Chang-rae Lee was named one of the 20 best American writers by The New Yorker for his second novel, A Gesture Life, the tale of a medic who recalls the experience of treating Korean “comfort women” during World War II. Lee will be speaking on his latest book, The Surrendered, a novel about a Korean girl and an American vet whose lives become entangled with the Korean War. Learn more »

International House, 1414 East 59th Street, Chicago. Assembly Hall. Friday, March 12, 6:00pm.

The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company celebrates 50 years with THE MIKADO at the University of Chicago, March 12-13-14, 2010. THE MIKADO is a two-act comedic opera situated in the faraway foreign land of Japan, a setting that helped the pundits satirize British politics. The Company is accompanied by the University of Chicago Chamber Orchestra. Proceeds will benefit the Department of Music’s performance program.

Mandel Hall, University of Chicago, 1131 E. 57th St., Chicago. Friday, March 12, 8:00pm; Saturday, March 13, 8:00pm; and Sunday March 14, 2:00pm.Tickets:  $50 patron / $20 general / $5 students. Ticket Hotline: 773-702-9075 (M-F 12-4p). Tickets will be available at door one hour before each performance.

The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, in collaboration with the University of Chicago’s Special Collections Research Center, has mounted an exhibit of past production costumes, props, programs, photos, set models, and other material to celebrate the Company’s 50th Anniversary. Since 1960, the Company has performed every work in the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, some as many as 6 or 7 times, under its policy of alternating the signature operas (such as The Mikado, being performed this month on March 12-14) with the obscure.

Joseph Regenstein Library reading room, 1100 E. 57th St., Chicago. The exhibit is open to the public and will be on display through March 21, 2010.

Join us for the School and Studio Open House, an opportunity for winter students to showcase their work and explore the work of their fellow artists. There will be light refreshments, a poetry reading (by current students in the Visual Art Poetry class) and the studios will be open so folks can walk around and see what students have been working on this winter.

Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave., Chicago. Sunday, March 21, 2:00pm-5:00pm. This event is free. For more information call (773)-324-5520 or visit www.hydeparkart.org.

Kyogen is Japan’s oldest form of spoken drama. It is closely associated with the Noh theater and was originally performed during the intervals between
the acts of a Noh play. But while Noh themes are mostly solemn, Kyogen presents a comical or satirical view of everyday situations, making them easier to enjoy.

International House at The University of Chicago. Co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Japan at Chicago. 1414 East 59th Street, Chicago. Assembly Hall. Tuesday-Wednesday, March 23-24, 6:00 pm. This event is free and open to the public.

Photo by Dan Dry

Fusing Gregorian melodies with 20th century harmonies, Duruflé’s Requiem appeals to early and modern music lovers alike.  Join Chicago Chorale when the 60-voice choir, acclaimed for its “remarkable ensemble sound,” presents the Requiem with organist Thomas Weisflog and cellist Sophie Webber at St. Thomas the Apostle Church.  The church’s Kimball-Skinner organ, rebuilt by Mr. Weisflog himself, boasts 3,600 handcrafted pipes and provides a magnificent accompaniment to this unique work.  Works by Palestrina and John Tavener – including Tavener’s meditative “Svyati” (O Holy One), with its virtuosic solo cello – complete the program.

St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 5472 S. Kimbark Ave., Chicago.  Saturday, March 27, 7:30pm.  Free, off-street parking.  Ticket price: general admission is $20; with student I.D. is $12.  More information available at www.chicagochorale.org or (773) 306-6195.

The Board of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre invites you to mingle over drinks and hors d’oeuvres at our Spring Fling 2010.  Wilfredo Rivera will give lessons in different dance styles. Use your new steps to dance with a CRDT dancer!

Hubbard Street Dance Center, 1147 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago. Saturday, March 27, 7:00pm-10:00pm. Tickets with dance lessons are $75/$100 a couple. Two left feet? Tickets without lessons are $50. Tickets: 773.847.0305 or corrie@cerquarivera.org.

This exhibition follows the daring travels of James H. Breasted, the founder of the Oriental Institute, through the Middle East following World War I. In his quest for sites for his new institute to excavate, he encountered war-torn landscapes, hostile tribes, and harsh travel conditions. The photos, archival documents, and artifacts that trace Breasted’s expedition also address issues concerning the relationship between past and present, archaeology and politics, and America’s role in the Middle East that are as relevant today as they were nearly a century ago.  Learn more »

Oriental Institute, 1155 East 58th Street