Maureen Ryan

What was the coolest thing about the Backstreet Boys' show last Tuesday at Allstate Arena? Oh, please, it's just too hard to pick one thing! Here are my picks for...

It used to be that choosing between khakis and jeans was the toughest fashion choice of the morning. These days, that's the least of a pants-wearer's problems. The array of...

Opera: Light Opera Works will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Rudolf Friml's tune-filled musical play, "Rose-Marie," complete with the original orchestrations; Saturday through Aug. 29 in Cahn Auditorium in Evanston....

It's not easy being a Trekkie, er, perhaps I should use the more politically correct term, Trekker. Either way, die-hard "Star Trek" fans don't exactly get a lot of respect,...

Doug Gillard Malamute Jute EP (Cushion) Fans of Cobra Verde and Guided by Voices will be familiar with the distinctive guitar work of Doug Gillard; he's a master of unflashy...

Elf Power A Dream in Sound (Arena Rock/Elephant Six) Elf Power isn't as well known as other bands in the loose musical collective known as Elephant Six, but it should...

There you are, on board a ship, and there's an iceberg straight ahead! What do you do? Well, if you've participated in the Museum of Science and Industry event marking...

"Rushmore" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack London Records In the personality department, Max Fischer, the charming spaz at the center of the film "Rushmore," resembles a spring wound a little too...

Where have we seen these things before: a scrappy young space pilot from the boondocks with a dark secret, his trigger-happy, gonzo sidekick, the gruff but secretly sensitive female love...

The Church Magician Among the Spirits Plus Some (Thirsty Ear) Over the course of two decades, The Church has released mystical, melodic classics such as 1988's "Starfish" and last year's...