FRIDAY Louis conducts LOVE FORBIDDEN The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra rules when it comes to mashing up live music with images. But this week, the orchestra takes on a more formidable challenge: performing Arnold Schoenberg’s symphonic tone poem Pelléas und Mélisande with visual accompaniment of projections and video created by innovative young director, production designer and visual artist James Darrah.“This is nearly 40 minutes of continuous music, so it’s more like a cousin of Lumenocity,” says CSO Music Director Louis Langrée. He had not seen any of Darrah’s previous productions, but Langrée knew of his work with the San Francisco Opera and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. And there was another connection.Last year, Darrah staged Don Giovanni for the Milwaukee Symphony, where Isaac Thompson, an alumnus of the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, served on the artistic operations staff. In January, Thompson assumed the position of the CSO’s director of artistic operations. He arranged for Langrée and Darrah to meet, and in May the two artists sat down in Langrée’s East Walnut Hills home to discuss potential projects. Read the full feature here. Love Forbidden opens Friday and continues Saturday at Music Hall. More info: cincinnatisymphony.org.
Break out the bike for MOTOBERFEST Formerly known as the Queen City Mods and Rockers Rally, “Motoberfest” is a weekend celebration of café and vintage motorcycles and scooters themed around Cincinnati’s German brewing heritage. The festival features motorcycle stunt shows, an opportunity to show off your ride in a judged bike show, group rides, art shows, live music, brewery tours and more for bikers and bike-enthusiasts. 6 p.m.-11 p.m. Thursday; 6 p.m.-midnight Friday; 8 a.m.-midnight Saturday. $30 all-access pass. Various venues around OTR. More info at motoberfest.com.
Watch people sing about cannibalism in SILENCE! THE MUSICAL
Of course you know The Silence of the Lambs, the creepy movie about “Hannibal the Cannibal.” It was a big hit in 1991 with Anthony Hopkins as the brilliant, manipulative serial killer and Jodie Foster as the young FBI cadet who recruits him to help her catch a different psychopath. Well, wouldn’t you know that someone turned it into Silence! The Musical, an award winner at the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival? It’s become a cult favorite, and the parody-loving folks at Falcon Theatre have landed it after several years of hot pursuit. Bon appetit! Through Oct. 10. $15-$20. Monmouth Theatre, 636 Monmouth St., Newport, Ky., 513-479-6783, falcontheatre.net.
Buy some yarn at the KENTUCKY WOOL FESTIVAL The Kentucky Wool Festival: a celebration of sheep and the fleece we shear off them. Wander through tables of crafts with local pottery, accessories, homemade soaps and candles and wooden items of every kind. Stop by the wool tent for demonstrations of combing, wet felting, sheep shearing and Turkish spindling. Then grab a chocolate-dipped pie and check out the Queen City Cloggers and other live entertainment all weekend. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. $5; free for children younger than 5. 48 Concord Caddo Road, Falmouth, Ky., kywoolfest.org.
Austin's RECKLESS KELLY plays Southgate House Revival All things Austin, Texas, have been coming to a head the last few years in the music world. Always a great music town, the scene has blown up to almost too-big proportions, with the South By Southwest festival growing to seemingly unsustainable levels. Reckless Kelly, however, has been walking the streets of Austin since the band migrated there from Idaho in the late 1990s. At the heart of the group are brothers Willy and Cody Braun, who grew up in a family of musicians that included their bandleader father, who fronted a Western Swing outfit. In essence, Reckless Kelly is a Roots music band that almost perfectly fits the mold suggested by the Americana genre tag. Read more about the band in this week's Sound Advice. See Reckless Kelly with Noah Smith Friday at Southgate House Revival. More info/tickets: southgatehouse.com.
SATURDAY
Watch animals eat pumpkins at HALLZOOWEEN Kids and animals alike are in for a special treat during the Cincinnati Zoo’s HallZOOween festival. This family-friendly Halloween celebration features trick-or-treat stations for the kids, costumed characters, a Hogwarts Express train ride and special pumpkin playtime for elephants, otters, meerkats and more. Bring your own treat bag to stuff with goodies and hunt for the Golden Frisch’s Big Boy. Two golden Big Boy statues will be hidden around the zoo each weekend; whoever finds them wins a special zoo/Frisch’s prize package (with tartar sauce). Follow clues on the zoo’s Twitter page: #BigBoyClue. Noon-5 p.m. Select Saturdays and Sundays in October. Free with zoo admission ($18 adult; $12 child/senior). Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale, cincinnatizoo.org.
Pick your own sunflower at the SUNFLOWER FESTIVAL This annual festival, hosted by Gorman Heritage Farm, includes all the fun of fall with a few twists. Jump on a mule-drawn wagon ride through the sunflower fields. Don’t just pick a pumpkin; fling it from a pumpkin launch. Gather your own bouquet of sunflowers, or wander a corn maze, get your face painted and meet the animals on this working farm. Food trucks will be available both days and local crafts highlight homemade products. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $8 adults; $5 kids; free for 2 and younger. Gorman Heritage Farm, 10052 Reading Road, Evendale, gormanfarm.org.
Kick up the spice at Jungle Jim's WEEKEND OF FIRE
A great hot sauce can really put the right kick in your dish, and that’s what Jungle Jim’s Weekend of Fire is all about. Whether you consider yourself courageous enough to test the hottest varieties available or if you can’t stand anything beyond “mild,” Weekend of Fire has that sauce you’ve been dreaming of — along with rubs, salsas, snacks and any other edible you can kick up a notch. More than 55 vendors and 300 mouth-watering samples from around the country await your taste buds, with prizes going to fest favorites. Game booths and contests will keep the weekend spirit burning strong. And the very brave can face off in the Arena of Fire, where aficionados battle it out to see who can eat the hottest fiery food. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. $10. Jungle Jim’s Oscar Event Center, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com.
LIGHT STRIKES closes at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center To celebrate the opening of the new Kennedy Heights Cultural Campus annex in September, the Kennedy Heights Arts Center debuted Light Strikes, an exhibition of large-scale installations within its newest 9,000-square-foot gallery; it closes Saturday. Two artist collectives — Intermedio and Team B — as well as three individual artists — Sean Mullaney, Karen Saunders and Rob Wolpert —created site-specific installations to fill the vast room with light-based artwork. Some of the work is interactive and, according to curator Jonathan Sears of PAR-Projects, one of the main goals for the show was to balance the way each artist uses light to help viewers travel through the space. Closing reception: 7-9 p.m. Saturday. Free. 6620 Montgomery Road, Kennedy Heights, kennedyarts.org.
Incline Theater presents EXTREMITIES — a bit more serious than their standard fare This will be a test. Following a sold-out summer of musicals, the Incline Theater turns to far more serious fare with William Mastrosimone’s searing and controversial drama about the victim of an attempted rape who gets the upper hand on her attacker and contemplates vengeance. It’s not the kind of show that Cincinnati Landmark Productions is known for, but they’re hoping to broaden horizons and attract new audiences. Farrah Fawcett redefined herself as a serious actress on Broadway with this show and repeated the role of Marjorie in the 1986 movie version. Will Cincinnati audiences turn up? We’ll see. Through Oct. 18. $23-$26. Warsaw Federal Incline Theater, 801 Matson Place, E. Price Hill, 513-241-6550, cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com.
CCM takes on David Edgar's PENTECOST Theater programs at our universities in Greater Cincinnati often produce shows that not only offer educational opportunities for students, but also expose us to works we have lost track of or missed. David Edgar’s Pentecost is such a work, and it accomplishes what Richard Hess likes to do — challenge audiences. The head of the drama program at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music is directing Pentecost at Patricia Corbett Theater Thursday-Sunday. “There is theater that lets you escape by making you forget,” Hess says, “and there is theater that makes you escape by going deeper into yourself. Pentecost is one that takes you in.” Read a full review of the play here. Pentecost is staged Thursday-Sunday at CCM's Patricia Corbett Theater. More info/tickets: ccm.uc.edu.
See some magic at the Newport Aquarium with the WEEKI WACHEE MERMAIDS
Mermaids are no longer a myth — they are a limited-time attraction at the Newport Aquarium. Watch the graceful and finned Weeki Wachee Mermaids as they swim underwater with sea creatures daily inside the aquarium’s tanks. The Weeki Wachee Mermaids, a classic roadside attraction from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Florida, have been swimming for more than 60 years, delighting visitors with simple magic. Through Oct. 12. Free with admission. Newport on the Levee, Newport, Ky., newportaquarium.com.
Celebrate Nigeria at NAIJA FEST
The Nigerian Association of Greater Cincinnati Area presents Naija Fest, a celebration of Nigeria’s independence. This year marks Nigeria’s 55th year as a free country, and this fest highlights the art and culture of the country with Nigerian dances, music, food and fashion. Noon-10 p.m. Saturday. Free. Fountain Square, Fifth and Vine streets, Downtown, myfountainsquare.com.
SUNDAY
Watch the BENGALS take on the Chiefs
Fresh off an epic back-and-forth battle on the road against the division-rival Ravens, the undefeated Who Deys return to Paul Brown Stadium to host Kansas City. Can Andy Dalton and all his cool skill players score on the Chiefs’ D? Will Kansas City be angry after getting whomped by the Packers on Monday Night Football? Will Adam Jones do anything crazy? There’s only one way to find out — play the game! 1 p.m. Sunday. $40-$270. 1 Paul Brown Stadium, Downtown, bengals.com.
Fresh off an epic back-and-forth battle on the road against the division-rival Ravens, the undefeated Who Deys return to Paul Brown Stadium to host Kansas City. Can Andy Dalton and all his cool skill players score on the Chiefs’ D? Will Kansas City be angry after getting whomped by the Packers on Monday Night Football? Will Adam Jones do anything crazy? There’s only one way to find out — play the game! 1 p.m. Sunday. $40-$270. 1 Paul Brown Stadium, Downtown, bengals.com.
The TANNAHILL WEAVERS are one of vintage Celtic music's greatest torchbearers
If you are a fan of Celtic music, this week’s visit by Scotland’s greatest purveyors of the traditional sound, Tannahill Weavers, is a serious must-see event. The group formed in 1968 in Paisley, Scotland (near Glasgow) and has since become an international ambassador for the Scottish-slanted brand of Celtic music. While certainly dependent on the traditions of the centuries-old music (using classic instrumentation like bagpipes, bouzouki, flutes, bodhran and fiddle), the Weavers are also often lauded for injecting their translation of the sound with a dose of modern vitality — not quite on par with, say, the Punk-fueled Dropkick Murphys, but there is often a distinct Rock & Roll spirit behind the group’s approach and live energy. Tannahill Weavers are one of vintage Celtic music’s greatest torchbearers and deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as contemporary legends like The Chieftains. 7 p.m. Sunday. $12; $15 day of show. Molly Malone’s Covington, 112 E. Fourth St., Covington, Ky., 859-491-6659, covington.mollymalonesirishpub.com.
Buy something cool at the final TRISTATE ANTIQUE MARKET of the season
The final Tri-State Antique Market of the season takes over the Lawrenceburg Indiana Fairgrounds with more than 200 antiques and vintage-only dealers. From estate jewelry and Civil War tintype to 19th-century primitives and Pop Art, everything must be at least 30 years old and out of production. It’s a show for collectors and casual shoppers alike. 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. $3. US 50, Lawrenceburg, Ind., queencityshows.com/tristate.
The SUICIDEGIRLS get sexy at the 20th Century Theater
Avid Instagram users might recognize SuicideGirls as the adult lifestyle brand that catapults pierced and tattooed models to social media fame (or you just might be a member of their online community), but the company also produces a burlesque show, which will be making a stop here in Cincinnati. Their tongue-in-cheek humor, choreography and provocative tributes to pop culture and music all combine to make it unlike any other burlesque act you’ve ever seen. As VICE called it, “Comicon meets burlesque nerd orgy.” 18 and up. 8:15 p.m. Sunday. $25-$85. 20th Century Theater, 3021 Madison Road, Oakley, suicidegirls.com.
The Cincinnati Pops tackles the SOUNDS OF SIMON AND GARFUNKEL
The Cincinnati Pops frequently perform Pop music — they take on live orchestrations of popular film scores, bring in celebrity guests (like Seinfeld’s and Broadway’s Jason Alexander in March 2016) and collaborate with musical groups like Pink Martini. This weekend, they’re going Folk and performing the Sounds of Simon and Garfunkel. Guest vocalists and guitarists AJ Swearingen and Jonathan Beedle perform a tribute to the duo, covering songs like “Mrs. Robinson,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Cecilia” and other hits. 7 p.m. Sunday. $20-$90. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org.
The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company stages CYRANO DE BERGERAC
Edmond Rostand’s play, like its hero, seems to have fallen unexpectedly from the moon. Cyrano de Bergerac was a surprising instant hit in Paris late in 1897. Its premiere received an hour-long standing ovation, and it was subsequently performed for 200 consecutive nights. The heroic comedy about the romantic swordsman and poet was an anomaly in late 19th-century France, when literature was rife with realistic tales by the likes of Émile Zola and Alexandre Dumas, fils. Read the full review of Cincy Shakes' production of Cyrano here. Cyrano de Bergerac is staged at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company through Oct. 3. More info/tickets: cincyshakes.com.
Watch the finale of FEAR THE WALKING DEAD
The military moves out, the dead begin to gain numbers and our survivors work to keep their families — and bodies — from being ripped apart. And your prayers have been answered: a new episode of Talking Dead follows the finale. Season Finale, 9 p.m., AMC.
