Summer Season Kicks Off With The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Chicago Fire Captain Logan Pause, and More at The Chicago Theatre Downstairs, Thursday July 21

Jam-packed with comedy, musical performances and commentary, CHICAGO LIVE! returns this summer for a fourth season with even more headline making interviews and performances! A weekly live stage show, taped for WGN Radio and carried online at chicagolive.com, CHICAGO LIVE! showcases who and what is making news today. Bringing the newspaper to life, the Summer Season kicks off on July 21st with an impressive lineup, featuring The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan performing a solo, acoustic song; Captain of the Chicago Fire, Logan Pause, previewing the July 23 match against Manchester United; a Bughouse Square Debates Soapboxer; and Tribune Editor Gerould Kern discussing the recent redesign of the paper. The Summer Season continues Thursday evenings at 6:30pm through August 25 at the Chicago Theatre Downstairs. Following each show is a “meet and mingle” reception among audience, cast and crew. 

Presented by the Chicago Tribune, in partnership with The Second City, CHICAGO LIVE! is a fast-paced 60-
minute program featuring comedy sketches by The Second City, interviews with newsmakers and athletes, and rare, up-close performances by talent typically headlining theater and music club stages. Hosted by Rick Kogan, a veteran Chicago Tribune reporter, author and radio/TV personality, CHICAGO LIVE! utilizes the abundance of talent from the Tribune and The Second City. Thursday night live shows are taped for broadcast on WGN Radio (720AM) Saturdays at 11 pm. Show recaps, podcasts and behind-the-scenes footage are also available at www.chicagolive.com. 

Since its launch in October 2010, CHICAGO LIVE! has presented an array of local and national celebrities and newsmakers, among them Mayor Rahm Emanuel; Chefs Stephanie Izard, Paul Kahan, Graham Elliot, Grant Achatz, and Rick Tramonto; musicians such as Rhymefest and Lupe Fiasco; Academy-Award® nominated actor Michael Shannon; and many more! The trend continues this summer with such guests as:

• Poetry Slam Founder Marc Smith with a collaborative performance by German poetry squad, Word Alert and Chicago poetry squad, Speak’Easy, in celebration of the Poetry Slam 25th Anniversary; West Side Story performers Cary Tedder (Tony understudy) and Kathryn Lin Terza (Maria understudy) singing “Tonight”; and a special mixology segment with the Chicago participants from Tales of the Cocktail event, Thursday, July 28.
• A performance by The Andreas Kapsalis & Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo; a preview of Lollapalooza with music critic Greg Kot, Thursday, August 4.
• A performance by The Famous Brothers, a classic bluegrass band with an original comedic twist; Chicago Public Schools Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard discussing his reinvention plan for the schools; The Night Ministry president Paul Hamann; and Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz discussing their new film, The Interrupters, which premieres in Chicago August 12, Thursday, August 11.
• Chicago super group Candy Golde with Nick Tremulis, Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick), John Stirratt (Wilco, Autumn Defense), and Rick Rizzo (Eleventh Dream Day); and from The Game Show Show…and Stuff, Andy Lawfer and James Zoccoli, Thursday, August 18.
• An All-Sports Show highlighting the good, the bad, and the miserable of Chicago sports with special guests to be announced, Thursday, August 25.

Additional talent will be announced throughout the season.

Each show also features Rick Kogan’s “Chicago Almanac,” which spotlights a significant year in Chicago history. Through words, images and music, the “Chicago Almanac” is an entertaining and enlightening time-trip. Kogan’s “Chicago Almanac” will be featured on http://www.chicagotribune.com with an interactive Chicago history quiz during each weekend of the show’s run.