Ravinia Festival plus CSO and Grant Park Festival welcome summer

 

Main gate at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park. (J Jacobs photo)
Main gate at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park. (J Jacobs photo)

Music will again be heard in the Pritzker Pavilion, across the road at Orchestra Hall and north of the city at Ravinia in Highland Park. The openings this summer come as Chicago and Illinois allow more public gatherings because of the reduction in COVID cases and increase in vaccinations.

What will be different is ticketing and number of people allowed so check their websites.

Ravinia Festival

Opening night is 8 p.m., July 9, 2021.with conductor Marin Alsop, pianist Jorge Frederico Osorio and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the Pavilion. The program is composer Joan Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 and Beethoven’s Symphony No 7. .Tickets are $35-$145 Pavilion and $15 on the Lawn.

What you need to know

The season contains 64 concerts from June through September with the earliest programs free streaming live with no park admittance and a free July 3 “thank-you” concert to invitees. Then the schedule continues with a diverse program.

Tickets are divided into two parts with the first half from July to Aug. 15 going on sale to the public beginning June 15 at Ravinia.org. Donors can buy tickets beginning May 13 depending on level of contribution. The second half concerts are on sale July 21. Check Ravinia Festival Calendar and Tickets for more information.  For Donor ticket times visit Ravinia/DonationLevels. Scroll down to donor timelines.

Ravinia Festival is just north of Lake cook Road  betgween Green Bay Road and sheridan Road in Highland Park. Attendees are encourage to take the Metra which stops at the Ravinia’s main gate.

Jazz Grandstand Friday, June 11, 6:00 p.m. - Livestream from Bennett Gordon Hall Ravinia Steans Music Institute RSMI Program for Jazz Free livestream on YouTube.com/RaviniaFestival - No in-park admission. (Photo courtesy of Ravinia Festival)
Jazz Grandstand Friday, June 11, 6:00 p.m. – Livestream from Bennett Gordon Hall
Ravinia Steans Music Institute RSMI Program for Jazz
Free livestream on YouTube.com/RaviniaFestival – No in-park admission. (Photo courtesy of Ravinia Festival)

 

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is welcoming audiences back to Orchestra Hall with the opening concert on May 27, 2021 with a special tribute to healthcare workers from Rush University System for Health.

According to a CSOA statement, three distinct programs created with artistic guidance by Music Director Riccardo Muti, will be presented May 27 through June 13. Featuring music for brass and percussion, string ensembles and orchestra, they will be led  respectively by conductors Michael Mulcahy, Erina Yashima and Edo de Waart on consecutive weekends. Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 1:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

What you need to know

Ticket availability is limited due to current restrictions on audience capacities for performance venues. Tickets for the CSO’s May and June concerts go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. CDT on May 11, 2021, and will be available at cso.org or by calling 312-294-3000. For protocol and more ticketing information visit CSO.org/SafeandSound.

The concerts are in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.

 

Grant Park Festival will be at the P:ritzker Pavilion. (J Jacobs photo)
Grant Park Festival will be at the P:ritzker Pavilion. (J Jacobs photo)

Grant Park Music Festival

The music festival opens Fourth of July weekend in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion with Independence Day Salute programs beginning July 2 at 6:30 p.m.  The opening concert features the Grant Park Orchestra and conductors Carlos Kalmar and Christopher Bell.

The program includes

John WilliamsSummon the Heroes Scott JoplinOverture to Treemonisha
Arr. Robert Lowden: Armed Forces Salute Florence Price:Dances in the Canebrakes Leonard Bernstein: Selections from West Side Story, George WalkerLyric for Strings, Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky1812 Overture 
John Philip SousaStars and Stripes Forever. For whole program and season visit 2021 Season :: Grant Park Music Festival.  For more information visit Grant Park Festival.

What you need to know

Seats are free but due to crowd restrictions, reservations are required for the  Seating Bowl and on the Great Lawn.  Reservations may be made online or by phone. Passes will be touch-free and issued with a barcode to be printed at home or displayed on smartphone. Health & Safety protocols—masks are mandatory—in order to gain entry to the Pavilion.

For the Independence Day Salute  only, reservations will become available on Wednesday, June 30. For other concerts reservations will become available at 10 a.m. on the Monday before the concert. Reserve online using the link provided with each concert listing. Also visit Grant Park Music Festival | Classical Concerts in Millennium Park

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion is in Millennium Park south of Randolph Street and east of Michigan Avenue.

Jodie Jacobs

 

Chicago Auto Show back in town

Chicago Auto Show 2020 (Photo courtesy of Chicago Auto Show)
Chicago Auto Show 2020
(Photo courtesy of Chicago Auto Show)

The Chicago Auto Show, North America’s largest and longest running auto show, begun in 1901,  returns to McCormick Place this summer as a Special Edition, July 15-19, 2021.

Announced earlier today by Governor JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and other officials, the auto show’s announcement comes on the heels of Navy Pier’s recent re-opening the end of April and Ravinia Festival’s announcement that concerts return in early July.

Show goers can expect to see production vehicles such as the Alfa Romeo 4 C,  concept vehicles such as Toyota’s GR Hyperspeed Edition and debut  vehicles such as the 2020 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera.

However, as a special edition that is observing COVID protocols, don’t look for them in the usual places. The show will be held in Mccormick Place’s West Building and it’s outdoor surroundings.

The move not only takes in pandemic concerns but also allows for outdoor test drives and more test tracks and technology demonstrations.

“With strong public health protocols in place, the Chicago Auto Show will be the first large convention to take place in Illinois since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, setting the stage for the safe return of big events in the months to come,” said Gov. Pritzker.

After reminding everyone that the venue was an alternate care facility for COVID-19 cases about this time last year, Mayor Lightfoot said that the change in the pandemic numbers in Illinois made the auto show announcement even “more special.”

She added, “In the same spirit of collaboration between government, healthcare, community, and corporate partners, we are now able to bring conventions back to our beloved convention center in a way that is safe and reflective of our progress in slowing and stopping the spread of this virus. I look forward to seeing the McCormick Place reopen its doors for the Chicago Auto Show this July and further enhance our city’s ongoing Open Chicago initiative.”

Chicago Auto Show 2020. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Auto Show)
Chicago Auto Show 2020. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Auto Show)

The Auto Show website details the following mitigation and safety measures:

  • a move to Hall F in West Building with 470,000 sq ft of indoor space and 100,000 sq ft of outdoor space;
  • • timed entrance windows and staggered entry to prevent congestion on the show floor and at arrival;
  • requirement to wear face masks at all times sanitization stations throughout the event;
  • contactless delivery for tickets;
  • temperatures will be scanned,
  • a medical questionnaire must be filled out before entry is allowed into the event.

The Chicago Auto Show general information line is (630) 495-2282. More show information visit Chicago Auto Show. exposition on the continent. This year marks the 113th edition of the Chicago Auto Show.

 

If you go

Date and hours:  July 15-18, 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. and July 19, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Location: McCormick Place, West Building, 2301 S. King Drive, Chicago.

Ticket Prices: $13 adults, $10 seniors 62+, $10 children 0-12. Buy Tickets | Chicago Auto Show

 

Jodie Jacobs

More Mom Day ideas

Orchids make a lovely Mother's Day gift. (J Jacobs photo)
Orchids make a lovely Mother’s Day gift. (J Jacobs photo)

Second in a fun Mother’s Day ideas series. See Travel Smart for the first article in the series and Dining Out-Eating In for the third one.

Mother’s Day isn’t until May 9 in 2021 but reservations fill fast, so figure out something special, now. The ideas listed here: Stay, Play, Eat, Treat, Spa and Ooh La La are merely a guide.

Stay

Book a package deal at the 5 star Peninsula Chicago, among the city’s top luxury hotel. It has an exceptional spa, large lap pool with great views and a great roof-top lounge.

Or get a room with a view at Sable, a new Hilton hotel. You will be staying on Navy Pier, Chicago’s No. 1 attraction that re-opens April 30, 2021. Plus the hotel has Offshore, the world’s largest roof-top bar.

 

Lincoln P:ark Conservatory's Spring Flower Show opens on Mother's Day. (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Conservatory)_
Lincoln P:ark Conservatory’s Spring Flower Show opens on Mother’s Day. (Photo courtesy of Lincoln Park Conservatory)_

Play

Stroll Lincoln Park  with stops at the Zoo to talk to the animals and the Conservatory for its Spring Garden show, opening May 9. Reservations are needed because of COCID protocols.

Or snag tickets for an architectural tour on the Chicago River. Two popular tours are the Wendella and the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s River Cruise’s First Lady.

 

Eat

Do brunch at longtime favorite, the Signature Room at the 95th. The restaurant is atop of what was formerly called the John Hancock Center, a skyscraper now known as 875 N. Michigan Ave.

Or reserve a table (may be on a heated patio) at Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago or Schaumburg.

 

It's hard to leave Gerhard's, a European bakery in Lake Forest with just one treat. (J Jacobs photo)
It’s hard to leave Gerhard’s, a European bakery in Lake Forest with just one treat.
(J Jacobs photo)

Treat

Pick up a sweet from That Little French Guy, a Parisian café in Highland Park.

Or look one North Shore suburb north for Gerhard’s, a European style bakery in Lake Forest.

 

Spa

Get Mom a gift certificate for a spa experience. There is likely a spa in her neighborhood but if going downtown Chicago and the oriental-flavored Peninsula is booked consider the spa at the Langham  an upscale Chicago hotel with a British accent.

 

Long Grove Confectionary (J Jacobs photo)
Long Grove Confectionary (J Jacobs photo)

Ooh la la

Flowers and candy have traditionally said “We love you.” The Chicago area has several good florists. Check out Blossoms or AshlandAddison, two popular and highly rated choices.

For candy, a top stop is Windy City Sweets in the Lakeview neighborhood. The only problem is that everything looks so good you’ll end up with stuff to also take home.

Or go to Long Grove Confectionary  in suburban Long Grove. A longtime destination, the store also has  factory outlets in Buffalo Grove, Wauconda  and Chicago.  Go back for a factory tour, good sale items and for holiday goodies.

Jodie Jacobs

 

Three arts programs end April on a very high note

Twilight Gods performed at a Millennium Garage in Chicago by the Lyric Opera. (Photo courtesy of the Lyric)
Twilight Gods performed at a Millennium Garage in Chicago by the Lyric Opera. (Photo courtesy of the Lyric)

During 2020, the main year of our COVID pandemic, much of theater programing has gone on-line and emanated from homes rather than theater stages. It also has moved to unusual formats such as car seating in drive-ins for concerts, and now, to a parking garage. Really.

On April 29-30 and May 2, audiences of the the Lyric Opera of Chicago partnership with the Michigan Opera Theater will be driving inside a Millennium Garage to view Twilight: Gods, a part of Wagner’s Ring cycle.

The scenes are viewed in specific spots and accompanied by music and voices heard by turning the car’s FM radio to designated station spots.

As the Lyric’s general Manager Anthony Freud explained in the program book, “Last year, the pandemic prevented Lyric from presenting the premiere of our new production of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung and the three full Ring cycles that were to follow. It was wrenching for Lyric to have to abandon the Ring altogether, so we considered every possible way to perform any portion of it during this period of COVID. This led us to bring into the Lyric family the innovative director Yuval Sharon and the rest of the astonishingly gifted team that has created Twilight: Gods.”

The production is a collaboration between Lyric and the Michigan Opera Theatre where Sharon, a winner of the MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant,” is artistic director.

“Sharon has radically reimagined Götterdämmerung/The Twilight of the Gods—the climactic fourth opera of the Ring—as a 70-minute series of installations that distill some of the core themes of Wagner’s massive work and concentrate on the central characters, as well as the decaying, corrupt society that they inhabit,” said Freud.

He added, “Experiencing this remarkable event within the sprawling underground world of the Millennium Garages-Millennium Lakeside Parking Garage, with the music coming to you via your car radio, offers a unique and brand-new dimension to our art form.”

Unfortunately, all the time slots are taken. However, there is a film version that will become available. Commissioned by the Lyric and created by Raphael Nash, the film will present the production so that viewers will see it as if they are driving through the garage. The film is slated to be released this summer.

To understand what the drivers will experience visit the orientation video Twilight: Gods program book | Lyric Opera of Chicago You learn that the performances take place at designated car stops, that your car window stays closed but you hear the music and voices on your FM radio and that you put the car into accessory mode so you can turn off the engine.

By radio, you will hear noted Brunnhilde interpreter soprano Christine Goerke, mezzo-soprano Catherine Martin as Waltraute, tenor Sean Panikkar as Siegfried, bass Morris Robinson as Hagen and baritone Donnie Ray Albert as Alberich. The production also includes the Rhinemaidens: Ryan Opera Center Ensemble members soprano Maria Novella Malfatti, mezzo-soprano Katherine Beck and mezzo-soprano Kathleen Felty.

On a final note: there will be no honking as applause but drivers can bring signs to hold that say “bravo.”

 

Lyric Opera of Chicago (Lyric photo)
Lyric Opera of Chicago (Lyric photo)

Another place to hear and see opera this weekend is the the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s  “Rising Stars in Concert, April 29 at 7 p.m. CDT. The program is the annual Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center showcase that features its 2020/21 ensemble. It will be on You tube and Facebook. To learn more and tune in visit Rising Stars in Concert.

Joffrey Ballet Under Trees' Voices. (Photo courtesy of Joffrey Ballet)
Joffrey Ballet Under Trees’ Voices. (Photo courtesy of Joffrey Ballet)

For dance, visit Joffrey Ballet which is streaming  “Under the Trees’ Voices, that debuts April 20 at 7 p.m. CDT. Choreographed by Nicolas Blanc to Symphony No. 2 by Ezio Bosso, the message is about the power of community durng social distancing. To register and learn more visit  Under the Trees’ Voices | The Joffrey Ballet

 

Oscar night

Oscar poster art (courtesy of Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences)
Oscar poster art (courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

Well, we’ve had Golden Globes (Hollywood Foreign Press Association), Critics Choice  (see Yahoo’s Critics’ Choice Awards)Screen Actors Guild (SAGA) and BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts.)  awards.

Which brings us to next Sunday, when a couple of months later than their usual time slot, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscars will air.

Considering most of us have been watching more TV this past year than usual, we arguably have been more interested in television’s show and acting awards than what we’d normally see in the theaters if we could or wanted to go.

However, Oscar night has been a time to see how Hollywood dresses up, hear political statements and sometimes honor the people and films we want to see that we missed.

So maybe as theaters reopen and production companies opt to put their 2020 films on Peacock, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, apple tv or Amazon Prime Video,  we may get to see why a film or person was chosen, this year.

However the following timetable and highlights are what the Academy says Oscar Night, April 25, 2021 will be like this year.

It all starts at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT with the five nominated original songs  performed by Celeste, H.E.R., Leslie Odom, Jr., Laura Paushini, Daniel Pemberton, Molly Sanden and Diane Warren as the lead-in called “Oscars: Into the Spotlight.”

Then, Ariana DeBose (“Hamilton”) and Lil Rel Howery (“Bad Trip”), will continue will with insiders’ peaks of the night that include an appearance by DJ Tara at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

The Oscars’ main event will be televised live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

It will be followed by “Oscars: After Dark” hosted by Colman Domingo (“Zolz”) and Andrew Rannells (“The Prom”) with interviews by film critic Elvis Mitchell and a recap of the evening.

Both specials are executive-produced by Michael Antinoro and David Chamberlin, alongside producers Collins, Sher and Soderbergh.

To allow for social distancing and following COVID protocols, the 93rd Oscars will be held at Union Station in Los Angeles, the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood and international locations via satellite.

Jodie Jacobs

 

Ideas to celebrate Earth Day

Lake Forest beach (J Jacobs photo)
Lake Forest beach (J Jacobs photo)

A half century ago, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson pushed for a national day that would jump start legislation and events stopping industrial pollution and remind earth’s residents of the importance of their planet’s health.

First held and celebrated in the United States with marches and programs in April 1970, Earth Day was then established as April 22 by an executive order given in July that year.

It was followed by the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency to regulate and enforce national pollution legislation and led to the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act.

Earth Day is now celebrated by towns and institutions around the world. Here are some ways to celebrate and/or participate.

 

Check your community for cleanup and other activities.

Join the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff League of Women Voters and Lake Forest Open Lands Association to clean up the lakefront April 17 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.. Capacity if 50 people. For tickets needed to meet state protocols and more information visit Earth Day Beach Clean-up.  Face mask required. Parking is at lower south beach near boat launch.

The Andersonville neighborhood invites everyone to visit the shops for special promotions during Andersonville in Bloom, April 22-25.

 

The EarthDay Organization

Earthday.org has three days of activities beginning April 20 and culminating in workshops and speakers on April 22. Among the topics covered are emerging green technologies, climate restoration technologies and reforestation efforts.

 

 Art Institute of Chicago

Celebrate Earth Day with the museum’s virtual programs, live performances, conversations and art activities. Registration is needed for conversations beginning April 21, art activities beginning April 23, and performances beginning April 30. For registration and more information visit AICEarthDay Highlights.

 

Chicago Botanic Garden (J Jacobs photo)
Chicago Botanic Garden (J Jacobs photo)

 

Chicago Botanic Garden

See Earth Day/Chicago botanic Garden for loads of ideas from “Be a citizen scientist” and “Eco-friendly gardening” to “Understanding bio-diversity” and “Conservation and restoration.”

 

At the Shedd

Visit Earth Day Shedd Aquarium to find activities and suggestions you can do at home to help planet Earth. The Shedd site talks about reducing food waste and greenhouse gases, saving energy by switching to LED bulbs and being a climate-friendly gardener.  It also talks about Shedd and partners’ science projects, such as  Shedd’s Great Lakes Fish Finder app, Project Budburst and Zooniverse Penguin Watch. In addition, it urges people to join Shedd in supporting the Global 30 x 30 movement and signing the Campaign for Nature petition.

Jodie Jacobs

New works by artist Mark McMahon reveal a different sty;e

Artist Mark McMahon and Thistles" that is part of his new flora series. (J Jacobs photo)
Artist Mark McMahon and Thistles” that is part of his new flora series. (J Jacobs photo)

It has taken COVID’s 2020 stay-close-to home mandate to bring out a different style side of artist Mark McMahon that his many fans likely won’t recognize.

Art lovers can see the ceramic tile mural of Chicago life done by McMahon, an internationally known Lake Forest artist, if they go to Van Buren and Federal Streets downtown. Folks who remember the ceramic pictures of local life that covered the walls of a Lake Forest McDonalds can find the extensive mural over at the town’s Gorton Community Center where they were moved when the McD property was developed into a shopping strip.

Abbotts’ employees know of his stylized interpretation of the international company’s various campuses as pictured first by his dad, the famed “artist- reporter, Franklin McMahon, last century, and twice now in this century by Mark McMahon. The commissioned pictures are in Abbott’s museum.

The Abbott works are part of McMahon’s “World Studio” category that also includes paintings done in Africa , London, France, Canada, Spain and Cuba.

They and other watercolors, many of which he has translated into giclee prints, note cards and mugs, have been commissioned by companies, cities and colleges. They have also ranged from sports venues and historic events such as a NASA space shuttle launch to scenic vistas on the Great Lakes such as Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Those are paintings that tell a story. Inspired by the way his dad  worked on-site, McMahon calls them “editorials.”

However, anyone stopping by The Gallery, a Lake Forest restaurant cum art venue, will see not just a sampling of McMahan’s story-telling watercolors , but also his latest works in oils and acrylics.

Set in artistically designed steel frames created by son Drew McMahon, the paintings are so very different from the story-telling works on the opposite  gallery wall that a visitor could be forgiven for asking who did those.

There are eye-popping flowers plus an unusual rendering of a lion fish.

"Bearded Iris Yellow-Purple" can be seen at The Gallery. (Photo courtesy of McMahon)
Mark McMahon “Bearded Iris Yellow-Purple” can be seen at The Gallery. (Photo courtesy of McMahon)

When asked about his change in style, McMahon, sitting at home with a cup of tea for the interview, said, “Wait” as he disappeared. He brought back a large canvas done in oils on site at a Lake Forest Open Lands property about 30 years ago.

If divided into close-ups, it could foretell the direction he would take decades later. But the style is different.

Even though it was done on site because that is how McMahon works, the scene didn’t begin as a line drawing followed by color as in his characteristic painting mode. Instead, the canvas appeared as an experiment in textured layers and scenic effects.

I’ve always done these on the side,” said McMahon.

His newest works focus on pattern instead of a scenic tale.

Zooming in on the shape of the flora he captures, his irises tend to to take on a Matisse-type flow.

His thistles, as in the work hanging in his and wife Carolyn’s living room, create an impact with repeated pattern. They become even more important against a forceful background color. This one is a glowing orange.

“Carolyn said this one isn’t going anywhere. It’s staying here,” said McMahon. (Carolyn, an artist who works in a variety of media, has a two dimensional metal piece attached to another living room wall.)

Another change is that he now favors icon boards over the canvas he had been using. “You feel it pulling the paint off the brush,” he said.

Members of the artistic McMahon family paint outside at the rock garden. (Photo courtesy of the McMahons)
Members of the artistic McMahon family paint outside at the rock garden. (Photo courtesy of the McMahons)

What hasn’t changed is working on site where he does his line work and initial painting and then, finishing the work back in his studio. He still brings his tools: an easel and box of paints to the site. “I like that spontaneity,” said McMahon.

But he attributes his adding a new style, “not technique,” to the pandemic. “I’ve had more time now with COVID,” he said.

Instead of traveling far afield to capture a story playing out at a city or college, McMahon heads to his rock garden or around the corner to the wild plants such as thistle that grow along telephone, electric and cable lines.

I’ve been doing this (painting) for 50 years,” said McMahon, 70. “The art process takes, 30-40-50 years to develop. They have evolved. Once in a while there is a good one,” he said.

(To view Mark McMahon’s work visit The Gallery, check with the Deerpath Art League’s date for its May fundraiser and go on April 29, 2021 to the City of Lake Forest Shop in the downtown train station for an event to help local non-profit organizations.)

Jodie Jacobs

Around Town: Art News

projections on theMart start April 1. No joke. (Photo courtesy of Adler Planetarium)
Adler Planetarium projections on theMart start April 1. No joke. (Photo courtesy of Adler Planetarium)

The path  back to normal begins to look more like the yellow brick road as an insightful Comics exhibition gets set to open at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Institute of Chicago is happily welcoming more and more visitors to its Monet exhibit and the Adler Planetarium reminds folks they can explore the museum and space online by putting space  projections on theMart. Plus, over in Pennsylvania the Philadelphia Museum of Art gets ready to show off the major renovation of its 1928 building by architect Frank Gehry.

Bisa Butler. 'The Princess,' 2018. The Art Institute of Chicago, Collection of Bob and Jane Clark. Copyright Bisa Butler. (Photography courtesy of Art on theMART)
Bisa Butler. ‘The Princess,’ 2018. The Art Institute of Chicago, Collection of Bob and Jane Clark. Copyright Bisa Butler. (Photography courtesy of Art on theMART)

Art on theMart

April . No fooling. Projections on theMart at the Chicago River and Merchandise Mart Plaza promise to fascinate drivers and walkers as they move from the Adler Planetarium’s Astrographics about how we viewed the Earth, Other Worlds, the Stars and the Beyond April 1 through July 4.

In addition, the Art Institute’s Monet and Bisa Butler’s works simultanesously go from April 1 to May 19 followed by CPS class of 2021 projects May 20 to June 26.

The timing works because the Adler’s projections are about 16 minutes so the remaining time is filled by the other partners. Projections start at 8:30 p.m. CT and continue for about 30 minutes. Then, they begin again at 9 p.m. For more information visit Art on theMart and Spring art on theMart 2021.

EXPO Chicago

Also in April but online is a curated digital exposition of contemporary and modern art put together by EXPO Chicago, the organization that has annually held its highly regarded show at Navy Pier pre-COVID. It runs APRIL 8-12, 2021 and includes gallery works plus knowledgeable art sessions. For information and registration visit EXPO Chicago.

 

Upon entering the museum via the Robbi and Bruce Toll Terrace, visitors will be able to see up into the Great Stair Hall and down into the Williams Forum, revealing pathways to art on multiple levels. Architectural rendering by Gehry Partners, LLP and KX-L, 2016. (Photo courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2021.)
Upon entering the museum via the Robbi and Bruce Toll Terrace, visitors will be able to see up into the Great Stair Hall and down into the Williams Forum, revealing pathways to art on multiple levels. Architectural rendering by Gehry Partners, LLP and KX-L, 2016. (Photo courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2021.)

 Philadelphia Museum of Art

May, With travel returning as more people get their second vaccine, visiting museums outside the Midwest sounds enticing and doable. Among the places to visit is the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see how architect Frank Gehry (designer of Chicago’s Pritzker Pavilion renovated the museum’s 1928 building. The unveiling is May 7, 2021. For more information visit Philamuseum/renovation.

 

Lynda Barry, 100 Demons: Dancing, 2000-02. (Photo Courtesy Adam Baumgold Fine Art)
Lynda Barry, 100 Demons: Dancing, 2000-02. (Photo Courtesy Adam Baumgold Fine Art)

Museum of Contemporary Art

June brings “Chicago Comics: 1960s to Now” at the MCA. “From radical newspapers to literary graphic novels, encompassing autobiography, satire, absurdism, science fiction, horror, and fiction, the exhibition foregrounds comics and cartooning as a democratic medium that allows artists to grapple with the issues of their time,” says an MCA statement about “Chicago Comics”

Running June 19 through Oct. 3, 2021, the exhibit reveals Chicago as a center for comics and cartooning. For more information visit MCA Chicago Comics.

Turtel Onli, Nog comic book page, 1980. © 1981 Turtel Onli (Courtesy of the artist)
Turtel Onli, Nog comic book page, 1980. © 1981 Turtel Onli (Courtesy of the artist)

 

Jodie Jacobs

Around Town: Theater News

Goodman Theatre (Photo courtesy of Goodman)
Goodman Theatre (Photo courtesy of Goodman)

COVID cases are dwindling in Illinois and thus museums and many restaurants are re-opening but most of the news from Chicago’s theaters is what is still happening digitally.

Goodman

Goodman Theatre started an Encore series of OnDemand video streaming free from March 15 through May 9. Pulled from Goodman’s video vault, they are “How to Catch Creation” by Christiana Anderson, Teatro Buendia’s “Pedro Paramo” by Raquel Carrio, “Smokefall” by Noah Haidle and “Measure for Measure” by the Bard, William Shakespeare.

All the productions were impressive but the one that really stuck in a corner of my obscure consciousness was “Smokefall”,presented in the fall of 2013.

A beautiful and though provoking play about life and love, it features Violet (Katherine Keberlein) as a wife whose husband is leaving and a mother whose daughter has problems. Violet is also about to birth twin boys whose thoughts on leaving the womb are astonishing and scary.

Her father, the Colonel, superbly portrayed by Mike Nussbaum (whom I admit is one of my favorite actors) is an elderly person whose mind is slipping, but has an important role in the life of this family.

Goodman is also continuing its stream of “Until the Flood” by Dael Orlandersmith, a powerful play that sheds light on Ferguson, MO from a variety of perspectives.

“Live theater is ephemeral; once a performance ends, it’s gone forever,” said Artistic Director Robert Falls. “But as we anticipate the day we can reopen our doors and resume in-person events, we are thrilled to offer this rare chance to watch a handful of signature Goodman productions—including world premieres, a re-imagined classic and a ground-breaking international collaborate—from our video archives.”

Encore tickets are free with reservations at GoodmanTheatre.org/Encore and check for all productions at GoodmanTheatre.org.

 

Steppenwolf (Photo by Kyle Flubacker)
Steppenwolf (Photo by Kyle Flubacker)

Steppenwolf

At Steppenwolf Theatre, Scout, a new play development program, is doing a free virtual reading of “Mosque4Mosue” by Omer Abbas Salem on March 28 at 2 p.m. CST. The play,  comedy about how what might be considered an average 30something Arab American Muslim who is queer, handles a caring mother who wants the ideal man for him. To obtain a ticket call (312) 335-1650 or go to Steppenwolf Theatre/forms.

Jodie Jacobs

Porchlight does Broadway with a rock and roll beat

 

3 Stars

Felicia P. Fields with the Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago to be presented to her at Chicago sings Rock & Roll Broadway from Porchlight Music Theatre, ((Photo courtesy of Porchlight )
Felicia P. Fields with the Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago to be presented to her at Chicago sings Rock & Roll Broadway from Porchlight Music Theatre. ((Photo courtesy of Porchlight )

Watching Porchlight Theatre’s “Chicago Sings Rock and Roll Broadway” on Youtube last night, made me realize how much I missed going to Chicago area venues for good musicals and plays.

Well-staged with superb instrumental back-up, the cast takes on the mammoth task of covering musicals through the decades from “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Hair” in the 1960s and “The Wiz” and “Promises Promises” in the 1970s  to more recent shows such as “Kinky Boots,” “Waitress,” “Beautiful”  and “Head over Heels.”

Past benefit concerts were, among others, covers from Disney, Stephen Sondheim, The Beatles and Motown.

Choosing a song or a couple of stanzas from each show, their theme this year is Rock and Roll but not all music chosen fall in that genre. So, if deciding to tune in to support local artists, Porchlight and, just as important, the theatre’s education arm to area youth, don’t worry if your ear prefers other musical genres.

The benefit is fun to watch and hear because the music ranges from standards to lesser- known songs. You are bound to find a favorite performance. Among mine was Sawyer Smith’s magnificent take on “Wig in a Box” from “Hedwig & the Angry Inch, (1998).

A virtual event that can be viewed through April 18, 2021, Chicago Sings is a fundraiser similar to the broadcasts that have aired since COVID shuttered arts and entertainment venues a year ago, except this event brings the cast and musicians together.

It also includes the presentation of the 2021 Guy Adkins award for “excellence in the advancement of music theatre” to Felicia P. Fields and greetings from several Broadway stars including E. Faye Butler and Sean Allan Krill.

Porchlight Theatre’s “Chicago Sings Rock and Roll Broadway is on YouTube through April 18, 2021. Tickets are $25. Running time is about 90 minutes. For  tickets see Porchlight and for information visit  Porchlight Music Theatre.

Jodie Jacobs