ART
AMERICAN JEWISH ARTISTS CLUB
“Engaging With the Present: The Contribution of the American Jewish Artists Club to Modern Art in Chicago, 1928-2004,” a 75th anniversary exhibition of paintings, sculpture, drawings and graphics, closes Sunday at the Spertus Museum, 618 S. Michigan Ave.; $5; 312-322-1747.
BRITISH ART
“Building a Collection: New Acquisitions and Promised Gifts of British Art,” 70 drawings, watercolors, paintings and prints in an area under-represented at most North American museums runs through Sept. 6 at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave.; $12 suggested admission. 312-443-3600.
— Alan G. Artner
JAZZ
CHARLES MCPHERSON
The underrated but brilliant alto saxophonist launches “Charlie Parker Month” at Chicago’s top jazz club; Tuesday through Aug. 8 at the Jazz Showcase, 59 W. Grand Ave.; $20; 312-670-2473.
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— Howard Reich
CLASSICAL
GRANT PARK FESTIVAL
The Grant Park Orchestra this week will perform a popular operatic comedy and symphonic favorites in two programs at the new Jay Pritzker Pavilion of Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph Drive. Members of the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists will present Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi,” in a concert version at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, with Hannu Lintu conducting. German conductor Sebastian Weigle will present the local premiere of John Corigliano’s “Phantasmagoria on `The Ghosts of Versailles,'” along with music by Rossini and Dvorak, at 6:30 p.m. Friday and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Free; 312-742-4763.
HEIDI GRANT MURPHY
The radiant American soprano will make her Ravinia recital debut with a program of songs by Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Lili Boulanger and others at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Martin Theatre. Kevin Murphy is her accompanist. Lake Cook and Green Bay Roads, Highland Park; $25-$40, $10 lawn; 847-266-5100.
SERKIN RESIDENCY
American pianist Peter Serkin will display his many musical sides in four separate programs this week at the Ravinia Festival. First up is a recital of 20th Century pieces and J.S. Bach at 8 p.m. Monday in the Martin Theatre. Then he will join the remarkable mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson for a song recital at 8 p.m. Thursday, also in the Martin, marking her long-awaited local debut. Finally, he will appear as soloist with conductor James Conlon and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the CSO’s final pair of festival concerts for the summer. The pianist will perform Peter Lieberson’s “Red Garuda” at 8 p.m. Friday; works by Mozart and Dvorak complete the bill. He also will play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 at 8 p.m. Saturday; $20-$40, $10 lawn; 847-266-5100.
— John von Rhein
MOVIES
`FATHER AND SON’
From Alexander Sokurov (“Russian Ark”), “Father and Son” is a tale of the bonding of a widowed father and his soldier son in Lisbon. Poetic, virile and seethingly emotional, it’s harder to grasp than his recent, more political film. Still, you can understand why the Cannes FIPRESCI International Critics’ Jury gave it their Best Film award. A highly personal work from an uncompromising film artist. In Russian with English subtitles; Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St.; 773-509-4949.
FORD’S IRON HORSE
John Ford’s 1924 “The Iron Horse” showing at 8 p.m. Friday at the Gateway Theatre (a screening of the Silent Film Society of Chicago), is the best of the silent western epics. The lusty tale of the building of the first transcontinental railroad stars George O’Brien, along with Madge Bellamy and J. Farrell MacDonald, and is a straight-ahead work by a master. With live musical accompaniment by The American Music Festival Orchestra; 5216 W. Lawrence Ave.; 773-205-7372; www.silentfilmchicago.com.
KING KANE
The summit of American and world film was reached in 1941, with “Citizen Kane,” director-co-writer-star Orson Welles’ comic-romantic-tragedy of a newspaper tycoon who won and lost too much and loved too little. Shot when Welles was only 25, with his Mercury Theater stage/radio troupe (Joe Cotten, Everett Sloane, et al). Based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, by co-writer Herman Mankiewicz, “Kane” has come to transcend its subject, its era, its creators — perhaps even the movies themselves; 11:30 a.m. Sunday; Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave.; 773-871-6604; www.musicboxtheatre.com.
— Michael Wilmington
THEATER
`AIN’T MISBEHAVIN”
A fine rendition of the 1978 Fats Waller wallow. This musical revue is harder to get right than its perpetual recirculation suggests: Too much shtick, and you’ve got something perilously close to minstrelsy. Here, no problems and lots of payoffs. Director Dominic Missimi has a rock-solid onstage quintet. The five performers are backed by musical director William Foster McDaniel’s tasty seven-piece combo. The song list includes “Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now” and “Honeysuckle Rose”; through Sept. 5 at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, 10 Marriott Drive; $41.60; 847-634-0200.
— 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.
— Chris Jones