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(Early) Friday happy hour: Toby Maloney makes a rum sour
Violet Hour impresario Toby Maloney was back in town recently to help launch Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum, a pleasant rum with chocolate notes, in an event space tucked away atop the Public Hotel. "Drink it while it's still laughing at you," Maloney says during this entertaining, though badly lit (my apologies for the quality of the iPhone video), demonstration of how to make a sour from scratch. Good advice at the start of a holiday weekend.
Howard Shapiro 1926-2012
Howard Shapiro
Howard Shapiro was a giant of Chicago television — the last of the independent pioneer owners, who oversaw transformation of the market’s first UHF operation into a broadcast empire encompassing 10 stations and two national networks.
As chairman of Weigel Broadcasting Co., he relished his role as patriarch of the family business, appearing in the office as recently as last week to sign checks, share stories and banter with employees.
Shapiro, 86, died of complications from pneumonia Thursday at his home in Glencoe.
“Howard had a very gruff exterior, but he was a real softie inside,” said Neal Sabin, president of content for Weigel Broadcasting and creator of its nationally distributed Me-TV and This TV networks. “He really cared about people — he just didn’t want you to know it. I’m honored to have spent so much time with him.”
Art and Design | This week’s late-breaking art events
Tiffany Funk, Terminators (Portraits) (detail), 2011.
There are approximately 120 Art & Design events happening this weekend—check our listings for details—but please note that some venues will close due to the holiday weekend, so double-check before heading out. Read about a few free or cheap openings and events that didn't make it into print after the jump.
Fire displaces Khecari Dance Theatre
The Indian Boundary Park field house
Who is behind the #SOYEAHDUH blog?
Kelli Zink
Forget about NATO. This week, everyone seems to be talking about #SOYEAHDUH. The Tumblr account features pop culture .gif reactions to life and incidents in Chicago. Think of it as "Shit Chicagoans Say," but funnier. The big question, though, is who created this thing. It's a bit of a mystery at the moment. Earlier this week, I announced on Twitter that I was 99.9% sure who was behind it, and #SOYEAHDUH responded with this. But I think I've narrowed it down to a few suspects. Let's take a look at the evidence, and then you decide by voting in our poll.
Suspect #1: Monica Dimperio
She's the creator of the popular style blog The MidWasteland. And Monica definitely has a snarky sense of humor, as we see in this recent post, titled "Just a few #RUDE thoughts on the 2012 Met Ball."
Suspect #2: Lisa Frame
She created Mugshot Monday and is known for her quirky tweets. Her name has come up a lot when I talk to people about this blog. But I also know she's been traveling a lot for work, it seems like she'd be too busy to be making all those .gifs.
Suspect #3: Kelli Zink
The general consensus is that the creator of #SOYEAHDUH is a woman. I've gotten to know Zink (pictured above) over the past year, and this Celeb TV host has a fun sense of humor. And she's been tweeting a few links to the Tumblr...maybe as a way to secretly spread the word?
Suspect #4: Ryan Beshel
If it's not a lady, it could be this guy. By day, he's the PR dude for the 900 Shops. And at night, he's a man-about-town (I see him at every event), so he definitely knows all the people and places featured on #SOYEAHDUH.
Suspect #5: Dan Sinker
Because, really, at this point, we can't rule out the mastermind behind last year's epic Mayor Emanuel twitter account. And look! There's a .gif on his blog!
Rashawn Thompson | Performer of the week
Yahdina Udeen and Rashawn Thompson in The Marvin Gaye Story at Black Ensemble Theater
Behind the soulful music of R&B icon Marvin Gaye was a tragic story of abuse, currently captured on stage in Black Ensemble Theater’s newest bio-musical The Marvin Gaye Story. Rashawn Thompson gives a pitch-perfect performance as Gaye, with powerhouse vocals and crackling chemistry with costar Melanie McCoullough.
Raised in the South Side neighborhood of Englewood, Thompson first became involved with Black Ensemble Theater through their New Directions program, which uses theater arts to help teens transition into adulthood. Now a teacher with New Directions, he’s been with the company for 12 years. Thompson speaks to us about stepping into Gayes’ shoes, working with writer/director/producer Jackie Taylor, and how Black Ensemble Theater has impacted the community.
Ebony Fashion Fair exhibition coming to Chicago History Museum
Eunice Johnson at Bill Blass show in 1971
The late fashion icon Eunice Johnson gets her due with a 2013 exhibition at Chicago History Museum. Today the museum announced that the exhibit, featuring clothing from the Ebony Fashion Fair show produced by Johnson, will open in March 2013.
I'm pretty excited to see this exhibit realized. Johnson—with her unrelenting devotion to the modern—had an unparalleled eye for design, color, line and, when it came to fashion, new and exciting silhouettes. The Chicago History Museum show, while not yet fully conceived, plans to feature 60 garments from the Ebony Fashion Fair collection, including "haute couture significant to late 20th century fashion."
The exhibition also delves into the cultural significance of the Ebony Fashion Fair runway show. Produced by Johnson, it was known as the first couture and prêt-à-porter show aimed at African American women. Johnson sourced prominent designers of the time, including Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, Stephen Burrows, Yves Saint Laurent, Patrick Kelly, Christian Lacroix, Valentino Garavani, Roberto Cavalli and Pierre Cardin. Ebony Fashion Fair started in 1958, but, knowing Johnson's eye for design, every piece in the exhibition will look like the next hottest thing. I can already hear the clicking of Louboutin's lining up in the Chicago History Museum's grand entryway.
LiveWire Chicago Theatre announces VisionFest 4 lineup
Playwrights including Bekah Brunstetter, Philip Dawkins, Ike Holter and Bilal Dardai have penned new short works inspired by visual art pieces for LiveWire Chicago Theatre's fourth annual VisionFest. The 11 short plays in the collection were prompted by works by visual artists Breanne Duffy and Josephine Ferorelli, which were themselves chosen by a public vote from among ten submissions.
The VisionFest plays will be presented in two programs at Flourish Studios June 14–30, with the programs alternating Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm; both slates will be performed on Saturdays, starting at 8pm.
Program One includes pieces by Brunstetter, Holter, Erin Barlow, Kristin Idaszak and Dorothy Fortenberry; Program Two features works by Dawkins, Dardai, Mat Smart, Scott Tobin and Conor Woods. Both programs will also include a devised work by festival curator Chris Zdenek. Tickets are on sale now.
M. Ward at the Vic Theatre | Photos and review
When M. Ward visited Chicago on the heels of his 2009 blues-folk-rock album Hold Time, he had accomplished the feat of not only putting out a well-reviewed record, but also living up to the expectations following the success of 2006’s cherished Post War. Ward’s profile only grew from there, with a string of high-profile collaborations that included stints with Zooey Deschanel (She & Him) and Conor Oberst and Jim James (Monsters of Folk). Despite precariously high expectations, this year’s A Wasteland Companion—another era-transcending compilation of impeccable blues-structured pop songs—does not disappoint Ward’s ever-multiplying fan base.
Fury Theatre's Midsummer moves to Chippewa Park
The Sunday fire that caused severe damage to the field house at Indian Boundary Park has forced Fury Theatre to move its upcoming outdoor production of A Midsummer Night's Dream a few blocks west, to Chippewa Park (6748 N Sacramento Ave).
Shakespeare's comedy is directed by Arin Mulvaney and features actors Patrick Bromley, Jill Matel, Matthew McDaniel, Jenny Tremblay, Nathan Thompson, Ellen Cribbs, Brian Conley, Keath Hall, Andrew Lund, Rand Ringgenberg, Isaac Samuelson, Beth Harris, Mark Dodge, Betty Lorkowski, Alex Levin, Christine Worden, Morgan Ziegelski, Izabella Mims-Haddad and Isabelle Roberts. The schedule remains the same: Fridays and Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 3pm, June 1–17. Reservations can be made at Brown Paper Tickets.
