Weekend trip to Chicago – cool stuff?
Aug 3rd, 2009, 11:00 AM
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Weekend trip to Chicago – cool stuff?
I’m a late 30’s NYC theater gal visiting some palls in Chicago next weekend and I’m looking for some fun local stuff to do. I’ve been to Chicago several times so I’ve already seen all the regular stuff, now I’m just looking for outdoorsy, hang out, artsy, music, theater, street fair, kinda stuff – anything going on that I should know about and check out? High brow, low brow, kitchy, dorky, whatever but I would rather be walking around outside in the sun then spending a day indoors.
Aug 3rd, 2009, 11:23 AM
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check out metromix.com for festivals while you're going to be there. obviously, second city, blue man, redhead piano bar, millenium park, navy pier, etc. I think lollopalooza in on next weekend in grant park.
Aug 3rd, 2009, 12:16 PM
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gaill3, where are you staying when in town?
You are coming to the right town for theatre. Have you ever attended a performance at Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Lookinglass, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre? The Goodman is in the Loop Theatre District and usually has great selections.
Go to the Chicago Tribune online. Go to the Blogs section. Go to "The Theatre Loop". One of the plays at Steppenwolf ("Sex with Strangers") discussed is one that might/probably will be coming your way fairly soon. If you can get tickets. The play run ends August 9. Now wouldn't you feel pleased if you were to see a rave show - for a lot less money - before your NYC friends and colleagues?
(BTW, Metromix is the Chicago Tribune's online entertainment website.)
William L. Petersen stars in "Blackbird" at the Victory Gardens which has a one-week extension until August 16. The show is sold out but I know that if there are any returns, they can be picked up at their box office day of performance. Check their website about information when the line starts to form. NOTE: This is an adult production and definitely not for everyone.
You could go to Second City - or you could go to the grittier Lakeshore Theater where Maria Bamford is performing.
If you want to stay away from Lolly, you could go to the new festival, Lincoln Park Arts and Music Fest, on Racine between Fullerton and Webster in the DePaul University area of Lincoln Park.
On the arts front, the big thing in town is the recent opening of the Modern Wing at the Art Institute. Designed by world-renown architect, Renzo Piano, it has increased the size of the museum to the second largest in the nation. Also, the long-awaited second of the two Burnham Pavilions will be opening this week (the first was opened a couple of months ago).
Renzo Piano also designed the bridge between the Art Institute and Millennium Park - and you are very near the Jay Pritzker Pavilion where free concerts play various days of the week. If you are in on the 6th, the concert is "Made in Chicago - World Class Jazz: Rudresh Mahanthappa's Chicago Legacy Ensemble featuring Bunky Green"; and on the 7th and 8th, (in the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance) the Grant Park Symphony perform Mahler's 9th.
If you go to one of the outdoor concerts, you could pick up some pic-a-nic basket goods from Pastoral: Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine, located in the Loop fairly close to Millennium Park. www.pastoralartisan.com
Since you want to be outdoors, you might want to rent a bike and enjoy some of the bike paths around the city. I would strongly suggest that you consider biking north, maybe all the way up to Montrose Beach, instead of south.
P.S. Scattered and isolated storms (30% chance) are forecast for the coming weekend. The past few days have been the same where it's sometimes sunny but storms can brew up.
You are coming to the right town for theatre. Have you ever attended a performance at Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens, Lookinglass, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre? The Goodman is in the Loop Theatre District and usually has great selections.
Go to the Chicago Tribune online. Go to the Blogs section. Go to "The Theatre Loop". One of the plays at Steppenwolf ("Sex with Strangers") discussed is one that might/probably will be coming your way fairly soon. If you can get tickets. The play run ends August 9. Now wouldn't you feel pleased if you were to see a rave show - for a lot less money - before your NYC friends and colleagues?
(BTW, Metromix is the Chicago Tribune's online entertainment website.)
William L. Petersen stars in "Blackbird" at the Victory Gardens which has a one-week extension until August 16. The show is sold out but I know that if there are any returns, they can be picked up at their box office day of performance. Check their website about information when the line starts to form. NOTE: This is an adult production and definitely not for everyone.
You could go to Second City - or you could go to the grittier Lakeshore Theater where Maria Bamford is performing.
If you want to stay away from Lolly, you could go to the new festival, Lincoln Park Arts and Music Fest, on Racine between Fullerton and Webster in the DePaul University area of Lincoln Park.
On the arts front, the big thing in town is the recent opening of the Modern Wing at the Art Institute. Designed by world-renown architect, Renzo Piano, it has increased the size of the museum to the second largest in the nation. Also, the long-awaited second of the two Burnham Pavilions will be opening this week (the first was opened a couple of months ago).
Renzo Piano also designed the bridge between the Art Institute and Millennium Park - and you are very near the Jay Pritzker Pavilion where free concerts play various days of the week. If you are in on the 6th, the concert is "Made in Chicago - World Class Jazz: Rudresh Mahanthappa's Chicago Legacy Ensemble featuring Bunky Green"; and on the 7th and 8th, (in the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance) the Grant Park Symphony perform Mahler's 9th.
If you go to one of the outdoor concerts, you could pick up some pic-a-nic basket goods from Pastoral: Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine, located in the Loop fairly close to Millennium Park. www.pastoralartisan.com
Since you want to be outdoors, you might want to rent a bike and enjoy some of the bike paths around the city. I would strongly suggest that you consider biking north, maybe all the way up to Montrose Beach, instead of south.
P.S. Scattered and isolated storms (30% chance) are forecast for the coming weekend. The past few days have been the same where it's sometimes sunny but storms can brew up.
Aug 4th, 2009, 07:42 AM
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Thanks for all your help - these are great options! My friends live just north of downtown but we get around – distance not really a problem (coming from NYC I am the Queen of mass transit and they also have a car). We will probably go out an outdoor concert , maybe the Art Institute, and has anybody checked out the Drag version of The Poseidon Adventure – looks fabulous! Since we all work in dance and theater we don’t need to see the big time stuff, in our off time we go a bit…wacky.
Aug 4th, 2009, 11:58 AM
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Great sources for Chicago arts, theatre and film are www.chicagoreader.com and www.timeout.com.
