All Our Tragic
Missed the debut of Sean Graney’s 12-hour adaptation of every single extant Greek tragedy last year? Now’s your chance to catch the gloriously messy epic. Through August 9. $100–$125. the-hypocrites.com
The Magic Parlour
Watching third-generation magician Dennis Watkins bend the laws of physics is truly extraordinary. Through July 31. $75. themagicparlourchicago.com
Men on the Verge of a His-Panic Breakdown
Acclaimed actor Sandra Marquez dons the director’s hat for Guillermo Reyes’s hilarious one-man collage of gay Latinos dealing with the messy business of life, death, and all that falls between. Through July 26. $20–$25. Pride Films and Plays at Apollo Studio Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln. pridefilmsandplays.com
Moby Dick
The most famous leviathan not living at SeaWorld takes center stage in David Catlin’s adaptation of Herman Melville’s tale. Given Lookingglass’s proven prowess with spectacle, the iconic great white whale could make quite a splash as the crazed, peg-legged Captain Ahab (Christopher Donahue) risks life and additional limbs to bring down the massive creature of the deep. Through August 9. $40–$80. Lookingglass, 821 N. Michigan. lookingglasstheatre.org
Oak Park Theater Festival
Set up camp in the town’s pastoral Austin Gardens, where To Kill a Mockingbird runs through July 18. $20. oakparkfestival.com
Salonathon
A genre-defying open mike variety show. Mondays. Free. salonathon.tumblr.com
Shakespeare in the Parks
Kids (and impatient adults) will love this mash-up of highlights from the Bard’s canon. Through August 16. chicagoshakes.com
Theatre-Hikes
Strap on your boots: This ambulatory company stages each scene in a different park location. Through October. Free. theatre-hikes.org
Lyric Opera
Yippee! Classical radio station WFMT-FM is rebroadcasting Lyric’s entire 2014–15 season. Don’t miss Porgy and Bess (July 4): Nothing beats blasting “Summertime” while blasting the air conditioner. Through July 11. wfmt.com
Madame Pompadour
Now in its 10th anniversary season, this hard-working company pulls another underappreciated work from a seemingly endless well and presents Madame Pompadour. The operetta, by the Austrian composer Leo Fall, presents a screwball scenario involving philandering, poetic extortion, disguise (what operetta doesn’t?), and Louis XV. July 17 to August 2. $25–$40. Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble. chicagofolksoperetta.org
Meet the Fly Honeys
Attention burlesque fans: This cabaret show boasts 50-plus dancers and a seriously elaborate striptease. August 13 to 29. $25–$35. chopintheatre.com
Midnight Movies at the Music Box
This Chicago institution is heaven for film-fan night owls. Fridays and Saturdays. $9. musicboxtheatre.com
Summer Film Series
Millennium Park continues its outdoor film series with screenings of Edward Scissorhands (July 14), Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (July 21), and Almost Famous (July 28). Through September 1. Free. Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph. cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html
Motown Mondays
Shake your groove thang at this weekly dance party. Mondays. Free. motownonmondays.com
The Saber-tooth Organ Quartet
Great jazz organ players are nearly extinct. Don’t miss the chance to hear some of the best musicians in town. Saturdays. $5 (free after 2 a.m.). greenmilljazz.com
Sound of the City Workshop
Take a walk on the weird side at this experimental-jazz jam session. Wednesdays. Free. constellation-chicago.com
Tuesday Morning Music
Classical tunes and jazz on a Tuesday morning, surrounded by acres of beautiful greenery? Yes, please. Through September 1. Free. chicagobotanic.org
Tuesdays on the Terrace
The popular summertime MCA series continues with performances by David Boykin (July 7), Corey Wilkes (July 14), Fred Anderson Legacy (7/21), and Marlene Rosenberg (7/28). Through 9/15. Free. Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago. mcachicago.org
Activate
Visual artists, musicians, and other creative types turn alley grit into party gold. Through October 23. Free. loopchicago.com/activate
The Freedom Principle
A form of free expression that developed on the heels of the civil rights movement, jazz in Chicago during the 1960s was more than just a dizzying new music genre: it epitomized a cultural revolution. That avant-garde sound continues to reverberate today, as revealed by this large exhibition of work by contemporary visual artists inspired by Chicago’s jazz history, including Nick Cave, Cauleen Smith, Renée Green, and Rashid Johnson. 7/11–11/22. See “How the AACM Inspired Naomi Beckwith’s New Exhibit.”
The Last Supper
Each of Julie Green’s 600 painted plates depicts a death row inmate’s final meal. Powerful stuff. Through August 9. Free. blockmuseum.northwestern.edu
Look at Me Now!
A remarkable group show explores how people around the world portray themselves through portraiture. Through August 23. Free. moniquemeloche.com
Pilsen Mural Walk
Take a self-guided tour of 30-plus city-sanctioned murals by such rising stars as Hebru Brantley, Pose, and Rodrigo “Solo” Mireles. 16th between Canal and Western. Free. chicagoarchitecture.org
Ruth: Selections from the Horwich Collection
Distinguished collector Ruth Horwich brought Calder and Picasso to Chicago, and her recent death released parts of her estate to galleries and auction houses. With Russell Bowman Art Advisory and Douglas Dawson Gallery, Hammer is showing and selling troves from her Hyde Park mansion, including rare works on paper by Jim Nutt, Gladys Nilsson, and Christina Ramberg. Through July 2. 740 N. Wells. carlhammergallery.com
Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park
As bucolic as it sounds. sculpturepark.org
This Must Be the Place
Kevin Swallow’s cityscapes—all painted with brushy exuberance—focus on the remnants of Chicago’s industrial past, such as old water tanks and steel bridges, that creep into the everyday urban experience. 7/24–8/22. 2124 N. Damen. firecatprojects.org
Bronzeville Comedy Showcase
Bust a gut south of Roosevelt Road. Funny guy Brian Babylon hosts. Every other Wednesday. Free. blancchicago.com
Second City Neighborhood Tour
A hilariously snarky guide to Old Town led by comedian Margaret Hicks. Through October 11. $15. secondcity.com
Graham Foundation
Together. Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi rendered her vision for modern society into minimalist buildings, furnishings, installation art, and film. Some of her creations are over 60 years old yet still fabulously fresh. Through 7/25. 4 W. Burton. grahamfoundation.org
Sheffield Garden Walk
View more than 80 neighborhood gardens at this two-day event showcase. Also sign up for a walking architectural tour of the area and take the youngsters to play at the Kids’ Corner. July 18 and 19. $7 donation; $10 after 3 p.m. Sheffield and Webster. sheffieldgardenwalk.com
Twilight River Cruise
The city’s best river ride, led by docents from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, now sets sail at twilight—and has a bar onboard. Magical. Through October 12. $23–$42. architecture.org
Essay Fiesta
Lit stars such as Keith Ecker and Ian Belknap, plus talented unknowns, riff on a different theme on the third Monday of each month. Free. essayfiesta.com
Vikings
See jewelry, metalwork, swords, and other artifacts in this exhibition, which explores the domestic life and death rituals of the Nordic people from AD 750 to 1100. Through 10/4. General admission (free for kids under 3) $13–$18; all-access passes $21–$31. 1400 S. Lake Shore. fieldmuseum.org
Wheaton All-Night Flea Market
August 15. $7. zurkopromotions.com