Knives Out
Thursday 5-Saturday 7
Halloween is over, but spooky season lives on at the Serial Killer Speakeasy at the Flynn Space in Burlington. The perfectly befitting basement digs transform into a true-crime lover’s paradise, with bespoke bevvies slung by mixologists who double as bards of twisted history. (We’re talkin’ freaky facts about the morbid motives of Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and other notorious names.)
Wicked Funny: For Good
Friday 6
Never forget the power of laughter, especially in fraught times. The Stand Up for Shelter Showcase at the Hyde Park Opera House raises funds to support neighbors experiencing homelessness. Hosted by “Rickshaw Tom” Hunt, the uplifting affair features a lineup of noteworthy comics, including rising star — and last year’s Vermont’s Funniest Comedian winner — Donavin Andronaco (pictured).
Sacred Cows
Ongoing
The “Unplowed Realities” exhibit at Mad River Valley Arts Gallery in Waitsfield reflects on a subject pertinent to rural America: the impending breaking point of small-scale agriculture. Farm animal portraits by artist Joan Brace O’Neal and writings by American Flatbread founder George Schenk highlight the vital connection between local food systems and the communities they sustain.
On Pointe
Thursday 5
At Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph, Grand Kyiv Ballet reimagines Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s hauntingly ethereal magnum opus in the cutting-edge “Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights.” The beguiling and tragic story of Odette — a cursed princess turned swan — gets a glow-up with illuminated costumes, innovative lighting design and technological twists.
Up to Bat
Friday 6
Indie-folk-rock sensation Fruit Bats — the solo music project of singer-songwriter Eric D. Johnson — delivers easygoing West Coast vibes to Higher Ground in South Burlington. Bolstered by a cast of touring musicians, the sunny-voiced multi-instrumentalist (and core member of Bonny Light Horseman) captures listeners with retro-sounding originals from his new studio album, The Landfill.
Keyed In
Friday 6
The University of Vermont’s Lane Series continues with a pitch-perfect performance by pianist Gabriela Martinez at the school’s Recital Hall in Burlington. Described by the Los Angeles Times as having “a seemingly effortless technique,” the fifth-generation Venezuelan prodigy made her debut at age 6 and hasn’t slowed down since — just ask the 100-plus orchestras with which she’s played.
Punching Up
Sunday 8
Grammy-winning string outfit Punch Brothers kick things up a notch — acoustically, of course! — at Rutland’s Paramount Theatre. Applauded by the Washington Post for shepherding bluegrass into “its next evolutionary stage,” the quintet pushes the boundaries of the genre with virtuosic instrumentation, complex arrangements and emotional resonance.
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