THEORIES OF THE EARTH
Beth Lipman and Lauren Fensterstock each interrogate nature-based touchstones laden with cultural and historical meaning — the still life, the garden — by distilling fecund scenes into a single material (glass) or palette (black).
(Pictured: Lipman’s “Chalice at Priest’s Rock, Lake Clark, AK.’’) Through April 9. Beard and Weil Galleries, Wheaton College, 26 E. Main St., Norton. 508-286-3300, www.wheatoncollege.edu/arts CATE McQUAID
ANA GASTEYER IN CONCERT
The “Saturday Night Live’’ alum’s nightclub-style show evokes an earlier era of entertainment, saucy songs and stories spiced with a soupcon of swing in a return to the style of the cabaret divas of yore. Feb. 6, 8 p.m. $30-$60. Sanders Theatre, Harvard University. 617-482-6661, www.celebrityseries.org KEVIN LOWENTHAL
Pop & Rock
CHICAGO While the veteran classic rockers of Chicago usually team up for summer shed tours with friends like Earth, Wind & Fire and the Doobie Brothers, here’s an opportunity to hear their passel of hits — from “Saturday in the Park’’ to “Will You Still Love Me’’ — in a more intimate setting, as the band prepares for its induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Feb. 5. 8 p.m. $57-$97. Lynn Auditorium. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com
GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS He stole our hearts in the ’90s as the frontman of Grant Lee Buffalo, and continued to impress throughout his subsequent solo career with his thoughtful songs and wistful delivery — and with the recent announcement of a “Gilmore Girls’’ revival, we’re also hopeful that Phillips will return as that show’s fictional small-town troubadour. Here, the acclaimed singer-songwriter previews his new album, “The Narrows,’’ due in March. It takes him in a dustier, more countrified direction, reflecting his relocation to Nashville and his family roots. Feb. 6. 8 p.m. $25. Center for the Arts in Natick. 508-647-0097. www.natickarts.org
LUPE FIASCO The gifted, Grammy-nominated Chicago rapper comes to town in service of his latest LP, “Tetsuo & Youth.’’ The album maintains his lyrical penchant for the cerebral, the searching, and the silly, and builds on his expansive musical tastes, dabbling in everything from electronic noodling to banjo interludes. Hopefully, he’ll also dive into his gold-standard 2006 debut, “Food & Liquor.’’ Feb. 10. 8 p.m. $35-$45. Wilbur Theatre. 800-745-3000. www.ticket master.com
SARAH RODMAN
Folk & World
DYLAN LEBLANC This young man with the shades-of-Shakey (as in Neil Young) voice just landed on Rolling Stone Country’s list of new country artists “you need to know,’’ so you can start getting to know him Friday when he comes to town in support of his just-released “Cautionary Tale.’’ Feb. 5, 8 p.m. $10. Red Room at Café 939. 617-747-2261. www.cafe939.com
RAYLAND BAXTER Rayland Baxter’s sophomore record, “Imaginary Man,’’ revealed the Nashville singer-songwriter to really be a man with expansive notions about folk music, especially compared to the comparatively playing-it-straight version he offered on his debut. Margaret Glaspy, recently signed to the same national label for which Baxter currently records, ATO, will open the evening. Feb. 6, 8:30 p.m. $12. Brighton Music Hall. 800-745-3000. www.ticket master.com
ZACHARY LUCKY/ ANDREWLEAHEY An attractive double bill: Zachary Lucky plays a brand of sparse, deliciously melancholy country that gives credence to the tagline the Saskatchewanian has adopted: “the laureate of the lonesome tune.’’ Andrew Leahey comes to town in the wake of a brain tumor that, because it didn’t kill him, could serve as the inspirational source for his upcoming record. Feb. 9, 9:15 p.m. $8. Atwood’s Tavern, Cambridge. 800-838-3006. www.brown papertickets.com
STUART MUNRO
Jazz & Blues
DONAL FOX IN THE PURSUIT OF BEAUTY The composer, pianist, and arranger Donal Fox’s unique amalgam of jazz and classical music has won him international accolades. A Guggenheim fellow and Steinway Artist, he’s interpreted and improvised on Monk, Bach, and Scarlatti, written and performed a piano concerto, and played with everyone from David Murray to Hilary Hahn. Here, he’ll stretch out on piano in the first-class company of bassist John Lockwood and drummer-percussionist Dafnis Prieto. Feb. 6, 7:30 and 10 p.m. $25-$30. Regattabar. 617-395-7757, www.regattabarjazz.com
SAMANTHA FISH A native of blues hotbed Kansas City, the 20-something musical powerhouse — an emotive singer, hot guitarist, and canny songwriter — is a rising star in the roots-music firmament. Feb. 9, 8 p.m. Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St., Somerville. 617-776-2004, www.johnnyds.com
KEVIN LOWENTHAL
Classical
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Andris Nelsons leads the ensemble and soprano Barbara Hannigan in the local premiere of Hans Abrahamsen’s “let me tell you,’’ as part of a Shakespeare-themed program that also includes works by Shostakovich and Prokofiev (“Romeo and Juliet’’ Suite). Feb. 4-6, Symphony Hall. 617-266-1200, www.bso.org. (A related “Insights’’ chamber performance will be offered Feb. 4 at 6 p.m.)
NEW MUSIC Beth Morrison Projects returns to the Gardner Museum with Paola Prestini’s pairing of multimedia concertos, “Labyrinth’’ (Feb. 4, www.gardnermuseum.org); playing off the BSO’s program, Sound Icon has an all-Abrahamsen concert (Feb. 5., Fenway Center, www.soundicon.org); and Dinosaur Annex offers an eclectic bill of chamber works under the title “Iridescent Soundscape’’ (Feb. 6, Longy School of Music, www.dinosaurannex.org).
A FAR CRY The chamber orchestra continues its local season with a program titled “Intimate Voices’’ featuring works by Penderecki, Sibelius, and Arvo Pärt. Feb. 6 at St. John’s Church, Jamaica Plain; Feb. 7 at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. www.afarcry.org, www.gardnermuseum.org
JEREMY EICHLER
ARTS
Theater
AN OCTOROONPlaywright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (“Neighbors,’’ “Appropriate’’) again demonstrates his gift for tackling the subject of race from unexpected angles as he deploys the conventions of 19th-century melodrama to explore the ways, subtle and not, that the past can leach into the present. When it comes to racial constructs, Jacobs-Jenkins wants us to think about how we think. A New England premiere, directed by Summer L. Williams, with a strong lead performance by Brandon Green. Through Feb. 27. Company One Theatre and ArtsEmerson at Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre, Paramount Center, Boston. 617-824-8400, www.arts emerson.org
DISGRACEDAyad Akhtar’s Pulitzer-winning drama about a Pakistani-American attorney who has repudiated his Islamic faith plunges right into the choppy currents of contemporary discourse. Akhtar finds tragedy in the dilemma of a man locked in an unwinnable war with himself, his heritage, and the assumptions the wider world makes about him. Through Feb. 7. Huntington Theatre Company in association with Long Wharf Theatre at BU Theatre, Boston. 617-266-0800, www.huntingtontheatre.org
SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIMLeigh Barrett and Aimee Doherty are the standouts in this fine revue, though the real star is Stephen Sondheim. The nonpareil composer-lyricist is seen frequently in videotaped interviews that offer an illuminating blend of backstage anecdotes, autobiographical insights, and glimpses of his creative process. Through Feb. 21. Lyric Stage Company of Boston. 617-585-5678, www.lyric stage.comDON AUCOIN
Dance
NACHMO BOSTONIt’s National Choreography Month, and 27 area dance artists have been involved in workshops, mini-showings, feedback sessions, and performances. Two performances this weekend highlight some of the event’s diversity, with participants including Ryan P. Casey, Grant Jacoby & Dancers, Intimations Dance, and MetaMovements Latin Dance Company. Feb. 7, 6 and 8 p.m., $10-$15. Dance Complex, Cambridge. 617-547-9363, www.brown papertickets.com
FROM OUR EYES/ THE BROWN SISTERSThis new work by Ipswich Moving Company draws inspiration from the four-decade project of Nicholas Nixon tracing via annual group portraits the gradual aging and graceful endurance of his wife and her three sisters. Choreographer Janet Taisey Craft and seven dancers portray the sisters at different moments in their lives. Feb. 4-7, $20-$25. Ipswich Moving Company Studio Theater, Ipswich. 978-356-5565, www.ipswichmovingco.org
CATALYSTSIt’s the last weekend for this Dance Complex initiative showcasing five choreographers — Chavi Bansal, Callie Chapman, Michael Figueroa, Sarah Mae Gibbons, and Kat Nasti — all chosen for their unique artistic voices and commitment toward deepening how we experience dance. A different lineup each night. Feb. 5-6, $15-$30 Dance Complex, Cambridge. 617-547-9363, www.dancecomplex.org
KAREN CAMPBELL
Galleries
I WILL GO ON. . . Artists as endurance athletes: drilling holes, making millions of marks with a needlepoint, archiving the minutiae of life, and more. Five artists (including Rachel Perry Welty and Jon Kuzmich) push the limits of their practices. Through April 2. Montserrat College of Art Gallery, 23 Essex St., Beverly. 978-921-4242, www.montserrat.edu/ galleries
DEAD ANIMALS, OR THE CURIOUS OCCURRENCE OF TAXIDERMY IN CONTEMPORARY ARTTaxidermy stirs up issues of mortality and preservation, and of humans’ loving, fraught, and possessive relationships to animals. Artists include Annette Messager and Maurizio Cattelan.Through March 27. David Winton Bell Gallery, Brown University, 64 College St., Providence. 401-863-2932, www.brown.edu/bell gallery CATE McQUAID
Museums
INVENTORY: NEW WORKS AND CONVERSATIONS AROUND AFRICAN ART A smart, satisfying show of contemporary African art recently acquired by the Hood, including photographs, sculpture, and painting from across the continent, organized by curator Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi. Through March 13. Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H. 603-646-2808, hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu
ANN HIRSCH A small show of video works, as well as a disturbing chatroom conversation re-created as an iPad app, by the audacious, self-revealing artist who toys with sexual politics and the borders between reality and artifice, participating in a reality TV dating show and generally playing the role of a “famewhore.’’ Through Feb. 21. List Visual Arts Center. 617-253-4680, listart.mit.edu
DRAWING REDEFINED: RONI HORN, ESTHER KLAES, JOELLE TUERLINCKX, RICHARD TUTTLE, AND JORINDE VOIGT Ideas of drawing are extended into sculpture, photography, and other media by this quintet of contemporary artists. Through March 20. DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln. 781-259-8355, www.decordova .orgSEBASTIAN SMEE
EVENTS
Comedy
COMEDY STUDIO AT THE HYATT Boston veteran Mike Donovan headlines this edition of the Studio’s new monthly show a few blocks away from its Harvard Square digs. With Lamont Price, Mike Pincus, and Emily Ruskowski. Feb. 4, 8 p.m. $15. Hyatt Regency Cambridge, 575 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. 617-661-6507, www.thecomedy studio.com
MARK NORMANDThe New York comic has done a variety of shows on Comedy Central, from his own “Half Hour’’ special to “Inside Amy Schumer.’’ Fans might also recognize him from the “Tuesdays With Stories’’ podcast, which he hosts with Joe List. Feb. 4 at 8 p.m., Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. $29-$39. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St., Boston. 617-725-2844, www.laugh boston.com
TRUMP VS. BERNIE: THE DEBATE!As strange a concept for a political show as you might see this election season, comedians Anthony Atamanuik and James Adomian are on a 12-city tour imagining the silliest version of a possible debate between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Feb. 10, 8 p.m. $15. Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave., Boston. 617-779-0140, www.cross roadspresents.com/brighton- music-hallNICK A. ZAINO III
Family
FitRec Wonderland Make no mistake: Winter weather will be back. Best to have some fun with the season, from scooter sled races to winter crafts to “ice’’ climbing on a 30-foot rock wall, while you can still go out at all. No coats required. Feb. 5, 4-7 p.m. $15. Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center, 915 Commonwealth Ave. 617-358-3740. www.bu.edu/fitrec/family-programs/
Winter Carnival If your yearning for chilly cheer is especially strong, an evening of ice skating, marshmallow toasting, hot chocolate, and dance-partying just might help. Feb. 6, 4-7 p.m. Free. NARA Park, 25 Ledge Rock Way, Acton. 978-929-6620. www.acton-ma.gov/events
Valentine Card-Making Extravaganza If there’s one thing every kid should know, it’s that grown-ups can’t resist homemade presents. Grab a pair of scissors and score some extra points this Valentine’s Day with any number of special someones. Feb. 8-11, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. $12. Artbeat, 212A Massachusetts Ave., Arlington. 781-646-2200. artbeatonline.com/event/valentine-card-making-extravaganza-2/ Joe Incollingo
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Feb. 11 Baio at Brighton Music Hall www.ticketmaster.com
Feb. 12 Seu Jorge at Berklee College of Music www.apps.vendini .com
Feb. 14 1984 at American Repertory Theater www.american repertorytheater.org
Feb. 22 Animal Collective at Royale www.ticketmaster.com
March 2 Neko Case at Orpheum Theatre www.ticketmaster.com
March 6 Itzhak Perlman at Symphony Hall www.bso.org
Joe Incollingo
