Redmoon's latest extravaganza, Spectacle '09, runs through Sunday at Belmont Harbor.
BABIES ON BOARD  A new staging of Frankenstein, from the avant-garde Chicago troupe The Hypocrites, opens at the MCA.

THE FIVE

Don’t-miss picks for Wed 10.21.09 through Tue 10.27.09:

1

theatre Frankenstein
A promenade production means the audience is onstage for The Hypocrites’ retelling of the world’s most troubled father-son relationship. Bonus: Hear director Sean Graney discuss the play, courtesy of the MCA; we love it when he compares his patchwork take on the story to Shelley’s monster. It’s like Halloween for adults—and smart at that. (Frankenstein is number three in our fall theatre anticipation index; find out which plays make up the other nine.)
GO: Oct 21–Nov 1. $20-$25. The Hypocrites at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E Chicago. mcachicago.org
2

concerts Steve Martin
He played the banjo for laughs in his 1970s standup, but Martin takes the music (mostly) seriously in this concert of originals from his new album, The Crow, with bluegrass quintet The Steep Canyon Rangers as backup.
GO: Oct 22 at 8. $37-$74.50. Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W Randolph. ticketmaster.com
3

concerts Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard
Farrar (Son Volt) and Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) team up for a live performance of their soundtrack to One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur, a new documentary on the writing of Jack Kerouac’s Big Sur. The flick had its only scheduled Chicago screening on Oct 20 at Webster Place, but if you missed the film, this concert offers a great chance to hear two musicians who keep the spirit of the Beats alive—not to mention an occasion to check out the like-minded new Lincoln Hall, from the music-loving brothers Schuba.
GO: Oct 26 at 8. $25. Lincoln Hall, 2424 N Lincoln. lincolnhallchicago.com
4

museums The Nature of Diamonds
Guys, upon seeing her reaction to these priceless dazzlers, you’ll finally know the truth: Size does matter. This exhibition at the Field includes stunners from the collections of Elton John, Catherine the Great, and others, and comes in tandem with the reopening of the museum’s newly overhauled Grainger Hall of Gems. (While onsite, give another standout a gander: The local firm David Woodhouse Architects has won the bid for an upcoming memorial to Daniel Burnham; plans are on view through Nov 1.)
GO: Oct 23–Mar 28. Open daily 9-5. $13-$23. Field Museum, 1400 S Lake Shore. fieldmuseum.org
5

farrago Oz-tober
No, not Guillen. On the occasion of The Wizard of Oz’s 70th birthday, the Chicago History Museum hosts a weekend of events toasting the classic flick. Seats are tight on a bus tour of local sites related to L. Frank Baum, the author of the Oz books, but there’s also a walking tour of Oz Park, plus a screening of the film at the Music Box, and more.
GO: Oct 24-25 at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N Clark; see chicagohistory.org for more information and prices. Screening: Oct 22 at 7. $5-$9.25. Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport. musicboxtheatre.com

FREEBIE OF THE WEEK

farrago Chicago Book Festival
Even if winter’s early onset leaves you inclined to forego all of the above and curl up with a good book, the following might coax you off the couch: chats and signings by big-name authors including Aleksandar Hemon, Michael Chabon, and Augusten Burroughs, part of the citywide book festival.
GO: Chabon: Oct 21 at 6. Pritzker Auditorium, Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S State. Hemon: Oct 27 at 6. Crown Center Auditorium, Loyola U, 1001-25 W Loyola. Burroughs: Oct 27 at 7. Music Box Theatre, 3733 N Southport. chipublib.org

Photograph: Paul Metreyeon