"Comedy Is a Grim Business: The Making of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" by James Curtis is a richly researched behind-the-scenes history of the 1963 comedy classic.

It tells the story of how the film’s wildly ambitious concept, huge cast, and troubled production came together, and why it remains such a landmark in film comedy. One of the classic movies of modern times!

Matching Minds with Sondheim: The Puzzles and Games of the Broadway Legend by Barry Joseph is a biography-meets-puzzle anthology that explores Stephen Sondheim’s lesser-known lifelong passion for designing and solving intricate games, arguing that puzzles were a core way he made sense of the world—“making order out of chaos,” as Sondheim himself put it.

Drawing on more than eighty years of Sondheim’s activities, the book presents extremely rare, never-before- seen puzzles, treasure hunts, parlor games, board games, and crossword designs, alongside original interviews with celebrity friends and collaborators who played his games and analysis from puzzle designers and theater professionals.

Beyond telling the story, it invites readers to try solving Sondheim-style puzzles and adapt his games for their own use, offering a fresh angle on his creative process for fans of his shows and useful anecdotes for interviews or features that go beyond standard musical-theater biographies.

Curtain Up: Broadway In Chicago spotlights the stars of the city’s first shows of the new season. Hearfrom the producer and director of Jekyll & Hyde (Sept. 8–Nov. 8), and cast members from Dirty Dancing (Sept. 9–20), and Tony-winning Operation Mincemeat (Sept. 29–Oct. 11). They share artistic insights and what it takes to bring these unforgettable productions to Chicago audiences.

Making Rent by Tim Weil is a backstage memoir about how the hit musical Rent came together and how its music helped reshape Broadway. Drawing on Weil’s experience as the show’s original musical director, it offers behind-the-scenes stories about Jonathan Larson, the creative process, and the effort to preserve Larson’s vision.

A conversation with Kate Luckinbill, granddaughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Kate discusses what life is like growing up with legendary grandparents and talks about two new books which seek to set the record straight about her famous grandparents.

First, Desi Arnaz: A Book is a reissue of Desi Arnaz’s candid autobiography, updated with new photos, a foreword by his granddaughter Kate Luckinbill, and an afterward by Lucie Arnaz. It offers a fresh look at the life and career of the Cuban-born entertainer who helped shape I Love Lucy and American television and what Desi had planned to do and write after the book came out, projects he was never able to complete.

And:

Lucy & Desi: The Love Letters is a collection of previously unseen letters between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz that reveals their romance during the World War II years in their own words, from their early courtship through the I Love Lucy years and beyond. Illustrated with rare family photos and reproductions of the original letters, it offers an intimate look at one of Hollywood’s most famous and complicated love stories. With an introduction by their daughter Lucie Arnaz.

Good People follows Margaret (Margie) Walsh (played quite convincingly by Jodi Kingsley), a middle aged single mother in South Boston who loses her low wage Dollar Store job and faces eviction in the face of caring for her special needs daughter.

Newly unemployed, she reaches out to Mike (well played by Bryan Breau), her old boyfriend who escaped their rough neighborhood to become a successful doctor, hoping he can help her find work. Margie shows up for what turns out to be a cancelled party at Mike’s comfortable suburban home where she meets his wife Kate (perfectly portrayed by Sandra Adjoumani).

At that point, the play unspools into a tense, funny, and uneasy reunion that forces all three to confront the role of luck, class, and personal responsibility in how “good” people can end up on such different paths.

Join the audience under the stars at Ravinia on August 23rd for a high-energy Grease sing-along that invites you to relive the iconic film in full voice.

With on-screen lyrics, a lively crowd, and all the beloved hits—from “Summer Nights” to “You’re the One That I Want”—this interactive screening turns a classic movie night into a communal celebration of nostalgia and fun. Costumes encouraged, voices required.

Program emcee is Paul Lisnek, and this conversation includes Ravinia’s Erik Soderstrom, two actors who have played Danny and Sandy in a local production of Grease (Eric Amondson and Morgan Wolfe) and a member of the original Chicago cast of Grease who shares memories from the first production, Steve Munro

Alex Edelman’s What Are You Going To Do is a sharp, hourlong, narrative standup show in which Alex looks at his own life—family, faith, and politics—for fast jokes and uneasy questions about responsibility and identity.

Drawing on stories from a Jerusalem amputee hospital, his Jewish upbringing, seashell obsessions, and trips to places like Graceland, Edelman uses his signature storytelling style to ask whether he should be doing something more meaningful with his time, and what it actually means to be a decent person in a world filled with chaos.

Songwriter Benji Pasek (of Dear Even Hansen fame) also makes a cameo in the interview

Tickets: www.Steppenwolf.org

Adam Rapp co-wrote the book for The Outsiders, bringing a playwright’s sharp sense of character and emotional tension to the award winning musical’s adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s novel.

Drawing on a personal connection to the story’s themes of class, family, and adolescent intensity, he helped shape the show into something that feels both raw and theatrical.

Hear Paul’s insightful chat with Adam about his career, his family life with brother Anthony Rapp(star of RENT), and what motivates him to undertake projects.

Don’t Suck is a sharp, heartfelt queer dramedy about a young aspiring actor and singer-songwriter trying to make it in New York City while balancing messy relationships, family pressure, and the challenge of staying true to himself.

The series is created and written by Tyler Isaac Martin and joining in the conversation is featured actor David Gow (Film: The Intruder; Play: The Inheritance-Helen Hayes Award Winner for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play)

"& Juliet" is a jukebox musical that flips Shakespeare’s tragedy on its head: instead of dying for Romeo, Juliet gets a second chance at life, love, and self-discovery.

It uses pop hits by Max Martin to tell a playful, energetic story about choosing your own path. This tour(and interview) stars Joey Fatone as Lance

Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Catalyst Ranch is a bold, genre-defying staging of John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s cult rock musical.

Part rock concert, part street confession, the show follows an “internationally ignored signature song” from East Berlin telling a story of a botched surgery, a stolen identity, and a love that split her wide open.

The Chicago production features a distinctive rotating-cast concept: three performers—labeled Children of the Sun, Earth, and Moon—alternate through the roles of Hedwig, Yitzhak, and Tommy Gnosis each night, so no two performances are exactly the same.

Joining the conversation along with director Arlo Kiss, are the rotating cast of Kyle Reid Hass, Sage Reid Priest, and Zo, all 3 of which are Hedwig, Yitzhak, and Tommy Gnosis

Directed by Catherine Davis, Beautiful tells the inspiring true story of Carole King’s rise from teenage songwriter to one of the most celebrated solo artists in music history.

Featuring beloved hits including “You’ve Got a Friend,” “One Fine Day,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and many more, the musical celebrates the soundtrack of a generation.

Along with Catherine, joining the conversation here are Anna Marie Abbate (Carole King) and Al Katz-Mariani (Gerry Goffin)

The show has a very limited run so get your tickets at highlandparkplayers.org/tickets now!

Misha Brown is a social media creator who took the country by storm and now has a massive following, with his sassy, heartfelt content that helps people talk to themselves more kindly. In his new book Be Your Own Bestie: A No-Nonsense Guide to Changing the Way You Treat Yourself, he takes that online energy and influence and creates a practical roadmap for self-love.

The book is part memoir and part guide to self action. His background includes struggles with shame, being bullied, and a near-giving-up moment that led him to sobriety, major life changes, and eventually to creating content centered on self-respect and accountability.

Misha joins Paul for an in-depth conversation his fans and future fans will find completely engaging. #MishaBrown #bestie #beyourownbestie #selfhelp

Created by Shaina Taub, the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season, this new musical boldly explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over.

Laura Stracko appears in multiple roles as Alva Belmont and Phoebe Burn and talks to Paul about the show.

SUFFS tells the story of the suffragist movement and the women whom fought tirelessly for the right to vote, the remarkable friendships, the heartbreak, and how this movement brought them together—or, in some cases, tore them apart.

When a prodigal son returns to blue collar New England, his homecoming sets off a spiraling crisis for two families, threatening not only their relationships but their very identities.

In Mia Chung’s wildly inventive Catch as Catch Can(directed by the incomparable Amy Morton) three actors take on six roles, bridging generation and gender, in a theatrical tour-de-force that upends the kitchen sink drama and asks what happens when we refuse to play the roles we’re prescribed.

Paul chats with all 3 stars: Gary Cole, Tim Hopper and Steppenwolf Co-Artistic Director Audrey Francis, this ferocious Chicago premiere must be witnessed to be believed.

Damn Yankees blends romance, comedy, and classic songs like “Heart” and “Whatever Lola Wants” into a playful, fast-moving night at the theater

Joining in the conversation are: Luke Nowakowski (Joe Boyd), Tommy Thurston (Mr. Applegate) and Jenny Couch (Lola). A thoughtful and deep conversation about the meaning of the show in which a devoted baseball fan makes a devilish deal to help the Washington Senators beat the Yankees.

The national tour of Water for Elephants is a high-energy musical set in the world of a traveling circus, following a young man who finds love, purpose, and a new home after jumping a moving train. It’s known for its big spectacle, acrobatics, and emotional story. Joining the conversation is Robert (Bob) Tully who plays the role of Mr. Jankowski.

Laurel and Hardy: After the Laughter is a deeply researched book that chronicles the final years of comedy legends Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, from their curtailed 1954 British tour through Hardy’s death in 1957 and Laurel’s quiet retirement in Santa Monica living at the Oceana.

Drawing on letters, news reports, private documents, and rare photographs, it offers an intimate look at their declining health, abandoned plans for a comeback and Laurel’s reflective later life as he watched a new generation discover “Stan & Ollie” on television.

This interview is of co-author Nico Cartenstildt (his co-authors are: Michael Ehret and Tyler St. Mark), also the author of a previous book on the legendary comedy team.

'Theater of the Mind' is an interactive experience that bends the mind and bends the definition of theatre from the brilliant minds of Mala Gaonkar and David Byrne (frontman of Talking Heads)

Exploring the mind and the science behind how it interacts with our memories, David and Mala, along with Director Andrew Scoville take you on a journey inside your mind that may or may not be different with every show as each is a one 'man' show acted by a different actor.

In this conversation, Paul goes behind the curtain with two of the actors playing 'David', Elizabeth Laidlaw and James Earl Jones II.

Find out more at https://theaterofthemindchicago.com/