Widescreen tidbits: Cinderella, Daniela and Sofia
The Lyric Opera's offerings for the rest of the year are a veritable blockbuster lineup of shows, beginning with next weekend's premiere of "Jesus Christ Superstar." Classics such as Puccini's "La Boheme," Mozart's "Idemeneo" and Verdi's "Il Trovatore" follow at the Chicago institution, leading up to the December premiere of "Cendrillon," Jules Massenet's take on the tale you know better as "Cinderella."
But if Lyric tickets are a little too extravagant - or you just plain don't want to wait until December - you can see the same production next weekend at area movie theaters.
The recurring series "The Met: Live in HD" returns to theaters Saturday, April 27, and Wednesday, May 2, with "Cendrillon," filmed at New York's legendary Metropolitan Opera, where it will be playing until May 11. Performed in French over four acts, "Cendrillon" was first staged in 1899 and is indeed a retelling of the fairy tale - but don't expect to see any singing mice. You will see Prince Charming played by Alice Coote, a mezzo-soprano who also is scheduled to play the role in Chicago.
Suburban theaters hosting the screening include AMC theaters in Mount Prospect, Rosemont and South Barrington and Regal theaters in Lincolnshire and Warrenville. Go to fathomevents.com to buy tickets and see the full list of available theaters. Ticket prices vary by theater; expect to pay $20-$25. The show runs three hours, 15 minutes.
(And wouldn't you know it - Rodgers & Hammerstein's famous take on "Cinderella" opens next weekend at the Cadillac Palace in Chicago.)
Oscar's foreign-film winner
The After Hours Film Society returns 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 23, to the Tivoli Theatre, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove, for a screening of the Chilean film "A Fantastic Woman," the winner of the 2017 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
The film's star, Daniela Vega, made history in February as the first openly transgender presenter at the Oscars. She plays Marina, a singer and waitress who becomes a suspect in her boyfriend's death.
Tickets are $6 for members, $10 for the general public. Attendees may participate in a post-movie discussion.
Tragically beautiful
Released in the same year as heavyweights "American Beauty," "The Matrix," "Eyes Wide Shut," "Fight Club" and two dozen other classic titles, "The Virgin Suicides" got lost in the shuffle back in 1999. A pristine new video transfer offers the perfect opportunity to rediscover it.
Sofia Coppola's first and best film, an adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides' novel, joins premier home-video label The Criterion Collection on Tuesday, April 27.
The Blu-ray and DVD releases boast a new 4K digital restoration of the tragic, dreamlike 1970s tale of five sisters (led by Kirsten Dunst) who enchanted the neighborhood boys much to the chagrin of their old-fashioned parents (Kathleen Turner and James Woods). Extras include new interviews with Coppola, Dunst, Eugenides and other principles from the film, as well as a 1998 documentary shot by Eleanor Coppola, Sofia's mom. (If you haven't seen "Hearts of Darkness," Eleanor's feature-length chronicle of husband Francis Ford Coppola's struggles on the set of "Apocalypse Now," you should track it down ASAP.)
There's also a music video from the soundtrack, which was composed and performed by French electronic duo Air. Their music is evocative, haunting and unshakable - just like the movie.
• Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor. Follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.