The Music Box Theatre found itself at the center of controversy in the local LGBTQ+ film space when it planned a February 2 screening of Actors by Betsey Brown. The post The Music Box cancels <i>Actors</i>, but the discourse continues appeared first on Chicago Reader ..read more

In recent interviews with the Reader, none of Mayor Lightfoot's appointees endorsed her reelection campaign. The post The City Council’s “newbie caucus” prep for their first aldermanic race appeared first on Chicago Reader ..read more

Not even a (criminally underproduced) Billy Porter musical number can fix this nonsense. The post 80 for Brady appeared first on Chicago Reader ..read more

Inspired by Niobe Way’s nonfiction book Deep Secrets: Boys’ Friendships and the Crisis of Connection, this moving 2022 French drama from Lukas Dhont unfolds as a familiar tale of tragedy, guilt, and forgiveness. The post Close appeared first on Chicago Reader ..read more

Splitting the difference between the tightly structured drama of the original and the looser, feel-good energy of the sequel, Magic Mike’s Last Dance continues to embody the series’ central thesis that a lap dance has the power to change lives.  The post Magic Mike’s Last Dance appeared first on Chicago Reader ..read more

The wilfully mean-spirited desecration feels at points like wallowing in unpleasantness for its own sake. But the film has a larger point than adolescent snickering.  The post Unicorn Wars appeared first on Chicago Reader ..read more

The film is much more interested in social embarrassment cringe and gags than it is in any sort of close examination of how racism affects interracial couples. The post You People appeared first on Chicago Reader ..read more

Before you even step inside the museum, you are greeted outside by a Bird City Saint vinyl—the artist’s signature character. Walking into the first gallery, I see a giant wooden sculpture filled with congratulations written in red and black ink from various folks from the opening. Although signing the wall or pieces during an opening […] The post Sentrock takes flight appeared first on Chicago Reader ..read more

Every time I hear someone describe Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights as a “romance,” I die a little inside. It’s a portrait of dysfunction, abuse, codependency, and revenge. Which, sure, I guess is romantic in its own way, but c’mon: Heathcliff and Catherine are the Sid and Nancy of the moors. (Maybe too many people got […] The post Dead romantics appeared first on Chicago Reader ..read more

Jasmine Sharma’s Radial Gradient, directed in its world premiere at Shattered Globe Theatre by Grace Dolezal-Ng, is the story of two students and their bid to enter a sorority at their university. Anjani (Simran Deokule) is American-born, of Indian descent, and her family has lived in the United States for at least two generations. Her […] The post Toxic claustrophobia appeared first on Chicago Reader ..read more