EDITOR’S NOTE 3/16: Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has ordered the closing of all bars, movie theaters, restaurants and gyms across the state until further notice, effective 5 p.m. Monday. Drive-thru, takeout, and food deliveries will be available. Additionally, in keeping with the latest Center for Disease Control guidelines, he has also prohibited gatherings of more than 50 people.

“We have never seen anything like this before,” Hogan said in a press conference announcing the changes. “By these actions, we’re going to stop the spread and we’re going to save lives.”

The butterfly effect surrounding the rising cases of coronavirus across the state of Maryland and the United States has been far-reaching. Among the first public institutions that made the decisions to close earlier this week were local colleges and universities. At the University of Baltimore, students are being prepped to take online classes from their instructors, as they will not return to campus after spring break as a precaution—a measure that will likely be in place for all universities in the Maryland state system.

“It’s become a new reality,” says Darlene Smith, the executive vice president and provost of the University of Baltimore. “We’re planning for an extended period of this, and we’re reaching out to students to make sure that they’re prepared. Our teams come into work every day, even before we get to the office, wondering what’s next and what’s changing.”

Indeed, the developments and updates surrounding COVID-19 are coming minute by minute, prompting many of the city’s public institutions to act in an effort to inhibit patrons’ exposure. In some cases, spaces around the city are closed altogether. Here is a running list of gathering spaces whose operations have been impacted by the virus:

MUSEUMS

Earlier this week, member organizations of the Greater Baltimore Historical Alliance met to discuss best practices in the wake of the coronavirus. Many museums in the city are remaining open, instituting double cleaning measures to ensure a safe environment for guests. However, large events and public exhibitions at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, and the JHU Museums have been cancelled until April 12.

On its website, the Baltimore Museum of Industry posted a statement detailing its close-monitoring of the situation, reiterating its commitment to hygiene.

Port Discovery Children’s Museum is temporarily closed to the public. A reopen date has not been announced.

The Walters Art Museum has announced its closure from March 14 through March 31.

The Baltimore Museum of Art will be closed until April 12.

The National Aquarium announced in a statement that will be closed from March 14 through at least March 27. All employees will be paid during this closure.

“The aquarium believes it is their ethical responsibility to adhere to the scientific community’s recommendation to limit large social gatherings at this time,” the statement reads.

SPORTS

March marks what is supposed to be the beginning of the Orioles season, as spring training nears its end and Opening Day approaches. But Major League Baseball has cancelled the remainder of spring training games, as well as the first two weeks of its regular season. At this point, it is unclear when the season will begin. The news also means the cancellation of the Orioles’ planned exhibition game against the New York Mets at the Naval Academy in Annapolis.

“The Orioles organization is fully supportive of Major League Baseball’s decision to suspend Spring Training games and to delay the start of the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks,” the team said in a statement. “The health and safety of our players, fans, staff, and partners will always be our top priority.”

The Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum will remain open. According to executive director Shawn Herne, the museum is also instituting double cleaning measures and being vigilant about maintenance. The museum has an outdoor event planned around Orioles Opening Day, which will be postponed until the season officially begins.

RECREATION AND PARKS

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced Thursday that while Baltimore County parks will remain open, events managed by the county’s Recreation and Parks Department will be cancelled.

Baltimore Recreation and Parks has suspended all recreational programs, rentals, permitted events, and recreational facility services from March 16 through March 27. Additionally, with the exception of the Frederick, Dorothy I. Height, Cahill at Edgewood Elementary, Walter P. Carter at Guilford Elementary, and Ft. Worthington centers, food will be served from 2-7 p.m.

SCHOOLS

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Maryland Superintendent Karen B. Salmon announced that all public schools will be closed for two weeks starting Monday, March 16th until March 27.

PUBLIC GATHERINGS

On Friday, The Guinness Open Gate Brewery announced that it will be closed until further notice. The Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day Parade has also been postponed, as has the Under Armour Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced at the same Thursday press conference that all gatherings of 250 people or more are banned until further notice.

Additionally, the Sole of the City originally set for April 11 has been postponed until July 25.

The Theater at MGM National Harbor has cancelled its scheduled shows through March, and a Michael Ray and Carly Pearce Show at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has been postponed until October 17. Tickets will be valid for this rescheduled date.

Fells Point spots Max’s Taphouse, Kooper’s Tavern, Slainte Irish Pub and Restaurant, Woody’s Cantina, Poppy & Stella, The Admiral’s Cup, The Horse You Came In On Saloon, and DogWatch Tavern have all voluntarily closed until further notice. The Admiral’s Cup’s sister property, Bookmaker’s Cocktail Club in Federal Hill will also be closed.

A number of Little Italy restaurants are also voluntarily closing, but are offering curbside and delivery options.

Hersh’s in Federal Hill has closed temporarily, and Golden West Cafe in Hampden is switching to delivery and pick-up only until further notice.

Governor Hogan has ordered the closing of all casinos, racetracks and off-track betting facilities for a to-be-determined timeframe.

Metro Gallery has postponed its weekend shows as well as a scheduled show next Friday.

The Parkway Theatre is closing from March 13 through March 26.

VOLO Baltimore, which hosts recreational sporting and bar leagues, has postponed all scheduled events through March 30.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore announced all public Masses are cancelled until further notice.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland has cancelled public worship services beginning March 15 until at least March 27.

The Maryland Zoo is closed until further notice.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND BOOKSTORES

In a message posted to Facebook, Enoch Pratt Free Library CEO Heidi Daniel announced the cancellation of all public programs until March 31. City libraries will remain open in the meantime. Daniel added that cleaning materials and hand sanitizer have been provided to Pratt staff to have on hand.

“We feel this is in the best interest of keeping both our staff and customers safe,” Daniel said.

Elsewhere, local bookstore Greedy Reeds announced on Instagram that it is temporarily closing its stores. The shops are offering same-day delivery orders of $25 or more for those within 10 miles of its Fells Point store. Staff from both shops will be on call during business hours to answer questions and accept orders by phone or email.

Hampden’s Atomic Books is taking a similar approach, closing to the public until the end of March and shutting down all events until mid-April. Employees will still be at the store for those with any questions or requests and to fulfill online orders. The shop is also offering deliveries for those living within two miles.

The Ivy Bookshop and Bird in Hand will remain open, and are taking a fluid approach to upcoming events, urging those interested to check their calendar.

PERFORMANCE SPACES

The Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center has responded to questions surrounding coronavirus with a statement as of March 12: “We intend to stay the course with our programming schedule. Extra precautions like sanitation stations, extensive cleaning and disinfecting protocols are in place. We will remain vigilant and are prepared to make decisions based on current needs, as well as in response to changing conditions.”

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) announced that it is calling off all public events until March 21. Its ticket office will contact patrons who planned to attend these events for further instructions: “Given the seriousness of this evolving situation and concern for the health and well-being of our audiences, musicians and staff, the organization has cancelled these public events as the best course of action for our local and global community, as the institution does its part to minimize the spread of this virus,” the statement reads.

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Baltimore Improv Group, The Strand, Arena Players, Vagabond Players, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Rams Head Live!, Fells Point Corner Theatre, and Creative Alliance have issued similar statements.

Additionally, Creative Alliance has put a new full refund/exchange policy in place during the month of March, delayed the Baltimore Old Time Music Festival—likely until the summer—and fully cancelled the March 21 performance by the Marja Mortensson Trio. Everyman Theatre has waived ticket exchange fees and upgrade charges for the remainder of its New Voices Festival. Charm City Players has halted pre-show activities, but performances will continue as scheduled.

In a Facebook post, Ottobar announced that all events until April have been postponed.

“This was not an easy decision but felt to be the correct one,” the post reads. “The threat that COVID-19 poses is much greater than anticipated, we cannot in good conscience put the public, bands, and our staff in harm’s way.”

This post will be updated with further developments.

A quick turn down the hall from the Hippodrome Theatre’s Fayette Street side entrance reveals a strange sight for visitors to Baltimore’s base of operations for glitzy Broadway tours. Open double doors reveal two stories of windows pouring sunlight over long-hidden marble and steel beams, and pieces of the walls and floor seem to be missing. It’s hard to place what exactly what was there before. Were these doors always here? Did the building always go this far?

Take the time to look over a couple of project boards posted at the entrance and, if you’ve spent some time around the theater, it clicks. These walls were once a funny shade of tan, right? And those windows weren’t always so big, were they? No, they definitely weren’t. The space was once the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center’s ballroom, closed off to most and open only during special events (more than a few Best of Baltimore parties, for example).

The M&T Bank Pavilion, as the ballroom is officially known, was originally built as the Eutaw Savings Bank around 1881 and has been part of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center since the adjacent buildings were acquired by the state of Maryland in the 1990s. But the building has sat mostly unused for the past 15 years, and now work is finally underway to follow through on the original plans for the space: to turn it into a new venue, one that could be a gateway for audiences of all ages and stripes to interact with the Hippodrome in a whole new way.

Once complete, this historic space will be home to a 25,000-plus-square-foot flexible performance space that will expand the nonprofit Hippodrome Foundation’s ability to present shows, events, and educational programs, in addition to hosting cultural institutions around the city and providing them with a place to perform without the struggle of lugging or renting technical equipment. The new space will also allow the foundation to run its free camps and workshops for Baltimore-area schoolchildren year-round instead of only during the summer when the Hippodrome stage is free.

The expansion is just one of the forward-thinking projects currently underway among Baltimore’s theaters. There’s something stirring behind the scenes in the local theater community—and in many ways, the Hippodrome and theaters like it are taking their cues from their smaller, more experimental brethren. To be clear, there are still plenty of chances to bring the family to a classic retelling of Romeo and Juliet or a Disney musical, but there’s a radical streak running through the rehearsal halls and stages across the city, one that’s hoping to bring people back into their dimmed halls by exploring new voices and lending power to those who need their voices amplified.

In some ways, that streak has been around for ages, inspiring storytelling in neighborhoods across the city. In Fells Point, The Vagabond Players, one of the oldest continuously operating community theaters in the country, has been sustained by actors volunteering time and energy beyond the responsibilities of their daily lives to bring drama to its audiences for more than 100 years. Downtown, the African-American community theater company Arena Players is nearing its seventh decade in Baltimore, having first sprung up at what was then Coppin State College a decade ahead of the Black Arts movement elsewhere in the country.

There’s something stirring behind the scenes in the local theater community.

Then there’s the wealth of independent theaters and companies throughout the city—groups like Baltimore Theatre Project and Charm City Fringe and Spotlighters and Iron Crow—that have consistently been exposing city audiences to diverse works and new types of performances. This year alone has brought artist-owned performance space Le Mondo to a long-awaited home on Howard Street, marked color-conscious theater troupe ArtsCentric’s move to a permanent home in Remington, and sent experimental troupe Single Carrot Theatre away from its marquee and into new corners of Baltimore in hopes of “activating different neighborhoods in different parts of the city that may be less seen,” according to artistic director Genevieve de Mahy.

But, now, as we roll toward a new decade, the city’s larger companies have caught up as well. The Bromo Arts District, home to Everyman Theatre, The Hippodrome, Le Mondo, Arena Players, and several other venues, is abuzz, and there’s talk among this tight-knit group of creative leaders of bringing new voices to new audiences. They want to engage with people in new ways, encourage a new generation of theater-goers, and sate current audiences’ appetites for more diverse and inclusive works.

Just how to tackle all those goals is the question of the hour for Baltimore’s theaters, and its creative community in general. How do these cultural stewards reach out to people and get them to engage with the art they’re producing? Part of the answer is producing stories that are more representative of the diverse world in which we live. At Center Stage, that means highlighting works by women, people of color, and LGBTQ playwrights and reexamining the way they work with artists. The same is true at Everyman, where founding artistic director Vincent Lancisi is using this new season to blend classics with highlights from the current “golden age of female playwrights.” The theater is gambling on the idea with its biggest season ever, eight total plays, four of which are written by women and three of which, including the premiere of the final play in Caleen Sinnette Jennings’ Queens Girl trilogy, are part of the first-ever New Voices Festival. The festival will also launch an intimate new upstairs space.

“There’s a renaissance of playwriting and women authors out there. How long have we been suppressing this? We just haven’t seen them because they haven’t had opportunities and see the light of day. . . Now the opportunity has presented itself,” Lancisi says. “Let’s take the best of the best famous plays, pay homage to those who came before us, but let’s create a lot of opportunity for some of these new voices to be heard. The world is changing faster than we care to recognize or are even able to keep up with, and the theaters have to catch up.”

With greater representation and dedication to wider populations, there’s hope that, like it has during so many eras before, the theater can become a gathering place and center of education and activism. It’s the reason why socially conscious Single Carrot left the stage and started scouting spots to bring their immersive performances to new neighborhoods. And it’s the idea that compelled the folks from Center Stage to bring a truck bearing an invitation to Miss You Like Hell, a “joyful musical about an undocumented mother and her U.S.-born daughter” to the September meeting of GOP leaders in Harbor East because, as they explained, they thought the House Republicans would find the play “illuminating.” Escapism, this is not. As Center Stage puts it, they want to meet audiences where they are.

When new director of artistic partnerships and innovation Annalisa Dias joined Center Stage this summer, she put that intention into action by meeting with both local independent theaters and social justice organizations with the aim to better understand the work already being done in the city to engage audiences and connect them to resources. One such meeting was an education event hosted by Guerrilla Theatre Front’s Dogs of Art that covered immigrant rights, ICE detentions in Baltimore, and how people can help. The event helped inspire programming for Miss You Like Hell, for which Center Stage created a lobby installation that offered information on direct service providers working with the local immigrant community.

“We’re going to start opening these doors and really trying to activate the space in a new way,” Dias says. “It’s trying to rethink the experience of walking through these doors and going to a show and what you do before and after. How do we make this a space where people want to hang out and interact in a different way?”

For many companies, that “meet people where they are” mentality extends to area schools. Giving students the opportunity to experience drama and see themselves reflected in it is a common thread among the leadership of the city’s theaters both big and small. Whether it’s introducing school groups to the Bard at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company or building and performing an in-class puppet show with Black Cherry Puppet Theater, these troupes are finding ways to connect kids to the performing arts and hopefully start a lifetime of participation in the city’s creative landscape. Partnerships between the Hippodrome Foundation and the Baltimore Design School have even opened up theater as a career path by offering older students interested in costuming opportunities to learn from area professionals and network with local costume warehouses that work with national productions.

Student matinees at theaters across the city feature talkbacks with casts and crews, and students often say these class visits are the first time they have ever seen a professional production, a trend Everyman’s Lancisi has seen grow over the past decades.

“Sadly we’ve lost entire generations [of theater-goers] to date, and we like to say it’s because of price, but I think it’s also because of theater-going traditions,” Lancisi says. “It always requires somebody or some place to provide the exposure. The first time that the students come and see a play can be a life-altering experience for them. They see themselves on stage, or represented in some way, or their point of view matters when they’re encouraged to talk to us about it and react out loud as a community together.”

“The world is changing faster than we care to recognize . . . and the theaters have to catch up.”

Making the younger generations a part of this community is one of the keys to Baltimore theaters’ broader vision for the future, but the hope is that new voices and experiences will be the siren songs that bring people both young and old back into the theaters, away from streaming at home and back downtown. And once those audiences are in the seats, that they’ll engage with all the little things that add to the experience —local art inspired by the shows on the walls, chances to discuss work with the cast, interactive elements of the performance itself —but also with one another.

“[Center Stage] could be activated as a space where people really want to gather and unpack and process, a fun, joyful space of healing, resistance, power-building, democratizing. . . all these things,” Dias says. “We have power to change the way things have always been done and uplift and amplify artists who are living in the city.”

And as these spaces expand and diversify, the whole community benefits. More so than some other industries, there’s a feeling of camaraderie and support among Baltimore’s creative class. The larger venues are inspired by experimentation and new ideas coming from the smaller companies, and smaller companies can be assisted by the resources of the large as each inspires its audiences to seek out more from the wealth of options around it. The Hippodrome Foundation has already been in talks with 56 groups, including local concert series, art spaces, and other theater companies, about using their new state-of-the-art location once the renovation is complete.

“There are 70 arts organizations that don’t have permanent homes. We want to be the incubator for the growth that’s happening,” says Ron Legler, president of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. “What we’re hoping to do is take some of the smaller things that are out there that are gems in the city and help them grow and help them find different revenue sources to stay competitive.”

That growth and support means bringing works and performers to new audiences, and giving those audiences what has always worked in the theater, stories that connect and contribute to the conversation. If successful, they have the power to change the way people think and feel. It’s a big ask, but Baltimore’s casts and crews and creative leaders are willing to do the work. They’re used to doing things the hard way.

“The best case scenario for me has never changed, which is that all the theaters of Baltimore are full of audiences hungry for the work they’re doing, that their marquees are bright, that they’re reaching a wider audience, a more diverse audience, that people are willing to try new things or go to a theater they’ve never heard of before,” says Lancisi. “Doing things live is the most labor-intensive and challenging thing to do, but we do it because it’s magic. There’s nothing like it. You’ll have a communal experience, and it’ll just blow you away.”

Night of 100 Elvises
Dec. 1. The Lord Baltimore Hotel, 20 W Baltimore St.. 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Prices vary. When he was 15 years old, Jed Duvall watched an Elvis Presley impersonator perform in his high-school auditorium and thought: “I bet I could do that.” On the bus ride home, he stood up and belted out “Heartbreak Hotel” to the astonishment of his classmates, and he has been perfecting his impression of the King of Rock and Roll ever since. Unlike other Elvis-themed events, where he’s one of dozens of entertainers donning the singer’s signature white jumpsuit and mutton chops, Duvall looks forward to the Night of 100 Elvises, taking place this year on December 1, where the only thing the bands and acts have in common is that they’re performing songs by the King. “When you hear a bluegrass band do ‘Suspicious Minds,’ then it’s a party,” he says. “At the end of the day, we’re all out here honoring Elvis any way we know how.”

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Washington Monument Lighting
Dec. 6. 699 Washington Pl. 5-8 p.m. Free. ’Tis the season for the city’s longest-standing holiday tradition, which fills the cobblestone streets of Mount Vernon Place with thousands of visitors, festive performances, and tons of holiday cheer. After fueling up on hot cocoa and snacks from local vendors, find the perfect spot on the lawn to watch the big-bang firework display illuminate the night sky during the annual lighting of the beloved Washington Monument.

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Olde Tyme Christmas

Dec. 1. Fells Point. 9AM-7PM. Prices Vary. Fells Point already feels otherworldly thanks to its storied history and cobblestone charm, but, for the 15th year, the waterfront neighborhood will transform into a winter wonderland during this annual fête. Snap pictures with Santa Claus after he arrives by tugboat, compete in the eggnog-drinking contest, and then cap off the night by witnessing the annual tree lighting in Broadway Square and the Lighted Boat Parade floating down the harbor.

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Mayor’s Christmas Parade
Dec. 2. Locations vary. 1 p.m. Free. Ring in the most wonderful time of the year with this 46th annual parade that leads a jolly assortment of local marching bands, giant balloons, festive floats, a fleet of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and, of course, Santa Claus and Miss Yuletide through the streets of Medfield and Hampden. Find a spot along the two-and-a-half-mile parade route—which begins at Poly Western High School, winds down Cold Spring Lane, and ends at 37th Street—to catch some candy, sip on hot cocoa, and give a wave to Mayor Catherine Pugh.

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Anastasia
Dec. 4-9. 12 N Eutaw St. Times vary. $99-225. Based on the 1997 Disney film of the same name, this dazzling musical travels back in time to the Russian Empire during the 1920s and follows the tale of an adventurous young woman searching for answers about her past. With direction by Tony Award-winner Darko Tresnjak and a rich new score, this wintertime classic will warm the hearts of Hippodrome Theatre audiences with songs such as “Once Upon a December” and “Journey to the Past.”

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The Importance of Being Earnest
Dec. 4-30. 315 W Fayette St. $25-65. This month, Everyman Theatre’s critically acclaimed resident company will bring to life Oscar Wilde’s uproarious comedy that’s been applauded by generations for its portrayal of Victorian marriage, morality, and mistaken identities. Head to the downtown theater to experience the many twists and turns of this fast-paced play that’s considered Wilde’s masterpiece.

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A Charlie Brown Christmas
Dec. 9. 140 W. Mt Royal Ave. Times vary. $25-55. We all know and love the Peanuts, and this winter, see Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole gang come alive on the Lyric stage during this all-new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Bring the entire family to this one-night-only musical and sing along to holiday carols and classic tunes by original composer Vince Guaraldi. $25-55, modell-lyric.com.

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The Stoop Ha-Ha-Holiday Show
Dec. 11. The Senator Theatre, 5904 York Rd. 7 p.m. $15-23. Whether it’s good, bad, or ugly, everyone has a memorable story about their holiday adventures (or misadventures). Pack the Senator Theatre for the Stoop Storytelling Series’ can’t-miss holiday show featuring cocktails, live music by Tongue and Cheek Jazz Band, and side-aching laughs as locals share their most unforgettable holiday tales.

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Baltimore Chanukah Festival
Dec. 12. McKeldin Square, Inner Harbor, 101 E. Pratt St. 2:30-5:30 p.m. Free. One of our city’s bragging points is that the Esther Anne Menorah, which stands in McKeldin Square during the holidays, is the second-largest menorah in the world. While the lighting of the 30-foot-tall menorah is the main event of this lively festival, head to the Inner Harbor early to hear live music, grabs eats and drinks from local vendors, and follow the dancing dreidels to the Chanukah Wonderland.

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Kwanzaa Celebration
Dec. 29. 830 E. Pratt St. 12-4 p.m. $5. Whether you’re a practiced celebrator or simply want to learn more about the week-long holiday, devote the third day of Kwanzaa to this all-out celebration at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Visit the downtown museum to take in traditional African dance and drumming performances, learn more about the holiday’s rich history during workshops and lectures, and browse locally made goods in the African Marketplace.

Charm City Fringe Festival
Nov. 1-11. Locations and times vary. $10-98. Now in its seventh year, this annual celebration of Baltimore’s non-traditional theater scene returns to the Bromo Arts District for 10 days of eclectic performances by more than 20 local and regional acts. From unconventional circus and variety acts to off-kilter comedy and theater pieces, catch quirky sets by rising stars such as BlueShift Dance, comedian Arielle Conversi, and award-winning performance artist Monica Hunken, pictured, during this cutting-edge festival.

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Jim Burger: A Charmed Life
To Nov. 24. Creative Alliance. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free. From Baltimore Orioles fans leaving Memorial Stadium for the final time to women waiting under hair dryers at a Highlandtown salon, images by former Baltimore Sun photographer Jim Burger have encapsulated the city’s hidden beauty over the years. This month, view more than 130 photographs by the MICA grad during this retrospective exhibit at Creative Alliance, and return on November 8 for a special presentation of Burger’s full-color catalog of work.

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Baltimore Craft Beer Festival
Nov. 3. $15-55, As the Old Line State’s craft beer scene has expanded over the past few years, this annual all-you-can-drink festival has grown along with it. Now in its fourth year, the Brewers Association of Maryland’s signature event will host more than 50 Maryland-only breweries at Canton Waterfront Park for an afternoon of sampling drafts from newcomers such as Checkerspot Brewing and Antietam Brewery, a homebrewing competition, and tons of local eats to soak up the suds.

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Across the Bay 10K
Nov. 4. Chesapeake Bay Bridge. 6:55 a.m. $70-250. If you’ve ever driven across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and wondered what it would be like to run across it, you’re in good company. Lace up your sneakers for this early-morning run that draws more than 20,000 joggers to the starting line every year to soak up the views of the bay from 200 feet above the water. Stick around for live music, family-friendly activities, and all-you-can-drink options during the post-race festivities.

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Travis Scott
Nov. 8. 201 W Baltimore Street. 7:30 p.m. $35.95-250. It has been a busy year for this 26-year-old rapper: His third album, Astroworld, released to rave reviews, he became a first-time parent with celebrity cosmetics mogul Kylie Jenner, and this month, he will kick off his 25-city tour in front of a jam-packed crowd at Royal Farms Arena. Known for his unpredictable performances, this explosive artist will perform dance hits such as “SICKO MODE” and “BUTTERFLY EFFECT.” Who knows? Fans might even catch a glimpse of Kylie and Stormi in the audience.

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Romare Bearden
Nov. 11- March 3, 2019. 830 E Pratt St.. Times vary. Free-$8. A collection of pieces by the prolific visual artist Romare Bearden, best known for his collages and other works depicting the realities of African-American life during the 1960s, will be on view at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in dedication to the artist’s tremendous impact on the community. See more than 70 of the late artist’s collages, watercolors, and drawings at this downtown museum and honor his depiction of African-American religion and spirituality.

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Fiddler on the Roof
Nov. 13-18. 12 N Eutaw St.. Times vary. $99-250.50. Set in the tiny village of Anatevka in 1905, this time-honored musical about a poor milkman finding suitors for his five daughters in their Jewish community has become a Broadway classic. During its five-day run at the Hippodrome Theatre, experience the charming story that has won the hearts of audiences for decades with themes of change, tradition, and growth, featuring new movement from Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter.

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BAZAART Holiday Art Market
Nov. 23-24. Jim Rouse Visionary Center 3rd Floor, 800 Key Hwy. Times vary. Free. Start the holiday season off right by supporting local artisans during the American Visionary Art Museum’s annual holiday art market, featuring tons of one-of-a-kind items that make early-bird shopping special. Held on Small Business Saturday, the market will highlight original creations made by more than 40 regional artists such as paintings, textiles, and jewelry. After you’re shopped out, take a free tour of the acclaimed Jim Rouse Visionary Center. avam.org.

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BSO Pulse: Parquet Courts
Nov. 29. 1212 Cathedral St.. 8:30PM. $25-55. Now in its fourth season, this first-of-its-kind series that brings together some of the city’s best classic and indie artists returns with a collaboration between the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and alternative rockers Parquet Courts. Don’t miss this three-set concert at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall that will feature a set by the BSO, followed by a few songs from this rising indie group’s latest album, Wide Awake!, before they join the BSO for a joint performance.

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Miracle on 34th Street
Nov. 24-Jan. 1, 2019. W 34th St.. 6-11 p.m. Prices vary. Jim Pollock treats the Miracle on 34th Street tradition like a series of date nights. Every evening from Thanksgiving weekend to New Year’s Day for the past 29 years, he has come home from work, washed up, and opened his home and heart to the hordes of people who visit the 700 block of 34th Street in Hampden to see the “most outrageous Christmas lights” in Maryland. Known on the block for his 10-foot-tall tree made out of 104 hubcaps, he also welcomes about 1,200 visitors per night into the makeshift gallery in his living room to view work by local artists. “This tradition is about finding a moment of peace and togetherness in all of this chaos,” says Pollock. “We do this for the city that we love.”

Africa Umoja—The Spirit of Togetherness is a beautiful musical about the history of South Africa told through the musical traditions that have shaped the country. “Umoja,” a Swahili word for unity, is a fitting title for a vibrant and culturally expressive theatrical work.

Audiences have a chance to learn more about South Africa’s vibrant musical legacy with a limited run through October 28 at the historic Hippodrome Theatre.

“It’s very important to show my history especially in South Africa, because for many years it’s been excluded because of apartheid,” said co-creator Todd Twala. “A lot of people don’t know about my country because we were in seclusion. We were taught a very different history.”

Started as an advocacy and leadership initiative for young South Africans who struggled with homelessness and school retention, the Africa Umoja initiative later evolved into an extravagant production that allowed its participants to travel outside of South Africa to share their powerful dance traditions around the world.

“There was a need for me to teach the youth of South Africa about where they come from musically around dance,” Twala continued. “All over the country they adopted foreign clothes. It was important to teach them who they were and where they came from musically.”

Africa Umoja features dances from the rural countryside of South Africa, the booming metropolises of Johannesburg, and regions in between. The performance includes mourning songs and movements of women whose husbands left them to find work, the slapping gumboot dances of miners, the snake dances of Venda girls on the verge of adulthood, and some contemporary dances from South African youth.

The show chronicles South African history by recalling memories from the life of musician and performer Penuel Bhekizitha Ndaba, lovingly known as “Hope.” Though Hope passed away in 2014, a cast member stands in his place as a narrator who explains cultural nuances and expresses, with great pride, the music that helped black South Africans overcome overwhelming oppressions.

Hope also serves as a transitional guide who contextualizes the sociopolitical issues that influenced the musical traditions of each era. “Our music is like our country—it is growing,” Hope notes as a cast of dancers and drummers take over the stage.

All of the cast members give high energy, invigorating performances that not only highlight the sophistication and dexterity of Twala’s choreography, but also showcase a nuanced representation of dance traditions that are rarely exhibited outside of South Africa. One of the first scenes that opens the show featured Sangoma, Zulu healers, and shaman who communicated with ancestral spirits through a chorus of drumming and songs. Men in full Zulu regalia stomped the ground and kicked their legs up towards the sky. The thunderous sound of drums and feet coalesced with the melodic voices of the men. In those moments, the audience became witness to something sacred, an experience that needs no translation.

That feeling of being a part of something special, not just a passive member of the audience, persisted throughout the over two-and-a-half-hour performance. Each scene established how the dances and fashion of South African communities evolved over time, post-migration from rural communities to the city, through police violence and apartheid, into the contemporary moment.

“We are living in borrowed times, we need to support each other, look after each other, help each other embrace each other instead of pointing fingers,” Twala said. “The weather is changing. The world is changing. There is no time for all of this craziness. My wish is that when people see the show they will leave the theater with an open heart, togetherness, and happiness.”

The 2018-2019 Hippodrome Theatre season will bring nine productions to its stage, eight of which are still on Broadway. Most notable, perhaps, is the Baltimore premiere of the much-raved-about Hamilton, which has taken the theater world by storm since its debut in 2015.

“Hamilton in Baltimore—I’m just so excited,” says Ron Legler, president of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center at Hippodrome, in a phone conversation with Baltimore. “To have the first-ever Washington Monument in Mt. Vernon and the Lafayette Monument and the history of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ here, it’s just so exciting that we’re doing Hamilton over the Fourth of July weekend [in 2019].”

Another highlight is the musical Come From Away, inspired by true events. It tells the story of a small Canadian town where some 7,000 people were stranded after dozens of planes were ordered to land there following 9/11. What transpires is a story of humanity and hope, as the townspeople take in these weary travelers. Legler calls the show moving and uplifting, as it takes its audience on an incredible journey.

He also raves about The Play That Goes Wrong (the only production on the bill that’s not a musical): “At this show, your stomach hurts from laughing so much.”

Suitable for children—and fun for adults—are the whimsical and wonderful Roald Dahl favorite Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Anastasia, inspired by the films.

Also on tap for what Legler calls a banner season are Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I, Tony Award-winning Best Musical The Book of Mormon, Tony Award-winning Les Misérables, and the classic Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher.

A QUICK RUN DOWN:

LES MISÉRABLES: Oct. 9 to 14

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF: Nov. 13 to 18

ANASTASIA: Dec. 4 to 9

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: Jan. 22 to 27

THE KING AND I: Feb. 19 to 24

THE BOOK OF MORMON: April 2 to 7

COME FROM AWAY: April 23 to 28

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG: June 4 to 9

HAMILTON: June 25 to July 21