Stories by marc vitali

Lesley Nicol brings her new autobiographical show “How the Hell Did I Get Here?” to the Greenhouse Theater Center in Chicago. (Courtesy of Pemberley Productions)

‘Downton Abbey’ Actor Hits the Chicago Stage With New Show

Actor Lesley Nicol earned accolades for portraying the head cook Mrs. Patmore on six seasons of the television show “Downton Abbey” and in two movies. Now, she’s ready to premiere her new stage show in Chicago.

Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep will be on view at the Field Museum until Sept. 5, 2022. (Field Museum / Michelle Kuo)

Ancient Sea Creatures Surface in ‘Jurassic Oceans’ at the Field Museum

The Field Museum is diving deep to introduce visitors to underwater wildlife that lived 200 million years ago. We have a preview of the exhibition “Jurassic Oceans – Monsters of the Deep.”

(WTTW News)

Staging a Dance in a Frank Lloyd Wright Masterpiece

It is an uncommon pairing of great architecture and modern dance. In Oak Park, a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece will soon be the setting for a performance. We visited Unity Temple to find out what makes these dancers move.

Black Victorians Franklin (Xavier Edward King, from left), Janet (Jaye Ladymore), Marcus (Travis Delgado), and Annelle (Ayanna Bria Bakari) discuss the state of their world in 1919 in Tyla Abercrumbie’s new play “Relentless.” (Brett Beiner Photography)

Hedy Weiss on 5 Must-See Shows Currently Running at Chicago-Area Theaters

Theater critic Hedy Weiss joins “Chicago Tonight” to share her thoughts on five shows currently playing on Chicago-area stages. 

Author Laura Kipnis is a cultural critic and professor at Northwestern University and author of “Love in the Time of Contagion: A Diagnosis.” (WTTW News)

New Book Looks at Love and Relationships During Pandemic

The new book “Love in the Time of Contagion: A Diagnosis” explores the lockdown experiences of singles and couples and new approaches to love, intimacy and vulnerability.

Funerary Mask, Late Ptolemaic Period–early Roman Period, 1st century BCE. Ancient Egyptian. (Courtesy The Art Institute of Chicago, W. Moses Willner Fund).

Treasures of Ancient Egypt Return to Spotlight at Art Institute

Back in 1890, the Art Institute of Chicago began collecting Egyptian art. Much of it has been out of view for years, but the museum spruced up the collection and is about to unveil it in a new gallery. We have a preview of ancient art and artifacts from the Nile Valley in North Africa.

(WTTW News)

A Giant Effort to Create Miniature Rooms Linked to Thorne Rooms

Big things can come in small packages, and that certainly goes for artwork as well. A local maker of miniatures has a direct connection to the Thorne Rooms – those ever-popular scale-model rooms on view at the Art Institute. We explored some awe-inspiring little worlds on display in a new setting.

(WTTW News)

Ski Club with Chicago Roots Sends Three Ski Jumpers to Winter Olympics

There are only four members of the 2022 U.S. Olympic men’s ski jumping team. And three of the Olympians on their way to Beijing trained at a historic club 40 miles northwest of Chicago. 

Blair Thomas is the behind-the-scenes puppet master who pulled a lot of strings to keep the puppet festival on the calendar.(Credit Saverio Truglia)

Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Returns

The Chicago International Puppet Festival returns for 10 days, and Thursday is opening night. Blair Thomas, the behind-the-scenes puppet master, pulled a lot of strings to keep this festival on the calendar.

Stephen Sondheim (Photo by Bernard Gotfryd via Wikimedia Commons)

WFMT Honors the Musical Legacy of Stephen Sondheim

Both traditional and groundbreaking, Stephen Sondheim was a one-man era of musical theater. A new appreciation of his music and artistry from WFMT.

A patient on renal dialysis Feb. 26, 2021. (Mishu57 / Wikimedia Commons)

COVID Takes Deadly Toll on Dialysis Patients: ProPublica Illinois

A new report from ProPublica Illinois details the catastrophic loss of dialysis patients during the pandemic. Reporter Duaa Eldeib joins “Chicago Tonight” to discuss her findings 

Vivian Maier, was a North Shore nanny who quietly pursued another endeavor – in her spare time she took extraordinary photographs. (Courtesy The Vivian Maier Estate and the Maloof Collection)

New Book Reveals Secrets of the Chicago Nanny Who Was a World-Class Photographer

There has always been an air of mystery surrounding the life of Vivian Maier. Maier, was a North Shore nanny who quietly pursued another endeavor – in her spare time she took extraordinary photographs. Author Ann Marks joins us.

(Courtesy of John Soss Photography)

Artist Combs Chicago Beaches for Materials and Inspiration

Discovery is central to the work of an artist who seeks and finds all kinds of things on the shores of Lake Michigan. John Soss makes artwork out of seemingly nothing, sifting the sand for debris left by people and nature.

Temur Suluashvili and José Pablo Castro Cuevas perform in “The Nutcracker.” (Photo by Todd Rosenberg)

Stage Shows Go On Despite Some Cancellations

Following the long pandemic shutdown, many theaters came back in the fall only to pivot once again in the face of the omicron threat. 

(Credit: Jonathan Michael Castillo)

Photographer Tells Story of Immigration Through Lens of Small Business Owners

Many immigrants dream of owning and operating a small business. A Chicago-based photographer has a personal understanding of immigration, and he has spent years documenting small businesses. He calls his project “Immigrant Owned,” and it’s about to be expanded in a big way.

GO WEST, 1980, acrylic on canvas, 71 3/4 x 83 7/8 inches © 2021 The Robert H. Colescott Separate Property Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Courtesy of The Robert H. Colescott Separate Property Trust and Blum & Poe, Los Angeles/New York/Tokyo (Photo Credit: Joshua White)

Provocative Paintings Lampoon Stereotypes at Chicago Cultural Center

A rare Chicago showing of provocative paintings by an overlooked African American artist at the Chicago Cultural Center.

(Copyright Sharon Hoogstraten from her book “Dancing for Our Tribe.”)

Photographer Preserves Native American Heritage Through Images of Regalia

Articles of colorful clothing and ornaments tell the story of the person who wears them. The whole ensemble is called regalia, and it helps preserve the heritage of an entire community. A local photographer with roots in the Potawatomi Nation documents her people and their legacy.

Jeff Garlin photographs Sarah Silverman. Garlin’s photographs will be featured at Tamarkin Camera in River North starting Nov. 11. (Credit Jeff Garlin)

Jeff Garlin’s Photographs of Funny Friends Show in River North

Comedian and actor Jeff Garlin opens a new show of his photography featuring some of his co-stars and famous friends — Larry David, J.B. Smoove, John Mulaney – often in candid shots backstage and between scenes. 

An exhibit on sitarist Ravi Shankar is on display at the South Asia Instiute. (WTTW News)

Ravi Shankar Retrospective on Display at South Asia Institute

Celebrating the life and music of sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar in a new exhibition at the South Asia Institute.

David Strathairn as real-life World War II hero Jan Karski in “Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski,” presented by Chicago Shakespeare Theater November 3-14, 2021. (Teresa Castracane Photography)

Acclaimed Actor David Strathairn Portrays World War II Hero at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Actor David Strathairn will be on stage through Nov. 11 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater portraying Jan Karski, a Polish resistance fighter and diplomat during World War II. 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s new Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center, designed by architect Gordon Gill FAIA of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. (Credit James Steinkamp Photography.)

Steppenwolf Theatre Returns After 20-Month Intermission, Dedicates New Wing

The Steppenwolf Theatre reopens after a 20-month shutdown due to the pandemic. The 46-year-old theater celebrated its return with a ribbon cutting Tuesday for a new wing that includes a state-of-the-art stage. 

Victor Diop, Juan de Pareja, 2014. (Image courtesy of the artist and MAGNIN-A, Paris.)

New Exhibit at Block Museum Looks at Which Art Gets Shown and Why

We take you to the Block Museum of Art on the campus of Northwestern for a look at a new exhibition that examines narratives of the past and who has a say in which art gets chosen.

Artist Tony Fitzpatrick’s new show is called “Jesus of Western Avenue.” It’s at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art on the campus of the College of DuPage. (WTTW News)

Artist Tony Fitzpatrick’s Final Museum Show Fuses Nature with Urban Grit

From a studio on Western Avenue, artist Tony Fitzpatrick creates work that reflects both the beauty of nature and the grit of the city. Fitzpatrick says a recently opened exhibit at the College of DuPage will be his final museum show.

From Hyde Park to Humboldt Park, the Chicago Children’s Choir is everywhere. Now the Choir has joined forces with the Q Brothers for the new record, “Long Way Home,” a musical odyssey and love letter to the city. (Courtesy Chicago Children’s Choir)

Chicago Children’s Choir Celebrates 65 Years of Music With New Collaboration

Since it was founded back in 1956, The Chicago Children’s Choir has grown from a single choir to a vast network of singers across the city. Their latest recording speaks to the resilience of young people working together to raise each other’s voices. 

(WTTW News)

Chicago History Museum Remembers Great Fire of 1871

A new show at the Chicago History Museum features artwork and animation that bring the Great Chicago Fire to life on its 150th anniversary.

Chicago Born Film Scholar Awarded MacArthur Fellowship

Jacqueline Stewart is a film scholar, archivist and curator who has been honored by the MacArthur Foundation for “ensuring that the contributions of overlooked Black filmmakers and communities of spectators have a place in the public imagination.”