1 A Duel of Ennui
Adapted from the Pushkin novel about an alienated Russian aristocrat, the Joffrey Ballet’s Eugene Onegin grapples with life and death. June 4–14. joffrey.org
2 Elegy of Assimilation
The late Tom Stoppard’s final play, Leopoldstadt traces an Austrian Jewish family across two world wars. Director Carey Perloff made script revisions with Stoppard specifically for this Writers Theatre production. June 4–July 19. writerstheatre.org
3 Lit Lovers Unite
The two-day American Writers Festival features 40 programs and 80 writers, including Afrofuturist Tananarive Due, anchor legend Bill Kurtis, and Chicago poet laureate Mayda del Valle. June 6–7. americanwritersmuseum.org
4 Presto Quattro
Expect large-scale spectacle when the Champions of Magic, composed of four ace illusionists and escape artists, materialize at the Fine Arts Building’s Studebaker Theater. June 6–July 5. championsofmagictour.com
5 Another Man’s Treasure
In the multimedia Singer Pavilion Project, local artist Jeff Carter repurposes material salvaged from Bronzeville’s long-defunct Michael Reese Hospital. June 6–Sept. 20. hydeparkart.org
6 Flight Plans
Studio Gang co-curates the new Flyway City exhibition, about how to build healthier urban ecosystems that protect birds. June 11–Jan. 3. architecture.org/flyway
7 It Could Be Worse
With films of despair, Bleak Week descends on two Chicago cinemas. Screenings include Mysterious Skin at the Music Box and Watership Down at the Siskel. June 12–18. americancinematheque.com/festivals
8 Flamenco in Gold
Ensemble Español celebrates its 50th anniversary in Skokie with a dance card full of greatest hits, plus the premiere of Villanesca. June 13. northshorecenter.org
9 Go Getters
Video-savant rockers OK Go might not include treadmills or Rube Goldbergs machines in their concerts, but their high-energy shows still slap. (The confetti cannons don’t hurt.) June 13. gallagherway.com
10 Hairy Humor
In Iceboy!, comedy royalty Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman star as a 1930s Broadway diva and Eugene O’Neill, who spar over a Neanderthal liberated from a glacier. June 20–July 26. goodmantheatre.org
11 His Mojo’s Still Workin’
To celebrate 50 seasons, Black Ensemble Theater revives its biggest hits, including the jukebox musical Muddy Waters: The Hoochie Coochie Man, about the father of Chicago blues. June 20–July 26. blackensembletheater.org
12 A Life in Boxes
Five years after his death, sculptor Kenzi Shiokava gets his first solo museum exhibition, with more than 50 woodcarvings and quirky dioramas. June 27–Jan. 31. mcachicago.org
13 Czech Please
After a popular run in 2024, Czech magician Ondrej Psenicka returns to the Magic Lounge with 52 Lovers, a weekly show full of wit and uncanny prestidigitation. July 1–Aug. 26.
chicagomagiclounge.com
14 Roots Rock
Headliners for this year’s American Music Festival in Berwyn range from British rock duo the Heavy Heavy to Chicago’s own Neal Francis. July 2–5. fitzgeraldsnightclub.com
15 Arabian Might
Famed for achieving a record 1,001 consecutive nights of standup, comedian Sammy Obeid recently labeled himself a “social justice jihadi.” Hey, he’s fearless enough to mock Charlie and Erika Kirk. July 3 and 5. thedentheatre.com
16 Hear Them Roar
Shaina Taub’s Tony-winning musical Suffs, about the early-20th-century activism that won women the right to vote, arrives at CIBC Theatre. July 7–19. broadwayinchicago.com
17 Admired Taste
Pack your appetite for Chicago mag’s Chicago’s Best Restaurants event in West Town. Sample signature bites from the city’s top chefs. July 15. chicagomag.com/cbr
18 We Have Liftoff
In Cirque: A Space Odyssey, L.A.-based Troupe Vertigo spins aerial magic while the Grant Park Orchestra performs celestial music, from Debussy’s Clair de Lune to John Williams’s
E.T. theme. July 22. grantparkmusicfestival.com
19 He’ll Tumble For Ya
Backflip king and TikTok pop star Benson Boone brings his Wanted Man tour to Rosemont for two nights. July 24–25. rosemont.com/allstate
20 Blues Energizer
To celebrate turning 90, Chicago legend Buddy Guy tours the country this summer. Catch him if you can at the Chicago Theatre. July 25. buddyguy.net