Columns

We Italians seem to have favorite places we seek out to remind us of our food heritage. Those fortunate enough to have enjoyed their mother’s and grandmothers’ homemade specialties are often disappointed when eating out at Italian restaurants. It’s just never quite like their mother’s home cooking. It’s not that we’re snooty or difficult, but I’m guessing that our taste buds are more discriminating than our non-Italian friends’ when it comes to Italian food. My mother would say, “It’s not their fault, they just don’t know any better.” From minestrone to tortellini in brodo, marinara to Bolognese meat sauce, lasagna …

Being Italian to me is more than just a really cool club membership. It is an upbringing, a philosophy, a lifestyle to be cherished and valued until the day I die. Growing up as a first-generation Italian in Highland Park in the ’60s and ’70s, I am fairly convinced was quite different from the experiences of my American friends. Even though I am a half-breed, my parents were both European immigrants, with accents. I never noticed that my mom couldn’t enunciate her th’s, until I was a pre-teen and my American friends pointed it out to me. After all, my …

It’s been 86 years since the Arcada Theatre opened to Vaudeville audiences in St. Charles. The biggest names of the day graced its stage: George Burns & Gracie Allen, Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy, The Little Rascals and so many more. For the next 80 years, its ride would be a rocky one. From talking pictures to community theater, back to film blockbusters and local events, then to its semi-retirement with $4 brew-n-views. I have been in the entertainment industry for more than 25 years producing concerts, festivals and corporate events around the country. I had always dreamed of a …

QUESTION: How many careers did Dick Clark launch or foster? How many millions of Americans watched the 7,500-plus shows he produced? How many lives did he touch? ANSWER: Immeasurable! I never met the man. I never actually pursued it. And it’s ironic, because all the tributes and testimonials I read were by people I have known for years! Legends like Little Anthony, Neil Sedaka, Danny & The Juniors, Frankie Avalon, Frankie Valli, Tom Dreesen, Mary Wilson, Pat Boone, James Darren, Nancy Sinatra … the list goes on and on. All good friends of ours, and all who attribute their careers …

Where to begin? Probably like everybody else, when I was a young fan of the Monkees. We all were inexplicably drawn to their crazy antics, screaming girls and pre-MTV-style concert footage. The music was infectious and it sure wasn’t the show’s plots that kept me engaged. His natural qualities as a human being transcended into his character. I was fortunate to work with Davy on many occasions. Each time we got together, I was met with a warm embrace and his own impersonation of my Chic-ah-go style “How ya coin’?” He really loved coming back to Chicago, marveling at the …

The Arcada has made some great strides over the past seven years. From hosting big-name entertainment to becoming a venue the community can truly enjoy, the place has made a whole lotta people happy. But I believe what really underscores the theater’s move to the next level are its excursions into the land of television. After bringing together five of the country’s funniest stand-up comics, I co-produced a show called “The Godfathers of Comedy.” It was a seven-camera, high-definition shoot with all the bells and whistles of a big-time television production. We built out the stage and added amazing lighting …

Happy New Year! In putting on these concerts and shows that we do at the Arcada, often there are “moments” that help to make all the effort worth it. One such “moment” happened to me backstage recently at The Temptations concert on Dec. 15. “The Temps” were poised to go on stage, dressed in their perfectly pressed fuchsia suits, when they huddled in a circle with each performer putting one hand in the center. As I was watching this, one of the guys reached for my arm and pulled me into the circle. So here I am, in a sacred …

I would imagine if you would ask the question, “Who is the King of Rock ‘n Roll?” most people would do the quiver-lip thing and respond, “Elvis Presley, thank you very much.” But I guess it depends who you are talking to. Try and ask that question to Rock ‘n Roll pioneers Chuck Berry or Little Richard, and you may get a music lesson you will never forget. I never did. When it comes down to it, no singer has sold more records or is more of a larger-than-life pop culture phenomenon than the boy from Tupelo, Mississippi, who is …

The king of all show-biz impersonators recently performed at our Arcada Theatre and I am here to tell you, he is the real deal. His pre-Broadway premiere of “Jimmy Stewart & Friends” was a unique presentation and a rare opportunity to see a television icon do what he does best. The one-man play featured Rich Little as famed actor Jimmy Stewart telling his life story in character, with other Hollywood legends “stopping by.” He arrived the night before the show, just in time for dinner. He is in great shape and looks years younger than the spry seventy-eight years of …

I would like to think that after 25 plus years in entertainment, I am pretty well versed on the “who’s who” of the biz. I would also like to think that I am hip enough to know who is hot today. After all, I could tell the difference between a Katy Perry song and a Rhianna song on the radio (at least after being educated by my 8-year-old daughter I could). So when Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter and fellow Chicagoan Richard Marx told me he was adding a special guest to his lineup of friends performing with him at our …