FranklyHANK: Adele will come to the US

CHICAGO -- "Hello. It's me."

Those are not only the opening lyrics to Adele's hot single, "Hello," but also the phrase many Americans are uttering now that the British singer has announced a concert tour and the US is nowhere on the map.

Dear Americans, take a deep breath.

Hello! Adele WILL come to the US and here's why I say that:

1) Adele just sold 3.38 million albums in the US in ONE WEEK! She even kicked off her publicity tour here. She knows she has a powerful fan base in the US.

2) It's not uncommon for artists to announce one leg of the tour at a time. For instance, Janet Jackson announced the US leg of her tour in June 2015, but did not announce the European leg of that tour until October of that year.

3) Adele and her management team are employing a new strategy in booking concert halls that is seldom used. Instead of hiring one promoter to book her US tour, like Live Nation, she is instead booking each city separately and pitting concert promoters against each other to get the most bang for her buck. So the concert promoters in Chicago, Live Nation and Jam Productions, to name two, will compete to see who gets to promote the Adele concert in Chicago, assuming she comes here and I have every belief she will.

In the meantime, tickets for Adele's European tour go on sale Friday, Dec. 4 at 9 a.m. London time. That's 3 a.m. Chicago time. Set your alarms.

"BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL"

Chicago native Abby Mueller stars as Carole King on the national tour. Her sister, Jesse Mueller, won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical playing the same role.

The show highlights Carole King's incredible life story leading up to the album that made her a household name, "Tapestry." It's a fantastic show and should not be missed.

"Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" plays the Oriental Theatre through February 21, 2016. Get your tickets at BroadwayInChicago.com.

"THE LION KING"

Disney Presents "The Lion King" returns to Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through January 17, 2016. This is the perfect show for the whole family, but don't delay. It's Chicago run is almost sold out. Get tickets at BroadwayInChicago.com.

"A CHRISTMAS CAROL"

Finally, a holiday tradition in Chicago that is a must every season, Goodman Theatre's "A Christmas Carol." This is truly one of my favorite productions each year and I always look forward to it.

In its 38th year, "A Christmas Carol" has delivered more than 23,000 "bah humbugs" to Chicago theater lovers. Larry Yando stars as Scrooge for the eighth year and I can't imagine anyone else performing in that role.

If you have seen "A Christmas Carol" in years past, do yourself a favor and see it again. The show is tweaked every year introducing new actors and nuances. It really is a different show each year. Check it out and have yourself a merry little Christmas!

CLICK HERE to see a video preview of "A Christmas Carol."