No war but Cookie War! This afternoon’s Garfield Ridge Farmer’s Market includes a special competition by neighborhood bakeries, including Weber’s, Pticek’s, Talerico-Martin, and Borinken, to see who can reign supreme with the best tasting sweet treat of the season. The market is hosted in the parking lot of the Mayfield Banquet Facility (6072 S. Archer), starting at 4 PM and running until 6 (although some of the farmer vendors stay out a little later). Hit the southwest side for a dash of sugar. (SCJ)

Summer isn’t over yet, so there’s still time to shake what you got in the great outdoors. SummerDance closes out its season today 4:30-7:30 PM at the Museum of Science and Industry (just south of the parking lot off of the Science Drive exit from DuSable Lake Shore Drive). This free all-ages event offers dance lessons, followed by an all-out community dance party. No reservations required, but you can check for weather updates (and get ideas for more free events) at chicagoparkdistrict.com. (KR)

The realities of the last few years have turned a lot of us to be more considerate of our own mental health. But how does being more aware of your physical body connect with an overall sense of well being? Practicing mindfulness can help you manage stress and become more resilient, and tonight’s workshop Body Aware: Bringing the Body into Mental Health is designed to help us rediscover the mind-body connection and learn movement practices that can help both body and spirit. The workshop is led by licensed clinical professional counselor, author, and dance therapist Erica Hornthal. Registration is at Eventbrite for this online event, which starts at 7 PM. (SCJ)

Louder Than a Mom features both amateur and professional storytellers riffing on themes touching on true-life family experiences. Tonight’s event is also geared toward supporting reproductive rights as organizers will set aside time for reps from groups like A is For to talk shop. It all starts at 7:30 PM at Martyrs (3855 N. Lincoln). (SCJ)

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If you’ve spent any time immersed in Chicago’s classical music scene, you know that one of its hardest working and visionary leaders is conductor Mina Zikri, the founder and music director of the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago, resident conductor of Chicago’s Lira Ensemble, and music director of the Northbrook Symphony.

Born in Cairo, Egypt, Zikri was in Germany in 1999 when he met then-Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim. Soon after, Zirki followed Barenboim to Chicago to work with him and attend the School of Music at DePaul University. The city has been his home base ever since, even as his career continues to take him around the world; each season he returns to Egypt as a guest conductor for the Cairo National Symphony, and he recently returned from a European tour as an assistant conductor with Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.

In 2005, Zikri was exploring conducting and working on his Master’s degree in violin performance at DePaul, when he noticed that his peers were struggling to find stable employment in their field. That inspired him to start Oistrakh—taking the name of 20th century virtuoso Russian violinist David Oistrakh—and create new opportunities for musicians in the Chicago area. “This was a time when simply orchestras were closing and things were getting a bit hard for classical music,” he said. “The level of training of young musicians was getting very high, but the market couldn’t really take that many good musicians. A conductor is usually a leader, so I decided to start my own group and try to fund it one way or another out of sheer determination.”

At that point he met with Donald Casey, the Dean of DePaul’s University School of Music, to request some resources to help him get his orchestra off the ground. “In an unprecedented move, he actually approved it,” Zikri said. “For several years, in an unofficial capacity, we were basically performing and getting stage management help from the university.” 

Along with fostering emerging talent, Oistrakh seeks to revolutionize the experience between orchestra and audience, and enhance individual relationships with classical music. Zikri feels this is especially important in an era where society is facing unprecedented global challenges and the 24/7 news cycle has deepened divisions along political lines. “At this time there are so many political problems, economic problems, and environmental problems that people sometimes forget something very important about art; it’s something we can agree and disagree about without needing to fight. . .  it’s the one thing that separates us from being animals and it’s the one thing that can truly unify us.” He brings that perspective to his work with Lira Ensemble as well, which seeks to foster cultural exchange through the preservation of traditional Polish music, song, and dance. 

In step with their mission, Oistrakh creates concerts designed for audiences of all ages, often blending in popular genres and working with guest collaborators. They also take special care to center Chicago’s youngest generations of music fans, performing in Chicago schools, and offering week-long in-school instructional programming with Music Inspires! And parents and teachers take note: Oistrakh performances are at no charge for students.

That dedication to Chicago’s youth springs to life at the upcoming Oistrakh Symphony Fall Concert at DePaul’s Gannon Concert Hall on September 18, where Zikri will lead the orchestra in Mozart’s Symphony No. 30 in D Major K. 202 and Hayden’s Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major Hob. Vllb: 2, which will feature 16-year-old cellist Jan Vargas Nedvetsky as a guest soloist. And on October 16, Zikri will conduct the Northbrook Symphony as it kicks off its new season with a family concert titled “Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage” featuring Classical Kids Live!, which tells the story of Mozart and his son, Karl.

“If we’re going to focus on a young audience, we want to present a young musician from time to time as an example of how music can become more than just a profession, it could become a way of life.” Zikri says. “If I’m a high schooler or middle schooler, and I come to a concert where the soloist is 14 or 15, that will definitely have an impact on me; not necessarily that I’d want to become a musician, but seeing someone that focused and disciplined in a specialized field could open many channels in how I think about myself and what I want to do in the future.”

To get tickets to Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago Sept 18, 2022 , visit  http://www.oistrakhsymphony.org/

For tickets to Lira Ensemble Sept 14, 24, and 25, 2022, visit https://liraensemble.org/

For tickets to Northbrook Symphony October 16, 2022, visit https://www.northbrooksymphony.org/

This content sponsored by Jamie Ludwig at Chicago Reader

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It is 2022 still, so . . . a nostalgic romp through a bygone era with a whodunit twist? Bring it! 

Ken Ludwig transformed Agatha Christie’s novel into a riveting stage text. This timeless mystery is an examination of the limits of a justice system, which may account for its eternal appeal. I will say no more about the plot, for what is a murder mystery without the intrigue? 

Murder on the Orient Express Through 10/23: Wed 1:30 PM, Thu 1:30 and 8 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 3 and 8 PM, Sun 2 and 6 PM, Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, 630-530-0111, drurylanetheatre.com, $69-$84 ($5 discount for seniors Wed and Thu matinees)

Christie’s willingness to put Hercule Poirot through moral quandaries creates the real tension: Larry Yando’s Poirot reveals himself with every sigh and glance, showing Poirot’s weariness with the privileged upper-class shenanigans that unfold on board and his fascination with untangling the bewildering trail of clues left for him. Yet he is vulnerable to criticism and vain, as persnickety about details as he is witty in a pinch. Poirot is an observer and an outsider, a workaholic just trying to have a nice vacation, only to discover that his work is never done and drama pursues him wherever he goes. 

With the fortitude of a steam engine, the plot chugs briskly along under Jessica Fisch’s direction as the 11 actors stridently deliver punchlines with their plot twists, building tension amongst themselves and giving Poirot a run for his money. Standout performances include Janet Ulrich Brooks, playing Helen Hubbard, the officious midwesterner who speaks her mind and unapologetically demands her space, and Diana Coates, her opposite as a reserved Hungarian countess who beguiles Poirot with her unflappable assistance during the gory moments on the journey. Another impressive performance comes from Sean Blake (playing Monsieur Bouc) who captures the unctuous cordiality anyone who has ever worked in the travel industry is forced to epitomize.

Murder on the Orient Express is a classic mystery that conveys our hunger for justice and truth. Since those two commodities are never in great supply, it is unlikely this play will ever go out of fashion. All aboard for mystery and surprises.

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Never miss a copy! Paid print subscriptions are available for 12 issues, 26 issues, and for 52 issues from the Reader Store.

Chicago Reader 2022 print issue dates

The Chicago Reader is published in print every other week. Issues are dated Thursday. Distribution usually happens Wednesday morning through Thursday night of the issue date. Upcoming print issue dates through December 2022 are:

9/15/20229/29/202210/13/202210/27/202211/10/202211/24/202212/8/202212/22/2022

Download the full 2022 editorial calendar is here (PDF).

See our information page for advertising opportunities.

2023 print issue dates

The first print issue in 2023 will be published three weeks after the 12/22/2022 issue, the final issue of 2022. The print issue dates through March 2023 are:

1/12/20231/26/20232/9/20232/23/20233/9/20233/23/2023

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It is 2022 still, so . . . a nostalgic romp through a bygone era with a whodunit twist? Bring it! 

Ken Ludwig transformed Agatha Christie’s novel into a riveting stage text. This timeless mystery is an examination of the limits of a justice system, which may account for its eternal appeal. I will say no more about the plot, for what is a murder mystery without the intrigue? 

Murder on the Orient Express Through 10/23: Wed 1:30 PM, Thu 1:30 and 8 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 3 and 8 PM, Sun 2 and 6 PM, Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, 630-530-0111, drurylanetheatre.com, $69-$84 ($5 discount for seniors Wed and Thu matinees)

Christie’s willingness to put Hercule Poirot through moral quandaries creates the real tension: Larry Yando’s Poirot reveals himself with every sigh and glance, showing Poirot’s weariness with the privileged upper-class shenanigans that unfold on board and his fascination with untangling the bewildering trail of clues left for him. Yet he is vulnerable to criticism and vain, as persnickety about details as he is witty in a pinch. Poirot is an observer and an outsider, a workaholic just trying to have a nice vacation, only to discover that his work is never done and drama pursues him wherever he goes. 

With the fortitude of a steam engine, the plot chugs briskly along under Jessica Fisch’s direction as the 11 actors stridently deliver punchlines with their plot twists, building tension amongst themselves and giving Poirot a run for his money. Standout performances include Janet Ulrich Brooks, playing Helen Hubbard, the officious midwesterner who speaks her mind and unapologetically demands her space, and Diana Coates, her opposite as a reserved Hungarian countess who beguiles Poirot with her unflappable assistance during the gory moments on the journey. Another impressive performance comes from Sean Blake (playing Monsieur Bouc) who captures the unctuous cordiality anyone who has ever worked in the travel industry is forced to epitomize.

Murder on the Orient Express is a classic mystery that conveys our hunger for justice and truth. Since those two commodities are never in great supply, it is unlikely this play will ever go out of fashion. All aboard for mystery and surprises.

Read More

Never miss a copy! Paid print subscriptions are available for 12 issues, 26 issues, and for 52 issues from the Reader Store.

Chicago Reader 2022 print issue dates

The Chicago Reader is published in print every other week. Issues are dated Thursday. Distribution usually happens Wednesday morning through Thursday night of the issue date. Upcoming print issue dates through December 2022 are:

9/15/20229/29/202210/13/202210/27/202211/10/202211/24/202212/8/202212/22/2022

Download the full 2022 editorial calendar is here (PDF).

See our information page for advertising opportunities.

2023 print issue dates

The first print issue in 2023 will be published three weeks after the 12/22/2022 issue, the final issue of 2022. The print issue dates through March 2023 are:

1/12/20231/26/20232/9/20232/23/20233/9/20233/23/2023

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Ten City’s fifth album, 2021’s Judgement (Ultra), was a long time in the making—and not just because the crucial Chicago house group’s previous album, That Was Then, This Is Now, came out 27 years earlier. The origins of Judgement arguably go even further back than 1986, when Ten City producer Marshall Jefferson issued the foundational house single “Move Your Body” through Trax Records. Three years before that, future Ultra Records founder Patrick Moxey had moved to town to attend the University of Chicago, where he helped Ken Wissoker launch WHPK’s first hip-hop show, started a magazine at the station (for which he interviewed the likes of Big Black), and booked occasional gigs, including one with house trio Fingers Inc. Moxey also sharpened his DJ skills under the tutelage of Joe Smooth, spun at Smart Bar, and hung out at Medusa’s and other house hot spots. Moxey moved to New York City in the late 1980s, where he became an industry player—in the years since he founded Ultra in 1996, the label has worked with EDM stars such as Calvin Harris, Kaskade, Deadmau5, and Steve Aoki—but before he left, he met Marshall Jefferson. A few years ago, after Jefferson reconnected with Ten City vocalist Byron Stingily, Moxey and Ultra label exec David Waxman reached out about releasing new Ten City music.

This version of Ten City is different, of course, not least because it’s missing a key member of the band’s classic lineup, guitarist and backup vocalist Herb Lawson. But the DNA of their music hasn’t changed. On Judgement, the new duo version refine their soulful resplendence and maintain their fidelity to addictive rhythms—their beats work subtly, but they draw you in as powerfully as a colossal horseshoe magnet that Wile E. Coyote might order from Acme. The album feels both contemporary and familiar, in part because it includes reworked material from the late 80s: two new remixes of the 1987 single “Devotion” and a sharpened update of 1989’s chart-topping “That’s the Way Love Is.” Stingily’s otherworldly falsetto has gotten slightly raspy with age, which lends an alluring new earthiness to the group’s sleek style. Ten City surely won’t let another 27 years pass between albums, since they’ve already released more music—this summer they dropped the light disco number “A Girl Named Phil.”

Ten City Part of the Chicago House Music Festival and Conference, which runs from Thu 9/15 through Sun 9/18. Patrick Moxey will be interviewed on Thu 9/15 at 8:30 PM at the Logan Center for the Arts. On Fri 9/16, Ten City headline; the bill also includes Josh Milan and his band and a celebration of Robert Williams and the Chosen Few DJs. 5:30 PM, Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph, free, all ages

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