Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
I was delighted that Chicago was so beautifully prominent in this episode. Late one night back at their hotel, they’re trying to figure out how to perform on a tiny stage for their first U.S. television appearance. I used to do a little work for JBTV way back when, and I can tell you that the stage is tiny. It’s fine for most of the bands that pass through Chicago. But most bands aren’t BTS.
Former NFL linebacker Dhani Jones traveled constantly playing for teams such as the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals. The author of “The Sportsman: Unexpected Lessons from an Around-the-World Sports Odyssey,” Jones’ latest project is the CNBC series “Adventure Capitalists.”
For “Scandal” actor George Newbern, the perfect vacation would be to “rent a place in Paris and use that as a base to eat all the food and invite friends over to hang out.”
“If I’m to be completely honest, I picked the northern suburbs (to live in) because of John Hughes’ movies,” says DJ White Shadow. “I tried to buy the ‘Ferris Bueller’ house. It was listed at $1.5 million, which doesn’t seem like a lot for the Ferris Bueller house. But it was a teeny, tiny house in a state of disrepair. It would’ve cost a lot to fix it up.”
Born and raised in Chicago, Suzy Nakamura credits her career at The Second City for honing her comedic chops. Her prolific film and television work includes “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Veep” and “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.” Nakamura, who stars opposite Ken Jeong in the ABC comedy series, “Dr. Ken,” will appear alongside Brooke Shields in the upcoming indie film, “Daisy Winters.”
Joe Mantegna won a Tony Award for his performance in David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Glengarry Glen Ross,” co-starred in “The Godfather Part III” and is the voice of Fat Tony on “The Simpsons.” But television viewers know him best as FBI agent David Rossi on the CBS procedural “Criminal Minds,” which airs Wednesdays. Born and raised in Chicago, he resides in the Los Angeles area, where he and his wife, Arlene, own a restaurant called Taste Chicago.
Richard Schiff says that until “West Wing,” most people couldn’t pinpoint who he was or why they recognized him. Those days have changed. In the past year alone, the Emmy Award-winning actor has worked on multiple films and television series. Schiff just ended a run as an attorney on DIRECTV’s “Rogue” and can be seen in BBC America’s “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.”
Actor, writer and comedian Marc Maron loves to travel, which is fortunate since he is on the road so much for work. “I don’t get to clubs to hear music as much as I’d like,” says Maron, 52. “But if I have time, I go, because I really do enjoy it. I once got to Ireland a day early and Richard Thompson was playing. I had just had him on my podcast, so it was a fun coincidence. It was pretty exciting to watch him perform, even though I was getting just through my jet-lag.”
Born in Lake Forest, Ill., to Dutch parents, 6-foot-8 inch Matt Grevers swam for Northwestern University and went on to win gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing (2008) and London (2012).
Our kid likes to travel. He has taken high-speed KTX trains in Seoul, played in New York City’s Central Park and fed dolphins in Paradise Island (Bahamas). All of that was amazing. But it’s wonderful having a first-rate destination with skyscapers, museums and all the dining choices right in our own back yard. We’ll be back, Chicago, because we can’t quit you.
More famous than many of the celebrities with whom he is paired on “Dancing with the Stars,” professional dancer Derek Hough is a star in his own right. Hough, 29, has won an Emmy Award for his choreography on the series, as well as an unprecedented five Mirror Ball Trophies for his work on the show.
Three years ago, musician Brian Culbertson and his wife started the Napa Valley Jazz Getaway. “It’s what I call a lifestyle event where you come in for several days and listen to great jazz concerts, enjoy meals and hang out late at night,” says Culbertson, who splits his time between the West Coast and Chicago.
Best known for his music, R&B/gospel vocalist BeBe Winans has won six Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Awards and three NAACP Awards. He’s also worked with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and the late Whitney Houston. It was his 28-year friendship with Houston that inspired him to write the book, “The Whitney I Knew” (Worthy Publishing, $19.99). He has just released his latest CD, “America America.”
I recently did a fun interview with Helio Castroneves. I asked if he was a backseat driver, and he said, “I’m OK with being in the backseat but, yes, I can be. I’m mostly concerned when people try to show off. That’s when I get a little uncomfortable. People don’t realize that with ordinary cars, you can’t go fast like you can in a racecar and still be safe.”
Kenneth Choi has two high-profile films in the hopper. First, he portrays Jim Morita, one of the Howling Commandos in the action film “Captain America: The First Avenger,” which opens July 22. He has also finished shooting the remake of “Red Dawn.” Currently a resident of Los Angeles, the 39-year-old actor talks about some of his favorite places and also explains why he wants to revisit a destination that holds nothing but bad memories for him.
WNBA basketball star Candace Parker loves to travel and try new restaurants with her husband, Shelden Williams (of the Denver Nuggets) and their 15-month-old daughter Lailaa. “That girl can eat 900 times a day,” says Parker, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. “She is always running around kicking a soccer ball and is always hungry. She likes everything. It’s wonderful because we don’t have to worry much about what she might like when we travel.” Parker, 24, has most her summer free now that her season is over. But she’s currently in the process of moving her family from California to Colorado to accommodate her husband’s basketball schedule.
You’d think Keith Johnson — who spent his early years traveling around Europe with his art dealer father — would want to spend all his free time exploring boutiques and museums. “No,” says the 53-year-old star of “Man Shops Globe.” “I surprisingly am not a big shopper or museumgoer. New York fills my need for constant visual stimulation. I love the variety of sights and sounds. It also reminds me how big the world is and how I need to get out and see it.”
Larenz Tate has been in Oscar-winning films and critically-acclaimed TV shows (“Ray,” “Crash,” “Rescue Me”), but to his young children, he’s just the “blueberry pancake guy.” “They have no idea what I do for a living,” says the 34-year-old actor, who resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons. “They just know that I make the best pancakes.” Tate loves to travel with his family and talks about a recent trip to paradise — the Dominican Republic.
Robert Lamm knows a bit about traveling. In his four decades with the band Chicago, the singer-songwriter-keyboardist has been around the world multiple times. “I could be a travel agent,” Lamm says, laughing. “If this music thing doesn’t work out…” One of his favorite memories is of the trip he and his wife, Joy, took to Munster, Germany.
You can’t talk about progressive rock without mentioning the band Yes. Yes is progressive rock. The band, formed in 1968, and known for hits such as “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “Roundabout” and “I’ve Seen All Good People,” has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and enjoys touring and meeting their fans. Chris Squire, who founded the group with Jon Anderson, says it never ceases to amaze him how many fans show up to support them.