Category: Article

This program of Middle Eastern music is inspired by Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, which celebrates the cultural contributions of countries along the legendary trading route that stretched from Japan to Rome. This is music seldom heard on the classical stage, so a few sleepy season-ticket holders may be startled by the arabesque sounds of unfamiliar worlds. Most arresting are the notes coming from the oud, the fretless and potbellied string instrument that provides a hypnotic thrum to traditional Middle Eastern music. Program highlights include Iranian composer Kayhan Kaylor’s “Turquoise Night of Neyshabur,” commissioned for the Silk Road Project, and Tactile Time from Aspeheron Quintet by Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, a pianist and composer from Azerbaijan. 408 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-292-3248; www.thespco.org

Despite his intensely scrutinized (and intensely wealthy) parentage, Sean Lennon managed to reach his thirties with grace and without scandal, and to find his place in popular music based on his own merits. But that doesn’t mean his life is all cake: The poor fellow can’t find true love, and the songs on his new album, Friendly Fire, chronicle a series of romantic disappointments and disasters. Oddly, they are accompanied by videos starring several of the women these confessional tunes are directed at. For some of us, it’s easy to see that Lennon is attracted to the wrong type (come on—Bijou Phillips, Lindsay Lohan?), but bad lovers make for good music, and Sean’s winsome, piano-based melodies are tinged with intriguing and ghostly echoes of his father. 612-332-1775 ; www.first-avenue.com

A little bit of Elvis and a whole generation of GIs ignited the worldwide fascination with Hawaii back in the mid-twentieth century, soundtracked by the sometimes corny-sounding ukulele. In more recent years—as the loss of native customs, flora, and fauna forever alter the islands—the echoes of a more authentic Hawaii have crossed the Pacific through the bittersweet sounds of slack-key guitar. Keola Beamer is one of the most masterful and emotionally charged practitioners of the instrument, and his music, along with his wife Moana’s traditional dancing, make up a program of Christmas music tinged by the salt-breeze languor of the tropics. 416 Cedar Ave S., Minneapolis; 612-338-2674; www.thecedar.org

File this under Face Time for Aging Hipsters. Sure, there’s story time with deejays from MPR’s the Current; fun with real, live musical instruments; and art projects for kids who, for the most part, haven’t yet acquired irony (that is, ages two through eight). But just as important, this is a social opportunity for a group of people who can no longer freely attend rock shows: the parents of those children. If you wince with abject longing when Current deejay Mark Wheat runs down all the cool bands that are taking the stage (meanwhile, bedtime rodeo ensues at your house), this event will provide some salve: at least you’ll know you’re not alone. 612-870-3131; www.mpr.org/events

Jon Ferguson—the director who last year presented the masterful antiwar play Please Don’t Blow Up Mr. Boban—now tightens his focus on tinier, everyday battles. The seeds of his latest project were planted years ago, when Ferguson happened on a newspaper article about a Brit who ended up shooting his neighbor in a dispute over the appropriate height for a hedge. Ligustrum Vulgare (that’s Latin for privet hedge) explores the circumstances that might have led to such an act. By casting a trio of actors with “qualities of stillness and melancholy,” and often leaving them to improvise, Ferguson also touches on the awkward act of making small talk with the folks next door. 810 W. Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-8949; www.bryantlakebowl.com

It’s been almost forty years since Stoppard wrote Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the play in which he first used the conceit of the play within a play. Since then, the English playwright has boldly taken up such themes as divorce, chaos theory, Platonic philosophy, quantum mechanics, and the intellectual underpinnings of the Russian Revolution, treating them with a startling combination of sublime theatricality, exceptional intelligence, and unparalleled wit. This fall’s production of Stoppard’s The Real Thing at the Guthrie should provide a jumping-off point for a rousing discussion with Joe Dowling. Here’s hoping they’ll break into the questions game from R & G or the limerick skirmishes from Travesties. 612-377-2224; www.guthrietheater.org

This musical takes aim at phenomena that highbrow types love to hate: tight pants-wearing boy bands and the Christian-rock groups who scarily emulate them. But before you turn up your nose at the prospect of satirical pop songs like “La Vida Eternal,” you should know that the off-Broadway premiere of Altar Boyz in 2005 blindsided New York critics, who couldn’t help but be charmed by the show’s Backstreet Boys-style ditties. That first production was lauded for its dynamic cast, too. But how hard can it be to cast these closeted Christian-rocker types? Replete with lyrics like “Girl, you make me want to wait,” the Minneapolis version is bound to be just as worthy, as escapist entertainment goes. 612-339-7007; www.hennepintheatredistrict.org

By adapting one of Charles Dickens’ short stories to the stage, local dynamo Charlie Bethel has established a one-man counterpoint to the raft of more elaborate holiday spectacles (though granted, Seven Poor Travellers, now in its second year, rather quickly became a success in its own right). With a dramatic but subtle recital of Dickens’ beautifully rendered tale—the language is kept largely intact—Bethel paints a vivid portrait of a particular holiday dinner. This feast unfolds in a hotel on Christmas Eve, where six poor Englishmen become the beneficiaries of another poor but spirited guest, who treats everyone to food, drink, and lively storytelling. Hennepin Center for the Arts, 528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-339-4944; www.illusiontheater.org

Lyn-Lake’s dark and divey Bulldog is the perfect postcollegiate bar—a place you can feel at home whether you’re in crusty or cute mode. But what happens as you mature and seek out brighter and snappier spots? Don’t worry, the Bulldog is growing up, too, with a second location at the old Oddfellows/Boom! building in Nordeast. Not that the Bulldog would ever go glitzy; the just-open space also cultivates the comfortable crowd. But the new dog’s new tricks include a bigger, cooler menu. Chicken and waffles? Yes, please. The El Cubano sandwich and the hand-ground domestic Kobe cheeseburger are also welcome surprises. Add one of the metro area’s best beer selections, plus room for live music, and why wouldn’t you want to stave off that inevitable graduation to wine bars? 401 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-378-2855

Supper-club chic has hit the valley. Stone’s Restaurant in Stillwater is the newest entry in a growing category defined by dark-wood décor and comfortable food served in huge portions. While some restaurants of this ilk rely too much on the shtick of nostalgic fare, Stone’s cares about the flavors it puts forth. Well-executed classics like Caesar salad, crab cakes, and prime rib create a solid menu base. Flourishes include offerings like fat and crispy onion rings, seared tuna with Japanese eggplant, deep-fried lobster tails, and a version of eggs Benedict made with scallops. What the staff lacks in polish it more than makes up for in friendliness. Like the supper clubs of yore, Stone’s can become a social hub of note if it keeps the focus on quality. Grand Garage Building, 324 S. Main St., Stillwater; 651-439-1900; www.stonesstillwater.com