Two tidbits of touring-theater news: Spring Awakening, Duncan Sheik's ribald, iconoclastic rock opera, will play in Chicago August 4-16, 2009. Mark your calendars--Spring Awakening is amazing. Like most great rock operas, Awakening has 19th century German source material and is mostly about screwing, but is a little about dying and growing up, too. Take a listen to "The Bitch of Living", which is one of our faves from the show. Rent is making a return......

Avenue Q has finally arrived on Randolph Street here in Chicago. Photo by Popix. “Avenue Q,” the Tony-award winning Broadway sensation has finally made its way to Chicago after beginning a national tour last summer. The musical follows the lives of a group of recent college graduates while struggling to make ends meet as young urbanites. “Avenue Q” is unlike other musicals, though, in that it stars a cast of puppets who sing outrageously......

Many would say Chicago tops the list of America’s funniest cities, so it’s fitting that our town created an awards show exclusively to honor Chicago comics. The Second Annual Chicago Comedy Awards, a three-day extravaganza taking place this weekend, sets the stage for local comedians to, well, celebrate themselves. The show is an expansion of last year’s, which included only four awards. This year they’ve dropped the “Most Improved Comedian” award -- er, maybe because......

We have read enough Roald Dahl to be instantly sold on anything influenced by him or based on his work. He could certainly knock out a mean children’s book, but this time it’s his adult content that is being adapted for the stage. Every Saturday from now through April 5, The Annoyance Theater is showing Georgy Porgy and Other Stories by Roald Dahl, using both video and the stage to interpret several of Dahl’s darker,......

We sometimes wonder how many people think seeing a dance performance will be something like out of The Big Lebowski. But considering the depth and versatility of the Chicago dance scene, finding a dance show really becomes a matter of how you prefer to be entertained, rather than expecting to be disappointed. Chicago Dance Crash = fun. This is a completely unique dance experience that really works for both newbies and regulars to the dance......

We love t-shirts, and it seems we can’t ever have too many balled up in our dresser drawers, but it’s never fun to have the same ones everyone else has. (Think “Vote For Pedro,” or “More Cowbell.”) Thank goodness for Threadless, the online t-shirt vendor and Lakeview store that keeps its merchandise constantly rotating and therefore minty fresh. Threadless stocks its t-shirts on a rolling admissions basis. Artists submit their designs and after a......

If you're cramming for a test, need a post-dinner pick me up or want a Paul McCartney CD between the hours of 5:30 and 8:30 tonight, you'll have to go somewhere other than Starbucks. Nearly all of the coffee chain's locations will be closed for a company-wide education and training session for employees. Dunkin' Donuts just happens to have a promotion running today and will be giving away free lattes. Our favorite quote in......

Let's start things off right this weekend with a grappa tasting this evening from 6-7:30 p.m. at Taste Food and Wine in Rogers Park, shall we? Yes, we shall. As we mentioned a few weeks ago, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau's first restaurant week, Eat It Up, begins this evening. Through next Friday, participating restaurants three-course price fixe lunches for $21.95 and dinners for $31.95. Congratulations to Provenance Food and Wine, which celebrates......

Photo by Nick D. (embiggen) Did the president of Medill use made-up quotes in a newsletter? We...barely care. What really bugs us is journalists citing the existence of Facebook group as some kind of indicator of anything--"students and alumni joined the new 'Save Journalism at Medill' group on Facebook. On Tuesday afternoon, there were nearly 90 members ...." There are 650 fulltime students at Medill. Fewer than 90 of them clicked a button. Agh,......

The Little Dog Laughed, About Face Theater's current production up at Center on Halsted, is supposed to have a nude scene in it. But the Chicago version has the boys in their manpanties, and the playwright is none too pleased with the sanitized version of his work. Douglas Carter Beane's Little Dog, about a closeted movie star, the male sexworker he falls in love with, his vicious agent, and some shrewy chick they know, ran......

Who needs a drink after this year's primaries? Don't worry, with both Mardi Gras and Super Tuesday today, there's plenty going on around town where you can get your drink on, and watch the election returns. Crew Bar and Grill, at 4804 N. Broadway is hosting a Super Tuesday Primary Returns watching party. Bring your voting receipt and the first drink's on them (up to a $5 value). Piece, at 1927 W. North Ave. is......

It's been a hard week for Oprah. Seems some peeps are mad that Oprah signed Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (mouthful of a name) to her Oprah and Friends XM radio station. They're questioning how Oprah could sign someone who backs Giuliani when her support is so strong for Obama. Wah? This is why we don't wish for fame. Oh, and this reason: one of the other news stories this week is how Oprah is a......

Our pal Ben spotted this Chase ad at the Jackson red line stop and noticed that, despite touting the bank's new Chicago locations, the sign had some local geography issues. Like listing intersections in New York, not Chicago. 54th & 3rd, Bowery & Division, 39th & Broadway, Delancy & Essex, 27th & Park, 42nd & Columbus, 47th & Madison, Canal & Varick, 53rd & Park.... yeah, those aren't here.......

Stella's on Broadway in Lakeview is packed to the gills for brunch every weekend. If you ask us, however, the most interesting times to eat here are Monday through Friday nights just after 5 o'clock. You'll encounter the early dinner crowd: people who just don't have the patience or inclination to wait until 7. One of the things they like to eat the most is the egg salad sandwich. The egg salad at Stella's......

Georgette Watson, the 46-year-old principal of Brentano Math and Science Academy in Logan Square, died yesterday while she was having a root canal. According to reports, she was anesthetized, but it's not clear yet if she was under general or local anesthesia. She stopped breathing 40 minutes into the procedure, and despite efforts to revive her, she died. Her autopsy is scheduled for today, but she appears to have had a heart attack. Watson, who......

Bin 36 hosted their annual Bubbles Bash last night where 450 revelers ate and drank, then drank ome more, to their heart’s delight. Champagne, cava, prosecco, sekt, and sparklers from a full range of countries flowed for hours making a dark and drizzly Wednesday night into a scintillating celebration of friends, flavors, and holiday festivities. It’s amazing what a little CO2 can do! Buy it. Sip it. Gift it. Make chocolate champagne truffles out of......

The cold weather - and holiday festivities - descended upon Gothamist. The Rockefeller Christmas tree was lit, Broadway stagehand finally ended their strike, and NASCAR decided to run their victory lap through Times Square. There were disturbing photographs revealing the working conditions in which many city manholes are produced and ninjas were also a hot topic, either robbing homes or entering into alibis. But the city was really rocked by how Rudy Giuliani's visits......

Last year, perhaps a little earlier, we gave you a quick run-down of where you could buy yourself a turkey and at what cost. We felt that it would be nice of us to do that again for you ... not to mention the fact that we haven't had time to get a turkey for ourselves. So, without further ado, a decidedly skewed to the north side turkey roundup. Dominick's located at 6009 N Broadway......

pH Productions hit our radar when they started pHlooding the Hottix page with their uniquely titled late-night shows, like pHamily and pHrenzy pHucked. Then came their emails, replete with creative pHonetics: “Hi pHans… pHrenz-o-ween is coming!” The company was started by a handful of comedians who quickly established a niche for delivering slightly more affordable late night improv comedy at Lakeview’s Stage Left. Each audition attracted more aspiring comedians, and pH now has a 24-member......

Steppenwolf’s Broadway offering went dark this weekend thanks to the Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employee strike, now in its third day. August: Osage County, a rousing critical favorite and the company’s best received show in a long time, was in its second preview week at the Imperial Theatre, drawing 800-900 patrons per night to the 1,400 seat house. In a move largely overshadowed by a certain other strike, the stagehands......

After a wildly successful run on Broadway that received 8 Tony nominations and 4 wins, including best musical, Jersey Boys toured the country before arriving in Chicago for a six-month stint down at The LaSalle Bank Theatre. Jersey Boys is a greatest-hits tour through the successes and hardships of The Four Seasons. The show is a big and beautiful example of all the glitz and glamor that Broadway cooks up these days. Part concert,......

The Chicago Theatre is being sold to Madison Square Garden. At least that's what Chris Jones is saying. According to the article, Madison Square Garden Entertainment has agreed to purchase the downtown landmark and is just waiting for a few formalities — like the City signing off on the sale — before closing the deal. MSGE owns — duh — Madison Square Garden, plus Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theater in NY. It's......

Brooklyn-based design blog, Design*Sponge, recently premiered a sleek new look, and today the site rolled out a Chicago Design Guide, the latest in a series of city-focused lists dedicated to help folks find all the best spots for furniture, home accessories and over-priced knickknacks. Penned by recent Chicago transplant, Lizzie Garrett, the guide lists the usual suspects (Sprout, i.D., Scout), with most stores grouped in Bucktown/Wicker Park and Lincoln Park/Lakeview. Overall, the list is thorough,......

When a theatrical production in Chicago receives seven Jeff Awards, there's definitely something buzz-worthy about it. Picking up the awards for Outstanding New Work, Production, Director, Ensemble, Original Music, Projection Design and Choreography, The House Theatre's production of The Sparrow was the must-see show earlier this year. Everyone around town was trying to get tickets. When the show extended its run another six-weeks, seats sold out in a matter of days, setting box office records......

Looking forward The Chicago Chamber Musicians are giving it away today and all first Mondays through August 2008 at the Chicago Cultural Center, a series of monthly free concerts kicking off with Eric Ewazen's Trio in E-Flat and Alexander Arutunian's Trumpet Concerto in A-Flat Major. Caro d’Offay Gallery invites contributions from aspiring and established sculptors for Colorist Chess, an interactive exhibition linking imaginative writing and creative imagery. Artists — established, aspiring, and otherwise — are......

Grab your quirky t-shirts and head over to the Metro tonight to celebrate the grand opening of the first Threadless store at 3011 N. Broadway in Chicago. To really tee it up and kick it off right tonight, Threadless and Metro are bringing you two free shows. Tonight's lineup will feature Hey Mercedes, Anathallo, Freer and host Marcus Monroe. It starts at 6:00 p.m. and is open to all ages, but you will have......

Here's what happened while a punk rock choir distracted us from Doomsday: Fall arts season preview season is here. If you didn’t pick up a Reader over the weekend, you can still bookmark their A & E preview online. The Trib’s writers chose their 10 most promising in theater, art, dance, music (rock and otherwise), comedy and architecture. The Bright One previews Broadway in Chicago and upcoming rock concerts and CDs (remember those?). New City......

The saucy singing puppets of the Tony Award-Winning Avenue Q will finally be coming to Chicago, but not for a long run. And it’s going to be a while before they call Chicago home. As part of their national tour, which began this July, the puppets will spend two weeks from May 27 to June 7, 2008 at Cadillac Palace Theatre as part of the Broadway in Chicago series. Inspired by Sesame Street, the show’s......

Well, it is shaping up to be quite the warm weekend. Any of our lovely readers want to invite us to some type of pool party? We'll bring waterwings shaped like Mayor Daley's face. Someone should really make those. In the event we receive no invitations, we've lined up some other activities certain to help you, and us, take advantage of another weekend. As we mentioned yesterday, Calsfest 2007 is taking place at Cal's Liquors,......

Chicago’s comedy scene is more than a small world, it’s a densely knit web. Everyone’s leaning on someone for something, from professional improv instruction to drunken 2 a.m. inspiration for the next routine. And with fame comes increasing gratitude for close friends and casual online “friends.” Comic, writer and all-around Big Man in Chicago Robert Buscemi is celebrating, with a little help from his friends, the DVD release of Robert Buscemi, (t)wit!, capturing his sold-out......