Entertainment Columns
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Sound check: Smashing Pumpkins, George Thorogood, Chase McDaniel and moreSep 14, 2023 6:00 am - Chase at Joe's Nashville artist Chase McDaniel brings his Southern swagger and rich baritone to his recent release "Drop Your Tailgate" when he takes the stage at J...
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Spotlight: 'Hamilton' returns, 'Lehman Trilogy' premieres, Chicago celebrates playwright Pearl CleageSep 13, 2023 11:00 pm - 'Hamilton' returns Lin-Manuel Miranda's award-winning musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton returns to Chicago, where its initial run lasted more than th...
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Joyful performances of Johnny Cash's greatest hits buoy Drury Lane's 'Ring of Fire'Sep 08, 2023 3:00 pm - “Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash” — ★ ★ ½ As a jukebox musical, “Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash” is second-tier. But as a tribute concert to a count...
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Widescreen: Barbie, Sonic the Hedgehog and Michelle Williams (together at last)Sep 07, 2023 6:00 am - Movie Theater Barbie is almost ready to become Home Video Barbie, even though IMAX Barbie still hasn't hit the shelves. Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" just passed $1.38 billion...
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Sound check: Release shows with Corinne Bailey Rae, McKinley Dixon, Tommy KesslerSep 07, 2023 6:00 am - McKinley Dixon release Virginia-raised rapper McKinley Dixon hosts a party for his most recent home Chicago as he celebrates this summer's album release "Beloved! P...
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30 years later, West Chicago actress and Chicago director revisit 'A View From the Bridge' at Shattered GlobeSep 06, 2023 11:00 pm - In hindsight, casting Eileen Niccolai as Beatrice Carbone in Shattered Globe Theatre's 1993 production of Arthur Miller's “A View From the Bridge” probably wasn't ideal....
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Spotlight: Ronnie Marmo returns as Lenny Bruce at the North Shore CenterSep 06, 2023 6:00 am - Red Orchid premiere A Red Orchid Theatre premieres "Revolution," the latest play by ensemble member Brett Neveu ("Eric LaRue," "The Malignant Ampersands"). Ensemble memb...
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Jim O'Donnell: One particular essay perfectly captures so many of Buffett's Chicago sports linksSep 06, 2023 1:00 am - JIMMY BUFFETT CROSSED THE PARROTHEAD BRIDGE last weekend with three great sports passions - the Cubs, the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Heat. By virtue of his Gulf Co...
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'Cast call: How my lifelong love of news led me to two of my favorite listensSep 04, 2023 5:30 am - Like it was for all Americans, August 1974 was a stressful time for me: Inflation was at an all-time high. We were deep in a global recession and weary from the constant...
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What a homecoming: Broadway vet Lucia Spina dazzles in Marriott's outstanding 'Gypsy'Aug 31, 2023 12:00 pm - “Gypsy” - ★ ★ ★ ★ A formidable role requires a prodigious talent. And Marriott Theatre's outstanding revival of “Gypsy” has such a powerhouse in Lucia Spina. Eighteen y...