Latest news with #DunesSummerTheatre
Chicago Tribune
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Of Notoriety: ‘Mullingar' opens at Dunes Theatre, burger challenge and Patsy Cline tribute
This weekend, Hard Rock Cafe in Gary kicks off its annual World Burger Tour competition in celebration of Hard Rock's international birthday. Hard Rock Cafe chefs from around the globe are competing in a challenge to showcase their unique burger creations highlighted for a limited time on menus, presenting ingredient elements from their regional cultures and personal tastes and themes. The innovative recipes are now available through Aug. 4 for guests to try, compare and vote, including the Gary location's own 'Crossroads Burger' at Hard Rock Cafe Northern Indiana developed by Chef Ivan. The burger boasts two 'smashed and stacked' burgers, crispy pork shoulder, pepper jack cheese, house-fried pickles, charred onions and garlic ranch aioli. Chef Ivan's dream burger, priced at $19.95, is competing against the offering from Hard Rock Cafe Rome which touts a 'Lasagna Burger with Ragu Bolognese and bechamel,' as contrasted with the Atlantic City Hard Rock property's 'Jersey Shore Burger' that has a house-made blueberry maple aioli and provolone cheese. This year's competition marks the first time the Gary location is included in the finals. Based on an equation of judges' scoring and sales performance, the top five burger recipes will be selected and announced later this summer. Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is at 5400 West 29th Ave. in Gary with more information at An unneighborly grudge between families can take a long time to 'mend fences.' It's a deliciously dark and moving storyline, seasoned with humor, opening this weekend at Dunes Summer Theatre. 'Outside Mullingar,' opening June 27 and playing until July 13, is a dark comedy by Irish playwright John Patrick Shanley, playwright for 'Doubt.' Set in rural Ireland, Shanley's clever yarn focuses on the unlikely romance between Anthony and Rosemary, longtime neighbors who explore the fine line between love and hate. It's being directed by Michael Lasswell and stars Peter Gertas, Morgan McCabe, Robert Reidy and Danielle Bilderback on the Dunes Summer Theatre historic stage, 288 Shady Oak Drive in Michigan City, continuing the venue's 74th anniversary season. Performances are 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $30 to $35 for all general seating and available at or call 219-879-7509. Direct from Las Vegas, Amberley Beatty becomes the legendary first lady of country and western crossover into pop music, stepping into the boots and identity of Patsy Cline for her first time on the Theatre at the Center stage, 1040 Ridge Road in Munster, for a 3 p.m. Sunday, June 29 tribute concert. Whether dressed in classic Western attire or elegant evening gowns, Amberley captures the sultry and timeless sound of the legendary singer as audiences join a mesmerizing journey through Patsy Cline's greatest hits, including 'I Fall to Pieces,' 'She's Got You,' 'Crazy,' 'Walkin' After Midnight,' 'Sweet Dreams' and the hauntingly beautiful 'Faded Love.' Tickets are $40 at or 219-836-3255, and there is the option of a four-course pre-concert dinner in the ballroom with a Patsy Cline-themed menu for an additional $30, with reservations required at 219-836-1930 Ext. 2. Hammond Mayor Thomas M. McDermott Jr. and the Hammond Port Authority are hosting the return of Hyryder to The Pavilion at Wolf Lake 7 p.m. Saturday, June 28. Hyryder ranks as one of the Midwest's premier Grateful Dead tribute bands and has been captivating audiences with their riveting live performances since 2008, with a quest to keep the Dead's music alive, and they carry this torch with distinction. It's billed as an immersive live performance to transport audiences to enjoy the legendary songs and showmanship established by the late Jerry Garcia. Hyryder is a free show as part of The Pavilion at Wolf Lake's Summer Concert Series with details at It's a mouthwatering celebration of flavors, aromas and culinary creativity in Munster this weekend for the Region Eats Food Festival from 5-9 p.m. Saturday, June 28, at Centennial Park, 1005 S. Centennial Drive in Munster. In addition to food trucks and vendors, guests enjoy live music by the Nick Danger Band, and there is also a beer garden. More than 15 food trucks will be on site side-by-side with traditional tent vendors. No tickets to purchase for admission. All food and beverages are sold directly from the vendors. Centennial Park is a pay-to-park facility priced at $2 an hour or $5 a day. There are three kiosks at the park to pay for parking near the shelters, stage and clubhouse.
Chicago Tribune
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Of Notoriety: Dunes Summer Theatre's 74th anniversary Sunday celebrated with sold-out ‘Misery'
When Dunes Summer Theatre in Michigan City reopened after its 2020 season pandemic pause for relaunch in 2021, it was a slow return to attract cautious audiences. Elise Kermani, managing director of the Dunes Arts Foundation and Steve Scott, a director emeritus from Chicago's Goodman Theater, later named Dunes Theatre artistic director in fall 2021, are sharing the same amazement this summer. They opened their 2025 stage season with a sold-out run of a newly imagined telling of Stephen King's 'Misery,' which opened May 30 and concludes with a final performance 2 p.m. Sunday, and scattered seats still available at all three remaining shows. Dunes Summer Theatre, 288 Shady Oak Drive in Michigan City, celebrated the marking of the 74th anniversary last Sunday, June 8, with standing audience ovations for this new and cleverly devised staging of 'Misery.' The run stars Chicago TV news personality Janet Davies, completely transformed as the menacing recluse nurse Annie Wilkes, opposite brilliant Kevin Giese as tortured novelist Paul Sheldon who is held captive by 'his biggest fan.' The production is directed by John Hancock, our noted filmmaker and Oscar-nominated movie director local claim-to-fame who hails from LaPorte and did the filming for his 1989 holiday classic 'Prancer' at his family's farm in LaPorte. Also in this 'Misery' cast are Jim Lampl as skeptical rural town Sheriff Buster and Emmie Reigel, the latter molded into a new character, not previously featured in the original stage work or readings of this adaptation from two decades ago in New York. Reigel is cast as the ever-looming spirit of author Sheldon's novel heroine Misery Chastain and appears in nearly all the scenes. And many times, she 'earns her oats' helping with inventive transitions for scene needs. Creative wiz Michael Lasswell has built an entire rustic cabin farmhouse set design, complete with hidden secret reveals for the audience. Davies was the TV entertainment reporter for Chicago's ABC 7 News for more than 30 years and the host of the award-winning '190 North' Chicago entertainment, dining and lifestyle TV series. A world-traveled, seasoned broadcast journalist and winner of 18 Emmy awards for producing, writing and reporting, Davies has covered the British Royal Family, reported live from the red carpets of the Oscars and the Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as the American Music Awards. In February 2021, Davies left ABC-owned WLS Channel 7 after a 37-year history and now divides her time between her beloved Chicago, world travels and her home in Galien, Michigan. She is also the board chair of the tiny but mighty stage at The Acorn Theatre in quaint Three Oaks, Michigan. 'You have to remember, I started out as a theatre major in college, and communication was my secondary career study,' said Davies, who was born in Richmond, Virginia, and raised in Fairfield, Ohio, before she earned a BA from Miami University in Ohio majoring in communications and theater. When chatting with Davies on Sunday, I told her of my amazement that she could remember all of the script lines and blocking sequences for the two-hour stage epic. (I still have my own nightmares about not remembering lines on stage, and that's without working full-time in the theater industry). In her world of working in the television field, a teleprompter is nothing out of the ordinary for anchor desk reporting. 'I spent considerable time learning lines, and a great director and cast help the process,' she said. Davies' 'Misery' co-star Giese is a graduate of Portage High School and trained at Second City in Chicago. He is familiar to audiences at both Dunes Summer Theatre and Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso. I asked Davies if she already has another stage project in the works, and her only answer was a glint in her eye paired with a smile. I'm casting my own vote to see her play the mother superior nun in 'Doubt' or 'Agnes of God.' Maybe the theater gods will hear my request. Tickets for 'Misery' are $30 to $35 and available at or call 219-879-7509. Up next at Dunes Summer Theatre opening June 27 and playing until July 13 is 'Outside Mullingar,' a delicious dark company and one of my favorite stage stories by Irish playwright John Patrick Shanley and being directed by the Dunes' Michael Lasswell.
Chicago Tribune
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Of Notoriety: ‘Rumors,' free Beyond the Blonde and ‘Misery' this weekend
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana continues its fourth anniversary celebration this month hosting a free concert starring Beyond the Blonde, a Chicagoland-based tribute band on the Hard Rock Cafe stage at 9 p.m. Friday, May 31. A celebration of powerhouse divas like P!NK, Gwen Stefani and Lady Gaga, audiences enjoy high-energy performances of favorite hits with costume changes paying homage to each of the artists' iconic styles. Audience participation includes sing-along moments for a salute to female pop power. Beyond the Blonde features Charity Marie for lead vocals, Bobby Eden on guitar and background vocals, Anthony Marena on bass guitar and background vocals and Kevin Curtin on drums. Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is located at 5400 West 29th Ave. in Gary, directly adjacent to the Interstate 80/94 Burr Street Interchange. For more information, call 219-228-2383 or visit Dunes Summer Theatre, 288 Shady Oak Drive in Michigan City, that rustic and woodsy oasis of arts and culture established in 1941, is producing a new run of 'Misery' which will star Chicago TV news personality Janet Davies as Annie Wilkes opposite Kevin Giese as tortured novelist Paul Sheldon, who is held captive by 'his biggest fan.' The production, May 30 to June 15, is being directed by John Hancock, the noted filmmaker and Oscar-nominated movie director who hails from LaPorte and did the filming for his 1989 holiday classic 'Prancer' at his family's farm in LaPorte. Also, in this 'Misery' cast are Jim Lampl and Emmie Reigel with creative wiz Michael Lasswell as set designer. Steve Scott is the artistic director at Dunes Summer Theatre. Stephen King's 1987 novel 'Misery' was adapted for the stage as a play by Simon Moore and William Goldman, the latter of whom wrote the screenplay for the 1990 film version starring Kathy Bates and James Caan. Tickets are $30 to $35 and available at or call 219-879-7509. Beatnik Entertainment presents 'Rumors' by Neil Simon, the dark comedy produced for the intimate 60-seat stage space at Beatniks On Conkey, 420 Conkey St. in Hammond with Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances opening this Friday, May 30 through June 8, with curtain times at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. The night of a 10th-anniversary wedding party commences with the discovery of guest of honor Charlie Brock, deputy mayor of New York, found on the floor bleeding upstairs. Hi wife Myra is also missing and as the guests slowly arrive, confusion and miscommunications mount for a stage adventure of this classic farcical stage romp. The cast stars Dean Johanson, Diana Smoot, Dylan Root, Kelly Koester, George Romero, Amy Bannister, Michael Depriest Reed, Julie Breford, Maggie Reister and Daniel Murillo. Tickets are $20 at or call or text 219-852-0848 for reservations and more information at Seating is limited so reservations are strongly suggested. For walk-up patrons who pay at the door, it's cash only. Lita Ford's career began in 1975 as a founding member and guitarist of the groundbreaking all-female group the Runaways. The group's hard rock/punk edge spawned hits like 'Cherry Bomb' and 'Queens of Noise.' Lita and the Runaways proved timelessness in 2014 when 'Cherry Bomb' was featured in the critically acclaimed Marvel/Disney Studios hit movie 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' and was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 1983, Lita launched her career as a solo artist with her début album 'Out For Blood,' and now, she's paired on tour with Dee Snider of Twisted Sister heavy metal fame for one concert at Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo with one performance at 8 p.m. CST May 30. Snider has starred in several reality TV shows including appearances in three seasons of NBC's 'Celebrity Apprentice' and 'Growing Up Twisted,' an A&E cable series featuring the entire Snider family and their Long Island lifestyle. Four Winds Silver Creek Event Center is at 11111 Wilson Road. Tickets start at $65 at 866-494-6371 or
Chicago Tribune
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Of Notoriety: Chicago ABC TV's Janet Davies to star in ‘Misery' at Dunes Theatre
In September 2022, I lamented missing a one-week performance run that was 'not to be missed.' I was with my editor and pals for our annual Labor Day getaway to Kalamazoo, Michigan, a celebrated holiday tradition of 15-plus years built around seeing summer stock theatre in nearby Augusta, Michigan, at The Barn Theatre. In operation for 78 years, the Barn Theatre's production in September 2022 was a production of the play adaptation of Stephen King's 'Misery,' with soap opera actress Kim Zimmer playing obsessed fan Annie Wilkes. Zimmer, 70, and a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, spent decades on the CBS soap opera 'Guiding Light.' A famed alum of Barn Theatre from her early career days, I did catch Zimmer in September 2011 playing Norma Desmond in 'Sunset Boulevard' at Barn Theatre. In May, I'll have my chance to once again see what's sure to be a not-to-be-missed new production of 'Misery' and at an even closer stage space. Dunes Summer Theatre, 288 Shady Oak Drive in Michigan City, a rustic and woodsy oasis of arts and culture established in 1941, is producing a new run of 'Misery' which will star Chicago TV news personality Janet Davies as Annie Wilkes opposite Kevin Giese as tortured novelist Paul Sheldon, who is help captive by 'his biggest fan.' The production, May 30 to June 15, is being directed by John Hancock, our noted filmmaker and Oscar-nominated movie director who hails from LaPorte and did the filming for his 1989 holiday classic 'Prancer' at his family's farm in LaPorte. Also in this 'Misery' cast are Jim Lampl and Emmie Reigel. Creative wiz Michael Lasswell is already hard at work on the set design, and of course, iconic stage talent Steve Scott is the artistic director at Dunes Summer Theatre. Davies was the TV entertainment reporter for Chicago's ABC 7 News for more than 30 years and the host of the award-winning '190 North' Chicago entertainment, dining and lifestyle TV series. A world-traveled, seasoned broadcast journalist and winner of 18 Emmy awards for producing, writing and reporting, Davies has covered the British Royal Family, reported live from the red carpets of the Oscars and the Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as the American Music Awards. In February 2021, Davies announced via social media she was parting ways with ABC-owned WLS Channel 7 after a 37-year history. As reported by media columnist Robert Feder, Davies had changed her status as a full-time employee to a freelance contracted TV personality with ABC-7 in 2013. She joined the Chicago television station in 1984, coming from her previous TV gig at WPVI, the ABC-owned affiliate in Philadelphia. In addition to her feature news segments on ABC-7 Chicago, Davies was also a frequent host and broadcast commentator for Chicago's biggest events like the annual parades for St. Patrick's Day, Columbus Day and Pride Day, as well as co-hosting count-down duties on New Year's Eve with sports broadcast colleague Mark Giangreco, the latter who also left ABC-7 Chicago in 2021. Davies now divides her time between her beloved Chicago, world travels and her home in Galien, Michigan. She is also the board chair of the tiny but mighty stage at The Acorn Theatre in quaint Three Oaks, Michigan. Billing and branding for the venue changed to The Acorn Center for the Performing Arts in 2015 when it became a non-profit 501 (c) (3). Previously, Davies served on the Children's Memorial (now Lurie Children's Hospital) Corporate Board of Directors. Davies was born in Richmond, Virginia, and raised in Fairfield, Ohio, before she earned a BA from Miami University in Ohio, majoring in communications and theater. Davies' 'Misery' co-star Giese is a graduate of Portage High School and trained at Second City in Chicago. He is familiar to audiences at both Dunes Summer Theatre and Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso. Stephen King's 1987 novel 'Misery' was adapted for the stage as a play by Simon Moore and William Goldman, the latter of whom wrote the screenplay for the 1990 film version starring Kathy Bates and James Caan. Actress Sharon Gless was the first to step into the stage shoes of stalker Annie Wilkes during a 1993 test-out of the script adaptation in London. It opened on Broadway in 2015 starring Laurie Metcalf as Annie and Bruce Willis as novelist Paul. Metcalf was nominated for the Best Actress in a Play Tony at the 70th Tony Awards telecast. Willis was having trouble remembering his lines and his use of an earpiece to aid with his lines to be fed was met with criticism in some reviews. Later, Willis' family acknowledged the actor was having memory and cognitive issues. The Dunes Summer Theatre run of 'Misery' directed by John Hancock and starring Janet Davies and Kevin Giese is May 30 to June 1,5 with tickets $30 to $35 and available at or call 219-879-7509.
