The best things to do in Chicago this week

Displaying a 25-story-tall video installation on the side of THE MART, ART on THE MART is the largest permanent digital art projection in the world, with programming that changes seasonally. ART on THE MART's array of 34 digital projectors show the creations after dusk every evening. Running Thursdays through Saturdays beginning at 8:30pm, it’s best viewed from the section of the Chicago Riverwalk between Wells Street and Franklin Street.

Doc10, Chicago's only all-documentary film festival, returns to the Davis Theater and Gene Siskel Film Center for its big 10th anniversary. From Friday, April 25 through Sunday, May 4, the festival will screen 10 current documentaries culled from other top festivals around the globe (Sundance, Tribeca), including Elegance Bratton's fiery music feature Move Ya Body: The Birth of House — which will open the 2025 series— and the Closing Night selection Prime Minister from filmmakers Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz, centered on New Zealand Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dame Jacinda Ardern.

Every night in our dreams, we've wished for this moment: Titanique the Musical is cruising into Chicago! The smash-hit comedy, in which "the music of Céline Dion makes sweet Canadian love with the film Titanic," is gearing up for a Chicago run as a co-production from Porchlight Music Theatre and Broadway in Chicago, with performances set for the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place this spring. 

Led by actress Clare Kennedy McLaughlin, who will play the French-Canadian pop diva herself, Chicago's Titanique will retell the fictionalized story of Titanic's sinking from James Cameron’s 1997 Blockbuster, albeit using Dion's famous power ballads to push the plot forward. Featured tunes include “Because You Loved Me,” “All By Myself,” “To Love You More,” “Tell Him,” “Beauty and the Beast" and two of Dion's most-loved covers, “River Deep, Mountain High” and “I Drove All Night," culminating, of course, in that radio juggernaut “My Heart Will Go On.” 

Experience 5,000 years of Chinese history through dance, enchanting live orchestra music, authentic costumes and interactive backdrops. Shen Yun brings audiences back to a time when divine beings walked the earth—performances feature around 20 segments that rapidly move between regions, legends and dynasties. The classical Chinese dance company tours the globe with an all-new program each year, working to preserve the traditions of Chinese culture, and it's coming to the Chicago area this spring with runs in University Park, Rosemont and the Windy City's Civic Opera House. 

This annual festival assembles luminaries from the fields of politics, journalism and the arts for a multi-week series of programming across the city, with events ranging from lectures and discussions to screenings and musical performances. Not sure which events to hit? Attendees can explore the five Festival Days, full days of programming in a given neighborhood, including in Lakeview on April 27, in Bridgeport on May 10, in Lincoln Park on May 18, and at the Art Institute of Chicago on June 7, as well as thought-provoking discussions and exciting live performances sprinkled throughout the schedule. 

Some of the fest’s biggest speakers this season include Broadway star Leslie Odom, Jr., beloved comedian Ed Helms, artist Tonika Lewis Johnson, musicians like Jon Batiste and Jim Jaramusch, podcaster Ezra Kein, TV icon Paul Reiser, bestselling author Ron Chernow and more. You can see a full schedule of programming on the Chicago Humanities Festival website.

Winter is almost over and the Garfield Park Conservatory is here to usher in warmer days with its annnual Spring Flower Show. Make a reservation to explore this year's theme, "Rooted in Mystery," which explores the critical part of plants we don't see hidden underground. You'll find spring bulbs like azaleas, pansies, snapdragons, astilbe, baptisia, hydrangeas and more. The show only sticks around through Mother's Day weekend, so book your visit soon!

Bingo Loco, an interactive rave show that takes place in cities around the world, comes to West Loop’s Morgan MFG this spring, with five dates in Chicago (March 28, April 11, April 25, May 10 and May 23.) The traditional game of bingo gets reimagined as a three-hour long immersive experience, complete with epic dance offs, rave rounds, lip sync battles, confetti showers, CO2 cannons, conga lines and prizes ranging from international trips to lawnmowers. One thing’s for sure—this ain’t bingo night at the senior center.

You’ve probably seen a Shakespeare play before, but never like this. Five professional actors come together for each performance of Drunk Shakespeare. The twist? One of them has had five shots before the show and is trying to stay on track while the other four actors do their best to hold the performance together.

Escape the planet with exhibits about the first lunar missions, the solar system and more, plus immersive shows in the dome theater. The Doane Observatory is also home to the largest public telescope in the area, and gathers 7,000 times more light than the human eye. Every Wednesday, the Adler stays open late from 4pm-10pm so that folks can visit after work or school. And best of all, admission is free on those nights for Illinois residents.

This weekly “live magazine” is a cavalcade of culture, politics and wit featuring journalists, actors, comedians and musicians offering idiosyncratic reports on the news of the day. Head to Uptown’s iconic Green Mill for drinks, hot takes and laughs; the longstanding Saturday afternoon edition tends to run about two and a half hours.

For more than 30 years, the Neo-Futurists have been delighting late-night crowds with performances that pack 30 miniature plays into a 60-minute show. The company's signature show is more unpredictable than ever these days, with a handful of compact new plays premiering every week. Within the span of 10 minutes, you may be treated to a poignant monologue about everyday life or an irreverent diatribe delivered by a pantsless member of the cast—all inspired by the experiences of the performers on stage. Always changing and evolving, it's the rare show that truly offers something different everytime you show up to see it.

What’s better than a show at the Empty Bottle? A free show at the Empty Bottle. Every Monday, Chicago’s premier indie rock club hosts a free concert. Check the website for a schedule of upcoming performances and to RSVP.

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