We hear from Chicagoans about some of their favorite places and spaces around town. Cheryl Hughes shares her perspective on how to design a successful event, and why it’s important to always add just a bit of Chicago flavor.

Plus, Chicago resident Samuel Ramey is one of the most-acclaimed opera singers in the world, the most recorded bass in history and regularly performs on the world’s great concert stages. He sat down with Eight Forty-Eight‘s Steve Edwards to discuss his climb to the top from his small beginnings in Colby, Kansas.

Chicago Opera Theater’s performance of Bela Bartok’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle runs through May 19 at the Harris Theater in Chicago’s Millennium Park.

Originally aired May 7, 2007, on Eight Forty-Eight.