The fall season gets into full swing with some promising premieres. “East of Eden” Sept. 17 – Nov. 15 Back in 1988, “The Grapes of Wrath” became one of Steppenwolf’s most successful shows ever. Frank Galati, who wrote the script for that groundbreaking Tony Award winner, is now adapting another classic book by John Steinbeck, […]
Make It Better’s Best of 2015 drew more than 105,000 verified votes across 10 categories. Share your thoughts with us on social media using the hashtag #MIBBestof2015. Live Music Venue Ravinia (North Shore) This winner came as no surprise: You’ve chosen this outdoor music venue every year since 2012. 200 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park, 847-266-5000 […]
Country music was born in the southern United States (Tennessee, to be specific). As such, it has remained, in many people’s minds, a symbol of the South, along with the sweet tea, dirt roads and pickup trucks that modern-day country stars love to sing about. However, in recent years country music has experienced an intense […]
Looking for some new artists to spice up your playlist? There’s a lot of musical talent to be found in our own backyard. These up-and-coming stars are all in the early stages of promising musical careers, and they all hail from Sweet Home (suburbs of) Chicago. Check them out now before they hit it big! […]
Young people can be so puzzling to older generations. Countless articles have asked, “What’s up with millennials, anyway?” And several recent plays at Steppenwolf Theatre, including “The Night Alive” and “Airline Highway,” zeroed in on this struggle for comprehension across the generational divide. In each of these plays, the story is propelled by the arrival […]
What do Shakespeare and rap have in common? A lot more than you might initially think—at least according to the Q Brothers. GQ and JQ, a pair of clever, creative Chicago brothers, have traveled the world writing, directing and performing witty, entertaining shows. From musical hip-hop “add-RAP-tations” of Shakespearean plays to freestyle kiddie concerts about […]
I wept and sniffled my way through much of the 1985 novel “Beaches” by Iris Rainer Dart, and again through the 1988 film of the same name, which starred Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey in a tale of opposites attract and a great friendship is born. When I heard that a pre-Broadway run of “Beaches” […]
Witty comebacks and laughable moments run throughout director Steve Scott’s production of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” now at the Goodman Theatre. The play first appeared on Broadway in 2013 and received the Tony Award for Best Play, among others. Based off the comedy play written by Christopher Durang, the story centers on the […]
It’s an epic adventure that takes place on the vast, merciless sea. It’s a tale about camaraderie, sacrifice, danger and the deepest, darkest revenge. It’s “Moby Dick.” The famous “Great American Novel,” written by Herman Melville in 1851, has been adapted into a thrilling theatrical production at Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre. Directed by David Catlin, “Moby […]
They’ve traded their tie-dyes for lab coats, and instead of peddling grilled cheese sandwiches on Shakedown Street, they’re selling computer software. But Deadheads of a certain age from all over the country will descend upon Chicago July 3–6 for three nights of sold-out Grateful Dead shows at Soldier Field. So what’s a Dead fan to […]
