Rebecca Little
Perchance to Shop
The new Lake View boutique Perchance (3512 N. Southport Ave.; 773-244-1300) strikes just the right note with its lush, vintage glam décor and feminine shoes, supplemented by a smart selection of women’s and children’s clothing and body products. Go vintage with the ‘40s-inspired shoes from Bettye Muller, such as the gray suede heel with a bow ($405) or the cute flats ($215) from Delman, the same brand Marilyn Monroe wore in her famous white-dress-over-the-grate photo. The heels from Anyi Lu, a former designer for Taryn Rose, have a shock-absorbing insole made from material invented by NASA, called Poron, for long-lasting comfort; the faux- croc patent heels are $345. You’ll also find an array of comfortable boot options,...
Freaky Friday
Here’s a grown-up alternative to the traditional Halloween fare of corn mazes and pumpkin patches: Disturbed II. For the 15-minute play of sorts—organizers describe it as an “inverted haunted house”—the audience stands in a cramped space while the action jumps out from the sidelines. It’s a combination of performance and multimedia special effects that is, to put it mildly, really scary—i.e., no kids allowed. The show runs every half hour from 8 to 11:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Halloween at Oracle Theatre (3809 N. Broadway; 773-244-2980). Admission is $9 at the door, $7 with reservations; last year’s Disturbed sold out, so...
Better than Blockbuster
Perhaps the best reason to live on popcorn alone: the Chicago International Film Festival opened last night and runs through Wednesday the 17th with hundreds of documentaries, features, and shorts from 44 countries. High-profile attendees include Tony-winner Jeffrey Wright, star of the fest entry Blackout and recipient of this year’s Black Perspectives career achievement award (Black Perspectives Tribute and Party, Saturday the 13th), but we recommend balancing your out-of-town intake with a shot or two of local talent. In America the Beautiful, Chicagoan Darryl Roberts interviews advertising and fashion pros about...
Cult of Personality
The iconic housewares design company Alessi has opened a new Chicago flagship store at 611 North State Street (312-274-6500, alessi.com), one of six nationwide. The Italian-based company made its name by asking architects to design housewares and kitchen items. Many became cult objects, such as the Anna G bottle opener ($49) designed by Alessandro Mendini and the Michael Graves tea kettle ($149) equipped with a bird whistle. At the store, you’ll find the line’s trademark whimsical items such as the parrot corkscrew ($49) and the brightly colored Kaj watch ($85) from artist Karim Rashid, as well as...
Stranger than Fiction
A lot of plays are hyped as “smart”; few live up to the promise. But Fiction—a story that, from a lesser playwright, could have been a sappy Lifetime movie—makes the cut, thanks to Steven Dietz’s witty repartee and highly literate characters. The story follows a pair of married novelists who, when they find out the wife has a few weeks to live, decide to share their diaries and lay bare the secrets of their lives. Previews run Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th at 7:30 p.m., Sunday the 30th...