Straight from the Factory
Andy Warhol’s contribution to the art world is undisputed, but his films have always occupied a more dubious position in mainstream public opinion. Facets is here to convince you there’s more to those factory flicks than Edie Sedgwick’s pretty face. The cinémathèque’s Warhol and the Film Factory festival kicks off Friday the 16th with Night at the Factory, one of the city’s more imaginative fetes. The gala, which runs from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art Warehouse (1747 W. Hubbard St.; 773-281-9075), includes a DIY false-eyelash station and a booth for silkscreening Warhol-style portraits, plus dinner, a Velvet Underground cover band, go-go dancers, and live and silent auctions. Tickets are $150 at www.facets.org/warholfactorynight.
The party continues with a weeklong film fest at Facets (1517 W. Fullerton Ave.; 773-281-4114), where highlights include Factoring Warhol: Film, Myth, Legacy (Saturday the 17th at 3 p.m.), a symposium exploring Warhol’s film legacy, followed by a rare screening of the filmmaker’s homoerotic Western satire Lonesome Cowboys at 7 p.m. and The Velvet Underground and Nico at 11:30 p.m. Find the full fest schedule at www.facets.org.
Best Bets for Things to Do This Week
See
• Need an antidote to schmaltzy year-end retrospectives? Uh-’07: The Year in Revue, at Donny’s Skybox Theatre at Second City (1616 N. Wells St.; 312-337-3992), satirizes the mistakes and tragedies of 2007—which means they’ve got plenty of good material. The show opens 7:30 p.m. Friday the 16th and runs through December 28th. Tickets are $10.
• As Shrek has taught us, fairy tales are more fun when they’re broken down, pulled apart, and twisted around. Case in point: Sweatily Ever After, a selection of deconstructed tales applied to contemporary life. Catch the show at Raven Theatre (6157 N. Clark St.; 773-868-4620) before it closes Sunday. Tickets are $20.
• And while we’re on the topic of fractured theatre, get a dose of Neil LaBute’s trademark dark take on relationships in Things We Said Today. The collection of infrequently staged vignettes and monologues is part of an entire season dedicated to the playwright and filmmaker at Profiles Theatre (4147 N. Broadway; 773-549-1815). The show runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m., through December 16th. Tickets are $25.
Listen
• Not ready to commit to opera tickets? Danielle de Niese—currently starring as Cleopatra in the Lyric’s production of Julius Caesar and the woman the Tribune calls “the opera world’s answer to Beyoncé”—performs a free program of Mozart, Fauré, and Poulenc, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday the 21st at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.; 312-744-6630).
Laugh
• There’s nothing funny about Tuesday. (Three days left until Friday? Come on!) Reverse early-week doldrums with chuckles courtesy of former SNL star and founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade Horatio Sanz, who brings along a crew of friends for a one-night show, 8 p.m. Tuesday the 20th at Lakeshore Theater (3175 N. Broadway; 773-472-3492). Tickets are $15.
Rock
• Move over, Russell Crowe. This movie star–turned–musician is more than just a vanity act; Juliette Lewis’s Juliette & the Licks puts on a downright ferocious show. Catch the band at Reggie’s Rock Club (2109 S. State St.; 312-949-0121) Friday the 16th at 8 p.m. for $13. Or arrive early for a 6 p.m. album signing with Lewis in the vinyl shop above the club, Record Breakers.
• Turns out your mother was right: Local bands agree you should turn that music down. Chicago groups Le Concorde, The Its, and The Handcuffs play a fundraiser for those affected by noise-induced hearing loss, 9 p.m. Sunday the 18th at Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western Ave.; 773-276-3600). Admission, $8, includes a free pair of earplugs.
Watch
• If the Hollywood writers strike drags on, we’ll all have to get used to more reality television. See a choreographed take on the genre in Cinderbox 18, Lucky Plush Productions’ sendup of manufactured reality that combines athletic choreography, video, and dialogue. Performances run 7:30 p.m. Friday the 16th and Saturday the 17th in the Museum of Contemporary Art Theater (220 E. Chicago Ave.; 312-397-4010). Tickets are $24.
PLEASE NOTE: Events may be postponed or simply canceled. Please call ahead to make sure they are still scheduled to take place. Send tips or comments to marquee@chicagomag.com.