theatre Porgy and Bess
George Gershwin’s magnum opus is generally staged as an elaborate opera, with an ensemble of close to 100 and an equally populous orchestra, but Charles Newell pares his production down to musical-theatre size, with a cast of 15 and a band of six. Whether the magnificent score will retain its richness is one of the big theatrical questions of the season.
GO: Previews through 5/21; $35–$45. Run continues through 7/3; $45–$65. Court Theatre, 5535 S Ellis. courttheatre.org

museums Out in Chicago
Mary, Mary, quite contrary: The Civil War surgeon Mary Walker didn’t give two hoots when she became the object of ridicule for refusing to don ladylike attire. Learn about her and other protoproud locals in the Chicago History Museum’s look at the city’s LGBT past.
GO: Exhibition opens 5/21 with a party from 10 to 4. Museum open Mon–Sat 9:30–4:30, Sun noon–5. Free (kids under 13) to $14; free Mon. Chicago History Museum, 1601 N Clark. chicagohistory.org

beer Chicago Craft Beer Week
Herbal, organic, floral—and that’s just the setting. Chicago’s second annual ode to artisanal suds launches with a bash under glass at the Garfield Park Conservatory featuring more than 25 breweries; check chicagomag.com on Friday for photos of the kickoff.
GO: Beer Under Glass: 5/19 from 5:30 to 8:30. $40–$50. Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N Central Park. garfieldconservatory.org. Chicago Craft Beer Week runs 5/19–27; full schedule: chibeerweek.com

ALSO THIS WEEK: New Belgium Brewery bikes into town on 5/22 for its annual Urban Assault Ride: half road race, half scavenger hunt, all kinds of crazy—yes, with beer.

theatre The Gospel According to James
Stop reading. Do a Google image search for “Lawrence Beitler,” then spend a moment in silence for Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, the two African American men in the photo. Bietler’s graphic 1930 image inspired Charles Smith’s dramatization of the events leading up to a lynching, with the two-time Tony nominee André DeShields starring as a survivor.
GO: 5/18–6/12. $20–$50. Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N Lincoln. victorygardens.org

ALSO THIS WEEK: In a city where maestros come and go, Paul Freeman has spent nearly a quarter of a century helming Chicago Sinfonietta, the nation’s most diverse orchestra. Be there 5/22 or 5/23 to yell “Bravo!” when he hands off the baton.

dance Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
This company—equally adept en pointe, in socks, and with bare feet—looks a bit like the merger of Chicago’s own Joffrey Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance. See for yourself in three local premieres: Jirí Kylián’s Stamping Ground, a primal yet meticulous game of leapfrog; Jorma Elo’s fast and furious Red Sweet; and Nicolo Fonte’s thriller Where We Left Off.
GO: 5/24 at 7:30. $32–$72. Harris Theater, 205 E Randolph. harristheaterchicago.org

ALSO THIS WEEK: Speaking of Hubbard Street, the company kicks off a multiyear collaboration with the San Francisco choreographer Alonzo King—a Joyce Award–winning pairing. And Chicago audiences can catch a rare glimpse of a troupe in transition 5/18–22 at the Auditorium Theatre as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s longtime artistic director, Judith Jamison, prepares to hand over the reins to the contemporary dance innovator Robert Battle.