Starts before Friday
“Downton Abbey — The Exhibition”: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, March 27-31, at Westfield Old Orchard Shopping Center, 4905 Old Orchard Center, Skokie. See never-before-seen elements from the show, including original costumes, production-used props and exclusive footage from “Downton Abbey.” $27-$64. downtonexhibition.com.
Anna Martine Whitehead, “FORCE! an opera in three acts”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 28-30, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago. Features a live band blending gospel, folk, pop and jazz with experimental dance, song and spoken word. $30, $10 for seniors and students. visit.mcachicago.org.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Robert Chen, The Music of Bach: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28, and Tuesday, April 2, and 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 29, at the Chicago Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen leads the Third Brandenburg Concerto, Violin Concerto in E Major and Orchestral Suite No. 1. Chen also teams up with Principal Oboe William Welter in Bach’s Concerto for Oboe and Violin. $80-$900. cso.org.
Bad Bunny brings his “Most Wanted Tour” to Chicago’s United Center Thursday through Saturday, March 28-30.
Associated Press
Bad Bunny’s “Most Wanted Tour”: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 28-30, at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago. Parental guidance suggested. $119.95-$879. unitedcenter.com.
Friday, March 29
Bunny Brunch at Lambs Farm: Seatings at 9 and 10:30 a.m. and noon Friday and Saturday, March 29-30, at Magnolia Cafe & Bakery at Lambs Farm, 14245 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville. Buffet, spring crafts and time with the Easter Bunny. Reservations required. $17.95, $7.95 for kids 23 months and younger. lambsfarm.org.
Easter Egg Scavenger “Hunt”ley: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, March 29, at the Huntley Area Chamber Office, 1 Union Special Plaza Suite, Crystal Lake. Check in and get the first clue between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the chamber office and explore Huntley on Route 47 to find eggs, clues and prizes. $5 per child. Register at huntleychamber.org.
“Spring Awakening”: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 29-30, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., Elgin. An angsty rock musical adaptation of the seminal play about the trials and tribulations of growing up. $20. wearethehome.org.
Jordan Rainer’s “Straight Shot Tour”: 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 29, at the Woodstock Opera House, 121 W. Van Buren St., Woodstock. Country. $35-$40. woodstockil.gov/257/Opera-House.
Bianca Del Rio’s “Dead Inside” Comedy Tour: 8 p.m. Friday, March 29, at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago. Comedy. $43.50-$53.50. chicagotheatre.com.
The Chain and Petty Union: 8 p.m. Friday, March 29, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. The Chain pays tribute to the music of Fleetwood Mac while Petty Union plays the music of Tom Petty. $29-$39. arcadalive.com.
Cowboy Mouth: 8 p.m. Friday, March 29, at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Rock, blues, punk, funk, country, pop and soul. $30. evanstonspace.com.
Wishbone Ash will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, March 29, at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles.
Daily Herald File Photo
Wishbone Ash: 8 p.m. Friday, March 29, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. Progressive rock. $39-$89. arcadalive.com.
Saturday, March 30
Spring Egg-Stravaganza: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 30, at Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago. Six egg hunt zones with different difficulty levels, terrain and potential animal sightings. $25. tickets.lpzoo.org.
Easter Eggventure: 9-11 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at Hawthorn, 122 Hawthorn Center, Vernon Hills. Held outdoors at Hawthorn Row (weather permitting), this event will include egg hunts for kids 2-9, the Easter Bunny at 9:15 a.m., face painting, balloon twisting, and meet-and-greets and performances by princesses and other characters from 10-10:30 a.m. $4. visithawthorn.com.
Eggstravaganza Trail: 9-11 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at Rose Park, 412 S. Lewis, Waukegan. Kids 2-13 can collect eggs from the Easter Bunny and friends along the trail from 10-11 a.m. Plus, pony rides, a petting zoo, hands-on bubble stations, vendors and more. Free. waukeganil.gov.
Breakfast with the Bunny: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Oakton Community Center, 4701 Oakton St., Skokie. Event includes crafts and an egg hunt at 11:30 a.m. $17 for residents, $19 for nonresidents, free for kids younger than 1. skokieparks.org.
Easter Party: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 680 S. Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Includes a walk-through story, crafts and an egg hunt. An adult should accompany all kids. Free. southminsterpc.org.
Arcada Easter Egg Hunt: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 30, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. Take part in an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt in the Arcada Theatre Building. Event includes a coloring contest, raffle baskets, face painter, balloon artist and photo ops with the Easter Bunny. Each child gets a holiday treat. For kids 10 and younger. $10. arcadalive.com.
Breakfast with the Easter Bunny: 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. Breakfast Buffet in Rock N. Ravioli, followed by photos with the Easter Bunny. $25 for adults and kids 2 and older; free for kids younger than 2. arcadalive.com.
The Elmhurst Park District’s Doggie Eggstravaganza happens at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at Berens Park in Elmhurst.
Daily Herald File Photo
Doggie Eggstravaganza: 11 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at Berens Park, 493 N. Oaklawn Ave., Elmhurst. Dogs of all sizes can hunt for treat-filled eggs. Dogs must be kept on a nonretractable leash (maximum of 6 feet), be current on all vaccinations and visibly wear tags. Free. epd.org.
The Long Grove Bunny Hop comes to downtown Long Grove from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 30.
Courtesy of HDLGBA
Long Grove Bunny Hop: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 30, in Historic Downtown Long Grove. Includes face painting, coloring station, fire truck tours, visit with real rabbits, meet the Easter Bunny, Easter eggs and more. Free. longgrove.org.
Volo Museum will hold its Princess and Superhero Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 30.
Courtesy of Jim Wojdyla, Volo Museum
Princess/Superhero Day at Volo Museum: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Volo Museum, 27582 Volo Village Road, Volo. Meet five princesses and more than 30 superheroes. $12.95-$20.95. volocars.com/volofun.
Bumpin Uglies with Bikini Trill: 7 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. $20. evanstonspace.com.
JJ Smith: 7 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. 2023 Battle of the Bands winner JJ Smith performs songs that put a modern spin on the rock and folk movements of the ’60s and ’70s. With special guest Jake Racina. $20. rauecenter.org.
Singer/songwriter Carolyn Wonderland performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago.
Courtesy of Alligator Records, photo by John Grubbs
Carolyn Wonderland: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St., Chicago. The award-winning Texas guitar slinger, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist will perform the blues concert. With Amythyst Kiah. $30, $10 for students, seniors and kids 12 and younger. logancenter.uchicago.edu.
Damian + Stephen Marley’s “Traffic Jam Tour 2024”: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago. Reggae artists perform. $48.25. livenation.com.
Ledisi’s “The Good Life Tour”: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago. Ledisi performs with special guest BJ The Chicago Kid. $60.50-$130.50. chicagotheatre.com.
Thunderstruck: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. Thunderstruck recreates the spirit and energy of an AC/DC concert. With special guest Night Songs, a tribute to Cinderella. $29-$39. arcadalive.com/event/thunderstruck-20240330.
Sunday, March 31
Glass Beach: 7 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., Chicago. With Arcadia Grey and Fleece Kawasaki. $25-$270. thaliahallchicago.com.
Steve Forbert: 7 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Americana music pioneer Steve Forbert performs with Jacky Dustin. $20-$30. evanstonspace.com.
Monday, April 1
Jamming Offline: 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 1, at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., Chicago. Chicago-born standup comic Caleb Hearon and Nashville-based indie-rock artist Annie DiRusso perform with Derry Queen and Liza Treyger. $25. thaliahallchicago.com.
Shakespeare’s Sonnets Reborn: 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 1, at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Mortal Fools, a collective of Chicagoland musicians, puts the words of William Shakespeare’s sonnets to modern music. $12. evanstonspace.com.
Tuesday, April 2
The Tim O’Brien Band: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at Space, 1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Bluegrass. $25-$40. evanstonspace.com.
Girlschool with Lillian Axe and Alcatrazz: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., Chicago. Rock. $35-$300. thaliahallchicago.com.
Wednesday, April 3
Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts: 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at the Seventeenth Church of Christ Scientist Chicago, 55 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Double bassist Nina Bernat and pianist Umi Garrett will perform music by Nadia Boulanger, Sergei Prokofiev, Joseph Achron and Reinhold Glieré. Free. classicalmusicchicago.org.
Bolingbrook Arts Council Blues Lab Jam Session: 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill, 431 W. Boughton Road, Bolingbrook. Students ages 11-19 can experience the art of improvisational blues music. bolingbrook.com.
TWRP Digital Nightmare 2024 Tour: 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., Chicago. TWRP presents “the sound of the future as imagined in the 1980s” in genre-blurring synth-rock. $25. thaliahallchicago.com.
Thursday, April 4
Music on Tap at Alter Brewing Co.: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at Alter Brewing Company, 2300 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 213, Downers Grove. Local musicians perform. Free. fb.me/e/3zWlWAIkc.
Bert Kreischer’s “Tops Off World Tour”: 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago. Comedian, podcast host, actor and author Bert Kreischer performs. $35.75-$121. unitedcenter.com.
“I Think You Should Leave” with Tim Robinson: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago. The show will include Tim and Zach, along with some friends, in a casual forum, on stage. Never-before-seen sketches will be shown, along with other special guest appearances. $49.50-$99.50. chicagotheatre.com.
Little Texas: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. Country. $39-$89. arcadalive.com.
Splish Splash! The Music of Bobby Darin: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. Ron Gartner and his seven-piece band share the music of Bobby Darin along with multimedia and backstage stories. $25. geneseetheatre.com.
Five For Fighting: 8 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston. The band will perform with a string quartet. $36-$72. evanstonspace.com.
Laura Pausini’s “World Tour 2023/2024″: 8 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont. The Italian singer and songwriter performs. $57.99-$197.99. rosemont.com/theatre/.
On stage
Marriott Theatre’s “James and the Giant Peach”: 10 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday, March 27-30, plus 12:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 28-29, at the Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. Roald Dahl’s beloved story is brought to musical life. $15.75. marriotttheatre.com.
“The Penelopiad”: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28; 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 29; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30; and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. An unexpected remix of Homer’s The Odyssey, as told by Margaret Atwood. $50-$300. goodmantheatre.org.
“Peter Pan”: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays through April 7 at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago. The classic story of the boy who never grew up. $35-$90. broadwayinchicago.com.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”: 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 27; 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 28-30; and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at the North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. A group of dedicated students compete for the spelling bee championship that celebrates the pursuit of the ultimate prize while finding the joy of being oneself. $39-$84. northshorecenter.org.
“Love Song”: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 2:30 p.m. Sundays through April 21 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The Remy Bumppo Theatre Company presents a quick-witted, off-kilter romantic comedy by John Kolvenbach. $10-$52. remybumppo.org.
“Topdog/Underdog”: 7 p.m. Friday, March 29; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 30; and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at the Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. A darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity, about Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. $45. invictustheatreco.com/topdog.
“Nunsense, A Musical Comedy”: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 29-30, at Three Brothers Theatre, 115 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. A spoof about the misadventures of five nuns trying to manage a fundraiser. $15-$25. threebrotherstheatre.com.
“Two Hours in a Bar”: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays through April 21 at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago. A double bill of one-acts: “Waiting for Tina Meyer” and “Text Me.” $34; students and seniors $29; military $12. citylit.org.
“Easter Bunny Bingo: Jesus, Resurrection & Peeps”: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 29-30, at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. An Easter-themed interactive comedy play written by Vicki Quade, co-creator of the hit comedy “Late Nite Catechism.” $35. greenhousetheater.org.
“Skunk and Badger”: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through April 7 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. The world premiere production of a play based on the book by Amy Timberlake and illustrated by Jon Klassen that navigates the rocky road of two very different roommates. $20. lifelinetheatre.com.
Blue Man Group: Various times and dates at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St., Chicago. The iconic performance art group featuring percussion and other types of music and art. Recommended for kids 3 and older. $49-$69. blueman.com/chicago.
“The Choir Of Man”: Various times and dates through May 26 at the Apollo Theater, 2550 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. A cast of nine (extra) ordinary guys combine harmonies, singalongs, tap dance and poetic meditations on the power of community, featuring pop, classic rock, folk melodies and pub anthems. $35-$59. apollochicago.com.