The Holidays Are Here! November In Chicago

November! The weather is completely unpredictable, the Holiday Season is officially underway, so we have the twin goals of preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas while having more fun than anyone thought possible. Please, as always, call ahead, make reservations and purchase tickets for events that require them, and keep an eye on the weather before every adventure.

The Holidays Are Here! November In Chicago

The month begins immediately tonight, Friday, November 1st, at the fabulous Rhapsody Theater, 1323 W. Morse Ave., https://rhapsodytheater.com, an intimate theater venue in Roger’s Park. Please meet us there about 7:30, so we can get tables together with time to spare and enjoy “Oh Là Là! Fabulous Friday with Isabelle Georges!”

 

Broadway World magazine wrote, “Being in a room when Isabelle Georges is performing is to be in the eye of a hurricane, and you will never want to leave!” Ms. Georges is here as part of the Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion. Not only that, but the show opens with Chicago’s own Lynne Jordan, a superb vocalist whose captivating voice ranges easily across blues, jazz, funk, rock and even country. Jeff Harner is our host tonight, and he is a cabaret sensation in his own right.  This will be a wonderful, exhilarating evening.

The Holidays Are Here! November In Chicago

The Holidays are a special time for the fashion conscious amongst us, so tonight, Friday, November 8th, let’s attend the Fall-Winter Ukrainian People Fashion Show.  The Ukrainian fashion designs are (in my estimation) more elegant and much more wearable than what you see on the runways elsewhere.  Evening and party dresses and suits will be prominent, and the show will finish with a special presentation of stunning wedding gown designs.  The show is in Lone Tree Manor, 7730 N. Milwaukee Ave., Niles, and the doors open at 6:30pm. Don’t worry about your Ukrainian language skills. Although most of the speakers and designers will be speaking Ukrainian, there are many friendly people who will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Of course, this is also a fundraiser for the Ukrainian people struggling still against the Russian invasion. Please be generous.

The Holidays Are Here! November In Chicago

Today, Saturday, November 9th, let’s get the whole gang together and attend a Blue Man Group performance at Briar Street Theater, 3133 N Halsted St., www.blueman.com/chicago. With luck, we’ll get seats in the “poncho rows” and get to wear plastic ponchos to protect us from splattering paint, flying marshmallows, Cap’n Crunch bits and spraying water. Hey, maybe one or two of us will be recruited to join the fun onstage!

 

Did you know that to be a Blue Man one must “be between five-foot-ten and six-foot-one, skilled at drumming, and able to ‘wordlessly emote’”? During performances they take on different personas, (which the group calls the ‘innocent, hero, scientist, shaman, group member, and trickster’,) expertly, brilliantly, silently expressing every possible emotion. They bring us easily into their very loud, raucous, emotional world, full of newly invented musical instruments, neon paints, visual enhancements, and their unmatched ability to make absurd situations relate to our own lives. Blue Man Group is always a hysterical, breathtaking, amazing show.

The Holidays Are Here! November In Chicago

Tonight, Friday, November 15th, let’s go see a Christmas play at the MAC, McAninch Arts Center, www.atthemac.org, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Last year, -remember?- we took in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberleyand found it quite satisfying. This year is bringing us “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley”, the second in a trio of yuletide sequels to Pride and Prejudice.

 

Set in the same Christmas celebration as last year, we soon discover that, downstairs, the servants are in the midst of a totally different scandal.  Mrs. Reynolds, the very British housekeeper; a new maid, Cassie; and Brian, a lovesick footman, are all working hard in preparation for the holidays and the invited guests.  They are rudely interrupted when an uninvited and most unwelcome visitor appears.  George Wickham, Lydia’s incorrigible husband, and Mr. Darcy’s sworn enemy, arrives in haste in the middle of the night, completely disrupting the holiday preparations.  If it’s anything like last year, the acting will be quick and spirited, with an energetic, playful dialogue.  We can expect to be charmed with a story that explores the confines of class and the generosity of forgiveness, and doesn’t care if you’ve ever read Jane Austin.

 

The show runs through December 15th, so if you can’t join us, please visit the MAC’s website and make plans.   Buffalo Theatre Ensemble never disappoints, the acting and direction are always excellent, and the theater is small enough that every seat enables a fine experience.

 

Wake up, sleepy heads, it’s Saturday, November 16th, and we’re getting an early start! Meet us for breakfast at Truth, 56 East Pershing Rd., https://truthitalian.com, where the breakfast menu will boggle your mind and overwhelm your senses. Seriously. There are Belgian Waffles, French Toasts, egg dishes and both breakfast and savory specials. They open at 8:00am, we’ll arrive about 9:00am, so please join us for coffee and, (speaking for myself,) a cajun crawfish, onion, tri-color pepper omlette.  I’m satisfied, how about you?

 

Follow us up DuSable Lake Shore Drive, use your app to find parking near the Art Institute of Chicago, https://www.artic.edu, and meet us at the Michigan Avenue Entrance, 111 South Michigan Ave., promptly at 11:00am when it opens. This is Chicago’s best museum, full of so many wondrous works of art and culture, dating from current times to items that are 6,000 years old.  We’ll see many different works, of course, but we’re here today to take in the absolutely spectacular Neapolitan crèche.

 

This ornate Nativity scene, so carefully designed, crafted and constructed, was more than three years in the making; from 1772 to 1775.  There are more than 200 painted terracotta figures staged in the cabinet, all placed deliberately in a fully three-dimensional environment intended to reflect 18th-century Naples. In the upper register we find those depicted in the Gospel; the Holy Family (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) the shepherds, the Three Wise Men, and the singing angels. Surrounding them are scenes of Neapolitan daily life, including a raucous tavern, a bucolic pasture, and a street crowded with vendors.

 

The Art Institute explains “By placing the events of the Nativity in 18th-century Naples, the crèche, like others of its kind, expands upon central religious themes to showcase the contemporary world, blending the sacred with the secular, the everyday with the extraordinary. It presents a cross-section of Neapolitan life alongside symbols of the ancient Roman Empire and its central Christian scene, heralding the triumph of Christianity. In the crèche, recognizable local characters peddle their wares, tend to livestock, and celebrate in the local tavern while angels fly overhead.”

Naples was an international, cosmopolitan port city, with people from across the world and all trades and jobs.  In this creche, visitors from other lands, non-Christians, and people of color are considered exotic; they are shown as foreigners, wearing turbans and billowing trousers, not the rustic Neapolitan garb of the figures below.

 

These juxtapositions are typical of European crèches since the Renaissance. By highlighting the vibrant social fabric of Naples, we are encouraged to experience “the miraculous amid the mundane” and to find joy even in the hectic hustle of our everyday lives.  That’s a good reminder for all of us, all the time, especially during the Christmas holidays.

The Holidays Are Here! November In Chicago

Meet us after work today, Friday, November 22nd, and we’ll head to Millennium Park for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The pre-show and speeches start at 5:00pm. It’s always fun to enjoy the press of people, encircling that huge tree, waiting for the speeches to conclude and the countdown to begin. Then, with its own kind of magic, thousands of multi-colored lights suddenly shine and twinkle to enliven our nights from now into January.  The ceremony ends with a glorious fireworks display, and a visit to Kilwins, 310 S. Michigan Ave., www.kilwins.com, for some fudge and chocolate candies.

The Holidays Are Here! November In Chicago

Now walk with us over to Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St., for our annual stroll through Christkindlemarkt, the market is inspired by the 16th century original in Nuremburg, Germany. The different vendors hail from around the world, and the goods are generally of exceptional quality. Hot chocolate, a pretzel and a bratwurst make the perfect dinner.  Are you collecting this year’s hot chocolate mug? We always pick out a new ornament for the tree and there are lots of vendors with hundreds to choose from.  Perhaps this year we’ll indulge in one of those wooden creations that articulate in complicated fashion.

 

Tonight, Saturday, November 23rd, please meet us, once again, at 7:00pm, at the MAC, McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, www.atthemac.org, because the season would not be complete without seeing “A Christmas Carol”. Chicago actor, William Norris, has adapted Charles Dickens classic into a 70-minute show, brought to us tonight by the College Theater department.  Bring the whole family, of course, everyone will enjoy seeing Mr. Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim portrayed by a high-spirited cast of 50 local actors and children.

The Holidays Are Here! November In Chicago

Hey, it’s Thursday, November 28th, Thanksgiving! My favorite holiday of the year is upon us once again. We’re hosting the family this year, so we’ll be watching the parades on TV while we chop vegetables, bake biscuits, and get the turkey into and out of the oven.  You, however, should go to the

Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade which starts at 8:00am and goes on until 11:00am. It’s one of America’s very best parades, and it travels along State Street, from Ida B. Wells Dr. to Randolph St.

The Holidays Are Here! November In Chicago

Whew! Has this not been a glorious month? The Thanksgiving celebration may be over, yet we give thanks daily for all the wonder and joy that has been ours to experience this month, indeed this entire year. Christmas is almost upon us, and the New Year as well; no doubt December will be just as exhilarating, so until next month, stay busy, happy, and adventurous!