Winter Doldrums be damned! Chicagoans can beat the season’s short days with a long list of special events tied to new and traditional holidays.
Black History Month (Feb. 1-28)
Faith Ringgold: American People is on display at The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (through Feb. 25). With a career spanning 60 years, the artist/author/activist links the multidisciplinary work of the Harlem Renaissance to political pieces of current Black artists. The exhibition features Ringgold’s painting series American People and Black Light which include story quilts, performance objects, and pieces related to social change.
Collaboraction Theatre Company welcomes viewers to the premiere screening of a filmed version of its live theatrical performance of Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till (Feb. 22) at Wayfarer Theaters in Highland Park. “Adapting the once-missing trial transcript has given us the honor and responsibility to share it broadly and as often as possible, whether that be through live performance, online streaming or this new film version of the staged adaptation,” explains Collaboraction Artistic Director Anthony Moseley. “We are excited to be premiering this version and holding a live Crucial Conversation at Wayfarer Theaters, a unique film house aligned with our mission of positive social change.”
More than 2,700 Chicago Public Schools students in the Uniting Voices Chicago education program will perform Soul to Soul: The Evolution of African Music in America at Chicago Symphony Center (Feb. 22-23). “This event brings together youth of all backgrounds to celebrate the diverse Africana cultures and histories that they have learned alongside one another,” says Uniting Voices Chicago President Josephine Lee. “Through this community, our singers are becoming global leaders as they harness the power of music to bridge social divisions and explore what unites us in our common humanity.”
Spunky Old Broads Day (Feb. 1)
Yes, this is a real thing, and it’s a great reason to check out Yolanda Lorente: Designing for a Golden Girl at the Chicago History Museum (through June 8). As part of the museum’s Back Home: Polish Chicago exhibition, the fashion display highlights the hand-painted silk dresses and blouses Lorente designed in the 1980s and ’90s for entertainment icon and Oak Park native Betty White, whose Emmy Award-winning career spanned more than 80 years. While Lorente has retired, her work is still a part of the Chicago fashion community.
Doggy Date Night (Feb. 3)
Humans with a canine (50 pounds or less) may enjoy breakfast for two, overnight valet parking and a special welcome amenity to ensure a pampering stay at the Fairmont Chicago hotel.
Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14)
Thanks to Music Box Theatre and The Salt Shed, hopeless romantics and general cinephiles are invited to the Crying at the Shed Film Festival (Feb. 14-16) which includes screenings of such tearjerkers as In the Mood for Love (2000), Little Fish (2020), and Richard Linkater’s Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013) trilogy starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke.
The melancholy continues with the Joffrey Ballet’s Studies in Blue at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House (Feb. 15–25). The program features a world premiere by Stina Quagebeur, original work choreographed by Liam Scarlett and Andrew McNicol, and live music performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra. “This year continues to showcase our organization’s dedication to artistic exploration, and through championing modern creators and advocating for their compelling role in shaping our community, the Joffrey continues to advance Chicago’s dynamic and creative landscape,” notes President and CEO Greg Cameron.
Presidents Day (Feb. 17)
On Feb 19, The Chicago History Museum, which houses a permanent exhibition on Abraham Lincoln, is honoring Presidents’ Day with family-friendly activities, including helping young children write and send a letter to the President. Teens and adults who stay home may opt to stream Showtime’s The First Lady (2022) or Drunk History’s “First Ladies” (season 2, episode 10).
World Music Therapy Day (March 1)
Get a jump on this healing holiday with the Magic of Motown at the Auditorium Theatre (Feb. 24) featuring the stress-reducing beats of Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and other chart-toppers.
Chicago Sinfonietta presents ECHO at the Auditorium Theatre (March 16). The program includes the Chicago premiere of Florence Price’s Concert Overture No. 2; Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto performed by Amaryn Olmeda in her Chicago debut; Francis Poulenc’s Les biches Suite; and the world premiere of a piece by Clarice Assad.
International Women of Color Day (March 1)
Mildred Marie Langford, Shariba Rivers, and Adhana Reid play real-life instigators of change in TimeLine Theater’s Chicago premiere of Notes from the Field (Jan. 31-March 24). Under the direction of Mikael Burke, Anna Deavere Smith’s drama challenges the school-to-prison pipeline experienced by many Black Americans.
National Black Women in Jazz and the Arts Day (March 1)
Explore the life of jazz icon Billie Holiday by watching Andra Day’s Golden Globe winning turn in The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) on Hulu.
International Rescue Cat Day (March 2)
Feline friends can contact Alley Cat Allies to take action to protect cats, stay informed with the latest news on how to help cats in the community via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. Once this good deed is done, chill out with a cat-enhanced flick. Click here to choose between I Remember Mama (1948), Born Free (1962), Meet the Parents (2000) and Keanu (2016).
International Women’s Day (March 8)
Guggenheim Fellow choreographer Nejla Yatkin marks this global event with the world premiere of her interactive dance Ouroboros at Links Hall (March 8-10). “Every time we come together in a circle, we heal the sacred thread of the feminine,” says Yatkin. “For millennia, feminine power, expression and wisdom have been suppressed, dismissed and disrespected. I feel every time we honor our body, express our wisdom, share our voice and connect with our sensuality, we heal the sacred thread of the feminine. This piece also is a way to reclaim the original power of dance, which was inspired by observing, mirroring and imitating nature to understand ourselves and the world around us.”
In Glen Ellyn, Unearth offers a woman’s touch on cityscapes via the work of Chicago-based painters Karen Perl, Emily Rapport and Gwendolyn Zabicki at the Cleve Carney Museum (through March 10).
Women’s History Month (March 1-31)
Red Clay Dance Company marks its La Femme Dance Festival (March 14-16) with a special opening reception at The Arts Club of Chicago for celebrated choreographer Fatima Robinson whose recent credits include The Color Purple (2023), Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour in 2023, and the 2022 Super Bowl. The Emmy-nominated talent will also teach a dance masterclass. The festival concludes with performances at the Harris Theater featuring a solo piece by Paris-based choreographer Wanjiru Kamuyu, and two world premieres by its Red Clay Founder and Artistic Director Vershawn Sanders-Ward, and guest choreographer Michelle N. Gibson.
St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)
On March 3, Trinity Irish Dance Company is literally kicking off the St. Pat season by performing the world premieres of P.O.V. by esteemed choreographer Harrison McEldowney and Taking the Mick choreographed by Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard and Associate Artistic Director Chelsea Hoy. “At the Auditorium Theatre, we love showcasing the amazing wealth of talent in Chicago’s dance community,” says Auditorium Theatre CEO Rich Regan. “Trinity Irish Dance Company is a world-renowned company with deep Chicago roots. We are excited to have them back at the Auditorium Theatre for their annual Chicago engagement.”
National Teenager Day (March 21)
In anticipation of this special day, The Understudy presents the premiere production of Hanna Kime’s The Best Damn Thing (Jan. 25-Feb. 5). Elisabeth Del Toro plays Ellie, a 16-year-old struggling to find her place in a world that doesn’t take teenage girls seriously.
World Theatre Day (March 27)
Composer/musician/writer and co-artistic director Jenny Magnus will perform her solo show The Good at the Curious Theater Branch (March 29-April 21). The 50-minute act asks if not being good the same as being bad.
National Spelling Day (April 4)
Commemorate this orthographic holiday early with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Center Theatre (March 7-31) at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. The Rebecca Feldman musical features additional material by Jay Reiss, music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin. While the play is perfect for all ages, the Music Theater Works production includes adult only performances.