Chicago News

The Billy Goat Inn became a haven for newspaper reporters, policemen, politicians, and anyone else drawn to the hospitality and showmanship of hardworking "Billy Goat" Sianis and his often antic, uniquely comforting establishment.

Playing for laughs: Bryan Dunn, musical director, David Dritsas, Rachel Miller, Katie Rich, Eoin O'Shea, Mary Carpenter, Meghan Teal, stage manager, and Edgar Blackmon.

Misunderstood Masterpieces 07.07.09: The Great Outdoors Posted by Will Helm on 07.07.2009 ...or, Saturday Night Live and SCTV Finally Declare Peace, and This Is the Result Over the past two weeks , the stars of SCTV have enjoyed a life of leisure in cinema, with little opposition from their American rivals, the cast of Saturday Night Live , except ...

Whatever you say, Joe. The idea of the tony Ravinia celebrating old hippies is a tripped-out case of incongruity, like Chris Rock playing the Catskills.

What's your festival flavor? [7/02/09] Sure, Taste of Chicago and Milwaukee Summerfest are fun, but what have they got that we haven't got ? This weekend brings plenty of great music to suburban Fourth of July festivals, plus food to rival our neighbors on the lake.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ended months of vote fraud and other assorted acts of skulduggery to pronounce Al Franken winner of the state's 2008 senatorial race over Republican Norm Coleman.

If you only know Jeff Garlin from CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, you are missing out. You might have missed his wonderful film I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH, that he wrote, directed, and starred in.

CHICAGO: Comic Al Franken formally won his battle for a US Senate seat from Minnesota on Tuesday, a victory that enhances Democrats' ability to enact US President Barack Obama's ambitious agenda.

Start planning your outfits -- the musical acts for this year's Glamorama have been announced.

When night falls in Chicago, things really begin to hot up. The city's morass of twinkling lights is a spectacular backdrop to an amazing array of things to do after the sun goes down, that will keep you entertained well into the early hours.

While funny men and ladies from around the comedy world gathered in Chicago last week for TBS' Very Funny Festival: Just for Laughs , Kevin Nealon hit the streets with comedians George Lopez, Tim Meadows, and Martin Short to present the World's Funniest Commercials 2009 , which airs Friday at 9 p.m. on TBS.

When something is broken, it does not do what it is intended to do. But these government systems a ' our schools, our health care, our transportation -- are in fact doing exactly what they are intended to do.

Veteran hotelier Peter Kacheris already has begun what could be the biggest challenge of a long career - overseeing the first Waldorf-Astoria hotel to open outside Manhattan and a companion Hilton resort at Bonnet Creek near Walt Disney World.

Post something on Craigslist and you might be surprised to find the former SNL cast member, acclaimed author, and Grammy-nominated monologist Julia Sweeney standing at your door.

Misunderstood Masterpieces 6.23.09: Club Paradise Posted by Will Helm on 06.23.2009 ...or, SCTV Goes on Vacation! In 1976, Second City Television premiered on a small network in Southern Ontario.

Despite the name, the big comedy festival that concluded Sunday in Chicago wasn't Just for Laughs.

Often praised as a stepping stone for comedic talent, Chicago will become the capital of the comedy world this week.

A SIMPLE PLAN: A new pavilion designed by the Pritzker Prize winner Zaha Hadid fetes the centennial of Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago.

Summer time is a combination of playing and learning, which is important for many children with disabilities.

The six-day Just for Laughs Chicago festival kicks off Tuesday with a lifetime achievement award for the director of "Caddyshack" and "Groundhog Day." Once an actor at Second City, Harold Ramis went on to star in its TV show "SCTV" and then make movies both silly and serious.