Stories by Marc Vitali

The building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., opened as the Studebaker Building in 1885 as a showroom and assembly plant for carriages. Thirteen years later, it was remodeled and repurposed as the Fine Arts Building.

The new Ken Burns documentary “Benjamin Franklin” looks at the life of one of the founders of the United States. Of course, Benjamin Franklin’s scientific achievements are a big part of the story. But how do they resonate with today’s students of science?

Chicago theater is in full bloom for the spring season with a number of new productions and a return of some classic favorites. Hedy Weiss, theater critic for WTTW News, joins “Chicago Tonight” to share her must-see recommendations. 

The world premiere play “King James” spotlights the work of two Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble members who loved basketball long before they loved theater.

Live music promoters Jam Productions is marking a half-century of putting on concerts in Chicago and around the country.

An art exhibition called “Courage …” features work made by first responders. It is running in Skokie through April 3.

A long-delayed art exhibition has finally opened but with a new focus. A Chicago artist and teacher born in Ukraine makes both traditional and contemporary paintings. She is now using her ability to create to counter forces of destruction. 

Actor Lesley Nicol earned accolades for portraying the head cook Mrs. Patmore on six seasons of the television show “Downton Abbey” and in two movies. Now, she’s ready to premiere her new stage show in Chicago.

The Field Museum is diving deep to introduce visitors to underwater wildlife that lived 200 million years ago. We have a preview of the exhibition “Jurassic Oceans – Monsters of the Deep.”

It is an uncommon pairing of great architecture and modern dance. In Oak Park, a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece will soon be the setting for a performance. We visited Unity Temple to find out what makes these dancers move.

Theater critic Hedy Weiss joins “Chicago Tonight” to share her thoughts on five shows currently playing on Chicago-area stages. 

The new book “Love in the Time of Contagion: A Diagnosis” explores the lockdown experiences of singles and couples and new approaches to love, intimacy and vulnerability.

Back in 1890, the Art Institute of Chicago began collecting Egyptian art. Much of it has been out of view for years, but the museum spruced up the collection and is about to unveil it in a new gallery. We have a preview of ancient art and artifacts from the Nile Valley in North Africa.

Big things can come in small packages, and that certainly goes for artwork as well. A local maker of miniatures has a direct connection to the Thorne Rooms – those ever-popular scale-model rooms on view at the Art Institute. We explored some awe-inspiring little worlds on display in a new setting.

There are only four members of the 2022 U.S. Olympic men’s ski jumping team. And three of the Olympians on their way to Beijing trained at a historic club 40 miles northwest of Chicago. 

The Chicago International Puppet Festival returns for 10 days, and Thursday is opening night. Blair Thomas, the behind-the-scenes puppet master, pulled a lot of strings to keep this festival on the calendar.

Both traditional and groundbreaking, Stephen Sondheim was a one-man era of musical theater. A new appreciation of his music and artistry from WFMT.

A new report from ProPublica Illinois details the catastrophic loss of dialysis patients during the pandemic. Reporter Duaa Eldeib joins “Chicago Tonight” to discuss her findings 

There has always been an air of mystery surrounding the life of Vivian Maier. Maier, was a North Shore nanny who quietly pursued another endeavor – in her spare time she took extraordinary photographs. Author Ann Marks joins us.

Discovery is central to the work of an artist who seeks and finds all kinds of things on the shores of Lake Michigan. John Soss makes artwork out of seemingly nothing, sifting the sand for debris left by people and nature.

Following the long pandemic shutdown, many theaters came back in the fall only to pivot once again in the face of the omicron threat. 

Many immigrants dream of owning and operating a small business. A Chicago-based photographer has a personal understanding of immigration, and he has spent years documenting small businesses. He calls his project “Immigrant Owned,” and it’s about to be expanded in a big way.

A rare Chicago showing of provocative paintings by an overlooked African American artist at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Articles of colorful clothing and ornaments tell the story of the person who wears them. The whole ensemble is called regalia, and it helps preserve the heritage of an entire community. A local photographer with roots in the Potawatomi Nation documents her people and their legacy.

Comedian and actor Jeff Garlin opens a new show of his photography featuring some of his co-stars and famous friends — Larry David, J.B. Smoove, John Mulaney – often in candid shots backstage and between scenes. 

Celebrating the life and music of sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar in a new exhibition at the South Asia Institute.