Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
Food for thought
Italian Film Festival USA will present “Three Goodbyes” at 6 p.m. on May 11 at Northwestern University, Kresge Hall 1515. Marta and Antonio split up after a trivial argument. Marta experiences a sudden lack of appetite and Antonio, a rising chef, immerses himself in his work. But despite being the one who ended things, Antonio can’t seem to forget Marta. When she discovers that her loss of appetite has more to do with her own health than the pain of separation, everything changes: the taste of food, the music, the desire, the certainty of the choices that were made.
Based on the book “Tre Ciotole” by Michela Murgia. Admission is free; reservations are required. For more, click here.
Pop Olympian
One of the highlights of the Opening Ceremony at the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina was Laura Pausini’s goosebump-worthy rendition of the Italian National Anthem. Never one to rest on her laurels, the Italian pop music icon has embarked on a world tour that began in March in Spain and will wrap up in November 2027 in Croatia. The U.S. leg of her tour will include a stop at the Rosemont Theatre at 8 p.m. on May 30. Over a 33-year career, Pausini has released 16 albums and has recorded and sung in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German, Latin, Chinese, Catalan, Neapolitan, Romanian, Romagnol and Sicilian. For more, click here.
Celebrated songwriter
Joe Pug will perform at 8 p.m. on June 6 at the Old Town School of Folk Music, along with John Moreland. The performance is part of the second annual Working Songwriter Forum, a long weekend of concerts, workshops, podcasts and open mics. A singer-songwriter known for his lyrical acumen and plaintive harmonica style, Joe Pug (born Joe Pugliese) dropped out of college and moved to Chicago, where he worked as a carpenter before breaking into the city’s music scene. He has released a string of critically acclaimed albums and has toured heavily in the U.S. and abroad. For more, click here.
To enjoy a video, click here.
Overlooked no longer
The sixth season of the Opera Festival of Chicago will run from June 13 to July 5. The festival kicks off with “Bohemian Tragedy” at 7:30 p.m. on June 13 at the Jarvis Opera Hall at DePaul University. Puccini’s “La Bohème” will be staged at 7:30 p.m. on June 26, 7:30 p.m. on July 1 and 2 p.m. on July 5 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. The final production of the season will be “Adriana Lecouvreur” by Francesco Cilea, with performances at 2 p.m. on June 28 and 7:30 p.m. on July 3, also at the North Shore Center. OFC specializes in staging neglected Italian masterpieces. For more, click here.
Comic down under
Internationally renowned comedian Joe Avati will bring his Italo-centric act to the Arcada Theatre at 3 p.m. on June 14. For the past 30 years, Avati’s routines about growing up in a culturally diverse background have gained him a cult following around the globe. Born in Australia of Italian ancestry, Avati has a razor-sharp wit and his observations are not only spot on but extremely relatable to his growing international audiences. Avati won Comedian of the Year at the 2024 ACE Awards and completed a 282-date world tour spanning two years with his award-winning show “When I was Your Age!!” For more, click here.
Sacred voices
The Sistine Chapel Choir will travel from Rome to Illinois in June to showcase the Eternal City’s polyphonic tradition. From June 18 to 21, the choir will perform in Northbrook, Chicago, Naperville and finally in Des Plaines, for a concert at 3 p.m. on June 21 at the Des Plaines Theatre. Sacred Voices is made up of 40 singers emerging from some of the most important Roman and Vatican musical institutions. The choir willnder the direction of Pontifical Cantore Adriano Caroletti will be accompanied by Josep Solè Coll, the organist of the Pope and of St. Peter’s Basilica. The repertoire is varied, mainly dedicated to the composers of the Sistine Chapel Choir. The Des Plaines Theatre concert will also feature iconic arias from Italian operas. For more, click here.
20th-century genius
Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Chicago will present “Enrico Fermi: Chicago Years” through June 19 at its offices at 500 N. Michigan Ave. Available for viewing from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, the exhibition is dedicated to exploring the life and research of the Italian physicist, winner of the Nobel Prize and creator of the first artificial nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1. The exhibition retraces the remarkable journey of a key figure who bridged Italy and the United States at the heart of the 20th century. Admission is free; registration is required. For more, click here.
Super Nova
Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Aldo Nova will emerge from a long self-imposed hiatus to play at 8 p.m. on June 20 at Arcada Theater. In addition to his solo career, Nova has worked with, written and produced songs for Jon Bon Jovi, Celine Dion, Elton John. He has also written for the likes of Faith Hill, Carole King, Clay Aiken, Garou and Blue Öyster Cult. He has toured the world with bands like Cheap Trick, Hall and Oates, Sammy Hagar, Blue Oyster Cult and as a headlining act. His first solo album went multi-platinum and his second went double platinum. For more, click here.
Like father like son
Acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist A.J. Croce will bring his Croce Plays Croce Tour to the Arcada Theater at 5 p.m. on June 28. The son of folk-rock icon Jim Croce, A.J. has carved out a career of his own releasing 11 studio albums in three and a half decades and boasting 20 songs reaching Billboard’s Top 40 charts. His songs move fluidly through American roots, rock ’n’ roll, blues, jazz, soul and world music, creating a sound that’s both distinctive and timeless. A.J waited 30 years to perform his father’s music, only introducing his Croce Plays Croce Tour when he felt there was a meaningful way to honor his musical legacy. For more, click here.
Modern god
Artist Jyl Bonaguro recently unveiled her latest sculpture commission, a bust of “Zeus” in Italian marble. Standing 2 1/2 feet tall and weighing 750 pounds, it’s destined for a private collection in Canada. Bonaguro’s modern interpretation of the Greek deity is meant to be godlike but deeply human, caught not in anger but a state of reflection while remaining ready for action. The delicate gold veining subtly references Zeus’s thunderbolts. Bonaguro’s marble sculptures are hand carved and emphasize the “non finito” technique of leaving parts of the stone untouched. It’s one more step toward her goal of carving a female figure of Athena on the scale of Michelangelo’s David. For more, click here.
Sumptuous showcase
European history buffs will have a field day at the Art Institute of Chicago’s Deering Family Galleries of Medieval and Renaissance Art, Arms and Armor. Unveiled in 2017, the expansive exhibit showcases nearly 700 objects from the museum’s rich holdings of art from 1200 to 1600 as well as an extensive arms and armor collection. Among the Italian items on display are a terra-cotta altarpiece by Florentine Benedetto Buglioni, works of art for the bedchambers of Tuscany’s merchant elite, and a tempera-on-panel diptych of the Virgin and Child Enthroned and the Crucifixion (pictured). For more, click here.
Giving tree
A pair of Italian Americans teamed up with several other local artists to transform the remains of a 200-year-old elm tree into a work of art. Rising up from the grounds of Ragdale in Lake Forest, “Diversity of Birds” was created by Jyl Bonaguro and Mia Capodilupo and fellow artists Margot McMahon, Anthony Heinz May, Nicole Beck, Julia Sulmasy, and Fredy Hauman Mallqui. Located at 1260 N. Green Bay Road, Ragdale is an artist residency program and community (ragdale.org). The Ragdale Tree Project was spearheaded by Chicago Sculpture International (chicagosculpture.org). The CSI has collaborated with the Chicago Park District to create more than 50 public sculptures from dead and dying trees. For more about Chicago Sculpture International, click here. For more about The Ragdale Tree Project, click here.
Several of these look very interesting. Thanks for sending.