Arts & Entertainment
From Film Festivals to a Ukrainian Band, Here Are 6 Arts Picks for the Weekend
“Carmen” runs Sept. 18-28. (Courtesy of Joffrey Ballet)
“Like painted kites, those days and nights went flyin’ by…” – “Summer Wind” by Heinz Meier and Johnny Mercer (1965)
Summer is nearly gone with the wind. “Endless Summer” may be a fine name for a Beach Boys record; it’s not an option in Chicago’s latitude. Summer ends. Thankfully, all’s fair in fall with a harvest of arts and culture, so indulge yourself in the abundance that we have in this great city.
“Carmen” – The Joffrey Ballet
Sounds like an ideal destination for a hot date — athletic dancers move with passion as desire turns to betrayal and … OK, maybe not a first date. Expect a sexy ballet from the Joffrey dance corps with seductive music by Georges Bizet. The same choreographer created “Frankenstein,” so to speak — or at least the version that played at the Joffrey two years ago. This tale of defiance should be as incendiary as its setting: a cigarette factory in 1930s Spain. “Carmen” opens the 70th season of the esteemed dance company. Sept. 18-28
“The Phantom of the Opera” – film screening at Filament Theatre
This year marks 100 years since the release of the classic silent film starring Lon Chaney. Chaney portrays the mad phantom who is smitten with a singing sweetheart. He proves his love in unusual ways — such as dropping a giant chandelier on a crowd of people. The movie will be accompanied by a recording of a pipe organ score by Jay Warren, the founder of the Silent Film Society of Chicago who died earlier this year. Sept. 20-21
(Courtesy of the Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University)
“Pouring, Spilling, Bleeding: Helen Frankenthaler and Artists’ Experiments on Paper” – Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University
As a woman in the abstract expressionist boys club, Helen Frankenthaler was a minority. She was also distinctive, known for soaking and staining her canvases. Here, her prints are explored through their color and surfaces, and the alchemy of materials leads to unpredictable results. The exhibit shows off a recent gift of Frankenthaler prints to the museum and places them side by side with a sampling of works from her friends and colleagues. Sept. 17-Dec. 14
“Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till” – Chicago History Museum
Seventy years ago, testimony began in the murder trial of two men who killed Emmett Till. This free live performance is a reenactment of the actual court proceedings from Mississippi in September 1955. A riveting moment of history is recreated by actors at the Chicago History Museum and presented by that sparkplug of social change, Collaboraction Theatre. A recording of this production became an Emmy-winning TV show. Sept. 20
“Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till.” (Joel Maisonet)
Kommuna Lux – Krug Community Circle, Wheeling
This band is a blast of adrenaline. Coming off a sold-out Evanston show earlier this year, Kommuna Lux returns to the area. Hailing from Ukraine, the boisterous and danceable group calls itself “Odesa’s premier urban folk and klezmer band.” Having seen their live videos, I don’t doubt it. Since Russia invaded in 2022, the band has become a cultural voice for Ukraine, raising funds and awareness via some very snappy music. Sept. 19
A Pair of Film Festivals: Reeling and the Chicago Underground Film Festival
Two film festivals at the same time? Welcome to Chicago! Reeling is the 43rd Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival with 38 features and 59 shorts of queer cinema. It runs Sept. 19-28 at Landmark Century Centre Cinema and Firehouse Cinema. And the Chicago Underground Film Fest (CUFF) is back for its 32nd year with genre-defying movies and more; it runs Sept. 17-21. Dig through the schedules of both festivals and find a film that’s just your size.
Marc Vitali is the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation Arts Correspondent.
