Theater
- “The Gospel at Colonus” is Lee Breuer and Bob Telson’s gospel music adaptation of the story of Oedipus as the centerpiece of an African American Pentecostal church service. The musical features Kelvin Roston Jr. as Oedipus, Aeriel Williams as Antigone and Timothy Edward Kane as Creon. Charles Newell and Mark J.P. Hood co-direct. From May 12-June 11 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Tickets: $37.50-$84. Visit courttheatre.org.
- Disney’s stage adaptation of its animated film “Aladdin” features music by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin. Casey Nicholaw directs. From To May 17-28 at Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St. Tickets: $33+. Visit broadwayinchicago.com.
- In Joshua Allen’s drama “The October Storm,” a woman and her granddaughter find their lives changed when a troubled war vet walks into their lives. Malkia Stampley directs. From May 11-June 25 at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets: $40. Visit raventheatre.com.
- Teatro Vista presents “The Dream King,” Marvin Quijada’s story of a man who, in his dreams, falls in love with the woman of his dreams. It’s told through clowning, physical comedy, silent film-style projections and music. Sandra Marquez and Alice da Cunha co-direct. From May 11-June 18 at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. Tickets: $45. Visit teatrovista.org.
- The Gift Theatre’s “Ten” is a festival of world premiere 10-minute plays featuring pieces by The Gift and guest artists including David Rabe, Will Nedved, Andrew Hinderaker, Jenny Davis, Michael Patrick Thornton and more. From May 11-22 at Filament Theatre, 4040 N. Milwaukee Ave. Tickets: $10. Visit thegifttheatre.org.
- “Tango” is Joel Tan’s drama, set in Singapore, that follows the fallout after an elderly waitress refuses to serve a same-sex couple and their adoptive son because of her religious beliefs. Carol Tan directs. From May 11-June 11 at Pride Arts Center, 4139 N. Broadway. Tickets: $35. Visit pridearts.org.
- “Bowie in Warsaw” is Dorota Maslowska’s absurd comedy about freedom of self-expression in Soviet-era Poland. Pawel Swiatek directs the U.S. premiere. From May 11-June 17 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. Tickets: $25. Visit trapdoortheatre.com.
- Arthur Miller’s classic drama “The Crucible” is set among the Salem witch trials of 1692 as a girl accuses a farmer’s wife of witchcraft. Charles Askenaizer directs. From May 11-June 11 at Invictus Theatre, 1106 W. Thorndale Ave. Tickets: $35. Visit invictustheatreco.com.
Music
- Riccardo Muti returns for a three-week residency with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (May 11-27). Among the works to be performed are the world premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s “Transfigure to Grace,” Mozart’s “Gran Partita” and Violin Concerto No. 4 with concertmaster Robert Chen as soloist, and the CSO’s first performance of Kraft’s Timpani Concerto No. 1. At Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. Tickets: $35+. Visit cso.org.
- Known as the Empress of Soul, seven-time Grammy winner Gladys Knight has had hit songs in pop, gospel, R&B and adult contemporary. She first began singing in her Baptist church choir and beginning in the ’60s was a chart-topping force along with the Pips on now classic songs such as “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” At 7:30 p.m. May 11 at Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St. Tickets: $44+. Visit ticketmaster.com.
- Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus presents “On the Big Screen,” a performance of hit songs spanning 100 years of cinema ranging from “Over the Rainbow,” “Time of My Life, “Lady Marmalade” and much more. At 8 p.m. May 12 at Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St.; 8 p.m. May 13 at North Shore Center, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, and 3 p.m. May 14 at Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St. Tickets $28-$50. Visit cgmc.org/spring.
Museums
- In the late 1800’s Vincent Van Gogh and other Post-Impressionists found inspiration in the landscape just outside of Paris. “Van Gogh and the Avant-Garde: The Modern Landscape” brings together more than 75 paintings and drawings from this period including works by Van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, Emile Bernard and Charles Angrand. From May 14-Sept. 4 at Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave. Admission: $14-$40. Visit artic.edu.
- “Beyond Antiquity” features nearly 40 drawings, paintings and digital artworks by Greek American architect and artist John “Yanni” Fotiadis, who explores classical antiquity in Greece and looks into the present and future via architecture, myth and landscape. From May 12-Sept. 30 at National Hellenic Museum, 333 S. Halsted St. Admission: $10. Visit nationalhellenicmuseum.org.
Movies
- A new season of Movies at Gallagher Way begins May 17 with John Hughes’ Chicago-centric classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Other films in the lineup through Sept. 27 include “E.T.,” “Clueless,” “Tom Gun: Maverick,” “The Dark Knight” and “Back to the Future.” All screenings begin at 7:30 p.m. at Gallagher Way outside Wrigley Field, Addison and Clark. Admission is free; reserved seating is $33. Visit gallagherway.com.
- The Chicago Film Society continues its mission of screening 35mm and 16mm films, some recent, others rescued from the depths of film history and not available elsewhere. Among these gems is Kathleen Collins “Losing Ground,” a pioneering work of Black women’s cinema; Frank Borzage’s “Man’s Castle,” starring Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young as hobo lovers, and “The Films of Maya Deren,” a selection of Deren’s experimental films from 1943-1959. From May 15-Aug. 23 at Northeastern Illinois University, 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.; Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave.; Comfort Station, 2579 N. Milwaukee Ave. Tickets: $10-$12. For a complete list of films, visit chicagofilmsociety.org.
Family Fun
- Venture into the lush forests of Rwanda, Africa, via “Gorilla Trek,” the Brookfield Zoo’s new virtual reality experience. In the seven-minute adventure, primatologist Dr. Tara Stoinski takes viewers to Volcanoes National Park to visit a family of critically endangered mountain gorillas. At Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. “Gorilla Trek” is $8; zoo admission is $20.95-$29.95. Visit czs.org.
- For a fun and educational experience, check out Chicago Architecture Center River Cruises. Step aboard Chicago’s First Lady for a 90-minute trip down all three branches of the Chicago River for a 360-degree view of the city’s wide variety of architectural styles as tour guides share fascinating stories of the buildings and the iconic figures who designed them. Daily tours to Nov. 19. Board at Michigan and Wacker on the Riverwalk. Tickets: $53+. Visit architecture.org.
- Parkway Bank Park’s outdoor Spring Fun Fest includes bounce houses, a petting zoo, balloon artists, face painting and music by Jeanie B. and the Jelly Beans. From 1-5 p.m. May 13 at the park located at 5502 Park Pl., Rosemont. Admission is free. Visit parkwaybankpark.com.
