
This week's best bets: A pair of plays, 'Star Wars' music and the Fiddlehead Festival
7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Stevens Square Theater, 631 Stevens Ave., Portland, $50, $10 for students and 30 and under. goodtheater.com.
The Good Theater kicks off life in its new home at the 500-seat venue Stevens Square Theater, on the campus of the former Catherine McAuley High School. The cabaret style grand reopening shows will feature a century's worth of Broadway music comprised of both popular and rarely heard numbers. Broadway stars LaKisha Jones, George Dvorsky, Valerie Perri and Kevin Smith will be joined by 21 Maine-based performers and a band of local musicians. Good Theater ended a 20-year run at The Hill Arts last year. Their Stevens Square schedule this season includes five mainstage productions, four cabaret concerts and nine summer programs.
'Now and Then'
Performances run through May 11. Public Theatre, 31 Maple St., Lewiston, $35, $15 for 4-18, $20 for 35 and under. thepublictheatre.org.
For a romantic comedy with a quirky twist, head to The Public Theatre for its production of Sean Grennan's "Now and Then." Set in a Chicago Irish pub called Mulligans, the story centers around what happens when a young, piano-playing bartender and his girlfriend encounter a curious older gentleman. He offers the couple a bunch of money to simply spend an hour talking with him. Find out what ensues in a show that stars Broadway and TV veteran Mitch Poulus. The cast fills out with Linda Marie Larson, Dylan S. Wallach and Allison Altman, all with Broadway credits.
Nathalie Joachim
7 p.m. Thursday. Aura, 121 Center St., Portland, $35, $20 students. porttix.com.
Portland Ovations has teamed up with Indigo Arts Alliance to present a performance at Aura by Grammy-nominated musician Nathalie Joachim. Joachim is a Brooklyn, New York-born Haitian-American flutist, composer and vocalist. Her latest release is the mesmerizing album "Ki moun ou ye."
She is known for merging classical and modern music practice with Haitian heritage to create an immersive solo show. You'll hear electronics, flute and text that delve into ancestry and identity from the artist and storyteller. Joachim's focus on human connectivity with an emphasis on social change and cultural awareness should make for a memorable night.
Fiddlehead Festival
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. High Street parking lot, University of Maine at Farmington Campus (rain location is the student center), free. umf.maine.edu.
Maine's favorite ferns are being celebrated on Saturday during the 12th annual Fiddlehead Festival. Samples of fiddlehead dishes will be available and there will also be food trucks. You'll also find more than 65 vendors including farmers, artisan food producers, crafters and area nonprofits. Some other offerings throughout the day include performances by the Franklin County Fiddlers and Neveah Dance Circus. The festival will also have a kids' activities area. You can also catch a number of sustainability talks and a screening of the Maine-made film "Local Food Matters."
Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert
7 p.m. Sunday. Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland, $18-$106.50. porttix.com.
If you love the music from the 1977 sci-fi blockbuster "Star Wars," these are indeed the tickets you're looking for. Jump to lightspeed to get them, though, because two of the three performances are either sold out or are about to be. May the force be with you on Sunday night as guest conductor Chia-Hsuan Lin leads Portland Symphony Orchestra through John Williams' timeless score.
Along with the iconic music, the original "Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope" will be projected on a huge screen behind the orchestra. Can you think of any piece of cinematic music more recognizable and beloved than the main theme from "Star Wars"? Neither can we.
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Here's another way to remember your loved ones, by preserving their tattoos after death
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