Events

10 things to do in Boston this weekend

BosTen is your weekly guide to the best events and coolest happenings in and around Boston.

Elle Fanning and Colton Ryan in "The Girl From Plainville." Steve Dietl/Hulu

This week’s BosTen offers a mix of in-person and virtual things to do in Boston this weekend. Have an idea about what we should cover? Leave us a comment on this article or in the BosTen Facebook group, or email us at [email protected].

Toast spring with the Boston.com Cocktail Club

We’ve officially reached the beginning of spring, and — North End permit issues aside — that means patio season is just around the corner. This Thursday at 7 p.m., the Boston.com Cocktail Club will offer up a taste of spring with a pair of cocktails made with gin. Join host Jackson Cannon (The Hawthorne, Eastern Standard) and guest bartender Jose Luis Betancur (Beverage Director of Tuscan Brands) as they teach you how to make two gin cocktails: an herbal variation of the classic gimlet and pouring an evocative take on the gin fizz. Attending the Zoom is free, and you can find a full list of necessary ingredients here. — Kevin Slane

Watch a free screening of ‘C’mon C’mon’

It’s a shame that among the many worth films highlighted by the 2022 Oscars, the Academy couldn’t find space for “C’mon Cmon,” a charming drama from Mike Mills (“20th Century Women”). Joaquin Phoenix stars as a radio journalist who takes his nephew on a road trip, with the duo building a bond as they explore the world outside Los Angeles. If you haven’t seen it already, this Thursday at 7 p.m., ArtsEmerson will offer a free screening of the film, as well as a discussion with Emerson professor Mike Ryan afterward. — Kevin Slane

Catch up with the newest paintings at the ICA

The newest major group exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art — “A Place for Me” — is not only an assortment of, as the rest of the show’s name suggests, “Figurative Painting Now.” It’s also a look at the work of some of the hottest young talents from around the country and the different styles they use in their paintings. Among the eight artists being featured in the ICA’s Karen and Brian Conway Galleries starting this Thursday are painter/illustrator Louis Fratino and chiaroscuro specialist Arcmanoro Niles, who has drawn inspiration from the likes of Rothko and Caravaggio. — Ed Symkus

Stream ‘The Girl From Plainville’

The Hulu streaming series “The Girl From Plainville” introduces a worldwide audience to one of the most infamous court cases in recent Massachusetts history, chronicling the backstory of the infamous Michelle Carter “texting suicide” case. Starring Elle Fanning (“The Great”) as Carter, “The Girl From Plainville” is a cut above run-of-the-mill Lifetime movies, with Fanning and Chloe Sevigny (as the mother of Conrad Roy III) delivering powerful performances. While the series introduces fictionalized elements into a highly public narrative, it does so in an effort to afford the audience a better understanding of the protagonists. When the show moves into the courtroom in its second half, the energy sags a bit. But there are enough moments of genuinely impactful television to be found scattered throughout the eight episodes to make it worth your while. — Kevin Slane

See Best Picture winner ‘CODA’ in the city where it was filmed

Following its historic win at the Oscars last weekend, “CODA” will grace the silver screen for one more week. Gloucester Cinema will show “CODA,” which tells the story of the only hearing member of a deaf family in Gloucester, from April 1 through April 7. The unlikely Oscar-winning film has numerous ties to the Boston suburb — perhaps most notably that most of the movie was filmed in Gloucester. Troy Kotsur, who won best supporting actor for his role as a fisherman, thanked Gloucester in both his acceptance speech and in interviews — and promised a return trip to the Cape Ann community. — Marta Hill

Listen to the Handel & Haydn Society perform Vivaldi and Bach

Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society is as close as we can get to listening to 17th and 18th century composers unveil masterpieces. Relying on period instruments for authenticity, this world-class orchestra and professional chorus continues its 2021-22 season with two performances of Bach + Vivaldi Gloria on Friday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 3, at 3 p.m. at Symphony Hall in Boston. The program features three crown jewels of the Baroque era — Vivaldi’s sunny “Gloria”; J.S. Bach’s light and cheerful Orchestral Suite No. 1, which is known to showcase the H+H musicians’ phenomenal technical abilities; and CPE Bach’s “Magnificat”, featuring festive trumpets and drums alongside a chorus and soloists. — Cheryl Fenton

Experience a global sensation with Shen Yun at the Wang

Based in New York since 2006, Shen Yun Performing Arts tours the world with traditional Chinese performances like folk dance and story-based dance, along with solo performers. With dazzling backdrops, radiant costumes, and incredible talent, Shen Yun tells the story of China’s thousands of years of civilization in one stage performance. In about 20 different segments, the performers span dynasties, regions, and ancient legends of China—from magical realms of fairies to heroically fought battles to elegant Tang dynasty court ladies. Starting this Saturday, this vibrant jubilee of classical Chinese culture will debut at the Wang Theatre, where it will remain through April 10. — Natalie Gale

Witness an expression of the immigrant experience

Each year, the Rose Kennedy Greenway brings in a crane to lift, pull apart, and reconfigure the “Abstract Scultpure” in the Armenian Heritage Park. The annual movement of rhomboid dodecahedron sculpture commemorates the universal immigrant experience of being torn between two worlds, only to emerge with a new life. The annual reconfiguration will take place Sunday from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. — Kevin Slane

Take a listen to the ‘tango king’

Though he was classically trained, Argentine musician and tango pioneer Astor Piazzolla formed dance bands, playing tangos to which he added a jazzy edge, no doubt due to his exposure to different styles of music during his New York years. And his love of classical music never went away, eventually resulting in him composing music that was often a mélange of classical and jazz and, of course, tango. It was dubbed “nuevo tango.” In celebrating the centennial of his birth this Sunday at 3 p.m., New England Conservatory’s “Salute to Astor Piazzolla” — hosted by Ron Della Chiesa — will feature faculty, alumni, and some special guests performing a varied mix of his music. — Ed Symkus

‘Dance Yrself Clean’ with LCD Soundsystem

It may be 20 years since LCD Soundsystem first formed in New York City, but according to recent reviews, the band is still great live. Those who love the band have four opportunities to see them at the newly opened Roadrunner on April 3, 4, 5, and 6. This isn’t the first time the band has stayed at a venue for more than the customary one or two nights: Last November, they played 17 shows for a residency at Brooklyn Steel, during which the James Murphy-fronted group played both crowd favorites (‘I Can Change,’ ‘Daft Punk is Playing at My House,’ ‘Home,’ ‘Dance Yrself Clean’) and deep cuts (‘On Repeat,’ ‘Thrills’). — Arianna MacNeill