SouthScene

Oak Lawn Production of 'The Guys' Recalls Heroism of 9/11

Poignant two-person play, starring an Oak Lawn woman and a Mount Greenwood man, reveals FDNY chief's struggle to find words to honor those who died during the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.

Just weeks after Sept. 11, 2001, writer Anne Nelson penned a script that remains an iconic look back at a day that cost thousands of American lives and left a nation reeling. Under the direction of Oak Lawn resident Amanda Barclay, Nelson’s stunning two-person, one-act play, The Guys — 10th Anniversary of the Day That Changed Us All, comes to life at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Oak Lawn on Sept. 9, 10 and 11. The production features Sandy Barry of Oak Lawn and Dean Hoefler of Mount Greenwood. The story focuses on a Fire Department of New York chief who lost several men in the aftermath of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks. Nick, the FDNY chief, needs to write eulogies for his men and finds himself struggling to put thoughts and …

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SouthScene

5 Best Bets for Entertainment — and Fireworks

Jekyll & Hyde bring thrills to the stage, plus there’s good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll in Tinley Park, dance music and fireworks in Oak Lawn, and a free music festival in Homewood.

Looking for an entertaining night out? We've got the five best bets for a good time. 1. Musical Thrills of Jekyll and Hyde: Robert Louis Stevenson's classic thriller The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has given rise to a stunning musical, and this weekend and next, the Joliet Drama Guild presents Leslie Bricusse's Jekyll and Hyde with Michael J. Perkins, of New Lenox, as Jekyll/Hyde and Jeannie Rega-Markionni, of Chicago Heights, as Lucy Harris. The lavish production will be staged at the Bicentennial Park Theatre. 2. Rolling with the Oldies in Tinley: Rock, roll and dance tonight (Aug. 19) at the Ride 2 Recovery Rock and Roll Oldies Dance fundraiser at the Tinley Park VFW. Proceeds will go to Ride2Recovery, an eight-day, 530-mile…

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SouthScene

SouthScene Top Picks: Feel Groovy with 'Hair,' Ten Bands for Ten Bucks, and the 'Reptile Guy' in Frankfort

Let the sunshine in with a flashback to the counter-culture era of the 1960s in a revival of an iconic musical in Orland Park.

This may not be the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, but it sure is fun to revisit a blast from the past. From its counter-culture roots in the 1960s, the iconic musical Hair has evolved into a stirring glimpse of a turbulent time for those who lived it, as well as a source of fascination for younger generations. “Aquarius” and “Good Morning Starshine” are among the many memorable songs from the show, which stands as an anthem to a transformative era in American history. This weekend, Opening Night Arts Group, under the direction of veteran thespian Cassie Dawe, brings Hair to the stage for three performances at Carl Sandburg Performing Arts Center in Orland Park. The storyline is a moving snapshot of the era’s counter-culture: hippies, …

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Three Guys, Five Years, Every MLB Stadium: Author Describes 'bLISTful' Trip

Author/tourist Todd Franiuk heads to the Evergreen Park Library to a provide a taste of travels he, Matthew Hart and Sfoklis Nikiforos chronicled in 'A bLISTful Five Years: The Baseball Stadium Tour.'

Five years. Todd Franiuk and friends took their time and covered 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, each team's hometown, foods along the way, baseball stats and lists of every sort, including unusual city names along the way, like Climax, Mich. And he's coming to the Southland to talk about it. To read more about Franiuk's book, A bLISTful Five Years: The Baseball Stadium Tour, check out this week's SouthScene arts and entertainment column. You'll also find an interview with an original member of the Buckinghams, a Polish festival on the hill, free concerts of all genres across the Southland, an intimate chance for dinner and chamber music, plus some murder and mayhem with mystery writer Helen Osterman.

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Where Does Early Ghetto Life Take a Driven Man?

A powerful and award-winning African-American writer is coming to Park Forest on Saturday to talk about "life with and without fathers."

John W. Fountain, an award-winning columnist and author who battled his way out of the world of food stamps, roaches, ketchup sandwiches and teenage fatherhood, will share his story on Saturday at the Park Forest Public Library. This powerful pre-Father's Day talk named for Fountain's newest book, Dear Dad: Reflections on Fatherhood, is free and open to the public. To read more about Fountain and the depth of his early poverty, read this week’s SouthScene arts and culture column. Embedded in a potpourri of arts and culture listings, readers can also discover which village has scheduled an unplanned, unofficial night of ‘dueling’ rock bands. When: 10 a.m., June 11
 Where: Park Forest Public Library, 400 Lakewood Blvd, Park Forest Cost: Free…

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Did a Lone Gunman Kill Lincoln? Author Brings Her Theory to the Southland

Author Nora Titone is coming to the Frankfort Public Library to talk about her new book on the Lincoln assassination.

We all know what happened the night of April 14, 1865, at Ford's Theatre, right? One author isn't so sure. And she's bringing her theories to the Southland. The full story behind President Abraham Lincoln's assassination has never been told, according to author Nora Titone. Titone is set to talk at the Frankfort Public Library about her investigation into Booth family letters and diaries and her new evidence in this mystery. My Thoughts Be Bloody, brings to light another character in addition to Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth. To read who else Titone suspects, plus part two of our interview with The Byrds' Roger McGuinn and to find out which Starship is landing in the Southland, read this week's SouthScene arts and culture column. When…

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SouthScene

Lucille Ball, 'Sexual Perversity' and Hot Jazz Mark Eclectic May Arts Scene

This week featuring events on the South Side, Chicago Heights, Frankfort, Joliet, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Park Forest, South Holland and University Park.

Beverly Theatre Guild presents Leading Ladies, a Ken Ludwig farce about two down-on-their-luck Shakespearean actors who read a newspaper story about an elderly and ailing woman who has been unable to find her daughter's sons, Max and Steve. The wealthy woman wants to locate her grandsons so she can bequeath each a very healthy sum in her will. As in millions. And that's where it starts. The actors put on their best performances pretending to be be Max and Steve, and of course, romantic complications add additional layers of wackiness to this wacky play.  When: 8 p.m., May 6-7; 2 p.m., May 8 Where: Baer Theatre, Morgan Park Academy, 2153 W. 111th St., Chicago Cost: $20 Tickets and information: 773-284-8497 and by e-mail to …

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SouthScene

Dorothy and the Wizard, Anna and the King Set Stages for Exotic Places

This week featuring events from Chicago Heights, Frankfort, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Park Forest and South Holland.

Beverly Arts Center presents  the exclusive premiere of an original cabaret musical, Last Night at the Piano Bar, based on the real life exploits of piano bar artist Dan Gillogly, who also co-wrote the script with Jeff Award-winning Nate Herman.  The musical tells the story of one night in the lives of four characters in a North Side lounge. There's Frank, a tough city worker who likes expensive clothes; Grace, a former beauty queen now known for her wifely housekeeping in a television ad; Rhonda, the brash bartender; and Jimmy, a wide-eyed kid from Iowa who before this night could never have imagined this big city adventure. When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, April 29-30; 3 p.m. Sunday, May 1. Where: Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. Cost…

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SouthScene

Blues, Bhutan, Bright New Stars Buzz Southland

This week featuring events from Alsip, Beverly, Chicago Heights, Flossmoor, Oak Forest, Orland Park, Palos Hills, Park Forest, Tinley Park and South Holland.

Tracy Smith, adored by cable television fans who gravitate to the Comedy Central, continues her stop at Riddles Comedy Club with four shows this weekend during which she is bound to recount the adventures of the single life and more, all with her come-hither blend of comedy and cute. When: 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. shows tonight (April 15) and April 16 Where: Riddles Comedy Club, 5055 W. 111th St., Alsip Cost: $5 for 8 p.m. shows, $12.50 for 10:30 p.m. performances Ticket information: 708-422-5055, www.myridriddlescomedyclub.com and at the door  Born in Detroit but with "Delta blues-filled blood," John Lee Hooker Jr, son of legendary blues man John Lee Hooker,"was exposed to the life of blues from a young age," the younger man's official bio …

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SouthScene

'Famous Fives,' Emerald City, Peter Noone, Extraordinary Art Shows Color the Coming Week

This week with events in Chicago Heights, Frankfort, Joliet, Mokena, Oak Lawn, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Park Forest, Tinley Park and University Park.

Union Street Gallery unveils a new, national juried exhibit, Word and Numbers, with a “smart, city gallery feel," according to gallery information. Union Street Gallery exhibits always are free. When: A reception is 6-9 p.m. March 4. Show runs March 2 through April 2. Gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, noon-6 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Where: Union Street Gallery, 1527 Otto Blvd. Cost: Free More info: Call 708-754-2601. Under the direction of celebrated guest conductor Victor Yampolsky, the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra continues its performance season with Famous Fives, a program of Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D-minor. Read our preview story by…

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Lorraine Swanson

10:09 am on Friday, March 4, 2011

I saw Peter Noone in concert last year. Yes, I am old. He put on a great show. He's very witty and still has the pipes.   more ›