State Street Dance to perform 'Nutcracker'
State Street Dance Studio of Geneva will present "The Nutcracker" on Dec. 19 and 20 at the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles, marking the studio's sixth annual performance of the classic holiday ballet.

Jay-Z, Alicia Keys perform at World Series Game 1
The New York Yankees have been blasting Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” during their playoff run. Now, the team is having the rap king perform the song live to kick off Game 1 of the World Series. Jay-Z and fellow New Yorker Alicia Keys are set to perform the hit on Wednesday, as the Yankees take on defending World Series champs, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Five things to do in Aurora
Capitol Steps: See the no-holds-barred non-partisan politcal comic troupe at 8 p.m. Oct. 23 at Paramount Theatre. At 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Call 630-896-6666 or at any TicketMaster ticket outlet.

Good scares, fun Halloween diversions
Nothing says Halloween fun quite like the zombies. Just ask Mark Reinholtz, 23, of Joliet. He started a performance group in 2003, when he was still in high school. The group, aptly named the Reinholtz Cemetery, puts together a musical that tells the story of a zombie-infested cemetery.

Train-themed eatery makes a meal fun
Train enthusiasts young and old are sure to enjoy a whistle-stop tour of 2Toots Train Whistle Grill, a train-themed restaurant with two locations in the western suburbs. 2Toots Train, in Downers Grove and Glen Ellyn, aims to be the kind of place both kids and adults can enjoy, said owner Dale Eisenberg. "When people describe us, it's as an adult restaurant that kids love," Eisenberg said.

Children's Theatre of Elgin presenting 'Music Man Jr.'
What do you get when you cross a Tony Award-winning musical with a shortened script intended to be performed by children and youth? You get an emotionally demanding production for the cast.

Steve Martin: Wild and crazy about the banjo
Dave Hoekstra: Steve Martin's commitment to the banjo is funny to much of the pop culture landscape. But Martin is as serious as a blue moon in Kentucky. About 10 years ago, he put a banjo in every room of his house. "Living room, bedroom," Martin said in a recent interview from Los Angeles. "So wherever I was, it was there." Martin will appear with the Steep Canyon Rangers bluegrass band Thursday night at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.

Uma Thurman, 'Motherhood' director raise film together
Bill Zwecker: Uma Thurman and Katherine Dieckmann, the writer and director of the actress' new ''Motherhood'' film, have a lot in common. For one thing, both woman have two children near the same ages. "We both have the same feelings about what it means to be a mother in today's world,'' said Dieckmann, who joined Thurman in Chicago recently to represent their movie as it opened this year's Chicago International Film Festival.

Recreation briefs
Recreation briefs: Try your hand at farm chores at Primrose Farm. Meet the farm's animal residents while learning about their care and feeding. Dress for the weather. Children must be accompanied by a paying adult. Class for ages 4 and up meets from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Primrose Farm, 5N726 Crane Road. Fee is $5 for residents and $7 for nonresidents.

Danger lurks in 'Wild Things' adaptation
Spike Jonze recalls how Maurice Sendak urged him to make the movie version of "Where the Wild Things Are" as dangerous as the book was when the children's classic came out in 1963. The question now is whether Jonze made it too dangerous.

LeToya ready for round 2 as solo star
After proving she could do it solo – her debut single and self-titled album both hit No. 1 on the charts three years ago – LeToya is ready for people to call her by her own name, without adding that annoying prefix. "I am now formerly 'the former member of Destiny's Child,'" the 28-year-old says with a laugh.