Mamie Smith set the tone for a new century of sound in global music. The Cincinnati native was the first singer to record the blues. It’s the foundational American music form upon which jazz, country, ...

Looking back over the last year and a half, it’s safe to say we’ve all been through some dark stuff: A seemingly relentless global pandemic, social unrest and violence, financial upheaval and ...

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Back in the 80s and 90s, the building at 5627 N. Lincoln Ave. was home to an old-fashioned Walgreens – with a turnstile in the front of the store, a wine and liquor section in a ...

American Blues Theater launches The Commons, a new, monthly community event initiative, with a reading of Gloria Majule’s Uhuru, directed by Ensemble Member Manny Buckley. Uhuru will be presented in ...

American Blues Theater, Chicago’s second oldest ensemble theater, under the artistic and executive leadership of Gwendolyn Whiteside, will celebrate the opening of its first permanent home, a ...

Why are we asking for donations? Why are we asking for donations? This site is free thanks to our community of supporters. Voluntary donations from readers like you keep our news accessible for ...

Like almost every long-running Chicago theater company, American Blues Theater has been through its share of ups and downs. Founded in 1985, ABT has long carried the banner for the classic ...

Stages of Survival is an occasional series focusing on Chicago theater companies, highlighting their histories and how they’re surviving—and even thriving—in a landscape that’s become decidedly more ...

Why are we asking for donations? Why are we asking for donations? This site is free thanks to our community of supporters. Voluntary donations from readers like you keep our news accessible for ...

In a cheering piece of news for Chicago’s struggling theater scene, American Blues Theater will cut the ribbon Tuesday on its new, $7 million home at 5627 N. Lincoln Ave. Aptly for a theater company ...

Most people have never heard of Gnawa. Originally you weren't supposed to. For centuries, the music was only played in secret ceremonies by enslaved Black Africans brought to Morocco. Gnawa—an ...