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The cast of the Berkeley Repertory Theatre is shown in a scene from “Paradise Square.” The show will have its pre-Broadway run in Chicago starting in November. | Kevin Berne

Black Americans and Irish immigrants in 1863 meld their cultures in the new musical opening in Chicago on its way to Broadway.

If you’re never heard of Five Points, New York, or the draft riots of 1863, you’re in for a potent history lesson courtesy of a new Broadway-bound musical opening in Chicago this fall.

The Five Points of this musical was a real place — one of the poorest and run-down tenements in 19th century Lower Manhattan (the same gritty setting for Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York”). By all historical accounts, it was not a pretty site, but it was, for a brief moment in time, a place where, in spite of the hardship and the racism of Civil War-era America, two diverse cultures lived and thrived together. Until some of the bloodiest riots in U.S. history raged for four days in 1863.

That’s the setup for “Paradise Square,” receiving its pre-Broadway engagement at the James M. Nederlander Theatre Nov. 2-Dec. 5. (“Paradise Square” has been in development for the past decade and was produced in January 2019 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre.)

As the war between the states boils over, newly arrived Irish immigrants and free-born Black Americans and others who had escaped slavery in the South are living and working together amid the worst of conditions, but making the best life they could. Two cultures melded. Blacks and Whites married, had children, worked hard and believed in the American dream. Dance halls and bars dotted the neighborhood (the show’s title is one of the local watering holes, and setting for most of the action) and dance battles broke out. Irish step dancing and African Juba obliterated genre lines, ultimately birthing tap dance. And the music of Stephen Foster (a character in the play) set the tone for the milieu.

Kevin Berne
“Paradise Square” (shown here in a scene from the Berkeley Repertory Theatre production) marks the return of Broadway vetrean producer Garth Drabinsky.

The show, conceived by Larry Kirwan and based on his 2012 musical “Hard Times: An American Musical,” has morphed into a wholly new iteration from the Berkeley Rep version, with a book by Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas and Kirwan, who also contributed to Jason Howland’s score, along with Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare. Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones created the powerhouse choreography.

The musical also marks the big-time return of Tony Award-winning producer Garth Drabinsky, one of the leading Broadway impresarios of the 1990s, who was convicted of fraud and served time in a Canadian prison (all charges in the U.S. were subsequently dismissed). Drabinksy is no stranger to the Chicago theater scene; his now-defunct Livent production company brought “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” with Donny Osmond in the title role to the Chicago Theatre for a record-breaking run. It was Drabinsky’s Livent that brought the battered Oriental Theatre (now the aforementioned Nederlander) back to life in 1998, ushering the rebirth of Chicago’s downtown theater district.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Veteran director Moises Kaufman is at the helm of “Paradise Square,” which will receive its pre-Broadway debut at the James M. Nederlander Theatre in the Loop.

“I said to this cast, of all the shows I’ve done, this is the first time I’ve come into rehearsal with the script and music being so exquisitely sculpted and prepared, and frankly it’s because we’ve had the time in the last 18 months not to grieve and be depressed but to refine and make better and finally bring to fruition the essence of everything we were doing,” Drabinsky said of working on “Paradise Square” amid a pandemic, and his fervent desire to tell the Five Points story.

Moises Kaufman, the director of “Paradise Square,” added, “I’ve lived in Manhattan for 30 years and I never knew that Five Points had that kind of intensity,”

“I was very taken in by the story,” Kaufman continued. “In my work I’m interested in the intersection of the personal and political, whether it’s [Kaufman’s other stage works] ‘The Laramie Project” or ‘I Am My Own Wife’ or “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde,’ I’m really interested in this idea of what happens when what society deems to be ‘the other’ becomes the recorder of history. What happens if we look at history through the eyes of these people who were at the margins of a certain culture? What do we see? … I immediately felt like this [show] was something that I wanted to do.”

That Five Points existed in this manner 150 years ago is something Kaufman said should resonate with all who encounter the production. “What’s encouraging and sad is that a lot of what’s happening in our streets is happening on our stage,” Kaufman mused. “… And we started doing [this production] way before Black Lives Matter.”

The people of Paradise Square (it too is a real place) co-existed because they had to in order to survive, he said. The violent Civil War draft riots, though not the core of the show, hammer that home, as do the show’s powerful anthems of anger, hope, despair and promise.

“The riots (led by working-class Irish immigrants) went north, uptown, because they wanted to hurt the rich people who could avoid the draft altogether by paying $300,” Kaufman said, the fee signifying an out-of-reach sum for immigrants (Blacks were not considered citizens and therefore not subject to the draft). “Then they came back downtown to attack African Americans” as well as white abolitionists and business owners.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Lyricist Masi Asare poses for a photo after the media preview of “Paradise Square” at the James M. Nederlander Theatre in September. T

Kaufman is adamant that the show does not romanticize the subject matter. “This is not ‘Camelot,’ ” he said with a chuckle.

The production also exemplifies the need for increased diversity on theater stages and also behind the scenes (“Hamilton” comparisons have been made).

“Our team is Black, Latinx. It’s exciting,” said composer/lyricist Masi Asare, an assistant professor at Northwestern University, where she teaches a course in musical theater history. “There are people of a lot of backgrounds on the show and I have to say it’s an interesting time to be a Black woman writer of musicals. The projects I signed on to and have been really excited to join are those where there has already been a long history of having women in the room, people of different races in the room; and that is certainly the case with this project.”

Asare said she was tapped to help with major rewrites this past year, lending a key Black voice to the Black voices of the show, in addition to bringing her historical perspective to the Stephen Foster character.

“Audiences can now very clearly see how [Foster] took up material from Black artists that he met and repackaged it as his own in ways that he and the music business at the time profited from those uncredited contributions of Black artists.”

Added Kaufman, “The musical takes a look at the social conflicts that are still the basis today of how we live in America. These people at this time and place believed that some of these social contracts could actually work. … They saw a new kind of world that was possible. It’s an exploration of what it took to create what they created, not just an ode to what they did.”

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The newly introduced cast of “Paradise Square” performs during a media preview at the James M. Nederlander Theatre.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at a Little Village news conference today. The governor said he’d be disappointed if the Chicago Bears left Soldier Field. | Mark Capapas/Sun-Times

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be sunny with a high of 81 degrees. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 59. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high near 84.

Top story

Pritzker punts on funding potential new stadium for Bears as lawmakers line up to block it

Gov. J.B. Pritzker today said he’d be disappointed if the Bears leave Soldier Field in favor of a new stadium in Arlington Heights, but the Chicago Democrat was noncommittal about the prospect of publicly financing a billion-dollar project — something a group of state lawmakers are lining up to block.

“I’m a Bears fan, and I know that it would be disappointing for me if the Chicago Bears moved outside of the city of Chicago,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference in Little Village. “I think that the Bears and the city of Chicago need to work out their differences in order for us to end up with the Bears staying in the city.”

“There’s something about having them in the city. … There’s a tradition I think that we all feel, many of us, about the city of Chicago. Having said that, this is a private enterprise engaging with city governments to decide what’s best for them,” he said.

The team announced yesterday it reached a $197 million deal to buy 326 acres previously home to Arlington International Racecourse, which likely ran its final races last weekend. Mayor Lori Lightfoot sounded resigned to the idea of the team skipping town, but has urged the team to return to the negotiating table to keep them on the lakefront.

As for whether he’d support using public money to sweeten the pot for the Bears — either for a new stadium or for more upgrades at Soldier Field — the governor said “that’s not something that we’re looking at,” but he didn’t rule it out.

“It’s very important for us to focus on our fiscal situation in the state, making sure that we’re building up the infrastructure of the state and that we’re balancing our budget,” he said.

Read the full story here.

More news you need

Breaking their Soldier Field lease could cost the Bears nearly $90 million, according to our analysis of the team’s lease with the Chicago Park District. Mitchell Armentrout has more on the Bears’ deal with the city and what it means for their potential move to Arlington Heights.

New CPS CEO Pedro Martinez committed today to exploring the possibility of expanding remote learning options for parents who don’t yet feel comfortable sending their children back to school. But he stressed there were no promises those inquiries would yield a change.

In a nationwide effort to target cartels selling counterfeit medication containing fentanyl, the DEA worked with a high-paid informant who provided tips. The efforts led to the arrests of 22 people in stings in the DEA’s Chicago field division, which includes Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, according to authorities.

Chicago artists and creative workers financially impacted by the pandemic could soon find relief from the city. A $2.3 million relief fund for creatives will be dispersed through grants ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 by the end of the year, Mayor Lightfoot’s office said.

A local man is singing the praises of his service dog, who alerted him early this morning to a fire filling the coach house where he and his uncle lived. They saved their three dogs and five puppies, but lost three other dogs they owned to the blaze.

Tom Hardy returns in the titular role for “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” which opened in theaters today. Check out Richard Roeper’s two-star review of the sequel, which he calls an improvement despite “the yawner of a climax.”

A bright one

Local sex shop celebrates 20 years, touts resilience and self-care. ‘We’re looking out for people.’

Andersonville sex shop “Early to Bed,” 5044 N. Clark St., just marked its 20th anniversary — a journey owner Searah Deysach framed as both challenging and rewarding.

“It wasn’t something I set out to do,” said Deysach, 48, on opening the store in 2001. But she noticed there was a need in the city for a store where you could buy sex toys and not feel judged.

“That was the ‘aha’ moment. I thought, ‘This is ridiculous. Stores that sell these products are staffed by people who make you feel terrible for wanting the products,'” she said.

Unable to secure a loan (“Nobody gives a sex toy store a business loan,” she said), Deysach got seed money from her mom and opened “Early to Bed” — a welcoming, destigmatized environment where customers can freely browse the products and ask questions.

Neil Steinberg/Sun-Times
Searah Daysach began Early to Bed, her Andersonville shop, 20 years ago because she felt the experience of buying sex toys was not as fun as it should be.

Deysach and her clerks have worked over the last 20 years to make the store the fun, exciting experience she always thought shopping for sex toys should be.

In many instances, it has required them to be highly attuned to their customers, and take on the role of sex educator or couples counselor.

Couples visiting the shop often have “this gorgeously exciting experience, and they are on the same page, exploring together, talking, having conversations about sex, which is what you want everyone to do,” Deysach said.

“Then you see the opposite end of that, couples where communication is just not happening and we have to help facilitate that, because we’re looking out for people.”

Columnist Neil Steinberg has more on Deysach and her shop here.

From the press box

Bears-Lions predictions for Week 4.
Courtney Vandersloot’s playoff excellence has the Sky dreaming big.
The Fire dismissed coach Raphael Wicky late last night, but the club may need more than a new coach to solve its problems.
Hall of Famer Frank Thomas is leading a group that’s purchased the Field of Dreams site.
There’s definitely something old-school about Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan. Joe Cowley has more on the team’s new veteran scorer.

Your daily question ?

It’s International Podcast Day, so we want to know — if you could create a Chicago-focused podcast, what would it be about? Why?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday we asked you: How do you feel about the Bears’ efforts to leave the city for a new stadium in Arlington Heights? Here’s what some of you said…

“About time! Chicagoland deserves an amazing state-of-the-art stadium. Soldier Field is great but it’s not awesome. It’s too small. Arlington Park is a great location with the train already there.” — Mackenzie Currans

“San Francisco does not play in San Francisco, New York does not play in New York, Dallas does not play in Dallas. It’s okay if the Chicago Bears play in Arlington Heights.” — Gloria Chevere

“In retrospect, they probably should have built a new stadium elsewhere in Chicago 20 years ago instead of trying to fit a modern stadium at Soldier Field. The NFL has changed since then, so this might be the best option.” — Kurt Regep

“Bear management has shown us time and time again that all they care about is money — not the players, not the city, not the fans. Let them move. But they should forfeit the right to use ‘Chicago’ in their name.” — Greg Berezewski

“They lose in the city and they will lose in Arlington Heights too.” — Diane Gioia-Esposito

Thanks for reading the Chicago Sun-Times Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at a Little Village news conference Thursday. The governor said he’d be disappointed if the Chicago Bears left Soldier Field. | Mark Capapas/Sun-Times

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the possibility of publicly financing a new stadium is “not something that we’re looking at” — but he didn’t rule it out.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday said he’d be disappointed if the Bears leave Soldier Field in favor of a new stadium in Arlington Heights, but the Chicago Democrat was noncommittal about the prospect of publicly financing a billion-dollar project — something a group of state lawmakers are lining up to block.

“I’m a Bears fan, and I know that it would be disappointing for me if the Chicago Bears moved outside of the city of Chicago,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference in Little Village. “I think that the Bears and the city of Chicago need to work out their differences in order for us to end up with the Bears staying in the city.”

“There’s something about having them in the city. … There’s a tradition I think that we all feel, many of us, about the city of Chicago. Having said that, this is a private enterprise engaging with city governments to decide what’s best for them,” he said.

The team announced Wednesday it reached a $197 million deal to buy 326 acres previously home to Arlington International Racecourse, which likely ran its final races last weekend. Mayor Lori Lightfoot sounded resigned to the idea of the team skipping town, but has urged the team to return to the negotiating table to keep them on the lakefront.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Arlington International Racecourse, pictured earlier this week, is in line to be purchased by the Chicago Bears.

As for whether he’d support using public money to sweeten the pot for the Bears — either for a new stadium or for more upgrades at Soldier Field — the governor said “that’s not something that we’re looking at,” but he didn’t rule it out.

“It’s very important for us to focus on our fiscal situation in the state, making sure that we’re building up the infrastructure of the state and that we’re balancing our budget,” he said.

But state Sen. Robert Peters, a Hyde Park Democrat whose district includes Soldier Field, took a hardline stance against the potential move. He filed legislation dubbed the “Monsters of the Midway Act” that seeks to prohibit the Bears from moving without an agreement with the city.

Peters noted taxpayers will have shelled out $660 million by the time the total debt from Soldier Field’s oft-ridiculed renovation is paid off a decade from now.

“If the owners want to move the team, that’s fine, but they owe a debt to the city and its taxpayers, who have been paying for their stadium,” Peters said in a statement.

Other lawmakers are calling for a timeout before throwing public dollars at the team. A House resolution sponsored by state Representatives Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, Kam Buckner, D-Chicago and Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, would urge the General Assembly to “take all necessary steps to ensure that no state or local taxpayer money is used in the construction of new professional sport stadiums.”

That measure would offer legislators a chance to “step back, catch our breathe and say we want to be involved in this process,” Zalewski said.

There was a “serious social and public commitment to the Bears and to Soldier Field and the city of Chicago in the early 2000s, and it was done with a lot of public funding,” Zalewski said.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
State Rep. Michael J. Zalewski, D-Riverside, pictured in March 2020.

“The indications are that if this were to go forward and the Bears were to relocate to Arlington Heights it would be a private transaction, but that’s a big assumption,” Zalewski said.

“There’s not just the stadium, there’s transportation costs — the only way to get in and out of Arlington Heights is Route 53, that’s 85,000 people moving in and out of the northwest suburb on a weekly basis, not to mention if there’s a Final Four or a Super Bowl … The sense of the chamber resolution’s to just ask everyone to take the temperature on how they feel as an initial starting point.”

Zalewski said he didn’t think the resolution would get total agreement in the chamber and other legislators, such as state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, could have different ideas.

Carroll, whose district currently includes part of Arlington Heights, said he hasn’t been asked to support the measure and isn’t sure he would.

“The Chicago Bears haven’t asked us for anything yet, and, as a matter of fact, they put out $197 million of their own money to buy the site,” Carroll said. “I understand why some of the reps that are on that resolution are, because nobody wants to be the person that lost the Bears. I think everybody wants to do everything in their power to certainly keep them, but at the same time until there’s pen to paper, it’s kind of hard to know where we’re going with this.”

Pritzker said he hasn’t been approached by the Bears nor by officials from Chicago or Arlington Heights, who he said “are going to have to make their own decisions” about potentially subsidizing upgrades for the team.

Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes declined to comment on whether the Bears have made any specific asks or if he’d be open to them.

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A Banned Books Week display in a Franklin Park library in 2007. | Sun-Times file photo

In my suburban high school library this past week, we have displayed books behind fake police tape just to make a point.

The last week of September brings images of autumn leaves starting to change, high school football games lighting up small towns, and yellow police caution tape lining book displays in libraries and schools.

No, crimes aren’t being committed in libraries, but this last week has been Banned Books Week in America. Educators and librarians across the country have been leading the charge against a fierce enemy: censorship.

In my high school library this past week, we have displayed books behind fake police tape and offered informational pamphlets about Banned Books Week, a movement that began in 1982. Banned Books Week has been a 40-year response by librarians, including school librarians, to a growing number of book challenges and bans. During this week, I have taught lessons about censorship and book bans over the years.

My students are often surprised by the wide range of books that appear behind that yellow police tape, from Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” (1937) to Jason Reynolds’ and Ibram X. Kendi’s “Stamped” (2020). Students wonder aloud why some of their favorite books have been banned or challenged in libraries and schools across the country.

The continued relevance of Banned Books Week comes down to simply this: There are still lots of people out there trying to ban or challenge books.

Recently, for example, a slew of new bans and challenges have been urged against books that promote anti-racism and can be connected with Critical Race Theory (CRT) or the New York Times’ 1619 Project. And last week, students in a southern Pennsylvania public high school protested a ban on books and media with anti-racist messages, including a children’s book about Rosa Parks and a “Sesame Street” TV episode about race.

Last week as well, I received emails from school librarian colleagues across Illinois informing me that they had just received Freedom of Information Act requests for information about books written by Ibram Kendi and texts related to the 1619 Project. The requests, relayed to them by school administrators, were from a company called LocalLabs, which claims to be in the business of pressing government agencies for information. But who exactly is asking for that information from LocalLabs remains unclear.

Over the years as a public school librarian, I have had experience in dealing with parents and students who challenged various materials. One year, as a librarian in a Chicago high school, a student asked to be allowed to read a book other than the assigned one, “October Mourning,” which tells the true story of the murder of a young gay man, Matthew Sheperd.

“My parents don’t want me to read it because it’s against my religion,” the student said.

“I understand,” I replied. “The description of his murder is too violent.”

“No, it’s that he was gay,” the student replied. “Homosexuality is against my religion.”

Instead of calling for a parent meeting — a meeting at which I knew I’d likely lose — I helped the student choose another book. It was just easier to do so.

I regret that now. I wish now that I had pushed harder to defend a controversial text. Because when librarians like me fail to fight the good fight in this way, which is what Banned Books Week is all about, it’s the students who lose out. They don’t get to hear and consider the many voices and perspectives that could enrich their lives in so many ways.

This is what books are supposed to do.

Gina Caneva is the library media specialist for East Leyden High School in Franklin Park. She taught in Chicago Public Schools for 15 years and is Nationally Board Certified. Follow her on Twitter @GinaCaneva.

Send letters to [email protected].

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Bernard Stratton sits on a neighbor’s front porch and cradles his puppy with burn injuries after the dog was rescued from his burning home early Thursday in the 4900 block of South Princeton Avenue in Fuller Park on the South Side. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Firefighters responded early Thursday to the 4900 block of South Princeton Avenue.

Coy Freeman was sleeping soundly in his Fuller Park home early Thursday when his service dog Rello began making a lot noise.

“He was barking outrageously and scratching on the door,” said Freeman. Then he noticed that fire and smoke was filling the coach house where he and his uncle lived.

“We grabbed as many dogs as we could before the smoke got so bad the firefighters wouldn’t let us in there,” said Freeman, 43.

They saved three dogs and five puppies, all of which were American Bullys. Three animals didn’t make it, a mother, daughter — both of which were also service dogs — and granddaughter.

“I’m heartbroken,” Freeman said. “I spent every moment of my life taking care of these dogs. I’m visually impaired and I love the dogs.”

He credited 6-year-old Rello for alerting him to the blaze.

“The dog woke us up… He’s the hero.”

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Chicago Fire Department firefighters work to extinguish hot spots Thursday morning after an overnight fire broke out in a vacant building and spread to six other buildings, including two coach houses, in the 4900 block of South Princeton Avenue in Fuller Park on the South Side.

The fire broke out in a vacant building around 3:30 a.m. and spread to six other buildings, including two coach houses, in the 4900 block of South Princeton Avenue, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

Eight people were displaced and none were injured, fire officials said. During a search, firefighters rescued the four puppies and paramedics provided oxygen to them.

Freeman said he lived on the block for five years and suspects the fire may have been set on purpose.

“This is the work of a professional arsonist,” he said. “Just like what’s been through the rest of this neighborhood. Houses don’t catch on fire like that over here. We’ve been in this neighborhood forever. This type of s— don’t happen. But in this last year or so, in the wee hours of the night, abandoned houses are catching on fire, burning up surrounding houses.”

The fire department said the cause of the blaze was under investigation.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Three dogs and five puppies were rescued from a burning home after a fire broke out in a vacant building early Thursday and spread to six other buildings in the 4900 block of South Princeton Avenue in Fuller Park on the South Side.

Freeman’s uncle sat on a neighbor’s porch cradling a 3-month-old yet-to-be named puppy with burns on his back.

“I was telling [the firefighters] I got more dogs in there to get out,” Bernard Stratton said softly. One puppy that wasn’t breathing well was given oxygen and taken to an emergency vet, he said.

Stratton, 57, said this was the second tragedy to strike him in two months. His 29-year-old son, who went by the same name, was shot and killed on the Dan Ryan Expressway near 33rd Street on Aug. 6, he said.

Stratton said his son’s ashes were still in the home but he hasn’t been allowed back in to retrieve them. “I hope they’re OK and that I can get them,” he said.

Freeman said the loss of his dogs was painful because he had invested a lot of time and effort raising them.

“I love these dogs. I’m hurt so much right now,” Freeman said. “I’m trying to figure it out right now. I can’t tell you what my next move is. I’m trying to wrap my head around it.”

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Coy Freeman, left, and his uncle Bernard Stratton look at their dogs, some of whom have burn injuries, after their home was destroyed in a fire early Thursday in the 4900 block of South Princeton Avenue in Fuller Park on the South Side.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Chicago Fire Department firefighters work to extinguish hot spots after a fire broke out early Thursday in a vacant building and spread to six other buildings, including two coach houses, in the 4900 block of South Princeton Avenue in Fuller Park on the South Side.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Chicago Fire Department firefighters work to extinguish hot spots Thursday morning after an overnight fire broke out in a vacant building and spread to six other buildings, including two coach houses, in the 4900 block of South Princeton Avenue in Fuller Park on the South Side.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Chicago Fire Department firefighters work to extinguish hot spots Thursday morning after an overnight fire broke out in a vacant building and spread to six other buildings, including two coach houses, in the 4900 block of South Princeton Avenue in Fuller Park on the South Side.

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First Take is one of the most popular sports debate shows on television. They do a fantastic job debating the hottest topics around sports. When the Chicago Bears come up, however, it seems to always be something negative. That is not a slight to First Take either because there are only negative things surrounding the […] Chicago Bears: First Take suggests that Justin Fields should want out – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

“Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum” returns to the Lisle park in its original format beginning Nov. 20. | Copyright 2017 Michael Hudson

Find something fun to do in the city with our Fall/Winter Entertainment Guide.

The arrival of cooler weather and shorter days can’t stop Chicago from offering up tons of engaging options for entertainment at any given time.

To help you find ways to make the most of the upcoming months, we’ve assembled our Fall/Winter Entertainment Guide full of outings and events perfect for fans of movies, music, dance and more. For your own sanity, the list does not include Bears football.

Among family-friendly options, both spooky Halloween-themed and otherwise, are Morton Arboretum, Open House Chicago and the The Dr. Seuss Experience at Water Tower Place. The fall film slate also includes some big blockbusters and potential Oscar contenders. Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper previewed the 10 movies he can’t wait to see, including “The Last Duel” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.”

And if combining live wrestling with classic tunes from The Beatles sounds up your alley, well, we’ve got great news for you.

Check out all of the stories posted from this year’s Fall/Winter Entertainment Guide below.

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The Foo Fighters perform on day four of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

For fans of any genre, live music isn’t hard to come by in Chicago. Check out our highlights for concerts, festivals and live performances in and around the city.

Welcome to our highlights for concerts, festivals and live music in Chicago. From free shows at Millennium Park to large festivals like Ravinia and Lollapalooza, and intimate shows at small local venues, our guide has all the latest music entertainment. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on concerts and events.

Leon Bridges

Pavielle Garcia
Leon Bridges

WHAT: In 2015 Leon Bridges released “Coming Home,” an album that echoed the Southern soul of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. On his sophomore release, “Good Thing,” Bridges tapped ’80s and ’90s R&B for inspiration. Now, his third album, “Gold-Diggers Sound,” comes out of a residency he played at the Gold-Diggers hotel/studio in East Hollywood. It shows the singer-songwriter confronting the ideas and issues Black artists are facing in today’s climate. Take a trip through the three phases of Bridges career. Abraham Alexander opens the show.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Oct. 1

WHERE: The Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield

TICKETS: $69.50-$86

VISIT: For tickets and updated information regarding the venue’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit jamusa.com.

Autumn Equinox (Spring Awakening Festival)

WHAT: The outdoor music festival season ends with Autumn Equinox, a rebranding of Spring Awakening, the largest all-electronic music festival in the Midwest that usually takes place in June. More than 70 artists are expected to perform including Excision, AC Slater, Bear Grillz, Diplo, Galantis, Martin Garrix, Adventure Club B2B Wooli, Atliens, Dillon Francis and Don Diablo.

WHEN: From 1-10 p.m. Oct. 2-3

WHERE: Addams/Medill Park, 1301 W. 14th

TICKETS: $99+

VISIT: For updated information regarding the festival’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit springawakeningfestival.com.

The New Philharmonic

WHAT: The New Philharmonic opens its season with “Halloween Spooktakular,” a mix of the scariest classical and film score music including The Hungarian March from “The Damnation of Faust” by Hector Berlioz and “Night on Bald Mountain” by Modest Mussorgsky and used to great effect in Walt Disney’s “Fantasia,” plus music from “Psycho,” “The Addams Family,” the Harry Potter movies and more.

WHEN: At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 and 3 p.m. Oct. 3

WHERE: McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell, Glen Ellyn

TICKETS: $53.

VISIT: For tickets and updated information regarding the venue’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit atthemac.org.

Middle Kids

WHAT: Middle Kids, the Australia-based indie rock band, tours behind the recent release,”Today We’re the Greatest.” The album finds lead singer-songwriter Hannah Joy tapping into her most personal set of lyrics yet. The band has also released its haunting take on Olivia Rodrigo’s hit “Drivers License.”

WHEN: At 9 p.m. Oct. 2

WHERE: Metro, 3730 N. Clark

TICKETS: $20, $25.

VISIT: For tickets and updated information regarding the venue’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit metrochicago.com.

Orion Ensemble

WHAT: The Orion Ensemble opens its 29th season with guest violist Stephen Boe for performances featuring works by Mozart, Faure and Mangani at three concerts: 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at New England Congregational Church, 406 W. Galena, Aurora; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan, and 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Lake Street Church, 607 Lake, Evanston. A livestream also is available.

TICKETS: $15-$30.

VISIT: For tickets and updated information regarding the venue’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit orionensemble.org.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

(C) Todd Rosenberg Photography
Maestro Riccardo Muti conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2017.

WHAT: Ricardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra reunite for their first concerts since February 2020 with a series of three performances in a fall residency. The opening program (Sept. 23-25) features music by Joseph Bologne-Chevalier de Saint-George and Florence Price as well as Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 3 (Eroica).” Violinist Leonidas Kavakos joins Muti and the orchestra for Brahms “Violin Concerto in D Major” plus the orchestra performs “Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 (Sept. 30-Oct. 2). The final fall program (Oct. 7-9) features the CSO’s first performance of Missy Mazzoli’s 2006 work “These Worlds in Us” plus pieces by Anatoly Liadov and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

WHERE: CSO at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan.

TICKETS: $38-$260.

VISIT: For updated information regarding the CSO’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit cso.org.

‘Songs for Nobodies’

Photo by Michael Brosilow
Bethany Thomas in “Songs for Nobodies.”

WHAT: “Songs for Nobodies” is Joanna Murray-Smith’s one-woman tour-de-force that celebrates the iconic work of Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Maria Callas. Bethany Thomas stars in the story of the unexpected encounters between these divas and the ordinary women whose lives they changed. Rob Lindley directs.

WHEN: From Sept. 23-Oct. 31

WHERE: Northlight Theatre at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie.

TICKETS: $30-$89.

VISIT: For updated information regarding the theater’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit northlight.org.

Ear Taxi Festival

Sally Blood Photo
Matt Ulery

‘Feelin’ Groovy Series’ at The Hideout

WHAT: As part of the city’s Chicago in Tune Festival, The Hideout’s “Feelin’ Groovy” series features conversations with key figures from Chicago independent record labels and live sets of music from musicians that span genres and generations. Upcoming are Cedille Records president Jim Ginsburg with Black Oak Ensemble (Sept. 13), Thrill Jockey founder Bettina Richards with Thalia Zedek Band (Sept. 15), Teklife co-founders of Ashes57 and DJ Spinn with a performance by DJ Spinn (Sept. 16), Sooper Records co-founder Nnamdi with Sen Morimoto, Drag City director of sales Rian Murphy with Lama Lobsang Palden and Jim Becker (Sept. 22) and Sonorama Discos co-founder Marlowe Baca with Dos Santos (Oct. 1).

WHEN/WHERE: All are at 6 p.m. outdoor at The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia.

TICKETS: Admission is free. For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit hideoutchicago.com.

World Music Wednesday

Amy Young Photo
Bomba con Buya

WHAT: The Old Town School of Folk Music’s weekly showcase of world music and dance, returns beginning Sept. 1 with Jazz a la Mexicana, a concert featuring traditional and folkloric Mexican music mixed with jazz. A celebration of Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center’s 50th anniversary follows on Sept. 8 with performances of Puerto Rican bomba music by Bomba con Buya and Mancha E’ Platano. The current roster of concerts runs through Dec. 1.

WHERE: Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln

Admission is free, a $10 suggested donation is appreciated. For updated information regarding the venue’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit oldtownschool.org.

Courtesy Origin Records
Chris Foreman

Chris Foreman at the Green Mill

What: The Green Mill has reopened and that means the return of Chris Foreman, a Friday night fixture at the popular jazz club. Foreman, a jazz organist blind since birth, is a master on the Hammond B3 and regarded as Chicago’s best. His playing is a blend of blues-gospel and jazz honed in his professional experience, which has included work with Hank Crawford, Albert Collins, Bernard Purdie, The Deep Blue Organ Trio and The Mighty Blue Kings.

When: 5-7:30 p.m. Fridays

Where: The Green Mill, 4802 N. Broadway

Cost: No cover charge

Visit greenmilljazz.com

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Factory Theater restages “Last Night in Karaoke Town.” | Michael Courier

Chicagoans can find a range of plays, musicals and dance shows at local theaters large and small. Our guide has the latest on what’s on stage in the city.

Welcome to our highlights of events and entertainment on stage at Chicago’s theaters. From local productions to Broadway hits, our guide has the latest on shows in the city. Bookmark this page and check back for updates and ticket information.

‘A Recipe for Disaster’

Emily Madigan
The immersive “Recipe for Disaster” includes cocktail, wine and food samples.

WHAT: Chef Rick Bayless teams up with Windy City Playhouse for “A Recipe for Disaster,” an immersive experience. Bayless, artistic director Amy Rubenstein and associate artistic director Carl Menninger created the farcical play which revolves around a trendy restaurant where everything that could go wrong does. Audiences will sample cocktails, wine and food created by Bayless. David H. Bell directs. WHEN: Performances begin Oct. 6 in an open-ended run.

WHERE: staged at the Club Level at Petterino’s, 150 N. Dearborn.

TICKETS: $90-$130. For updated information regarding the theater’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit windycityplayhouse.com.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater: ‘As You Like It’

WHAT: Shakespeare meets The Beatles in Daryl Cloran’s adaptation of the classic romantic comedy “As You Like It.” Cloran, who also directs, sets the play in the ’60s and infuses it with the music of the Beatles. More than 20 musical numbers from the Fab Four’s songbook are performed by a cast led by Lakeisha Renee as Rosalind and Liam Quealy as Orlando.

WHEN: From Oct. 6-Nov. 21

WHERE: Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand

TICKETS: $49-$90. For updated information regarding the theater’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit chicagoshakes.com.

PrideArts: ‘4000 Days’

WHAT: PrideArts presents Peter Quilter’s “4000 Days,” a comedy-drama about a man who wakes up from a three-week coma and finds he remembers nothing from the past 11 years including his relationship with his partner; directed by Jay Espano.

WHEN: From Oct. 1-31

WHERE: The Broadway, Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway

TICKETS: $30. For updated information regarding the theater’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit pridearts.org

Second City

WHAT: The Second City’s 109th revue, not yet titled, is a comedic examination of how we’re all striving to find joy in a seemingly never-ending stream of apocalyptic change from conspiracy theories to social anxiety to navigating the current political landscape.

WHEN: Presented in an open-ended run beginning Sept. 30

WHERE: The Second City, 1616 N. Wells

TICKETS: $29-$55

VISIT: For more information on the festival and updated information regarding the Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, secondcity.com/chicago-shows/

‘Rent’

Amy Boyle
Cody Jenkins and Samantha Mbolekwa in “Rent.”

WHAT: The “Rent 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour” is the last chance to catch this celebrated touring production. Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award-winning musical follows a diverse group of artists and friends struggling to follow their dreams. It’s the first production to open to a live audience in a Broadway in Chicago theater in more than a year.

WHEN: From Oct. 5-10

WHERE: CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe

TICKETS: $25+

VISIT: For updated information regarding the theater’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit broadwayinchicago.com.

More on stage…

Vicki Quade’s “Holy Ghost Bingo: God, Goblins & Games” returns Oct. 1-31 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln. Tickets: $35. Visit greenhousetheater.org.

Black Ensemble Theater’s cabaret series begins with “The Feel Good Musical Revue” at 8 p.m. Oct. 1-2 and 3 p.m. Oct. 3 at Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark. Tickets: $45. Visit blackensembletheater.org.

The House Theatre of Chicago’s 10-part “Dracula: A Serial Audio Play” begins Oct. 1 with new episodes each week. Streams free at thehousetheatre.com.

Broken Nose Theatre presents an audio adaptation of its hit 2019 family drama “Kingdom.” Streams (pay-what-you-can) from Oct. 4-24 at brokennosetheatre.com.

Dance Doings…

Winifred Haun & Dancers premiere a new work, “When day comes,” and other dances including “Your nearest exit may be behind you,” “Bento” and “Finding the Light” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1-2 at Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn. Tickets: $24, $35. Visit winifredhaun.org.

The experimental company Zephyr Dance performs “Recurrences,” a re-staged, shortened reconstruction of elements from its piece “Allowances and Occurrences.” At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 and 9 at The Martin, 2500 W. Chicago. Tickets: $10. Visit zephyrdance.com.

The Chicago Tap Summit, M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ annual celebration of tap, includes classes, panels, performances and more. From Oct. 1-3 at Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. Ticket prices vary. Visit maddrhythms.com.

Destinos: Chicago International Latino Theater Festival

WHAT: Destinos: Chicago International Latino Theater Festival returns Sept. 23-Oct. 17 with its always diverse roster featuring works from Chicago and around the world. The performances, in addition to the Goodman Theatre’s staging of “American Mariachi,” performed at a various venues are Lagartijas Tirades al Sol’s “Tijuana” (Sept. 23-26), which asks the question: What does democracy mean in Mexico today?; Teatro Tariakuri’s “La manera como luces esta noche” (Sept. 25-Oct., 17), a comedic fairy tale about a princess and the commoner who loves her; Combat Hippies’ “AMAL” (Sept. 30-Oct. 3), an examination of the impact of war; Casa de Teatro’s “Mal de Amores” (Oct. 8-10), a fusion of storytelling and song as an old man tells love stories and a woman sings boleros, baladas and rancheras; Urban Theater Company’s “Brujaja” (Oct. 9-10), which pairs theater, dance and drumming; Teatro Vista’s “Futurology presents: The Fifth World” (Oct. 10-11), a new serial audio play about a true crime producer who is entangled in myth’s as old as the world; Vision Latino Theatre’s “Y tu abuela, where is she?” (Oct. 11-24), about an interracial couple seeking to modify the genes of their unborn children; Agus, Sol y Sereno’s “Corazon de Papel” (Oct. 14-17), a depiction of post-Hurricane Puerto Rico told through puppetry; Aguijon Theater’s “La Gran Tirana: Descarga dramatica” (Oct. 15-Nov. 21), a new work inspired by La Lupe, the Queen of Latin Soul.

VISIT: For more information on the festival and updated information regarding the Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit clata.org.

Peacebook Festival

Photo by Madison Uphoff
Karen Olivo

WHAT: Collaboraction’s Peacebook Festival offers different perspectives on peace via films and solo performances including one by Tony Award-winner Karen Olivo (“West Side Story”). At 5:30 p.m. Sept. 25 (Kennedy-King College, 740 W. 63rd): Carla Stillwell’s “Oh, Colonizers,” a satirical film which connects the dots between capitalism and the Jan. 6 insurrection; “Encounter Englewood,” videos showcasing the life and vibrancy of Englewood and short solo works performed by Ameena Matthews, Banks Performance Project, E’mon Lauren, John Johnson, Loretta “Firekeeper” Hawkins, Mica Cole and Teh’Ray “Phenom” Hale Sr. At 5:30 p.m. Oct. 2 (Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington): a screening of “Oh, Colonizers” and solo performances by Abad Viquez, Ada Cheng, Anthony Wolf, David Flores, Karen Olivo, Marvin Tate and Molly Brennan.

TICKETS: $5-$35

VISTI: For updated information regarding the festival’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit collaboraction.org.

‘Songs for a New World’

Courtesy of Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s season begins with Jason Robert Brown’s “Songs for a New World.” Pictured in rehearsal are Emily Goldberg (from left), Matthew Hunter, Averis I. Anderson and Nora Navarro.

WHAT: Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s season begins with Jason Robert Brown’s “Songs for a New World,” which tells the stories of people facing a variety of life-changing crisis and features a score that blends pop, gospel and jazz.

WHEN: From Sept. 24-Oct. 24

WHERE: Howard Street Theatre, 721 Howard, Evanston

TICKETS: $42-$54

VISIT: For updated information regarding the theater’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit theo-u.com.

‘Last Night in Karaoke Town’

Michael Courier
Factory Theater presents “Last Night in Karaoke Town.”

WHAT: Factory Theater restages “Last Night in Karaoke Town,” Mike Beyer and Kirk Pynchon’s comedy set in one of Cleveland’s oldest karaoke bars that may have to close its doors when the new owner announces he wants to change it into a cider bar. Directed by Kim Boler.

WHEN: From Sept. 24-Nov. 6

WHERE: The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard

TICKETS: $10-$25.

VISIT: For updated information regarding the theater’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit thefactorytheater.com.

Steppenwolf: Tracy Letts

WHAT: Here’s a trio of treats from playwright Tracy Letts. Leading up to the Steppenwolf Theatre restaging of his play “Bug” in November, the company is streaming three short plays which Letts says, “share at least one thread: a world off-kilter… they feel very much like stories for 2021.” Rainn Wilson performs the monologue “Night Safari,” which poses questions about animal behavior and human biology; William Petersen, Karen Rodriguez and Mike Nussbaum voice the puppets in “The Old Country,” in which two men in a diner wax nostalgic; and Letts performs “The Stretch,” a monologue about a horse race that is not what it seems. Patrick Zakem directs the first two and outgoing artistic director Anna D. Shapiro directs the third.

WHEN: Streams from Sept. 29-Oct. 24

TICKETS: $20

VISIT: steppenwolf.org.

Lyric Opera: ‘The Elixir of Love’

WHAT: The Lyric Opera presents Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love,” a classic of the bel canto repertoire. The heartwarming comedy, directed by Daniel Slater, is the story of a naive waiter Nemorino (tenor Charles Castronovo) who pines for the flirtatious Adina (soprano Ailyn Perez) who also happens to be his boss.

WHEN: From Sept. 26-Oct. 8

WHERE: The Lyric Opera, 20 N. Wacker.

TICKETS: $39+

VISIT: For updated information regarding the Lyric’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit lyricopera.org.

‘American Mariachi’

WHAT: Jose Cruz Gonzalez’s “American Mariachi” is the story of a young woman, Luca (Tiffany Solano), who spends her days caring for her ailing mother, Amalia (Gigi Cervantes), but longs to shake up her life. When the mariachi songs on a forgotten album spark her mother’s memory, she sets out to create an all-female mariachi band, an unheard of idea in the 1970s, the time in which the play is set. It’s a “funny, tender-hearted story about family, tradition and memory,” says director Henry Godinez. The cast includes an ensemble of musicians from the Grammy-nominated group Sones de Mexico.

WHEN: From Sept. 18-Oct. 24

GOODMAN THEARE: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn

TICKETS: $25+

INFO: For updated information regarding the theater’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit goodmantheatre.org.

Lyric Opera — ‘Macbeth’

WHAT: The Lyric Opera’s 67th season begins with “Macbeth,” the inaugural production of music director Enrique Mazzola. The new production of Verdi’s opera from Scottish director Sir David McVicar is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, a portrait of a power-hungry couple and their bloody ascent to the throne of Scotland. Roman Burdenko portrays Macbeth with Sondra Radvanovsky as Lady Macbeth. Sung in Italian with projected English subtitles.

WHEN: From Sept. 17-Oct. 9

WHERE: Lyric Opera, 20 N. Wacker

TICKETS: $39+

INFO: For updated information regarding the Lyric’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit lyricopera.org.

‘The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 5 — Sex!’

Rick Aguilar Studios
Ed Jones (from left), Grant Drager and David Cerda with (bottom, right) Ryan Oates in “The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 5-Sex!”

WHAT: Hell in a Handbag Productions long-running parody series continues with “The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes, Vol. 5 — Sex!,” in which Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia explore their naughty side. Original cast members — David Cerda, Grant Drager, Ed Jones and Ryan Oates — star as the Geriatric Fab Four. Written by Cerda and directed by Madison Smith.

WHEN: From Sept. 16-Oct. 23

WHERE: Leather Archives & Museum, 6418 N. Greenview

TICKETS: $27-$45.

INFO: For updated information regarding the theater’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit handbagproductions.org.

‘Forever Plaid’

WHAT: Drury Lane Theatre returns with “Forever Plaid,” Stuart Ross and James Raitt’s musical revue packed with hit tunes from the 1950s. Paul Stancato directs.

WHEN: From Sept. 17-Nov. 7

WHERE: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace

TICKETS: $59-$72.

INFO: For updated information regarding the theater’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit drurylanetheatre.com.

The Neo-Futurists

Joe Mazza
“The Infinite Wrench” by the Neo-Futurists

WHAT: The Neo-Futurists kick off their season with the return of the late-night show “The Infinite Wrench,” in which the ensemble attempts to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes.

WHEN: Ongoing performances are at 7 p.m. Sundays

WHERE: Neo-Futurists, 5153 N. Ashland

TICKETS: $10

INFO: For updated information regarding the theater’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit neofuturists.org.

‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’

Courtesy of Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre
Jazzma Pryor in “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.”

WHAT: Jazzma Pryor stars in Anna Deavere Smith’s tour-de-force solo show “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.” In it she portrays nearly four dozen people who were connected either directly or indirectly to the 1992 Los Angeles riots that erupted after the trial and acquittal of the police officers accused of assaulting Rodney King. The playwright shaped the piece from interviews that she conducted while researching the play. Tim Rhoze directs.

WHEN: From Sept. 11-26

WHERE: Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes, Evanston

TICKETS: $25. For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit fjtheatre.com.

‘The World Goes Round’

@BrandonDahlquistPhotography
Kevin Earley (from left), Allison E. Blackwell, Meghan Murphy, Joseph Anthony Byrd, Amanda Rose are featured in “The World Goes Round” at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.

WHAT: The songs of musical theater team John Kander and Fred Ebb are the centerpiece of the revue “The World Goes Round.” The hit parade of songs includes selections from “Cabaret,” “New York, New York,” “All That Jazz,” “Funny Lady,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Maybe This Time” and more. The cast features Allison E. Blackwell, Joseph Anthony Byrd, Kevin Earley, Meghan Murphy and Amanda Rose; Marcia Milgrom Dodge directs and choreographs.

WHEN:From Sept. 15-Nov. 7

WHERE: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr., Lincolnshire

TICKETS: $50-$60. For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit marriotttheatre.com.

‘Thirteen Days’

Photo by Steve Graue
Sheila Willis (from left), Cameron Feagin, Kat Evans, Julia Kessler and Maggie Cain star in “Thirteen Days” at City Lit Theater.

WHAT: “Thirteen Days” is Brian Pastor’s adaptation of Robert F. Kennedy’s memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The world-premiere play, performed by an all-female cast, is set in President John F. Kennedy’s Situation Room where he maneuvers his way through the conflicting counsel of his advisors as the world comes close to nuclear war. Leading the cast are Cameron Feagin as JFK and Kat Evans as Attorney General Robert Kennedy; Pastor directs.

WHEN: Sept. 10-Oct. 24

WHERE: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr

TICKETS: $32. For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit citylit.org.

‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’

WHAT: Citadel Theatre presents Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” a comedy about a teen who must cope with the mundane existence of his life in Brooklyn.

WHEN: Sept. 15-Oct. 17

WHERE: Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan, Lake Forest

TICKETS: $20-$45. For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit citadeltheatre.org.

‘Kinky Boots’

Thomas J. King
Michael Wordly makes his Paramount Theatre debut as Lola in “Kinky Boots.”

What: Live performances return for a new season at the Paramount Theatre with Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein’s high-kicking “Kinky Boots.” This first regional production of the Broadway musical, directed by Trent Stork, stars Devin DeSantis as Charlie, the shoemaker attempting to save his failing shoe factory, and Michael Wordly as Lola, the fierce drag queen who shows him the way.

When: Aug. 18-Oct. 17

Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena, Aurora

Tickets: $36-$74

For updated information regarding the theater’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit paramountaurora.com.

Theatre Y

WHAT: Theatre Y’s ambitious new adventure “You Are Here: The Emerald Camino Project” is a return of its urban pilgrimages, this time through Daniel Burnham’s Emerald Necklace — the boulevard system that links the public parks on Chicago’s West and South sides. The immersive 12-part walking experience was created with artists, community leaders and organizations across a dozen communities. “This is a joyful post-pandemic experience that connects Chicago’s diverse communities through the intersection of conversation and art,” says Theatre Y’s artistic director, Melissa Lorraine. If you are walking through the neighborhood in which you live, admission is free; all other participants are Theatre Y Members or encouraged to become members (for as little as $5/month).

WHEN: Aug. 21-Sept. 26 For updated information regarding the theater’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies as well as dates and times for each walk, visit theatre-y.com.

Blue Man Group

Caroline Talbot Photography
Blue Man Group

What: Those crazy characters in blue return for more goofy fun. The show, which encourages audiences to reconnect with their inner child, is a combination of art, music, comedy and technology.

When: Ongoing

Where: Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted.

Tickets: $49-$89

For updated information regarding the theater’s Covid 19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit blueman.com.

Teatro ZinZanni

Michael Doucet
The artistry and the excitement of Teatro ZinZanni returns to Chicago starting July 8. Pictured: Lea Hinz.

What: The immersive, whirlwind theater experience that is Teatro ZinZanni has reopened featuring a new show with a cast of comedians, aerialists, acrobats, singers, dancers and a gourmet meal, it brings comedy, music and cirque back after a long pandemic hiatus. Included among the performers are powerhouse vocalists Storm Marrero and Cunio, aerial acts Lea Hinz and Duo 19, veteran comedians Frank Ferrante and Joe DePaul and acrobatic dancers Mickael and Vita.

When: Ongoing

Where: Spiegeltent ZaZou on the 14th floor of the Cambria Hotel, 32 W. Randolph

Tickets: $119-$189; limited show only tickets $69. Visit zinzanni.com/chicago.

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