Arts & Entertainment
From Music in the Park to a Queer Country Fest, Here Are 6 Things to Do This Weekend
Pritzker Pavilion. (Kyle Flubacker)Pritzker Pavilion. (Kyle Flubacker)
The fall arts season is getting into gear, and the Bears don’t play until Monday night. So consider a day trip to Plano, Illinois, to see a masterwork of modernity. Get an early taste of Lyric Opera’s season. Upend country music cliches. Visit an immersive exhibit about family and culture. When in doubt, you can always see a play. Your couch will still be there when you get back.
“Sunday in the Park With Lyric” – Millennium Park
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Ring in the fall cultural season with a free concert under the stars at Pritzker Pavilion. Maestro Enrique Mazzola conducts members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra, and singers from the Ryan Opera Center perform favorites and highlights from the Lyric’s upcoming season. Bonus: The Joffrey Ballet will perform an excerpt from their upcoming production of “Carmen.” Sept. 7
“Inhabit: Edith Farnsworth House and Environs in Four Seasons” – Edith Farnsworth House, Plano
This fascinating house museum on the Fox River is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Tom Rossiter is the current artist-in-residence, and he photographed the site inside and out over four seasons. An exhibition of his photos gives you one more reason to make the 60-mile trek from Chicago to Plano to visit the modern masterpiece designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Opens Sept. 6
“A New Brain” – Center on Halsted
A composer’s brush with mortality leads to a surreal hospital stay where he’s visited by hallucinations — including a frog character from a kid’s TV show. This musical about the healing power of art has music and lyrics by William Finn (“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”) and book by James Lapine (“Into the Woods”). You gotta love a dark, life-affirming musical comedy with song titles like “A Really Lousy Day in the Universe.” Presented by PrideArts. Through Sept. 14
Lavender Prairie Festival. (Rachel Steele)Lavender Prairie Festival. (Rachel Steele)
Lavender Prairie – Judson & Moore Distillery
Dust off your chaps because the Queer Country Fest returns with boots on the ground and a 10-gallon hatful of fun (what am I — their publicist?!). National acts like twin brothers The Kentucky Gentlemen and local heroes Andrew Sa and friends add to the merriment. Expect line dancing and a tribute to Lavender Country, pioneers of queer country music. Best of all, this rainbow roundup offers a chance to hoot and holler in a safe space. Sept. 5-6
“Abuela’s House” – National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture
An unusual exhibition immerses viewers in a kind of love letter to cultural identity and home life. Seventeen scenes were created by artist Destyni “Desi” Swoope who channels love and gratitude for her great-grandmother into art. It’s a patchwork of Caribbean culture constructed of fabric, found objects and paint — all of it in honor of an ancestor who personifies the wisdom of family and experience. Opens Sept. 6
“Ashland Avenue” – Goodman Theatre
Kicking off the Goodman’s 100th anniversary season, “Ashland Avenue” tells a very Chicago story about a family business and competing dreams. Jenna Fischer (“The Office”) stars with Francis Guinan, who is on anyone’s shortlist of great actors in town. This world premiere is said to be funny and moving, and it’s directed by new(ish) Goodman artistic director Susan Booth. Previews begin Sept. 6, so see it before the critics.
Marc Vitali is the JCS Fund of theDuPage Foundation Arts Correspondent.
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