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Jimmy Smits
Why we're seeing stars in Chicago
Why we're seeing stars in Chicago

With Diane Lane prowling the boards at the Goodman Theatre, not long after Nathan Lane in "The Iceman Cometh," and with Jimmy Smits now lined up for "The Motherf**ker with the Hat" later this season at Steppenwolf Theatre, star casting has suddenly arrived in Chicago. Wait, you cry, Steppenwolf has plenty of star names in its ensemble who like to work in Chicago. That's true, of course, but those actors (like, say, George Wendt, who is about to do "The Odd Couple" at Northlight Theatre) have a long connection to Chicago theater, and their appearances in town have been very much part of that commitment. You could say the same of William Petersen, to cite...