Calendar - Week View

LEA DELARIA Friday/Saturday July 19 & 20 at 8pm and Sunday July 21 at 5pm Tickets are $55/$65 Post Meet & Greet an additional $25. Lea Delaria was the first openly gay comic on television in America and is an accomplished Jazz performer who has performed in concert venues all over the world. She is best known as ‘Big Boo’ from Orange is the New Black (3 SAG Awards). Lea can currently be seen in the indie feature film Potato Dreams of America, and in the Indigo Girls jukebox feature film, Glitter & Doom. She most recently starred in the Off-Broadway Revival of Tennessee Williams‘ play, The Night of the Iguana, directed by Emily Mann. TV credits include East New York, The Blacklist, Physical, Reprisal, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Shameless, and Broad City. Film credits include Cars 3, Support The Girls, and First Wives Club. Broadway credits, POTUS Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (Bernadette), The Rocky Horror Show (Eddie/Dr. Scott) and On The Town (Hildy), Obie and Theatre World Awards. @realleadelaria www.leadelaria.com The Big Gay Cabaret is a monthly series at Venus Cabaret Theater, located at 3745 N. Southport Ave. Tickets are available at www.mercurytheaterchicago.com or www.biggaycabaret.com. The Big Gay Cabaret focuses on LGBTQIA+ performers celebrating all aspects of the queer community, from Hollywood and Broadway to local Chicago talent. The Cabaret will feature well known singers, drag performers, comedians, musicians and more.

Save the date for “Speed Dating” and get ringside seats for “Outside the Ring” as Bellissima Opera brings us a double bill of the often poignant, sometimes outrageous, and always spectacular sports of dating and boxing. Speed Dating Tonight!, libretto and music by Michael Ching paired with excerpts from the new opera Outside the Ring by librettist Christine Steyer and composer David Shenton from their award-winning Transcendence Series. A cast of 20 professionals and 15 young people present two short dynamic operas in English—featuring Emily Mwila, Elizabeth Fisher, Bill McMurray, and Ryan de Ryke. Highlights from a thrilling new work in progress, exploring friendship and rivalry, racism and redemption, "Outside the Ring" tells the story of the bouts between African-American boxer Joe Louis and German boxer Max Schmeling in the 1930s, and their unexpected friendship in the 1950s. The second half of the evening brings us into the bar where ten hopefuls try their luck at a speed dating event. Sparks fly and fizzle as our daters have encounters ranging from comedic to heartwarming. Limited seating: Purchase tickets soon! https://workinginconcert.org/events/making-a-scene-with-american-opera/

Since our very first meeting at a local jazz jam in the winter of 2022, it was love at first sight! Vocalist Sophia de Leon Sánchez (our original member who now lives in California), vocalist Sonia Oyola and guitarist Aylon Samouha immediately fell for each other’s sound and vibe over pizza, then knew a band had to be formed! Our friends, Jorge Orozco and Leo Peña soon joined and a dear friend and fan, Juliet inspired our name and ta-daaaa…we were Libélulas! We’ve performed everything from Mexican boleros, Afro-brazilian jazz (like bossa nova), beloved classics by Elvis and the Beatles around Chicago at places like Ciao! Cafe, Borellis and Irazu! Our style is free and improvisational imbued with the love we have for each other, the music and our beloved audiences. Our residency will be held every 3rd Sunday of June, July, August and September! Hope you can join us for all of the Sundays or at least one! XOXO