Tag Archives: Ron Onesti

The Italian American Executives of Transportation will honor Ron Onesti as Man of the Year and Sonny Nicotera as Humanitarian of the Year on Nov. 21 at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. (708-212-1051) “Ron and Sonny are cut of the same cloth,” says IAET President Vito D’Ambrosio. “They brings passion, skill and intelligence to bear on preserving our heritage and they’re extremely generous with their time, talent and resources. They represent the best that our community has to offer.” IAET 2015 Man of the Year Ron Onesti Ron Onesti is an entertainment industry powerhouse recognized as an innovative leader across …

  Growing up in the dawn” of the variety show concept, one of my favorites had to be The Sonny & Cher Show. Each week, watching the little Italian guy get picked on by the tall beauty, well, really hit home for me for obvious reasons. When the show went on summer hiatus in 1974, its replacement starred a guy who I was excited to see, mainly because he was another Italian American with a great voice. Tony Orlando was actually Greek and Puerto Rican, but he still looked like one of my cousins with the big bushy moustache and …

We at The Arcada Theatre have been fortunate enough to bring celebrities on a regular basis to St. Charles, many times being selected over venues in Chicago proper. Superstars, too many to count, appear on our stage regularly, performing their wonderful shows, further drawing attention to the wonders of the Fox Valley. In August of last year, the celebrity “buzz” was a bit different in downtown St. Charles, though. Jenny McCarthy, the former Playboy centerfold, television star, author and activist wed her internationally famous fiancé, actor and original New Kids on the Block member Donnie Wahlberg at the Hotel Baker, …

  It was a Festa della Repubblica the likes of which Chicago had never witnessed. On June 2, more than 400 revelers converged on the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame on historic Taylor Street to enjoy a gala event staged by Onesti Entertainment. The event was sponsored by the Chicago offices of the Italian Consulate General, Italian Cultural Institute and Italian Trade Agency as well as the Italian American Chamber of Commerce-Midwest and Onesti Entertainment. “The Hall of Fame was the perfect setting, and Onesti Entertainment took the event to a new level,” Consul General Adriano Monti stated. …

  As I was hustling between the raindrops en route to our place in the local Memorial Day Parade (my daughter’s grammar school class marches every year and I’m in charge of the all-important tossable candy), I was stopped by a group of “bikers” in the parade who have come to my rock shows before. “Hey, thanks for all the great music. We come to all your shows,” the leather-clad rider said. A couple other Harley owners also gave me a “thumbs up.” Now, I am not a biker nor have I ever ridden on one before. Have I ever …

  If the Rock Hall of Fame were a person, who would it be? In my humble opinion, few individuals embody the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the way ’60s girl-group superstar Ronnie Spector does. You see it in the way her remarkable career has intertwined with so many legendary figures in music. It’s truly amazing to speak to her about it, as I did backstage prior to our holiday show at the Arcada Theatre last year. It’s equally amazing the degree to which her Christmas songs have become international staples, musically branding the holiday itself! As we all …

  I am a HUGE Chicago sports fan, really loving all the excitement and pride that goes along with it. One of my particular favorite experiences is to visit the boys on the ice, my Chicago Blackhawks. One of the best experiences in all of sports was the singing of the national anthem in the old Chicago Stadium. Bone-chilling volume coupled with red, white and blue flowing through the veins of every fan on his and her feet was something I will never forget. Another unsung hero is something that really goes unnoticed while at the same time is a …

During baseball season, three things bring me to an out-of-body, Field-of-Dreams experience: having a couple of smokie-link sandwiches in the left field box seats at Wrigley facing the base that Santo built; throwing down a cold one while watching the post-home-run fireworks at Comiskey (sorry, it will always be Comiskey); and recalling my day with a man who is spoken of in the same conversation as is Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig: Joe DiMaggio. For many years, I volunteered my time to The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame on Taylor Street in Chicago. I produced all its fundraising …

One of the most popular television commercials out today features rock icon Eddie Money as a travel agency owner singing “Two Tickets To Paradise” to a family looking for tickets to a vacation. The humor of the commercial stems from Money holding two plane tickets in his hand and doing the song a cappella in a somewhat inebriated state. A fair representation of a stereotypical rocker of the ’70s and ’80s, this spot proves that comedy was never really meant to be pretty. I have worked with Eddie on several occasions, most recently two sold-out shows at the Arcada Theatre …

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 …