Things to Do This Weekend In Cleveland: March 19-22

Thursday, March 19

Chan Conducts Bartok at Mandel Concert Hall

Conductor Patricia Kopatchinskaja makes her Cleveland Orchestra debut and will lead the orchestra as it plays Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1. The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Mandel Concert Hall, where performances repeat through Saturday. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

Jim Messina at Kent Stage

The veteran singer-songwriter who famously played bass in the classic rock act, Buffalo Springfield, and guitar in the country rock band Poco performs at 6:30 p.m. at the Kent Stage. Messina also made a name for himself by collaborating with fellow singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins in the early 1970s, and the two sold records by the truckloads as Loggins and Messina. Expect to hear some of those tunes. 175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org.

NCAA Men's Wrestling Championship at Rocket Arena

Division I men's wrestling championships come to Rocket Arena this week. The sessions kick off at noon, and matches continue through Saturday. Check the Rocket Arena website for more info. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com.

Our Day Will Come: NEO Women Rock at Music Box Supper Club

Thomas Mulready, who published the local events newsletter Cool Cleveland, leads this talk that documents the impact of women on the Northeast Ohio rock scene. The local glam group Vanity Crash will also perform. The event begins at 7 p.m. 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.

Water for Elephants at Connor Palace

A young man joins a traveling circus after literally hopping onto a moving train in this musical based on the best-selling novel by the same name. The show takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Connor Palace, where performances continue through March 29. 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Friday, March 20

Alonzo Bodden at Hilarities

Comic Alonzo Bodden likes to make fun of the news, or lack thereof. Bodden, who has a matter-of-fact delivery, is funny because his material is so sharp. His Seinfeld-like observations about everyday life are generally on the money. A regular guest on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me, he performs at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night at 6:30 and 9:15 p.m. at Hilarities. 2035 E. Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

Cleveland Home & Remodeling Show at the I-X Center

Exhibitors who can help you rebuild your garage or remodel your home will be on hand for the Cleveland Home & Remodeling Show. Guests such as Brady Bunch star Christopher Knight will be on hand for a Q&A session. The event takes place through Sunday at the I-X Center. Check the I-X Center website for hours and more info. 1 I-X Center Drive, 216-676-6000, ixcenter.com.

Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach at Beck Center for the Arts

This musical centers on a young man sent to chop down an old fruit tree. In the process, he embarks on a magical journey inside a giant peach. Featuring a score by the Tony Award-winning songwriting team behind Dear Evan Hansen and The Greatest Showman, the play comes to Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood. The show takes place at 7:30 p.m., and performances continue through March 29. 17801 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, 216-521-2540, beckcenter.org.

Flanagan's Wake at Kennedy’s Theatre

Part improv, part scripted, this interactive Irish wake is back again at Kennedy’s Theatre at Playhouse Square. Performances are set for 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Handel's Messiah at the State Theatre

The Cleveland Ballet presents this adaptation of Handel's famous classical composition. The performance will also include a live orchestra and choir. Performances take place at 10:30 a.m. and at 7 p.m. at the State Theatre, where performances continue through Sunday. 1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Macbeth at the Hanna Theatre

Great Lakes Theatre takes on Shakespeare's classic play about corruption and power. The show takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the Hanna Theatre, where performances continue through April 4. 2067 E. 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Rob Schneider at MGM Northfield Park

SNL alum Rob Schneider can lay claim to having been on SNL before the show started to suck. He relives many of those glory days in his standup routines, where he often talks about backstage shenanigans with Adam Sandler and recounts his experiences on the set of films such as Waterboy and Grownups. He performs at 8 p.m. at MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage. 10705 Northfield Road, Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark.mgmresorts.com/en.html.

Shang at the Funny Bone

A writer/performer on the now defunct syndicated TV show The Newz, this comedian also did the audience warm-up for the show which was filmed at Universal Studios in Orlando in the ’90s. The guy has toured the country as a standup ever since. Raised in Brooklyn, he has a tough guy mentality that comes through in his raunchy bits. He performs at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on Friday and at 6:30 and 9 p.m. on Saturday night at the Funny Bone. 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-4677, cleveland.funnybone.com.

Joanne Shaw Taylor at Kent Stage

The singer and guitarist brings her tour in support of her new album, Black & Gold, to the Kent Stage. Taylor plays a bit of everything — rock, soul, pop and blues. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. 1511 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Third Friday at 78^th Street Studios

From 5 to 9 p.m., many of the 78th Street Studios resident artist studios and galleries will be open as part of this monthly event. There will be live music, and Local West, a Gordon Square sandwich shop, will serve food. BARneo will have a selection of adult beverages as well. Admission is free. 1300 W. 78th St., 78thstreetstudios.com.

Two Trains Running at Beck Center

Set in Pittsburgh in the 1960s, August Wilson's play centers on the characters who frequent a coffeeshop in the city's Hill District. Local Jimmy Woody directs the play. Friday's show takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, where performances continue through March 29. 17801 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-2540, beckcenter.org.

Saturday, March 21

2026 Maple Sugar Festival & Pancake Breakfast at Hale Farm & Village

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, Hale Farm & Village hosts live demonstrations of tree tapping and sap boiling in the wood-fired syrup evaporator at C.O. Hale's 1910 Sugar House. The event aims to show what life was like on farms in the Cuyahoga Valley during the 1800s. 2686 Oak Hill Road, Newton Falls, 330-666-3711, halefarm.org.

Artist in the Atrium at Cleveland Museum of Art

Every third Saturday of each month, stop by the Ames Family Atrium between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to get a firsthand look at the art-making process. Each session provides the opportunity to engage and interact with a different Northeast Ohio maker during pop-up demonstrations and activities. 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

Charlie Berens: The Lost and Found Tour at the Agora

The comedian and podcaster brings his Lost and Found Tour to The Agora. Taking a page out of the redneck comedy lingo, his catchphrase is “keep ’er movin.’” Doors open at 7 p.m. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

Ekoostik Hookah at the Beachland Ballroom

The grandfathers of Ohio’s expansive jam band scene — culturally and musically — have always maintained close ties to the Cleveland area and regularly venture up to these parts from their Columbus home base. The group performs at 8 p.m. at the Beachland Ballroom. 15711 Waterloo Road, 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.

Lower 13 at the Foundry

As the local melodic groove/prog/thrash metal band Lower 13 approached its 20th anniversary, drummer Eric Kruger wanted to do something to mark the occasion. He recruited Druparia, Khandria and Throbber to share a bill with his group as it plays a 20th anniversary party at the Foundry. 4256 Pearl Road, 440-637-5483, foundryconcertclub.com.

The Simon & Garfunkel Story at Akron Civic Theatre

The Simon & Garfunkel Story covers the duo’s humble beginnings as Tom & Jerry to their incredible success as one of the best-selling music groups of the ‘60s, as well as their dramatic split in 1970. The performance takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the Akron Civic Theatre. 182 S. Main St., Akron, 216-241-6000, akroncivic.com.

Rick Wakeman — Wakeman and Son Tour at the Kent Stage

The former Yes and Strawbs keyboardist brings his tour with his son Oliver to the Kent Stage. Wakeman Sr. has had a successful solo career thanks to his heady prog rock albums such as Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and Wakeman Jr. has collaborated with the likes of prog guitarist Steve Howe and actor Derek Jacobi. Doors are at 6:30 p.m. 175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org.

Sunday, March 22

Martin Hayes & the Common Ground Ensemble: An Irish Celebration at Mandel Concert Hall

Fiddler Martin Hayes and his Common Ground Ensemble will play traditional Irish music at this special concert at Mandel Concert Hall. The concert begins at 7 p.m. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

Les Délices Presents Marianne Mozart at Cleveland Museum of Art

Keyboardist Marianne Mozart joins the local early music ensemble Les Délices for this special performance that takes place at 3 p.m. at Cleveland Museum of Art. The concert includes a recital for fortepiano and violin that places sonatas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart alongside works by Margarethe Danzi, Maddalena Lombardini Sirmen and Franziska Lebrun. 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

Our Lady Peace: 30th Anniversary Tour at House of Blues

The Canadian alternative rock band celebrates its 30th anniversary tour with this show at House of Blues. Expect to hear grunge-y anthems such as "Starseed," "Superman's Dead" and "Clumsy." The show begins at 6:30 p.m. Nineties rockers the Verve Pipe open. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

Railroad Earth at Globe Iron

The jam/bluegrass band that dates back to the early 2000s performs at 6:30 p.m. at Globe Iron. The group played the Telluride Bluegrass Festival shortly after forming and takes musical inspiration from the Grateful Dead, often improvising during live performances. 2325 Elm St., globeironcle.com.

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