Good morning, Chicago. Productions of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” the Branden Jacobs-Jenkins play “Purpose” and Samuel D. Hunter’s “Little Bear Ridge Road” emerged triumphant at Monday night’s Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremony, held at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace. This was the 56th year of the awards program, Chicago’s equivalent of the Tony Awards, with awards presented to the Chicago area’s union-affiliated Equity theaters by the all-volunteer Jeffs committee. Such long-established companies as the Goodman and Steppenwolf Theatres did especially well, as did the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire and the Drury Lane itself. Well-known winners included the actors Harry Lennix and Laurie Metcalf, and the director and choreographer Justin Peck. Special Jeff Awards went to two recent departees from long-held posts: Charles Newell from Court Theatre and Roche Schulfer from the Goodman. See the full list of winners. And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day. Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Today’s eNewspaper edition Kyla Jeffries prepares a spicy chopped salad at Portillo’s on Sept. 24, 2024, in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) With plans for an aggressive expansion and an activist investor onboard, can Portillo’s grow while staying true to its roots? Ten years ago, Dick Portillo decided it was time to sell his hot dog empire. Today, Portillo’s stands 88 restaurants strong, with an ambitious plan to expand far beyond its Chicagoland home base. Over the next two decades, Portillo’s hopes to grow nearly 1,000% to more than 900 outposts nationwide, taking Italian beef and Chicago-style hot dogs to, it hopes, every U.S. state. A rescue team paddles down the Swannanoa River on Sept. 29, 2024. The remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina. (Travis Long/The News & Observer) Deerfield-based Baxter temporarily closes its largest plant following hurricane, raising questions about supply of medical solutions Deerfield-based Baxter International has temporarily closed its largest manufacturing plant following damage caused by Hurricane Helene — a move that raises questions about supplies of the medical products it makes there. Illinois residents racing to help in the aftermath of Helene: ‘The sheer devastation and destruction, it’s just so widespread’ CBS 2 on Tuesday will begin using virtual reality technology in its weather forecasts. Demonstrated in a YouTube video where a weather forecaster walks through a Redwood forest, the technology marks an evolution of the green screen, where weathercasters point at changing computer-generated maps and images. (CBS News and Stations) CBS 2 adds 3D virtual reality forecasts, bringing Chicago’s unpredictable weather to life When Albert Ramon, chief meteorologist for CBS 2 Chicago, delivers his on-air forecast Tuesday afternoon, things may look a little surreal. Incorporating new augmented reality/virtual reality technology, the studio will be transformed into an immersive environment where Ramon can physically navigate cold fronts, storms and other weather patterns. Terrence Antonio James/Chicago TribuneDolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard attends a Village Board meeting on May 6, 2024. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard faces eviction in spat with landlord Henyard appears to be facing eviction from a home she rents with a man, with the homeowner saying they owe more than $3,000 in missed payments, court documents show. A male Guam kingfisher, left, and female of the same species perch in a cage at Brookfield Zoo Chicago that is off limits to zoo visitors. (Steve Metsch/Pioneer Press) Brookfield Zoo kingfisher part of effort save species on brink of extinction Some rare birds living in cages on the second floor of Tropic World at Brookfield Zoo Chicago are never seen by the public. However, those birds have a starring role in a project that aims to one day have them back in the U.S. territory of Guam. Pete Rose speaks during a statue-dedication ceremony before a baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers, June 17, 2017, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Pete Rose, baseball’s banned hits leader, has died at age 83 Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, has died. He was 83. Zach LaVine takes pictures on Sept. 30, 2024, during Bulls media day at the Advocate Center. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) What we heard at Chicago Bulls media day: Zach LaVine shuts down trade chatter, Josh Giddey suffered an ankle tendon rupture Before Zach LaVine took any questions during Chicago Bulls media day at the Advocate Center on Monday, the team’s $215 million maximum contract star made his own statement after spending the last year at the epicenter of rumors and reports of trade requests and failed deals. “When you go through a long offseason like I have, you get to learn a lot about yourself and the company you keep,” LaVine said. “With everything that I learned, there’s times you need to speak and there’s times that you don’t. Whenever there’s something that needs to be said, it’ll come from Zach LaVine or my representation. … Everything else you can take with a grain of salt. … Anything negative that would try to pin me, the organization — rumors, drama, whatever it is — I’ll leave that in the past.” Column: It’s Coby White’s time — and team — as the Bulls transition to a more modern approach Christina Tosi, founder and owner of Milk Bar. (Milk Bar) Milk Bar, with its famed cereal milk ice cream and quirky cookies, is coming to Chicago’s Fulton Market District Lauded pastry chef Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar will soon open its doors in Chicago, marking its first Midwest location in a partnership with Boka Restaurant Group, bringing with it rainbow-flecked birthday cake and over-the-top cookie combinations. Roz meets Brightbill in the screen adaptation of “The Wild Robot.” (DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures via AP) ‘The Wild Robot’ review: How to train your robot, your gosling and your neighbors in DreamWorks-style teamwork With two published sequels ready and waiting, DreamWorks Animation has a franchise in the works with “The Wild Robot,” a big success in its first weekend. It’s good, too, writes Tribune film critic Michael Phillips. Elza van den Heever, Russell Thomas and company in “Fidelio” by Lyric Opera of Chicago. (Todd Rosenberg) Review: In Beethoven’s ‘Fidelio’ at Lyric Opera, prisoners sing about the joy of freedom If you believe musical performance fundamentally is an expression of freedom, then “Fidelio,” Ludwig van Beethoven’s only opera, is your über text, writes Tribune theater critic Chris Jones. The famed work is now at Lyric Opera of Chicago with the superb South African soprano Elza van den Heever in the starring role, with Lyric favorites Brian Mulligan and Russell Thomas beside her as Don Pizarro and Florestan, respectively. It is set in a state prison. Its most stirring moment comes when a massive chorus of prisoners, their crimes unspecified but their personas subjugated at the pleasure of some governor, somewhere, sing “O welche Lust, in freier Luft” an ode to the joy of finally being able to breathe fresh air.