Chicago After Dark - Chicago - page 149

Like many other orchestras around the country, the CSO has tried
to diversify its programming to attract younger audiences. The
“Symphony Center Presents” series has recently included some of the
top jazz, world beat, Latin, and cabaret artists in the world. Although
demand is high, good seats for concerts—turned in by subscribers
who can't make it—often become available on concert days. Call
Symphony Center, or stop by the box office to check availability.
Orchestra Hall in Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. & 312/294 - 3000.
www.cso.org. Tickets $25-$110; box seats $185. Subway/El: Red Line to Jackson.
Grant Park Symphony and Chorus One of the city's best
cultural bargains, this music festival offers a series of free outdoor
classical music concerts from June through August. The symphony,
along with well-known visiting musicians and singers, performs in
the Frank Gehry-designed Pritzker Music Pavilion in Millennium
Park. Featuring Gehry's signature sinuous lines, the pavilion is sur-
rounded by dramatic ribbons of curved steel. Concerts are held
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with most performances begin-
ning at 6:30pm (7:30pm on Sat). Seats in the front of the pavilion
are reserved for subscribers, but the back rows are available on a first-
come, first-served basis. There's also plenty of lawn seating, so bring
a blanket and enjoy a picnic dinner. Pritzker Music Pavilion, Michigan Ave.
and Randolph St. & 312/742 - 7638. www.grantparkmusicfestival.com. Subway/El:
Red Line to Washington/State; or Brown, Orange, or Green line to Randolph/
Wabash.
OPERA
Lyric Opera of Chicago One of the top American opera
companies, the Lyric attracts the very best singers in the world for its
lavish productions. Talented musicians and performers satisfy opera
devotees, while newcomers are often swept away by all the grandeur
(English supertitles make it easy to follow the action).
The Lyric Opera performs in the handsome 3,563-seat Art Deco
Civic Opera House, the second-largest opera house in the country,
built in 1929. If you're sitting in one of the upper balconies, you'll
definitely want to bring binoculars (if you're nice, the regulars sitting
nearby may lend you theirs). There's only one problem with catch-
ing a show at the Lyric: The season, which runs through early March,
sells out way in advance. Single tickets are sometimes available a few
months in advance. Your other option is to call the day of a per-
formance, when you can sometimes buy tickets that subscribers have
turned in. Civic Opera House, Madison St. and Wacker Dr. & 312/332 - 2244.
www.lyricopera.org. Tickets $31-$187. Subway/El: Brown Line to Washington.

Value