Franklin Park Herald-Journal

Two shows double fun for Franklin Park actor

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:15:02 -0500

Franklin Park resident Mark Kosten is living a dream. He sings, acts and dances in not one, but two Emerald City Theatre productions in Chicago: “Pinkalicious” at the Broadway Playhouse, Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., through Sept. 2, and “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day,” at the Apollo Theatre, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., through June 30. Kosten, 21, has also performed on the WGN midday news, sung the National Anthem at a Chicago Fire Game, and had a slot on the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Not to mention the other countless times he has performed …

Forest Park salutes veterans with a parade

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:36:01 -0500

Family Fun: Enjoy a parade in Forest Park, dive into summer reading in Oak Park and River Forest, and take family classes in Elmwood Park.

Frequently hysterical ‘Hysteria’

Thu, 24 May 2012 20:34:03 -0500

HYSTERIA ★ ★ ★ 1/2 The Victorian era is justly famous for many fine developments: railroads, neo-gothic architecture, universal suffrage, the rise of the middle class and inventions such as photography, the phonograph and the telephone. Stuffiness, too. The Victorians developed stiff, stuffy propriety to its greatest height, which may explain why we seldom associate the era with one of its most revolutionary innovations: the invention of the vibrating personal massager. It certainly explains why there’s rarely a scene in Tanya Wexler’s wonderful (and often very, very funny) romantic comedy “Hysteria” that doesn’t prompt a smile of delight — just …

Diversions: 4 picks for the coming week

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:52:26 -0500

Looking for fun, fancy or off-the-beaten-path options for the coming week? We present four, for your consideration.

Symposium highlights women in the blues

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:36:26 -0500

The Supremes made singing look easy and Little Walter made the blues sound so good. So, little did Deitra Farr know while watching the The Supremes on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and listening to her dad’s Little Walter records as a child growing up in Englewood, just how difficult it would be to establish herself as a singer. A blues singer. A blues singer in Chicago of all places. But, it was a struggle. It still is. And, not just for her, but for every black female blues singer. “Over the years women have just been perceived as not that …

Artist explores many dimensions of fabric

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:12:13 -0500

Jeanette Durand has always been fascinated by fabrics. “I’m a real tactile person,” explained the Oak Park artist. “I like constructing with fabric in a two-dimensional as well as a three-dimensional way. There’s a lot of possibilities in patterns.” Fifteen framed textile collages by Durand are on display through the end of June in the Oak Park Area Arts Council’s Gallery at Village Hall. There is also one painting. “Even as a little girl, I always worked with fabrics,” Durand said. In high school, she channeled that love into creating clothing. Finding a niche She planned to go into fashion …

Oak Park Art League show spotlights human figure

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:12:34 -0500

“Body Language,” the current show at the Oak Park Art League, 720 Chicago Ave., Oak Park, features works on a figurative theme created by the League’s ongoing figure study groups. The show, which runs through June 1, includes sculptural works in progress, paintings, sculpture and drawings. Gallery hours are 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call (708) 386-9853 or see www.opal-art.com. …

Oak Park poet aims to jostle brain cells

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:12:48 -0500

“A world without poetry would be entirely possible, but it would not be worth living in.” — Octavio Paz This line by Mexican writer Octavio Paz is among the favorite quotations of Oak Park poet Charlie Rossiter, who has carried a notebook constantly and filled his world with poetry for more than 30 years. Rossiter, known to many as the host of the 3rd Saturday Coffeehouse at Unity Temple, has made a lasting impression on the local and national poetry scene. This month Rossiter’s poetry legacy continued with the release of a new poetry anthology he edited, filled with his …

Oak Park ensemble plays Beethoven quartets

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:16:40 -0500

The Avalon String Quartet performs “Russian Feast, Part 2,” on Wednesday, May 30, as part of a concert series presenting the complete Beethoven String Quartet Cycle. Opus 59, dedicated to Count Rasumovsky, incorporates Russian folk themes into its three quartets. The second quartet bristles with nervous energy and explosive climaxes. The third builds to a famously virtuosic finale. The program starts at 3 p.m. at the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association, 178 Forest, Oak Park. Each concert of the series supports a designated local organization with freewill donations. This concert benefits the Oak Park River Forest Historical Society. For more information …

Arts and entertainment calendar for May 24

Tue, 22 May 2012 21:13:03 -0500

Stage “Angels in America,” “Part One: Millennium Approaches” and “Part Two: Perestroika,” through June 3 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago. Tickets: $45-$65. Call (773) 753-4472 or visit www.CourtTheatre.org. “Hairspray,”through June 17 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. The performance schedule is 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursdays; 8:30 p.m. Fridays; 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Saturdays; and 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $35-$46, with discounts available for students and senior citizens. Lunch and dinner packages available for $49.75-$68. Call (630) 530-0111 or visit www.drurylaneoakbrook.com. “When The Rain Stops Falling,” …

Dance students step out in Franklin Park

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:52:00 -0500

Family Fun: Recital showcases dance talent in Franklin Park, celebrate International Museum Day in Elmhurst, enjoy wacky stories in Oak Park and ogle ‘Xtreme Bugs’ in Brookfield.

Diversions: 4 picks for the coming week

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:15:35 -0500

Looking for fun, fancy or off-the-beaten-path options for the coming week? We present four, for your consideration.

Chorus celebrates diversity, peace with music

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:35:53 -0500

Though it has been operating for nearly 10 years now without the support of the church organization that sustained it for more than three decades, the Community Renewal Chorus is still strongly committed to its organizing principles of diversity and equality. See for yourself when the CRC performs its annual benefit concert Sunday at Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church in Oak Park. The program, led by longtime director Gerome Bell, includes an excerpt from Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” Handel’s “And So Shall Your Light Shine,” and Bruckner’s “Te Deum,” plus gospel music and Korean and African folk songs. The chorus was founded …

Moving moments for families at Dance Day

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:23:58 -0500

It’s hard to imagine a more gorgeous setting for dancing than the garden of an historic Oak Park mansion. Everyone will have the chance to experience that when Winifred Haun & Dancers presents the third annual Dance Day at Cheney Mansion on Sunday, May 20. Oak Park resident Haun loves the annual event because, “We get to dance and run around in a mansion.” Dance Day begins with a 12:15 p.m. workshop taught by dancer and choreographer Simone Baechle. “She works with beginning dancers of all ages,” Haun said. “She’ll lead a warm-up — some stretching and circling of legs …

Oak Park actress finds theater magic in ‘Oz’

Sun, 13 May 2012 12:25:52 -0500

For Dara Cameron of Oak Park and Rob Rahn of Lincolnshire, now appearing in Drury Lane’s Theatre for Young Adults “The Wizard of Oz,” this is not the first time over the rainbow. Nor is it their first time in the show together. Cameron portrayed Kansas girl Dorothy Gale five times dating back to high school. Rahn portrayed Uncle Henry in another Marriott Theatre production opposite her. But neither has lost their sense of wonder at the musical that has transported generations, and for many children, is their introduction to live theater. The classic 1939 movie starring Judy Garland, ranked …

Country dances in Oak Park

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:36:42 -0500

Waverley Station, with David Knight on fiddle and Liz Donaldson on piano will provide music when the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association sponsors English Country Dances , 7:30-10 p.m. Monday, May 21, at 178 Forest Avenue, Oak Park. One of the country’s most popular English dance leaders, Bruce Hamilton, a renowned caller from the Bay area who has taught English and Scottish country dancing all over North America and abroad, will head the program. All are welcome, no partner needed; all dances are taught and called. Dress can be casual or fancy. Suggested donation is $10 for adults, $5 for those …