• = Recommended

SEPTEMBER

Ongoing–Oct. 7 Memphis The musical about the birth of rock radio returns. 5th Avenue Theatre, 5thavenue.org

•Ongoing–Nov. 18 Big River Huck and Jim, again on the raft, this time with songs. See review, page 47. Village Theatre, villagetheatre.org

•Ongoing–Dec. 2 Many Arrows From Rama’s Bow: Paintings of the Ramayana Four centuries of Indian art help elucidate the epic Ramayana (the stage version opens at ACT on Oct. 12). Seattle Asian Art Museum, seattleartmuseum.org

Ongoing–Dec. 2 Women’s Paintings From the Land of Sita From the 1970s and beyond, Indian women artists colorfully depict their rural lives and folklore. Seattle Asian Art Museum

Ongoing–Jan. 20 George Nakashima: A Master’s Furniture and Philosophy His furniture, architectural drawings, sketches, and personal history are featured. Wing Luke Museum, wingluke.org

19 Mark Bittman Seattle Arts & Lectures presents the New York Times food writer and author (Food Matters). Benaroya Hall, lectures.org

19 The Byrd Ensemble Performing the music of their namesake, Renaissance composer William Byrd, and contemporaries. Trinity Parish Church, byrdensemble.com

19 Steven Johnson The Future Perfect author makes the case that a new model of political change is on the rise, possibly transforming our society. Town Hall, townhallseattle.org

19 Jacqui Naylor Vocalist Naylor and her band mix jazz and rock tunes on their new album, Lucky Girl. The Triple Door, thetripledoor.net

•19 Maria Semple & Jonathan Evison The two locals read from their much-praised new novels, Where’d You Go, Bernadette and The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, respectively. University Book Store, bookstore.washington.edu

•19–23 Keith Hennessy/Circo Zero The San Francisco choreographer deals as much with politics and culture as with kinesthetics. His Turbulence (A Dance About the Economy) is the centerpiece of a discussion series about art and economics dauntingly titled “Failure.” Not to worry, though—Hennessy’s project is as much about subversive solutions as about mainstream troubles. And in the spirit of alternative economies, the discussion sessions are free. SANDRA KURTZ Velocity Dance Center, velocitydancecenter.org

19–Oct. 20 Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson A rock musical about an uncouth president from the woolly frontier? Sounds unlikely, and yet the show was a big Broadway hit. Arts West, artswest.org

19-Oct. 20 Gaudy Night An adaptation of one of Dorothy Sayers’ mysteries starring Lord Peter Wimsey. Taproot Theatre, taproottheater.org

20 Paul Auster The prize-winning novelist, poet, and screenwriter reads from Winter Journal, a memoir about his mother’s life and death. Town Hall

20 Ivan Doig The local novelist reads from The Bartender’s Tale, about a rural Montana saloon owner and his son. University Book Store

20 Paul Tough He’ll discuss How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. Town Hall

20–22 Seattle Symphony Ludovic Morlot conducts Respighi’s cinematic The Pines of Rome as part of SSO’s Family Connections program, which offers kids free companion tickets. Benaroya Hall, seattlesymphony.org

20–23 Jeff Lorber He fuses funk with R&B, supported by Brian Bromberg, Everett Harp, and Gary Novak. Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, jazzalley.com

20–23 Seattle Design Festival Features speakers, workshops, tours, and films on urban, city, and graphic design. Various locations, seattledesignfestival.org

21 Dispatch The indie/roots band tours behind Circles Around the Sun. The Moore, stgpresents.org

21 Curtis Salgado The bluesy R&B singer plays harmonica and fronts his band in support of Soul Shot. The Triple Door

•21 Hedrick Smith The Pulitzer-winning journalist discusses Who Stole the American Dream? Town Hall

21–22 Ramayana From Her Perspective This Indian dance performance tells the Ramayana from the female point of view, with companies Pratidhwani, From Within Nucleus Dance Company, and Urvashi Dance. ACT Theatre, acttheatre.org

21–23 Fremont Oktoberfest This autumn tradition includes pumpkin carving, local bands, a 5K run, and beer. Lots of beer. Downtown Fremont, fremontoktoberfest.com

•21–30 Cinderella Launching PNB’s 40th season, this classic fairy tale is a perennial family favorite. McCaw Hall, pnb.org

•22 D.T. Max His latest is a biography of David Foster Wallace. Elliott Bay Book Co., elliottbaybooks.com

•22 The Shins Everybody loves this Portland band. With guests Washed Out. The Paramount, stgpresents.org

22 Wheedle’s Groove A tribute to Seattle funk and soul music c. 1965–75, featuring Acapulco Gold. The Neptune, stgpresents.org

22–23 Northwest Book Fest Local authors will include Ivan Doig, Karl Marlantes, David Guterson, Jim Lynch, Paula Becker, Alan Stein, Knute Berger, and many others. Downtown Kirkland, nwbookfest.com

22–May 5 Click! Classic Photographs From Washington Asahel Curtis, Edward Curtis, Darius Kinsey, Virna Haffer, and others are represented by some 40 historical images. Washington State History Museum, washingtonhistory.org

23 Matisyahu & the Dirty Heads The L.A. band blends roots, reggae, and pop. With guest Pacific Dub. The Moore

23–Oct. 7 The Betty Plays Four plays by a quartet of playwrights with a single director (Julie Beckman), but none appear to contain a heroine named Betty. Theater Schmeater, schmeater.org

•24 T.C. Boyle San Miguel covers generations of residents of the Channel Islands. Meany Hall, lectures.org

24 Tegan & Sara The folkie duo is promoting a new CD and three-part film series, Get Along, about their lives and music. The Neptune

24 Luisa Weiss My Berlin Kitchen: A Love Story documents her move to Germany and her take on its culinary scene. University Book Store

26 Mysterium Cosmographicum A three-part experimental video essay and performance from Brent Coughenour, using various materials from the culture industry. Northwest Film Forum

26–30 Decibel Festival The annual celebration of electronic music, visual art, performance, and new media. Various venues, dbfestival.com

27–30 Seattle Symphony “The Cocktail Hour: Music of the Mad Men Era” is their take on the swinging tunes of the ’50s and early ’60s. Benaroya Hall

27 Greg Palast The muckraking journalist’s How Billionaires Steal Elections will surely mention the Koch brothers and Citizens United. Town Hall

27–30 Gob Squad’s Kitchen They send up ’60s culture by way of Andy Warhol’s film Kitchen. On the Boards, ontheboards.org

27–30 New Spanish Cinema SIFF’s weekend mini-fest offers a dozen films from the Iberian Peninsula. SIFF Cinema Uptown, siff.net

27–Oct. 28 The Cat in the Hat Dr. Seuss’ dangerous anarchist tract, adapted for the stage to indoctrinate your children. Seattle Children’s Theater, sct.org

•27–Oct. 28 Pullman Porter Blues Cheryl L. West’s coming-of-age story follows black railway workers on a 1937 journey from Chicago to New Orleans. See related story, page 17. Seattle Repertory Theatre, seattlerep.org

27–Dec. 6 Women in the Shadows SAM’s Thursday-night noir series begins with Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity and concludes with the Coen brothers’ Fargo. Seattle Art Museum

•28 Damien Echols He of the West Memphis Three, wrongfully imprisoned for two decades, will share from his memoir Life After Death. Town Hall

28 Looper Joseph Gordon-Levitt travels forward in time to discover he’s Bruce Willis. Or vice versa. Opens wide.

28 Jerry Mander He’ll discuss The Capitalism Papers: Fatal Flaws of an Obsolete System. Elliott Bay Book Co.

28 Patrick Wolfe His acoustic set will include piano, harp, and dulcimer. The Triple Door

28–29 Boney James The sax player’s new record, Contact, offers soulful grooves. Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley

28–29 Voices of Strength This contemporary-dance festival offers female performers from South Africa, Mozambique, Côte d’Ivoire, and Morocco. The Moore

•28–Oct. 4 Local Sightings Film Festival This showcase for Northwest filmmakers, including features, shorts, and docs, is now in its 15th year. Northwest Film Forum, nwfilmforum.org

28–Oct. 21 Superior Donuts Pulitzer winner Tracy Letts’ comedy-drama set on “the mean streets of Chicago.” Bathhouse Theater, seattlepublictheater.org

28–Oct. 22 The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls An innocent American woman (Samie Spring Detzer) falls into the mire of Putin’s Russia, circa 2005, in this dark comedy by Meg Miroshnik. “Axe-wielding prostitutes” are promised. The Little Theatre, washingtonensemble.org

29 Academy of Burlesque Headmistress Miss Indigo Blue welcomes back a stellar lineup of faculty for a 10th-anniversary blowout. Oddfellows Building, academyofburlesque.com

29 Hahn-Bin This controversial violinist combines rock-star hair and makeup with a Fritz Kreisler playing style. Kirkland Performance Center

29 Broken Bow Ensemble Seattle composer/bassist John Teske leads this avant-orchestra. Chapel Performance Space, johnteskemusic.com

29 Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour The political humorist is joined by Hal Sparks and John Fugelsang. The Paramount

29 Owl City Although from Minnesota, the electro-pop band—touring behind The Midsummer Station—is known for its song “Hello Seattle.” The Neptune

29–30 Italian Festival Celebrating all things Italian with food and cooking demos, Sicilian puppetry, a grape-stomping contest, and a bocce tournament. Seattle Center, seattlecenter.com

30 Caroline Flohr The Bainbridge Island author reads her memoir, Heaven’s Child, about her challenges as a recently divorced single parent. Eagle Harbor Book Co., eagleharborbooks.com

30 The Weeknd The alterna-R&B act is known for melancholic ballads, featured on the 2011 mixtape House of Balloons. The Paramount

30–Jan. 6 Georgy Pakin A Russian photographer based in the Pacific port of Nakhodka, his gritty images run four decades back into the Cold War era. Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, whatcommuseum.org

 

OCTOBER

1 Paul Elie The Georgetown University prof discusses Reinventing Bach, and how today’s musicians should address his legacy. Town Hall

•1 Rufus Wainwright With Morrissey (Nov. 10) and Madge (Oct. 2–3), he forms the fall queer-fecta of pop music. And today he’s the least lazy of the three. Benaroya Hall

1–20 Photolust This big group show of contemporary photographers ends with an auction at which you can buy their work. Photo Center NW, pcnw.org

1–31 Arts Crush Every venue in town is hosting an event related to this interdisciplinary omnibus. Various locations, artscrush.org

2 Stacy Carlson Her first novel, Among the Wonderful, explores antebellum Manhattan through a museum owner’s account. University Book Store

•2 Emerson String Quartet It’s cellist David Finckel’s farewell season with the quartet; here they’ll play Haydn, Brahms, and The Four Quarters by Brit wunderkind Thomas Adès. Meany Hall, uwworldseries.org

2 Glen Hansard Now split from Markéta Irglová, with the Broadway musical Once a big success (following the pair’s 2007 hit indie movie), he’s taking time off from the Frames to promote his first solo album, Rhythm and Repose. The Moore

2–Nov. 11 Bill Stafford He shows photographs of Iceland. Nordic Heritage Museum, nordicmuseum.org.

•2–3 Madonna She can’t keep going forever, can she? The tireless pop icon is touring behind her new album, MDNA, making us love her just as much as when Holiday came out. KeyArena, keyarena.com

•3 Aimee Mann One of our favorite L.A. singer/songwriters, she’s survived the ’90s better than most. The Neptune

4 First Thursday All the downtown galleries are open late, at the Tashiro Kaplan Building and beyond. Future dates to circle in your calendar (or key into your Google alerts): Nov. 1 and Dec. 6. Various locations, firstthursdayseattle.com

4 Davy Rothbart Editor of Found magazine, he’ll share more shopping lists, mash notes, and literary ephemera supplied by readers. Town Hall

4 Lance Weller The Gig Harbor author’s historical novel Wilderness concerns a man and his dog in the woods, 30 years after the Civil War. Eagle Harbor Book Co.

•4–6 Mark Morris Dance Group If you’re a longtime member of Seattle’s dance world, you remember seeing Morris’ first performances at OtB, back when you walked up the creaky staircase at Washington Hall. If you’re a more recent addition, you followed his development at Meany Hall and then with Seattle Theater Group. But if you’ve just arrived, be sure to see the new work (the world premiere of A Wooden Tree) and old (1993’s Grand Duo) from one of Seattle’s famous (infamous?) native sons. SK On the Boards

4–6 Paul Taylor Dance Company The choreographer’s The Uncommitted is a West Coast premiere. With two additional works from repertory: Kith and Kin and Brandenburgs. Meany Hall, meany.org

4–Feb. 2013 Return to Paradise TZZ’s new dinner show will include many proven former performers and Seattle’s own Thaddeus Turner, playing Jimi Hendrix. Teatro ZinZanni, dreams.zinzanni.org

5 Frankenweenie Back in 1984, we adored Tim Burton’s short film about a boy who stitches together his pet dog. We’re not so sure about this new 3-D feature version. Opens wide.

5 Alanis Morissette The singer/songwriter is back with a new album, Havoc and Bright Lights. You decide whether it’s ’90s nostalgia or what. The Moore

•5 Northwest Sinfonietta Cuban musicians from the Orquesta de Cámara Concierto Sur join the NS in an unprecedented collaboration on Beethoven’s Ninth. Benaroya Hall, northwestsinfonietta.org

•5 Stephen Tobolowsky The bald veteran character actor has become a public- radio favorite with his long stories about Hollywood and more. Now he’s written a memoir, The Dangerous Animals Club. Town Hall

5–6 Degenerate Art Ensemble Never doubt this avant-theater troupe’s capacity to surprise; their new multimedia show, Underbelly, is co-sponsored by Olson Kundig Architects. Seattle Center, degenerateartensemble.com

5 & 7 Simple Measures Chamber music + discussion, designed to soothe the classically intimidated. The Pacific Rims Percussion Quartet plays Vivaldi, Cage, and Stravinsky. Various venues, simplemeasures.org

5–7 The Jacket Seattle troupe Nanda combines comedy, acrobatics, martial arts, and dance. Broadway Performance Hall, nandatown.com

5–11 In the Family Patrick Wang’s 2011 drama concerns a custody battle between two dads. It’s like a gay Kramer Vs. Kramer. Northwest Film Forum

5–11 What Did You Expect? The Archers of Loaf Gorman Bechard’s music doc follows the influential indie rockers. Northwest Film Forum

•5–31 Curse of All Monsters Attack Silly/scary movies will include John Carpenter’s The Thing, Arsenic and Old Lace, Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and more. Grand Illusion Cinema, grandillusion.org

6 Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers Their six concerts this season audition six potential music directors; first up, Jeremy Briggs Roberts conducts Bach and Shostakovich. First Free Methodist Church, osscs.org

•6 REVERB SW‘s own all-local music festival. Various Ballard venues, seattleweekly.com

6 Seattle Baroque Orchestra Bach violin concertos, with soloist Ingrid Matthews. Town Hall, earlymusicguild.org

6 Shaolin Warriors A choreographed, theatrical martial-arts performance, set to music. The Moore

6 The xx The English indie-pop band is touring behind Coexist. The Paramount

6–7 Clarinettissimo Recitals, master classes, a community clarinet choir, vendors, and more at Sean Osborn’s annual celebration of the instrument. Seattle Pacific University, osbornmusic.com

•6–7, 13–14 The Esoterics “Mystikos” includes premieres of winning works from this choir’s composition competition. Various venues, theesoterics.org

6–Feb. 16 En plein air Selections from the Henry’s permanent collection are contrasted with work by French Algerian contemporary artist Neïl Beloufa. Henry Art Gallery, henryart.org

6–March 2013 Michael Kenna A globetrotting English photographer now based in Seattle, he shoots lovely black-and-white travel scenes, as exhibited in Memories and Meditations. Tacoma Art Museum, tacomaartmuseum.org

6–March 23 Pipilotti Rist The noted French video artist will create several large and immersive installations in A la belle étoile. Henry Art Gallery

•8 Sherman Alexie Our city’s leading man of letters reads from his collection Blasphemy: New and Selected Stories. University Book Store

•8 Endangered Species Project Some of Seattle’s finest actors give a bare-bones reading of Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan. (Also note their Nov. 12 performance of Dark of the Moon; the December show in this monthly series is TBA.) North Seattle Community College, endangeredspeciesproject.org

9 Justin Bieber We just thought we’d tell you. Not that you’ll go . . . right? Tacoma Dome, ticketmaster.com

9 Jennifer Worick The local author shares her pet peeves, including emo and man caves, in Things I Want to Punch in the Face. University Book Store

10 Andrei Codrescu An NPR staple, the Romanian-born writer brings his droll observations to town. Town Hall

•10 Jeffrey Toobin The CNN analyst and New Yorker staff writer discusses The Oath: The Secret Struggle for the Supreme Court. Presented by Seattle Arts & Lectures. Benaroya Hall

10–Nov. 17 Wicked The Tony Award–winning musical returns in a touring production. The Paramount

11 Kim Fay Her historical-fiction debut, The Map of Lost Memories, is about a wannabe Seattle museum curator’s world travels. Eagle Harbor Book Co.

11–14 Leela James The neo-soul singer recently recorded In the Spirit of Etta James. Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley

•11-21 Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival Chris Colfer of Glee wrote and stars in the festival-opening comedy Struck by Lightning. Other films address gay rights in Uganda and a pair of seniors (Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker) looking to get gay-married in Canada. Several venues, threedollarbillcinema.org

•11–Jan. 13 Elles: Women Artists From the Centre Pompidou Frida Kahlo, Hannah Wilke, and Sonia Delaunay are among those featured in this touring mega-show, augmented by SAM’s collection and satellite events. Seattle Art Museum

•12 Argo Ben Affleck looks to have a hit with this thriller about rescuing American hostages during the 1979 embassy crisis in Tehran. Opens wide.

•12 Patton Oswalt Patton, we love you, but do you gotta play out in the sticks? Sigh. Maybe we’ll rent a room. Tulalip Casino, ticketmaster.com

•12 Rodriguez Subject of the wonderful documentary Searching for Sugar Man, we also might see him at the Oscars next year. Showbox at the Market, showboxonline.com

12 Wuthering Heights Andrea Arnold takes a crack at Emily Brontë’s class-crossed romance, with two unknowns as her new Heathcliff and Catherine. SIFF Cinema Uptown

12–13 Seattle Symphony The first of their “Baroque & Wine” concerts, with pre-concert tastings ($10 for five pours). Benaroya Hall

12–13, 19–20 Seattle Women’s Chorus Two hundred-plus voices fill the space in this sonic spectacular. St. Mark’s Cathedral, flyinghouse.org

•12–14 Amy O’Neal You can’t really say that she’s modest about it, but O’Neal’s new solo show, called The Most Innovative, Daring, and Original Piece of Dance/ Performance You Will See This Decade, will be a powerful showcase for one of Seattle’s most intense dancemakers. O’Neal is a wildly popular teacher in the community, but for this show she’s been taking lessons herself, honing her signature “Bottom Heavy Funk” style to combine modern dance expression with hip-hop rhythms. And as you might say about the title of the work, it isn’t bragging if it’s true. SK Velocity Dance Center

•12–14 & 19–21 Against the Grain: Men in Dance Since its original performances in 1996, this biannual festival has had very few rules. The organizers were looking for dances by men or featuring men—those were really the only stipulations. So a typical program will run a huge gamut, from esoteric to flat-out entertaining. This edition follows in those footsteps, with hip-hop, tap, postmodern dance, and, poignantly, a work for the children’s dance group Kaleidoscope by Jesse Jaramillo, a longtime member of the Seattle dance community who died late this past summer. SK Broadway Performance Hall, menindance.org

12–Nov. 4 Earshot Jazz Festival More than four dozen gigs around town will feature boldface names like Branford Marsalis, Bettye LaVette, and Jake Shimabukuro. Various locations, earshotjazz.org

•12–Nov. 11 The Ramayana The Indian epic features dozens of gods in a magical soap opera mounted with music, dance, and colorful costumes. Directed by Kurt Beattie and Sheila Daniels, from a script somehow distilled by Yussef El Guindi and Stephanie Timm. Look for related programs and lectures around the city. (It’s also the inspiration for this week’s cover by Scott Anderson.) ACT Theatre

12–Nov. 18 Café Nordo Somethin’ Burning, “a murder mystery in four courses,” is this troupe’s new Lynchian cocktail-theater show. Theater Off Jackson, cafenordo.com

13 Arts Gumbo Brazilian food, dance, and music are featured. Rainier Valley Cultural Center, rainiervalleyculturalcenter.org

•13 Bob Dylan Now touring with Mark Knopfler, he recently released Tempest. KeyArena

13–14 Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair Rare books, prints, maps, and photographs from book distributors across the country. Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, seattlebookfair.com

•13–27 Fidelio Seattle Opera stages—and updates, via modern dress—Beethoven’s only opera, in which love and justice triumph over tyranny. McCaw Hall, seattleopera.org

13–Jan. 13 Mw [Moment Magnitude] This interdisciplinary series includes visual arts, performance, readings, concerts, and more—all in celebration of the Frye’s 60th anniversary. Frye Art Museum, fryemuseum.org

14 Philharmonia Northwest Drama-packed works by Beethoven and Brahms. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, philharmonianw.org

15 Ayad Akhtar His debut novel, American Dervish, is about a confused Pakistani-American boy’s first love. University Book Store

15 Louise Erdrich Shadow Tag is the latest novel by the prolific Midwestern author, presented by Seattle Arts & Lectures. Meany Hall

15 Jasper Fforde He sits for conversation with Nancy Pearl about the seventh book in his Thursday Next series, The Woman Who Died a Lot. Town Hall

•15 Andras Schiff An all-Bach recital from one of the most acclaimed Bach pianists since Glenn Gould. Benaroya Hall

•15–18 The Three Colors Trilogy Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Red, White, and Blue are screened. SIFF Cinema Uptown

17–20 City Arts Festival Music, arts, culture, and beyond. With bands Blind Pilot, the Dusty 45s, and Two Door Cinema Club. Various locations, cityartsfest.com

•18–Feb. 3 Laurie Anderson The veteran NYC avant-gardist will install something or other in the museum’s Test Site lobby space. She also delivers a lecture on Friday the 19th. Henry Art Gallery

19 Fat Kid Rules the World This crowd favorite from SIFF, a coming-of-age tale shot in Seattle, returns for an open-ended engagement. SIFF Film Center

19 Cinda and Linea Johnson They share from their joint memoir, Perfect Chaos: A Daughter’s Journey to Survive Bipolar, A Mother’s Struggle to Save Her. University Book Store

19 Lake Union Chamber Orchestra Music by Rossini, Kodály, and Schumann. Town Hall, luco.org

•19 Seattle Symphony Their “Untitled” series is one of the season’s most exciting innovations: contemporary chamber music, Friday at 10 p.m. First up, music from the World’s Fair year of 1962, including works by Cage, Feldman, Ligeti, and more. Benaroya Hall

19 ¡Viva la Revolucion! Literary Challenge Writers Steve Almond, Matthew Zapruder, and Elaina M. Ellis and composer Daniel Spils consider what needs toppling. Richard Hugo House, hugohouse.org

19–25 Detropia Filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady document the decay and disintegration of Detroit. Northwest Film Forum

19–28 Earshot Jazz Film Festival In this cinematic companion fest, musical titles will include The Connection and Deconstructing Dad. Northwest Film Forum

•20 Charles Burns The Hive continues the hallucinatory cartoon adventures begun in 2010’s Xed Out by the former Seattle artist. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, fantagraphics.com (On the 22nd, he joins fellow cartoonist Chris Ware and book designer/author Chip Kidd at Town Hall.)

•20 Emerald City The next installment of KT Niehoff’s ongoing Collision Theory project is a party and a fashion show with a dance tucked inside. Niehoff is spending the year looking for new ways to involve us in her work beyond sitting in the darkened seats. From earlier experiments like Inhabit and Lift, where she combined social interaction with performance, she’s striving to make an audience into a community. For this episode she’s collaborating with Jill Donnelly, the owner of Baby and Co., on an “immersive party/spectacle.” Dress festively. SK Baby & Co., lingodance.com

•20 Pacific MusicWorks Monteverdi’s grand, pathbreakingly vast 1610 Vespers for voices and orchestra. St. James Cathedral, pacificmusicworks.org.

21 Auburn Symphony Opening the season with an audience-choice program, details TBA. Auburn Performing Arts Center, auburnsymphony.org.

21 St. Helens String Quartet Quartets by Philip Glass to celebrate his 75th birthday (which was in January, but never mind). Cornish College of the Arts, cornish.edu

21 Moscow Sretensky Monastery Choir Music in the Russian Orthodox tradition. Meany Hall

21 Seattle Pro Musica Music by Monteverdi, Rheinberger, and others to celebrate this choir’s 40th anniversary. Plymouth Congregational Church, seattlepromusica.org

22 Douglas Smith The local historian discusses his Former People: The Final Days of the Russian Aristocracy. Town Hall

23 Hari Kunzru The novelist is welcomed by Seattle Arts & Lectures. New in paperback, Gods Without Men is about UFOs and a child’s disappearance in the desert. Benaroya Hall

•23 Craig Sheppard Debussy’s 24 Préludes from this pianist, the first of two sesquicentennial recitals (the other’s April 16). Meany Hall, music.washington.edu

23–25 The Tempest Replica Contemporary-dance group Kidd Pivot adapts Shakespeare’s The Tempest. On the Boards

24–28 French Cinema Now SIFF salutes all things Gallic. Titles TBA. SIFF Cinema Uptown

24–Nov. 11 The Addams Family America’s favorite “altogether ooky” cartoon clan is now featured in a new musical, created by Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice, and composer Andrew Lippa. 5th Avenue Theatre

•25 Philip Glass The composer is joined by Foday Musa Suso and Adam Rudolph for an African-inflected performance. Kirkland Performance Center, kpcenter.org

•25 UW Symphony Russian music, including Gubaidulina’s the rider on the white horse. Meany Hall, music.washington.edu

25–Feb. 24 BAM Biennial 2012: High Fiber Diet Textiles, weaving, fabrics, and more figure in this exhibit of some two dozen Northwest artists. Bellevue Arts Museum, bellevuearts.org

26 Cloud Atlas Tom Hanks and a host of other talents star in this globe-spanning adaptation of the David Mitchell novel, which took two Wachowskis and one Tykwer several years to direct. Opens wide.

26 Amy Goodman & Denis Moynihan Just in time for the election, they talk about their new book The Silenced Majority. Town Hall

26 MOGtoberfest Hoist a brew and tour the exhibits at the T–Town celebration of glass and craft beers. Museum of Glass, museumofglass.org

26 Northwest Symphony Stirring music by Tchaikovsky (the 1812 Overture), Berlioz, and others, including Matteo Messina’s Calling the Cavalry. Highline Performing Arts Center, northwestsymphonyorchestra.org

•26 Seattle Symphony: Sonic Evolution In what looks like it’ll be an annual offering, Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs join the orchestra to play brand-new rock-based music. Benaroya Hall

26–Nov. 1 Out Here in the Wilds Contemporary English filmmaker Ben Rivers is treated to a retrospective of shorts and features, most made on outdated equipment on shoestring budgets. Northwest Film Forum

26–Dec. 2 The Glass Menagerie In Tennessee Williams’ durable drama, a Southern gent (Ben Huber) tries to find his shy sister (Brenda Joyner) a husband. Suzanne Bouchard plays their overbearing mother. Braden Abraham directs. Seattle Repertory Theatre

26–Dec. 15 Social Order: Women Photographers from Iran, India, and Afghanistan Featured are Priya Kambli, Shadi Ghadirian, Gazelle Samizay, Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, and Manjari Sharma. Photo Center NW

•27 The Met: Live in HD Renée Fleming stars in Verdi’s greatest tragedy, Otello. Various theaters, fathomevents.com

27 Tudor Choir Celebrating their 20th anniversary with Tallis’ vast and spacy Spem in alium. Blessed Sacrament Chuch, tudorchoir.org

27–28 Día de Muertos This Day of the Dead celebration includes community altars, sugar skulls, special foods, candles, music, and dance. Seattle Center

27–Jan. 27 Jeffry Mitchell The gay, ex-Catholic Los Angeles artist is represented by sculpture and other media in a 25-year survey show, Like a Valentine. Henry Art Gallery

28 Seattle Philharmonic Popular stage music by Verdi and Bizet. Meany Hall, seattlephil.org

28 Thalia Symphony Dvorak, Mozart, and a little something by Danish composer Niels Gade. Town Hall, thaliasymphony.org

•30 Timothy Egan His Edward S. Curtis biography is Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher. Town Hall

 

NOVEMBER

1 Hélène Grimaud Liszt’s finger-busting Piano Sonata, plus Mozart, Berg, and Bartók. Meany Hall, uwworldseries.org

1 Jens Lekman The Swede’s first full–length pop album, Night Falls Over Kortedala, is a collection of love songs. The Neptune

1–4 Manhattan Transfer This multiple-Grammy-winning vocal quartet has been performing for 40-plus years. Jazz Alley

1–18 Antony and Cleopatra Seattle Shakespeare Co. moves to a new venue to chart the doomed Egyptian romance; Hans Altwies and Amy Thone star. Intiman Theatre, seattleshakespeare.org

2 David Broza This dynamic performer brings flamenco-flavored rhythmic and percussion techniques to a classic rock ‘n’ roll sound. The Neptune

2–8 Photographic Memory Filmmaker Ross McElwee is in conflict with his Internet-obsessed son, so he travels back to Brittany to retrace his own steps to adulthood to better understand and connect with his kid. Northwest Film Forum

•2–11 Pacific Northwest Ballet In “All Premiere,” Mark Morris offers a new dance set to Hindemith, Kiyon Gaines debuts Sum Stravinsky, and company members Margaret Mullin and Andrew Bartee have each created a new work. McCaw Hall

2–11 A Soldier’s Play Charles Fuller’s 1944- set drama of racial tension. Broadway Performance Hall, newvoicesensemble.org

2–22 David Lasky The local cartoonist unveils his musical saga The Carter Family. Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery

2–March 2 Vanishing Ice: Alpine and Polar Landscapes in Art, 1775–2012 An appropriate show with Mt. Baker looming overhead, this collection of 70 works includes photos of the Shackleton expedition taken by Frank Hurley. Whatcom Museum

3 Chucho Valdés The Grammy-winning pianist combines jazz, rock, and Cuban music to create his unique sound. The Neptune

•3–Feb. 10 Andy Warhol’s Flowers for Tacoma Did you know Warhol made a 1982 proposal for the Tacoma Dome? It’s true, as recounted in an exhibition also to include many flower prints and paintings, plus his “Rain Machine” watering device. Tacoma Art Museum

4 Día de los Muertos Celebrate the Day of the Dead with free art-making, performances, and community altars. Tacoma Art Museum

4 Octava Chamber Orchestra Mozart’s generous and gorgeous “Gran Partita,” plus a premiere TBA. Maple Park Church, Lynnwood, octavachamberorchestra.com

•4 Seattle Youth Symphony Saint-Saëns’ thundering “Organ” Symphony should blow off the roof, especially the way these kids dig into it. Benaroya Hall, syso.org

5 Town Music Violinist Aleksey Igudesman and pianist Hyung-ki Joo combine music and comedy. Town Hall, igudesmanandjoo.com

5 Atar Arad & Melia Watras Music—including their own works—from these composer/violists. Meany Hall, music.washington.edu

•7 Newband This New Jersey ensemble plays music by maverick experimentalist Harry Partch (1901–74), on instruments Partch himself built. Meany Hall, music.washington.edu

•7 David Thomson The eminent British film critic and author (The Big Screen) talks fall movies. Town Hall

7–Dec. 30 Fiddler on the Roof Tradition! Based on stories by Sholem Aleichem, set in the shtetls of czarist Russia, this Broadway musical became a huge hit in the mid-1960s and has been playing ever since. Village Theatre, villagetheatre.org

7–18 Landscape of the Body In this student production of John Guare’s lurid 1977 comedy, a ghost haunts her sister, who has plenty of other problems to contend with. Meany Hall

8–10 Cornish Opera Theater Stephen Stubbs directs John Blow’s Venus and Adonis (c. 1683), considered the earliest surviving opera in English. Cornish College of the Arts

8–11 Amarillo Teatro Línea de Sombra, one of the most celebrated Mexican theater ensembles, will perform this story of a man who vanishes while trying to cross the border. On the Boards

8–11 Average White Band The veteran soul/funk band’s latest release is Times Squared. Jazz Alley

•8–11 Seattle Symphony John Adams conducts his own sweeping Harmonielehre. Benaroya Hall

•9 Leonard Cohen The legendary Zen master/singer/songwriter/poet is touring in support of his 12th studio album, Old Ideas. KeyArena

•9 Seattle Modern Orchestra Music by John Cage, including the Concerto for Prepared Piano—a stroll among the orchestra, with sounds picked up like (as Cage once described his process) “shells on a beach.” Chapel Performance Center, seattlemodernorchestra.org

9 Skyfall Daniel Craig returns as Bond in the latest 007 adventure. Javier Bardem plays the baddie. Opens wide.

10 Ellen Forney One of Seattle’s favorite cartoonists, she shows work from her new Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me. Seattle Central Library, spl.org

•10 Morrissey Gay icon, former Smiths leader, and Britain’s foremost curmudgeonly vegetarian/nationalist, he’s got a new album out: Years of Refusal. The Moore

10 Tangabrazo Experience the sounds and flavors of Argentina with a tango workshop and food samples. Rainier Valley Cultural Center, rainiervalleyculturalcenter.org

•10 Neil Young and Crazy Horse He’s back with the old band, in their first tour since 2004, with a new studio album, Americana. KeyArena

13–Feb. 3 Modern Twist: Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art Mats, baskets, and more, all from the postwar era. Also opening with the same dates, a recent survey of Olympia artist Nikki McClure’s precise, black-and-white papercut art. Bellevue Arts Museum

14 Jim Brickman The pianist plays a mixed program of pop and classical. Benaroya Hall

15 BAMignite The museum stays open late for art, dancing, and more. Bellevue Arts Museum

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

15 Red Hot Chili Peppers The aging punk/funk legends are embarking on a world tour in support of their recently released singles collection, I’m With You. KeyArena

15–17 Battle of the Ballets On one side, a new company solely supported by Walmart (Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet); on the other, a long-dormant group recently revived (Dance Theater of Harlem). Their overlapping performances at different venues are a fluke, but this gives Seattle audiences a chance to do a little compare-and-contrast. Big-box dollars have bought some very impressive choreographers (like Crystal Pite) for Cedar Lake, while DTH has major credibility as the company founded to give African-Americans a chance to dance ballet. Both are looking to build on the noble heritage of ballet, taking it in fresh directions. SK Meany Hall and The Moore

•15–18 Music of Remembrance Viktor Ullmann’s opera The Emperor of Atlantis was composed in Terezín in 1943. The production will be conducted by Ludovic Morlot and directed by Erich Parce, with a chamber ensemble of Seattle Symphony players. Benaroya Recital Hall

15–Dec. 29 Gregory Blackstock The local artist shows new drawings. Greg Kucera Gallery, gregkucera.com

15–Jan. 6 The Wizard of Oz The classic story adapted into a heartwarming play. Seattle Children’s Theatre, sct.org

16 . . . Hear My Train A-Coming: Hendrix Hits London This new exhibit, with no set end date, celebrates the life of Jimi Hendrix. Who else? EMP, empmuseum.org

16 Lincoln This is the Lincoln movie without vampires, directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Tony Kushner, and starring Daniel Day-Lewis as our principled, depressive 16th president. Again, no vampires! Opens wide.

16 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 2 Jesus Christ! Are they not done with these movies already? R-Pat and K-Stew finally bid adieu to Forks, and not a moment too soon. Opens wide.

•16 Ya Gotta Believe! Erstwhile SW writer-turned-memoirist Claire Dederer (Poser) joins local novelist Ryan Boudinot and others in a consideration of faith. Richard Hugo House

16–17 Bladfold & The Shelf Filmmaker David Nixon uses music and animation to tell two stories about his family. ACT Theatre

16–17 Warren Miller’s Flow State Ski and snowboard action, from peaks in Japan to Norway, Austria, and beyond. McCaw Hall, seattlecenter.com

16–17 Dance Theatre of Harlem Their program includes a work by Seattle’s Donald Byrd. The Moore

16–21 Bestiaire Denis Côté’s latest examines the animal kingdom from a sacred Hindu perspective. Northwest Film Forum

16–21 The Sheik and I American filmmaker Caveh Zahedi was commissioned to create a movie about “art as a subversive act.” Naturally it was banned, and Zahedi was threatened with arrest and fatwa. Northwest Film Forum

16–25 Taj Mahal Trio Their latest release is Maestro. Jazz Alley

16–Dec. 15 Fallen Angels A 1925 Noël Coward comedy about two married women who discover they’re having separate affairs with the same man. Scandalous! Theater Schmeater

16-Dec. 29 Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol SW alum John Longenbaugh’s mashup of Dickens and Conan Doyle. Taproot Theatre

17 Meet the Mammals See, touch, and learn about our furry cousins. Burke Museum, burkemuseum.org

•17 Seattle Opera Young Artists After Verdi’s second opera, Un giorno di regno (“King for a Day”), failed, he abandoned comic opera for over 50 years. The right decision? Hear and judge for yourself. Benaroya Recital Hall, seattleopera.org

21 Red Dawn This remake of a perfectly good paranoid 1984 invasion yarn has been hugely delayed and re-edited so that teenagers can now protect the U.S. from . . . North Korea (instead of China)? North Korea may not even exist by November. Opens wide.

21 Life of Pi The movie adaptation of one- hit-wonder novelist Yann Martel’s parable looks to be way too late and way too CG-ified. But director Ang Lee has done more with less. Opens wide.

23–25 Brandi Carlile The local songstress once again combines her folk-rock sound with the Seattle Symphony. Benaroya Hall

23–Dec. 23 Inspecting Carol This quirky detective comedy riffs on ACT’s rival Dickens production. Seattle Repertory Theatre

•23–Dec. 24 A Christmas Carol Dickens’ classic holiday story is an annual family event. ACT Theatre

26 Straight No Chaser The a cappella group’s latest release is With a Twist. McCaw Hall

28–29 Celtic Thunder Take your mom to see their traditional Irish hoofing. McCaw Hall

29 Simon Winchester He tackles a morbid subject in Skulls. Town Hall

•29–Dec. 1 Seattle Symphony Berg’s heady, Bach-quoting Violin Concerto. (SW‘s Gavin Borchert provides the preconcert lecture.) Benaroya Hall

30 Killing Them Softly Brad Pitt plays a hit man during the financial crisis. The movie has good buzz from the festival circuit. Opens wide.

30 Voicing Cage  Vocal music—which includes lectures turned into performance art—by John Cage. Henry Art Gallery.

30 & Dec. 2 UW Opera Theater Great to see the School of Music back in the opera biz after a couple seasons in which they weren’t able to mount a production. Johann Strauss’ fizzy Die Fledermaus is their fall choice. Meany Studio Theater, music.washington.edu

30–Dec. 9 Fall Studio Series Three works by local choreographers: Only You by Crispin Spaeth, A Meeting Place by Donald Byrd, and something new and untitled by Olivier Wevers. Spectrum Dance Studio, spectrumdance.org

30–Dec. 22 Seattle Men’s Chorus On their annual holiday extrava-gaynza, music evoking warmer climes. Benaroya Hall, flyinghouse.org

30–Dec. 31 Elf—The Musical This stage adaptation of the hit Will Ferrell movie follows Buddy on his adventures from the North Pole to big, bad New York City. Now with songs! 5th Avenue Theatre

 

DECEMBER

1 Adam Carolla & Dennis Prager The comedian versus the conservative radio personality. Plus your questions from the cheap seats. The Paramount

2–3 12 Minutes Max Dance, theater, comedy, and more from local artists, who often expand their pieces later. So it’s kind of a preview for 2013. On the Boards

5 Miranda July Seattle Arts & Lectures welcomes the writer, film director (The Future), and former shoplifter. Benaroya Hall

5–9 Loss Machine Kyle Loven usess puppets and other stage machinery to explore grief, absence, and where he misplaced his keys. On the Boards

6–10 Summer Brave “I have written before that I never completely fulfilled my original intentions in writing Picnic,” said William Inge of his 1953 Pulitzer Prize–winning play about an attractive young drifter who rolls into a small Kansas town and stirs up the womenfolk on Labor Day weekend. So he rewrote it as Summer Brave and died a happy man. Who knew? Cornish College, cornish.edu

6–23 Black Nativity This holiday favorite usually plays to a packed house, often coming straight from church. The Moore

7–8 New Moves Check out the up-and-comers of dance in these performances by Cornish students. Erickson Theater, cornish.edu

7–17 Ballard House Duet Paul Mullin’s play about two spinster/hoarder sisters not unlike Edith Macefield. The Little Theatre, washingtonensemble.org

7–24 A Child’s Christmas in Wales Dylan Thomas’ holiday favorite is directed by Leslie Spero. Stone Soup Theatre, stonesouptheatre.com

•7–29 Nutcracker PNB’s holiday perennial features the Maurice Sendak sets, the Kent Stowell choreography, and the Tchaikovsky music. Better still are the legion of little girls parading across Mercer Street in their party dresses. The show is synonymous with the holidays. McCaw Hall

9 Popovich Comedy Pet Theater See a cat ride a dog in this vaudeville-style exhibition. Or see a dog dress like a fireman. Plus trained geese! Kirkland Performance Center

•10 Calvin Trillin The peerless New Yorker humorist considers politics and the recent elections—in verse! This is a do-over for the 2011 appearance he missed owing to health reasons. Do not miss it, no matter who’s won the White House. Town Hall

14 The Baltimore Consort A Yule-themed program. Town Hall, earlymusicguild.org

14 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey How many movies is Peter Jackson going to make of the first Tolkien book? Never mind. Sign up. Opens wide.

14 The Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McLean A long-running public radio staple both here and north of the border (where the program originates), The Vinyl Cafe is bringing its Christmas-themed show to Seattle. The Paramount

15 David Bazan Band Founder of Pedro the Lion, he’ll perform Pedro’s 2002 concept album, Control, about a woman who kills her cheatin’ man. The Neptune

18 An Irish Christmas Eileen Ivers and her raucous fiddle band put a Celtic touch to the Christmas classics. Benaroya Hall

19 Les Misérables Singing! Dancing! The French Revolution! And . . . Russell Crowe? He plays Inspector Javert, tracking down Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) in this adaptation of the Broadway favorite. Opens wide.

19 Zero Dark Thirty The team behind The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, now dramatize the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Opens wide.

•20–21 Louis C.K. Now successfully direct-selling his videos over the Internet, the ever-candid comic and TV star plays two shows guaranteed to sell out early. The Paramount

20–May 27 Plastics Unwrapped Now that we’re rid of the scourge of plastic shopping bags, this environmental exhibit considers other ways to reduce and recycle that petroleum-derived material. Burke Museum, burkemuseum.org

21 Jack Reacher Between the time you read this and the time you actually see Tom Cruise’s latest action movie, based on the Lee Child detective series, we predict he’ll already have married . . . wait for it . . . Courtney Stodden! Opens wide.

21 This Is 40 Paul Rudd enters a midlife crisis in Judd Apatow’s latest bro-com. Everyone will see it, then go home and eat a quart of Ben & Jerry’s. Opens wide.

•21–31 It’s a Wonderful Life The dates may change, but the GI will reprise Frank Capra’s Christmas classic. Let’s all boo Lionel Barrymore! Grand Illusion Cinema

25 Django Unchained Rape, violence, mayhem, and slavery? Sounds like a Quentin Tarantino Christmas all right, set during the bloody aftermath of the Civil War. Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson are among the large cast. Opens wide.

28–31 Seattle Symphony The annual Beethoven’s Ninth rounds out the year, combined with tango (Eva Lucero and Patricio Touceda dance to Piazzolla’s Four Seasons). Benaroya Hall

•29 MOHAI Reopening The museum ended its 50 years in Montlake this summer, forced to make way for a planned widening of SR 520. Today, in its refurbished old armory in South Lake Union, it swings open the doors to a 50,000-square-foot facility with sundry free activities. Exhibitions also open to commemorate Seattle’s maritime history and its legacy on film. Museum of History & Industry, seattlehistory.org