Chicago

CHICAGO – Got an act? Got a camera phone to record it? Then YippieFest wants you! The fourth annual Theater, Music, Film, Comedy and Performance festival is doing what all the hep cats are doing, going online and virtual to keep everyone safe (details closer to the actual dates of YippieFest, August 14-16, 2020).

CHICAGO – The urban drive-in is back … at least for now as we negotiate these extraordinary times.

CHICAGO – If Willy Wonka were a slightly rumpled middle-aged anarchist, he probably would be Richard “Flabby” Hoffman. The author, musician, broadcaster and philosopher has just added “retailer” to his resume, with his amazing pop culture store, modestly called “The Extraordinarium.” It re-opened this week at 2800 N. Milwaukee in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago.

CHICAGO – Using safety-first precautions, the Music Box Theatre of Chicago has reopened as of July 3rd for limited seating (see link below for details). The Gene Siskel Film Center continues “Film Center From Your Sofa.”

CHICAGO – 50 years ago today (June 27th, 2020), a young activist got together with a group of marchers – with no permit – and showed the City of Chicago the actual faces of gay liberation. Gary G. Chichester, board member of the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, was part of that first gay pride march … and 50 years later he remembers the freedom and history of that magic day.

CHICAGO – The Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) of Chicago, coming off their popular “Audience Choice Winners Rewind” and recent “Taiwan Cinema Online,” will present a specially curated “Father’s Day Cheer” from June 19th to 21st, 2020.

CHICAGO – The Asian Pop-Up Cinema (APUC) of Chicago, and their international Selection Committee, has announced the winners of the APUC “Funniest Stay-At-Home Short Film Competition. The competition took place over the last three months of the global quarantine, and attracted entries from the U.S. and the world.

CHICAGO – It’s no mystery that author Lorraine Evanoff – who just released her second “Louise Moscow Novel,” entitled “Pinot Noir” – loves the genre of intrigue, for her life has mirrored the adventures of her fictional super spy character. Where Louise Moscow begins is where Lorraine Evanoff has been.

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on June 11th, 2020, discussing new VOD releases “The King of Staten Island” and “Working Man.”

CHICAGO – Both the Music Box Theatre and the Gene Siskel Film Center have continued their at-home screenings, due to the physical theaters staying closed for now. Below are the updates to their current offerings.