THEATRE BY CATEY SULLIVAN

GO
EDITED BY TOMI OBARO
THEATRE 120 DANCE 121 MUSIC 122 ART&DESIGN 124
MUSEUMS 126 BEST OF THE REST 126
THEATRE
BY CATEY SULLIVAN
COMEDIES
Through 4/13 A pair of magnificent actors—John
Mahoney and Penny Slusher—team up for Christian
O’Reilly’s Dublin-set romance between a man, a
woman, 19 cats, and the titular beast: a dog. $15–$75.
Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie, Skokie. northlight.org
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Through 5/3 Beware of faeries bearing love-in-idleness!
The mischief-making herb can make you fall in love
with an ass. So it goes in the enchanted woods of
King Oberon and Queen Titania, where imps make
fools of mortals as mismatched lovers frolic in folly.
$10–$25. Piccolo Theatre at the Main Street Metra
Station, 600 Main, Evanston. piccolotheatre.com
DRAMAS
THE DANCE OF DEATH
Through 7/20 Long before Edward Albee wrote Who’s
Afraid of Virginia Woolf ?, August Strindberg penned
this story of a long-married couple seemingly intent
on eviscerating each other right down to their very
bone marrow. The weapons of choice in this venomous masterpiece? Words. And here those words
come from an adaptation by Conor McPherson
(Shining City, Dublin Carol), an Irish playwright
who knows a thing or two about the linguistically
whirling humor that informs Strindberg’s portrait
of a marriage on the brink of an abyss. $60. Writers
Theatre, 664 Vernon, writerstheatre.org
DARLIN’
Through 4/13 A woman on the run provokes suspi-
cion from a cleaning lady, a former high school
jock, and a local drug dealer in this play written by
Joshua Rollins. $17–$30. Step Up Productions at the
Athenaeum Studio Theatre, 2936 N Southport. stepup
productions.org
GOD’S WORK
4/4–19 It’s been roughly eight years since the Albany
Park Theatre Project premiered this harrowing
tale of child abuse based on the experiences of a
young Theatre Project thespian. The narrative centers on Rachel, one of 16 children in a Romanian
family ruled with tyrannical cruelty by a religious
fundamentalist father. A story of secrets, brutality, and—ultimately—redemption plays out in this
compelling piece, produced in association with the
Goodman. $10–$25. Albany Park Theatre Project at
the Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn. goodman
theatre.org, aptpchicago.org
GOOD BOYS AND TRUE
Through 5/3 A seemingly upstanding young prep school
student gets ensnared in a scandal. Cody Estle di-
HOW WE PICK THE EVENTS These listings are not advertisements.
They are a selective guide to arts events recommended by Chicago’s
culture critics.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Details of listings can change at the last
minute. Please call ahead to confirm.
C H I C AG O M AG .CO M
rects Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s disquieting drama
about privilege, power, and exploitation. $15–$36.
Raven Theatre, 6157 N Clark. raventheatre.com
THE GREAT GOD PAN
CHAPATTI
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4/3–5/11 Amy Herzog draws the title of her play from
an Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem about a powerful god who plucks a lushly growing reed from a
river, hollows it out, and begins playing it like a flute.
This becomes a chilling metaphor in the context
of Herzog’s story of a successful young man whose
world is upended when he learns he might have
been the victim of an incestuous sexual assault that
he doesn’t remember. Director Kimberly Senior
confronts the audience with the mysteries of memory and how the past—even a supposedly forgotten
past—can irrevocably shape the future. $7–$40. Next
Theatre, 927 Noyes, Evanston. nexttheatre.org
HENRY V
4/29–6/15 British director Christopher Luscombe
makes his Chicago debut with Shakespeare’s gorgeous adventure of a rowdy, hard-drinking, immature young rogue who finds his way out of the
pub and onto the battlefield with one of the most
moving monologues in the English language. $48–
$78. Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E Grand.
chicagoshakes.com
THE HOW AND THE WHY
Through 4/6 Sarah Treem’s brainy take on genes, des-
tiny, and the scientific mysteries surrounding
menstruation and menopause centers on two brilliant biologists trying to figure out the evolutionary
reasons for these two processes. Do not under any
circumstances dismiss this as the stage equivalent of chick lit. $35–$48. TimeLine Theatre, 615 W
Wellington. timelinetheatre.com
IN THE GARDEN: A DARWINIAN LOVE STORY
4/26– 6/15 Before he changed the world with The
Origin of Species, Charles Darwin had an unlikely
liaison with Emma Wedgwood, a deeply devout
Christian tormented by the belief that her beloved
would be denied salvation. Chicago playwright
Sara Gmitter delves into the love story between
two fiercely independent, ideologically opposed
individuals. Jessica Thebus directs. $30–$70.
Lookingglass Theatre, 821 N Michigan. lookingglasstheatre.org
LAY ME DOWN SOFTLY
4/23–5/25 Assorted freaks, fortune tellers, boxers,
trainers, fixers, and ringmasters compose the
scruffy traveling road show at the big bruised heart
of Billy Roche’s evocative tale of rural Ireland in
the 1960s. $12–$26. Seanachai Theatre at the Den
Theatre, 1333 N Milwaukee. seanachai.org
MAN AND SUPERMAN
4/26–5/19 Now in its 20th year, Shaw Chicago keeps
KEY TO SYMBOLS
c child friendly
critic’s pick: most anticipated
the hits coming, this time with a staged reading of
the playwright’s subversive retelling of the Don
Juan legend. In this version, a bevy of women relentlessly chase the legendary playboy. Director
Robert Scogin has pared the piece down a bit (at full
length, Man and Superman runs over five hours),
but abridgement or not, expect sharp wit and plenty of thought-provoking passages. $15–$30. Shaw
Chicago at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N
Dearborn. shawchicago.org
MILL FIRE
4/24–6/7 Veteran director Sandy Shinner immerses
the audience in 1978 Birmingham, where a Greek
chorus of widows provides the sorrowful bedrock
to Chicago native Sally Nemeth’s meditation on a
workplace tragedy. Stepping backward and forward
in time, Nemeth explores whether fully moving on
is ever possible in the face of great, irreplaceable
loss. $18. Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit,
1229 W Belmont. sgtheatre.org
PINKOLANDIA
4/3–10 Set in Reagan-era Wisconsin, Andrea
Thome’s tale of two sisters exiled from their
South American homeland of Chile and trying to
forge a place for themselves in the United States
is grounded in both reality and fantasy. Ann
Filmer directs the Chicago segment of a “rolling
premiere,” intent on exploring what happens to
two sisters, 8 and 12, as they create imaginary
worlds—which include talking bears, majestic
glaciers, ghostly Nazis, and the amazing puppetry
of Stephanie Diaz—in an attempt to find their way
through a transcontinental tapestry of cultures
and languages. $18. 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th,
Berwyn. 16thstreettheater.org
THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD
Through 4/5 When John M. Synge’s troubling, poetic
thriller premiered in 1907, audiences threw eggs
at the stage and journalists condemned the play.
Today’s critics consider this story of a handsome
stranger whose arrival in rural County Mayo sets
village tongues wagging an indisputable classic.
Michael Menendian directs a near-perfect merger
of eloquent language and enthralling plot. $15–$36.
Raven Theatre, 6157 N Clark. raventheatre.com
RUINED
4/17–5/25 Eclipse begins its season of works by Lynn
Nottage with the mesmerizing story of a brothel in
the Congo and the fiercely protective woman who
keeps a fragile peace between rebel and government
soldiers. Aaron Todd Douglas directs the riveting
2009 Pulitzer winner. $20–$28. Eclipse Theatre
at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N Southport.
eclipsetheatre.com
RUSSIAN TRANSPORT
Through 5/11 Break out the celebratory Stoli! Bulgarianborn Steppenwolf ensemble member Yasen
Peyankov, an actor of no small talent, makes his debut
as a director with playwright Erika Sheffer’s dark,
twisting comedy about a Russian American family
in Brooklyn whose lives are upended by a humantrafficking uncle. $20–$78. Steppenwolf Upstairs
Theatre, 1650 N Halsted. steppenwolf.org
Have an event you’d like us to consider? Send an e-mail to [email protected].
PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTOPHER DUGGAN
WHAT TO DO
SALVAGE
WATER BY THE SPOONFUL
bearing a rare bit of sports memorabilia steps into
a collectibles shop in Detroit. But windfalls come at
a price, and this one just might be far costlier than
it initially appears. Alison C. Vesely directs Joseph
Zettelmaier’s darkly comic two-person mystery.
$22–$37. First Folio Theatre at the Mayslake Peabody
Estate, 1717 W 31st, Oak Brook. firstfolio.org
Pulitzer Prize for this play, the second installment
in her trilogy following the fate of a fictitious Iraqi
war vet named Elliot Ortiz. Henry Godinez directs
a narrative of multiple layers, as Elliot’s struggles
with civilian life are juxtaposed with the struggles
of four recovering crack addicts. $35–$65. Court
Theatre, 5535 S Ellis. courttheatre.org
Through 4/20 The Side Project joins forces with
4/3–6/8 Here’s reason for celebration: Steppenwolf
ensemble member Amy Morton is back in the director’s chair for the first time since Clybourne Park,
helming a cast that includes her boss—the formidable Steppenwolf artistic director Martha Lavey.
Morton takes on Mona Mansour’s saga about a pair
of squabbling sisters and their bankrupt mother living in a run-down California town. Interspersing
her work with original songs, Mansour explores
what makes enterprising Americans tick and what
their responsibilities are when it comes to matters
of manifest destiny. $44–$68. Steppenwolf Theatre,
1650 N Halsted. steppenwolf.org
Through 4/27 Salvation seems at hand when a woman
SANDALWOOD
Tympanic Theatre Company for playwright Dan
Caffrey’s “psycho-Western,” in which a father follows a trail of blood through the ghost towns of the
American West in an attempt to understand the savagery of his murderous son. $10–$20. Side Project
and Tympanic Theatres at the Side Project, 1439 W
Jarvis. thesideproject.net
SAVIOUR?
Through 5/11 Esther Armah uncorks a powder keg of
race, class, and gender issues in her tale of a liberal white community activist who files a reverse
discrimination suit alleging he was passed over
for promotion in favor of a black woman. $30. Eta
Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S South Chicago.
etacreativearts.org
STEPPENWOLF GARAGE REPERTORY PROGRAM
Through 4/20 ReWILDing Genius. New Colony ensem-
ble members Andrew Hobgood and Megan Johns
join forces to tell the story of an Uptown Chicago
loft that becomes a breeding ground for self-identified geniuses, cyber-vigilantes, hacktivists, and anarchists, all intent on changing the world. Saturday
Night/Sunday Morning. With Katori Hall’s new
drama, Prologue Theatre heads for Miss Mary’s
beauty parlor, Memphis circa 1945. As the women
primp and tell stories of their men overseas, the end
of the war looms and questions about just what the
future will hold take center stage. The Wild. Created
by a consortium of nine artists, Walkabout Theater
Company’s piece explores the effects of distant realities and events on people’s daily lives. Steppenwolf
Garage Theatre, 1624 N Halsted. steppenwolf.org
A TALE OF TWO CITIES
Through 4/6 Lifeline stages another sweeping epic
with Christopher M. Walsh’s adaptation of Charles
Dickens’s tome. The complex dual-city saga follows
soldiers, servants, aristocrats, and rebels in love and
war as the Reign of Terror engulfs late-18th-century
Paris and social upheaval roars through London. If
anyone in Chicago can pull off this kind of massive
literary endeavor, it’s Lifeline. $20–$40. Lifeline
Theatre, 6912 N Glenwood. lifelinetheatre.com
TRISTAN AND YSEULT
Through 4/13 From Cornwall, England, comes Kneehigh
Theatre’s idiosyncratic and passionate telling of
love, war, betrayal, and tragic misapprehensions.
Think Shakespeare sprinkled with acrobatics, a live
orchestra, and a liberal dose of storytelling alchemy
and you might have an inkling of the wonders in
store here. $60–$70. Chicago Shakespeare Theater,
800 E Grand. chicagoshakes.com
VENUS IN FUR
Through 4/13 Given that playwright David Ives’s in-
spiration was Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s seminal novel Venus in Furs, one can assume that the
Goodman’s latest will be kinky. And so it is, as
Vanda, a mysterious actress, and Thomas, a snarling director, go head to head during an audition
for a show the actress dismisses as “basically . . .
porn.” Chicagoan Joanie Schultz, an increasingly
high-profile director, helms a tale of seduction and
stagecraft. $25–$86. Goodman Albert Theatre, 170 N
Dearborn. goodmantheatre.org
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
4/11–5/18 Veteran actor (and Jeff committee member)
Ricardo Gutierrez helms an all-Latino cast, featuring Sandra Marquez and Christina Nieves, in Arthur
Miller’s all-American tragedy of immigration, loyalty, romance, and lust. $25. Teatro Vista at Victory
Gardens Theater, 2433 N Halsted. victorygardens.org
Through 4/6 Quiara Alegría Hudes won the 2012
THE WAY WEST
MUSICALS
DESSA ROSE
Through 4/5 Based on the marvelous novel by Sherley
Anne Williams, this musical by Lynn Ahrens and
Stephen Flaherty delves into the unlikely alliance
forged between Dessa Rose, a runaway slave, and
Ruth Sutton, a white woman abandoned and struggling to survive on a backwater Alabama farm.
$15–$40. Bailiwick Chicago at the Victory Gardens
Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N Lincoln. bailiwick
chicago.com
HAIR
4/25–6/29 Hippies, activists, freaks, and beatniks gath-
er in Greenwich Village in this rock musical about
the raucous counterculture of the late 1960s, by
James Rado and Gerome Ragni (book and lyrics)
and composer Galt MacDermot. $48–$53. American
Theater Company, 1909 W Byron. atcweb.org
HANG YOUR HAT AT MR K’S
4/23–5/17 Jarrin Davis’s new musical revue turns the
microphone on Chicago’s old-school jazz scene as
seen and heard through the eyes and ears of a bellhop and a cook working at Mister Kelly’s, a wellknown Rush Street jazz club (sadly, now the site
of a steak house) from 1957 through 1975. Listen
for selections from the club’s heyday, when Ella
Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Muddy Waters, Sarah
Vaughan, and many others made Mr. K’s the place
to hang your hat. $20–$25. Three Cat Productions
at the Berger Park Coach House, 6205 N Sheridan.
threecatproductions.com
HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT
REALLY TRYING
4/26–6/1 Rob Lindley directs the workplace fable of
J. Pierrepont Finch, the quintessential corporate
go-getter who rises from window washer to power
player. Office politics, sex, greed, and general shenanigans make for terrific comedy and, thanks to
the tunes of composer Frank Loesser, they sound
absolutely terrific. $30–$43.50. Porchlight Music
Theatre Chicago at Stage 773, 1225 W Belmont.
porchlightmusictheatre.org
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL
4/22–7/13 As jukebox musicals go, this one’s a hoot,
stuffed with tunes by Diana Ross, Michael Jackson,
Smokey Robinson, and myriad other artists who got
their starts in the Motor City under the savvy hand
of former featherweight boxer Berry Gordy. You’ll be
humming before the overture’s finished and long after
the final curtain drops. $27–$125. Broadway in Chicago
at the Oriental Theatre, 24 W Randolph. broadwayin
chicago.com
PETER AND THE STARCATCHER
4/2–13 The adventures of Peter Pan before he became,
well, Peter Pan, features pirates, lost boys, and
cross-dressing mermaids. How did Captain Hook
lose that hand? What’s the real deal with the ticking
crocodile? Swashbuckling to the hilt and laden with
original music, flying, and ingenious stunt work,
odds are this Peter won’t get panned. $45–$82.
Broadway in Chicago at the Bank of America Theatre,
18 W Monroe. broadwayinchicago.com
RENT
Through 4/6 Love, art, AIDS, and the most adorable
cross-dresser to ever table-dance in Lucite heels
take center stage in Jonathan Larson’s
hypermoving story of stone-broke bohemians living a carpe diem life. Imagine La Bohème transplanted to New York’s Alphabet City, filtered
through a hard-rocking score, and featuring a
diverse cast and you get the idea. $36.90–$49.90.
Paramount Theatre, 23 E Galena, Aurora. paramount
aurora.com
ROAD SHOW
Through 5/4 Previously known as Bounce (and Wise
Guys and Gold), Stephen Sondheim’s episodic musical saga spans four decades and thousands of
miles as it follows brothers Addison and Wilson
Mizner, whose get-rich schemes range from the
Alaskan gold rush of the 1890s to the Florida
real-estate boom of the 1930s. The pedigree here
is impeccable: Director Gary Griffin is (arguably)
the country’s foremost Sondheim interpreter,
and Sondheim is, well, Sondheim. Whether those
bona fides will translate to a comparably extraordinary production is the cliffhanger: Road Show
has failed—so far—to gain much box office traction
elsewhere. $40–$68. Chicago Shakespeare Theater,
800 E Grand. chicagoshakes.com
THE WIZARD OF OZ
4/30–5/11 The iconic musical based on L. Frank
Baum’s children’s stories travels from a Tornadoswept Kansas farmhouse to somewhere over the
rainbow, where witches will stop at nothing to
obtain a certain pair of ruby slippers as a fantastic
foursome of farm girl, talking scarecrow, scaredycat lion, and tin man follow the yellow brick road to
their dreams. $15–$82. Broadway in Chicago at the
Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W Randolph. broadway
inchicago.com
DANCE
BY CASSIE WALKER BURKE
HEDWIG DANCES
4/5–12 The trending Chicago choreographer Jan
Bartoszek (the brain behind this local troupe) and
her guest dance makers blur the lines between contemporary movement and the visual arts. Lately, she
has generated buzz for her collaborations with the
sculptor Barbara Cooper. The April series at Links
Hall will feature a new collaboration with Cuban
troupe DanzAbierta Cuba. $15–$20. Links Hall at
Constellation, 3111 N Western. hedwigdances.com
JOFFREY BALLET OF CHICAGO
4/30–5/11 Under the guidance of the Joffrey’s far-
reaching artistic director Ashley Wheater, the city’s
premier ballet company debuts Romeo and Juliet,
newly reinvisioned by the Polish choreographer
Krzysztof Pastor, who originally created his piece
for the Scottish Ballet in 2008. $31–$152. Auditorium
Theatre, 50 E Congress Pkwy. joffrey.org
TREY McINTYRE PROJECT
4/3 at 7:30 This contemporary ballet choreographer
turned short-film maker has created works for nearly every major contemporary company in America.
This month he brings his own Boise-based troupe to
the Harris to premiere a commissioned work with
live accompaniment by musicians from the Music
Institute of Chicago. $25–$55. Harris Theater, 205 E
Randolph. harristheaterchicago.org
VISCERAL DANCE CHICAGO
4/12–13 New on the scene, this edgy local contemporary
jazz company springs practically fully formed from
the mind of its creator, the respected Chicago choreographer Nick Pupillo, who designs dramatic dances
that move at warp speed. Expect rocking music and
impressive athleticism too. $25–$75. Harris Theater,
205 E Randolph. harristheaterchicago.org
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VISION, FAITH & DESIRE III
4/12–13 Third time’s the charm: Helmed by modern
dancer Winifred Haun, this popular tribute to Martha
Graham will unfold inside the “living museum”
Pleasant Home, a Prairie-style house in Oak Park designed by George Washington Maher. $15. Pleasant
Home, 217 Home, Oak Park. winifredhaun.org
REGGIE WILSON: FIST + HEEL
4/3–5 The Brooklyn performer and choreographer
describes the style of dance in his latest, Moses(es),
as “post-African neo-HooDoo.” The full-length evening work, created on a tour through Mali, Turkey,
Israel, and Egypt while he studied the migration
patterns of the African people, also evokes imagery from Zora Neale Hurston’s Moses, Man of the
Mountain. $26. Dance Center of Columbia College,
1306 S Michigan. colum.edu
MUSIC
BY GRAHAM MEYER,
TOMI OBARO, AND ERIN OSMON
CLASSICAL, NEW MUSIC, OPERA
ACCESS CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
4/29 at 7:30 The new-music collective’s signature
Sound of Silent Film Festival, in which composers write scores for previously silent films, will
occur in an honest-to-God movie theatre—a first
for the nine-year-old event. In another first, ACM
solicited submissions instead of using famous
silent films. $8–$20. Music Box Theatre, 3733 N
Southport. acmusic.org
BACH WEEK FESTIVAL
4/25–5/4 The annual celebration of the prolific father
of many composers (literally and figuratively) begins with a repeat visit from Sergei Babayan, counterpointing three keyboard concertos (4/25 at 7:30).
In the lobby after the concert (but separately ticketed), the classical guitarist Adam Levin plucks out
Frescobaldi and a Bach chaconne and then jumps
to two contemporary works. $10–$30 per concert,
$20–$80 fest pass. 4/25: Nichols Concert Hall, 1490
Chicago, Evanston. bachweek.org
FREE!
CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER
4/2 at 12:15 Leighann Daihl, baroque flute, Anna
Steinhoff, baroque cello, and Jason Moy, harpsichord. 4/7 at 12:15 Chicago Chamber Musicians play
William Bolcom’s rags and a John Harbison quartet. 4/9 at 12:15 Evan Mitchell, piano. 4/13 at 3 Third
Coast Percussion. 4/14 at 12:15 New Chicago Chamber
Orchestra. 4/16 at 12:15 Heather Wittels, violin, and
Craig Terry, piano. c 4/18 at 11 Joann Cho, piano,
in the Juicebox series for toddlers. 4/21 at 12:15 Amos
Gillespie Quartet, an unusual flute-clarinet-saxophone-cello ensemble. 4/23 at 12:15 Jósu de Soláun,
piano. 4/28 at 12:15 Yoshiko Arahata, piano. 4/30 at 12:15
Xavier Larsson Paez, saxophone, and violin, piano.
78 E Washington. explorechicago.org
CHICAGO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
4/13 at 7 The Romantic program includes Ralph
Vaughan Williams’s bathed-in-pathos string orchestra piece Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas
Tallis, Saint-Saëns’s Morceau de Concert harp concerto and Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony. An art historian ties in some art appreciation about Romantic
era paintings. $25–$75. Pick-Staiger Concert
Hall, Northwestern U, 50 Arts Circle, Evanston.
chicagophilharmonic.org
CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
4/3, 5 at 8; 4/8 at 7:30 The annual visitor Esa-Pekka
Salonen, an accomplished composer and interpreter of modern works, leads three pieces in his
first of two programs. One of the CSO’s composers
in residence, Anna Clyne, wrote the orchestra-andtape piece Rewind, inspired by rewinding videotape.
Bartók’s suite from The Miraculous Mandarin follows. Last comes Four Legends from the Kalevala,
episodes from Finland’s national epic set to music
by Salonen’s fellow Finn, Jean Sibelius. $31–$217.
4/10–12 at 8, 4/13 at 3 Salonen’s second program centers
on Dvořák’s violin concerto. The terrific German
violinist Christian Tetzlaff, in his second Symphony
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Center appearance of the season after a four-year
absence, performs it. Two works by Janáček and one
by Salonen himself fill out the bill. $32–$217. FREE!
4/12 at 2 CSO musicians, including the concertmaster Robert Chen, play piano trios by Schubert and
Dvořák. At presstime, no tickets were available, but
some tickets are occasionally rereleased. 4/17 at 8, 4/18 at
1:30, 4/19 at 8, 4/22 at 7:30 The conductor Leonard Slatkin,
currently the head of orchestras in Detroit and Lyon,
helms an all-American program of Samuel Barber,
William Schuman, George Gershwin, and Mason
Bates (one of the CSO’s composers in residence).
The Gershwin: An American in Paris. The Bates: a
violin concerto, played by Anne Akiko Meyers, in its
Chicago premiere. Atypically for Bates, there will
be no electronics in the piece, although that doesn’t
mean there won’t be any strange sounds. $31–$217.
4/24, 26 at 8 Charles Ives’s Second Symphony, a collage work long shunned by the musical establishment, anchors a program that also presents Richard
Strauss’s less-merry-than-you’d-think tone poem
Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks and, jumping back a
century, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, played by
Richard Goode. $32–$246. 4/25 at 7:30, 4/27 at 3 The series
Beyond the Score examines Ives’s Second. $24–$151.
c 4/26 at 10 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. The musical storytelling
series Once Upon a Symphony regales the tots with
The Three Little Pigs. $16. Symphony Center, 220 S
Michigan. cso.org
4/11 at 7:30 The Chicago Bach Project cycles back to
the St. Matthew Passion after Lenten presentations of Bach’s three choral colossi at St. Vincent
de Paul, one a year for the past three years. The
many fans of the tenor Nicholas Phan can catch
him as the Evangelist. $25–$55. 4/26 at 8 The Illinois
Philharmonic Orchestra, a south suburban ensemble generating attention because of its newish and youngish conductor, David Danzmayr,
treks downtown to give the American premiere of
the late-Romantic Austrian composer Alexander
Zemlinsky’s Symphony No. 1. The IPO also presents
the Chicago premiere of the American composer
Gunther Schuller’s Concerto for String Quartet
and Orchestra, featuring the thoughtful, perspicacious Avalon Quartet. $19–$59. 4/29 at 7:30 David
Finckel and Wu Han, the Chamber Music Society
of Lincoln Center’s artistic directors (and spouses),
play all five of Beethoven’s cello sonatas in the society’s last 2013–14 concert. $20–$40. 205 E Randolph.
harristheaterchicago.org
4/12 at 7 Clear-voiced soprano Deborah Selig sings
sense of the word—Beethoven’s Fifth and Seventh
Symphonies—but the location is. After two years in
the wilderness, canceled concerts, and dire financial straits, the west suburban orchestra celebrates
its renovated space (New Year’s Eve concerts preceded these) and hopefully a return to normalcy.
$32–$42. McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage,
425 Fawell, Glen Ellyn. atthemac.org
COLLABORATIVE ARTS INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
Schubert, Sibelius, Fauré, and the contemporary
Americans Libby Larsen and Tom Cipullo. Dessert
and drinks included in the ticket price. $15–$35.
Fine Arts Building, 410 S Michigan. caichicago.org
CUBE
Through 4/13 The éminence grise among the welter
of new-music groups now working in Chicago,
CUBE recently changed leadership for the first
time in its 25-year history. The founder, Patricia
Morehead, stepped down and appointed Hope
Littwin and Kroydell Galima to steer the group,
which will now build new projects in close, intense collaboration with theatre, dance, literature, and other art forms. Its first show
under the new regime: La Tragédie de Carmen, a 90minute condensation of the Bizet opera for four
singers, a nonsinging actor, and piano accompaniment. Littwin plays Carmen. $10–$35. Den Theatre,
1333 N Milwaukee. cubeensemble.com
DEMPSTER STREET PRO MUSICA
4/20 at 7 Instead of spending his night off from
conducting the CSO watching baseball, Leonard
Slatkin emcees a memoir concert traveling through
great film scores and Sinatra arrangements connected with his parents, a violinist and a cellist. $15–$40. Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago,
Evanston. dempstermusica.org
FREE!
DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
4/26 at 8 Reportedly once called “the pirate of the con-
cert stage,” which must sound awesome in Czech,
Pavel Šporcl brings razzle-dazzle, bandannas, and
probably a blue violin to a recital. DePaul Concert
Hall, 800 W Belden. music.depaul.edu
FREQUENCY
4/6 at 8:30 The young local composers Brian Baxter and
Luke Gullickson. $10. 4/13 at 8:30 Bowling Green State
University in Ohio boasts one of the most vibrant
new-music agglomerations around. Affiliates of BGSU
mount a traveling show here. $10. 4/14 at 8:30 Dal Niente
members Jesse Langen (guitar), Shanna Gutiérrez
(flute), and Amanda DeBoer Bartlett (soprano). $10.
4/23 at 7:30 Local new-music ensemble Fonema Consort
teams up with the French new-music chamber choir
Voix de Stras. $10. 4/25 at 7:30 The New York punky string
group Mivos Quartet plays a program climaxing in the
musique concrète composer Helmut Lachenmann’s
String Quartet No. 3, “Grido.” $10. 4/27 at 8:30 Chicago
Composers Orchestra. $10. Constellation, 3111 N
Western. constellation-chicago.com
HARRIS THEATER
ITZHAK PERLMAN
4/6 at 2 The Civic Opera House has a lot of seats—
more than 3,000. Most musicians can’t even entertain the idea of selling that many tickets for a recital, but the eminent violinist Itzhak Perlman can.
Program unannounced at presstime. $25–$125. Civic
Opera House, 20 N Wacker. lyricopera.org
NEW PHILHARMONIC
4/12 at 8, 4/13 at 3 The program may not be new in any
PIANOFORTE FOUNDATION
FREE!
4/4 at 12 Roger McVey plays piano sonatas by
Mozart and Rachmaninoff and contemporary works
by Marc Mellits and John Psathas. 4/27 at 3 Ani Gogova,
familiar as the piano half of the anagrammatic
cello-piano duo Ian & Ani, explores fantasy and fairy
tales in music by Schumann, Shostakovich, Ligeti,
and others. $5. PianoForte Studios, 1335 S Michigan.
pianofortefoundation.org
FREE!
ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY
4/2, 4 at 7:30 Rossini, the composer of The Barber of
Seville and La Cenerentola, wrote a sort of operatic
variety show called Il Viaggio a Reims, about attendees of a coronation in France—the same coronation
where the opera premiered. Graduate voice majors
from the Chicago College of the Performing Arts
give a free performance. Ganz Hall, Roosevelt U, 430
S Michigan. roosevelt.edu
SYMPHONY CENTER
4/2 at 8 Yefim Bronfman, piano, and Pinchas
Zukerman, violin and viola, play Schubert, Brahms,
and Beethoven in Symphony Center’s last chamber
music program of the season. $35–$111. 4/6 at 3 The
sisters Katia and Marielle Labèque, subjects of the
documentary The Labèque Way, play two-piano
arrangements of West Side Story and Gershwin’s
Three Preludes (originally for one piano), along
with a Philip Glass shard. $28–$92. FREE! 4/7 at 8 YoYo Ma—or more precisely, his cello—plays the title
role in Richard Strauss’s Don Quixote, alongside
the CSO’s training orchestra under the conductor
Carlos Miguel Prieto. Call ahead for this one; tickets
go fast. Symphony Center, 220 S Michigan. cso.org
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESENTS
4/4 at 7:30 The female singing group Anonymous 4
fills the resonant Rockefeller Chapel with a breadand-butter program of 13th-century French motets and plainsong about either the Virgin Mary or
earthly love. $5–$35. Rockefeller Chapel, U of C, 5850
S Woodlawn. 4/13 at 3 The Pacifica Quartet invites
the clarinetist Anthony McGill to join for quintets
by Mozart and Brahms. $5–$25. Logan Center, U of
C, 915 E 60th. 4/16 at 7:30 Spektral Quartet has devel-
oped a subspecialty in Haydn’s Seven Last Words
of Christ, playing it annually during Holy Week in
a continually improved string quartet version. This
year, Spektral presents the Haydn-approved oratorio rendition teaming up with the choral supergroup
Seraphic Fire for a tour. $5–$25. Rockefeller Chapel,
U of C, 5850 S Woodlawn. 4/25 at 7:30 The Polish pianist Rafal Blechacz debuts in Chicago with a Mozart
sonata, Beethoven’s “Pathétique” Sonata, and lots of
Chopin, Blechacz’s specialty. $5–$35. Mandel Hall,
U of C, 1131 E 57th. 4/26 at 7:30 Contempo, the U. of C.’s
new-music chamber group, presents an all-female
double bill, with new music by the U. of C. composer
Marta Ptaszynska and two Eastern Europeans in the
first half and the jazz singer/pianist Patricia Barber
in the second. $5–$25. Logan Center, U of C, 915 E
60th. chicagopresents.uchicago.edu
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CLASSIC ROCK, SOUL, BLUES
DIANA ROSS
4/30 at 8 One of America’s most heralded solo artists
hits town for a rare appearance, which promises a
slew of hit songs, multiple costume changes, and
a live string and horn section. $46–$101. Chicago
Theatre, 175 N State. thechicagotheatre.com
JOHN LEGEND
4/9 at 8 The Penn grad just hasn’t been able to repli-
cate the R&B magic of his debut album, Get Lifted,
but that doesn’t mean the piano man can’t pack ’em
in. He tours in support of his fourth album, Love in
the Future. $46–$101. Cadillac Place Theatre, 151 W
Randolph. ticketmaster.com
KEB’ MO’
4/11 at 7 and 9:30 Consider BLUESAmericana, the slick
Nashville guitarist’s latest album, definitive proof
that Mo’ (short for Kevin Moore) takes the blues
and deconstructs them. If the buoyant Mardi Gras
New Orleans single “The Old Me Better” is any indication, prepare to dance. $42–$102. SPACE, 1245
Chicago, Evanston. evanstonspace.com
MAVIS STAPLES
4/18 at 8 It’s a slightly incongruous venue for the vet-
eran blues and gospel artist—Symphony Center
as part of the CSO’s jazz series?—but with her expansive catalog of old hits and newer fare, you can
bet the performance will be spectacular. $23–$88.
Symphony Center, 220 S Michigan. cso.org
SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS
4/11 at 9 The unstoppable siren blasts off in support of
Give the People What They Want, the fiery singer’s
newest album with her dedicated band of Daptone
Records players. Jones’s 2013 pancreatic cancer diagnosis pushed back the record’s release to January,
after the singer completed surgery and treatment (as
well as a pretty incredible cameo as frontwoman of a
wedding band in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall
Street), so this show is a triumphant return in more
ways than one. $26–$28. The Vic, 3145 N Sheffield.
jamusa.com
FOLK, COUNTRY, WORLD
EMMYLOU HARRIS
PHOTOGRAPH: SCOTT STRAZZANTE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE
4/8 at 8 Before the term “wrecking ball” became syn-
onymous with a swinging, buck-naked Miley Cyrus,
it was the name of a formidable 1995 country album
by powerhouse singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris.
She celebrates the work with this commemorative
tour. $65. The Vic, 3145 N Sheffield. jamusa.com
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK
4/12 at 4 and 8 Though members have come and gone
over the course of this ensemble’s 30-year career,
the all-female, mostly a capella group still manages
to wring the pathos out of standard folk and gospel
tunes. $43–$45. Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544
N Lincoln. oldtownschool.org
TINARIWEN
4/5 at 7:30 and 10 The celebrated sound of the Malian
“desert blues” movement begins with this iconic
world-music act that scooped up a Grammy for its
2011 album Tassili, recorded with a couple of members of TV on the Radio. Tonight the ensemble plays
behind 2014 record Emmaar, a stripped-down affair
recorded in an impromptu house-studio in Joshua
Tree National Forest, with contributions from the
poet Saul Williams, Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist
Josh Klinghoffer, and others. $35–$45. City Winery,
1200 W Randolph. citywinery.com/Chicago
JAZZ
BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO
4/18 at 7 The prolific pianist Brad Mehldau has his
hand in several projects, most recently Mehliana,
a dynamic duo with drummer Mark Guiliana (their
debut album, Taming the Dragon, came out in
February). But he’s a trio man at his core, and with
bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard
accompanying him, this is a performance you don’t
want to miss. $30–$32. Old Town School of Folk
Music, 4544 N Lincoln. oldtownschool.org
CHICK COREA AND BÉLA FLECK
4/5 at 8 In 2007, the veteran jazz pianist (Corea)
teamed up with innovative banjo player (Fleck) to
release The Enchantment, an 11-song album of intricate back-and-forth. They liked each other so
much they decided to go on tour seven years later.
$25–$68. Auditorium Theatre, 50 E Congress Pkwy.
auditoriumtheatre.org
CONSTELLATION
4/3 at 8 Koen Holtkamp. The electronic musician—one-
half of the drone duo Mountains—creates creepycrawly soundscapes. $8. 4/10 at 9:30 Stu Mindeman.
The Chicago pianist celebrates the release of his
first original album, In Your Waking Eyes: Poems by
Langston Hughes. True to the record’s name, it fea-
tures 11 compositions set to 11 of Hughes’s poems.
Accompanying musicians include Marquis Hill
on trumpet, Matt Ulery on bass, and Sarah Marie
Young on vocals. $8. 4/11 at 9:30 Makaya McCraven.
The Chicago drummer by way of Massachusetts
plays with Justin Thomas and Junius Paul and, as
of presstime, an unannounced special guest. 4/12 at
9:30 Julianna Barwick. The Missouri chanteuse has
a light, airy voice uniquely suited for the ambient
strings and electronics over which she sings. 3111 N
Western. constellation-chicago.com
JAZZ SHOWCASE
4/3–6 Nicholas Payton. The trumpeter made waves
in 2011 when he wrote an inflammatory blog post
claiming that “jazz” was a slave word and demanded that people refer to the genre as “Black
American Music.” Almost four years later, he
stands by his words, and it doesn’t seem to have
affected his explosive improvisational playing
one bit. $25–$45. 4/7 at 8 and 10 Eddie Gomez Trio.
Twenty years into his Grammy-winning career,
the Puerto Rican bassist continues to make good
music. $20–$35. 4/8 at 8 and 10 Chris Greene Quartet.
The Chicago saxophonist plays in support of his
new album Music Appreciation. $5–$10. 4/17–20
Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio. Fresh off playing a tribute
to legend Herbie Hancock at the Kennedy Center
Awards, the creative guitarist tours with his new
trio, promising a combination of selections from
his 2012 album Star of Jupiter as well as some
new compositions. $25–$40. 4/24–27 Wallace Roney
Quartet. The Miles Davis mentee performs a
weekend residency. $25–$40. 806 S Plymouth Ct.
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ROCK, POP, HIP-HOP
THE BLACK LIPS
4/26 at 7 The Atlanta rockers recorded parts of their
new album, Underneath the Rainbow, in Nashville
and asked Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney to
produce. It certainly shows. They sound grittier
than usual. $14–$16. Logan Square Auditorium, 2539
N Kedzie. logansquareauditorium.com
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY AND THE BROKEOFFS
4/27 at 7 You might recognize the British singer-
songwriter (yes, her given name really is the same
as Truman Capote’s iconic protagonist) from her
contributions to the soundtrack of Jim Jarmusch’s
film Broken Flowers, but her wide body of garageand Americana-infused work speaks for itself. Here
she plays with longtime band mate Lawyer Dave
at Berwyn’s brand-new venue. $12. Wire, 6815 W
Roosevelt, Berwyn. wireismusic.com
JOHN CALE
Welsh singer, composer, and multiinstrumentalist John Cale is pretty much the embodiment of NYC cool, having cofounded the
Velvet Underground with Lou Reed, studied under neoclassical icons John Cage and La Monte
Young, and produced such important experimental-rock albums as Patti Smith’s Horses. That’s not
to mention numerous solo albums and film scores.
Any chance to catch a glimpse of Cale’s genius
in a live setting should not be missed. $33–$35.
Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N Lincoln.
oldtownschool.org
4/17 at 8
THE KNIFE
4/23 at 8:30 Known for its unpredictable, haunting,
and utterly fascinating live performances, this
experimental electronic act comes to town on
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the heels of its excellent 2013 record Shaking the
Habitual. $35. Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W Lawrence.
jamusa.com
THE NATIONAL
4/15–18 The moody Ohio quintet settles in for a
four-show run in support of Trouble Will Find
Me. $38.50. Chicago Theatre, 175 N State. the
chicagotheatre.com
Alabama-born musician Katie Crutchfield, draws
from the best low-fi sonic touchstones of the ’90s
underground. $12. Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western.
emptybottle.com
ART & DESIGN
BY JASON FOUMBERG
PERFECT PUSSY
GALLERIES
able, and with a pintsize frontwoman, then you’ll
love this Brooklyn band generating a lot of heat
in the indie rock scene. $8. Township, 2200 N
California. songkick.com
Through 4/26 Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison: Gautier’s
Dream. The artist duo collaborate on their latest
photo series, inspired by the 19th-century French
poet and playwright Théophile Gautier. It’s as
charming as a sepia-toned novella. 300 W Superior.
edelmangallery.com
4/1 at 5 If you like your punk rock loud, indecipher-
SCHOOLBOY Q
4/22 at 8 Less lyrically dexterous than his label mate
Kendrick Lamar, but just as ambitious, Schoolboy Q
(Quincy Hanley) makes his own quest for rap stardom with Oxymoron, his first major label release.
Touring with him in support of their own projects:
fellow Top Dawg wordsmith Isaiah Rashad, whose
debut EP, Cilvia Demo, has drawn rave reviews, and
California up-and-comer Vince Staples. $25. Metro,
3730 N Clark. metrochicago.com
ST. VINCENT
4/5 at 8 The last time the former Polyphonic Spree
intoner was here it was in support of her 2012 collab with David Byrne, Love This Giant, which wasn’t
so much a melding of minds as a tradeoff of talents.
Here the charmingly off-kilter singer-songwriter
returns with a full band behind a new self-titled solo
record, a quirky and slickly produced affair steering her further into the pop-music trenches. $29.
Riviera Theatre, 4746 N Racine. jamusa.com
WAXAHATCHEE
4/26 at 8:30 This delightful indie-folk chanteuse, a.k.a.
CATHERINE EDELMAN GALLERY
CENTER FOR BOOK AND PAPER ARTS
Through 4/15 Social Paper considers how artists have
used handmade paper as a political tool. 1104 S
Wabash. colum.edu/academics/interarts/book-andpaper
CHICAGO ARTISTS COALITION
4/4–24 Reut Avisar. The Israeli-born artist confronts
stereotypes of Middle Eastern culture, especially
artifacts and souvenirs of the tourist trade. See, for
instance, her spring-loaded flying carpet, which is
either a satisfying magical journey or a dizzying
loop to nowhere. Avisar allows viewers to come to
terms with their own opinion of so-called exotic
cultures. 217 N Carpenter. chicagoartistscoalition.org
DOCUMENT
4/25–5/31 Thomas Roach. The emerging photogra-
pher presents moving images from his television
screen as droopy, warped pictures. The fact that
Roach will scan whatever’s on—from sitcoms to
local news—hints at his postmodern intention to
PHOTOGRAPH: JAN BITTER/COURTESY OF ARTIST AND GALERIE BUCHHOLZ, COLOGNE, BERLIN
jazzshowcase.com
make art reflect the banality of modern entertainment. His intriguing images, however, beg viewers
to pause and look deeply. Through 4/19 Selina Trepp.
Trepp inserts herself among her paintings and
sculptures—using her own body to accompany a
painted head, for example. It’s playful but smart.
845 W Washington. documentspace.org
FIRECAT PROJECTS
4/25–5/17 Vaughn Wascovich: Bridging Cleveland. The
Ohio-born photographer captures Cleveland’s
majestic 19th-century bridges using large-format
pinhole cameras—an intentionally old-fashioned
method. The resulting gritty images are a perfect
marriage of form and subject matter. Consider the
show a kind of homecoming for Wascovich, who
lived here nearly a dozen years ago before defecting
to eastern Texas. 2124 N Damen. firecatprojects.org
GAGE GALLERY
Through 5/10 Matt Eich: Carry Me Ohio. A zebra stand-
ing in the snow, a fire burning in a trash can—these
are just a few of the striking images that photographer Matt Eich took during a three-year project
documenting southeastern Ohio and its communities. Once the region was supported by mining industry jobs, but now over a quarter of its residents
live below the poverty line. Eich’s photos attest to
human suffering but also survival. Roosevelt U, 18 S
Michigan. roosevelt.edu/gagegallery
HYDE PARK ART CENTER
Through 5/18 Samantha Hill: Topographical Depictions
of the Bronzeville Renaissance. Black culture flourished in this South Side neighborhood from the
1920s through the 1950s, giving rise to important
new forms of music, art, literature, and activism.
Artist-in-residence Samantha Hill maps this cultural renaissance on the Art Center’s walls, using
oral histories, photos, artifacts, and an interactive
component that invites viewers to participate in the
story. 5020 S Cornell. hydeparkart.org
LINDA WARREN PROJECTS
Through 4/5 Chris Cosnowski and Chris Uphues. Two
painters who know how to please a crowd show
new works in their signature styles: shiny hyperrealism (Cosnowski) and happy-go-lucky designs
(Uphues). 327 N Aberdeen. lindawarrenprojects.com
THE MISSION
Through 4/19 Jeroen Nelemans: Backlit. In his third
solo show, the Chicago artist continues his deconstruction of the JPEG, presenting artworks made
with, on, and of LCD monitors. 1431 W Chicago. the
missionprojects.com
PERIMETER GALLERY
Through 4/12 Margaret Ponce Israel. When the NYC
sculptor was killed in a bicycle accident in 1987, she
left behind a trove of imaginative ceramic sculptures and mixed-media paintings. This River North
gallery picked up the artist’s estate and continues
to present Israel’s quirky objects, such as painted
papier-mâché chairs made for chickens. Russian ceramicist Sergei Isupov also exhibits new work. 210
W Superior. perimetergallery.com.
PROSPECTUS ART GALLERY
Through 5/4 Carlos Barberena. Printmaking takes deep
skill, and this self-taught Nicaraguan artist has it.
In the highly detailed style of master printmakers
Dürer and Posada, Barberena tells a political story
with horror and humor. His linocuts poke fun at
the demise of Western capitalism. 1210 W 18th.
prospectusartgallery.wordpress.com
RANGEFINDER GALLERY
4/4–26 John Fraser: Evidence. The second-generation
minimalist has long pursued the intricacies of white
monochrome painting and sculpture, but his photography is equally transcendent. Fraser presents
found abstractions from around the city. 300 W
Superior. rangefindergallery.com
RHONA HOFFMAN GALLERY
Through 4/5 Deana Lawson and Derrick Adams. What
makes an African American body “black”? Two
young New York contemporary artists explore this
question. Lawson strips her made-up models and
poses them in intimate domestic settings to confront the topic of beauty. Adams creates generalized
portraits using collage techniques to suggest the
socially constructed nature of identity. 118 N Peoria.
rhoffmangallery.com
Production Line of Happiness. Revitalizing the tradition of pop art, Williams parodies consumer culture by photographing realistic fakes of advertising, fashion, and photojournalistic imagery. 111 S
Michigan. artic.edu
Through 4/26 Noelle Allen: Osmia. With colorful casting
Through 5/17 Émilie
RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER
materials such as wax and resin, Allen uses interesting forms from her garden and her art studio to
create skin-like membranes. She then sculpts them
into unique shapes that evoke new growth waking
beneath melting, dirty snow. 32 E Quincy, Riverside.
riversideartscenter.com
RUSSELL BOWMAN ART ADVISORY
4/4–5/31 Pearlstein at 90. The NYC painter turns 90
ARTS CLUB OF CHICAGO
Charmy. This modern artist had a successful career during her lifetime but never became a household name in
the United States. This retrospective brings to
light Charmy’s portraits, nudes, and still lifes in
Paris painted alongside some of her generation’s
best, including Matisse. 201 E Ontario. artsclub
chicago.org
CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER
TERRAIN
Through 4/27 Jan Tichy: Aroundcenter. Tech artist
Tichy distributes nine multimedia artworks, including videos and projections, throughout the
landmark architecture of the Cultural Center as
a way to comment on its history and current uses.
Through 5/4 Thirty-Five Years of Public Art. This display celebrates the gains of the Percent-for-Art
Ordinance, which funds new public art for every
new public building. Through 5/11 Mecca Flat Blues. A
microcosm of Chicago’s class struggles, the storied
preservation battle around a massive apartment
building (called Mecca Apartments) gets an exhibition. 78 E Washington. cityofchicago.org/city/en
/depts/dca.html
human intimacy, philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer
famously described how porcupines prick each
other while huddling for warmth in the winter.
Local art collector (and practicing neuropsychiatrist) Scott Hunter curates this group exhibit with
that idea in mind. On April 27, artist Judith Brotman
performs The Reading Project, a series of intimate
live readings. 704 Highland, Oak Park. terrain
exhibitions.tumblr.com
4/10–6/15 From Heart to Hand: African American
Quilts from the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.
Geometric abstraction isn’t just for European modernists, as seen in this exhibit of African American
quilts sent from the Museum of Fine Arts in
Montgomery, Alabama. Though primarily functional art, the textiles reveal complex formal constructions and civil rights themes. 935 W Fullerton.
museums.depaul.edu
3/31–5/31 Scott Wolniak. The artist paints plaster tab-
4/13–8/3 John Preus: The Beast. A former fabricator for
Theaster Gates, Preus skins the leather from found
upholstered furniture and uses it to create a structure in the shape of a giant beast. 5020 S Cornell.
hydeparkart.org
this year, and there’s no stopping him. Known for
his highly skilled portraits of nudes with glossy flesh
and hidden faces in domestic settings, Pearlstein
could be the American Lucian Freud. 311 W Superior.
bowmanart.com
SCHNEIDER GALLERY
Through 4/26 Christian Weber and Gayle Stevens. In
conjunction with a new book release about explosions, the NYC photographer displays large-scale
shots of just that: explosions, their fiery, phantasmic
bodies evanescent in the black night air. Also showing: Gayle Stevens’s tintype photographs. 230 W
Superior. schneidergallerychicago.com
4/6–4/30 Sticky & Sweet. To illustrate the problem of
VALERIE CARBERRY GALLERY
lets and then scratches designs onto their surfaces.
Pairing them with subtly detailed graphite drawings of pebbles and wildflowers, Wolniak invents
new ways to manifest beauty. 875 N Michigan.
valeriecarberry.com
WESTERN EXHIBITIONS
4/25–5/31 Ryan Travis Christian. For the past several
months, those lucky enough to discover the Western
Exhibition building’s alley (between Peoria and
Green Streets) have seen the ongoing collaborative
mural by Ryan Travis Christian and friends (including new additions by Cody Hudson and Jose Lerma).
For his second solo exhibition inside the gallery,
Christian continues to dazzle with his zigzagging
brand of stark black-and-white photos. Through 4/19
Paul Nudd. The illustrator examines the line between
the exquisite and the creepy with his larger-than-life
drawings of bodies composed entirely of microbial
relatives. 845 W Washington. westernexhibitions.com
WOMAN MADE GALLERY
Through 4/17 Stacee Kalmanovsky. This rising sculp-
tor won first place in a juried exhibition and was
awarded this solo show. Her work, which often
includes plastic bags, rags, and other found objects, may appear disposable, but she has a gift for
seducing metaphysical import from overlooked
materials. The show accompanies her new book of
poetry, The Secret Intelligence of Dumb Objects. 685
N Milwaukee. womanmade.org
MUSEUMS & INSTITUTIONS
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
Through 4/20 Amar Kanwar, from New Delhi, shows
his 2007 film The Lightning Testimonies, which
gives personal accounts of rape in India. Through
5/11 Christopher Wool. The Chicago-born painter—
whose stencil paintings of such slogans as “Sell the
House Sell the Car Sell the Kids” made him famous
in the ’80s NYC art scene—gets an overdue career
retrospective. Through 5/18 Christopher Williams: The
DEPAUL ART MUSEUM
HYDE PARK ART CENTER
ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM
4/14–8/15 Focus 4. The series presents four solo exhibi-
tions in the museum’s Thompson Center galleries.
This round includes four painters: Barbara Aubin,
Guy Benson, Julia Haw, and Thom Whalen. They
are longtime artists with major bodies of work, but
the standout may be Haw, whose powerful portraits
express everything from womanhood to mortality.
100 W Randolph. museum.state.il.us.
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF ART
Through 6/15 Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward
Gorey. A nationally touring exhibition of artwork by
everyone’s favorite gothic grandpa makes a stop in
Chicago (where he was born and raised). Artifacts
from Gorey’s notoriously hermitic life are included
alongside drawings and printed ephemera from
his long career illustrating children’s books. 820 N
Michigan. luc.edu/luma
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
4/12–8/3 Isa Genzken: Retrospective. Influential
German sculptor Isa Genzken gets her due with a
career-spanning survey. For more than 30 years she
has deconstructed American consumerism with
colorful, kitschy pieces. Through 5/18 William J. O’Brien.
Organized like a poem, the multimedia artist’s first
survey exhibition demonstrates his prodigious output in both drawing and ceramics. Open Tue 10–8,
Wed–Sun 10–6. Free (kids under 13) to $12; free Tue
for Ill residents. 220 E Chicago. mcachicago.org
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY
FREE!
Through 4/6 Archive State. Six artists display
their collections of images, each with an unusual
or thoughtful theme, such as Arab video selfies, the
East German secret service, and American soldiers
in Iraq. 600 S Michigan. mocp.org
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM
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Looting, Hoarding, Collecting . . . You are what you
own. This truism works for hoarders as well as museums. Two concurrent exhibits explore the particularities of collecting objects and the fraught histories behind acquiring those treasures. 116 Altgeld
Hall, Northern Ill U, DeKalb. niu.edu/artmuseum.
RENAISSANCE SOCIETY
Through 4/13 Teen Paranormal Romance. This new
group exhibit depicts teen culture in the contemporary world: emoting through devices, bending gender and race, and having fun while being
progressive intellectuals. A lost generation this is
not. 4/27–6/29 Christina Mackie. Don’t call Mackie’s
sculptures abstract. The London artist wants viewers to invent personal narratives based on her unusual collections of pieces, which have included
everything from hippos to housewares. Given the
Renaissance Society’s mandate to show highly
experimental artwork, Mackie’s newest installation will likely be wonder inducing. 5811 S Ellis.
renaissancesociety.org
SMART MUSEUM OF ART
Through 6/15 Imaging/Imagining: The Body as Art.
Can a medical doctor dissect a nude portrait?
This exhibition, organized by three doctors at the
University of Chicago, proposes that art can be
diagnostically revealing. 5550 S Greenwood. smart
museum.uchicago.edu
MUSEUMS
BY TOMI OBARO
ART & DESIGN
Through 4/6 Beyond the Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish
CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
Opens 4/5 Railroaders. In 1942, the U.S. Office of
War Information commissioned Ukrainian photographer Jack Delano to capture the work of
railroad men. See more than 60 of his nowiconic black-and-white photos. Through 5/11 Ebony
APRIL
2014
ets required, $7–$9, not including general admission.
Open daily 9:30–4. $27–$36 ( free for kids under 3).
5700 S Lake Shore. msichicago.org c
BEST OF THE REST
BY TOMI OBARO
COMEDY
MIKE EPPS
4/19 at 8 Always the highlight in otherwise lackluster
Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges. This exhibit
explores the surprising relationship between two
oft-marginalized groups. Tue–Sat 10–5, Sun 12–5.
Free–$10. 740 E 56th Pl. dusablemuseum.org
black rom-coms, the jovial standup shares his brand
of “grown and sexy” comedy. $49.75–$65.75. Arie
Crown Theater, 2301 Lake Shore. ticketmaster.com
Through 9/7 Opening the Vaults: Wonders of the 1893
4/1–6 The Chicago native and improvisor comes
FIELD MUSEUM
World’s Fair. Rare artifacts from the famous fair.
Through 9/30 Before the Dinosaurs: Tracking the
Reptiles of Pangaea. Learn how to read fossils for
clues about the animals that roamed the earth long
before humans came along. Through 1/4/15 The Machine
Inside: Biomechanics. Get the inside scoop on the
bodily functions of both humans and animals at
this kid-friendly exhibit. Open daily 9–5. General
admission free (kids 3–11) to $20; all-access passes
$21–$30. 1400 S Lake Shore. fieldmuseum.org c
SCIENCE, NATURE, KIDS
ADLER PLANETARIUM
Through 4/1 Cosmic Wonder. The latest show in the
spacious Grainger Sky Theater lets visitors gawk at
jaw-dropping shots of the Crab Nebula and Orion.
Mon–Fri 9:30–4, Sat–Sun 9:30–4:30. General admission $8–$12. Packages $18–$28. 1300 S Lake Shore.
adlerplanetarium.org c
Through 5/4 Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives. Look
HISTORY & CULTURE
C H I C AG O M AG .CO M
DUSABLE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN
AMERICAN HISTORY
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
See “Art & Design: Museums.”
126
Fashion Fair. View dazzling designer garments
from the archives of the famed traveling fashion show on custom-made mannequins. Mon–
Sat 9:30–4:30, Sun 12–5. $12–$14. 1601 N Clark.
chicagohs.org
through more than 300 drawings, scripts, and costumes from the icon’s films. Timed-entry tickets required, $7–$9, not including general admission. Through
9/1 Earth Explorers. Kids will love the opportunity to
learn about different ecosystems in this hands-on
exhibit, where they can experience living in a tundra, the rainforest, and the ocean. Timed-entry tick-
JEFF GARLIN
home for a slate of dates in the city. $25. Zanies, 1548
N Wells. chicago.zanies.com
DAVID KOECHNER
4/11 at 7:30 Most famous for playing boisterous, ego-
centric characters on NBC’s The Office and in the
Anchorman movies, Koechner has a second life as a
touring standup comic. His set—features an array of
disparate characters he’s honed over the years. $25.
Park West, 322 W Armitage. jamusa.com
FILM
CHICAGO LATINO FILM FESTIVAL
4/3–17 The 30th annual celebration of Latin American
cinema includes a screening of Oscar-nominated
movies and showings of acclaimed works such as
Azul y no tan rosa (2012). Various prices and locations. chicagolatinofilmfestival.org
MISCELLANEOUS
CHICAGO COMIC AND ENTERTAINMENT EXPO
4/25–27 Break out those Walter White masks! Also
known as C2E2, the city’s massive ode to comic
books features appearances from players in cult
TV shows such as Breaking Bad (RJ Mitte) and The
Walking Dead (Chandler Riggs). $5–$70. McCormick
Place, 2301 S Lake Shore. c2e2.com
PHOTOGRAPH: CHRIS SALATA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Through 5/23 Hoarding, Amassing, and Excess and