Music

Best Bets: ‘Masters of the Mic,’ Jessie Mueller, Lyric’s ‘safronia’ and more

Posted April 14, 2026 2:37 pm

Barbara Vitello

Doug E. Fresh performs Saturday during the “Masters of the Mic” hip-hop celebration at The Auditorium in Chicago. Courtesy of Derrel Todd

Trailblazers in concert

Hip-hop legends Doug E. Fresh, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Treach of Naughty By Nature and Black Sheep are among the MCs celebrating 50 years of rap at the “Masters of the Mic” performance at The Auditorium, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, Chicago. “We’re thrilled to welcome five pioneers of early hip-hop to our storied stage,” said Auditorium CEO Rich Regan in a prepared statement. “These artists helped lay the foundation for hip-hop’s rise to pop culture dominance. This show will be a powerful celebration for longtime fans who’ve been with the genre since before the millennium, and an unforgettable history lesson for those who discovered hip-hop later.” $84.80-$157.62. (312) 341-2300 or auditoriumtheatre.org. 8 p.m. Saturday, April 18

Tony, Drama Desk and Joseph Jefferson Award-winning singer/actress and Evanston native Jessie Mueller shares songs and stories Saturday, April 18, at Schaumburg’s Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts.

Tony winner in concert

Tickets remain for Tony Award-winner Jessie Mueller’s homecoming this weekend at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. The Evanston native, a veteran of Chicago and New York stages, describes the concert, with pianist and fellow Evanston Township High School graduate Doug Peck, as a “combo platter.” The program consists of Broadway classics, including songs from “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” for which she won a 2014 Tony for best actress in a musical, and stories about her life and career. $50-$155. (847) 895-3600 or prairiecenter.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18

Lyric world premiere

The Lyric Opera of Chicago’s season concludes with its premiere of “safronia,” a new opera by avery r. young, Chicago’s first poet laureate, that incorporates blues, gospel and funk. Inspired in part by the Great Migration, the opera is about family members returning to Mississippi to bury their father and reclaim land stripped from them. Performances take place at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets start at $69. (312) 827-5600 or lyricopera.org/safronia. 7 p.m. Friday, April 17, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18

Founding PARA.MAR Dance Theatre ensemble member Gabrielle Sprauve performs with the company this weekend in the premiere of “MUJERES.” Courtesy of Todd Rosenberg

Chilean poet inspires new ballet

Chicago’s contemporary ballet company PARA.MAR Dance Theatre premieres “MUJERES (Women),” choreographed by founder and artistic director Stephanie Martinez and inspired by the works of Chilean poet, diplomat and educator Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American writer to receive the Nobel Prize in literature. Performances take place at the Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago, 915 E. 60th St., Chicago. Tickets are $10-$30 on Friday; tickets start at $100 for the Saturday benefit performance. paramardance.com. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 17-18

This weekend at the Raue Center

• Lucy’s Comedy at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake, hosts comedians Nick Cobb, Alan Ford and emcee Brian Williams. Tickets start at $29; 30% discount for RaueNOW members. (815) 356-9212 or rauecenter.org. 8 p.m. Friday, April 17

• The Raue Center, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake, hosts “Dinosaur Dimensions Expedition,” an immersive, family-friendly show for dino fans that combines animatronics and puppetry with storytelling. $24 for adults, $14 for students and seniors; 30% discount for RaueNOW members. (815) 356-9212 or rauecenter.org. 1 p.m. Saturday, April 18

WTTW host Geoffrey Baer joins Chicago a cappella for a series of concerts titled “Building American Pop.”

And more music

• The ensemble Chicago a cappella revisits 1950s and 1960s pop classics produced by the composers working at New York City’s Brill Building as part of their show “Building American Pop.” WTTW host and co-writer Geoffrey Baer joins the group to share stories about the building and the songwriters who made it famous. $30-$40. chicagoacappella.org. 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at the Studebaker Theater, Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago; 7:30 p.m. April 25 at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston; and 3 p.m. April 26 at the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn

· Pop singer Tiffany, who topped the 1980s music charts with remakes of “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “I Saw Him Standing There” (from The Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There”), headlines the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets start at $45. (847) 673-6300 or northshorecenter.org. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21

“Hamilton” veteran and former Aurora resident Ta-Tynisa Wilson is among the vocalists performing in the new Burt Bacharach revue “Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon” at the Apollo Theater. Courtesy of Russ Rowland

· “Going Bacharach: The Songs of an Icon,” a musical salute to songwriter Burt Bacharach featuring such hits as “I Say A Little Prayer,” “What the World Needs Now,” “The Look of Love,” “Walk on By” and others, opens a brief run at the Apollo Theater, 2550 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The cast includes vocalist and “Hamilton” alum Ta-Tynisa Wilson of Aurora. $49-$99. goingbacharach.com/. Previews at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, April 21-22; the show opens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23; runs various times through May 17

· North Shore Center for the Performing Arts kicks off its 30th anniversary celebration early with cabaret stars Michael Feinstein and Linda Eder, who will draw from the American songbook for their concerts at 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. $82.10-$193.19. (847) 673-6300 or northshorecenter.org. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, April 22-23

· Guarneri Hall, 11 E. Adams St., Chicago, hosts the Chicago premiere of “Project Earth,” a celebration of the natural world performed by The Iris Trio, a chamber music ensemble consisting of clarinetist Christine Carter, violist Zoë Martin-Doike and pianist Anna Petrova. Divided in two parts, The Blue Chapter is inspired by the natural beauty in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Green Chapter examines the interconnection between nature and humanity and humans’ stewardship of the earth. $50. guarnerihall.org. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day) and 23

See a variety of currencies on display during the Central States Numismatic Society coin show taking place at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center. Courtesy of Donn Pearlman Inc.

They’re in the money

Hundreds of dealers will display, buy and sell rare coins, paper money, gold and silver during the Central States Numismatic Society coin show at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg. Dealers will also offer complimentary evaluations of collectors’ vintage currency. $15 for adults and free for kids 17 and younger. CSNS.org/convention. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, April 23-24, and 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25