Arts & Entertainment
From a Jewish Film Festival to ‘The Jackie Wilson Story,’ 4 Arts Picks for Your Week
Judith Colell's "Frontier" premieres at the Gene Siskel Film Center Sunday (Provided)
Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.
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It’s only the middle of March, so it’s too soon to say that we’re out of the woods from Chicago’s gnarly winters. It’s also currently snowing as I type this and that’ll likely happen a few times over the next couple of weeks. That said, temperatures have ticked up, we’re thawing out and the sun has made a few welcome appearances to give us the energy to explore all of Chicago’s arts and culture offerings. Below is a small sample of what you can dive into this weekend and beyond.
Theater: “The Jackie Wilson Story” — Black Ensemble Theater
This musical first premiered at the Black Ensemble Theater in 2000, became a national tour in 2002 and broke records at the Apollo Theater. It now returns to the Uptown institution for its 50th anniversary season. “The Jackie Wilson Story” was written by Jackie Taylor and is a music-focused biography of the iconic singer and performer. Shows run from Friday, March 13, through Sunday, April 26. Buy tickets here.
Film: JCC Chicago Film Festival — Multiple locations
JCC Chicago’s annual Jewish Film Festival kicked off earlier this month and runs until March 22. This weekend, you can choose to catch screenings at both Highland Park’s Wayfarer Theater and the Loop’s Gene Siskel Film Center. Head to Highland Park on Saturday for the premiere of the documentary “The Last Twins” as well as “Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief.” On Sunday, two narrative films debut at the Siskel, including the Spanish Civil War-set “Frontier” and the multi-generational drama “For the Love of a Woman.” For the full schedule and listings, click here.
Film: Sheryl Lee (“I Live Here Now”) — Music Box Theatre
Actress Sheryl Lee’s most enduring role has been playing Laura Palmer, whose murder kicked off the events of David Lynch’s iconic series “Twin Peaks.” She makes an appearance at the Music Box for two engagements. The first is a meet-and-greet and screening of “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,” which is long sold out. Don’t worry, though, if you couldn’t snag tickets for that. She’ll also be introducing her latest film, “I Live Here Now,” which debuts at the Lakeview cultural staple late Monday night. Buy tickets here.
Poetry: Chicago Poetry Center’s March Blue Hour — Haymarket House
Every month at Buena Park’s Haymarket House, the Chicago Poetry Center hosts a poetry reading series “with a generative writing workshop and open mic.” While the workshop begins Wednesday, March 18, at 6 p.m., the reading featuring April Gibson and Mira Cameron begins at 7:30 p.m. with an open mic to follow. While the event is free and open to the public, there’s a suggested $10 donation (and a livestream for folks who can’t attend in person). For more info, click here.
WTTW News arts coverage is supported by the JCS Arts, Health & Education Fund of the DuPage Foundation.
