Thursday, April 25, 2024

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011714i-The-Heart-of-Robin-Hood

Aggregation No. 1“The Heart of Robin Hood” final performances at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square.

There are literally only a handful of tickets available for the final three performances of David Farr’s “The Heart of Robin Hood,” directed by Gisli Örn Gardarsson. In this rendition of the English legend, Robin Hood and his merry men steal from the rich but keep the riches for themselves, and Marian has to convert Robin Hood from outlaw to hero. Adventure! Romance!  Folk music! People loved this show, and it ends with tickets still at premium prices: from $65 to $85.

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011714i-The-Life-of-Materials

Aggregation No. 2“Life of Materials” art show reception with artists Emily Brodrick, Dena Haden, Emily Manning-Mingle and Will Whelan at 6 p.m. Saturday at Gallery 263, 263 Pearl St., Cambridgeport.

This show of manipulated materials of all sorts asks why we keep certain materials and discard others and how artists interpret and rework stuff from their own lives to make meaning. “Surrounded by waste and excess, this group of artists embraces the value of things that already exist and the legitimacy of humble materials,” the curators at the nonprofit Gallery 263 say, assuring that their “investigation of personal materials produces psychological associations and emotional responses. Together, these artists’ physical processes of reconfiguring, assembling, distilling and weaving both personal and found objects constitute an effort to order randomness and reassert meaning into familiar and discarded material. As the health of our natural environment becomes an increasingly prominent concern, these artists hope to raise awareness of the actions we can take as creators to alter our own footprints.”

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Aggregation No. 3Cate Le Bon, Kevin Morby and 28 Degrees Taurus play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Middle East Upstairs, 472 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square.

Cate Le Bon is Welsh and obsessed with death and is touring behind the “Mug Museum” album she released Nov. 12. Kevin Morby, singer/guitarist for the Brooklyn band The Babies, released his own album Nov. 26: “Harlem River,” described as eight interwoven “tales of tragedy and misfortune” with “desperate characters playing out their dramas with the city as backdrop.” (He calls this “an homage to New York City,” to which New York City says, “Thanks, Kevin.”)

If that’s the kind of thing that gets your blood pumping, it may be bad news that Le Bon’s interests (“Mug Museum” was written after a death in the family) don’t get in the way of her making sprightly music with catchy tunes. But it really doesn’t, as Le Bon’s global fanbase will attest.

The touring duo’s stop at The Middle East on Saturday starts with Allston ambient/psych/shoegaze band 28 Degrees Taurus, whose music goes superbly with whatever natural high you can take in before the show starts but will get you to exactly the same place if you happen not to be holding that night. Tickets are only $10, which is actually much better than paying $40 for some shrooms and then buying a ticket.

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011714i-Once-in-Valhalla

Aggregation No. 4“Once in Valhalla IV: Worlds Collide feast” at 7 p.m. Saturday at Work Bar, 45 Prospect St., Central Square.

This fourth-annual Scandinavian feast by Cuisine en Locale’s J.J. Gonson features 10 courses incorporating fish, oats, grains, oysters, lamb, turkey, cheese and an array of overwintered fruits and roots. The already epic dinner (with all of the endless meats and vegetables locally sourced) is accompanied by constant and similarly Norse-themed entertainment, featuring live music and inspired theatrics. Tickets are $75 for kids and $125 for adults.

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011714i-Tarantella

Aggregation No. 5“The Art of the Tarantella” dance presentation and music at 4 p.m. Sunday at The Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville.

The tarantella is potent music and dance – a fast and nearly frantically festive style said to be a means to combat tarantula venom and “sweat the poison out.” Journeys in Sound presents the story of this traditional Southern Italian art form in a workshop with Italian-born percussionist Fabio Pirozzolo and accordionist Roberto Cassan and skilled dancers, then hosts a set of tarantella music by Grand Fatilla, a world music ensemble with Pirozzolo, Cassan and Mike Rivard (bass, sintir) and Matt Glover (mandolin). There’s a $12 suggested donation, down to $10 for students and seniors.