The Monthly

January 2019

In this edition of The Monthly:
The magazine’s editor talks to Evanston native Jessie Mueller on becoming Broadway’s leading lady.

Further reads:
A new History Channel sci-fi series documents a late Northwestern professor’s research on UFOs. A collective of 20 artists is rebuilding the entertainment scene in Puerto Rico with the aid of Northwestern funding. The Daily’s photo and video teams go backstage at the 77th annual Dolphin Show, “Hello, Dolly!” One of our staffers interviews Daphne Maxwell Reid of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” while our A&E Editor reviews the Whiskey Thief Tavern for the “Open Tab” section.

JANUARY

Editor’s Letter: How the Oscars crossed the border when America couldn’t
To me, awards season is like Christmas. Every year on Oscars nominations day, I excitedly wake up in the morning as the temperature slowly descends to zero degrees, make myself some hot cocoa and patiently stream the event live as I refresh my Twitter feed every two seconds.
Jenna from the Block: How Jessie Mueller went from Chicago’s sweetheart to Broadway’s leading lady
As the daughter of two Chicago-based actors, Mueller fell in love with theater and the Chicago arts community at a young age by attending dozens of shows and watching her parents perform. However, it wasn’t until she attended Evanston Township High School that she found herself in the spotlight.
La Isla Bonita: Through passion and pain, artists rebuild the entertainment scene in Puerto Rico with the aid of Northwestern funding
Northwestern kicked off the two-year arts development project in Puerto Rico last August, aided by a $500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which partly assists select colleges and universities to train scholars in the humanities. During the initiative, the 20 emerging artists and mentors are altogether honing their craft and holding training sessions on the island, at NU and other college campuses that they plan on visiting for their artistic residencies.
NUFOs: New sci-fi TV series documents late Northwestern professor J. Allen Hynek’s research on UFOs
J. Allen Hynek, an astronomer and ufologist who once graced the halls of Northwestern, is the central figure in the new History Channel production “Project Blue Book.” The show dramatizes the work Hynek did with the U.S. Air Force to conduct top-secret investigations into UFO sightings.
Daphne Maxwell Reid: from homecoming queen, to the set of ‘Fresh Prince’
While people may recognize Reid from her iconic role as Aunt Viv in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” they may not know she’s a dedicated photographer, seamstress and former model who was also NU’s first black homecoming queen.
Behind the scenes of the Dolphin Show’s production of “Hello, Dolly!”
Throughout its 77 years of history, The Dolphin Show has changed in every sense of the word — its cast and crew, its sets and its performances transform year to year. The organization traces its roots back to 1939, when a group of NU students formed a swimming team called The Dolphin Club and created a show to fundraise for needed travel money. The show has since evolved into the more standard theatrical productions audiences are used to seeing on stage, with some of the most recent shows being Broadway classics like “Hello, Dolly!” and “Ragtime.”
Open Tab: Whiskey Thief offers bold cocktails yet a mellow ambiance close to home
To further draw in the 20-something crowd, Whiskey Thief Tavern offers trivia nights on Tuesdays, live music on Wednesdays and complimentary mimosas with weekend brunch, among other promotions. The promise of free mimosas alone would be enough to lure me back even if the signature cocktails were disappointing — and they certainly weren’t.
The Monthly is an arts and entertainment magazine that delves into student art on campus and the work of alumni in Chicago and across the country. Read past issues of The Monthly and The Daily Northwestern here.