MUSIC
Pop & Rock
MARY LATTIMORE Through meticulous orchestration and shrewdly deployed effects, this Los Angeles-based musician stretches and warps the everyday conception of harp music — her 2018 album “Hundreds of Days” turns her instrument into a mapping aid for grand yet soothing structures that proved to be catnip for remixers like loop auteur Julianna Barwick and soul spelunker King Britt. She opens for Deerhunter, the Atlanta psych-pop act led by Bradford Cox. Feb. 24, 7 p.m. $34, $30 advance. Royale. 617-338-7699, www.royaleboston.com
MARIE DAVIDSON The Montreal-based producer and composer’s fourth album, “Working Class Woman,” mixes thumping beats with Davidson’s arch observations on navigating the electronic music business. Feb. 28, 9 p.m. $20, tickets only at door. Middlesex Lounge, Cambridge. 617-868-6739, www.middlesexlounge.us
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THE MONKEES The two surviving members of the Prefab Four, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith, perform their signature tracks, including high-water marks like the gorgeously jaded “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and the jagged-edged “Circle Sky.” March 1, 8 p.m. $42 and up. Chevalier Theatre, Medford. 781-391-7469, www.chevaliertheatre.com
MAURA JOHNSTON
Folk & World
PAUL BURCH WITH THE BAGBOYS A couple of decades ago, Paul Burch was a Bagboy. Then he headed south to Nashville, where he commenced to make marvelously idiosyncratic records, channeling everyone from Webb Pierce to Buddy Holly to Jimmie Rodgers. Tuesday, he reunites with the Bagboys and previews an upcoming album at the same time. Feb. 26, 9 p.m. $10. Atwood’s Tavern, Cambridge. 800-838-3006, www.brownpapertickets.
THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK: THE MUSIC OF DOLLY PARTON A tribute to the greatest female country singer of them all (sorry, Loretta lovers), courtesy of Berklee College faculty, students, and assorted guests. One of the reasons why she’s the greatest: There’s no one better than she is at working dark, so here’s hoping that some of those songs (“Daddy, Come and Get Me,” say, or “I’m Not Worth the Tears”) get represented. Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m. $15-$20. Berklee Performance Center, Boston. 617-747-2261, www.berklee.edu/bpc
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JAKE BLOUNT AND LIBBY WEITNAUER The latest in the Revels FRINGE concert series, which is dedicated to “the unpredictable edge of the folk movement,” features explorations of Appalachian music via the banjo and fiddle playing of Jake Blount and Libby Weitnauer. March 2, 7:30 p.m. $25. Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church, Watertown. 617-972-8300, www.revels.org
STUART MUNRO
Jazz & Blues
JONTAVIOUS WILLIS The acclaimed Greenville, Ga., native sang gospel growing up, turning to blues at age 14 after seeing Muddy Waters on YouTube. By 18, he was onstage with Taj Mahal. A fine guitar, banjo, and harmonica player, he puts vocals to the fore, feeling the true meaning of the blues lies in storytelling. Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m. $18. Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. 978-425-4311, www.bullrunrestaurant.com
BUD POWELL IN THE 21st CENTURY Ken Schaphorst’s NEC Jazz Orchestra presents the US debut of a suite by faculty member Ethan Iverson, who performs at the piano both with the orchestra and in quintet interludes re-creating Powell’s epochal 1949 session featuring Fats Navarro and Sonny Rollins. Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m. Free; tickets required. Jordan Hall. 617-585-1122, www.necmusic.edu/events
THE MAKANDA PROJECT FEATURING MARTY ERLICH Not only does the invaluable Boston-based big band keep the flame of Roxbury native Makanda Ken McIntyre’s music burning, it also hosts adventurous musicians rarely seen in these parts, in this case marvelous multi-reedist/composer Erlich. March 2, 7 p.m. Free. Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building (second floor), 2300 Washington St., Roxbury. www.makandaproject.com
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KEVIN LOWENTHAL
Classical
BEATRICE RANA Wending her way through a nine-city American tour, the 26-year-old pianist makes her Boston debut with an intimate Celebrity Series of Boston solo recital of music by Chopin, Ravel, and Stravinsky. Feb. 27, 8 p.m. Pickman Hall, Longy School of Music, Cambridge. 617-482-6661, www.celebrityseries.org
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Led by music director Andris Nelsons, the BSO tackles Dvorak’s massive “Stabat Mater” for the first time since 1980. Featured soloists are Rachel Willis-Sorensen, Violeta Urmana, Dmytro Popov, and Ain Anger. Feb. 28-March 2. Symphony Hall. 888-266-1200, www.bso.org
JOYCE DIDONATO The Great American and Great Italian Songbooks harmoniously collide as the acclaimed mezzo tours with a jazz combo (led by arranger and pianist Craig Terry) on the heels of recent album “Songplay.” Even if you think you never want to hear “Caro mio ben” again, you might want to hear this one. March 1, 8 p.m. Jordan Hall. 617-482-6661, www.celebrityseries.org
ARTS
Theater
THE LITTLE FOXES Scott Edmiston’s sizzling production demonstrates how much voltage can still be generated by Lillian Hellman’s well-constructed 1939 melodrama about the scheming members of a wealthy Southern clan at the turn of the century. A strong cast is led by Anne Gottlieb, who delivers an outstanding performance as the steely, calculating Regina Giddens. As Regina’s malevolent brother, Benjamin Hubbard, longtime Boston theater stalwart Remo Airaldi performs the living daylights out of one of the best roles he’s had in years. Through March 17. Lyric Stage Company of Boston. 617-585-5678, www.lyricstage.com
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SPAMILTON: AN AMERICAN PARODY “Forbidden Broadway’’ impresario Gerard Alessandrini, who has mercilessly skewered countless musical-theater eminentos over the years, clearly sees “Hamilton’’ creator Lin-Manuel Miranda as a kindred spirit in the quest to make Broadway better. But that didn’t stop Alessandrini from creating (and directing) an entertaining sendup of Miranda (played by Adrian Lopez) and his blockbuster musical. Ani Djirdjirian is a cast standout, portraying a gallery of characters who include Julie Andrews, Liza Minnelli, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Barbra Streisand, and the Beggar Woman from “Sweeney Todd.’’ Through April 7. Huntington Theatre Company. At Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. 617-266-0800, www.huntingtontheatre.org
BEDLAM’S PYGMALION By changing Eliza Doolittle’s origins from England to India, the inventively freewheeling New York theater company known as Bedlam has yanked George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 comedy into the multicultural present. A play that has always been about the striations and boundaries of class now becomes a trenchantly of-our-moment work about race, immigration, and assimilation as well. Featuring a wonderful Vaishnavi Sharma as Eliza and Eric Tucker, who also directs, as Henry Higgins. Through March 3. Production by Bedlam. Presented by Underground Railway Theater. At Central Square Theater, Cambridge. 617-576-9278 ext. 1, www.centralsquaretheater.org
DON AUCOIN
Dance
FARRUQUITO Heir to Spain’s legendary Farruco dynasty, the flamenco superstar is considered a leading exponent of the traditional Gypsy “puro” style — raw, in the moment, and executed with blazing intensity. For this World Music/CRASHarts presentation, he brings along two guest dancers, three singers, and five instrumentalists. One word: Go! March 2. $40-$79. Berklee Performance Center. 617-456-6295, www.worldmusic.org
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PROJECT 31 Under the direction of Kenzie Finn, this young Boston-based company presents its second production, “Under Control.” As the title implies, the original choreography by Finn and company member Lindsey Orgren explores the personal struggle to attain and keep control while grappling with a deluge of external forces. March 2-3. $18-$25. Boston University Dance Theater. 617-358-2500, www.project31dance.org
BOSTON BALLET William Forsythe is back at Boston Ballet with a world premiere, so plan ahead to see this one. “Full on Forsythe” features the first performances of the choreographer’s “Playlist (EP)” as well as the North American premiere of “Blake Works I,” with soundtracks that draw from pop, dance, and R&B favorites. His “Pas/Parts 2018” rounds out this “don’t miss’ program. March 7-17. $37-$169. Boston Opera House. 617-695-6955, www.bostonballet.org
KAREN CAMPBELL
Galleries
THE SKIN HAS EYES: ANIMATED VISIONS Curator Maya Erdelyi brings together fine artists who employ animation and animators who use physical materials in a show that explores a swath of animation techniques, from zoetropes to cut-paper stop-motion, and a slew of other skills, such as painting and sculpture. Through April 28. Mills Gallery, Boston Center for the Arts, 551 Tremont St. 617-426-5000, www.bcaonline.org
DRAWING NOW This exhibition spotlights the Drawing Collective, artists from 11 countries intent on pushing the bounds of abstraction with new techniques and developing an international aesthetic. Their inspirations range from nature to math to meditation and information technology. Through March 22. Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art, 522 Congress St., Portland. 207-699-5025, www.meca.edu/about/institute-of-contemporary-art/currently-on-view
LOVE SUPERIOR, A DEATH SUPREME: CAITLIN & NICOLE DUENNEBIER The Duennebier sisters, both painters, have independent careers and styles. When they collaborate, Caitlin’s spare, droll figures inhabit Nicole’s sumptuous yet threatening landscapes. Together, the two artists also venture into sculptural work, giving their dark storytelling new dimensions. Through March 18. Trustman Gallery, Simmons University, 300 The Fenway. 617-521-2268, www2.simmons.edu/trustman
CATE McQUAID
Museums
CYRUS DALLIN’S APPEAL TO THE GREAT SPIRIT REEXAMINED: It’s served as the de facto greeter on the front lawn of the MFA for more than a century. It’s been a favorite of generations of local kids. But what does it mean to have a statue of a Native American chief, arms spread wide in apparent surrender — and made by a white artist — as the main street presence for a museum whose engagement with indigenous North American culture has been spotty at best? That’s what a symposium at the museum on March 3 looks to address, as it unpacks Cyrus Dallin’s iconic work with a panel discussion among Jami Powell, the Hood Museum’s associate curator of Native American Art; Cyrus Dallin Art Museum director Heather Leavall; and Emily Burns, an Auburn Museum assistant professor of art history. March 3, 1-2:30 p.m. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave. 800-440-6975, www.mfa.org
HOWARDENA PINDELL: WHAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN: Over her 50-year career, Pindell’s work touched on nearly every major movement of the late 20th century, from abstraction to conceptualism and beyond, though a mid-career turn toward political activism infuses her work with a powerful urgency. Through May 19. Rose Art Museum, 415 South St., Waltham. 781-736-3434, www.brandeis.edu/rose
RAGNAR KJARTANSSON: THE VISITORS : The ICA brings an old favorite out of storage with the 2012 piece that helped make Kjartansson’s reputation: a nine-channel video work that situates a gang of friends playing music in and outside of a 43-room mansion set in a snowy mountain range. Its absurdity is outweighed only by the sincerity of its emotional core — a balance, in my mind, to which Kjartansson hasn’t paid quite enough attention since. Through July 28. Institute of Contemporary Art, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. 617-478-3100, www.icaboston.org
EVENTS
Comedy
STAND UP SCIENCE Shane Mauss, who got his start in the Boston stand-up scene, tapes an episode of his science-themed podcast with guests experimental psychologist Steven Pinker, researcher Dan Everett, and comedian Ken Reid. Feb. 24, 8 p.m. $15. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com
CITYSIDE COMEDY Now 23, Olivia Grace is already a veteran of “Jeff Ross Presents: Roast Battle.” She had to wait on the sidewalk to be called up to the Belly Room at the Comedy Store in LA for her performances because she was too young to stay in the room. She headlines this free show with Stephen McConnon and host Brian Higginbottom. Feb. 25, 8:30 p.m. Free. CitySide, 1960 Beacon St., Brighton. 617-566-1002, www.citysidebar.com
JARED FRIED The Needham native wants to let you know that being a bro isn’t all bad. Kind of a bro ambassador, a brobassador, if you will. He’ll be doing four stand-up shows and also taping his “J Train Podcast” Saturday afternoon. Feb. 28 at 8 p.m., March 1 at 7:30 p.m., March 2 at 7:30 p.m., and 9:45 p.m. $25. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com
NICK A. ZAINO III
Family
AMERICAN GIRL LIVE Produced by an entirely female creative team, “American Girl Live” is bringing the brand’s beloved dolls to the stage. The show follows five girls navigating a summer away from home at Camp American Girl. Feb. 24, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. $35 and up. Boch Center Shubert Theatre, 270 Tremont St. bochcenter.org
WINTER WARMUP Summer is still a ways away, but you can enjoy warmer weather activities while you wait. At the Pao Arts Center, kids can have fun with indoor playground equipment. March 1, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Free. Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany St. bcnc.net
MEET CLIFFORD It isn’t every day you meet a big red dog at the zoo. Come celebrate Read Across America Day with Clifford. Take some pictures with Clifford, make arts and crafts, and stick around for a special storytime in the Hippo Theatre. March 2, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free with admission. Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Road. zoonewengland.org
JENNI TODD
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
March 9 Ella Mai at Royale Boston ticketmaster.com
March 20 Meek Mill at Tsongas Center songkick.com
March 23 T-Pain at Royale royaleboston.com
March 26 Kiss at TD Garden ticketmaster.com
March 28 Mariah Carey at Boch Center Wang Theatre ticketmaster.com
March 30 Bernadette Peters at Zeiterion songkick.com
March 31 Fleetwood Mac at TD Garden tdgarden.com
April 1 Japanese Breakfast at Royale songkick.com
JENNI TODD