Though finals week may be dominating your life, here’s a list of events to help you get out and see the best of Chicago summers before the quarter finally ends.
Friday / June 1
The campus’ classical music scene culminates this weekend with The Cathy Heifetz Memorial Concert, a collaboration of USO, University Chorus, and Motet Choir. The concert will feature five vocal soloists in addition to the full U of C orchestra and will feature Hindemith, Schumann, Whitacre, and Schubert. (Mandel Hall, 8 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday, $5 for students)
If you want to get in the mood for finals, how about catching up on a little War and Peace? Actually, it’s more like a lot of War and Peace, as the giant novel became an even bigger movie: the 1967 USSR version cost over $1 billion when adjusted for inflation. Part I of the 415-minute epic makes its U.S. premiere tonight at the Gene Siskel Film Center, and the entirety of the film will be shown in several parts at various times throughout the week. (164 North State Street, 6 p.m., $4 for students)
Saturday / June 2
Because it has a small but avid following on this campus, you’ve probably heard one of your friends mention Contra Dance, but perhaps you haven’t gone to an event yourself. Saturday’s your last chance to experience the traditional folk dance this year, featuring tunes from Ireland, Quebec, and Appalachia, among other countries and cultures. (Shoreland Ballroom, 8 p.m., $3 for students)
Sunday / June 3
One of the best-reviewed plays of the year, Oedipus Complex has been a sensation at the Goodman Theatre since the production opened. The last performance is this Sunday. It may be your final chance to experience Sophocles and Freud in a non-paper-writing, non-academic form, so take advantage! (170 North Dearborn Street, 2 p.m., $50)
Before the madness descends, you’re going to want to stock up on pancakes and massages. The quarterly Midnight Breakfast before finals week occurs tonight. Enjoy breakfast foods, massages from the women’s rugby team, and handouts from the SCC before finishing up that paper. (Hutchinson Commons, 11:59 p.m., free)
Monday / June 4
Guy Maddin came to speak on campus a couple of years ago, but you may not be aware that one of his most challenging films yet is currently playing in Chicago. Brand Upon the Brain!, a Gothic, expressionist, silent horror film, is playing all week, and it will give you a dose of weirdness for your Monday afternoon. (3733 North Southport Avenue, 5 p.m., $8.25)
Tuesday / June 5
Yo-yo Ma’s Silk Road Project has been raging all year, and it finally concludes this Tuesday in Millennium Park. It’s sure going out with a bang: The Stone Horse: A Silk Road Journey features performances by CSO and Civic Orchestra members and over 500 CPS students. There’ll be over 600 performers in total for the spoken word/musical retelling of the ancient fable. (Jay Pritzker Pavilion, 6:30 p.m., free)
The Museum of Contemporary Art begins to show off the full glory of Chicago summer when it kicks off its Tuesdays on the Terrace, an annual Chicago summer event. Throughout the summer, the MCA will feature free evening jazz concerts and dinner events outside every Tuesday. The summer starts off with the Josh Berman trio. Take advantage of the warm weather to expericne this summer tradition (220 East Chicago Avenue, 5:30 p.m., free)
Wednesday / June 6
In what promises to be one of the most uproarious shows of the summer, the Athenaeum Theater may be the first venue to host a musical adaptation of pornography. The Easy Street Players perform Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical, based on the campy ’70s porno flick about cheerleaders prostituting their way to cheer for the Dallas Cowboys. It’s the American dream, after all. (2936 North Southport Avenue, 8 p.m., $20)
Thursday / June 7
One of the most heralded productions in Chicago this summer may come from a top-notch Chicago director who also happens to be a lecturer in the College. Sean Graney, head of the Hypocrites Theater Company, helms an excellent production of Eugene Ionesco’s Theater of the Absurd classic The Bald Soprano. It’s the one play you have to see (with discount tickets) before heading your separate ways for the summer. (412 North Carpenter Street, 8 p.m., $10)
Once believed to have flown under the radar, The National is now featuring prominently everywhere you look in indie-rock circles. Boxer, The National’s fourth album, is already earning the chamber pop band album-of-the-year hype. They hit Metro tonight, a perfect pre-finals getaway into the city. (3730 North Clark Street, 9 p.m., $15)
