Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
If you closed your eyes and just listened to the voice, it was easy enough to imagine that you were at an Elvis Presley concert Saturday night at the Rosemont Theatre. Heck, even after you opened your eyes, the simulation by Presley stylist Trent Carlini was so good that it was difficult not to get caught up in the hysteria that permeated the concert.
Claudia Skylar and James Mastro never went out on your typical date. Colleagues at the same architecture firm about 20 years ago, they would take their sandwiches to the lunch room and discuss order and chaos in the universe.
“You must be in touch with your emotions if you expect to touch others,” a teacher says early on in “Fame–the Musical.” Too bad the writers of the play didn’t follow this advice. The play, which opened Tuesday night at the Chicago Theatre, wasn’t much of an improvement from the production that rolled into town last year. Full of cliches and stereotypes, the musical lacked memorable, well, music.
The February issue of More contains a hilarious account of one woman’s revenge against a younger man who dumped her. “Romantic rejection is a staggering blow,” writes Benita Gold. “It rattles the self-esteem and can drive one to do strange and otherwise unthinkable things. Perhaps this explains why I pretended to my ex-boyfriend that I was dating Peter Jennings.”
Back in 1977, Pat Ranallo was psyched. He was 23 and about to take a cruise to the West Indies. He and his friend thought they would bask in the sun, meet some women and enjoy their vacation.
The winter issue of National Geographic Adventure includes a fascinating article written by Phil Caputo, who recounts what it was like returning to the battlefields of Vietnam to make peace with the ghost of the 23-year-old platoon leader he once was_and with the past that haunts him still.
It’s one thing watching a guy play bass on stage. It’s another thing seeing him walk toward you in a club. So when Caroline Ansani saw Ted – the man who would become her husband – venturing toward her, she busted a move.
You never know what you’re getting with TLC. In the January issue of Sister 2 Sister, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes is quoted as saying, “I’m the creative force behind TLC.” That’s not even the best part. In the 12-page cover story, Lopes rebuts quotes her bandmates gave to another magazine, saying that she “doesn’t stick with us.”
Just one look was all it took.
Elynne Chaplik Aleskow was dancing at a club when she noticed a man shyly peering at her. Richard Aleskow, who had caught sight of her on his way out, couldn’t stop staring.
These days – after 31 years of marriage – Jean and Doris Banchet communicate to each other in English. But when they met in England in the early 1960s, there was a considerable language barrier.
Let’s face it. Most of us don’t have the genetic makeup (or the trainers and stylists) to look as good as Courteney Cox, Heather Locklear or Jennifer Love Hewitt do on their TV shows. But thanks to a couple of savvy West Coast designers, we can accessorize like the stars with some fabulously affordable and hot jewelry.
Amy and Stephen Hess fell for each other . . . from an airplane.
Collaborating with brothers is nothing new to Patrick Cassidy, whose real-life siblings are former teen idols David and Shaun. But how about the six nephews of Donny Osmond, the singer whom many folks still associate with the starring role in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”?
To parphrase ZZ Top, the Rockettes have legs…and they know how to use them. So it’s not surprising that the 18 leggy dancers were the stars of the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular,” which opened Friday night at the Rosemont Theatre. Displaying no first-night jitters, the Rockettes lived up to showman Russell Markert’s dream of forming a chorus line that moved and behaved as one dancer.
Remember how you threw out your Partridge Family lunch box when you hit high school? Chances are that if you had held onto it, you’d be up $160. Oops.
Former Luvabull Jody Russell is following in the footsteps of Paula Abdul, who parlayed a cheerleading gig into a singing career.
Following on the multi-legged heels of Dreamworks’ often dark and somber computer animation debut “Antz,” “A Bug’s Life” is Disney’s colorful follow-up to its mega-blockbuster “Toy Story.” While it doesn’t have the wit or great performances of “Toy Story,” it’s amusing in its own right and the animation by Pixar is even more astounding.
Jean and Charles Halevi met in 1981. She was a local reporter working on a story. He was the public relations representative helping her get the information she needed for her piece.
The November issue of Mode features “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” co-star Caroline Rhea on its cover. The congenial, transplanted Canadian speaks about her friendship with “The Practice” star Camryn Manheim, her upcoming marriage next year and, of course, fashion.
“Fatty Drives the Bus” sure sounds odd enough to be the followup to the Annoyance Theatre’s best known production, “Co-Ed Prison Sluts.” But the feature – which hits video stores today – actually marks the Chicago-based improv troupe’s first foray into film.