Verb Ballets
Thirty years and countless arabesques and plies. One of the city’s most acclaimed dance companies hosts a showcase of new works, including Anthony Krutzkamp’s Appropriated Memories, along with Cuban choreographer Laura Alonso’s staging of Don Quixote Grand Pas de Deux, featured fitfully for a 30th anniversary ceremony March 25. The fun continues March 26 with Verb’s family-friendly adaptation of The Carnival of the Animals, associate director Richard Dickinson’s version of the fantastical critter-filled menagerie complete with plenty of colorful feathered masks. Thirtieth anniversary March 25 $10-$35, 8 p.m.; Carnival of the Animals $10, 3 p.m., Breen Center for Performing Arts, 1911 W. 30th St., verbballets.org
Little Shop of Horrors
In 1987 Chagrin Valley Little Theatre secured the rights to stage Ohio’s first production of Little Shop of Horrors. Now, Roger Corman’s 1960 horror flick about the strange owner of the Skid Row flower shop with the bloodthirsty floral specimen, Audrey II, that wreaks havoc returns 30 years later. This revival retains connections to the original with director Greta Rothman, whose late mother was the leading role Audrey in the original production, and choreographer Pamela LaForce, who originally played Crystal. Though the cast is fresh, the original 1950s-esque doo-wop score is all still there. $20, March 24 & 25 8 p.m., March 26 2 p.m. through April 22, 40 River St., Chagrin Falls, cvlt.org
Math & Logic
Don’t fret non-math nerds; this all-new musical project doesn’t require a taste in calculus. It’s a local supergroup of sorts combining players from three bands: the slacker-induced rock group Herzog, piano-rock band Return of Simple and folk-rock act Shivering Timbers. The fresh songs you hear at the show are getting mixed and produced by Sean O’ Keefe (Plain White T’s), who has three gold records under his belt. Punk-rock act Village Bicycle and indie band Forager open. So Math & Logic is actually a little bit nerdy. The songs are based on 12-tone composition techniques, but singer-songwriter and pianist Rob Kovacs still promises “most of the music is still about girls and emotional stuff.” $5, March 25, 9:30 p.m., Happy Dog, 5801 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, happydogcleveland.com
Movers and Makers Watch Party
Back-to-nature pioneering artist Susie Frazier is making her mark on the small screen. A nine-episode series on WKYC starting March 25, Movers and Makers shines a worthy light on Frazier as she helps architects, designers, crafters, seamstresses and painters come up with project solutions that use cast-off materials. After all, Frazier has been using discarded natural and industrial materials in her organic-inspired products since 1997. Join Frazier for a meet and greet at 6 p.m. at Luxe Kitchen & Lounge and stick around for a watch party at 7 p.m. Free, March 25, 6 p.m., 6605 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, susiefrazier.com
Lori Stokes Remembers Louis Stokes
He served 15 terms as an Ohio congressman, was the head of the Congressional Black Caucus and was one of the most successful advocates for veterans from the East Side of Cleveland. His daughter Lori Stokes, a co-anchor of Eyewitness News This Morning, hosts a talk and a special book-signing of her father’s 2016 memoir The Gentleman from Ohio, a chronicling of his tenure in Congress and his numerous battle for African-American civil rights up to his death in 2015. Look out for special guests including NewsChannel 5 anchor Leon Bibb, Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage founder and board chair emeritus Milton Maltz, theologian, speaker, author and activist the Rev. Otis. Moss Jr. and co-chairman emeritus of Forest City Enterprises Albert Ratner. $12, March 26, 3 p.m., Temple-Tifereth Israel, 26000 Shaker Blvd., Beachwood, maltzmuseum.org