A version of this article first appeared in the April 2009 issue of Classical Singer. It has been updated for this issue.
Chicago. It’s the name of a theater. It’s the name of a musical. Not to mention the title of many songs—including one you may have heard Frank Sinatra sing. So it’s no wonder the “Second City” has a first-class music scene. Chicago has been sung about for decades by everyone from the Doobie Brothers to the Blues Brothers. It’s home to one of the world’s best orchestras and one of the leading opera houses. And it gave the musical world noted opera singer Emma Abbott, crooners Nat “King” Cole and Mel Tormé, jazz musicians Gene Krupa and Benny Goodman, and venerable pop/rock bands Chicago and Styx . . . among many others. So the possibilities for exploring its musical offerings are endless. Just make sure to take a moment to stand outside and listen—in this city, even the wind whistles.
9:30 a.m. Warm-Up
As a prelude to your Chicago musical adventure, have breakfast at the Artist’s Café (ground floor of the Fine Arts Building, 412 S. Michigan Avenue, 312-939-7855, www.artists-cafe.com). Opened in 1961, the café has hosted everyone from casts of The Phantom of the Opera to performers like John Belushi. Not only might you rub elbows with artists from around the world here, but you can also choose from an appropriately international menu. Nevertheless, true to its diner definition, your best bet is the simplest one—eggs and bacon, a cup of coffee, and a seat on the sidewalk patio.
11:00 a.m. Art of Shopping
After breakfast, be sure to take a quick tour of the Fine Arts Building (410 S. Michigan Avenue, 312-566-9800, www.fineartsbuilding.com). Once a wagon carriage showroom, the building was converted into studios and theaters for artists in 1898 and now boasts national historic landmark status. You may hear the sounds of singers echoing through the building as you take the rickety elevator (still run by an elevator operator) to the 9th floor to visit Performers Music (410 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 904, 312-987-1196, www.performersmusicchicago.com), one of Chicago’s last remaining classical sheet music stores. If it feels like it’s been there since 1981, that’s because it has. But the lack of modernization is part of its charm, and the supply of vocal music, books, and magazines more than makes up for it. While you browse, be sure to look up—Frank Lloyd Wright had a studio right above you on the 10th floor.
11:45 a.m. Symphonic Stop
Walk two blocks north on Michigan Avenue and you’ll find yourself at the home of one of the most acclaimed orchestras in the world—the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In fact, Gramophone Magazine named CSO the number one ranked orchestra in the United States. At the Symphony Center (220 S. Michigan Avenue, 312-294-3000, www.cso.org) you can check concert/event schedules (there are over 150 annual concerts) and buy performance tickets. While you’re there, don’t miss the Symphony Store for a musical souvenir. Browse through the symphony’s latest recordings (including Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, which was called “a glorious achievement” by the Chicago Tribune), pick up a few musical cookie cutters, or try on the latest in trendy clothing, like a George Crumb Agnus Dei t-shirt.
12:15 p.m. Lunchtime Concert
Continue walking north up Michigan Avenue until you cross Washington Street, where you’ll find yourself at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington Street, 312-744-6630, www.chicagoculturalcenter.org). If it’s a weekday, you can enjoy a free lunchtime concert, which normally begins at 12:15 p.m. These midday concerts feature up-and-coming musicians. Alumni who have sung here include soprano Elizabeth Futral, who went from here to opera houses around the world.
Concert or not, the center, formerly Chicago’s main library, is worth a look for its stained glass Tiffany dome, the largest of its kind in the world. Made of colored glass, stone, and mother-of-pearl, it’s valued at $35 million. Before you leave, you may want to check the desk by the entrance to see if there’s a building tour at 1:15 p.m. or perhaps a concert that evening.
1:30 p.m. Late Lunch
Head west on Washington Street to Chicago’s famous State Street and visit Macy’s (formerly Marshall Field and Co.) department store (111 N. State Street, 312-781-1000, www.visitmacyschicago.com). In 1907, when Marshall Field’s opened its doors, it was considered the largest store in the world. Take the escalator to the seventh floor (if you don’t get distracted by all the possibilities for your next recital outfit first) and you’ll be rewarded with three good places for lunch.
One option is the casual FRANGO Café for soups, sandwiches, and the famous Frango Mint Ice Cream pie. For a more leisurely lunch, the elegant 1907 Walnut Room, complete with a 17-foot marble fountain, is the perfect spot for a sit-down meal of butternut squash ravioli or chicken pot pie. For a quick bite, try Seven on State, an upscale food court with options ranging from goat cheese salads to Japanese noodle soups, all which come with great views over the city.
Before you walk back out Macy’s doors onto State Street, make sure to look up and admire the Tiffany mosaic dome, resplendent with more than 1.6 million pieces of iridescent glass.
3:00 p.m. Theater Scouting
Exit Macy’s at State and Randolph Streets and take in the brightly lit marquees of the Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph Street, 312-977-1700, www.oriental-theater.com), where Judy Garland once performed, and the Beaux-Arts style Chicago Theatre (175 N. State Street, 312-462-6300, www.thechicagotheatre.com), the oldest theater in the city (built in 1921). If you’re interested in tickets to a musical or stage performance, stop by the Hot Tix booth (72 E. Randolph Street, 312-977-9483, www.hottix.org) for half-price, same-day tickets to a Loop theater show. Orders are not taken over the phone and must be purchased online or in person.
3:30 p.m. Artistic Inspiration
After walking east down Randolph Street, cross Michigan Avenue and walk through Millennium Park, stopping to admire the outdoor Jay Pritzker Pavilion built by Frank Gehry where the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra makes its home in the summer. Be sure to let your gaze take in the vast Chicago skyline, and don’t miss getting a photo of your reflection in the Cloud Gate sculpture (affectionately nicknamed “The Bean”).
Wind your way to the park’s next-door neighbor, the Art Institute of Chicago (111 S. Michigan Avenue, 312-443-3600, www.artic.edu). Don’t let the famous lions guarding the entrance worry you as you climb the steps to one of the world’s greatest collections of creativity to begin your tour of over 5,000 years of human artistry. As a musician, you’ll be sure to appreciate Renoir’s “Woman at the Piano” (Gallery 201) as well as other duets between music and art, such as Wendell Castle’s “Music Stand” in Galleries 158-159 and Jan Steen’s “The Family Concert” in Gallery 213.
5:30 p.m. Pure Indulgence
Enjoy a typical Chicago-style deep-dish pizza at Giordano’s (130 E. Randolph Street, 312-616-1200, www.giordanos.com). Choose from pizzas with time-tested combinations like sausage-mushroom-green pepper-onions, or the classic spinach, or create your own. If you still have room after indulging in this Chicago tradition, try topping your pie off with a little tiramisu or a cannoli.
As an alternative to pizza, try Tesori (65 E. Adams Street, 312-786-9911,
www.tesorichicago.com), a contemporary restaurant right behind the Symphony Center that offers an upscale Italian menu. Be advised, though, to arrive before 6 p.m. if you don’t have reservations, as the Symphony crowd tends to arrive about that time en masse.
7:30 p.m. Showtime
Depending on your mood, attend a concert at one of Chicago’s many performance venues. If you didn’t find a show earlier at the Hot Tix booth, the Symphony Center, or the Chicago Cultural Center, try the Civic Opera House (20 N. Upper Wacker Drive, 312-419-0033, www.civicoperahouse.com). Although the Lyric Opera of Chicago is in season only from September through early May, you might catch a special event. Other possible musical options include Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph Street, 312-742-1168,
www.millenniumpark.org) and Chamber Opera Chicago (1920 N. Lincoln Avenue, 312-951-7944, www.chamberoperachicago.org).
10:00 p.m. Surprise Songs
For the night’s final encore, grab a cab to Underground Wonder Bar (710 N. Clark Street, 312-266-7761,
www.undergroundwonderbar.com) on Chicago’s Near North Side. Owned by jazz musician Lonie Walker, the bar is known for hosting live music 365 days a year. Depending on the day, you’ll be treated to jazz, blues, reggae, folk, or an open mic night. But whether you’re tapping your feet to soulful originals by Katie Kadan, humming along with violinist/singer Heather Horton, or performing on stage yourself at the Sunday Night Open Mic, you’ll be in a singer-friendly, smoke-free environment thanks to the smoking laws in Illinois. The intimate atmosphere and musician clientele make the place feel like a private party.
