RESUMEN DE PRINCIPALES POLITICAS CONTABLES

Chicago’s listings magazine, Reader, published weeklyrr

DIRECTORY

USEFUL NUMBERS Chicago Cultural Center Tel 744-6630, 346-3278. www.cityofchicago.org/ culturalaffairs City Helpline Tel 311 (event information). Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities Tel 744-6673. www.cityofchicago.org/ disabilities

Mayor’s Office of Special Events ±744-3370. www.ci.chi.il.us/SpecialEvents Performance Hotline Tel 987-1123. Visitor Information Centers Tel 744-2400. 163 E Pearson St. Map 2 D4. 77 E Randolph St. Map 4 D1. www.cityofchicago.org and www.877chicago.com TICKET AGENCIES CityPass Traveler www.citypass.net Hot Tix 163 E Pearson St. Map 2 D4. 214 S Wabash Ave. Map 4 D2. 72 E Randolph St. Map 4 D1. Tel 554-9800. ¢Mon. www.hottix.org Moviefone ±444-3456. www.movies.aol.com Ticketmaster www.559-1212. www.ticketmaster.com TV TALK-SHOWS Jerry Springer Show Tel 321-5365. www.jerryspringertv.com Oprah Winfrey Show Tel 591-9222.

www.oprah.com

E N T E R T A I N M E N T I N C H I C A G O 1 6 9

TheMayor’s Office for People with Disabilities provides details on which venues are accessible for people with disabilities.

FREE EVENTS

Accomplished young musicians play every Wednesday as part of the Dame Myra Hess series of free noontime recitals at the

Chicago Cultural Center

(see p52). Harold Washington

Library Center (see p82) also hosts concerts, many free.

The best free seats in the city are in Grant Park and in Millennium Park (see p53). The first-rate Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus give evening concerts, mid-June to mid-August, Wednesday to Sunday, in Millennium Park. (See page 162 for details on other free music events.)

Grant Park is home to many summertime festivals. The Gospel Festival kicks off the season early in June, followed by

the renowned Blues Festival. A country-music festival is usually held in July. The season winds down with the Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival at the end of August, followed by the Jazz and World Music festivals, held in September.

Throughout the summer, dozens of Chicago’s neigh- borhoods block off streets to traffic and hold weekend festivals. Most are free or require a minimal entrance fee. Vendors sell refreshments, artists show arts and crafts, and local bands perform. You can hear great salsa, gritty rock and roll, country music, blues, or jazz – sometimes on

the same day. These festivals allow visitors to experience Chicago’s neighborhoods. BothOprah Winfreyand

Jerry Springertape their TV talk-shows in

Chicago. Tickets to the shows are free, but you must reserve them at least one month in advance.

Check out the website for the free day schedule: www.msichicago.org /info/admission/prices.html

FREE-ADMISSION DAYS

Monday

Adler Planetarium (Sep–Feb;

pp92–3).

Chicago History Museum (p74(( 44 .)

Field Museum (Jan–Feb,

Sep–Dec; pp86–9)99 .

Museum of Science and

Industry (see pp106–109)99 .

Shedd Aquarium (Sep–Feb;

pp96–7)77 .

Tuesday

Adler Planetarium (Sep–Feb;

pp92–3).

Art Institute (pp46–9(( 99 .)

Brookfield Zoo (see p117)77 .

Museum of Contemporary

Art (p65(( 55 .)

Museum of Science and

Industry (see pp106–109)99 .

Shedd Aquarium (Sep–Feb;

pp96–7)77 .

Thursday

Brookfield Zoo (see p117)77 .

Chicago Children’s Museum

(5–8pm; p65)55 .

Sunday

DuSable Museum of African-

American History (p104(( 44 .)

Concert in Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center

Buddy Guy, one of the world’s greatest blues guitar soloists

Sidewalk signs in the Loop’s theater district

MUSIC

The guiding light of classical music in Chicago is theChicago Symphony Orchestra. From September through June, it performs at

Symphony Center. During the summer, it performs at the

Ravinia Festival.

The highly acclaimed Lyric

Opera of Chicago presents lavish productions and brings

international stars to Civic

Opera Houseduring its September-to-March season.

Music of the Baroque is Chicago’s leading early-music ensemble. A consortium of Chicago’s finest musicians,

Chicago Chamber Musicians

presents a series of free concerts throughout the year

at the Chicago Cultural

Center, held on the first Monday of each month.

Chicago’s two world-class string quartets are the

venerableVermeer String

Quartetand the Chicago String Quartet. Both perform

frequently at the DePaul

University Concert Hall.

Mandel Hallat University of Chicago hosts folk, jazz, and classical groups.

Northwestern University presents concerts by leading

touring ensembles at Pick-

Staiger Concert Hall.

DANCE

The unique blend of jazz, ballet, and modern dance thatHubbard Street Dance Chicagooffers will transport you to new places in enter- tainment. Performances take place at the Music and Dance Theater.

Each season, Joffrey Ballet

of Chicagopresents four performances of classical ballet with a contemporary edge, reflecting the dance company’s mandate to present the works of 20th- century American artists.

THEATER

Chicago has a vibrant

theater scene. Goodman

Theatre’s home is located in the Loop’s theater district. The troupe presents contemporary plays as well as the classics directed with a fresh approach. Productions often star well-known stage and screen actors.

Nearby is the restored

Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theater, which brings Broadway productions to the

city. TheChicago Theater is a

multipurpose venue that presents concerts and theater. TheAuditorium Theatre(see p44) hosts mainstream

musicals such as Les

Miserables and Showboat.

Since its inception in a

church basement, Steppen-

wolf Theater Companyhas gained a national reputation for staging avant-garde plays. Although many of the actors who started at Steppenwolf, such as John Malkovich and Laurie Metcalf, have left, they frequently return to perform with the company or direct.

Shakespeare Repertory Companystages three productions a year in

Chicago Shakespeare Theater, its striking courtyard-style theater at Navy Pier.

Performing Arts Chicago

brings in cutting-edge theater, dance, music, and puppetry groups. Performances are held at various venues.

Many notable theaters are located near Lincoln Park and in Lakeview, among them the

Royal Georgeand the

Victory Gardens Theater.

SUMMER PERFORMANCES

Chicago’s summer home for the performing arts is in idyllic Highland Park, 25 miles (40 km) north of the city, at the internationally

celebratedRavinia Festival.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs here, as do leading jazz ensembles, pop and folk acts, children’s performers, and dance troupes, including Hubbard Street Dance and the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago.

The park’s sound system is excellent. Reserved seats in the pavilion usually cost from $20 to $60. General admission to the park costs about $10.

Although Highland Park has several good restaurants, most people buy general-admission tickets, bring a picnic dinner (some, lavish spreads with candles, crystal, and fine wine), and sit on the lawn to enjoy the performances.

FILM

Like most cities, Chicago has a cinema multiplex in almost every neighborhood showing first-run movies. There are also several art film houses in the city.

TheHarold Washington Library Centerscreens a

diverse selection of films.The

Music Box is a fully restored 1929 movie palace designed to look as though you are outdoors at night. It shows an eclectic mix of foreign, American independent, and classic films. An organist entertains with vintage pop- ular music during intermission on weekend evenings.

TheGene Siskel Film Center of the Art Institute of Chicagopresents a wide range of standard-setting international cinema. Panel discussion and lectures provide context for the films.

Performing Arts, Film, and Sports