Arts & Entertainment
An Outdoor Orchestra and a Funny Pop Music Take on Shakespeare: 4 Arts Picks for Your Week
Fabiola Caraballo Quijada and Joseph Torres in the North American Tour of "& Juliet." (Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)
Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.
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I don’t need to tell you how the blanket of thick wildfire smoke engulfing Chicago last week torpedoed plans. The dangerous Air Quality Index levels meant that events like soccer games, outdoor concerts, movies in the park and even casual trips to a public beach were canceled. As much as it was deflating to experience, the skies have mostly cleared this week. With the AQI currently in the green, you also have the green light to take in everything this city has to offer. While the four events listed are just a small selection of what you can do to satiate your cultural and artistic appetites, you won’t be led astray with any of them.
Musical: “& Juliet” — Auditorium Theatre
Penned by David West Read, a writer and executive producer behind the beloved Canadian sitcom “Schitt’s Creek,” the musical “& Juliet” is a humorous take on the Shakespeare classic that imagines “What if Juliet did not kill herself and moved on with her life?” Though it first debuted in Chicago in 2024, it’s back for a limited run at the Auditorium Theatre. Expect a jukebox-like song selection of Max Martin hits and a production that the Reader called “a coming-of-age story that will transcend generationally through song and meaning.” Buy tickets here.
Photography: “Ex Situ” — Judson & Moore
Chicago photographer and videographer Tim Nagle has thrived in the city’s independent music community, shooting concerts, taking artist portraits and directing music videos. Bands like Geese, Noname, the Nude Party and others have enlisted him to document tours and live shows. Over his years of travel, hopping in the van with bands and seeing America, he’s photographed off-the-beaten-path locales and landscapes. He compiled his findings into a new book called “Ex Situ,” which is getting a book release party at Judson and Moore on Thursday evening. He’ll debut a film paired to the book’s themes, and artists like Jason Balla (Dehd, Accessory) and Cadien Lake James (Twin Peaks) will perform an improvised set of music. The event is free, and more info is available here.
Performance: CSO at Ravinia — Ravinia Festival
Every summer, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra temporarily ditches its Symphony Center Loop home for the greener, North Shore pastures of Highland Park’s Ravinia Festival. Starting Thursday, you have three opportunities to see the city’s premier classical music ensemble perform. On Thursday, conductor Marin Alsop leads a performance of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony. On Friday, Alsop and Laura Karpman will curate a setlist of songs featured in movies that women wrote. Finally, their busy weekend concludes Saturday by backing up the rock artist St. Vincent. Buy tickets to each event here.
Film: Éric Rohmer’s “Six Moral Tales” — Music Box Theatre
Lakeview’s Music Box is hosting a perfect introduction to one of the leading auteurs of French New Wave cinema with screenings of Éric Rohmer’s “Six Moral Tales” running from Friday through the end of the month. Each film in the sextet, which is composed of shorts and features released from 1963 through 1972, highlights the ethical and personal quandaries that come from romance, temptation, desire and relationships. For a full list of the schedule, tickets and screening times, click here.
WTTW News arts coverage is supported by the JCS Arts, Health & Education Fund of the DuPage Foundation.
