A&E priority list for April 11-18

From some of the country's top pianists to one of its leading storytellers, there's a lot going on in the next seven days. Here are some good places to start planning.

APA Classical Fellowship Awards

April 15-20

Various locations

It’s time once again for some of the best young classical pianists from around the country to square off. Concerts are held throughout the year, but the heat gets turned up during Discovery Week when the five play in solo recitals, with a quartet, and with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. For more about what makes this year different from previous American Pianists Association fellowship competitions, click here. More details on this week’s events here.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

Through May 12

Indiana Repertory Theatre

The IRT closes out its season with the crowd-pleasing Shakespeare comedy. The cast offers a strong mix of returning out-of-towners (including Kelsey Brennan from last season’s “Fallen Angels” and Henry Woronicz from “King Lear”), and local favorites (Mark Goetzinger, Ryan Artzberger, Jennifer and Rob Johansen, Scot Greenwell and others) and some IRT newcomers (whose names I won’t mention because, well, they wouldn’t mean anything to you). Details here.

“The Rite of Spring”

April 12-13

Hilbert Circle Theatre

Krzysztof Urbanski leads the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Stravinsky’s once-controversial “The Rite of Spring.” The undercard for the show is guest pianist/composer Dejan Lazic’s adaptation of Brahms’ violin concerto. Details here.

Kevin Kling’s “Chicken Soup for the Chicken”

April 13

Basile Theatre, Indiana History Center

Kling’s visits are always a highlight of the Storytelling Arts of Indiana season. In this case, the stories have to do with how stories helped Kling deal with a birth defect and a motorcycle accident. I should mention that Kling is very, very funny. And while the performance is a regularly ticketed part of the Storytelling Arts season, it’s also the anchor for the annual Talk of the Town benefit, which includes a pre-show dinner, auctions, and more. Details here. 

Also this week

The annual Night of Vonnegut April 13 features a talk by Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page speaking at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Details here.

Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, joined by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, finishes its season with a program that includes Bach’s “Magnificat” April 18-24 at Clowes Hall. Details here.

In conjunction with its “Guitars” exhibition, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art screens the documentary “The Wrecking Crew” about the legendary group of studio musicians responsible for Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” and who backed The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra and many more. Details on the April 13 screening here. 

The monthly Indy Actors’ Playground reading series—for which local actors choose plays they’ve long wanted to do and I get to host—continues at Indy Reads Books April 15. This time, Diane Kondrat selects the play, whose title isn’t announced until the script-in-hand reading. Details here.

Butler Theatre presents Lunar Revolution 2.0, a company-conceived piece about the yearning for change, April 10-21. Details here. Meanwhile, IU Theatre stages the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical “Sunday in the Park with George” April 12-19. Details here. 

The Indianapolis Museum of Art screens both the 1926 W.C. Fields comedy “So’s Your Old Man” and its 1934 remake “You’re Telling Me!” back-to-back April 12. Details here.

Country star Rodney Atkins performs at the Murat Theatre April 11. Details here.

Acting Up Productions presents “The Underpants,” Steve Martin’s adaptation of a German Farce, April 12-21 at Theatre on the Square. Details here.