1 Scaling Heights
The local chamber group D-Composed, which devotes itself to performing pieces by Black composers, glides into a three-night residency at Steppenwolf. Nov. 6–9. steppenwolf.org
2 A Pose by Any Other Name
In The Capulets, a world premiere from Chicago Repertory Ballet founder Wade Schaaf, the star-crossed lovers take a back seat to the machinations of Juliet’s mother and hotheaded Tybalt. Nov. 7–16. chicagorepertoryballet.com
3 Songs for A Minor
Tony-lauded Hell’s Kitchen, the Alicia Keys jukebox musical about a piano prodigy growing up in Manhattan, comes to the Nederlander. Nov. 11–30. broadwayinchicago.com
4 Salt, Fat, Acid Meet
James Beard Award–winning author Samin Nosrat chats about her new cookbook, Good Things, with Chicago scholar Eve L. Ewing at the Athenaeum. Nov. 12. chicagohumanities.org
5 In Fortuna Veritas
Decades of questionable use in Hollywood scores have warped the irreverent Latin of Carmina Burana. Feel the lusty-monk thrill when Lyric Opera returns Carl Orff’s masterpiece to its booming glory. Nov. 14–18. lyricopera.org
6 Striking While They’re Hot
Chicago prog rockers Post Animal cap their big year — the acclaimed album Iron, an international tour — with a homecoming concert at Thalia Hall. Nov. 18. postanimal.us/tour-dates
7 The Ballad of John and Yoko
In conjunction with its exhibition Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, the MCA screens One to One: John & Yoko, a 2024 doc with previously unseen footage of the avant-garde supercouple. Nov. 18. mcachicago.org
8 Reap of Faith
The yearlong exhibit American Prophets features authors’ spiritual artifacts: Flannery O’Connor’s rosary, Harold Ramis’s pocket-size Five-Minute Buddhist, Ursula K. Le Guin’s annotated Tao Te Ching, and more. Opens Nov. 21. americanwritersmuseum.org
9 Crazy in Love
Set in Victorian London, the classic thriller Gaslight is best known for spawning a verb about psychological manipulation. Now it illuminates Skokie’s Northlight stage. Nov. 28–Dec. 28. northlight.org
10 Disco-Rock Symphony
Seventies-infused soul man Neal Francis plans a special sonic event for his hometown: Francis Comes Again, a concert spectacular with a 20-piece ensemble. Nov. 29. saltshedchicago.com