Yael Schulman, Eve Becker, Erin Storm, Julie Dreifuss, Lauren Ross

On Sunday, April 22, 315 women gathered to support education with a purpose at ORT America’s “Lunch With an Artistic View,” held at Bryn Mawr Country Club in Lincolnwood. The event raised $124,000 to enhance science education and state-of-the-art science labs for students at Sha’ar HaNegev High School in Israel. Guest speakers included author/artists Andrew Winer and Mindy Weisel. ORT was founded in 1880 in St. Petersburg, Russia, to provide job skills to millions of impoverished Jews. Today ORT provides leading-edge training in technology, science, and more to people of all faiths and backgrounds through a global network of schools.

The money raised by the event will help the ORT program at Sha’ar HaNegev High School’s Science and Technology Center, located in a region of southern Israel vulnerable to missile attacks, continue to provide the training that enables the schools’ students to gain admission to Israel’s top universities.

Gwen Heyman of Highland Park and Dora Jaeger of Lincolnshire co-chaired the luncheon. Debbie Miller and Holly Ginsburg, both of Highland Park, served as raffle co-chairs. Lori Kahn of Deerfield is executive vice president of ORT America Metropolitan Chicago Region.

For more information, visit ortamerican.org. —Stacy Flannery

Looking for a chic new addition to your living room? Room & Board is giving away three Dunn cocktail tables in celebration of the launch of the Dunn cocktail table mini-documentary. The documentary gives viewers a peek of what it takes (in the world of interior design) to bring a sketch to life–from the initial idea, to the beautiful, finished product.

Visit the links below to view either the short or long version of the mini documentary:

• Short (4:57): www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddMxqYi8fwA
• Long (9:34): www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3v3tMFAKaw

Don’t forget the sweepstakes! To enter to win, visit: www.facebook.com/roomandboard/app_214647578655118.

Room & Board is located at 10071 Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, 55 East Ohio Street in Chicago, and 2525 West 22^nd Street in Oak Brook. For more information, visit roomandboard.com. —Jenna Schubert

Here, the soulfully eclectic Adrian Aguilar (Jon), the magnetically fluid Jenny Guse (Susan) and the deeply emotive Bear Bellinger (Michael) reflect on what the show means to them as artistic individuals and its potent message to the world at large.

Sheridan Road:  Larson explores the almost impossible dedication that is needed to commit to a life in the arts in Tick Tick Boom. As performers with extensive backgrounds, have you found yourselves at emotional crossroads regarding your theatrical careers, as well?

Adrian: I’m always at an emotional crossroads with this business. People make fun of me because I’ve “retired” 3 times now at age 26. I’ve always wanted to have the traditional family life. Wife, dog, two kids, house with a yard, etc. This life is extremely difficult to achieve being an actor.  So…do you give up the full time performing and try to get the money and the security and the house and the insurance and just do a show here and there? But then do you lose relevancy? And do you regret not going full throttle towards stardom? You may think I’m summing up Tick Tick Boom, but this is just my life. This is exactly why this show speaks to me and speaks to so many people.

Jenny: I discovered musical theatre through a friend of mine, Matt, who was an actor himself. When it came time to start figuring out colleges…I was prepared to take the path that had been expected of me – attend a state school majoring in business. Matt encouraged me to look into musical theatre schools and their programs…but my mind was pretty much already made up. That summer Matt passed away in a car accident. This jolted me awake, realizing that life is too precious to ignore my passion. I completely changed paths…I am thankful every day that I get to do what I love, and that I was given the courage to pursue it. It’s an amazing feeling knowing you are right where you are supposed to be.

Bear: I constantly battle the constraints of living a life in the theatre. I love it; I can’t stop doing it, I wish I could!  Chicago is one of the most fulfilling cities, artistically, that you can find, but that does not translate to monetary success. You’ll find all kinds of theatres pushing artistic boundaries and choosing interesting material but you find very few theatres that can pay you a living wage. It’s the duality of this life that we chose to live with.

SR: How does the legacy of Jonathan Larson speak directly to you, not only as artists but human beings?

Jenny: I have always been a person who has planned my next steps. Always thinking ahead and wanting to accomplish more. I think you could look at Jonathan’s legacy and feel pressure to get everything done before its too late, but in actuality, it reminds me to live in the moment. Something I struggle deeply with myself. Be thankful for each moment you are given and enjoy it while it’s happening. Because in the end, we might not be so lucky as to get to relive the best moment in our life.

Bear: I heard a lyric recently where one of my favorite rappers said “I’m here for a good not a long time,” and I think that’s incredibly important to this question and Larson’s life. I try to explain to people that I don’t know if I’ll live to be 30 or 90, I’m striving to do as much as I can now and when I get to later I’ll work for then. I never want to look back and say, “I should have spent those nights performing instead of taking those months off to rest and make money.” I refuse to live my life “knowing” that I’m going to live to be 70 or 80 and worrying that pushing myself too hard now might make me more tired later. I live my life with the knowledge that today is today and tomorrow is not promised.

Adrian: Jonathon Larson’s story is a reminder, in SO many ways, that life is short and that we should live it to the fullest. It’s a warning. You may not have the time you THINK you’ll have to accomplish everything. Stop putting it off. Go out and do it! Live life to the fullest. Anyone can go at anytime. Have you left your mark yet?

Tick Tick Boom runs through June 10^th at Stage 773 in Chicago. Tickets are $38 and can be purchased by calling 773-327-5252 or by visiting www.porchlightmusictheatre.org. —Brian Kirst

Based on the cult supernatural soap opera of the late 60’s, Dark Shadows follows the perpetually melodramatic Collins family, who live in the ruins of their family castle after the ancestral fortune has dwindled. When their ancestor, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), a brutal but articulate vampire, escapes from a coffin he’s been chained in for almost 200 years, he vows to restore the family’s fortune, home, and reputation to their former glory. His family, Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer, Stardust), Roger (Johnny Lee Miller, Dexter), Carolyn (Chloë Grace Moretz, Hugo), David (Gulliver McGrath, Hugo), and their live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia (Helena Bonham Carter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2), all think his behavior is strange, but come around as his methods prove successful. When Barnabas discovers that the woman now running the town in his family’s place is the immortal witch, Angelique (Eva Green, Casino Royale), who originally cursed him to be a vampire for spurning her affections, he must find a way to either reason with or defeat her.

All of the gothic horror elements at play here are absolutely breathtaking. The desaturated color palate, except for the Hammer horror red of the blood; the art direction is, of course, impeccable; Danny Elfman’s score is grand and haunting with touches of the classic, 60’s, synthesized, melodrama of the source material; all of the performances match the surroundings, with everyone fabulously committed to seeming tragic and mysterious but without being overtly campy; and the visual effects are absolutely phenomenal.

Where the movie comes up short is its attempt at broad comedy. The fish-out-of-water, 18^th century nobleman tries to make sense of the early 70’s thing didn’t really play for me. The 70’s design and fashions are fantastic, but any time Barnabas tries to adapt to the time in which he finds himself I just sat there waiting for the next scene. Also, having present day Alice Cooper play himself from 40 years ago feels more sad than it does nostalgic.

One quick word of warning to parents: I’m surprised this is rated PG-13. An awful lot of sexuality is discussed, implied, and practically demonstrated. I guess it’s not surprising, since this was based on a soap opera, but for a guy who claims to want only his one true love, Barnabas keeps himself busy with pretty much every female member of the cast he’s not directly related to and some VERY racy things are implied for a PG-13 flick. A scene between him and Angelique is particularly acrobatic and destructive, there’s an awful lot of inappropriate touching and entwining, and they leave the room in ruins. There’s also quite a bit of fantasy violence and some stoner hippies lighting up, so not a lot of great life lessons going on.

My personal opinion: Despite its missteps, I really enjoyed Dark Shadows. The perfection of all of the gothic horror made up for everything they weren’t so good at. –Jake Jarvi

Summer 2012 is going to be a super stylish season for nails with the latest offering of nail polish collections from the new color of fashion, Zoya! This new splash of color, designed by the Zoya color experts, is kissed by sea and sand translating beautifully onto the nail in the famous, full-coverage Zoya formula. Dive into the creamy shades of the Zoya Beach Collection or the shimmering sea foils of the Zoya Surf Collection. The choice is yours – this color palette is sure to be a splash!

Zoya nail polishes are available at EGEA The North Shores Wellness Spa in Evanston. For more information, call 847-332-2772 or visit egeaspa.com. —Jenna Schubert

Waking up with gum in his hair, young Alexander soon finds his day on a continued downswing. His singing is determined to be too energetic for an upcoming recital just before he is banished from best friend status on the playground. A cavity, plain white sneakers and lima beans round out his exasperating day. Could an escape to Australia be the only solution to his continual woes?

Directed with joy and compassion by Ernie Nolan, this hour long piece contains plenty for the whole family to enjoy. While children will love the rambunctious humor, adults are given plenty laugh at with the skillfully delivered asides of the seasoned cast. Most importantly, everyone can relate to the very ordinary yet heartbreaking circumstances that the characters claim have created their very bad days.  And while the show concludes with Alexander’s mother wishing him “The Sweetest of Nights and the Finest of Days”, a beautiful song that has been famously covered by established cabaret star Karen Mason, there are no false illusions here. Tomorrow may be rough, as well. But, those who love Alexander offer up true hope that it will be better for him.

Performance wise, the manic charisma of Mark Kosten, as Alexander, is met with sweet sarcasm by Maddy LaRoche (whose “Lady, Lady” is a show highlight), knowing humor by Michael Rashid, exasperated joy by Tommy Bullington and a truly hilarious turn from RJ Silva as a Nirvana loving classmate of Alexander’s.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Day, Very Bad Day runs through June 17^th at the Apollo Theatre, 2540 N. Lincoln Avenue, in Chicago. Tickets are $13-$16 and can be purchased by calling 773-935-6100 or by visiting www.emeraldcitytheatre.com. Emerald City, also, offers summer theatre classes for children. Information for those programs is available on the website, as well. —Brian Kirst

Sheridan Road magazine was a winner Friday night, May 4, at the 35th Annual Peter Lisagor Awards banquet in Chicago. Editorial Director Kerrie Kennedy, Art Director Melissa Miller and Digital Editor Jake Jarvi claimed a Peter Lisagor award for a photo shoot with the Joffrey Ballet that ran in Sheridan Road’s December 2011 issue, entitled “A Nutcracker Fantasy.”

Winning under the “Best Photography” category for a non-daily publication, Sheridan Road beat Time Out Chicago Kids and Crain’s Chicago Business in the competition.

“Besides the fact that we couldn’t ask for a better subject than the Joffrey Ballet, this is a testament to our entire team—from our talented and hardworking art and editorial departments, to a publisher who allows us the creative freedom to reach for the stars every day,” said Sheridan Road Editorial Director Kerrie Kennedy.

The Peter Lisagor Awards are the highest honor for Chicago area journalists. They are presented by the Chicago Headline Club, the largest chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists in the country.

For more information about 2012 Peter Lisagor Award winners, go to www.headlineclub.org.

Seeing so many members of British acting royalty all on screen at the same time is wonderful. Luckily, the screenplay gives them plenty to do and at least one speech each, resulting in a very lovely movie about finding out what you want and having the courage to ask for what you deserve.

When several Brits in their advancing years find they need serious change in their lives, they each find their way to the same retirement hotel in Jaipur, India. There, surrounded by a culture so far from their own, Douglas (Bill Nighy, Love Actually) and Jean (Penelope Wilton, Downton Abbey) are forced to deal with their marital problems, Graham (Tom Wilkinson, The Debt) searches for the love of his youth, Evelyn (Judi Dench, Jane Eyre) learns to live her own life after losing her husband, Muriel (Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey) has to overcome her incapacitating racism in order to have a timely surgery, and Madge (Celia Imrie, Calendar Girls) and Norman (Ronald Pickup, Prince of Persia) search the singles scene for new partners to ease their loneliness. The hotel they travel to is being barely kept together by Sonny (Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionare) the over eager manager, who simultaneously has to deal with his mother trying to drive away the girl he loves for a more beneficial arranged marriage.

The writing is solid, the acting is wonderful, and all of this is brought to us from the director of Shakespeare in Love. Sounds to me like the perfect pitch for a pond-jumping sleeper hit, and it’s not far at all off the mark. Though the funny highs and the emotional lows aren’t quite as impactful as some of its predecessors, like Calendar Girls, there’s still plenty to like about this flick. It really has a little bit of everything, romance, laughter, regret, connections, loyalty, and courage, all pulled together with a lot of characters, so maybe they just cast the net a little too widely for everything to feel tidy. The first time they line all of these wonderful actors up in the same shot though, it really feels like something to behold.

The locations in India are absolutely stunning. They don’t sugarcoat it by any means and along with the stunning colors and culture on display they also highlight how overwhelming the poverty and overcrowding can feel. None the less, no film has ever succeeded as well at making me want to experience it myself.

My personal opinion: Renaissance Place was more packed for this movie than I’ve seen it in a long time. It’s like a trip to India with a little extra emotional baggage for your carryon and a really nice time at the movies. –Jake Jarvi

Friday, May 4

Junior League of North Shore-Evanston’s Annual “Kitchen Tour of the North Shore”

The Kitchen tour takes place in various Homes in Winnetka, Glencoe, and other North Shore Villages, with a luncheon to follow at the Winnetka Community House. Proceeds will go toward the charities of the Junior League North Shore-Evanston

Saturday, May 5

43^rd Annual Loyola Academy Ramble

Supporters will gather at the Jesuit Prep School in Wilmette to raised funds for Loyola’s Tuition Assistance Program.

Reception and Book Signing for Lizze Garrett Mettler

Author Lizzie Garrett Mettler, daughter of State Senator Susan Garrett, debuts her first book, Tomboy Style: Beyond The Boundaries of Fashion with a reception and book signing at Lake Forest College’s Glen Rowan House.

A Toast to Ragdale

This already sold out event will toast the organization’s year-long, $3 million restoration, and will feature ragtime music, roaring 20s decor, a silent auction, and the grand re-opening of the Ragdale House.

A Masked Ball Under the Stars

Held at Ravinia, Family Service Center of Glencoe event will feature cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions, live music, dancing, and, of course, festive masks!

Sunday, May 6

Rush University Medical Center’s Junior Board 2012 Spring Fashion Show

Entitled “Vanity Fair”, the hard-working young women of the Junior Board will strut their stuff down a runway at the Kenilworth Club, with all proceeds to benefit Rush. —Stacy Flannery