Chicago Bach Project Performs Sacred Bach in a Sacred Space at St. Vincent de Paul Church (1010 W. Webster Ave Chicago, IL 60614). Get free tickets to the March 27th performance.

Get free tickets to The Vampire Diaries Official Convention on April 6th at the Westin O’Hare Convention Center in Rosemont.

In its fourth season, The Vampire Diaries continues to captivate viewers with mysterious creatures and supernatural drama. The town of Mystic Falls lands in Chicago on April 6. Spend the day seeing some of the show’s biggest, most popular stars. Be charmed by all of your favorite Vampire Diaries characters, from Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy) to Nathaniel Buzolic (Kol) and Charlie Bewley (Vaughn, member of The Five). Plus, Candice Accola will be making her first appearance on the official convention tour. You’ll also have the opportunity to buy and bring home souvenirs from the hit show that’s scored 30 Teen Choice Award nominations.

Free tickets to the International Gem and Jewelry Show at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on May 10, 11 and 12.

This is the most dazzling display of gems, jewelry, beads, accessories and minerals you’ll ever see under one roof. Since the 1960s, the acclaimed International Gem and Jewelry Show has been bringing the largest selection of jewelry at the lowest prices to locations across the country — and now the show is back in town. You can expect to find colored gemstones, exquisite fine jewelry, gold and silver earrings, necklaces and bracelets, beads and crystals, ethnic jewelry, classic pearls, vintage estate jewelry, engagement rings and wedding bands, designer watches and one-of-a-kind seasonal pieces. With a huge selection and special show pricing direct from worldwide designers and manufacturers, this show is perfect for gem enthusiasts, jewelry lovers and those of us looking for unique new accessories at a great price.

Meditate for Non-Violence With Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on March 28th at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.

He’s not the famed Indian sitar musician, but this award-winning spiritual leader, humanitarian and founder of the Art of Living Foundation is an important figure in his home country and across the globe. In fact, Forbes named Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as one of the five most influential people in India in 2010. Now he visits Chicago to kick off an important non-violence initiative with this event, where he’ll also lead a guided meditation and participate in an audience Q&A. The evening is set to include musical performances and students sharing inspirational stories about what non-violence means to them.

Get free tickets to The Vampire Diaries Official Convention on April 6th at the Westin O’Hare Convention Center in Rosemont.

In its fourth season, The Vampire Diaries continues to captivate viewers with mysterious creatures and supernatural drama. The town of Mystic Falls lands in Chicago on April 6. Spend the day seeing some of the show’s biggest, most popular stars. Be charmed by all of your favorite Vampire Diaries characters, from Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy) to Nathaniel Buzolic (Kol) and Charlie Bewley (Vaughn, member of The Five). Plus, Candice Accola will be making her first appearance on the official convention tour. You’ll also have the opportunity to buy and bring home souvenirs from the hit show that’s scored 30 Teen Choice Award nominations.

Free tickets to the International Gem and Jewelry Show at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on May 10, 11 and 12.

This is the most dazzling display of gems, jewelry, beads, accessories and minerals you’ll ever see under one roof. Since the 1960s, the acclaimed International Gem and Jewelry Show has been bringing the largest selection of jewelry at the lowest prices to locations across the country — and now the show is back in town. You can expect to find colored gemstones, exquisite fine jewelry, gold and silver earrings, necklaces and bracelets, beads and crystals, ethnic jewelry, classic pearls, vintage estate jewelry, engagement rings and wedding bands, designer watches and one-of-a-kind seasonal pieces. With a huge selection and special show pricing direct from worldwide designers and manufacturers, this show is perfect for gem enthusiasts, jewelry lovers and those of us looking for unique new accessories at a great price.

Meditate for Non-Violence With Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on March 28th at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.

He’s not the famed Indian sitar musician, but this award-winning spiritual leader, humanitarian and founder of the Art of Living Foundation is an important figure in his home country and across the globe. In fact, Forbes named Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as one of the five most influential people in India in 2010. Now he visits Chicago to kick off an important non-violence initiative with this event, where he’ll also lead a guided meditation and participate in an audience Q&A. The evening is set to include musical performances and students sharing inspirational stories about what non-violence means to them.

My first thought on this was “ugh, soccer!” but that’s pretty much my take on all things sports-related.  PITA, on the other hand, loves to watch all of ’em, so this Chicago Red Stars women’s soccer FREEBIE is perfect, since it’s right down the street and we won’t have to deal with traffic or parking!  And it’s important to see that women can compete in something other than tennis and beach volleyball.  FREE tickets are for Sunday games in April and May.

Olympic gold medalists and high scorers Shannon Boxx and Lori Chalupny lead the Chicago Red Stars into the National Women’s Soccer League for its inaugural season. Chalupny scored five goals last season for the successful semi-pro Red Stars, who won the 2012 US National Cup, and field a team of fierce competitors, including Canadian National team players and Olympics bronze medalists Erin McLeod and Carmelina Moscato, along with longtime Mexican team players Maribel Dominguez and Dinora Garza. They’ll take on the Seattle Reign in the opener, which features U.S. Women’s National team superstar Hope Solo. Pre-game tailgating is encouraged, and there’s also a beer garden on site for plenty of game day fun and excitement as the top women’s players in the world compete.  Please see the full event description for the upcoming schedule.

Enjoy free tickets to the Australian Bee Gees Show: Multi-Media Concert Tribute to the Bee Gees performance on March 22nd at the Rosemont Theatre.

Aussie musicians Michael Clift, Wayne Hosking and Dave Scott have performed their Australian Bee Gees Show — a tribute to the iconic Brothers Gibb — in front of more than 1 million people in more than 40 countries and now they are coming to the Chicago area. The 75-minute multimedia concert is a live tribute to five decades of music from the Brothers Gibb, featuring stunning technical effects and large screens with video clips. Bee Gees Fan Club president Terri Bridge calls the performance “the best Bee Gees tribute in the world.”

Freebie performances of The Emperor’s New Threads:  A Fashion Statement at Lifeline Theatre run weekends through March and April.  One performance is already sold out; don’t wait.  A great idea for Spring Break!

Based on the beloved folktale by Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor’s New Threads: A Fashion Statement is a hilarious children’s musical about a chic trendsetter whose outrageous fashion tax is bankrupting his country. In this Lifeline Theatre’s KidSeries update of the enduring parable, one plucky and exceptionally brave girl travels to the Emperor’s royal palace to confront the fashion-forward ruler about his superficial ways. But when a con man devises a devious plot to send the Emperor out in nothing but his birthday suit, will our heroine be able to save “His Royal Grooviness” from a world of embarrassment?
* Additional fees apply.

The Greatest Show on Earth was the creation of Phineas Taylor Barnum, and in Barnum, this unique personality behind the big top is explored inside the center ring of his own circus. You will thrill to the high-flying acrobatics as the play tells the tale of America’s greatest showman through toe-tapping ballads, marches and ragtime tunes composed by Cy Coleman and Michael Stuart. Don’t miss the fun and magic that led to one of the country’s most enduring institutions.  Tickets start at $13.75.

St. Pat’s Party With ’80s Proof: Tribute to Big Hair Bands. The luck of the Irish is sure to be with you as you usher in St. Patrick’s Day with a sham-rocking party filled to the brim with great ’80s music and drink specials. Whether you’re wearing green or acid-washed jeans, you’ll have no trouble headbanging to hits from AC/DC, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Journey, Ozzy Osbourne, Poison, Van Halen and plenty more. Plus, the guys cover the decade’s hottest pop acts too, including Prince, Duran Duran, Eddie Money and tons of others.

Chicago Irish Fest: St. Patrick’s Day Bash With Live DJ. Faith and begorrah, if you’ve been looking for the perfect St. Paddy’s Day party for you and your friends, you just got lucky. The Chicago Irish Fest at Sound-Bar provides everything you need — a giant bash at one of the city’s top nightclubs, non-stop dance music from a live DJ, a well-stocked cash bar — and a draft beer included with each admission. This green-themed celebration comes courtesy of the entertainment experts at ChiTownEvents.com and PubCrawls.com, so it’s bound to be a blast.

Saint Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl in Milwaukee. Saint Patrick’s Day is one of the biggest party times of the year, and this year the producers of the world’s largest pub crawls are bringing their Luck of the Irish Pub Crawl to Milwaukee. Instead of spending your entire night in one bar while the city is bursting with energy, join PubCrawls for two days’ worth of drink specials at some of the best bars in the city. Your all-access pass gets you entry to all participating bars during both days, great deals on domestic draft and bottle beer, well drinks and whiskey, plus the chance to mix and mingle with tons of St. Patrick’s Day revelers throughout Milwaukee.

Freebie tickets are available for all performances through the end of March.  People who complain that it’s too expensive to go out just aren’t looking very hard…while one show might not be your all-time favorite, the next one might just bowl you over.

Broken Nose Theatre presents the world premiere of Beautiful Broken at the Greenhouse Theater Center. This romantic comedy-drama takes a smart, funny, honest look at relationships and what happens when we try to “fix” another person. Paul and Bridgette like each other. So do Matt and Julie. But relationships seldom progress in a straight line from “like” to “happily ever-after.” Personal baggage, crossed signals, and the walls we build to protect against past hurts that continue to haunt us bring any number of complications. Set against the backdrop of Chicago’s vibrant storefront theater scene, Beautiful Broken is a hip, thoughtful exploration of love, family and the obstacles that stand in the way of making a true connection.

Don’t just celebrate for one day — with the St. Paddy’s PubCrawl Chicago, you can take three days to savor the luck of the Irish at several bars in the Windy City. The party gets started at Dugout Sports Bar, where you can pick up the pass that opens the door to an Irish-sized party, filled with revelers ready to enjoy the food, fun and drinking of the holiday. Get your pass and take advantage of three days of St. Patrick’s Day fun!

Manhattan Concert Productions presents, for their first time in Chicago, the National Festival Chorus, joined by the Manhattan Concert Chorale at the beautiful Symphony Center. This esteemed chorus pools a wealth of experience from chorus and solo work with the country’s leading opera companies and vocal ensembles. They’ll perform an exclusively English choral program of timeless classics under the baton of esteemed conductor Simon Carrington — the creative force behind the internationally acclaimed British vocal ensemble The King’s Singers. You’ll hear Bob Chilcott’s Aesop’s Fables and Samuel Wesley’s Blessed Be the God and Father, among others. The concert will also feature members from Chicago’s very own Wicker Park Choral Singers and finalists from the National Band & Orchestra Festival in Chicago.

Free tickets are for the March 17th 7:30 pm performance.  See?  There’s no need to spend a fortune on date nights!