Park Ridge Herald-Advocate

Park Ridge singer is a ‘Jersey Boy’

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:17:54 -0500

He may not have honed his singing skills under a corner streetlamp on the tough streets of New Jersey, but for actor Nick Cosgrove, who stars in “Jersey Boys” at the Bank of America Theatre through June 3, the living room lights of his suburban Chicago home were just as bright — and inspiring. Born and raised in Park Ridge, Cosgrove graduated from Maine South High School and went on to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, double-majoring in music and theater. After working in summer stock in St. Louis “every summer break from college,” Cosgrove says he eventually auditioned for …

Frequently hysterical ‘Hysteria’

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:34:03 -0500

HYSTERIA ★ ★ ★ 1/2 The Victorian era is justly famous for many fine developments: railroads, neo-gothic architecture, universal suffrage, the rise of the middle class and inventions such as photography, the phonograph and the telephone. Stuffiness, too. The Victorians developed stiff, stuffy propriety to its greatest height, which may explain why we seldom associate the era with one of its most revolutionary innovations: the invention of the vibrating personal massager. It certainly explains why there’s rarely a scene in Tanya Wexler’s wonderful (and often very, very funny) romantic comedy “Hysteria” that doesn’t prompt a smile of delight — just …

Morton Grove Library turns page to Read Fest

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:34:03 -0500

Family Fun: celebrate reading in Morton Grove, singalong with Mr. Singer in Wilmette, see ‘Antigone’ in Evanston and enjoy campfire tales in Skokie.

Diversions: 4 picks for the coming week

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:30:59 -0500

Looking for fun, fancy or off-the-beaten-path options for the coming week? We present four, for your consideration.

Skokie artist advocates in work, life

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:23:57 -0500

In the Skokie home of Jacqueline Moses, nearly every inch of every wall is covered with artwork. Each vivid oil painting tells a story. Dozens of plants flourish throughout the rooms and the widow shares her home with four rescued cats and a rescued dog. The artist has always been an advocate for human rights, animal rights and preserving the environment, sharing her concerns through works that frequently reflect on what the future holds if we don’t pay more attention to the way we treat people and our planet. Moses approaches those topics in different ways in her current show …

Skokie native David Cromer directs ‘Rent’ in Chicago

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:18:10 -0500

After dropping out of Evanston Township High School in his junior year, then proceeding to Columbia College, Skokie native David Cromer began his theater career as a Chicago actor around 1980 — and then made a quick and successful segue into directing. Following noteworthy productions in Chicago including Jeff Award-winning stagings of “Angels in America” (in which he also acted) in 1998, “The Price” at Writer’s Theatre in 2002, and “The Cider House Rules” at Famous Door in 2003, Cromer transitioned to New York with a Steppenwolf production of “Orson’s Shadow” in 2005. His subsequent work there includes a long-running …

Park Ridge gallery likes art inside and out

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:18:23 -0500

Inside art is inside and outside art is outside and never the twain shall meet. But two local artists are breaking down those conventional barriers in a new exhibit at the OnView Gallery in Park Ridge. “Inside Out,” on view through June 9, is the first collaboration between photographer Russell Phillips and mixed media artist Andrew Lidgus, who have founded LP Studios. The pieces, designed and treated to withstand the elements, expand the notion of artwork displayed in the garden beyond traditional gnomes and little animals, Phillips said. “Art is about discovery and exploration, and our idea was to create …

Rediscovering a Chicago talent

Sat, 26 May 2012 11:53:53 -0500

Retrospective of Steven Urry at Oakton museum …

Tony Ocean at Chambers in Niles

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:18:42 -0500

Tony Ocean sings music of the Rat Pack, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. May 25 at Chambers, 6881 N. Milwaukee Ave., Niles. Cover is $5. Call (847) 647-8282 or see www.thechambersonline.com. …

One-woman show tells a hairy tale

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:32:39 -0500

Deborah Staples is playing a colorful role at Writers’ Theatre in Glencoe. Actually, she’s playing several of them as “The Blonde, The Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead.” Robert Hewett’s one-woman play begins when a redheaded housewife named Rhonda Russell reveals that her husband is moving out. Rhonda’s response to this revelation leads to a spiraling series of events that affect everyone around her. We learn what happens through monologues presented by six of the people affected — all played by Staples. This is the second time that Staples has tackled the solo show. The first was in 2008 at Milwaukee …

Baha’i concert honors harmony of spirit

Tue, 22 May 2012 20:48:01 -0500

The Sixth Annual Baha’i Choral Festival Sunday promises a multi-cultural experience celebrating the spiritual harmonies of the world’s religions. Featuring 200 voices from Germany, Italy, Bermuda, Barbados, Uganda, Trinidad, Finland, Hawaii and Canada, the Choral Festival will feature 10 choral compositions by Baha’i followers sung with no musical accompaniment. The 1,200-seat, architecturally dynamic Baha’i House of Worship in Wilmette is expected to fill for each of the two concerts Sunday. “Black and white faces, brown faces, people whose cultures are vastly different, we come together to share the music in the Baha’i faith,” said Van Gilmer, Baha’i House of Worship …

NU symphony, choirs premiere oratorio

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:12:00 -0500

The oratorio “Not in Our Time,” written to commemorate the terrorist attacks on 9/11, will receive its United States premiere Sunday at Millennium Park in Chicago. Under the baton of Northwestern University’s Robert A. Harris, the 70-member Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra will perform the work by British composer Richard Blackford. About 175 singers from NU’s Chorale and Chorus and Women’s Chorus, including 62 members of the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, will be on the Pritzker Pavilion stage. Soloists will be tenor Harold Brock and bass-baritone David Govertsen, both Northwestern alumni. The oratorio was commissioned by the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus for its …

Arts and entertainment calendar for May 24

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:20:47 -0500

Stage “After Miss Julie,” presented by Focal Point Theatre Company through June 10 at Piccolo Theatre, 600 Main St., Evanston. Miss Julie, a wealthy politician’s daughter, finds herself entangled in a perilous web of class conflict, seduction and betrayal when she spends the evening with her father’s ambitious valet, John, and loyal cook, Christine. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $20; $15 students and seniors. Visit www.focalpointtheatre.com. “Antigone,” the classic Greek tragedy, will be presented by Mudlark Theater Company at 7:30 p.m. May 24-26 and 6 p.m. May 27 at Next Theatre, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. …

Pedals power fun in Lincolnwood parks

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:52:00 -0500

Family Fun: Push pedals in Lincolnwood, learn about nocturnal animals in Skoke, enjoy ‘Tintin’ in Morton Grove and pose like cranes in Mount Prospect.

Diversions: 4 picks for the coming week

Fri, 18 May 2012 16:47:40 -0500

Looking for fun, fancy or off-the-beaten-path options for the coming week? We present four, for your consideration.

True grit, humor and heart in ‘[title of show]’

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:37:58 -0500

“[title of show]” just may be the most self-referentially meta-musical ever writ. Jeff Bowen (music and lyrics) and Hunter Bell’s (book) musical is about two guys named Jeff and Hunter struggling to create a musical titled “[title of show].” And while theater nerds will delight in the countless inside, (and sometimes self-described “obscure”) references to the musical theater, “[title of show]” is not just a show for Broadway geeks. It matters not if you don’t know “Hairspray” from “Hedwig.” “[title of show]” is a delight from start to finish as it captures the agony and the ecstasy of creating art …