FEBRUARY

Ongoing–March 2 Oklahoma! SEE REVIEW. 5th Avenue Theatre, 5thavenue.org

Ongoing–March 4 I Am My Own Wife SEE REVIEW. Seattle Repertory Theatre, seattlerep.org

Ongoing–April 29 Gauguin and Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise SAM’s spring mega-show puts the famous Frenchman in an anthropological context. It’s got its own gift shop, too! Seattle Art Museum, seattleartmuseum.org

Ongoing–May 6 Pollen and Paint Winslow Homer and Wolfgang Laib are contrasted via works made 125 years apart. Henry Art Gallery, henryart.org

Ongoing–May 16 Around the Bend and Over the Edge Clay, clay, and more clay. The Henry surveys local ceramics made between 1964 and 1977. Henry Art Gallery

Ongoing–June 17 Asian American Arcade All manner of video-game ephemera and kawaii artifacts are on display. Wing Luke Museum, wingluke.org

15 James Scurlock The documentary filmmaker (Maxed Out) and author returns to his hometown with King Larry: The Life and Ruins of a Billionaire Genius, about the eccentric co-founder of DHL. Elliott Bay Book Co., elliottbaybook.com

15 Nathan Englander His story collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank has drawn excellent reviews. Elliott Bay Book Co.

16 Paula Broadwell Her authorized new biography is All In: The Education of General David Petraeus. Town Hall, townhallseattle.org

17 Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Northwest writers Heather McHugh and Lidia Yuknavitch join performance artist Chad Goller-Sojourner to answer questions no one wants to ask. Richard Hugo House, hugohouse.org

17 Sebastian Seung The MIT neuroscientist and author (Connectome) peers inside the wiring of your brain. Town Hall

17–23 American. Film. Week. SEE THE WIRE. Northwest Film Forum, nwfilmforum.org

18 Seattle Rock Orchestra They perform the music of Muse. If you go for that kind of thing. The Moore, stgpresents.org

18–19 Seattle Women’s Chorus Shot Through the Heart includes classics by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Benaroya Hall

18–19 Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly Evergreen City Ballet adapts the children’s book by Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser. Meydenbauer Center, meydenbauer.com

18–April 8 Li Chen The Chinese sculptor has his first U.S museum show, called Eternity and Commoner, which offers big, Buddhist-influenced pieces rendered out of clay, rope,and other materials. He’ll visit to help open the show. Frye Art Museum, fryemuseum.org

19 Flowers of Asia Everett Herald critic Robert Horton gives a free talk, with clips, on filmmakers including Hou Hsiao-hsien, Edward Yang, Ang Lee, and Jia Zhangke. Frye Art Museum

19 Poetry + Motion Local dancers and writers collaborate in this interdisciplinary eventing. Town Hall

19 Jargon The vibrant modern-jazz quartet features Bryan Smith (saxophone), Gregg Belisle-Chi (guitar), Isaac Castillo (bass), and Max Wood (drums). The Triple Door, tripledoor.net

19–20 12 Minutes Max The spring mini-theater festival will include local notables like Sarah Burgess, Kaitlin McCarthy, and Kiplinn Sagmiller, and Vancouver, B.C.’s Triadic Dance Works. On the Boards, ontheboards.org

20 Julia Fischer The violinist plays Schubert, Debussy and more, with Milana Chernyavska on piano. Benaroya Hall

20 John Nichols In his book Uprising, he discusses how Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker went to war with public-employee unions. Town Hall

20 Eric Topol His book The Creative Destruction of Medicine addresses new technology in the old profession. Town Hall

21–26 Beauty and the Beast Disney’s smash Broadway musical is kid-friendly entertainment. The Paramount, stgpresents.org

22 William Dietrich The Pulitzer Prize–winning former Seattle Times journalist discusses our precious national parks. Town Hall

22 Vonda Shepard Her mellow pop has sold 12 million albums and earned two Emmy Awards. Jill Cohn opens. The Triple Door

22–23 Seattle Symphony Violinist Itzhak Perlman, increasingly these days a conductor too, leads the SSO in Vivaldi, Mozart, and Beethoven. Benaroya Hall

23–March 31 Tim Roda shows elaborate new photographic tableaux, and Ben Waterman exhibits his sculpture and painting. Greg Kucera Gallery, gregkucera.com

24 ASUW GBLTC Drag Show The annual student bash features the drag performers of tomorrow. Wait, are kids still doing drag? Meany Hall

24 Seattle Symphony “Celebrate Asia” is a mixed program of Western (Gershwin, Tchaikovsky) and Eastern music. Benaroya Hall

24 Michio Kaku He continues his pop-science crusade with Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100. Town Hall

24 Rachel Lloyd Yes, sex trafficking is evil. The author of Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale, an Activist Finds Her Calling and Heals Herself was herself briefly involved in that trade. Elliott Bay Book Co.

24 Red Winner of six Tony Awards, John Logan’s play stars Denis Arndt as abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko; Connor Toms plays his eager assistant. Seattle Repertory Theatre

24–March 1 The Lady Vanishes From 1938, Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller grows from a friendly chat on a train to international espionage, with Europe’s future in the balance! Grand Illusion Cinema, grandillusioncinema.org

24–March 1 My Reincarnation In a Seattle premiere, Jennifer Fox’s family drama was filmed with the same actors over 20 years. Northwest Film Forum

24–March 1 Noir City Film scholar Eddie Muller returns to introduce titles including Laura, Gilda, and Pickup. SIFF Cinema at the Uptown, siff.net

25 Massy Ferguson Get out your John Deere caps for these local masters of the new Americana. The Triple Door

25 Adam Tendler John Cage’s delicate, slightly goofy Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano invariably convert, through sheer charm, people who think they don’t like Cage. Chapel Performance Space, waywardmusic.blogspot.com

25–26 Seattle Chamber Players The Rick Steveses of Seattle’s classical scene present Icebreaker VI: New Music From the Mediterranean, featuring music from Portugal all the way around to Morocco, with stops everywhere in between. Benaroya Recital Hall

25–March 10 Orphee et Eurydice Seattle Opera follows the fabled lovers into the underworld in Gluck’s 1774 opera. McCaw Hall, seattleopera.org

26 Don Giovanni Mozart on the big screen, thanks to San Francisco Opera. SIFF Film Center

26 Okie Noodling II Men hunt really big fish without the benefit of rods or nets in this documentary sequel. Director Bradley Beesley will attend. Northwest Film Forum

26–28 Catherine Karnow The National Geographic photographer shows images and discusses her travels in Vietnam. Benaroya Hall

28 The Extraordinary Voyage A new documentary about Georges Méliès’ silent sci-fi film A Trip to the Moon, as featured in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated Hugo and the recent album art of French band Air. Northwest Film Forum

28 Tupelo Hassman Her acclaimed debut novel Girlchild is set in a trailer park near Reno, Nevada. Elliott Bay Book Co.

28 David C. Unger His The Emergency State: America’s Pursuit of Absolute National Security at All Costs asks why we’re expected to trade our civil liberties for a constant state of fear—one abetted by FOX News, Bill O’Reilly, and company. Town Hall

29 Eric Klinenberg The sociologist and author (Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone) should find a receptive audience in this town full of singletons and increased urban density. Town Hall

29 Joan Rivers Only three days after the Academy Awards, she’ll dish on all the winners and worst-dresseds. Benaroya Hall

 

MARCH

1 The Montage Montage The best (and weirdest) montage sequences in the history of cinema are compiled into one giant 90-minute montage. Expect Stallone to punch frozen beef. SIFF Film Center

1 Tim Berne’s Snakeoil The saxophonist’s quartet (“equal parts sonic structure and attitude”) opens Earshot Jazz’s spring four-concert series. Seattle Asian Art Museum, earshot.org

1–3 Limón Dance Company The 65-year-old company performs old and new works rooted in Brazilian and Cuban music. Meany Hall, uwworldseries.org

1–3 tEEth The Portland company brings its odd spelling and dance/performance energy to a new work called Make/Believe. On the Boards

1–27 Making Mends Homecoming, healing, and recovering from war’s trauma are addressed in several media by more than 16 national and international artists. Bellevue Arts Museum, bellevuearts.org

1–27 Dirk Staschke: Falling Feels a Lot Like Flying The Canadian ceramics artist addresses human vanity, greed, and consumption with many delicious-looking but inedible pastries and cakes. Bellevue Arts Museum

2 Odair Assad From Brazil, he embarks on his first North American tour, with a repertoire of jazz, classical, and Latin music. Benaroya Hall

2 Fran Lebowitz The subject of Martin Scorsese’s recent HBO documentary Public Speaking, she’ll complain about the usual stuff and tell us how much better everything was in New York during the ’70s. Benaroya Hall

2 Vagabond Opera Portland’s six-piece cabaret ensemble offers Balkan belly dance and more. The Triple Door

2–3, 10–11 The Esoterics New choral works evoking the myth of the Sirens, including one by director Eric Banks. Various venues, theesoterics.org

2–8 Windfall Everybody loves windmills, until the giant towers show up in their backyard. This new documentary looks at NIMBY-ism and the environmental movement. Northwest Film Forum

2–8 Better Than Something: Jay Reatard The recently deceased garage rocker is profiled in this new documentary. Grand Illusion

3 Benny Carter The jazz legend presents his five-movement Peaceful Warrior Suite in tribute to Martin Luther King. Benaroya Hall

3 Trilogy Dance Company The local troupe gives a special Eastside showcase. Meydenbauer Center

5 George Dyson His new book, Turing’s Cathedral, examines how gay Englishman Alan Turing laid the groundwork for our current digital age. Town Hall

6 The American Beauty Project The Grateful Dead’s Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty are given the symphonic treatment. Wear your tie-dye and tux. Benaroya Hall

7 Brian Christian His book The Most Human Human “examines how computers are reshaping our idea of what it means to be human.” Town Hall

7 Garrick Ohlsson Celebrate Liszt’s 200th with the acclaimed pianist. Meany Hall

7–10 Europeras 3 & 4 John Cage tossed dozens of operas in a I Ching blender and pressed purée in this fantastical collage, staged for his centennial by the school that employed him from 1939–41. Cornish College of the Arts, cornish.edu

7–31 The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Jim Cartwright’s proven English play offers a plum role for the actress portraying Little Voice, a dormouse with huge vocal talents. ArtsWest, artswest.org

8 Amanda Hesser Seattle Arts and Lectures presents the New York Times food writer and blogger. Benaroya Hall, lectures.org

8 Jodi Picoult Tragedy afflicts a family, again, in her latest novel, Lone Wolf. Seattle Central Library, spl.org

8–9 LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends The homegrown X Factor contestant brings his song stylings back to town. The Triple Door

9 UW Symphony Stravinsky’s dryly devout Symphony of Psalms. Meany Hall, music.washington.edu

9–15 House of Pleasures Who doesn’t want to peek inside a turn-of-the-century Parisian brothel? Grand Illusion

10 Ladysmith Black Mambazo The South African vocal group made famous (over here) by Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland. Meany Hall

10 The Screwtape Letters In his popular solo show, based on the works of C.S. Lewis, Max McLean argues for the Devil. The Paramount

10 Sarah Vowell The nerdy public-radio favorite may talk about politics, current affairs, or her most recent book, Unfamiliar Fishes, a brief history of Hawaii. The Neptune, stgpresents.org

10–11 Seattle Pro Musica Religious tales elicited Bach’s most dramatic music—for example, his St. John Passion. St. James Cathedral, seattlepromusica.org

10–20 First Date SEE RELATED STORY. A Contemporary Theatre, acttheatre.org

10–June 10 From Public to Private Vintage prints demonstrate the evolution of portrait photography from 1850–1900. Henry Art Gallery

11 Emanuel Ax From this pianist, Copland’s crunchy Piano Variations. Benaroya Hall

11 Winds of Hope: Benefit Concert for Japan March 12 marks the first anniversary of Japan’s terrible earthquake and tsunami. Proceeds from this concert will help replace the musical instruments of students affected by the disaster. Benaroya Hall

14 Choral Arts Premiering Seattle composer John Muehleisen’s evening-length Pietà. St. Mark’s Cathedral, choral-arts.org

14–TBD Hide/Seek Works by Eakins, Sargent, O’Keeffe, Warhol, Johns, and others are considered for their queer content. Tacoma Art Museum, tacomaartmuseum.org

15 Louise Gluck Seattle Arts and Lectures hosts the acclaimed poet. Benaroya Hall, lectures.org

15 Hari Kunzru A lost child returns to his parents, but imbued with magical powers, in his new novel Gods Without Men. Elliott Bay Book Co.

15 Norwegian Ninja The true-ish story of a disgraced Norwegian diplomat during the ’80s is transformed into a sendup of the era’s action moviesa. SIFF Cinema at the Uptown

15–16 Mark Siano His wacky new comedy cabaret, Modern Love, concerns romance in our age of TMI. The Triple Door

15–18 Michelle Ellsworth The Colorado dance maker’s Phone Homer considers Clytemnestra, DNA, and hamburgers. Mmm, hamburgers! On the Boards

15–25 Seattle Jewish Film Festival Some two dozen titles will screen, including the Argentine interfaith marriage rom-com My First Wedding; Dolphin Boy (about dolphins and PTSD!); and Rabies—described as “Israel’s first slasher movie”! Cinerama, Pacific Place, SIFF Cinema at the Uptown, seattlejewishfilmfestival.org

15–April 8 Moisture Festival The clowns, aerialists, mimes, and musicians are back! Various locations, moisturefestival.com

15–Aug. 5 Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats Over 60 bright-hued textile pieces from Central Asia are on loan from the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. Seattle Asian Art Museum

16 Alain de Botton Seattle Arts & Lectures presents the author of Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believer’s Guide to the Uses of Religion. Meany Hall

16 Geoff Dyer The wide-ranging English essayist turns his obsession with Andrei Tarkovsky’s movie Stalker into Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room. Seattle Central Library

16 Savion Glover He started out as the “Tap Dance Kid,” a child prodigy among elder statesmen, and has just kept developing. He’s both the heir of artists like Gregory Hines and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and the leader of a new, lean generation of tappers. His visits to Seattle are a window onto the latest thing in physical rhythm, and his touring show SoLe Sanctuary reflects his heritage. On a stage lined with photos of past tap greats, Glover quotes from their steps, mixing them with excerpts from his own, growing, history. SANDRA KURTZ The Moore

16 Seattle Symphony Soprano extraordinaire Renée Fleming sings the usual diva material (the “Jewel Song” from Faust) but also songs from her indie-pop Dark Hope album (Leonard Cohen, Death Cab, etc.) Benaroya Hall

16–18 Chipollino In which the son of a family of onions battles a tyrant known as Prince Lemon. Yes, really. Presented by International Ballet Theatre. Meydenbauer Center

16–22 Adventures in Plymptoons! Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton is profiled in a new documentary. Northwest Film Forum

16–24 New Works Pacific Northwest Ballet presents two world premieres: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Cylindrical Shadows and an untitled piece by Victor Quijada; new to Seattle stages is David Dawson’s A Million Kisses to My Skin. McCaw Hall, pnb.org

16–April 9 Stuck In Jessica Hatlo’s new play, a young couple can’t seem to leave their apartment. Apparently they’d rather watch Matlock and smoke dope; we know just how they feel. Washington Ensemble Theatre, washingtonensemble.org

16–April 14 Lark Eden Natalie Symons reprises her play about an epistolary friendship among three women. Theater Schmeater, schmeater.org

17 Manuela Horn’s Naughty St. Patty’s Day Party Sexy leprechauns, sing-alongs, and green beer are part of the fun, orchestrated by the tall, yodeling dominatrix who happens to be German, not Irish. Teatro ZinZanni, dreams.zinzanni.org

17–25 Snow White Pacific Northwest Ballet School tackles the fairy-tale romance, choreographed by Bruce Wells. McCaw Hall

18 Philharmonia Northwest Michael Partington plays Bryan Johanson’s guitar concerto The Underdog. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, philharmonianw.org

18 Symphonic Stories Brand-new storytelling works by seven Seattle composers, many with impressive film and video-game scoring credits. Benaroya Hall

19–20 Magnetic Fields Mr. Cheerful himself, aka Stephin Merritt, leads his motley crew—possibly to include Daniel Handler—in support of the band’s 10th release, Love at the Bottom of the Sea. And at the perfect nautical venue. The Neptune

20 The Devil’s Cleavage George Kuchar’s 1973 cult classic is screened with Hold Me While I’m Naked. Northwest Film Forum

20–25 Mamma Mia! ABBA, ABBA, ABBA. What more do you need to know? The Paramount

23 Peter Frampton A three-hour performance of Frampton Comes Alive!, with additional highlights from his long career. Pantages Theater, broadwaycenter.org

23 Tallis Scholars Aristocrats of the early-music world, this vocal ensemble sings music from 1520. Blessed Sacrament Church, tudorchoir.org

23–29 Gerhard Richter Painting The great German artist is profiled in this new doc. Northwest Film Forum

23–April 21 Freud’s Last Session C.S. Lewis squares off against the shrink in this thriller. Taproot Theatre, taproottheatre.org

23–April 22 Or, Set in Restoration England, Liz Duffy Adams’ rollicking comedy stars Kirsten Potter as a bold playwright and secret agent. With Basil Harris and Montana von Fliss in support. Allison Narver directs. Seattle Repertory Theatre

24–25 The Sound of Music How do you solve a problem like Maria? Everyone’s favorite musical is screened as a sing-along. Meydenbauer Center

24–April 1 South Pacific Lyric Light Opera performs Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Polynesia-set classic. (Afterward, for context, go see the Gauguin show at SAM.) Kirkland Performance Center, kpcenter.org

25 Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory Velocity’s annual fundraiser takes a decadent Factory theme, with music, food, drinks, and dancing. Nancy Guppy hosts; Matt Smith does the auctioning. Mount Baker Community Club, velocitydancecenter.org

29–April 1 Count Basie Orchestra Big-band performances of music by the giants of jazz. Benaroya Hall

29–April 1 Mark Haim excels at the non sequitur, taking the formal, puzzle-making aspects of postmodern dance and mixing them with the flotsam of everyday life. In 2010’s This Land Is Your Land, his dancers walk a simple repeating pattern, but their props and costumes illustrate a grim kind of evolutionary process, shifting from coffee cups to assault rifles, from fully clad to naked. Life does not improve as time marches on. In his first Seattle visit in six years, he also shows The Time. SANDRA KURTZ On the Boards

30 Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings Rogers is acknowledged as one of today’s premier slide guitarists. The Triple Door

30–31 Pacific MusicWorks Presenting early music in thrillingly innovative ways, they’ll perform Handel’s The Triumph of Time and Truth. Daniels Hall, pacificmusicworks.org

31 Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra John Adams’ knotty Chamber Symphony spins off from Schoenberg and Carl Stalling. Benaroya Recital Hall, seattlemetropolitanchamberorchestra.com

31–April 1 Seattle Men’s Chorus They’ll come together for music by the Beatles. McCaw Hall, seattlemenschorus.org

31–April 7 Seattle Opera Donizetti’s battle-of-the-sexes farce Don Pasquale is the spring show from SO’s Young Artists Program. Meany Hall, seattleopera.org

31–Sept. 16 Gary Hill Founder of the video department at Cornish, he receives his first big solo museum show, called glossodelic attractors, with sound installations, videos, stereoscopic viewers, and more. Henry Art Gallery

 

APRIL

1 Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers Bach’s Easter Oratorio for a Palm Sunday concert, sure—but pairing it with music from Der Rosenkavalier, Strauss’ violet-scented candy box? First Free Methodist Church, osscs.org

1–3 Searching for Genghis Khan Albert Lin and Fredrik Hiebert journey to Mongolia with their cameras and other high-tech archeological tools. Part of the National Geographic Live! series. Benaroya Hall

3 Balanchine Then and Now George Balanchine began to choreograph during the heyday of the Ballets Russes, and one of his earliest ballets, Apollo, was made for that legendary company in 1929. He returned to the piece several times during his career, constantly stripping away what he felt were merely decorative bits until the work that had originally been performed in costumes by Coco Chanel became a neoclassic masterpiece. Tonight, former PNB co-director Francia Russell and dance historian Doug Fullington examine this process in a lecture-demonstration with PNB talent, in preparation for the company’s April 13 staging of Apollo. SANDRA KURTZ PNB Phelps Center

3 Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A. They expand their already big sound with a backup band, in support of their newest record. The Paramount

4 Troy Jollimore and John Koethe The nationally recognized poets share new verse. Presented by Seattle Arts & Lectures. Benaroya Hall

4 Heidi Julavits A woman can’t escape her own psychic powers in her novel The Vanishers. University Book Store, bookstore.washington.edu

5 Bob Friel With the famous fugitive now in jail, he’ll discuss Barefoot Bandit: The True Tale of Colton Harris-Moore, New American Outlaw. University Book Store

5 Voracious We take over the Paramount for our annual food bash, including samples from 40 restaurants, live music, and much more. seattleweekly.com

5–7 Seattle Symphony Gerard Schwarz returns for a guest shot with one of his specialties, Mahler’s young-man-in-a-hurry First Symphony. Benaroya Hall

5–May 12 Brion Nuda Rosch The San Francisco painter shows spare new work. Greg Kucera Gallery

6–12 Once Upon a Time in Anatolia From Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Distant), his sparse new missing-body drama won a big prize at Cannes last year. Northwest Film Forum

6–28 The Twilight Zone: Live! Theater Schmeater’s zany annual take on Rod Serling. ACT Theatre, schmeater.org

7 Mike Doughty He reads from his memoir, The Book of Drugs, and plays a musical set. The Triple Door

7 Spectrum Dance Theater’s 30th Anniversary Gala The theme is Notte di Mistero (or “night of mystery”), with food, music, and more. Town Hall, spectrumdance.org

9 Andrew Bird The onetime Squirrel Nut Zipper’s solo work is catnip to Seattle audiences, who have yet to get their fill of folk-tinged adult contemporary. The Paramount

9 Radiohead Good luck getting tickets. Really, we mean it. KeyArena, keyarena.com

10 Joseph Lelyveld His biography Great Soul considers the life of Gandhi. Town Hall

12 Elvis Costello Backed by the Imposters, likely to sell out early, the gracefully aging rocker is likely to play favorites from his spinning songbook—one of the largest back catalogs in pop music. The Paramount

12–14 Chunky Move For its Seattle debut, the Australian modern-dance company is bringing its version of a Rube Goldberg machine. In Connected, the performers build a kinetic sculpture during the performance, but the twist is that they include themselves in the mechanism. Early modern dance was full of “ballets mécaniques” in which performers imitated the interconnected precision of the assembly line, but Connected feels more ominous—humans may have made the machine, but might not be the ones controlling it. SANDRA KURTZ Meany Hall

13–22 Apollo & Carmina PNB stages two repertory classics: George Balanchine’s Apollo and Kent Stowell’s Carmina Burana. McCaw Hall

13–21 Petruchska The puppet-loves-girl tragedy, set to the music of Stravinsky, choreographed by Donald Byrd. Spectrum Dance Theater

14 Rachel Maddow Everyone’s favorite MSNBC host sticks it to the man. If only Obama had her spine. (Her new book is Drift.) Town Hall

16 Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Led by Myung-whun Chung, they perform Debussy’s La Mer and a concerto for Chinese sheng. Benaroya Hall

17 Emerson String Quartet Mozart’s “Prussian” quartets were written for a cello-playing monarch, so naturally Mozart put the cello in the spotlight. Meany Hall

17 Anthony Shadid The Lebanese-American New York Times reporter delves into his family history with House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East. Town Hall

17–22 Cats The longest-running, most popular North American touring production in history. The estate of T.S. Eliot must be making a fortune. The Paramount

18 Visions in Motion: A Retrospective, 1954–2000 The recently deceased avant-garde filmmaker Robert Breer is honored with 16 short films. Northwest Film Forum

18–May 13 Exit, Pursued by a Bear Lauren Gunderson’s world-premiere comedy pits a long-suffering wife against her no-account husband. ArtsWest

19 E. O. Wilson His new book, Social Conquest of the Earth, considers how evolution is shaped by culture. Town Hall

19, 21 Seattle Symphony SW‘s Gavin Borchert gives the pre-concert lecture, opining on Henri Dutilleux’s Symphony no. 1. Benaroya Hall

19–22 Kyle Abraham Making his Seattle debut, the NYC choreographer’s Live! The Realest MC recasts Pinocchio as a kind of gay/hip-hop quest for authenticity. On the Boards

19–May 6 Double (XX) Fest 2.0 Eighteen new plays, written and directed by women. Stone Soup Theatre, stonesouptheatre.com

20–May 13 Clybourne Park In 1959 and 2009, a Chicago suburb struggles with integration and gentrification in Bruce Norris’ Pulitzer winner. Seattle Repertory Theatre

20 Pink Martini The Portland-based makers of twee cocktail music join forces with the considerably bigger sound of the SSO. Benaroya Hall, seattlesymphony.org

20–26 The Turin Horse Hungarian director Béla Tarr has said this typically, glacially slow film will be his last. Northwest Film Forum

20–May 20 The Pitmen Painters From Lee Hall, writer of Billy Elliot, comes the true but embellished story of British miners who unlock their artistic potential. ACT Theatre

21 Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra Works by Northwest composers and arrangers, including Quincy Jones and Bob Hammer. Benaroya Hall, srjo.org

21–July 22 Andrew Dadson Winner of the Henry’s Brink Award, the Vancouver, B.C., artist paints lawns black and otherwise messes with icons of suburbia. Henry Art Gallery

21 Dar Williams If audiences play nice, perhaps they can get the singer/songwriter to drop a few words about one of her pet causes, “positive proximity”—something that will not be in short supply at Seattle’s most comfortable venue. The Triple Door

25 Etgar Keret The Israeli novelist, filmmaker, and comic-book artist is welcomed by Seattle Arts & Lectures. Town Hall

26 A.J. Jacobs After The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically, his latest witty, self-involved tome is Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection. Town Hall

26 Alarm Will Sound From this new-music ensemble, music by Adams, the Beatles, and much more, as part of the “Town Music” series. Town Hall

26, 28 Seattle Symphony Shostakovich’s vast and somber, not to say grueling, Symphony no. 8, led by Gerard Schwarz. Benaroya Hall

27 Portland Cello Project Hommage—yes, that’s how they spell it—is the group’s new genre-bending album. The Triple Door

27 Seattle Poetry Slam Local poets compete to be on a touring national squad. Town Hall, seattlepoetryslam.org

28 Seattle Baroque Orchestra Teaming with the Tudor Choir for Vivaldi’s sparkling, even fluffy, Gloria. Town Hall, earlymusicguild.org

29–May 1 Mattias Klum & Johan Rockström The National Geographic Live! series presents the two globetrotters. Benaroya Hall

 

MAY

1 Snow Patrol The UK radio rockers are touring behind Fallen Empires, their first new record since 2009’s my-aunt-liked-that-record-too crossover hit, Up to Now. The Paramount

1–10 Notes on the Cinematographer: The Films of Robert Bresson Seven films, including The Trial of Joan of Arc, are screened. Northwest Film Forum

2 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The Nigerian-born novelist (Purple Hibiscus) is presented by Seattle Arts and Lectures. Benaroya Hall

3–6 Julie Andrée T. The French-Canadian performance artist makes her U.S. debut with Rouge, a mediation on color and blood. On the Boards

3–20 An Evening With Groucho Frank Ferrante has got the man down in this one-man show, from greasepaint mustache to speedy slouching walk. ACT Theatre

4–6 SCUBA This touring dance program features local choreographer Allie Hankins and Alice Gosti, plus Philadephia’s Gabrielle Revlock. Velocity Dance Center

5 One-Man Lord of the Rings Down in Tacoma, Charles Ross performs Tolkien’s entire LOTR trilogy onstage, in an hour, with 40 different characters, special effects, and epic battles. Theatre on the Square, broadwaycenter.org

5–13 A Little Mermaid StoryBook Theater presents the Disney musical. Good for the kids, right? Kirkland Performance Center

5–19 Seattle Opera Puccini’s Madama Butterfly opens the composer to charges of misogyny—not to mention racism; is the music luscious enough to justify it? McCaw Hall

11–28 Bed Snake Performer/creators Noah Benezra and Hannah Victoria Franklin promise “a world of light and crunk.” We’re totally there. Washington Ensemble Theatre

12 Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin The two longtime friends tell stories through their music and, in perfect harmony, reinterpret their favorite songs. Pantages Theater

12 Ten Grands Grand pianos, that is, playing classical, jazz, and more. Benaroya Hall

13 Death Cab for Cutie Their latest record, Codes and Keys, doesn’t leave the same impact as its recent predecessors. But Seattle’s biggest indie-rock band has a catalog filled with enough crowd-pleasers (“I Will Possess Your Heart,” “The New Year”) to make this uniquely intimate show a high point of the season. Youth Lagoon, the buzziest band to come out of Boise since Built to Spill, opens. The Paramount

14 Music of Remembrance The premiere of Jake Heggie’s song cycle Another Sunrise, settings of the satiric poems of a Polish Jew. Benaroya Hall, musicofremembrance.org

15 Seattle Symphony An encore of their semi-staged performance of Bartok’s lurid Bluebeard’s Castle, with huge glass Chihuly set pieces. Benaroya Hall

15–20 Million Dollar Quartet This touring jukebox musical centers on an actual recording session that included Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash. Expect all their hits. The Paramount

17–19 Seattle Symphony “Made in America” Festival Three concerts of homegrown music, including a new suite from Daron Hagen’s opera Amelia, premiered by Seattle Opera in 2009. Benaroya Hall

17–19 Lauren Weedman Returning to her old stomping grounds, the ever-irreverent performer has a new monologue, Denny’s World, about evading poverty and accepting her eccentric neighbors. Northwest Film Forum

17–20 The Gurs Zyklus Local musician/madman/genius Trimpin explores his family’s demise in the Holocaust via a trove of letters sent from the Gurs internment camp in Germany, by combining voice, sculpture, “fire organ,” and a libretto by director Rinde Eckert. On the Boards

17–June 12 Seattle International Film Festival Opening the largest film festival in the U.S. is local director Lynn Shelton’s Your Sister’s Sister, starring Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Mark Duplass. Following will be more than 200 features from around the world, with dozens of visiting actors, actresses, and directors. Multiple locations, siff.net

17–June 30 Daniel Carrillo The Seattle photographer defies digital, making portraits using wet-plate collodion photography and a huge 1939 view camera. Greg Kucera Gallery

18 JACK Quartet This avant-quartet’s weeklong residency culminates in a concert of music by UW faculty composers. Jones Playhouse, music.washington.edu.

18–19 Seattle Symphony Mozart’s Requiem, aka Franz Xaver Süssmayr’s greatest hit (he completed it after Wolfgang kicked, and it’s mostly his music). Benaroya Hall

18–20 Whim W’him with the Esoterics These two groups are combining forces for Approaching Ecstasy, a new work based on the poetry of Constantine Cavafy, whose repressed homosexuality expressed itself in passionate verse at the beginning of the last century. The new score is by Esoterics director Eric Banks. Choreographer Olivier Wevers has been on a fast track since he founded Whim W’him in 2009, creating a series of dances that match technical finesse with emotional connection. The Esoterics’ commitment to new work also follows that double path. Together, the two should do more than just approach the ecstatic. SANDRA KURTZ Intiman Theatre, whimwhim.org

18–June 16 Leaving Iowa A typical American family road trip is packaged into comedy, perhaps something like the movie Vacation. Taproot Theatre

19 Seattle Modern Orchestra Morton Feldman’s microcosmic Rothko Chapel and other music inspired by paintings. Chapel Performance Space, seattlemodernorchestra.org

19–20 University Street Fair Forget about driving anywhere near the U District. Music, crafts, and more. udistrictchamber.org

20 Loudon Wainwright III The veteran singer/songwriter, patriarch of an entire gifted musical clan, draws on a career full of not-quite-hits spanning four decades. The Triple Door

20 Seattle Youth Symphony Some wags call Verdi’s lavish Requiem his greatest opera. Benaroya Hall, syso.org

23–25 Gainsbourg, the Man Who Loved Women A new docudrama celebrates the late pop-music icon and emblem of general French dissipation. Northwest Film Forum

24 Paul Krugman The Nobel-winning economist and New York Times columnist looks back on the past year’s political follies—and will likely take a few shots at Republicans. Buy your tickets early. Town Hall

24 Colum McCann Seattle Arts & Lectures presents the National Book Award–winning author of Let the Great World Spin, which reaches back from 9/11 to Philippe Petit’s audacious 1974 tightrope walk between the Twin Towers. Benaroya Hall

25 FOUR6 Music by John Cage for a quartet led by avant-pioneers William O. Smith and Stuart Dempster, both of whom have histories with the composer. Chapel Performance Space

25–28 Northwest Folklife The drum circles, epic beards, kilts, and Tevas. The smell of patchouli oil that marks the official beginning of summer. Plus plenty of family-friendly activities and food. Just remember to put a bandanna on your dog. Seattle Center, nwfolklife.org

25–28 Sasquatch! Jack White, Beck, and Bon Iver top the headliners at this annual four-day festival at the Gorge that’s more defined by its fans than its bands. Tickets are going fast. sasquatchfestival.com