In the arts world, a lot of folks tend to focus on fall. After all, that’s when many organizations begin their subscription seasons. But more and more, spring is giving autumn a run for its entertainment dollars.
Here are just some of the season’s highlights in movies, music, dance, theater and art.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Once upon a time, Chicago’s classical music producers would bunch their big guns in the fall and winter. But no more. Audience demand is why. Indeed, the weeks spanning mid-March to early June will bring a plethora of major concerts, as the following selective list suggests.
New music manna: The Museum of Contemporary Art celebrates the 70th birthday of American maverick composer George Crumb in concerts featuring three decades of his vocal and small ensemble pieces, March 24 and 25; 312-397-4010.
The adventuresome Cube Contemporary Music Ensemble will premiere “Music for the End of Time” for trombone and electronics by Abbie Conant and William Osborne, April 3 at the DePaul University Concert Hall. Cube’s May concerts in Chicago and La Grange will include premieres by Chicago composers William Ferris and Patricia Morehead; 312-554-1133.
Also, keyboardist-composer David Schrader’s Sextet, written for his colleagues of the Rembrandt Chamber Players, has its premiere at the ensemble’s season finale, April 9 at Northwestern University’s Lutkin Hall and April 10 at the DePaul Concert Hall; 847-328-4883. The Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Cliff Colnot conducting, will present a free concert of new American music May 3 at Symphony Center; 312-294-3000.
The Chicago Chamber Musicians brings the third and final installment of their wonderful Music at the Millennium series to the Museum of Contemporary Art, May 9, 15, 26 and 31; 312-397-4010. Ars Musica Chicago will present works by Chicago composer Alexander Tcherepnin and son Ivan, May 21 at St. Vincent DePaul Church; 312-409-7874.
The season’s final MusicNow concert, May 24 in Symphony Center’s Buntrock Hall, will include works by Kurtag, Birtwistle and William Karlins, with Colnot leading members of the Chicago Symphony; 312-294-3000.
Choral music galore: His Majestie’s Clerkes under Anne Heider will join forces with the Chicago Baroque Ensemble to present Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s majestic Te Deum in performances April 29 in River Forest and April 30 in Chicago’s Quigley Seminary Chapel; 312-461-0723.
The William Ferris Chorale will expand to more than 100 voices to present the Verdi Requiem, in Thomas Weisflog’s arrangement for organ, brass and percussion, May 19 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church; 773-325-2000.
Also, the Northern Illinois University Chorus will join conductor Paul Freeman and the Chicago Sinfonietta for Prokofiev’s cantata “Alexander Nevsky,” May 1 at Symphony Center; 312-857-1062. And the Music of the Baroque chorus and orchestra will return to Orchestra Hall (at Symphony Center) for a performance of Mozart’s Requiem, Thomas Wikman conducting, May 22; 312-551-1414.
Young instrumentalists of note: Gracing the “Rising Stars at Ravinia” series will be pianist Frederic Chiu, April 7; cellist Sophie Shao, March 31; and violinist Ilya Gringolts, May 5; 847-266-5000. The Paris-based Trio Fontenay will make its local debut on the University of Chicago Presents series, April 7 in Mandel Hall; 773-702-8068. And the Civic Orchestra of Chicago will present a free concert of new American music May 3 at Symphony Center; 312-294-3000.
Miscellany: Symphony II launches its 10th anniversary season April 2 at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Larry Rachleff conducting music by Brahms, Ravel and Ginastera; 847-866-6888. Chicago Opera Theater’s Athenaeum Theater season continues March 29-April 9 with a double bill of Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” and Michael Ching’s “Buoso’s Ghost,” concluding July 19-30 with the local premiere of Philip Glass’ “Akhnaten”; 312-704-8414. Ars Viva, Alan Heatherington conducting, will present its annual Young Artist Showcase concert May 21 at Skokie’s North Shore Center for the Performing Arts; 847-673-6300.
— John von Rhein
ART
“Alex Katz,” April 7- May 20 at the Arts Club of Chicago: A selection of figurative works largely from the artist’s own collection and the 400 pieces he donated to the Colby College Museum of Art.
“Age of Influence: Reflections in the Mirror of American Culture,” April 8-June 4 at the Museum of Contemporary Art: How aspects of American culture have served as subjects for contemporary artists.
“Maineri to Miro: The Regenstein Collection Since 1975,” April 22-July 16 at the Art Institute: Forty-six pieces from one of the foremost collections of master drawings in the United States.
“FOCUS: Olafur Eliasson,” May 1-Aug. 12 at the Art Institute: The contemporary Icelandic artist will create a temporary site-specific piece of elemental materials.
“Franz West,” May 11-June 25 at the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago: The Viennese artist present 14 large-scale painted plaster sculptures, collages and furniture.
“Cornelia Parker,” June 9-July 31 at the Arts Club: The British Turner prize nominee shows installations that use found objects and have a conceptual twist.
“Free Association: Photography Associates Fund Acquisitions, 1989-1999,” June 10-Nov. 5 at the Art Institute: Selections from additions to the permanent collection made by a key museum support group.
“Cameraless Wonders,” June 10-Nov. 5 at the Art Institute: Thirty modern and contemporary photograms from the museum’s permanent collection.
“Optical Delusions,” June 17-Oct. 15 at the Art Institute: Works by photographers who use the medium to play tricks on the eye.
“The American West: Out of Myth, Into Reality,” June 24-Sept. 17 at the Terra Museum of American Art: More than 100 works re-examined in the light of fresh and sometimes controversial scholarship.
“Sol LeWitt: A Retrospective,” July 22-Oct. 29 at the MCA: The most comprehensive survey of the minimalist’s work in 20 years.
“Ellen Lanyon: The Riverwalk Gateway,” July 15-Sept. 10 at the Chicago Cultural Center: An exhibition based on the former Chicagoan’s public art project that tells the history of the Chicago River from 1673 to the present.
“Arthur Lerner: Paintings,” July 15-Sept. 10 at the Cultural Center: A recent series on mummified humans that reflects on the Mexican integration of life and death.
“Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamen,” July 17-Sept. 24 at the Art Institute: More than 300 objects exploring the civic and cultural impact of the ancient city of Amarna.
“Painting Revolution: Kandinsky, Malevich and the Russian Avant-Garde,” July 22-Oct. 8 at the Cultural Center: Eighty-five figurative and abstract paintings dating from 1907 to 1923, many shown for the first time in the United States.
— Alan G. Artner
ARCHITECTURE
Chicago’s skyscraper building boom will keep on rolling in the next few months and the big question is how high it will go.
The world’s tallest building plan by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago, which calls for a 108-story cloudbuster at 7 South Dearborn Street, still faces an uncertain future, despite City Council approval last fall. The project’s developer, Scott Toberman, hopes to announce sometime this spring that financing and other arrangements finally have been put in order, according to a Toberman spokeswoman.
Skidmore’s lead architect for the skyscraper, Adrian Smith, will discuss its structurally expressive design, which was inspired by masts on racing yachts, at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 S. Michigan Ave.
All the clamor over 7 South Dearborn, which would have parking, offices, condominiums and telecommunications antennas, has obscured major projects of lesser height.
The biggest of them, the Park Tower, a 67-story hotel/condominium building just west of the Water Tower on Michigan Avenue, was designed by Lucien LaGrange and Associates of Chicago and is set to be finished in May. Mostly clad in precast concrete, with a mansard roof to be covered in copper, it will house shops, a hotel and condominiums.
The Park Tower’s traditional, tapering silhouette stands in marked contrast to the modern aesthetic of the Bristol, a 41-story high-rise at Rush Street and Delaware Place. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz of Chicago, that nearly completed condominium tower features an irregular overall shape while its chief exterior materials are glass and cast-in-place concrete.
Not all the action is on the skyline.
On April 7, the Art Institute of Chicago will open an exhibition, “Bilbao: TheTransformation of a City,” that spotlights the city in Spain’s Basque region whose redevelopment projects include Frank Gehry’s acclaimed Guggenheim Museum. The show, which will feature plans, sketches photographs and models of projects in Bilbao, appears through July 16.
Gehry, of Santa Monica, Calif., will speak at the museum’s Rubloff Auditorium at 5:45 p.m. April 6 and will be joined by New Haven, Conn., architect Cesar Pelli, who prepared a master plan for part of Bilbao’s riverfront.
Gehry’s design for the bandshell in Chicago’s Lakefront Millennium Park will be the subject of an exhibition mounted in early June by the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. An opening date is not set, but the show, which runs through Aug. 13, will feature Gehry’s concept models for the project.
Other lectures of note: New York City architect Richard Meier speaks at the Art Institute’s Rubloff Auditorium at 7 p.m. March 21 while Princeton, N.J., architect Michael Graves appears at the Archeworks design school, 625 N. Kingsbury St., at 6 p.m. April 26.
— Blair Kamin
DANCE
Joffrey Ballet of Chicago: The company premiere of George Balanchine’s “The Prodigal Son” and a revival of Gerald Arpino’s rock ballet “Trinity” are among the offerings in the spring repertory season, Thursday through March 26 at the Auditorium Theatre. The company also performs April 15 at the Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University, University Park.
Akira Kasai: The 67-year-old “Nijinsky of Butoh” performs Thursday through Saturday at the Dance Center of Columbia College.
“Dances for a New World”: Works by three Latino choreographers and their companies–Luna Negra Dance Theater, The Pilsen Ballet and the Millennium Project of New York–Friday through March 19 at the Duncan YMCA Chernin Center for the Arts.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: A new work by Harrison McEldowney and the local premiere of Jiri Kylian’s “Petite Mort” highlight the spring repertory season, March 28-April 16 at the Shubert Theatre.
Rosy CO.: American debut of the Tokyo contemporary dance troupe, March 30-April 1 at Dance Center of Columbia College.
“Asi se baila un Son”: A dance celebrating the Afro-Cuban music and dance form Son Montuno, choreographed by Merian Soto, April 7-9 at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
“Les Solos 1978-1998”: Solo pieces by choreographer Marie Chouinard, April 18 and 19, presented by Performing Arts Chicago at the Shubert Theatre.
“The Breathing Show”: An evening-length solo work by Bill T. Jones, April 21 and 22, presented by Performing Arts Chicago at the Shubert Theatre.
Universal Ballet of Korea: The classic “Sleeping Beauty” and the Korean fairy tale “The Blindman’s Daughter,” performed in repertory, April 26-30 at the Civic Opera House.
Eifman Ballet: The classic/contemporary company from St. Petersburg in its local debut with a full-length “Red Giselle” by director/choreographer Boris Eifman, April 28-30 at the Auditorium Theatre.
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo: The all-male travesty company, April 30 at Centre East in the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.
“Burn the Floor”: Billed as “the Riverdance of ballroom dancing,” May 4-7 at the Rosemont Theatre.
Winifred Haun & Dancers: Spring concert by the Chicago company, May 5 and 6 at Ruth Page Theatre.
Fuego Espanol 2000: Premiere of “Amor y Muerte,” based on “Othello,” by Teresa y Los Preferidos Spanish Dance Company, May 12-14 at the Harold Washington Library auditorium.
Bolshoi Ballet: The fabled Russian company in the full-length “Romeo and Juliet” and “Don Quixote,” performed in repertory, June 6-10 at the Auditorium Theatre.
MOVIES
Here are some movie picks for the spring season:
“Erin Brockovich”: The perfect Julia Roberts role. She plays a feisty, socially conscious heroine who wears “Pretty Woman”-style duds and skirts. Based on the landmark water-pollution lawsuit against California’s Pacific Gas & Electric, in which real-life law clerk Brockovich played a crucial role, this is a terrifically engaging legal docudrama. With Albert Finney as Erin’s avuncular boss; director Steven Soderbergh (“Out of Sight”) has called it his own personal favorite among all his films. (Friday)
“Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai”: Excellent, dryly humorous existential crime comedy by Jim Jarmusch, with Forrest Whitaker as a harshly isolated hit man modeled on Alain Delon’s “Samourai” from the 1967 Jean-Pierre Melville French classic. Here, he meditates on the code of bushido while tangling with a singularly old and incompetent Mafia. (Friday)
“The Filth and the Fury”: My nominee for one of the most inventive and underrated rock musical directors of all time is Britain’s Julien Temple. After a long absence, here he is again, with his second movie on the Sex Pistols. This documentary sports interview footage with the infamous Sid Vicious. I can’t wait. (March 27)
“Sunset Boulevard”: Billy Wilder’s masterpiece of Hollywood noir, restored for its 50th anniversary, remains one of the all-time great backstage Hollywood movies. Gloria Swanson is megalomaniac silent star Norma Desmond, while director/butler Erich Von Stroheim sets up the shot and writer-gigolo William Holden narrates from the grave. (April 7)
“American Psycho”: The much-attacked Brett Easton Ellis novel about a serial-killer broker (who may or may not be imagining his atrocities) was less the sleazy exploitation trash of public memory than a truly ferocious satire of Wall Street yuppies and the ethos of the ’80s. Writer-director Mary Harron (“I Shot Andy Warhol”) is a smart, provocative choice to make it work on screen, along with actors Christian Bale, Reese Witherspoon, Chloe Sevigny and Willem Dafoe. (April 14)
“Small Time Crooks”: Woody Allen’s latest brainy merrymaker stars him and Tracey Ullman as a pair of low-life thieves. Although he’ll never again be a critic’s or sophisticate’s darling, Allen remains one of the finest comedy writer-director-stars in American movies. His recent scripts (“Bullets Over Broadway,” “Deconstructing Harry,” “Sweet and Lowdown”) have been among his best. (April)
“Sunshine”: An incredibly ambitious, sometimes brilliant social history of Hungary seen through the prism of one family, from that country’s most honored filmmaker, Istvan Szabo (“Mephisto”). A highlight of the last Toronto Film Festival, it was cowritten (in English) by Israel Horovitz, with a strong cast headed by Ralph Fiennes and William Hurt. (April)
“Not One Less”: The latest from China’s great director Zhang Yimou (“To Live”) was a grand prize winner at the Venice Film Festival. This docudrama concerns modern Chinese education among the lower classes, with non-professional actors. (May 5)
“Gladiator”: Director Ridley Scott (“Blade Runner”) blows hot and cold, but this period drama about an ancient Roman general (Russell Crowe) bent on revenge seems to have the makings of another offbeat visual spectacular. (May 5)
— Michael Wilmington
THEATER
Boy Gets Girl”: Premiere of Rebecca Gilman’s drama about a young woman beset by a stalker; Monday through April 8 at Goodman Theatre.
“Chicago”: Return of the popular musical revival, this time starring Alan Thicke and Vicki Lewis; Tuesday through March 19 at the Rosemont Theatre.
Eddie Izzard: The hip, cross-dressing English comic, all the rage in London, makes his Chicago debut at the Royal George Theatre; Tuesday through March 25.
“Chekhov: The Stories”: Five short stories adapted for the stage; Friday through April 22 at Piven Theatre in Evanston.
“now then again”: A new romantic comedy by Chicago playwright Penny Penniston; Saturday through April 30 at the Ivanhoe Theatre.
“My One and Only”: The 1983 musical romantic comedy loosely based on a 1927 Gershwin musical; March 19-May 14 at Drury Lane Oakbrook.
“Stories on Stage”: Live dramatic short story readings at 3 p.m. March 19 and April 16 and 7:30 p.m. May 16, June 13 and July 11 at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
“The Food Chain”: Local premiere of Nicky Silver’s manic farce about a group of eccentric urbanites; March 20-April 9 at Organic Theater in Evanston.
“Everybody, Smile!”: Premiere of N. Richard Nash’s drama based on the lives of Eugene O’Neill, Charlie Chaplin and Oona O’Neill Chaplin; March 24-April 9 at Illinois Theatre Center in Park Forest.
“Ballad Hunter”: Premiere of Jenny Laird’s drama set on an isolated Appalachian mountain home in the midst of the Depression; March 24-April 23 at Chicago Dramatists.
“Voice of Good Hope”: Premiere of Kristine Thatcher’s biographical drama of Barbara Jordan; March 27-April 23 at Victory Gardens Theater.
“Jekyll & Hyde”: Composer Frank Wildhorn’s musicalized version of the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson; March 28-April 9 at the Cadillac Palace.
“Barnum’s Kaleidoscope”: A three-tent circus experience presented by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey; March 29-April 30 in the Soldier Field parking lot.
“God’s Man in Texas”: Local premiere of David Rambo’s comedy/drama about a generational clash among ministers in a battle for control of a huge Baptist church complex; April 5-30 at Northlight Theatre in Skokie.
“One Touch of Venus”: Concert staging of the Kurt Weill/Ogden Nash musical about a barber who falls in love with a statue; April 6-9 at the Auditorium Theatre.
“The Pirates of Penzance”: The Gilbert & Sullivan operetta; April 5-May 28 at Marriott Theater in Lincolnshire.
“The Learned Ladies” and “Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards”: Moliere’s comedy and an adaptation of an 18th Century Japanese drama, presented in rotating repertory; April 9-May 28 at Court Theatre.
“Grace and Glorie”: Comedy/drama of an old woman and the health care worker who visits her; April 9-May 7 at Apple Tree Theatre in Highland Park.
“Mickey Finn”: Premiere of Mike Houlihan’s comedy noir set in Chicago’s South Side; April 9-30 at the Royal George Theatre.
“Schoolgirl Figure”: Premiere of Wendy MacLeod’s comedy about trying to achieve a magazine model’s figure; April 10-30 in the Goodman Studio.
“The Mai”: Local premiere of a drama by Marina Carr about four generations of women in one Irish family; April 12-30 by Irish Repertory of Chicago at Victory Gardens.
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”: Terry Kinney directing Gary Sinise and Amy Morton in the stage adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel equals the hottest ticket of the season; April 16-June 18 at Steppenwolf Theatre.
“Grand View”: Premiere of William Kennedy’s drama of political warfare in New York State in the 1940s; April 19-May 28.
“Geometry of Miracles”: Theatrical innovator Robert Lepage’s imaginative drama inspired by incidents in the life of architect Frank Lloyd Wright; April 26-28, presented by Performing Arts Chicago at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.
“The Terry Southern Show”: Slices of the life and work of the comic author; April 27-May 14, by Prop Thtr. at the Garage at Steppenwolf.
“All’s Well That Ends Well”: April 29-June 11 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
“A Raisin in the Sun”: Harry J. Lennix and Irma P. Hall star in a revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s landmark 1959 drama of an African-American family in Chicago; May 1-June 3 at Goodman Theatre.
“The Mineola Twins”: Local premiere of Paula Vogel’s drama, with Kate Buddeke; May 1-27 at American Theater Company.
“Minnelli on Minnelli”: Liza Minnelli sings songs from and reminiscences about musicals directed by her father, Vincente Minnelli; May 3-7 at the Shubert Theatre.
“Once on This Island”: The musical romance set on a tropical island; May 6-28 by Apple Tree Theatre at the new Metropolitan Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights.
“Long Day’s Journey into Night”: John Mahoney stars in the Eugene O’Neill drama; May 10-28, by Irish Repertory of Chicago at Victory Gardens.
“Babes in Arms”: Concert staging of the 1937 musical, loaded with song hits by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart; May 18-21 at the Auditorium Theatre.
“Hunchback”: Actors, puppets and masks in an adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel; May 21-June 11, by Redmoon Theatre at the Steppenwolf Studio Theatre.
“Detail of a Larger Work”: Lisa Dillman’s drama of the relationships among four Americans in a Mexican village; May 21-June 11 at the Garage at Steppenwolf.
“Cahoots”: Premiere of Claudia Allen’s show business comedy, with Sharon Gless as star; May 22-June 18 at Victory Gardens.
“Side Show”: Local premiere of the Broadway musical based on the lives of a vaudeville team of female Siamese twins; May 24-July 2 at Northlight Theatre in Skokie.
“Pump Boys and Dinettes”: Return of the good times, good ol’ boys and girls musical; June 7-Aug. 20 at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.
“Buckets o’ Beckett”: Short plays by Samuel Beckett; June 7-25, by Irish Repertory at Victory Gardens.
“Joy of the Desolate”: Premiere of Oliver Mayer’s tale of a Native American in an Ivy League school; June 11-July 9 at Apple Tree Theatre in Highland Park.
“Zoot Suit”: Revival of the drama based on the “zoot suit” riots in Los Angeles in World War II; June 26-July 22 at Goodman Theatre.
Theater on the Lake of the Chicago Park District: The season’s best buy ($10 for each performance), a weekly series of encore productions by several Chicago theaters, including The Second City, Roadworks Productions, Teatro Vista and Lookingglass, Eclipse and ChicagoTheater companies; June 14-Aug. 20.
“Miss Saigon”: Encore engagement of the megamusical; July 13-23 at the Auditorium Theatre.
“Closer”: Local premiere of Patrick Marber’s drama of anxious love in the age of cybersex; July 16-Aug. 27 at Steppenwolf Theatre.
JAZZ
Andy’s, 11 E. Hubbard St.: Ron Dewar Quintet, Wednesdays. Katherine Davis Blues Quartet, Fridays. 312-642-6805.
Black Orchid, in Piper’s Alley, 230 W. North Ave.: Dee Dee Bridgewater, March 22-23. John Pizzarelli, March 30-31. Doug Lawrence Orchestra, March 17-18, 24-25. 312-944-2200.
DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl.: Winard Harper Septet, March 30. Stefon Harris Quartet, April 13. 773-947-0600.
Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.: Ken Vandermark Five, Tuesdays; jazz series, Wednesdays. 773-276-3600.
FitzGerald’s, 6615 W. Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn: Rob Parton’s ROPA Big Band, Wednesday. Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, March 19. John Burnett Swing Orchestra, with vocalists Brienn Perry and Frieda Lee, March 29. 708-788-2118.
Glendora Ballroom, 10225 S. Harlem Ave., Chicago Ridge: Chuck Hedges Swingtet with Johnny Frigo, 2 p.m. March 19. The Woody Herman Thundering Herd, 2 p.m. April 2. 708-425-4596.
Green Mill Jazz Club, 4802 N. Broadway: Patricia Barber Trio, Mondays. Jimmy Sutton’s Four Charms, Tuesdays. Kurt Elling Quartet, Wednesdays, except March 22 and 29. Alan Gresik’s Swing Shift Orchestra, Thursdays. Sabertooth Organ Quartet, midnight Saturdays. Eric Alexander/Jim Rotondi Quintet, March 17-18. Astral Project, March 24-25.
Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St.: Chicago Jazz Orchestra, with “A Tribute to Miles Davis,” March 19. “A Tribute to Benny Carter and Count Basie,” May 21. 312-409-3947.
HotHouse, 31 E. Balbo Dr.: Yoko Noge’s Jazz Me Blues, Mondays. Niki Mitchell/Edward Wilkerson Quartet, Tuesdays. “Women Hold Up Half the Sound” festival, Friday and Saturday. Robert Jr. Lockwood Birthday Party, March 25. Denise LaGrassa and VIDA, March 26. 312-362-9707.
Jazz Showcase, 59 W. Grand Ave.: Ahmad Jamal Trio, Tuesday through March 19. James Williams, Ron Carter and Billy Higgins, March 20-21. Yoron Israel/Amina Claudine Myers Quartet, March 22-26. John Patitucci Quartet, March 28-April 2. William Russo’s Chicago Jazz Ensemble, April 3 and May 1. Joey DeFrancesco Trio, April 4-9. McCoy Tyner Trio, April 11-16. Kenny Barron Quintet, April 18-23. Johnny Griffin Quartet, April 25-30. Tom Harrell with the DePaul University Big Band, May 2-4, and with his quintet, May 5-7. Dave Holland Quintet, May 9-14. Ray Brown Trio, May 16-21. Joe Lovano Trio, May 23-28. Freddie Cole Quartet, May 30-June 4. 312-670-2473.
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, 425 22nd St., Glen Ellyn: Arts Center Jazz Ensemble, with guest vocalist Bobbi Wilsyn, May 19. 630-942-4000.
Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.: Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) 35th Anniversary Festival, April 26-30. 312-397-4010.
Navy Pier Ballroom, 600 E. Grand Ave.: Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra playing “For Dancers Only,” April 21. 312-902-1500.
Pete Miller’s Steak House, 1557 Sherman Ave., Evanston: Ron Perrillo Trio, Mondays. Bobby Broom Trio, Tuesdays. Joan Hickey Trio, Wednesdays. Larry Novak Trio, Thursdays. 847-328-0399.
Philander’s, 1120 Pleasant Ave., Oak Park: Wallace Burton Trio, Wednesdays. King Fleming Trio, Fridays. 708-848-4250.
Plaza Tavern, 70 W. Monroe St.: Bradley Williams and his Original 21st Century Review, Fridays. 312-977-1940.
Pops for Champagne, 2934 N. Sheffield Ave.: Judy Roberts-Greg Fishman Duo, Mondays. Paulinho Garcia/Grazyna Auguscik Duo, Tuesdays. 773-472-1000.
Ravinia Festival’s Bennett-Gordon Hall, Green Bay Road, just north of Lake-Cook Road, Highland Park: Winard Harper Sextet, March 29. Stefon Harris Quartet, April 12. Kyle Eastwood Quintet, May 10. Also, Jazz at Ravinia Festival, June 15-18, with Bobby McFerrin and Cassandra Wilson, June 16; Chucho Valdes and Tito Puente, June 17; Oscar Peterson Quartet, Danilo Perez Trio, June 18. 847-266-5100.
Shubert Theatre, 22 W. Monroe St.: Liza Minnelli, May 3-7. 312-977-1700.
South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 W. South Shore Dr.: New Black Music Repertory Ensemble, featuring “The Black Composer and the Negro Spiritual,” March 16; “The Black Composer and the Solo Instrument,” April 13; “The Black Composer, the Jazz Idiom and the Blues,” May 4. 312-335-1650.
Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St.: Traffic series, featuring David Amram with poet Reggie Gibson, guitarist Fareed Haque, trumpeter David Miller and members of Orchestra X, March 20. 312-335-1650.
Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.: Chicago Sinfonietta, with guest pianist Marian McPartland, Monday. 312-857-1062. Also, Ameritech Jazz at Symphony Center series, with the Newport Jazz Millennium Celebration, March 24. The Heath Brothers and Tommy Flanagan Trio, April 28. Count Basie Orchestra and Dianne Reeves Quintet, May 19. 312-294-3000.
Three Arts Club, 1300 N. Dearborn Pkwy.: Jim Beebe’s Chicago Jazz, March 22. Jackie Allen and Judy Roberts, May 24. 312-944-6250.
Underground Wonder Bar, 10 E. Walton St.: Kimberly Gordon Quartet, Tuesdays. 312-266-7761.
— Howard Reich
ROCK
Concerts by soul singer D’Angelo, the Smashing Pumpkins, Nigerian jazz-funk giant Femi Kuti and reunions of punk legends Wire and ’60s icons Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young highlight the spring calendar
Here are some key dates:
March 22: Johnny Dowd at Schubas; noirish rock that might frighten Tom Waits. Muse at Double Door; new buzz band from England. Filter at Riviera; locals riding high with hit “Take a Picture.”
March 22-23: Britney Spears at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.
March 24: No Doubt at Riviera; pop-ska band to preview “Return of Saturn,” the follow-up to their 1996 mega-hit. Alison Krauss at Chicago Theatre; her bluegrass goes pop.
March 24-26: Queensryche at House of Blues: Progressive-metal icons.
March 25: Mekons at FitzGerald’s; punk survivors wrap up rare tour. Mariah Carey at United Center. Tina Turner at Allstate Arena. John Paul Jones at Park West; ex-Led Zeppelin bassist continues well-received solo tour. Rick Rizzo and Tara Key at Empty Bottle; introspective soundscapes from indie-rock guitarists.
March 31: Femi Kuti at Metro; son of late Nigerian legend Fela Kuti carries on big-band tradition. Zen Guerilla/Nebula/The Go at Empty Bottle; hard-rock heaven. Paul Oakenfold at Riviera; legendary Brit dance deejay. Dirty Three at Double Door; gypsy fiddle rock.
March 31-April 1: D’Angelo at New Arie Crown Theater; R&B’s great new hope puts together elaborate, fully orchestrated tour.
March 31-April 1: Buddy and Julie Miller at Schubas; one of new country’s great husband-wife combos.
April 2: Redman/Method Man at House of Blues; two great hip-hop MC’s.
April 6: Ruben Blades at House of Blues; the Lou Reed of Latin pop.
April 7: Smokey Robinson at New Arie Crown Theatre; yes, that Smokey Robinson.
April 9: Brooks and Dunn at Allstate Arena; Nashville’s best-selling duo.
April 11: Tracy Chapman at Chicago Theatre. Negativland at House of Blues; legendary multimedia subversives in rare tour.
April 14: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at United Center.
April 15: Gov’t Mule at Vic; among the best of the new jam bands.
April 15-16: Smashing Pumpkins at Aragon.
April 18: Oasis at Chicago Theatre. Widespread Panic at UIC Pavilion.
April 20: King Sunny Ade at House of Blues.
April 22: Guy Clark/Jesse Winchester at Old Town School of Folk Music.
May 10: Wire at Metro.
May 12: Sleater-Kinney at Metro.
May 26-27: Magnetic Fields at Old Town School of Folk Music.
June 9: Hank Williams III at Schubas.
June 16: Jimmie Dale Gilmore at Park West; West Texas legend swings back for solo bow after Flatlanders tour.
July 1: Ricky Martin at United Center: his bon-bon never rests.
July 7: Britney Spears at the World in Tinley Park.
Aug. 19: Santana at the World.
— Greg Kot
