Classical MusicMusic

Merit School of Music Announces New Merit Near North Branch in Old Town Neighborhood  

Chicago’s Merit School of Music– a nationally accredited music school headquartered in the West Loop – proudly announces the opening of Merit Near North branch in the Old Town neighborhood at 458 W Eugenie Street. Merit will begin offering private music lessons, group classes, and early childhood music classes at Merit Near North this Fall. As part of Merit’s multi-year growth-focused strategic plan, the new expansion is grounded in Merit’s mission to transform the lives of Chicago-area young people by removing barriers to a high-quality music education. The bold strategic plan also encompasses a new Merit South Shore branch which launched this past summer through a partnership with Bryn Mawr Community Church.

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Classical MusicMusic

Lyric Opera of Chicago Announces Annual Sunday in the Park with Lyric Concert on August 25, 2024

Celebrate the start of Chicago’s cultural season with a melodic evening under the stars. Lyric’s annual free concert, Sunday in the Park with Lyric, takes place on August 25, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park and promises an opportunity to embrace the end of summer with a fun-filled night of music. The event will be hosted by Lyric’s Chief Artistic Administration Officer Matthew Ozawa, NBC5’s Arts and Entertainment Reporter LeeAnn Trotter, and the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth.

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Theater

Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale Coming to Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents the highly anticipated The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale.
Based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, this production comes to the stage in a US premiere directed by Paul Hart, July 19–September 1, 2024, in The Yard. This adventure through the epic realm of Middle-earth has been beloved by generations of readers. With book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus and original music by Academy Award winner A.R. Rahman (Bombay Dreams, Slumdog Millionaire), Finnish folk band Värttinä, and Tony Award winner Christopher Nightingale (Matilda the Musical), this theatrical event celebrates the greatest accomplishment in Middle-earth, making for an unforgettable experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

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Theater

Court Theatre to Present the Return of An Iliad June 4 – 29

The Court Theatre – under the leadership of Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre – is proud to announce a special addition to the 2024/25 season: Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare’s An Iliad, based on Homer’s epic poem of the same name. This production is a remount of the critically acclaimed production directed by Senior Artistic Consultant Charles Newell, starring Timothy Edward Kane. An Iliad will run Wednesday, June 4 – Sunday, June 29, 2025, at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. 

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Dance

Dozens of Chicago Arts Organizations Boosted by over $500,000 in Cash Reserve Grants from Donnelley Foundation

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation—which supports land conservation, artistic vitality, and regional collections for the people of the Chicago metro area and the Lowcountry region of South Carolina—has announced it has expanded its commitment to Chicago’s small arts organizations by offering Cash Reserve Challenge Grants of $10,000-$25,000 to eligible arts grantees across the city, increasing the sector’s financial stability and sustainability.

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ArtsSpring 2024

Chicago Flyover is an Amazing Navy Pier Experience You Won’t Want to Pass On

Just imagine soaring over Chicago’s stunning skyline, from the heights of the sprawling skyscrapers above Michigan Avenue down through the streets of the city’s expansive neighborhoods. Imagine being able to scale the city’s enormous footprint and at once zoom down through the open doors of one of it’s most iconic venues, zipping in and out of corridors and walkways, spying a concert performance at stage level just before dashing up to the balcony and out the doors again, skimming across Lake Michigan just inches from its surface. This kind of first-person, birds-eye-view of Chicago has never before been possible, at least for those of us without wings.

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MusicSpring 2024

Millennium Park Unveils an Avalanche of Performances and Festivities for Big 20th Anniversary Season Celebration

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) have announced the 2024 Millennium Park 20th Anniversary Summer Season—bringing free world-class arts programming to the Midwest’s number 1 attraction celebrating its milestone anniversary this season. Artist lineups were recently announced for the popular Millennium Park Summer Music Series (most Mondays and Thursdays, July 1 – August 8) featuring some of the biggest names in music including Corinne Bailey Rae, Terrace Martin, Charlie Musselwhite, Buscabulla, GZA, Protoje, Seun Kuti, the NPR Tiny Desk Contest Winner, and others. This seven-part music series showcases a wide range of genres at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Pre-shows for each concert begin at 5:30 p.m.; concerts start at 6:30 p.m.

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