Arts & Entertainment
From Native Pop Art to the Music of The Kinks, Here Are 5 Arts and Culture Picks for the Weekend
“Sunny Afternoon” will run through April 27 at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. (Jeff Sciortino)
In the news this week: Doctors in Switzerland are expanding their range of prescriptions to include visits to art galleries and museums. Would it be malpractice to add music, dance and theater to the list? You don’t need a prescription to experience the arts in Cook County, so go ahead — self-medicate. Take two of these and call me Monday morning.
“Sunny Afternoon” – Chicago Shakespeare Theater
The music of The Kinks is the star of this musical now in previews. Director Ed Hall worked with Ray Davies on the original London production and spent months assembling a Chicago cast that can really sing and play. I was lucky to visit a music rehearsal and went from a skeptic to a believer in minutes. (Yes, it really got me.) Full story next week on WTTW News. March 21-April 27
“Children of Dharma” – Harris Theater
Presenting dance as a spiritual practice that inspires and heals, Ragamala Dance Company centers on ancestral wisdom. Here, seven dancers and a multimedia show interpret a story from the Hindu epic “The Mahabharata.” Created by a mother and her daughters, “Children of Dharma” will be performed in a shorter version for families at Saturday’s matinee. March 21-22
“Even Stephen: Schwartz, Sondheim & Wonder” – Rhapsody Theater
I’m a sucker for a music show with an odd theme. The alliance of Chicago Cabaret Professionals delivers with songs from “Wicked,” “A Little Night Music” and … hits by Stevie Wonder. Maybe they’ll get to Stevie Nicks next year. This is the first of a monthly residency at the Rhapsody Theater, a charming and romantic spot on Morse Avenue that usually hosts magic shows. March 24
“Native Pop!” will run through July 19 at the Newberry Library. (Courtesy of the Newberry Library)
“Native Pop!” – Newberry Library
Popular culture meets Native American artists in an exhibition that explores the ways in which Indigenous people have helped shape the cultural canon — and how they’ve adapted the imagery for their own purposes. Consider it a leaping-off point for a deeper dive into the library’s growing collection of American Indian and Indigenous Studies. Opens March 20
“Go Dog Go! / Ve Perro Ve!” – Chicago Children’s Theatre
This musical is a bilingual adaptation of the beloved 1961 children’s book written and illustrated by P.D. Eastman — a protege and colleague of Dr. Seuss. In the slight but delightful story, a group of mobile, multicolored mutts make their way to a destination that just might be a big dog party. For all ages, even adults struggling with remedial Spanish. Through May 18
Marc Vitali is the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation Arts Correspondent.
