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Montrose Beach in Chicago was raised from landfill. Cricket Hill has a surprising origin story. The Dock was once a Cold War command center and the quiet bird sanctuary nearby grew out of land that once held radar towers and housed military personnel. Montrose Harbor is a reminder that places evolve, they carry layers of history — some visible, some buried, some forgotten — and all of them shape the way we experience Chicago today. That’s what I like to think about when I’m walking around the city. How every part of our city has a story if you pause long enough to notice.#nike #missils #coldwar #cricket #birdsanctuary #migratory #birdwatching #chicagoskyline #chicago #beach #harbor

Set circa 1927 -- at the height of the Great Migration, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is rooted in personal trauma, systemic racism and economic exploitation. Ma Rainey is the leading artist of a struggling Chicago based blues label..Four of her backing musicians sitting in a rehearsal hall of the recording studio examine their lives while waiting for the prima donna to perform. In true blues tradition each man reveals his inner self through storytelling. In the process there is a good amount of convivial, often dark, humor born of a recognition of similar life experiences and a mutual understanding of shared pain. Theater review and insight by Reno Lovison ChicagoBroadcastingNetwork.com

Journey to 1850s Dublin where faith, repression, and desire intersect. When a formerly enslaved African‑American woman and her companion arrive for a ten‑week stay, their presence disrupts the household’s carefully maintained façade. What follows is a revealing examination of integrity, sexual power, and the quiet bargains people make to reconcile their beliefs with their actions.This U.S. premiere production of The Sugar Wife written by Elizabeth Kuti, presented by Artistic Home at Theater Wit offers a rich meditation on renewal, moral struggle, within the complex social expectations of the 19th century.Standout performances from Annie Hogan, Todd Wojcik, Ashayla Calvin, John LaFlamboy, and Kristin Collins, guided by the sensitive and intimate direction of Kevin Hagan.Review and commentary by Reno Lovison ChicagoBroadcatingNetwork.com#ChicagoTheater #TheaterReview #Chicago

A thoughtful review of Itamar Moses’ The Ally at Theater Wit — a sharp, timely drama about identity, activism, and conflicting truths. This episode explores the play’s themes, performances, direction, and why one “good deed” spirals into chaos. Perfect for listeners interested in Chicago theater and contemporary social issues.#chicagotheaterreview #chicagotheater #israelpalestine

Blending spooky folklore with offbeat humor, White Rooster by Matthew C. Yee a world Premiere at Lookingglass Theatre is a haunting tale of grief, family and the messiness of moving on.  Chicago Theater Review by Kim Campbell. 

This campy, opera style, cabaret performance mostly in drag is oddly compelling. The unconventional storyline comprised of seven sexually ambiguous individuals has the show living up to its tagline of a queer extravaganza.  Thompson Street Opera Company is worth keeping an eye on. Their recent premiere production of Off-Nights at the Sometimes Café at Bramble Arts Loft in Andersonville was a short run but worth mentioning for the record.

In “Changing Channels” at City Lit Theater in Chicago, Maggie Carlin and boss Eddie Gilroy abruptly learn that creating what will become an iconic TV comedy show is not all fun and games. Currently appearing on the fledgling DuMont TV network, Gilroy has an offer to move his wildly popular show to CBS. However, his manager, “Bullets” played by Johnny Moran informs him due to suspected communist infiltration of the new television medium CBS is requiring all of its employees to sign a loyalty oath. The storyline of “Changing Channels” is a fictional account of actual events, and the characters are thinly veiled portrayals of real people.Listen to this full podcast to learn more about this production and the history of the red scare.Review by Reno Lovison ChicagoBroadcastingNetwork.com

A nonstop “catcaphony” of frenzied feline fun that will create a lasting memory. With elements of musical theater, dance, opera and acrobatics there is definitely something for everyone in Music Theatre Works production of CATS at Skokie’s North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. 

There are two good reasons to see Harvey, by St. Sebastian Players. One is the humorous quirky Pulitzer Prize winning script by Mary Chase and the other is the exceptional performance of Jeff Broitman as Elwood Dowd, the pleasant oddball fellow whose companion and best friend is a six-foot rabbit.

You’ll probably love this if you’re of Irish heritage because of the familiarity of the songs and background message. If you’re a few generations removed or have no Irish heritage you will likely find some insight into this segment of America that makes up about 10% of the overall population. The Irish and How They Got That Way by Porchlight Theatre Company is at Ruth Page Center for the Arts, tickets are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org Theater review by Reno Lovison concludes with an original rendition of Danny Boy recorded live at the Roots Room.Cover photo by LaPenna.

This intimate drama at Redtwist Theater in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago delivers a message of unconscious bias and institutional slavery put into motion generations ago but messages that are still very much alive and grappled with today on both sides of the racial divide. Review by Reno Lovison approximately 5 minutes. Highly recommended.

Featuring an impressive, ancient, oppressive, dimly lit three story plaster and brick edifice, that apparently was a former jail, it is now the military home of a company commander and his wife located on an offshore island.  Set in Scandinavia sometime in the late 19th or early 20th Century, Alice (Kathryn Erbe) and Edgar (Jeff Perry) will soon be marking the 25TH anniversary of their mostly unhappy marriage. The structure serves as a physical representation of the couple’s own feelings of entrapment and isolation.Playwright August StrindbergAdaptor Conor McPhersonDirector Yasen PeyankovScenic Design - Collette PollardCostume Design - Ana KuzmanicLighting Design - Lee FisknessTheater Review by Reno Lovison

“Holiday” at The Goodman is a fresh world-premiere adaptation of the classic boy meets girl - - boy meets girl’s sister romcom by Richard Greenberg based on the original 1928 version by playwright Philip Barry and featuring an outstanding cast. ChicagoBroadcastingNetwork.com #Theater #Review #Podcast. #Chicago

Stephen Sondheim’s vintage musical “Company” presented by Madkap Productions explores the life choices of Bobby (Graham Todd) the only one of his friends still unmarried at a time when marriage by thirty was expected.

The Chicago International Puppet Festival is a 12 day event that has been taking place in Chicago for several years that has attracts about 22,000 audience members who travel from around the world to be a part of the biggest event dedicated to puppetry in North America.  This is a wonderful interview conducted by Chicago Broadcasting Network contributor Kim Campbell with Sandy Smith Gerding, Executive Director of the Chicago International Puppet Festival and Taylor Bibat, the festival coordinator and Director of Education. Listen, not only, for details of the festival events taking place in 2026 but also interesting tidbits about the art of puppetry and the world of puppetry as a creative art form.#chicago #puppetry #puppets #puppet #festival