03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Lincolnshire Marriott Resort celebrates 50th anniversary with a multisensory trip back to the 1980s
Lincolnshire Marriott Resort celebrates its 50th anniversary season with a high-octane trip back to the 1980s.
Always Something There … is a totally rad musical celebration of the pop culture and fashion of the 1980s, with the most awesome mixtape of hits by Madonna, Pat Benatar, Debbie Gibson, and Whitney Houston, and other music icons, director James Vásquez said.
Always Something There … opened June 26 at the Marriott Theatre as part of a curated pairing of theatre and pop-up dining at the newly created, Back to the Grill, presented by Three Embers Restaurant, running June 18 through August 10, 2025.
Brad Lajoie, general manager at Chicago Marriott Lincolnshire Resort, said each pop-up is an extension of the current stage production at the theatre, transporting guests to another realm while enjoying a themed food and beverage menu led by the culinary team at Three Embers Restaurant.
As Back to the Grill, Three Embers Restaurant is transformed into a vibrant homage to the 1980s, complete with diner-style booth seating, bold neon accents, and reimagined album covers and movie posters inspired by favorite 1980s icons.
'This fun pop-up series enhances a guest's overall experience by creating a seamless, immersive journey that begins before the curtain rises and continues well after the final bow,' Lajoie said.
Chef de cuisine Ed Laxner, said in coming up with menu items for Back to the Grill, he first listened to the Always Something There… soundtrack for inspiration.
'This brought back my childhood memories and the dishes I grew up eating – I took inspiration from that to elevate the dishes and to add the typical Three Embers seasonality to them,' Laxner said.
New menu items like Loco-Motion Taco Salad, We Got the Bleu, chicken cordon bleu with bacon, Dreamloaf, a vegan meatloaf with classic sides, and Sweet Emotion Forest, a decadent take on Black Forest-style dessert and more.
Lajoie says they introduced this multi-sensory initiative in celebration of Lincolnshire Marriott Resort's 50th anniversary, inviting guests to deepen their theatrical journey with a themed meal before or after the show, bringing the story to life through a curated culinary experience that engages all the senses.
Always Something There … is a vibrant new jukebox musical by Chicago-raised playwright Sandy Rustin (Clue, The Cottage, Mystic Pizza). Set to an electrifying soundtrack of hits from the 1980s, this show delivers a fresh twist on the time-travel tale, promising a fun and relatable experience for audiences of all ages.
When Samantha Craig wakes up on the morning of her 45th birthday, back in her 18-year-old life, she finds a golden opportunity to relive her senior year of high school in suburban Chicago, 1989. Armed with the wisdom of her adult self, Samantha can reshape her teenage choices. She can rekindle friendships, reclaim her voice, and maybe even get a second shot at first love, according to the program description.
'Guests aren't just watching a story — they're tasting it, feeling it, and living it in a more memorable and meaningful way,' Lajoie said.
Visit for more information.
