Don’t-miss picks for November 8 through November 14, 2017
1 Kelly Anderson Dance Theatre
Dance:Anderson, a master of comedic timing and self-deprecation, strings together the best bits of her previous works for a one-nighter at Steppenwolf’s new black-box theater. Seamlessly weaving movement and dialogue, Anderson proves that dance doesn’t need to be dead serious.
11/8 at 8 p.m. $20. Steppenwolf. steppenwolf.org
2 Re:sound Live!
Podcast:Third Coast International Audio Festival—the Sundance of podcasting—livens up its Chicago conference with the Fest, two weeks of live recordings across town. The event kicks off with Re:sound, Third Coast’s in-house radio show, which invites guests including true-crime podcaster Phoebe Judge and Chicago’s Neo-Futurists to collaborate in a live “narrative mixtape.”
11/8 at 7:30 p.m. $25. Thalia Hall. thaliahallchicago.com
3 Chicago International Movies and Music Fest
Film/Music:Two of the more obsessive species of philes, cine- and audio-, congregate at theaters and concert halls this weekend for this local music and movie festival. Catch films about cassettes, queercore, and the final years of David Bowie, as well as shows from Tom Rush, Lili K, and others; poetry impresario Kevin Coval curates an associated set of panels.
11/9–12. Various venues and prices. cimmfest.org
4 Faye Driscoll
Dance:The second installment of Driscoll’s Thank You for Coming series, Play, explores humans’ reliance on storytelling. The closing matinee on Sunday, November 12, features a relaxed atmosphere, including sign language interpretation and an option to come and go as you please.
11/9–12. $10–$30. Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. mcachicago.org
5 Escape to Margaritaville
Theater:From Jimmy Buffett himself comes a new musical set in a paradise of bottomless adult beverages. Tony winner Christopher Ashley directs the Broadway-bound show.
11/9–12/2. $33–$105. Broadway in Chicago at Oriental Theatre. broadwayinchicago.org
6 Joel Kim Booster
Comedy:The ex-Chicagoan performs at a release party for his new comedy album, Model Minority.
11/11 at 7:30 p.m. Sold out; see resellers. Schubas. lh-st.com
7 Lily Tomlin
Comedy:Younger fans may not know that before she played a spacy divorcée on Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, Tomlin got her start on the 1960s show Laugh-In. Here, she returns to her comedic roots.
11/11 at 4 and 8 p.m. Sold out; see resellers. North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. northshorecenter.org
8 Auditorium Theatre’s Golden Celebration of Dance
Dance:Some of the world’s greatest dance companies meet for the 50th anniversary of the Auditorium Theatre’s 1967 reopening (the building closed during the Great Depression and was used by the USO during World War II). New York City Ballet was on the bill that night and will be here again, joined by American Ballet Theatre, Dutch National Ballet, locals Hubbard Street and Joffrey, and more.
11/12 at 7:30 p.m. $41–$135. Auditorium Theatre. auditoriumtheatre.org
9 Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical:Five years ago, the renowned local composer Augusta Read Thomas wrote a concerto called Resounding Earth for the renowned local quartet Third Coast Percussion. Now in possession of a shiny new Grammy, the group performs the world premiere of Thomas’s companion piece, Sonorous Earth, playing up the extensive bell collection amassed for the first one.
11/12 at 3 p.m. $10–$75. Harris Theater. chicagophilharmonic.org
10 Edward Hines National Forest
Art:A century ago, the Chicago-based Edward Hines Lumber Company cut down an entire forest of Northwoods trees in Hayward, Wisconsin. Artists Sara Black and Raewyn Martyn commemorate the destruction by crafting a dazzling, abstract forest made from lumber byproducts—a commentary on the loss of native species for human gain.
FREE 11/12–2/11. Hyde Park Art Center. hydeparkart.org