Things to do and see around the city.
ART
THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO: 111 S. Michigan Ave. 312-443-3600. “A Voyage to South America: Andean Art in the Spanish Empire” on display through Feb. 21.
CHICAGO ARTISTS COALITION: 217 N. Carpenter St. 312-491-8888. Create Webinar Recordings through June.
EVANSTON ART CENTER: 2603 Sheridan Road. 847-475-5300.
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART: 220 E. Chicago. mcachicago.org.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART: 1852 W. 19th St. 312-738-1503. Exhibit “Nuestras Historias: Stories of Mexican Identity from the Permanent Collection” on display through Nov. 30, 2017. “Deportable Aliens: New Work” by Rodrigo Lara Zendejas through Feb. 28.
NATIONAL VETERANS ART MUSEUM: 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773- 326-0270. Permanent exhibit include “The Things They Carried.”
UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE OF MODERN ART: 2320 W. Chicago Ave. 773-227-5522; www.uima-chicago.org.
ZHOU B ART CENTER: 1029 W 35th St. 773- 523-0200.
COMEDY
HEMMENS CULTURAL CENTER: Corner of Symphony Way and North Grove Avenue, Elgin.
SECOND CITY: Piper’s Alley, 1608 N. Wells. 312-337-3992. “Soul Brother, Where Art Thou?,” “104th Revue: Fool Me Twice, Déja Vu,” “Best of Second City,” “Fast, Loud and Funny,” and more will be performed through January. Tickets are $23-41 for each.
ZANIES: 1548 N. Wells. 312-337-4027. Dwayne Kennedy, Jan. 17. Female Funnies, Jan. 18. Pat Tomasulo, Jan. 19. Ben Roy and Justin Willman, Jan. 20-21. Ben Roy, Jan. 22. Larry Reeb, Jan. 23.
ZANIES: Pheasant Run Resort and Spa, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. 630-513-1761. Justin Willman, Jan. 22-23.
ZANIES: MB Financial Park, 5437 Park Place, Rosemont. 847-813-0484. Tuesday Ten, Jan. 19. Larry Reeb, Jan. 20-22. Ben Roy, Jan. 23.
MEDLEY
DALEY PLAZA: 50 W. Washington St. 312-494-2175.
DONALD E. STEPHENS CONVENTION CENTER: 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. 847-692-2220. “Discover The Dinosaurs” exhibit from 1 to 8 p.m. Jan. 15 and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 16-18. Admission is $24, $28 for ages 2-12, $21 for seniors and free for ages uner 2. Includes the Dinosaur Exhibit complete with a Dino Dig, Dino Theater, Dino Coloring Area and Scavenger Hunt plus unlimited Dinosaur Rides, Mini Golf and inflatables. Select Activities including gem and fossil mining and face painting, are available for an additional charge.
LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER CHICAGO: Streets of Woodfield, 601 N. Martingale Road, Schaumburg. 312-558-1770.
MCCORMICK PLACE: 2301 S Martin Luther King Drive. 312-946-6211. Chicago Boat, RV & Strictly Sail Show Jan. 14-18. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday. Admission is $14 and free for kids ages 15 and under. Two-day ticket is $20. Senior Day ticket is $10 on Jan. 14.
MILLENNIUM PARK: 201 E. Randolph St., between Michigan and Columbus avenues. www.cityofchicago.org. Ice rink open through March 6, weather permitting.
NAVY PIER: 600 E. Grand Ave. 312-595-5200. “Pets Unleashed” Jan. 23 through May 1. It channels children’s natural love of animals into a fantastical pet paradise, filled with climbable dwellings, “pets” and props of all kinds, for hours of open-ended, imaginative play.
SHEDD AQUARIUM: 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive. www.sheddaquarium.org. Exhibits include Amazon Rising, Caribbean Reef, Abbott Oceanarium, Polar Play Zone and more. Special exhibit “Amphibians.” Meet 40 species of frogs, salamanders and rarely seen caecilians. Learn how amphibians’ lives are full of change, from their life cycles to their adaptations to live in nearly every environment on Earth and more.
MUSEUMS
ADLER PLANETARIUM: 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive. 312-922-7827. “Destination Solar System,” a live show that takes adventurous space explorers on an immersive tour of the Solar System. “Mission Moon,” a permanent exhibit that follows the legendary career of Captain James A. Lovell Jr. — an astronaut immortalized on film as the Commander of Apollo 13 — from his rocket crazed childhood through his quest for the Moon. “Community Design Lab” is a flexible, creative space that celebrate the Adler’s 85-year history and offers guests hands-on, minds-on activities that will challenge them to think about science in new ways.
ELGIN PUBLIC MUSEUM: Lords Park, 225 Grand Blvd. 847-741-6655.
FIELD MUSEUM: 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive. Permanent exhibits include “The Crown Family PlayLab,” “Evolving Planet,” “Sue the T-Rex,” “Cyrus Tang Hall of China” and more. “The Greeks — Agamemnon to Alexander the Great,” a once-in-a-lifetime look at 5,000 years of Greek innovation and influence on Western Civilization, will be on display through April 10. It’s an historic opportunity to experience and learn about the ancient Greeks through an exhibition of more than 500 priceless treasures from 21 Greek museums. The Greeks exhibition is made possible by a donation from The John P. Calamos Foundation, and John P. Calamos Sr., chairman of the Board of Trustees at the National Hellenic Museum. The National Hellenic Museum is co-sponsoring this exhibition.
ILLINOIS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM & EDUCATION CENTER: 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie. 847-967-4889.
KOHL CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: 2100 Patriot Drive, Glenview. 847-832-6600.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY: 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive. 773-684-1414. The exhibits on display include “Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze,” “Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle” and more. Materials Science on display through Jan. 31. Explore the history and future of materials that impact our lives everyday. The annual Black Creativity program will kick-off with a Family Day on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 18. This annual program brings together students, families, teachers and the public to explore the rich contributions African Americans have made to scientific and creative fields. Family Day includes free museum entry for Illinois residents; and Jr. Science Cafes from 11 a.m. to noon and noon to 1 p.m., where students and families are able to chat with working science professionals and do hands-on activities to learn more about careers STEM fields. Additional offerings January through February (Black History Month) include: Facilitated workshops hourly from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, Jan. 18 through Feb. 27 in the Innovation Studio, an area in which youth are provided real tools, materials and equipment to create solutions to everyday challenges; and the “Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition” Jan. 18 through Feb. 21, which features more than 100 dynamic art works from both professional and amateur African-American artists from around the country. These programs are all included in MSI entry, which is free for Illinois residents on weekdays through Jan. 29.
NATIONAL HELLENIC MUSEUM: 333. S. Halsted St. 312-655-1234; www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org. An exhibition on the landscape of Greece will run through August. “Aegean: Creation of an Archipelago” will explore the evolution and geology of Homer’s “wine dark sea” and its dazzling islands through digital and audiovisual material, as well as tangible artifacts that include underwater findings, ancient fossils, and a 14-meter petrified tree trunk. The exhibition “Transcending Boundaries: The Art of Anthony Quinn” has been extended through May. It features more than 80 paintings and sculptures and a glimpse inside the studio where the Academy Award-winning actor worked until he was well into his 80s.
PEGGY NOTEBAERT NATURE MUSEUM: 2430 Cannon Drive. 773-755-5100. Features Judy Istock Butterfly Haven, a 2,700-square-foot greenhouse filled with pools of water, flowers, tropical trees and 1,000 butterflies, including those never-before-seen in our region. Release of new butterflies at 2 p.m. daily. Permanent exhibit “Nature’s Lunchbox” shines the spotlight on healthy eating. The museum will open its vault Jan. 14 to share rare specimens and debut a pop-up exhibit through Jan. 31, “Chicago’s Explorers,” to highlight the legacy of the Chicago Academy of Sciences and our region’s rich natural history. Founders Week, Jan. 11-16. marks the beginning of the Nature Museum’s 160th anniversary celebration. The special vault opening will feature a number of specimens including a Southern Rock Vole, a small rodent resembling a mouse, and Prairie Chicken. This particular Vole specimen is the “type specimen.” This means that it was the first of its kind recognized by biologists and it became the basis for the scientific description of this subspecies. Throughout Founders Week, the museum will host additional opportunities to see the specimens, participate in activities and scavenger hunts, win prizes and discover more about the Chicago Academy of Sciences’ founders and legacy. Chicago Explorers gives visitors the chance to travel through time and discover many of the Academy’s most notable moments.
POLISH MUSEUM OF AMERICA: 984 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-384-3352; www.polishmuseumofamerica.org. One of the nation’s oldest and largest ethnic museums features a variety of permanent and temporary exhibits as well as events and resources for the Polish community.
MUSIC
BUDDY GUY’S LEGENDS: 700 S. Wabash. 312-427-1190; www.buddyguy.com. Live blues every night. Set times are 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and jam until 12:45 a.m. Monday; 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and jam from 11:30 p.m. until 12:45 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday; opening band 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., headliner 10:30 p.m. to midnight and jam from 12:30 to 1:15 a.m. Saturday; and Sunday Night Jazz Party is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cover charge is $10 for the Sunday through Thursday night shows and $20 for the Friday and Saturday night shows.
THEATER
APOLLO THEATER: 2540 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-935-6100. “Million Dollar Quartet” through Jan. 17. Tickets are $25-85.
ATHENAEUM THEATRE: 2936 N. Southport Ave. 773- 935-6875.
AUDITORIUM THEATRE: Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway. 800-982-2787; www.ticketmaster.com.
BANK OF AMERICA THEATRE: 18 W. Monroe St. 800-775-2000.
BRIAR STREET THEATRE: 3133 N. Halsted St. “Blue Man Group” open run. Tickets are $49-$69.
CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE: 151 W. Randolph St. 800-775-2000; broadwayinchicago.com. “The Lion King” through Jan. 17. Tickets are $35-180 at 800-775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com.
CIVIC OPERA HOUSE: 20 N. Wacker. www.lyricopera.org. Lyric Opera’s production of “Bel Canto” runs through Jan. 17. Tickets start at $34.
DEN THEATRE: 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. 866- 811-4111; irishtheatreofchicago.org.
DRURY LANE, OAK BROOK: 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. (630) 530-0111. “Bye Bye Birdie” will be performed Jan. 14 through March 13. Tickets are $48-83.
FLAT IRON ARTS BUILDING: 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. bailiwickchicago.com.
THE GIFT THEATRE: 4802 N. Milwaukee Ave. thegifttheatre.org
GOODMAN THEATRE: 170 N. Dearborn St. 312-443-3800. “Another Word for Beauty” will be performed Jan. 16 through Feb. 21. Contains adult language and references to sexuality and violence. It is not recommended for family audiences or audiences under the age of 14. Tickets are $20-50.
METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE: 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. 847-577-2121. Deacon Blues recreates the rock classics of Steely Dan at 7 p.m. Jan. 16. Based in Chicago, these 11 players honor the music of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker by crafting an amazing replication. Tickets are $35-40, Relive songs of the past when Harbor Lights: A Tribute to DooWop performs at 3 p.m. Jan. 17. Harbor Lights have established themselves as the nation’s most sought after a cappella Doo Wop act. Tickets are $30. Students of Metropolis School of the Performing Arts (SOPA) entertain audiences with their Drama and Dance Fall 2015 Showcases at 5 p.m. Jan. 19 and at 7 p.m. Jan. 20. Students of all ages will perform a mix of songs, dances, and scenes in this fun display of their semester’s work. Each of the four Showcases will highlight performances presented by different SOPA classes. Tickets are $3. ComedySportz will perform their family-friendly improv at 7 p.m. Jan. 22. A hilarious 90-minute improv comedy show in which two teams create comedy scenes, songs and games right on the spot based on your suggestions. It’s clean, smart comedy for families and all ages. Tickets are $25-30. The McCartney Years performs at 7 p.m. Jan. 23. The McCartney Years is a note-for-note faithful recreation of a mid-1970s Paul McCartney concert. Tickets are $35-40.
NORTHBROOK THEATRE: Leisure Center, 3323 Walters Ave. www.nbparks.org.
NORTH SHORE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMNG ARTS: 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. 847-673-6300; www.northshorecenter.org. The Capitol Steps perform Jan. 21-24. Tickets are $32.50-45.50. “Mothers and Sons” Jan. 22 through Feb. 27. Tickets are $15-51.
PARAMOUNT THEATRE: 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. 630-896-6666.
ORACLE THEATRE: 3809 N Broadway (252) 220-0269; publicaccesstheatre.org.
ORIENTAL THEATRE: 24 W. Randolph St. 312-977-1700. “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” through Feb. 21. Tickets start at $91.
RAUE CENTER FOR THE ARTS: 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. 815-356-9010. Bob Saget live at 8 p.m. Jan. 16. Tickets are $45-50. “Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical” performed Jan. 22 through Feb. 12. Tickets are $38-69.
RED ORCHID THEATRE: 1531 N. Wells St. 312-943-8722.
SHAKESPEARE THEATRE: Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave. 312-595-5633. “The Heir Apparent” through Jan. 17. Tickets are $53.
SKOKIE THEATRE: 7924 Lincoln Ave. 847-677-7761. “Fame Jr.: The Musical” Jan. 22-24. Tickets are $15.
WOODSTOCK OPERA HOUSE: 121 Van Buren St. 815-338-5300.
UNDER THE SUN
BROOKFIELD ZOO: First Avenue between Ogden Avenue and 31st Street. 708-688-8000. Celebrating the Hamill Family Play Zoo’s 15th birthday in 2016. Come to Hamill Family Play Zoo on the 15th of every month for special Zoo Chats and other fun activities beginning at 10 a.m. Join the big birthday celebration on June 15. Celebration in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy at noon Jan. 18. There will be various local musical presentations and a full version of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream, ” speech will also be displayed. Create your own peace dove to spread the message of peace.
CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN: 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe. 847-556-1778, www.chicagobotanic.org. Winter Woods Walk at 2 p.m. Jan. 17. Meet at the McDonald Woods Shelter.
LINCOLN PARK ZOO: 2001 N. Clark St. 312-742-2000; lpzoo.org. Ice skating through Feb. 28. Admission is $5 and skate rental is $5.
MORTON ARBORETUM: I-88 and Route 53, Lisle. 630-968-0074. Gnome Homes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekends through March. After taking a hike through the Children’s Garden to hunt for all of the hiding gnomes, create a keepsake, light-up gnome home of your own. Gnome Hunt in Children’s Garden is free. Gnome Home is additional fee of $10. Enchanted Railroad open Jan. 15 through Feb. 21. The theme celebrates the seasons and a new LEGO train car created by the artist behind this summer’s smash exhibit Nature Connects. Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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