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Theater and beer ... but not at the same time. Check out this week’s best bets if you’re heading out of town.
Cincinnati
“Cats”
When: Feb. 5-6 — Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m.
Where: The Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati
Cost: $22.50 to $62.50
More info: (513) 977-4123 or www.cincinnatiarts.org/aronoff
The Scoop: If you’re among the last people on Earth who haven’t seen it, feel like Homer Simpson no longer.
Verdict: One day, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber stumbled upon a collection of T.S. Eliot’s poetry in an airport book shop, recalled it as a childhood favorite, and the rest is musical theater history.
Worth the trip? From 1981, “Cats” went on to play London for 21 years and Broadway for 18, meanwhile winning just about every award in existence.
“Macbeth”
When: Feb. 5-7 — Friday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.
Where: The Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati
Cost: $9-$14.50
More info: (513) 977-4123 or www.cincinnatiarts.org/aronoff
The Scoop: One of William Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedies will be performed by SCPA’s (School for Creative and Performing Arts) High School Drama Department.
Verdict: The story of a power-hungry general who steamrolls over everyone in his lust to rule everything is one of the Bard’s most enduring works. Without mentioning any names, the Aronoff invites you to think of what contemporary political figures this reminds you of.
Worth the trip? High school productions, especially on such a big stage, can be refreshing in both the high level of talent and the lack of diva-like ostentation. Come check out the Oliviers and Branaghs of tomorrow.
Rebecca Stead
When: 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8
Where: Joseph-Beth Booksellers, 2692 Madison Road, Cincinnati
Cost: Free
More info: (513) 396-8960 or www.josephbeth.com
The Scoop: Stead is a New York-based author of children’s books who won the 2009 Newberry Award for her novel, “When You Reach Me.”
Verdict: The book concerns a precocious sixth-grader, obsessed with “A Wrinkle In Time,” who discovers several delivered notes that claim to know her future. Anxiously she seeks to connect the notes to her everyday life.
Worth the trip? Stead will be both discussing and signing copies of her book.
“Hughie” and “Krapp’s Last Tape”
Where: Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 719 Race St., Cincinnati
Cost: $20 to $26
More info: (513) 381-2273 or www.cincyshakes.com
The Scoop: A double bill featuring Eugene O’Neill’s “Hughie” and Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s “Last Tape.”
Verdict: Each play is 45 minutes long, and showcases a man coming to the end of his life. Though while O’Neill’s talkative hero mourns the death of a night clerk who has listened to him for years, Beckett’s Krapp is nearly silent as he listens to a tape he made 30 years earlier at the age of 39, occasionally interjecting his current thoughts.
Worth the trip?: The fascinating thing about this double bill is that these two disparate yet similarly themed characters are played by the same actor, Joneal Joplin, a dual performance that one reviewer called “a theatrical event to cherish.”
Columbus
ZOSO - The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5
Where: Newport Music Hall, 1722 N. High St., Columbus
Cost: $10 (advance), $12 (day of show)
More info: (614) 294-1659 or www.newportmusichall.com.
The Scoop: A meticulous recreation of a 1970s-era concert by legendary rock band Led Zeppelin, from the clothes, instruments and lights to the spot-on vocals and playing styles.
Verdict: Since their inception in 1995, ZOSO has played nearly 200 dates per year.
Worth the trip? Whether an older nostalgist or a younger fan who missed the boat, this is probably the closest you’ll come to the real thing since John Bonham’s untimely death in 1980.
Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5
Where: Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus
Cost: $29.75 to $59.50
More info: (614) 246-2000 or www.nationwidearena.com.
The Scoop: Essentially the Blue Collar Comedy Tour (which played to record crowds for three full years) minus Ron White.
Verdict: Mercifully, Foxworthy has a repertoire beyond the “You might be a redneck if...” Engwall has released several comedy albums, one of them platinum, that involve observations in his everyday life. And Larry the Cable Guy is...well...we know what Larry the Cable Guy is.
Worth the trip? The combination of the family-friendly Foxworthy and Larry, whose regular routines include one on the “walking farts,” might seem a little odd, but somehow it all works.
Record, CD & Music Memorabilia Show
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6
Where: The Haimerl Center, 1421 Morse Road, Columbus
Cost: $4
More info: (614) 267-0121, (614) 261-1585 or www.colleenscollectables.com
The Scoop: This major music flea market featuring everything and anything related to music has been held every year since 1978.
Verdict: You will find records, CDs, DVDs, collectibles and memorabilia from acts such as Elvis, the Beatles and KISS, and even old record players.
Worth the trip?: This event draws dealers and customers from all over the world.
5th Annual Alefest Columbus
When: 2-6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6
Where: The Aladdin Shrine Temple, 3850 Steltzer Road, Columbus
Cost: $35
More info: (614) 475-2609, (937) 298-4545 or alefest.com
The Scoop: This fifth annual event showcases the finest craft beer styles (microbrews) in the world.
Verdict: The price of admission includes 20 samples of craft beer, a tasting glass, and a tasting guide. Discounts are available for designated drivers.
Worth the trip? This event promises a “responsible, educational, and enjoyable” time. Try to focus on the last one.
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