Chicago, Cheap Trick, and Chaka Khan get Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations
The three Chicago-bred acts all received their first nominations for the honor last week. To be eligible, musicians and bands must have released their first album no less than 25 years ago, meaning Chaka Khan has been eligible for 12 years, Chicago has been eligible for 21 years, and Cheap Trick has been eligible for 13 years. Over the next several months, more than 800 musicians, industry vets, and historians will cast their ballots for the museum's induction ceremony in April 2016.
Condé Nast buys Pitchfork
Condé Nast, the publishing juggernaut behind Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, and the New Yorker, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Pitchfork, the Chicago-born music blog which also produces a quarterly journal and festivals in Chicago and Paris.
Beat Kitchen turns 25 and throws week-long concert series
The stalwart Roscoe Village rock venue hits a quarter century this month, and the owners are celebrating with a stellar concert series running from October 16 to 25. Highlights include indie rocker Owen, actor Brian Posehn, and folk singer Sean Bonnette of Andrew Jackson Jihad. See the entire lineup here.
The Chicago International Film Festival begins Thursday
The 51st annual film fest returns to the Auditorium Theatre and runs through October 29 at the AMC River East. Local premieres include documentaries Syl Johnson: Any Way the Wind Blows, Breakfast at Ina's, and For Grace. Check out the entire schedule here.
Fall Out Boy is touring
The Wilmette mall-punks announced a 20-date North American tour on Tuesday including a show March 12 at the United Center. The band was also nominated for an American Music Award yesterday (favorite alt-rock artist, against Hozier and Walk the Moon), and announced a new remix of its song "Irresistible" with Demi Lovato, out October 16—all in all, not a bad week to be Fall Out Boy.
Opening
October 14 Charm (comedy) Inspired by the true story of the Chicago transgender woman Gloria Allen and her work at the Center on Halsted, playwright Philip Dawkins delves into the intersections of sexuality, race, and gender identity through the lens of a youth group. BJ Jones directs a cast anchored by Dexter Zollicoffer as Mama. Northlight at Steppenwolf Garage (1624 N. Halsted) through November 8
October 15 The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls (comedy) In Meg Miroshnik’s sometimes surreal, sometimes realistic drama, an American-raised daughter of Russian immigrants goes to Moscow in search of the better life her mother never found in her adopted country. Nicole Wiesner directs a piece that merges monologues, conventional dialogue, and story-theater techniques for a hybrid fairy tale and coming-of-age story. Trap Door Theatre (1655 W. Cortland) through November 21
October 16 The Terrible (comedy) Plot details are still under wraps for the world premiere of Morgan McNaught’s pitch-black comedy. It begins when a performance artist wakes up dead, in a room empty but for a psychiatrist, a rake, another dead man, and a singer. The strangers (and the rake) must work together to prevent something terrible from happening. New Colony at the Den (1333 N. Milwaukee) through November 21
Closing
October 18 October Sky (musical) Michael Mahler (music and lyrics) and Aaron Thielen (book) join forces with a musical adaptation of the 1999 film about a coal miner’s son who aspires to become a rocket scientist. Marriott Theatre (10 Marriott, Lincolnshire)
October 18 Sucker Punch (drama) In this 1980s-set drama about a pair of black boxers, one rises to world-championship stardom in London, and the other gets tangled in a net of crime and cops in Detroit. Director Dexter Bullard puts the audience ringside in a story of race, identity, and punches both literal and metaphorical. Victory Gardens (2433 N. Lincoln)
October 18 Funnyman (drama) The world premiere of Bruce Graham's comic drama teams George Wendt (Cheers) as an aging vaudevillian and Tim Kazurinsky (Police Academy) as the agent who hopes to resurrect his client's flailing career. Northlight Theatre (9501 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie)