Denise Crosby

2 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Denise Crosby

Forget the stark division in our political landscape. I’m convinced an equally wide difference exists between people who can perform in front of strangers and those who would rather be caught in the middle of a herd of stampeding buffaloes. To be clear: I’m not talking about entertainers, motivational speakers, clergy or other professionals who face audiences on a regular basis.

3 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Denise Crosby

We can all concur it was a brutal, negative mayoral campaign in Aurora – and we’re glad it’s over. Of course, not everyone agrees on who should have won. But a victor has been declared and it’s time now that we all stop, inhale deeply, and then focus on repairing the damage that can come when emotions and negative ads – and yes, lots of outside money – complicate the issues most important to a community.

3 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Denise Crosby

I can smile about it now. But back in the day when I was trying to keep glasses on an 18-month-old, there were times I was in tears. Like the already-hectic Christmas Eve spent tearing the house apart in search of tiny red wire rims, which later turned up inside a Fisher-Price “Little People” garage. Or the Sunday afternoon at Brookfield Zoo when his eyewear was flung into one of the primate cages.

3 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Denise Crosby

It seems to be a sign of the times. With the majority of fingers pointed at social media, our national political landscape and outside influences, everyone I spoke to about the current Aurora mayoral election describe it as the ugliest campaign they have ever seen. And some of those folks – officials and ordinary residents alike  – have been around for campaigns going back as far as the 1960s and ’70s.

4 weeks ago | chicagotribune.com | Denise Crosby

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a Tony-nominated production that’s been around for 20 years. But the message of this beloved musical comedy that centers on six middle-schoolers vying for a trophy is more relevant than ever – there’s a whole lot of pressure on kids to not only compete but to win, sometimes at any cost. OK, so that’s a lot to put on a musical comedy. Especially one as hilarious as this show that’s playing through April 27 at Copley Theatre in downtown Aurora.