Here’s what we missed as we considered an Obama/Keyes rematch: Breathe a sigh of relief. In the eleventh hour, the Chicago Symphony and the Chicago Federation of Musicians reached a new multiyear contract. We can’t tell you more than that until the official announcement on Thursday. The Wall Street Journal’s Terry Teachout considers recent controversies involving Chicago theater critics reviewing (or not reviewing) “developmental” productions and wonders whether critics can or should be kept away... more ›

Chicagoist has said before (and will probably say again) that we love television. But it’s not often that we get to be on the other side of the box. Last night we got the chance to be the guest on “Talkin’ Funny,” the brainchild of Steve Gadlin, Paul Luikart and Blewt Productions. We’ve talked about these guys before; they produce one of the best comedy shows in town, Don’t Spit The Water, a show much... more ›

Starting this Sunday, Snake Punch Union will play for 3 Sundays at The Playground Theater. Nicky Hilton is getting sued by a Chicago development group for breach of contract. Interficio (Mobile Assassins) are coming to Chicago. Knowing our luck, we'd be targeted by someone with a real gun! What else could we sell to make some money for the city? Oh, how about Midway airport? On March 25 from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.,... more ›

Chicagoist has been around the comedy world long enough to know a few things. We know that when one of your players drinks ten beers before a show, that’s a bad sign. We know that when you get kicked off a team at one place, there’s always somewhere else to go. We know every conceivable idea has been put on stage in one way or another, and that sometimes, the gimmicks upstage the funny. That’s... more ›

Many say that the Chicago Improv scene is a "boys club"; that it's tough being a woman improviser in this city. Some say you need improv balls of steel to make it and play with the big boys. Well, last night Cheetara showed us their steel balls and beat another Chicago team, Team Smartypants, in the World Series of Pop Culture on VH1. Cheetara, made up of three Chicago improvisers, giggled their way to a win and were the picture of team spirit, cheering each other up from the audience. more ›

Note: Part 1 of this series is here. The Chicago Sketchfest brings some of the country’s finest comic troupes to town this weekend and next. Fitting really, since a mid-January Chicago vacation requires a hearty sense of humor. Yesterday, Chicagoist profiled a few up-and-comers but we didn’t want to leave out the veteran performers, the very backbone of the festival itself, and the uniquely wacky groups, the pickled liver of the festival itself. Many of... more ›