Due to health concerns, Aretha Franklin had to pull out of the CSO's 24th annual Corporate Night. Those are big shoes (and hats) to fill. But kudos to the Chicago Symph for pulling this ace out of their maestro's sleeve. Atlanta future-soul darling Janelle Monáe steps in, hot off a monster fun…

The pianist cracks his knuckles and sets forth through some Fauré, Ravel, Debussy and Rachmaninov. He throws his own variations on the theme by Paganini into the recital.

The Harold Washington Library Center hosts a Pride month screening of this 2005 documentary about the evolution of drag balls. Director Wolfgang Busch, who spent a decade gathering footage for the film, will be present for a Q&A session.

Join the hosts of the dishy Comic Book Queers podcast for a primer on important LGBTQ events in comic book history and how representations of queer characters have evolved in the medium. The CBQties also provide a reading list for newbies.

In Idris Goodwin’s clever new play, Ann (Demetria Thomas) invites fellow—though less lauded—African-American scholar Rachelle (LaNisa Renee Frederick) to an experiential restaurant that seats only two…

A glowing baby touches the lives of a group of damaged souls in Stefanie Zadravec's folklore-infused tale. Tara Mallen directs the Chicago premiere.

When two Irish-born musicians open a pub, you’d better believe they’ll pay attention to the tunes. Even aside from live Irish music on Sundays, you can usually count on sipping your stout to bagpipe-driven sounds…

This huge beer garden turns into a laid-back college reunion on weekend nights in summer, with baseball-capped dudes and spaghetti-strapped chicks flanking the outdoor bar…

TheWit Hotel’s swank rooftop lounge sports a specialty cocktail menu, a well-curated wine list and Mediterranean small plates, but it’s the breezy terrace-with-a-view that draws crowds, all ready to throw elbows to score tables per the seat-yourself policy…