Super Bowl alternatives: 5 football-free ideas
Looking to do something on Sunday other than watching the Super Bowl?
Good luck. Most malls are closed on Sunday night and many live theaters don't schedule shows during the big game.
Still, there are football-free options out there, whether it's catching a movie or combining a matinee musical with dinner.
Here are a few suggestions:
<b>1. Cuddly cable offerings:</b> Whether you're a dog or a cat person, get ready for plenty of cuteness with the “Puppy Bowl XIII” on Animal Planet (animalplanet.com) or “Kitten Bowl IV” on The Hallmark Channel (hallmarkchannel.com). Both bowls promote shelter pet adoptions, so there is a point behind the furry fun.
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2. New and old Oscar fare: </b>Haven't seen any of the films nominated for this year's Academy Awards yet? Then head out to your local multiplex to see acclaimed films such as “La La Land,” “Moonlight,” “Fences” and more. Or stay home and catch the beloved Academy Award-winning films “Captains Courageous” from 1937 starring Spencer Tracy at 5 p.m. or Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the 1942 classic “Casablanca” at 7 p.m. on Turner Classic Movies (tcm.com).
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3. Icy fun:</b> If you haven't gone ice skating yet this season, there are multiple locations to get your blades on in the afternoon. Choices include Rosemont's MB Financial Park (rosemont.com/mbfinancialpark), Chicago's Maggie Daley Park (maggiedaleypark.com) or Elgin's City Skate (cityofelgin.org). Or you could just sit back and watch the professionals do the fancy footwork as “Disney On Ice: Follow Your Heart” plays at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday at the United Center in Chicago (unitedcenter.com).
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4. Tragic classics: </b>Do a bit of entertainment time-traveling by catching two classic 19th century ballet and opera tragedies. Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet performs Tchaikovsky's dark fairy tale “Swan Lake” in a special 12:55 p.m. Sunday screening at select suburban movie theaters (fathomevents.com). Or see St. Charles native Sandra Radvanovsky as the love-torn title druid priestess of Bellini's “Norma” at the Lyric Opera of Chicago with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee (lyricopera.org).
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5. Broadway in and around Chicago:</b> Support local live theater by seeing stage shows inspired by movie blockbusters or recent Broadway fare. Deborah Cox is the pop diva in peril in the national tour of the screen-to-stage adaptation of “The Bodyguard” at 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday at Chicago's Oriental Theatre (broadwayinchicago.com). If disco is more your style, you can catch a skillfully revamped version of “Saturday Night Fever” at 2 p.m. Sunday at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace (drurylane.com). Or if you want a great drama, Buffalo Theatre Ensemble stages David Lindsay Abaire's acclaimed 2011 Broadway play “Good People” at 3 p.m. Sunday at College of DuPage's McAninch Arts Center in Glen Ellyn. (atthemac.org).
And if you pair a show with dinner, don't forget it's Chicago Restaurant Week. Several city and suburban eateries are offering great deals. Check them out at choosechicago.com.