Performing Arts
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Elgin’s Hemmens announces 2026-27 season
Aug 11, 2026 10:15 am - More than a dozen shows have been announced for the 2026-27 season at The Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, kicking off in September.
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Des Plaines native Elizabeth Stenholt returns to Paramount Theatre for ‘Mean Girls’ regional premiereAug 05, 2026 8:49 am - “There’s enough sunlight for everyone,” Des Plaines native and Joseph Jefferson Award-winner Elizabeth Stenholt says of playing outsider Cady Heron in Paramount Theatre’s regional premiere of “Mean Girls.”
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Best Bets: Cedric the Entertainer headlines Aurora’s ParamountAug 04, 2026 5:29 pm - Cedric the Entertainer brings the laughs to Aurora’s Paramount Theatre, the Lowrider Chicago Classic Supershow rolls into the Donald E. Stephens Center in Rosemont, and the Flamenco Quartet Project dances into Evanston’s Space.
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Things to do Aug. 7-13: McHenry County Fair, Smoke & Irons Music Fest, Warrenville Summer Daze and moreAug 04, 2026 2:16 pm - Mark your calendar for McHenry County Fair, Warrenville Summer Daze, Smoke and Irons Music Fest, Jamboree Days, Gurnee Days, Hampshire Coon Creek Country Days and more.
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Theater spotlight: Elvis, ‘West Side Story’ and AI-inspired ‘Sisters’ grace suburban stagesAug 04, 2026 8:38 am - This week on suburban stages, Elvis Presley tribute artist Brandon Bennett channels The King, Music Theater Works revives “West Side Story,” and Writers Theatre opens its 35th season with the AI-inspired drama “Sisters.”
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Music Theater Works’ 24-member orchestra delivers ‘West Side Story’ as Leonard Bernstein intendedJul 29, 2026 4:52 pm - For Music Theater Works’ revival of “West Side Story,” percussionist, arranger and conductor Justin Kono will lead a 24-musician orchestra, one of the largest Chicago-area musical theater orchestras in recent memory.
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Spotlight: Broadway vet Laura Benanti commences national tour at SteppenwolfJul 28, 2026 4:38 pm - Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti brings her solo show to Steppenwolf Theatre, and Gift Theatre stages the Chicago premiere of the relationship drama “Marble,” this week in Chicago-area theater.
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Best Bets: Horror fans converge on Rosemont for Flashback WeekendJul 28, 2026 12:57 pm - Horror fans will be heading to Rosemont for the annual Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Convention. Meanwhile, the Morton Arboretum celebrates Asian culture, the Glenn Miller Orchestra swings into North Central College, and Cantigny invites fans to a 19th-century baseball game.
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Things to do July 31 to Aug. 6: Lake and McHenry County fairs, National Night Out and moreJul 27, 2026 6:16 pm - Mark your calendar for the Lake and McHenry County fairs, National Sports Collectors Convention, Taste of Roselle, Chicago Italian Beef Fest, National Night Out events and more.
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Out of their comfort zone: Comics riff on audience suggestions at Batavia’s Comedy VaultJul 22, 2026 5:51 pm - As part of the Bits and Buckets showcase at Batavia’s Comedy Vault, comedians Brando Harris and Vinny Cerone encourage fellow comics to riff on topics suggested by audience members. “We wanted the audience to feel they’re really part of the show,” Harris said.