Shows / Chicago Broadcasting Network
Chicago Broadcasting Network
An eclectic Chicago oriented podcast covering performing arts, neighborhood news, movies, books and business showcasing multicultural and age diverse people. We want to give you an idea of what we enjoy, and what we experience living in "The Windy City."
Episodes
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 61: Adirondak Chair Circle - Steppenwolf Chicago - Theater Review
A well written, nicely performed, thought provoking play that might have you considering how much control parents are entitled to have when it comes to ideas…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 60: King Hedley II at City Lit Chicago - Theater Review
City Lit Theater Company is offering a most powerful presentation of King Hedley II directed by Manny Buckley. The play by August Wilson’s is aimed at…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 59: Sunday in the Park with George - Kokandy - Chicago Theater Review
“Sunday in the Park with George” is presented by Kokandy Productions at the Chopin Theater’s Downstairs Studio, 1543 W. Division Street, Chicago, IL through…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 58: West Side Story - Musical Theater Review - Skokie
West Side Story presented at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts by Music Theater Works in Skokie, IL (Chicago suburb) is a recommended, enjoyable…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 57: HAIR "The Musical" Exploration and Review of Kokany Production - Chicago
HAIR The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical - - is it a nostalgic romp or does it have relevance to a contemporary audience? Whether you intend to see this…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 56: Theater Review of a soon to be musical classic SCARAMOUCHE
Have you ever heard the name or term Scaramouche? Maybe you remember it in the bohemian rhapsody or maybe you’ve seen the 1952 film? This may not have the…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 55: Chicago Theater Review - WINDFALL at Steppenwolf
The challenge of Putting a Price on Loss. A widowed father is informed that his child has been killed during a protest, forcing him to consider whether a cash…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 54: Montrose Beach Chicago an Engineered Shoreline, Cold War Command Center, and Accidental Bird Sanctuary
Montrose Beach in Chicago was raised from landfill. Cricket Hill has a surprising origin story. The Dock was once a Cold War command center and the quiet bird…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 53: Disappointment leads to despair in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at The Goodman in Chicago
Set circa 1927 -- at the height of the Great Migration, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is rooted in personal trauma, systemic racism and economic exploitation. Ma…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 52: Review: Integrity and Intimacy — The Sugar Wife | A Powerful Drama at Theater Wit – Chicago
Journey to 1850s Dublin where faith, repression, and desire intersect. When a formerly enslaved African‑American woman and her companion arrive for a ten‑week…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 51: Review: Itamar Moses’ The Ally at Theater Wit - Chicago
A thoughtful review of Itamar Moses’ The Ally at Theater Wit — a sharp, timely drama about identity, activism, and conflicting truths. This episode explores…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 50: White Rooster - Restless spirits, old curses, mysterious traditions
Blending spooky folklore with offbeat humor, White Rooster by Matthew C. Yee a world Premiere at Lookingglass Theatre is a haunting tale of grief, family and…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 49: A Queer Extravaganza in Chicago
This campy, opera style, cabaret performance mostly in drag is oddly compelling. The unconventional storyline comprised of seven sexually ambiguous individuals…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 48: City Lit has you seeing red - Theater Review Podcast
In “Changing Channels” at City Lit Theater in Chicago, Maggie Carlin and boss Eddie Gilroy abruptly learn that creating what will become an iconic TV comedy…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 47: Podcast Theater Review of Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS in Skokie
A nonstop “catcaphony” of frenzied feline fun that will create a lasting memory. With elements of musical theater, dance, opera and acrobatics there is…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 46: HARVEY Theater Review St. Sebastian Players Chicago
There are two good reasons to see Harvey, by St. Sebastian Players. One is the humorous quirky Pulitzer Prize winning script by Mary Chase and the other is the…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 45: The Irish and How They Got That Way - Chicago - Theater Review
You’ll probably love this if you’re of Irish heritage because of the familiarity of the songs and background message. If you’re a few generations removed or…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 44: Confederates at Redtwist - Theater Review Podcast
This intimate drama at Redtwist Theater in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago delivers a message of unconscious bias and institutional slavery put into…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 43: Dance of Death - Steppenwolf Chicago - Theater Review Podcast
Featuring an impressive, ancient, oppressive, dimly lit three story plaster and brick edifice, that apparently was a former jail, it is now the military home…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 42: Holiday at The Goodman Theatre - Review
“Holiday” at The Goodman is a fresh world-premiere adaptation of the classic boy meets girl - - boy meets girl’s sister romcom by Richard Greenberg based on…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 41: Company - Theater Review and plot synopsis
Stephen Sondheim’s vintage musical “Company” presented by Madkap Productions explores the life choices of Bobby (Graham Todd) the only one of his friends still…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 40: Chicago International Puppet Festival Overview and Insights
The Chicago International Puppet Festival is a 12 day event that has been taking place in Chicago for several years that has attracts about 22,000 audience…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 39: 2025 Year End Podcast Recap of Chicago Theater and Events
This year we reviewed over 30 Chicago plays and events. This podcast recaps favorites and highlights of the 2025 season plus a few ideas for 2026. Some…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 38: Annie at Music Theater Works in Skokie is perfect
The uplifting story of a distinctively red haired, hopelessly optimistic, depression era orphan named Annie is firmly rooted in the early 1930s where the stark…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 37: A Christmas Carol at Goodman is a joyful tradition
Part of the success and charm of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is its simple elegance. The story is easy to understand even by the youngest theater…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 36: Amadeus at Steppenwolf - Theater Review
“Amadeus” presented at Steppenwolf Theatre Chicago is a story of two men, one believed to be beloved by God and one who believed he could negotiate to win…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 35: Much Ado About Nothing is Worth the Fuss
Performed in modern dress using original Elizabethan vernacular, Much Ado About Nothing is a quintessential Shakespeare comedy and seminal rom-com that has a…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 34: Jekyll & Hyde Musical - Theater Review - Chicago
For those unfamiliar with the 1886 original story of Jekyll and Hyde - - it is a tale of the strange case of Dr. Henry Jekyll, a fictional 19th century London…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 33: Podcast Theater Review of a Madkap Comedy Thriller
Written in 1978 by Ira Levin DEATHTRAP holds the record for the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway, offering multiple plot twists over two acts with…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 32: The House That Will Not Stand - Theater review
Taking place in New Orleans around 1813, the dialog by playwright Marcus Gardley skillfully explains that Napoleon has recently sold the Louisiana Territory to…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 31: Seeking Truth & Finding Healing
Kim Campbell interviews author Wendy B. Correa about her memoir My Pretty Baby to investigate how the author took control of her life using somatic modalities…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 30: I'm Only Blind - Documentary Film Review by Reno Lovison
Being blind is not Tim’s story. The fact that he has refused to let his visual impairment dictate his life is what makes him an inspiration to everyone he…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 29: Ashland Avenue at The Goodman Theatre Chicago
A dusty TV store on Ashland Avenue in Chicago is the flagging flagship of a once great regional empire that boasted multiple locations. Over his tenure owner…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 28: Amelie The Musical - Podcast Theater Review - Chicago
The Chicago premiere of Amélie the Musical by Kokandy Productions based on the popular motion picture is a musical mosaic, composed by Daniel Messe, whose…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 27: Sentinels & Buddha's Birthday - Theater Review - Chicago
Over this past weekend I saw two world premieres written by local Chicago women authors. Buddha’s Birthday at the Edge Theater and Sentinels at Theo on Howard…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 26: Funny Thing is Hilarious Maximus at Skokie Theatre
MadKap Productions live up to their name in this production of Stephen Sondheim’s ridiculous musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” at the…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 25: The Color Purple is splendid - Theater Review
Tragic, hilarious, loud, energetic, fun and heartwarming, The Color Purple on stage at Goodman Theatre in Chicago is nearly three hours of nonstop…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 24: Tom & Eliza Theater Review Chicago
Tom & Eliza is a fairly brilliant example of absurdist theater written by Celine Song, expertly directed by Aileen Wen McGroddy and beautifully performed by…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 23: Dead Singers Give Lively Performance
Podcast review of FOREVER PLAID by Reno Lovison. Presented by MadKap Productions at Skokie Theater, the performance is reminiscent of a nightclub act from the…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 22: You Will Get Sick at Steppenwolf - Theater Review Chicago
Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, concludes its 49th Season with Noah Diaz's whimsical, wild, unpredictable and deeply moving Chicago premiere of You Will…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 21: Conquering Nations Can Be A Riot - Iraq, but funny
A laugh-out-loud comical attack of geopolitical humor invades Lookingglass Theater in “Iraq but Funny.” Playwright / performer Astra Asdou recalls the history…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 20: Generational Destiny Blues - Theater Review - Chicago
Feeling controlled by outside forces, two people on the opposite ends of life are each trying to manage their own destiny in the Chicago Premiere of Charles…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 19: Curiosity leads to suspicion of new neighbor
The world premiere of “Neighborhood Watch” written by Rehana Lew Mirza and directed by Kaiser Ahmed at Jackalope Theatre is a humorous look at what can happen…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 18: Robots Revolt in Edgewater - Chicago - Theater Review
If robots take over the world what would be their relationship to humans? Would it be a carefree utopia with happy automatons cheerfully laboring away while…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 17: Galileo finds trouble declaring the Earth revolves around the Sun in play by Bertolt Brecht
Chicago's Trap Door Theatre presentation of “Galileo,” stays close to the heart of Bertolt Brecht’s script but is a revised challenging and thought-provoking…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 16: DA POPE | A podcast look at Pope Leo XIV Chicago Background
Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Prevost provides Chicago with a direct line to the Vatican, and we’re exploring how his roots in the Windy City…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 15: Friendship can be an art - Theater Review of Art at Wit Chicago
Long term friendships can be complicated and messy. Honesty can be dangerous and revealing. A fourteen-year friendship between three friends explodes over the…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 14: Time Traveling Through Berlin - Podcast Theater Review - Chicago
Berlin is a case study of how things can go wrong when a country has suffered losses and trauma. As its citizens and leaders slowly turn away from…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 13: Five Women Wearing the Same Dress - Theater Review - Chicago
A group of bridesmaids find reasons to bond in “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” produced by St. Sebastian Players. The bonding ritual begins with the common…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 12: Tale of Two Cities - Shattered Globe Chicago | Theater Review
Charles Dickens’ expose of the French Revolution is cleverly performed and seems a little too close to home in today’s political climate. I would highly…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 11: Mastering Life: The Inspiring Journey of a Golf Legend - Film Review Podcast
MASTERING LIFE. This is a podcast film review of "Rise Above : The Carl Jackson Story. A powerful new documentary by Chicago filmmaker Maryilene Blondell…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 10: Dysfunctional Not-for-Profit Humor
Podcast theater review of "The Whole Seamus Thing" at Bramble lofts in Chicago.
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 9: Kinks Sunny Afternoon | Theater Review
Following on the heels of the success of The Beatles and Rolling Stones, another group of four working-class lads from the outskirts of London called The Kinks…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 8: The Winter's Tale | Review and Synopsis
A story of reproach, remorse and reconciliation. The Winter’s Tale has something for everyone. This Shakespeare play performed by Invictus Theatre Company in…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 7: Overview of GeNarrations Writing & Storytelling Program at Goodman Theatre Chicago
Goodman Theatre’s GeNarrations program is a FREE storytelling program that engages adults aged 55 and over in writing and performance workshops that nurture…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 6: La Bohème at Lyric Opera of Chicago - Podcast Review with plot synopsis
Puccini’s popular opera La Bohème at Lyric Opera of Chicago is a story of youth, passion, love and loss where idealism comes face-to-face with life’s realities…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 5: Guys and Dolls - Podcast Theater Review - Music Theater Works
Music Theater Works production of “Guys and Dolls” at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie is good old fashioned mid-century style musical…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 4: Romeo and Bernadette - Podcast Theater Review - Skokie Theater
In this hilarious musical riff on Romeo and Juliet at the Skokie Theater, Romeo has awakened from a 400-year slumber to find his beloved Juliet long turned to…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 3: Hedda Gabler is a story of morality, manipulation and despair - Theater Review - Chicago
Hedda Gabler is the self-absorbed, only daughter of a military officer who has an overblown grandiose sense of her own importance, and a lack of empathy for…
Chicago Broadcasting NetworkEpisode 2: Fool for Love - Theater Review - Steppenwolf Chicago
A sparsely furnished motel room dominates the stage. Along the perimeter an empty swimming pool, an imposing neon MOTEL sign, a massive telephone pole and bits…