"Immersive Monet" Debuts And More In Chicago This Month

Michelin-starred chef delights, an immersive exhibition and a reimagined iconic musical are just a few upcoming activities to look forward to in September.

Kindred has Elmhurst buzzing with its open-flame cooking and inviting dining room.

TASTE

Open-flame cooking is the main draw at Kindred, which has arrived in downtown Elmhurst with Michelin-starred chef Michael Carroll serving seasonal flaming creations inspired by the modern Midwest. Guests can experience the smells, sounds and tastes of cooking with fire as specialties like fire-grilled octopus, Northwoods steak tartare and lamb “lolli-chops” with Mediterranean marinade are prepared over a 600-degree flame. Says Carroll, “We’re excited for our guests to experience the carnal essence of wood and fire, smoke and char, vegetables, fish and meat harmoniously converging into our senses. The fire itself is an ingredient.” 119 N. York St., Elmhurst

SEE

Steppenwolf Theatre Company kicks off its new season with a bang, raising the curtain on James Ijames’ fantastical yet amusing new play, The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington. Ravaged by a wicked illness, the widowed “Mother of America,” Martha Washington, is confined to her Mount Vernon quarters; meanwhile, the enslaved people of the estate patiently await their hour of liberation as Martha’s late husband George Washington’s will declares their impending freedom upon her death. “To have Whitney White and James Ijames (fresh off winning the Pulitzer Prize) back together at the launch of our ’22/’23 season is a huge gift for all of us at Steppenwolf,” says artistic director Audrey Francis. Sept. 1-Oct. 9, 1650 N. Halsted St.

Wander among Monet’s masterworks at Chicago’s hottest new immersive experience.

EXPERIENCE

Explore the awe-inspiring artworks of some of the great masters, as Lighthouse Immersive and Maestro Immersive Art present its latest 360-degree digital art exhibition, Immersive Monet & The Impressionists. History remembers artists like Monet, Renoir and Degas as radicals for their bold spontaneity in both movement and color mediums, which the upcoming exhibit will express with state-of-the-art projection systems and a dreamlike musical score to engage audiences in the vibrant yet transient depictions of nature these artists envisioned. Opens Sept. 1, Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago, 108 W. Germania Place

A scene from Komische Oper Berlin’s Fiddler on the Roof, which makes its North American debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

SEE

With the formidable presence of the full Lyric Opera of Chicago orchestra and chorus, beloved Tony Award winner Fiddler on the Roof makes its triumphant North American debut after its heralded premiere at Komische Oper Berlin. Leading opera director Barrie Kosky (The Magic Flute, Prince Igor, Salome) revitalizes the revered tale of Tevye and his five daughters as guests are transported to the village of Anatevka to experience the family’s joys and deep sorrows in a new light. “I am thrilled for Chicago audiences to experience Fiddler on the Roof through the vision of the charismatic and unique Barrie Kosky, a director I’ve worked with at Salzburg Festival and admire so much,” says Lyric music director Enrique Mazzola. “This will be unforgettable and an unmissable Fiddler.” Sept. 17-Oct. 7, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Upper Wacker Drive

With Logan Square hot spots Lardon and Union under their belts, partners Steve Lewis and Christopher Thompson are going for the trifecta with new cocktail bar Meadowlark.

SIP

Tucked away in a back alley in Logan Square, new craft cocktail bar the Meadowlark (from the same owners as adjacent hospitality hits Lardon and Union) exudes vintage Chicago charm. The new watering hole brings an artistic apothecary approach to its rotating menu of drink infusions, tonics and housemade bitters, all within the intimacy of a dimly lit space. The unmarked entrance is seated in a restored 110-year-old building, aiding to the quintessential Windy City feel of a time gone by. 2812 W. Palmer St., @meadowlarkchicago