Spring is springing and art is blooming. From fresh classical masterworks to stereotype-shattering theater to K-pop explosions, March arts comes in like a pride of lions and keeps roaring all month long.
Peer Gynt: Music of the Midnight Sun, March 7-9, Symphony Hall
The Boston Symphony Orchestra and director/writer Bill Barclay’s latest collaboration is a new interpretation of Henrik Ibsen’s play “Peer Gynt.” Following 2019’s “Black Mozart,” a piece about composer Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Barclay and the BSO will follow Peer on an epic journey from his Nordic village to Northern Africa and back again. Bso.org
“Exception to the Rule,” March 7-17, the Modern Theater
Somewhere between “The Breakfast Club,” a Sartre play, and dystopia, six students try to make it through detention on “Exception to the Rule.” Front Porch Arts Collective teams with Northeastern University and Suffolk University to tell the story of six Black students battling violence, bullying, and romance at a struggling city high school and looks at how we fail teenagers we think of as failures. Frontporcharts.org
“Deep River,” March 8 & 9, Emerson Cutler Majestic
Alonzo King LINES Ballet collaborated with Grammy-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer and MacArthur Fellow and jazz pianist Jason Moran to create “Deep River.” Both reflective and high energy, the new work blends dance with spiritual music from Black, Jewish, and Indian traditions. emersontheatres.org
“King Hedley II,” March 8-31, Hibernian Hall
The Actors’ Shakespeare Project returns to August Wilson’s American Century Cycle with “King Hedley II.” Set in 1985 in Wilson’s favorite locale, the Hill District of Pittsburgh, this edition of the cycle follows Hedley, just released after seven years in prison, trying to keep his family above water during the violence and racism crushing so many people in Reagan’s America. Actorsshakespeareproject.org
The Stave Sessions, March 20-23, Crystal Ballroom
Classical meets contemporary, jazz meets electronica, and the past meets the future at the Stave Sessions. Over four nights, the Celebrity Series brings Nathalie Joachim, Jiji, Chromic Duo and Mark Lettieri Group to the Crystal for some of the weirdest and most wonderful artists in modern music. If you’re stuck in a sonic rut, let Chromic Duo’s toy pianos and real pianos bust you out. If you’re looking for red thread from Paganini to ambient guitar jams, let Jiji be your guide. celebrityseries.org
Hallyu! The Korean Wave, opens March 24, Museum of Fine Arts
Korean culture and art have washed over America from K-pop to “Squid Game” to the films of Bong Joon-ho. But what started this wave? This exhibition traces the path through some 250 pieces of art and ephemera from pop stars costumes to couture fashions, ancient artifacts to props, photographs, and videos. mfa.org
