Artbeat: Inside the Arts Blog
George S. Kaufman was One of America’s Funniest Playwrights -- and He Had Self-Doubt and Talent in Equal Measures
It’s funny the way Chicago anecdotes bloom in books about Broadway.
Spotlight on Wildly Different Shows that Offer Light, Dark, and the Unexpected
Set your clocks forward on Sunday -- but not before you shine a light on some excellent art opportunities.
39 Years Ago, Members of the Famed Comedy Troupe Turned Channel 11’s Membership Drive Into a Flying Circus
“Would you like to subscribe to public television, or would you prefer a knee to the groin?”
Meeting a Pop Star is Like Meeting Royalty from A Distant Planet
Love him or not, people want to know: what was Sting like? Honestly, I was in King Sting’s galaxy for exactly 14 minutes last Thursday in a room with a lot of other people. If you want a real take on his personality, you should ask someone who’s known him for at least 15 minutes.
13 Thrilling Things You May Not Know About the Mysterious Mr. Gorey
Edward Gorey was a Chicagoan. It’s amazing how many people are unaware (myself included, until recently) that the great Gorey was born in Chicago in 1925.
A Still Life Artist Isn't Clowning About Portraiture
Clowns are funny. Clowns are scary. Clowns are divisive – people love ‘em or hate ‘em.
App Helps Make Your Writing as Clear and Strong as Hemingway’s
A free new app is a fun and easy way to improve your writing. Brothers Ben and Adam Long created a program that aims to simplify your writing in the style of Ernest Hemingway.
The Show Must Go On – A Big Top Tragedy Inspires Both Lunacy and Reverence
This Train Wreck isn’t really a disaster – quite the opposite – but it’s about a disaster: the tragedy that occurred in 1918 near Hammond, Indiana when an empty U.S. Army troop train crashed into a fully-loaded circus train stopped on the tracks.
You Don’t Have to be a Baby Boomer to Love The Beatles
Forgive me, but I don’t remember The Beatles arriving in America 50 years ago or their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Movie Posters Reveal a Parallel History of American Filmmaking
An upcoming art exhibition promises to be a fascinating look at film history and African-American history.
The Beloved PBS host was a Master of Music with Powers of Persuasion
Fred Rogers was a friend to every child -- he was also an artist and a brave citizen.
Find out why Nashville’s loss is Chicago’s gain
One of the finest singer-songwriters of country music is based in the Chicago area.
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
Here is a list of the most memorable art I saw and heard this year. From opera in a swimming pool to barn-blazing bluegrass and forgotten artists, 2013 was a very good year for enthusiams old and new.
Sunshine and Shadows Co-Exist on New Record from One-time Chicago Songwriter
Cass McCombs returns to Chicago on Friday, December 6 to play The Empty Bottle on Western Avenue.
Finding a Creative Voice at the Swap O Rama
Besides the main arteries of museums and galleries, the Chicago area has endless capillaries of creativity.
Stage Spectacle Balances Hilarity and Emotions
Once or twice a year, a show is so breathtaking that it must be seen a second time. And you really have to see it in the theater -- once it closes, it’s gone. DVDs or on-demand cannot capture the live experience of sitting in the dark, bonding with the strangers onstage you seem to know so well. Read the Artbeat blog.
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