Entertainment Columns
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Sweet success: Paramount serves up memorable 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'Nov 22, 2023 3:30 pm - “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” — ★ ★ ★ ½ Several adjectives come to mind when describing Paramount Theatre's regional premiere of “Charlie and the Chocolate Fa...
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Spotlight: Metropolis, Drury Lane stage versions of 'A Christmas Carol'Nov 22, 2023 5:00 am - 60-minute 'Carol' Santa joins young theatergoers for breakfast and dinner on select days during the run of Drury Lane Theatre's production of "A Christmas Carol," ...
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Do not 'Wish' upon this star-crossed Disney animated musicalNov 20, 2023 10:00 pm - “Wish” — ★ ★ “Wish” may be Walt Disney's newest addition to its family of animated features, but not its freshest. This mercifully short musical fantasy feels as if...
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Spectacular battle scenes quash epic love story in lengthy historical drama 'Napoleon'Nov 19, 2023 10:00 pm - “Napoleon” — ★ ★ ½ I'm almost embarrassed to admit that while watching Ridley Scott's ambitious movie about an ambitious French soldier who would be emperor, I kept...
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Metropolis' matching gift campaign, village subsidy help ensure the shows go on in Arlington HeightsNov 18, 2023 12:00 am - Ticket sales are up; subscriptions rose by 35%. But those working to keep Metropolis Performing Arts Centre afloat — at a time when other theaters across the country hav...
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Drury Lane Theatre's charming 'Cinderella' delights the ears and the eyesNov 16, 2023 10:00 pm - “Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella” — ★ ★ ★ Drury Lane Theatre's revival of “Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella” is easy on the ears and on the eyes. Lovely to...
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From satires to spectacles, from family-friendly to adult, holiday shows deliver something for everyoneNov 15, 2023 10:00 pm - Along with time-honored favorites like "A Christmas Carol" and "It's a Wonderful Life" and seasonal sketch-comedy sendups, suburban and Chicago theaters offer Christmas-...
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Spotlight: Buffalo Theatre Ensemble stages Jane Austen-inspired 'Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley'Nov 14, 2023 10:00 pm - 'Christmas at Pemberley' Mary Bennet, the bookish younger sister to Jane Austen's Lizzie Darcy, embarks upon a holiday romance in "Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberl...
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Leading lady gives showstopping turn in Marriott's heartfelt 'Beautiful'Nov 13, 2023 4:00 am - YouTube So primed was the audience for Marriott Theatre's first Chicago-made production of #8220;Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,#8221; they began applauding before K...
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Timely doc 'Common Ground' gives us the dirt on ineffective, deadly farming practicesNov 09, 2023 5:00 am - “Common Ground” — ★ ★ ★ ½ An open letter to filmmaker Adam “The Big Short” McKay: Dear Mr. McKay, I have a perfect idea for your next movie — a dramatic version of ...