Gal-Eventing offers chance to live your dreams
If you're a woman with a sense of adventure and a few unfulfilled ambitions, you might want to go Gal-Eventing, a new travel experience incorporating life-enhancing activities designed with women's interests in mind.

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AUDITIONS

First casino trip started lifelong hobby
For every casino player, there has to be a first time. But what is it about that first trip to the slots or tables that leads to a second?

How to play some particularly challenging hands
It's been a while since I've popped a quiz, and a while since I've delved into blackjack basic strategy. See if you know the best way to play the following four hands, all among the most-often misplayed hands in the game.

Night Life
COMEDY

Things to do once the sun comes to stay
Does it seem like this has been the cruelest spring weather in years to anyone by us? We have had only a couple of decent days, and usually it would get super cold the day after, just to put us in our place.

Movie Times
A roundup of showtimes from movie theaters across the area.

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MUSEUMS

The one who should have gotten away
Something didn't feel quite right throughout "Made of Honor," a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy starring Patrick Dempsey, but it wasn't until the climax when it hit me. After Dempsey's Tom finally gets his girl, my initial reaction was to feel sorry for her.

Five things to know
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly": The After Hours Film Society will discuss the award-winning film at 7:30 p.m. May 12. Discussions follow every film. At the Tivoli, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove. Call 630-534-4528. Visit www.afterhoursfilmsociety.com.

'Iron Man' sets bar high for rest of summer
An action extravaganza with all the visual goods, plus plenty of wit and even something of a conscience, "Iron Man" is the first summer blockbuster out of the gate - and the one to beat. Like every successful comic-book movie, this one features a real actor in the lead.

Theater group seeks scripts from public
Craig Berger artistic director of the EverGreen Theatre Company, is looking for engaging, short theater pieces written by the public.

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COMEDY

Summer Movie Preview
Forget "Speed Racer." The summer movie season isn't a rapid sprint as much as it is a grueling marathon. The key to surviving it is to pace yourself. To help, we once again offer our summer movie hype index, an attempt to separate the Hollywood buzz from the heartland reality.

Elegant fare at Niche a group effort
There's no "I" in Niche. Jeremy Lycan emphasizes that the sophisticated Geneva restaurant succeeds through mutual effort. "It's not one person, working toward one person's goals," the accomplished chef said. "We all work together, as a team."

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Hulu could inspire you to give up your TV altogether
How much trouble have you had out of your cable TV service?

Fey takes ‘Baby’ steps to movie stardom
Thankfully, "Baby Mama" has enough fizzy moments. As Kate Holbrook, Tina Fey offers an extension of her “30 Rock” persona – the successful career woman who is nonetheless tempted by “traditional” womanhood – and she shows real, big-screen charisma.

Five things to know
"The Laramie Project": North Central College will present its rendition of "The Laramie Project" at 8 p.m. May 2-3 in Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave. Call 630-637-7469 or visit www.northcentralcollege.edu/events.

Blackjack Switch can give players more strategy choices
A shuffle through the Gaming mailbag:

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COMEDY

In search of beauty
Love at first sight may not always go the distance in a relationship, but it could be a great way to choose a work of art. The good news is art lovers don't have to look far to find galleries and exhibits in the Western suburbs.

Writer gives a peek into his non-gambling life
I'd like to tell you that I've always said I'd read anything Frank Scoblete wrote, even if it was about having dinner with his in-laws.

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Another Law & Order lead makes his exit
Another cast member of "Law & Order" turns in his badge and gun tonight. Jesse L. Martin says goodbye after nine seasons to his character, Detective Ed Green.

Five things to know
New Philharmonic Orchestra: "Beethoven, Beethoven and More Beethoven," will be performed at 8 p.m. April 25 and 26 at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Call 630-942-4000 or visit www.atthemac.org . How much? $33 for adults, $31 for seniors and $23 for students and patrons under 17.

Segel redeemed with 'Sarah Marshall' script
Producer Judd Apatow stretches the definition of movie star once again with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," in which he hands the lead role to someone with even less matinee-idol appeal than Seth Rogen ("Knocked Up").

'88 Minutes' is 87 minutes too long
“88 Minutes” is one of those hopelessly convoluted thrillers that the screenwriter himself probably couldn’t explain. The title refers to a phone threat received by FBI forensic psychiatrist Jack Gramm (Al Pacino), who is told he has less than two hours to live.

Dining Capsules
Here are some places recently featured in Dining Out:

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COMEDY

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Steeped in tradition
In an era of drive-through dinners and microwaved noshing, it can be a challenge to approach eating in a leisurely, civilized way. Afternoon tea provides an opportunity to do precisely that.

A bad bet is always a bad bet - whatever the reason
The following e-mail exchange is real. The names have been withheld to protect the innocent.

Family Calendar
MUSEUMS

Be careful on the Internet - or you might get rickrolled
Last Wednesday night I got rickrolled. I'm all right, but I've had a terrible song stuck in my head for days.

The 5 worst miscasts in movies
5. Keanu Reeves in everything: Aside from "The Matrix" and the "Bill and Ted" movies, this actor continues to get work and yet some producers get duped into believing the guy will turn the corner.

Five things to know
"A Few Good Men": Performances run through April 20 at Wheaton Drama Inc., 111 N. Hale Street, Wheaton. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. Visit www.wheatondrama.org or call 630-260-1820.