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

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.

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.

Photo credit: AI/Shutterstock

Vivaldi by candlelight

A string quartet will perform Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” by candlelight at 8:45 p.m. on July 3, and 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28 and Oct. 9, at the Arts Center of Oak Park. Composed in 1723, “The Four Seasons” is Vivaldi’s best-known work and one of the world’s most popular and recognized pieces of Baroque music. The thinking behind “The Four Seasons” was that each movement — 12 in all, three per season — would create a specific mood against which narrative events could then play out. The four violin concertos broke new ground with their musical depictions of the changing seasons as well as their technical innovations. For more, click here. For a preview, click here.

Classic rocker

Danny Seraphine, the original drummer for megaband Chicago, will perform at 8 p.m. on July 10 at the Des Plaines Theatre. During his tenure with Chicago, the band scored 20 Top 10 hits, five of them reaching No. 1, and 10 Grammy nominations. In 2006, Seraphine formed California Transit Authority. July’s performance will feature hits from three decades, including “Saturday in the Park,” “You’re the Inspiration,” “Make Me Smile,” “Just You ’n’ Me” and “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.” Born in Chicago, Seraphine played with numerous bands before settling on Chicago Transit Authority, which was soon shortened to Chicago. For more, click here.

The Rascals reborn

Two founders of The Rascals will celebrate the band’s 60th anniversary with a 3 p.m. concert on July 26 at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. Felix Cavaliere and Gene Cornish will perform the band’s trademark “blue-eyed soul,” which earned them 17 Top 20, seven Top 10 and three No. 1 hits, including “Groovin’,” “People Got to Be Free” and “Good Lovin’.” The Rascals’ popularity resulted in the group being inducted into the Rock & Roll, Grammy, Vocal Group, and Songwriters Halls of Fame. Born in New York, Cavaliere performed in several bands before joining The Young Rascals, later dubbed The Rascals. 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.