If you need a nudge to get out and enjoy what the city has to offer, here’s a starter list of more than 20 shows to know running across the Chicago area this fall.
Stories by Marc Vitali
Shows to See This Fall in Chicago: More Than 20 Music, Theater, Film and Art Picks Worth Celebrating
Chicago Musicians Rally Behind Honduran Singer-Songwriter
In his native Honduras, singer-songwriter Carlos Barahona, who goes by the stage name Charlie Baran, contributed to one of the biggest hits in Latin music.
Bewitching Mid-Century Surrealist Painter Gets Rare Spotlight at Art Institute
Strange people occupy fantastic places in a new exhibition of art by Remedios Varo at the Art Institute of Chicago. The 20th century surrealist painter’s work is well known in Mexico but rarely seen in the U.S.
Bruce Springsteen Merges the Classics with Reflection and Wisdom of Newer Material at Wrigley Field Show
Words from the Boss were few as the band barreled through song after song. Older songs brim with unbridled romanticism and recent songs address mortality and loss with a lifetime of wisdom.
Creative Team Behind ‘MJ: The Musical,’ Now Playing in Chicago, on the Power of Dance
Last year it was a hit on Broadway. Now it’s opening a North American tour in Chicago. “MJ: The Musical” tells the story of Michael Jackson in flashback. It begins in 1992 as he prepares his Dangerous Tour.
10 Things to Know About Bruce Springsteen and Chicago Before His Wrigley Field Shows
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band return to North America next week, kicking off the remainder of their tour with two shows at Wrigley Field. A recent stadium tour in Europe sold more than 1.6 million tickets, and Billboard called it “the greatest show on earth.”
Ukrainian Artist Teaches Traditional Folk Painting on Glass
Longtime Chicago resident Elena Diadenko uses her talents to teach a traditional form of folk art and raise awareness about the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The Who’s ‘Tommy’ Takes the Stage at Goodman Theatre
Back in 1993, the musical version of “Tommy” won five Tony Awards. Now, that director is re-imaging the stage production at the Goodman Theatre with input from Pete Townshend.
Cubs’ Ian Happ Works With Artist to Capture Wrigley Field
Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ commissioned an artist to capture the game from a player’s perspective. But the artist, an Englishman, didn’t know much about baseball. So Happ introduced his new friend to his workplace.
Artist Makes Memories of Her Migration from Puerto Rico
Chicago-based artist Edra Soto created a series of work about Puerto Rico and her migration to her adopted hometown. Architectural motifs mirror patterns seen on houses in Puerto Rico. A hand-fabricated domino table reflects a popular pastime on the island. And there are photographs embedded in the work.
Chicago Artist’s Superpower is Painting Marvel Superheroes
Artist Alex Ross is a hero to fans of comic book art and graphic novels. For 30 years from his home near Chicago, Ross has been the go-to artist for revitalizing beloved characters — from Spider-Man and Superman to Iron Man and the Fantastic Four.
Reviving a Gospel Musical with Ancient Roots
“The Gospel at Colonus” is based on “Oedipus at Colonus,” Sophocles’ 2,500-year-old play about an aging king who seeks redemption after a life of sin. The revival just opened at Court Theatre in Hyde Park.
Art Institute Summer Show Reframes Vincent Van Gogh and Friends
The star attraction is Vincent Van Gogh, and he has a stellar supporting cast — including the painters George Seurat, Paul Signac, Emile Bernard and Charles Angrand. The exhibit features landscapes from the suburbs of Paris in the 19th century.
Photographer Kwame Brathwaite Captured Black Beauty, Power in the ‘60s and ‘70s
From Stevie Wonder and high-fashion models to everyday people, photographer Kwame Brathwaite documented Black culture across the globe. “He’s essentially synonymous with the Black is Beautiful movement,” said Grace Deveney of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Intuit Museum Awarded ‘Transformative’ $5 Million Grant to Support Outsider Art
Intuit, the Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, has been on Milwaukee Avenue near Chicago and Ogden avenues since 1999. The museum showcases artwork by self-taught and often marginalized artists who didn’t follow a traditional path to art-making.
The 23 Must-Know Chicago Arts and Culture Events for 2023
From the obvious to the obscure, we’ve pulled together a rundown of promising arts and culture events to stir the senses in the new year.
Pair of Chicago Children’s Musicians Up for Same Grammy Award
Two of the five Grammy nominees this year for Best Children’s Album are from the Chicago area. For Justin Roberts, it’s his fifth nomination. And for the duo Wendy and DB, it’s their first.
Santa Claus’ Varied Depictions Can Be Viewed Through a Local Library’s Postcard Archive
Over time there have been many interpretations of Santa’s look – and vintage postcards from the early 20th century prove that he’s had more makeovers than a movie star. At the Newberry Library, a rare collection tracks Santa’s evolution.
Artist Creates Work to Uplift People, Heal Own Memories of Combat in Vietnam
In 1968, a U.S. Marine was wounded and evacuated from Vietnam and returned to Chicago. He found his calling making artwork with an approach that could be called obsessive.
Grammy-Winning Chicago Ensemble Explores Possibilities of Percussion
Third Coast Percussion is nominated for a Grammy for the fourth year in a row. “Gauntlet” is a new work that has the ensemble making music from a table full of toys and everyday items.
Chicago Painter Michiko Itatani Looks to the Cosmos for Inspiration
The unpopulated environments created by Michiko Itatani suggest settings for sci-fi stories, filled with rockets, planets, books and music. In short, art and science. The work is about inner space – and outer space.
A Conversation With Patti Smith Reveals Her Thoughts on Poetry, Prose and Veal Parmigiana
Born in Chicago and raised in New Jersey, Patti Smith has lived an incomparable life as a poet and performer. Known as “the punk poet laureate,” she’s in the Rock Hall of Fame and won a National Book Award.
Pianist Recalls Roots in Chicago and Ukraine – and an Early Appearance on WTTW
Pianist Inna Faliks is an educator, mom and a distinguished concert pianist who is in demand across the globe. But before all that, one of her first television appearances was on WTTW in 1994 when she was just 15 years old.
‘Native Truths’ Offer Fresh Perspective at the Field Museum
The Field Museum renovated its Native North America Hall and drastically shifted its focus. The new approach emphasizes story-telling and contemporary art – as well as historical items from the collection. The exhibition space is called “Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories.”
New Chicago Exhibition Showcases Historical Artwork Depicting Same-Sex Desire
Called “The First Homosexuals,” the show is about a time when the art world released a flood of new representations of same-sex desire.
Returning to Chicago for Poetry Prize, Patti Smith Looks Back on Local Roots and Eclectic Career
Patti Smith was honored by Chicago’s Poetry Foundation with a Pegasus Award.
