Tomorrow night, Chicago new-music group Fulcrum Point will give the first two Chicago performances of The News, the new opera by the Dutch avant-pop composer Jacob Ter Veldhuis that premiered in Pittsburgh last Friday. Ter Veldhuis, better known as Jacob TV, typically writes for one or more live musicians playing along with spliced TV excerpts. His music, which, in tonality, instrumentation, and rhythm, is essentially pop, takes its melodic material from recorded speech fragments, a technique made famous by Steve Reich's early tape pieces and developed further by Scott Johnson. The News is what Ter Veldhuis refers to as a "reality opera," with edited video clips of U.S. and international news playing a duet with eight instrumentalists and two live singers. more ›

The Scout may be exactly what the South Loop needs - a comfortable, upscale bar. While we're not huge fans of the scads of big-screen TVs, sports watchers will love it. And we are definitely partial to the beautifully-renovated space, the reclaimed wood bars, the wonderful natural light and the huge beer list. The Scout took over the space that formerly housed Opera, the Jerry Kleiner-designed temple to over-the-top red velvet and mosaic tiles. The new owner, Chris Bravos, has done such extensive re-building that even Opera fans will hardly notice that it's the same space. more ›

Earlier today, we heard from Eater Chicago that Red Light, the west loop/restaurant row Asian fusion mainstay, had closed, likely for good. We just got official word from Jerry Kleiner, part owner of KDK restaurant group, which controls both spots. Speculation has been fairly negative for KDK, owners of Marche (closed), Opera (just closed) and the still-hopping Carnivale. Gioco, their South Loop Italian spot, closed last weekend as well, and it was beginning to look like the group was in serious trouble. Red Light recently announced a new menu and a new chef, but it looks like they are gone for good. Gioco is apparently coming back. more ›

Chicago Opera Theater General Director Brian Dickie announced today that he will step down at the end of his contract in August 2012 and return to London with his family. That year will be Dickie's 50th in opera management and administration and will mark the end of a stunningly transformative era for the COT. more ›

There are so many Halloween events going on that we couldn’t fit them all in one post! Here are some more exciting events, including food, drink and pumpkin carving. more ›

Kate Aldrich, the mezzo-soprano scheduled to make her Lyric Opera of Chicago debut this Wednesday playing Carmen, the title character of Georges Bizet's most famous work, has bowed out due to side effects from her pregnancy. more ›

The Lyric Opera of Chicago's 56th season got underway last weekend with an original production of Giuseppe Verdi's "Macbeth," written in 1846 and revised in 1865 (the version the Lyric is currently performing), his tenth opera and his first to be based on Shakespeare play (and the only until his final two operas, "Otello," based on "Othello," and "Falstaff," based on "The Merry Wives of Windsor," each written some 40 years later). more ›

This weekend my parents are visiting from Virginia. These are the people who didn't bat an eye when I told them I wanted to go to college to pursue a career in music - classical music, mind you - and although the performing days are behind me, my love of music has remained. I have them to thank, so I owe them a good cultural time this weekend. They're eager to have one, too, coming from Virginia and all. It's not that the state is some boorish backwater - despite what Virginia's deceptively insane governor and aggressively insane attorney general would lead you to believe - but, hey, it just ain't Chicago, you know? more ›

Here's some attire-based perspective on Opera Cabal's "USW": We recently mentioned the relative adventurousness of Chicago Opera Theater compared to the Lyric Opera. Both companies consistently deliver wonderful productions, but COT tends to explore less mainstream opera, particularly works by American and modern composers. Well, Chicago-based Opera Cabal makes COT look like a blue blazer and loafers. more ›

Responding to flagging ticket sales, the Lyric Opera of Chicago is reducing the number of performances in the 2010-2011 season to 68, down 11 from the current season's 77. The cut translates to roughly 32,000 fewer available tickets. To further stoke demand, Lyric is also freezing the price of subscriptions. more ›

Orchestra members of the Lyric Opera opened the season on Saturday with a performance of Puccini's "Tosca" without a contract, Chicago Breaking News reports. more ›

We are looking to you, dear reader, to let us know where you'd like us to visit for our Food Pr0n series. Any restaurants in particular have you curious? Comment below or Twitter lstolpman. Here's a reminder of where we've been: more ›

Is there anything more beautiful than the cherubic voice of a singing child? Well, folks in the 18th century didn't think so. That's why they lopped off the testicles of prepubescent boys, halting their vocal development, as well as altering bone growth, which enlarged the rib cage and increased lung capacity. The result was a powerful and permanent child-like voice, perfect for Baroque opera. And you thought kiddie beauty pageants were bad. more ›

We're starting the Friday Buffet this week by giving a shout out to Green Zebra which is featured in Bon Appetit's February issue as one of the hottest vegetarian restaurants in the U.S. (Try the dish with the perfectly poached egg...it made us weep). Inaugural events will be covered by another entry today to keep your eyes peeled for some happenings. Let's get to the other events! more ›

We enjoy going to the opera, but classical opera plots tend to drag on for-ev-er. Luckily, this is not a problem with Georges Bizet’s Djamileh, a free mini-opera enjoying its Midwest premiere at the Chicago Cultural Center this August. The one-act “oriental fairy tale”, set in an Egyptian palace, will appropriately be taking place beneath the newly renovated Tiffany dome of Preston Bradley Hall. more ›

Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park is one of our favorite places in the entire city, but others seem to like it just as much, or at least, take full advantage of all the great free events that are available there each summer. more ›

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Man, are we ever tired expensive, indoor, un-simulcast opera. more ›