Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Chicago After Dark
C
hicago's bustling energy isn't confined to daylight hours. The city
offers loads of after-hours entertainment, all with a distinctly low-
key, Midwestern flavor.
The inviting atmosphere at both the Chicago Symphony Orches-
tra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago is appealing to culture vultures,
while Broadway buffs can choose between big-league theaters such as
Steppenwolf and Goodman and the scrappy storefront companies
springing up around the city. The theater scene here was built by
performers who valued gritty realism and a communal work ethic,
and that down-to-earth energy is still very much present. Music and
nightclub haunts are scattered throughout the city, but Chicago's
thriving music scene is concentrated in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and
Wicker Park, where clubs are devoted to everything from jazz and
blues to alternative rock and reggae.
For up-to-date entertainment listings, check the local newspapers
and magazines, particularly the “At Play” (Thurs) and “On the
Town” (Fri) sections of the
Chicago Tribune
and the “Weekend Plus”
(Fri) section of the
Chicago Sun-Times;
the weekly magazine
Time
Out Chicago,
which has excellent comprehensive listings; and the
Chicago Reader
or
New City,
two free weekly tabloids with extensive
listings. The
Tribune
's entertainment-oriented website,
www.metro
mix.com
; the
Reader
's website,
www.chicagoreader.com
; and the
local Citysearch website,
http://chicago.citysearch.com
, are also
excellent sources of information, with lots of opinionated reviews.
1 The Performing Arts
Chicago is a regular stop on the big-name entertainment circuit,
whether it's the national tour of Broadway shows such as
Wicked
or
pop music acts such as U2 or the Dave Matthews Band (both of
whom sell out multiple nights at stadiums when they come to town).
High-profile shows including Monty Python's
Spamalot
and Mel
Brooks's stage version of
The Producers
had their first runs here
before moving on to New York.
