Top 10 reasons to fill up your calendar this month
PLEASE NOTE: Events may be postponed or simply canceled. Please call ahead to make sure they are still scheduled to take place.
New-music ensemble Picosa plays works by local composer Shawn Okpebholo as well as pieces by Jake Heggie and Francis Poulenc, in Portraits of Love. The program is part of Picosa’s ongoing residency at Epiphany Center for the Arts. Apr. 3. epiphanychi.com
Catch nearly 100 international features and shorts at the 38th edition of the Chicago Latino Film Festival, presented in a hybrid mix of in-person, drive-in, and at-home screenings. Apr. 21–May 1. chicagolatinofilmfestival.org
Nylon magazine recently praised Chicago bedroom-pop artist Mia Joy’s debut album, Spirit Tamer, for its melding of “catchy, shimmering shoegaze” and “otherworldly ambient soundscapes.” Hit up Joy’s belated record release show at Sleeping Village. Apr. 10. sleeping-village.com
Listen up, stereo snobs: AXPONA, billed as the largest high-end audio expo in North America, previews the latest in precision gear at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. Look for in-depth seminars and a killer record fair, too. Apr. 22–24. axpona.com
The live talk show Good Evening With Pat Whalen, now in residence at the Hideout, is known for disarming interviews with local newsmakers. Whalen’s guests at recent editions have included Governor J.B. Pritzker and Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle. Apr. 13. hideoutchicago.com
Comedian and storyteller Mike Birbiglia splashes down at Steppenwolf with his latest solo show, The Old Man and the Pool. Apr. 28–May 22. steppenwolf.org
Acerbic essayist Fran Lebowitz gained a new audience last year with Pretend It’s a City, the Netflix docuseries directed by Martin Scorsese. For her appearance at the Auditorium Theatre, Lebowitz will be in conversation with WBEZ’s Greta Johnsen. Apr. 15. auditoriumtheatre.org
The venerable Steppenwolf Theatre Company opens its new in-the-round Ensemble Theater with Seagull, a new adaptation by Yasen Peyankov of the Chekhov comedy. Apr. 28–June 12. steppenwolf.org
Olivia Rodrigo rocketed from Disney actor to Gen Z pop superstar last year, earning Grammy Award nominations in all four top categories for her debut album, Sour, and lead single “Drivers License.” She plays two nights at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom. Apr. 15–16. ticketmaster.com
Lookingglass Alice, the inventive, circus-style spin on Lewis Carroll that gave Lookingglass Theatre Company its name, returns to the stage for the first time since 2014. Apr. 30–July 31. lookingglasstheatre.org
Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. Find out where to go, what to eat, where to live, and more. Subscribe for free today!
Subscribe to one or more of our free e-mail newsletters to get instant updates on local news, events, and opportunities in Chicago.