ARCHITECTURE
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S DECORATIVE DESIGN
Architectural historian and Chicago Architecture Foundation docent Lyman Shepard speaks on “Cross Currents: The Dynamics of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Decorative Designs” at the foundation, 224 S. Michigan Ave., at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday; free; 312-922-3432.
— Blair Kamin
ART
REPRODUCTIVE PRINT IN EUROPE
“Paper Museums: The Reproductive Print in Europe, 1500-1800,” prints from three centuries that reproduce other works of art; final fortnight; Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave.; free; 773-702-0200.
— Alan G. Artner
CLASSICAL
ANCIENT MUSIC ACADEMY
The period instruments orchestra will make its Chicago debut to conclude the season’s Early Music series at 8 p.m. Friday in the University of Chicago’s Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th St. $30; 773-702-8068.
ARS VIVA SYMPHONY
The fine orchestra (largely made up of Chicago Symphony members) presents its season finale at 4 p.m. Sunday at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Alan Heatherington will direct a program of Mahler’s “Blumine” and Rueckert lieder, Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 7 and Ned Rorem’s Symphony No. 3. Rorem will receive Ars Viva’s 2005 Excellence Award; $37-$55; 847-673-6300.
— John von Rhein
JAZZ
CHICAGO JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Veteran composer Gerald Wilson conducts the last round of concerts in the CJE’s Sixth American Heritage Jazz Series; 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. May 8 in the Simpson Theatre of the Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive; $10-$30; 312-344-6269.
— Howard Reich
MOVIES
ENRON REVEALED
“Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” is director Alex Gibney’s film on the collapse of the high-flying Houston energy company, based on the book by Fortune reporters (and here, interviewees) Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind. It’s a powerhouse documentary: a gripping, funny non-fiction movie that pulls lots of high drama and dark comedy out of the rise and fall of Enron; in wide release.
— Michael Wilmington
ROCK
EFFIGIES
The postpunk quartet set the template for Chicago’s underground in the ’80s, and is now back with new songs and renewed purpose; Friday at the Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace St.; $10-$12; 773-478-4408.
MASTODON
Atlanta metal headbangers take on Moby Dick on their latest epic album, “Leviathan,” and fare a whole lot better than Captain Ahab; Tuesday at Bottom Lounge, 3206 N. Wilton Ave., $12; 773-975-0505.
— Greg Kot
THEATER
`THE CABINET’
Gorgeously macabre. Redmoon Theater’s adaptation of the 1919 German Expressionist cinematic nightmare “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” unfolds entirely within a 10-by-14-foot cabinet. Director Frank Maugeri and composer Mark Messing lead an inspired team. This is design, direction, puppetry and cold-creep storytelling of a high and wonderfully sinister order; through June 5 at the Viaduct Theater, 3111 N. Western Ave.; $20-$25; 312-850-8440.
— Michael Phillips
`HELLO AGAIN’
Big theatrical guns are blazing away at the Apple Tree Theatre: great vocal turrets such as Guy Adkins, Susie McMonagle and the remarkably edgy Christine Sherrill. And given the intensely sensual nature of Michael John LaChiusa’s high-end musical suite “Hello Again,” the result is one of steamy, strip-mall entertainment. Jessica Boevers’ excellent production of this 10-year-old off-Broadway show has several terrific things really going for it, especially Randy Duncan’s choreography. Duncan turns in a veritable feast of entanglements, all of which retain a remarkable capacity to illuminate that most basic of human acts; through May 15 at Apple Tree Theatre, 595 Elm Place, Highland Park; $33-$38; 847-432-4335.
— Chris Jones
