WORLD CULTURES
Taste of … you name it
HERE’S A SAMPLING of the myriad ethnic-themed festivals taking place this summer. For details, look under “Festivals” in the Events Calendar, page 39.
–European
Andersonville Midsommarfest,
June 9-10.
Festa Pasta Vino, June 14-17.
Highland Games and Scottish Festival, June 15-16.
The Big Greek Food Festival of Niles, July 13-15.
Irish American Heritage Festival, July 13-15.
Taste of Polonia, Aug. 31-Sept. 3.
–Asian
Thailand Festival, June 18-20.
Chinatown Summer Fair, July 15.
Korean Street Festival, Aug. 11-12.
–Latin American
Fiestas Puertorriquenas, June 12-17.
Peruvian Festival, July 25-27.
Fiesta Del Sol, July 26-29.
–African/African-American
African-Caribbean International Festival of Life, July 4-8.
Carifete, Aug. 18.
Ghana Fest 2007, July 28.
Kwanzaa Summer Festival, July 7-8.
African Festival of the Arts, Aug. 31-Sept. 2.
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FRENCH
Mais oui, allons-y!
— French markets
At more than 10 French markets taking place across the suburbs this summer, independent vendors, many from France, fill tents with fresh fish, vegetables, produce, breads, pastries, spices and–bien sur–cheeses. In addition to food, there are linens, lavender sachets and soaps imported from Provence. Most markets take place Saturday mornings through October. Wheaton, Mokena, Glencoe, Lisle and Wilmette are a few of the host cities. In the fall, the first downtown Chicago location opens adjacent to Ogilvie Transportation Center. 312-923-0008. bensidounusa.com
— Niketown Bastille Day Run, Walk and Block Party
Expect a hefty dose of French cliche with your workout; along the route through the West Loop, you’ll see mini models of French monuments, street musicians and re-created scenes of French life (imagine a grape-stomping competition at the Mile One marker). A block party with wine, music and food waits at the finish line. $25. 7:30 p.m. July 12. Jackson and Aberdeen streets. Pre-register at 773-868-3010 or chicagoevents.com.
— For French speakers
Get into a favorite French pastime–talking (Make that, heated political discussions)–at Alliance Francaise de Chicago’s Cafe Conversations. On Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m., intermediate and advanced speakers participate; on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m., beginning speakers practice. $3; free for Alliance Francaise members. For a different experience, attend Cine-Club, screenings of French films (expect anything from a classic Jacques Tati to contemporary Francois Ozon) on select Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout summer. $5 donation; free for Alliance Francaise members. 810 N. Dearborn St., 312-337-1070. af-chicago.org
— La cuisine Francaise
For Bastille Day, Arlington Heights’ Le Titi De Paris restaurant will have live jazz and a special menu, including pear and leek soup, smoked salmon terrine, nut-crusted pork loin, seared venison loin and more. July 13-15, 1015 W. Dundee Rd., 847-506-0222. letitideparis.com
— Europa Books
Need a Paris Match or Marie Claire Maison fix? The racks here are stocked with the latest French books and magazines. They’ll also print daily newspapers like Le Monde in-store with the help of a satellite feed. 832 N. State St., 312-335-9677.
LUNCH
Food for your brain
— Chicago Cultural Center
The “Brainstorm: Talking About Culture in the City” series features discussions with artists, authors, playwrights, critics and curators. At 12:15 p.m. on June 7, architect Lucien LaGrange, who has designed more than 20 buildings in Chicago, will discuss his vision of skyscrapers. 78 E. Washington St., 312-744-6630. cityofchicago.org
— At Play
Compete against fellow Chicagoans in a game of bingo or chess, or break out the Monopoly set at the city’s free At Play event, from noon to 2 p.m. every Wednesday through September at the Come In and Play Center, 72 E. Randolph St.
— Chopping Block
There’s no better time to think about dinner than at lunch. The Chopping Block’s Lincoln Square location hosts a free class each third Tuesday at noon with experts providing tips for in-season produce. On June 19 it’s strawberries. 4747 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-472-6700.
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ITALIAN ‘LIGHT’
THEATER CRITIC CHRIS JONES
WHEN I FIRST SAW the musical “The Light in the Piazza” at the Goodman Theatre in 2004, I’d no idea how profoundly Adam Guettel’s score would sear my emotions.
Back then, this musical adaptation of the novella by Elizabeth Spencer was in its pre-Broadway stage (this sentence as published has been corrected in this text). It is the story of an American mother and her just-adult daughter on a summer vacation in the sensual Italy of the 1950s. The young woman has a problem in her past that makes her vulnerable. The mother has to decide whether to continue to protect her daughter or set her free in a world of risk.
When the show moved to New York’s Lincoln Center, it got a whole lot better. I got the original cast recording in the mail and played it in my car, my house and my head. I concluded that it was one of the great musical-theater scores of the modern era.
From July 10-22, the national tour of “Piazza” arrives at the Auditorium Theatre. It’s the ideal summer pleasure–you can truly smell the de rigueur European excursions of half a century ago, when Americans thought they were seeking historic sights but ended up mostly discovering themselves.
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REEL TV
TELEVISION CRITIC MAUREEN RYAN
PETTINESS, BACKBITING, CYNICISM and the occasional burst of creativity–they’re not just hallmarks of reality TV, they’re also arguably the traits that make the filmmaking world go ’round. So it makes sense that reality TV producers are once again creating a program centered on the moviemaking process.
Though “Project Greenlight,” about three aspiring filmmakers, wasn’t a runaway hit, Fox is trying for a blockbuster with “On the Lot,” which runs through midsummer. Some big-time Hollywood names are attached to it, including Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg as executive producers, and Garry Marshall and Jon Avnet among the judges. Will the 18 finalists, who endure challenges to their creative skills, learn much about the moviemaking process? Maybe. But if the show is half as good as reality TV’s reigning champ, “Project Runway,” viewers may learn a bit about how the creative process works–and it ain’t always pretty.
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COMPILED BY CHRIS MCNAMARA, CHRISTINE BADOWSKI, KELLY AIGLON AND KRISTIN KLOBERDANZ.