If Cloris Leachman is half as candid on stage as she was during a recent phone interview from her home in Brentwood, Calif., she will entrance her Dorothy Menker Theater audience later this month. A multiple Emmy-winning and Academy Award-winning superstar, the indomitable Leachman kicks off the Moraine Valley Fine and Performing Arts Center 2011-2012 arts and entertainment season on Sept. 24 with Cloris: A One-Woman Show. It focuses on her inside recollections of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-offs, including her own Phyllis and her Mel Brooks film comedies, Young Frankenstein and …

Looking for entertainment options not far from home? Here are seven good bets for a good time in the Southland: 1. Orland Park Theatre Troupe Goes Madcap: Carol Burnett is not headed to Orland Park, but the play she brought back to Broadway is. The Orland Park Theatre Troupe, under the direction of Frann Carnivele-Sidlow, presents the madcap comedy Moon Over Buffalo at the Orland Park Civic Center, Sept. 23-25. Tickets are hot, so if you want to see this riotous play within a play, now is the time to buy! 2. Ragtime Tunes in Tinley: Ragtime music is experiencing a resurgence as the Broadway …

It was 1962, and after years of struggling unsuccessfully under different band names, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons topped the charts with their first firecracker hit, “Sherry.” That was just the start of a sound that would become an iconic and lasting symbol of the mid-20th century. In the wake of the award-winning Broadway musical Jersey Boys, based on Valli’s life and the group’s rise to fame, another show has emerged, this one interactive. Let’s Hang On, the title pulled from a Four Seasons hit, is billed as a highly choreographed musical tribute to the overwhelming success of Jersey…

Looking for some entertainment options not far from home? Here are five good bets for a good time in the Southland. 1. Country Hoedown (and Buffet Dinner) in Frankfort: It's a Hometown Hoedown cancer fundraiser and concert starring Bernie Glim and Country Roads on Sept. 15, starting at 6 p.m., at CD&ME in Frankfort. Ticket price of $25 includes buffet dinner. This is the last summer concert for the summer series, so country fans, it's time to party. 2. Artistry of Glass: Tinley Park artist Diane Byrne reveals the many facets of glass during her presentation at 7 p.m., Sept. 12 at the Tinley …

Just weeks after Sept. 11, 2001, writer Anne Nelson penned a script that remains an iconic look back at a day that cost thousands of American lives and left a nation reeling. Under the direction of Oak Lawn resident Amanda Barclay, Nelson’s stunning two-person, one-act play, The Guys — 10th Anniversary of the Day That Changed Us All, comes to life at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Oak Lawn on Sept. 9, 10 and 11. The production features Sandy Barry of Oak Lawn and Dean Hoefler of Mount Greenwood. The story focuses on a Fire Department of New York chief who lost several men in the aftermath of the…

Looking for top-notch entertainment options? We've got the five best bets for a good time in the Southland. 1. Stellar Music in Frankfort: ChicagoBlu in Frankfort brings Stellar Road to the stage at 8 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 2). One of the Midwest's most in-demand home-grown bands, Stellar Road brings its vibrant acoustic pop rock covers and original songs to the local stage before embarking on a multi-state tour. 2. Last Blast of Summer in Mokena: Summer ends on funky note as wacky, wild and wonderfully entertaining Dave Rudolf leads the Summer's Last Blast gala for all ages on Saturday (Sept…

They play, they rock, they sing, they talk. The Southland-based Neverly Brothers take audiences on a rock 'n' roll history ride. Covering the roots of rock from the 1950s through the British Invasion and classic rock of the ’60s makes up most of the Neverly Brothers’ stage time, but count on lead vocalist/guitarist/bandleader Kevin Giragosian for some tantalizing rock history trivia along the way. His younger brother, percussionist Kegham Giragosian, also provides some lead vocals, as does standup bass man Craig Gigstad. This coming week, the Neverly Brothers headline the Annual Lions …

Looking for an entertaining night out? We've got the five best bets for a good time in the Southland. 1. Artists' Collective in Chicago Heights: Union Street Gallery and Guild Artists bring their abundant talents together for a summer exhibit, Collective, at Union Street Gallery in Chicago Heights. The show opens with a free reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday (Aug. 26). The event is an opportunity to meet and talk with artists as well as view what should be an extraordinary exhibit. 2. Art with 'Meaning' in Frankfort: Monkey Mind Art Studio in Frankfort honors artist and Governors State …

Looking for an entertaining night out? We've got the five best bets for a good time. 1. Musical Thrills of Jekyll and Hyde: Robert Louis Stevenson's classic thriller The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has given rise to a stunning musical, and this weekend and next, the Joliet Drama Guild presents Leslie Bricusse's Jekyll and Hyde with Michael J. Perkins, of New Lenox, as Jekyll/Hyde and Jeannie Rega-Markionni, of Chicago Heights, as Lucy Harris. The lavish production will be staged at the Bicentennial Park Theatre. 2. Rolling with the Oldies in Tinley: Rock, roll and dance tonight (…

Tributosaurus stomps onto the Beverly Arts Center stage tonight with music that recalls one of rock’s first “super groups”—Crosby, Stills Nash and Young. David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young hit the music scene during the 1960s and remain huge stars with smooth, easily recognizable melodies and harmonies. “Their first recording, more than 40 years ago, was You Don’t Have to Cry, and they first sang it at a party at Joni Mitchell’s,” said Chris Neville, who sings and plays keyboards for Tributosaurus. Curt Morrison, Dan Leali, Jon Paul and Matt Spiegel (who also is sports …

Dateline: Baltimore, 1962 Perky, personable and a dynamite dancer, teenager Tracy Turnblad yearns to be on the Corny Collins Show (think Dick Clark, circa 1950s and '60s). One issue could stand in her way: Tracy is chunky. So begins the blockbuster Broadway musical Hairspray, a story of teens, their fight against social injustice and an adult community that fights the changing times. Under the direction of Erica Heilmann, the Oak Lawn Park District Theatre, with a whopping cast of 56, continues its own smash hit production of Hairspray through this weekend only. “Tracy (played by Carli …

Dateline: New York City, circa 1912. Life’s challenges, surprises and a tale of the Great American Dream connect onstage this weekend and next as Southland Area Theatre Ensemble (SLATE), in its third summer production, presents the blockbuster 1996 musical Ragtime at Govenors State University, beginning Saturday, July 30. Based on E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 bestselling book of the same name, SLATE director J.R. Rose says Ragtime is singularly American. “At its core, Ragtime is about change and acceptance,” said Rose, a Homewood-Flossmoor High School drama teacher and a SLATE founding member. “The …

This may not be the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, but it sure is fun to revisit a blast from the past. From its counter-culture roots in the 1960s, the iconic musical Hair has evolved into a stirring glimpse of a turbulent time for those who lived it, as well as a source of fascination for younger generations. “Aquarius” and “Good Morning Starshine” are among the many memorable songs from the show, which stands as an anthem to a transformative era in American history. This weekend, Opening Night Arts Group, under the direction of veteran thespian Cassie Dawe, brings Hair to the stage for …

Beverly - Footloose on Stage What happens when a city kid who loves rock 'n' roll and dancing moves to a small town where the village fathers have outlawed such wild, rambunctious music and movement? Who changes—the teen or the village elders? Follow this charming musical as the 99th Street Summer Theatre Festival returns with a full theater production of the 1984 hit film, Footloose. The show runs for three nights only and promises great music and loads of fun for all. When: 8 p.m., July 8 and 9Where: Baer Theatre, 2153 W. 111th St., ChicagoCost: $16, $14 seniors and children 10 and …

Beverly - Footloose on Stage What happens when a city kid who loves rock 'n roll and dancing moves to a small town where the village fathers have outlawed such wild, rambunctious music and movement? Who changes, the teen or the village elders? Follow this charming musical as the 99th Street Summer Theatre Festival returns with a full theater production of the 1984 hit film, Footloose. The show runs for three nights only and promises great music and loads of fun for all. When: 8 p.m., July 7, 8 and 9Where: Baer Theatre, 2153 W. 111th Street, ChicagoCost: $16, $14 seniors and children 10 and …

Alsip Alsip Park District kicks off its free, family and all-ages summertime Concerts on the Green series tonight with the Girls Next Door, billed as the fun, friendly, female rock cover band. Bring chairs or blankets but no outside food or beverages. The Club House bar and restaurant at the club will be open during the concert. When: 7:30-9:30 p.m., June 24Where: Fountain Hills Golf Club, 12601 S. Kedzie Ave., AlsipCost: FreeInformation: Alsip Park District online and 708-389-1003  Chicago - Mount Greenwood Saint Xavier University presents the Roy Vombreck Orchestra in a free concert on the …

Chicago (South Side) Saint Xavier University presents the Roy Vombreck Orchestra in a free concert on the front lawn of the campus. It's open to all the public, not just students. Picnickers are welcome and several food vendors also will be present selling a variety of yummy food and beverages. The sounds of the summer will conclude with a brilliant fireworks display at dusk and a patriotic finale. When: 7 p.m., June 26Where: Saint Xavier University, 3700 W. 103rd St., ChicagoCost: FreeInformation: Saint Xavier University Special Events and 773-297-3748  Chicago (South Side) International …

Chicago (South Side) Gifted with a soft, rich tenor voice, Roger McGuinn, legendary vocalist with the 1960s folk-rock band The Byrds, returns to the Beverly Arts Center tonight with songs, stories and his original seven-string guitar. In last week’s SouthScene piece about McGuinn (correctly pronounced McGwinn), I mentioned this week’s column would reveal a Peter Fonda anecdote, the story behind McGuinn's seven-string guitar and how the McGuinns go green. McGuinn will share many tales with his audience tonight but will not disappoint musically. In addition to songs from his ongoing online Folk…

Chicago (South Side) Roger McGuinn, the legendary 1960s rock icon, Chicago native and original member of the Byrds, returns to Beverly Arts Center with his wonderfully soft yet powerful voice for an evening of most memorable song and conversation. SouthScene spoke with McGuinn this week about his music, life and concerts. For starters, his last name is pronounced McGwinn. "That's how our family has always said it," McGuinn said. He was born Jim McGuinn, but during the rock era, a guru urged him to change it to Roger, a better fit with the universe. Asked if he still follows the guru, McGuinn …

Chicago (South Side) Legendary 1960s rock icon, original member of the Byrds and native Chicagoan Roger McGuinn returns to Beverly Arts Center for what promises to be a great evening of song and talk. No doubt, McGuinn will, as in the past, sing classic Byrds favorites including “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” An extraordinary guitarist, count on McGuinn for some show-and-tell about his self-designed seven-string guitar, famous for the opening chords in the two songs mentioned above and for sounds few guitarists can create on standard instruments.  With his still classic voice …