“Donny and Marie”: A Little Bit Country and a Lot of Christmas Cheer
Donny Osmond proclaims, “What we need is less discouragement and a lot more Christmas.”
In Northlight’s “Season’s Greetings,” the Casting Beats the Script
The sprawling cast of characters in “Season’s Greetings” includes a dashing young novelist, who says his writing is “painfully witty or wittily painful—I forget which.” That’s also an apt description of what British playwright Alan Ayckbourn was aiming for with “Season’s Greetings”—a mix of humor and pathos. The play has plenty of both, and a […]
Light It Up: Spots That Will Put Some Twinkle in Your Holidays
Who’s got the best holiday lights? On the North Shore, decking the house is almost an Olympic competition. Here are the places to watch, and add your favorite in the comments section, or send a picture to liz@makeitbetter.net. Photo: Christmas trees at the Lincoln Park Zoo Lincolnwood Towers, Lincolnwood 20 square blocks of decorations […]
A Gift That Gives Back: Plates to Help the Homeless
These plates make a beautiful gift, and, even better, your purchase will help the homeless. From December 4th-6th, Table Manners in Evanston will be featuring these elegant plates from Riverside Design Group, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Connections for the Homeless. The plates are also produced in a sustainable manner. Riverside Design […]
5 Ways to Freshen up Your Holiday Decor
If you’re anything like me, you have two sets of Christmas decorations. There are the “keepers”—those that always go up and those you hold dear. Then there are the “others.” The plastic Pier One snowman circa 1990. The pair of raffia angels you swore matched the powder room that has been painted twice since you’ve […]
Catholic Charities of Lake County Sees Overwhelming Demand for Food and Christmas Gifts for Needy Families
The poor economy means food pantries and other service agencies are seeing extraordinarily high demand for food and other items, and here’s how you can help this holiday season. Catholic Charities of Lake County, based in Waukegan, had 12,000 families register to receive Christmas gifts last year. This year, the number is 13,000. The […]
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 […]
