THEATER
CHRIS JONES finds passion is the driving force on productions big and small
Passion has always been the main fuel of the Chicago theater — a collective institution that revolves far more around love than money. But the typically diverse and extensive slate of new shows this fall season seems especially obsessed with desire, in all its myriad human and spiritual forms.
At the Goodman Theatre, there’s “Passion Play,” Sarah Ruhl’s look at the dichotomy of all-too-human actors trying to channel the divine. There’s a major Chicago Shakespeare Theater revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “”Passion,” a musical piece about the agonies and ecstasies of desire. There are several shows that look to be filled with the passion of ideas and the possibility of social change. And then there’s the irrepressibly impassioned Max Bialystock — that inspired Mel Brooks creation — dying, just dying, for a profitable hit in “The Producers.”
Profits are always nice, and “Jersey Boys”” is likely to make a big one when the hit musical unspools in Chicago this fall. But even aside from the tantalizing specific prospects highlighted below, you can be sure raw (and sometimes naked) passion will be on display this fall in storefronts and basements all across Chicago, where the theater can’t help but stick its heart out, front and center.
‘THE PRODUCERS’
Even as Mel Brooks unveils the all-singing, all-dancing version of “Young Frankenstein” on Broadway, the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire offers one of the first post-Broadway, in-the-round staging of Brooks” iconic stage-toscreen megahit. Ross “Robbie” Lehman and Guy Adkins will try to banish all memories of original stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, while a bevy of long-running Chicago character players get to play their dream roles (Nazis, flamingly gay directors, Swedish blonds and so on. What’s not to like?). Through Dec. 2 at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire; 847-634-0200.
‘PASSION PLAY’
Sarah Ruhl’s ambitious, three-act opus looks at the profound connection (and the messy disconnect) between art and religion in three historical periods on two continents.
Previously seen only at the Arena Stage in Washington two seasons ago, Ruhl’s complex play is being extensively revised for this Goodman Midwest premiere. Sept. 15- Oct. 21 at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn; 312-443-3800.
‘THE SAVANNAH DISPUTATION’
The most prominent world premiere in the short history of Writers’ Theatre, “The Savannah Disputation” is a new play from the young American playwright Evan Smith, the author of “The Easy Chair” and an emerging writer known for his high style and rich use of language. The titular disputation involves two Southern sisters and an overeager evangelist.
Sept. 18-Nov. 25 at Writers’ Theatre, 325 Tudor, Glencoe; 847-242-6000.
‘ELMINA’S KITCHEN’
Chicago’s leading African- American theater company, Congo Square Theatre Company, has taken up new seasonal residence at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts.
And for the troupe’s first production, the widely admired director Derrick Sanders has turned to the British playwright Kwame Kwai-Armah. A hit at the National Theatre in London and on BBCTV, this 2003 play is set in a West Indian cafe in London and focuses on three generations of black Britains. Sept. 13- Oct. 14. Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, 777 N. Green; 312-733-6000.
‘JERSEY BOYS’
The high-profile Chicago production of the hit Broadway musical about the music, life and times of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons will suck up a lot of theatrical oxygen here this fall. Chicago gets this affectionately biographical show before either London or Las Vegas.
And given how many records the Seasons sold here in their halcyon days, this will be one hot downtown ticket. Begins Oct. 6 at the LaSalle Bank Theatre, 18 W. Monroe; 312- 902-1400.
‘NO CHILD’
The Lookingglass Theatre imports Nilaja Sun’s one-woman exploration into the myriad forces that shape the New York public-education system.
In this hard-hitting off- Broadway hit, Sun plays teachers, students, janitors and the other complex humans in the business of preparing our youth. This is a show with clear implications for Chicago. Oct. 3 through Nov. 11 at the Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan; 312-337-0665.
‘PASSION’
The director Gary Griffin is a man with Broadway connections. You can tell from some of the big names attached to his upcoming Chicago Shakespeare Theater revival of the difficult but potentially ravishing Stephen Sondheim musical. Ana Gasteyer stars. Eugene Lee and Paul Tazewell are among the design team. You can expect a heavy demand for tickets to a production that Sondheim buffs will be following, well, passionately.
Oct. 2-Nov. 11 at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Navy Pier; 312-595- 5600.
‘WEDDING PLAY’
Eric Rosen, the main creative force behind the About Face Theatre, has turned his hand to playwriting.
And his “Wedding Play” is a crime-themed drama set against the meta-backdrop of the Chicago theater community.
Rosen promises a trip to both the “dusty lobbies” of Chicago storefronts and the underworld of the 1930s — two worlds that might be more similar than you think. Oct. 24-Dec. 6 at the Steppenwolf Garage Theatre, 1624 N. Halsted; 312-335-1650.
‘A PARK IN OUR HOUSE’
Victory Gardens Theatre has a warm relationship with the Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright Nilo Cruz. And in a co-production with Teatro Vista, Victory Gardens stages the Chicago premiere of this new and poetic Cruz script set in the 1970s and following the travails of a family living and dreaming in Castro’s Cuba. Oct. 26- Nov. 9 at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse, 2257 N. Lincoln; 773-871-3000.
‘NOIR’
An experimental, warehouselike space in Chicago’s West Loop, Blake Montgomery’s The Building Stage has quickly established itself as a nexus of progressive theater. Created by Montgomery and his skilled collaborators, this intriguing project looks at the concept of “Noir” for myriad provocative angles. Sept. 22 through Nov. 3 at The Building Stage, 412 N. Carpenter; 312-491- 1369.
ART
ALAN ARTNER says celebrations, exhibitions help mark a diverse scene
This was to have been the season when Chicago got three “new” art museums. There are quotation marks around the word because only the Richard H. Driehaus Museum of decorative arts would have been really new, whereas the Spertus Museum was resuming an exhibition program in a new building and Loyola University’s Martin D’Arcy Collection of Art was taking up new residence.
But the inauguration of the Driehaus Museum in the famed Nickerson Mansion has suffered delays, and the collector-founder doesn”t want to be tied to another opening date. So this fall we can count on only two “new” museums plus an exhibition schedule from all the old places that, among other things, celebrates 40 years of a Chicago institution and more than 50 of a giant in contemporary art.
As usual, we observe more divisions in the calendar than do museums, so a number of their more tantalizing shows will appear after the end of the calendar year, requiring us to come back in January to tell you about them.
‘MANIFESTING EMPTINESS’
Works by Nam June Paik, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Yoko Ono, Inigo Manglano- Ovalle and others who convey the power of empty spaces. Through Jan. 17 at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 280 S. Columbus; 312-443-3703.
‘RICHARD MISRACH: ON THE BEACH’
North America’s photographic poet of the desert turns his attention to monumental color images of beaches, the ocean, sunbathers and swimmers. Sept. 15-Nov. 25 at Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan; 312-443-3600.
‘STEVE MCQUEEN’
The United States premieres of two works — one on an increasingly precious mineral from the Congo, the other on Iraq — by the much-honored British filmmaker.
Sept. 16-Oct. 28. Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, 5811 S. Ellis; 773- 702-8670.
‘MASTER DRAWINGS FROM THE YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY’
A selection of European drawings from the Renaissance to the mid- 19th Century. Oct. 4-Jan. 6. Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood; 773-702- 0200.
‘BIG PICTURE: A NEW VIEW OF PAINTING IN CHICAGO’
Works from the museum’s permanent collection that range from late 19th Century realism to mid-20th Century expressionism and abstraction. Oct. 20-March 9 at Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark; 312-642-4600.
‘BEETHOVEN’S TRUMPET: IN ONE EAR & OUT THE SAME EAR’
Conceptual artist John Baldessari’s recent sculptures, which interact with viewers, playing excerpts from late string quartets by Beethoven. Nov. 7-Jan. 18 at Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario; 312-787-3997.
‘JASPER JOHNS: GRAY’
Nearly 150 paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings from the more than 50-year output of one of the most honored of living artists. Nov. 3-Jan. 6. Art Institute, 111 S. Michigan; 312-443-3600.
‘THE NEW AUTHENTICS: ARTISTS OF THE POST-JEWISH GENERATION’
The first temporary exhibition at the new Spertus Museum presents works by 16 contemporary artists exploring notions of Jewishness in American culture. Nov. 30-March 31 at Spertus Museum, 610 S. Michigan; 312-322-1700.
‘TREASURES OF THE MARTIN D’ARCY COLLECTION’
In preparation for the 40th anniversary of the founding of its permanent collection (in 2009), Loyola University moves its holdings of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art to its new home downtown. Dec. 1 and continuing at Loyola University Museum of Art, 820 N. Michigan; 312-915-7630.
‘THE FESTIVAL OF MAPS’
Twenty-five cultural and scientific institutions in Chicago illuminate countless aspects of the art and science of mapmaking. Nov. 2-June 30; see festivalofmaps.com for more information. No phone number available.
JAZZ
Howard Reich says a range of styles awaits concertgoers
Why do listeners from around the world flock to Chicago’s jazz clubs and concert halls?
In a word: range.
From the daring sounds that ennoble the Velvet Lounge to the mainstream music that swings Andy’s Jazz Club to the oft-majestic events that unfold at Symphony Center, the range of music in this city seems to perpetually expand.
Where else, after all, will you encounter the super-virtuoso French pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, the venturesome Chicago saxophonist Jeff Chan and Amazones-Woman Drummers of Guinea playing in the same town on the same weekend?
Following are the fall season’s best of the best:
JEAN-MICHEL PILC
The colossal pianist may not be as famous as he deserves to be, but that’s OK — it means connoisseurs can hear him in relative comfort, before the rest of the world catches up. 9 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Green Mill Jazz Club, 4802 N. Broadway; $12; 773-878-5552.
JEFF CHAN
An increasingly noteworthy presence among Chicago tenor saxophonists, Chan’s appearance at the Velvet Lounge underscores the club’s centrality to experimental music in this city; he’ll lead a trio staffed by reedist Edward Wilkerson Jr. and bassist Tatsu Aoki. 9 p.m. Saturday at the Velvet Lounge, 67 E. Cermak; $10-$20; 312-791-9050.
WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
If you doubt that this is the most daring of the city-sponsored music fests, check out the lineup: It opens with Dobet Gnahore (a singer-dancer-percussionist from the Ivory Coast) and closes with Amazones-Woman Drummers of Guinea. Moreover, the fest avoids the Petrillo Music Shell (smart move) and emerges, instead, in grass-roots clubs and auditoriums across the city. Sept. 14- 20, at various locations; 312-742-1938 or cityofchicago.org/worldmusic or myspace.com/chicagoworldmusic.
CHICAGO JAZZ ENSEMBLE
This mighty band, led by trumpeter Jon Faddis, will be quite busy in Chicago and across the Midwest this season, but two programs stand out. First, the CJE will collaborate with the Chicago Sinfonietta in a classics-meets-jazz program featuring Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s “Peer Gynt Suite” (with the Sinfonietta playing Edvard Grieg’s original). 2:30 p.m. Sept. 16 at Lund Auditorium of Dominican University, 7900 W. Division, River Forest, $26-$40; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 in Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan, $26-$96; 312-236-3681, ext. 2, or chicagosinfonietta.org. In addition, the CJE will launch its ninth American Heritage Jazz Series performing “The Music of Duke Ellington: Featuring Ellington’s ‘Sacred Concert’. ” 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph; $15-$45; 312-334-7777 or harristheaterchicago.org.
ALBERT AMMONS CENTENNIAL CONCERT
Though many listeners may not realize it, boogie-woogie has deep roots in old Chicago, thanks, in part, to the fabled virtuosity of the historic pianist Albert Ammons. Tenor saxophonist Franz Jackson and pianists Erwin Helfer and Butch Thompson, among others, will revisit that legacy. 4 p.m. Sept. 22 at First United Methodist Church at Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington; $25; 312-236-4548.
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HYDE PARK JAZZ FESTIVAL
The inaugural event will unfold in several Hyde Park venues Sept. 29, opening with trumpeter Orbert Davis at noon at the DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl., and closing with a marathon Jazz Fete at the Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell, featuring Jimmy Ellis, Maggie Brown, Willie Pickens, Corey Wilkes and others. free; 773-834-4122 or hydeparkjazzfestival.org.
JASON MORAN
Among the most probing and creative intellects at the piano today, Moran presides over the Chicago premiere of “In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall 1959,” a multimedia contemplation of a landmark Thelonious Monk concert; the event will include sound samples, plus historic photos of W. Eugene Smith. 8 p.m. Nov. 16 in Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan; $19-$69; 312-294-3000.
ORGAN BLAST
The terrific JazzCity series that the Jazz Institute of Chicago has been bringing to park district field houses for 10 years returns. This year’s offerings end with a bang, as organists Chris Foreman and Dr. Lonnie Smith face off, joined by guitarist Fareed Haque and drummer Greg Rockingham. 7 p.m. Nov. 30 at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 South Shore Drive; free; 312-427-1676.
CHICAGO JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Jeff Lindberg’s hard-swinging band will open its season boldly, with double world premieres. There’s a new jazz version of Rodrigo’s celebrated “Concierto de Aranjuez,” featuring trumpet soloist Roy Hargrove (the work will build upon the Gil Evans/Miles Davis treatment of the same piece on the classic “Sketches of Spain” album). Clarinetist Buddy DeFranco will collaborate with Lindberg and the CJO in what’s billed as the first live performance of Nelson Riddle’s “Cross Country Suite,” which featured DeFranco on the original recording. 3 p.m. Oct. 7 at Northwestern University’s Thorne Auditorium, 375 E. Chicago; $25-$45; 312-409-3947 or chicagojazzorchestra.com.
UMBRELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL
European avant-garde musicians such as trumpeter Axel Doerner collaborate with Chicago counterparts such as Nicole Mitchell and Jeff Parker in the second annual festival, at various clubs and concert halls. Nov. 1 to Nov. 5; details to be announced; visit umbrellamusic.org.
MUSIC
GREG KOT says amid a few fests, big-name tours, bands at smaller venues take spotlight
The summer may be ending, but festivals will still be in season the next few months.
Estrojam and the Adventures in Modern Music Fall both return for their fifth years, and even without big-name performers to rival those at Lollapalooza or Pitchfork, they exemplify what’s so attractive about the smaller, more intimate performances that the fall concert schedule inevitably presents.
Though there are a handful of big-name reunion tours (Genesis at the United Center, Oct. 2-4, and Van Halen at the Allstate Arena on Oct. 16 and the United Center on Oct. 18), the majority of the action is on a smaller scale, at the theaters and clubs.
Here are 10 shows worth marking on your calendar:
ESTROJAM
For those who found Lilith Fair a little too mild, here’s the antidote. The fifth annual celebration of womankind includes a rare performance by ESG, the groundbreaking New York City group whose ’80s singles remain cornerstones of dance-punk (Sept. 21 at the Abbey Pub). The festival, which will include movies, workshops and panels, in addition to music, runs Sept. 18- 23 at various clubs citywide; $75 for a five-day pass, individual events $5-$21; details at estrojam.org or 800-594-8499.
COMMON
The South Side rapper is coming off his first No. 1 album, “Finding Forever,” and is touring with a band, which should only strengthen his connection to the ’70s soul and jazz that inform much of his music, Sept. 20 with Joss Stone at Charter One Pavilion, Northerly Island; $41; 312-559-1212.
MEKONS
Even in their 30th year, the Mekons’ irascible take on punk, folk and world music remains one of a kind. The group records and tours infrequently, but its latest album, “Natural,” finds the band in top form. Sept. 28 at Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln; $18-$20; 773-728-6000.
ADVENTURES IN MODERN MUSIC FESTIVAL
The fifth annual exploration of fringe musical genius includes stellar headliners such as still-vital avant-garage veterans Pere Ubu (Sept. 27), David Yow’s new California art-punk band Qui (Sept. 28) and Atlanta psychedelic rockers Deerhunter (Sept. 29). But the festival’s final night promises to be something special, with individual sets and collaborations promised among Japanese metal giants Boris, Japanese guitar hero Michio Kurihara, and Galaxie 500 graduates Damon and Naomi. Sept. 26-30 at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western; $15-$20; 773-276-3600.
WHITE STRIPES
Jack and Meg White make the familiar (blues stomps, country weepers, classic-rock boogie, supper-club pop) sound newly outrageous, all within the confines of a two-piece guitar-drums (no bass allowed) lineup that has remained remarkably consistent over six albums and 10 years. Oct. 6-7 at the Aragon, 1106 W. Lawrence; $38.50 (sold out); 312-559-1212.
SPOON
Spoon’s profile has expanded as it continues to make a virtue of getting to the point quickly and serving up melodies that rarely sound obvious or forced. But above all, the band’s command of rhythm sets it apart from its indie-rock peers. Oct. 12 at Riviera, 4746 N. Racine; $22.50; 773-275-6800.
JUSTICE
This French duo beefs up its electronic beats to Godzilla-like proportion, making even countrymen Daft Punk sound subtle by comparison Oct. 17 at Metro, 3730 N. Clark; $21; 773-549-0203.
NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
With Neko Case as a secondary lead vocalist, this Vancouver outfit is loaded with great voices and top-notch songwriters, all of whom conspire to make some of the grandest, giddiest pop tunes of our time. Oct. 17-18 at Metro, 3730 N. Clark; $24; 773-549-0203.
LUPE FIASCO
The West Side native is readying his second album for release (the follow-up to his acclaimed 2006 debut, “Lupe Fiasco’s Food and Liquor”), and this show should be well-stocked with new songs showcasing his deft rhyming skills and off-kilter subject matter. Oct. 31 at House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn; $35; 312-923-2000.
TORI AMOS
On her latest album, “American Doll Posse,” the singer-pianist splits herself into five distinct personalities, all the better to take on patriarchy in all its forms. Her tour promises to be equally theatrical. Nov. 5 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress; $59.50, $49.50, $39.50, $29.50; 312-922-2110.
DANCE
Sid Smith says debuts, backstage changes make for lively season
The fall dance lineup is a somewhat more routine affair compared with last year’s bonanza and even our busy summer.
But the schedule does include the Chicago debut of the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (bringing an intriguing work by Twyla Tharp), the return of such diverse offerings as Merce Cunningham and the Georgian State Dance Company and the Joffrey Ballet’s first-ever “Giselle.”
There are important backstage changes to contemplate, too, likely to impact art here beyond autumn. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago starts the season with a new executive director (Jason Palmquist) and associate artistic director (one-time Joffrey dancer Glenn Edgerton), and before fall is over, the Joffrey should have a newly named artistic director.
Some highlights:
HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO
The troupe expands for a two-week fall engagement featuring the revival of Twyla Tharp’s “Baker’s Dozen” (staged by Hubbard alumnus Ron De Jesus), dancer Brian Enos’ fourth original work for the troupe, a revival of Jim Vincent’s complex, challenging “Palladio” from last spring and works by Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin, Jiri Kylian, Susan Marshall and Daniel Ezralow. Sept. 26-Oct. 7 at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph Drive ; 312-334-7777.
MARGARET JENKINS DANCE COMPANY
The San Francisco troupe opens the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago season with its full-length “A Slipping Glimpse,” developed in collaboration with Calcutta’s Tanusree Shankar Dance Company; Sept. 27-29 at the Dance Center, 1306 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-344-6600.
DEEPLY ROOTED PRODUCTIONS
The troupe unveils “Nefertiti: A Concert of Music and Dance,” a new version of the 1977 musical by Christopher Gore and composer David Spangler about the Egyptian legend, pharaoh Akhenaten and the 17-year cultural revolution they inspired. Oct. 4-7 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave.; 312-902-1500.
GEORGIAN STATE DANCE COMPANY
This spectacular company of 80 dancers and musicians, one of the most dazzling folk troupes in the world, brings its sizeable roster of works inspired by everything from social games to sword play. Oct. 6 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Pkwy.; 312-902-1500.
MERCE CUNNINGHAM
The renowned contemporary choreographer and company return with two programs, both including “eyeSpace,” a work that employs iPod MP3 players to disseminate the score. Oct. 12- 13 at the Harris; 312-344-6600.
JOFFREY BALLET
The Chicago troupe tackles its first “Giselle,” to be staged by nonagenarian Frederic Franklin, a veteran of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Oct. 17-28 at the Auditorium; 312-902-1500.
LUNA NEGRA DANCE THEATRE
The innovative Latin dance company’s selections include the premiere of “CUGAT,” inspired by mambo legend Xavier Cugat, accompanied live by Angel Melendez and the 911 Mambo Orchestra. Oct. 19-21 at the Harris; 312-334-7777.
GIORDANO JAZZ DANCE CHICAGO
This engagement features the premiere of “Let’s Play” by Pittsburgh choreographer Kiesha Lalama-White, the company premiere of Sherry Zunker’s witty classic “The Man That Got Away” and Christopher Huggins’ sharp and entertaining “Pyrokinesis” from last season. Oct. 26- 27 at the Harris; 312-334-7777.
DANCE CHICAGO
This invaluable annual outing celebrates its 13th year hosting a wide range of troupes, large and small, in ballet, modern, tap, hip-hop and jazz performances. Nov. 2-Dec. 2 at the Athenaeum; 312-902-1500.
ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET
The acclaimed troupe makes its Chicago debut with a mixed bill of repertory, including Twyla Tharp’s “Sweet Fields” partly set to 19th Century Shaker hymns. Nov. 17 at the Harris; 312-334-7777.
ARCHITECTURE
BLAIR KAMIN identifies the structural stars and events of the season
The stars of the fall season promise to be new cultural buildings, from Krueck & Sexton’s Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies on Michigan Avenue to Michael Graves’ expansion of the Detroit Institute of Arts. And Santiago Calatrava will unveil interior designs for the Chicago Spire. It shapes up, then, as a typically exciting season — full of passion, conflict and, one hopes, design quality.
SPERTUS INSTITUTE OF JEWISH STUDIES
With its radical facade of folded glass planes, the Spertus Institute marks the first insertion of contemporary architecture into the cliff of historic buildings along Michigan Avenue since the area was declared a city landmark district five years ago. Designed by Ron Krueck and Mark Sexton, the unfinished building already is a vigorous sculptural presence, creating a fresh dialogue with the window bays of Louis Sullivan’s Auditorium Building and other historic structures. Located at 610 S. Michigan, just north of Spertus’ present location, it opens Nov. 30.
GRAND RAPIDS ART MUSEUM
This new museum in the southwestern Michigan city just around the lake from Chicago promises to be unusual in two ways: It rejects the extravagant, neo-baroque forms associated with such architects as Frank Gehry, and it is expected to be the first stand-alone museum in the U.S. certified as a green building — no small feat because museums typically consume enormous amounts of energy in creating controlled environments for their precious objects. Designed by Thai-born Kulapat Yantrasast, a protege of the great Japanese architect Tadao Ando , the 125,000-square-foot structure opens Oct. 5.
DETROIT INSTITUTEOF ARTS
This Motor City hub of culture is getting a major makeover from Michael Graves, the postmodern prince whose design stamp extends from the avenues of Washington, D.C., to the aisles of Target. Opening Nov. 23, the renovation and expansion principally reshapes zones around the museum’s original, Paul Cret-designed Beaux-Arts building. It includes new facades for the museum’s north and south wings ; a four-story addition to the south wing, and a new “spine” of galleries that strives to make it easier for visitors to make their way through the museum’s vast collection.
CHICAGO SPIRE INTERIORS
Star architects typically design condominium tower exteriors and leave the interiors to decorators, but Calatrava is playing an unusually active role in shaping the Spire’s nearly 1,200 units. He has crafted everything from floor plans to doorknob handles, which should make the skyscraper a rare instance of “total design.” The Zurich-based architect will be in Chicago on Sept. 26 to preview his plans, whose staggering variety has helped push the opening of the Spire’s sales center back from Sept. 27 to January.
OLYMPIC VILLAGE, VERSION 2.0
Though it wasn’t bad enough to cost Chicago a chance to become the American city that will bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago’s plan for an Olympic Village was a design flop — a chilly row of ice cube-like towers along South Lake Shore Drive, isolated from the neighborhoods to the west. Still, the core idea of building the village atop the truck staging yards south of McCormick Place remains a brilliant stroke, and there have been rumblings of a redesign, one that will have a street grid instead of superblocks, as well as ground-floor shops that will bring life to the street. There’s no release date set, but expect to see the new design sometime this fall.
Pacific Garden Mission
The latest in a line of celebrity architect-designed facilities for the poor — Helmut Jahn’s single-room occupancy building near Cabrini-Green preceded it earlier this year — Stanley Tigerman’s new Pacific Garden Mission at 1458 S. Canal will be dedicated Oct. 13. A sharp break from the wink-wink postmodernism that characterized Tigerman’s work in the 1970s and 1980s, the clean-lined, three-story rescue mission will provide overnight shelter, as well as food, clothing and medical care, for homeless men, women and children.
OPTIMA OLD ORCHARD WOODS
Glencoe-based architect and developer David Hovey is wrapping up his largest Chicago-area project to date, three interconnected 20-story condo towers just off the Edens Expressway in Skokie. Clad in glass and metal, the towers already are turning heads with their boldly interlocking masses, cantilevers and colors. From inside, following Frank Lloyd Wright’s notion that the best place for a skyscraper is not inside a city but outside it, the views are of surrounding forest preserves, the downtown skyline and Lake Michigan. Hovey plans to finish the project’s exterior in October.
LECTURES AT IIT
Chicago’s two major architecture schools will continue their essential role of offering a platform to top local architects and distinguished outsiders. At the Illinois Institute of Technology, upcoming speakers include New York architect Billie Tsien, who with partner Tod Williams just won the commission for a planned creative and performing arts center at the University of Chicago, Oct. 17; Columbia University historian Kenneth Frampton, Nov. 2; and Ricky Burdett, principal designer/adviser for the London 2012 Olympics, Nov. 14. The talks are all at 6 p.m. — Tsien’s at IIT’s McCormick Tribune Campus Center, 3201 S. State; Frampton’s and Burdett’s at Crown Hall, 3360 S. State.
LECTURES AT UIC
The University of Illinois at Chicago will offer its own set of headliners. They include Chicago architect Stanley Tigerman, Monday; Ross Wimer of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s Chicago office, Sept. 24; and Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Thom Mayne of Santa Monica, Calif., Nov. 7. The talks are all at 6 p.m. in Gallery 1100 of the Art + Architecture Building, 845 W. Harrison.
‘GREENTOWN: THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITY’
The Village of Oak Park is the lead sponsor of a Sept. 19 conference that promises to “provide actionable tools and present case studies on how to create eco-effective communities.” The keynote speaker is the “Prophet of Bloom,” Charlottesville, Va.-based green architect William McDonough. The conference will be held at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple, 875 Lake, Street in Oak Park. For information, visit greentownconference.com or call 312-546-6042.
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COMEDY
TERRY ARMOUR singles out the famous, the musical, the improvising and the solo acts
From stand-up to improv to underground improv, Chicago has always got something happening on the comedy circuit. Here are just a few of the more interesting offerings this fall:
UPRIGHT CITIZEN’S BRIGADE
This acclaimed improv outfit — which helped launch the careers of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh — returns to Chicago to set up shop after leaving the Windy City in 1996 to open theaters in New York and Los Angeles. Expect to see a few recognizable faces, including “The Daily Show’s” Rob Riggle and Horatio Sanz from “Saturday Night Live.” Tuesdays at Lakeshore Theater at 3175 N. Broadway; 773-472-3067.
THE HAROLD
Created by Charna Halpern and the late Del Close, this staple of i.O. begins with an audience suggestion, giving a team of quick-witted improvisers a chance to explore that suggestion through different characters in a variety of scenes. Daily (except for Monday) at i.O. Theater, 3541 N. Clark; 773-880-0199.
BABY WANTS CANDY: THE COMPLETELY IMPROVISED ROCK OPERA
Based on a suggestion from the audience, these unscripted, hourlong musicals will leave clever songs in your head long after you’ve left the theater. Fridays at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln; 773-935-6100.
ALEX RAYMUNDO
One of “The Original Latin Kings of Comedy,” Raymundo has been making the rounds with appearances on P. Diddy’s “Bad Boys of Comedy,” as well as on HBO, Showtime and Comedy Central. Though a Latino comedian — his latest comedy DVD is titled “Hick-Spanic” — Raymundo is quick to point out that his comedy transcends ethnic boundaries. Sept. 27-30 at the Improv, 5 Woodfield Rd., Schaumburg; 847-240-2001.
DIGNITY WAITS
Local actor-writer Jamie Buell’s one-man sketch show includes acerbic monologues, biting social commentary and enough silliness to keep your sophomoric side entertained. Mondays through Oct. 1 at the Playground Improv Theater, 3209 N. Halsted; 773-871-3793.
ANDREW DICE CLAY
If you happened to catch his VH1 reality show “Dice Undisputed,” you know his manager tried to talk him out of hitting the road again. But the notoriously politically incorrect comic, whose heyday was some 20 years ago, is back testing out his new material. Oct. 3-4 at Zanies, 230 Hawthorn Village Commons, Vernon Hills; 847-549-6030.
HAPPY SONG FUN TIME
Sort of a “Best of” set from Annoyance Productions, featuring several humorous tunes from the improv company’s 20 years of satirical musicals. Among those are the popular “Manson” and “Co-Ed Prison Sluts,” which are sure to bring back memories. Saturdays through Oct. 13 at the Annoyance Theatre, 4830 N. Broadway; 773-561-4665.
BRETT BUTLER
A former cocktail waitress before finding success as a stand-up and sitcom star (“Grace Under Fire”), Butler is back doing what she does best. She speaks candidly about her life, including her addiction to pain killers and subsequent stint in rehab. Nov. 1-4 at the Improv, 5 Woodfield Rd., Schaumburg; 847-240-2001.
DAVID BRENNER
The legendary comic is back on tour again, commenting on the state of the world. Nov. 1 in Chicago (1548 N. Wells, 312-337-4027 ), Nov. 2 at Zanies in St. Charles (4051 E. Main; 630-513-1761 ) Nov. 3 at Zanies in Vernon Hills (230 Hawthorn Village Commons; 847-549-6030).
‘LATE SHOW’ TALENT SHOW
Perhaps the chance to see somebody before they hit the big time. About 10 local comedians compete for an appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” 8:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at Zanies, 1548 N. Wells; 312-337-4027.
CLASSICAL
JOHN VON RHEIN says prominent names and significant anniversaries punctuate a rich fall schedule
As the countdown for the music director search continues at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the rest of the city’s classical music organizations are going about their fall business more or less as usual. And the usual isn’t exactly chopped liver.
Lyric Opera is staging a countdown of its own, with the local premiere of John Adams’ and Peter Sellars’ “Doctor Atomic,” the highly anticipated recent opera about science and morality at war over The Bomb. Otherwise, the autumn offerings range from three-hankie favorites by Verdi and Puccini to the intriguing esoterica of Handel’s “Julius Caesar” and Richard Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” The casts are uniformly world-class, and classy.
Among the anniversaries to be observed this fall are the 10th of the CSO’s MusicNOW series, the 15th of Chicago a cappella and the 20th of the CUBE Contemporary Music Ensemble, and the 30th of the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert series.
As always, the real texture of our musical life will owe much to the many worthy smaller organizations that are so indispensable to the local scene. Sound the trumpets!
Here are 10 highlights, through December:
RICCARDO MUTI
The eminent Italian maestro bowed out of his scheduled return to the Chicago Symphony last fall; now he’s making up for lost time. Muti will open the CSO season with two weeks of subscription concerts, his first with our orchestra since 1975. Italian soprano Barbara Frittoli will be his soloist for a gala on Saturday. Following Muti’s local engagement, he will take the orchestra on a four-country European tour. Could this be a glorified audition for Daniel Barenboim’s old job, or merely a flossy new notch in Muti’s belt? Stay tuned. Sept. 14-21 (the dates as published has been corrected in this text) at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan; 312-294-3000.
‘LA TRAVIATA’
Opera lovers never tire of the melodic tragedy of Violetta Valery, the glamorous courtesan who forswears the high life for true love. For its season opener, Lyric Opera is fielding a youthfully attractive cast that includes the promising Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja as Alfredo, plus Elizabeth Futral as Violetta and Mark Delavan as the elder Germont. Bruno Bartoletti is the conductor, Frank Corsaro the stage director. Sept. 29-Oct. 15 at Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker; 312-332-2244.
‘LA BOHEME’
The beloved Italian soprano Renata Scotto made her American debut as Mimi in Lyric Opera’s 1960 production of the ever-popular Puccini tearjerker. Now she’s back as stage director for Lyric’s umpteenth revival of the venerable Pier Luigi Pizzi production, with Angela Gheorghiu and Serena Farnocchia sharing the role of Mimi, Roberto Aronica and Gwyn Hughes Jones as Rodolfo, Nicole Cabell as Musetta, and Quinn Kelsey as Marcello. Bartoletti and Andrew Davis will evoke la vie bohemienne in the pit. Oct. 2-Nov. 23 at Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker; 312-332-2244.
LA SCALA PHILHARMONIC
How’s this for irony: While Riccardo Muti takes the CSO around Europe, the Milan opera orchestra from which the maestro resigned in 2005 in a widely publicized huff makes its first visit to Chicago under his rival and possible successor, Riccardo Chailly. Dueling Riccardos aside, it’s always good to hear an Italian orchestra playing Italian music, and any Chailly sighting is an event not to be missed. Oct. 7 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan; 312-294-3000.
PACIFICA QUARTET/BEETHOVEN
One of the nation’s brightest young string quartets will present the complete Beethoven quartets in a six-concert collaboration with various Chicago-area presenters. The cycle begins next month and continues through March 2. The kickoff is Oct. 14 at Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, 50 Arts Circle , Evanston; 847-242-0775.
BERNARD HAITINK
Chicago Symphony subscribers will get their biggest earful yet of the orchestra’s principal conductor when the eminent Dutchman returns for a three-week fall residency. Highlighting his subscription concerts will be Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 (with the ever-reliable Emanuel Ax as soloist) and the premiere of a new work by CSO resident composer Mark-Anthony Turnage. Oct. 18-27 and Nov. 8-10 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan; 312-294-3000.
‘JULIUS CAESAR’
Lyric Opera introduces Handel’s “Giulio Cesare” to Chicago in David McVicar’s sumptuous and witty production, a smash hit a couple of seasons ago at England’s Glyndebourne Festival. Count on soprano Danielle de Niese to ooze pure sex in her Lyric debut as the power-hungry Cleopatra, opposite the hunky countertenor David Daniels as Caesar. Presiding in the pit will be Emmanuelle Haim, the first woman conductor ever to front the Lyric orchestra. Nov. 2-Dec. 1 at Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker; 312-332-2244.
UBS VERBIER FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
This will be Chicago’s first chance to hear the acclaimed international youth orchestra that’s one of the world’s leading training ensembles. Leading the Swiss-based band will be the veteran conductor Charles Dutoit. His soloist will be the magnetic pianist Martha Argerich, in a rare local appearance. 8 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph; 312-334-7777.
‘DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN’
Some opera-goers find the convoluted symbolism of Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s libretto tough going, while many believe the score is composer Richard Strauss’ masterpiece. Lyric Opera has entrusted its new “The Woman Without a Shadow” to a formidable cast headed by Deborah Voigt as the Empress, Christine Brewer (debut) as the Dyer’s wife, Robert Dean Smith as the Emperor, Franz Hawlata as Barak and Jill Grove as the Nurse. Music director Andrew Davis will conjure those lush Straussian sonorities, with Paul Curran (debut) directing. Nov. 16-Dec. 20 at Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker; 312-332-2244.
‘DOCTOR ATOMIC’
John Adams’ meatiest opera to date tackles a literally hot-button topic: The detonation of the first atomic bomb in the New Mexico desert in 1945. Hawks and doves alike weigh in on the top-secret “Manhattan Project” as its director, physicist Robert Oppenheimer (baritone Gerald Finley), wrestles with his role as modern Prometheus. Contemporary opera doesn’t get more intense than this. The always-provocative Peter Sellars, who wrote the libretto, doubles as stage director, with Robert Spano conducting. Dec. 14-Jan. 19 at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker; 312-332-2244.