Barbara Vitello
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Best bets: MAC welcomes Capitol Fools comedy and ESO opens its seasonOct 06, 2025 3:59 pm - The Capitol Fools send up politicians and politics at the McAninch Arts Center, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra opens its 76th season, and Berwyn native Sondra Radvanovsky plays the scorned sorceress in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s season-opening production of “Medea.”
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‘You are not alone’: More than 100 people rally in West Chicago protesting ICE raidsOct 04, 2025 6:10 pm - Waving flags and carrying signs and banners, about 150 people gathered Saturday in West Chicago to protest ICE raids targeting Latinos.
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Wanna see something really scary? Suburban haunted attractions deliver thrills, chills this HalloweenOct 02, 2025 1:25 pm - “We’re the one and only outdoor scream park,” says Grayslake resident Jason Wright about his haunted venue American Nightmare Scream Park opening this weekend in Spring Grove. “It’s something nobody has done in the Chicago area.”
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‘It’s for everyone but also for us’: Remy Bumppo’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ examines Iranian women’s friendshipOct 01, 2025 1:35 pm - Actors Yourtana Sulaiman and Preeti Thaker discuss “Wish You Were Here,” Sanaz Toossi’s play about five Iranian women and their enduring friendship, in its Chicago-area premiere at Remy Bumppo Theatre.
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Best Bets: ‘Forbidden Forest’ welcomes Harry Potter fans and Naper Settlement celebrates OktoberfestOct 01, 2025 9:41 am - “Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience” thrills fans starting this weekend, Naper Settlement hosts Oktoberfest, Karen Mason headlines a special tribute to Davenport’s at the Skokie Theatre, and “Carmina Burana” comes to the MAC.
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Spotlight: ‘Revolution(s)’ by Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello premieres at GoodmanSep 30, 2025 12:34 pm - Premieres of the punk/metal/hip-hop tuner “Revolution(s)” at Goodman and Sandra Delgado’s “Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars” at TimeLine open this week. Plus, Morton Arboretum’s Walking Hikes series salutes Edgar Allan Poe and “The Lion King” returns to Chicago for a brief run.
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Writers’ exquisite ‘Comet of 1812’ is Jeff Awards’ most honored productionSep 29, 2025 11:15 pm - Writers Theatre’s “Natasha, Pierre & the Comet of 1812” was the most honored single production during this year’s Joseph Jefferson Award ceremony honoring excellence in Chicago and suburban equity theater. Paramount, Drury Lane, Northlight and Marriott theaters were also recognized during the 57th celebration.
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‘A sense of comfort and peace’: How some suburban care facilities are using doll therapy for dementia and Alzheimer’s patientsSep 28, 2025 4:00 am - About a month after her mother moved into an Elmhurst memory care facility, Gail Bekin bought her a doll. “She never put it down,” said Bekin. For decades, health care providers have incorporated certain techniques — music, art and pet therapy as well as caring for baby dolls — to help treat people with dementia or Alzheimer’s.
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Lost and found: Steppenwolf’s ‘Mr. Wolf’ a tense, emotionally charged look at trauma, survivalSep 24, 2025 5:11 pm - Every parent’s nightmare, the loss of a child, animates Rajiv Joseph’s “Mr. Wolf,” an unsettling but ultimately hopeful examination of post-trauma survival in its Chicago premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre.
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Best Bets: Virtual reality EXP opens, Cirque Italia extravaganza and moreSep 24, 2025 8:51 am - Immerse yourself in ancient Egypt when the new virtual reality venue EXP opens in Rosemont, be wowed by Cirque Italia, and laugh along with comedians Paula Poundstone, Doug Benson and Steve Solomon this week.