This week is all about eating, but next week will be all about the holiday frenzy and plans to make before 2012 comes to a close.  For a change of pace, especially on a Monday evening, we recommend that you check out Fear No Art's The Dinner Party on Monday, November 26 at the Mayne Stage. The Dinner Party is a creation dreamed up by the ever-enthusiastic Elysabeth Alfano, who brings together a dynamic group of creatives to sit together and eat and chat while a live audience listens in and looks on. Monday's event features several of my own favorite local personalities: the witty host of NPR's "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!", Peter Sagal, will be there, along with star violinist Rachel Barton Pine - a talent I saw perform just this past Friday night at a Scottish extravaganza called the Feast of the Haggis.  Also around the table will be SNL alum, actor and screenwriter Tim Kazurinksy, and the dinner will be created by Jared Van Camp of Nellcote (I still havent' managed to get reservations there at a decent time.) There will also be wine pairings and chocolate (by Vosges!).  There's more: Lynne Jordan, of the super fabulous Lynne Jordan and the Shivers, will be the opening act (she performed at my wedding, plus I never miss a chance to see her perform at the Drake) and artist/cab driver Dmitry Samarov will be sketching live. Seriously - this is too good to miss! If you can't make it there in person (which is the best option, since you get to taste the food!) you can watch live online while the show streams at TimeOutChicago.com/dinnerparty

Bon Appetit!  And Happy Thanksgiving from CGN!  

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Join host Elysabeth Alfano at the Mayne Stage the last Monday of every month for a live filming of THE DINNER PARTY, a completely new and different kind of show. Alfano invites 3 cultural luminaries and a celebrity chef to join in food, art, wine, Twitter, performances and conversation during this 90 minute show which also streams live on the internet. Can't make the Mayne Stage? Watch THE DINNER PARTY live on TimeOutChicago.com/dinnerparty and www.FearNoART.tv and tweet in (and win prizes) to be a part of this fantastic, new multi-dimensional show.

When & What & Where: November 26th live dinner, conversation, performances at the Mayne Stage and streaming live on TimeOutChicago.com/dinnerparty and www.FearNoArt.tv

Price: $25 Buy tix to Mayne Stage including food, wine and chocolate tastings, or free on-line viewing.

Mayne Stage: Doors open at 6:30 pm. Starts at 7PM, including dinner sampling. No late seating. Post show party at the Mayne Stage's Mezz Gallery.

Streaming On-line: starts at 7:30 pm CST on FearNoART.tv and TimeOutChicago.com/dinnerparty

More Information, click on Fear No ART presents THE DINNER PARTY.

MDW Fair 2012 is back and happening all weekend starting off with the Vernissage Opening Party tonight, Friday November 9 from 7pm-12am.

MDW Fair first debuted in spring 2011 as a gathering of independent art initiatives, spaces, galleries and artist groups from the Chicago area.  This year’s fair is a collaborative project between the Public Media Institute, Document, Roots & Culture, and threewalls featuring more than 75 exhibitors, publishers, and performers. MDW Fair highlights artist-run activities as well as grassroots and independent culture.

The Friday Vernissage Event invites the public to join in celebrating with food, drinks and music. From 7– 8:30pm tonight the Propellor Fund Award Ceremony is honoring the 15 winners of the 2012 Propeller Funds award. Propeller Fund is a grant for self-organized, public, and collaborative projects and is administered by threewalls and Gallery 400 at UIC. Also from 7pm until midnight tonight on the second floor of Mana Contemporary Chicago will be opening night festivities, including performance programs and libations.

For a detailed list of performances, events, and a complete list of participants throughout the weekend please check out MDW Fair 2012’s website.

When:

Saturday, November 10: 12-6pm

Sunday, November 11: 12-6pm

Where:

Mana Contemporary

2233 South Throop Street, Chicago

Logan Launch Festival is happening this weekend, an appropriate time for joviality considering October is Chicago Artist’s Month (CAM). The three-day festival is a celebration surrounding the opening of the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago.  The Center will serve as a hub for the vibrant arts scene at the University and a destination for the South Side and greater Chicago area.  This weekend's festivities are free, open to the public and happening now through Sunday, October 14.

Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
Photos by Tom Rossiter
© The University of Chicago

Numerous events are occurring throughout the weekend ranging from site-specific sound installations, multiple performances, plays, films, orchestra ensembles, discussions, lectures, readings, workshops, a live broadcast, as well as visual artworks. There are a few ongoing installations, such as Sonic Environments: The Work of Richard Lerman: Sound Installation Piece, as well as exhibits MFA: On Display, and Wall Text both presented from the Department of Visual Arts, as well as Self-Guided Tours.
 
Multiple performances are shaking up this evening, Friday, October 12, so be sure to check out the full schedule. Ricardo Basbaum’s “Would you like to participate in an artistic experience?” addresses complex social transformations through the circulation of a deceptively simple object, one of his “New Bases for Personality (NBP)” which is ongoing all day Friday. Music Department Piano Showcase, Los Cenzonties with David Hidalgo, Monk and Mingus: Performance by University Jazz X-Tet, Uballet, Deeply Rooted, The Ransom Notes, Student Performance of Tony Award-Winning Play “Proof”, and Spektral Quartet are all exciting events ranging from music to performance to dance, or some combination of the above. There will also be a chance for you and your friends to participate in informal performances at the Logan Cabaret Series Kick-Off at the Performance Penthouse from 9-11pm, Friday, October 12. More performances will be held throughout the weekend, including the Turtle Island Quartet concert on Sunday at 3pm.
 
Several discussion panels, lectures, and conversations will develop this weekend including a few this evening.  Beware the Stairs Are Always Moving: A Conversation with architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien takes place tonight from 6-7:30 pm.  Later on, from 8-9pm in the Café, Café Scientifique sessions invite the public to explore and debate current issues and interesting topics in science research at the University, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.
 
Family programming will take place all day Saturday including Family Telling Workshop; Barrel of Monkeys, “That’s Weird, Grandma”; Animation Workshop; and StoryTelling with the Ase Youth Ensemble. There will also be Arts Trolley Rides from noon - 5pm where guests can visit museums and cultural institutions across the University of Chicago campus including the Oriental Institute Museum, Renaissance Society, and Smart Museum of Art.
 
Open House Chicago (OHC) organized by the Chicago Architecture Foundation is an annual weekend festival providing free behind-the-scenes access to many of Chicago’s greatest places and spaces. The Logan Center, selected as one of OHC’s “Top Twenty Sites to Visit,” will offer self-guided tours for OHC participants that feature “backstage” areas of the performance spaces as well as private studios on Sunday from 10-5pm. Logan Center presents Scheduled Tours on Sunday to explore the Logan center with a knowledgeable guide. Hear about the building’s history, architecture, and role within the University with visits to the performance hall, blackbox theatre, digital media center, classrooms, gallery and more.
 
Look for more detailed information and a full schedule of events on the Logan Center for the Arts website, so you can participate in this dynamic community with its intriguing, intellectual, and enjoyable events.
 
Festival hours:
Friday: Noon – 11pm
Saturday: 10 am – 11pm
Sunday: Noon- 5pm

Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
915 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
Exterior construction view from the north
Photo by Tom Rossiter
© The University of Chicago

Marc Bamuthi Joseph/Living Word Project and Theaster Gates present: red, black, and GREEN: a blues—a multimedia collaborative project that addresses sustainability in urban neighborhoods.
Oakland native, spoken word artist and dancer, Bamuthi, founder of Youth Speaks and artistic director of Russell Simmons’ Brave New Voices an HBO documentary on youth poetry, poses the question: “What sustains life in YOUR community?” red, black, and GREEN: a blues (rbGb) includes the voices of people who are often neglected and excluded from the conversation surrounding “green thinking.” The performance rbGb is a manifestation of the project Life Is Living, a nation-wide series of festivals held in urban parks that emphasize art-making, radical activism, and education. Together Bamuthi and Gates, (Chicago-based performance and installation artist) combined their expertise in dance, text, and visual imagery to portray the extensive research pulled from the Life Is Living project, focusing on community and environmental awareness. rbGb will set the MCA stage April 12-14 along with a visual installation titled, Colored Museum, highlighting Theaster’s experience with repurposed material, urban planning, and design.
Tickets cost  $28 Non-members, $22 members, $10 students

Other related events include:
Dinner and a Show: Marc Bamuthi Joseph/The Living Word Project with Theaster Gates gives the audience a chance to eat and converse with the artists and MCA colleagues. Tickets cost $50

SHareOUT: comprises of a group of young people who combine text, rhythm, media, and conversation to communicate and articulate various realities on the MCA stage. Participating speakers will include: Young Chicago Authors, Kuumba Lynx, YOUmedia, and the MCA Creative Agency. This event is free.

For more information visit:
http://mcachicago.org
or http://mcachicago.org/upclose/ to follow the blog

This Holiday season get off the coach and into the Chicago scene. We are lucky to have so many great performances and ballets to chose from, so call up your sister or friend and spend the afternoon at a matinee and avoid the fury of last minute shoppers.

The Joffrey Ballet is one of the most prestigious schools of dance in the world, and their performances are always a special experience. This fall they performed the wonderful story of Don Quixote with elegance and grace, and this winter they will be showcasing none other then The Nutcracker. This beloved childhood story brings back memories to everyone, weather it reminds you of the painted faced nutcrackers around your house or the soundtrack that streamlines speakers during the holidays.

The ornate costumes and enchanting music truly brings to life the sultry Arabian dancers and high-kicking Russians. And nothing is as magical as the moment the Sugar Plum fairy takes that first step up onto her silky pink shoe.  Enjoy this holiday classic with someone special and indulge in the creative arts this season brings. Tickets are now available for select days at the Auditorium Theatre through December 27^th.

Also available this season at the Chicago Theatre, is the movie we all know and love A Christmas Story, The Musical! America’s #1 Christmas movie is moving from the silver screen to the stage in this adaptation of a family caught up in the Christmas high. Watch Ralphie Parker scheme his way through recess brawls and a maniacal department store Santa to get the gift of his dreams. The show runs until December 30 and tickets are available now, so go and see if Ralphie gets his Red Ryder Action Air Rifle BB Gun.

Charles Dickens’ heartwarming A Christmas Carol is brought to life at the Goodman Theatre. Get your fix of Tiny Tim and Ebenezer Scrooge with lavish costumes and sets in this family friendly performance that is not only entertaining but will leave you with a holiday cheer to spread to everyone. Get your tickets for the show, which runs until December 31.

After your matinee showing, or before your evening performance, stop at the traditional Christkindlmarket and pick up a delicious snack or the perfect ornament for that holiday grab bag. This will be the markets 16^th year in a row of spreading joy to all the holiday shoppers, acting as an oasis to the department store ruckus. Take advantage of what our city has to offer this season and bask in the spirit of Christmas.