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My first day in the cockpit as a fully qualified U.S. Air Force pilot fell on a Tuesday. I’d completed my initial training the Saturday before and had been paired with an experienced lieutenant colonel who had a full head of gray hair. We called him the Silver Fox, and he was not there to amuse us. He had high expectations and a reputation for liking to fly with the “green beans” — as newly minted air force pilots like me were called — to make sure we wouldn’t get the idea that the stress was over. On the contrary, he wanted us to know, it was just getting started.

At McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey the day before, we’d meticulously planned out a six-hour sortie consisting of maneuvers and exercises off the Atlantic coast. Our aircraft, a KC-10A tanker, could hold 340,000 pounds of jet fuel and was designed for “force extension” — refueling fighter jets in midair to bring them closer to the forward edge of a battle area. When we took off, around 6:45 a.m. the next day, we had no inkling that the battle area would be over New York City.

One of the truths about being a pilot is that the learning never stops, no matter how seasoned an airman you become. The lessons from that day’s flight remain with me even now, years after my departure from the air force and my move to the Chicago area, where I fly private jets, volunteer at Tuskegee Next, a foundation that helps at-risk kids get on track to an aviation career, and work in private equity.

The schooling began right away that morning. During the first couple of hours of our mission, I was the PNF, or “pilot not flying,” meaning I was handling everything outside of aviating, including the radios, which were keeping me busy: communicating with our sister KC-10A, listening to air traffic control on VHF, monitoring McGuire command post communications on UHF, working the intercom we used for talking to other crew members, and so on. A little after 9 a.m., we received a radio communication from the Eastern Air Defense Sector of NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command), call sign Huntress. Twenty years later, I can remember the words of Huntress precisely: “Team 22, say your state.”

A proper response to that prompt would have been “Team 22, Whiskey 107, Angels 26, heading 090, five plus 15 fuel, four souls on board, fully operational” — our state being the current status of the aircraft, including our position, crew complement, fuel remaining, and operational capability.

Instead, I replied, “New Jersey.”

Another thing you learn about flying is to always sound professional on the radio: Be brief, but not too curt, and above all, don’t embarass yourself, your superior officer, or the United States Air Force. I had managed to do all three. More than 100 combat missions later, I still cringe at the memory of it.

At that, the Silver Fox immediately transferred aircraft control to me and responded properly to Huntress, who then directed us to contact the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center and proceed directly to the airspace above John F. Kennedy International Airport and await further instructions. I didn’t have much experience, but I had enough to know that it wasn’t normal for a KC-10A crew on routine maneuvers to be hearing from NORAD, which is responsible for countering threats to the country’s sovereign airspace. At this point, the lieutenant colonel turned to me, his expression as serious as I’d ever seen it, and said, “I think someone detonated a nuclear weapon somewhere in the United States.”

My first thought was that he was pulling some type of new-guy initiation prank — that he wanted to say something truly hyperbolic and outrageous to see how I would react. It wasn’t until the New York air traffic control center radioed, clearing us to JFK at “pilot’s discretion, 5,000 to 50,000 feet,” that the weight of the moment hit me. We were flying over some of the busiest airspace in the world; below us was Newark International, LaGuardia, JFK, and Teterboro, to say nothing of all the morning air traffic flowing in from Europe, through Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. “Pilot’s discretion 5,000 to 50,000 feet” could only mean that all that traffic was on the ground or diverted. This was not a prank.

It was a clear day, and as we headed to JFK from our military operating area off the New Jersey coast, I could see the smoke billowing up from lower Manhattan. There were no other planes in sight — we were the first military aircraft over the city after the two airliners slammed into the twin towers. But we didn’t know that: There was no internet in the cockpit back in 2001. And while I had the sense there were injured and dead below, we had zero information about what had happened.

Anyone who’s watched a political thriller knows the phrase “need-to-know basis” — well, we technically didn’t need to know. In fact, it was better we didn’t. If one of my parents or siblings had worked in the World Trade Center, I would have been consumed by worry and, as good as my training was, my concentration and compartmentalization would have been compromised. At that moment, we needed to be an uncompromised military instrument of national power.

I maintained our air refueling orbit over JFK while the Silver Fox worked the radios and checklists. The first fighters to approach for refueling were two F-15s from Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts, and as they got closer, I could see they were bristling with live missiles and ordnance — a sight totally new to me, and one that drove home even further the seriousness of the situation. We were their first stop: When fighters take off with all that weaponry, a full load of fuel can make them too heavy to clear a short runway, so the first thing they need to do is air-refuel. After all, it does no use to fly supersonic to a battle area only to run out of gas once you get there.

We spent the day in low-level orbit above New York City. Normal air refueling was usually performed between 20,000 and 30,000 feet. That day, under emergency conditions, we were as low as 12,000 feet. (I would do emergency air refueling only two other times in my career: once in combat over the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan, and once over Alabama because our receiver aircraft was experiencing mechanical difficulties and needed us to descend.)

After a while, our own tanker was refueled by a KC-135, giving us enough fuel to fly into the night, topping up the F-15s and F-16s that were now patrolling up and down the Hudson and the East River. We had no food or water, as we’d originally planned to land by noon.

When we finally received instructions to head back to McGuire, after being relieved by another KC-10, we were put on a straight 30-mile final approach to runway 24 — another unsettling sign of how empty the skies were. After we’d landed, some 14 hours after taking off, and parked on the ramp, I exited the cockpit and opened the cabin door, whereupon I was greeted by an airman in full combat gear — flak vest, helmet, M16 at the ready position. With the utmost courtesy and sincerity, he said, “Sir, I need to see your ID.” I glanced down the side of the 181-foot military plane as if to say, “Isn’t this weapon system identification enough?!” But I kept that thought to myself and pulled out my ID, and the airman escorted me and the rest of the crew to a secure room known as an intel vault for debriefing.

“Did you hear any distress calls from United 93, American 11, or American 77?” “Did you talk to United 175?” The questions came fast and clipped, and we answered in the negative — we’d gotten no distress calls on our standard communications frequencies or on the emergency channel we monitor during flight. As we were questioned, we slowly began to grasp the nature of that day’s events.

Finally, at around 3 a.m. on Wednesday, September 12, I made the 45-minute drive to my home in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. There, I turned on the television and got my first look at the unreal images of the attack, which were being replayed again and again on every channel. I’d been one of the first members of the American military to see the tragedy from the air and, I realized, quite possibly, one of the last people in America to learn what had happened.

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■ I was a shy and introverted child. But there’s a picture of me as a baby: My white-blond hair is sticking straight up, like I stuck my finger in a light socket, and I have two little fists on either side of my head. Some family friends said, “She looks like she wanted to be born.” So there was a little fight in there from the beginning.

■ In college I had a big, thick tome called Modern Art. One day I started counting how many women were included, and it was shockingly few. I thought about that. What does it mean that you call a book Modern Art and it’s being taught at a progressive school like Oberlin College, yet it includes almost no female artists? That was a real eye opener. And I thought, No, no, no, you’re going to be counted.

■ With the success of Exile in Guyville, everything changed. It felt overnight, and I was not prepared. I had performed two shows when it came out. Sixteen months later, I’m on the cover of Rolling Stone. My recognition far outstripped my ability. One of my earliest gigs was at Metro. I was so scared and so inexperienced. Joe Shanahan had to push me out onto the stage. He literally had his hand on my back easing me out.

■ Insecurity or a feeling of not belonging is still a part of me. There are moments where I can’t even say my own name. I don’t feel like I can fill the shoes. If I call anywhere, it’s like I have a speech impediment getting the name out. I have to practice it: “Hi, Liz Phair. It’s Liz Phair.” I have to do it enough times to say it like I actually am that person.

■ I envy young Liz’s certainty. She seemed so on top. Everything now is a shade of gray. Back then it was just fire and drive. Even though I was deeply insecure underneath, which wreaked havoc in my romantic relationships, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more powerful.

■ In my friend group, it’s a running joke that, of all of us, I would become the rock star. It’s like, “Her? Liz?” Because that was not in evidence at all.

■ There is a huge hypocrisy in our culture where we embrace violence and shame sex. That makes no sense to me. Early on, I saw how female sexuality was used. Your body, your attractiveness, your appeal to men was going to be used by someone. And I just decided I would use it. I would try to own my sexuality and find a way to feel good about that.

■ To do this, to be a rock star, there’s a warping of your personality. There’s the whiplash of being at home more by yourself, writing and dreaming and imagining, then getting yanked back into being the big-energy performer and employer. When I’m on the road, I’m almost all rock star Liz Phair, wall to wall. And that’s a very comfortable place to be. But if I don’t take enough time to get back to my actual self, it becomes a problem.

■ I always knew I was adopted. It just wasn’t a big thing. I don’t want to find my birth mother, but I want to find out about her. I want to look without engaging. Having a child cured a lot of that for me, because I look at someone who’s genetically connected to me and it satisfies something. And I pretty much won the parent lottery, so it wasn’t like I had cause to look elsewhere. But I do think where you come from is meaningful. Even though we have stories about our family, they don’t totally feel like mine.

■ Do you remember those first few days of COVID lockdown, when the sky was so fucking blue? And there was this pause in human activity? It felt so precious. There was something deeply, deeply religious about that to me. I would like to somehow channel that energy again, postpandemic. I’m going to spend more time in nature. I’m going to be more snobby about the people I hang around with. I’m going to seek out beauty and art and things that inspire my spirit. I’m just going to be a little more intentional.

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The Joy Luck Club has become the great Chinese American novel. What were the pros and cons of authoring the first big commercial Chinese American literary hit?

I was cast in the limelight as being some sort of expert about Chinese Americans or immigrants or mothers and daughters. With that limelight comes a responsibility put on me to speak for the community of Asian Americans, or all people in Asia, which is impossible. I had to constantly talk about the fact that Asian Americans are not a homogenous group. We are united by commonalities and needs within communities, but we can be very different in how we conduct our lives.

You’ve dressed up in S&M-style leather to perform with the literacy fundraising supergroup the Rock Bottom Remainders. How did that happen?

I used to sing “Bye Bye Love,” but I don’t have a good voice. After our first concert, our musical director, Al Kooper, said, “I picture Amy wearing leather boots and fishnet stockings, wielding a whip and singing ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.’ ” And I said, “That is such a sexist thing to say,” but I realized this wasn’t about me trying to prove I had a good voice. This was about being funny, because this plays against who most people think I am. I had to go to these leather shops and ask for whips and collars. So part of this song does require me to tell the boys to bend over, and then I get to whip them.

In your latest books and your Netflix documentary [Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir], you talk about your mom’s struggle with mental health and your own struggles. Why is it important to get these topics out in the open — especially in the Asian American community?

My mother was always very open about anything. Anything I said about her was fine. So that kind of openness has been my template in life. I am part of the Pacific Asian Network. It’s like a United Way for different Asian groups that also helps combat stereotypes about Asians as model minorities: the idea that they have no problems, no mental health issues, no children who are overweight, no poverty, no elder abuse. Those are all myths.

What books have inspired you?

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich. It’s a set of short stories that takes place in a community. In a way, it’s like The Joy Luck Club. Also Amy Hempel’s Reasons to Live. In talking to writers, she says you always want to look for the news: not like what we read in the paper, but something said differently, or a perspective you would not hear anywhere else.

You have an awesome master class on fiction, memory, and imagination. What are some of the biggest lessons you wish you could have told your younger self?

I gave up certain things early in life because I didn’t think it was perfect. If you have any desire to publish, you have to get over the notion that you could ever do something that was absolutely perfect, and you should count on getting rejections. And you might have to encounter that many times before you find the kind of reader that finds your work appealing. So in the [master class], I include my rejection letters, something people love to see.

Tan will receive the Carl Sandburg Literary Award from the Chicago Public Library Foundation on Nov. 2. View later at cplfoundationawards.org.

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On Nov. 22, 1963, I was doing a crossword puzzle in my high school study hall when the announcement came over the PA that President John F. Kennedy had been shot.

On April 4, 1968, the day the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, I was working at a Jewel Foods pickup station in Evergreen Park, loading groceries into people’s cars.

But on September 11, 2001, I was all alone, which you do not want to be when the world is being ripped apart.

My three children had gone back to school. My wife, Marianne, was teaching her 4th grade class.

I, however, wouldn’t go back to teaching my English classes at the College of DuPage for another two weeks, so I had driven to forested northwest Wisconsin to winterize our fishing cabin and catch some walleye before the cold set in.

The cabin TV had no signal, as often was the case in the woods, but a news bulletin came over the radio: Heavy smoke was pouring from one of the Twin Towers in New York City. Minutes later, the North Tower collapsed and I was filled with panic and fear.

Though our cabin had a landline phone, my wife was the only one in the family who had a cell phone back then, and I couldn’t reach her during the school day. I dialed my brother, but there was no answer.

I rushed outside.

It was cold and still that morning. A chickadee in one of the surrounding pine trees made the only sound, a plaintive whistle. I looked up into the empty sky and went back indoors.

Improbable visuals were being described over the radio: People leaping to their deaths from the upper floors; survivors running through the streets, bloody and disoriented; a hijacked jet crashing into the Pentagon; fire trucks blaring down 7th Avenue in New York; the second tower crumbling to earth.

I sat in a chair that faced a window that looked out onto the lake.

Our country was under attack. My family was scattered. There was no one with whom to grieve.

Suddenly, I heard a burst from a car horn. A van with “Northern Lakes Co-op” on its side had pulled in behind the house. The cabin furnace had refused to turn on the day before, and the dispatcher had promised to send someone when he could.

Scott wore blue coveralls and was over six feet tall, with a mop of shaggy brown hair. Not quite 30 years old, he had an easy smile and called me “sir.”

I led him to the utility room where he set his heavy tool belt on the floor. I described for him the symptoms of the temperamental furnace.

“Probably the igniter, sir,” he said.

He knelt, removed the front panel, and was peering inside with a pen light.

“Did you know…hear anything about New York?” I said.

He turned, looked up into my eyes. “Oh, yes. Surreal. We were all watching it at the shop.”

I visualized Scott and several other men I’d never met, all in blue coveralls, staring up at the TV on an upper corner shelf. And I felt less alone.

“My foreman says the FBI probably already knows who did it,” he said. “What with cameras all over the airport. Passenger manifests.”

Scott did not doubt his foreman. He said he just wondered why suicide attacks keep happening.

I wanted to ask if he was married. What his hopes were for himself and his children, and for the world in the four or five decades of life ahead of him.

He went outside, retrieved a new igniter from the van and replaced the old one. He asked me to turn up the thermostat. Everything worked fine, and I signed his clipboard.

He paused at the door as he folded and coiled his tool belt. President George W. Bush’s voice could be heard from the radio in the kitchen.

“We need to figure something out,” said Scott. “Gotta do something.” A parting smile, and he left.

***

Our country did do something.

In the first three weeks after 911, Americans donated $657 million for families of the 2,957 people killed, and $2 billion by the end of the year, according to a University of Indiana survey in June of 2002. Another 1,592,295 Americans gave blood for the 6,000 people who were injured. Sixty percent of us wrote checks, donated blood or volunteered our help in various ways.

Scott’s foreman was not wrong about the perpetrators being caught and punished, though the job was infinitely more costly and time-consuming than he ever could have imagined.

And Scott’s observation, 20 years ago, that terrorism keeps happening is just as true today.

But there is something inside us that wants to seek out others after a catastrophe — a hunger for human contact, and an inclination toward empathy — that inspires us to “figure something out” however long it may take.

David McGrath is a emeritus professor of English at College of DuPage and author of the story collection “South Siders.” [email protected]

Send letters to [email protected].

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Perhaps no one one the Bears roster is more excited to see the 2021 season begin.

Not that outside linebacker Robert Quinn will let it show.

“He’s about as chill as they come,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said Thursday. “Is he motivated? Yeah. Deep down inside, there’s a reason why he’s the type of player that he’s been his whole career. So I’m sure there’s a little chip inside. But for him, he never talks about it.”

The outside linebacker had nine months to think about it, though. After receiving a five-year, $70 million contract, Quinn logged only two sacks opposite Khalil Mack last year. In his age 30 season, he had the worst year of his career.

Sunday, he can turn the page — or compound a problem. On defense, no one’s play will be a bigger harbinger for the Bears’ season-long aspirations Sunday night than Quinn.

“[He] didn’t have a good taste in his mouth about how the season went,” outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey said. “Then you’ve gotta wait. You’ve gotta wait all the way through to this part to get another shot to try to make it the way you want it. He’s anxious.”

Quinn is eager to play. He doesn’t dispute his off-the-field scouting report — “I’m probably one of the most chillest dudes,” he said — but was clear that his attitude doesn’t apply to Sundays.

“[When] you’re not on the field, I mean, what’s the purpose, all hyped up and stuff? You’re just kinda sitting there,” he said. “But you know, once you hear music or the crowd roaring or something, I don’t know, it’s just something, the energy just comes from the noise … When it’s crunch time, you just get yourself hyped, however it is.”

The Bears spent the offseason looking for reasons for his poor performance: moving to a new town during a pandemic, lining up at outside linebacker when he’s more comfortable with his hand in the grass and suffering a series of nagging injuries.

He’s more comfortable now — coincidentally, Alec Ogletree, his friend of eight years, joined the team last month — and figures to play in a three-point stance more often under new defensive coordinator Sean Desai. The injuries haven’t gone away — he’s dealt with a sore back dating to the spring. He missed last year’s opener, but won’t again this season.

“Now,” Nagy said, “he’s just gotta go do it.”

He’s done it before. In 103 starts before joining the Bears, he totaled 80 1/2 sacks. His 82 1/2 career sacks still rank 11th among active players, one spot behind the Rams’ Aaron Donald. He’s been a disappointment with the Bears, though. If that’s going to end, it has to start Sunday.

“All that work he’s put in, how he’s feeling about everything, it’s gonna come down to production,” Shuey said. “And he knows that. He’s excited for that opportunity, I should say: he’s ready.”

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Unlike his 2008 trial in Chicago, R. Kelly’s alleged victims are willing to testify in Brooklyn — including one young groupie who attended the Cook County proceedings before being targeted herself.Read More

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.

‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’

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

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’

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. @BrandonDahlquistPhotography

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’

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

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.

PrideArts

Elissa Newcorn (from left), Kyra Leigh, Carl Herzog and Nate Hall star in PrideArts’ productoin of “The Things I Never Could Tell Steven.” Marisa KM

WHAT: PrideArts presents Jye Bryant’s “The Things I Never Could Tell Steven,” a four-character musical in which the four most important people in one man’s life struggle to communicate meaningfully with him and really know him. The cast features Carl Herzog, Kyra Leigh, Elissa Newcorn and Nate Hall under the direction of Jay Espano.

WHEN: From Aug. 19-Sept. 19

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.

‘Kinky Boots’

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

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

Blue Man Group Caroline Talbot Photography

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

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

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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Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald wasn’t worried about the Wildcats looking past an FCS team. All he had to do is show the ugly video from last week.

Northwestern hosts Indiana State on Saturday looking to steady itself after a wobbly and decisive season-opening loss to Michigan State at home last week.

“I think we have plenty to fix, partner,” said Fitzgerald, in his 16th season and by far Northwestern’s winningest coach at 106-82. “It won’t be hard for us to stay focused.”

The Wildcats’ 38-21 loss to the Spartans was every bit as lopsided as the score indicated. They watched as Kenneth Walker III ran for a career-high 264 yards and a personal-best four touchdowns, including a 75-yard score on the game’s first play from scrimmage. They trailed 21-0 in the second quarter, and were outgained 511-400 in total yards and 326-117 in rushing.

For a team coming off its second Big Ten West championship in three seasons, it was quite a wakeup. Northwestern lost major contributors on offense and defense from last year. Then again, Michigan State has no shortage of newcomers with 20 transfers and its sights set on a quick turnaround after struggling in coach Mel Tucker’s first season.

The Wildcats need to put that one behind them and avoid looking ahead to Duke next week as they prepare to face Indiana State in the first meeting between two schools that started playing football in the 1800s. The Sycamores (1-0), an FCS team, beat Eastern Illinois 26-21 on Aug. 28 in their first game since 2019.

Indiana State initially postponed last season to the spring because of the pandemic, then opted not to play at all. The school cited safety concerns over what would have been a short turnaround this year.

“We got a great opponent,” coach Cam Mallory said. “But it’s about us getting better from Week 1 to Week 2.”

PROMISING START

A positive for Northwestern last week was quarterback Hunter Johnson.

Once a highly touted transfer from Clemson, Johnson posted career highs in completions (30), attempts (43), yards (283) and touchdown passes (three) in his first start since 2019. The three TDs were the most by a Northwestern quarterback in a season opener since Dan Persa threw three against Vanderbilt in 2010.

For a quarterback who made just two appearances last year behind Peyton Ramsey and did not throw a pass, it was a promising opener.

“I’m really proud of Hunter,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s been through a lot. I thought he really had a great offseason.”

SAFE PICK

Indiana State safety Michael Thomas had two interceptions in the opener, returning the second one 75 yards for a touchdown to make it a 10-point game in the fourth quarter. He also had a team-leading 10 tackles.

TIGHTENING UP

Northwestern lost leading tacklers Blake Gallagher and Paddy Fisher as well as cornerback Greg Newsome II from a defense that ranked among the nation’s stingiest last season. It clearly showed in the opener. Michigan State converted on all five trips inside the red zone.

Last season, Northwestern ranked fifth in the nation and led the Big Ten in scoring defense. In the red zone, the Wildcats were sixth in the country.

CATCHING ON

Receiver Bryce Kirtz had his best game in two seasons at Northwestern with seven receptions for 80 yards. By comparison, he had six catches for 67 yards over nine games as a freshman last year.

With Johnson at quarterback, perhaps that was no coincidence. After all, they played together at Brownsburg (Ind.) High School.

“My freshman year, which was in 2016, I did not play varsity,” Kirtz said. “But my sophomore year, I did play varsity. Hunter was my quarterback. … He helped me adjust to that. He made me feel way more comfortable out there, just kinda telling me ‘you got it,’ giving me confidence out there, definitely. The best memory I have with Hunter is just him kinda teaching me how to play football out there at the higher level and then now here in college.”

Kirtz also has a connection to Indiana State. His father Andre ran track and brother Tyler — who plays football at Ball State — was recruited by the Sycamores.

RUN UP

Northwestern lost No. 1 running back Cam Porter to a season-ending lower-body injury in camp. Evan Hull looks like he’s ready to take on a bigger role after running for 87 yards on nine carries in the opener.

“We’ll see how the game goes, the ebb and the flow. At the end of the day, I think Evan’s earned the (role),” Fitzgerald said.

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Considering the number of movies, documentaries and other entertainment vehicles made about Muhammad Ali, it would seem that — much like the former heavyweight champion at the end of his 1971 fight against Joe Frazier — there’s not much left to offer that’s fresh.

Will Smith played Ali. Ali even played Ali in “The Greatest.” The 1996 documentary ” When We Were Kings ” about Ali’s “Rumble in the Jungle” bout with George Foreman won an Oscar.

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns knew there were more layers to reveal in Ali’s rise from his Louisville, Kentucky, roots into the source of Black pride who captivated America with his boxing braggadocio, his contentious refusal to fight in Vietnam, and all through his final years into his lengthy, heartbreaking battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Burns’ film ” Muhammad Ali ” explores the life of the boxer who floated and stung his way into greatness.

“He’s just so compelling,” Burns said. “He’s complicated, there’s undertow, there’s flaws and we don’t hesitate to remind people throughout this film that there are. At the end, he is a transcendent American character. He has so much, still today, to offer us. He was, of course, at the intersection of so many themes of race, of politics, of war, of faith, of fidelity.”

Burns began work on Ali, who died at 74 in 2016, nearly seven years ago and said the story on the boxer’s life “lifts up and we see instantly how it resonates in the moment.” Burns (who co-directed the film with his oldest daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Dave McMahon) weaves archival footage and interviews with Ali’s daughters, ex-wives, sports writers, athletes and activists to stitch together pieces of the charismatic and complicated life of the three-time heavyweight boxing champion.

“There are a lot of really, really great documentary films on Muhammad Ali. I think the opening half-hour, 20 minutes of Michael Mann’s ‘Ali’ is one of the finest openings of any film, ever,” Burns said. “Yet nobody had said, let’s try to do it comprehensively. It’s not definitive. It’s, let’s try and understand him from birth in the early 40s in segregated Louisville, Kentucky, to the death by Parkinson’s.”

Burns talked with The Associated Press by phone from his home in Walpole, New Hampshire, to discuss the four-part, eight-hour series on Ali that airs Sept. 19-22 on PBS.

AP: When you peeled back the layers, what was your biggest discovery about Ali?

Burns: I think it’s this sense of purpose. He puts on the gloves, he has a couple of fights and now declares he’s The Greatest. It’s like you’re hitting a double in tee ball and saying, “I am going to be the greatest baseball player ever.” OK, that’s good aspirations. The poise that he has at different points. The Frazier fight, he’d been bagging on Frazier, he’d been predicting, he’d been brash, he’d been bold. But then he talks about setting an example because everybody loses. In fact, everybody does lose. Nobody gets out of this alive. He gets that. He understands something really fundamental. In the midst of this loud, wonderful promoter, learning from Gorgeous George, he has this in him.

AP: What did you learn about how America’s opinion of Ali changed through the decades?

Burns: When he dies, we forget what a divisive figure he was. When he’s out lighting the torch in Atlanta, we forgot what a divisive figure he was. He was considered like a Buddha, like a religious figure. I think it’s the way that in the midst of this loud, cacophonous thing that was his life, how amazingly centered he was, how purposeful it was. (His image) is already improved after the loss to Frazier in the first of the three Frazier fights. He gets hit in the last round and he gets back up. In losing he wins. By that time, we’re beginning to realize he was right about Vietnam. He began to win people back.

AP: Did you feel Ali mirrored the Black experience decade by decade or did he set it by the nature of his celebrity and stances?

Burns: I think it’s a little bit of both. He reflected aspects of it in that he represented a new model of it that was less interested in the old tactics of the Southern, Christian civil rights movement which was about integration. His was a little bit more Northern, a little bit more adamant about separation, which has been a tradition in Black politics dating back to Marcus Garvey, certainly before that. But at the same time, as he becomes this huge symbol, and people begin to embrace the idea of a new form of Black masculinity, of the kind of confidence and willingness to say “I’m beautiful” and “Black is beautiful,” that’s part of that Black Power movement, that’s not just what the Panthers are doing, but many people are embracing a kind of sense of their own value and worth. He is both reflecting and also directing.

AP: Did you learn there were times Ali didn’t want the burden that came with who he was?

Burns: You can see in him sort of flashes of frustration, less about the burden than people getting it wrong. When he said, “I don’t have to box. It’s not about boxing.” At the very end of the film, (daughter) Rasheda (Ali) says, “Boxing is just this much” (while pinching her fingers together). I think he understood he had a bigger thing that he was about. He could have been a simple carpenter.

AP: Did you meet Ali?

Burns: I met him once. It was in LA, mid-late 90s. Definitely way into Parkinson’s. I had a cold and I had gone into a coffee shop to get some tea. I was waiting to take it out and I turned around and in a booth, there was Muhammad Ali. I had the only wordless conversation I’ve ever had with anybody. It was spectacular. It was almost a religious experience. I looked at him and without opening my mouth, I said, “You’re Muhammad Ali.” And without opening his mouth, he looked at me and said, “Yes I am.” … I never shook his hand. It was just the most spectacular thing.

AP: Are you tempted down the road to leave PBS and make films for one of the streaming services?

Burns: I could go to those premium services or the streaming services and they’d give me the budget. The budget for “Vietnam” turned out to be $30 million and they’d do it. But they’d want it in two years. We needed to do 10 1/2 years. At PBS, they give me a little bit of money and I go out and raise the rest. They just want it to be what I want it to be. Not only do I publish each time a director’s cut, I also have the ability to have creative control over it.

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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.

Pitchfork Music Festival

WHAT: Pitchfork Music Festival returns with its lineup from all popular genres across the contemporary music scene. Performers this year include Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, Erykah Badu, Big Thief, Angel Olsen, Flying Lotus, Animal Collective, Kim Gordon, Thundercat, The Fiery Furnaces and many more.

WHEN: Sept. 10-12

WHERE: Union Park (main gates are on Ashland south of Lake St., gates open daily at noon)

TICKETS: Admission: $90 single-day general admission; 3-day passes are sold out. For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit pitchforkmusicfestival.com.

Chicago Philharmonic

The Chicago PhilharmonicElliot Mandel

WHAT: The 32nd season of the Chicago Philharmonic begins with a program featuring two pieces from iconic 20th century American composers: Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and William Grant Still’s “Out of Silence.” Plus, Sergey Gutorov is featured in Mozart’s “Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622” and violinist Njioma Grevious performs Marcus Norris’ “Glory.”

WHEN: 3 p.m. Sept. 12

WHERE: North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie, Skokie

TICKETS: $10-$75. For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit chicagophilharmonic.com.

‘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.

Ifetayo Ali-Landing(C) Earl E. Gibson III

Music of the Baroque

WHAT: Music of the Baroque’s season opens with a free “Baroque in the Park” concert and the world premiere of its first commission “Spectacle of Light” by Stacy Garrop. The performance also features the MOB debut of Chicago cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing performing Haydn’s “Cello Concerto No. 1.

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 10

WHERE: Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Michigan and Randolph.

TICKETS: Free; For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit baroque.org.

Ricky Scaggs

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

WHAT: Ricky Skaggs began playing the mandolin when he was 6 and was still a teen when he began his professional career as a member of Ralph Stanley’s band, the Clinch Mountain Boys. Since then, he’s never looked back. Today he performs with his stellar band Kentucky Thunder, which he says is a group of bluegrass musicians that “totally amaze me at every show.”

WHEN: 7 p.m. Sept. 12

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

TICKETS: $50. For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit oldtownschool.org.

The High Kings

The High KingsCourtesy of the artists

WHAT: Irish folk band The High Kings takes audiences on a journey through classic folk songs, old and new on their latest album “Home form Home.” “The idea behind this album was to bring our fans on a journey across the world, to some of the places we call home when we tour, via some of the classic folk songs that have inspired us along the way,” says band member Darren Holden.

WHEN: At 7 p.m. Sept. 12

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

TICKETS: $49-$69. For vaccination and/or mask policies, visit atthemac.org.

Summerfest

Megan Thee Stallion (pictured at Lollapalooza in July) is a Summerfest headliner.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

WHAT: Long the cornerstone of Milwaukee’s festival season, Summerfest returns to the city’s lakefront with a lineup including headliners Luke Bryan, Chance the Rapper, Twenty One Pilots, the Jonas Brothers, Chris Stapleton, Zac Brown Band, Dave Chappelle, Megan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus, Guns N’ Roses and the Hella Mega Tour with Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer.

WHEN: Sept. 1-4, 8-11 and 15-18 in downtown Milwaukee.

TICKETS: For a complete schedule, ticket prices and updated information regarding the festival’s COVID-19 vaccination and/or mask policies, visit summerfest.com.

World Music Wednesday

Bomba con Buya Amy Young Photo

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.

House City Series

DJ TraxmanCourtesy Chicago Park District

What: The Departments of Cultural Affairs and Special Event’s tribute to house music continues with House City, a new series of free events popping up throughout the summer in the neighborhoods that helped create the house music genre over 35 years ago.

When/Where: vent dates and communities are July 23 in South Shore, July 31 on the Southeast Side, Aug. 14 in Humboldt Park, Aug. 28 in Englewood, Aug. 29 in Lakeview, Sept. 12 in South Shore and Sept. 19 in Bronzeville. DJs playing include Traxman, Lori Branch, Deeon, Elbert Philips, Duane Powell and more.

Info: For locations and times, visit chicagohousemusicfestival.us

Chris Foreman Courtesy Origin Records

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

Ravinia Festival

What: The Ravinia Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in the country, returns with reduced capacity. As usual, the lineup is a varied slate of music from classical to pop, jazz and rock. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra returns for a six-week run with conductor Marin Alsop leading seven concerts in her first season as Ravinia’s chief conductor. Also on the roster are: Garrick Ohlsson, Cynthia Erivo, Counting Crows, Kurt Elling, Brian McKnight, John Hiatt and the Jerry Douglas Band, The Roots, John Legend, Madeleine Peyroux, Midori, Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Joffrey Ballet.

When: July 1-Sept. 26

Where: Highland Park

Tickets: prices vary

Visit: ravinia.org.

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