MLA ‘08 Blog

Here’s a fun idea from a fellow MLA member, who may have read our previous post on performances in Chicago . . .

The unusual thing I am doing in Chicago is attending Chicago Opera Theater in the Harris Theater in Millennium Park, to see The Flowering Tree. It is a modern opera based on a combination of Mozart’s the Magic Flute and an Indian legend. The composer, John Adams, conducts some of the performances; a young woman conductor, some of the others. The singing is in both English and Spanish; “Supertitles” in English are also provided. Performances are May 14, 17, 20, 23, 25. Check out the Web site http://www.chicagooperatheater.org.

-Laura Barrett

If there are other fun Chicago activities you’d like to let fellow members know about, leave us a comment below. And thanks, Laura, for sharing!

The Bearded Pigs will be playing Sunday, May 18th, from 8:00-11:00pm in room Crystal C at the Hyatt. There will be a cash bar. New members and first-time attendees are particularly welcome at this informal gathering that has become an MLA tradition.

And for you long-time fans, don’t forget your Bearded Pigs fan items . . . They will have buttons for sale for $2 before the show, $3 after. Thicket Society members should have their t-shirt & button waiting for them at the MLA registration desk.

In addition to Jazz (see our earlier post) Chicago is a great city for Blues music. I asked Niles Frantz, who hosted a Chicago Public Radio Blues show for many years, about the best places for Blues in the area. Here are his recommendations:

Buddy Guy’s Legends
Address: 754 S. Wabash (about 10 blocks from the Hyatt)
Phone: 312-427-1190
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-2am; Sat 5pm-3am; Sun 6pm-2am

B.L.U.E.S.
Address: 2519 N. Halsted (a short cab ride from the Hyatt)
Phone: 773-528-1012
Hours: Su-Fri 8pm-2am; Sa 8pm-3am; Music starts at 9:30pm

Rosa’s Lounge
Address: 3420 W. Armitage (a longer cab ride, but Niles’s favorite place)
Phone: 773.342.0452
Hours: Tu-F 8pm-2am; Sa 8pm-3am; Su-M closed; Music begins at 9:30 or 10pm

Are you staying at the Hotel Orrington during the conference? If so, you might also be interested in:

Bill’s Blues Bar
Address: 1029 Davis Street in Evanston (a walkable distance from the hotel)
Phone: 847-424-9800
Hours: Su-W 4pm-2am; Th-Sa 4pm-3am

- Pat Pinkowski

In a previous post, we highlighted Broadway shows and local theater companies on stage in Chicago. Here are some music and dance venues you may also want to consider during your visit.

Are you looking for a colleague who would also like to attend a performance? Leave a comment below.

Chicago Opera Theater
Address: 70 East Lake Street
Phone:312-704-8414

John Adams’s A Flowering Tree is on stage five days in May. The production is “modeled on the themes of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and is based on a Southern Indian folktale.”

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Address: 220 South Michigan Avenue
Phone: 312-294-3000

Enjoy the CSO’s performance of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, May 22-24th. Orchestra Hall also hosts a chamber music series and jazz, pop, and world music concerts. View their May schedule here.

Joffrey Ballet
Address: Auditorium Theatre, 50 East Congress Parkway
Phone: 312-902-1500 (box office)

The Joffrey Ballet presents four modern works in American Modern, on stage May 14-25th. The company performs at the Auditorium Theatre, a beautiful historic landmark designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan.

There are plenty of options for you cool cats looking for a little jazz while in Chicago. The famed Jazz Showcase, which has been presenting jazz in Chicago for sixty years, has a new home in the historic Dearborn Station, and The Underground Wonder Bar, booking a mix of jazz, blues, and other styles, has live music 365 days a year.

Fred Anderson’s Velvet Lounge features jazz 7 nights a week, and free jazz lovers won’t want to miss their Sunday night jam sessions. Or, on a Saturday night, step back in time to a ’20s era Al Capone speakeasy at the Green Mill.

Andy’s Jazz Club & Restaurant, one of Chicago’s most respected jazz establishments, and Pops for Champagne, with a selection of over 120 champagnes, are within walking distance from the Hyatt.

If you find yourself at Navy Pier on a weekend evening, stop by Joe’s BeBop Café to take in some local jazz acts and southern-style barbecue. During the week, enjoy a free lunchtime jazz performance, part of the Tuesday LunchBreak Series at the Chicago Cultural Center.

If you’re looking to add to your collection, jazz and blues aficionados shouldn’t miss the Jazz Record Mart, located just a few blocks from the conference hotel at 27 E. Illinois Street, between State and Wabash. It’s the kind of record store you didn’t know still existed, with vinyl and CDs galore, and a knowledgeable and approachable staff.

Insider Tip 1: If you find yourself wandering down Wabash wondering where an entire street disappeared to–look down. The Jazz Record Mart (and the rest of Illinois street) is located just down the staircase on the West side of Wabash.

Insider Tip 2: Find more jazz venues at the University of Chicago’s Jazz Archive venue web page.

Andy’s Jazz Club & Restaurant
Address: 11 East Hubbard Street
Phone: 312-642-6805
URL: http://www.andysjazzclub.com

Green Mill
Address: 4802 N. Broadway Avenue
Phone: 773-878-5552
URL: http://www.greenmilljazz.com

Jazz Showcase
Address: 47 W. Polk Street
Phone: 312-670-BIRD
URL: http://www.jazzshowcase.com

Joe’s BeBop Café
Address: 700 E. Grand Avenue (at Navy Pier)
Phone: 312-595-JAZZ
URL: http://www.joesbebop.com

Pops for Champagne
Address: 601 N. State Street
Phone: 312-266-7677
URL: http://www.popsforchampagne.com

The Underground Wonder Bar
Address: 10 E. Walton Street
Phone: 312-266-7761
URL: http://www.undergroundwonderbar.com

Velvet Lounge
Address: 67 E. Cermak Road
Phone: 312-791-9050
URL: http://www.velvetlounge.net

- Kristin Hitchcock, with valuable contributions from Debbie Gillaspie, Curator, University of Chicago Jazz Archive