Things to do in Chicago April 4-10: The Mix

Museums

• “The United Colors of Robert Earl Paige” is a career-spanning survey of the Chicago-based artist, designer and educator. The 87-year-old Woodlawn native creates works inspired by the patterns and textures of everyday Black life. Featuring more than 100 artworks and artifacts from the artist’s personal archive, the expansive exhibition shows how Paige’s work moves beyond the use of commercial textiles for retail, interior design, and fashion, into original silk paintings, drawings, collage and ceramics. From April 6-Oct. 27 at Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell. Admission is free. Visit hydeparkart.org.
  
• “Christina Ramberg: A Retrospective” is the first comprehensive survey of the Chicago artist’s work in more than 30 years. Ramberg pushed boundaries with her paintings, straddling figuration and abstraction, while questioning idealized body types and gender presentation. The more than 100 works featured range from intimate early paintings focused on pattern and form of women’s hairstyles and garments to mature work featuring cropped female torsos and hands. From April 4-Aug. 11 at Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan. Admission: $14-$32. Visit artic.edu.

Theater

• Meredith Willson’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy “The Music Man" stars KJ Hippensteel as Harold Hill, the fast-talking traveling salesman who cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a band he vows to organize, but his plan to skip town is foiled when he falls for Marion (Alexandra Silber), the town librarian. Directed and choreographed by Katie Spelman. From April 10-June 2 at Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr., Lincolnshire. Tickets: $60+. Visit marriotttheatre.com.
  
• Based on the stories of Damon Runyon, the musical “Guys and Dolls,” filled with Frank Loesser’s memorable tunes, is a romantic comedy involving con man Nathan Detroit (Jackson Evans), high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson (Pepe Nufrio) and straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown (Erica Stephan). Dan Knechtges directs and choreographs. From April 10-June 9 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Ln., Oakbrook Terrace. Tickets: $94.95. Visit drurylanetheatre.com.

• Pianist-actor-playwright Hershey Felder, a Chicago favorite known for his one-man portrayals of classical and American composers, makes his Writers Theatre debut with his original one-man show “Monsieur Chopin,” a play with music in which he brings to life the story and music of the man once called the “poet of the piano.” Joel Zwick directs. From April 10-May 12 at Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Ct., Glencoe. Tickets: $35-$90. Visit writerstheatre.org.
  
• Babes With Blades Theatre, the company that uses stage combat skills as a storytelling tool, presents “The S Paradox,” Jillian Leff’s sci-fi thriller about a woman who attempts to go back in time to prevent her naïve younger self from going in the wrong direction. Morgan Manasa directs. From April 7-May 18 at The Factory Theatre, 1623 W. Howard. Tickets: $28-$35. Visit babeswithblades.org.
  
• Mahdi Theatre presents “Bronzeville the Musical,” the soulful story of a father who guides his wayward teenage son on a journey through his ancestral history. From April 5-14 at Studebaker Theatre, Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan. Tickets: $46-$89.50. Visit fineartsbuilding.com/studebaker.
  
• New York’s PM Theater presents Mihail Sebastian’s “A Star Without a Name,” a tragicomedy set in the Romanian countryside about a simple school teacher who falls in love with a mysterious woman. Will their love survive? At 7:30 p.m. April 6-7 at Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division. Tickets: $50. Visit chopintheatre.com.

Dance

• Giordano Dance Chicago presents the world premiere of Al Blackstone’s “Gershwin in B,” a celebration of the composer’s music and the company’s dancers. Also on the program is another world premiere, Adam Houston’s pax de deux “unconditional,” as well as Ray Leeper’s “Soul,” a full company work set to the music of Gladys Knight and the Pips, Al Green and Tina Turner; and Davis Robertson’s “Entropy,” set to the music of Astor Piazzolla. At 7:30 p.m. April 5-6 at Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph. Tickets: $20-$90. Visit harristheaterchicago.org.

Comedy

• Thought-provoking comedian, actor and podcaster Marc Maron returns to town with his All In Tour, which promises new material from the 60-year-old comic. The tour comes on the heels of his 2023 HBO special “From Bleak to Dark,” where he used his comic sensibilities to reckon with the tragic death of his partner, director Lynn Shelton. At 7:30 p.m. April 5 at Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield. Tickets: $49.50-$69.50. Visit jamusa.com.
  
• For 50 years, some of the funniest students at Northwestern have taken the stage to improvise at the annual Mee-Ow Show. Many of them — including TV stars Ana Gasteyer, Craig Bierko, Kristen Schaal and Dermot Mulroney — are returning to campus April 6 for a reunion featuring panel discussions from 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and a comedy jam starting at 6. Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Dr. in Evanston. $25. www.mee-owshow.com.
  

  Music

• Power pop pioneer Matthew Sweet comes to town for his first local show since 2019. In addition to Sweet on guitar, his band includes Debbi Peterson (The Bangles) on drums, Paul Chastain (Velvet Crush) on bass and John Moreman (The Orange Peels) on guitar. Also Sweet recently released a digital version of one of his most fabled performances, “Live at Grant Park Chicago July 1993.” Alabama songwriter Abe Partridge opens at 8 p.m. April 5 at Metro, 3730 N. Clark. Tickets: $30, $35. Visit metrochicago.com.
  
• Sarah Shook and the Disarmers celebrate the release of “Revelations," called "the band’s most intimate and piercing album yet” by the New York Times. At 8:30 p.m. April 5 at FitzGerald’s, 6615 W. Roosevelt. Tickets: $30. Visit fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.
  

• Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Kathryn Scott perform a program including cello sonatas by Franck and Shostakovich, Dvorak’s “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” Pärt’s “Mirror in Mirror,” Faure’s “Papillon” and Sergio Assad’s “Menino.” At 3 p.m. April 7 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. Tickets: $145+. Visit cso.org.

  James Foster/For the Sun-Times, File

• The Kitchen Dwellers introduce tunes from their new album, “Seven Devils,” on which the quartet continues to redefine the boundaries of bluegrass, folk and rock. Opener Cris Jacobs enlisted many friends to contribute to the recording of his new album, “One Of These Days,” including Jerry Douglas, The Infamous Stringdusters, Lindsay Lou, Lee Ann Womack, Billy Strings, Sam Bush and The McCrary Sisters. At 8 p.m. April 5 at Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport. Tickets: $23-$31. Visit thaliahallchicago.com.
  
• Five of the biggest names in gospel music — Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Jonathan McReynolds, Erica Campbell, Israel Houghton and Jekalyn Carr — come together for the One Hallelujah Tour. At 6:30 p.m. April 4 at Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells. Tickets: $39.95. Visit auditoriumtheatre.org
  
• Clarinetist Anat Cohen and 7-string guitarist Marcello Conclaves perform a series of duets based on compositions by Brazilian composer Moacir Santos and filled with Brazilian grooves and elements of jazz. At 8 p.m. April 6 at Space, 1245 Chicago, Evanston. Tickets: $30. Visit evanstonspace.com.
  
• For Jazz Appreciation Month, the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center presents a series of concerts: Chris Madsen Quartet (April 6), Raices (April 12), Julian Pujols-Quall and Jonathan Suazo (April 18), La Cantera and Friends (April 19 at California Clipper, 1002 N. California, $5) and Gabriel Rodriquez (April 20). Concerts are free and take place at the cultural center unless otherwise noted. For more information, visit segundoruizbelvis.org.
  
• Metropolitan Jazz Octet and Dee Alexander perform the music of Billie Holiday in celebration of the legendary singer’s 109th birthday (April 7). At 7:30 p.m. April 10 at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph. Tickets: $25-$38. Visit citywinery.com.

Movies

• Onion City Experimental Film Fest opens with Chantal Akerman’s “Toute Une Nuit,” a rarely screened and recently restored film set on a sultry summer night in Brussels as various men and women collide in their search for love. At 8:15 p.m. April 4 at Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State. Tickets: $12. The festival continues through April 7 at Chicago Filmmakers, 1326 W. Hollywood. Tickets: $10. For more information, visit onioncityfilmfest.org.
  
• Triple Threat! is a week-long series showcasing 3D cinema. Films include “Toy Story 3,” “Hugo,” “Dial M for Murder,” “Top Gun,” “Creature From the Black Lagoon,” “House of Wax,” “Tron: Legacy” and more. From April 5-11 at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport. Tickets: $18. Visit musicboxtheatre.com.
  

Family Fun

• In partnership with Chicago Children’s Theatre, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra presents “Once Upon a Symphony: Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” which uses storytelling to introduce children (ages 3-5) to the world of classical music. At 10 and 11:45 a.m. April 6, 20 and May 18 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan. Tickets: $25-$35. Visit cso.org.