Val Haller's Top Tips for Rockin’ with Your Kids
Winnetka mom Val Haller is living her dream as founder, editor and producer of Valslist.com, an online resource for the best in music and emerging bands for adults in the know.
"The True History of the Johnstown Flood" Thought Provoking
There is thought provoking entertainment in the Goodman Theatre’s world premiere of “The True History of the Johnstown Flood,” a new play by Northwestern University based writer Rebecca “Spinning into Butter” Gilman. Directed by Robert Falls, the play runs through April 18. The drama takes place amid a devastating flood that wiped out the town […]
Marriott Theatre: 35 and Still Going Strong
Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire has more subscriptions than any regional musical theater in the country. That’s reason enough for the nearly 900-seat arena theater on Milwaukee Avenue to celebrate, but there is another one: This year marks the theater’s 35th anniversary, during which about 9 million people have seen one of their shows. This tenacious, […]
Dorothy's Best Bets: February Theatre
Reward yourself with great theatre this winter. This critic’s picks for February could not be more different. We’re highlighting a five-time Tony Award winning family drama downtown, a heartwarming comedy from the Great Depression playing in Skokie, and a sophisticated cabaret show in Glencoe. Select your own favorite, or attend them all—as a reward for […]
Dorothy's Best Bets
For those of us spending January at home, Broadway in Chicago is trying hard to provide some bright spots in the winter sky. Three productions are coming to the Windy City, and they couldn’t be more different. DATE NIGHT: “Dreamgirls” Cadillac Palace, Jan. 19 to 31 For a night out downtown with your husband or […]
Lost Track? Welcome Back-Valslist Picks
Valslist helps busy adults get back into the music scene. Effortlessly. MOVIN’ TO 2010 1. My Only Swerving / El Ten Eleven (rock) 2. Young One / Mackabella (rock) 3. All Yall / Gringo Star (rock) 4. Made for You / OneRepublic (rock) 5. Hungry for You (j’Aurais Toujours Faim de Toi) / […]
Brian Dennehy's Chicago Life
“I probably should have lived in Chicago,” says Brian Dennehy, who is coming to the Goodman Theatre in January. “It’s such a great theater town. There is such a nurturing atmosphere there.” Make It Better managed to catch up with the busy actor via phone from Philadelphia. “And a lot of it has to […]
Goodman's 'A Christmas Carol' Truly Sings
Think you’ve seen enough productions of “A Christmas Carol” to last a lifetime? Don’t be so sure. The Goodman Theatre in Chicago, which has presented Charles Dickens’s perennial salute to Christmas annually for more than three decades, has a surprise for you. Adapter Tom Creamer and director William Brown have given us a fresh retelling […]
"Shrek the Musical" Adds Depth to Beloved Characters
So you’re writing a musical, based on another source — a play, a novel or a movie, and you must find the moment in the original where a song would naturally occur. “You try to crack the material open and find the treasure,” said Jeanine Tesori, composer for the Broadway musical “Shrek the Musical,” which […]
18 Songs of Comfort and Joy - A ValsList of Holiday Cheer
Here’s a holiday playlist that will warm you up in no time, no matter what the activity – background music for holiday dinner, neighbors in for a festive cocktail party, cozying up by the fire or ringing in the new year. A blend of old and new – picked just for you.
