Don’t-miss picks for September 27 through October 3, 2017
1 Molly Shanahan/Mad Shakct
Dance:A master of improvisational dance, Shanahan, who performs as Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak, returns to Chicago to perform a spinoff from My Name Is a Blackbird, the evening-length performance that defined her aesthetic when it premiered in 2007. This solo piece, dubbed Blackbird’s Ventriloquy, features music by percussionist Kevin O’Donnell.
9/30. $10–$20. Links Hall. linkshall.org
2 Orphée et Eurydice
Opera:Two of Chicago’s highbrow heavyweights, Lyric Opera and the Joffrey Ballet, collaborate for the first time on the dance-infused French version of Gluck’s baroque masterpiece Orphée et Eurydice. The singing cast includes the nimble tenor Dmitry Korchak (in his Lyric debut) and the surging soprano Andriana Chuchman as the tragic couple. The baroque specialist Harry Bicket conducts.
Through 10/15. $35–$319. Civic Opera House. lyricopera.org
3 Perfect Arrangement
Theater:This Chicago premiere by Topher Payne is inspired by the story of Bob and Norma, two gay U.S. State Department employees who married each other’s partners at the height of the Red Scare.
Through 10/22. $10–$40. Pride Arts Center. pridefilmsandplays.com
4 Poetry Off the Shelf: Eve Ewing and Marcus Wicker
Reading:Poet and sociologist Eve Ewing reads from her new book, Electric Arches, alongside poet Marcus Wicker.
FREE 9/28 at 7 p.m. Poetry Foundation. poetryfoundation.org
5 Broken Social Scene
Rock:This Canadian supergroup is known for taking their time releasing albums, but this year’s Hug of Thunder marked a new record. Dropped unannounced after a seven-year absence, Hug, like so many other recent spur-of-the-moment releases, is a protest record through and through, exploring themes of hope in the face of darkness. Sop up this live show before the band disappears for nearly another decade.
9/29 at 8 p.m. Sold out; see resellers. Aragon Ballroom.
6 80 Minutes Around the World: Immigration Stories
Live Lit:Moth Story Slam veteran Nestor Gomez brings together local storytellers to share perspectives on the immigrant experience. Read more here.
9/30 at 2 p.m. $15. The Edge. brownpapertickets.com
7 Crowd Out
New Music:The Pulitzer-winning composer David Lang, known for his particular brand of minimalism, also has a maximalist side, at least with regard to ensemble size. His 2014 work Crowd Out calls for 1,000 singers. Here, volunteers from all 50 of the city’s wards, recruited by conductors Donald Nally and Tim Munro, will mass near the Bean to perform the humanity-affirming 40-minute work.
FREE 10/1 at 3 p.m. Millennium Park. crowdoutchicago.org
8 Savageness, or There Are Veins Embraced in the Property
Art:A trio of artists will use three-dimensional, remote sensing images of 6018North—the Edgewater art venue housing this one-night installation—to create an augmented reality performance that reimagines the history and architecture of the building.
FREE 9/30 from 6–9 p.m. 6018North. 6018north.org
9 Sun Kil Moon
Folk:On his new double album, Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood, Mark Kozelek, who performs as Sun Kil Moon, delves deeper into the terrain of antifolk, even dabbling in hip-hop and spoken word (folksier genres than people give them credit for). It’s a surprisingly political record for a man whose songs skew confessional (see his death-obsessed 2014 album, Benji). Kozelek is known for a sparse sound, and onstage his songs are downright chilling.
10/3 at 8 p.m. Sold out; see resellers. Old Town School of Folk Music.
10 Fleet Foxes
Folk:After six years away from the spotlight and the loss of drummer Josh Tillman (who now sells out venues as Father John Misty), this Seattle quintet returned in June with Crack-Up, a stunning third LP. The album earned the same plaudits as Fleet Foxes’ first two records, but it also found them experimenting—with orchestral sounds, complex song structures, and genre-defying medleys. Hear the modern-day psych-rockers (in all their four-part harmonies) in the regal Chicago Theatre.
10/3–4. Sold out; see resellers. Chicago Theatre.