I can hardly contain my enthusiasm over Spike Lee's newest film: CHI-RAQ (2015 US)! Loosely based on the Classic Greek comedy Lysistrata by Aristophanes, about women in ancient Greece who withhold sex against their men to negotiate an end to the Peloponnesian War. In CHI-RAQ the women go on a sex strike: "No Peace! No Pussy!" to end a senseless gang war on a Chicago Southside neighborhood between the Trojans (led by Nick Cannon) and the Spartans (led by Wesley Snipes) and it's collateral …
Been Meaning to Write but Inexplicably Unable to Do So…
It's been so damn long since I blogged on here that I almost forgot how to use the dang software! Good news: I was asked again to join the cast of Tony Fitzpatrick's final installment of the trilogy of his one man shows at Steppenwolfe Garage. The 2011 show "Stations Lost" got rave reviews and garnered a heap of praise for me as well. This year's show "Nickel History: Nation of Heat" is opening July 19th - August 5, 2012. The show was written (and will be performed by Tony) Ann Filmer …
Something is stirring…
I'm getting ready to get ready for my gig du jour, which happens to be a fundraiser for a wonderful Chicago creative institution: Chicago Dramatists. Their Blue Moon gala will be a smaller event than, say, the one we did last weekend which had close to a thousand guests or the one last month that had a $1250 ticket price! Hiring a big band like mine for their event is a big deal - a change of pace for them and I am honored that they think we will help raise the level of their event. We will …
Life is Good, mostly
... especially if I focus on certain things like my upcoming appearance in Tony Fitzpatrick's play "Stations Lost" at Steppenwolf Garage or the recent string of great gigs we've been rocking lately or the recent flurry of social events I've managed to leave my diva cave to attend. Life is shit if I focus on my mountain of debt, my weight and my aching knees. But why even go there? I've decided to accentuate the positive for my own sanity's sake! …
This Train
News that I have neglected to share... I have been asked by the great artist Tony Fitzpatrick to become a part of the musical cast of his one man show entitled: "This Train" when he takes it to New York!!! Whoo hoo! Tony is a very successful artist who happens to reside in Chicago. I met him at a huge Art Show back in the early 90's. He is a published author and artist. He has appeared in several major motion pictures and now has this successful one man show that enjoyed a sold out run at …