Music
- German-born singer-songwriter Kim Petras landed a No. 1 hit with the Sam Smith collaboration “Unholy,” which won a recent Grammy Award for best pop-duo performance, making here the first trans woman to win in the category. At 8 p.m. Oct. 18 at Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence. Tickets: $59.50. Visit livenation.com.
- John Mayer describes his current solo acoustic tour as being “out there on a tightrope.” In the freewheeling performance, the Grammy winner plays songs from throughout his career. He’ll also take some crowd requests. Singer-songwriter JP Saxe opens at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at United Center, 1901 W. Madison. $75+. Visit ticketmaster.com.
- Sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the legendary Ravi Shankar, and her new quintet perform music deeply rooted in Indian classical music but with Shankar’s inventive arrangements taking it to new places. At 8 p.m. Oct. 13 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. $35+. Visit cso.org.
- Jam band favorite Phish comes to town for a three-night stand. Check out guitarist Trey Anastasio, drummer Jon Fishman, bassist Mike Gordon and keyboardist Page McConnell at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13-15 United Center, 1901 W. Madison. Tickets: $86+. Visit ticketmaster.com.
- Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green makes his Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra debut in a program of opera’s greatest arias including works by Rossini, Puccini, Verdi and Wagner plus a preview of selections from Terrance Blanchard’s opera “Champion,” debuting next year at the Lyric Opera. At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph. Tickets: $35+. Visit chicagophilharmonic.org.
- Legendary Cuban singer Omara Portuondo began her career at the Cabaret Tropicana in 1930s Havana; in the 1950s she began her international career backing Nat King Cole. But it was as an original member of the groundbreaking Buena Vista Social Club that she became known to new generations of fans. Now 92, Portuondo is on what she is calling her Farewell World Tour. At 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln. Tickets: $60. Visit oldtownschool.org.
- Formed in Chicago 51 years ago, legendary rockers Styx are back on the road and ready to perform hits from their songbook as well as their latest album, “Crash of the Crown.” At 7 p.m. Oct. 13 at Hard Rock Casino, 5400 W. 29th Ave., Gary, Indiana. Tickets: $151+. Visit ticketmaster.com.
- Steve Earle has called Colter Wall the best singer-songwriter he’s heard in years. Find out for yourself when Wall performs at 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at The Salt Shed, 1357 N. Elston. Sold out, but check resale sites. Visit saltshedchicago.com.
Theater
- “Young Frankenstein” is Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan’s adaptation of the classic film transformed into a musical, which pays homage to the classic horror genre performed in the style of vaudeville comedy. Leading the ensemble are Sean Fortunato as Dr. Fredrick Frankenstein and Andrew MacNaughton as The Monster. L. Walter Stearns directs. From Oct. 13-Dec. 31 at Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport. Tickets: $35-$85. Visit mercurytheaterchicago.com.
- Oak Part Festival Theatre presents “Seagulls,” Beth Hyland’s rock musical adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull.” Four college students prepare for a battle of the bands — two are in it just for fun, another can’t escape the reputation of his pop-singer mother and the fourth wants to escape from a restrictive family. Rebecca Willingham directs. From Oct. 12-Nov. 19 at Pleasant Home, 217 Home, Oak Park. Tickets: $20-$45. Visit oakparkfestival.com.
- Teatro Vista stages “¡BERNARDA!,” Emilio Williams’ innovative adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s classic drama “The House of Bernarda Alba,” about a widow (Charin Alvarez) who places a strict veil of mourning over herself, her daughters and her mother. Wendy Mateo directs an all femme BIPOC cast and creative team. From Oct. 18-Nov. 19 at Steppenwolf 1700 Theater, 1700 N. Halsted. Tickets: $25-$40. Visit teatrovista.org/bernarda.
- Vision Latino Theater presents “That Must Be the Entrance to Heaven,” Franky D. Gonzalez’s drama about four Latino prizefighters chasing their dreams of a world boxing title. Xavier M. Custodio directs. From Oct. 14-Nov. 5 at Urban Theater Company, 2620 Division. Tickets: $25-$55. Visit destinosfest.org.
- Congo Square Theatre’s free online comedy series, “The Blackside,” returns for a fourth season. Episodes are released weekly Oct. 13-Dec. 9; the first three season are also available online. Visit congosquaretheatre.org/theblackside.
Dance
- Joffrey Ballet opens its 68th season with “Frankenstein,” Liam Scarlett’s interpretation of Mary Shelley’s classic story. Set to a score by Lowell Liebermann, the innovative piece is “storytelling at the grandest scale but with delicate emotion rendered in fine detail,” says artistic director Ashley Wheater. From Oct. 12-22 at Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker. Tickets: $36. Visit joffrey.org.
- Mandala South Asian Performing Arts presents “Diwali: Illumination,” a new work, with an Indo-jazz score by Fareed Haque, that combines contemporary dance, jazz, ballet and influences from South Asian dance genres to depict the victory of light over darkness, inspired by the mythological gods of fire, water, wind and earth. At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at Harris Theater, 205 W. Randolph. Tickets: $15-$85. Visit harristheaterchicago.org.
Family Fun
- For a unique way to explore the city, check out Open House Chicago, an annual event that returns Oct. 14-15 with free self-guided tours of more than 170 architectural, cultural and historical sites across the city. Among the sites are Uptown’s Riviera Theatre, Walt Disney’s childhood home in Hermosa, the National Cambodian Heritage Museum in Ravenswood, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre at Navy Pier and the Pullman National Historical Park. For a complete list of sites, visit openshousechicago.org/sites/.
- “Sugar Skull!” is a musical adventure that celebrates family, music and the traditions of Dia de los Muertos. It features traditional music and dance from Mexico in a story about a young girl who finds herself on a journey to celebrate her ancestors. At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at Center for the Performing Arts, Governors State University, 1 University Pkwy., University Park ($20-$54, govst.edu/sugarskull), and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee, Waukegan ($20-$50, geneseetheatre.com/events).
- Glass Pumpkin Patch is a display of thousands of one-of-a-kind, hand-blown glass pumpkins and other fall designs. Meet the artists and watch them work from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 13-15 at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Ill. Rt. 53, Lisle. Admission: $9-$17; parking free with admission. Visit mortonarb.org.
Museums
- The Black art collective Diasporal Rhythms presents “Perspective,” an exhibition of more than 55 works created by some of the world’s top contemporary Black visual artists. Featured artists include Paul Branton, George Crump, Susan Clinard, Woodrow Nash, Candace Hunter, Kenneth Humphries, Jessie Howard among many others. Through Jan. 31, 2024, at Navy Pier, 600 W. Grand. Admission is free. Visit navypier.org.
Halloween Happenings
- Rough House Theater’s macabre peep-show/puppet theater anthology, “House of the Exquisite Corpse III,” returns for another season of scares. Small groups enter a series of rooms to spy through keyholes, cracks and hidden doors to see the horror unfold. To Oct. 31 at Steppenwolf Garage, 1624 N. Halsted. Tickets: $21-$46. Visit roughhousetheater.com.
- “Haunted Dolls 2: The Riddles of the Wayward Spirit” is a scavenger hunt featuring frightful dolls from the Chicago History Museum collection. Solve the riddles along the way to put an end to a wayward spirit’s sinister plan. To Nov. 5 at Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark. Admission: $17, $19, free for 18 and under. Visit chicagohistory.org.
- Garden of Decay is an immersive Halloween experience telling the eerie story of a grieving botanist’s quest for resurrection and featuring audio narration and art installations. From 6 p.m.-midnight on weekends and Halloween Oct. 13-31 at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand. Tickets: $42+. Visit navypier.org/gardenofdecay.
