‘Clouds’ by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec
WERE THE BOUROULLEC BROTHERS ARTISTS ALL ALONG? The Museum of
Contemporary Art launches the French designers first major U.S. exhibition

THE FIVE

Don’t-miss picks for Wed 10.17.12 through Tue 10.23.12:

1

art Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec
Renowned for their sleek modernist furniture and collaborations with Vitra, these French brothers are synonymous with European design. But weren’t they fine artists all along? Judge for yourself at the duo’s first major U.S. exhibition.
GO: 10/20–1/20; free to $12. Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E Chicago. mcachicago.org

2

classical World Orchestra for Peace
The all-star orchestra, drawn from ensembles around the globe, makes its Chicago debut on the centennial birthday of former CSO music director, Sir Georg Solti.
GO: 10/21 at 1:15; $51–$199. Symphony Center, 220 S Michigan. cso.org

3

dance Human Landscapes
Ever poised and precise, the Joffrey Ballet dips its toes into dark, stormy waters with The Green Table—one of three parts in the production—Kurt Jooss’s 1932 antiwar ballet. Bonus: The Chicago Philharmonic provides a live score.
GO: 10/17–28; $31–$152. Auditorium Theatre, 50 E Congress Pkwy. joffrey.org

4

art STEVE McQUEEN
Before McQueen was a Hollywood favorite, he was a Turner Prize-winning artist who tackled topics such as genocide and war. The Art Institute owns the largest U.S. collection of the Brit’s work; this week it launches a landmark mid-career survey.
GO: 10/21–1/6; $12–$18. Art Institute Chicago, 111 S Michigan. artic.edu

5

theatre The Opponent
A flinty owner of a boxing gym has his world upended by a pugilist newcomer. Sound Million Dollar Baby-esque? Not to worry, with the Chicago playwright Brett Neveu’s at the helm, this script will surely be an original knockout.
GO: 10/18–12/2; previews $15, regular run $30. A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells. aredorchidtheatre.org

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND

Alison Cuddy
Alison Cuddy

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals—a.k.a. people we like: Alison Cuddy, the arts and culture reporter for WBEZ. Cuddy blogs for wbez.org and can be heard on various radio programs including the Morning Shift and Afternoon Shift.

“Friday night, I’m taking a friend to dinner—he’s a magic geek. We’re going to go to Dennis Watkins’ show, Magic Parlour at the Palmer House Hilton. Magic and the Palmer; what could be better? There’s also the After Dark event at the Art Institute, which is part of the opening for the new Steve McQueen show. He’s a different kind of magician—and the best moving image artist working right now— so the night will have two different forms of magic.

“Saturday morning I’m going to try and check out Modern Vintage Chicago. It’s a jewelry and clothing show at Plumber’s Hall on Randolph. It’s really carefully curated and they have all kinds of beautiful stuff. Even if you’re not looking to buy, there’s no better place to window shop. After, I really want to try and do a double matinee at the Chicago International Film Festival. That just feels like the perfect lazy Saturday afternoon activity. I’ll probably try and see Room 237 and Caesar Must Die by the Taviani brothers.

“I don’t normally go for brunch, but on Sunday I may try and hit up Au Cheval and stock up on beer and heavy food. I went to school in Montreal and I miss that whole Quebecois bistro scene. Afterwards, I’m planning to walk south on the lakefront path near McCormick Place and Burnham Park, I love that patch of the lake path. Then I’ll head to the Osaka Japanese Garden in Jackson Park. It’s a beautiful oasis and it’s not too far from the two new Japanese print shows at the Smart Museum where I’ll end my day.” –As told to Elly Fishman

FREEBIE OF THE WEEK

dance Jungle Boogie: Big Beats From The Tropics
A favorite Bridgeport watering hole among Chicago artists, Maria’s bar hosts its monthly world music dance party every third Wednesday. This week the jungle party features music from the Caribbean, South America, and Africa, and an “exotic” film.
GO: 10/17 at 8. Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar, 960 W 31st. community-bar.com

 

Photography: (Clouds) Paul Tahon and R&E Bouroullec/Courtesy of Kvadrat; (Cuddy) Drew Reynolds