Arts & Entertainment Recommendations

Compiled by Cora Saddler

The Time is Now!

What’s Next: The Future of Downtown

Don’t know what’s next for the future of Chicago’s downtown city center? Addressing the concerns and effects of the pandemic, the Chicago Architecture Center is hosting a virtual event dedicated to opening conversations surrounding Chicago’s central business district. Before the 2020 lockdown, Chicago had been the fastest-growing downtown center by population. Join program moderator Greg Hinz (reporter at Crain’s Chicago Business) and presenters Ryan Mullenix (partner at NBBJ Architects), Mary W. Rowe (President and CEO of Canadian Urban Institute), and William Murray (Co-founder of Murray Twohig) as they explore ways to stimulate the storefront economy and after-work entertainment culture as well as how design can be used to reinvigorate and reimagine the use of buildings to meet post-pandemic needs. Event takes place at noon March 24. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $12 for Chicago Architecture Center members. For more information, visit architecture.org.

Food Festival!

Savor Lincoln Park

Hungry for some of Chicago’s best eats and views? Savor Lincoln Park features delicious samples and sips from Lincoln Park’s favorite restaurants and bars set against the breathtaking backdrop of Chicago’s iconic city skyline. Guests will enjoy a unique silent auction package featuring gift cards from Chicago’s best destinations, stores, and attractions. Participating restaurants include Casati’s Modern Italian, Chez Moi, Dom’s Kitchen and Market, Evette’s, Tandoor Char House, the Lakefront Restaurant and more as well as participating drink partners like Eris Brewery & Cider House, Maplewood Brewery, Revolution Brewing, Vin Chicago and White Claw. The festival is presented by the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce at the Theater on the Lake, 2401 N. Lake Shore Drive, from 6-9 p.m. on March 22. Cost is $40 and includes samples, drinks, and a complimentary beer.

Find Your Way!

Newberry Library: Crossing Exhibition

Venture into the four historic cross-country routes across the United States during the opening of new exhibition “Crossings: Mapping American Journeys.” The exhibition will recreate the many travelers' experiences along the northern and southern border of the US, across the continent’s interior and up and down the Mississippi River. “Crossing” reveals the centuries of movement— from the days of Lewis and Clark to the modern American road trip—and how the same path led to different meanings: whether discovery to the European explorer, freedom to the enslaved, or loss and removal to the Indigenous. Come see how people and places connect across time through maps, guidebooks, travelogues and postcards at the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St. The gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10-4 p.m. through June 25. Free. More information at newberry.org.

Preserving Chicago History!

Reopening of Historic G.A.R. Rooms at the Chicago Cultural Center

The Chicago Cultural Center’s Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Memorial Hall and rotunda – complete with a 40-footdiameter, 62,000-piece art glass dome -- have been restored, thanks to a $15 million grant, in time for the 125th anniversary of the building at 78 E. Washington St. A March 26 and 27 celebration there will feature 11 a.m. talks both days by Chicago Cultural Historian Emeritus Tim Samuelson about the rooms originally dedicated to Union veterans of the Civil War; there will also be tours and a 2 p.m. Saturday panel on “W.hat Sacrifice & Freedom Mean Today” with professors Christopher Reed and Eileen McMahon, artist Leah Gipson, and Chicago Sun-Times columnist Laura Washington. The building’s upgraded electrical, lighting and Wifi will offer added capacity for performances and exhibitions essential to Chicago's tourism economy, city officials said.

Don't Cry For Me, Argentina!

'Doña Perón'

Dance over to the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, for the Ballet Hispánico’s performance of “Doña Perón: The Rise and Fall of a Diva.” Staged by the Manhattan company, committed to exploring the Latino experience through movement and dance for over 50 years, "Doña Perón" tells the story of Eva Perón, former First Lady of Argentina and wife of President Juan Domingo Perón. It will follow her experience as an activist and advocate for Argentina’s women and working class in contrast to her self-indulgent, opulent lifestyle. This new full-length work is by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and led by Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro. Performances will be 7:30 p.m. March 26 and 3 p.m. March 27. Tickets are $37+ at auditoriumtheatre.org.

Chicago Premiere!

Fanfare Chicago

Experience the majestic sounds of the Chicago Philharmonic as they present the lively American premiere of “Fanfare Chicago,” featuring three-time Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Jennifer Higdon and her “Mandolin Concerto” performed by international classical music star Avi Avital (pictured), the first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy. Two additional world premieres of “Polo Romanesco” by Composer in Residence Reinaldo Moya and “Chicago Fanfare” by 2020 Fanfare Competition Winner Nicholas Hubbell will be performed that night, along with Ottorino Respighi’s “Gli uccelli” and “Trittico botticelliano.” Join the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St., 3 p.m. March 27, for this red carpet experience, plus the showcase of a surprise Italian masterpiece by concert sponsor Continental AutoSports Ferrari just outside the venue. Tickets are $25-$75 and can be purchased at chicagophilharmonic.org.

It's All Greek to Me!

Greek Independence Day Virtual Celebration

If it’s all Greek to you, consider hopping over to Greektown Chicago for a celebration of Greek Independence Day. Greektown is a dining, nightlife and cultural district located on the Near West Side of Chicago and offers an authentic sampling of Greek heritage, restaurants, cafes, shops, the National Hellenic Museum and festivals. On March 25, the virtual celebration showcases last year’s special 200th anniversary of Greek Independence Day with stories from Greek Americans all across Chicago. The program will also feature a special recording of Greek singer Glykeria’s (pictured) “Let it be ‘21," and photos of past Greek Independence Day celebrations and parades from the last 126 years. The event will be streamed for free on Greektown Facebook at 7 p.m. For more information and other related events, see greektownchicago.org.

Amen!

Jackie Taylor’s 'It’s Just Like Coming to Church'

Black Ensemble Theater’s Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor begins her 2022 season with the world premiere of “It’s Just Like Coming to Church (Welcome to The Church of You).” Directed by Jackie and starring Dawn Bless (Preacher) and Vincent Jordan (Deacon Jones), the joyous and uplifting story emphasizes the power of forgiveness, self-love, faith and healing in the face of trials and tribulations and features a variety of musical genres that embrace the sounds of the Harlem Renaissance: gospel, spiritual, jazz, and blues. The show runs 90 minutes without intermission at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark St., through April 24. Performances are 7 p.m. Fridays, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $50- 55. More information at blackensembletheater.org.

The Holocaust Remembered

An Opera in Two Acts: Two Remain

“Two Remains” follows the dual journals of Holocaust survivors Krystyna Zywulska and Gad Beck and their memories of Auschwitz. Act I follows Krystyna—a political prisoner with a hidden Jewish identity—as she finds and shares her past many years after the war. She is possessed by memories of her job in the Effektenkammer, cataloging the personal effects of thousands of women and children before they were sent to the gas chambers next door. Act II follows Gad, an old man haunted by his past lover Manfred Lewin, a poet who was murdered in Auschwitz at 19, who implores him to remember and celebrate their love during a time when more than 100,000 men and women were imprisoned for homosexuality. “Two Remain” will be performed on at 7:30 p.m. March 26, 5 p.m. March 27, 7:30 p.m. April 2 and 5 p.m. April 3 at the Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway. Tickets are $25-40. For more details, see chicagofringeopera.com.