The Chicago production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton will close Jan. 5, 2020, bringing its three-year run to an end. The Broadway In Chicago production at the CIBC Theatre will have played a total of 1,341 performances since the production began Sept. 27, 2016. During the 171-week run, more than 2.6 million people…

Newly released emails and text messages reveal that Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, whose office oversaw the Jussie Smollett case, thought the 16 disorderly conduct charges brought against the Empire actor were too severe. Thousands of internal text messages and emails about the investigation were released…

Protests erupted Monday in Chicago over the Jussie Smollett case, with rival groups squaring off outside the offices of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx. One group, including members of the Fraternal Order of Police, called for Foxx’s ouster, according to ABC7 Chicago. The other side, including Rev. Jesse Jackson…

A musical comedy featuring the songs of Britney Spears will fill the slot at the Chicago theater left vacant when producers of the upcoming Michael Jackson bio-musical scotched its own pre-Broadway run in the Windy City. Once Upon a One More Time, with an original book by Jon Hartmere under the direction of Kristin…

R. Kelly is a free man after paying more than $161,000 in back child support. The singer was photographed leaving jail Saturday afternoon wearing a gray sweatshirt, red coat, and blue pants. Accompanied by his attorney, Steve Greenberg, Kelly stopped to talk to a crowd of fans and reporters. “I promise you, we’re…

(UPDATED with Chicago PD statement) BREAKING: The focus of the Chicago Police Department's probe into the alleged assault of Jussie Smollett almost three weeks ago has shifted – to the Empire star himself. "The new direction of the investigation is now based on the premise that Mr. Smollett was an active participant…

Update, with Equity statement Actors’ Equity isn’t shouldering the blame for the cancellation of a pre-Broadway engagement of the new Michael Jackson jukebox musical, saying any delays caused by the recent Equity strike were “modest.” “It's incredibly disappointing that the actors and stage managers who are currently…

When Rob Marshall took on the follow-up to Disney’s beloved behemoth Mary Poppins, it seemed a natural fit for the Oscar-winning Chicago director who's long upheld the value of musical film. But with over 50 years between the Robert Stevenson-directed original and Mary Poppins Returns, Marshall had his work cut out in…

Marc Hauser, the Chicago celebrity photographer whose work became the cover photo of John Mellencamp’s acclaimed Scarecrow album, has died. He was 66 and passed away from multiple health complications, according to a Facebook post from his studio. Hauser was a well-known Chicago photographer who specialized in…

CBS’ Survivor: Ghost Island remained the top program in total viewers and in the demographic on the first Wednesday of Daylight Saving Time, which tends to hardest hit the 8 PM hour. Survivor’s 1.7 demo rating and 8.23 million total viewers kept it in the Wednesday primetime top spot for a third consecutive week…

UPDATED with video: Trevor Noah channeled Ferris Bueller's Day Off to kick off The Daily Show Undesked Chicago 2017: Let's Do This Before It Gets Too Damn Cold. For opening night, Noah broke down the town’s reputation as the most dangerous city in America. The South African comic told his very receptive Athenaeum…

Film and television distributor FilmRise today announced that it has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Peter Pardini's Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago. CNN Films has acquired U.S. broadcast distribution rights and will premiere the film on television on New Year's Day 2017, with limited commercial…