culturalupdate

CONCIERGE UNLIMITED INTERNATIONAL
culturalupdate
Key In
CUI, Summer Savior
A client had been searching for hotel accommodations for a visiting
businesses associate, but had been unsuccessful as it was during an extremely busy June convention period in Chicago. The client contacted her
CUI concierge, who, despite the sold out conditions, was not only able to
secure a reservation just three blocks from the client’s office building, but
was able to do so at the CUI preferred rate! The client was thrilled, and
her associate enjoyed a comfortable and productive visit, thanks to CUI!
Outsource your challenges to Concierge Unlimited, your
time-saving concierge service, and consider it done!
We Recommend
Cirque du Soleil’s new production, OVO, has arrived, and will run
through August 21 under the Grand Chapiteau at the United Center.
OVO is a celebration of the colorful and energetic world of insects and
the cycle of life. The CUI Concierge Team holds the key to your tickets,
from main floor seats to VIP Tapis Rouge.
Takashi, located in the heart of Bucktown, features contemporary
French-American cuisine with Japanese influences. Chef Takashi uses
sustainable fished seafood and local seasonal products, along with
ingredients of the highest quality from around the world.
The Park Hyatt recently re-opened its seventh-floor restaurant as
NoMI Kitchen after renovations and a revised menu. The emphasis is
on casual elegance, with the kitchen as the focal point. The new menu
is rooted in high quality flavors and local ingredient-driven dishes.
New Venues
Dough Boys in Little Italy is the creation of successful local restaurateurs Scott Harris and Jimmy Bannos. The new pizzeria offers dine-in,
carry-out and delivery. Three varieties of top-notch pizza are on the
menu: New York-style thin crust, stuffed and “Pizza al Metro,” a 3-foot
long pie that serves 8-10 people.
Located at the River East Plaza in Streeterville, Quay Restaurant & Bar
opens this month, and will be open daily for lunch and dinner. Diners
will enjoy breathtaking views of the river through floor-to-ceiling windows, and a patio with 2,000 feet of waterside seating.
Rittergut Wine Bar, Restaurant and Social Club is set to open in midJuly as en expansion of the popular Rivers Restaurant at 10 & 30
S. Wacker Drive. The venue will include a 12-seat tasting and dining bar,
Red Wine Room and Barrel Room. In adition to a fine selection of wines
and a variety of tastings, the menu will feature premium steaks and seafood.
Let us make your VIP Reservation! [312) 692-8140
Wine Insight
See this month’s feature “Celebration: The 4th vs. the 14th of July”
by our connoisseur, Bernard Guinand. To view, click on the “Wine
Insight” tab at www.conciergeunlimited.com.
July 2011
Volume XXI—Issue VII
Arts/Museums
thru
8/14 The Horse
Field Museum
8/21 Warhol at Work: Portrait Snapshots Smart Museum
8/31 Wounded in Action
Chicago Cultural Center
9/5
Body Worlds
MSI
10/16 Pandora’s Box: Joseph Cornell
MCA
opens 8 Deep Space Adventure Adler Planetarium
ongoing Travelogues and Technologies
Field Museum
Jellies
Shedd Aquarium
around the globe
thru 31 Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty New York, NY
opens 2 Face of Our Time at SFMOMA
San Francisco, CA
Ballet/Dance
16
Muntu Dance Theatre
29-31 Thodos Dance Chicago
around the globe
thru 15 Les Enfants du Paradis 14-17 ABT: The Bright Stream Children/Family
thru 9/4 Watch Us Grow: Monarch Butterflies
opens
8
Pinkalicious
13
The Adventures of Pinocchio
15,29 Sleep Under the Skyscrapers
Classical/Symphony
Harris Theater
Ruth Page Center Paris, France
Los Angeles, CA
Kohl Children’s Museum
Broadway Playhouse
Shakespeare Theatre
Lincoln Park Zoo
at Ravinia
7
Lang Lang: Liszt and Friends; CSO; C. Eschenbach, cond.,
L. Lang, piano
8
Rite of Spring; CSO; C. Eschenbach, cond.; A. Watts, piano
9
Voigt’s Fidelio, Salome and More; CSO; C. Eschenbach,
cond.; D. Voigt, soprano
14
Dohnanyi and Ax Play All-Brahms; CSO; C. Dohnanyi,
cond.; E. Ax, piano
21
Rare & Ravishing Rachmaninoff; CSO; J. Conlon, cond,;
A . Romanovsky, piano; Milwaukee Symphony Chorus
24
Brahms and Beethoven; CSO; J. Conlon, cond.; R. Chen, violin
30
Puccini’s Tosca; CSO; J. Conlon, cond; P. Racette, soprano
31
Tchaikovsky Spectacular; CSO; J. Conlon, cond.; M. Fried, violin
at Millennium Park
3
Independence Celebration; GPO; C. Bell, cond.
15-16 Penderecki Conducts Penderecki; GPO; K. Penderecki, cond.
20
Kwame Ryan: Furioso & Le Tombeau di Couperin; GPO;
K. Ryan, cond.
22-23 Choral Masterpieces: Bernstein and Fauré; GPO; Grant
Park Chorus; C. Bell, cond.
27
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 7; GPO; H. Lintu, cond.
29-30 Sibelius: Epic Finland; GPO; H. Lintu, cond.; C. Bell,
chorus director; J. Rusanen, soprano
Concierge Unlimited International Cultural Update • July 2011 • 2
Opera: Preview of the 2011/2012 Season
Chicago Opera Theater
10/1-10/29 The Tales of Hoffman by Jacques Offenbach
10/10-11/5 Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti
11/7-11/29 Boris Godunov by Modest Mussorgsky
11/19-12/11 Ariadne auf Nazos by Richard Strauss
12/6-1/22 The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1/21-2/25 Aida by Guiseppe Verdi
2/12-3/17 Show Boat by Jerome Kern
2/29-3/24 Rinaldo by George Frideric Handel
Theatre
opens
6-24 Tribute to the Blues Brothers
7-24 Stations Lost
19
West Side Story
thru
24
Chinglish
31
The Absolute Best Friggin Time...
31
Cirque du Soleil: OVO
8/7
Beauty and the Beast
8/14
Middletown
8/21
Peter Pan
8/24
The Last Act of Lilka Kadison
open run
Blue Man Group
Million Dollar Quartet
South Side of Heaven
around the globe
thru
23
The House of Blue Leaves
31
Anything Goes
8/27 Chicago 9/3
Pygmalion
10/2 Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark
Auditorium Theatre
Steppenwolf Theatre
Cadillac Palace Theatre
Goodman Theatre
Second City
United Center
Ford Center/Oriental Theatre
Steppenwolf Theatre
Tribune Freedom Center
Lookingglass Theatre
Briar Street Theatre
Apollo Theater
Second City
New York, NY
New York, NY
London, UK
London, UK
New York, NY
Sneak Previews
8/4
Steve Miller Band
8/5-7 Lollapalooza
8/5-7 Sade & John Legend
8/6
American Idol Live!
8/9-10 Taylor Swift
8/13 Lil Wayne
8/15-17Phish
8/19 Kid Rock
8/23 Stevie Nicks
8/24 Colin Quinn: Long Story Short
8/26 Kings of Leon
8/26 Tony Bennett 9/2-4 North Coast Music Festival
9/3-4 Pearl Jam
9/4
Carrie Underwood
9/18 Andre Rieu
Chicago Theatre
Grant Park
United Center
Allstate Arena
Allstate Arena
First Midwest Bank Amph.
UIC Pavilion
First Midwest Bank Amph.
Rosemont Theatre
Broadway Playhouse
First Midwest Bank Amph.
Ravinia
Union Park
Alpine Valley
Ravinia
United Center
Concert/Rock/Blues/Jazz
5
7-8
8
8
8-10
9
10
13
15
15-17
16
16
16
19
21
22
23
24
28
30
31-8/1
U2
Flaming Lips
Britney Spears
Katy Perry
Dave Matthews Band Caravan
Jerry Lee Lewis
Ramsey Lewis Trio
Josh Groban
Def Leppard
Pitchfork Music Festival
Jennifer Hudson
Soundgarden
Tim McGraw
Steve Earle & The Dukes Bela Fleck & The Flecktones
Gillian Welch
Jimmy Buffett Bon Iver
Dolly Parton
Journey
Paul McCartney Soldier Field
Aragon Ballroom
United Center
Allstate Arena
Lakeside
Congress Theater
Ravinia
United Center
First Midwest Bank
Union Park
Ravinia
UIC Pavilion
First Midwest Bank
The Vic
The Vic
The Vic
Toyota Park
Chicago Theatre
Rosemont Theatre
First Midwest Bank
Wrigley Field
Sports
♦Cubs
1-3 Chicago WS
14-17 Florida
18-20 Philadelphia
22-24 Houston
28-30 San Francisco
also...
thru 3
2-24
8-10
10
12
13-27
14-17
16
♦White Sox
♦Fire
4-6 Kansas City
7-10 Minnesota
25-27 Detroit
29-31 Boston
16 Portland
23 Manchester
♦Rush
1 Utah
23 Milawukee
Wimbledon
Tour de France
Davis Cup Tennis
Formula One British Grand Prix
MLB All-Star Game
ESPN RISE Games
The British Open
Race to Mackinac
London, UK
Various regions, France
Austin, TX
Buckinghamshire, UK
Phoenix, AZ
Lake Buena Vista, FL
Sandwich, Kent, UK
Navy Pier
Special/Seasonal
9
9-10
15-16
17
21
23
30-31
30-31
Cornhole Classic
L.A.T.E. Ride
World’s Largest Block Party
Dearborn Garden Walk
Green City Market Chef’s BBQ
Bill Maher
Randolph Street Market
Taste of Lincoln Avenue
Sears Centre
Buckingham Fountain
Madison/Des Plaines
Latin School
Lincoln Park
Chicago Theatre
1340 W. Washington
Lincoln & Halsted
Contact your CUI concierge for top tickets to any upcoming events!
We are your time-saving concierge service and resource for local, national and international needs!
Concierge Unlimited International Cultural Update • July 2011 • 3
Summer Fun in the Sun
7/2,9,16,23,30: Millennium Park Workouts
Millennium Park and McDonald’s will be offering free workouts from 8:00
to 11:00 a.m. on the Great Lawn of Jay Pritzker Pavilion every Saturday.
Workouts are 45 minutes long and include yoga, pilates and dance
aerobics.
7/6-10: NBGC Family Fest & Carnival
Take the whole family to Paul Revere Park for the largest mini-amusement park in Chicago. The 63rd annual fest will feature nearly 20
rides, numerous games, food and fun benefitting Neighborhood Boys
& Girls Club programs.
7/8-10: Irish Fest
Celebrate the 26th annual Irish Fest at the Irish American Heritage
Center on the northwest side. Events with an Irish twist promise to
entertain, from the Hooley Hook-Up, where singles mingle, to the
ShamROCK Stars singing contest.
7/9-10: Rock Around the Block
Several of Chicago’s top bands perform on Lincoln Avenue in Lakeview for two days of nonstop entertainment, with artisans and crafts
vendors, a family area, and an array of street performers.
7/14: Bastille Day Run/Walk & Block Party
This celebration of all things French includes a 5K & 8K run/walk in
Lincoln Park. A block party will take place later at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to benefit Chicago’s Mercy Home for Boys &
Girls.
7/16: Race to Mackinac
The longest annual freshwater sailing race kicks off from Navy Pier
for its 103rd running.
7/16-17: Lincoln Park Arts & Music Festival
This festival at Racine & Fullerton features top entertainment, a kid’s
area, a pizza eating contest and a “bags” tournament, along with
goods from area artists and merchants.
7/23: Dragon Boat Race for Literacy
Join over 10,000 others in participating or watching this annual sport
at Ping Tom Memorial Park. Festivities will also include Asian dance,
caricature artists, acrobats, live music and food.
7/23-24: Sheffield Garden Walk
Head over to Sheffield between Webster & Belden for a self-guided
tour of 100+ gardens, with live music, food and a Kids’ Corner.
7/30-31: Summer on Southport
This celebration of community at Southport & Waveland features local artisans, summer food favorites, a Sunday Gospel Brunch, and an
array of live musical performances.
Match:
The Perfect
Hottest Hotels & Events
CELEBRATE BASTILLE DAY IN PARIS
Paris, France: July 13 &14
Thousands line the Champs-Elysees to view the military parade
commemorating the storming of the Bastille in the French Revolution.
Where to stay: Intercontinental Paris Avenue Marceau
ATTEND SPAIN’S LARGEST HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL
Barcelona, Spain: July 6-10
Brightly colored hot-air balloons from around the world float about
the city. Down on the ground, local cuisine is highlighted in numerous market stalls, celebrating this annual event.
Where to stay: Mandarin Oriental
ENJOY DINNER AT THE FINEST RESTAURANT IN FLORENCE
Florence, Italy: Enocenta Pinchiorri
Known as Florence’s gastronomic treasure, the cuisine is regional
Tuscan with creative twists from Chef Annie Feolde.
Where to stay: Il Salviatino
SEE THE 2011 BRITISH OPEN
Sandwich, Kent, UK: July 10-17
The challenging Royal St. George’s Golf Club is the site of the 2011
British Open. The seaside location and proximity to France make
this year’s event a special vacation destination.
Where to stay: The Mercure Hythe Imperial Hotel and Spa
WATCH THE HEIDELBERG CASTLE LIGHT UP
Heidelberg, Germany: July 9
In commemoration of the times the castle went up in flames, the
castle is illuminated, followed by a magnificent fireworks display.
Where to stay: Heidelberg Suites
EXPERIENCE THE GONDOLA FESTIVAL IN VENICE
Venice, Italy: July 16 & 17
An armada of decorated gondolas glide through the canals, while
spectacular fireworks light up the sky during the festival of “Il Redentore.” The next day, there are regattas and rowing competitions.
Where to stay: Palazzina Grassi
ATTEND THE JERUSALEM FILM FESTIVAL
Jerusalem, Israel: July 7-16
Over 200 films are screened each year, presenting an eclectic mix of
fiction literature, animation, shorts and documentaries from all over
the world. Past guest and jury members include Robert DeNiro, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda and Peter Ustinov.
Where to stay: Mamilla Hotel
SHOP HARROD’S SUMMER SALE
London, England: Through July 10
One of the world’s most famous stores offers designer clothing at
discounted prices for a limited time only.
Where to stay: Dean Street Townhouse
For more event information, VIP restaurant & hotel accommodations or top tickets, contact Concierge Unlimited International,
your time-saving concierge service and resource for local, national and international needs.
Concierge Unlimited International Cultural Update • July 2011 • 4
Fourth of July Fireworks
7/1: Evergreen Park fireworks and parade at Duffy Park
7/4: Evanston fireworks and
live music at Clark Street Beach
7/2: Arlington Heights fireworks and races with live music at Arlington Park
7/3: Barrington live music and
fireworks at Barrington H.S.
7/4: Batavia “Sky Concert” fireworks, food & live music
7/3: Wilmette fireworks, entertainment, and Tastefest
at Gillson Park
7/3&4: Bensenville two nights of fireworks and live music
7/4: Downers Grove fireworks & parade with marching bands and floats in downtown area
7/4: Lake Forest festival &
fireworks with live bands, food and games at Deerpath
Community Park
7/4: Taste of Lombard
fireworks, food, music, games,
rides at Madison Meadow
7/4: Naperville Ribfest with
fireworks, ribs and live music
from Styx & REO Speedwagon
7/4: Northbrook fireworks and
parade at Village Green Park
7/4: Oakbrook Terrace
fireworks, picnic, rides and
concerts at Terrace View Park
Free July Concerts
July is prime time to get out and enjoy summer music under the sun and
stars, and it’s even better when it’s free!
4,11,18,25: Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays
Now in its third year, this free series showcases an array of indie rock
artists, including Blonde Redhead and Ted Leo + The Pharmacists. All
concerts take place at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.
5,12,19,26: Rush Hour Concerts at St. James Cathedral
This series of 30-minute Tuesday evening classical concerts takes
place at the historic St. James Cathedral in River North. Performers in
July include mezzo-soprano Emily Lodine and CSO Principal Trumpet
Chris Martin.
7,14,21: Music Without Borders
Musical acts from around the globe make their way to Millennium Park
for this Thursday night series of double-billed live performances.
All month: Grant Park Music Festival
Now in its 77th year, this lineup of classical concerts features the
Grant Park Orchestra, along with internationally renowned guests, in
performance at the Pritzker Pavilion. On nearly every day of the month
there is a performance and/or open rehearsal.
Suggestions
to the
Editor
Key Reasons
Clients Rely on CUI
A
n executive client was looking for two tickets to a soldout Second City show on a Friday night, and wisely
contacted his CUI concierge. His concierge was able to
utilize CUI’s contacts to procure two tickets for the client,
in addition to securing VIP dinner reservations at the nearby Adobo Grill. The client was not only able to enjoy the
show, but later said Adobo Grill is his new go-to restaurant
before heading to Second City!
A
client was in need of quality group transportation
for their child’s graduation weekend celebrations,
and had done some research on her own to find rates
and availability. On the suggestion of a colleague she
contacted her CUI concierge for assistance. After researching options, her concierge was able to locate and
book coaches for the two events through trusted vendors
at a savings of nearly $500 off what the client had found
on her own!
Put CUI, your savvy savior, to work! [312) 692-8140
Save your valuable time and let us be At Your Service.
♦Catering & Corporate Dinners♦
♦Entertainment♦
♦Favorable Hotel Rates♦
♦Flowers & Unique Gifts♦
♦ VIP Restaurant Reservations♦
♦Private & Corporate Events ♦
♦Top Tickets: Theatre, Sports, Concerts & more♦
♦Travel & Transportation ♦
Contact Amanda Rubin, your CUI Concierge at
 (312) 692-8140 
 [email protected] 
www.conciergeunlimited.com
We invite your suggestions for future issues of Cultural Update. Are there cultural events you
would like us to highlight? Do you have feedback about a restaurant or event that we have
recommended? Let us know what you think! Please feel free to contact the editor via email at
[email protected] or by phone at (312) 220-0500.
 2011 Concierge Unlimited International, hereinafter CUI. All rights reserved. Cultural data subject to change. This CUI Cultural Update is the sole and exclusive property
of CUI. It shall not be, in whole or in part, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitte d in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission of CUI.