Barbara Vitello
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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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Pollyanna Brewing plans holiday pop-up in St. CharlesJul 28, 2026 12:40 pm - St. Charles will welcome a holiday pop-up beginning Nov. 19 when Pollyanna Brewing Company transforms its taproom into a Christmas village complete with holiday scenes, playful fauna and towering trees dripping with multicolored lights.
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Arlington Heights couple pleads guilty to vandalizing local GOP headquartersJul 23, 2026 4:06 pm - An Arlington Heights couple charged with vandalizing the Republicans of Wheeling Township headquarters in January pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges Thursday.
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‘Original North America’: Barrington Hills land restored to natural prairieJul 22, 2026 6:51 pm - The passion Citizens For Conservation volunteers have for preserving and restoring Illinois' natural areas is palpable. It's evident in the way longtime volunteers Jim Vanderpoel and Wendy Paulson stop frequently along the mile-long trail that winds through Barrington's 44-acre Grigsby Prairie to trail their fingers over the prairie flora and point out the birds, butterflies and small invertebrates that call it home.
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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.
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Aurora’s Paramount Theatre earns best tuner Jeff noms for all four of its musicalsJul 22, 2026 12:00 pm - Paramount Theatre earned 20 equity Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for its 2025-2026 season, which included acclaimed regional premieres of “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Come From Away.”
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Best Bets: Aurora the best bet for laughs and Mexican danceJul 22, 2026 7:57 am - Comedian Calvin Evans headlines Copley Theatre’s comedy series, Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl dances into Aurora’s Paramount, Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti performs at the North Shore Center for the Performing Art, and Sonny Acres Farm hosts an exotic car show.
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Spotlight: Zanies Rosemont hosts all-Spanish show and debuts weekly Roast BattleJul 21, 2026 12:06 pm - Comedian Led Varela headlines an all-Spanish show at Zanies Rosemont, and the venue debuts the new weekly insult comedy show Roast Battle Rosemont. Plus, Broadway in Chicago hosts national tours of “The Notebook” and “The Outsiders.”