Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chicago Opera Theater
The “other” opera company in town,
Chicago Opera Theater doesn't get all the big names, but it does
make opera accessible to a wider audience with an emphasis on
American composers and performers who sing in English. It also
helps that tickets are less expensive and more plentiful than the Lyric
Opera's. The company performs three operas a year (Mar-May),
which usually run the gamut from classical tragedies by Handel to
20th-century satirical works.
Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Ran-
dolph Dr.
&
312/704
-
8414.
www.chicagooperatheater.org. Tickets $35-$120
adults, half-price for children and students. Subway/El: Red Line to Washington/
State.
DANCE
Chicago's dance scene is lively, but unfortunately it doesn't attract
the same crowds as our theaters or music performances. Dance lovers
should schedule their visit for November, when the annual
“Dance
Chicago”
festival (
&
773/989-0698;
www.dancechicago.com) is
held at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., on the
North Side. Featuring performances and workshops from the city's
best-known dance companies and countless smaller groups, it's a
great chance to check out the range of local dance talent.
The major Chicago dance troupes perform at the
Harris Theater
for Music and Dance,
205 E. Randolph St. (
&
312/334-7777
), in
Millennium Park. The 1,500-seat theater feels fairly stark and imper-
sonal—the gray concrete lobby could be mistaken for a parking
garage—but the sightlines are great, thanks to the stadium-style seat-
ing. Most of the troupes listed below perform there. For complete
information on local dance performances, check the Chicago Dance
and Music Alliance information line at
&
312/987-1123,
or visit
www.chicagoperformances.org
.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
If you're going to see just
one dance performance while you're in town, make it a Hubbard
Street one. Chicago's best-known dance troupe mixes jazz, modern,
ballet, and theater dance into an exhilarating experience. Sometimes
whimsical, sometimes romantic, the crowd-pleasing 22-member
ensemble incorporates a range of dance traditions, from Kevin
O'Day to Twyla Tharp (who has choreographed pieces exclusively
for Hubbard Street). Although the troupe spends most of the year
touring, it has regular 2- to 3-week Chicago engagements in the fall
and spring.
Office: 1147 W. Jackson Blvd.
&
312/850
-
9744.
www.hubbard
streetdance.com. Tickets $20-$75.
