Barbara Vitello
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A Glen Ellyn wonderland: Main Street boutique delivers ‘love, whimsy and wishes’Nov 01, 2025 1:23 pm - When it comes to selecting merchandise for his boutique in downtown Glen Ellyn, Michael Perich has one rule. “If I do not love it in its entirety, it’s not here,” said Pe...
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Commanding performance: Janus Theatre’s streamlined ‘Merchant’ packs a punch and so does its leading ladyOct 29, 2025 3:12 pm - Janus Theatre delivers a streamlined “Merchant of Venice” defined by a ferocious performance from Susan P. Anderson as the much-abused, vindictive Shylock.
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Best bets: Immersive Wondra opens at Woodfield and 312 Comedy Fest returnsOct 28, 2025 4:48 pm - The immersive, nature-centered Wondra opens at Schaumburg’s Woodfield Mall, Rosemont hosts Halloween revelers, the New Philharmonic performs classical music by candlelight in Glen Ellyn and Chicago’s Lyric Opera stages a double bill set in Sicily.
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Spotlight: ‘Amadeus’ at Steppenwolf, ‘Million Dollar Quartet Christmas’ at MarriottOct 28, 2025 10:10 am - Steppenwolf Theatre revives Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus,” Marriott Theatre jump-starts the holiday theater season with “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas,” and Chicago’s Artistic Home revives Tracy Letts’ “Superior Donuts” this week.
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Artificial advice: Why some have concerns about AI therapyOct 27, 2025 4:29 pm - Contemplating an offer to relocate with her company to another state, single mom Melissa Bulicek sought advice from ChatGPT. She got her answer. But not everyone recommends seeking advice from chatbots. Therapists warn AI can offer wrong and even dangerous advice.
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‘We don’t all have to be the same’: BrightSide Theatre revival of ‘Rocky Horror’ comes at the right timeOct 22, 2025 1:55 pm - BrightSide Theatre artistic director Jeffrey Cass fulfills his longtime ambition to stage the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Show,” a campy 1973 tuner that celebrates living one’s truth and living it fearlessly.
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Best Bets: Halloween events, Frank Caliendo at Paramount, Ailey II at The MACOct 22, 2025 8:10 am - It’s a jam-packed weekend, with Howlin’ at the Moon in Naperville, master impressionist and comedian Frank Caliendo at the Paramount, Sons of the Never Wrong in Evanston and Ailey II at The Mac.
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Shakespeare in the ’burbs: ‘Merchant of Venice’ at Janus Theatre, ‘As You Like It’ at WritersOct 21, 2025 2:37 pm - Janus Theatre concludes its long tenure at the Elgin Art Showcase with a 90-minute adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” and Writers Theatre stages “As You Like It.”
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Stage frights: Halloween shows dominate Chicago-area stagesOct 17, 2025 9:35 am - This Halloween, suburban and Chicago theaters are serving up thrills, chills and chuckles, including tales of mad scientists, drunken vampires, terrorized wives, imperiled puppets and plucky farm animals.
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Talkin’ ’bout ‘Revolution(s)’: Goodman’s galvanizing funk metal tuner ideal for these timesOct 15, 2025 5:05 pm - Goodman Theatre’s assertive, galvanizing “Revolution(s)” by Tom Morello and Zayd Ayers Dohrn is a funk-metal, hip-hop tuner ideal for our time.