This week, our arts critics have recommended the best events in every genre—from the Silent Reading Party to a night at Hugo House with Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) to a Shabazz Palaces concert to the bourbon and bacon festival. See them all below, and find even more events on our complete Things To Do calendar.

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MONDAY
FILM
Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ
"Stewart Copeland is many things. He is the son of a CIA agent. He is a drummer who rose to fame in the late 1970s as a member of the reggae-rock group the Police. He is also a really talented composer of soundtracks. ... Copeland also wrote music for Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, a silent film made a very long time ago (1925). As a part of STG’s popular Silent Movie Mondays, Copeland and the Seattle Rock Orchestra will perform this score, which is as rich and bold as the ancient images. This event should not be missed." -Charles Mudede

MUSIC
Itzhak Perlman
Grammy- and Emmy-winning violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman, who's played a concert at the White House to honor Queen Elizabeth II and who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, performs a headlining concert at Benaroya Hall.

Carly Rae Jepsen
"I feel like Carly Rae Jepsen would be a great friend to have a heart to heart with. Last summer's brilliant (and brilliantly titled) album E•MO•TION is filled with the kind of simple, vulnerable platitudes about love that, when surrounded by warm '80s pop production and sung in Jepsen's cotton-candy croon feel like earnest romantic revelations." -Robin Edwards

TUESDAY
READINGS & TALKS
An Intimate Evening with Anthony Fantano
An evening with "the internet's busiest music nerd," the creator of the music vlog The Needle Drop.

MUSIC
Hippie Sabotage
"California’s Hippie Sabotage, much like our own local boys gone grand Odesza, perform the sort of sun-baked beachtronica that will make you feel like cracking open a Corona and playing hooky for a week." -Kyle Fleck

COMEDY
Comedy Nest Open Mic: Alex Kumin
The rules of this pro-lady (but all-inclusive) stand-up night are refreshing in their simplicity: no misogyny, racism, homophobia, hatred, or heckling. Tonight's show features Alex Kumin with host Erin Ingle and special guest Kristin Rand.

WEDNESDAY
READINGS & TALKS
Silent Reading Party
Invented by Stranger editor-in-chief Christopher Frizzelle, the reading party is every first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. That's when the Fireside Room at the Sorrento Hotel goes quiet and fills with people with books tucked under their arms. (And, occasionally, a Kindle or two.) By 7 p.m., you often can't get a seat. And there's always free music from 6 to 8 pm.

FOOD & DRINK
Beer Dinner Series: Cloudburst Brewing
As part of their "Beer Dinner" series, Salare Restaurant presents a six course meal with beer pairings from Cloudburst Brewing for $100/person.

THEATER
National Theatre of Scotland: The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart
The National Theatre of Scotland will perform David Greig's The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, a show "inspired by the border ballads" and featuring movement and music, directed by Wils Wilson with design by Georgia McGuinness, music by Alasdair Macrae, and choreography by Janice Parker. (Through March 20)

OPERA
Mary Stuart
"You don't see this opera much, but it tells the fantastically juicy story of the real-life 16th-century battle to the death between Mary Queen of Scots, the Catholic, and Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin icon. It's not too dramatic to say that this battle was crucial in shaping the course of Western modern history." -Jen Graves (Also March 5)

MUSIC
Galantis
"You probably haven't heard of Christian Karlsson, half of pop-electronic act Galantis. Like many of the great Swedish mega-pop producers, he's spent most of his career in relative anonymity. That said, I can all but assure that you have heard him: he co-wrote, among other things, 'Toxic,' probably the most potent song in Britney Spears's discography." -Joseph Schafer

XURS and Pink Muscles
"XURS call themselves "weird punk" on their Bandcamp page, and it's a pretty accurate description. Sharp, staccato, and blown-out guitars sound like a tube TV stuck between channels and evoke Atari Teenage Riot without that project's industrial inclinations." -Joseph Schafer

CABARET & VARIETY
The Gay Uncle Time
"It's an avuncular variety show starring Santa-esque comedian Jeffrey Robert and a rotating cavalcade of local stars, drag queens, storytellers, and weirdos. Get a healthy dose of history, comedy, and song from the gay uncle you always wished you had and his friends you always suspected were up to no good." -Matt Baume

THURSDAY
THEATER
Seattle Fringe Festival
"Seattle Fringe Festival showcases local talent that doesn’t often get play on larger stages. This a good thing for several reasons: (1) You get to see fun shows you may have missed throughout the year, (2) There’s a bunch of weird stuff you’re more likely to embrace in a festival-type setting than in an evening at the thea-tah-type setting, and (3) You can check out new work." -Rich Smith (Through Sat)

Yellow Towel
Drawing on the childhood memory of draping a yellow towel over her head to emulate the blonde girls at school, choreographer/performer Dana Michel transforms into an alter-ego built of constantly shifting cultural stereotypes. (Through Sun)

FILM
Glam Rock Movie Night: Velvet Goldmine
A 1998 drama about a glam rocker who fakes his own death, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Christian Bale, and Ewan McGregor. Show up early for ’70s music on the big screen from the likes of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, and dress up for the chance to win prizes for being most glamorous.

READINGS & TALKS
Word Works: Daniel Handler on Writing as Burglary
The dependably charming and wittily intelligent Daniel Handler (otherwise known as Lemony Snicket) will speak about "reading like a writer," then participate in a Q&A with Hugo House’s Peter Mountford.

Seattle StorySLAM
A live amateur storytelling competition, hosted by Lindy West, in which audience members who put their names in a hat are randomly chosen to tell stories on a theme. Local comedians tend to show up, but lots of nonperformers get in on the action as well. Tonight's theme is "witness."

MUSIC
Bowie Night
"How deep is your Bowie love? The great British song-and-dance man’s been gone almost two months, but we’re still mourning his riveting personality. ... Tonight at Neumos—and also downstairs at Barboza—several Seattle acts burnish their starry David moves and pay tribute to the bloke who influenced enough musicians to fill Wembley Stadium." -Dave Segal

Hesterfest
"This three-day fest sadly arose in order to raise funds for Chris Hesterman, head luthier at the Trading Musician, who is dealing with leukemia and the attendant expensive medical bills. The musical philanthropists donating their time and art to the cause for Hesterman, who’s been repairing guitars in Seattle for 22 years, include noir-ish surf-rock mavericks Diminished Men, psych-rock brutalists Terminal Fuzz Terror, moody, adventurous hiphop producer Stres, and brash Southern-rock revivalists Hand of the Hills." -Dave Segal (Through Sat)

Bongzilla, Black Cobra, Lo-Pan, and Against The Grain
"Show up early to see where stoner rock is going, stay through to the end to see where it came from." -Brian Cook

Lori Freedman and Seth Josel
"Tonight [Josel will] premiere a 45-minute piece for steel-stringed acoustic guitar and live ambient sound processing by the Olympia composer Catherine Lamb called point/wave. ... Canadian avant-garde musician Lori Freedman will perform The Virtuosity of Excess, a solo excursion for bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet that explores the extreme frequencies of those instruments." -Dave Segal

Children of Bodom
"It's probably been a decade since Finland's Children of Bodom made any cutting-edge metal. At the turn of the millennium, their keyboard-soaked death shredding was as maximal as guitar music got. Nowadays, they sound too much like Lamb of God, but the old jams still bring the pain, and frontman Alexi Laiho's Pomeranian 'Yow!' vocal hits remain unmistakable." -Joseph Schafer

The Intelligence
"It’s been way too long since smarty-pants post-punks the Intelligence have played in a proper club in Seattle. After touring behind their excellent album Vintage Future last fall with Franz Ferdinand and cult heroes Sparks, the Intelligence will return to the Northwest for a quick appearance." -Kelly O

Shabazz Palaces, Helio Sequence, and Gazebos
"Unlike many hiphop acts, Shabazz excel live, where they cut the crowd participation bullshit and flaunt their skills. What a concept." -Dave Segal

FOOD & DRINK
On The Boards Studio Supper with Donna Moodie
"Studio Suppers at On the Boards are Seattle civic treasures that manage to turn the dinner-and-a-show formula into something truly exciting. Before the opening performance of one of OtB’s provocative shows, you join 50 other people at a communal table for a family-style meal prepared by a local chef. There’s lots of wine and, because diners get to pay on a sliding scale ($25–$100), you’ll actually have interesting conversations with a diverse mix of people. This Studio Supper features Chef Donna Moodie of Marjorie on the opening night of Dana Michel's Yellow Towel." -Angela Garbes

ART
First Thursday Art Walk
Exhibit openings, people watching, and (generally) free wine at the city's central and oldest art walk. This month, don't miss the opening of Peter Gross & Sylwia Tur's new exhibit.

FRIDAY
THEATER
9 to 5: The Musical
The irresistibly lovable Dolly Parton musical comes to Magnuson Park Theatre (via Seattle Musical Theatre). The production promises perfectly period costumes and tunes you can't get out of your head. (Through Sun)

Spin the Bottle
This is Seattle's longest-running cabaret and has seen just about everything—dance, theater, comedy, paper airplanes, tears, stunts, music, romance—from just about everyone.

READINGS & TALKS
Open House and $1 Book Sale
"Book sale! Book sale! Nationally renowned publisher Wave Books is throwing open its doors and inviting all comers to pursue its wares. There will be "hurt" (slightly damaged) books for $1 and back catalog stuff for $5. There will be mimosas until there are no more mimosas, so you'll want to get there early." -Rich Smith

Colleen McElroy
Colleen McElroy (poet, novelist, editor and longtime UW professor) will read from her newest work, Blood Memory.

MUSIC
Animal Collective
"There was that stretch of the ’00s where you could expect something new from Animal Collective every year, and you knew it was going to be an invigorating reinvention of their alien electro-collage pop. ... Animal Collective’s playful constructions and fearless transformations were a perfect soundtrack to a new century where all the rules regarding music were in flux." -Brian Cook

Research
"Berlin-based Canadian DJ/producer Jayda G. has a deft knack for spinning blissful, Balearic cuts that transform a club—no matter how dank or underground—into an Ibiza beach." -Dave Segal

Anti-Flag and Leftover Crack
"If you ever used glue to fashion your hair into a mohawk, this show’s for you. If you’ve ever muttered the term “Up the Punx” in a non-ironic manner, this show’s for you." -Kevin Diers

Audio Social Dissent 2016
"Detroit-area trio Wolf Eyes usually get classified as noise or industrial, but on their latest full-length, I Am a Problem: Mind in Pieces, they expand the perimeters of those terms...No one would describe the six-track recording as easy listening, but there’s a smudged beauty to the menacing maelstrom as John Olson, James Baljo, and Nathan Young combine scramble-suit vocals with hypnotic rhythms and rumbling electronics." -Kathy Fennessy

Pusha T
"Pusha T still checks enough references from his drug-game résumé to keep up his 'coke rap' tag, but the Virginia MC is—and always has been—a lyrics-first rapper, serving an endless buffet of slick god metaphors and dagger-sharp end-rhyme shit talk in his snarling alto." -Todd Hamm

SATURDAY
FOOD & DRINK
Balkan Night Northwest
"Along with an evening-long dance party set to the unmistakable, wildly emotional music of the region, filled with the sounds of accordions and zournas, there will be appearances by Kukeri, costumed men wearing animal pelts, masks, and bells. As if that weren’t enough, sustenance will come in the form of dishes like Croatian čevapčići and ajvar (grilled sausages served with a spread made from roasted red peppers), all made by members of the community." -Angela Garbes

Bourbon & Bacon Fest
Entercom Seattle presents Bourbon & Bacon Fest, with "bacon-themed bites" from local restaurants alongside top quality bourbon, benefiting Treehouse. $110 will get you a premium ticket, $70 buys plenty of bacon & bourbon, and $30 offers "15 bites of bacon (no sips)."

DANCE
Showing Out: Contemporary Black Choreographers
"Showing Out: Contemporary Black Choreographers is a reprise of the 2013 performance presented by Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas. Now in collaboration with Spectrum Dance Theater and Velocity, this newest iteration features new works by Alex Crozier, Jade Solomon Curtis, Randy Ford, Maxie Jamal, and Dani Tirrell." -Rich Smith (Through Sun)

MUSIC
Cannibal Corpse
"If you’re not a death-metal fan, Cannibal Corpse are likely a prime example of what you dislike about the genre. ... But if you have even a passing interest in death metal, you know that Cannibal Corpse are one of the tightest and most musically adept bands in the field." -Brian Cook

John Prine
"Herman Melville once wrote 'there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast.' You cannot savor warmth without knowing the cold. And you can’t really fathom happiness unless you’ve known the full depth of sadness. Folk legend John Prine appears to understand this principle." -Brian Cook

FILM
Page to Screen
Both cinema and literature geeks alike will delight at this free event at the Central Library. Audiences will take in both a short story and a movie that it inspired, in addition to discussion about the nature of adaptation. Today, watch Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow Up, based on Julio Cortázar's "Blow Up."

The Sprocket Society presents Saturday Secret Matinees
Watch the entirety of the highly regarded serial Spy Smasher over the course of twelve weekly installments. Each screening will feature one episode, plus a secret feature film about fantasy and adventure.

SUNDAY
READINGS & TALKS
Shirin Ebadi with Arzoo Osanloo: Fighting for Human Rights in Iran
Activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi comes to Town Hall to speak (with an interpreter) about her personal experience with injustice and her current take on the human rights crises in Iran.

FOOD & DRINK
Raclette Sunday!
"Raclette is a rich, nutty, semi-hard cheese that originated in the Valais region of Alpine Switzerland. It tastes especially good melted, which, according to legend, is what shepherds did with it when they’d gather together on cold nights in the fields. ... The communal spirit of raclette lives on at Capitol Hill’s Culture Club Cheese Bar, where they’ll be melting a giant wheel of raclette and serving it up with potatoes and cornichons (and probably some very nice wine)." -Angela Garbes

MUSIC
Jose Gonzalez and yMusic
"Señor González had a great tenure leading the trio Junip, who added subtle kraut-rock touches to the guitarist/vocalist’s soulful pastoralist rambling. Now he’s back on the live circuit with yMusic—a classical-music sextet who are also opening the show—after a euphonious, genteel 2014 solo LP titled Vestiges & Claws." -Dave Segal

Ani DiFranco
"Honestly, I haven’t listened to much of Ani DiFranco’s music in the last decade, but as a young woman coming of age in the 1990s I spent enough hours devouring and inhabiting her albums Imperfectly, Like I Said, Out of Range, and Not a Pretty Girl to last a lifetime—literally. DiFranco’s voice—by nature soft, high, and vulnerable—was always her most powerful (and political) weapon, and her aggressive approach to the folky acoustic guitar turned it into both a melodic and percussive instrument." -Angela Garbes

Helloween
"Oh man, shine up your white Reeboks and tighten up them mullets 'cause mid-’80s German 'power metal band' Helloween are on the prowl once again!" -Mike Nipper

Brian Schenkman & Friends: Mozart Piano Quartets
Seattle University and Cornish professor Byron Schenkman, a harpsichordist and pianist who has been lauded by The Seattle Times and The New York Times, founded the Byron Schenkman & Friends baroque and classical chamber music series in 2013. This performance, the penultimate in the 2016 season, features Mozart's Piano Quartets in E-Flat Major and G Minor from Liza Zurlinden on violin, Jason Fisher on viola, Nathan Whittaker on cello, and Schenkman on piano.

THEATER
UW Women's Center presents SEVEN
"SEVEN is a collaborative documentary play written by seven award-winning playwrights about seven women who fight for women's rights in seven different countries, including Russia, Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Northern Ireland." -Rich Smith

COMEDY
Weird and Awesome with Emmett Montgomery
On the first Sunday of each month, comedy, variety, and "a parade of wonder and awkward sharing" are hosted by the self-proclaimed "mustache wizard" Emmett Montgomery.