Weekend picks: ESO presents 'Soundscapes'
Classical nature
Cellist Matthew Agnew and conductor Stephen Squires team for the Elgin Symphony Orchestra “Nature's Soundscape” concerts this weekend at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. $25-$60. (847) 888-4000 or elginsymphony.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, in Elgin
SATURDAY
'Scooby-Doo'
The Woodstock Theatre offers a special screening of the 2002 family film “Scooby-Doo” at the Woodstock Theatre, 209 Main St., in downtown Woodstock. The PG-rated film has a cast that includes Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Children are encouraged to come dressed in Halloween costumes. Admission is $1 per person. Visit classiccinemas.com. 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
Hope Hike Dog Walk
Enjoy some downtime with your pet and support animal rescue services at Our House of Hope K-9 Rescue's Hope Hike Dog Walk and Family and Pet Festival in Adler Park, 1500 Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. Highlights include the dog walk, artists, entertainment, local rescue organizations and exhibitors, music, food and more. This fundraising event helps support the not-for-profit Our House of Hope animal rescue organization and its rescue services. Preregistration fee for the walk is $10 per person; $15 on day of the event. (773) 552-4673 or visit ourhouseofhoperescue.net or facebook.com/ourhouseofhope. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
Palatine Stables' Fall Fest
The Palatine Park District hosts the 17th Annual Fall Festival at Palatine Stables, 1510 W. Northwest Hwy., Palatine. This family-friendly event includes pony rides, a petting zoo, horse-drawn wagon rides, make-and-take crafts, scarecrow contest, riding demonstrations, pumpkins for sale, concessions, bounce house, arts and crafts vendors and more. Admission is free; fees apply for some activities. Visit palatineparks.org. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
Murder, they sang
Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and Serbian baritone Željko Lucic star as the murderous power couple in Verdi's opera adaptation of Shakespeare's “Macbeth” for a Metropolitan Opera Live in HD screening in select suburban movie theaters including ones in Batavia, Lincolnshire, Naperville and Gurnee on Saturday. Tickets vary by theater, but largely $18-$22. Visit fathomevents.com for exact locations. 11:55 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
Island Lake Fall Festival
Head to the Island Lake Fall Festival to pick and decorate pumpkins, ride ponies, see crafts and more. The event also features a Halloween costume contest for ages 12 and younger (prizes awarded). The fest takes place in Veterans Memorial Park, Greenleaf Avenue and Route 176, Island Lake. Free general admission. There is a fee for pumpkin activities. (847) 526-5049. 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
A sneak peek
The Actors Gymnasium offers a glimpse of new works as part of its Circus in Progress series showcasing circus arts. Featured artists include Striding Lion dance theater along with trapeze artist Camille Swift and Akemi Berry on silks. Next up is “A Circus Night's Dream,” written and directed by The House Theatre's Chris Mathews. 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St., Evanston. $15. (847) 328-2795 or actorsgymnasium.org.
Bout time
The matchup between Brian Houston vs. Louis Taylor headlines the Chicago Cagefighting Championship on Saturday at the Sears Centre Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates. $30-$100; $10 parking. (888) 732-7784 or searscentre.com. 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
'She Loves Me'
Elmhurst College brings the romantic musical “She Loves Me” to the stage of its Mill Theatre, 253 Walter St., Elmhurst. Set in a 1930s Budapest perfumery, the story looks at adult pen pals who, unbeknown to them, are also co-workers. $5-$7. (630) 617-3005. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
Canadian candidate
Canadian comedian Russell Peters puts in two bids to become more of a household name with his Almost Famous World Tour playing twice this weekend at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., Chicago. $48.50-$63.50. (800) 745-3000 or thechicagotheatre.com. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11; 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12
'Brave' singer
If you loved the Celtic crooning featured in the soundtrack to the Pixar hit film “Brave,” then don't miss Scottish singer Julie Fowlis in concert on Saturday at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N Williams St., Crystal Lake. $24-$27. (815) 356-9212 or rauecenter.org. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
Body image
A spa billboard showing a gorgeous, bikini-clad woman with arrows pointing to her imperfections and how they could be improved provokes outrage in a Chicago suburb in “Impenetrable” by Mia McCullough. Judy Blue directs Clockwise Theatre's production of the 2012 play about body image and perception and how this advertisement affects men and women in the community. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at 221 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $12, $20. See clockwisetheatre.org.
Ringside rout
Wrestler-turned-comedian Jay Washington brings his humor to the mat on Friday and Saturday at the Comedy Shrine, 4034 Fox Valley Center Drive, Aurora. $20 plus a two menu-item purchase. (630) 585-0300 or comedyshrine.com. 8 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
SUNDAY
Words vs. music
A poet and a composer proclaim their love to a widowed countess in Richard Strauss' final opera “Capriccio,” which begins a seven-performance run with American star soprano Renée Fleming (who memorably sang the national anthem at the 2014 Super Bowl) at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. $20-$369. (312) 827-5600 or lyricopera.org. 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12
Teen screens
The One Direction: Where We Are The Concert Event promises loads of games, activities, products and displays for toddlers up to teenagers on today and Monday at select participating movie theaters in the suburbs ranging from Batavia to Gurnee. $15. fathomevents.com. 12:55 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Oct. 12 and 13
Classical oom-pahs
The Oktoberfest with a New Philharmonic Twist promises loads of games, activities, products and displays for toddlers up to teenagers on today, at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. $46; $30 German dinner. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org. 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12
CLC Wind Ensemble
The 45-member College of Lake County Wind Ensemble presents a concert in the Mainstage Theatre of the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts on the CLC Grayslake campus, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. The group is composed of CLC students and Lake County community members. Program selections range from classical to songs from stage and screen including “The Sound of Music” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. $5-$6. Youth under age 18 are free. (847) 543-2300 or clcillinois.edu/tickets. 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12