By Robert Loerzel Originally published in Playbill magazine in June 2012. Theater and comedy in Chicago wouldn’t be what they are without Viola Spolin. She may not be quite as famous as others who left their marks on the city’s theater scene — such as playwright David Mamet or performer John Malkovich — but as an… Continue reading Viola Spolin, pioneer of Chicago improv
Author: Robert Loerzel
Kelly Hogan Q&A
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared at The A.V. Club in May 2012. Kelly Hogan was one of the Chicago alt-country scene’s brightest stars of the 1990s, and she has never stopped singing in the years since then—but she went a long time without releasing an album. Someone looking at a list of Hogan’s… Continue reading Kelly Hogan Q&A
Creatures of habit: Actors’ routines
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Playbill magazine in May 2012. Metallica helped Nick Sandys get into the right frame of mind when he was playing the title character of Macbeth. The Chicago actor blasted the heavy-metal band on his car stereo as he drove to the theater. When he’s in the car… Continue reading Creatures of habit: Actors’ routines
We solve the mystery of the Cubs’ early name: The Microbes
Playbill feature: ‘The Pirates of Penzance’
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Playbill magazine in April 2012. When it comes to pirates in pop culture, Jack Sparrow is a Johnny-come-lately. He’s been swashbuckling his way across movie screens for a mere nine years — since 2003, when Johnny Depp starred in the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. Sparrow… Continue reading Playbill feature: ‘The Pirates of Penzance’
What Will Wrote: Chicago’s role in the debate over Shakespeare
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Playbill magazine in April 2012. For hundreds of years, people have questioned whether William Shakespeare really wrote the plays we attribute to him. Strangely enough, a Chicago judge ruled on the question in 1916. For a brief time, an official legal decision was on the books in Cook County… Continue reading What Will Wrote: Chicago’s role in the debate over Shakespeare
Playbill feature: ‘The Hunchback Variations Opera’
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Playbill magazine in March 2012. What are Ludwig van Beethoven and Quasimodo doing together on the same stage? Why are they sitting at a table with microphones? And why are they singing operatically about a stage direction written by Anton Chekhov? Audiences may well wonder about these… Continue reading Playbill feature: ‘The Hunchback Variations Opera’
Emanuel’s gun proposal harks back to Richard J. Daley
The Huffington Post, February 13, 2012 — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says Illinois should have a statewide gun registry. As the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times reported, his plan is likely to run into much resistance. Emanuel’s idea isn’t new… Read my blog post for the Huffington Post. Photo by Augustas Didžgalvis/Wikipedia
Record review: Nina Nastasia, ‘Outlaster’
This review by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Signal to Noise magazine’s winter 2011 issue. Nina Nastasia Outlaster After recording four solo albums, Nina Nastasia gave equal billing to drummer Jim White on her 2007 record You Follow Me — an unusual juxtaposition of strong percussion with acoustic guitar and vocals. Three years later, Nastasia is… Continue reading Record review: Nina Nastasia, ‘Outlaster’
Christmas theater, past and present
This article by Robert Loerzel originally appeared in Playbill magazine in December 2011. It’s December. Everywhere you turn, the lights twinkle. Christmas carols jingle. And Ebenezer Scrooge, George Bailey or maybe a department-store elf called Crumpet are center stage once again. For Chicago’s theaters, the holidays have always been an important time of year. However,… Continue reading Christmas theater, past and present