Lifestyle

Best bets: Cirque du Soleil, Keyes, Shirley Jones

Posted February 22, 2010 10:00 pm

Daily Herald Staff Report

Alicia Keys is set to perform at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont on Wednesday, March 3.

Cirque du Sears Centre

Cirque du Soleil's arena-reconfigured circus spectacular "Alegría" flies into place for eight performances starting Wednesday at the Sears Centre Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates. See Cirque's celebrated contortionists, acrobats and more for $35-$75; $28-$60; $31.50-$67.50 military/seniors/students. Premium-priced tickets also available. (800) 745-3000 or searscentre.com. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, March 3 and 4; 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 5 and 6; 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, March 7

R&B diva

Alicia Keys sings songs from her latest album, "The Element of Freedom," plus other hits from the past decade that made her the superstar she is today in concert on Wednesday at the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. $49.50-$125. (800) 745-3000 or allstatearena.com. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 3

'Partridge' mom has Oscar focus

More than just the mom on "The Partridge Family," Shirley Jones rose to fame on Broadway and on the silver screen (she also won an Academy Award for her performance in "Elmer Gantry"). Jones highlights the musical's Hollywood heyday in a special concert with full orchestra called "A Night at the Oscars" on Thursday at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. $30.50. (630) 896-6666 or ParamountAurora.com. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 4

More 'fore' you

The 27th Annual Chicago Golf Show bills itself as the Midwest's biggest. So keep up that tradition by seeing the latest golf gear and hear top PGA and LPGA professionals do presentations this weekend at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. $10; $4 youth ages 12-15; kids under age 12 admitted free. (847) 692-2222 or chicagogolfshow.com. Noon to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26; 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27; 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28

Try it, 'Like' it

Who knew that cross-dressing was so much amorous fun? Find out this weekend when the New York-based Aquila Theatre Company tours Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy "As You Like It" to North Central College's Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth St., Naperville. $30; $20 students/seniors. (630) 637-7469 or northcentralcollege.edu/show. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26 and 27; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 27 and 28

Ella enchantment

Jazz fans won't want to miss the Chicago Jazz Orchestra teaming up with vocalists like Dee Alexander, Spider Saloff and more for the concert "Exquisitely for Ella: A Songbook Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald." Celebrate the 20th Century's "First Lady of Song" tonight at North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. $30-$40. (630) 637-7469 or chicagojazzorchestra.com. 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26

Monster mash-up

Get a crash course in classic movie monsters Saturday with the Universal Horror Party which features screenings of classics like "Dracula," "Frankenstein," "The Wolf Man," "Creature From the Black Lagoon" and "The Mummy's Hand" at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. All-day admission is $10 and $5 for kids. (773) 875-7582 or portagetheater.org. 2 p.m. vendor stalls open Saturday, Feb. 27; films screenings start 4 p.m.

Russian 'Radio'

See if Russian musicians bring a special knack to playing native composers like Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky when the Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra performs Saturday at Wheaton College's Edman Memorial Chapel, 401 E. Franklin Ave., Wheaton. $39-$53. (630) 752-5010 or ArtistSeries.org. 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27

Royal command

Hear all about George Frideric Handel's special connection with his powerful employers this weekend when Jane Glover conducts Music of the Baroque concerts of "Handel and the Royals" at two locations: First United Methodist Church, 516 Church St., Evanston, and at Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Dr., Chicago. $30-$75; $25-$30 seniors/students. (312) 551-1414 or baroque.org. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28 in Evanston; 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 1 in Chicago

Music of the Baroque respectively performs "Handel and the Royals" in Evanston and Chicago on Sunday, Feb. 28, and Monday, March 1. Associated Press photo

"Frankenstein" with Boris Karloff screens at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, as part of the Portage Theatre's Universal Horror Party in Chicago.

Spider Saloff is just one of many jazz vocalists to team up with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra for "Exquisitely for Ella: A Songbook Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald" at North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville. Daily Herald file photo

The classic film "Dracula," starring Bela Lugosi, screens at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, as part of the Portage Theatre's Universal Horror Party in Chicago.

Amazing feats of hand-balancing are just a few of the specialty acts in Cirque du Soleil's arena restaging of "Alegría," which plays the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates from Wednesday, March 3, through Sunday, March 7.

The Chicago Jazz Orchestra teams up with jazz vocalists for "Exquisitely for Ella: A Songbook Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald" at North Central College's Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville.

Music of the Baroque music director Jane Glover, left, conducts "Handel and the Royals" in Evanston and Chicago.

Members of the Aquila Theatre Company tour to North Central College to perform a modernized approach to Shakespeare's "As You Like It."

Members of the Aquila Theatre Company tour to North Central College in Naperville to perform a modernized approach to Shakespeare's "As You Like It."

Contortionists are just a few of the specialty performers in Cirque du Soleil's arena restaging of "Alegría," which plays the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates from Wednesday, March 3, through Sunday, March 7.

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