27 things to do in Chicago Oct. 8-14

Theater

• Robert Falls directs the Lyric Opera’s season opener “Don Giovanni,” Mozart’s classic opera that weaves the tale of the infamous lothario Don Juan. Bass-baritone Christian Van Horn — an alumnus of the Ryan Opera Center, the Lyric’s artist-training program — stars in the lead role. (In a first for a major American opera company, the Oct. 18 matinee will feature an American Sign Language interpretation of a foreign language opera.) From Oct. 10-Nov. 1 at Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr. Tickets: $45+. Visit lyricopera.org.
• Shakespeare’s timeless romance, “The Winter’s Tale,” is a story of betrayal and forgiveness, reunion and reconciliation that travels from the darkness of Sicilia to the color and music of Bohemia. Edward Hall directs. From Oct. 13-Dec. 12 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand Ave. Tickets: $65+. Visit chicagoshakes.com.

• Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson’s “Waitress” is a musical celebrating friendship, motherhood and the magic of a well-made pie. Diane Paulus directs. From Oct. 13-18 at Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St. Tickets: $43-$121. Visit broadwayinchicago.com.
• The Gift Theatre presents the world premiere of Netta Walker’s drama, “Hayward,” a haunted love story about a grieving family reaching for each other and trying to come back together. AmBer Montgomery directs. From Oct. 14-Nov. 15 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater, 1700 N. Halsted St. Tickets: $45-$50. Visit steppenwolf.org/hayward.

• Music Theater Works stages “Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville,” a musical packed with beloved Buffet classics about a laid-back singer and a career-focused tourist whose worlds collide at a beachfront resort. From Oct. 8-Nov. 1 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets: $19.50-$106. Visit musictheaterworks.com.

• About Face Theatre and Raven Theatre present “A Strange Loop,” Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning autobiographical musical about a Black queer playwright (Eddie Weaver) who works as an usher on Broadway and is struggling to write an original musical. Mikael Burke directs. From Oct. 8-Nov. 8 at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets: $30-$45. Visit raventheatre.com.
• S.L. Daniels’ “Any Rebellion of Will” is a dark absurdist comedy about a depressed man who is kicked out of his authoritative parents’ home on his 25th birthday. Spencer Huffman directs. From Oct. 8-Nov. 1 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. Tickets: $5-$30. Visit trapdoortheatre.com.
• In Flavio González Mello’s “I.A. Inteligencia Actoral,” a theater company is preparing to open “Hamlet” when its lead actor decides to leave and proposes an unexpected solution: Paquito, his robot replacement. In Spanish, with English supertitles. Marcela Muñoz directs. From Oct. 8-Nov. 15 at Aguijón Theater, 2707 N. Laramie Ave. Tickets: $35. Visit aguijontheater.org.
• “Radical Futures” is B.Z. Florida’s play about two estranged friends who try to reconnect over hallucinogenic cocktails that trigger visions of tomorrow. From Oct. 9-Nov. 21 at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St. Tickets: $30. Visit thefactorytheater.com.
• MPAACT and FATE (Fehinty African Theater Ensemble) present “Crossing the Big Water,” Shepsu Aakhu’s adaptation of more than 20 personal stories that explore the varied voices of African immigrants to Chicago. Lauren Lundy directs. From Oct. 9-Nov. 22 at Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Tickets: $26-$54. Visit greenhousetheater.org.
• The Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University presents “Sanctuary Stories: A Journalism Theater Project,” a multimedia piece that captures in words and images the lives and communities connected with and affected by immigration in Chicago. From Oct. 9-18 at Athenaeum Center, 2936 N. Southport Ave. Tickets: $35. Visit athenaeumcenter.org.

Dance

• Ballet Hispánico performs “CARMEN.maquia,” a Picasso-inspired take on Georges Bizet’s classic opera that fuses contemporary dance with Spanish pasodoble and flamenco. At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Tickets: $54-$75. Visit atthemac.org.
• “Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights” takes Tchaikovsky’s iconic score and ballet into a new reimagined visual experience with vivid light design, illuminated costumes and dancers from around the world. At 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St. Tickets: $52-$112.50. Visit harristheaterchicago.org.

Music

• The Smashing Pumpkins’ current tour is one of the band’s most ambitious. The show features two distinct sets: one celebrates the 1995 album “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” the other journeys through nearly four decades worth of hits, deep cuts and fan favorites. At 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at United Center, 1901 W. Madison St. Tickets: $58+. Visit ticketmaster.com.

  

  Mikai Karl

• Beck tours behind his new album, “Ride Lonesome,” his first collection of all-new material in seven years. The songs evoke the haunting sonic landscapes of 2002’s “Sea Change” and 2014’s Grammy-winning “Morning Phase.” At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9-10 at The Auditorium, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr. Tickets: $79+. Visit ticketmaster.com.

• Collins Obinna Chibueze, aka Shaboozey, broke into country music in 2024 with the hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” a mix of country and hip-hop. He followed that up in 2026 with his Western-themed concept album, “The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.” Kashus Culpepper opens. At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence Ave. Tickets: $79. Visit ticketmaster.com.

• A lifelong singer, musical theater fan, dancer and writer, Audrey Hobert has long been developing her creative voice across disciplines. Her 2025 debut album, “Who’s the Clown?,” the first collection of songs Hobert wrote for herself, is an exploration of her creative vision. At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8-9 at Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine Ave. Tickets: $55-$100. Visit jamusa.com.
• Chicago a cappella begins its new season with choral music from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, including Edvard Grieg’s “Ave maris stella,” Jaakko Mäntyjärvi’s “Four Shakespeare Songs” and more. From Oct. 11-25 at various locations. Tickets: $45-$60. For more information, visit chicagoacappella.org.

Museums

• “Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-winning Works That Inform, Empower & Inspire” is a traveling exhibition that highlights the history and significance of the Pulitzer Prize. On display are winning photographs, journalism, literature, music and an interactive station with prize-winning journalism from local and regional media outlets. Opening night features a conversation with authors Percival Everett, Daniel Kraus, Amanda Vaill and photojournalist Jon Cherry. From Oct. 14-Dec. 31 at Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St. Admission is free. Visit pulitzerontheroad.pulitzer.org.

• “Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History” examines the artist’s history-making career as one of the most significant American sculptors of the 19th century. Stebbins created innovative marble and bronze sculptures, interpretations of literary and biblical subjects, as well as unprecedented allegories of American industry. From Oct. 9-April 18 Driehaus Museum, 50 E. Erie St. Admission: $13-$23, children under 12 free. Visit driehausmuseum.org.

Movies

• Ivan Reitman’s 1984 supernatural comedy, “Ghostbusters,” is screened with an orchestra performing Elmer Bernstein’s score. The 1984 blockbuster was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, who also starred alongside Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and Annie Potts. At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets: $71+. Visit ticketmaster.com.
• “The Revolution Is My Boyfriend: The Films of Bruce LaBruce” features the work of the queercore pioneer, including 10 films spanning more than 30 years of LaBruce’s career. Includes appearances by LaBruce along with Chicago filmmaker Joe Swanberg, filmmaker Henry Hanson, actress Susanne Sachsse and artist/professor Frédéric Moffet. From Oct. 9-11 at Facets, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. Tickets: $15-$50, all-access pass $125. For more information, visit facets.org.

• Cinema Femme Short Film Festival is dedicated to uplifting emerging women and gender-expansive filmmakers and amplifying their voices. Includes three programs of short films and director-actor Emily Robinson’s feature-length debut, “Ugly Cry,” with a post-screening Q&A with Robinson and co-stars Aaron Dominguez and Robin Tunney. From Oct. 11-13 at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave. Tickets: $20, $25. Visit musicboxtheatre.com.

Family fun

• Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience is an interactive journey to the cosmos that looks at the birth and death of stars, explores distant galaxies and comes face-to-face with a black hole. Developed with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Starstruck draws on decades of astronomical research to create a walkable universe. To Dec. 27 at Germania Place, 108 W. Germania Pl. Admission prices vary. Visit feverup.com.

• Teen Lit Night: Unbound is a celebration of young adult literature, art, culture and music. This year’s event includes a silent disco party, spooky book-themed mocktails and food, poster printmaking with a local artist, a free pop-up library and more. From 5:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St. Admission is free; register at chi.gov/teenlitnight2026.

Halloween happenings

• Rough House Theater’s “House of the Exquisite Corpse VI: Lullabies” returns with an all-new immersive puppet horror experience. Visit six rooms where you’ll peer through keyholes, cracks and hidden doors for horrors embedded in lullabies. From Oct. 8-Nov. 1 at Steppenwolf’s The Merle, 1624 N. Halsted St. Tickets: pay-what-you-can $22-$47. New this year is a package with the show, drink ticket, a giveaway and backstage tour, $75. Visit roughhousetheater.com.

• The 16th annual Glass Pumpkin Patch offers one-of-a-kind glass pumpkins in a dazzling array of colors, shapes and sizes. There’s also glass blowing and flamethrowing demonstrations where artists heat and shape glass rods into fall-themed miniatures, marbles and beads. From Oct. 9-11 at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Ill. 53, Lisle. Admission prices vary. Visit mortonarb.org.