'Bring in 'Da Noise' at the Lyric
Acclaimed Broadway musical Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk plays at the Lyric Opera House, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave., Tuesday through Dec. 1 (no show Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28). Winner of four Tony Awards, this groundbreaking musical ensemble starring Savion Glover celebrates the history of the beat with tap dancing, poetry and music. Tickets are $16.50-$51.50. Show times vary. Call 410-481-SEAT or visit the Lyric's box office.
'No Foreigners' at Center Stage
More than 20 years after teaching English in the remote Da Lang Province of China, Tony Award-winning playwright Warren Leight dramatizes his experience abroad in the new play No Foreigners Beyond This Point, making its debut at 8 tonight at Center Stage. The play, depicting the triumphs and trials of two young Americans teaching in rural China, runs through Dec. 22 at Center Stage's Pearlstone Theater, 700 N. Calvert St. Tickets are $10-$50. Call 410-332-0033.
An evening of storytelling
In this era of screens (computer, television and movie) there's something downright old-fashioned and heartwarming about a group dedicated to preserving the oral tradition. To get an earful, check out the Baltimore version of Tellabration, an annual festival that showcases the art of storytelling worldwide. In Baltimore, 14 area spellbinders, including Tracy Radosevic, Michael Franch and Barbara Woodey (pictured), will tell children's stories, adult tales, ancient folk tales and modern originals, aided by costumes and props. The event, sponsored by the Baltimore Folk Music Society, runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday at Woodbrook Baptist Church, 25 Stevenson Lane, Towson. Admission is $20 for families, $9 for adults and $5 for children. Call 410-366-0808 or visit www.bfms.org.
Ronstadt sings with the BSO
In the '60s, she released an all-country album. In the '70s, she achieved her greatest commercial success as a rock superstar. In the '80s, she dabbled with mariachi music, released a highly acclaimed album of big-band music and teamed with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton and turned out the million-selling album Trio. She seemed missing in action for most of the '90s, but the versatile Linda Ronstadt is alive and well in 2002, and this weekend the Grammy Award winner will be belting out big-band arrangements as she joins the Baltimore Symhony Orchestra for three performances at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Ronstadt takes the stage at 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $35-$84. Call 410-783-8000.
Artists' open house
For arts fans, nothing beats watching a sculptor or painter at work. This weekend, you can catch a bunch of artists in their studios -- and, perhaps, cross some names off your holiday gift list. The Hampden Mill Centre's free annual holiday arts weekend and sale will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 3000 Chestnut Ave. Artworks will include oil paintings, hand-painted silk fashions, jewelry, glass work, ceramics and drawings. Call 410-366-6455.
Thanksgiving Parade
Even though Christmas is more than a month away, Santa and his elves pay Baltimore a visit on Saturday during the city's annual Thanksgiving Parade. The parade, sponsored by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts, begins at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Pratt and Eutaw streets, continues east on Pratt Street and disbands at Pratt and President streets. Local high school marching bands, equestrian teams and the Oriole Bird will also be on hand. Call 877-BALTIMORE.
Afro-Brazilian entertainment
Like many forms of African-American cultural expression, the martial arts / dance form called "capoeira" has its roots in slavery. First used by Africans in Brazil to escape the oppression of the plantations, capoeira combines music, movement and acrobatics. Find out what it's all about at 4 p.m. Saturday, when the Nego Gato Ensemble kicks off the 12th annual African Spirit series at the Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive. Admission is $7, $5 seniors 65 and older and college students, free for children 18 and younger. Call 410-396-7100 or visit www.artbma.org.
Chicago at the Meyerhoff
Their trademark band logo and numbered album titles helped to forge their image, but it's Chicago's music that has resonated with music fans all these years. Still going strong, the 35-year-old band with horn-section-infused hits such as "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," "You're the Inspiration" and "Hard Habit to Break" will perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Tickets are $25 to $70. Call 410-481-SEAT.