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(Kevin Sprague) |
THEATER
JERSEY BOYS Don’t go expecting the thrill of the new. But do go to this hit musical, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, for the rush of the familiar - the songs, the jokes, the hardscrabble kids, the peaks and pitfalls of stardom - done well. With four talented and immensely appealing performers leading us by our ears, evergreen hooks acquire a measure of pathos and joy. Through Sept. 26. Citi Shubert Theatre. 866-348-9738, www.citicenter.org JOAN ANDERMANTHE DREAMER EXAMINES HIS PILLOW First-time director Tod Randolph revives an early, unsung John Patrick Shanley gem with an A-team trio of African-American actors, including Obie-winner John Douglas Thompson. Through Sept. 6. At Shakespeare & Company, Lenox. 413-637-3353, www.shakespeare.org
SANDY MACDONALD
DANCE
BALLET HISPANICO In Pedro Ruiz’s “Club Havana,’’ the mambo, cha cha, and rumba rub noses with ballet and modern dance, all set to the contagious rhythms of Latin music. It’s the perfect setup for this first-rate troupe, which has been making distinctive marks on the dance landscape for almost four decades. The program also includes two premieres. Aug. 27-30. $52-$58. Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Becket. 413-243-0745, www.jacobspillow.org DOUG ELKINS AND FRIENDS’ FRAULEIN MARIA The imaginative Elkins turns Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music’’ on its ear, bringing the beloved musical’s songs to life with choreography that includes vaudeville sight gags and a variety of social dances. The show sold out its performances in New York. Aug. 27-30. $29-$33. Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Becket. 413-243-0745, www.jacobspillow.org
DANCES BY ISADORA Renowned Isadora Duncan specialist Catherine Gallant and her company present rarely seen gems from the early days of modern dance, including classic works about love and death by the great pioneer herself. The concert also includes new choreography, including Gallant’s “Finally.’’ Aug. 28-29. $15-$50. The Yard, Chilmark. 508-645-9662, www.dancetheyard.org
BLAME IT ON THE BOOGIE African dance performer/teacher Wyoma and cohost Barbara Freedman want you to take your dancing shoes off for this barefoot dance celebration. They facilitate a free-flowing mix of dance styles to music ranging from tribal rhythms to reggae, boogie woogie, and rock. Aug. 29. $10. The Arlington Center, Arlington. 781-316-0282, www.thearlingtoncenter.org KAREN CAMPBELL
GALLERIES
CARA PHILLIPS: SINGULAR BEAUTY The artist, a former child model and makeup salesperson, photographed cosmetic surgeons’ consultation rooms, machines, and backdrops for before-and-after shots to prompt her viewers to examine assumptions about beauty. Through Oct. 10. Suffolk University Art Gallery, 75 Arlington St. 617-573-8785, www.jameshull.com/suffolkartgallery.htmlJINX NOLAN: NEW WORK Nolan’s surreal collaged paintings on tile are in part inspired by memories of her Australian childhood, the bush, outback, and desert sky. They grapple with issues of scale, environmentalism, and politics. Through Sept. 22. Mobilia Gallery, 358 Huron Ave., Cambridge. 617-876-2109, www.mobilia-gallery.com
MARK PHARIS: SOLO EXHIBITION The ceramist is known for using mathematical formulas to design his work. Here, Pharis offers plates and platters that bring to mind family gatherings, hand-constructed with soft contours and painted in brilliant colors. Through Sept. 13. Lacoste Gallery, 25 Main St., Concord. 978-369-0278, www.lacostegallery.com CATE McQUAID
MUSEUMS
PRENDERGAST IN ITALY Maurice Prendergast’s views of Rome, Siena, Venice and Capri as well as archival material from the artist’s two trips to Italy in 1898 and 1911. Through Sept. 20. Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown. 413-597-2429, www.wcma.org ROBERT INDIANA AND THE STAR OF HOPE A stimulating survey, drawn from the artist’s own collection, of the work of this Pop artist and graphic designer who has long had a studio and house in Maine. Through Oct. 25. Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine. 207-596-6457, www.farnsworthmuseum.org
SEARCH FOR THE REAL: DRAWINGS BY HANS HOFMANN AND HIS STUDENTS An examination of the legacy of Hans Hofmann’s teachings at his art school in Provincetown, including charcoal and ink drawings by, among others, Robert De Niro Sr., Lee Krasner, and Hofmann himself. Through Oct. 11. Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown. 508-487-1750, www.paam.org
DOVE / O’KEEFFE: CIRCLES OF INFLUENCE An exploration of the mutual influence these two popular giants of early American modernism exerted on each other. Through Sept. 7. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu SEBASTIAN SMEE 
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