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Summer festivals in the Southland 2013

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:20:03 -0500

Here is a look at the summer festivals set for the Southland from May to September.

Review: ‘Hangover’ trilogy ends on a dark note

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:19:08 -0500

★★★ “Daring” isn’t a word you’d use very much to describe 2011’s “The Hangover Part II,” the disappointingly lazy, beat-for-beat rehash of the wild and wildly successful original “Hangover” from 2009. Yet, here we are with “The Hangover Part III,” which runs a different sort of risk by going to darker and more dangerous places than its predecessors, both artistically and emotionally. The third film dares to alienate the very audience that made “The Hangover” the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time because, well, it isn’t exactly a comedy. Sure, there are some outrageous lines and sight gags, mostly courtesy …

Hot Picks: Award show, BACinema screens ‘Quartet’

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:35:19 -0500

Here is a look at top events you won’t want to miss. Suggestions include the Celebration of Chicago Artists Award Show in University Park and the BACinema screening of “Quartet” in Chicago.

Crowd Pleasers for May 24, 2013

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:18:58 -0500

Here is a look at some crowd pleasers. Events include the Smiley Tillmond Band in Back to the Delta: A Blues Showcase at the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago.

McGraw pumped for Two Lanes of Freedom Tour

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:20:14 -0500

NASHVILLE, TENN. — It’s no coincidence that Tim McGraw’s latest album opens and closes with highway songs. “There’s a sense of acceleration on this record, a sense of freedom,” the country singer said of “Two Lanes of Freedom.” “I feel energized, like I’m at the cusp of my career.” Even though McGraw, 46, released his first album 20 years ago, “Two Lanes of Freedom” marks a new start. It’s McGraw’s first album for Big Machine Records, recorded and released after years of disputes and legal wrangling with his previous label, Curb Records. For once, the different parts of the singer’s …

Microsoft reveals Xbox One, next-generation gaming

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:53:14 -0500

Microsoft thinks it has the one. The company revealed the Xbox One, its next-generation entertainment console Tuesday. The console was demonstrated using voice control to switch among watching live TV, listening to music and browsing the Internet, as well as simultaneously running apps.

Sabadosa: Some good books to escape in this summer

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:31:57 -0500

The way this year is zipping by, summer will be here before we know it. If you are lucky enough to have the summer off from a job, are planning a vacation getaway or simply have your sights set on kicking back often during the hot weather, a good summer book can be the perfect complement. I recently polled my readers and asked them to share some of their favorite books with us. I also asked them to explain the reasons for their recommendations. All I can say is, watch out Oprah! My daughter Sara was one of the first …

Donley’s Wild West Town a return to yesteryear

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:21:55 -0500

Go West, young Chicagoans. Go West. Direct your parents to load up the family car and head on Interstate 90 past Barrington, past Elgin and through Hampshire. Go west to Union, Ill., the small-town (population: 579) home of Donley’s Wild West Town, a museum and low-key amusement park geared for ages 3-11. The attraction opens for the season on May 18. “Real small kids get swallowed up in big theme parks,” said Randy Donley, one of the four-member Donley family running the park. “They come here dressed as cowboys and cowgirls.” Donley’s Wild West Town is an easy day trip, …

Crowd Pleasers for May 17, 2013

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:22:45 -0500

Here is a look at some crowd pleasers. Events include Gaelic Park Players hosting the 20th annual Acting Irish International Theatre Festival in Oak Forest, Grande Prairie Singers' concert in Park Forest, and Suburban Youth Symphony Orchestra’s concert in Orland Park.

‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ turns out to be quite the Enterprise

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:10:14 -0500

RICHARD ROEPER: Director J.J. Abrams is a true talent, and he’s also a pop-culture savant who has great respect for the legacy of this franchise as well as a keen understanding of the mega-importance of box-office figures. There’s no better choice to make the best, the purest AND the most accessible big-budget “Star Trek” movie possible. Yet with all the futuristic splendor and the fine performances, “Into Darkness” only occasionally soars, mostly settling for being a solid but unspectacular effort that sets the stage for the next chapter(s).

New on DVD for May 17, 2013

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:10:49 -0500

Here is a look at what’s new on DVD this week. Many of these titles were released on May 14.

Star power — Adler tech revolutionizes sky show

Fri, 17 May 2013 02:11:04 -0500

As a pulsing nebula races toward the watchful audience, a hand shoots up to touch it. More hands follow suit, straining skywards. For the kids taking in the Adler’s newest show, “Cosmic Wonder,” outer space is just out of reach. It’s an illusion created by the latest technology: The Crab Nebula or stars in Orion seem to graze heads, when in fact they’re projected on a dome nearly 40 feet above the audience. As the image gets larger, it appears closer and flatter — “or like the objects are dropping on top of you,” said Mark SubbaRao, Adler astronomer and …

Midlothian school kids catch some rays at new Shedd exhibit

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:46:42 -0500

One touch, and 8-year-old Sandy Brindl was sold. “I’m definitely coming back here and I’m going to tell everyone I know about these animals,” she said, clasping her hands. “They are the most gentle animals in the sea.” She was referring to the graceful cownose stingrays that she and her third-grade classmates from St. Christopher School in Midlothian were able to pet Tuesday during a sneak preview of the Shedd Aquarium’s new exhibit, Stingray Touch, which opens Friday. Sandy’s friend, Loren Caldwell, of Posen, said, “It’s so awesome. Every time they come up to you, they think we’re friends.” The …

First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre’s 2013 concert season

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:04:28 -0500

The 2013 summer concert season is a live music fan’s dream. A ton of great gigs are on the way, and many of them will be at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, 19100 S. Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park. “It’s a busy summer and there’s just a lot of great artists on the road and great shows coming through,” said Jon Reens, senior director of marketing/Midwest for Live Nation, which operates FMBA. “They run the gamut on style and they run the gamut on format. It’s an extremely wide-ranging summer season.” The outdoor venue is boasting the most amount of country concerts …

Field Museum, with an extensive but costly collection, faces millions of dollars in cuts

Sun, 05 May 2013 02:35:12 -0500

With more than 25 million specimens, the Field Museum has one of the world’s largest and most renowned collections. Maintaining this massive collection comes with a price, though, one the Field Museum can’t sustain. Museum leaders now are grappling with what the museum of the future will look like and what role the collection and research will play in it.

Our guide to suburban Chicago area bike trails

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:48:54 -0500

Cycling is a great way to get out and enjoy the spring weather