This past Tuesday, during the run of the Lyric Opera’s production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, the Northwestern graduate and Gurnee native Amanda Majeski stepped into one of the leading roles as an understudy and wowed the crowd.
Our top five picks for things to do this week: It only reads like a rundown of deadly plagues. Highlights include a song cycle about hypochondria, a behind-the-scenes chat on DNA testing, and a new play by Rebecca Gilman that should open the critical floodgates.
A cultural short-list for March, in order of buzz
Matthew Santos was 25 when he joined the Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco on a world tour, opening for Kanye West and Rihanna. He got a chance to see fame and fortune up close—but on his new record, This Burning Ship of Fools, out in March, he’s decided to aim for the depths of the heart … Read more
Meetings are rubbish—and other anti-business-as-usual musings from a maverick tech entrepreneur
Our top five picks for things to do this week: Highlights include a green-tinged pub crawl courtesy of the Chicago History Museum, Stephen Sondheim live at the Harris, and a screening of William S. Burroughs: A Man Within, with Penny Arcade, as part of the second annual CIMM Fest.
Hare Tonic: After just over a year as editorial director, 35-year-old Jimmy Jellinek has injected new life and energy into Playboy (the Marge Simpson cover was his brainchild). But can anyone—even a brash former star of the lad-mag genre—rescue this listing flagship?
Our top five picks for things to do this week: We’re not sure what’s in the water (er, slush), but this week offers an unparalleled lineup of concerts, screenings, and more—your best bets yet for conquering the winter blahs. Bonus: five freebies we would have paid for (but don’t have to)
High Notes: With February comes the height of opera season. To help you navigate the city’s expanding scene, we charted eight companies by ticket price and risk factor
Our top five picks for things to do this week: Lyric unveils its own lavish Faust … Dog & Pony trots out another genre-buster … Booker T slow boils … Tortoise revs up … Patti Smith comes home (for free)
