The Eleven

Don’t-miss picks for December 14 through December 19, 2017

1 Looking at H.H. Richardson’s “Other Chicago House”

Architecture:Architect H.H. Richardson’s Glessner House is indisputably world famous, if not universally acclaimed: rail magnate George Pullman, who lived around the corner from the building, once lamented having to confront it every time he stepped outside. At this lecture, an architect and historian discuss Richardson’s lesser known MacVeagh House, built during the same era and since demolished.
12/14 at 7 p.m. $10. Glessner House Museum. glessnerhouse.org

2 Olivia Block

Experimental:This Chicago-based sound artist was last seen here performing on the Skinner organ at University of Chicago’s Rockefeller Chapel. This weekend, she’ll play her new untitled album in its entirety, using a microcassette recorder to overdub the three-part piano movement.
12/14 at 8:30 p.m. $10. Constellation. constellation-chicago.com

3 Messiah

Classical:Consider this performance a milestone. Between 1741, when Handel composed the oratorio Messiah, and 1879, when the Apollo Chorus began performing the majestic choral-orchestral pillar, 138 years elapsed. This year marks the 138th anniversary of the chorus’s annual tradition. That makes it official: Apollo, the oldest continuously operating musical organization in Chicago, has now sung Messiah for half of the oratorio’s existence.
12/16–17. $30–$70. Harris Theater. apollochorus.org

4 Melanin Voices for Puerto Rico

Fundraiser:Melanin Voices, a Chicago collective dedicated to arts activism, puts on a fundraiser for the ongoing recovery effort following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
12/15 at 8:30 p.m. $10–$20. The Breathing Room Space. eventbrite.com

5 Matt Braunger

Comedy:This L.A. based comic was born and got his start in Chicago, so expect plenty of locally-inflected jokes at this homecoming set. To study up, tune into Braunger’s podcast, Ding-Donger, known for such segments as “scumbag Dear Abbey.”
12/16 at 10 p.m. $20. Lincoln Hall. lh-st.com

6 Chicago Santa Crawl

Seasonal:Don your gaudiest holiday sweater at this River North pub Crawl, complete with deeply discounted drinks at six neighborhood bars.
12/16 at 10 a.m. $15. River North. eventbrite.com

7 Twelfth Night, or What You Will

Theater:Director Dylan S. Roberts and composers Elizabeth Rentfro and Alex Mauney take on Shakespeare’s hilariously troubled love story about a melancholy countess who falls for a cross-dressing sailor. There’s also a lovesick prude whose cruel fate leaves the play with a hint of bitterness. As romances go, this one’s dipped in acid.
Through 12/17. Free (reserve seat online). Midsommer Flight at Lincoln Park Conservatory. eventbrite.com

8 International Anthem Winter Solstice In-Store

Jazz:The Bridgeport-based label International Anthem convenes for its third annual winter solstice show, featuring music, film, and crock pot–prepped soup. Catch local cornetist Ben LaMar Gay and clarinetist John McCowen, student of Chicago jazz legend Roscoe Mitchell.
FREE 12/17. Logan Hardware Records. intlanthem.com

9 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass

Classical:Perhaps no major orchestra is associated more closely with one of its sections than the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is with its brass, a legacy established by the former music directors Fritz Reiner and Georg Solti. Every winter, the brass gets its own showcase concert, always when there’s a crowd in town for the Midwest Clinic, a band and orchestra conference.
12/20 at 8 p.m. $33–$130. Symphony Center. cso.org

10 SZA

R&B:It took mere seconds for this L.A. R&B singer (real name Solána Rowe) to sell out the Chicago stop on her tour back in September. Due to the demand (and after airing her frustrations on social media), the singer announced this second show, which sold almost as quickly. Those are two reasons to justify grabbing a resale ticket—in addition to the all-too-relatable tunes about romantic miscommunication and desperation.
12/20 at 6 p.m. Sold out; see resellers. Concord Music Hall.

11 Chicago Moving Company

Dance:In Untethered, this contemporary company highlights a range of new dances across two distinct weekends. In its second weekend, expect an assortment of experimental dance and music performances by artists like Mitsu Salmon, Rose Bouboushian, and Corinne Imberski, each investigating the role of the individual within a larger world.
12/14–15. $10. Hamlin Park Fieldhouse. stuckfootopenhand.eventbrite.com