The 3CR Guide to a Better March
Stages
Saturday, March 5, at 7:30pm @ Harris Theater
Thodos Dance’s Chicago Revealed celebrates Chicago choreographers and their works inspired by the city. Former River North Dance Chicago member Robyn Mineko Williams uses Chicago’s music scene for her inspiration in At the Apex. Deeply Rooted Dance Theater Artistic Director Kevin Iega Jeff pulls from the diversity of Chicago communities in Red Lines/Blue Horizon, and Thodos Dance Artistic Director Melissa Thodos examines the Greek American experience in Chicago with Thio Kosmos. The program also features Thodos’ Sono’s Journey, a piece chronicling the life of Japanese-American dancer Sono Osato.
Chicago Revealed will be performed at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph. Tickets are $15-$65.
Shakespeare 400 Chicago: Iambs of March Edition
Throughout March @ theaters throughout the city
Caesar’s most feared month brings separated twin Twelfth Nights to Navy Pier, one from the UK’s Filter and Royal Shakespeare ensembles, and a short, local, family-friendly version; a pair of English and Russian Lears on film; a wheelchair-bound Richard III by the Gift Theatre at Steppenwolf; and a culinary complete works all year long at top-notch Chicago restaurants, curated by master sommelier Alpana Singh. For the deets, visit www.ShakespeareChicago400.com
Screens
Midwest Independent Film Festival’s Chicago premiere of Killing Them Safely
Tuesday, March 1, 6pm at Landmark Century Centre Cinema
Killing Them Safely is a documentary about how tasers are being used by law enforcement agencies. It’s a weapon that supposedly is nonlethal but can have deadly effects. A Q&A with director Nick Berardini follows the screening.
Tickets are $10 and $15. The Midwest Independent Film Festival screens a new independent film on the first Tuesday of each month.
March 4 – 31 @ Gene Siskel Film Center
The Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N State St., is holding the 19th Annual European Union Film Fest. The festival is going to be North America’s largest showcase of cinema from EU nations with 62 features. It’ll provide the opportunity to view work from all 28 EU nations from the comfort of the theater box. Consul General of The Netherlands Klaas van der Tempel will host the opening night of the festival. Click here for more details and the festival’s schedule.
Art
Strandbeest: The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen
Through May 1 at the Chicago Cultural Center
Jansen’s kinetic “beach animals” are made of PVC tubes; they have “shoes” and sails that enable them to move across a beach—or around the cultural center gallery, animated by air compressors. See the schedule of daily animations.
Sidney Yates Gallery, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Open daily. Free.
Music
March 10-12 @ Thalia Hall, 1807 S Allport St.
The Chicago edition of the Levitation music festival will be taking over the beautiful Thalia Hall for three consecutive nights of fantastic music. The festival’s intention is to highlight psychedelia, a genre that is wide-ranging and hard to define. Headliners include Oneohtrix Point Never, Royal Trux, Faust, and Chelsea Wolfe.Tickets are $30 a night
Foundations of Music Match for Music Campaign Kickoff
Tuesday, March 1 — 5:30-8:30pm — Lagunitas Brewing Co. Tap Room, 2607 W. 17th St.
Foundations of Music provides musical education for thousands of kids every year. March is ‘Music in Our Schools’ month, and FoM is having a fundraiser to celebrate. A $10 ticket gets you pizza, access to the cash bar, and the warm, fuzzy feeling inside knowing that the proceeds from every beer you drink go to helping a wonderful cause.
Lit
Thursday March 17th 9:00 PM
Everybody’s favorite local publishing powerhouse Curbside Splendor is back at the Empty Bottle with the eighth installment of Words + Music, a night full of, well, you know. In the Words corner are Dasha Kelly, Megan Stielstra, Rob Roberge, and Joe Meno. In the Music corner is TBA.
Louder Than a Bomb: Youth Poetry Festival
This year, Young Chicago Authors‘ youth poetry festival, Louder Than a Bomb, celebrates its sweet 16 anniversary marked by events scheduled February 13 through March 19. The Youth Led National Open Mic on March 16 features poet and Cave Canem alum, Mo Brown, and gives LTAB finalists a last chance for practice. The LTAB Team Finals at the Auditorium Theater will take place on March 19, featuring the top four scoring teams of more than 120 Chicagoland high schools. Tickets can be purchased online.
Food
Best Irish Breakfasts
Paddy Long’s
This Lincoln Park establishment serves the “full” Irish breakfast as part of its Wakin’ Bacon Brunch. 1028 W. Diversey
Galvin’s Public House
Galvin’s does the full breakfast, and an “Irish breakfast sandwich” consisting of traditional rashers and sausage accompanied by an egg served on a French roll. 5901 W. Lawrence
Wilde Bar & Restaurant
Wilde’s Irish-American Skillet takes my love of all things bacon to a higher level with the inclusion of both traditional Irish rashers and American bacon in the dish. 3130 N. Broadway
Porter Cullen’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
Technically not Chicago, this place lays out the traditional breakfast for those on the south side until 2pm every Sunday. 3541 W. 99th St. in Evergreen Park
Best Irish Soda Bread
Dinkel’s Bakery
What makes Dinkel’s different is that their soda bread is not a quick bread (which uses something other than yeast and eggs for leavening). Theirs is a yeast bread, complete with raisins. 3329 N. Lincoln
Weber’s Bakery
7055 W. Archer
Beyond
The Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2)
March 18-20 @ South Building at McCormick Place
The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) is a three-day comic book and pop culture convention. It’s a chance for Chicagoans to fully indulge in fandom by meeting their favorite creators and celebrities. The huge show floor at the McCormick place allows for plenty of room for exhibitors and members of Artist Alley to show off their work and an area for panels discussing comics, books, movies, and TV.
New Works Program at the Paramount Theatre
Need some expert guidance on that musical you’re writing? The Paramount Theatre is currently accepting submissions for its New Works Program, partnering with creators throughout the greater Chicago area to bring new works to life. The year-round program “is committed to providing a safe, creative, collaborative and flexible environment to address the specific needs of a new work in its journey from page to stage.” 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora
