The suburbs figured prominently into 2011's entertainment
2011 was the year the suburbs had starring roles in a couple of scary movies, an actress from Plainfield gave a shout out to her hometown while accepting her Emmy and a Wheeling native finished in the top three of "American Idol."
A new music venue opened in Lincolnshire, and an Aurora theater raised the curtain on its own self-produced Broadway-style musicals.
It was a good year for the suburbs in entertainment, and today we revisit some of the highlights.
<b>Movies</b>
In movie terms, this has been a blockbuster year for the Northwest suburbs.
Steven Soderbergh's virus plague thriller "Contagion" wowed audiences and racked up an impressive $76 million at the box office.
The big-budget studio production, starring Jude Law, Matt Damon and Kate Winslet, shot scenes on locations in Elgin, Naperville and Waukegan to tell the story of how Americans react to a pandemic that sweeps the globe, killing millions of people as scientists race to discover the source of the virus.
Those yechy sores and runny wounds? They're the handiwork of Hoffman Estates High School graduate Suzi Ostos, who supplied the makeup for the cast members.
On the other end of the economic spectrum, St. Charles native Nicholas Smith premiered his chilling first feature, "Munger Road," an independent thriller shot principally in St. Charles and Bartlett. Smith, who wrote and directed the movie, based the story on legends of ghostly children who save stranded motorists on railroad tracks at Munger Road in Bartlett.
Smith's father, producer Jeff Smith, is looking for a national release for the movie.
We can't see it until next year, but "Superman: Man of Steel" shot at several area locations, including Sugar Grove under the cover title "Autumn Frost." "Man of Steel" stars non-American actor Henry Cavill as the all-American adopted alien from Krypton. Chicago actor Michael Shannon (currently seen in "Take Shelter") stars as nemesis General Zod.
An untitled movie starring Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron also shot scenes in the Fox Valley area in 2011. It's directed by Ramin Bahrani.
<b> - Dann Gire</b>
<b>Music</b>
The Smoking Popes, a power-pop band hailing from McHenry County, showed that they still have plenty of fire with the release of "This Is Only a Test" in the spring of 2011.
All the Popes' musical trademarks are there: punk-edged guitars, anthemic choruses and singer Josh Caterer's heartfelt vocals. "Test" is a concept album; its songs document the life of a teenager struggling with issues as varied as teen suicide and high-school crushes. It earned strong reviews and has appeared on some best-of-the-year lists. The Popes spent most of this year touring in support of the record, including shows at "hometown" venues in Palatine and Rosemont.
The suburbs got a new music venue in March when Viper Alley opened in Lincolnshire. The 15,000-square-foot club includes a restaurant area, a small bowling lounge and an intimate music room that has hosted performances from Lee DeWyze, Soul Asylum, Rusted Root and John Oates. Viper Alley is located at 275 Parkway Drive.
<b>- Matt Arado</b>
<b>Television</b>
When a beaming Melissa McCarthy accepted her Emmy in September for best actress in a comedy, she gave a shout out to her hometown: "I'm from Plainfield, Ill., and I'm standing here and it's kind of amazing."
Amazing is a good way to describe the "Mike & Molly" star's year in general.
Her role in the hit film "Bridesmaids" won her critical acclaim and a SAG Award nomination for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy. Entertainment Weekly dubbed her "the new queen of comedy." And CBS' "Mike & Molly" remains strong in the ratings.
Speaking of ratings, another suburbanite is enjoying a little love from Nielsen. Jennifer Morrison's show, ABC's "Once Upon A Time," is one of the few new fall dramas that appear to be getting a happy ending ratings-wise. Morrison plays Emma Swan, a bail bondsman and the long-lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.
A third suburban native - Wheeling's Haley Reinhart - lived a bit of a fairy tale herself on Fox's "American Idol." She made it to the top three and scored an emotional hometown visit in May. Though Reinhart was voted off in favor of a couple of teen country crooners, she had already won over fans with her bluesy voice and spirited personality. And she got a record contract to boot.
<b>- Lisa Friedman Miner</b>
<b>Theater</b>
2011 marked the debut of Paramount Theatre's self-produced Broadway series. Representatives from the Aurora theater made the announcement in March, and by August the series had attracted its 10,000th subscriber. Paramount's first two productions - "My Fair Lady" and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" - earned critical praise which bodes well for the remaining two shows, "A Chorus Line" running from Jan. 18 to Feb. 5, and "Hair" which runs from March 14 to April 1.
In its first year under its new moniker, Fox Valley Repertory Theater in St. Charles brought together playwrights and Fermilab scientists as part of a new play development series dubbed Collider. Together the writers and scientists produce a world premiere work rooted in art, science and technology. Fox Valley Rep will present staged readings of the plays in July during its second St. Charles Summer Theater Fest.
After three years, Jim Jarvis stepped down in October as executive director of Arlington Heights' Metropolis Performing Arts Centre to spend more time with his family. Metropolis has faced some financial challenges in recent years, which prompted a request to the village board for a $75,000 loan earlier this year. Charlie Beck, a marketing consultant for the pharmaceutical industry turned actor, took over as Metropolis' executive director last month.
<b>- Barbara Vitello</b>