Signs of spring can be glimpsed everywhere. Snowdrops and crocuses are already blooming, and daylight saving time starts next Sunday, March 12, when we set our clocks forward an hour. And tomorrow marks the official start of spring break. For those staying in Boston, residence halls will be open throughout the week, but dining halls close at 8 p.m. Friday, March 3, and will not reopen until 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 12. The GSU will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Rhett’s from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Many will travel during the week off. But for everyone staying local, there’s plenty going on in the city for a fun-filled vacation. It’s a great time to try a new restaurant, take in a ballet, play, or concert, or get your St. Patrick’s Day celebration off to an early start. We’ve put together a list of events below of special interest.
Food
Dine Out Boston
Want to enjoy a meal at one of Boston’s most popular restaurants, but don’t want to break the bank? Take advantage of Dine Out Boston (formerly known as Restaurant Week Boston), the biannual event sponsored by the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau that offers hungry Bostonians and tourists a chance to indulge in prix-fixe lunches and dinners at restaurants around the city—all at special prices. Hundreds of restaurants, from North End favorites like Antico Forno to hip eateries like Puritan & Company, inventive sushi restaurants like Oishii Boston, and tasty tapas joints like Tapeo are participating. Diners can enjoy Moroccan, French, Afghan, Argentinian, and Indian cuisine, and much more. So loosen your belts and take a trip to that restaurant you’ve been meaning to try.
Dine Out Boston runs Sunday, March 5, through Friday, March 10, and Sunday, March 12, through Friday, March 17. Lunch is $15, $20, or $25 per person and dinner is $28, $33, or $38 per person. Browse participating restaurants and make reservations (strongly recommended) online here.
Music and Dance
Boston Ballet’s production of Artifact 2017, a contemporary ballet, blends choreography, spoken word, a brilliant score, and dazzling sets. Pictured above: Misa Kuranaga and Patrick Yocum. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor
Artifact 2017, Boston Ballet
First performed by Ballet Frankfurt in Germany in 1984, William Forsythe’s Artifact 2017 is a tour-de-force of contemporary ballet that combines imaginative choreography with spoken word, an unforgettable score, and dazzling sets and costumes. Boston Ballet is the first North American dance company to stage the ballet in its entirety and to mark the occasion, the ballet has been revised to include an all-new dance in the final act. The event marks the start of a five-year partnership between Boston Ballet and Forsythe, a world-renowned choreographer.
Artifact 2017 will be performed through Sunday, March 5, at the Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St. Tickets can be purchased online and range from $35 to $159. Find directions here.
Sydney Dance Company at the Shubert Theatre
Traveling from Down Under, the Sydney Dance Company, one of the world’s most celebrated contemporary dance companies, visits Boston on March 4 and 5 during its current international tour. The dancers will perform three 20-to-30-minute dances that push the limits of the human body. The performance opens with Frame of Mind, a poignant, award-winning dance set to a score by Bryce Dessner of the Grammy-nominated band The National. The second piece, Raw Models, is an innovative and sensual performance that reveals the fluidity of the human form as dancers writhe rhythmically on stage. The final piece, Wildebeest, is a playful and rollicking dance that showcases the dancers’ athleticism and recalls the wildness of the Australian Outback.
The Sydney Dance Company performs Saturday, March 4, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 5, at 3 p.m., at the Shubert Theater at the Boch Center, 265 Tremont St. Tickets, which range from $65 to $75, can be purchased online or by calling the Shubert Theatre box office at 866-348-9738. Find directions here.
Shen Yun at the Wang Theatre
Founded in 2006 by a group of Chinese expats living in New York, Shen Yun is a nonprofit performing arts and entertainment company organization that uses classical Chinese dance, story-based dance, and ethnic and folk dance to bring to life 5,000 years of Chinese culture. The organization’s meticulous, tightly choreographed performances combine music, dance, costumes, and an array of visual effects. A groundbreaking East/West orchestra helps capture the spirit of ancient China. Comprised of five separate touring companies, the nonprofit has performed on stages across the Americas, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
Shen Yun performs at the Wang Theatre at the Boch Center, 270 Tremont St., Saturday, March 4, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 5, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets range from $70 to $185 and can be purchased online or by calling the Wang Theatre box office at 800-982-2787. Find directions here.
Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience at TD Garden
Are you a fan of HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones? Here’s your chance to take a trip to Westeros by way of TD Garden on Monday night when the venue plays host to the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience. The one-night-only, two-and-a-half-hour concert features music from the show performed by an 80-piece orchestra and choir and conducted by the show’s composer, Ramin Djawadi, on a 360-degree stage equipped with LED telescoping and 3-D designs projected on the stage. It’s a must-see for Game of Thrones aficionados.
The Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience takes place on Monday, March 6, at 8 p.m. at TD Garden, 100 Legends Way. Tickets can be purchased online and range from $35 to $105. Find directions here.
Sunday Concert Series at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
The Sunday Concert Series at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the Fenway draws classical music fans from all over Boston. Performances, which take place each Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the museum’s intimate Calderwood Hall, feature different artists each week. On Sunday, March 5, the award-winning duo Corey Cerovsek (violin) and Paavali Jumppanen (piano) will perform a selection of 20th-century classics by Debussy, Bartok, and Boulez. On Sunday, March 12, pianist Daniel Lebhardt will perform a program of Beethoven, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff piano pieces as part of the concert series’ Young Artist Showcase.
The Sunday Concert Series takes place every Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way. Tickets, which include museum admission, are $31 to $36 for adults; $28 to $33 for seniors; $19 to $24 for members; and $12 for children 7–17. (Children under 7 are not admitted). Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 617-278-5156, Wednesday to Monday, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased at the museum and at the door on the day of the concert. Find directions here.
Theater and Film
Immerse yourself in the world of 15-year-old autistic math genius Christopher Boone, the protagonist of the Tony award–winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Pictured above: Adam Langdon as Christopher in the touring production, playing at the Boston Opera House from March 7 through March 19. Photo by Joan Marcus
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Boston Opera House
When The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old autistic boy, opened on Broadway in 2014, the New York Times hailed it as “one of the most fully immersive works ever to wallop Broadway.” Based on Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel of the same title, the play went on to win five Tony Awards, including best play. The theatrical tour-de-force tells the story of Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old math genius for whom any kind of social interaction is difficult. The play has come to Boston and is running through March 19 at the Boston Opera House. The production stars Adam Langdon as Boone and is an unforgettable theater experience.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time runs from Tuesday, March 7, through Sunday, March 19, at the Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St. Tickets (starting at $47) can be purchased online. Find directions here.
Circus 1903—The Golden Age of Circus at the Boch Center
Featuring breathtaking acrobatic feats, glittering and ornate costumes, and unbelievably real-looking life-sized elephant puppets, Circus 1903 bills itself as “a thrilling turn of the century circus spectacular.” Created by the producers of The Illusionists (the world’s biggest magic show) and the award-winning puppeteers from Broadway’s War Horse, this whirlwind two-hour theatrical experience combines daring circus acts, like knife-throwing and walking a high wire, with captivating acrobatics, music, and more to create an immersive, family-friendly extravaganza.
Circus 1903 runs March 8 through March 12 at the Wang Theatre at the Boch Center, 270 Tremont St. Tickets can be purchased online and range from $19 (opening night only) to $125. Find directions here.
Topdog/Underdog at the Huntington Theatre
Suzan-Lori Parks became the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2002, for her play Topdog/Underdog. The darkly comic drama follows two African American brothers, Lincoln and Booth, as they grapple with racism, poverty, gambling, and their own deeply complicated relationship. Directed by Tony-winning actor and director Billy Porter (Kinky Boots), Topdog/Underdog offers a poignant meditation on what it means to be a black man in America today.
The Huntington Theatre Company production of Topdog/Underdog runs from Friday, March 10, through Sunday, April 9, at the BU Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave. Tickets can be purchased online. Prices range from $25 to $99 and are $10 off for members of the BU community; $5 off for seniors (65 and older); $20 for active military and veterans and immediate families, and students (25 and younger); and $30 for individuals under 35. Find directions here.
An extraordinary cast headlines the current American Repertory Theater revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Night of the Iguana. Pictured above, Remo Airaldi (left), Bill Heck, Dana Delaney, and Elizabeth Ashley. Photo by Gretjen Helene Photography
Tennessee Williams’ The Night of the Iguana at the American Repertory Theater
The American Repertory Theater has assembled a star-studded cast for its current revival of Tennessee Williams’ 1961 drama The Night of the Iguana. The production stars Tony award–winning actors James Earl Jones and Amanda Plummer and Emmy-winning actress Dana Delany (China Beach, Desperate Housewives). Set on the edge of the Mexican jungle, the play brings together a number of disparate characters—including a hotel proprietress, a Southern preacher, an artist, and a group of vacationers—all of them anxious to outrun their demons. This acclaimed production has made it one of the hottest tickets in Boston, with some performances completely sold out, so order yours fast.
Tennessee Williams’ The Night of the Iguana runs through Saturday, March 18, at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge. Tickets can be purchased online and are $25 for A.R.T. subscribers, members, and student members. Prices range from $50 to $95 for all other tickets. Find directions here.
2017 Oscar-Nominated Short Films at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)
The 89th Academy Awards ceremony may have come and gone, but chances are you still haven’t seen this year’s Oscar-nominated short films. Thanks to the ICA, now you can. For the 11th consecutive year, the museum is screening all Oscar-nominated short films in their theater. Sunday, March 5, is your last chance to catch screenings of this year’s short animation nominees (including winner Piper) and live-action nominees (including winner Sing) on the big screen.
Short films nominated for the 2017 Oscars will be screened on Sunday, March 5, at the ICA, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. The animation films will be screened at 1 p.m. and the live-action shorts will be screened at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online. General admission tickets are $10, $5 for students and ICA members. Package deals for tickets to two same-day screenings are $15 general admission and $8 for students and ICA members. The ICA is open daily (except Monday), from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. The museum is $10 for students, $15 for adults, and $13 for seniors, and free for students with a valid BU ID, ICA members, and youth under 17. Admission is free for everyone on Thursday nights from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Find directions here.
Museums
Wilson/Cortor at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)
Featuring a stunning collection of approximately 50 prints and drawings, a special exhibit currently on view at the MFA, titled Wilson/Cortor, pays homage to the work of two accomplished contemporary African American artists, John Wilson and Eldzier Cortor. Both Wilson (1922–2015) and Cortor (1916–2015) spent their careers exploring the African American experience. A Roxbury native, Wilson used his art to highlight the civil rights movement and raise awareness for social justice issues. The MFA show includes a preparatory drawing for one of his most famous works, a bronze bust of Martin Luther King, Jr., commissioned for the rotunda of the Capitol building in Washington, DC. Cortor’s vibrant paintings offer stylized depictions of African American women. The exhibit also includes a series of woodcuts and etchings Cortor made, influenced by his experience in Haiti, and one of his best-known works, Still Life: Past Revisited, an assemblage of objects referencing the history of black life in early-20th-century America.
Wilson/Cortor is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., through August 6. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Admission is free for members or students with a BU ID, $25 for adults, $23 for seniors and students 18 and over, free for children ages 6 and under, youths 7 to 17 on weekdays after 3 p.m., weekends, and Boston public school holidays (otherwise $10), and to the public on Wednesday evenings. Find directions here.
Satisfy your sweet tooth and learn all about the enduring dessert at the Museum of Science’s special exhibit, Chocolate. Photo by the Field Museum
Chocolate: The Exhibition at the Museum of Science
Chocoholics, take note: the Museum of Science’s new show, Chocolate: The Exhibition, offers a fascinating overview of the history of one the world’s most enduring desserts. Featuring over 200 objects (including replicas of pre-Columbian ceramics, 19th- and 20th-century chocolate advertisements, and European silver and porcelain servers), this interactive and immersive show reveals aspects of this sumptuous sweet you’ve probably never considered. The exhibit explores the plant, product, and culture of chocolate over centuries through the prism of science, history, and popular culture.
Chocolate: The Exhibition is on display through May 7 at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park. Tickets are $25 for adults, $21 for seniors (60 and up), and $20 for children. The museum is open Saturday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Find directions here.
Stop by the ICA to see the museum’s biennial showcase of outstanding Boston artists. Their work is on display in the museum’s 2017 James and Audrey Foster Prize Exhibition. Photo by Natasha Moustache, copyright Jennifer Bornstein
2017 James and Audrey Foster Prize Exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)
Since 1999, the ICA has recognized emerging Boston-area artists with a biennial showcase, the James and Audrey Foster Prize. This year’s exhibition features work by Sonia Almeida, Jennifer Bornstein, Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Verena Paravel, and Lucy Kim, artists who have garnered national and international acclaim but have remained relatively unknown in Boston. Each of the artists engages in the human body through various media, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, film, and video. Many of the works are on display for the first time in Boston. This year’s biennial includes a new series titled “The Foster Talks,” which invites each of the prize-winning artists to present a talk about an individual who has influenced their work.
The 2017 James and Audrey Foster Prize Exhibition will be on display through July 9 at the Institute of Contemporary Art, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. The ICA is open daily (closed Monday) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. The museum is $10 for students, $15 for adults, and $13 for seniors, and free for students with a valid BU ID, ICA members, and youth under 17. Admission is free for everyone on Thursday nights from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Find directions here.
Athletics
The Harlem Globetrotters at TD Garden
A global phenomenon for nearly a century, the Harlem Globetrotters blend athleticism with theatrics and a dose of comedy to create unique and unforgettable basketball performances. The exhibition basketball team will be at the TD Garden twice this week to dribble, dunk, flip, dance, and engage in hilarious hijinks. Get ready for a night of fun and see for yourself why the Globetrotters have earned a devoted international following.
The Harlem Globetrotters play on Sunday, March 5, at 1 p.m., and Saturday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. at TD Garden, 100 Legends Way. Find directions here. Ticket prices vary and are available here.
Cheer your Terriers on and support the men’s lacrosse team when they host the Air Force Falcons on Saturday, March 4. Pictured above: Cal Dearth (SHA’17), only the second Terrier in program history to be named to the Tewaaraton watch list, made up of early contenders for the nation’s top collegiate lacrosse award. Photo by Steve McLaughlin
Terrier Men’s Lacrosse
With the first hints of spring in the air, lacrosse season has returned to campus. Stop by Nickerson Field tomorrow, Saturday, March 4, and watch the men’s lacrosse team duke it out against the Air Force Falcons.
The men’s lacrosse game is Saturday, March 4, at 12 p.m., at Nickerson Field. Admission is free for BU students with a sports pass, $2 for faculty and staff, and $5 for the general public.
For 21 and Up
2017 Harpoon St. Patrick’s Festival
St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t officially arrive until March 17, but Boston is a city that likes to get an early jump on the holiday. So don your green apparel, channel your inner Irishman (or woman), and head to the Seaport District for this year’s annual Harpoon Brewery St. Patrick’s Festival. Each year, thousands gather under heated tents at Harpoon’s Boston brewery in the Seaport District to enjoy live music, food, and, of course, plenty of Harpoon beer, including seasonal offerings, like Harpoon Fresh Tracks, and the limited release Harpoon Craic, an Irish Red IPA that embodies the spirit of St. Paddy’s Day.
The 2017 Harpoon Brewery St. Patrick’s Festival will take place Friday, March 3, from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. (doors close at 9:30 p.m.) and Saturday, March 4, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. (doors close 5:30 p.m.) at the Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave. A cover charge of $25 (comes with a souvenir pint glass and your first beer) can be paid at the door; additional perks and discounts are available for Friends of Harpoon members. The event is 21+. Find directions here.
Get an early start to the St. Patrick’s Day holiday at the annual Harpoon Brewery St. Patrick’s Festival, taking place Friday, March 3, and Saturday, March 4. Photo courtesy of Harpoon Brewery
The 9th-Annual Irish Pub Challenge
This annual pub crawl/scavenger hunt attracts over 4,000 participants each year. The Irish Pub Challenge includes more than 30 participating bars throughout Boston. Participants must register in advance and either join a team or form their own. On the day of the challenge, teams check in, download the scavenger hunt app, Eventzee, and embark on a series of challenges that lead them through a progression of Boston bars and pubs. The winning team receives a party thrown in their honor. Even if you don’t win the hunt, everyone who registers is entered into a raffle with the possibility to clinch the grand prize: two tickets (including airfare) for a five-night trip to Ireland.
The Irish Pub Challenge is Saturday, March 11. General admission tickets are $30, VIP tickets $50, and MVP tickets $65. Tickets must be purchased online. Each ticket package comes with special perks and incentives. Find full details on each ticket package and purchase tickets here [http://www.irishpubchallenge.com/ticket-packages]. The event is 21+ only.
Liz Vanderau can be reached at vanderau@bu.edu.