Arts & Entertainment Recommendations

Broadway in Millennium Park!

Broadway in Chicago Summer Concert

After three long years, Broadway Chicago is back in Millennium Park, presented along with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events at 6 p.m. Monday, August 15. Selections at this free concert will come from Disney's "The Lion King," "Dear Evan Hansen," "Wicked," and "MJ," the four-time Tony Award-winning musical about Michael Jackson, as well as "1776", Disney's "Aladdin," "Chicago," "Les Miserables," "Tina" and "Jagged Little Pill." “Our favorite event of the year finally returns for the first time in three years, and we’re coming back with performers from favorite Broadway blockbusters! Mark your calendars – this is a night you do not want to miss,” said Eileen LaCario, vice president of Broadway In Chicago. Grab a blanket, some snacks and head over to the Jay Pritzker

Poetry in Play!

'My Brother Langston'

Poet Langston Hughes entertained the prolific and profound legends of his time in his Harlem apartment. On this fascinating journey, accompanied by music from the Harlem Renaissance, we come to understand why Hughes was considered one of the greatest poets and civil rights leaders of his time and why his poetry continues to speak to us today. This play, by Reuben Echoles, is part of the four-play Season of Healing and Joy at the Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark St. Previews are August 19 & 20, with opening night August 21. Performances are 3 p.m. Sundays, 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with an additional 3 p.m. performance Saturday, August 27. The play runs 90 minutes with no intermission and the audience is limited to 150 people as a COVID precaution. The play closes September 18. More information at blackensembletheater.org or 773.769.4451.

An Evanston Tradition!

Art & Big Fork Festival

Evanston’s annual Art & Big Fork Festival (800 Church St.) is back this weekend, August 16-18. Enjoy three days filled with artwork from over 130 juried artists from around the country, exhibiting unique, usable art like handmade jewelry, one-of-a-kind furniture and home accessories, along with more traditional media like paintings and photography. Featuring a range of price points, this festival is perfect for art connoisseurs and others who are just looking to fill the blank space on their wall. Art lovers also have the chance to see live demonstrations and join one-on-one booth chats. This free event runs Friday 4 - 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Beyond the art scene, enjoy tasty treats and live music from blues and light rock group Ron Steta Trio, an eclectic mix of old school jazz and rock from Brad Cole, folk and soul from Jeff Libman and more.

Dances From West Africa!

Najwa Dance Corps’ Night Out In The Park

Najwa Dance Corps will present a free one-hour program as part of the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series, at 3 p.m. Saturday, August 20 at Schreiber Park, 1552 W. Schreiber Ave. Its "Dances of West Africa" will encompass the Sene-Gambia Region, Guinea and Liberia, with live drumming, narration and audience participation for all ages. Founded by Najwa I in 1977, the company's repertoire ranges from traditional rituals of Africa to the glamorous chorus girls of the swing era. Born Arnell Pugh in Clarksdale, MS and raised in Chicago, Najwa means "one who is spiritually in tune." Learn more at najwadancecorps.org

Look to the Sky!

Chicago Air and Water Show

Celebrating a history of more than 60 years, the Chicago Air and Water Show is back in full force Saturday and Sunday, August 20 and 21, after a COVID absence in 2020 and a scaled down show in 2021. Enjoy an afternoon of high-speed aerobatics along the lakefront from Fullerton to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach (1600 N. Lake Shore Drive) as the focal point. See aircraft like the U.S. Navy F-35C Lighting II and the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor, and headliners the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, as well as a Missing Man formation in memory of Rudy Malnati, Jr., a member of the Chicago pizza dynasty who directed the show until his death last December. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. both days. FREE.

Lyric in the Park!

Lyric Opera at Millennium Park

Lyric Opera of Chicago celebrates the start of the 2022-23 season with "Sunday in the Park with Lyric," 7 p.m. August 21 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, in collaboration with the City of Chicago and the park. The program will include excerpts from Lyric's upcoming season: Verdi's "Ernani" and "Don Carlos," Rossini's "Le Comte Ory," Bizet's "Carmen," Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "West Side Story" performed by members of the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, with Katherine Beck, an alumna of the center, as special guest. Lyric Music Director Enrique Mazzola will lead the Lyric Opera Orchestra. Visitors entering the park after 6 p.m. will pass through metal detectors as a safety measure. FREE.

Bonsai in Every Room!

Chicago Botanic Garden Bonsai Show

Are you wanting an easy-care plant addition to your apartment? Well, look no further than the 44th Mid-America Bonsai Show & Sale at the Chicago Botanic Garden (1000 Lake Cook Road). From August 19 to 21, scan the types and styles of the 200 featured bonsai trees. Whether you’ve got two green-thumbs or you can’t seem to keep a plant alive, attend demonstrations and lectures on care. Then, visit the vendors for your tree and supplies. Get inspiration from the Chicago Botanic Garden’s permanent bonsai collection of over 50 trees or at the Regenstein Center, where enthusiasts from across the country bring their trees to be judged. General admission to the garden allows access to the garden show, but an additional fee and registration is required for the workshops. Visit chicagobotanic.org or midwestbonsai.org for details. Admission starts at $15.95, with extra fees for workshops and parking.

Stingrays & Saxophones!

Jazzin’ at the Shedd

A lineup of Chicago’s top jazz artists are waiting for you every Wednesday at the Shedd Aquarium! From 5 - 10 p.m. through August 31, relax with food and drinks on the terrace or stroll the aquarium and see its featured animals and habitats! On August 17, Michele Thomas will perform jazz-inspired R&B, soul and neo-soul. Jazzin’ at the Shedd adult tickets are $19.95 for residents and $39.95 for non-residents. Seating is first come, first served. For more information, visit sheddaquarium.org.

Apocolypse Now!

Chicago Dance Crash 'Booms Day'

Chicago Dance Crash’s signature blend of concert and street dance styles paints a colorful picture of life, strife and relationship goals after the end of the world with "Booms Day," running Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. August 26–September 10, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. After a vague and expansive “boom” takes the fun out of everything, the 8-year-old narrator is alone with a boombox, and is joined by one person, then another, until she has to make choices: friends or family, love or blood, peace or freedom. Add a greedy gang of marauders and a distant city beyond the wastelands, and the result is a world premiere combining comedy and suspense with a ton of stylistic, highenergy movement. $25 at chicagodancecrash.com

www.streetwise.org 5