Latest news with #Lawry
Time Out
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
A $50 million magic theater is coming to Chicago's Magnificent Mile
Magnificent Mile in Streeterville has long been home to designer fashion, Michelin-starred dining, and annual an Art Festival. Soon, the famed district will enchant visitors with a sprawling $50 million magical theater destination called The Hand & The Eye. Brainchild of Chicago healthcare entrepreneur Glen Tullman, the sorcery will span 36,000 square feet of the historic McCormick Mansion (formerly home to Lawry's Prime Rib), including not one but seven theaters, multiple bars, and a massive dining space—all dedicated to the art of illusion. "This is not some six-month pop-up thing. This is a once-in-a-generation project,' Tullman told The Chicago Tribune. Guests will move among multiple upscale, all-adult experiences, ranging from live jazz sets to illusions by self-proclaimed "curator of magic" Jeff Kaylor. Bars will be equipped for sleight-of-hand drink slinging, a nod to Chi-Town's rich history of magician-barkeeps. No word on food menu specifics just yet, but Levy Restaurants CEO Andy Lansing equated it to "Pump Room in its heyday." "We want to open up people's imaginations," Kaylor told the Tribune. "And create a place where every magician in the world wants to perform." Visitors will purchase a single inclusive ticket for timed reservations at a premium price point yet to be determined. Could dinner be served in the famed fourth-floor ballroom, which hosted upwards of 400 guests and visiting royalty in its early days?! Either way, expect a dress code. Club memberships will be available to residents and regulars, à la Soho House, offering access to the venue's various bars and stages through a dedicated entrance. Members must first learn a magic trick before the bewitching can begin. As for the renovations, antiquities aficionados will be glad to know the mansion's original grand staircase and fireplace will remain intact, as will its historic exterior, which dates to 1899. History, in fact, plays a huge part: At various moments in lifetime, the house boasted a puppet theater and members-only nightclub called the Continental Casino. Set to debut in March 2026, The Hand & The Eye is slated to be open nightly from 5pm to midnight. Eventually, weekend brunches and daytime hours may roll out for more family-friendly performances. Need your fix now? Head to Chicago Magic Lounge in Andersonville, Rhapsody Theatre in Rogers Park Petterino's Restaurant.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
County cricket day four: Derbyshire v Middlesex and reaction to latest results
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature 'A stockily belligerent counterpoint to Lawry's reed-thin caution,' – what a a brilliant line in a nice obituary of an interesting and talented cricketer. Share On a London day of high spirits as the marathon threaded its way round the streets, Surrey cranked through the gears. They completed a comprehensive eight-wicket victory, their first of the season, just after tea – a game turned upside down when Somerset suffered a half-hour of horror. After restricting Surrey to a lead of 84, Somerset lost two early wickets. But it was as people were finishing their post-prandial pints that the game was lost, the visitors at one stage losing five for four in 34 balls. Tom Abell shouldered arms, Josh Davey played on, Tom Banton was brilliantly caught, Kasey Aldridge edged onto his stumps, and an airborne Dan Lawrence plucked James Rew out of the spring air. From 38 for seven, a total of 119 was actually something of an achievement, especially with Sean Dickson unable to bat. Rory Burns' busy 20 quickly guided Surrey to 36 for victory, though Dom Sibley and Ollie Pope fell along the way. Pope was out for one for the second time in the game as Jordan Clark went home with eight wickets in his wallet. Nottinghamshire marched to a nine-wicket win over Sussex, buoyed by another four wickets from 17-year old Farhan Ahmed, and fifties from Haseeb Hameed and Ben Duckett – one a Penguin classic, the other an airport thriller. Fergus O'Neill leaves Trent Bridge, after 21 wickets in four games, to be replaced by Mohammad Abbas, who lands just in time for their next match – against his old club Hampshire. It was a second victory of the season for Notts, who sit pretty at the top of Division One. In Division Two, a zig-zagging game on a Bristol pitch with unusual energy ended with a two-wicket victory for Leicestershire in the evening sunlight. Gloucestershire couldn't regain enough ground after their batting suffered an attack of the vapours, at one stage losing five for 16, with four wickets for Ian Holland – the second tier's leading wicket-taker. Leicestershire were set 143 and it looked unlikely as Dom Goodman (four for 33) zipped through the top order, but Ben Cox and the tail hauled them over the line. In the only game to reach a fourth day, Middlesex are following on against Derbyshire, still trailing by 97 runs in their second innings. Share DIVISION ONE Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 300 and 148-1 BEAT Sussex 169 and 278 BY NINE WICKETS The Oval: Surrey 367 and 36-2 BEAT Somerset 283 and 119 BY EIGHT WICKETS New Road: Durham 136 and 108-4 BEAT Worcestershire 162 and 81 BY SIX WICKETS DIVISION TWO Derby: Derbyshire 472 v Middlesex 315 and 60-1 Bristol: Leicestershire 262 and 146-8 BEAT Gloucestershire 252 and 152 BY TWO WICKETS Share Hello! It's a relaxed Monday at CC Live!, the air gorgeous with hawthorn and cow parsley, and with just one game in town. All eyes to Derby, where Middlesex are following on. We'll be here all day, draw up a chair and join us between spreadsheets. Share
The Guardian
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Keith Stackpole obituary
In an era well before Big Bash and Bazball, the Australian cricketer Keith Stackpole, who has died aged 84, was an uncommonly bold and attacking opening Test batsman from 1966 to 1974. His unusually swashbuckling style at the top of the order was thrown into especially stark relief by the fact that so many of his Test innings as an opener were with the contrastingly dour figure of Bill Lawry, immune to the pleasures of swift run gathering. A stockily belligerent counterpoint to Lawry's reed-thin caution, Stackpole took little notice of the long established defensive tenets of opening batsmanship, preferring instead to grab any chance he could to belt the ball around the field. 'If someone bowled a half-pitched ball wide of me first ball in a Test match, I'd shoulder arms and watch it go through,' said Lawry. 'But Stacky would just pin back his ears and thrash it through gully for four.' In the days before one-day cricket had properly reshaped the game, such risky enterprise was not completely unheard of – as the presence of the similarly aggressive England batsman Colin Milburn attested. Nonetheless it was a novelty, and it set Stackpole apart. His method was also highly effective over 43 Tests, establishing him as one of Australia's most consistent run getters of the early 70s and helping him towards the vice-captaincy. Afterwards he became a radio and TV commentator as well as a newspaper columnist in Melbourne. Stackpole was born in the Collingwood area of Melbourne to Hannah (nee Dunn), a housewife, and Keith Sr, who was a first class cricketer for Victoria but was better known as an Aussie Rules footballer for Collingwood and Fitzroy. After Keith Jr had revealed his cricketing talents at Christian Brothers college in Clifton Hill, the careers of father and son overlapped briefly when they played together for the Collingwood club in 1957 – senior appearing in his last match while junior was making his debut. Although much influenced by his father – a similarly burly attacking batsman – Stackpole also came under the wing of the Collingwood stalwart Jack Ryder, a former Australia captain who managed to add other dimensions to the youngster's game without stifling his natural feel for back-foot play or his penchant for carving the ball square on both sides of the wicket. By 1960 he was making his first class debut for Victoria, and by 1963 he had established himself in the side, usually at No 3. His Test debut came in the lower middle order against England in Adelaide in 1966, a match in which he scored 43 in his only innings and dismissed Colin Cowdrey and MJK Smith with his occasional leg breaks – exploits that were good enough to see him selected for the 1966-67 tour to South Africa. Despite a big-hitting debut Test century in Cape Town at No 7, his performances on that trip were unremarkable, and he continued in generally moderate vein until a breakthrough arrived in early 1969. Lawry, by that time captain and trying to find a replacement for his recently retired opening partner, Bobby Simpson, decided to shift Stackpole up the order against West Indies in Sydney. In his new position he scored three half-centuries in his first four innings, and the die was cast. He was an opener for the remaining 33 matches of his Test career. Averaging 46 in the following 1969-70 series in India, Stackpole proved to be a key component of Australia's rare series win there, and finally established his value beyond all doubt during England's 1970-71 visit to Australia with scores of 207 in the first Test in Brisbane, 136 in the fifth in Adelaide and a sequence of other solid innings as he finished with 627 runs at an average of 52.25. Lawry lost the captaincy to Ian Chappell after the sixth match of that long, losing, seven Test series. Chappell and Stackpole formed a watertight alliance during the subsequent drawn series in England in 1972. Stackpole was now vice-captain, and from a batting standpoint continued to mine his rich seam of form, scoring more than any other Australian in Tests on the tour, hitting five half-centuries and a century, and averaging 53.88. Wisden made him one of its five cricketers of the year in 1973 as a result. By then in his early 30s, he was able to play two more seasons for Australia as vice-captain, resulting in two series victories – in the West Indies in 1972-73 and in Australia against New Zealand in 1974 – followed by a 1-1 draw in three matches in New Zealand (also 1974). His final Test, in Auckland, finished on an uncharacteristically tame note when he was dismissed for 0 in both innings, leaving him with a Test batting average of 37.42. His last international appearance came in a 35-over match at the end of that tour, one of only six one-day games he played. Although he was well suited to the short form of cricket, he was frustrated in the days of its infancy by the inability of most other players to grasp its entertaining possibilities. Stackpole's first class career also ended in 1974, with a Sheffield Shield winning season of Victoria – as captain – to add to two others in 1967 and 1970. Overall he scored 10,100 runs at an average of 39.29 and took 148 wickets. Shortly after his retirement he was made MBE. His media work began with an invitation to commentate on Kerry Packer's World Series cricket in 1977, after which he had a three-decade career in broadcasting with the Nine and Seven networks before retiring from ABC in 2005. He also coached a number of players at Victoria, including Dean Jones and Brad Hodge. He is survived by his wife, Pat, and their children, Peter, Tony and Angela. Keith Raymond Stackpole, cricketer, born 10 July 1940; died 22 April 2025
Sydney Morning Herald
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘If you had a son like Keith Stackpole you'd be very proud': Bill Lawry's heartfelt tribute to ‘Stacky'
'It was Keith Stackpole snr,' Lawry recalled to this masthead. 'He said to the captain, 'Mind if I speak to the lad who opened up?'. 'He said, 'Son, never play forward on a wet wicket, always play back'. That was my first introduction to the Stackpoles. Years later we're playing as teammates, which is quite unbelievable.' Picked initially as a middle-order batter who could bowl leg-spin, Stackpole flourished after being moved to the top of the order by Lawry for the Sydney Test against the West Indies in the 1968-69 series. The pair, with vastly different styles, became one of the finest opening combinations Australia had seen. Stackpole's hard hitting and love of the hook shot – his feature stroke – was in contrast to Lawry's less expansive game. Loading Lawry joked the move was a 'backward step' for him. Stackpole, he said, was not quick between the wickets, and Lawry loved to push and run. 'Short singles wasn't in his vocabulary,' Lawry said. 'He said at the end of his career, 'I cost you a few runs'. I said, 'It doesn't matter, you were a bloody good player'.' Asked how many runs Stackpole had cost him, Lawry said with a laugh: 'I wouldn't want to be quoted on that. 'I wasn't smart enough to run him out. I should have run him out occasionally. On one hand, he cost me, but on the other hand he made it a lot easier because the scoreboard was always ticking over. ''Stacky' would be a sensation today in this limited-overs caper. He was a tremendous striker of the ball. If someone bowled a half-pitched ball wide of me first ball in a Test match, I'd shoulder arms, watch it go through and read the brand of the ball. 'Stacky' would pin back his ears and thrash it through gully for four.' As non-drinkers, they, along with the late Ian Redpath, who died late last year, shared a bond in a dressing room where most player did not mind a beer. Lawry's fondest memories of Stackpole came when both had retired and were part of Nine's inaugural commentary team during Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket revolution. Like Lawry, Stackpole forged a distinguished career behind the microphone, first with Nine and then the ABC. One of their traditions came during the Sydney Test when Richie Benaud and his wife Daphne would invite the pair for dinner. 'We used to really look forward to that,' Lawry said. 'Richie was a man who gave nobody anything, but he'd start talking about the players in the past. We were fascinated. At 9pm, he'd get up and say, 'Righto, Lawry and Stackpole, the taxi's booked for 9.15, I'm going to bed. It was exciting times for us right to the end'.' An aggressive opening batter, Stackpole was an important member of the Australian sides captained by Lawry and Ian Chappell from 1966 to 1974. His record of 2807 runs at 37.42 with seven centuries did not do justice to his contribution to the team. 'When he got away, he'd put you in a position where you could win,' Lawry said. On the successful tour of India in 1969, Stackpole topped the averages with 368 runs at 46. That series was to be Australia's last win in India until Ricky Ponting's Australian team, captained in-part by Adam Gilchrist, conquered what was seen as the final frontier in 2004. Stackpole, who had been Chappell's vice captain, received global acknowledgment when he was named Wisden 's Cricketer of the Year in 1973. More locally, he also won the Ryder Medal three times as the best player in Melbourne's district cricket competition. Stackpole described his WSC commentary stint as 'apart from playing the game, the most exciting time of my cricket life', he wrote in Austin Robertson's book Cricket Outlaws. 'The two seasons of WSC were like working on an adventure in the unknown.' He was a mentor to late great Victorian batter Dean Jones, who played for Australia in the 1980s and '90s, and the man who replaced Jones as the face of Victorian cricket, fellow batter Brad Hodge. As a key figure at Carlton, Stackpole helped usher through Jones, then a precocious young talent who would go on to forge a strong Test career and be remembered as one of the great one-day international batters. Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird and his Cricket Victoria counterpart Ross Hepburn paid tribute to a man they said 'played the game with great spirit and remained a devoted ambassador for cricket long after his playing days were over'. 'Keith was one of the great contributors to the game of cricket and his legacy will live long into the future. Not only was he an outstanding player for Australia and Victoria, his work in the media, radio and TV commentary and as a mentor to many players who followed in his footsteps demonstrated his enduring passion and influence in the game,' Baird said. 'It is testament to his talent and standing that he was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1973 and was awarded the MBE in 1974 for services to cricket.'
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Cricket and TV icon makes a heartbreaking confession about his life as he pays tribute to great of the game after his sudden death
A 'shattered' Bill Lawry has paid tribute to his lifelong friend and Australian cricket legend Keith Stackpole, who sadly died on Tuesday afternoon, aged 84. The pair formed one of Australia 's great Test opening partnerships, with Lawry's cautious style of play complimenting Stackpole's exciting brand of cricket. Stackpole, an aggressive hooker, went on to make seven centuries across 43 Tests before the pair would later go on to work in commentary together. 'I'm shattered,' Lawry, who captained Australia's Test side on 25 occasions, said to Code Sports, when asked about his friend. 'When I got the call from his son with the news I was shocked because I spoke to Stacky the day before he died and he seemed fine.' Stackpole, who, according to 3AW died suddenly on Tuesday afternoon leaves behind his wife Pat and children, Peter, Tony and Angela. Heartbreakingly, Lawry opened up on the loss, admitting that he had lost one of his closest friends. 'I have lost a great friend. I have really taken it hard. We were similar – he was probably more sociable than I am. I don't have many close friends. We would talk a lot,' the former Australian captain said. 'We have lost not only a great Victorian but a real good citizen. He was great to have as a friend. He has been wonderful.' Stackpole, who is affectionately known as 'Stacky', came from a rich sporting family, with his father, Keith Stackpole Snr, playing first-class cricket for Victoria, having also made 118 appearances for Collingwood and Fitzroy during a distinguished VFL career. 'Stacky's old man was a very aggressive player and it flowed through to Keith,' Lawry said. 'He would have no qualms hitting the first ball for four. He played the game as you probably should play it.' Stackpole was initially drafted by Australia as a middle-order batter who bowled legbreaks. He'd win his first cap against England during the 1965-66 Ashes Series but would move up the order to partner Lawry as an opener. His highest Test score of 207 came against England in Brisbane in December 1970, with the cricket great averaging 37.42 runs in his Test career. A career in media followed after he retired in 1974, with Stackpole being drafted to commentate on Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket. Lawry recounted the brilliant times they spent in the commentary box with Channel 9 but also reflected on how he was left gutted when 'Stacky' was sacked from his role by Packer. 'Stacky and I used to love working together on Channel Nine and I was really disappointed when he was dropped from the team. I rang him a lot after that. That was ridiculous. He added: 'It was tragic. He and I were enjoying the good life. It felt as if we got paid more for a day with Channel Nine than we did playing for Australia for a season.' After his retirement from cricket due to a life-changing back injury, Stackpole was awarded an MBE for his services to the sport. After Lawry handed the captaincy over to Ian Chappell, Stackpole would go on to be named vice-captain. Lawry added that Stackpole was always supportive of his team-mates, while Chappell also praised his courage and leadership. 'I couldn't have asked for a better vice-captain,' Chappell told News Corp. 'He had no obvious fear and was one of the few players I have met to actually embrace facing fast bowling. 'People don't fully understand the guts and skill it requires to take on opening bowlers. 'The quicker the better for "Humphrey" and he played for his team, not himself. 'He was a wonderful cricketer and a very good friend.'
