What’s New

Four people were injured in a fire December 16, 2021 in Belmont Central. | Sun-Times file photo

Firefighters responded to a call of a fire in the basement apartment in the 3100 block of North Marmora Avenue.

A firefighter and three other people were were injured in an apartment fire early Thursday in Belmont Central.

Firefighters responded to a call of a fire just after 2 a.m. in the basement apartment of a two-story building in the 3100 block of North Marmora Avenue, police said.

A woman suffered burns to her body was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in critical condition, police said. Two men also burned in the fire were taken in critical condition to other hospitals.

A firefighter, who had just celebrated his one-year anniversary with the department, was also seriously injured and was taken to Community First Hospital, according to Chicago Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt.

No other details were immediately available.

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A 16-year-old boy was shot December 15, 2021 in Kenwood. | Adobe File Photo

The teen boy was standing outside about 11:40 p.m. in the 4500 block of South Lake Shore Drive when someone fired shots.

A 16-year-old man was wounded in shooting late Wednesday in Kenwood on the South Side.

The teen boy was standing outside about 11:40 p.m. in the 4500 block of South Lake Shore Drive when someone fired shots, Chicago police said.

He was struck twice in the arm and self-transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was in good condition, police said.

Area Four detectives are investigating.

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A man was shot to death December 15, 2021 in South Shore. | Sun-Times file photo

The man was traveling in a vehicle about 10:30 p.m. in the 2500 block of East 83rd Street when a red SUV struck him and someone from inside fired shots before fleeing the scene.

A 25-year-old man was shot to death after a car crash late Wednesday in South Shore.

The man was traveling in a vehicle about 10:30 p.m. in the 2500 block of East 83rd Street when a red SUV struck him and someone from inside fired shots before fleeing the scene, Chicago police said.

The man was struck by the gunfire and fled on foot, police said. He was later found behind a house nearby, where he lost consciousness.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. His name hasn’t been released.

Area Two detectives are investigating.

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Head coach Urban Meyer of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts after the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 12, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. | Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Meyer won three national titles as a college coach, but his time in the NFL was tumultuous.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Urban Meyer’s tumultuous NFL tenure ended after just 13 games — and two victories — when the Jacksonville Jaguars fired him early Thursday because of an accumulation of missteps.

Owner Shad Khan made the move hours after former Jaguars player Josh Lambo told a Florida newspaper Meyer kicked him during practice in August. It was the latest black eye — adding to an already lengthy list of embarrassments — for the three-time national championship-winning college coach who failed miserably to make the transition to the NFL.

Meyer joins former Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino as college coaches whose NFL careers flamed out in stunningly swift fashion. Petrino resigned in December 2007 to take over at Arkansas. He was 3-10 at the time.

Meyer went 2-11 in his partial season, and the Jaguars really started to unravel on the offensive side of the ball following the team’s bye week. They averaged a measly 9.1 points in Meyer’s final seven games, which ended with a five-game skid.

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will serve as Jacksonville’s interim head coach for the final four games, beginning Sunday against Houston (2-11).

“After deliberation over many weeks and a thorough analysis of the entirety of Urban’s tenure with our team, I am bitterly disappointed to arrive at the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone,” Khan said in a statement. “I informed Urban of the change this evening. As I stated in October, regaining our trust and respect was essential. Regrettably, it did not happen.”

Meyer’s biggest issues came off the field, where he tried to handle a professional team like he was on a college campus. He splashed slogans and catchphrases around the facility, instilled gimmicks in practice and repeated his misguided belief that coaches coach for players and players play for coaches. He brought in motivational speakers and kept blaming assistants for the team’s mounting losses instead of the grown men actually on the field.

One of Meyer’s most damning decisions came following a Thursday night game at Cincinnati in late September. He chose to stay behind with family instead of flying home with his team and then got caught on video the following night behaving inappropriately with a woman at a bar in Columbus, Ohio. Khan publicly reprimanded Meyer then, saying he needed to regain the owner’s trust and respect.

Bailing on his players showed just how out of touch Meyer was with NFL norms. And it was just one of many head-scratching choices for the 57-year-old coach who found success at every college stop: Bowling Green (2001-02), Utah (2003-04), Florida (2005-10) and Ohio State (2012-18).

Meyer simply never made the proper adjustments to the pro level.

Lambo’s claim seemingly proved too much for Khan, who two days earlier said he didn’t want to make an impulsive decision on the coach’s future.

“What’s different about this thing is you have losses and you have drama,” Khan said then.

The Jags had way more drama than victories.

Lambo provided the latest when he told the Tampa Bay Times that Meyer kicked him while he was stretching at the start of a practice. Lambo, the team’s place-kicker to open the season, said he told Meyer “don’t you ever (expletive) kick me again” and said the coach responded, “I’m the head ball coach, I’ll kick you whenever the (expletive) I want.”

Meyer released a statement through the team denying the incident happened the way Lambo described it.

“Josh’s characterization of me and this incident is completely inaccurate, and there are eyewitnesses to refute his account,” Meyer said.

Lambo said he reported the kick to his agent, who contacted the Jaguars’ legal counsel the following day.

“Jaguars legal counsel indeed acknowledged and responded immediately to the query made by Josh Lambo’s agent Friday, August 27, 2021,” the Jaguars said in a statement. “Counsel offered to speak with Josh, or to assist Josh in speaking with coaching or any other football personnel, if he was comfortable with her sharing the information. Any suggestion otherwise is blatantly false.”

Lambo was released after he missed his first three field-goal attempts to start the season.

Lambo’s allegation came on the heels of an NFL Network report which said Meyer created tension with multiple run-ins with players as well as assistants he allegedly called “losers.” Citing unidentified sources, the report detailed a heated exchange between Meyer and veteran receiver Marvin Jones that stemmed from Meyer criticizing receivers by saying they weren’t winning enough one-on-one matchups or getting enough separation.

“I would just say this: There was something that was brought to my attention that I didn’t like too well,” Jones said Wednesday, his first public comments since the report was published Saturday. “I approached him about it and we talked and we handled it like grown men. And that’s all I have to say about that.”

Jones denied threatening to leave practice over the argument.

“I mean, shoot, when you lose, you’re always going to be the center of attention in a negative way,” Jones said. “That just is what it is. That’s all I have to say.”

Other issues for Meyer:

— He hired strength coach Chris Doyle in February despite accusations of racist behavior and then had to let him go a day later because of a pending lawsuit.

— Jacksonville was fined $200,000 and Meyer docked $100,000 on July 1, a punishment that stemmed from an early June practice in which the league deemed receivers and defensive backs had too much contact during 11-on-11 drills.

— Meyer signed 2007 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow to play tight end, an experiment that ended with Tebow looking lost in the preseason opener against Cleveland.

— Meyer held a fake QB competition between Trevor Lawrence, a generational prospect, and Gardner Minshew in training camp. Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke traded Minshew to Philadelphia, where he’s a backup to Jalen Hurts.

— The NFL Players Association launched an investigation after Meyer said vaccination status factored into the team’s roster decisions.

— He repeatedly mishandled running back James Robinson, allowing the team’s most consistent offensive player to get benched twice following fumbles and botched trying to explain why Robinson got pulled and how long he remained on the sideline.

All the drama became too much for Lawrence.

“I do think that has to change and that’s something that we need to work on for sure,” Lawrence said Wednesday. “You can’t always be in the headlines. You just got to go play football, and that’s where we’re trying to get, and I have no doubt we’ll get there.”

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Moon Alert

Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Taurus into Gemini.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Until mid-January next year, you’ll have lots of energy and will feel vigorous and be willing to work! This is all due to the influence of your ruler Mars in your fellow Fire sign. Mars will make you want to travel and explore your world!

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

For the next six weeks, you might encounter disagreements with others about jointly held resources or how to spend a limited amount of money. Be careful of this so you can avoid conflict.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

For the next six weeks, Mars will be opposite your sign, which happens only once every two years. This can trigger conflict with partners and close friends because it’s easy to feel annoyed with them. (This is why patience will be your best friend.)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You will accomplish much more than usual in the next six weeks because you will work hard and take pride in what you do. Plus, you will find it easy to defer tomorrow’s pleasure for today’s work. Impressive!

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Because fiery Mars is in your fellow Fire sign for the next six weeks, you will benefit. It will be a favorable time for all kinds of activities, especially physical activities because you will be energized. You will also be more effective and more competent than usual in whatever you do. “Yay me!”

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You’ll be tempted to behave compulsively and act inappropriately in the next six weeks while fiery Mars is at the bottom of your chart. This might trigger conflict with family. Your only recourse is to be loving, kind and patient with others. (Gone by Jan 23.)

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

In the next six weeks, your physical vitality will be stronger than usual, which will give you a chance to work hard and accomplish a lot. Your health will feel vigorous! New opportunities might present themselves to you. You will be very convincing!

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Be careful because in the next six weeks, you are tempted to spend a lot of money. If you’ve got it, great. If you don’t have it, don’t go into debt. Fortunately, you will also be resourceful at seeing ways to use your possessions to get things done.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Fiery Mars will be in your sign for the next six weeks, which means all aspects of activity in your life will increase. You will work hard to further your own interests. You will easily assert yourself among others. You’ll be a fighter for your own rights more than usual. You’ll be a winner!

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Do be careful in the next six weeks because someone out there might be working against you, or, perhaps, they don’t have your best interests at heart. If you have a suspicion of this, if you think something fishy is going on, it is. Forewarned is forearmed.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

For the next six weeks, you will be more physically active with groups and organizations. You will easily formulate goals and decide to pursue them. Although you might come on strong, use this increased energy to coordinate with others. Look for a win-win solution.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Mars will be at the top of your chart for the next six weeks, which will arouse your ambition and make you want to work hard to get something done. However, this could put you at conflict with others, especially supervisors and parents. Remember your objective. Avoid unnecessary arguments.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actress Krysten Ritter (1981) shares your birthday. You are charming, honest and trustworthy. You have a refined, spiritual quality about you that others can sense. You are adventurous and have a deep understanding of others. This is a year of service to others, which means you have to take care of yourself. Some relationships might end because it was time.

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Caleb Jones scored in overtime to give the Blackhawks a 5-4 win. | AP Photos

The Hawks blew two leads but prevailed 5-4 on Caleb Jones’ overtime goal.

For 34 seconds during the second period of a 5-4 overtime win Wednesday over the Capitals, the Blackhawks’ offensive struggles ceased to exist.

With 6:05 left in the period, Alex DeBrincat scored a five-on-three goal off a cross-crease feed from Patrick Kane. With 5:47 left, Philipp Kurashev punched in a power-play centering pass from Kirby Dach. And with 5:31 left, MacKenzie Entwistle potted a rebound off a Brandon Hagel shot.

That three-goal explosion out of nowhere jumpstarted the Hawks, who ultimately tied their season high in goals and survived two Capitals comebacks thanks to Caleb Jones’ overtime goal.

DeBrincat had scored his second of the game to give the Hawks a 4-3 lead with five minutes left, but Conor Sheary dramatically equalized for the Capitals with three seconds left. Jones then poked in a rebound after a two-on-one rush with Kirby Dach.

For Kurashev, it was his long-awaited first goal of the season on his 34th shot on goal this season. And for Entwistle, it was an impressive return to action, as he was making his first NHL appearance since suffering a left ankle injury Nov. 7.

“I was in a walking boot for two weeks, just slowly getting my range of motion back,” Entwistle said Tuesday. “It’s a slow process with high ankle sprains. But [I’m] just happy to be back.”

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 42 saves after being honored pregame — with his wife and kids on the United Center ice and with backup Kevin Lankinen presenting him with a special mask — for his 500th career win last week.

“Everyone was so nice,” Fleury had said Monday. “So many people reached out and congratulated me. It’s very crazy to get all that attention when I’m one who maybe doesn’t love it. But it’s good. I got to thank a lot of people for helping me get there.”

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With two 3s Tuesday night against the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry passed Ray Allen on the NBA’s all-time 3-point list to move into the top spot.

The NBA has been on Curry watch since Dec. 8, when the Warriors hosted the Portland Trail Blazers and Curry was 16 3s shy of the record. Ahead of that game, Curry said he was going for Allen’s record, as well as teammate Klay Thompson‘s record for most 3s in a game at 14.

Six days and three games later, Curry finally passed Allen at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Barely a minute into the game, Curry tied Allen’s record with his first shot of the night. He hit his 2,974th career 3 with 7:33 to go in the first quarter with a 28-foot jumper.

Allen was in the crowd and congratulated Curry with a hug as the game stopped to allow fans and teammates to celebrate the moment with the NBA’s newest 3-point leader.

Prior to the game, Allen took to social media to reflect on the moment he passed Reggie Miller for the top spot, and share his excitement in being there to officially pass the torch to Curry.

And with Curry’s record-breaking shot, more NBA players took to social media to congratulate Curry on his latest milestone.

Curry’s parents were in attendance, along with Davidson College head coach Bob McKillop, and his brother, Philadelphia 76ers guard Seth Curry, shared his congratulations online.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James congratulated Curry, as did Lakers legend Magic Johnson.

Other players around the league celebrated Curry’s spot among the greatest in NBA history.

NBA players weren’t the only ones to take notice of Curry’s record-breaking night.

Now that the record is broken, Orlando Magic sharpshooter Terrence Ross is asking the one question that still needs an answer.

Pelton: How long will Steph Curry’s all-time 3-point record hold up?

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NEW YORK — Stephen Curry is the new 3-point king of the NBA.

The Golden State Warriors star guard became the all-time leader in 3-pointers Tuesday night in a 105-96 win over the New York Knicks, passing Hall of Famer Ray Allen by knocking down the 2,974th of his career.

The record-breaking shot came with 7 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first quarter as Curry drained a 28-footer from the right wing off a pass from Andrew Wiggins. The Warriors quickly fouled and called a time out so that Curry could enjoy the moment.

2 Related

“It was a beautiful ending to this last week,” Curry said after the game. “The buildup to getting this number, it was a special atmosphere. I knew the Garden would deliver just in terms of how iconic this place is — I can’t say it enough, I appreciate so much the way the fans embraced the moment with me and let me kind of get lost in it. I could feel it. Once I took the shot on the wing, it just felt good, looked good — it felt like we were at home.”

“It was a special moment, for sure, that I appreciate and I’ll remember for the rest of my life, in terms of what it means to me to pass Ray,” Curry added. “Him and Reggie [Miller], guys I’ve looked up to coming into the game. Definitely special.”

Curry received a big hug from teammate Draymond Green as players streamed onto the floor to congratulate him. Curry took the ball that he was clutching in his arm and handed it to his father, Dell, on the floor as the Madison Square Garden crowd gave him a rousing standing ovation. Curry went back toward center court a few moments later to get a hug and congratulations from Allen.

Then Curry, who had tried to deflect the significance of the moment over the past couple of weeks, couldn’t hold it back anymore. When he sat back down on the bench, tears welled in his eyes.

Miller and Allen presented Curry with a Warriors jersey with the number 2,974 on the back after the game. Curry admitted that the moment, with Miller sitting courtside calling the game for Turner Sports and Allen flying in to see the game in person, “exceeded” any dreams he had about how it would all play out.

“My respect for Reggie and Ray, guys who set the bar for what it meant to be a sharpshooter,” Curry said. “And have longevity, as well. And for me, I’ve tried to own that in my journey in terms of range, volume, efficiency. All those things go into it. So, I pride myself on shooting a high percentage. I pride myself on allowing that to help us win games. And now I can pride myself on the longevity of getting to that number that Ray set and hopefully pushing it to a number that nobody can reach. We’ll see what happens.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver congratulated Curry in a statement released during the game.

“It was thrilling to see Steph break the NBA’s all-time record for three-pointers,” Silver said. “He has revolutionized the way the game is played and continues to leave fans in awe with his amazing artistry and extraordinary shooting ability. We congratulate him on this historic achievement.”

Curry finished 5-of-14 from 3-point range, bringing his career total to 2,978. He had 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in the win. And after the game, he made sure to thank his teammates for how much he believes they have helped him accomplish.

“Steph in the locker room was vintage Steph,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Joyful, grateful. He talked to the team about how much they mean to him. How much the game means to him, the process. He is who he is; that’s the beauty of Steph. He’s so authentic. He’s so genuine. I thought the night was perfect. It just pretty much encapsulated who he is, and his reaction to it was perfect.”

Curry personally gifted engraved Rolexes to his longest-tenured teammates: Green and Andre Iguodala, and he saved one more for Klay Thompson, who is back in the San Francisco Bay Area rehabbing his Achilles and ACL injuries.

“I always say not often do you have the opportunity to interact with someone great at something, let alone go to work with someone that is great, the absolute best at something,” Green said. “That’s a very rare thing, because there are very few people that are the best at said thing. Steph is the best to ever shoot a basketball, and we get the opportunity to go to work with him every day. It’s a very special thing.”

Green noted that the only thing he felt was missing from Curry’s moment was Thompson’s presence in the locker room.

“His jersey was in the locker room next to mine,” Curry said of Thompson. “It will be good to get back to celebrate with him. And then obviously celebrate his return hopefully soon.”

Players and staff members wore Curry T-shirts and hats celebrating his accomplishment. The sense of “relief” that Curry, Green and Kerr all talked about in recent days was palpable. While everyone inside the Warriors organization wanted to see Curry break the record, they also knew that talk of the mark was hovering over everything the team did. As the record crept closer, Curry tried to deflect talk of the impending milestone, acknowledging how much the mark means to him. Those close to him say they understand and take pride in the greatness he has achieved.

“I can’t explain it,” Dell Curry recently told ESPN. “And I played with and against Ray, played against Reggie, I know how great shooters those guys were. But to know my son’s going to leave the game being the best — he already is the best shooter ever to play, and have that record, it’s unbelievable.”

Curry, 33, is an early favorite to win his third career MVP award this season. He has made a 3-pointer in 152 consecutive games, a streak that started on Dec. 1, 2018. That streak is second only to his stretch of 157 games with at least one 3-pointer from Nov. 13, 2014, to Nov. 3, 2016.

“This is something I’ve been dreaming about,” Curry said. “I don’t know when the first dream happened, but I love to shoot the ball. It’s something I’ve been doing since I was 3 years old. When you kind of go through the ranks, you love the work that you put in, and you love the results that come from it, but I told them it’s been an amazing journey being a part of the Warriors for these 12 1/2 years.

“All the guys that have set screens for me, that have passed me the ball, that have bought into the system, creates that beautiful Warriors style and brand of basketball. All that plays into this moment, so I hope they appreciate it as much as I do.”

As Curry got set to finish his postgame news conference, he was asked, now that he had the all-time 3-point record, who he thought was the greatest shooter of all time. Before breaking Allen’s record, he admitted he hesitated to answer that question. Now, with the record in hand, he had no doubt.

Leaning back in his chair with a smile, he raised both arms in the air before pounding the table in front of him for emphasis.

“I got that baby!” Curry said.

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Former Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach settled his lawsuit against the team Wednesday. | Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The financial settlement, the amount of which was kept confidential, ends eight months of developments regarding Beach’s sexual assault allegations against the Hawks.

After eight months of legal battles, Kyle Beach and the Blackhawks have reached a resolution.

Hawks lawyers and Beach’s lawyer, Susan Loggans, agreed to a confidential out-of-court financial settlement during a third-party mediation session Wednesday.

The settlement functionally resolves Beach’s long-pending negligence against the lawsuit, which made claims — backed up by the Jenner & Block investigation — that former Hawks video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him in May 2010 and that Hawks executives knowingly covered it up.

“The Blackhawks hope that this resolution will bring some measure of peace and closure for Mr. Beach,” the two parties said in a joint statement. “As for the Blackhawks organization, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that, going forward, this team will be a beacon for professionalism, respect and integrity in our community.

“We remain grateful for the trust and support of the Blackhawks community, and we promise to continue working every day to earn and maintain that trust.”

Hawks CEO Danny Wirtz instructed team lawyers on Oct. 26 to seek a settlement, but the two parties initially made little progress — continuing a pattern of contentious court filings and public statements that dated back to Beach’s lawsuit’s filing in late April. Both sides had continued to file new motions to meet court deadlines.

Loggans’ initial resistance to mediation wilted when a judge denied her motion to progress the lawsuit to the discovery phase, however, and Wednesday’s session was scheduled weeks ago.

Beach’s 2021 legal process — as well as the 2010 cover-up it brought to light — will go down as one of the ugliest moments in Hawks franchise history and a stain on the franchise’s glory era of on-ice success. It had already forced general manager Stan Bowman and fellow executive Al MacIsaac’s resignations.

The Hawks are scheduled to hold another mediation session with a man identified as “John Doe 2” on December 20, TSN’s Rick Westhead reported. Doe 2 has alleged in another lawsuit the Hawks helped Aldrich get a job at a Michigan high school where Aldrich sexually assaulted him in 2013.

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“Mary” is a modern twist on the traditional Black Nativity told through ballet, hip-hop, tap and contemporary dance presented by Black Girls Dance. | Jordyn A. Bush

There’s plenty to see and do online and in-person in Chicago in the week ahead.

Dance

Black Girls Dance, an organization that empowers young women of color to pursue professional dance, presents the world premiere of Erin Barnett’s “Mary.” The piece is a modern twist on the traditional “Black Nativity” and told through ballet, hip-hop, tap and contemporary dance. The cast of dancer-actors includes students from Juilliard, Chicago Academy for the Arts, the Joffrey Conservatory program and the Black Girls Dance studio. At 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th. Tickets: $20, $40. Visit ticketfalcon.com/e/mary/

Theater

Music Theater Works presents Elton John and Lee Hall’s “Billy Elliot the Musical.” The Tony Award-winning musical, about a young boy’s desire to express himself through dance, is directed by Kyle A. Dougan with choreography by Clayton Cross. From Dec. 23-Jan. 2 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets: $20.50-$92. Visit musictheaterworks.com.
Here’s a streaming holiday treat from the Houston Grand Opera. Composer Joel Thompson and librettist Andrea Davis Pinkney’s have adapted “The Snowy Day,” the classic children’s book by Ezra Jack Keats. Written in 1962 and the winner of the Caldecott medal, the book and opera recount the adventures of young Peter after he wakes up to the first snow of winter and sets off to explore the world, learning lessons along the way. The free stream is available through Jan. 9. Visit houstongrandopera.org.

Dean Kalyan
Charles Ross stars in “One-Man Star Wars Trilogy.”
Charles Ross performs his family-friendly solo show, “One-Man Star Wars Trilogy,” a mind-bending whirlwind in which he recounts the classic movies in 60 minutes — all the characters, the music, the ships and the battles. Jan. 5-6 at Apollo Theater, 2550 N. Lincoln. Tickets: $19-$39. Visit apollochicago.com

“Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas! A Die Hard Musical Parody” runs through Jan. 7 at The Annoyance Theatre, 851 W. Belmont. Tickets: $25. Visit theannoyance.com … The Second City roasts the season with a mix of sketch comedy and improv in “It’s a Wild, Wacky, Wonderful Life” (Dec. 18-30, $30-$60) and Vicki Quade’s holiday show, “Christmas Bingo — It’s a Ho-Ho-Holy Night” (7:30 p.m. Dec. 20, $30), brings together two of the best things about being Catholic — Christmas and bingo. Both shows are at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell, Arlington Heights. Visit metropolisarts.com

Music

Courtesy of Mariachi Herencia de Mexico
Mariachi Herencia de Mexico
Filled with music and dance, “Mariachi Herencia de Mexico: A Very Merry Christmas Concert,” is a celebration of Mexican holiday traditions. The Latin Grammy-nominated group, Mariachi Herencia de Mexico, performs Mexican and American holiday favorites including, “Feliz Navidad,” “Los Peces en el Rio,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Mi Burrito Sabanero,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Ave Maria,” “O Holy Night,” and much more. At 8 p.m. Dec. 17 and 2, 5, 8 p.m. Dec. 18 at Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln. Tickets: $28. Visit oldtownschool.org.
The Chicago Children’s Choir, the organization that unites young people from diverse backgrounds through music, presents its holiday concert “Songs of the Season.” The performance features a diverse repertoire of songs ranging from “Faure’s Requiem” and “O Holy Night” to “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “Shosholoza” (South Africa) and “En Mi Viejo San Juan” (Puerto Rico). At 5:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland. Tickets: $30. Visit ccchoir.org.
Hamid Drake and Michael Zerang unite once again for their annual Winter Solstice Concerts. Since 1990, the percussion duo and their musical guests have met annually to welcome the sun on the shortest day of the year. This year there are five in-person performances — sunrise concerts at 6 a.m. Dec. 21-23 ($35) and evening concerts at 6 p.m. Dec. 21-22 ($17, $22). The evening concerts will also be livestreamed. At Links Hall/Constellation, 3111 N. Western. Visit linkshall.org.

“Merry, Merry Chicago!” returns to Symphony Center under the baton of Grammy-nominated conductor Alastair Willis. Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra share music of the season with Broadway star Jessica Vosk as the guest vocalist. Classic holiday tunes are performed along with orchestral music of the season including Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on “Greensleeves” and music from Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Snow Maiden” and Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.” Plus, there’s an appearance by a certain jolly ole fellow. From Dec. 17-23 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. Tickets: $36+. Visit cso.org.

Jess Wasson/Courtesy of Lucky Brand
Andrew Bird
For more than a decade, Andrew Bird has welcomed winter with his “Gezelligheid” concerts, a communal experience filled with comforting music at the Fourth Presbyterian Church. Last year’s performance was upended by the pandemic and instead was streamed from the orange groves of Ojai, California. This year Bird recreates the “Gezelligheid” atmosphere in a livestreamed performance from an undisclosed location in Los Angeles. The performance livestreams at 6 p.m. Dec. 19. Tickets: $20. Visit andrewbird.net.

The Chicago Symphony Chorus returns to the stage of Orchestra Hall to join the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and soloists for performances of Handel’s “Messiah,” led by Nicholas McGegan, music director laureate of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale. Featured soloists include soprano Yulia van Doren, countertenor Reginald Mobley, tenor Ben Bliss and bass-baritone Dashon Burton. From Dec. 16-19 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. Tickets: $39+. Visit cso.org.

Elliot Mandel
Music of the Baroque

Music of the Baroque performs its annual “Holiday Brass & Choral Concert,” which traces the holiday story through Renaissance and baroque works for brass, music for a cappella choir and celebratory works for the entire ensemble. At 8 p.m. Dec. 16 at Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division, River Forest; 8 p.m. Dec. 17 at St. Michael Church, 1633 N. Cleveland; 2 p.m. Dec. 18 at Saints Faith, Hope & Charity Church, 191 Linden, Winnetka; 2 p.m. Dec. 19 at Alice Miller Chapel, Northwestern University, 1870 Sheridan, Evanston. Tickets: $48-$100. Visit baroque.org.

“The Beautiful Day: Kurt Elling Sings Christmas” features the jazz artist saluting the holidays (5, 9 p.m. Dec. 19, $45-$60; livestream also available) and singer-songwriter “Michael McDermott’s Mischief & Mistletoe” performs his annual holiday show (8 p.m. Dec. 20-23, $30-$42). Both shows at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph. Visit citywinery.com/Chicago.

Family fun

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Shane “Scooter” Christensen, No. 16 of the Harlem Globetrotters, balances a ball on his head in the layup line before the team’s exhibition game against the Washington Generals at the Orleans Arena on August 25, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Finish up your holiday shopping at the Renegade Craft Fair where DIY creators will be offering all sorts of items including art prints, stained glass, paper goods, candles, jewelry, ceramics, textiles, purses and much more. From 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 18-19 at Revel Fulton Market, 1215 W. Fulton. Admission: pay what you can. Visit renegadecraft.com

For some full-court family fun, check out The Harlem Globetrotters and their amazing floor show full of ball spinning that defies gravity, innovative dunks, new on-court characters and lots of laughs. Plus, after the game players stick around for some autograph action. At 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 28 at Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim, Rosemont. Tickets: $25+. Visit ticketmaster.com

Jayme Thornton Photo
Laurie Berkner
Laurie Berkner, “the queen of kids’ music,” celebrates the season with two streaming shows at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Dec. 18. Berkner along with band members Brady Rymer, Susie Lampert and Bobby Golden will perform holiday favorites (“Jingle Bells,” “Frosty the Snowman,”) along with originals from Laurie Berkner’s album (“Santa’s Coming to My House Tonight”) and Hanukkah tunes (“Candle Chase,” “Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel”). Kids should plan to bring their instruments, dancing shoes and a stuffed animal (for their heads). Tickets: $20. Visit laurieberkner.com

Museums

(C) 2021 The Robert H. Colescott Separate Property Trust
“Go West, 1980,” by Robert Colescott
“Art and Race Matters: The Career of Robert Colescott” is the first comprehensive retrospective of one of America’s most compelling and provocative artists. In his large-scale paintings, Colescott (1925-2009) confronted deeply embedded cultural hierarchies involving race, gender, and social inequality in America with fearless wit and irony. “Robert Colescott’s work has never been more relevant,” said Lowery Stokes Sims, co-curator of the exhibition with Matthew Weseley. “He expanded modes of Black representation in art, and questioned aesthetic and social values that have determined the perception of the Black body. His masterful appropriations of art history addressing the suppression and distortion of the contributions of Black people in world art and history, offer us a means — if we are up to the task — to forthrightly confront issues of identity, social mores, capitalism and colonialism in the current American landscape.” To May 29 at Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington. Admission is free. Visit chicagoculturalcenter.org

Courtesy of the artist
Brenton Good, “Nine Patch Diptych”
“Rituals” features the work of three artists: Brenton Good, Mandy Cano-Villalobos and Marissa Voytenko who all regard ritual as an integral part of their varied work. Hailing from Pennsylvania Amish country, Good’s checkerboard woodcut prints draw from traditional quilt patterns; Cano-Villalobos assembles mementos into shrine-like sculptures; Voytenko uses waxy encaustic paint to create images through the use of repeated shapes and lines. To Jan. 30 at Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, 2320 W. Chicago. Admission: $5. Visit uima-chicago.org

NOTE: For COVID-19 safety protocols, visit the venues’ websites.

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