Jazz, Country and '70s Rock Headline a Sweetheart Arts Lineup

Oak Lawn

It won’t be a romantic , but fun and laughter visit the for a 21 and over Comedy Night.

Mike Toomey headlines the show, following openers Brian Hicks and Pat McCann. Fritz Gary Nothnagel emcees the program.

Want to dine first? An Italian dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread and dessert is extra and requires reservations. Show-only tickets can be purchased at the door.

When: Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, followed by the show at 7:30 p.m.
Where: , 5850 W. 103rd St.
How much? $10 for show-only tickets; $10 for dinner, which requires reservations.
More info: Call 708-398-6284 or e-mail mgrana@olparks.com.

Oak Lawn

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the distinctive Arianna Trio performs romance-inspired classical pieces and jazz favorites on the flute, harp and bass at a free Sunday with Friends Concert at the .

When: 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13
Where: Oak Lawn Public Library, 9420 S. Raymond Ave.
How much? Free.
More info: Call 708-422-4990.

Palos Hills

A musical trip through the 1970s pays tribute to two of the 20th century’s most famous singer-songwriters, Billy Joel and Elton John.

The Piano Men, featuring Jim Witter and his band, features gargantuan hits by Elton, including "Your Song," "Rocket Man" and "Candle in the Wind," as well as Joel’s "Just the Way You Are" and "My Life."

Those are only a few of the chart-toppers in a production that reaches beyond music with multimedia projections of unforgettable images from the '70s.

The show promises great memories. For those too young to actually remember the era, The Piano Men will be a see-and-hear time capsule of a memorable decade and two music legends who came of age in the same decade.

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19
Where: Dorothy Menker Theater, Fine and Performing Arts Center, , 9000 W. College Pkwy.
How much? $25, $20 for seniors and $15 for students.
More info: Call 708-974-5500 or go to the center's website. 

Palos Park

The Palos Village Players are at it again, romping around in what promises to be a riotous farce Sex Please, We’re Sixty by Michael and Susan Parker.

The story takes place in the Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast, a hotspot for single seniors. But medication for menopause symptoms somehow gets mixed up with one of the male guest’s Viagra.

This theater group stages great shows, has loads of fun with its productions, and the mood always is contagious. 

When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11-12, 18-19; 2 p.m. Feb. 13.
Where: , 13100 S. 82nd Ave.
How much? $15, $12 for seniors and students
More info: Call 877-782-8497 or go to the troupe's website.

Palos Park

Cabaret singer Claudia Hommel returns this weekend to in Palos Park with her new show, Women of Paris, an evening of romantic songs and stories from the city that's the heart of romance.

Singer-pianist Elizabeth Doyle and accordionist-pianist Frank Caruso will accompany Hommel.

The cabaret evening includes a five course-dinner. Guests will sit at linen-clad tables that encircle the cabaret stage for this pre-Valentine’s Day special.

When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12
Where: , 12700 Southwest Hwy.
How much? $38 per person, includes dinner and show.
More info: Call 708-361-3650.

Palos Park

Chicago artist Beth Leahy exhibits a collection of graphite drawings, Crossing the Arno, at .

“During my stay in Florence (Italy), I walked across the Arno River to attend the Angel Academy of Art (an academy dedicated to the teaching and continuance of classic realist painting),” Leahy said on the McCord website. “The classical drawings created during this time will be the focus of this exhibit."

When: An artist's reception will be 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19. The exhibit concludes after the reception.
Where: McCord Gallery and Cultural Center, 9602 W. Creek Road
How much? Free.
Information: Call 708-671-0648 or go to the gallery's website. 

Joliet

Four-time Grammy-winner Lyle Lovett and longtime tour buddy John Hiatt go acoustic at Joliet’s legendary Rialto Square Theatre. 

Followed by a stream of rave reviews, the “unplugged” tour has only one local show and this is it. Audiences will hear country, swing, folk and blues in a smaller venue, nowhere near the gargantuan size of a stadium.

Lovett and Hiatt as usual will do some talking, share stories with the audience and bring a sense of warmth and camaraderie to a cold Midwest winter night.

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11
Where: Rialto Square Theatre, 15 E. Van Buren St.
How much? $49.50-$65
More info: Call 815-726-7171 or go to the venue's website.