Things to do in Chicago Feb. 1-7: The Mix

Theater

• For his debut production, Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s new artistic director Edward Hall takes the world of “Richard III” in a new direction as bilateral above-knee amputee and Paralympic champion Katy Sullivan stars in the title role. Shakespeare’s tale, driven by power, greed and ambition, is filled with scathing dark comedy and high-stakes family drama. From Feb. 2-March 3 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand. Tickets: $38+. Visit chicagoshakes.com.

Amy Nelson

• Elton John and Lee Hall’s Tony Award-winning “Billy Elliot: The Musical” is the story of an 11-year-old English boy who must keep his love of dance hidden, especially from his coal miner father. Neo Del Corral and Sam Duncan alternate in the title role; Trent Stork directs. From Feb. 7-March 24 at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena, Aurora. Tickets: $28-$79. Visit paramontaurora.com.
• Nicholas Rudall’s translation of “Antigone,” the Greek drama by Sophocles, concludes the playwright’s “Oedipus Trilogy.” During a civil war, Antigone mourns her brothers who have murdered each other and must decide if she will sacrifice her life to balance the scales of justice. Gabrielle Randle-Bent directs. From Feb. 2-25 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis. Tickets: $56-$88. Visit courttheatre.org.
• Steppenwolf for Young Adults presents Matthew Paul Olmos’ “a home what howls (or the house what was ravine).” It’s the story of a young woman fighting for her family’s right to live on their land. How far will she go to fight forces of injustice? Laura Alcala Baker directs. From Feb. 7-March 2 at Steppenwolf Theatre, 1645 N. Halsted. Tickets: $20+. Visit steppenwolf.org.

Murray and Peter Present

• Robert Leleux’s “Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue,” based on the classic sitcom, follows Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia as they share a house and adventures in Miami Beach. From Feb. 6-25 at Broadway Playhouse, Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut. Tickets: $30-$75. Visit broadwayinchicago.com.
• “Switchboard” is Annie Share and Sivan Spector’s puppet show exploring themes of memory and communication through the lens of the 1915 S.S. Eastland disaster in the Chicago River, which resulted in the deaths of 844 passengers and crew members. Anna Gelman directs. From Feb. 2-16 at The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland. Sold-out but a wait list is available. Visit neofuturists.org.
• In Loy A. Webb’s “Judy’s Life’s Work,” two siblings fight to determine the future of their mother’s groundbreaking medical notes. Michelle Bester directs the world premiere play. Feb. 2-25 at Definition Theatre, 1160 W. 55th. Tickets: 25+. Visit definitiontheatre.org.
• The Gift Theatre stages “Mothers,” Anna Ouyang Moench’s dark comedy examining the primal heartache of raising children in a disintegrating world. Halena Kays directs. From Feb. 1-March 3 at Filament Theatre, 4041 N. Milwaukee. Tickets: $35-$45. Visit thegifttheatre.org.

Dance

Sharen Bradford

• New York’s Complexions Contemporary Ballet presents a program featuring Dwight Rhoden’s “Star Dust,” which celebrates the music and legacy of David Bowie. The performance also includes works from the company’s repertoire. At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells. Tickets: $30+. Visit auditoriumtheatre.com.
• Muntu Dance Theatre and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater showcase authentic and progressive interpretations of contemporary and ancient African and African American dance, music and storytelling. At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at Center for the Performing Arts, 1 University Dr., University Park. Tickets: $29-$60. Visit govst.edu/cpa-events/.

Comedy

HBO

• Comedian Jeff Hiller, who stars opposite Bridget Everett on the critically acclaimed HBO series “Somebody Somewhere,” presents “Middle Aged Ingenue,” his solo show filled with stories about life and love. At 7:15 p.m. Feb. 4 at The Den Theater, 1331 N. Milwaukee. Tickets: $22-$40. Visit thedentheatre.com.

Music

ebru yildiz

• Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist Christian McBride presents “The Movement Revisited,” a musical portrait of civil rights icons Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali and Barack Obama. Performers include McBride, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Uniting Voices Chicago and students from The Theatre School at DePaul University. At 8 p.m. Feb. 2 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. Tickets: $35+. Visit cso.org.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

• Madonna’s Celebration Tour comes to town for two evenings that take a trip through her 40-year songbook. And keep your fingers crossed that, after some recent very late start times on the tour, the Chicago shows begin as promised. At 8:30 p.m. Feb. 1-2 at United Center, 1901 W. Madison. Tickets: $99+. Visit ticketmaster.com.
• A superstar classical music trio — Emanuel Ax (piano), Leonidas Kavakos (violin) and Yo-Yo Ma (cello) — performs an all-Beethoven program that includes the composer’s symphonic music arranged for piano trio. At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. Tickets: $125+. Visit cso.org.

Abraham Rowe

• Singer-songwriter Dylan LeBlanc tours in support of “Coyote,” his new folk-rock concept album about a demon-haunted man on the run who lives a dangerous life but is working his way to redemption. At 8 p.m. Feb. 1 at Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont. Tickets: $20, $23. Visit sleeping-village.com.

Alex Weber

• The Lampo series presents Sarah Davachi, a Canadian composer and performer of experimental electronic and minimalist music who performs a new commissioned piece. Joining Davachi on Hammond B3 organ are trombonists Jeb Bishop, Riley Leitch, Nick Broste and Mattie Barbier. At 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington. Admission is free. Visit lampo.org.

Museums & Galleries

The Art Institute of Chicago, promised gift of Nadace The Pudil Family Foundation

• “János Megyik Photograms” is the first U.S. museum exhibition devoted to the work of the Hungarian sculptor who in the 1980s made a series of large-scale photograms based on his sculptures. Megyik placed objects on photographic paper and then exposed them to light, which reveals shadow-like images of the object. Included in the exhibit are 12 photograms and one wall construction, his sculpture “Corpus.” From Feb. 3-July 8 Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan. Tickets: $14-$32. Visit artic.edu.
• The group exhibit “Saints and Sinners” features work by artists of Project Onward, the Chicago studio for artists with disabilities and mental illness. The artists examine what it means to be a saint today, and many of the works draw from Christian iconography though the interpretations are highly personal. To March 23 at Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland. Admission is free. For gallery hours, visit epiphanychi.com.

Movies

• The 35th Festival of Films from Iran begins with Ehsan Khoshbakht’s “Celluloid Underground,” a documentary about the creative, inspiring and subversive power of film in Iran. The festival also pays tribute to late filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui, a pioneer of Iranian New Wave cinema, with a screening of the award-winning “The Cow,” about a villager who is driven to madness after the death of his beloved cow. The festival, featuring 11 films, runs Feb. 1-8 at Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State. Tickets: $15. Visit siskelfilmcenter.org.
• “Melanin, Roots and Culture” at the Music Box theater, 3733 N. Southport Ave., is a series of films honoring Black History Month: Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” (Feb. 3), Michael Schultz’s “The Last Dragon” (Feb 9-10), Theodore Witcher’s “Love Jones” (Feb. 11), Tim Story’s “Barbershop” (Feb. 20) and Kasi Lemmons’ “Eve’s Bayou” (Feb. 24). Tickets: $11. Visit musicboxtheatre.com.

Family Fun

Marcin Cymmer

• At the new exhibit “Circusville,” children can unleash their imaginations and try out various personas by playing roles found under the Big Top, from ticket taker and hot dog vendor to acrobat and the ringmaster in a top hat. To Sept. 7 at Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier, 700 E. Grand. Admission: $21. Visit chicagochildrensmuseum.org.