Create your own free news widgets.

MidTangent Productions Wins the 2008 Pressie for Best Local Theater Company. Chicago Press readers chose this smaller theater company, known for its annual gay version of a Shakespeare classic, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Queer Tale.'

We All Want To Look Like Brad's Leading Ladies...

Front Page: Threat of strike still alive at Guild -- Despite the firing of Doug Allen and Tuesday's resumption of contract talks with the congloms, the Screen Actors Guild's threatened strike remains alive -- at least on SAG's website, which still sports a list of 6,000 members who support a strike authorization.

Actor Mickey Rourke, who has won acclaim for his starring role in 'The Wrestler,' says he's ready to rumble with a professional wrestler in real life.

Final ballots for the 81st Academy Awards? were mailed today (January 28) to the 5,810 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Completed ballots must be returned to PricewaterhouseCoopers by 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 17. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted. Listed on the ballots are nominees in 19 Awards categories. Separate ballots for 5 categories (Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film) will be distributed after verification of mandatory member attendance at screenings.

A columnist's list of 2008's literary highlights

Celebrating 35 years of bringing award-winning musical theater to Chicagoland, the Marriott Theatre will open its 2009 Season with the mega-hit musical JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. Perfect for the whole family, JOSEPH previews begin February 18th ; the show opens on February 25th ; and runs through May 10th at Marriott Theatre. Multi-Jeff Award winner Marc Robin will choreograph and direct this must-see production.

Slumdog Millionaire, the independent film that has everyone buzzing, made it big through word of mouth and by winning four Golden Globes, including Best Picture. Slumdog Millionaire should sweep the Oscars!Content Producer: Aly AdairPublished: Jan 28, 2009

The Press Complaints Commission is investigating a front-page story in the Sun newspaper that claimed Islamic extremists were targeting The Apprentice star Sir Alan Sugar.On 7 January the Sun's front page splash, under the headline 'Terror Target Sugar', quoted claims by 'anti-terror expert' Glen Jenvey that online Muslim forum Ummah.com was being used by extremists to target leading British Jews in revenge for Israel's invasion of Gaza.The Sun subsequently removed the story, which carried the bylines of John Coles and Mike Sullivan, from its website.The Sun story named Sugar, singer Amy Winehouse, producer Mark Ronson and Labour peer Lord Levy as among those allegedly being targeted by Islamic extremists.It quoted a contributor on the forum called 'Abuislam' asking: 'Have we got a list of top Jews we can target? Can someone post names and addresses?'However, in another posting on Ummah.com, it was alleged that Abuislam was in fact Jenvey himself and claimed this had been confirmed fro

Liz Smith: Actress honored by A-listers -- In Hollywood Harvey Weinstein and Salma Hayek honored their friend, the Oscar-nominated Penelope Cruz (for 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona') at an all-movie star party in Salma's white wood, jewel of a little house in Bel Air. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, who she once played in a film where she should have won the Oscar, hang Salma's walls with paintings. Her windows overlook L.A. The decor is stunning, contemporary and tastefully bright. The hostess received in a black cocktail dress wearing five-inch heels and carrying her baby, Valentina, in her arms. Some guests? Colin Farrell, Brett Ratner, Josh Groban, Prince, Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, Quincy Jones, Drew Barrymore, Penny Marshall, Bob Balaban, Adrien Brody, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones who say they're moving back East.