The Five

Don’t-miss picks for Wednesday, March 2 through March 8, 2016

1 Polar Plunge

Seasonal Brave Lake Michigan’s icy temps for Special Olympics Chicago’s 16th annual winter swim. You could even freeze alongside celebrities: Vince Vaughn and Lady Gaga turned up last year.
3/6 at 10. Castaways, North Avenue Beach, 1603 N. Lake Shore. chicagopolarplunge.org

2 Chicago Artists Coalition: Leonard Suryajaya

Art The photographer returned to his native Indonesia to produce this series of group portraits examining the baggage of national allegiances. Read more here.
3/4–24. 217 N. Carpenter. chicagoartistscoalition.org

3 Angela James

Folk Country singer Angela James and jazz trio Stirrup reprise their unlikely live collaboration to premiere James’s second LP, Time Will Tell.
3/4 at 8:30. $10. Constellation, 3111 N. Western. constellation-chicago.com

4 Sheila Jordan

Jazz The 87-year-old Detroit singer and longtime Green Mill regular swings through Uptown for her annual engagement—a set that somehow stays fresh even after a quarter of a century.
3/5 at 9:30 and 3/6 at 8:30. $15. Green Mill, 4802 N. Broadway. greenmilljazz.com

5 Lucky Plush Productions

Dance The local dance-theater company presents the superhero story Trip the Light Fantastic: The Making of SuperStrip. Read more here. 
3/3 at 7:30. $10–$55. Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph. harristheaterchicago.org

What I’m Doing This Weekend

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals: Angela James, who debuts her new album Time Will Tell at Constellation Friday night.

“Friday before the show, I’ll probably go swimming at Eckhart Park Pool. I get pre-show jitters, and exercising helps. Then we’ll pick up my mother-in-law, who’s coming into town for the show, and head over to Constellation to set up. I’m playing with Stirrup—they’re sort of a post-rock jazz trio. They’ll play an opening set and then back me during my set, along with my husband, Jordan Martins, on pedal steel. We’re playing the new album, Time Will Tell, in full. After that, we’ll just hang out at Constellation.

“Saturday, we’ll probably go to brunch at Fat Rice with my mother-in-law. It’s this great place at Sacramento and Diversey; we’re friends with the chef there. After that, we’re helping my husband’s cousin move—but I’m seven months pregnant, so that basically means I’m gonna watch. Later, there’s an art opening at my husband’s gallery, Comfort Station Logan Square. The artist is E. Aaron Ross. After that, we’ll probably go back to Constellation. Tomeka Reid is playing with her quartet, Mary Halvorson, Jason Roebke, and Tomas Fujiwara. Their new album album is amazing and they’re so fun to watch. Mary Halvorson and Tomas Fujiwara are based in New York, so the quartet only plays in Chicago once in a while.

“Sundays, I like to lie around—and again, because I’m seven months pregnant, we’ll probably hang at home. I’m thinking about going to the Music Box Theatre to catch one of the films in their 70mm Film Fest—I think Sunday is Lawrence of Arabia. Then at night, my husband and I are going to some friends’ house to raid their baby stuff.” —As told to Matt Pollock

Freebie of the Week

Jim Dine

Readings The celebrated purveyor of pop art reads from his dozen-plus poem collections.
3/9 at 7. Poetry Foundation, 61 W. Superior. poetryfoundation.org