Brian Dennehy and Nathan Lane
COLD SPRING If you missed Brian Dennehy, left, in Goodman’s 1990 staging of
The Iceman Cometh, now’s your chance to see the O’Neill specialist have at it
again—this time as pub “foolosopher” Larry Slade. Nathan Lane plays the reformed
drunk Theodore Hickman.

THE FIVE

Don’t-miss picks for Wed 4.18.12 through Tue 4.24.12:

1

theatre The Iceman Cometh
Back to Goodman, that is. In 1990, when the theatre last staged Eugene O’Neill’s tale of delusions deferred, Brian Dennehy starred as the play’s whippersnapper. This time, he’s the elder statesman (or rather, the philosophizing drunk), with Nathan Lane in the younger man’s shoes. And we’ll be the first to tell you: The run was already extended for a week.
GO: 4/21–6/17. $61–$133. Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn. goodmantheatre.org

ALSO THIS WEEK: The incomparable Shakespearean player Simon Callow captures the Bard’s greatest hits—from Mercutio’s psychosis to General Coriolanus’s genius—in Being Shakespeare, 4/18–29 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
2

dance Burn the Floor
This glitzy spectacle of tangos, waltzes, and other popular dances should appeal to Dancing with the Stars die-hards. Beyond its commercialized sex appeal, the show features dancers with serious training in international-style partner dancing, including several Latin and ballroom categories. That’s hot.
GO: 4/21 at 4 and 8. $55–$65. Paramount Arts Centre, 23 E Galena, Aurora. paramountaurora.com
3

museums Katharina Fritsch
The German artist’s matte black, white, and red sculptures of people, animals, and objects—on view at the Art Institute starting 4/21—are off kilter and unsettlingly real.
GO: 4/21–10/28. Open Mon–Wed, Fri–Sun 10:30–5; Thu 10:30–8. Free (kids under 14) to $18. Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan. artinstitutechicago.org

ALSO THIS WEEK: On 4/21, the Art Institute also opens Parcours. Signs and symbols guide the way out of this Bauhaus-inspired gallery-size maze.
4

concerts Loudon Wainwright III
His stunning blend of humor, pathos, and uncanny insight makes Wainwright an incredibly powerful songwriter. His voice ain’t half-bad, either.
GO: 4/21 at 7 and 10. $24–$28. Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N Lincoln. oldtownschool.org
5

classical Music of the Baroque
Intricate, propulsive, and overwhelmingly huge, JS Bach’s B Minor Mass ranks near the top of the list of human achievements, musical or otherwise. Listen for Music of the Baroque’s expert evocation of the mass text’s emotional resonance.
GO: 4/22–23 at 7:30. 4/22: $25–$60. First United Methodist Church, 516 Church, Evanston. 4/23: $25–$75. Harris Theater, 205 E Randolph. baroque.org

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND

Shane Gabier
Shane Gabier

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals—a.k.a. people we like: Shane Gabier, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago fashion design prof who’s also one half of Creatures of the Wind, the Anna Wintour-approved fashion line he designs with his partner, Chris Peters. This Thursday, Gabier shepherds a record number of fashion-design seniors through runway shows of their graduating projects at SAIC Fashion Show 2012.

I’ve been with this year’s senior class since they were in their first year, so I’m really excited to see their graduation collections. Friday is the day after their fashion shows [on Thursday], which will probably be a 16-hour day. Friday morning, I’ll be back at school to teach the Advanced Fashion Portfolio class. Then that night, I’ll probably catch up on e-mail.

Saturday, I’ll definitely have brunch in Logan Square at Lula Café—my favorite restaurant of all time. I always go in saying that I’m going to get the pancakes, but their specials are always so good that I get something new. Later Saturday I’ll be working on designing the first sketch-ups for our spring 2013 shoe collection, which will be our second collaboration with [the designer] Tabitha Simmons.

Sunday, Chris and I will probably walk to New Wave Coffee in Logan Square in the morning. I usually get the Hail Mary—a Chai tea with two shots of espresso. Then I’m back in class again. I teach a fashion-design course for high school students on Sundays at SAIC. [Chris and I are] in the raw-element stages for our next collection, so I may do some sketching after. I find it really relaxing. It’s the most fun part of each collection for us.

—As told to Andrea Scott

FREEBIE OF THE WEEK

art Matthew Metzger
Metzger makes paintings that synthesize abstraction, minimalism, and trompe l’oeil techniques—to unforeseen, dazzling effect. Critics and collectors still buzz about his first gallery show at Tony Wight last year, which was followed by an equally well-received solo show at the MCA. We predict that this opening night will be packed.
GO: 4/20–5/25. Tony Wight Gallery, 845 W Washington. tonywightgallery.com

 

Photography: (DENNEHY) COURTESY OF GOODMAN THEATRE; (LANE) MICHAEL SOFRONSKI; (GABIER) COURTESY OF SAIC