Renée Fleming

Soprano

“I would love to catch the German expressionist exhibit at the Smart Museum of Art. The turn of the century was a time of radical change in the arts. The emancipation of women, the oppression of Jewish writers and artists—it was a time of real ferment.”

Fleming performs with Patricia Barber on December 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St. $35 to $125. harristheaterchicago.org

Robert Falls

Director

“Tim Etchells’s Speak Bitterness is a combination of performance art, fiction, and music. Forced Entertainment has been doing this piece for some time, and now it’s coming to the Museum of Contemporary Art for one six-hour performance on February 20.”

Falls’s adaptation of Roberto Bolaño’s novel 2666 opens on February 6 at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. goodmantheatre.org

Robyn Mineko Williams

Choreographer

“Taiko drummer Tatsu Aoki is performing on December 19 at the Museum of Contemporary Art with dancer Ayako Kato and several jazz musicians. I’m half Japanese, so growing up, I’d visit my grandma’s church, and taiko was always part of the traditional Obon festivals. I love the sound and physicality of it.”

Hubbard Street Dance performs Williams’s Waxing Moon from December 10 to 13 at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St. $30 to $99. hubbardstreetdance.com

Dee Alexander

Singer

“I’m excited about Renee Baker’s performance alongside a screening of Oscar Micheaux’s Body and Soul at Dominican University in River Forest on January 31. Renee thinks outside of the box—you don’t know what to expect, you just know that it’s going to be great.”

Alexander performs on December 3 at 8:30 p.m. at Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave. $10. ticketfly.com