Colin Hay performs in Naperville
The Last Fling 2007, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday along the Riverwalk near Main and Jackson streets, Naperville. Main stage admission $7 Friday, $12 Saturday and Sunday, free Monday. (630) 961-4143 or www.lastfling.org.
Naperville says farewell to summer with two stages of music, food, beer, carnival rides and other festive trappings. Main stage headliners include one-time Men at Work frontman Colin Hay on Friday, heartland rock favorites BoDeans on Saturday, Rockford power pop legends Cheap Trick on Sunday and pop-rock cover band Then Again on Labor Day.
-- Jeff Pizek, staff writer
"Married Alive," 8 p.m. today and Friday, 5 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday at Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. (847) 634-0200 or www.marriotttheatre.com.
This is the closing weekend of Leah Okimoto and Sean Grennan's new musical about the ups and downs of marriage. Married couples will definitely see elements of themselves on stage.
-- Scott C. Morgan, staff writer
Ladies, treat yourselves to a night out in Lombard.
Ladies Night Out at Lombard Town Centre's Madri Gras Night, 5 to 8 p.m. today in downtown Lombard. Free. (630) 620-8063; www.lombardtowncentre.org
Tarot cards, Cajun food and hurricanes (the drinks, not the storms) combine with fun shopping and lots of freebies in downtown Lombard. Dozens of businesses will stay open late for this special ladies-oriented event. Free dance lessons, bead projects, wine, massages and Mardi Gras-themed photos are just some of the offerings. Free manicures are available with appointments in advance, (630) 628-9911. Sounds as fun as the actual Mardi Gras, but with no one drunkenly demanding you to lift up your shirt.
-- Jamie Sotonoff, staff writer
Winning plates at the Million Room, noon til 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Arlington Park, Arlington Heights. (847) 385-7410.
The Arlington Million is here and gone, but there's still plenty of racing -- and eating -- to be done at the track. Enjoy a New York strip or sweet chili glazed salmon in the exclusive Million Room (dress code enforced). If Lady Luck isn't on your side, you can always nosh at the more reasonably priced Hearth Grill.
-- Deborah Pankey, food editor
"ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway," 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. $8-$10. (815) 356-9212.
Dori Berinstein's illuminating documentary goes backstage to chronicle the casting and staging of the major contenders for the Tony Award for Best Musical. Front-runner "Wicked" takes on "Avenue Q," "Taboo" and "Caroline, or Change." Even if you know the outcome, this doc still keeps you in suspense.
-- Dann Gire, film critic
The 29th annual Chicago Jazz Festival, noon to 9:30 p.m. through Sunday in Chicago's Grant Park at Lake Shore Drive and Monroe St. Free. (312) 744-3315 or www.chicagojazzfestival.us.
Chicago's own Herbie Hancock kicks off the annual Chicago Jazz Festival today with a 7:30 p.m. concert at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. $11-$36. (312) 294-3000 or www.cso.org. The festival proper begins Friday and features daily performances by artist-in-residence, jazz bassist Charlie Haden, who performs with Jazz Institute of Chicago students at 3:30 p.m. Friday. Haden will headline the Petrillo Music Shell with his big band, the Liberation Music Orchestra, at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and hosts a jam session at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
--Barbara Vitello, critic at large
"On the Waterfront," 5 to 9 p.m. today, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday in downtown Rockford along the Rock River. $15 at the gate. (815) 964-4388 or www.onthewaterfront.com.
See summer off with a bang. Illinois' largest music festival spans 30 blocks and includes food booths, kids activities, an urban marketplace, nightly fireworks and live entertainment by the likes of Kansas (6 p.m. today) and the Black Crowes (6 p.m. Friday). Concert prices vary by performance.
-- Kerry Lester, staff writer