Wherein I attempt to rank every show I’ve seen this year, a running list as the year unfolds, regardless of genre (theater, music, dance, art). Note, the company I keep is not a factor, though it often redeems the lesser of such evenings. If I’ve written about them, links are provided. If I published a review, it is linked.
Previous Years: 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Linda Vista/Steppenwolf/April 8
Die Walkure/Lyric Opera/November 27
An American in Paris/Broadway In Chicago/July 26
Changarrito/Museo de la Ciudad de México/February 7
The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg/Takashi Murakami/June 2
A View From the Bridge/Goodman Theatre/September 18
The Minutes/Steppenwolf/November 19
Destiny of Desire/Goodman Theatre/March 20
My Fair Lady/Lyric Opera/May 6
Spring Series/Hubbard Street Dance/March 17
Global Visionaries/Joffrey Ballet/April 26
An Evening with Mariachi Cobre/Grant Park Orchestra/August 9
A Broadway Romance/Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus/July 22
Orphée et Eurydice/Lyric Opera/September 23
Beethoven Symphony No. 9/Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus/August 19
Mozart “Linz” Symphony/Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus/July 29
Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 3/MCA/May 30
Stacey Kent/Space/March 18
The Rembrandt/Steppenwolf/September 17
Fade/Teatro Vista-Victory Gardens/November 10
Hir/Steppenwolf/July 11
La Havana Madrid/Teatro Vista/April 20
King of the Yees/Goodman/April 9
John Mellencamp/Ravinia/August 27