Happy Wednesday, Chicago!
While the weather seems to still be playing the “is it spring, is it not spring?” game, you can head to Porchlight Music Theatre to catch “Spring Awakening” the musical. Tribune critic Chris Jones called it “the best local production of this work to date.”
For all you die-hard Cubs and White Sox fans (or those of you just looking for an excuse to travel) we’ve put together a list of baseball away games that are worth a weekend trip, from scenic vistas in San Francisco to the Bronx Zoo to the Phoenix desert.
Speaking of Phoenix, as someone who grew up in Arizona, I was excited to read Nick Kindelsperger’s roundup of the 31 best tacos in the city, and this look at what restaurants and bars are offering in celebration of Cinco de Mayo.
See you next week.
— Kayla Samoy, deputy senior editor
‘Shining Girls’ review: Elisabeth Moss hunts down a time-traveling serial killer in Chicago
The psychological thriller “Shining Girls” on Apple TV+ may be fiction, but it uses the Great Chicago Flood as its starting point: It’s the spring of 1992 and the flood has unexpectedly led to the discovery of a woman’s mutilated corpse. Read the full story here.
Review: Con Todo brings pamburguesa and an all-Mexican wine list to Logan Square
While Con Todo was initially lauded as an ambitious project with chef Jonathan Zaragoza at the helm, the chef’s departure last month left Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger questioning what the Logan Square restaurant would become.
Luckily, Kindelsperger writes, the lively Mexican bar still holds plenty of promise, as a sort of souped-up version of Big Star, with a pamburguesa unlike anything he’s seen. Read his full review here
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.Get ready for a total lunar eclipse, Chicago
If you head out at the right time next Sunday, you can catch a total lunar eclipse. Read the full story here.
Chicago now has two large literary festivals: The Printers Row Lit Fest and the ambitious new American Writers Festival, with a lineup of heavy-hitting authors. Get the rundown on the free fest here.
Review: On Broadway, Daniel Craig gets trapped in a ‘Macbeth’ without a clear plan
First Look: Smoque Steak, a steakhouse by Smoque BBQ, opening in Chicago
Smoque BBQ is celebrated as one of Chicago’s best barbecue joints, so Tribune critic Louisa Chu welcomed news of its plans to debut a steakhouse later this year, not downtown, but in the Avondale neighborhood. Read the full story here.
Subscriber exclusive: Virtue chef Erick Williams opening po’boy restaurant in Hyde Park
Review: A stunner of a lead performance in ‘Spring Awakening’ by Porchlight Music Theatre
As the Tribune’s Chris Jones writes: “If you’ve never seen ‘Spring Awakening,’ or want to relive a score that broke a lot of tired rules back in its day, here is your chance.” Read the full story here.
The 31 best tacos in Chicago, from Antique to Zaragoza
How could anyone choose the best taco in Chicago, with so many taquerias in so many neighborhoods and suburbs? Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger has endeavored to find out, trying around 80 spots in the past two months alone, topping off the literal hundreds he’s put to the taste test over the years.
He’s got the top three essential tacos of Chicago, along with a couple dozen more of the city’s best. Get his full rundown here.
Cinco de Mayo specials at Chicago-area restaurants, from margaritas to mariachi bands
Mike Birbiglia is in many ways the ideal comedian for the podcast era of progressive cultural dominance, an entertainer whose gentle jokes flow from autobiographical experiences with punchlines mostly zinging himself, writes critic Chris Jones.
He’s back in Chicago with a new show that, Jones says, will appeal to fans new and old. Read the full review here.
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My worst moment: Mike Birbiglia and bombing on stage — not at comedy club but a country club
Review: Northlight Theatre’s ‘Intimate Apparel’ does this lovely play about a Black seamstress proud
Pack your jerseys and foam fingers: here are our picks for the best cities to head to this baseball season to cheer on the Chicago team of choice, then spend some time taking in sights, activities and delicious food. Read the full story here.
Move over Evian. Chicago introduces ‘Chicagwa,’ Lake Michigan tap water in a can
The Lyric Opera House curtain rose on the long-awaited Joffrey Ballet premiere of “Serenade,” revealing a sea of quasi-anonymous sylphs in powder blue leotards and long, gauzy skirts.
But it’s an odd pairing with “Of Mice and Men,” a ballet based on the Steinbeck novel, with two dancers representing character George’s split psyche and a plot audiences need to know before they go, writes Lauren Warnecke. Read the full review here.
Wheelchair aerial dance at center of ‘Wired’ at the MCA, a performance that centers disability