"It felt like a big show opening." - Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson
A new film called Ghostlight takes audiences on a trip to theaters in a story about a construction worker performing in a small-town production of Romeo and Juliet. The drama stars husband and wife team Keith Kupferer as Dan and Katherine May Kupferer as Daisy. This dramatic feature was directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson. This is a follow-up to their debut film Saint Frances. O’Sullivan is a Northwestern University film graduate and wrote the screenplay for Ghostlight. Thompson is a writer, director and...
"I wasn’t out until my late twenties." - Kevin James Thornton
Out and proud Kevin James Thornton brings a laugh-out-loud show to Zanies Chicago this June. Just in time for Pride month, this comedian will have stories that will resonate with the queer community as well as their allies. Thornton has garnered over two million followers on Instagram and TikTok with almost reaching a billion views combined. He zoomed in for an interview while out on the road to talk about his life and tour. JN: (Jerry Nunn) So where are located right now? KJT: (Kevin...
"I love being onstage!" - Emmy Meli
Singer Emmy Meli burst onto the music scene in 2021 with “I Am Woman.” The track became a viral hit on TikTok and was selected as the theme song for Megan Markel’s podcast Archetypes. This led to her opening for Fletcher and Hayley Kiyoko plus playing outdoor music fests such as Lollapalooza and Firefly Music Festival. Her Hello Stranger E.P. dropped in May and plans are in the works for her debut album. The future looks bright for this talented singer to take the world...
"It’s not a show with music but I am working on an EP." - Daniel Franzese
Actor Daniel Franzese will forever be remembered as Damian in the original Mean Girls film that debuted in 2004. Mean Girls followed the story of a new student navigating her way in high school and became a phenomenon that grew into a Broadway musical and a 2024 musical version inspired by that production released this past January. Franzese has appeared onscreen in films such as Bully and I Spit on Your Grave among others. On television, he’s worked on ABC’s Conviction and RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity...
"I find it very charming and a reminder to lead with love." - McKinley Belcher III
McKinley Belcher III is a powerhouse out and proud actor who has a new Netflix series called Eric under his belt. The talented actor was born in Georgia and eventually graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee with a Communication Studies and Political Science degree. After that, he completed an MFA in Acting at the USC School of Dramatic Artis in Los Angeles. His theater career took off with a series of Off-Broadway roles that led to Broadway and A Soldier’s Play. His cast made...
"A lot of my music is funk inspired because of the bass." - Blu DeTiger
Blu DeTiger is a singer and bassist who creates landscapes of sounds to move and groove to. She launched an album titled All I Want Is Everything and debuted catchy singles like “Dangerous Game” and “Kiss.” The talented young musician is gearing up for the annual Grant Park music festival in Grant Park this August. She talked backstage about it after her live show at Lincoln Hall while out on her nationwide tour. JN: (Jerry Nunn) Your real name is Blu? BDT: (Blu DeTiger) Yes...
"I try to stay in my lane and focus on what I have to do." - Soo Ahn
Chicago’s very own executive chef Adalina Soo Ahn has graduated to celebrity status on Top Chef’s 21st season set in Wisconsin. This Michelin Star winner was cast as a 16th contestant with the requirement that he battle into the main series after winning challenges on Last Chance Kitchen. He accomplished that by joining the rest of the competitors in episode five. Ahn met up at Adalina to discuss his humble beginnings before his rise to become a sudden reality star on Bravo. JN: (Jerry Nunn)...
Yvie Oddly
Frances Forever
Maggie Rose
Xana
Carsten Bergersen and Taylor Smith
John Michael Colgin