Weekend picks: Groban croons at Chicago Theatre
He'll raise you up
Fans will swoon over the singing of classical-crossover star Josh Groban when he performs this weekend at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago. $39-$175. (312) 462-6300 or thechicagotheatre.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
Doll Artisan Guild
Find a wide variety of dolls and doll supplies from around the globe at the Doll Artisan Guild's Doll Show at the Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort, 250 West Schick Road, Bloomingdale. See dolls from the DAG doll competition and hear lectures from well-known doll artists. Find fabrics and trim for making doll patterns. $12. dollsbeautiful.com. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
Fragile harvest
Explore 4,000 colorful handblown glass pumpkins and other autumnal designs at the fourth annual Glass Pumpkin Patch at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Visitors can shop and watch as artists demonstrate glassblowing and other techniques. Free with paid $9-$14 arboretum general admission. (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17 and 18
24 hours of horror movies
It's called “The Massacre: 24 Hours of Horror Movie Insanity.” Doors open at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Patio Theater, 6008 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. Tickets cost $20 online, $25 at the door. Go to brownpapertickets.com/event/2146282 for details. Guests include “Dawn of the Dead” actor Scott Reiniger and “Demons” star Geretta Geretta. Local horror shorts start the show at 11:15 a.m., followed by two silent films (with live organ!), then feature films up until 11 a.m. Sunday. Go to patiotheater.net.
Hoots & H'owls
Get an up-close look at a variety of owls from the Stillman Nature Center in South Barrington at the Fourth Annual Hoots & H'owls Halloween Fall Festival at Randhurst Village, at Rand and Elmhurst roads, Mount Prospect. This family fall fest also features a pet costume parade, face painting, pumpkin decorating, sand sculptures from the Sand Sculpture Company and more. Free. (847) 259-0500 or randhurstvillage.com. 12:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. Pet parade at 12:30 p.m.
ZombieWauk
Live band performances, an art show, kids' movie screening and sightings of the “walking dead” will highlight Waukegan's ZombieWauk festival, in Jack Benny Plaza, on Genesee Street in downtown Waukegan. Food will be available for purchase. Free. facebook.com/zombiewauk. 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
All Hallows Eve
Watch eerie literary figures come to life for All Hallows Eve at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. Not recommended for children under 8 years old. $15; settlement members are free. (630) 420-6010 or napersettlement.org. 6:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
Lincoln Portrait
Two-time Tony Award-winning actor Brian Dennehy is the narrator for the Elmhurst Symphony performances of Copland's “Lincoln Portrait” and Schwantner's “New Morning for the World” on Saturday, at the Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Road, Elmhurst. $32; $30 seniors; $9 students. (630) 941-0202 or elmhurstsymphony.org. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
Blame Canada?
Catch up with Jeremy Hotz and his sad sack standup comedy persona when he performs starting Thursday at the Improv Comedy Showcase, 5 Woodfield Road at Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg. $17 plus a two-item menu purchase. (847) 240-2001 or chicago.improv.com. 7 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17; and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18
Intergalactic music
Guest conductor Matthew Kraemer leads the Elgin Symphony Orchestra with the Dundee-Crown High School Chamber Choir in the concerts “Out of This World: Sci-fi Movie Classics” featuring music from films like “Star Wars,” “Aliens” and more at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin, $30-$65; $10 students. (847) 888-4000 or elginsymphony.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, in Elgin
'Office' worker
Actor and comedian Rick Overton (“The Office,” “Children's Hospital”) performs standup this weekend at the Comedy Shrine, 4034 Fox Valley Center Drive, Aurora. $20 plus a two-drink minimum. (630) 585-0300 or comedyshrine.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
Country concerts
Suburban fans of country music have a couple of good shows to consider in the coming week at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. First, the Time Jumpers, a country-swing ensemble featuring Vince Gill, Kenny Sears and Ranger Doug Green, will perform Saturday evening. And then country-pop superstar Clint Black comes to town on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Time to dust off that old cowboy hat! The Time Jumpers perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and Clint Black performs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. Tickets start at $59 for the Time Jumpers, and $39 for Black. Go to oshows.com.
Afterlife rebirth
United2Nite's weekly Afterlife was an ever-growing juggernaut on the dance and music fronts for the last year, and this week it morphs into its new form as part of the Chicago Underground scene. National-level DJ Icey and breakbeat star Keith MacKenzie headline the warehouse party, which also features a lineup of local talents including Kings of Class, Bentley Dean, Nikho, DJ Goodsex, Dbot and more. $10. Check facebook.com or text “Underground” to (312) 756-0326 for up-to-date venue and lineup information. 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
Rolling down the rails
Browse collectibles relating to trains and the railways they ride at the 24th Annual Chicago Railroadiana & Model Train Show and Sale, in the front building at Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 S. Randall Road, St. Charles. Find model trains and operating layouts, railroad collectibles including dining car china, signs, maps, lanterns, porter's hats and more. $5.50. Kids under age 12 are free. rrshows.com. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18
Beans aplenty
If you think your home chili recipe is the best, try entering Kristof's 3rd Annual Chili Cook Off today at Kristof's Entertainment Center, 421 W. Rollins Road, Round Lake. $3 tasting fee. (847) 546-2512 or kristofs.net. 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 18
Mirth from meth?
Los Angeles actor Miles Allen attempts to take on all the roles of the former Emmy Award-winning AMC TV drama “Breaking Bad” in his “One Man Breaking Bad” show playing twice on Sunday at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. $25-$30. (815) 356-9212 or rauecenter.org. 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18
Mexican music
Catch up with the Grammy Award-winning Latina band Mariachi Divas when they perform in concert with guest Bryana Martinez (a 2014 Suburban Chicago's Got Talent contestant) tonight at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $29-$49. (630) 962-7000 or oshows.com. 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18
Uncensored dames
Tammy Pescatelli, Lynne Koplitz, Paula Bel and April Macie all perform standup comedy as part of the Jenny McCarthy “Dirty Sexy Funny” tour tonight at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $33-$43. (847) 263-6300 or geneseetheatre.com. 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18
Emerging dancers
See young dancers on the rise in Ailey II, a company originally founded in 1974 by African-American modern dance pioneer Alvin Ailey. The troupe has two suburban performances starting Sunday at Belushi Performance Hall at College of DuPage's McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. $45-$50. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org; then on Wednesday at the College of DuPage's Lumber Center for the Performing Arts, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. $32-$40; $31-$39 seniors; $12-$15 youth. (847) 543-2300 or clcillinois.edu/tickets. 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, in Glen Ellyn; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, in Grayslake
Baroque bash
Conductor Nicholas Kraemer returns to conduct Bach Cantatas with the Music of the Baroque at two locations: first at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, $38-$75; then on Monday at Millennium Park's Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive, Chicago. $27-$75. (312) 551-1414 or baroque.org. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18 in Skokie; 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 in Chicago
Blues master
Michael Charles learned the blues in his native Australia, but he perfected it after moving to the U.S. more than 30 years ago. Today, the singer-songwriter-guitarist is an acclaimed blues artist with multiple Grammy nominations and a permanent spot in the Blues Hall of Fame. Charles will perform at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at the House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn, Chicago. $10. Go to houseofblues.com.
Concerts
Josh Groban: 8 p.m. Oct. 17, The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago. Pop, standards, Broadway and more. $39-$175. (800) 745-3000 or thechicagotheatre.com or ticketmaster.com.
Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra with narrator Brian Dennehy: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, 149 W. Brush Hill Road, Elmhurst. Tony Award-winning Actor Brian Dennehy narrates Aaron Copland's “A Lincoln Portrait” and Joseph Schwantner's “New Morning for the World.” Violinist Joshua Brown also performs. Adults $32; seniors $30; students $9. $5 surcharge at the door. (630) 941-0202 or elmhurstsymphony.org.
Garbage, Torres: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine Ave., Chicago. $42.50. (773) 275-6800 or jamusa.com.
The Time Jumpers with Vince Gill, Kenny Sears and Ranger Doug Green: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $59-$99. (630) 962-7000 or oshows.com.
Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Theatre: 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N. Dunton Ave., Arlington Heights. Drum and dance troupe features African-themed works. Free. Register at ahml.info.
Juan Gabriel: 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. Latin, mariachi and more. $79-$235. (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
Music of the Baroque: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Classical, featuring works by Bach. Soloists include soprano Sherezade Panthaki, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Rivera, tenor Thomas Cooley and baritone Roderick Williams. $38-$75. (847) 673-6300 or northshorecenter.org.
Information is provided by the entertainment venues. Check with venue before purchasing tickets. For more concert listings, visit dailyherald.com/calendar.