ART
150 YEARS OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN SPAIN
A historical overview curated by the best-known Spanish photo historian; through June 15; Instituto Cervantes, John Hancock Center, 875 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2940; free; 312-335-1996.
NANCY GENN
Collages by a celebrated abstract painter and papermaker; through June 8; Istituto Italiano di Cultura, 500 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 1450; free; 312-822-9545.
FIELD WORK: DIGITAL GROUND BY IRENE SIEGEL
The first exhibition of digital inventions by the veteran Chicago painter; through Sept. 19; Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave.; $10 suggested admission; 312-443-3600.
— Alan G. Artner
CLASSICAL
DATES WITH THE 88S
Two of today’s finest pianists, Krystian Zimerman and Pierre-Laurent Aimard, will perform recitals this month at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. Zimerman’s program, at 3 p.m. Sunday, will hold Chopin’s “Funeral March” Sonata and four mazurkas, along with works by Ravel and Leopold Godowsky. $19-$43; 312-294-3000. Aimard will pair two big sonatas, Beethoven’s “Appassionata” and Charles Ives’ “Concord” Sonata, with Elliott Carter’s “Two Diversions.” $18-$37; 312-294-3000.
COMPOSER PERSPECTIVES
The third and final concert in this exciting collaborative series by the Chicago Chamber Musicians and the Museum of Contemporary Art is planned and hosted by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis. Soprano Alicia Berneche will take part in Kernis’ “Goblin Market” and Jacob Druckman’s song cycle, “Counterpoise,” on a program that includes Arvo Part’s “Pilgrim’s Song.” 7:30 p.m. Monday at Thorne Auditorium, 375 E. Chicago Ave.; $25 and $30; 212-397-4010.
RACHMANINOFF FEST
Virtuoso pianist Alexander Toradze and members of his Toradze Piano Studio will join conductor Lawrence Rapchak and the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra for a Rachmaninoff Weekend Festival at the Sheely Center for the Performing Arts, Glenbrook North High School, 2300 Shermer Rd., Northbrook. The festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday with a three-hour marathon of the composer’s works for two pianos. It concludes at 4 p.m. May 16 when Toradze performs Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto on a program that includes works by Delius and Schumann. $5-$30; 847-272-0755.
— John von Rhein
MOVIES
HUMAN RIGHTS FESTIVAL
Facets’ 3rd annual Human Rights Film Festival plays Friday through next Thursday with 10 provocative and informative documentaries and fiction features, focusing on crucial world crises and human rights problems. Among them: “Ford Transit” (Hany Abu-Assad, Palestine/Israel 2002), 7 p.m. Thursday; “State of Denial” (Elaine Epstein, U.S.A. 2002), 7 p.m. Monday; Facets Cinematheque, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave.; 773-281-4114.
— Michael Wilmington
THEATER
FRAULEIN ELSE
Nineteen, socially envious and faced with crushing family debts, a 19-year-old Viennese woman faces the decision of a claustrophobic lifetime in Arthur Schnitzler’s 1924 novella. The elegant, tart Court Theatre production uses the Francesca Faridany adaptation, staged and designed with an insinuatingly rotting air. The cast is excellent, with one major exception — Whitney Sneed’s Else is more exhausting than enlightening. Yet the show remains uncompromsingly sharp. Through May 16 at 5535 S. Ellis Ave., Hyde Park; $26-$50; 773-753-4472.
I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER
A fine excuse for John Mahoney and Kevin Anderson and their various Steppenwolf Theatre Company cohorts to dine out on some juicy family confrontations. In his first Chicago stage appearance in three years, Mahoney plays author Robert Anderson’s ailing martinet of a WASP, Westchester County variety, whose gruff, bullying persona vexes our well-meaning narrator (played by Anderson). Director Anna D. Shapiro has the taste and intelligence to go easy on the pathos, even when the pat, often predictable 1968 vehicle does not. Through June 20 at 1650 N. Halsted St.; $38-$60; 312-335-1650.
— Michael Phillips
PARADE
Bailiwick operates on relatively small budgets and draws from a non-Equity pool. And David Zak’s production is by no means flawless. But especially for lovers of contemporary musicals who’d rather drop $30 than $80, these issues do not constitute reasons to pass this superb musical by. Directed with passion and daring, it is very skillfully cast. There is a stellar little orchestra providing the musical accompaniment. The show is capably sung across the board and, on occasion, the vocals are exceptional. And most important, the married couple at the center of the story of a trumped-up murder case born of anti-Semitism is very well played; through May 29 at the Bailiwick Arts Center, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., $25-$30; 773-883-1090.
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THE SHAGGS: PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD
A full-throated and earnest original pop musical about a real-life New Hampshire sister act from the late 1960s now affectionately regarded as one of the worst bands of all time, Joy Gregory’s new musical still needs a lot of work and a more consistent mood and tone. But this is a big, entertaining show. And given the savvy idea, droll tunes and clever, entertaining execution, “The Shaggs” both deserves and will gain many fans amid locals and tourists alike; through June 13 at Water Tower Water Works, 8231 N. Michigan Ave.; $15-$57; 312-337-0665.
YELLOWMAN
A finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for drama, Dael Orlandersmith’s widely acclaimed “Yellowman” is usually described as a daring African-American play about the tricky and oft-taboo matter of racism within a race. But this piercing, clear-eyed piece of writing homes in most directly on a different issue: It’s a lyrical but necessarily didactic indictment of the pervasive tendency of parents of all stripes to visit their own bitter neuroses on their kids. Chuck Smith directs the outstanding Next Theatre duo of Jacqueline Williams and Jason Delane; through May 23 at the Noyes Cutural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston; $18-$29; 847-475-1875.
— Chris Jones
JAZZ
MWATA BOWDEN
The dynamic reedist-composer will be interviewed onstage, then perform with his Sound Spectrum band; 6:30 p.m. Monday at HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Drive; free; 312-362-9707.
DAVE REMPIS
The saxophonist marks the release of his new CD, “Out of Season”; 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Claudia Cassidy Theater of the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.; free; 312-744-6630.
— Howard Reich
ROCK
CLINIC
Lab-coated Brits bely their visual humor with taut melodies and corrosive guitars; Friday at Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace St., $15; 773-478-4408.
HOLGER CZUKAY
The musical maverick, who founded the German art-rock band Can, on a rare U.S. tour that will survey his 40-year career, Saturday at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., $20; 773-278-6600.
MF DOOM
The rapper’s “Madvillain” collaboration with producer Madlib has yielded one of the year’s defining hip-hop albums; opening Saturday for Talib Kweli at House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn St., $22.50; 312-923-2000.
— Greg Kot