Even though the marriage’s prospects looked promising; it was still surprising to see it succeed with such dazzling effect. Chicago Sinfonietta, one of Chicago’s great musical assets, celebrated Diwali at Symphony Center Monday night with a program that merged two classical music worlds. It also sagely incorporated the dynamic richness of South Asian dance by …
Basking in the Glow of Diwali at Symphony Center Read More »
When they mirror the people who live in them, cities are like living kaleidoscopes. Holidays, festivals and celebrations turn diversity into an engine that makes the city more colorful, dynamic and interesting by allowing people to reach back to their pre-America days and bring joyful memories of the past to the present. For most Chicagoans, …
Upping its game to the point that now it’s almost posh, Halloween stopped being only about kids years ago. Which may have helped inspire the Oriental Institute’s classy and patently eclectic re-imagining of what a Halloween celebration could look and feel like. The brainchild of the Oriental Institute’s Young Professionals Board, who titled their foray …
Madeleine Peyroux’s visit Tuesday night to the City Winery stage couldn’t have been more curious. A straight-ahead performance full of edgy humor and wonderful music, she casually interlaced the familiar and the new, the melancholy and the playfully salacious; all the while filling the evening with unexpected jolts of surprise. It’s not by intention, but …
Even with the staggering number of choices Chicagoans have to satisfy our cravings for music, theater, dance and the visual arts, the entertainment playing field can never get too crowded. Having only been open a year, the city may be just beginning to realize what an asset Wrightwood 659 has already become. The sedately serene …
Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater made a big splash at Dance for Life in August with its show of artistic flair and ravishing precision. That they would be occupying the Auditorium stage again this month with an extended suite of dances made their show Saturday night highly anticipated. Based on the what they presented over …
Opening night at the opera remains a striking occasion. The red carpet, the gowns, the heart racing energy flowing through the nearly 4000 people assembled to see The Barber of Seville, one of the world’s most popular operas. It’s ironic that something so beloved isn’t exactly an original. Rossini based his classic on a French …
The arts have a way of remaining transcendent even when they indulge in the specific. The four artists currently on display in the Spertus Institute’s Ground Level Arts Lab are all captivating. That they share a common heritage may be instrumental in what and how they create, but what they produce is a gift to …
Who wouldn’t want to see a masterpiece in a masterpiece? The prospect had movie goers streaming into The Auditorium Saturday night to see Jordan Peele’s master work Get Out in the palatial splendor of one of the city’s most beautiful landmarks. For almost a decade and across the country, screening movies with a live orchestra …
It’s surprising what can result from realized passions. For the past ten years, Melissa Mallinson and Nicole Gifford have pooled their creative energy to build and mount the Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival. Both have extensive backgrounds in dance and their annual event gives Chicago a chance to see trailblazing work being created both locally …