Soul Purpose
Sunday 25
Legendary vocalist and civil rights activist Mavis Staples blows the roof off Paramount Theatre in Rutland with her peerless powerhouse pipes. At 87 years old, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner — who rose to fame as the lead singer of her family’s gospel group in the late 1940s — sparks joy with a concert of inspirational classics that confront the grim state of the world.
A Happy Medium
Friday 23
“America’s Got Talent” contestant Peter Antoniou astounded judges (yes, even
the famously steely Simon Cowell) with his razor-sharp wit and psychic skills in 2021. Now the British entertainer hits up New Hampshire’s Lebanon Opera House with his next-level mind-reading, awe-inspiring illusions and improvisational comedy.
Harry Situation
Friday 23
The Hollywood, VT Series continues at Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro with a live script reading of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 black comedy The Trouble With Harry. Top talents with local ties — including “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” panelist Tom Bodett — reanimate the offbeat story of a small Vermont village turned upside down when a corpse is discovered in the woods.
Viva la Vega
Friday 23
Trailblazing ’90s folk-pop sensation Suzanne Vega — whose commercial success paved the way for female artists such as Tracy Chapman and Shawn Colvin — charms listeners at the Barre Opera House with her distinct, conversational singing style. Known for her role as the first headliner at Lilith Fair, the Grammy winner continues to impress with a robust repertoire spanning 40 years.
Novel Graphics
Friday 23-Sunday 25
At Randolph’s historic Playhouse Movie Theatre, the Visual Effects Film Series hosts five screenings of the work and inspirations of Academy Award-winning FX master Greg Butler. Before each flick, Butler himself regales movie buffs with behind-the-scenes tales from his storied career, which includes The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Jurassic Park and 1917.
Flying Solo
Closes Sunday 25
Now is the time to catch Johnson artist Joseph Salerno’s solo exhibit “Singularity” at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro. Moody, atmospheric oil paintings rendered in unusual color palettes pull viewers into what Salerno describes as “a singular moment … A place when the reality of the world meets the reality of the painting.”
Into the Woods
Wednesday 28
Genre-busting Vermont outfit Cricket Blue & Friends lock in to spooky season with a performance of “Over the Garden Wall” — featuring covers of songs from the cult-classic Cartoon Network miniseries — at Higher Ground in South Burlington. Helmed by singers Laura Heaberlin and Taylor Smith, a cast of local music veterans summons witchy woodland harvest vibes with story-driven folk tunes.
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