Post-Tribune

Costner, Paxton make fine pair of feuders on History

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:57:25 -0500

Now that ABC’s retribution romp, “Revenge,” has ended its first season, satisfy your bloodlust with a History channel miniseries about the ultimate family feud — this one featuring horses, moonshine and muskets. “Hatfields & McCoys” tells the true story of a legendary grudge match that started at the end of the Civil War and dragged on for decades, nearly igniting a war of its own between Kentucky and West Virginia. It stars Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton as the respective patriarchs of the Hatfield and McCoy clans. The three-part drama is an intimate look at a notorious rivalry that made …

Chicago Street staging local playwright’s latest

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:11:05 -0500

The Chicago Street Theatre will present the latest work by resident playwright Jim Henry, running May 25-June 9. Directed by Traci Brant and Jonni Pera, “Brother of All” follows Leonard Street as he undergoes a psychiatric evaluation as a result of a shocking family tragedy. The cast features Jordan Chaddock, Tim Gleason, Josh Eggleston, Caroline Rau Geldernick and Grant Fitch. The Chicago Street Theatre is located at 154 W. Chicago St., Valparaiso. Call 464-1636 for reservations. ‘Oklahoma!’ The Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso brings the classic American musical “Oklahoma!” to the stage June 1-10. Directed by Colleen Archer and John …

SPEAKING WITH NICK COSGROVE

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:18:00 -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, Penn., double-majoring in music and theater. After working in summer stock in St. Louis “every summer break from college,” Cosgrove says he eventually auditioned …

New and ongoing movies, May 25

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:11:29 -0500

New Movies Men in Black 3 Critic’s rating: 3 stars Rated: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and brief suggestive content. Length: 1 hr., 45 min. Stars: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Jemaine Clement. When Agent K’s life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J travels back in time to put things right. Chernobyl Diaries Critic’s rating: Not reviewed Rated: R for violence, some bloody images and pervasive language. Length: 1 hr., 30 min. Stars: Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Dimitri Diatchenko, Olivia Taylor Dudley and Devin Kelley. Looking for adventure, six young vacationers visit …

‘Jersey Boys’ star: ‘I sang before I could talk’

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:11:44 -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, Ill., Cosgrove 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 the Tony Award-winning musical, landing the …

Playing outside the box

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:12:23 -0500

ONTROEREND GOED’S ‘A HISTORY OF EVERYTHING’ Ontroerend Goed is a Belgian company that tries to stretch the traditional definition of theater. Widely known in Europe and beyond, the ensemble — whose name translates roughly as “Feel Estate” — now is being discovered by Chicago audiences as it stages the U.S. premiere of its production, “A History of Everything,” at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Criss Henderson, executive director of Chicago Shakespeare, has been watching the company’s productions for several years trying to find just the right one for his theater. “I even participated in one of their shows called ‘Internal,’ in which …

Summer fests abound

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:10:55 -0500

Memorial Day Weekend heralds the beginning of summer and with that comes the outdoor festival season. From downtown Chicago to city neighborhoods to the suburbs, outdoor festivals abound. Although a few have disappeared due to tough economic times, new fests have stepped up to the plate, so there is no shortage of choices. The biggest news on the fest scene is changes to this year’s Taste of Chicago in Grant Park. It’s later in the summer and shorter — July 11-15 — and there will a charge for concerts ($25) for seats in the Petrillo Music Shell. The 30,000 lawn …

‘American Idol’: Phillip Phillips better than Jessica Sanchez

Wed, 23 May 2012 09:56:00 -0500

LORI RACKL: Both sound great in final three performances, but Phillip Phillips’ gusto gives him the edge to win Wednesday after a weak song choice by Jessica Sanchez.

Hate-watching: How to find joy in TV you scorn

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:32:00 -0500

NEW YORK (AP) — All this time I’ve been hate-watching and I never even knew it. Turns out, “hate-watch” is a fancy term for watching shows you don’t like but get perverse satisfaction from. Hate-watching is a sport that used to fall under the broad term “guilty pleasure,” but now seems retrofitted for the age of social media. It goes something like this: You watch a show you wouldn’t choose to watch for any reason other than to mock it for its awfulness — say, by sharing snide Twitter exchanges with like-minded hate-watchers when the program airs. Collective delight. Lately, …

Hugh Laurie’s proud that he kept ‘House’ intact

Mon, 21 May 2012 16:22:01 -0500

As the Fox medical drama concludes its eight-season run Monday, the star boasts, “I never felt that we did anything that wasn’t true to the character or the show — like, ‘House gets a puppy.’ ”

Will Smith betting on ‘Black’ after four-year hiatus

Sun, 20 May 2012 21:58:11 -0500

LOS ANGELES — Will Smith has been quietly absent from the big screen since 2008. Why? He’s been building a family empire. Wife Jada’s TV show “HawthoRNe.” Daughter Willow’s hit single “Whip My Hair.” Son Jaden’s “Karate Kid” remake. “Oh man, I go back to this particular time in my life as a child when I watched ‘Dallas.’ As long as I can remember that was my vision for my life,” Smith says. “I loved that their property had a name. They called it Southfork. I thought, ‘How does a house have a name?’ Our house doesn’t have a name. …

Hagar: Not surprised at Van Halen tour woes

Sun, 20 May 2012 00:04:41 -0500

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Right now, Sammy Hagar is awfully glad he’s not in Van Halen anymore. The legendary rock band he led for more than a decade after replacing David Lee Roth in 1986 launched a tour in February with Roth back at the helm. But Van Halen on Thursday postponed dozens of shows this summer that had been scheduled for months, without giving a reason. Hagar thinks he knows why. “They’re hard people to get along with, those brothers,” Hagar told The Associated Press on Friday. “Otherwise I’d still be in the band. “I’m surprised it took …

Clint Eastwood’s family gets real on new E! series

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:52:13 -0500

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dina Eastwood has heard the question repeatedly: Why put her family and superstar husband Clint Eastwood on display for a reality TV show, generally the province of D-list or wannabe celebrities? The answer is simple, she said. “Mrs. Eastwood & Company,” the E! series debuting 10 p.m. EDT Sunday, is her bid for stardom — not for herself, but for a vocal group, Overtone, that has become her passion. “I had a midlife crisis and I adopted a boy band,” said the breezily candid Eastwood. “I was edgy, I didn’t know what I was doing. Clint …

Donna Summer, queen of disco, dead at 63

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:53:50 -0500

Disco queen Donna Summer, whose pulsing anthems such as “Last Dance,” ‘’Love to Love You Baby” and “Bad Girls” became the soundtrack for a glittery age of sex, drugs, dance and flashy clothes, has died. She was 63.

‘Bugs’ go to extremes at Brookfield

Fri, 18 May 2012 02:13:33 -0500

Small but mighty. That’s the way Brookfield Zoo’s new “Xtreme Bugs” exhibit looks at insects. Through larger-than-life animatronic animals and live insects, “Bugs” spotlights the critical roles these diminutive creatures play in the environment, culture and the global economy. The temporary exhibit showcasing 22 animatronic arthropods runs May 19 through Sept. 7 in Brookfield, Ill. “The main reason we’re doing this animatronic bug exhibit and bringing bugs to guests in larger-than-life form is really to exemplify and show the major impact these animals have on our daily lives, our history, culture as well as their environment,” said Andre Copeland, interpretive …

As ‘SNL’ season ends, signs of a coming shift

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:30:01 -0500

NEW YORK — How can “Saturday Night Live” possibly replace (fill in the blank)? How many times have we asked that question across nearly four decades? “Impossible!” said some in 2006 when Tina Fey, Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz and Rachel Dratch headed for the door, only to be followed two years later by her friend and “Weekend Update” co-host Amy Poehler. But in their wake grew one of the most versatile, multi-threat casts in “SNL” history, one that firmly established its own “SNL” era. Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader and Jason Sudeikis all became cast members in the 2005-2006 …