Sounds of the season
Wheaton College has announced three upcoming concerts to celebrate the Christmas season.

Things to do
Last chance: The Neil Simon play "Plaza Suite" will be staged at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage through Nov. 22. Performances Friday and Saturday are at 8 p.m. while the Sunday show is at 2 p.m.

Glen Ellyn program to offer a look at Christmas past
From 6:30 to 9 p.m. Nov. 27, the Glen Ellyn Historical Society will work to provide an old-fashioned Christmas experience.

New Classic Singers plan holiday concert
New Classic Singers will perform a special holiday concert at 4 p.m. Dec. 13 at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

Night life
COMEDY

Tivoli Theatre hosts holiday film fest
The Tivoli Theatre, located at 5021 Highland in downtown Downers Grove, will present a diverse Holiday Film Festival Dec. 11 to Dec. 17. The annual fest offers movie lovers a rare opportunity to see five of their all-time holiday favorites on a big screen with great sound in a beautifully restored 1928 movie palace.

Country meets opera in 'Divabilly' fundraiser
Country musician Suzy Bogguss is happy to help out for a good cause, and expose Fox Valley residents to a unique style of music she's dubbed "Divabilly." For the second year, she and her niece, opera singer Rebecca Davis, will perform at Hope For the Holidays, a concert benefiting the National Alliance for Mental Illness (at Naperville's North Central College.

Getting satire right: Site is a daily show of humor
From Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck to Bill Maher's targets in the 2008 comedic documentary "Religulous," those on the right of the spectrum often wind up as subjects of late-night zingers and scorching sendups. They are less often the originators of those sendups -- standouts such as Dennis Miller and his less comedically accomplished conservative compatriot Rush Limbaugh notwithstanding -- especially when it comes to taking conservative comrades to task.

Streamwood clown joins 'the greatest show'
Earlier this month, 27-year-old Kyle Barker started to live out his dream in earnest, joining the cast of clowns in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Circus at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.

Keeping it fresh
Grammy Award-winning artist Bruce Hornsby brings some of his most popular songs and crowd favorites to the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd. in Glen Ellyn, during a 7 p.m. performance Nov. 15.

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ARTISTS/CRAFTERS

On track for 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.

Night life
COMEDY

Blast from the past
Picture the Glen Ellyn theater in a 1955 holiday scene and the downtown plaza decorated for the Christmas season.

Not so 'Good' with details
Paige Wiser: It's one of the hazards of TV viewing: Police watch cop shows and complain that they're not accurate. Critics pick apart reality shows for not being real. And Chicagoans watch "The Good Wife" to look for Midwestern mistakes. Co-creator Michelle King says our city was chosen as the setting for CBS' Tuesday night hit because it made sense for Julianna Margulies' character -- not because any of the producers had personal experience here.

The sounds of Europe
Belgian organ virtuoso Eric Hallein will present an organ recital at 3 p.m. Nov. 8 at Grace Lutheran Church at 493 Forest Ave. in downtown Glen Ellyn

Five things to do
'Company': Village Theatre Guild is performing "Company" at 8 p.m. Nov. 6 and 7 at 3S020 Park Blvd. in Glen Ellyn. Call 630-469-8230 or visit www.villagetheatreguild.org.

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ARTISTS/CRAFTERS

Bells & Whistles to host photo exhibit
Bells & Whistles Snackery will host the new Scenes of Glen Ellyn photo exhibition by local photographer Erik Peterson from 7 to 10 p.m. Nov. 13.

Night life
COMEDY

Picture perfect
Amateur photographers of all ages are invited to share their best images by entering the Cantigny in Focus annual photo contest. The entry deadline is Dec. 11.

Concerts coming up at Wheaton College
Three concerts are coming up at Wheaton College in Wheaton.

Toying around
Cantigny Park in Wheaton usually honors real-life soldiers. Coming up, though, the park will definitely be thinking smaller.

Culture calendar
ARTISTS/CRAFTERS

Ready for action
Wheaton Drama, at 111 N. Hale St. in downtown Wheaton, has announced the cast for its next production, "Oliver!"

Night life
COMEDY

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.

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.

Five things to do in Naperville
Anderson's Bookshops: George Wendt, reading and booksigning for "Drinking with George," 7 p.m. Oct. 27, Wentz Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., in Naperville. At 123 W. Jefferson Ave. in Naperville.

A show with bite
Dracula is at College of DuPage.

Village Theatre Guild to hold auditions
Village Theatre Guild in Glen Ellyn is looking for a few good actors and actresses.

New Philharmonic opens the season in style
After being chosen the Orchestra of the Year in Illinois, the New Philharmonic based at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn has planned a new season with quite a lineup of extraordinary concerts.