Chicago Music and Theater

APRIL REIGNS WITH SHOWERS OF MUSIC AND THEATER 
By Joseph Cunniff 

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SFollowing is a look both forward and back to some of the best: 
CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: The CSO has a long-standing 
reputation as one of the world’s greatest Mahler orchestras. In April they will 
play two Mahler masterpieces, the mysterious Symphony No. 7, conducted by 
Jaap van Sweden and the monumental Symphony No. 3 with Music Director 
Designate Klaus Makela. 

The Mahler 7th will be played at 7:30 April 17 and 19, and at 1:30 April 18. 
Van Zweden will also conduct it with the CSO at the Mahler Festival in 
Amsterdam.  
 

The Mahler 3rd will be played at 7:30 April 24, 25 and 26.  
The Joffrey Ballet will also team with the CSO April 10 and 11 at 7:30 and 
April 13 at 3. Visitcso.org. (312) 294-3000. 
 

LYRIC OPERA announced its new 2025-26 season under the leadership 
of new General Director and CEO John Mangum. The season will open with 
the traditional Opening Concert and Gala Oct. 10, and operas will include 
Cherubini’s “Medea,” Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” and Richard Strauss’s 
“Salome.”  
 

Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins announced a musical-dramatic 
experience with the Lyric orchestra, chorus, and operatically trained soloists 
based on his rock classic album “Mellon Collie.” There will be also be two 
Movie Nights with the orchestra. For a complete schedule, visit lyricopera.org. 
(312) 827- 5600. 
 

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER is presenting a show that was a 
smash in London, “Sunny Afternoon,” based on the music of the exciting ‘60s 
rock group “The Kinks.” A combination of theater and a live concert, with 
original story music and lyrics by the Kinks’ Ray Davies, the show is directed 
by Artistic Director Edward Hall, who led the UK debut production. Through 
April 27 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. (312) 595-5600. 
www.chicagoshakes.com. 
 

SHAKESPEARE’S PLAY “The Winter’s Tale” is sometimes joked about for 
its stage directions “Exit, pursued by a bear,” and “A seacoast in Bohemia,” the 
latter of which would astonish the Czechs. 
 

It is also the only Shakespeare play that mentions an artist: Giulio 
Romano, who lived during the Renaissance. This writer read the play for the 
first time in 30 years to better appreciate the new production by Invictus 
Theater, which is staging a remarkable modern dress production, well
directed by Charles Askenaizer.  
 

There are a number of outstanding performances in the cast of 16, but 
to name just a few that especially impressed this audience member: the 
clearly spoken Camillo of Kim Periera, and the fine work in several roles of 
Robert Hunter Bry and by Fred Wellisch, who finds himself in the hungry 
company of the aforementioned bear.  
 

There is also Andrea Upping as Queen Hermione, Amber Dow as 
Paulina, Michael Stejskal as Leontes, and –the list is too long.  I also really like 
the shades of blue in the scenic design of Kevin Rolfs. “The Winter’s Tale” 
plays through April 20 at the Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road. 
www.invictustheatreco.com. And speaking of classic plays:  
 

THE IDLE MUSE THEATER COMPANY is presenting Richard Brinsley 
Sheridan’s comedy “The School for Scandal,” a boundary-smashing classic 
that skewers the snobbery and hypocrisies of the social elite. A “comedy of 
manners” is defined as a comedy that satirizes behavior of a particular social 
group, especially the upper classes. 
 

Well, this play is one of the funniest and most successful of that genre, 
and this production is packed with astonishingly good acting. The cast is so 
good that it seems unfair to single anyone out, but if forced by threats I might 
mention Erik Schnitger as Sir Peter and Elise Soeder as Lady Sneerwell, 
though so many performers are terrific. 
 

I loved the eye-filling costumes of Victoria Jablonski, and the direction 
of Evan Jackson is top-notch. Through April 12 at The Edge Off-Broadway 
Theater. Visit IdleMuse.org. (773) 340-9438.  
 

RUTH PAGE DANCE CENTER honored the legendary dancer and teacher 
who gave the center its name with a wide-ranging evening of dances that 
featured many styles from traditional to modern performing to music from 
Bach to African to Cuban to rock.  
 

The performers included the Ruth Page Professional Dance Training 
Program, Ballet 5:8, and Visceral Dance Chicago among others, all showing 
the vitality of dance in Chicago today 
 

The Ruth Page Center, 1016 N. Dearborn St., currently offers 88 classes. 
RUTHPAGE.ORG. (312) 337-6543. 
 

JAZZ SHOWCASE: Located at Dearborn and Polk in the South Loop, on 
the Plymouth Court side of that immense red-brick former train station, the 
Showcase has been winning new audiences with shows at 8 and 10 during the 
week and 4 and 8 on Sundays. 
 

April treats include organist Ben Patterson with guitarist Bobby Broom 
April 10-13. 806 S. Plymouth Court. Jazzshowcase.com (312) 360-0234. 
GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER: Showing classic, foreign, and independent 
films, the Siskel successfully presented their European Union Film Festival in 
March, featuring films from Poland. April offerings include the Japanese film “I 
Am A Comedian” on April 9. www.siskelfilmcenter.org. 
 

BOOK: Award-winning Chicago author Craig Sautter has a new book 
with quite an intriguing twist. Called “Chicago Hitman, A Confession, 
Transcribed, Edited, and Annotated by R.C. Sautter,” it has a subtitle that 
didn’t make the cover, but is inside: “How I Helped Murder a Chicago Mayor, 
and (Almost) a President of the United States.” 
 

That’s all I can say about it now, but the book centers around the 1933 
asassination of Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, with bullets that may have 
been intended for the President. Available at Amazon.com.