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

The Mix: Really cool things to do

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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.

The Mix: Really cool things to do

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Tribute remembers Buckley's brief but profound impact
Jim DeRogatis: Second only to Kurt Cobain, a decade and a half later, Jeff Buckley stands as the most influential -- and tragic -- musician to impact the fertile music scene of the '90s. His slippery, soulful voice and penetrating songs continue to touch legions of fans, and his legend looms ever larger.

Fab Faux all about the sound, not the looks, of the Beatles
Of all the Beatles albums you could think of to faithfully recreate -- track by track during a live performance -- the group's 15th American release, officially titled "The Beatles" but more commonly known as "The White Album," probably wouldn't top your list. "It's a piece by the Beatles, why not?," asks musician Jimmy Vivino.

Pair of Scrooges ready to entertain the kids

As the winter holidays approach, curtains at local theaters are rising on seasonal family favorites. Chief among them is the perennial "A Christmas Carol," opening today at the Marriott Lincolnshire Theater, and Wednesday at the Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

Cedar Lake pushes the envelope on contemporary ballet
Hedy Weiss: You might never have heard of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. But the very fact that Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite has created one of the three works on the company’s program at the Auditorium Theatre this weekend should send you to the box office.

Mira Hermoni-Levine's ‘Red Dress’ girl a secret no longer
My first encounter with Israeli artist Mira Hermoni-Levine was several years ago when I became intrigued by the painting of a young girl on the cover of a theater playbill here. Was the girl a real child or a doll? She certainly looked European, and was both haunting and haunted. And though still small, she made a powerful impression.

Felder keys in on Beethoven for latest show

When actor-pianist Hershey Felder comes to town, he usually has another persona in tow. First it was George Gershwin, and then Frederic Chopin. Now it’s Ludwig van Beethoven.

Gamezone: 'Fairytale Fights'

Don't let the vibrant colors and animated cuteness fool you. This is one bloody and violent game. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it's fairly likely that "Fairytale Fights" will top the violent games lists by various religious and parents' advisory groups.

Gamezone: 'Band Hero'

'Duty' lives up to all the hype

'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," almost certain to be the year's best-selling video game, has also become its most notorious. That's because of a prerelease leak showing a terrorist raid on an airport -- exactly the sort of thing that's guaranteed to rile up anti-violence watchdogs and generate free publicity.

Speaking With: Daniel Beaty
Actor, playwright, musician, composer, poet and activist Daniel Beaty will mark the closing of his play "Resurrection" (at ETA Creative Arts Foundation) with a performance of his one-man show "Emergency," at 7 p.m. Monday at ETA Square.