Entertainment

Sunday picks: Last chance for Quest Theatre's 'Blue Nativity'

Posted December 18, 2011 5:00 am

By Laura Milbrath Stewart and Scott C. Morgan

See Quest Theatre Ensemble's “Blue Nativity” Sunday in Arlington Heights.

Puppet crèche

Quest Theatre Ensemble's 10th anniversary tour of its “Blue Nativity” is also billed as its last. So if you haven't seen it yet, catch “Blue Nativity” Sunday courtesy of the First United Methodist Church of Arlington Heights at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Free, but donations appreciated. (312) 458-0895 or questensemble.org. 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 18

Art show

See paintings and sculptures by local artists of The American Jewish Artists Club at a free reception at the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. Artwork is available for purchase, and many of the artists will be on hand to discuss their work. Refreshments will be served. Club's art exhibit runs through Monday, Jan. 2. Visit americanjewishartistsclub.org. Reception runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18

St. Nick at Nick's

Hey, bring the kiddos to lunch with Santa at Nick's Pizza and Pub. St. Nick at Nick's takes place at both locations: 990 S. Randall Road, Elgin, (847) 531-5550, or 856 Pyott Road, Crystal Lake, (815) 356-5550. Kids 12 and younger can have an individual, 9-inch cheese pizza and a pop for just $4.99 and then hop on Santa's lap and give him an earful. See nickspizzapub.com. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18

Radio re-enactment

The volunteer radio re-enactment group, Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, presents the classic tale “It's A Wonderful Life” at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park. The re-enactment is from a 1947 broadcast of the Lux Radio Theatre's production of “It's A Wonderful Life.” Free and open to the public. (708) 386-4040 or oakparkarms.com. 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18

Nutcracker of the week

Unlike some other dance companies that use a taped version of Tchaikovsky's classic ballet score, von Heidecke's Chicago Festival Ballet's “The Nutcracker” features the live New Philharmonic for its performances this weekend at College of DuPage's McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. $37; $35 seniors; $27 kids. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org. 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18

‘Messiah' music

If you want a performance of Handel's classic oratorio “The Messiah” that isn't participatory, be sure to check out performances by the Apollo Chorus of Chicago and the Elgin Choral Union. The Elgin Choral Union performs with members of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra Sunday at Elgin Community College's Blizzard Theatre, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. $18-$23. (847) 622-0300 or elginchoralunion.org. The Apollo Chorus performs Sunday at Millennium Park's Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive, Chicago. $40-$55. (312) 334-7777 or harristheaterchicago.org. 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, in Chicago and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, in Elgin

Holmes for the holiday

Raven Theatre artistic director Michael Menendian and writer John Weagly adapt Arthur Conan Doyle's tale “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Goose” as a staged radio play with live musical accompaniment and an audience singalong. The play centers around the disappearance of a gem hidden inside a Christmas goose, which leads Holmes and Watson to a surprising conclusion. The theater is at 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. $15. (773) 338-2177 or raventheatre.com. 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18

Britten bounty

The Music Institute of Chicago Chorale teams up with the Rogers Park and Humboldt Park Neighborhood Choirs of the Chicago Children's Choir this Sunday for an all Benjamin Britten concert at the Music Institute of Chicago's Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston. $15; $10 seniors; $7 students. (847) 905-1500, ext. 108, or musicinst.org. 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18

‘A Christmas Fantasy'

The Illinois Brass Band presents “A Christmas Fantasy” concert with traditional carols, holiday classics and jazzy updates of old favorites at Cutting Hall, 150 E. Wood St., Palatine. $6-$12. (847) 202-5222 or illinoisbrassband.org. 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18

Symphony in Lights

The Promenade Bolingbrook hosts its annual Symphony in Lights holiday light show, featuring more than 250,000 brightly colored lights in sync to the sounds of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Experience it at the Promenade Bolingbrook, 631 E. Boughton Road, Bolingbrook. Free. Visit thepromenadebolingbrook.com. Begins at 5 p.m. and runs every hour until 9 p.m. daily through Saturday, Dec. 31

Winter Wonderland

Drive through 97 acres of holiday lights and scenes at the Cuneo Museum and Gardens' annual Winter Wonderland holiday light show at 1350 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills. It costs $5 per car Monday through Thursday; $10 per car Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Visit vernonhills.org or cuneomansion.org. 6 to 10 p.m. nightly through Saturday, Dec. 31

Orange Flowers (In The Morning Sun), a painting by artist Adrienne Aaronson, is part of an art exhibit featuring works by members of The American Jewish Artists Club, at the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts. A free reception runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. Courtesy of Adrienne Aaronson

Kenneth von Heidecke's Chicago Festival Ballet teams up with the New Philharmonic for performances of "The Nutcracker" at College of DuPage's McAninch Arts Center in Glen Ellyn.

More than 250,000 lights sparkle at the Promenade Bolingbrooks annual Symphony in Lights show. Courtesy of the Promenade Bolingbrook

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