ART
`AMERICAN EXPRESSIONISM: ART AND SOCIAL CHANGE, 1920S-1950S’
More than 80 paintings that blend European and American sensibilities; opens Friday at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston; free; 847-491-4000.
`THE JAMES VANDERZEE STUDIO’
Eighty-five photographic prints taken by the chronicler of the Harlem Renaissance in various portrait studios during his 75-year career; through April 25 at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave.; $10 suggested admission; 312-443-3600.
`ALPHA AND OMEGA: SMALL SCULPTURES AND MODELS BY JERRY PEART’
An overview from 1969 to 2003 for the Chicago artist; closes Friday at Oakton Community College, 1600 E. Gold Rd., Des Plaines; free; 847-635-1813.
— Alan G. Artner
CLASSICAL
MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE
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A special event: Music director Jane Glover will lead the orchestra and chorus, along with the extraordinary mezzo-soprano Catherine Wyn-Rogers, in an unusual program of “Tragic Heroines.” The diverse figures who are depicted musically span several centuries, from Purcell’s Dido and Haydn’s Berenice to Britten’s Phaedra. Haydn’s “Trauer” Symphony rounds out the concert; at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the Harris Music and Dance Theater, 205. E Randolph St., at Millennium Park; $25-$50; 312-551-1414.
FULCRUM POINT
Stephen Burns’ always-boundary-busting Fulcrum Point New Music Project launches a five-year exploration of the essential elements — water, earth, wind and fire — with a program of musical works inspired by oceans. Composers to be heard are John Cage, George Crumb, Fela Kuti and Frank Zappa; at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Harris Music and Dance Theater, 205 E. Randolph St., at Millennium Park; $20; 312-334-7777.
MOZART’S `THE MAGIC FLUTE’
Opera Theatre Highland Park presents an English-language version of the delightful Singspiel. Music director Francesco Milioto conducts a cast that includes Michelle Areyzaga, Sarah Gartshore, Jay Morrissey and James Martin, with members of the Chicago Children’s Choir; at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Feb. 1 in the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie; $37.50; 847-673-6300.
LES ARTS FLORISSANTS
William Christie’s wonderful Baroque ensemble will commemorate the 25th anniversary of its founding and the 300th anniversary of the death of French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The program holds two Charpentier vocal-instrumental works, “La Descente d’Orphee aux enfers” and “Les arts florissants”; at 3 p.m. Feb. 1 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; $19-$35; 312-294-3000.
— John von Rhein
JAZZ
DEEP BLUE ORGAN TRIO
Guitarist Bobby Broom, organist Chris Foreman and drummer Greg Rockingham have cohered into a first-rate unit; 9 p.m. Friday at the Green Mill Jazz Club, 4802 N. Broadway; $8-$15; 773-8780-5552.
GORAN IVANOVIC GROUP
The excellent Chicago guitarist leads an ensemble that includes saxophonist Doug Rosenberg; 8 p.m. Wednesday at HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive; $10; 312-362-9707.
— Howard Reich
THEATER
`BAILEGANGAIRE’
Years ago something bad happened in a West Ireland town — bad enough to lead to its rechristening of Bailegangaire, meaning “town without laughter.” The secret lies in an obsessively detailed tale told, from her cottage bed, by old Mommo. One granddaughter yearns for the whole story. The other, with issues of her own, hears it all as senile blarney. The 1985 Tom Murphy play operates on a strategy of delayed gratification, often murkily, even aggravatingly so. Yet it pays off, as does Irish Repertory’s good, lean staging, featuring a fine performance from Elizabeth Rich (caretaker Mary), a game if rhythmically stolid one from Mary Ann Thebus (Mommo), and nice support from Michelle Courvais as Dolly. Kay Martinonvich directs, with a minimum of fuss; through Feb. 15 at Victory Gardens Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.; $32-$36; 773-871-3000.
`HAIRSPRAY’
Lotta lotta fun, propelled by a strong Motowny score and a generally exhilarating brand of retro pop silliness. Plus-size 1962 Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad changes the course of civil rights history and becomes a local idol in the bargain. In director Jack O’Brien’s fine touring edition Tracy’s mom is played by Bruce Vilanch. For the Chicago engagement, the supporting role of Seaweed’s played by Chester Gregory II, and that is kinetically happy news indeed; through Feb. 15 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theater, 24 W. Randolph St.; $37-$87; 312-902-1400.
`SEX!’
A team of TV newshour anchors deliver reports on the history, variety, entanglements and insistent popularity of the title act and, in one instance, one correspondent’s First Time. Sean Benjamin’s entertaining Neo-Futurist outing transcends a conventional satiric framework (Jon Stewart has a lock on it at the moment) and some uneven writing, thanks to an ingratiating cast. The women fare particularly well: Noelle Krimm and Chloe Johnston offer contrasting styles of deadpan earnestness. Plus, they pass around aphrodisiac dessert bars; through Feb. 21 at the Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave.; $12; 773-275-5255.
— Michael Phillips
`DOORS OPEN ON THE RIGHT’
Joshua Funk’s stellar, daring and frequently hilarious new revue on the Second City mainstage blames poor Steve Bartman (of Cubs’ choke infamy) for everything from fire to the lack of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. The cast is young but the material is hot, and Funk’s formative mastery of the Second City genre without recent peer; open run at Second City, 1616 N. Wells St., $17-19; 312-337-3992
`DRINKING AND WRITING’
Performed in actual taverns, this humorous and savvy effort from the ever-imaginative Neo-Futurists is a funny, poignant and intellectually stimulating look at the irrefutable causal link between drinkers and writers of various stripes; open run (Mondays only) at Levin’s, 1450 Sherman Ave., Evanston; $12; 847-869-0450.
`A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC’
In this thoroughly beguiling and indisputably world-class show on the main stage of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Chicago director Gary Griffin finally has been given a budget big enough and a theatrical canvas of sufficient scale that he can do his usual reductive thing and yet keep all the good stuff intact. This full-scored treatment of the waltz-oriented Stephen Sondheim musical is Griffin’s most mature and successful Chicago show to date, a fine marriage of traditional craft and progressive innovation, simplicity and expansiveness. It’s populated by the internationally accomplished, and by Chicagoans at the top of their game; through Feb. 15 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Navy Pier; $48-62; 312-595-5600.
`OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS’
Now remounted at the Mercury Theatre in proscenium form, Joe DiPietro’s proudly retro play is a shamelessly sentimental piece of emotional realism about an initially ungrateful young fellow who comes to understand the worth of his quartet of New Jersey grandparents only when he decides to move to Seattle to pursue his selfish career. Michael Weber’s production cuts the treacle with performances from a splendid quartet of veteran Chicago actors unafraid to wrestle with the meanness and insularity of old age, as well as the wisdom it imparts; ends Sunday at the Mercury Theatre, 3745 N. Southport Ave.; $38.50-44.50; 773-325-1700.
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`PANTS ON FIRE’
Mendacity may be older than the republic, but this still is an unusually fertile time for this lively, exuberant and very funny new comedy revue at the spunky Second City e.t.c., which, thanks to an especially talented current cast, continues to beat the pants off the more staid Second City mainstage. Director Joshua Funk and his youthful coterie see and debunk liars everywhere; open run at Second City e.t.c., 1608 N. Wells St.; $17-$19; 312-337-3992.
`SAN VALENTINO AND THE MELANCHOLY KID’
This faux-tragic western from the talented youngsters at the House Theatre is a full-blown rockabilly musical bursting with originality. Replete with cattle, illusions, cowboys, romance, a Mormon avenger, a revenge plot and a live rock band sitting behind a fake rock, “The Kid” makes for a thrilling and exciting night of 15-buck theater that knows neither fear nor internally imposed limitations. There’s more passion, exuberance, wit, imagination and sheer spirit on offer in the first 20 minutes than some Chicago theaters manage to serve up in an entire season; through March 6 at the Viaduct, 3111 N. Western Ave.; $15; 773-251-2195.
— Chris Jones