Trombone Shorty
TROMBONE SHORTY The New Orleans-based trombonist-singer and his band step
into the spotlight at Park West.

THE FIVE

Don’t-miss picks for Wed 12.05.12 through Tue 12.11.12:

1

concerts Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Love jazz? Rock? Funk? Hip Hop? Troy Andrews, on the titular instrument, and his band meld all those genres into a unique Grammy-nominated sound. Their Park West show will satisfy every musical craving.
GO: 12/6 at 7:30; $25. Park West, 322 W Armitage. jamusa.com

2

theatre Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Watching a green-furred Grinch jazz-hand around Whoville will make anyone’s heart grow three sizes.
GO: 12/5–12/16; $18–$85. Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W Randolph. broadwayinchicago.com

3

comedy Happy Holly-Daze: A Drinking Game Performance
Make sure to BYOB to this annual sketch comedy drinking game, it’s a celebration of holiday splendor, horror, and Heineken. The funny fest comes courtesy of Corn Productions.
GO: 12/6–12/29; $7 and $15. Cornservatory, 4210 N Lincoln. cornservatory.org

4

performance The Interview Show
If you mix David Letterman with a bit of Charlie Rose, you get Mark Bazer’s monthly talk show at the Hideout. This month, the Friday night gig features the dream pop band Architecture, the WGN host John Williams, the comedian Adam Burke, and more.
GO: 12/7 at 6:30; $8. The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia. hideoutchicago.com

5

theatre The Book of Mormon
It’s here, it’s finally here! The Tony-sweeping, irreverent musical penned by Trey Parker and Matt Stone arrives in Chicago after two years on Broadway. It’s a blast—so long as you leave all political correctness at the door.
GO: 12/11–6/2; $45–$110. Bank of America Theatre, 18 W Monroe. broadwayinchicago.org

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND

Tom Bachtell
Tom Bachtell

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals—a.k.a. people we like: Tom Bachtell, the illustrator for the New Yorker’s Talk of the Town. Tom Bachtell: Drawings, an exhibit of Bachtell’s work, is on view at the historic Water Tower downtown through 2/24/13.

“When my New Yorker deadline ends on Friday, I’m just in a stupor. It’s like I’ve been on call for 48 hours. My studio is in the loop, so when I’m finished I’ll likely head home to Lincoln Square and practice piano. Later, I will probably order takeout from the Shanghai Inn, this sweet little red booth place on Damen.

“If I get my act together on Saturday morning, I’ll walk over to Nhu Lan’s Bakery on Lawrence where I get the chicken Banh Mi. It’s my morning constitution. At noon, I’ll head over to Big City Swing for swing dance group rehearsal. I’m addicted to swing dancing. Afterward, I wouldn’t mind being dragged to The Publican. I love everything on the menu all the way down to the radishes. They also have amazing sardines and oysters. I might go dancing at Untitled later that night. But I won’t stay too late because I like to get home in time for Steve Cushing’s Blues Before Sunrise radio show, which comes on at midnight.

“Sunday morning, I play chamber music for two hours. Sunday afternoons are one of the few times I can catch a museum show, so I’ll head to the Art Institute Chicago to see “Rarely Seen Contemporary Works on Paper,” which apparently includes some William Steig and “Of Gods and Glamour.” For dinner, I might go to Au Cheval, I love the atmosphere, it reminds me of those stories about writers going out late and ending up in a bar.” —As told to Elly Fishman

FREEBIE OF THE WEEK

new music International Contemporary Ensemble
Continuing their partnership with MoCP, ICE plays a program of works by Latin American composers, including Chicago’s Marcos Balter, within the museum galleries.
GO: 12/8 at 7:30. Museum of Contemporary Photography, 600 S Michigan. iceorg.org

 

Photography: (Trombone Shorty); Kirk Edwards (Bachtell) Tom Bachtell