Lakefront Entertainment: Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough
By Justin Sondak in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 14, 2005 1:55PM
Two of Chicagoist’s favorite summer traditions kick off this week. In Grant Park, dance instructors, bands, and DJs return to the Spirit of Music Garden for Summerdance. Further up the shore, Theater on the Lake begins its sixty-fourth year remounting some of the best recent work on Chicago’s stages.
Summerdance reminds us that no matter our differences, everyone around the world loves to dance. Even if we’re not so good at it, we look forward to brushing up on our salsa and swing and discovering push-style polka (Aug. 13). We like showing up early for the free lessons in order to avoid complete embarrassment once the band shows up. And for something a little different, the eclectic Wednesday night DJ showcase returns, as does the Sunday afternoon ballroom series.
For the next nine weekends you can catch up on shows you were meaning to see last year, or just enjoy them again, at Theater on the Lake. This weekend, the upstart House Theater brings “Curse of the Crying Heart”, the wildly popular second chapter of the San Valentino trilogy that the Trib calls a mix of “'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’ ‘The Mikado’ and ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.’” “Solo Latinas” marks Teatro Luna’s return to the lakefront in monologue form. The children are catered to in Lifeline Theater’s “A Long Way From Chicago” and Barrel of Monkey’s signature showcase “That’s Weird Grandma.” The Eclipse Theater Company goes retro on us with “Big Time,” a tale of Reagan-era business dealings in the Middle East. We’ll go further back in time in “Relevant Hearsay...Stories from 57,” an oral history written by Shirley Carney and adapted by MPAACT. Strawdog Theatre closes the season with the Jeff award-winning “Detective Story.”
Summerdance runs Wednesdays – Sundays from June 15 – August 28 at Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan Avenue. Admission is free.
Theater on the Lake runs Wednesdays – Sundays from June 15 – August 14 at Fullerton & Lake Shore Drive. Tickets are $17.50 and are available by calling 312-742-7994.