Chicago

CHICAGO – The recent limited series “The Red Line” on CBS-TV was notable for a couple elements – it was set in Chicago and it featured Chicago actors in major roles. Creators Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss (from here), cast their Chi-town colleague Elizabeth Laidlaw, who portrayed police officer “Vic” Renna.

CHICAGO – We are a sick society, consumed with fear. But the greatest art comes out of that fear, and the Strictly Arts Company – visiting from Britain – assesses the sum of our phobias regarding race relations in “Freeman,” now at the Physical Theater Festival in Chicago. There are two more performances of this must-see expression, Friday, June 7th, and Saturday, June 8th, 2019, at Stage 773 in Chicago’s Belmont theater district. Click here for more details and tickets.

CHICAGO – It’s alternative cinema in Chicago time, as the 26th Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF) kicks off on Wednesday, June 5th, 2019, and runs through Sunday, June 9th. The Opening Night film is “Empty Metal,” a “war movie without a war, a nightmare you’re ashamed to admit was actually a dream.” Screenings take place at The Logan Theatre in Chicago, and tickets – which include an after party – can be purchased by clicking here.

CHICAGO – The visual artistry of the stage is often due to the picture that is created through the physicality and movement of the actors. This is brought to light in the 6th annual Physical Theater Festival in Chicago, a cornucopia of international imagination generating theater through the physical realm. Co-founders/Artistic Directors Alice Da Cunha and Marc Frost created the fest, which runs from May 31st through June 9th, 2019, Stage 773 in the Belmont Avenue Theater District. All the Festival information – including tickets – can be found by clicking here.

CHICAGO – Tomorrow, May 17th, 2019, is the night! The 7th Chicago Critics Film Festival (CCFF) will kick off with the Opening Night film, “Saint Frances.” This begins a whole week of critic selected films at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, Click here for the schedule.

CHICAGO – The end of the 2019 academic year means graduation is nearing, and Chicago’s Columbia College – offering a curriculum that blends creative and media arts, liberal arts and business for nearly 7,000 students – is celebrating with their undergraduate “Advanced Practicum.” The short film program, which combines collaborative talent for directors, producers and post-production, is part of the day-long events of the college’s “Manifest Urban Arts Festival.” For more information about Advanced Practicum, click here.

CHICAGO – One of the most talked about Chicago sports stories of the last ten years has been Derrick Rose, the NBA stand out who was drafted to his hometown Bulls as the second coming of Michael Jordan in 2008, and was plagued by bad luck injuries and playing time limits that couldn’t satisfy the rabid fan base and media that demanded accountability. The Theatrical Premiere of “Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story” will take place at the Midwest Independent Film Festival on May 7th, 2019. Click here for tickets and details.

CHICAGO – Chicago is again in the spotlight, due to the efforts of Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss, the creators of “The Red Line,” the based-in-the-Windy-City CBS TV series that debuts Sunday, April 28th, 2019. They even cast a veteran Chicago actor for the ensemble, Michael Patrick Thornton.

CHICAGO – The determining factor of a creative work’s shelf life can simply be its excellence. Writer, director and actor Clare Cooney released her first short film “Runner” in 2017, and the positive reaction was immediate. After a number of film festivals and awards, Cooney will release the film nationwide on the YouTube channel “Omeleto” on April 23rd, 2019. To access the film, click here.

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Mike Mains & the Branches at GMan Tavern, 1 of 5

CHICAGO – Known for their catchy, free-associating indie pop-rock melodies, Mike Mains & The Branches invites diverse comparisons to acts such as Foster The People, Young the Giant, The Killers, and Arcade Fire, with each comparison act a genuine facet of the band’s energetic and often soul-searching music. “Calm Down, Everything Is Fine” was released in 2014, and the album hit the top 20 ranking on Billboard’s New Artist Albums Chart. The band will release their new album, “When We Were In Love” in Spring 2019.