Puppeteer Margaret Moody will bring her popular puppet shows and puppet making workshops to Artbeat, as the first resident artist in the newly designated open art space.

February’s Puppet Pop-up kicks off on Saturday, February 15 at 5 PM with Monkey Makes Mischief in Heaven, a traditional Bu Dai Xi (‘cloth bag theater’) puppet show presented with traditional Taiwanese hand puppets and choreography. Margaret Moody studied Bu Dai Xi with the I Wan Jan Traditional Hand Puppet Troupe in Taiwan in the 1980s. She loves the acrobatic flourishes of Bu Dai Xi as well as the subtle gestures that reveal a puppet’s personality. This is a performance that older children, teens and adults will especially enjoy.

Moody will also present puppet shows: Taking Turns, Tuesday, February 18, 10:30 am and Mathilda’s Bath on Thursday, February 20, 10:30 am. These shows are perfect for children as young as 3 years old and are performed with needle-felted animal puppets.

Hands-on puppet making and puppet play will be available the entire week, with everything from silly sock puppets to talking paper plate puppets. For a full schedule of puppetry events, please see margaretmoodypuppets.com.

A final workshop on Friday, February 21 brings the ancient art of shadow puppets to the studio, as guests learn to fashion jointed puppets and tell stories with shadows projected onto a screen.

Artbeat (www.artbeatonline.com) is located at 212A Mass Ave, near the Capitol Theatre in Capitol Square.

Grab your ruby slippers and click your heels three times to transport yourself to Arlington's Show Place of Entertainment for The Wizard of Oz Sing-A-Long! We're transforming the theatre into the Emerald City and you're invited to watch this classic movie-musical with all the words to the songs on the screen for you and all your friends to Sing-A-Long with!

A Master of Ceremonies will introduce the film and lead the crowd through the evening's audience participation, which includes singing along with Dorothy and hissing at the Wicked Witch. Then you will participate in a "voice warm-up" as the digitally restored 1939 Academy Award-winning film is subtitled with words to such well-known tunes as Over The Rainbow, Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead!, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, The Lollipop Guild, and We're Off to See the Wizard. Every audience member will receive a Perform-Along Fun Pack!

To complete the Sing-A-Long Wizard of Oz experience, audience members are encouraged to dress as their favorite Wizard of Oz character. The Master of Ceremonies will lead an on-stage costume parade... munchkins, flying monkeys, wizards, witches, tin men, lions, scarecrows, and twisters are all welcome!

In this highly anticipated feature length documentary, the absolute instigator of rock ‘n’ roll, Chuck Berry, is truly revealed, with unprecedented exclusive access. Despite his iconic status, and reverence for his talent by rock’s heroes John Lennon, Keith Richards, Steven Van Zandt, Joe Perry, Nils Lofgren and Alice Cooper, all featured, Chuck Berry was a family man. He was a prolific craftsman of word and chords; an undisputed and stunning combination of talent and charisma. Director Jon Brewer (B.B. King: The Life of Riley, Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark), was personally selected by the Berry Estate to produce and direct the inside story of the man known as the bedrock of rock ‘n’ roll.

Saturday, February 22, 1:30-3:00 pm

THE GREAT CHOCOLATE TRAIN WRECK MYSTERY.

At this school vacation week program for children for children aged 4 to 9 years, participants will enjoy an electric train running around its tracks, hearing an original train story based on the true story of how a train in Hamilton, New York tipped over one night and spilled bundles of chocolates and cocoa in the area! The program with educator Peggy Fenner will include songs, stories and creative activities. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Refreshments will be served.

Fascination Street introduces a body of work that synthesizes Ryczek's experience of visiting Seoul, South Korea in 2016. Through his distinctive blend of realism and surrealism, Ryczek compellingly presents the experience of traveling to an unfamiliar country, being overwhelmed by new sights and sensations, and distilling coherent memories from it all.

Reception at 4:00 pm, artist talk begins at 4:30 pm.

Have you ever watched Dancing with the Stars and yearned to move gracefully across the floor with a partner, while having a ton of fun? Become familiar with some basic patterns of popular social dances such as the waltz, foxtrot, rumba, cha cha, tango, and swing. Explore the fundamentals of your dance frame, footwork, timing, and etiquette. By the end of the course, you will be able to dance several patterns to each style of dance, recognize the music you’re dancing to, and enjoy every future social dance event more fully. No experience or partner required.

Instructor Oksana Haiduchok has trained and performed in various styles of dance. Upon moving to Boston, from Ukraine, she became a certified Arthur Murray Professional Ballroom Instructor with the Cambridge studio. Her success as a teacher has stemmed from her genuine passion for dancing and belief that everyone can learn.

Vamos bailar! Learn the steps and rhythms of popular and dynamic Latin dances including the spicy and energetic salsa, the sensual shuffle of merengue, the Dominican-born bachata, and the triple-step based cha cha. In a fast, fun, and easy class, we will break down the basics of these hot dances so you can spice up any dance floor you step on. Classes feature a strong focus on partnering, styling, and the characteristics of each dance. No experience or partner required.

Instructor Oksana Haiduchok has trained and performed in various styles of dance. Upon moving to Boston, from Ukraine, she became a certified Arthur Murray Professional Ballroom Instructor with the Cambridge studio. Her success as a teacher has stemmed from her genuine passion for dancing and belief that everyone can learn.

See the Oscar winning film Glory staring Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick and Morgan Freeman. This screening is accompanied by a special presentation by the 54th Mass. Volunteer Infantry. Banner artist Joey James will also be in attendance. Free and open to the public!

Film Running Time: 122 Minutes [Rated R]

Led by Music Director Orlando Cela, the orchestra will take the audience on a musical journey to France with works by composers Maurice Ravel and Jean-Baptiste Lully, Mozart’s Symphony No. 31 “Paris Symphony”, and a special performance of Camille Saint-Saens’ Violin Concerto No. 3 by the 2019 PSA Young Artist Competition Tannenwald Prize Winner, Jacqueline Tso. Tickets will be on sale at the door: $20 General Admission, $15 Students/Seniors, $5 Children 17 & Under.  Wheelchair Accessible. The Philharmonic Society of Arlington, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit community organization incorporating The Arlington Philharmonic Orchestra, The Arlington-Belmont Chorale, and The Arlington-Belmont Chamber Chorus.  For more information, visit www.psarlington.org

Come unwind with a creative night out at our Wine Glass Painting Workshop! We’ll provide the glasses and materials, just bring yourself (and any crafty, wine-loving friends!). Artist Abby Hutt will show you how to use glass-painting pens and paints to create your own beautiful personalized wine glass. These make wonderful gifts for a special occasions or save them for yourself to add a little color to your glassware collection. $35 per person (includes 2 wine glasses). Call 781-646-2200 to check availability and reserve your spot now.

Escape the doldrums of Winter and celebrate at Arlington’s Showplace of Entertainment because there isn’t another band in the world that can pull off a cover of Bohemian Rhapsody like the Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra! Celebrate the music of Queen!

The WOMEN’S ADVENTURE FILM TOUR presented by Hydro Flask and Helinox, is back in North America for its second season! This is the original Women’s Adventure Film Tour, created by Adventure Entertainment in partnership with national nonprofits, and local, female-led groups, such as Naretoi, Explorer Chick and Outdoor Women’s Alliance.

Currently, the film lineup features an all-star cast of international athletes including, 2-time Appalachian Trail FKT record holder, Jennifer Pharr-Davis, Red Bull cliff diver Rhiannan Iffland, climber Angie Scarth-Johnson, The North Face Athlete Team Captain Hilaree Nelson and many more including women in snow sports, mountaineering and mountain biking. The playlist is refreshed often to keep up with the great content being produced.

Each screening of the WOMEN’S ADVENTURE FILM TOUR features 5-8 short films across 100 minutes +/-. Selected screenings will include emcee introductions, prize draws and Q&A. The WOMEN’S ADVENTURE FILM TOUR is exempt from classification, but the films are suitable for the entire family and would otherwise obtain G/PG ratings.

The Jam’n Java Open Mic at Kickstand Café takes place on the First Friday of every month 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm at Kickstand Café, 594 Mass. Ave., Arlington, MA (Arlington Center)

Come listen to talented local performers or sign up to play. All are welcome. Admission is free. Performer sign up starts at 6:00 pm

On a typical evening, a dozen or more acts perform one or two songs each. Midway through the evening a featured act performs a 30-minute set.

Open mic performers include individuals of all ages and musical styles as well as aspiring local artists. Midway through the evening a featured act performs a 30-minute set.

Friday, March 6 feature act is Outrageous Fortune a Boston-based acoustic vintage jazz and blues trio. Their repertoire features innovative arrangements of early jazz, blues, jug band music, and traditional folk music.

Romance, revelry, and enchanting music ignite in this contemporary, yet faithful musical adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy. The king and his best buds decide at their college reunion to swear off the joys of women. When four clever women from their past show up, love and devotion are put to the test with hilarious results. Clever and charming, this show will delight everyone with its fresh appeal.
Directed by Katie Pickett
Music Directed by Bethany Aiken
Choreographed by Michael Hogman

Songs by Michael Friedman
Book Adapted by Alex Timbers

“Love’s Labour’s Lost” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

Three identical triplets are separated at birth and adopted by three different families, only later to be reunited in their 20’s by a series of coincidences. Their astonishing, inspiring story gains universal attention complete with fame and celebrity, but what eventually unfolds is far from unilateral fortuitousness. The brothers’ most unlikely reunion results in the unearthing of an unconscionable series of events with dire repercussions. A desire to investigate a reasonable scientific hypothesis leads to a concatenation of morally indefensible actions

No Limits, a nationwide nonprofit organization with over 23 years of having empowered deaf children and families to dream big for their futures, presents Silent NO MORE on one night only at Arlington’s Showplace of Entertainment. Directed by, Dr. Michelle Christie (No Limits Founder and Executive Director,) this original live theatrical performance is an intimate storytelling event comprised of witty, inspiring and raw stories of growing up with hearing loss. It highlights both the struggles and the success of living in the modern world with hearing loss. The cast of Silent NO MORE features five-time American Comedy Award nominee Kathy Buckley, known for the award winning PBS special No Labels, No Limits. Acclaimed author Rebecca Alexander (Not Fade Away), and David Hawkins, John Autry, Henry Greenfield, Johnny Palmer and Michelle Tang.

Event includes 1-hour theatrical performance, plus access to an open-forum Question & Answer time with the Cast and audience members, a Meet and Greet, and a book signing.

The Arlington-Belmont Chorale and the Arlington-Belmont Chamber Chorus proudly present four gorgeous Romantic classics and one inventive new work.  The best known of these Romantic works is Nanie by Johannes Brahms, a lushly beautiful setting of a poem by Friedrich Schiller which celebrates the end of life as a step into a new, more peaceful world.  The theme of celebration of life continues with Robert Schumann’s Requiem fur Mignon, with text by the poet Johann von Goethe.  In this lively tribute to youth and joy, the chorus is joined by soloists including soprano Kennedy McAlister, who also serves as Assistant Conductor.  The program also includes two shorter Romantic works: As Torrents in Summer by Edward Elgar, and Christus factus est by Anton Bruckner. 

The newly commissioned work, Spacetime Synthesis, is composed by Morgan Jackson a former resident of Arlington and French horn player based in New York. The piece is a set of three pieces for chorus, flute, clarinet, and piano. The texts and pieces observe the worlds of mathematics, nature, and physics from very different viewpoints. 

Mystic Brass Ensemble (MBE), Arlington’s community brass ensemble, performs its winter concert on Sunday, March 8th with repertoire of Vienna’s Post-Romantic period. Compositions of Richard Strauss, Anton Bruckner, and Gustav Mahler will survey the greatest era for orchestral brass with symphonic exuberance and intimate song. Soprano Andrea Wozniak will joins the ensemble for Mahler’s “Urlicht”. Under the direction of Andrew Heath, MBE explores raw musical passion for the great brass compositions of past and present in traditional and progressive programs. Audiences of all ages are welcomed for this free concert. Donations will be accepted at the door, and online at fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/mystic-brass-ensemble

Esmeralda Santiago, author of 2020 Arlington Reads Together pick When I Was Puerto Rican, kicks off a month of Puerto Rico themed programs and events when she presents, “Esmeralda Santiago: Writing a Life,” Books will be available for purchase and signing after the event, courtesy of The Book Rack.

Esmeralda Santiago was born in Puerto Rico and came to the United States when she was thirteen years old. She is the author of three memoirs, two novels, a children’s book, and has co-edited two anthologies of Latino literature. Her transcultural experiences growing up in a rural barrio, poor and disenfranchised, inspire much of her work and her books have been translated into fifteen languages.

This event is presented by the Arlington Libraries Foundation.

Lullabies & Songs

Marjorie Dix, mezzo-soprano

Jean Stackhouse, piano

The East Coast Premiere of Every Great Dream 

by Mark Miller

Carolyn Good, conductor

Sue Paro, music director

with The Calvary Choir Women & Friends

Poems & Surprises from Queen Allotey-Pappoe, Angelica Brisk, Violet de Besche, Siobhan Brown, Morgan Dix, Cynthia Good, Natalie Good, Gloria Mendez, Sara Stackhouse, Bobbie Steinbach, Keziah Wilde, & more...

Spend an evening learning the meditative art of Mandala Dot Painting. Artist Abby Hutt guide you through this workshop with easy step-by-step instructions on how to sketch your mandala outlines, choose your own perfect color pallet, and use dot-making tools with acrylic paint to fill in the details. You’ll leave with your own beautiful Mandala Dot Painting canvas to hang in your home or give as a thoughtful gift to a loved one. $35 per person. Call 781-646-2200 to check availability and reserve your spot now.