A night at the “Cabaret:” Broadway show comes to State Farm Center
By Sidney Madden, Staff Writer
May 1, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture, Top Stories
Saturday night, community members shuffled into the State Farm Center to watch the musical, “Cabaret.” Old friends greeted each other, catching up as musical theater fans donned their Broadway shirts, eagerly searching for their seats. The chatter was silenced as the lights dimmed, signaling the sho...
T-Pain swings big on the hits, loses steam on Main Quad
By Thomas Block, Staff Writer
April 30, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture
As strobe lights blared ahead of him, branding a path onto the stage as if it were a landing strip, rapper T-Pain dashed out from behind the curtains to face an unsurprisingly enthusiastic crowd of students huddled by the front of the Union. To say that he merely dashed, however, would be incomplete; the ...
CU theaters try to gain public interest
By Eli Schuster, Sports Editor
April 25, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture, Top Stories
No bright lights. No big signs. No skyscrapers. The twin cities of Champaign-Urbana meet in central Illinois, surrounded by corn and soybeans. If you walk down Broadway in New York City, you’ll pass four historic theaters, surrounded by more than 40 others. If you walk down Broadway in Urbana, you’ll pa...
Play brings student’s work to stage
By Megan Bradley, Staff Writer
April 16, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture
One University graduate student has been given the chance to see his script come to life on stage. Written and co-directed by Xavier Retana, graduate student studying molecular and cellular biology, "Sign Here, Please" is a completely student-written play that is opening on Friday at the Community Un...
Exhibit presents the intersection of art, science
By Thomas Block, Staff writer
April 13, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture
Creativity can sprout from whatever fresh and exciting wonder the mind happens to stumble upon, whether it be a cherry-colored leaf clinging to a scraggly branch, a thin blade of grass drifting in the breeze or a fluffy cloud tumbling through the sky. However, inspiration is often constrained to what can be seen, h...
The ‘Cherry D’ on top: former University student, professional backup singer
By Sidney Madden, Staff Writer
April 12, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture, Top Stories
When Charity Davis was in elementary school, she was always singing. Her classmates even complained her constant humming was distracting during instructional time. At home, though, she was free to belt as loud as she pleased. Today, Charity, under the stage name Cherry D, is a professional backup sin...
Local festival brings art and business together
By Megan Bradley, Staff Writer
April 9, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture, Top Stories
People who attend art festivals may be used to walking up and down street blocks and looking at art housed in white tents. One local art festival happening this weekend brings a unique twist to the traditional art festival. The Boneyard Arts Festival is from Thursday-Sunday and takes place in over ...
CU comedian discusses passion for performing
By Eli Schuster, Sports Editor
April 9, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture
Clay Foley is 41 years old and in a mid-life crisis. In May 2016, Foley decided to do something he never considered doing before. He didn’t buy a motorcycle. He didn’t get a tattoo. Instead, he got on stage at a local open mic and performed stand-up comedy. Foley described himself as a la...
Hasan Minhaj, comedy king, performs at Illini Union
By Sam Schrage, Staff Writer
April 5, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture
Over 1,000 students stood in line for hours on Monday to see comedian Hasan Minhaj perform at the Illini Union. Minhaj is most known for his role as a senior correspondent at “The Daily Show” and his performance at the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Minhaj also wrote and starred in h...
Krannert’s latest play brings satire to domestic issues
By Paige Blanzy, Staff Writer
April 4, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture, Top Stories
"Barbecue," a production currently playing at the Krannert Center, deals with family problems, such as addiction and anger, while still bringing a satirical, comedic tone to these issues. The production originally premiered at the Public Theater in New York City on Oct. 8, 2015, where it was dire...
Illinois alumnus thrives with autism during recital
By Thomas Block, Staff Writer
April 3, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Life & Culture, Top Stories
Spread across Linda Tortorelli’s desk is a neat row of files and folders — a display that wouldn’t look too out of place in any other ordinary office. The simple arrangement sends a deceptively monotonous tone through the second-floor hallway of Doris Kelly Christopher Hall, home to the Univ...
Campus focuses on interdisciplinary approach to research
By Elizabeth Sayasane, Staff Writer
April 2, 2018
Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Business & Tech, Life & Culture, Top Stories
At the Krannert Center a few years ago, physics professor Smitha Vishveshwara met Latrelle Bright, an active faculty member in the theater department. Despite their different concentrations of study, they were introduced due to a common ground. Vishveshwara studies theoretical condensed matter physics. Bo...
