Mary Zimmerman’s “Mirror of the Invisible World,” in which seven princesses of the East tell fascinating stories about love, continues through May 11 at the Goodman Studio Theatre. The project is inspired by the 12th Century Persian classic “Haft Paykar,” written by the poet Nizami. Eight actors, including Jenny Bacon, who also played in Zimmerman’s “Journey to the West” and “The Arabian Nights,” lead the cast. For tickets, call 312-443-3800.
– Sid Smith
CLASSICAL: BAROQUE SUMMIT
Three of the city’s foremost musical groups — His Majestie’s Clerkes, the Chicago Baroque Ensemble and the Newberry Consort — will join forces for the first time ever in a performance of J.S. Bach’s glorious “Magnificat,” at 3 p.m. May 4 in Mandel Hall, University of Chicago. The Clerkes’ Anne Heider will conduct, with vocal soloists Christine Brandes, Patrice Michaels Bedi, Alan Bennett, Drew Minter and Andrew Schultze. The rest of the program will hold shorter vocal works by Bach and his son Johann Christoph, a trio sonata by Johann Philip Krieger and a cantata by Dietrich Buxtehude. 773-702-8068.
– John von Rhein
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JAZZ: SALUTING THE DUKE
For the last two decades, Chicago-based Jazz Unites has been presenting superb concerts honoring Duke Ellington. This year’s 20th annual event has a particularly appealing lineup, with trumpeter Jon Faddis, the Houston Person/Etta Jones Quintet and William Russo’s Chicago Jazz Ensemble sharing the marquee. They’ll perform at 5 p.m. May 4 in the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. For more information, call Jazz Unites at 773-734-2000.
– Howard Reich
ART: NO SUGAR, NO SPICE
More than 200 years ago artist and poet William Blake already knew childhood was not all that it was cracked up to be. “My Little Pretty: Images of Girls by Contemporary Women Artists,” the exhibition now showing at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., reaches the same, sometimes grisly, conclusion. The emphasis is on experience rather than innocence. Through June 22. 312-280-2660.
– Alan Artner
TV: SHINE ON
Stephen King’s attempt to rectify what he saw as Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 mistreatment of his novel “The Shining” plays out over three nights on ABC (8 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Thursday, WLS-Ch. 7). Steven Weber (“Wings”) takes over for Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, the writer in charge of an ill-tempered resort hotel in the off season. Although it’s a reasonably entertaining ghost story on its own terms, the miniseries “Shining” doesn’t serve the book much better. It’s so busy making excuses for Jack’s malfeasance toward his wife and son that by the end all menace is lost.
– Steve Johnson
ROCK: WINNING COMBINATION
A circle of friends who grew up in the musical backwater of Ruston, La., has produced three of the more enduring rock albums of the last couple of years. Unlikely as that may seem, the latest discs by Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel and the Apples in Stereo combine great tunes with concept-album ambitions realized on a shoestring budget. Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel are still in their relative infancy as touring bands, which means their performance Thursday at Lounge Ax is hardly a surefire winner. But these bands have beaten the odds before. 773-525-6620.
– Greg Kot