"Wicked" Returns, Joffrey Ballet's Season Kicks Off And More In Chicago This Month

From the Joffrey Ballet’s season debut to the return of a fine dining favorite, here’s what has Chicago buzzing in October.

NoMI’s mango entremet dessert is just one of the tempting reasons to visit the newly reopened Park Hyatt restaurant.

TASTE

As Park Hyatt Chicago debuts its $60 million hotel transformation project, its reimagined NoMI restaurant has opened its doors with newly modern American cuisine and an artisanal cocktail program for primo pairings. Executive chef Terence Zubieta utilizes French techniques, locally sourced ingredients and his own cultural heritage as he brings artful flavors to the forefront of NoMI’s menu. For a twist on classic rillettes, Zubieta serves up duck with a lemongrass confit pork, roasted garlic and sourdough bread. Fresh snapper is an additional seasonal entree served atop celeriac root puree and garnished with dill beurre blanc sauce, baby carrot and a pickled cucumber recipe from the chef’s mother. Beverage whiz Mike Ryan weaves unique botanical ingredients into classic cocktails to complement the restaurant’s refreshed culinary experience, ideal for sipping in the dining room or squeezing the last drops from the alfresco season in the NoMI garden and lounge. 800 N. Michigan Ave., 7th Floor

Beyond Borders kicks off the Joffrey Ballet’s new season.

ENGAGE

The renowned Joffrey Ballet honors its rich legacy in the company’s 2022-2023 season premiere, Beyond Borders—a mixed program featuring works by the Joffrey’s past and present icons. Company co-founder Gerald Arpino choreographed “Suite Saint-Saëns,” a creation that fuses classical movements with his signature neoclassical flair, which influential choreographer Agnes de Mille once described as feeling like “standing in a flight of meteors.” The program also features in-demand choreographer Chanel DaSilva’s second original work (the first was 2021’s critically acclaimed “Swing Low”). The hypnotic yet romantic “Vespertine” by Liam Scarlett, who also designed the costumes, rounds out the program. Oct. 12-23, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Upper Wacker Drive

SEE

A work picturing his signature Bird City Saint character now on view in Sentrock: The Boy Who Wanted to Fly at the Elmhurst Art Museum.

The Elmhurst Art Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary with the first solo museum show of rising Pilsen-based street artist Joseph Perez (aka Sentrock), who is notable for his colorful city murals featuring the Bird City Saint character and his signature bird mask. Entitled Sentrock: The Boy Who Wanted to Fly, the exhibition reveals the origin story behind the artist and his inspirational character. From graffiti to large-scale street art, Sentrock is a self-taught artist who aims to honor his Mexican American background while inspiring the city’s youth through his various creative endeavors. Th e multimedia exhibition boasts Sentrock’s latest signature mural alongside animated visual projections, a lifesize birdhouse installation, a 10-foot-tall sculpture and more. Each gallery explores the artist’s narrative of the Bird City Saint boy’s urban upbringing, his Latinx community and why he chooses to express himself through a bird mask. Through Jan. 15, 150 Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst

150 N. Riverside Plaza is one of the architectural gems to be explored during Open House Chicago.

EXPLORE

The Chicago Architecture Center pays homage to the Windy City’s world-class structures in its beloved annual monthlong event Open House Chicago. The free, public festival offers self-guided tours through the CAC app, access to hidden gems across the city and in-person programming Oct. 15 and 16. The event will spotlight more than 20 neighborhoods and host opportunities for outdoor exploration focused on themes such as community engagement, green spaces, historic preservation, residential architecture and more. Oct. 1-31, multiple locations

Return to Oz: Blockbuster Broadway musical Wicked is back in Chicago for an extended run.

WATCH

The iconic musical that shook up the theater world when it first debuted on Broadway in 2003, Wicked takes the stage at James M. Nederlander Theatre in the Loop this season. The North American tour stars Lissa deGuzman, who previously played Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin national tour among other Broadway roles, as the green Elphaba and Jennafer Newberry as good witch Glinda, the character she previously understudied for. Sept. 28-Dec. 4, 24 W. Randolph St.