Arts & Entertainment Recommendations

Ballet is Such a Drag!

Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo

Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo, known by their fans as “The Trocks,” gives a one-night only performance Saturday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. at The Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive. The world’s leading all-male ballet company perfectly merges classical ballet, spot-on comedic timing, and the fabulous art of drag. Excerpts featured in the performance are "Le Lac Des Cygnes" (the second act of "Swan Lake"), "Go for Barocco," and "Paquita." Every member of The Trocks preforms under both a male and a female persona, each with its own name and backstory. Company dancers perform every role authentically whether their character demands a tutu or extra tendus and proves that men can also dance en pointe (on tiptoes). Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo was founded in 1974 by a group of ballet enthusiasts for the purpose of presenting a playful, entertaining view of traditional, classical ballet in parody form and en travesti – in drag. Tickets are $30-$76 at auditoriumtheatre.org

Joffrey Revives A Classic!

‘Anna Karenina’

The Joffrey Ballet remounts Yuri Possokhov’s blockbuster “Anna Karenina” for the first time since its crowd-pleasing world premiere in 2019. The ballet based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy is a story of romance, family, and faith against a backdrop of fraught political and social transformation set in the late 19th century. It follows Anna as she finds herself caught in a life-changing affair with the dashing Count Vronsky. “Anna Karenina” will be performed by the Joffrey Ballet from February 15-26 at 7:30 or 2 p.m. at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Upper Wacker Drive. Tickets $36+ and more information at joffrey.org

Living My Life Like It's Golden!

Pemon Rami: ‘When Blackness Was Golden!’

Harold Washington Library hosts Pemon Rami, author of his memoir “W hen Blackness Was Golden!” as part of the “Voices for Justice” series. Rami will converse with radio, TV, and Special Event Producer Sylvia Ewing about growing up in Chicago. Pemon Rami is a member of the Board of the Illinois Arts Council, a film producer and director who acted in the films “The Blues Brothers,” “Mahogany” starring Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams, and “Cooley High.” He is the former director of education at the DuSable Museum of African American History and was Chicago’s first African American film casting director. This free event will be at 6 p.m. February 15 in the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium of the Harold Washington Library at 400 S. State St. More info at https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/v2/events

Follow the Map!

Author Reading: Joan DeJean ‘Mutinous Women’

Join Joan DeJean and Jack McCord at the Newberry Library as they use maps from the Newberry collection to recreate the European settlement in North America that the French named Louisiana, and to tell the story of one remarkable woman, Marie Baron. Joan DeJean’s book “Mutinous Women” tells the story of Baron and how her life impacts the United States even after 300 years. Baron and most of the 95 other female inmates deported with her from France to an island off the Gulf Coast were falsely charged with public prostitution, but she survived and married the mapmaker Jean Francois Dumont, who recorded events that she witnessed. The virtual event “Mutinous Women: How French Convicts Became Founding Mothers of the Gulf Coast” will be at 6 p.m. February 9. Admission is free, but advanced registration is required at newberry.org

Vroom, Vroom!

Chicago Auto Show

This year marks the 115th anniversary of the Chicago Auto Show, the largest in North America. The show features multiple world and North American introductions and the complete range of domestic and imported passenger cars, trucks, sport-utility vehicles, minivans, and experimental and concept cars. The wide range of vehicles and other exhibits are on display from February 11-19 from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. and February 20 from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. at McCormick Place, 2301 S. King Drive. Tickets are $15 at chicagoautoshow.com

What Happens to a Dream Deferred?

‘A Raisin in the Sun’

Set on Chicago’s South Side, “A Raisin in the Sun'' explores the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family. After receiving the insurance check for her deceased husband, Mama Lena wants to use the money to move to a better neighborhood, but racial inequality and discrimination create obstacles. The show will run February 9-19 at 7:30 or 2 p.m. at the Beverly Arts Center located at 2407 W. 111th St. Tickets are $40+ and available with additional information at thebeverlyartscenter.com

Lights, Camera, Action!

Porchlight Revisits - ‘I am a Camera’

Porchlight Revisits celebrates the rarely seen old gems of Broadway, off-Broadway and beyond, including the behind-the-scenes backstory. “I am a Camera” premiered in 1951 and served as inspiration for the musical “Cabaret.” There will be only two performances, at 7:30 p.m. February 8 and at 1:30 p.m. February 9 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. Tickets are $52 at porchlightmusictheatre.org/i-am-a-camera

Going Rogue!

‘Edith: The Rogue Rockefeller McCormick’

The Book Stall at Chestnut Court hosts author Andrea Friederici Ross, who will discuss her book, “Edith: The Rogue Rockefeller McCormick.” Edith was an heiress to both the Rockefeller and McCormick fortunes, and used to the privileges of wealth. Ross is a native of the Chicago area and a graduate of Northwestern University who works in an elementary school library. Her book delves into Edith’s extravagant life, accomplishments, and philanthropy, as well as her pursuit of independence in Chicago. This free event will take place at 6:30 p.m. February 9 at 811 Elm Street, Winnetka. More information at thebookstall.com

Don't Forget!

‘Right To Be Forgotten’

The 90-minute play “Right To Be Forgotten” is a story about human forgiveness in the age of the internet and one man’s fight for privacy. Derril Lark goes to extraordinary lengths to move past a decade-old mistake he made when he was 17, but the internet never forgets. The Raven Theatre tells stories of today and the past that connect viewers to the cultural landscape. Playing at Raven Theatre at 6157 N. Clark St., with shows at 3 p.m. on Sundays and 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, from February 9 through March 26. Tickets are $40 or less at raventheatre.com

Musical Exploration!

Breabach: World Music Wednesdays

Breabach will be featured at 8 p.m. February 8 at the Old Town School of Folk Music's World Music Wednesday, a weekly showcase of global music and dance. Breabach is a skilled and imaginative contemporary Scottish folk group who unite their deep roots in the Highland and Island tradition with the innovative musical ferment of their Glasgow base. Breabach will perform at the Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall, 4544 N Lincoln Ave. Admission is free with a suggested $10 donation. Reservations recommended at www.oldtownschool.org/concerts

Compiled by Emma Murphy