1. Celebrate Cubs Opening Day
Hey, have you heard that the Cubs won the World Series in November? Well, needless to say, people are pretty jazzed about this upcoming Cubs season. Even if you can’t make it to Wrigley, get out and celebrate the Cubs’ home opener with these 12 opening day specials—and don’t forget about $1 hot dogs!
Grammy-winning group of Tuareg musicians from northern Mali, Tinariwen, are playing at the Old Town School of Folk Music tomorrow night. Get a taste of the northern Sahara right from Lincoln Square. (Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N Lincoln Ave, Tue 7pm and 10pm. $38)
On April Fool's Day, we joked about Stephanie Izard opening a Medieval-themed restaurant called Goat of Arms. Now, we've teamed up with her to present two dinners that will approximate the experience of dining among lords and ladies. (Little Goat Diner, 820 W Randolph St, Tue, Wed 7pm. $95)
The Broadway staging of Aladdin opens in Chicago this week! See Disney's 1992 animated film come to life to the tune of Oscar winner Alan Menken’s unforgettable score. (Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W Randolph St, Tue–Fri 7:30pm. $41–$139)
Theater Wit’s staging of The Wiz is, in the words of our theater critic Kris Vire, “infectiously joyful.” See how Kokandy Productions managed to pump even more fun into the already delightful show. (Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont Ave, Wed–Fri 8pm. $33–$38)
NPR’s unapologetically dorky pop culture roundtable podcast is doing a live taping at the Harris Theater this week. Tickets are still available, so grab ‘em while you can! (Harris Theater, 205 E Randolph St, Wed 8pm. $45)
7. See your favorite YA novel right in front of you
Rogers Park’s Lifeline Theatre is currently staging A Wrinkle In Time, the young adult fantasy novel we all know and love. Head to the North Side to see this compelling stage adaptation. (Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N Glenwood Ave, Thu, Fri 7:30pm. $40)
Medieval Times and Maggie Daley Park have teamed up for the Great Chicago Egg Hunt, where kids scour the park for over 1,000 candy-filled Easter eggs. Plus, there are photo ops with knights and princesses, which is really what Easter is all about. (Maggie Daley Park, 337 E Randolph St, Fri 10am. $5)
9. Get out of your comfort zone
Chicago native and sex columnist Dan Savage brings his annual amateur porn fest, Hump! to the Music Box this week. The fest aims to celebrate people of all genders, sexualities and kinks. Don’t bring the kids to this one. (Music Box Theatre, 2722 N Southport Ave, Fri–Sat, 7pm. $25)
10. Celebrate the Empty Bottle’s 25th anniversary
Hip-hop duo the Cool Kids bring ‘90s-inspired beats to the Ukrainian Village venue this week. The Chicago-based pair are back together after calling it quits back in 2012. (Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western Ave, Fri 9pm. $25)
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