A preview of music, film, theater, dance and more

East meets West

The upcoming Lyric Opera production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” offers a uniquely Eastern take on this timeless tragedy of a doomed geisha in love with a British Navy lieutenant. Starring Karah Son, one of the leading interpreters of Butterfly in our time, the opera will be directed by Matthew Ozawa, the son of a Caucasian mother and Japanese father. “This new production reclaims the opera’s narrative through the lens of an entirely Japanese and Japanese American creative team and amplifies the voices of an entirely female Japanese design collective,” Ozawa writes. The opera will run from March 14 to April 12. For more, click here.

Expanding vistas

Philadelphia-based songwriter, musician and producer Jordan Caiola will perform at 8 p.m. on April 4 at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. Caiola founded the indie rock band Mo Lowda & The Humble in 2010 and the electro-pop project NightSeason in 2016. Though he always felt writing folk songs was his true musical wheelhouse, it wasn’t until the nationwide lockdown in early 2020 that he was finally able to set aside the time to record a collection of those songs for his first solo album, “Only Real When Shared.” Nowadays, Caiola tours year-round with both Mo Lowda and his solo project. He recently released his second solo record, “This Could Be Everything.” For more, click here.

Pushing boundaries

Three world premieres will headline Giordano Dance Chicago’s April 10 and 11 performances at the Harris Theater. The works were created by GDC’s resident choreographer Al Blackstone; Broadway, commercial and stage choreographer Jon Rua; and Tapaholics founder Mike Minery. “The feat of bringing three world premieres to the stage is bold,” says GDC artistic director Nan Giordano. “Despite the vast diversity in process and style, there underlies a unifying pulse and spirit that is jazz dance.” The program, which also includes works from the GDC repertoire, pushes the boundaries of jazz dance by incorporating tap, urban street, concert and commercial forces, Giordano notes. For more, click here.

Taking risks

Baritone sax master Jimmy Farace will continue his journey into the frontiers of jazz at 8 p.m. on April 13 at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. His latest album and show, “Big Shoulders, Big Sounds,” features Farace, bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Dana Hall performing compositions and arrangements by Farace without the safety net of a pianist in the combo. Riffing on poet Carl Sandburg’s assessment of Chicago, Farace aims to capture the city’s burly swagger without the benefit of the full rhythm section and classical string quartet that graced his award-winning album, “Hours Fly, Flowers Die.” 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.