A hip hop multimedia one act performed by ballerinas would be ideal
March 12, 2011 5:36 PM Subscribe
Help me support the arts in Chicago before Easter.
As part of Lent this year* I am making an effort to support the arts by experiencing them. I am open to trying new things and new places. I have done all the major venues: the opera, the Art Institute, Second City, Too Much Light, etc, etc. I am looking to get into some smaller, lesser known places/shows and I am interested if anyone knows what is getting the buzz, or what isn't getting the buzz but should. I want to go for a broad range of things and really expand past my own artistic box; music, art, dance, theatre, whatever. What is new and different and cool in Chicago right now? Is there anything I have to do before Easter?
Budget is not really an issue; I can't afford to go to the Steppenwolf nightly, but I am down with the occasional splurge here. I have a car and am open to suburban art stuff too. Bonus points for stuff open during the day and early week.
*I am an atheist, but I really like the idea of Lent
As part of Lent this year* I am making an effort to support the arts by experiencing them. I am open to trying new things and new places. I have done all the major venues: the opera, the Art Institute, Second City, Too Much Light, etc, etc. I am looking to get into some smaller, lesser known places/shows and I am interested if anyone knows what is getting the buzz, or what isn't getting the buzz but should. I want to go for a broad range of things and really expand past my own artistic box; music, art, dance, theatre, whatever. What is new and different and cool in Chicago right now? Is there anything I have to do before Easter?
Budget is not really an issue; I can't afford to go to the Steppenwolf nightly, but I am down with the occasional splurge here. I have a car and am open to suburban art stuff too. Bonus points for stuff open during the day and early week.
*I am an atheist, but I really like the idea of Lent
If you'd be interested in contemporary serious music, I can recommend ensemble dal niente. They have two performance before Easter, one a UofC's Fulton Hall, Tuesday 4/5 at 7:30
and one at the Mayne Stage on Morse, Thursday 4/21 at 7:30. It's challenging stuff but usually well worth the effort.
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 7:03 PM on March 12, 2011
and one at the Mayne Stage on Morse, Thursday 4/21 at 7:30. It's challenging stuff but usually well worth the effort.
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 7:03 PM on March 12, 2011
Best answer: Heddatron!!!! Playing through April 24 at Sideshow Theatre Company. (My friend's newly minted fiancee is a principal!) I think tickets are $20, which is pretty dang reasonable.
Would the Chicago Architecture Foundation count?
Lookingglass Theatre -- the aforementioned newly engaged friend works there and they do cool stuff too :) (Hell of a recommendation, eh?)
If you've only done opera at the Lyric, try the Chicago Opera Theater. They do a bunch of modern stuff, too.
Check out the performing arts venues at the universities, including places like Dominican; they should have both good student performances and good visiting artists. Dominican, in particular, brings artists such as Billy Bragg and Renee Fleming, and it's a really comfortable and friendly atmosphere that you wouldn't likely get in a downtown venue.
posted by Madamina at 10:29 PM on March 12, 2011
Would the Chicago Architecture Foundation count?
Lookingglass Theatre -- the aforementioned newly engaged friend works there and they do cool stuff too :) (Hell of a recommendation, eh?)
If you've only done opera at the Lyric, try the Chicago Opera Theater. They do a bunch of modern stuff, too.
Check out the performing arts venues at the universities, including places like Dominican; they should have both good student performances and good visiting artists. Dominican, in particular, brings artists such as Billy Bragg and Renee Fleming, and it's a really comfortable and friendly atmosphere that you wouldn't likely get in a downtown venue.
posted by Madamina at 10:29 PM on March 12, 2011
The Profiles Theatre, in Uptown, is a very small venue with consistently excellent plays and acting. They put on a lot of Neil LaBute plays, including the current one ("Reasons to be Pretty") which is fabulous.
posted by DrGail at 7:22 AM on March 13, 2011
posted by DrGail at 7:22 AM on March 13, 2011
You might check out The Nairobi Project. (disclosure. the writer guy worked for me 11 years ago)
posted by timsteil at 10:17 AM on March 13, 2011
posted by timsteil at 10:17 AM on March 13, 2011
My favorite lower profile art gigs in Chicago include the House Theatre, the IO (formerly Improv Olympic) which teaches and exhibits long form improv, the Piccolo theatre a small theatre invested in Pantomime, and SongCircle at Schuba's, a monthly showcase of singer songwriters.
Don Hall is a local store front theatre director that writes reviews on his blog of what's going on in the small theatre spaces.
posted by garlic at 7:33 AM on March 22, 2011
Don Hall is a local store front theatre director that writes reviews on his blog of what's going on in the small theatre spaces.
posted by garlic at 7:33 AM on March 22, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by crush-onastick at 6:09 PM on March 12, 2011