Valentine's Day is nothing but a pre-fab holiday designed to get consumers to spend money on crap for each other ... especially if you're single. Instead of battling the hordes for a good table at a restaurant this evening, why not just order out from Art of Pizza, rent a movie and enjoy a few hours of twisted romance with one of these: more ›

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the first network television broadcast of The Wizard of Oz. The first CBS broadcast (which was on WBBM Channel 2 in Chicago) was introduced by Bert Lahr with a 10-year-old Liza Minnelli sitting on his lap. Back then, people were unfamiliar enough with the film that viewers were warned that it opens in black and white, lest they think something was wrong with their color televisions. Except for the years 1957-1958 and 1963 (because of JFK's assassination), it has been broadcast annually. The Wizard of Oz has been seen by more people than any other movie (an estimated one billion), and a 1998 Gallup Poll reported that 94% of American adults had seen the film. more ›

Tommy Rapley, The House Theatre of Chicago more ›

Chicagoist is pleased to announce a new feature we're adding called Ask Chicagoist and a new contributor who's going to be answering all of your questions, Sarah Nielson. Sarah is a resident of Hyde Park but previous to living in Chicago she lived in Seattle where she wrote an advice column for the Belltown Messenger. Sarah's goal has always been to fill the advice abyss that falls outside the specialized fields of Dan Savage, Miss... more ›

While the recent Band Aid 20 single did little more than make most Americans say “Wait…Bob Geldof’s still alive?”, music is often the best way to people's hearts, minds and--most importantly: wallets. As private donations to various relief efforts in this country have topped more than $200 million, several local music venues have started efforts to assist those in need. HotHouse in the South Loop leads the pack with a pair of benefit shows. No... more ›