Entertainment

Best Bets: Jurassic Quest, Monster Jam, Chris Botti, Alvin Ailey Dance

Posted March 01, 2023 10:00 pm

Barbara Vitello

Brian Shamie

Follow @ThatShamieGuy

Ferocious fossils

Jurassic Quest roars into Chicago for a limited run featuring ridable dinos, live shows, fossil attractions, photo ops and more at Navy Pier's Festival Hall A, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. General admission is $22 for adults, $19 for seniors, and free for kids 2 and younger; Kids Unlimited packages are $36. jurassicquest.com. Noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, March 3-5

The highflying trucks of Monster Jam return to Rosemont's Allstate Arena Friday through Sunday, March 3-5. Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

Full-throttle fun

Running on fumes? Get revved up with the adrenaline-pumping power of Monster Jam, rolling into the Allstate Arena, 6920 Mannheim Road, Rosemont. Catch the trucks, tricks and airtime (plus close-up time with the rides and their crews at the Monster Jam Pit Party) at five performances. Tickets start at $25 at ticketmaster.com. 7 p.m. Friday, March 3; 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 4; and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, March 5

TobyMac plays the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates Saturday, March 4. Courtesy of True Artist Management

TobyMac in concert

Grammy Award-winning Christian singer/songwriter TobyMac headlines the NOW Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Parkway, Hoffman Estates, as part of his Hits Deep tour. The concert also includes CROWDER, Cochren & Co, Tasha Layton, Jon Reddick and Terrian. $33-$87. (847) 649-2270 or nowarena.com. 7 p.m. Saturday, March 4

Musician Ely Guerra performs during the National Museum of Mexican Art's annual Sor Juana Festival. Courtesy of the National Museum of Mexican Art

Sor Juana Festival

The National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St., Chicago, hosts its multidisciplinary Sor Juana Festival in honor of Mexican playwright, poet and proto-feminist Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a 17th-century nun who fought for a woman's right to an education. This year's festival honors such Mexican artists as musician Ely Guerra; visual artist Esperanza Gama; and journalist and podcaster Maria Hinojosa, among others. Free. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday from Saturday, March 4, through May 13

'Fanfares, Overtures & Hymns'

The Fox Valley Brass Band makes a joyful noise this weekend with its "Fanfares, Overtures & Hymns" concert at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 14 N. May St., Aurora. Tickets are $15-$18 at the door or $12-$15 if purchased in advance online at foxvalleybrassband.org. 3 p.m. Sunday, March 5

Orion Ensemble at 30

The Orion Ensemble continues its 30th anniversary season with a series of performances of Tchaikovsky's "Trio in A Minor," also known as "Rubinstein," and 20th-century composer Alexander Arutiunian's "Suite for Violin, Clarinet and Piano." The Chicago and Evanston concerts will be livestreamed on the ensemble's YouTube channel. $15-$30. (630) 628-9591 or orionensemble.org. 7 p.m. Sunday, March 5, at the New England Congregational Church, 406 W. Galena Blvd., Aurora; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, at PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago; 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 12, at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston

Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Chris Botti performs this weekend at the McAninch Arts Center. Courtesy of Chris Botti

An evening with Chris Botti

Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Chris Botti performs selections from his upcoming release at the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. $85-$95. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 5

Chicago artist Michael McDermott returns to Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights for three nights starting Thursday, March 9.

Three nights of McDermott

Chicago folk-rock artist Michael McDermott kicks off a three-night run of shows at Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights, sharing songs from his 2022 release "St. Paul's Boulevard," as well as older favorites. $20-$50 at heynonny.com; certain tiers are sold out. 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 9-11

The acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs Kyle Abraham's "Are You in Your Feelings?" during its annual Auditorium Theatre engagement. Courtesy of Paul Kolnik

Alvin Ailey Dance returns

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre returns to the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, Chicago, for its annual engagement. Three separate programs consist of new works and repertory favorites, including the Chicago premiere of Kyle Abraham's "Are You in Your Feelings?" and James Roberts' "In a Sentimental Mood," a duet set to Duke Ellington and Alvin Ailey's masterpiece "Revelations." Tickets start at $40. (312) 341-2300 or auditoriumtheatre.org. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 9-10; 2 and 8 p.m. March 11; and 3 p.m. March 12

The Evanston Dance Ensemble performs its dance theater piece "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," inspired by the C.S. Lewis novel. Courtesy of Matt Galvin

Evanston Dance Ensemble

Evanston Dance Ensemble presents its dance theater production of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," inspired by C.S. Lewis' novel about the adventures four siblings have in the magical land of Narnia. Performances take place at the Josephine Louis Theater at Northwestern University, 20 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston. $15, $25. (847) 491-7282 or evanstondanceensemble.org. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 9-10, and 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 11-12

Janeane Garofalo headlines The Den Theatre March 10-11. Courtesy of Steven Dewell

Janeane Garofalo on stage

Comedian/actress/activist Janeane Garofalo ("The Larry Sanders Show," "Reality Bites," "Ratatouille," "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion") headlines The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. $19-$49. (773) 697-3830 or thedentheatre.com. 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 10-11

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