On the Town Briefly, March 8, 2023

Books

Next Chapter Booksellers, 38 S. Snelling Ave., will host readings and discussions with poets Sharon Chmielarz, Eliz­a­beth Weir and Tracy Youngblom at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 14; Ellie Roscher and Heidi Barr and their books, The Embodied Path and Collision of Earth and Sky, respec­tive­ly, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 15; and Rachel Hanel and her book, Not the Camilla We Knew, about a Minnesota girl who became one of the most wanted domestic terrorists in the U.S., at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 21. Call 651-225-8989 or visit nextchapterbooksellers.com.

Dance

Ethnic Dance Theatre and the EDT Folk Orchestra will perform dances and music traditional to ethnic groups living along Europe’s Danube River on March 11 and 12. The shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in Pearson Theatre, 312 N. Hamline Ave. Tickets are $35, $25 for seniors, $15 for children. Visit ethnicdancetheatre.org.

Skol!, an original musical about a Viking clan and the young woman who is called to lead it in battle, will be staged from March 23 through April 9 by Collide Theatrical Dance Company. Inspired by the discovery of a female Viking warrior’s grave, the show will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays at the Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S. in Minneapolis. Tickets are $32-$55. Call 651-395-7903 or visit collidetheatrical.org.

Exhibits

Examine history with the skills of Sher­lock Holmes at the Minnesota His­tory Cen­ter, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd. There, you will discover how author Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective used seemingly trivial obser­va­tions to solve the most puzzling mysteries. Learn how his methods are used today in criminal investigations. The exhibit runs through April 2. A host of related programs are scheduled, including a genealogy work­shop on March 12; Mystery Trivia Night, March 16; a free workshop on historical research, March 25; and a workshop on the history of houses, April 1. Admission is $12, $10 for seniors and college students, $6 for children ages 5-17. Visit mnhs.org or call 651-259-3000.

“An Interrupted Childhood,” the stories and photos of seven Polish World War II survivors in Minnesota, are being told through April 30 in the North Gallery at Landmark Center. The exhibit offers lessons in suffering, survival, resilience and gratitude. Admission is free. Call 651-292-3063 or visit landmarkcenter.org.

“Exquisite Creatures,” an exploration of earth’s biodiversity through reclaimed specimens of animals, is being displayed through Sep­tem­ber 4 at the Science Muse­um of Minne­sota, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd. Arranged by artist and naturalist Christopher Mar­ley, the seemingly endless variety of creatures makes up a mosaic of the natural world. Admission to the museum is $29.95, $19.95 for children ages 4-17. Visit smm.org or call 651-221-9444.

Botanical printmaker Linda Snouffer will display two dozen original works from March 19-31 in the gallery at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 700 S. Snelling Ave. The exhibit will open with a public reception and artist talk at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, March 19. The gallery is open from 8 a.m.-noon on Sundays and from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on weekdays.

Arts at the Oval, a juried show and sale by 28 artists working in jewelry, pottery, painting, photography and fiber art, will be presented from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 25, in the Olympic Room at the Roseville Skating Center, 2661 Civic Center Drive. Admission is free.

Family

Visit Nigeria without leaving Saint Paul. Take part in an urban expedition from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, March 12, at Landmark Center. The free program will feature the art, music, crafts, clothing and cuisine of the West African country. Call 651-292-3276 or visit landmarkcenter.org.

Film

Films that highlight the challenges and achievements of the Cuban people despite the decades-long U.S. blockade of their nation are being screened by the Minnesota Cuba Committee at 7 p.m. Wednesdays, now through April 5, at Main Cinema, 115 SE. Main St. in Minneapolis. Cosponsored by the MSP Film Society, the schedule includes Bongo Ita on March 8; Habana Selfies, March 15; Cuba’s Life Task: Combating Climate Change, March 22; Vicenta B, March 29; and Chico & Rita, April 5. Tickets are $10, $7 for students. Call 612-395-4444 or visit mspfilm.org.

Omnifest, a series of five epic movies, continues through April 9 in the Omni­theater at the Science Museum of Min­nesota, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd. Lighting up the giant screen are National Parks Adventure, about the birth of the national parks system; Born to Be Wild, a tale of rescued orangutans and elephants in Kenya and Borneo; Superpower Dogs, about real-life hero canines; Amazon Adventure, an 11-year journey of biodiversity; and Sea Lions: Life by a Whisker, featuring this curious, playful and endangered species. Tickets are $9.95 for ages 4 and older. Visit smm.org or call 651-221-9444.

Music

Ramsey Hill drummer Peter Kogan will be joined by  Charles Lazarus on trumpet and Scott Agster on trombone in a jazz concert from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, March 16, in Fingal’s Cave in the basement of the MetroNome Brewery, 385 Broadway St. Playing along with them will be Tommy Barbarella on piano and Chris Bates on bass. Admission is free.

Praised for his passion, rich tone and searing lyricism, violinist Benjamin Beil­man will perform works by Rameau, Szy­manowski, Schumann, Strauss, Messiaen, Reena Esmail and Gabriella Smith on March 17 and 19. Van Cliburn gold medal pianist Yekwon Woo will accompany Beilman. The music begins at 10:30 a.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Ordway Concert Hall. Tickets are $28-$61 on Friday, $36-$75 on Sunday. Call 651-
224-4222 or visit ordway.org.

“My Soul’s Repose,” the motets of J.S. Bach and meditative works by Arvo Part as well as their solo organ music, will be performed by The Singers and organist Aaron David Miller on March 18 and 19. The concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 4801 S. France Ave. in Minneapolis, and at 3 p.m. Sunday at House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Ave. Tickets are $35. Visit singersmca.org.

Emmy Award-winning guitarist Billy McLaughlin and his band Simple Gifts will present an evening of innovative and inspirational music with a Celtic twist beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at Mount Olive Lutheran Church, 3045 Chicago Ave. S. in Minneapolis. McLaughlin, who is known for his unorthodox techniques, had to learn how to play the guitar left-handed following a bout with the rare disorder, focal dystonia. Admission is free. A reception will follow. Call 612-827-5919 or visit mountolivechurch.org.

The Seward Concert Band will celebrate the foundations of band music in concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 24, in the auditorium of Sanford Middle School, 3524 42nd Ave. S. in Minneapolis. Seward’s director emeritus Chuck Boody will conduct the program. Tickets are $6, $5 for seniors, $4 for children. For information, visit sewardconcertband.org.

The Scottish rock band the Red Hot Chilli Pipers will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. Sat­urday, March 25, at the Ordway Concert Hall. The nine-piece ensemble’s signature sound is a fusing of such traditional tunes as “The Flowers of Scotland,” “The Hills of Argyll” and “Amazing Grace” and contemporary anthems by Queen, Cold­play, Snow Patrol and AC/DC. Tickets are $49-$70. Visit ordway.org or call 651-224-4222.

Theater

Mercy Unrelenting, based on the true story of Italian peasant girl Maria Goretti who was canonized a saint in 1950, nearly 50 years after her murder, is playing through March 26 at Open Window Theatre, 5300 S. Robert Trail, Inver Grove Heights. Written by Jeremy Stanbary and co-directed by Stan­bary and Stephen O’Toole, the play opens on the eve of Goretti’s canonization amid rumors of a miracle in the life of her killer. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23. Tickets are $18-$28. Call 612-615-1515 or visit openwindowtheatre.org.

Eurydice, Sarah Ruhl’s retell­ing of the classic Greek myth about Orpheus and Eurydice, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, March 10 through April 2, at Theatre in the Round, 245 Cedar Ave. S. in Minneapolis. Directed by Sophie Peyton, the play is a fresh take on a timeless love story with contemporary characters, new twists and breathtaking visual effects. Tickets are $25 or whatever you can pay at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 29. Call 612-333-3010 or visit theatreintheround.org.

Diesel Heart, a new play by Brian Gran­di­son based on the autobiography of Melvin Carter Jr., will open on March 11 at History Theatre, 30 E. 10th St. Directed by Warren C. Bowles, the drama tells of a Saint Paul teenager who struggled in the classroom and on the streets. The father of the current mayor, Carter enlisted in the Navy, won self-respect as a boxer and battled crime and racism as a Saint Paul cop. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 2. Tickets are $15-$58. Visit historytheatre.com or call 651-292-4323.

What makes art and people truly authentic is explored in the comedy-drama Bakersfield Mist, opening March 17 at Gremlin Theatre, 550 N. Vandalia St. The play by Stephen Sachs tells of an unemployed bartender who purchases what she thinks is a lost masterpiece at a thrift shop. A world-class art expert arrives at her trailer park home to verify the painting’s worth and discovers some­thing altogether different. Jen Maren and John Middleton star. Angela Timberman directs. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays through April 2. Tickets are $32 with discounts for seniors, those under age 30, and everybody at the addi­tional show at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 27. Visit gremlintheater.org or call 1-888-71-TICKETS.

My Fair Lady, Lincoln Center Theater’s touring production of the classic musical, will be performed on March 21-25 at the Ordway Music Theater. Described as the most perfect musical of all time, My Fair Lady tells of a young Cockney flower seller and the linguistics professor who attempts to transform her into a “proper lady.” The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $44. Visit ordway.org or call 651-224-4222.