ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Compiled by Cora Saddler

Again & Again!

Hyde Park Art Center Wheel of Life

The Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave., a non-profit hub for contemporary art, has a robust roster of free public programs to celebrate its new exhibition, “Loving Repeating: New Work by Miller & Shellabarger” by married artists Dutes Miller and Stan Shellabarger. “Loving Repeating” will address the presence and absence of human touch during the pandemic and the connection, loneliness and loss felt through long-term relationships. This will be the center's largest multimedia installation to date, with a 20-foot-tall by 8-foot-wide, hand-painted mural; multi-channel video projection, and a 55-foot-long cut-paper garland. In order to imitate life, the exhibition will close with a bonfire for the paper artwork; the ashes will be sealed within a box and "Burnt" will be added to the artists’ series of work. FREE admission. The exhibition runs through September 3: Monday-Thursday from 10-7 p.m., Friday from 10-4:30 p.m., Saturday from 10-4 p.m., and Sunday from 10-1:30 p.m. More information at hydeparkart.org.

(Bad) Luck O' The Irish!

Irish Theatre of Chicago presents 'Molly Sweeney'

Head over to the Irish Theatre of Chicago for their production of renowned Irish dramatist Brian Friel’s moving play “Molly Sweeney” at the Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. The production features ensemble members Matthew Isler, Robert Kauzlaric, and Carolyn Kruse. The play follows the story of Molly Sweeney, blind since birth, her husband, and a once-renowned doctor with ambitious plans to restore her vision, though everything may not be as it appears. The Irish Theatre began in 1995 and is dedicated to presenting works that reflect the rich history and culture of Ireland. The show runs through March 8: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. (Easter Sunday excluded). Tickets are $40 at irishtheatre.org.

Hoppity-Hop!

Kinder Joy presents Easter Egg-Stravaganza

Looking for an egg-cellent way to spend Easter weekend? Look no further than the Easter Egg- Stravaganza presented by Kinder Joy at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Cannon Drive at Fullerton Parkway. For an egg-citing morning of springtime fun, the Lincoln Park Zoo will provide a basket of fun, from multiple egg hunts for groups of different ages, to photos with the elusive Easter Bunny and other spring characters, to free rides on the AT&T Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure, outdoor games and activities of all sorts, and an assortment of music to get you in the “hopping” mood. Egg-Stravaganza will run 8 a.m.-noon on April 16. Tickets are $35 and include a $5 ZooBucks voucher to redeem at the Park Place Café for a variety of breakfast and lunch options. For more details, see lpzoo.org.

Please, Don't Eat the Daisies!

Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts / Wynona Wang, Piano

Visit the Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, 55 E. Wacker Drive, for a lunchtime Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert produced by the International Foundation of Music. Founded in 1976, the IMF is a Chicago music institution that expands access to classical music and enhances opportunities for emerging musicians to engage with audiences through performance experience and educational opportunities. On April 13 from 12:15-1 p.m., pianist Wynona Wang will play “Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Daisies,” Op. 38, No. 3; Chen Yi’s “Ba Ban,” and Robert Schumann’s "Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 11." FREE admission. Masks required regardless of vaccination status. Livestream and radio option is available on 98.7 WFMT. More information at imfchicago.org.

You Better Work!

Chicago Fashion Week

As the city returns to normal, so must your closet. Rid yourself of your pandemic PJs by heading over to Chicago Fashion Week’s The Designer Reveal cocktail reception at the Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Chicago Fashion Week is powered by FashionBar, LLC and will showcase designers, apparel, wellness and beauty from April 24- May 1. Doors will open at 4 p.m. April 16 for the cocktail reception, with a red carpet at 4:45 and a performance and designer reveal at 5:30. General Admission is $25, student tickets $15, and VIP tickets $30. See rebelity.com for more details.

A Modern Spin on History!

'Six'

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived: Broadway’s “SIX” tells the story of the six wives of Henry VIII like you’ve never heard it before. This original musical follows Tudor Queens and Pop Princesses as they remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into 21st century girl power and compete to see who suffered the most. Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, this modern retelling is more concert than musical, taking stylistic cues from modern day artists like Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, and Nicki Minaj. “SIX” runs 80 minutes with no intermission at the CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St. The show runs daily except Mondays through July 3 at various times throughout the week (2, 7:30, and 8). Tickets start at $39. See broadwayinchicago.com

Repurposed & Reimagined!

Igshaan Adams: Desire Lines

The first major solo presentation of the gay, practicing Muslim South African artist's work in the U.S. runs through August 1 at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave. Born in the apartheid era, Adams creates labor-intensive tapestries and textile installations of beads, shells, glass, rope, wire and found objects woven together to highlight the material aspects of lived spaces alongside the personal stories held within them. His work engages with the information often lost or overlooked, and asks the essential question, “How would you treat someone differently if you knew everything about them? Or nothing?” General admission $25, Chicagoans $20, Illinoisans $22; reduced rates for seniors and students, free to Chicagoans under 17. Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Monday. More information at artic.edu.

Sounds of the City!

Vocalo 'Chi Sounds Like Showcase'

Join Vocalo as it celebrates Chicago artists in the “Chi Sounds Like Showcase” 7-10 p.m. April 13 at the historic Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave. Performing live will be four favorite Chicago artists: Ausar, Brittney Carter, Wemmymo and Oliv Blu. Ausar is a rapper and singer from Chicago’s South Side, Brittney Carter is an indie rapper and composer known for her jazzy backbeats and punchy, poignant lyrics, Wemmymo is known for his vibrant, youthful and maturely soothing sound and Oliv Blu is a Neo- Soul, R&B, jazz singer-songwriter known for her participation on The Voice. Vocalo is Chicago’s Urban Alternative radio (89.5 FM) and the nation’s first 24/7 public radio station focusing on R&B, Hip Hop, Dance music, and more that aspires to embrace the sound of Chicago. Tickets start at $5. For more information, see subt.net.

Let's Dance!

'The Prom'

Nominated for seven Tony Awards and winner of the 2019 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, "The Prom" starts its first national tour April 19. "The Prom" is focused on a small town in Indiana where prom has been canceled because the high school has forbidden Emma from taking her girlfriend. Soon, however, the situation is made far worse than the administrators could have imagined. “The Prom” is directed and choreographed by Tony nominee Casey Nicholaw and features music by Matthew Skylar, book by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin and lyrics by Beguelin. The show runs through April 24 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, and at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $31. For more information, see broadwayinchicago.com.