Chicago Weekend Fun!

There are a lot of very affordable (cheap) entertainment and (family) fun options this weekend in Chicago. Whether you live in the suburbs or are planning on getting a hotel room and vacationing in Chicago for the weekend, there is lots to do. If you haven’t gotten tickets to see the award winning show Wicked (the musical) or Jersey [...]

The 4th of July is almost here and everyone is heading out to their favorite restaurants with outdoor patios and putting on the sunblock to go to the beach in Chicago. It is that rare time of year when we forget that Chicago is really a cold and desolate place the rest of the year [...]

I just heard about this discount from the Hard Rock Chicago Hotel at 230 N Michigan Avenue and wanted to share it. The Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago is an elegantly restored art deco style historic hotel downtown in the loop. It is located almost across the street from Millennium Park and very close to Grant [...]

I am so excited to see that August Osage County has won 4 Tony Awards this year since it is an amazing play that had it’s start right here in Chicago at the Steppenwolf Theater. I saw this shocking and yet riveting play last summer in 2007 in it’s run at Steppenwolf Theater on the [...]

In case you haven’t already heard, this year’s most eagerly anticipated concert is coming to the Chicago Theater this week. The Swell Season with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova will be in Chicago on their national Tour following their Oscar win for the songs from the Movie Once. (song: Falling Slowly) And I have found from [...]

Chicago’s IO Theater has been a local school and proving ground for improv and comedy royalty for decades. These are the shows currently running at IO Theater in Chicago and my thoughts on the shows and actors I have seen. Most of the time when I go to IO, the improvisers surprise and enlighten me [...]

The Chicago Improv Festival is always a great collection of shows and improvised comedy for one week every year. This year it snuck up on me because I have been focusing on other things (like this blog) and not doing Improv classes anymore. That said, I hope to still get tickets and attend some of [...]

It finally feels like spring in Chicago and we should get out and enjoy it before the oppressive heat starts! Here are some suggestions for activities and events this weekend in Chicago.
1. Chicago Green City Market opens on May 14th and they have a special event with Mayor Daley on Saturday May 17th. The Market [...]

This is exciting news for Tracy Letts, the cast of August: Osage County and for Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. Tracy Letts just was named as the Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama. The Pulitzer Prize site describes this award as:  “For a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with [...]

Avenue Q was the Broadway theater hit of 2003.It was the play that everyone was talking about and it won the best play of the year Tony award in 2003 also. People flocked to NYC to see Avenue Q and marvel at the truth in comedy told by these Sesame Street-esque characters who tell it like it [...]

Looptopia is a Chicago festival that celebrates the Loop area (inside the L tracks loop) downtown. Looptopia is a night time festival with arts performances, exhibitions, music, food comedy and many other cool entertainment to take in that evening. It is meant to help celebrate the rebirth and renewal of the Loop area of Chicago in [...]

World famous UK standup comedian and actor Eddie Izzard is coming to do shows in Chicago for the first time since 2003. Eddie is playing 3 shows in May (15, 16, 17) at the 3,000 seat Chicago Theater on State & Lake Street in the loop.  These 3 shows will all sell out fast. Expect about an hour and a half of [...]

I just read that the very popular American Girl Store near Michigan Avenue in Chicago is closing and moving! The Chicago American Girl Place Store at 111 East Chicago Avenue will close its doors it will re-open at Water Tower Place further down Michigan Avenue. They also mentioned that they will be closing down their basement [...]

Every February despite the cold weather, Chicago’s Chinatown comes alive with decorations, lions and lots of food in celebration of the Chinese New Year. This year it falls on Thursday February 7, 2008. Last year in 2007 was the year of the Pig and in 2008 it is the year of the Rat. Each Zodiac animal [...]

The Chicago Sketchfest Comedy Festival is awesome. I just went to see a double feature show last night and saw Space Future and Chronic Optimism. They are both local Chicago groups that perform at IO and Second City and Annoyance theaters. I haven’t been blogging as much latley due to work constraints so I didn’t post this earlier, [...]