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MOVIES 'George Michael: Freedom Uncut' to be released June 22
Sony Music Entertainment and Trafalgar Releasing will release the movie George Michael: Freedom Uncut as a global event on Wed., June 22and it's fitting that the documentary about the late gay singer will air during Pride ...
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Siskel to show 'Judy Garland Summer Centennial Retrospective'
This June and July, the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., will celebrate Judy Garland to mark the 100th anniversary of her birth (June 10, 1922). The Judy Garland Summer Centennial Retrospective will involve ...
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Lakeside Pride to present 'Sweet Home Chicago" May 29, part of Pride Bands Alliance Conference
-- From a press release
On Sunday, May 29 at 7pm, Chicago's Auditorium Theatre will host the culmination of the 40th annual Pride Bands Alliance conference. Chicago's Lakeside Pride is welcoming Pride Bands Alliance members from its family of 38 affiliate ...
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SHOWBIZ Broadway, JoJo Siwa, WEHO Pride, 'Jurassic World,' Madonna
The Broadway League announced that all 41 Broadway theaters in New York City have extended the current mask requirement for audiences through at least June 30, Playbill noted. Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League, ...
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SHOWBIZ Queer playwright, LGBTQ+ films, BMI Pop Awards, new superhero
Jeremy O. Harris, the queer Tony-nominated author of Slave Play, has been named the presiding playwright for the 2023 Yale Drama Series Prizeone of the theater world's most prestigious playwriting honors, Deadline noted. Harris joins the ...
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Inaugural Heatwave Music Festival in Chicago on July 16-17
Auris Presents announced the debut edition and artist lineup for the Heatwave Music Festival, coming to Chicago on July 16-17 in Douglass Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Dr. According to a press release, the festival will be ...
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MUSIC Ty Herndon releasing 'personal' album 'Jacob' on July 15
Out gay Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning country artist Ty Herndon announced the release date of his forthcoming album, Jacob. Jacobcalled Herndon's "most personal album to date"will be out July 15. ...
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Casting announced for 'Queer Eye: The Musical Parody' at Second City
Comedy institution The Second City announced the cast and crew of Queer Eye: The Musical Parody, which will start running Thursday, May 26. (The production will run Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at ...
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MUSIC Riot Fest to take place Sept. 16-18 in Chicago
Riot Festone of the largest remaining independent festivals in the countryis slated to return to Douglass Park on Sept. 16-18. Festival organizers revealed a jam-packed lineup taking up five stages and performing punk, indie rock, hip-hop, ...
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Chicago Gay Men's Chorus to present 'Unimaginable' on May 20-22
The Chicago Gay Men's Chorus will present the spring show "CGMC: Unimaginable," on May 20-22 at three Chicagoland venues. The performances will take place Friday, May 20, at 8 p.m. at Chicago's Athenaeum Center for Thought ...
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Tonys: Queer-themed 'A Strange Loop' leads nods; 'Paradise Square,' 'MJ' close behind
Nominations for the 75th Tony Awards were announced May 9—and a Pulitzer Prize-winning original musical and a play that recounts the 2008 financial crisis led the nods, CNN reported. Leading the nominations was A Strange Loop, ...
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Lakeside Pride to host 'Sweet Home Chicago' on May 29 [UPDATED]
As part of the 40th annual Pride Bands Alliance Conference, Lakeside Pride will host "Sweet Home Chicago" on Sunday, May 29, at 7 p.m. at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr. Chicago's Lakeside ...
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White Party returns to Palm Springs; celebrities make appearances
After a two-year hiatus, the 32nd Annual White Party Global (formerly White Party Palm Springs) celebrated its return with more than 20,000 attendees from around the globe, a press release noted. Recognized as the longest-running and ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Hacks,' 'Love, Victor,' Indy 500, Ariana DeBose, queer singers
Queer, non-binary actor Carl Clemons-Hopkins (they/them and he/him) told Out Magazine he is elated with the warm reception received by the show Hacks and his character. "When I started in this years and years ago, there ...
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Inaugural 'River North Live' taking place June 24-26
River North Residents Association announced that its annual festival, formerly Taste of River North, will return with a new venue, date and concept for 2022. Taking place June 24-26, River North Live will feature world-class artists ...
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MUSIC Madonna curating, releasing dance-music compilation 'Finally Enough Love'
Madonna made history once again when she topped the Dance Club Songs chart for the 50th time, making her the first and only recording artist to have 50 number-one hits on any Billboard chart. To celebrate ...
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MUSIC Dolly Parton, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie among newest Hall of Fame inductees
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its newest class of inductees. The musicians who the Hall's voters chose include Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Eminem, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Carly Simon, according ...
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MUSIC Lil Nas X reveals dates for his first-ever tour
Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling queer rapper Lil Nas X will embark on his first-ever traveling showthe "Long Live Montero" tourthis fall in North America and Europe, according to Variety. The North American leg kicks off at The Fillmore ...
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MUSIC Lollapalooza announces line-up by day
Lollapalooza has revealed the Lineup By Day for its 2022 edition and has confirmed that 1-Day General Admission, GA+, VIP and Platinum Tickets will go on sale Wed., April 27, at 10 a.m. CT at www.lollapalooza.com. ...
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SHOWBIZ Lily Tomlin, 'The Color Purple,' Walter Mercado, Janelle Monae, Loki
Video below
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, legendary actress/comedian Lily Tomlin discussed a variety of topics, including comedy and the Oscars. About the Academy Awards, she said, "I sometimes think they shouldn't be able to tread ...
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Acts for Pride in the Park announced
Taking place the same weekend as this year's Chicago Pride Parade, the third edition of the music festival Pride in the Park will be June 25-26 at Grant Park's Petrillo Bandshell. According to the event's website, ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Glamorous,' Jake Gyllenhaal, Alice Walker, queer singers, trans film fest
Three years after The CW passed on Glamorous, Netflix has picked up the redeveloped series about a young gender nonconforming queer man, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The streaming giant has handed out a 10-episode, straight-to-series ...
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MUSIC Lizzo out with new song, will release 'Special' album on July 15
Grammy winner, LGBTQ+ ally and RIAA multi-platinum certified musician Lizzo has shared her long-awaited new single, "About Damn Time," available now via Nice Life Recording Company/Atlantic Records at all DSPs and streaming services, a press release ...
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MUSIC Gay composer's historic 'Emancipation' at Harris Theater on April 29
The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance will present Emancipation, by gay composer Adrian Dunn, with The Adrian Dunn Singers and Rize Orchestra on the Mainstage on Friday, April 29, at ...
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SHOWBIZ JoJo Siwa, Indigo Girls, singer Bitch, 'Shahs of Sunset'
The Fox show So You Think You Can Dance unveiled its new judging lineup, and LGBTQ Dancing with the Stars runner-up JoJo Siwa will be part of it, per Out Magazine. Siwa will be joined at the judge's table by Glee ...
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Artemis Singers presents outdoor Pride Concert June 4 "Leaping Lesbians!"
-- From a press release
CHICAGO─Artemis Singers, www.artemissingers.org, Chicago's lesbian feminist chorus, will present its Pride Concert, "Leaping Lesbians! A Celebration of Lesbian Life," at 4 p.m., Saturday, June 4, outdoors at Forest Glen Woods ...
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The Grammys, from A (awards) to Z (Zelensky)
The 64th Annual Grammy Awards took place April 3 in Las Vegasand there were surprising and moving moments. Jon Batistea musician who is also the creative director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlemwon four trophies, ...
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Singer Emily Sande comes out as part of the LGBTQ+ community
British pop singer/songwriter Emeli Sande has revealed that she's in love with a woman who might just be "the one," according to a Billboard item that cited her interview with Metro. Sande came out and said ...
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House music, Joan Jett on tap at the Horseshoe Casino in May
May concerts at The Venue at Horseshoe Casino (in Hammond, Indiana) will include shows by house-music legends and out rock icon Joan Jett. "Not Gon' Stop the House" will take place Saturday, May 7, at 6 ...
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OPERA REVIEW Fire Shut Up in My Bones
The Lyric Opera of Chicago's outstanding premiere of Fire Shut Up in My Bones continues to build upon this new work's historic importance. Last September, Fire Shut Up in My Bones was given pride of place ...
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SHOWBIZ Lil Nas X, out comedian, Ariana DeBose, Abercrombie & Fitch film
Six months after Lil Nas X "gave birth" to his debut album, Montero, his "baby registry" fundraising has resulted in a lot of money raised, Queerty noted. Established in the weeks leading up to Montero's release, ...
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City-Wide festival Chicago Cabaret Week runs May 6 - 16
-- From a press release
Cabaret has been at the heartbeat of Chicago's nightclub scene for more than a century. Come hear blues, jazz, American songbook, burlesque, French music, pop, comedy and Broadway by some of Chicago's finest artists during the ...
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Out British singer Calum Scott takes a page from The Script
Calum Scott came into the public spotlight during the ninth season of Britain's Got Talent, where he performed a cover of Robyn's classic "Dancing on My Own." The reality show was a rollercoaster of a ride ...
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Tickets for 'Prince: The Immersive Experience' now on sale
Tickets are now available for Prince: The Immersive Experience, which will make its worldwide debut in Chicago on June 9. The exhibit will be at The Shops at North Bridge on the Magnificent Mile at 540 ...
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Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party raises $8.6M
The 30th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party took place March 27 at West Hollywood Park, raising $8.6 million for the foundation's work to end AIDS. The event was hosted by 12-time Grammy-winning ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Hocus Pocus 2,' 'Moon Knight,' queer dating show, Daddy Yankee
Hocus Pocus 2 is adding RuPaul's Drag Race queens Kahmora Hall and Kornbread "The Snack" Jete, Entertainment Weekly noted. EW has confirmed through a source close to production that the drag superstars joined the Hocus Pocus ...
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New Philharmonic celebrates Bernstein, Sondheim with 'West Side Story in Concert' April 9-10
-- From a press release
GLEN ELLYN, Ill. — New Philharmonic, conducted by Maestro Kirk Muspratt, concludes its 2021-2022 season with "West Side Story in Concert," 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9 and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 10. Four guest artists—Brooklyn Snow ...
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Ravinia Festival announces complete 2022 summer lineup
-- From a press release
HIGHLAND PARK, IL —Ravinia President and CEO Jeffrey P. Haydon today announced Ravinia Festival's complete 2022 summer lineup, offering 50 artist debuts and more than 100 concerts, including the annual summer residency of the Chicago Symphony ...
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Lollapalooza line-up to include Dua Lipa, Green Day, Doja Cat, Kaskade
The organizers behind Lollapalooza have unveiled the line-up for this year's festival, which will take place at Grant Park on July 28-31. Headliners will include Dua Lipa, Metallica, J. Cole, Green Day, Doja Cat, Machine Gun ...
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Rod Stewart, Dolly Parton, Gloria Gaynor, more to be at 'AARP Celebrates You'
-- From a press release
WASHINGTONThis March 24-26, tens of thousands of people of all ages will enjoy AARP's free virtual event, AARP Celebrates You. It's a signature event filled with world-class celebrities, fun and informative classes, great music, and a ...
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THEATER Out producer Bill Damaschke debuts 'Moulin Rouge' in Chicago
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is kicking off its North American tour in the Windy City, with an eight-week run at the James M. Nederlander Theatre. This 10-time Tony Award winner plans to immerse Chicago audiences into ...
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IPO's Christina Salerno named executive director of the year by Illinois Council of Orchestras
The Illinois Council of Orchestras (ICO) bestowed a major award upon Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO), naming IPO's Christina Salerno as the 2022 Executive Director of the Year. The accolade was part of ICO's annual awards for ...
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MUSIC Cor.Ece accomplishes 'Impossible,' is set to release new EP
Video below
Cor.Ece (nee Mark Corece) is a queer Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter (and onetime Chicagoan) who has been constantly working on new soulful material. His EP, Dance to Keep from Crying (on ...
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Former Chicago musician Homer Marrs releases new music
Discovered nationwide for his live performance of "The Facebook Song" on Jimmy Kimmel Live in support of the first National UnFriend Day, Los Angeles-based LGBTQ indie-rock musician Homer Marrs has released new music. Marrs, who formerly ...
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'Tosca' at Lyric Opera House on select dates through April 10
Puccini's Tosca will run at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., on select dates through Sunday, April 10. Performance dates are March 15, 18, 23 and 26 as well as April 3, 7 and 10. The work brings together ...
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MUSIC ARC Festival announces line-up for Sept. 2-4 event
For its 2021 debut, ARC Festival conjured the spirit of house music in the birthplace of the genre: Chicago. In 2022, ARC returns to Union Park on Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 2-4) with an expanded three-day ...
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SHOWBIZ Copyright lawsuits, 'Power of the Dog,' 'Survivor,' Kacey Musgraves
Sam Smith and Normani are facing a copyright lawsuit over their 2019 hit "Dancing With a Stranger," filed by three songwriters who say the song is "strikingly similar" to an earlier track with the same name ...
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Wanda Sykes, Ashanti, Clint Black among upcoming Hard Rock performers
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana has unveiled its list of upcoming performers for the next several months. Out lesbian comedian/actress Wanda Sykes will be at the venue during Pride Monthon Friday, June 17. Sykesone of the ...
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Demi Lovato, TLC, Sam Hunt among upcoming Illinois State Fair talent
The Illinois State Fair has announced the performers for this year's festival, taking place Aug. 11-21 in Springfield. The fair's grandstand will include performances from such acts as Sam Hunt (Aug. 12), Demi Lovato (Aug. 13), ...
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MUSIC Pitchfork talent announced for July 15-17 festival
Pitchfork announced the 2022 edition of the Pitchfork Music Festival, taking place Friday-Sunday, July 15-17, at Chicago's Union Park. The 16th iteration of the fest will be headlined by The National, Mitski and The Roots and ...
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Chicago Choral Artists to present 'Considering Matthew Shepard
-- From a press release
Chicago Choral Artists will present Craig Hella Johnson's Considering Matthew Shepard in three performances: Friday, April 29, 7:30 PM at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 1500 W. Belmont, Chicago Saturday, April 30, 7:30 PM at Grace Lutheran ...
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Lady Gaga announces new tour dates, will stop in Chicago on Aug. 15
After having to reschedule due to COVID, Lady Gaga announced new dates for her Chromatica Ball summer tour, Variety noted. The singer announced the 15 stops via Twitter; the dates start July 17 and will continue ...
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MUSIC Chaka Khan performing at Indiana's Hard Rock Live on June 24
R&B superstar Chaka Khan is coming to the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana's new performance venue, Hard Rock Live, on June 24. Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 11 at 10 a.m. Central Time. Doors ...
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Illinois Philharmonic to feature 'Porgy & Bess,' Debussy and more in new season
-- From a press release
CHICAGO (March 2, 2022) - Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO), under the direction of Maestro Stilian Kirov, announced its 45th anniversary season. The 2022-23 season features some of the world's most ...
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'An Evening with Renee Elise Goldsberry' April 9 at the Auditorium Theatre
The Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr., will host "An Evening with Renée Elise Goldsberry" on Saturday, April 9, at 7 p.m. Making her Chicago concert debut at the Auditorium, Goldsberry is best known ...
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WORLD Singapore ruling, journalist killed, Ukraine items, 'Flee'
Singapore's highest court dismissed a challenge by three LGBTQ+-rights activists against a law criminalizing sex between men ruling that since authorities did not enforce the law, it did not breach plaintiffs' ...
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SHOWBIZ Lesbian film, Broadway items, 'The Batman,' Jonathan Groff
Kino Lorber is presenting the U.S. theatrical release of the 4K restored lesbian-themed film I've Heard the Mermaids Singing, a film written and directed by Patricia Rozema, per a press release. Winner of the Prix de ...
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Chicago Philharmonic presenting Marvel Studios' 'Black Panther' live June 18
The Chicago Philharmonic Society will present and perform Marvel Studios' Black Panther in Concert at the Chicago Theatre on June 18during the weekend of Juneteenthat 7:30 p.m. Joining the orchestra is Senegalese tama talking drum player ...
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Lady Gaga, Billy Porter, Eric McCormack to co-host 30th Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars Viewing Party
Elton John AIDS Foundation announced Academy Award and 12-time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/actress Lady Gaga; Emmy, Tony and Grammy winner Billy Porter; and Emmy-winning actor Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) are set ...
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Kim Petras, Chelsea Handler among performers at upcoming all-woman VERSA festival
Organizers of VERSA, a music + more festival produced by Four Leaf Productions, announced the talent line-up. Tickets are on sale now for the inaugural event that will take place at Chicago's Lincoln Park South Fields ...
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Windy City Gay Chorus, Windy City Treble Quire explore trans experience with 'Trans(Posed): Songs of the True Self'
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — The Windy City Gay Chorus and Windy City Treble Quire are proud to announce the choruses' first mission concert slated for debut on Saturday-Sunday, April 2-3, in the Gannon Concert Hall at DePaul's Holtschneider ...
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Suzanne Vega to perform at Old Town School of Folk Music on May 1
Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega is slated to perform at the Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave., on Sunday, May 1, at 7 p.m. Vega emerged as a leading figure of the folk-music revival ...
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Catching up with out singer Chaz Cardigan in Chicago
Rising pop singing sensation Chaz Cardigan is finally out on the road after rescheduling tour dates during the pandemic. This out and proud queer musician represents a new generation of artists who never hid who they ...
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Jennifer Hudson takes top honors at NAACP Awards
The 2022 NAACP Image Awards were presented on BET on Feb. 26 and Jennifer Hudson took top honors at the ceremony, Variety reported. Hudson an Oscar-winning American Idol alumna who's from Chicago won both the coveted Entertainer o ...
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HRC honors six-time Grammy Award-winner Brandi Carlile with the Visibility Award
-- From a press release
LOS ANGELES Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — announced that it will honor six-time ...
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Chicago artist Sarantos releases song for LGBTQ+ community called 'Love Always Wins'
A Chicago musician released a song called "Love Always Wins" to show support for the LGBTQ+ community's experiences and raise money for The Trevor Project, an organization that provides support and resources to young queer people. ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Doctor Strange,' 'Harlem,' 'Peacemaker,' Harry Hamlin, Dionne Warwick
A trailer for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness, out May 6 only in theaters, shows the character of lesbian teen hero America Chavez in action, per out.com. In January, ...
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'Cabaret Connexion' taking place May 8-16 in Chicago
-- From a press release
Working In Concert announces the 4th international exchange of the Cabaret Connexion, to be held in Chicago May 8-16. Open to performers and the public, the event convenes cabaret enthusiasts from around the globe to gather ...
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Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra to present 'Stravinsky, Ravel and Abels'
-- From a press release
CHICAGO (Feb. 15, 2022) — Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) will present a culmination of works inspired by popular children's fairytales, Stravinsky, Ravel & Abels, on Saturday, March 12 at the ...
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CGMC's Live-Singing Drag Show returns in 'Lipstick & Lyrics: Untucked'
-- From a press release
CHICAGO, February 15, 2022 Chicago Gay Men's Chorus presents Lipstick & Lyrics: Untucked, an annual live-singing drag extravaganza running February 26, 2022 and March 4-5, 2022, 8pm and 10pm shows each night, at the Annoyance ...
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MUSIC Glad Rags returning to Sleeping Village on Feb. 26
After releasing their debut LP All of Them last October, the Chicago six-piece Glad Rags is set to return to Chicago's Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont Ave., on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m. Glad Rags' ...
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SHOWBIZ Elton John, Whitney, Disney, Broadway items, Niecy Nash
Sir Elton John and husband David Furnish's annual Oscar-viewing party for the Elton John AIDS Foundation will return as an in-person event on March 27 after going virtual last year due to the pandemic, Variety noted. ...
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Ravinia extends lesbian conductor's contract through 2025, announces 'Breaking Barriers'
Ravinia Festival CEO Jeff Haydon announced that the festival has extended Marin Alsop's contract as chief conductor for three years, through the summer of 2025. The summer of 2021 marked Alsop's first actual season in the ...
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Chicago Philharmonic Society to present 'Fanfare Chicago' and feature lesbian composer on March 27
The Chicago Philharmonic Society will present its third of four concerts of its 32nd season, "Fanfare Chicago," on March 27 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St. Led by Artistic Director ...
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MUSIC David Archuleta at City Winery on Feb. 26
Queer former American Idol finalist David Archuleta is on his "OK, All Right Tour"and it will bring him to Chicago's City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St., on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 5 and 8 p.m. (There ...
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