Chicago is home to some of the most outrageous, delicious food in America, not all of it being healthy. It can be hard to find food that’s tasty and good for you but more options continue to pop up and below are some of our favorite healthy places to eat near you in Chicago.
The owner of Left Coast came up with the idea of a convenient, healthy spot after noticing the lack of flavorful, healthy restaurants in Chicago. The California-inspired menu includes plenty of greens, grains, and juices.
You’ll find no lack of flavor in the food at Clever Rabbit. This healthy place to eat near you in Chicago makes healthy dishes that feature ingredients such as Thai chili, cilantro, mint, miso, and lemongrass.
With one goal in mind, to create flavorful dishes with clean ingredients, Fare is a great quick-service healthy restaurant option when looking for meals that support a healthy lifestyle.
Centre Street Kitchen not only uses locally sourced ingredients to create delicious dishes, but also has a focus on philanthropy in addition to eating well, doing well, and being well.
Handlebar specializes in making vegan and vegetarian comfort food from scratch. We recommend visiting this healthy restaurant to try their Nashville Hot Fried “Chicken” served with mushrooms, pickles, hot sauce and slaw on a ranch brioche bun.
Range is the epitome of farm-to-table. Using only the most sustainable, locally sourced ingredients, this healthy place to eat near you in the city creates seasonal, small-batch, fresh meals for dinner and brunch.
Don’t let the name fool you, Chicago Diner is meat-free, serving healthy, delicious vegetarian meals. Try the Cajun Black Bean Burger at this healthy restaurant or the Buddha’s Karma Burger made with a curried sweet potato-tofu patty, grilled pineapple, and chimichurri sauce.
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See over 80 life-sized dinosaur models, including a T-Rex and a Megladon, on display at Navy Pier from March 6 – 8, 2020, when Jurassic Quest takes over Chicago. The largest and most time expansive dinosaur exhibit in North America features walking dinosaur animatronics from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Late Cretaceous eras.
Photo Credit: Jurassic Quest
You won’t believe your eyes when you embark on this Jurassic Quest; life-like dinosaurs, like the adolescent T-Rex and Spinosaurus, tower over you as they walk by. You can pet and cuddle interactive baby Triceratops, Camarasaurus, and more, at the Baby Dinos exhibit, and even get a ride on one of the special animatronics dinosaurs, designed to walk on their own! Jurassic Quest now also features an Ancient Oceans attraction, which gives you a first-hand look at now-extinct, prehistoric sea turtles, the earliest discovered dolphins, and, the crowning jewel of the exhibit, a 50-foot Megladon, the largest shark known to mankind.
Raising a future paleontologist? Get your young ones interested in fossils at the dig site, where they can uncover dinosaur bones in the sand. If you’re interested in a guided tour around Jurassic Quest, one of the many dinosaur experts on site can give you the inside scoop on these prehistoric beasts, including the most complete T-Rex skull ever found. There are plenty more attractions for your kids to enjoy at Jurassic Quest, including craft and science stations, face painting, a bouncy house, and more!
Photo Credit: Jurassic Quest
When you buy a regular kids ticket, your child gains access to The Dinosaur Exhibit, The Baby Dinosaur Show, The Walking Dinosaur Show, The Dino Tour, Dino Cinema, Science Station, and Crafts & Coloring Station. But, if you upgrade to the VIP ticket, your kid gets unlimited access to rides and activities, and includes a whole lot: The Dinosaur Exhibit, The Baby Dinosaur Show, The Walking Dinosaur Show, The Dino Tour, Dinosaur Rides, Dino Bounce Houses, Bungee Pull, Fossil Dig, Jurassic Jeeps, Dino Scooters (for ages 3 & under), Excavation Station (One Turn Per VIP Ticket), Dino Cinema, Crafts & Coloring Station, Science Station, and more! The only activities NOT included in the VIP ticket are Face Painting and Green Screen Photography, which require Activity Tickets that are purchased at the Tickets For Activities booth inside the event.
The best breweries in Chicago is a hard list to craft, since the Chicagoland area boasts over 160 breweries and counting. There are several that get lost in the mix, slipped under the rug, or even just forgotten, and it’s our job to keep those awesome breweries in the spotlight. So, these are the best local breweries near you in Chicago you might have overlooked in your thirst for beer, and ones you’re never going to forget again.
Photo Credit: Adams Street Brewery
Adams Street Brewery | 17 W Adams St
You’ve probably seen the old-school, bright lights at the Berghoff Restaurant in the Loop — how could you miss ‘em?! But nestled right under your nose is Adams Street Brewery. Family-owned and -operated, this local brewery near you brings the art of brewing alive with the deep-rooted family traditions. Come for their happy hour and savor their Bavarian pretzel with any of their brews. Fun fact: the brew-master is a third-generation Berghoff Restaurant employee and has been locally featured for his brews, most notably his stout!
Photo Credit: Lo Rez Brewing
Lo Rez Brewing and Taproom | 2101 S Carpenter St
First developing brews in a garage, this Pilsen, Chicago-born craft brewery near you is as community-centric and humble as they come. Lo Rez Brewing and Taproom is a gift from a garage: the founders poured their passions into their pours and, in doing so, developed the necessary skills through training and certification. In three short years, what was a passion project became a full-on brewery and taproom. But it’s also more: Lo Rez is a hand-crafted treasure for the community that goes back to developing strong connections.
Photo Credit: Haymarket Brewing
Haymarket Brewing | 737 W Randolph St
Recalling the 1886 riot and bombing in Chicago’s very own Haymarket Square, Haymarket Brewing is a nod to the triumph of workers’ rights while also recognizing the present-day struggle of needing a brew after work. This local brewery is for the working folk — from white collar to blue collar and everything in between. This Chicago-born brewery pours their world-decorated and award-winning brews for all with everyone’s tastes in mind. Hats off, brews up!
Photo Credit: Metropolitan Brewing
Metropolitan Brewing | 3057 N Rockwell St
Metropolitan Brewing has come a long way since its inception in 2009. An original of Ravenswood, Metropolitan Brewing has since moved to Avondale with a taproom developed, designed, and crafted by local Chicago architects, developers, and contractors. This local brewery is all about maintaining the sanctity of Chicago’s spirit in every brew while still experimenting with modern techniques and tastes. Be sure to check out their growing list of beers and bring a Metropolitan home with you in a growler!
Photo Credit: Marz Community Brewing Company Instagram
Marz Community Brewing Co. | 3630 S Iron St
In all sincerity and love, if Marz Community Brewing Co. were a table in the middle-school cafeteria, it would be the most eclectic yet modern, refined yet approachable table. Really, this brewery is full of the most friendly, creative, community-oriented culinary connoisseurs of Chicago. They combine the rebellious spirit of their hometown with their reverence for connecting others. Bring your adventurous palate and sincere smile — Marz is bound to lift your spirits.
Photo Credit: All Rise Brewing
All Rise Brewing Co. | 235 N Ashland Ave
All Rise Brewing Co. has the ultimate biker aesthetic without being intimidating or gnarly in a scary way. This West Side local brewery puts the pride of Chicago in every pour while still maintaining its rough edges. Fit in or stand out — it doesn’t matter! As long as you’re here, you’re part of the biker gang!
Clean, sleek, yet whimsical and top-notch: welcome to Hopewell Brewing Co. Founded by three friends and graduates of the University of Illinois, whose paths diverged from nonprofit work to sales, this craft brewery near you in Chicago maintains its unpretentious spirit and recognizes the humble home-brewing beginnings that started it all. You’ll feel right at home in their taproom, where you can play a board game, stay a while, and have conversations with your newfound friends. The bartenders are approachable and friendly while still maintaining their brewing chops. Be sure to join for Hopewell’s 4 Year Anniversary on February 29th!
Photo Credit: Begyle Brewing
Begyle Brewing | 1800 W Cuyler Ave
In Ravenswood, there’s this hidden gem of a brewery that puts its beer where its mouth is. In other words, Begyle Brewing is the ultimate destination for merging rough and industrial with warm and communal. Featuring house-brewed pours with community events (vinyasa, anyone?), Begyle is a neighborhood and city favorite. You can find their pours in various bars across the city, but if you go directly to their taproom, be sure to learn about their Community Supported Brewery (CSB) Membership. The CSB concept, much like a co-op in agriculture and food, allows members to subscribe and pick up a growler each month along with monthly growler refills. Available in terms of six months or a year, CSB allows consumers and the community to grow while reaping the benefits of the harvest.
Photo Credit: Spiteful Brewing
Spiteful Brewing | 2024 W Balmoral Ave
Looking for an increasingly rebellious yet realistic approach to beer? Look no further than Spiteful Brewing. Conceived on a stove and named after an altercation during a childhood hockey game, Spiteful Brewing is a mighty team of nine, brewing and bringing you craft beers with relatable names. Bring a friend and join a tour to learn more about this local Chicago brewery, bringing you a dose of robust realism in a glass!
Support your local Chicago breweries — we’ll drink to that!
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Chicago has fantastic museums. From the Museum of Science and Industry to the Art Institute of Chicago, there are a variety of different museums available. Luckily, you can continue to explore many museums even after the sun goes down. These after-hours events are a fun way to experience the exhibits long after everyone else has left and gone home. Here are some of the best museums after dark events in Chicago.
Photo Credit: Stoptime Live
After Dark at the Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago hosts regular After Dark events that are 21+. Each event will focus on a specific exhibit at the museum. You’ll be able to appreciate art while listening to live music, eating appetizers, and drinking the event’s signature cocktail.
Photo Credit: Adler Planetarium
Adler After Dark
Welcome to anyone over the age of 21, Adler After Dark has recently been relaunched and is bigger and better than ever. At the after-hours events, you’ll get access to all the exhibits and galleries, as well as unlimited sky shows and guest lectures. When the weather is nice, you can also check out the Doane Observatory!
Photo Credit: Shedd Aquarium
Shedd After Hours
Shedd Aquarium After Hours is for 21+ who want to see some of the unique animals at the aquarium. During this Chicago museum after dark event, you can listen to bands or DJs while sampling snacks and cocktails. Tickets to the event also give you access to all permanent and special exhibits.
Photo Credit: Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo will occasionally host after-hour events for both families and adults only. During the summer, you can enjoy craft brews, live music, all while roaming the zoo and checking out the animals.
Photo Credit: Field Museum
Dozin’ With The Dinos at the Field Museum
Kids can spend the night at the Field Museum, learning more about dinosaurs, doing hands-on activities, and exploring the museum after dark with flashlights. They can also learn from some of the top museum scientists.
Photo Credit: Museum of Science + Industry
Museum of Science + Industry After Hours
The MSI After Hours lets adults explore the museum and exhibits after the door. You’ll be able to drink cocktails and beer while nibbling on snacks and enjoying the programming put on by the event. The events take place on Friday evenings from 7 pm to 10 pm.
Photo Credit: Museum of Science + Industry
Science Snoozeum at the Museum of Science + Industry
MSI also offers kid-friendly evening events on select Fridays and Saturdays. Kids aged 6 to 12 can have an unforgettable night watching movies in the Giant Dome Theater, making science toys, completing a scavenger hunt, and then spending the night at the museum.
Photo Credit: wndr museum
wndr After Dark
wndr hosts after-hour events, where you still can get the full museum experience while dancing to the live DJ set. Other after-hour events will be themed. For example, you might be able to play games after hours, watch movies, or even participate in a speed dating event. Each month’s theme changes, so check out their event page to see what it is coming up.
Have you enjoyed Chicago museums after dark? Let us know how it was in the comments below!
At UrbanMatter, U Matter. And we think this matters.
Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!
We, like you, are not made of money. And while we personally love going out to get a fancy cocktail – or, like, 4 fancy cocktails – from time to time, our wallets are not always quite so enthusiastic. Given that drinking anywhere in Chicago is often times soooo damn expensive, we’re guessing that you might feel the same way. So, in a last-ditch effort to give your bank account and ours a much-needed respite, here are the various destinations to get cheap drinks in Chicago.19
2013 West North Avenue – 1/2 off everything 5pm–7pm M-F, $5 Tito’s cocktails on Thursdays
Estelle’s is one helluva neighborhood bar – and it’s definitely got the drink specials to match. It is one of the cheapest bars in Chicago that offers daily happy hour specials that run from 5pm–7pm, Mondays through Fridays, and offers half off EVERYTHING but food and shots, meaning your average cocktail is only gonna cost you about five bucks. As if that wasn’t enough, Estelle’s also offers $5 Tito’s mixed drinks on Thursdays, $4 Ferent Branca shots on Monday (for when you’re feeling fancy), and a $7 High Life + Four Rose combo on Sundays. I mean, why would you ever spend more than $10 on a cocktail when this exists?
Okay, so I get that $9 might not seem like a cheap drink, but in a city where specialty cocktails regularly cost us upwards of $11, nine bucks is a miracle and you know it. Not only does Antique Taco offer a $9 classic marg at each of its three locations, but they also do a mean rosemary and seasonal option for the same price. As an added benefit for all my cheapos out there, margarita pitchers at Antique Taco are also just $30. Gimme, please.
Okay, deep breath – Kincade’s offers: $3 Miller Lite and Coors Light drafts on Tuesdays, $1 domestic bottles on Wednesdays, $10 domestic PITCHERS on Thursdays, a $4 draft o’ the day on Fridays, AND, last but not least, $6 Tito’s cocktails, Bloody Mary’s, Jumbo Screwdrivers, and White Trash Mimosas on Sundays.
Did you catch all that? ‘Cause this perpetually full sports bar is pretty much the cheap drink Mecca.
2771 North Lincoln Avenue – again, so many specials
Delilah’s is Lincoln Park’s resident beer bar and features nearly 200 different drafts and bottles for you to take for a spin. In a concerted effort to get you to drink as much awesome beer as humanly possible, Delilah’s offers up cheap-as-hell daily specials such as $1 beer and $2 Jim Beam on Mondays, $3 High Life bottles on Tuesdays, $3 PBR longnecks and $3 Evan Williams White Label Bourbon on Wednesdays, $3 Schlitz Bottles and $3 Lot 40 Rye on Thursdays, $3 Labatt Blue and $3 Maker’s Mark Bourbon on Fridays, $3 Molson Canadian and $3 Four Roses Bourbon on Saturdays, and $3 Hamm’s Premium Lager Pints and $3 Redemption Rye on Sundays.
Why you would ever buy another beer for more than $3 again, I don’t know.
122 West Monroe Street – $8 Disco Punch, $6 Beer, and $5 Anticuchos during happy hour
There is nothing we love more than getting a sweet deal at an expensive restaurant — and happy hour at Boleo is just that. This swanky rooftop bar is usually mixin’ up $12 cocktails, but starting at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights, that price is slashed nearly in half to accommodate cheap drinkers like yours truly. Plus, Boleo’s happy hour goes until about 7 pm, meaning I can have my deal with dinner this time around. Order up a $5 Anticuchos for a traditional Peruvian street skewer.
2521 North Milwaukee – 1/2 off cocktails and beers from 6 pm – 8 pm
The Owl is Logan Square’s original hipster haven. Serving up good drinks, excellent beer, and uber-chill vibes (if chill vibes can even be “uber”), The Owl’s Sunday – Friday Early Bird Special is a must for anyone trying to save a couple of bucks with half-off cocktails. What’s more, this laid-back watering hole also offers $5 Absolut wells on Sunday, $2 – 3 beers on Tuesday, and so many more.
940 West Weed – $9 domestic pitchers, $19 domestic buckets and $8 Bloody Marys on Saturdays & Sundays
A classic sports bar, live music venue, and country hot spot all rolled into one, there should be no doubt in your mind that Joe’s is offering some sweet drink deals on the cheap. Though their specials rotate pretty regularly, the best deal we could find was the bar’s Saturday/Sunday/Game Day special, which lists pitchers for under $10, buckets for under $20 and loaded Bloody Mary’s for the low, low price of just $8, in the mornings only.
The Irish know how to drink. This is just common knowledge. So it really shouldn’t come as a shock when I tell you that The Kerryman – an Irish pub – has some of the best damn cheap drinks in town. Their specials include, but are not limited to: $4 Corona, $4 Corona Light, and $4 Michelob Ultra on Mondays, half-price BOTTLES of wine and $6 glasses on Tuesdays, $4 Truly Cans and $4 White Claw Cans on Wednesday, $8 Old Fashioneds on Thursday, $4 Guinness, $5 Jameson shots, and $6 Tito’s cocktails during Happy Hour on Friday, AND $5 mimosas, Bloody Marys, and Chambord Kir Royales on Saturday & Sunday. Whew.
2421 North Milwaukee – cocktails usually start around $6
The Whistler is a relatively upscale stage/gallery/bar/restaurant in Wicker Park where they could easily be charging you 12 bucks a drink. And they totally do. That being said, being the kind, gentle souls that they are, The Whistler’s daily drinks menu usually includes at least one drink under the $8 mark, meaning that even the brokest (broke-est?) of folk can swing by and enjoy this cool space.
2048 Armitage Ave – daily drink deals, $5 Jack and Gingers DAILY!
Jack and Ginger’s is one of our favorite neighborhood dives, through and through. Stop by any night of the week to cash in on some of their fantastic deals :
Monday: $4 shots, $10 domestic pitchers
Tuesday: $4 flavored vodka, $1 off ALL DRAFTS
Wednesday: $4 Revolution beer, $3 “J” shots (Jim, Jack, Jose, Jager, even Jepson – you get the idea)
Thursday: $5 all bombs, $14 domestic buckets
Friday: $4 well drinks, $2 off Bulleit Whiskey
Saturday: $5.50 Tito’s drinks, $4 Bloody Marys and mimosas, $9 (for 3) or $14 (for 5) retro cans
From 4 pm – 7 pm, Mondays through Fridays, Roger’s Park Social is serving up a $6 happy hour specials. The menu features house wines, $1 off Illinois draft beers, and a “pick yer mule” deal that lets you choose whatever, whether your feelin’ vodka, tequila, or bourbon that day.
5024 North Sheridan – select drinks for $6 and under all week long
Big Chicks is a no muss, no fuss LGBTQ-friendly bar offering squeal-worthy drink deals all week long. Stop by on Sundays for $4 vodka lemonades, $2 off pitchers of draft beer and $5 Well Vodka + Select Mixers on Mondays, $7 “Kick Ass” Mezcal Mules and $5 bottles of Corona on Tuesdays, $1 off all local craft beers, and more specials, on Wednesdays or, if your feelin’ extra cheap, $6 Absolut cocktails on Thursdays.
343 South Dearborn Street – late night and happy hour specials 5-7 pm daily
This speakeasy and karaoke lounge offers cheapskates like ourselves both happy hour and late-night specials on a daily basis. Some of Brando’s best deals and steals include $4 Moscow mules, $5 Bulleit Rye Old Fashioned, $5 Bombay Sapphire G&T, $5 Boiler Maker with Carlsberg and Jameson Caskmates, and $4 3 Floyds bottled beers. Did we mention that’s all daily?
Last, but certainly not least, the piece de resistance – the $1 beer $1 wines, and $3 martinis at The Franklin Room. Though it may only be served from 11:30 am to 2 pm, Mondays through Fridays, this standard bar and restaurant does offer a full menu of drinks for just one dollar apiece. We should probably mention that you have to buy lunch in order to cash in on the deal, but who cares? $1 drinks are worth it.
2133 South Halsted Street – $7 mojitos on Tuesdays, $4 Latin beers on Wednesdays, $5 well drinks on Thursdays
You can’t go wrong when you stop into this Mexican haunt. It’s located a little off the beaten path in Pilsen, but well worth the trip, especially during their daily specials. Every day holds something new, like Latin Wednesdays with $4 Latin beers and $7 margaritas, or $5 well drinks on Thursdays. Topping it off with $7 mojitos on Tuesdays, Del Toro knows how to bring all the boys to their yard.
Whether you want to feel the love or not this weekend, there’s plenty of recommended things to do.
Through 2/28: Bonny Nahmias’s first solo exhibition, “To Hold Space,”presents a project that she began in 2017. Stretching a tin can telephone over areas that are broken by geography, modernity, and politics, she has surpassed barriers and blockades. The project is accompanied by a book, The Orchestra Of Space Holders. Opening reception is Fri 2/14, 6-10 PM. Ground Level Platform, 2001 S. Halsted, groundlevelplatform.org, free.
2/14-2/16: Violet Surprise Theatre presentsLez Beaus, a festival of 10-minute plays celebrating lesbian love through the ages. The dozen pieces, selected by artistic directors Iris Sowlat and Allison Fradkin, include stories about romance in an all-girls baseball league of the past and a “girl gets boi” love story set in contemporary times. Fri-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM, the Martin, 2515 W. North, themartinchicago.com, $12.
Fri 2/14: Anti-Valentine’s Day is celebrating National Condom Week and has partnered with sexual health organizations to provide free condoms and sexual health education to teenagers. There will be music, dancing, crafts, pizza, cheese, games, and, of course, condoms. 6-9 PM, National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th, nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org, free.
Fri 2/14: Odd Pleasures: A Queer Valentine’s Day Event features a queer variety show hosted by Aunty Chan that includes live ASMR, drag, comedy, and short films. 6-9 PM, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago, mcachicago.org, $10, $8 students.
Fri 2/14: Love is Stronger than the State: a Migrant Solidarity Benefit is a fundraiser for a family seeking asylum as well as a trans person who recently migrated to Chicago. Featuring food, drink, activities for children, nail art by Sharon, a Cupid Photo Booth, and a raffle with art by Rebel Betty and Audra Jacot. No one turned away for lack of funds. 7 PM-midnight, the #LetUsBreathe Collective, 1434 W. 51st, facebook.com/ChicagoIWOC, $5-$10 suggested donation.
Sat 2/15: The Marz Record Fair, organized by Marz Brewing and Mississippi Records, features vendors and DJs from International Anthem, Sonorama, Electric Jungle, Shady Rest Vintage & Vinyl, Black Pegasus, 606 Records, Delmark, Orindal Records, Tone Deaf Records, South Rhodes Records, Atlantic Posters, Maximum Pelt, DJ Leslie Deckard, and Mississippi Records. Noon-8 PM, Marz Community Brewing Taproom, 3630 S. Iron, marz.beer, free.
Sat 2/15: Author Angela Kenyatta shares her knowledge of journaling and writing during a workshop at the library for Black History Month. 2 PM, Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N. Lincoln, chipublib.org, free.
Sat 2/15: The one-night-only show The Witch Project looks at witches and queer icons through spoken word, live music, and drag. 7:30 PM, Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee, thedentheatre.com, $15.
Sat 2/15: The Half-Court Classic 3v3 Invitational is a celebration of basketball culture with a three on three tournament and complimentary food and beverages, hosted by Kyle O’Quinn and organized by Lululemon Chicago and Mob Rep with Cool Kids, Femdot, Qari, DJ Evie the Cool, DJ Cash Era, DJ Selah Say. 8 PM-1 AM, 454 N. Armour, bit.ly/lululemon-and-mob-rep-present-the-half-court-classic-tickets, $20.
Sat 2/15:Super Tasty is an inclusive, sex-positive talk show that is poppin’ off for a special Valentine’s Day weekend edition. Performers include Clitora Leigh and Lavender Vyxn, and interviews with Dr. Pia Holec about sexpectations. There will be a sensual massage demo and a panel with sex coach Tazima Parris and therapists Matthew Amador and Peter Navarro. Stay for the AfterGlow where the stage opens up for a shopping experience from local vendors. 8 PM, Constellation 3111 N. Western, supertastyshow.com, $25.
Sun 2/16: The Fox Club has joined with GMan Tavern to sell handmade and vintage goods at the Winter Sucks Market. Drink specials and vendors will be present with a free admission. Noon-5 PM, GMan Tavern, 3740 N. Clark, gmantavern.com, free.
Sun 2/16: The two-person event “The landscape reels back” features, curator, arts organizer, and Chicago artist Alexis Brocchi, who looks at how to search for information through nontraditional methods, and Tracie Hayes, an artist and ecologist. 4-7 PM, Roman Susan, 1224 W. Loyola, romansusan.org, free.
Sun 2/16: Stand-up Marty DeRosa hosts the Second Annual Davefest, a fundraiser for the David Carl Guastella Scholarship Foundation featuring comedy from Blake Burkhart, Cameron Gillette, Nate Burrows, and more plus music by Natalie Grace Alford and Sammy Arechar. 8:30 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, emptybottle.com, $10. vRead More
Dan Shore started working on his one-act opera, Freedom Ride, nine years ago. It was the 50th anniversary of the Congress of Racial Equality-organized protests that actually integrated public transportation in the United States, after the Supreme Court had ruled that segregation violated the constitution. Shore, a composer who also writes his own librettos, was teaching at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans and had been asked to create something that would celebrate both that city and the civil rights movement. When he saw the 2011 PBS Freedom Riders documentary (based on Raymond Arsenault’s 2007 book of the same title), and also learned that Xavier had provided housing for some of the riders, he had found his subject. Research, writing, and workshopping followed.
Freedom Ride’s world premiere production, commissioned by Chicago Opera Theater, opened Saturday at the Studebaker. Under Tazewell Thompson’s direction, it’s a fast-paced 90-minute account of how a fictional New Orleans woman, Sylvie Davenport, decided to sign on for the risky ride to Jackson, Mississippi. We see her motivation grow, from a hoped-for personal relationship with the recruiter at the start, to something broader and more deeply principled. Ultimately she makes the trip in spite of his rejection of her and over her family’s well-grounded fears. In real life, freedom riders were beaten, fire-bombed, arrested, and imprisoned.
There’s a large cast of characters, including Sylvie’s mother, brother, and best friend, Ruby; preachers and organizers; assorted volunteers, and two sizeable choruses, one of which is made up of children. It’s a lot of people and story to process in a one-act, and the result, on opening night, was arguably more successful as a song cycle than a fully-developed opera. It might not have helped that the announced lead, soprano Lauren Michelle, was missing (for personal reasons, according to COT), though her understudy, Dara Rahming, stepped smoothly into the role of Sylvie. In fact, Rahming has sung this role before, and, Shore said in a pre-performance talk, he created it with her in mind.
The switch also allowed us to see soprano Kimberly E. Jones, a Chicago favorite, in Rahming’s place as Ruby. Among the rest of this talented cast: baritone Robert Sims, hitting the right dramatic and vocal notes as the organizer, Clayton Thomas; recent Ryan Opera Center alum Whitney Morrison in a bitter protest against rocking the boat; and a winning performance by tenor Tyrone Chambers II as Sylvie’s brother, Russell. The music–which Shore says was inspired by everything he was hearing in the Big Easy–ranges from gospel, blues, and spirituals to a “barbershop” quartet. It’s not nuanced: when a Jewish character thinks of his past, for example, the audience is flashed a hora. But Shore has produced an often rousing score that brings an important chapter of American history to life. COT Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya conducts the Chicago Sinfonietta. v
After years of reading the women-seeking-women Reader Matches ads and never seeing any I felt called to respond to, I just could not get hers out of my mind: “kick-boxing babe,” “Xena-lover,” “giver of tender back rubs,” “looking for articulate romance with a queer cutie.” She didn’t mention a size or shape of body that she was looking for. She didn’t talk about anything I found boring or stupid. The ad stuck with me all week, but I didn’t act. I was fat. I had almost zero dating experience. Calling a stranger was SCARY.
My roommate locked me in my room on the last night that the ad’s voice mail was active and refused to let me out until I left a message. So after wasting hours alone in my room, I finally left a voice message: “I’m fat and swear like a sailor,” “I grew tomatoes for the first time this year,” “I’m an art student.”
I could not believe it when she called me back! I was so nervous when the phone rang, but we had a long and easy conversation touching on things like the fact that her brother and I had the same pinup girl mobile, why marriage is stupid, and all the ways that monogamy is fraught. Then we set a time to meet in person the next week for our first date.
That was in October 1998. She gave me a tender kiss as I was getting out of her car. I gave her a tiny box of the tomatoes I grew in my garden. Twenty-one years later, we have a ten-year-old kid, a solid, loving relationship, and a yard with too much shade to grow tomatoes. –Searah Deysach
Josh: We were both recent divorcees looking for love.
Sheri: A friend asked me to help her write a personal ad in the Reader, and I decided to create one for myself too.
J: This was back in the days when online dating was shameful. I complimented her on her book choices, except for Ayn Rand.
S: Rand is great dark fiction. I waited a month until Christmas to respond.
J: After some e-mails back and forth, we talked on the phone and met for pizza.
S: I was training for the marathon and had just run ten miles, so I almost cancelled.
J: We both had friends call us as backup plans to bail just in case things went south.
S: Or in case he was a psychopath. We immediately connected on books, cats, and all things nerdy. It was love at first sight.
J: After dinner we went to the Green Dolphin ballroom with friends. The band started playing “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire.
S: He asked me to dance and that sealed the deal. The conversation turned to architecture. I was curious about the Baha’i Temple.
J: My friends suggested we go on a tour. Our second date was set for the next morning!
S: Before the tour he took me to breakfast at Walker Brothers for pancakes. We started hanging out every day and the rest is history!
J: Fast-forward six years to our wedding.
S: Fast-forward again to 2019 when we both had articles published in the Reader side-by-side!
J: That’s what I call a full-circle Reader Romance! –Josh and Sheri Flanders v
With Autumn de Wilde’s new film version of Jane Austen’s Emma being released next week (the seventh time it’s been adapted for film or TV, not counting Amy Heckerling’s Clueless), it seems propitious that Chicago Shakespeare has Paul Gordon’s musical adaptation currently on the boards. I missed Gordon’s world-premiere musical of Sense and Sensibility on Navy Pier in 2015. But with Emma, Gordon and director Barbara Gaines create a world that, while charming, doesn’t really do much to expand the dramatic universe of Highwood, the bucolic country estate where self-involved Emma (Lora Lee Gayer) plots the romantic futures of others–with unforeseen results.
Part of the problem is that the songs and narration, while tidy and efficient at streamlining the story, lack deeper resonance. There’s a distinct sense that we’re being steered along, rather as if we’re on a Regency-era reenactment, chuckling at the social faux pas unleashed by Emma’s meddling. But the actual stakes here feel too low. The social distinctions among Emma, the self-assured poor-but-clever Jane Fairfax (Erica Stephan), and “natural child” Harriet Smith (Ephie Aardema)–an orphan of uncertain parentage and limited worldly awareness–are glossed over, despite the fact that marriage means something quite different to all of them.
Emma’s conscience and foil, Mr. Knightley (Brad Standley), sings the title song with emotion and fire. But as the spark to this flame, Gayer remains too much on the surface. Strong supporting comic turns from Bri Sudia’s affected Mrs. Elton (an Austenian take on Moira from Schitt’s Creek) and Larry Yando’s hypochrondriacal Mr. Woodhouse deserve note, and it all looks and sounds quite handsome. But it never makes the case for why we need to hear this story told in song. v
