Oprah Winfrey may be seen as the most powerful woman in the world, but her mentor Maya Angelou is certainly one of the wisest. The 79-year-old is known equally for her 1969 autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and for delivering an original poem at Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration—if you didn’t already know her as a key figure in the 1960s civil rights movement. As a dancer, actor, Pulitzer Prize-nominated author, activist, mother, and more, her life has taken more twists and turns than the average Jane’s. Tonight’s lecture will stress “the value of ethics, economic and religious diversity in all undertakings,” says the Paramount, “challenging her audiences to invest their spirits and hearts in the elevation of the human condition.” Paramount Theater, 911 Pine St., 682-1414, www.theparamount.com. $38-$82. 7:30 p.m. RACHEL SHIMP

Tue., Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m., 2008