culture

TREASURES OF SIAM. Get a taste of culture at the Harvard-MIT Thai Cultural show. Traditional dances, music ensembles and skits of ceremonies will be performed. For those motivated more by testosterone or dining-hall angst, keep in mind the martial arts exhibition and the after-show reception with Pad Thai and Thai Iced Tea. Friday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $12, $8 students, available at the Harvard Box Office, (617) 496-2222. Lowell Lecture Hall. (LAA)

WINTERFEST. Fast all morning, because you’ll need room for the Taiwanese Cultural Society’s annual winter food and cultural festival, offering both a 22 course Taiwanese meal, and the opportunity to make a chopstick gun. Between bites , learn a little Taiwanese language, or watch performances from the Asian American Dance Troup or TCS Chinese Yoyo Club. Friday, March 7 at 8:15 p.m. Tickets $7, available at the Harvard Box Office, (617) 496-2222. Quincy Dining Hall. (LAA)

music

MISSA SOLEMNIS. The Radcliffe Choral Society, Harvard Glee Club and Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum join forces to sing this Beethoven masterpiece. The Orchestra of Emmanuel Music and professional soloists Carole Haber and David Kravitz promises to be mythic in both proportion and impact. See article, page B-1. Friday, March 7 at 8 p.m. Tickets $9 to $28, available at the Harvard Box Office or by phone (617) 496-2222. Sanders Theater. (LAA)

LOUIE BELLSON. A legendary jazz drummer Duke Ellington once called “the greatest musician alive” performs this weekend with Kenny Hitchcock (sax), Derek Smith (piano) and Jay Leonhart (bass) in Cambridge. Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8 at 9 p.m. Tickets $25, available at Ryles or by phone (617) 876-9330. Ryles Jazz Club, 212 Hampshire Street, Inman Square, Cambridge, (617) 876-9330. (LAA)

KID KOALA. Montreal-based DJ Kid Koala will be in Harvard Square for an evening-long presentation of scenes from his book “Nufonia Must Fall.” The show will make use of a slide projector, four turntables, two electric pianos and the stylings of DJ Jester and DJ P-Love. The event is presented by the Middle East. Thursday, March 13, 7 and 10 p.m. Tickets $15, available in advance at the Brattle Theatre Box Office, the Middle East Box Office, or through Ticketmaster. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., (617) 876-6837. (BJS)

BACH SOCIETY ORCHESTRA, in their third concert of the season, will once again challenge their namesake, performing Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 5. The hour-and-a-half concert will feature pianist Katherine Chen ’06, winner of Bach Soc’s Concerto Competition. Friday, March 7 at 8 p.m. Tickets $8, $6 students, available at the Harvard Box Office or by phone (617) 496-2222. Paine Music Hall. (LAA)

dance

MORRIS ON THE MOVE. See Mark Morris, the acclaimed choreographer, for free when he comes to town for “A Conversation with Mark Morris on the Creative Process.” Moderated by Christopher Lydon, former host of WBUR’s “The Connection,” the event promises to thrill both dancers and would-be New York artistes. Monday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets free but required, available at the Harvard Box Office or by phone (617) 496-2222. Sanders Theater. (LAA)

theater

AUDIENCE & A MONOLOGUE. Immerse yourself in cutting-edge avant-garde theater in a wizened old space. Written and directed by Dan Poston ’03-’04 and presented by the Leverett House Arts Society, this experimental one-act aims to engage the audience more than the usual stage production. Runs Thursday, March 6 through Saturday, March 8. Tickets $4-$6, available at the Harvard Box Office or by phone (617) 496-2222. Leverett Old Library. (LAA)

HIGHWAY ULYSSES. See preview on Page 2. Saturday, March 1, through Saturday, March 22. Tickets $34-$68. American Repertory Theater, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St. (617) 547-8300. (SNJ)

IT’S A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE. Where would you like to visit after you die? The Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 155th spoof takes you through Heaven, Hell, and Limbo in a production of Divine Comedy proportions. Meet Rabbi Noah Fense, Nun Taken, and the Roman General Curtis Interruptus. Hilarious. Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets $25 weekdays, $27 weekends. Group discounts available. Through Wednesday, March 19. Hasty Pudding Theater, 12 Holyoke St., (617) 495-5205. (TIH)

TALK TO ME. Spend a night in boarding school and the Adams Pool—but leave the drama to the actors. An original play by Ellenor J. Honig ‘04, Talk To Me deals with obsession and friendship, and challenges the line between performance and reality. Thursday, March 13 through Saturday, March 15th at 8 p.m, with an additional show at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets $5, $4 students, available at the Harvard Box Office or by phone (617) 496-2222. Adams House Pool Theatre. (LAA)

readings

DAVID BROCK. The formerly conservative writer, most famous for blasting Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, will be reading from his new-in-paperback autobiography “Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative.” Tuesday, Mar. 11 at 7 p.m. WordsWorth Books, 30 Brattle St., (617) 354-5201. (BJS)

SUZAN-LORI PARKS. Parks, whose play Topdog/Underdog won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama last year, will be reading from her work in an event sponsored by the Du Bois Institute. Writer Elizabeth Alexander will also be reading at the event. Wednesday, Mar. 12 at 4 p.m. Free. Room B-04, Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St. (BJS)

visuals

STEVEN HOLL: LIGHT, MATERIAL AND DETAIL. The highly celebrated American architect enjoys a double exhibition across MIT’s campus. Works examined include the Helsinki Museum of Contemporary Art, Holl’s expansion to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and MIT’s very own Simmons Hall dormitory. Through April 16. Free. Hours: Mondays through Fridays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wolk Gallery, MIT School of Architecture and Planning. Mondays to Fridays 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m, Compton Gallery, MIT Museum. (RJK)

IMAGE AND EMPIRE: PICTURING INDIA DURING THE COLONIAL ERA. The exhibit features about 50 different works of art that capture different views of colonial India. See full story in the Feb. 7 Arts section. Through May 25. Hours: Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. $6.50, $5 students/seniors, free for Harvard ID holders, Cambridge Public Library card holders and to people under 18. Group rates available. Sackler Museum, 485 Broadway, (617) 495-9400. (CWP)

BUDDHIST ART: THE LATER TRADITION. This comprehensive exhibit at the Sackler of Buddhist art from China, Korea, Japan, Tibet and India spans more than 1000 years. See full story in the Feb. 14 Arts section. Through Sept. 7. Hours: Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. $6.50, $5 students/seniors, free for Harvard ID holders, Cambridge Public Library card holders and to people under 18. Group rates available. Sackler Museum, 485 Broadway, (617) 495-9400. (CWP)

THE COLOR YELLOW: BEAUFORD DELANEY. The exhibit, which is the first retrospective of an African-American artist at a Harvard University museum, is also Delaney’s first retrospective since he passed away in 1979. It features 26 highly textured, vibrant paintings by the underappreciated 20th-century African-American expatriate artist, most of which are dominated by warm, vivid shades of yellow See full story in the Feb. 28 Arts section. Through May 4. Hours: Mondays through Saturdays, 10 to 5 p.m.; Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. Free. Sert Gallery, Carpenter Center, 24 Quincy St., (617) 495-9400. (CWP)

film

HARVARD SQUARE LOEWS

10 CHURCH ST., (617) 864-4580

ABOUT SCHMIDT. About Schmidt, in a bizarrely somber, comedic fashion, is possibly the most depressing film of Jack Nicholson’s long career. His performance as a retired insurance executive is a deeply complex and hilariously tragic portrayal of the most banal aspects of one man’s post-mid-life crisis. Director Alexander Payne, famous for his digressions on suburban angst in films such as Election and Citizen Ruth, keeps the tone light and the characters archetypally and delicously bizarre. About Schmidt screens at 12:15, 3:15, 7 and 10 p.m. (CJF)

ADAPTATION. At its core, Adaptation is an analysis of the intellectual diseases that plague every writer, from editorial pressure to sibling rivalry to unrequited love. But its narrative edges make it a unique experience. Nicolas Cage plays writer Charlie Kaufman (the real-life writer of the film), who becomes consumed by his assignment to adapt Susan Orlean’s meditative nonfiction novel The Orchid Thief and his own personal eccentricities. Like Kaufman and director Spike Jonze’s previous film Being John Malkovich, several plots overlap and intertwine with surprising at dramatic twists, creating a frustrating, complex film that is infinitely insightful and weirdly moving. Adaptation screens at 12:30, 3:30, 6:15 and 9:15 p.m. (CJF)

CHICAGO. The potential revival of the Hollywood musical is upon us with Chicago—for better or worse. Ignoring its politicized ramifications as a genre revival, Chicago on its own is a pretty wild ride, showcasing once and for all that the new school of glitzy film stars can sing better than Jennifer Lopez. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, and especially John C. Reilly are surprisingly watchable in this furiously edited, expensive adaptation of the murderous Broadway classic. Chicago screens at 1, 4, 7:30 and 10:10 p.m. (CJF)

THE HOURS. This adaptation of Michael Cunningham’s Pulitzer-winning novel is unapologetically Oscar bait, backed by a triumvirate of A-list actresses (Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore). Yet for a film of its ostensible weight, The Hours certainly takes easy shots at its lead trio—three colossally boring straw women who rediscover their lost vitality in drearily obvious ways as the picture progresses. Perhaps The Hours’ greatest value rests in its side-by-side comparison of Moore, the greatest actress of her generation, and Streep, the most acclaimed actress of hers; when judged head-to-head, Moore ends up easily topping Streep, if for no other reason than that Streep persists in being an actress onscreen while Moore is content to be a person. The Hours screens at 12:45, 3:45, 6:45 and 9:45 p.m. (BJS)

THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE. Kevin Spacey stars as Professor David Gale, an anti-death penalty crusader accused of murdering a fellow activist (Laura Linney) in this issue movie from Alan Parker (Angela’s Ashes). Once Gale reaches death row, he gives his side of the story to an ambitious reporter (Kate Winslet). The film’s trio of Oscar darlings and hot social topic should lend some class and relevance, respectively, to the reportedly twist-heavy story. The Life of David Gale screens at 12, 3, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. (BJS)

KENDALL SQUARE CINEMA

ONE KENDALL SQ., (617) 494-9800

BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE. Bowling for Columbine screens at 4:50 and 9:50 p.m.

CITY OF GOD. City of God presents a strife-ridden world lurching towards destruction. City of God screens at 1, 3:50, 6:40 and 9:30 p.m.

LOST IN LA MANCHA. Lost in La Mancha screens at 2:40 and 7:40 p.m.

OPEN HEARTS. Open Hearts screens at 2, 4:30, 7:10 and 9:45 p.m.

THE PIANIST. The Pianist screens at 2:50, 6 and 9:10 p.m.

THE QUIET AMERICAN. The Quiet American screens at 2:30, 5, 7:30 and 10 p.m.

RIVERS AND TIDES. Rivers and Tides screens at 2:10, 4:20, 6:45 and 9 p.m.

RUSSIAN ARK. Russian Ark screens at 2:20, 4:40, 7:20 and 9:40.

THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS. The Safety of Objects screens at 1:10, 4, 6:55 and 9:35 p.m.

TALK TO HER. Talk to Her screens at 1:20, 4:10, 7:05 and 9:55 p.m.

—Happening was compiled by Ryan J. Kuo, Laura A. Aull, Christopher W. Platts, Benjamin J. Soskin, Tiffany I. Hsieh, Nathan K. Burstein, Clint J. Froehlich and Steve N. Jacobs.