Things to Do in Chicago

Alliance Theatre has staged ghost stories, fairy tales, and beloved Broadway musicals for more than four decades, earning it a Regional Theatre Tony Award for its memorable productions. Haled by ArtsATL.com as “an incredibly engaging and tightly focused evening at the theater,” I Just Stopped By to See the Man casts a mysterious pall over audiences with its tale of three characters seeking redemption. Accomplished musician and actor “Mississippi” Charles Bevel pours himself into the leading role of Jesse “The Man” Davidson, a legendary bluesman playing possum from fame while living in a shotgun shack with his daughter Della. Like Robert Johnson, Jesse is fabled to have traded his soul to the devil for his musical talents, which now collect dust while his guitar gently weeps. When Karl, a British rock star, hunts down “The Man” in hopes of learning from the master and luring him back to the stage, conflicts unfold and secrets are revealed. Brimming with authentic Delta blues songs and a surplus of wry wisdom, the intimate character study works its mojo on music fans and theater buffs alike.

Since 1996, the staff at Seadog Cruises has welcomed explorers aboard sophisticated, open-air speedboats for city tours. Over the years, they’ve led more than two million sightseers through Baltimore and Chicago on cruises that elucidate city histories, paying special attention to landmarks such as Baltimore’s Naval Reserve Center and Chicago’s Tribune Tower. Their fleet of sea crafts uses low-sulfur diesel and a four-stroke engines that produce lower emissions than older models, allowing eco-conscious passengers to rest easy and fish to finally open their windows for some fresh water.

A blazing neon bowling-pin sign calls passersby into the crimson-and-cream façade of Fireside Bowl, drawing them back through time into the ’40s, when the alley was opened. Gleaming spheres devastate their wooden foes beneath brilliant wall murals and vintage accents, and a pool table and selection of turn-of-the-century video games captivate between frames aided by electronic scoring systems and pins set upright by very strong squirrels. Revelry revives itself in the low light of a vintage-style lounge, where suds flow smoothly into pints that glide along a gleaming bar. The guttural roar of stressed guitar strings sings out during occasional rock and punk shows at the alley, where league rollers build prowess alongside casual players on the shining hardwood.

Since 1996, studio owner Randi Whitman and her team of certified instructors have helped students of all ages and skill levels hone strong, lean physiques with a collection of dynamic mat and machine-based workouts. Grounded in the philosophies of Joseph H. and Clara Pilates, Frog Temple's instructors foster a well-rounded practice that strengthens not only the mind, but also the body's core muscles, limbs, and scratch-lotto fingers. Natural light illuminates the airy studio, bouncing off the gleaming hardwood floors where students perform efficient exercises on spring-resistant Reformer machines. A collection of props such as rollers, balls, and rubber chickens add variation to Pilates props classes, while mat classes lengthen and tone muscles from head to toes.

One hundred fitness tones muscles and increases endurance with Pilates, personal training, and group dance classes. The accredited staff includes such versatile instructors as Kyle Seguin, an ACE-certified personal trainer who spent eight years in the Alabama Ballet and teaches ballet, Pilates, and anatomy at Columbia College Chicago. One hundred fitness aims to improve various body functions, including core strength, posture, flexibility, and lung capacity—just in time for fall leaf-blowing activities.

Village Pilates Studio's owner, Regan Hoerster, boasts an impressive 1,000 hours of apprenticeship work, earning a master's certification with the Pilates Method Alliance. She draws from her extensive education to create a comfortable, friendly environment with class styles to accommodate patrons of all skill levels and varying needs. Hoerster offers one-on-one private lessons and semiprivate lessons with a maximum of four participants, which are especially beneficial to beginners. The small class sizes enable her to devote ample attention to each person to foster the development of proper technique. More advanced patrons can opt for gender-specific classes, large-group mat classes, or those that incorporate props such as the barre, pole, and low chair. Reformer machines—built specifically to enhance Pilates workouts by adding resistance to the exercises—line the walls of the hardwood studio, with the majority of the floor space left open for performing mat work and impressing fellow students by forming every letter in Mississippi with your body.