Kid Sister already among Chicago's hottest acts
Jim DeRogatis: Born in Chicago Heights, Melissa Young didn't think a lot about the role of women in hip-hop. So while the 29-year-old artist -- now better known to the music world as Kid Sister -- is one of the most exciting voices to emerge on the scene since the heyday of Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Yo-Yo, she'd prefer to be known as a great rapper, period, instead of as a great female rapper.
• Photos: Chicago rapper Kid Sister

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Viva variety: Cirque's 'Banana Shpeel' reinvents vaudeville
Hedy Weiss: Attention ladies and gentlemen, and all the rest of you, too. Are you ready for a return to vaudeville? Well, send in the clowns. And the comics. And the acrobats. And the eccentric dancers. And the actors. And the musicians. And don't forget to kick nostalgia back into the wings. That's "Banana Shpeel."

Party hearty on 'Black Wednesday'

There's no place like home for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving, right?

Fogerty ready to rock again on next album

Now that he's revisited the rootsy country and early rock terrain of his first post-Creedence Clearwater Revival days on "The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again," John Fogerty says he's ready to start sounding like, well, John Fogerty again.

Moran to defrock housewives with music from '50s

Don't you dare call Heather Moran a desperate housewife.

Shwayze wants to go beyond 'Buzzin''

With no TV reality show to flog them this time, the duo of Shwayze and Cisco Adler are hoping the new Shwayze album, "Let It Beat," will bring them a greater kind of musical credibility.

Gamezone: 'Dragon Age: Origins'

Canadian developer BioWare, the creative force behind publisher EA's latest game, "Dragon Age: Origins" as well as "Mass Effect" and "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," knows a thing or two about spinning epic tales and creating games that push the boundaries of interactive entertainment in terms of their scope and depth. You almost expect it and as a result, when they meet those high expectations, it doesn't have quite the impact as if, say, the game had come from a company not known for producing games of this caliber.

Gamezone: 'Rabbids Go Home'

'Thieves,' 'Batman,' top video game nominations

Spike TV says the action-adventure video game "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" has seized a leading eight nominations for this year's Video Game Awards.

Peter Gallagher shows off theatrical side in solo show

Peter Gallagher is a lucky guy. For more than 30 years, he has forged a solid career path that includes performances on stage and in film and television.

Musical takes country singer to 'Lofty' heights
The House Theatre of Chicago's world premiere production of "All the Fame of Lofty Deeds" is built around a rambunctious visual and aural landscape. Playwright/rock journalist Mark Guarino hit on a gold mine of ideas when he partnered with Chicago musician-artist Jon Langford (Waco Brothers) to create this show.

MSI visitors can dream of a 'White House' Christmas

When the Museum of Science and Industry opens its doors today, it will be decked out in its annual holiday splendor -- but with a special treat. Opening alongside "Christmas Around the World" and "Holidays of Lights" will be "The White House: A Look Inside."

Artistic 'Encounters' come from two sides of the world

A typical Hyde Park Art Center Sunday afternoon opening usually involves mellow mingling amidst interesting objects and the sipping of wine. Last week's opening of "Close Encounters," though, was more like something you'd encounter at the DMV. To gain admittance to the show, attendees were required to stand in a long line that culminated in a pointless, sometimes hostile, interrogation.