For those who love the arts, Chicago is an ideal city to engage with an incomparable array of music, theatre, dance and artworks.
With more than 250 theaters and five Tony Award-winning theater companies, you’re sure to find a performance to suit your taste. Chicago’s oldest theater and a major part of the theater scene in Chicago’s Loop, the Goodman Theater is internationally renowned for its quality and depth of productions.
Located a comfortable stroll from The Clare in the historic Water Tower Water Works, the Lookingglass Theater offers classic to contemporary performances and has produced more than 60 world-premiere plays. Travel a short drive north to the Lincoln Park neighborhood and take in a performance at Steppenwolf Theater, the country’s premier ensemble theater offering groundbreaking, innovative performances. While you are in Lincoln Park, treat yourself to the very latest in new plays and playwrights at Victory Gardens Theater.
Love Shakespeare? The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, situated within Navy Pier along the city’s lakefront, offers a year-round season with as many as twenty productions.
No matter what musical genre you favor, from classical to blues or from jazz to eclectic, you’ll find Chicago ready to feed your appetite.
Venture south on Michigan Avenue to Orchestra Hall to hear the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, one of five American orchestras referred to as “The Big Five.” Just over a mile from The Clare’s front door another musical gem awaits you, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, located in the magnificent art deco Civic Opera Building.
When you want to hear live Blues, check out Kingston Mines Blues Club. They showcase a variety of blues by two separate bands, every night, on two stages, 365 days a year. Is jazz your thing? Chicago’s the place to be. Start by heading to the South Loop to hear the best of the best at Jazz Showcase.
Interested in free weekly concerts near The Clare? The Chicago Cultural Center hosts two free concert series year ‘round. When the weather warms, travel south across the Chicago River and enjoy the Millennium Park Summer Series, featuring free weekly concerts from a broad variety of musicians.
Chicago is an art-lover’s paradise with more than 60 museums to explore. Art can be found everywhere in Chicago, from public squares and parks to some of the country’s finest galleries and museums showing eclectic, cultural, traditional and contemporary collections from every century.
Located just minutes south of The Clare in downtown Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the most well-known art museums in the city, and the country. It houses 260,000 pieces that encompasses more than 5,000 years of art from cultures around the world.
Another nearby favorite is The Museum of Contemporary Art, one of the nation’s largest multidisciplinary museums devoted to the art of our time including painting, sculpture, photography, film and video.
Galleries can be found all over Chicago, but there are a few neighborhoods that have blossomed as distinguished art districts. You will find The Clare right next door to one of those neighborhoods — River North. It is packed with galleries, making it an ideal place to browse. Take part in an art crawl and open house, operated by Brave New Art World. Some stops could include the Ken Saunders Gallery, showcasing luminous bowls and glass objects; The Project Room, hanging Tibetan photos and Cuban prints; Richard Norton Gallery, featuring impressionist and modern paintings; and Carl Hammer Gallery, showing both contemporary and modern art from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Sway over to Chicago’s historic theatres, public parks, museums and universities to experience everything from classical ballet and tap to percussive and interpretive dance, performed by celebrated local, national and international companies.
Delight in the performances of the Joffrey Ballet at Chicago’s Civic Opera House. The Joffrey is renowned the world over for classical ballet, modern dance productions — and a combination of the two.
Watch as classical and contemporary dance come together in extraordinary performances by the Chicago Repertory Ballet.
Giordano Dance Chicago brings jazzy moves to the Chicago stage, with new and innovative choreography that celebrates one of America’s leading dance styles. You can see Giordano Dance Chicago performances at Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park.
And at Louis Sullivan’s historic Auditorium Theatre you can experience a variety of dance performances from classic to contemporary throughout the year. One of Chicago’s favorite yearly performances is the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, globally revered as “a vital cultural ambassador to the world.”
With so much to walk to, and so much more a short ride away, The Clare is surrounded by some of the most culturally rich neighborhoods in Chicago. Indulge in theater, music, dance and art as often as you desire and The Clare concierge can help arrange it all.
Unique in location and art-loving spirit, The Clare has formed strong relationships with local musicians who are pleased and proud to share their talents right here in the community. For more information about senior living in Chicago, contact us.
