What We're Reading  Chi, IL Book Releases On Our Radar: The Best Hits on the Blues Highway  by Amy Bizzarri  The Best Hits on the Blues Highway, Chicago-based author, Amy Bizzarri signs her latest release at the iconic Chess Records Studios, now Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation. All photos by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara To celebrate the release of The Best Hits on the Blues Highway, Chicago-based author, Amy Bizzarri is partnering up with us, here at ChiIL Mama, to offer a signed and personalized copy of The Best Hits on the Blues Highway to one lucky winner! ($26.95 r ..read more

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List: Adventures at C2E2  All Photos by Dugan Kenaz-Mara Unless Otherwise Noted Guest Review and Photo Feature by Dugan Kenaz-Mara Dugan Kenaz-Mara and his count puppet. Photo by D'Arcy Mies We love attending C2E2 and it has been a lovely experience year after year. This year the show floor featured a ton of exciting areas, including backdrops for cosplay photoshoots, a setup for painting miniatures, and loads of games. Whether you prefer to play on a tabletop, an arcade machine, a computer, or in real life, there was an option for you.  My favorit ..read more

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar Steppenwolf Theatre continues its 48th Season with  the Chicago premiere of   THE THANKSGIVING PLAY By Larissa FastHorse Directed by Jess McLeod Featuring ensemble members Audrey Francis and Tim Hopper with Paloma Nozicka and Nate Santana April 25 – June 2, 2024 in Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theater Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 48th season with the Chicago premiere of Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play, a biting comedy about everything right, wrong and woke in America ..read more

 ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List:  Family Friendly Shows On Our Radar Tiffany Topol returns to the Paramount stage as Carole King in  Paramount Theatre's Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.  All advance photos by Amy Nelson Paramount Theatre  in downtown Aurora is tuning up for  Beautiful: The Carole King Musical April 24-June 16, 2024 Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've seen Beautiful: The Carole King Musical quite a few times over the years, and it never fails to send chills ..read more

ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List:  Adult Shows With Family Themes On Our Radar GOODMAN RESIDENT DIRECTOR CHUCK SMITH’S MAJOR REVIVAL OF THE SECOND WORK IN AUGUST WILSON’S 10-PLAY AMERICAN CENTURY CYCLE  Joe Turner’s Come and Gone   Photos by Liz Lauren ***THIS WEEKEND, VISIT THE “HIDDEN GEMS” POP-UP MARKET CELEBRATING AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS AND ART*** Tonight, longtime August Wilson interpreter Chuck Smith’s major revival of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone opens—and extends its run through May 19. I'll be there tonight, covering the production for ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows ..read more

 Shattered Globe’s 33rd season finale Jump a Midwest premiere bridging heartbreak and hope, debuts  April 19-June 1 at Theater Wit Shattered Globe’s 33rd season finale, Jump, a Midwest premiere bridging heartbreak and hope, debuts April 19-June 1 at Theater Wit (top, from left) Jazzma Pryor plays Fay and Jennifer Glasse is Judy in Jump, a Shattered GlobeTheatre Midwest premiere. Jump is written by (bottom, from left) Charly Evon Simpson ..read more

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar  Chicago Shakespeare Theater's 2024/25 Season  features a powerful lineup of thrilling theatrical events, international partnerships, and productions of Shakespeare Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes Announce Inaugural Season for Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes' inaugural season for Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) will feature 10 productions over 12 months that bring internationally acclaimed artists and companies to Chicago, launch North America ..read more

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar THIRD COAST PERCUSSION  presents Chicago premiere of the first percussion composition by  2024® GRAMMY Award winner and CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence,  JESSIE MONTGOMERY a powerful collaboration between two Chicago GRAMMY® winners Photo credits: left-right Third Coast Percussion, photo by Saverio Truglia. TCP with Jessie Montgomery, photo by Colin D Campbell. Jessie Montgomery, photo by Jiyang Chen. Third Coast Percussion (TCP), the Chicago-based GRAMMY® Award-winning quartet of classically trained percussionists, is a top favorite of ou ..read more

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar  'Batman 1989' Live in concert  with 50-piece orchestra at the Auditorium Theatre Apr. 13th for film's 35th Anniversary What’s Batman’s favorite instrument? The Bat Cymbol!  AUDITORIUM PHILMS CONCERT SERIES  continues with Batman 1989 35th Anniversary concert  One night only Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 PM At the Auditorium Theatre  See the classic film as the Chicago Philharmonic performs the iconic score live on stage ChiIL Mama will be there... will you?! Can't wait to catch this.  What? A melding of pop culture and high cult ..read more

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:  Family Friendly Fun C2E2: CHICAGO COMIC & ENTERTAINMENT EXPO 2024  Fri Apr 26 - Sun Apr 28 Credit for all 2023 photos: Dugan Kenaz-Mara Got your cosplay ready? It's that time of year again! Here at ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows, we've had press credentials to cover C2E2 for years. It's one of our favorite annual events to shoot as folks go all out on the costumes. We dig rampant creativity, and from Artists' Alley to handmade items in booths, C2E2 has got it in spades.  We've had press credentials to cover since 2012, when my ..read more