ARTS & (HOME) ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Since being stuck inside, which shows have you been watching? Which movies? Have you read any good books lately? Any new music releases have you dancing in your living room? StreetWise vendors, readers and staff are sharing what is occupying their attention during this unprecedented time.

To be featured in a future edition, send your recommendations of things to do at home and why you love them to: Creative Director / Publisher Dave Hamilton at dhamilton@streetwise.org

Long Live R B G!

Virtual Tour of 'Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg'

Based on the New York Times bestselling book and Tumblr page of the same name, "Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" is the first-ever museum exhibition focused solely on this judicial icon, whose image graces mugs, T-shirts, posters, and bobbleheads. The exhibit is a vibrant exploration of Justice Ginsburg’s life and her numerous, often simultaneous roles as a student, wife, mother, lawyer, judge, women’s rights pioneer, and Internet phenomenon. Whether you’re a fan or a legal scholar, don’t miss this blockbuster exhibit! This exhibition was developed by the associate curator at Los Angeles Skirball Cultural Center, Cate Thurston, in partnership with Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik, co-authors of the New York Times bestselling book, "Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg." Briefs and other writings by RBG, including some of her famously searing dissents, are woven throughout the exhibit. In keeping with the spirit of Carmon's and Knizhnik’s book, the exhibition riffs off the playful connection between Notorious RBG and rapper Notorious B.I.G. The name of each gallery section alludes to a song or lyric from the late hip-hop artist. Tours are $10 at 6: 30 p.m. on February 3, 10:30 a.m. on February 10 & 17, and 3 p.m. on February 20 at ilholocaustmuseum.org/rbg

Arts Festival!

Festival on the Square

Congo Square Theatre Company (Congo Square), one of the nation’s premier African American theatres, announces its Festival on the Square, a three-day virtual festival celebrating the arts, February 4-6, from 7-9 p.m. at www.congosquaretheatre.org/fos. Inspired by the original Congo Square marketplace in New Orleans—where people of color communed through music and dance and celebrated the cultures of their homelands—Festival on the Square culminates in the 2021 Vision Benefit honoring acclaimed director Ron OJ Parson and Les Coney, the company’s first board chairman. Parson directed Congo Square’s first production, August Wilson’s "The Piano Lesson," in 2000. Festival on the Square programming is FREE to the public and includes a 10-minute play festival and “Conversations at the Square” with industry professionals, including actor Morocco Omari (Empire, 21 Bridges, Homeland) and Dionna Griffin-Irons, director of diversity talent inclusion for The Second City. Registration is required to attend one or all three days of the festival, with optional donations accepted to support Congo Square’s fundraising efforts, including sponsorships for the Vision Benefit.

World Premiere!

'Before Fiddler'

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to partner with Hershey Felder Presents – Live from Florence on its next live streaming production: Hershey Felder as Sholem Aleichem in "Before Fiddler" starring Felder as famed “Tevye the Milkman” and featuring Klezmerata Fiorentina premiering Sunday, February 7 at 7 p.m. Tickets for Felder’s one-man show are $55 per household and are available for purchase at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. This production will benefit national US theatres and arts organizations including Porchlight Music Theatre. Before the beloved musical "Fiddler on the Roof," there was Sholem Aleichem and his beloved character of “Tevye the Milkman.” Before the popularized songs, “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker,” and others, there was music of the old world– a music that imitated talking, laughing, weeping and singing, where musicians didn’t just make music, they spoke to you in song through this music called Klezmer. In Florence, Italy, one of the oldest artistic centers in the world, a group of musicians have been virtuosos in Florence’s world famous Maggio Musicale symphony by day, and then become the Klezmerata Fiorentina by night. With Hershey Felder as their storyteller, and their old European roots, Felder executes a performance by taking on the role of great writer Sholem Aleichem himself – giving us the true story of what happened before "Fiddler." Filmed on location where events actually took place, this world premiere features stories and characters of Sholem Aleichem with a story and music that is sure to move your soul.

Folk Art!

Cesáreo Moreno, 'Folk Art to Fine Art, Mercados a Museos'

Cesáreo Moreno, chief curator at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, will discuss “Folk Art to Fine Art: Mercados a Museo,” a discussion about 20th century Mexican art and its development from local markets to museums around the world, at 7 p.m. Friday, February 5. The presentation will reveal artistic movements that emerged from the Mexican Revolution, along with the role of nationalism and the visual arts. He will explore the didactic murals, prints and the iconography that ultimately inspired the 1960s Chicano murals in the U.S. and led to public art on the streets of the Pilsen neighborhood. Tickets are free. Additional information, including more details and links to register, can be found at theccma.org/frida-events and AtTheMAC.org. Moreno’s talk is part of a series of virtual events celebrating iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo presented by the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) in Glen Ellyn, in association with the Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA). These events, taking place February to May, will offer multiple chances to explore the artist’s influences and legacy ahead of the landmark “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” exhibition June 5 -September 6. The exhibition, hosted by the MAC and CCMA, will be the largest Frida Kahlo exhibition in the Chicago area in more than 40 years, and will be at the College of DuPage (COD). It will feature a 26-piece collection on loan from the Museo Dolores Olmedo as well as a multimedia timeline, 100+ photographic images from the artist’s life, and more.

Stay at Home Laughs!

'Green Show Live'

With this new year comes a brand new, totally virtual & EXTREMELY unhinged comedy experience… Green Show Live on February 5 from 8 - 9 p.m. Green Show Live is the first of its kind, streaming live from the iconic Annoyance Theatre in front of one billion green screens (give or take a few) and zero in-person audience members. GSL showcases multimedia performances from some of the most unique comedians in the Chicago area. Videos, PowerPoints, music, dance, drag – this show’s got it all. The only thing better than live comedy? Live comedy from three different camera angles. Did we mention it’s all performed in front of green screens??? Watch on https://www.twitch.tv/annoyancetheatre This show is donation only. Donations will be collected throughout the live stream via Venmo (@GreenShowLive).

The Drama of it All!

'Here Lies Henry'

Interrobang will stream archival footage of its Jeff Award-nominated one-man drama "Here Lies Henry" by Daniel MacIvor, newly staged by Artistic Producer Elana Elyce and featuring Scott Sawa. The revival of ITP’s very first production was shuttered last winter by the COVID-19 pandemic. Henry's got a lot he has to tell you, he just can't guarantee that it's all true. In the spotlight, with only the audience as his witness, Henry grapples with his choices and failures in a scramble to make sense of his life before it's too late. Daniel MacIvor's gripping one-man play offers a provocative take on love, death, beauty, truth, and of course, good old-fashioned lying. Stream live on February 5 at 8 p.m., or purchase the ondemand performance through March 4, both for $15, at interrobangtheatreproject.com

Lunch Music!

Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert

The International Music Foundation presents the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert. Enjoy free weekly classical concerts from the comfort of your own home broadcast live from the Chicago Cultural Center. Join in on February 2 at 12:15 p.m. for harpist Eleanor Kirk performing music by Lili Boulanger, Florence Price, Marcel Grandjany and Brandee Younger. FREE concerts can be viewed from imfchicago.org, as well as 98.7 WFMT.

-Compiled by Dave Hamilton & Suzanne Hanney