ART
`A PERFECT UNION . . . MORE OR LESS’
A group show of contemporary work on democracy; opens Sunday; Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, 5811 S. Ellis Ave.; free; 773-702-8670.
— Alan G. Artner
CLASSICAL
BANG ON A CAN
After a six-year absence, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, easily the friskiest and most enduring of New York new music ensembles, presents a free concert at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. The high-energy sextet will perform Philip Glass’ path-breaking “Music in Fifths” along with works by Conlon Nancarrow, Evan Ziporyn and Hermeto Pascoal. 312-744-6630.
MUSIC IN THE LOFT
This invaluable chamber series, which is doing much to advance the careers of important young musicians, presents a concert by the Biava Quartet, winner of the 2003 Naumburg Chamber Music Competition. Their program next weekend holds works by Beethoven, Brahms and series resident composer Stacy Garrop; 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday; 1017 W. Washington Blvd.; $20; 312-243-9233.
`THREE MO’ TENORS’
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The singing dynamos are back, but this time there are six of them, split into two trios. The African-American singers who will display their versatility by leaping from opera to Broadway, blues, jazz, spirituals, soul and hip-hop in the same program are Ramone Diggs, Kenneth Gayle and Marvin Scott, alternating with James Berger, Duane Moody and Victor Robertson. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and run through Nov. 21 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St.; 312-902-1400.
— John von Rhein
JAZZ
BENNY GREEN
The top-notch young mainstream pianist is joined by John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton; Tuesday through Nov. 21 at the Jazz Showcase, 59 W. Grand Ave.; $20-$25; 312-670-2473.
— Howard Reich
MOVIES
ASSAYAS SPEAKS
Unpredictable French filmmaker Olivier Assayas’ “Irma Vep” is a fast, graceful look at a modern movie disintegrating in midproduction: a doomed attempt by aging French auteur Henri Vidal (Jean-Pierre Leaud) to remake Louis Feuillade’s classic, “Les Vampires,” a World War I era Parisian adventure-mystery serial. In English and French with English subtitles. Assayas will appear in person for a Q&A; 8:15 p.m. Thursday; Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St.; 312-846-2600. www.siskelfilmcenter.org.
GUY MADDIN’S MUSIC
Canada’s Guy Maddin (“Tales of the Gimli Hospital”) returns with “The Saddest Music in the World,” a wonderfully nutty musical comedy-drama from a remarkable filmmaker with a genius at catching the style of old ’20s and ’30s movies. Here, working from Kazuo Ishiguro’s (“The Remains of the Day”) script, he tells the weird saga of a crazy family and a worldwide contest for the planet’s saddest music. Maddin will appear for a discussion and Q&A; 7 p.m. Wednesday; Facets Cinematheque, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. 773-281-4114.
— Michael Wilmington
ROCK
MF DOOM
One of hip-hop’s most talented and enigmatic wordsmiths previews new album, “MM Food,” Monday at Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace St.; $15; 773-478-4408.
EFFIGIES
Classic Chicago punk band plays the sternum-smashing oldies, plus previews of their first new songs in 20 years, Saturday at Bottom Lounge, 3206 N. Wilton Ave.; $12; 773-975-0505.
SALLY TIMMS
Mekons chanteuse delivers twisted takes on bedroom politics with Johnny Dowd’s avant-rock band, Saturday at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave.; $10-$12; 773-525-2508.
— Greg Kot
THEATER
`PYRETOWN’
John Belluso’s comedy-drama is two plays intersecting around climax time. The first is a beautifully acted romance between a single welfare mother of three (Elaine Rivkin) and a younger man in a wheelchair (Aaron Roman Weiner). The second, less compelling play in “Pyretown” concerns the spiritual and moral crisis of an HMO doctor (Melissa Carlson), given to quoting poetry of others and spouting plenty of her own. Concentrate on the good stuff and you’ll be amply rewarded; closes today at Victory Gardens Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.; $25-$28; 773-871-3000.
`SEAGULL’
A rich investigation of Chekhov’s great tragicomedy, set in a lakeside estate wherein no one is in love with the right person. “The Seagull” deals with the follies of the heart, the ridiculous lives of artists and writers and the devastation of the ordinary. In director Michael Halberstam’s clear, spare, sharply detailed modern-dress staging–modern without being dumb about it; no iPods or anything–the women shine, particularly Susan Hart as Arkadina and Karen Aldridge as Nina; through Dec. 5 at Writers’ Theatre, 325 Tudor Ct., Glencoe; $45-$50; 847-242-6000.
— Michael Phillips
`SING HALLELUJAH!’
“Sing Hallelujah!,” a commercially produced contemporary Gospel revue from Worth Gardner and Donald Lawrence, atones for its slickness with movement of unusual complexity for a straight-forward revue. In this fast-paced two-hour extravaganza, there are musical arrangements of voracious variety, perfectly mixed sound and just about enough humanity and sincerity to get the spiritual juices flowing anew and for real; through Dec. 5 at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, 777 N. Green St.; $35-49; 312-327-2000.
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`SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET’
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd at Porchlight Theatre, and you encounter a Chicago actor with an acute sense of the intimate demands of this sad-hearted role. In one of the best local performances of the year, Michael Aaron Lindner makes it feel like you are watching a broken-hearted killer with no choice but to try and correct the paucity of decent pie-filling in Victorian London. It’s a remarkable performance–a thrilling piece of acting that comes with no vocal compromises whatsoever–in a stellar show; through Nov. 28 at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.; $27; 773-327-5252.
— Chris Jones