Barbara Vitello
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Spotlight: Paramount Theatre revives Rodgers & Hammerstein’s ‘South Pacific’Apr 21, 2026 2:22 pm - Paramount Theatre stages “South Pacific,” Lifeline Theatre premieres the rock musical “Loki,” Metropolis Performing Arts Centre stages “The Wedding Singer,” and Raven Theatre presents its first musical, the a cappella tuner “Octet.”
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Best Bets: Great America opening, Long Grove Craft Beer Fest and Hannibal BuressApr 21, 2026 12:01 pm - Great America opens for its 50th season, Long Grove hosts its annual craft beer festival, Aurora’s Venue salutes storied Chicago blues label Delmark Records, and comedian Hannibal Buress headlines the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts.
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Aurora’s RiverEdge Park expands summer lineupApr 20, 2026 4:43 pm - The bands Third Eye Blind and Six One Five Collected have been added to RiverEdge Park’s summer concert series.
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From standby to standout: Stevenson student wins national quiz bowl titleApr 17, 2026 6:12 pm - Adlai E. Stevenson High School junior Spencer Manning arrived at this month’s scholastic bowl tournament in Rosemont as a standby, unsure he would even compete. He left as a champion, besting more than 300 other students to take first place in the nation's premier quiz bowl competition.
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Marriott’s ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ a rockin’ tribute to the KingApr 17, 2026 2:51 pm - Elvis Presley’s greatest hits, zestfully performed by Marriott Theatre’s ensemble, and Taylor Hanes’ thoughtful interpretation of the King of Rock ‘n Roll, “Heartbreak Hotel” for the music, stay for Taylor Hanes’ thoughtful interpretation of the King of Rock ‘n Roll.
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Spotlight: Chicago Shakes, Shattered Globe, Facility and Steppenwolf stage premieresApr 15, 2026 8:11 am - Jason Alexander directs Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s premiere of “Fault” starring Enrico Colantoni, Strawdog Theatre stages a play about Shakespeare’s Ophelia, and the national tour of “The Great Gatsby” stops at Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre.
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Best Bets: Jessie Mueller, ‘Masters of the Mic,’ Lyric’s ‘safronia’ and moreApr 14, 2026 2:37 pm - Tony Award-winner Jessie Mueller headlines Schaumburg’s Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, Doug E. Fresh joins hip-hop artists in “Masters of the Mic” at Chicago’s The Auditorium, and Lyric Opera concludes its season with the premiere of “safronia.”
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‘Works of art’: Hanover Park artisan crafts world-class pool cues that cost up to $10,000Apr 13, 2026 3:08 pm - Thirty years ago, then teenage Tim Prince discovered his passion for pool and his talent for creating Art Deco-inspired custom pool cues which sell for up to $10,000.
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New Philharmonic announces 50th anniversary seasonApr 13, 2026 3:00 pm - The New Philharmonic’s 50th anniversary season includes celebrations of Italian and Scottish music as well as a tribute to Academy Award-winning composer John Williams on his 95th birthday.
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Lyric Opera announces upcoming seasonApr 10, 2026 2:15 pm - Classic revivals, the Chicago premiere of a Pulitzer Prize-winner and the return of the summer musical are among the highlights of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2026-2027 season.