Goldstar

In this musical version of the exploits of Mr. Toad, an amphibian obsessed with motor cars, his steadfast friends, Rat, Mole and Badger, attempt to break Toad of his terrible habit, against the background of a class struggle in the Wildwood. Featuring an eclectic score made up of rock, reggae, tin-pan alley, spirituals and a Gilbert and Sullivan send-up, The Wind in the Willows is a masterpiece for all ages. Learn more...

BackStage Theatre Company presents a dark and disturbing play by writer and actor Wallace Shawn (My Dinner with Andre). In Aunt Dan and Lemon, a reclusive young woman named Lemon recounts her seemingly ordinary life story, which becomes increasingly dominated by an eccentric family friend known as Aunt Dan. The play serves as a complex meditation on compassion and morality. Learn more...

Now at the Apollo Theater after a sold-out limited engagement, the new musical Million Dollar Quartet recaptures the memorable December 4, 1956 night when legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins met in Memphis for an impromptu jam session. The show is loaded with rock 'n' roll hits such as "Blue Suede Shoes," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire." Learn more...

Everyone's favorite softhearted buccaneers are back, and they're in the mood for matrimony. Join the dashing Pirate King, the bumbling Sergeant of Police and the Modern Major General for a swashbuckling holiday good time. Includes the classic songs "Poor Wand'ring One," "I Am a Pirate King," "A Policeman's Lot is Not a Happy One" and "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General" played by a 26 piece orchestra. Learn more...

Laugh Out Loud Theater presents a night of completely improvised holiday-themed comedy. In The Ha-Ha-Holiday Show, an experienced group of improvisers will use audience suggestions to inspire short comedy scenes, holiday games, improvised carols, and more. Learn more...

The yuletide season really is the most wonderful time of the year, especially when The Flaming Dames return to spike your eggnog with their brand new holiday-themed burlesque revue, Naughtier & Nicer. This December, the Dames will fill your stockings with a combination of song and dance that would even put a smile on the face of Ebenezer Scrooge. Learn more...

Nicholas Kraemer, one of today's leading Baroque music specialists, lets the musicians of the CSO shine in a selection of 18th-century gems. He completes the concert with Strauss' elegiac Metamorphosen, an intimate work for 23 solo strings. Learn more...

Chicago Symphony Orchestra's popular Beyond the Score series explores Mahler's Fourth Symphony. One of the conductor's most irresistible works, it draws from folk songs, klezmer, military marches and many more sources. The program will begin with a live multimedia documentary, exploring the Fourth Symphony's cultural and musical context, before the CSO performs the work in its entirety. Learn more...

The Tony Award-winning Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific comes to the Rosemont Theatre. Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. Learn more...

Family favorite A Christmas Carol is back at Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace this holiday season. In Drury Lane Children's Theatre's production of this Dickens classic, an old miser has an incredible change of heart over the course of one night after being visited by ghosts from Christmas past, present and future. Learn more...

Thoroughly Modern Millie is a humorous story of a young girl from Kansas who takes New York City by storm as she flaps, taps and Charlestons her way into the Roaring '20s. Millie experiences the hustle and bustle of Jazz Age Manhattan at a time when women were just entering the workforce and rewriting society's rules. It's a funny, romantic story about following dreams and falling in love. Learn more...

Raven Theatre presents Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Justly revered as one of the finest plays in American history, the story of traveling salesman Willy loman and his desperate pursuit of the American Dream remains stunningly powerful and tragic today. Learn more...

The Chicago Bulls host their longtime rivals, the Detroit Pistons, at the United Center. The classic NBA rivalry was rekindled this summer, when former Bulls guard Ben Gordon signed with the Pistons. The Bulls' stars include spectacular point guard and 2009 Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose. Learn more...

Amber Spa combines a peaceful and beautifully modern environment with a highly trained, friendly staff to offer the most advanced spa services available. Enjoy facials, massages, manicures, pedicures, waxing and body treatments, and more in a tranquil atmosphere with beautiful paintings and stained glass works on display. Learn more...

Medieval Times is an exciting, family-friendly dinner attraction inspired by an 11th century feast and tournament. Guests are served a four-course banquet and cheer for one of six knights as they compete in the joust and other tests of skill. Expect lots of jousting, swordsmanship, thrilling hand-to-hand combat, and displays of extraordinary horsemanship as part of an exciting story set in Medieval Spain. Learn more...

Two of the NBA's top point guards face off on a Saturday night, as Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls host Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets. Paul led the league in assists last season, while Rose won the Rookie of the Year award. Learn more...

Porchlight Music Theatre presents Miracle on 34th Street, a stage adaptation of the classic holiday movie. A kindly old gentleman takes a job as a department store Santa. He claims to be the genuine article, convincing a cynical divorced single mother, her somber daughter, and the entire state of New York that Santa Claus is no myth. Learn more...

Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and the Chicago Bulls host the New York Knicks at the United Center. The Bulls are led by 2009 Rookie of the Year Rose, one of the league's brightest rising stars. Mike D'Antoni's Knicks are known for their fast-paced offense. Learn more...

Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors face the Chicago Bulls in NBA action. The Bulls are led by 2009 Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose and high-scoring small forward Luol Deng. Learn more...

Chicago's oldest cemetery is the backdrop for Graceland, the story of four lonely Chicagoans -- including a brother and sister dealing with their father's suicide -- whose lives collide one August weekend while the Blue Angels airshow is in town. This world premiere comedy-drama deals with the loneliness of family, the tenderness of strangers and the unexpected benefits of bad decisions. Learn more...

In a time of national tragedy, the world changes overnight. On September 12, 2001, Ben Harcourt finds himself in the downtown apartment of his lover, Abby Prescott. Over the course of the night, Ben and Abby explore the choices now available to them in an existence different from the one they knew just the day before. LaBute presents the brutal realities of their relationship and explores whether one can be truly opportunistic in a time of universal selflessness. Learn more...

The Holiday Hop is a rockin', smooth and soulful holiday to remember with great '50s and '60s chart-topping groups performing under one roof. The Coasters, The Platters and The Marvelettes lead a non-stop sing-along song list with favorites like: "The Great Pretender," "Only You," "My Girl," "Charlie Brown," "Yakety Yak," "Please Mr. Postman" and a few holiday surprises. Learn more...

As part of an annual holiday tradition, The Victory Gardens Theatre presents The Snow Queen. Hans Christian Andersen's beloved winter tale comes to life in a show featuring human actors alongside delightful puppetry and Michael Smith's magical, wickedly funny score. Learn more...

Lincoln Park Massage Spa invites you to a sanctuary in the city, created with your satisfaction in mind. Discover comfort, serenity and balance during a decadent 90 minute spa experience of your choice. Learn more...

Remy Bumppo Theatre Co. presents Heroes. Tom Stoppard's Olivier Award-winning translation of Gerald Sibleyras's comedy tells the funny and bittersweet story of three French World War I veterans who keep each other company on the back terrace of a retired soldiers' home, exchanging quips and plotting to escape to a grand adventure in Indochina. Learn more...

The greatest "Ziggy Stardust" Christmas special that never was features singing and dancing impersonations of Mick Jagger, Annie Lennox, Iggy Pop, Marianne Faithfull, Paul Lynde, Charo and the Ghost of Freddy Mercury. But when the mysterious Bizarro Bowie appears to reveal secrets from his past, this '70s glam rock sleigh ride really gets bizarre. Learn more...

A young advertising executive reaches the breaking point and decides to disappear. He turns to an expert for a detailed lesson in the art of escape. The mission? To dispose of everything that defined his former self. How to Disappear... is an adrenaline-charged play that won the 38th Arts Council John Whiting Award for New Theatre Writing and a 2007 Peter Brook Award. Learn more...

For over a decade, Puppetry of the Penis has been making audiences laugh worldwide with unclad "puppeteers" who stretch themselves to the limit performing genital origami. The two performers move through a series of tricks, contorting themselves into shapes such as the "Hamburger" and "Loch Ness Monster." Learn more...

American Blues Theater presents a live radio-style performance of Frank Capra's holiday masterpiece on stage at the Biograph Theater. Complete with live sound effects and an original score, It's a Wonderful Life recreates a 1940s-era radio broadcast of this heartwarming tale of troubled George Bailey's Christmas Eve journey through his life history. Learn more...

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, known around the world for its innovative, athletic repertoire by top choreographers, presents its Winter Series. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton, the program includes Off Screen by Alejandro Cerrudo, Tabula Rasa by Ohad Naharin and Walking Mad by Johan Inger. Learn more...

The acclaimed International Gem and Jewelry Show presents the most dazzling display of gems, jewelry, beads, accessories and minerals ever seen under one roof. The huge selection, along with special show pricing direct from worldwide designers and manufacturers, make this show a must for gem enthusiasts and jewelry lovers alike. Learn more...

Silent Theatre Company welcomes visitors into the mysterious underground world of a traveling carnival. In the midst of fire breathers, fortune tellers, bestial tamers and natural freaks, a somber secret lies - a curse that binds them all together. With a live band and physical acts of carnival performance, this original dark fable combines the styles of Tim Burton and Edward Gorey in a thrilling and enchanting ride through a world of whimsy and the macabre. Learn more...

You Can't Take It With You follows the clash between a conservative family and the more eccentric Sycamore-Vanderhof household. Full of fast pacing and witty one-liners, the play, written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, has entertained audiences for over 70 years. It's a classic comedy that is as fresh as ever. Learn more...

Step aboard the Spirit of Chicago for unparalleled lakefront cruising fun. Dine on a delicious buffet lunch or dinner, dance, enjoy Broadway-quality entertainers and catch breathtaking views of the city's historic skyline. Learn more...

Noble Fool presents a holiday-themed sequel to the musical hit Forever Plaid. Thanks to a heavenly phone call from Rosemary Clooney, the four Plaid men return to harmonize on songs from the 1930s, '40s and '50s in their own hilarious tribute to the classic Ed Sullivan Christmas Spectaculars. Learn more...

It doesn't matter what denomination you are, anyone can enjoy Burlesque Is More, a holiday-themed version of the popular Late Night Tit Bits. Featuring acts by seven stimulating ladies, you'll get to know the girls as they tackle a problem based on a suggestion from the audience, with assistance from their ever-helpful Club Owner, Nick Divencenzo. Learn more...

Factory Theater's 1985 imagines an Orwellian Chicago where disavowing oneself from team loyalty isn't easy and might just be impossible. Winston Smith is sick of losing. The major sports teams in Chicago let him down time and time again. He's done. Or is he? If the Bears win, what will be the cost? On the heels of Chicago's failed Olympic bid, 1985 examines the culture and heart of a city that demands victory, but rarely achieves it. Learn more...

Chants de Noël: A French Christmas is a concert of holiday gems by French composers and arrangements of French carols sung in French, Latin and English. The program includes such carols as "Il est né le divin enfant," "Masters in this Hall," "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Noël nouvelet." The centerpiece on the program is Saint-Saens' Christmas Oratorio for chorus, organ, harp and string quartet. Learn more...

A groundbreaking children's animated classical music experience, Barbie at the Symphony is a film with orchestra presentation of the best-selling Barbie "Princess" movies. This series of CGI animated films features Barbie singing and dancing to some of the world's best-loved musical scores with ballet sequences choreographed by Peter Martins of the renowned New York City Ballet. Learn more...

Join Jack the Bird and LeeLee the Christmas Tree as they set out on an adventure to find Holli the Snow Princess to save Christmas. This musical for families continues Li'l Buds' tradition of casting professional actors and children together to create a high quality theatrical experience that speaks to kid and adult audiences alike. Learn more...

The Chicago Ensemble presents a relaxing program of classical piano trios performed by leading Chicago classical musicians. A complimentary wine reception precedes each performance, and the program includes works by Beethoven, Shostakovich and Dvořák. Learn more...

Adventure Stage Chicago presents Gossamer. Based on a book by Newbery Medal-winning author Lois Lowry, Gossamer tells an inspiring story of the magical creatures who create dreams. A young Dream-Giver struggles to heal the hearts of an abused young boy and those around him in this powerful story, told with the aid of colorful projections and enchanting puppetry. Learn more...

The Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival returns to the Congress Theater for a second year. This day-long festival features performances by over two dozen bands, including Grammy-winner Béla Fleck and his Flecktones, psych-folk outfit Dr. Dog, and other artists playing music ranging from bluegrass and blues to rock, jam band and funk. Learn more...

Piccolo presents Perseus & Medusa: Or It's All Greek to Me! as its 7th-annual holiday Panto. A story of monsters, gods and true love, Perseus & Medusa takes audiences on a wild ride through the world of Greek mythology. Learn more...

Eclipse Theatre Company presents Romulus Linney's historical drama Democracy. In the potitical society of 1870s Washington, two beautiful women must decide whether to marry two men. This scathingly funny, insightful play, based on two novels by Henry Adams, is set against the backdrop of Ulysses S. Grant's scandal-plagued administration. Learn more...

Chants de Noël: A French Christmas is a concert of holiday gems by French composers and arrangements of French carols sung in French, Latin and English. The program includes such carols as "Il est né le divin enfant," "Masters in this Hall," "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Noël nouvelet." The centerpiece on the program is Saint-Saens' Christmas Oratorio for chorus, organ, harp and string quartet. Learn more...

Laugh Out Loud Theater presents Instant Musical, a night of improvised comedy set to music. The theater's rteam of hilarious improvisers will create songs on the spot based on audience suggestions, ranging from love ballads to blues numbers and rap. Then, they'll unite to create a completely improvised Broadway-style musical. Learn more...

The Steins are having an identity crisis: Mom has been "born again" and spends all day chatting with Jesus in the kitchen; Dad hasn't gotten out of his pajamas in weeks and is starting to smell; and 16 year old Rachel is coping by going "goth." Who will save this family? Jesus? Stephen Hawking? Or Rachel's awkward new classmate who shows up at their door in his Elvis jumpsuit? Learn more...

Hailing from Oslo, Norway, Kate Havnevik has found success across Europe with her atmospheric pop sound. A frequent collaborator with Frou Frou's Guy Sigsworth, eight of her songs have been used on TV's Grey's Anatomy. Her music blends an extraordinary vocal range with piano, guitar, and electronic instruments. She's touring America with Tennessee singer-songwriter Levi Weaver. Learn more...