Theater
- The 5th Chicago International Puppet Festival showcases an eclectic array of puppet styles created by artists from 10 countries. The festival opens with Plexus Polaire’s “Moby Dick,” which features 50 puppets including a whale-sized whale. The lineup also includes The Koryu Nishikawa Troupe’s “Akutagawa,” Theatre de L’Entrouvert’s “Anywhere,” Khecari’s “as though your body were right,” Basil Twist’s “Dogugaeshi,” Manual Cinema’s “Frankenstein” and more. New this year is a Pop-Up Puppet Hub with site-specific events in various spaces in the Fine Arts Building. From Jan. 18-29 at venues throughout the city. Ticket prices vary. For a complete list of dates and times, visit chicagopuppetfest.org.
- Christina Anderson’s “the ripple, the wave that carried me home,” a co-production with Goodman Theatre and Berkeley Repertory, is a story of racial justice, political legacy and family forgiveness. (Anderson wrote the Tony Award-nominated book for the musical “Paradise Square.”) Brianna Buckley, Christiana Clark, Ronald L. Conner and Aneisa J. Hicks star; Jackson Gay directs. From Jan. 13-Feb. 12 at Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn. Tickets: $15-$45. Visit goodmantheatre.org.
- Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb and John Kander’s Tony Award-winning musical “Chicago,” currently on a 25th anniversary tour, is the razzle-dazzle story of one Roxie Hart (Katie Frieden) who murders her lover, hires a slick lawyer and dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate Velma Kelly (Logan Floyd). From Jan. 17-29 at CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe. Tickets: $30-$95. Visit broadwayinchicago.com.
- Porchlight Music Theatre presents the Tony Award-winning “Cabaret,” a classic filled with the memorable tunes of Kander and Ebb. The musical shines a spotlight on Berlin in the late 1920s on the eve of the Nazi party’s rise to power. Directed by Michael Weber with choreography by Brenda Didier. From Jan. 14-Feb. 12 at Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn. Tickets: $25+. Visit porchlightmusictheatre.org.
- Boho Theatre closes out its season with Jonathan Larson’s “Tick, Tick … Boom!,” the playwright’s autobiographical musical about a struggling New York composer entering his 30s. Bo Frazier directs. From Jan. 12-Feb. 5 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway. Tickets: $35. Visit bohotheatre.com.
- The 26th annual Fillet of Solo Festival showcases storytelling collectives and solo performers in a celebration of the live lit scene. Featured performers include Nestor Gomez, The Sweat Girls, GeNarrations, The Lifeline Storytelling Project, Story Sessions, Back Room Stories, Tekki Lomnicki and more. From Jan. 13-22 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood and South of the Border, 1416 W. Morse. Visit lifelinetheatre.com.
- City Lit Theater stages Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party,” a dark comedy set at a boarding house where the arrival of two unexpected guests remakes a birthday party into a nightmare. Terry McCabe directs. From Jan. 13-26 at Edgewater Presbyterian Church, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr. Tickets: $34. Visit citylit.org.
- “The Golden Gals Live!” is a new show featuring best-loved moments from TV’s “The Golden Girls.” Stars Ginger Minj, Gidget Galore, Mr Ms Adrien, Divine Grace and Jason Richards; Minj directs. From Jan. 12-Feb. 12 at Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport. Tickets: $39-$75. Visit mercurytheaterchicago.com.
- Witold Gombrowicz’s “Princess Ivona,” a meditation on status, cruelty and desire, tells the story of a woman who is entangled in the intrigues of a dysfunctional royal court after she becomes engaged to a prince. Jenny Beacraft directs. From Jan. 12-Feb. 18 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland. Tickets: $25. Visit trapdoortheatre.com.
- BrightSide Theatre presents a concert staging of “City of Angels,” a musical detective thriller and celebration of film noir set in the late 1940s as a struggling writer tries to maintain some integrity in the backstabbing world of Hollywood. Jeffrey Cass directs. From Jan. 13-21 at North Central College, Madden Theatre, 171 E. Chicago, Naperville. Tickets: $33. Visit brightsidetheatre.com.
Dance
- Step Afrika! is a professional dance company dedicated to stepping, the percussive dance style. The company blends stepping with traditional West and Southern African dances and various contemporary dance and art forms. At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells. Tickets: $30+. Visit auditoriumtheatre.org.
Music
- Hot Club of Cowtown is known for its take on Western swing and European hot jazz that makes for an interesting songbook of original tunes. Tyler Hilton, who portrayed Elvis Presley in 2005’s “Walk the Line,” performs songs Presley recorded at legendary Sun Studios. At 4 p.m. Jan. 15 at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell, Glen Ellyn. Tickets: $35-$50. Visit atthemac.org.
- Chicago Philharmonic, under the baton of Scott Speck, celebrates the work of Chinese-American composer Tan Dun with performances of “Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra” with guitarist Sharon Isbin and “Crouching Tiger Concerto” with cellist Joshua Roman. Also performed is Reinaldo Moya’s “Rise.” At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph. Tickets: $35-$75. Visit chicagophilharmonic.org.
MLK Day Celebrations
- The Music Institute of Chicago and Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre present a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, featuring a program of music, dance and art honoring the civil rights leader’s legacy. The event includes the world premiere of Ephraim Champion’s “A Stone of Hope (Martin’s Song),” a piece for soprano cello and piano; a performance by Evanston Dance Ensemble; an art exhibition and more. At 3 p.m. Jan. 15 at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago, Evanston. Admission is free. Visit musicinst.org/mlk23.
- Chicago Sinfonietta presents “Thunder: MLK Tribute Concert,” featuring performances of Carlos Simon’s “Fate Now Conquers,” Valerie Coleman’s “Umoja, Anthem for Unity for Orchestra,” Kathryn Bostic’s “Letters from Moral Courage” and more. At 3 p.m. Jan. 15 at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago, Naperville ($54, $67) and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan ($27-$107). Visit chicagosinfonietta.org.
- The DuSable Museum of African American History hosts a daylong salute to Dr. King which includes a children’s story time, DJs, a screening of the film “Boycott,” activity tables, taping of elders’ stories about Dr. King and civil rights, a pop-up civil rights exhibit and more. From 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Jan. 16 at DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th. Admission is free. Visit dusablemuseum.org.
- MLK Day 2023: Southside Stories features a performance by Civic Orchestra of Chicago, South Side Home Movie Project screenings, stories, artmaking and more. From 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Jan. 16 at Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell. Admission is free. Visit hydeparkart.org.
- Chicago History Museum presents a celebration of Dr. King with a sing-along with Lenny Marsh and friends, a community fair featuring the North Lawndale neighborhood, family-friendly art activities and a screening of “King in Chicago” followed by a discussion. From 10:30-2:45 p.m. Jan. 16 at Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark. Museum admission ($17, $19) is free for Illinois residents on this day. Visit chicagohistory.org.
Family Fun
- The top 40 professional bull riders in the world compete in PBR’s Unleash the Beast, a live sporting event unlike any other. Among the riders are Daylon Swearingen, who won this event in 2020, and Keyshawn Whitehorse, who began his career at age 5 and has now established himself as an early contender for the 2023 World Championship. From Jan. 13-14 at Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim, Rosemont. Tickets: $15+. Visit ticketmaster.com.
- “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert” features a screening of the film with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performing John Williams’ score. At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12-14 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. Tickets: $75+. Visit cso.org.
