Around Town: Two indoor fab February shows

 

Two shows that are completely different but always brighten February winter days and nights are the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place and the Orchid Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Both start the second weekend in February.

 

Chicago Auto Show has three test tracks. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Auto Show 2017)
Chicago Auto Show has three test tracks. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Auto Show 2017)

 

Chicago Auto Show

It’s understandable that the Chicago Auto Show has to be held at McCormick Place. It is the largest of its kind in North America. That means there is space to space to show off new cars, experimental cars, antique cars and accessories and to test drive some cars (different makes on different days. Visit Interactive Displays to learn about the test tracks.

Details: The Auto show runs from Feb 9 to Feb. 18, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. except closes at 8 p.m. Feb. 18. Admission is $13 adults, $7 age 62 and older and ages 7-12 and free to age 6 and younger if accompanied by an adult family member. McCormick Place is at 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago.

 

Orchid in Chicago Botanic Garden Greenhouse. (phto by J Jacobs)
Orchid in Chicago Botanic Garden Greenhouse. (photo by J Jacobs)

Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show

Go at night after work. Go in the morning to take photos. Go to get orchid advice from experts. And go to buy an orchid. But for sure go to be surrounded by more than 10,000 orchids hanging from trees in the greenhouses and lining the rooms and corridors of the Regenstein Center.

The theme this year is “In the Tropics.” So let orchids transport you to South Pacific islands or the Amazon’s rain forests.  Bromeliads and birds of paradise add color to the show’s lush landscape.

To find out when to go night or day and about other show activities and bonuses visit Chicago Botanic Orchid.

Details: The CBG Orchid Show runs from Feb. 9 through March 24. Garden admission is free but there is a parking fee. The show’s cost is Adults $12 (members $10), ages 3-12 $10 (members hildren $8). The Chicago Botanic Garden is at 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022. For tickets and other information call call  (847) 835-5440 or visit CBG.

 

Jodie Jacobs

 

‘Imagine the Moon’ at the Adler

 

Earth Rising (Photo courtesy of NASA
Earth Rising (Photo courtesy of NASA

 

Maybe you knew that Dec. 24, 2018 was the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon. Instead of watching the moon rise from earth, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders saw the earth rising from the lunar orbit, photographed it and did a live broadcast.

“The vast loneliness is awe-inspiring and it makes you realize just what you have back there on Earth,” Lovell said. It was Christmas Eve. The crew ended the broadcast reading from Genesis.

Almost 50 years from that memorable date, the Adler Planetarium’s own crew, that of astronomers and other staff members, were considering what they could do to not just mark the Apollo 8 crew’s occasion, which they did with a program that included Lovell, but also put it into perspective with a program that wasn’t just one day or week long.

The result is “Imagine the Moon,” a fun and exciting half-hour movie in the Grainger Sky Theater that includes Apollo 8’s earth-rising moments, the Apollo 11 landing with Neil Armstrong’s famed first words and a lot of literary and historic views of this orb that is Earth’s night light.

“We wanted the audience to reconsider the Moon as an object in the sky.  It is something we might notice but not really pay attention to, but our hope is that the audience will pay attention to it the next time they see it, be awed by it, and be inspired to consider what else they might have taken for granted in the sky,” said  Adler Presentation Leader, Nicholas Lake, the movie’s writer.

Among the interesting thoughts about the moon and even how to reach it that the show considers are mythological and early astronomical associations plus literary references and wishful attempts such as the use of a bullet and cannon.

Indeed, Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon 1865 novel told of a Baltimore gun club’s idea to build a Columbiad space gun to send the club’s president and two others to the moon.

Beautifully illustrated, the show’s imagery was produced by Adler Director Patrick McPike and project animators using material from the Adler collection, the European Southern Observatory and such institutions as Harvard, New York University, and the Smithsonian.

So, go. Sit back in the theater as far as you can, look up and enjoy.

For ticket and other show information visit Adler Imagine the Moon or call (312) 922-7827. To see some of the stories in the show scroll down to exhibition.

The Adler Planetarium is at 1300 Lake Shore Drive at the far east end of the Museum Campus.

Jodie Jacobs

 

 

 

 

Academy Awards nominations announced

 

Oscar poster 2013. (Image courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Oscar poster 2013. (Image courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Did you see a movie last year that you thought worthy of an Oscar or a performance that should be nominated for that golden statuette handed out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?

BTW the statuette is supposed to be a knight holding a crusader’s sword. He stands on a film reel with five spokes that represents  actors, directors, producers, writers and technicians.

Maybe the movie or performance you liked is among the list of Oscar nominees announced this morning by the Academy.

Top three categories

Best Motion Picture nominations: Black Panther, BlackkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favorite, Green Book, Roma, A Star is Born and Vice.

Best leading actor: Christian Bale (“Vice”), Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”), Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”), Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) and Viggo Mortensen (Green Book”)

Best leading actress: Yalitza Aparicio “Roma,” Glenn Close (“The Wife”), Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”) and Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”)

For the complete list visit www.oscar.com.

What you might want to put on your calendar

The 91st Oscar Awards will be Feb. 24, 2019 at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood and televised on the ABC Network.  (Voting takes place from Feb. 12 through Feb. 19.)

Ten trivia facts

You might want to know these if holding an Oscar Party or just to impress your friends:

  1. Number of eligible feature motion pictures … 347
  2. Countries submitting foreign language films… 87
  3. Number of voting members (as of 12-21-18)…7,902
  4. S. audience for 90th Oscars…26.54 million
  5. Number of Oscar statuettes given at 90th Oscars…48
  6. Oscar statuette height…13 ½ inches
  7. Oscar statuette weight…8 ½ pounds
  8. Longest Oscars telecast…4 hrs., 23 min. in 2002
  9. Shortest Oscars telecast…1 hr. 40 min. in 1959
  10. Most often Oscar host… Bob Hope with 19

Jodie Jacobs

 

Puppet Master: Global Fest returns

Huber Marionettes Gypsy Dancer. (Photo courtesy of Huber Marionettes)
Huber Marionettes Gypsy Dancer. (Photo courtesy of Huber Marionettes)

Depending on your generational reference, the word “puppet” may elicit memories of Shari Lewis’ adorable Lamb Chop or the stage-managing Kermit the Frog of “The Muppets Show.”

But puppetry actually is an ancient tradition of storytelling that is rooted in diverse global cultures. More recently, technical and creative innovations have launched the art to new heights of theatrical expression.

The 3rd Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival celebrates this renaissance through Jan. 27. More than 100 performances of 24 shows and events are being given at 19 Chicago venues by professional puppeteers from 11 countries.

The 2019 edition of the biennial Festival showcases an entertaining and eclectic array of experiences and cultures from around the world. A wide range of puppet styles and approaches are presented including marionettes, shadow puppets, Bunraku puppets, paper scrolls and even anthropomorphized plastic shopping bags.

Some of the productions are lighthearted and family-friendly, while others are dramatic or political. Some incorporate dance, song, multimedia, live music, kites–or total silence. All are thought-provoking and moving examples of the power of puppetry to foster compassion and spark insight into lives beyond our own..

 

A few of the shows that are coming up

“Pescador/Fishermen” by Silencio Blanco of Chile is a series of quiet portraits of men at sea. Engrossed in their solitary work, fishermen absorb nature’s overwhelming immensity.

In “Suspended Animation,” the stunning Huber Marionettes from Cookeville, Tenn., dance, play musical instruments and perform complex acrobatic tricks.

“Schweinehund” is inspired by the true story of Pierre Seel, a Frenchman deported to a concentration camp in 1941 on suspicion of homesexuality. Performed on a wooden table, skeletal puppets interact with projected video-animations evoking powerful snapshots of the atrocities Seel endured juxtaposed with wistful memories of yesteryears. It was produced by puppeteers Andy Gaukel of New York and Myriame Larose of Montreal.

This year’s schedule also includes the Neighborhood Festival Tour, a series of 12 free performances by Italian and Puerto Rican puppeteers.

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival was formed in 2014 to establish Chicago as a center for the advancement of the art of puppetry. Founder and artistic director Blair Thomas, known for his work in spectacle theater, previously co-founded the now-defunct Redmoon Theater.

DETAILS: The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival runs in various city theaters and venues through Jan. 27. For tickets and a full schedule, visit  ChicagoPuppetFest.

Pamela Dittmer McKuen

(Ed note: McKuen saw the first show, “Ajijaak on Turtle Island” but because it isn’t on the continuing agenda, she didn’t write a review for readers who might want to go. However she said she would have given it our top rating of 4 stars.)

For more shows visit Theatre in Chicago

 

Where it’s summer: No plane ticket needed

 

Don’t let Chicago’s Brr-rated temps keep you from going out when you could be enjoying beach and equator-like weather and fun. One of the places you can shed coats, hats and gloves and sit in a deck chair is The Beach at Navy Pier. The other place envelopes you in tropical warmth and greenery at The Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.

 

Go to The Beach at Navy Pier. (Photo courtesy of Navy PIer)
Go to The Beach at Navy Pier. (Photo courtesy of Navy PIer)

The Beach Chicago

You know you experience is going to be interesting when one of the rules to enter The Beach is to empty pockets of keys, jewelry, phones and fit-bits because they can be lost, not in the sand but in an ocean of a million plastic balls.

Play, relax and watch youngsters uninhibitedly dive because this ocean is safe. BTW, no shoes allowed so wear fun socks.

Designed by Snarkitecture founder Daniel Arsham and his crew, The Beach is a fun architectural installation that has gone into an arena in Tampa, a national museum with a large lobby in Washington D.C. and now, the large ballroom at Navy Pier.

Opened Jan. 19 and going through Feb. 3, 2019, The Beach is just in time to counteract Chicago’s icy winds.

But check rules ahead of time for dos and don’ts such as no strollers, eating or drinking or throwing the balls and do use self-service lockers for valuables.

Presented by Navy Pier and Expo Chicago, entry to The Beach is free. For parking fees and locations and public transportation check Navy Pier. To see the Tampa installation visit Youtube TampaBeach. To learn more about the beach installation visit Snarkitecture. Navy Pier is at 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. For more information  call 1-800 595-PIER (7437) and visit The Beach Chicago.

 

Escape wintery winds at the Chicago Botanic Garden Greenhouses. (Photo by J Jacobs)
Escape wintery winds at the Chicago Botanic Garden Greenhouses. (Photo by J Jacobs)

Chicago Botanic Garden Greenhouses

Escape to temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the Semitropical Greenhouse surrounded by ferns, delightful  gardenia and bougainvillea. Look for  penguins and cranes. They won’t waddle or fly off. The Semitropical Greenhouse has topiaries around each corner.

Then feel the warmth of the Tropical Greenhouse and breathe in its wonderfully moist air. Look for cocoa pods on the “chocolate tree,” orchids growing on the Botanic Garden’s constructed trees and bromeliads  hanging from other constructions. Look for the large leaves and maroon-colored flowers of the banana plants.

Go from moist to dry climates in the Arid Greenhouse. Daytime here is really warm between 80 and 90 degrees but when the sun goes down these plants like cold so the temperature drops to half that. Look for interesting cacti shapes but don’t touch. Many of these plants are prickly.

Entry to to Chicago Botanic Garden is free. For parking fees and public transportation suggestions (about half a mile from the Braeside Metra stop) visit Chicago Botanic. The Chicago Botanic Garden is at 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL 60022. For more information call (847) 835-5440.

Jodie Jacobs

 

Chicago Theatre Week has deals for you

 

Steppenwolf is among the theatre companies participating in Chicago Theatre Week. Kyle Flubacker photo
Steppenwolf is among the theatre companies participating in Chicago Theatre Week. Kyle Flubacker photo

Just as many Chicago restaurants are offering special prices and deals during Restaurant Week Jan. 25-Feb. 7, 2019, several Chicago theater companies will have particularly low ticket prices for shows the following week, Feb. 7 to Feb.17. ( BTW don’t be bothered that some companies spell theater the old-fashioned and British way of theater and others spell it theatre).

Ranging from $15 to $30 a ticket, Theatre Week deals are too good to pass up. The catch is that there are a limited number of tickets at the bargain price so theater-goers in the know snap them up ahead of time.

Of the Chicago area’s 250 theater companies, about 120 are participating with their current productions. A sampling includes Goodman Theatre’s “How to Catch Creation,” Paramount Theatre’s “The Producers,” Windy City Playhouse’s “Noises Off,” Shattered Globe Theatre with Theater Wit’s, “The Realistic Joneses” and Steppenwolf’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2.”

To see what shows are available at what discount price during Chicago Theatre Week visit, Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism site. Choose Chicago is working with the League of Chicago Theatres  (also known as ChicagoPlays).

Jodie Jacobs

 

 

 

Around Town: CubsCon and SoxFest

Sox cap photo by Mira Temkin
Sox cap photo by Mira Temkin

Just when you think mid and late January dates seem far off you realize they are already here. So, Chicago baseball fans closely following any tidbits of who has re-signed and what star might be added to the team’s firmament, might get some clues from events taking place this weekend, Jan. 18-20, 2019, at the Sheraton Grand Chicago or next weekend, Jan. 25-27, 2019 at the Hilton Chicago.

 

Cubs Convention 

Cubs cap photo by Jodie Jacobs
Cubs cap photo by Jodie Jacobs

Sorry, tickets are no longer available but fans can go online @ Cubs to check behind-the-scenes action and follow live streams of these four events (all CST): Opening Ceremony , 6 to 7 p.m.,Jan. 18, “Friday Night with Ryan Dempster” from 7:30 to 10 p.m. CT, same night, “In the Batter’s Box”  from 11 a.m. to noon Jan. 19 and “Cubs in Cooperstown” later that day from 3 to 4 p.m. Convention panels will also include “Joe Maddon & the Coaching Staff,” “Baseball Operations Update” and “Business Operations Update”

Who will be there

Among those players attending are pitcher Kyle Hendricks and outfielders Jason Heyward and Kye Schwarber. Among the alums are catchers Jody Davis and Randy Hundley, pitchers Fergiew Jenkins and Kerry Wood (of course Dempster), outfielder Andre Dawson and infielder Ryne Sandberg. To see the whole roster check Players and Alumni.

 

SoxFest

Yet a week away, there still are tickets available to SoxFest. Chicago Theater and Arts would ike to thank those fans who participated in the drawing for a free pair of SoxFest passes. The winning name, a resident of Highwood, IL,  was drawn of Jan. 14.

Who will be there (More will be added closer to SoxFest)

Among the players will be José Abreu, Yonder Alonso, Tim Anderson, Nicky Delmonico, Adam Engel, Jace Fry, Leury García, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, Reynaldo López, Yoán Moncada, Daniel Palka and Yolmer Sánchez.

Alumni will include Harold Baines, John Cangelosi, Carlton Fisk, Ozzie Guillén, Ken “Hawk” Harrelson, Michael Huff, Bo Jackson, Ron Kittle, Carlos May.

 

Recap

The Cubs Convention moves into the Sheraton Grand Chicago (301 E. Water St.), Jan 18-20, 2019.

SoxFest takes over the Hilton Chicago (720 S. Michigan Ave.) Jan. 25-27, 2019.

 

Jodie Jacobs

 

 

Around Town: Lunapalooza and MLK event

 

Adler Planetarium is on the eastern edge of chicago's Museum Campus. (J. Jacobs photo)
Adler Planetarium is on the eastern edge of chicago’s Museum Campus. (J. Jacobs photo)

 

No, Lunapalooza is not a typo. The Adler Planetarium is celebrating the total eclipse of the moon late into the night of Jan. 20 with Lunapalooza and Writers Theatre is celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a free Civil Rights production Jan. 21.

Lunapalooza

Pretty much every time our universe puts on a sky show, the Adler celebrates by sharing its astronomers and equipment. During the solar eclipse last August, the Adler was handing out the proper sunglasses and had a companion craft activity to safely watch the event.

For the lunar eclipse the night of Jan 20, Chicago’s world-class planetarium is celebrating with a free outdoor experience, no telescope or glasses needed but PJs are OK because the event goes from 8 p.m. to midnight.

But there’s a lot going on inside.

With the admission pass of $14 adults and $8 children age 3 to 11, guests can go to “Eclipse HQ” in the Space Visualization Lab which has a live feed and chat opportunities with astronomers.

The pass also is good for seeing the Adler’s new show, Imagine the Moon that opens Jan. 18 and charts how the moon was part of people’s lives through the ages.

Indoor activities include a glow-in-the-dark PJ party in the Family Zone and grabbing a cup of hot chocolate before going outside to witness the event.

There are more things to see and do so go to  Lunapalooza. To find out how to get tickets go to  Adler Planetarium shop. To learn more about Adler’s new show visit Imagine the Moon.

The Adler Planetarium is at 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago.

 

Chicago History Museum. (Photo courtesy of Chicago History Museum and choose Chicago)
Chicago History Museum. (Photo courtesy of Chicago History Museum and choose Chicago)

 

The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Right

 Produced by Writers Theatre, the annual, one-person- show written by Yolanda Androzzo and featuring Angela Alise, will be performed free at the Chicago History Museum Jan. 21, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. The Chicago History Museum is at 1601 N. Clark St. and Lincoln Park. The hour-long show will be followed by a discussion.

 Writers Theatre takes the show, a meshing of interviews of Chicago-based Civil Rights activists with poetry and hip-hop expression that is directed by Tasia A. Jones, to 35 Chicago Public Schools, community centers and juvenile detention centers during a 6-week tour.

 The production can also be seen earlier at Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Ct., Glencoe,on Feb. 2 at both 4 and 7 p.m. Those tickets are Adults $20, students $10. They are available by calling (847) 242-6000 and at WritersTheatre MLK Project.

 

 

Around Town: Baseball heats up in January

 

Expect to see Cubs and Sox caps, shirts and jackets on the north and south sides of downtown Chicago the last couple of weekends of January 2019.

The Cubs Convention moves into the Sheraton Grand Chicago (301 E. Water St.), Jan 18-20.

SoxFest takes over the Hilton Chicago (720 S. Michigan Ave.) Jan. 25-27.

Both fests feature player meet-and-greets, panels,exhibits and autograph sessions

 

What you need to know to go

(Logo courtesy of the Cubs organizations.)
(Logo courtesy of the Cubs organizations.)

Cubs fans: Individual weekend passes and Sheraton packages are sold out but a few two-night, four-passes packages are still available for the W Chicago Lakeshore (644 N. Lakeshore Dr.).

For more information and to snag a W Chicago Lakeshore package visit Cubs Convention. More information on Cub players/coaches/alum to attend will be announced shortly before the convention starts.

 

(SoxFest logo courtesy of Sox organization)
(SoxFest logo courtesy of Sox organization)

Sox fans: There are still two-night hotel packages and weekend passes available. Some players, coaches and alum have already been announced. For the packages, passes, who will be there and more info visit SoxFest.

 

 

 

*** Drawing for free pair of SoxFest passes to readers of Chicago Theater and Arts.

The Sox organization is graciously donating a pair of passes to SoxFest for a Chicago Theater and Arts reader to use (not sell).

What to do

To enter the drawing, facebook readers can follow me on facebook at Jodie Jacobs, put their name in the comment area with code SX. I will send a reply asking for contact info.

Or if not on facebook send an email with name, phone and address to [email protected].

Names must be in by Jan. 13. Drawing will be on Jan. 14. The person will be informed by Jan. 15 with instructions on whether the passes will be mailed or picked up at the Chicago Hilton.

Jodie Jacobs

 

 

Three theater festivals brighten January landscape

 

Fillet of Solo Festival brightens January. (Fillet of Solo photo)
Fillet of Solo Festival brightens January. (Fillet of Solo photo)

What to do in long, blah January? These three festivals: Chicago Sketch Comedy, Fillet of Solo and Rhinoceros Theater turn that gray month between red and green December and red and pink February into a multi-colored vision of comic moments, heartfelt songs and thought-provoking stories.

 

Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival Jan. 10 -20, 2019

The Chicago mayor’s race may be a local subject for sketch comedy or politics in Britain and the US may be skewered from the stage but part of the fun of attending the annual festival is to hear how comedic entertainers view what is going on in the world or in families or in their own lives that may turn out to be similar to yours.

Started in 2002 with 35 comedy groups sharing their thoughts, the festival now attracts more than 180 groups from all over. They will be performing about 200 shows beginning Jan 10 and going through Jan. 20, 2019. So check out the performers and their dates at Chicago Sketch Comedy Lineup, get tickets and head over to Stage 773, a multi space venue at 1225 W. Belmont, Chicago.

 

Fillet of Solo Festival  Jan. 18 – Feb. 2, 2019

Fillet of Solo  celebrates storytelling by groups and solo performers. The performances are at Lifeline Theatre 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. and the Heartland Studio Theatre, 7006 N. Glenwood Ave. (Free parking and shuttle available). To find out who is performing where and when visit Performances.

 

Rhinoceros Theater Festival  Jan. 18 – Feb. 24, 2019 

Begun in 1988 as the Curious theatre Branch, this fringe theater festival brings together music and theater performers. Originally located in Wicker Park and then moving to Rogers Park, the festival took root at Prop Thtr in 2009 which co-produces the festival with Curious. Events are at Prop at3502-04 Elston Ave., Chicago.

For music, stories and plays schedules visit Rhinofest titles. For more information call visit Rhinofest.

 

Jodie Jacobs