Making the season an inclusive Christmas in 2024
"My past pain should never become the struggles of my future or my team." - Juan Gutierrez
Nine teams of pastry chefs are currently invading the Food Network to battle it out in the competition show Wizards of Baking. The theme revolves around the wide world of Harry Potter and several star members make cameos along the way. Hosts James and Oliver Phelps played Fred and George Weasley in the Potter movie franchise and culinary judges include Carla Hall and Jozef Youseff. Chicago local chef Juan Gutierrez is an out and proud dessert artist competing for the crown this holiday season. This...
"I know people have faced worse discrimination when they came out, but it still makes me emotional to think about my journey." - Devon Cole
Queer singer Devon Cole is ready for the big time with a string of new pop melodies ready for radio play. Two Shades Blonder is her current EP and among the catchy tracks are “Sugar Daddy” and “Good Guy.” Her clever writing skills continue to shine such as her hit single based on the acronym W.I.T.C.H. (Woman in Total Control of Herself) and her funky guitar song “Hey Cowboy.” Originally from Canada, Cole recently performed in Chicago for the first time at Vault Gallerie in...
"I am here to tell my story" - Mergui
Israeli singer Yehonatan Ya’akov “Jonathan” Mergui has a memorable voice that listeners will never forget. He competed on a reality show called Rising Star where the finalist was awarded to be Israel’s representative on Eurovision’s Song Contest. He came in second place in season five against pop singer Netta Barzilai and then began building a strong following afterward. His latest song “10,000 Faces” is climbing up the charts and his previous single “On My Mind” gained half a million streams in a short time. He...
"I wanted to tell a story about connection and romance between two people without them being in the same room." - Philip Dawkins
Out and proud writer Philip Dawkins is bringing laughter to the Raven Theatre with his work The Comedians. It’s a romantic comedy conveyed through separate standup sets rotated between Chauncy (Bill Larkin) and Nsaku (Terry Guest). The show was originally released on Amazon’s podcast service Audible and has now been retooled for a modern production. Dawkins is currently based in Arizona after leaving Chicago but has returned to understudy the role of Chauncy and assist in the revamp of The Comedians. His resume is impressive,...
A “Sweet Caroline” singalong swings into the Windy City
Saint Nick sinks as the next Deadpool
A gift guide to make the yuletide gayer
Juan Gutierrez
Devon Cole
Mergui
Philip Dawkins
A Beautiful Noise shines like a Neil Diamond
