OFFBEAT: League of Chicago Theatres celebrates 175 years of Windy City stage greats

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

OFFBEAT: Cole Porter's 'Anything Goes' still making waves

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

OFFBEAT: VU Theater producing short fun run of 'Spelling Bee' this week

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

"Big Fish" Poster

The new stage musical "Big Fish" has a world premiere in Chicago for a pre-Broadway run this month before opening in New York in fall 2013.

Go 'Fish' : World premiere new musical 'Big Fish' gets Chicago launch

Broadway actress Kate Baldwin has been living in the fantasy world of "Big Fish" for more than two years, watching words and musical numbers bring the selection of vivid characters to life.

OFFBEAT: Quick return for Chicago stage run of ''American Idiot'

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

Kitchen Spotlight: Actor shares recipe for healthy pepper dip

Actor Bobby Steggert grew up around great food.

OFFBEAT: Charlie Blum inks deal to bring Frankie Valli back to Chicago Theatre

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

Catching Up: Actor excited about fresh Broadway tour of 'Catch Me If You Can'

After performing on Broadway, and doing a 49-city tour spanning the United States and Canada for almost two years, actor Dominic Fortuna says he feels like he was living the story "Catch Me If You Can," even before it became a national tour.

OFFBEAT: Broadway tour 'Jekyll & Hyde' two over-the-top

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

Dressed Up Performance: Broadway's 'Priscilla Queen of the Desert' ready to arrive in Windy City

Actor Joe Hart was excited when asked to join the national Broadway touring production of the new musical "Priscilla Queen of the Desert."

Two for One: New stage take of 'Jekyll & Hyde' stars Deborah Cox and Constantine Maroulis

Passion, beautiful music and a story laced with love and hate rank as the qualities that captured the interest of Deborah Cox, to inject new life into the classic tale of good and evil brought to the stage as "Jekyll & Hyde."

OFFBEAT: Buddy Holly and Julia Child in 2013 Chicago Broadway season

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

Actress Karen Janes Woditsch (left) Shown Portraying Julia Child Talking with Friend Simone "Simca" Beck Played by Jeannie Affelder

Julia Child, as played by Karen Janes Woditsch (left) talks with cookbook collaborator Simone "Simca" Beck, played by Jeannie Affelder in Chicago's TimeLine Theatre's 2010 stage world premiere of "To Master the Art."

Nic Rouleau as Edler Price in "The Book of Mormon" Chicago Run

Actor Nic Rouleau is calling Chicago home while playing the lead role of Elder Price in Broadway in Chicago's smash hit run of "The Book of Mormon," now playing until Sept. 8, 2013 at Bank of American Theatre in Chicago.

Nic Rouleau (center) and the Cast of "The Book of Mormon" Broadway in Chicago Run

Nic Rouleau (center) and the Chicago cast for "The Book of Mormon" second national touring production worked hard to perfect the timing and choreography for the many of the hit musical comedy's popular song sequences.

Kitchen Spotlight: 'Book of Mormon' actress cooks from the soul

Syesha Mercado's love for Southern cuisine and Soul Food was ignited by her mother's talents with those styles of cooking.

OFFBEAT: 'Fela!' return perfect for Black History Month

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

OFFBEAT: Mike Tyson Broadway one-man show good and 'gloves off'

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

Flying to New Heights: Cathy Rigby returns next week for 'Peter Pan' national tour

Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby has discovered the older she gets, the more she understands and appreciated playing the forever young title character in Broadway's "Peter Pan."