic. In the sports world, there are plenty of couples doing their part too.

Power couple Ciara and Russel Wilson pledged a donation of one million meals to Food Lifeline. The state of Washington, including the Seattle area, has been hit hard by the virus, and the Wilsons’ support will go a long way. Fellow NFL quarterback, Drew Brees, and his wife, Brittany, also pledged $5 million to the coronavirus relief fund for the state of Louisiana.

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This next athlete is known for his generosity during crises. When Hurricane Harvey hit the city of Houston back in 2017, Texans defensive end JJ Watt came through big time when he helped raise over $37 million to rebuild the city. And now, he and his wife are doing it again. Watt and his wife, Kealia Ohai, who plays for the Chicago Red Stars, have pledged $350,000 to Houston food banks. Their donation will provide over a million meals to people in need in the city.

The last power couple who are offering support during this time is also from the Houston area. Astros pitcher, Justin Verlander, and his wife, Kate Upton, announced on Instagram that they would donate Justin’s weekly MLB checks to different charities during the pandemic. The MLB season has been suspended indefinitely, but the league decided it would continue to pay its players. Justin and Kate’s contribution isn’t the only way they are helping. They’ve also funded the donation of masks and protective equipment to Detroit’s first responders.

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One company has found a way to offer support in a unique way. Fanatics, an online retailer of sportswear, started the All In Challenge, which allows fans to bid on a variety of different experiences. A $10 donation will give you 10 entries into a contest of your choosing, and all the proceeds will go directly to charities in need. Some contests you can win are 5 years of season tickets for your favorite team, or the opportunity to play 18 holes with Phil Mickelson. There are plenty of experiences that are non-sports related too, so everyone can find something they like.

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These Professional Athletes Are Giving Back in Big Ways During the PandemicDrew Krieson May 18, 2020 at 4:22 pm Read More »

What are the greatest moments in Chicago music history?Deanna Isaacson May 18, 2020 at 2:00 pm

Chicago has sent a lot of great sound into the world, not always getting back the recognition due. If you’ve got an opinion about which moments in our city’s music history were the most important (CSO’s first concert, 1891? “Johnny B. Goode” at Chess, 1958? Muddy? Mavis? Ardis?), the Arts & Business Council of Chicago wants to hear it. They’re making a list, and offering a prize for help in compiling it.

Last time I talked with A&BC executive director Kristin Larsen, she was explaining how the organization was about to expand its reach. The A&BC, which has been providing pro bono business savvy to arts organizations for 35 years, was arranging to put itself where it could be most useful, sending staff and consultants to Park District facilities on the city’s south and west sides for drop-in office hours and other services. It was all about having a physical presence in those communities.

That was four months and a different world ago.

Thanks to the pandemic, the A&BC’s presence in those (or any) neighborhoods is–for now–virtual. Staff and consultants are still meeting with artists and arts organizations to provide the financial, marketing, and management advice the A&BC has given to more than 600 arts businesses over the years, but it’s by phone or Internet. At the same time, the need for that kind of help has become more dire than ever.

To support this effort, and in honor of the city’s similarly virus-challenged 2020 Year of Chicago Music, the A&BC is marking its 35th anniversary with an online fundraiser and contest that’ll designate the 35 greatest moments in Chicago music history. Starting today, and through June 19, the public is invited to go to ChiMusic35.com to submit candidates for the list and vote on nominees.

There’s no charge for nominating or voting, but those who can are invited to participate in an associated raffle (which will end July 3). All winners will be announced July 23; look for them at ChiMusic35.com and here.The Chicago Reader is collaborating with this project by publishing a seven-part series spotlighting Chicago music luminaries who are serving as #ChiMusic35 ambassadors. The first feature–an interview with Lori Branch, widely acknowledged as the first woman DJ in Chicago’s house scene, conducted by Ayana Contreras of WBEZ and Vocalo–will run in this week’s issue.

Raffle proceeds will keep the consulting help coming to Chicago artists and arts organizations at a time when it’s desperately needed. v






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What are the greatest moments in Chicago music history?Deanna Isaacson May 18, 2020 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bulls: The Last Dance was everything we needed it to bePatrick Sheldonon May 18, 2020 at 11:00 am

Chicago Bulls (Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)
Chicago Bulls (Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)

The Last Dance gave us an inside look at the 1998 Chicago Bulls but provided so much more.

The Last Dance, the highly anticipated in-depth look at the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls, has sadly come to an end. Director Jason Hehir’s masterpiece aired its final episodes, numbers nine and ten, Sunday night on ESPN. Since April 19th, fans not only of the Bulls but of sports in general, have been captivated by the behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest teams in all of professional sports. In doing so, it gave sports fans exactly what they needed at this difficult time.

You might recall that the documentary was originally scheduled to air beginning in June. However, ESPN decided to move up the release date to April, which, in hindsight, was a terrific move.

On March 11, 2020, the sports world fundamentally changed for the foreseeable future. It was on this night that the last major sporting event (an NBA game) was played. The league suspended its season late that evening, and we all know what happened next. Baseball delayed the start of their season, hockey remains in limbo, and while football has provided some level of distraction, its 2020 season remains firmly in doubt.

It’s fair to say that sports fans have been starving for content. Collectively, we have resorted to watching classic games whose outcome we already know or scouring the networks for any live sports action. That need for a fix has even led some to wake up at 3 a.m. to watch baseball from Korea.

But becoming nocturnal isn’t an option for everyone, and so for the rest of us, we are thankful for everything The Last Dance provided, which at its core was a much-needed distraction from reality. Whenever the world around us has been filled with fear, or despair, or uncertainty, we have at least had sports to turn to for that distraction. In a cruel twist of fate, the very thing causing that fear and uncertainty today has taken away that distraction.

However, The Last Dance has filled that void. It has provided us with the content we have craved, dominating the conversations around the virtual watercoolers on Zoom, or the WhatsApp chat with our friends. It has given us moments of complete shock and made us sit up in our chairs, just as live sports has always done.

Next: Top moments from The Last Dance

Although it has sadly come to an end, as all good things do, we are grateful for the distraction, if briefly, from COVID-19. And now we turn our attention back to the return of live sports, reinvigorated by the series which also reminded us just how much we love the very thing we’re missing.

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Chicago Bulls: The Last Dance was everything we needed it to bePatrick Sheldonon May 18, 2020 at 11:00 am Read More »

Chicago Bulls: 3 potential trades for Otto Porter’s contractMichael Guistoliseon May 18, 2020 at 12:00 pm

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Chicago Bulls, Otto Porter Jr.

(Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)

Though Otto Porter brings skill and a veteran presence to the Chicago Bulls, there is no doubt that he owns a bloated price tag.

While the NBA season is still in flux for another few weeks as we await the decision to be made about the end of the current season, the Chicago Bulls have been praised in their rebuilding efforts of late that started by replacing the GarPax front office that fans loathed for nearly two decades.

Sure, that’s all fine and good but the fact remains that no one will be happy if the team throws the same players out on the floor as it did for this shortened 2019-2020 season.

The Bulls could get ahead of that issue by starting to shop around small forward Otto Porter Jr., as he is most likely to pick up his nearly-$29 million player option before the June 29 deadline.

While his efforts here in Chicago looked to be a saving grace for a terrible team at one time, his tenure with the Bulls hasn’t changed the number of games won (though that is partially due to coaching).

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Porter is one of a few players on the current Bulls roster that has noticeable basketball IQ.

He also has flexibility between the forward spots and has shown flashes of being an above-average 3-and-D player which leaves no doubt that he would have a ton of value on another team.

With that, there is the flexibility to bring new faces to Chicago this summer if he were to be traded for a couple of assets or players on smaller deals, even if the players in question were to have a couple more years on their remaining contract.

With Porter’s contract being gone and that unbearable Cristiano Felicio contract being up after next year, the door would be open for the new front office to make a splash in 2021 free agency.

Fans around the NBA are looking much more forward to the 2021 free-agent class that will include the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokoumpo, all of whom would be worshipped if they came to the Windy City.

In order for that to happen, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley have to think like star players; brand recognition goes with brand recognition, meaning megastars in the NBA want championships more than money and will only go somewhere that makes getting a ring a legitimate possibility.

That’s the long way of saying those big-name guys would not come to Chicago in its current rebuilding state.

These trade possibilities give the Bulls a shot to look like a team on the upswing, therefore making Chicago look like the place to be when free agents are looking for new homes next summer.

Next: Trade Scenario #1

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Chicago Bulls: 3 potential trades for Otto Porter’s contractMichael Guistoliseon May 18, 2020 at 12:00 pm Read More »