Entertainment About Town

January brings sparkling new year of music and theater

The ancient Romans named the month of January for Janus, the Roman god who looked both forward and back. Following is a look both forward and back at some intriguing music and theater:

CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: The CSO delivered a terrific performance of one of their long-time specialties, the Mahler Symphony N. 1, under Dutch conductor Jaap van Zweden. His performance did not have the tension and mystery of Sir Georg Solti's performances, nor the same lyrical beauties one seems to recall from Levine's, but was sharply and magnificently well-played (and much better than that of an overrated young conductor a few years ago).

LONDON'S ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, conducted by Charles Dutoit, will lead a program including Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 on Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. Call 312-294-3000.

The Jackie Wilson Story, the hit musical written and directed by Loyola University Theater alumna Jackie Taylor, has been extended at the beautiful new Black Ensemble Theater at 4450 N. Clark St. Kelvin Royston Jr. stars in a show that is exploding with energy and fun. Call 773-769-4451.

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER is excelling with Timothy Findley's Elizabeth Rex, directed by Barbara Gaines. Through Jan. 22 on Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand. Call 312-595-5600.

REMY BUMPPO THEATER is winning praise for their production of the classic French love story Changes of Heart by Marivaux, through Jan. 8 at Greenhouse Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue. Call 773-404-7336.

LYRIC OPERA contrasted a dark Russian tragedy with a bright German comedy with Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov and Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos. The fine cast of Boris was led by the remarkable Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto as the gloomy king, and the Milwaukee-born mezzosoprano Emily Fons dazzled in the trouser role of Fyodor.

Ariadne saw a major star born with Amber Wagner as the Prima Donna, and the other two sopranos, Alice Coote and Anna Christy, were also superb. Sir Andrew Davis and the Lyric Orchestra became a Russian ensemble in Boris and an elegant, yet ultimately soaring chamber orchestra in Ariadne.

Davis and Co. also excel in Lyric's classic, funny production of The Magic Flute.

Lyric's January shows: Mozart's Magic Flute at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 9 and Jan. 11; and at 2 p.m., Jan. 20 and 22. Verdi's Aida sings out at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 21, 25, 28 and 31. Call 312-332-2244.

Dennis Zacek, the star director who is both professor of theater emeritus at Loyola University and artistic director emeritus at Victory Gardens Theater, is still very busy indeed. He delivered a very moving reading from Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March at Victory Gardens, guest-directed a smash production of Never the Sinner at Northwestern University, and will now direct a show at Pheasant Run: Moonlight and Magnolias.

Based on the fine comedy that became the great movie Gone With the Wind, Moonlight and Magnolias, played by the Fox Valley Repertory at Pheasant Run Theater, will be presented Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. at Pheasant Run Theater in St. Charles. Call 630-584-6342.

JAZZ AT SYMPHONY CENTER presented the amazing drummer Roy Haynes, who at age 86 has played with giants spanning the history of jazz from Louis Armstrong to Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, John Coltrane, and many more. Now playing with stars decades younger than he, including trumpeter Roy Hargrove and saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, Haynes astonished with his energy and technique.

Next up: Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and guitarist Russell Malone's trio celebrate Billie Holiday Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. Call 312-294-3000.

Happy New Year!

Joe Cuniffe is a Chicago-based arts writer.