Chicago Philharmonic, Maestro Scott Speck conducting, brings a creative collaboration of talent and artistry with Aretha Rising.

Aretha Rising – Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra

Capathia Jenkins and Darryl Williams, with back up singers Nick Trawick, DeShana Wooden, and Calli Graver amaze with their vocal talent along with this remarkable orchestra.  The acoustics of the Harris Theater create  a canopy of multilayered sound beauty. Darryl Williams singing A Change Is Gonna Come brings goosebumps and much needed hope after a heartbreaking week of violence in Texas.  And Aretha’s Gospel (What A Friend We Have In Jesus/Climbing Higher Mountains) simply lifts you up.

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations – Broadway in Chicago

Following successful runs on Broadway, both before and after the shutdown, Ain’t Too Proud has come to the Cadillac Palace for a two week engagement. The show tells the story of the Temptations, from their formation in 1950s Detroit through their rise to fame in the 60s and 70s, all through the lens of the incredible music they made.

The Winter of Our Discontent

Richard III – Promethean Theatre Ensemble

Promethean Theatre Ensemble is back with its first show since the shut down and is staging Shakespeare’s classic Richard III, the tale of the scheming duke who plots to seize the throne from his brothers then his young nephews by any means necessary.

Examine, Enjoy and Empathize

The Chinese Lady – TimeLine Theatre

Imagine what it was like for a young, innocent, Chinese girl to be sold by her parents to a pair of American merchants, and then brought to America to be put on exhibit in a museum. Most of us would agree that this experience is simply incomprehensible, but Lloyd Suh’s remarkable one-act, brilliantly directed by Helen Young, is a theatrical experience that’s based upon an historical truth. It allows audiences to learn about and empathize with this sadly exploited young woman. 

Art to Ponder and Enjoy

Nick Cave: Forothermore – The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Wow!  Dazzling. Thought-provoking. I was immediately immersed in this spectacular exhibit of beautiful colors and optical “illusions.” I say illusions because Nick Cave’s “Forothermore” is so much more than dazzling colorful eye candy. Upon closer inspection, you really see what he’s trying to tell us and it is often not pretty. It is moving and inspiring, beautiful and heartbreaking, showing us how life has a way of fooling us into believing there is equal opportunity for all, but that it’s a misconception.

Curiouser and Curiouser

Lookingglass Alice – Lookingglass Theatre Company

Known for original, story-centered productions developed by their multitalented ensemble members through physical and improvisational rehearsals, Lookingglass Theatre brings back their highly popular mashup of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland  and Through the Looking-Glass for a return visit. It’s been more than ten years since “Lookingglass Alice” was first presented by this inventive theatre company, to wild, popular and critical acclaim. The production is created in association with the Actors Gymnasium, a northside theatrical school devoted to instructing circus arts and physical performance of all kinds. The company likes to boast that it teaches its participants how to fly–both physically, emotionally and creatively. In “Lookingglass Alice” this is precisely what the actors and the audience experience together.

Sparring to Fit in and Stand Out

Athena – Writers Theatre

Two 17-year-old young women meet each other in an after-school fencing program. At first reluctant, the girls finally agree, after much verbal sparring, to train together. Initially strangers, but both strong, equally-gifted athletic competitors, the teenagers eventually become close friends. Together they decide how to balance their camaraderie and competition. They argue whether practice needs to be painful, if the rules of the sport can be tweaked a bit, and how to parry, both in their fencing and in their lives.

In Mourning for My Life

Seagull – Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Possibly the most famous two lines of any Chekov play opens this production, a play that’s been translated, adapted and directed by ensemble member Yasen Peyankov. The end result is a beautiful, rich and completely enthralling presentation. Masha is asked, “Why do you always wear black?” Her dour response is, “I’m in mourning for my life. I’m unhappy.” This opening conversation sets the tone for the entire play, and prompts the first laugh of the evening. It could’ve, however, been uttered by almost any of the other characters in this play. No one in this comedy seems particularly happy with his or her existence, and in their melancholia we find humor. However, there’s also plenty of promise in the air, which fills the play with possibilities of love.

When We Need Help From Others

The Luckiest – Raven Theatre

We’ve all received advice from our friends telling us that the future is uncertain, so we should eat our dessert first. In other words, people should live their lives to its fullest. We never know what tomorrow, or even the next moment, will bring. This advice becomes the theme of Melissa Ross’s comic drama, developed three years ago at the La Jolla Playhouse. Although not quite the serious malady faced by the heroine of her play, Ms Ross based “The Luckiest” upon a particularly dark time in her own life.