All stories by Deanna Isaacs on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Angela Jackson is the state’s new poet laureate by Deanna Isaacs

That shouldn’t cost her, right? It was great to hear, late last month, that Chicagoan Angela Jackson has been chosen as the new Illinois poet laureate. Great b…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 10:00AM
Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Bisa Butler stitches together portraits of Black American life by Deanna Isaacs

Her quilts draw upon historic photos and family albums for inspiration. The first and only time I’ve seen Bisa Butler’s artwork “in the flesh” was at EXP…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 12:45PM
Wednesday, October 28, 2020

The Dilemma of Desire by Deanna Isaacs

A new documentary celebrates cliteracy. Given that—as legal pundit Jeffrey Toobin recently and so unexpectedly reminded us—everyone is sexual, here’s a que…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 11:15AM
Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Jungian and restless by Deanna Isaacs

A new biography examines Edith Rockefeller McCormick's stranger-than-fiction life. It’s common knowledge, though not commonly admitted, that biographers tend t…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 10:45AM
Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Second City is looking for a buyer by Deanna Isaacs

The comedy powerhouse is on the market for only the second time in its 60-year history. Yes, And . . . Second City is for sale!…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 08:00PM
Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Will Silk Road still rise? Will we? by Deanna Isaacs

Jamil Khoury and Malik Gillani have been facing more than COVID closure. I’d been thinking about Silk Road Rising, the mission-driven performing arts company f…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 03:15PM
Wednesday, September 16, 2020

The modern home by Deanna Isaacs

Modern in the Middle is a groundbreaking compendium of Chicago’s midcentury residential architecture. Chicago’s skyscraper modernism—the Hancock, Marina Ci…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 05:40PM
Friday, September 11, 2020

For the Love of Lyric fills the vocal void for now by Deanna Isaacs

Lyric hosts a free, multigenre online concert this weekend. This weekend, just about the time when—minus the virus—we would have been plopping our posteriors…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 03:15PM
Friday, August 28, 2020

Architects to AIA: WTF? by Deanna Isaacs

But the AIA board stays mum on the reasons for exec’s abrupt exit. The brief missive that appeared on the AIA Chicago website August 13 was mystifying. Posted …

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 01:35PM
Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Is Dance for Life its own cause? by Deanna Isaacs

The former Chicago Dancers United executive director raises a social media storm about the organization and its annual benefit. COVID-19 couldn’t stop the 2020…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 05:30PM
Wednesday, July 22, 2020

The Beauty of Your Face isn’t afraid to get ugly by Deanna Isaacs

In Sahar Mustafah's debut novel, The Beauty of Your Face, a terrorist attack opens a window on the story of a Palestinian American family in Chicago. Sahar Musta…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 12:50PM
Monday, May 18, 2020

What are the greatest moments in Chicago music history? by Deanna Isaacs

Arts & Business Council of Chicago invites nominations and votes for the greatest moments in Chicago music history. Chicago has sent a lot of great sound int…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 10:00AM
Friday, April 17, 2020

We’re living (and dying) in a historic moment by Deanna Isaacs

Chicago History Museum is collecting the city’s pandemic experience. This COVID-19 interlude will have a place in history. We can too.…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 02:15PM
Thursday, April 9, 2020

CSO takes a coronavirus cut by Deanna Isaacs

Chicago Symphony Orchestra institutes across the board cuts in musicians and staff salaries. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association announced today that its …

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 08:15PM
Thursday, April 2, 2020

Lyric, Goodman, Steppenwolf, and CSO face the music by Deanna Isaacs

Major performing arts organizations recalibrate for COVID-19. After the crushing decision last month to cancel its long-awaited Ring Cycle, Lyric Opera today ann…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 04:30PM
Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Chicago History Museum keeps the virtual lights on by Deanna Isaacs

Departing president Gary Johnson talks about going digital in a pandemic. At this outlier moment in our history, every story is about coronavirus—even last wee…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 05:20AM
Thursday, March 19, 2020

A trillion in coronavirus relief cash! Anything for the arts? by Deanna Isaacs

Americans for the Arts wants you to speak up, now. The federal government’s getting ready to unleash a flood of coronavirus relief cash, much of which will, as…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 06:15PM
Wednesday, March 11, 2020

What pandemic? by Deanna Isaacs

Chicago cultural institutions keep their cool. The coronavirus has prompted some unimaginable recent news: NCAA basketball in empty arenas; Harvard University (a…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 05:00PM
Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Chicago’s seven “most endangered” buildings by Deanna Isaacs

Preservation Chicago releases its 2020 list. Preservation Chicago announced the 2020 edition of its annual list of the city’s “7 Most Endangered Buildings”…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 01:00PM
Monday, February 17, 2020

A winning Queen of Spades by Deanna Isaacs

Deal yourself in for Tchaikovsky's operatic exploration of obsession at Lyric. In the dicey business of bringing historic opera to contemporary audiences, Lyric …

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 04:35PM
Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Freedom Ride gives voice to an important chapter in American history by Deanna Isaacs

Chicago Opera Theater's exploration of the civil rights movement traces one fictional woman's journey. Dan Shore started working on his one-act opera, Freedom Ri…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 09:00PM
Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Madama Butterfly is the ultimate bad date story by Deanna Isaacs

"Honor incarnate" meets a dirtbag in Puccini's opera, with tragic results. A Letter from Butterfly Dear Chicago Reader:…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 05:40PM
Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Ravinia finds a new conductor and curator by Deanna Isaacs

Marin Alsop takes on a newly created role at the music festival. Marin Alsop is stepping into the newly created position of chief conductor and curator at the Ra…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 06:00AM
Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Light in the Piazza is a holiday-season treat at Lyric by Deanna Isaacs

Renée Fleming stars in Adam Guettel’s rapturous romantic musical. It's a dangerous thing to marry a stranger: the beautiful girl passing through town; the imp…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 04:45PM
Monday, December 2, 2019

We three queens by Deanna Isaacs

Sondra Radvanovsky sings the last acts of Donizetti's three Tudor queen operas. Berwyn born, internationally acclaimed soprano Sondra Radvanovsky is performing a…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 06:40PM
Tuesday, November 19, 2019

On a bountiful opera weekend, Chicago Opera Theater climbs a peak by Deanna Isaacs

Chicago Opera Theater’s Everest is stunning contemporary opera. It was a great weekend for contemporary opera in Chicago. Lyric’s not-to-be-missed Dead Man W…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 01:38PM
Thursday, November 7, 2019

Earth to Kenzie has a message: kids are homeless too by Deanna Isaacs

There are three public performances of Lyric's new children's opera this weekend. Contemporary stories are having a welcome moment at Lyric Opera. While Dead Man…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 03:39PM
Monday, November 4, 2019

Dead Man Walking makes its gut-punching Lyric debut by Deanna Isaacs

Jake Heggie's opera took nearly 20 years to make the journey to Lyric, but it's not to be missed. It took nearly 20 years for composer Jake Heggie and librettist…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 03:10PM
Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Luisa Miller is gorgeously sung and giddily age blind by Deanna Isaacs

Lyric opens a multiyear exploration of early Verdi with this 1849 opera. Lyric Opera is launching a multiyear exploration of the early works of Giuseppe Verdi wi…

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 04:20PM

See the Bronzeville church that is the real birthplace of gospel by Deanna Isaacs

Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, one of more than 350 Open House Chicago sites this weekend, is significant musically and architecturally. With more than 350 …

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 03:10PM
Monday, September 30, 2019

Lyric’s The Barber of Seville is jubilant, uproarious by Deanna Isaacs

The season opener is as much fun as you can have at the opera. Lyric Opera has married pitch-perfect casting to go-for-broke direction in its season opener, The …

SOURCE: www.chicagoreader.com at 03:29PM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic
TBA: Ragtime