Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
In her one-woman show “I’m the One That I Want,” Margaret Cho recalls how getting her own sitcom in the mid-1990s signified acceptance to her–for the first time in her life. What she didn’t realize then was that acceptance came with a price.
Perhaps the best way to present “Grease” from now on is on ice. Ever since Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta starred in the 1978 film version of the play, most productions of the musical have been overshadowed by memories of the movie. But when you’ve got skaters performing double loops and death spirals, you tend to forget about the film and lose yourself in the fun.
If you’re a 16-year-old boy and a pretty blond girl picks lint off of you, the first thing you might think is, “She likes me!”
If you were a Korean-American girl growing up in San Francisco in the 1970s, there weren’t too many Asian celebrity role models to pick from. So Margaret Cho chose pop star Olivia Newton-John: an Australian.
It was a dog on a motorcycle that caught Kathryn Chandler’s eyes. The guy with the dog was Kyle Chandler, star of CBS’ “Early Edition” (which is filmed in Chicago). But back in 1993, there was no “Early Edition.” And Kathryn hadn’t seen Kyle in any of his other roles. All she knew was that any man giving a big dog a ride on his motorcycle was a little eccentric.
Let me preface this by saying that if a straw’s the only utensil required to “eat” my meal, I generally don’t consider it a proper meal.
By Jae-Ha Kim Chicago Sun-Times September 14, 1999 Take heart, women. Even Michelle Pfeiffer has issues with her body. She tells Premiere in the September issue: “I have the utmost admiration for women who are uninhibited […]
Got angst? Well, so do Alanis Morissette and Tori Amos. And the two women channeled theirs in very different ways Saturday at the New World Music Theatre. Opening her set with “Sympathetic Character,” headliner Morissette performed a variety of material that ranged from lusty rockers to lullaby-pretty ballads. She alternated between songs from her current album “Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie” and her breakthrough 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill” – which have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide – and gave the show a cohesive feel.
In 1985, B.J. Murray was, as his business card said, Grand Poobah of the VIP Room when the late, great Limelight opened in Chicago.
Before Shania, there was Olivia. In a greatest-hits concert Friday at the Chicago Theatre, Olivia Newton-John took the audience on a two-hour tour of songs that showed off her aptitude for country (“If You Love Me (Let Me Know)”), pop (“Xanadu”), rock (“You’re the One That I Want”) and ballads (“I Honestly Love You”). In the ’70s, when female country stars wore their hair big and their sequins even bigger, Newton-John – who was born in England, raised in Australia and pretty enough to be a model – ruffled many Nashville purists by winning the 1973 Grammy Award for best country vocalist.
At the end of the month, Olivia Newton-John will get out of jail. In a movie role, of course. “I begin shooting `Sordid Lives’ when this tour is over,” Newton-John says, phoning from Atlantic City, N.J. “I play a singer who just got out of jail. So she’s a little tough. I think it’ll be fun for me because it’s so interesting to do different things.” Playing a felon isn’t something that fazes Newton-John. But playing a guitar is.
Rosa Parks. Martin Luther King. Malcolm X. Oprah Winfrey. They are all pioneers who have made an impact on American society. And all four most likely will make the final cut of “The 100 Most Influential African Americans of the 20th Century.”
Sometimes love is so overpowering that the only thing you can do is break up. This is the story of Chris and Angel Harold – engaged twice, married once.
For those unfamiliar with the 19th century children’s book of the same name, “A Dog of Flanders” is a cryptic sounding title for a movie. The film is less about a dog than it is a tale of goodness and honesty that – as many of these tales do – revolves around a sweet, orphaned boy determined to better himself.
With her girlish voice and sun-kissed looks, Britney Spears is the female answer to the Backstreet Boys, which shouldnt come as too much of a surprise given that Max Martin has penned hits for both the Boys and Spears; and that Nigel Dick has directed videos for both. But while the Boys sing songs about that elusive girl that got away, Spears–like Brandy–does a good job at conveying what it feels like to be the girl whose heart was broken.
The death of Pattie’s Heart Healthy has been greatly exaggerated. After closing at 520 N. Michigan in February 1997 – thanks to the Nordstrom project – the health-conscious eatery moved two months later to a snazzier location on Michigan Avenue.
You’ve heard of a training bra? Well, Nickelodeon’s All That Music & More Festival, which rolled into town Sunday night, was a training concert, starring that red-hot boy band 98°. Never been to a live show before? No problem. Someone was on hand to tell the youngsters when to scream, stand up and dance. But the kids didn’t always cooperate.
“Turn to me with frozen lips; Your hands are icy cold.” No, Jewel wasn’t describing the chilly conditions Friday night at the New World Music Theatre. Rather, she was singing a verse from “What’s Simple is True.” What’s true is simply this: With two hit albums (“Pieces of You” and “Spirit”), a best-selling poetry book (A Night Without Armor) and a leading role in Ang Lee’s coming film “Ride with the Devil,” Jewel’s ingenue days are over. Talented and lovely, she oozes telegenic charm in her music videos.
“It’s weird to play in front of tons of people,” John Rzeznik said backstage at the New World Music Theatre prior to the Goo Goo Dolls’ set Saturday night. “We’re more adept at working a smaller crowd.”
That may be. But I can think of few current bands that’s music is as tailor made for arenas than the Goo Goo Dolls. The group knows how to do a rock show right. Fronted by singer-guitarist Rzeznik and bassist-backup vocalist Robby Takac, the group from Buffalo, N.Y., charged into a fast-paced set, mixing the punk-influenced rockers with their better known ballads.
A good sequel is like money in the bank. But is it also an oxymoron? Not necessarily, as proven by a couple of this summer’s biggest followups. During its first three days of release, “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” made $1 million more than the original “Powers” grossed during its entire theatrical run.