Friday/ March 2
The chic and trendy will descend on Ida Noyes Hall for Moda’s Spring Fashion Show, a showcase of the work of Chicago- and campus-based designers. In addition to cutting-edge haute couture, the show features complimentary food and drinks and the option of VIP seating. (Cloister Club, Ida Noyes Hall, 8 p.m., $5 general, $10 VIP)
Saturday/ March 3
In early February, the German filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck came to the U of C’s Film Studies Center. In late February, he was onstage at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles accepting the award for Best Foreign Language Film. Now, Korean director Bong Joon-ho arrives at the Film Studies Center to present two of his works—the award-winning Memories of a Murder (2 p.m.), and his latest effort, The Host (5 p.m.), a critically acclaimed horror outing that opens in the U.S. on March 9. Following the screenings of both films, Bong will participate in a discussion moderated by U of C professor Kyeonghee Choi. (Film Studies Center, Cobb 306, Memories of a Murder 2 p.m., The Host 5 p.m. , discussion 7:15 p.m. , free)
The University Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Barbara Schubert, will tackle the tortured intensity of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, the composer’s last and perhaps greatest work. (Mandel Hall, 8 p.m., $10 general suggested donation, $5 student suggested donation)
Sunday/ March 4
Schola Antiqua, U of C artists-in-residence, will sing their early choral and chant music as part of the choral evensong and vespers. The group masterly recreates the polyphonic singing styles of an earlier era and will present their music in the perfect setting—the neo-gothic hall of Rockefeller Chapel. (Rockefeller Chapel, 5 p.m., free)
Puerto Rico–based artists Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla like to integrate whimsy and social commentary, utilizing video, photography, and sculpture to evoke both play and political consciousness. The works of Allora and Calzadilla will be on display for a month and a half at the Renaissance Society, but you can only meet the artists themselves if you attend the opening lecture. (Exhibition and reception, Cobb 418, 4 p.m., free; discussion, Cobb 307, 5 p.m., free)
Monday/ March 5
An exhibition of the paintings of Lorraine Peltz, Cosmic Hostess, has run at the Hyde Park Art Center since the middle of January, but now, the artist herself is coming for a “casual open discussion” of her work. The Art Center bills Peltz’s paintings as examining the “dreamy side of feminine fantasy and fashion culture,” and with any luck, the talk will broach the exact meaning of that beguiling phrase. (Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 South Cornell Avenue, 6 p.m., free)
Tuesday/ March 6
The 1940 film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath placed 21st on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 best American movies of the 20th century. The movie is a high watermark for one of cinema’s greatest directors, John Ford, and one of its greatest stars, Henry Fonda. Professor William Wimsatt, who chose to present the film at Doc’s invitation, will provide introductory remarks and lead a discussion following the screening. (Max Palevsky Cinema, 7 p.m., free)
Wednesday/ March 7
The Hideout’s “Immediate Sound” series, a showcase of Chicago’s best in improvised music, features one of its strongest lineups of the year as the fiery saxophonist David Boykins leads his Expanse Quartet into two sets of powerful and searching music. When Boykins and his group aren’t playing, Ken Vandermark, the de facto leader of Chicago’s improvised music scene and the organizer of the series, will serve as DJ, spinning a set entitled “Soundclash: Heavyweights in the Ring, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane.” For those who love the roar and growl of the tenor sax, Boykins, Rollins, and Coltrane won’t disappoint. (Hideout, 1354 West Wabanasia Avenue, 10 p.m., 21+, $6)
Thursday/ March 8
For jazz that’s closer to home, check out the University’s own exquisite ensemble, the Jazz X-Tet, which will be playing a tribute concert to Chicago women in jazz. Not only does the X-Tet feature the talents of up-and-coming jazzmen of the first order, but it’s led by the redoubtable Mwata Bowden, former chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Music and a key player on the Chicago jazz scene. (Fulton Recital Hall, Goodspeed Hall, 8 p.m., free)
