CSO's Chinese New Year concert and more of the best things to do in Chicago this weekend

[Reader Recommends] The Chicago Symphony Orchestra holds a [Chinese New Year Celebration concert on Sat 2/17](. Friday, February 16 - Sunday, February 18 Welcome the Year of the Dog with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, plus more things to do in the city this weekend. Here's some more cool stuff we recommend: Fri 2/16-Sat 2/17: The roughly 30-minute play [North & Austin](, at Madison Street Theatre (1010 W. Madison), is about a woman putting her life back together after jail. The Reader's Jack Helbig hails Keishana Miller's performance as "flawless." 7:30 PM, $10 Fri 2/16-Sat 2/17: Second City's [Mary Scruggs Works by Women Festival]( honors the late comedian and instructor with the female-focused comedy showcase, now in its seventh year. The festival, at Judy's Beat Lounge in the Second City Training Center (230 W. North), hosts free workshops on Saturday. Find the full schedule at [secondcity.com](. 6 PM-midnight, free Fri 2/16-Sun 2/18: The parody production [The Vagina Melodies](, at Cornservatory (4210 N. Lincoln), covers women's rights, LGBTQ issues, and on a lighter note, Tinder. PM, $10-$15 Sat 2/17-Sun 2/18: Chicago Children's Theatre (100 S. Racine) kicks off its first full season at its new West Loop home with the musical [My Wonderful Birthday Suit!]( The Reader's Dan Jakes praises the show, saying it "refreshingly dispels the 'I don't see race' myth and encourages young children to embrace skin color." Sat 9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 3 PM; Sun 9:30 and 11:30 AM, $35 Sat 2/17: Chicago Symphony Orchestra's (220 S. Michigan) [Chinese New Year Celebration]( features Chonqing Chuanju Opera Theatre and traditional Chinese orchestral arrangements from Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra. 3-5 PM, $20-$75 Sun 2/18: "Galentine's Day" is all about celebrating female friendships, and the [Hungry as F*ck's Galentine's Day Brunch](at Kimski (960 W. 31st) features dishes named after some pretty great gals in pop culture (like "The Leslie Knope" waffles). Those who donate to the Awakenings Foundation, which helps sexual assault survivors pursue art, will win a raffle ticket. People of all genders welcome. 11 AM-3 PM, free Sun 2/18: "When you have silence and stillness, you start to sense how movement is precious," says dancer-choreographer Ayako Kato about her four-part work [Stück 1998/Anchor 2018]( at Links Hall (3111 N. Western). The show is inspired by the moments of silence in Manfred Werder's Stück 1998, a piece that alternates between six seconds of music and six seconds of silence. 7 PM, $12-$17 Also [Music Frozen Dancing is the only festival where you can see Oh Sees in the snow]( The Empty Bottle's fifth annual free winter festival will pit fans' love of live music against their tolerance for cold. by Leor Galil For more things to do this weekend—and every day—visit our [Agenda]( page. In this week's issue, 'the Reader boldly weighs in with a column by Adeshina Emmanuel that drops bombs on [Pritzker’s “subtle racism” and the black politicians who stood by him as he apologized]( at a west-side soul food restaurant. 'Emmanuel [followed up with the pols he name-checked]( to give them a chance to defend their decision to stand by Pritzker as the Democratic machine-backed candidate pulpits around the state. 'Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg makes a guest appearance to [offer his take on why Emil Jones is crass, among other things](. We give the [final word—with audio—to J.B. Pritzker himself](.' [More ...]( Trouble reading? [View this message as a webpage](. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. [Sign up]( for Chicago Reader Newsletters. [Privacy Policy]( • [Terms of Use]( • [Manage Email Preferences]( • [Unsubscribe]( © 2018 Chicago Reader, 30 N Racine Ave. Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60607