Sole purpose

Five years ago, Susan McLaughlin Karp delivered a stillborn baby. On the first anniversary of her child’s death, Karp wrote the play she will perform at this year’s seventh annual Fillet of Solo Festival. A miscarriage isn’t exactly the best source for a one-woman show, but Karp handles her subject matter evenly in “Still.” She shares her experience in a way that won’t leave her or the audience drained.

Five questions with … Michael J. Fox

“Stuart Little 2” tackled the big boys at the box office and almost beat “Road to Perdition” for the No. 1 spot last weekend. Michael J. Fox–who voices the congenial little mouse who knows how to drive, fly and play soccer–called from New York Thursday to fill GLARE in on the film and his co-stars.

‘Cherest show of all’ is a sparkling triumph

“If I’m gonna go around one more time, it better be good,” Cher said Thursday in the first of two consecutive nights at the United Center. “I have to raise the bar for a lot of these young girls coming up.” Without missing a beat, Cher jokingly challenged, “All right, follow this, you bitches.”

Mature Jewel goes with flow

Jewel may have been nursing a broken collarbone and ribs, but there was nothing ailing her voice Sunday night at the Chicago Theatre. Backed by a five-piece band, the singer-songwriter captivated the sold-out crowd with a two-hour plus concert that showed off her flexible range. She sang all the expected hits from her three studio albums (excluding her Christmas CD, for obvious reasons).

Speaking with … Jewel

When Jewel performs cuts from her latest album, “This Way,” at the Chicago Theatre this Sunday, don’t expect the singer to strap on her electric guitar. Her collarbone and ribs are still tender from when she was thrown from a colt at her boyfriend’s ranch in April. “[The accident] hasn’t really inhibited my show a lot,” Jewel says. “Touring Europe was a little painful ’cause the ribs were still tender. But it didn’t get in the way of the show. It just wasn’t a lot of fun.”

Clothing line collects Juicy reward

All the trendy fashionistas have a taste for Juicy Couture. The eight-year-old line of casual wear recently got the kind of publicity money can’t buy when Hollywood hotties such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz and Gwen Stefani were photographed wearing their favorite Juicy pieces. Lara Flynn Boyle has proclaimed Juicy her preferred comfort-wear. And Sarah Michelle Gellar went so far as to say Juicy is the only thing she’ll wear to her early morning calls on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Teens help grade cameras

Summer finally is here and we’re ready to hit the road. Whether it’s a drive to the Wisconsin Dells with the kids or a flight to Paris with the main squeeze, there’s one thing we’ll all pack for the trip: a camera (or two). With so many options to choose from, we decided to test some of this summer’s most popular cameras. Our operatives? Some of the winners of the Van Kampen Funds’ Portraits of True Wealth student photography competition.

Contenders face the music

Call it poetic justice. In “Without Me,” Eminem brags, “I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley/to do black music so selfishly/and use it to get myself wealth.” The controversial rapper has been displaced by Nelly to No. 2 on the album charts, but the best-selling single in America belongs to none other than Presley.