Friday, February 1
The Samba Story
WHAT: Contempo Physical Dance’s Batuque
WHERE: Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
The newest major dance troupe in the Twin Cities, led by Marciano Silva dos Santos, makes its Cowles Center debut with an irresistible premise for fans of grooving, physical dance: the African origin of samba. And few people know more about this than Santos, who has returned to his native Brazil many times over the past couple of years to assemble this production. Learn more at thecowlescenter.org
Friday, February 1
Men in Black
WHAT: Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash
WHERE: Plymouth Playhouse, Plymouth
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
The crowd-pleasing Plymouth Playhouse has drawn well for musical revues of other late stars, like Patsy Cline, and here it aims for a similar jukebox appeal. Cash himself is not impersonated (who could do it?), rather a small company of performers works through 35 of his hits. Learn more at plymouthplayhouse.com
Saturday, February 2
Up in Smoke
WHAT: Reefer Madness
WHERE: New Century Theatre, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
Minneapolis Musical Theatre has always staked its tent at the border of edgy and camp. And here it stages a musical spoof of the 1936 cult film originally intended, without irony, to showcase the horrors of clean-cut white teenagers addicted to that Jazz Age reefer. Learn more at hennepintheatretrust.org
Saturday, February 2
The Elephant in the Room
WHAT: Ganesh Versus the Third Reich
WHERE: Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: 8 p.m.
Back to Back Theatre brings its critically acclaimed experimental play to the Walker’s Out There Festival, about Hindu god Ganesh traveling to Nazi Germany to reclaim the ancient swastika symbol. The troupe is comprised of actors with perceived mental disabilities, adding another layer to the story of power, exploitation, and appropriation. Learn more at walkerart.org
Sunday, February 3
Cultural Collision
WHAT: Miriam Gerberg
WHERE: Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
A rather unusual blend of musical styles makes for a unique 416 Club commission, the Cedar’s signature Sunday night local-music showcase, and perhaps the ultimate anti-Super Bowl evening. Turko-Arabic improvisation meets the metallic and otherworldly Javanese gamelan with an ensemble led by local musicologist Gerberg featuring flamenco guitar, the Middle Eastern oud, and the Sumunar Indonesian Gamelan Orchestra. Learn more at thecedar.org
Sunday, February 3
Greatest Hits of Art
WHAT: Our Treasures: Highlights of the Minnesota Museum of American Art
WHERE: Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The greatest-hits tour of the MMAA collection decamps at the Weisman Art Museum. It showcases an impressive depth of lovely, high-quality pieces, from Paul Manship’s bronze sculptures to the painting of Thomas Hart Benton to the photography of Wing Young Huie. Learn more at wam.umn.edu
