Pick List: ‘The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs,’ Sharon Van Etten, Seattle Baroque Orchestra with Whim W’Him

The week’s best entertainment options.

STAGE

Scenes from the life of the tech visionary (his mentor, his colleague Steve Wozniak, his romances) are recounted in flashbacks in Mason Bates’ Grammy-winning opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs—both a showcase for electronic musical and visual affects and a warmly intimate portrait of a troubled genius. Nicole Paiement conducts Seattle Opera’s production, a co-commission with Santa Fe Opera, which premiered the work in 2017 (pictured). Sung in English with English supertitles. GAVIN BORCHERT McCaw Hall, seattleopera.org. $25–$250. 7:30 p.m. Wed. & Sat., plus 2 p.m. Sun., Feb. 24 and 7:30 p.m. Fri., Mar. 8. Feb. 23–Mar. 9.

We covered how there may be some big issues with Jet City Improv management in this week’s issue (read that story here), but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ultra-talented comedic performers in town for this week’s Seattle Festival of Improv Theater. The slate features 21 improv groups from Seattle, other big U.S. cities, and Canada putting on a dozen shows of hilarity pulled out of thin air. SETH SOMMERFELD Jet City Improv, seattleimprov.com. $22–$35. Feb. 20–24.

Tony Kushner’s Angels in America—the epic “gay fantasia on national themes”—is mind-bogglingly ambitious for a community theater, which makes this Lakewood Playhouse production awesome. GB Lakewood Playhouse, lakewoodplayhouse.org. $20–$26. Part One (Millennium Approaches): 7 p.m. Fri.–Sat. and 2 p.m. Sun. Part Two (Perestroika): 7 p.m. Sun. Feb. 22–March 17.

MUSIC

After 30 years in the alt-rock game, Teenage Fanclub is still going making worthwhile. While they might be best known for 1991’s classic Bandwagonesque (which beat out albums like Nirvana’s Nevermind and My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless to be named SPIN’s #1 album of that year), the Scottish band’s melodic songwriting and jangly guitars formula still works, as evident on the catchy new single “Everything Is Falling Apart.” SS The Neptune, stgpresents.org. $24. 9 p.m., Fri., Feb 22.

Saturday presents a real singer/songwriter Sophie’s Choice: Sharon Van Etten or Waxahatchee? Oh, why do the gods curse us so, forcing a pick between two of the greatest American songwriters going? After taking time from writing peerless forlorn folk-tinged songs to start a family, act, and get a psychology degree, Van Etten makes a comeback with her first album in five years, Remind Me Tomorrow. And while Waxahatchee (aka Katie Crutchfield) has never left, hearing her tunes—which linger like warm, wistful Southern breezes—in the majesty of St. Mark’s Cathedral (with opener Bonny Doom as her backing band) should be a treat. SS SVE: The Neptune, stgpresents.org. Sold out. 9 p.m. Sat., Feb. 23. Wax: St. Mark’s Cathedral, stgpresents.org. $22. 8 p.m. Sat., Feb. 23.

You needen’t even be familiar with Mike Krol’s music to have a blast at one of his rock shows. The singer pours 110 percent into his unwaveringly energetic garage rock performances. It’s a blissful onslaught. This time through town, Krol comes bearing new tunes from his latest Merge Records release, Power Chords. SS The Crocodile Back Bar, thecrocodile.com. $12. 6 p.m., Sat., Feb. 23.

CLASSICAL, ETC.

50 years ago the Jack Straw Foundation, in the form of KRAB Radio, dropped an upright piano from a helicopter near Duvall, Washington, just to see what would happen. Piano Drop is an installation commemorating the occasion with historic artifacts—including what remains of the piano itself—and new music. 16 composers and performers have created new work for this unique instrument, which will be played on speakers in the gallery and performed live. Performers include Gust Burns, Amy Denio, Jay Hamilton, Aaron Keyt, Dave Knott, and many others. (Exhibit ends March 15.) GAVIN BORCHERT Jack Straw Cultural Center, jackstraw.org. 7 p.m. Sat., Feb. 23.

Seattle vocal ensemble The Esoterics places an emphasis on a cappella, but truly blends mediums, as this performance featuring music by Evan Flory-Barnes, Jennifer Higdon, David Lang, and others setting texts by authors like James Baldwin, Rainier Maria Rilke, and Rabindranath Tagore will prove. SS St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 8 p.m. Fri., Feb. 22; Holy Rosary Church, 8 p.m. Sat., Feb. 23. $15–$25. theesoterics.org.

UW’s Women in Percussion celebrates females in folk and classical percussion music of many traditions, including performances by the UW Steelband, Bonnie Whiting and the UW Percussion Ensemble, marimbist Miho Takekawa, and much more. GB Brechemin Auditorium (UW campus), music.washington.edu. Free. 2 p.m. Sat., Feb. 23.

FILM

The Seattle Asian American Film Festival continues to grow into one of the major highlights on the city’s cinematic calendar. This years slate includes documentaries about finding your true family (two in fact: Origin Story and Made in Vietnam), diversity in comic book creators (Drawn Together), the ramifications of the murder of a Filipina trans woman (Call Her Ganda), a look at the Vietnamese nail salon industry (Nailed It), a few animated (On Happiness Road) and narrative (For Izzy) features, and a host of shorts programming (some of which is free). The opening night after-party also features dreamy indie rock from the fabulous Japanese Breakfast. SS Various venues, seattleaaff.org. Free–$13; Festival pass $90. Feb. 21–24.

SAM’s series of films by Ingmar Bergman continues with his magically theatrical, slightly Pythonesque 1975 take on Mozart’s The Magic Flute—possibly the greatest film version of an opera ever. The series concludes wth Autumn Sonata March 7 and Fanny and Alexander March 14. GB Seattle Art Museum, seattleartmuseum.org. $9. 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 21.

If you’re going to have Seattle Symphony live score a film, why not make it one in the classical wheelhouse. Such will be the case with the Symphony takes on 1985’s Best Picture-winning fictionalized Motzart biopic, Amadeus. SS Benaroya Hall, seattlesymphony.org. 8 p.m. Fri., Feb. 22 & Sat., Feb. 23.

A triple bill of short docs by John Hanson and Rob Nilsson about the Nonpartisan League, North Dakota’s pro-farmer/anti-banker socialist movement of the ’10s and ’20s, focuses on one of the last survivors of that era, labor organizer Henry Martinson (1883–1981). The League’s legacy lives on, though, in the name of one of the state’s two main political parties, to this day officially known as the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party. GB Northwest Film Forum, nwfilmforum.org. $7–$12. 7:30 p.m. Wed., Feb. 27–Thurs., Feb. 28.

BOOKS & SPEAKERS

Celebrating the release of her debut memoir, Mother Winter, Portland-based writer Sophia Shalmiyev will join fellow memoirist Claire Dederer (Love and Trouble) for a Hugo House’s Feminism and the Body event. GB Hugo House, hugohouse.org. Free. 7 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 21.

Latinx in the Pacific Northwest features readings by Casandra López, Kathleen Alcalá, and Isabel Quintero to celebrate the release of López’s debut poetry collection, Brother Bullet. GB Hugo House, hugohouse.org. Free. 7 p.m. Fri., Feb. 22.

For How #MeToo is Changing Culture, Politics, and Journalism, KUOW’s Sydney Brownstone asks questions like: “What role does empathy play in journalism? Why do sexual-assault accusers go to journalists instead of the police? Why does the #MeToo movement keep showing us photographs of sad ladies looking out of windows?” GB Campion Ballroom (Seattle University). $5. 6 p.m. Tues., Feb. 26.

Michael Ondaatje, the author of The English Patient, arrives with his new novel, Warlight. GB Seattle Central Library, spl.org. Free. 7 p.m. Tues., Feb. 26.

DANCE

L.A.-based company SZALT’s moon& precedes the premiere of Noesis X by Seattle’s own Lavinia Vago. GB Velocity Dance Center, velocitydancecenter.org. $15–$50. 8 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 21–Sun., Feb. 24.

Company Wayne McGregor presents one chapter in “a cycle of choreographic portraits illuminated by the sequencing of [McGregor’s] own genome … an abstract meditation on aspects of self, life, writing, refracting both remembered pasts and speculative futures.” Sounds easily comprehensible. SS The Moore, stgpresents.org. $33–$53. 7:30 p.m. Fri., Feb. 22.

Seattle Baroque Orchestra teams up with the local dance standouts Whim W’Him to perform Pergolesi’s poignant Stabat Mater for soprano, alto, and orchestra with movement choreography by Olivier Wevers. SS Shorecrest Performing Arts Center​, Shoreline, earlymusicseattle.org. $45. 7:30 p.m. Fri., Feb. 22, 2:30 p.m. Sun., Feb. 24.