1. Sizzle‘s final preview is this Friday at the West Stage of Raven Theatre. It’s a production by New Suit Theatre and goes where Al Gore couldn’t, in this “global warming comedy.” It’s based off of not Gore’s film, but from a documentary by Dr. Randy Olson. Melding mediums for the better.

2. Ah, Follies. Chris Jones gave the musical that’s making him reexamine his entire life four stars (or squares, as it were). And read Hedy Weiss’ review just for the first paragraph, trust me.  Jones ends on a somber note: “…none of us is perfect. Just a little wiser and sadder as we go.”

3. Lucia Mauro was on 848 this morning discussing the latest dance performances that were heavily inspired by film and theater. Lucky Plush’s The Better Half takes a note or two from the 1940s thriller Gaslight, while Dancing Henry 5 refers to what you think it refers to. 

4. Robert Loerzel writes about the best of this fall’s theater season, and though it’s all stuff you’ve heard of, he digs up a great quote from the Tribune‘s critic in 1936, Charles Collins did back in 1936. Writing about that year’s fall theater scene, Collins said, “I come up from under the heavy wave of first nights … blinking my eyes and shaking stars out of my hair. This has been a surfeit of pleasures akin to a debauch.” Woah boy.

5. This is not even tenously connected to Chicago (as far as I can tell) but it is about theater, and is really cute; the cast of Broadway’s Lysistrata Jones is being coached by former NBA All-Star player Chris Mullin. This video of the cast frolicking about and learning to play basketball is very cute and reminds me a bit of summer camp for adults.

Questions? Tips? Email kdries@wbez.org.