Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
An evening with Onesti
Wine, food, song and stories will flow at “Under the Tuscan Moon” from 6 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 21 at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. Hosted by Ron Onesti, the evening will feature wines imported from Tuscany and small-plate courses from Onesti’s personal recipes. Chianti-braised mushroom crostini and Bistecca alla Fiorentina are possible menu items. Musical performances as well as tales from Onesti’s colorful rock ’n’ roll past will round out the evening. The event is part of the Centennial Series celebrating the 100th anniversary of the iconic venue. Tickets are $125, tax and gratuity included, and only 36 tickets will be sold. For more, click here.
Channeling the Duke
Vocalist Paul Marinaro will celebrate the release of his most ambitious recording project to date with shows on Jan. 24 and 25 at Studio5 in Evanston. Marinaro and his dectet will perform selections from “Mood Ellington,” a double album of 25 Duke Ellington and/or Billy Strayhorn compositions. Fresh off a tour of Italy that included appearances in Gravina, Bari, Palermo and Rome and a visit to his ancestral hometown of San Fele, Basilicata, Marinaro is as in touch with his heritage as he is with the Great American songbook. Often compared to Bennett and Sinatra, he carries on the tradition of the classic male torch singer. For more, click here.
What the heart wants
Patti LuPone will bring “Matters of the Heart” to the Auditorium Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 31. Backed by the Four Play String Quartet, the show features more than two dozen love songs ranging from Broadway favorites to works by top contemporary songwriters. A musical theater legend, Lupone has garnered numerous accolades, including three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and two Grammy Awards. Among her standout roles were Eva Perón in “Evita,” Rose in “Gypsy” and Joanne in “Company.” She was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2006. 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.
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.
Several of these look very interesting. Thanks for sending.