Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art does much more than beautify Bean Town’s surroundings with displays of gorgeous visual art. In conjunction with Berklee College of Music, it also enhances the aesthetic appeal of the area by offering HarborWalk Sounds, a series of free outdoor concerts performed by Berklee students and alumni, each Thursday evening.

To enjoy the diverse musical styles that lean heavily toward jazz, just head over to Putnam Investments Plaza (100 Northern Avenue, Boston Waterfront, 617-478-3100) from 6pm to 8:30pm. The lineup for the series, which runs until September 11, follows. Visit the ICA website for additional details about the musicians and their work.

• July 17: Juan Chavez — Classical, Jazz, Afro-Cuban
• July 24: Tantanakuy — Argentinean, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Peruvian, Uruguayan, Jazz
• July 31: Sol Melodiq — Jazz, Rock, Hip-Hop, Funk, Classic Soul, World Music
• August 7: Zach Hillyard Band — Pop, Funk, Soul, R&B
• August 14: Cole Degenova — Funk, Neo-Soul, Blues, Jazz
• August 21: Pat Carroll — Jazz
• August 28: Monterey Quartet — Jazz
• September 4: Manami Morita — Jazz
• September 11: Katie Thiroux — Jazz

Post from: The Boston Traveler

Thursday | February 21

The Boston Conservatory Dance Theater: A Centennial Celebration

On Thursday, February 21, the Boston Conservatory Dance Theater (31 Hemenway Street, Boston, 617-536-6340) will team up with the Boston Conservatory Orchestra to celebrate the births 100 years ago of influential choreographers José Limón (1908–1972) and Antony Tudor (1908–1987). Limón was a Mexican transplant to New York who excelled in modern dance, while Tudor (born William John Cook) was an English dancer and teacher in the field of ballet. Both men were also pioneers in their respective careers.

The Boston Conservatory Dance Theater will present Limón’s renowned Missa Brevis and Tudor’s equally appreciated Continuo, Dark Elegies, and Little Improvisations. Tickets priced $20 (standard), $18 (alumni), $10 (seniors 60+), and $5 (students) are available for performances on Friday (8pm), Saturday (8pm), and Sunday (2pm), as well. [More Information]

Friday | February 22

CRASHarts Presents BattleWorks Dance Company

World Music/CRASHarts was established in 1990 to “present the finest traditional and contemporary performing arts from around the world to the broadest possible audience, and to engage individuals in their community and civic life through related artist based educational programs.”

On Friday and Saturday, it will host dancer and choreographer Robert Battle’s eclectic BattleWorks Dance Company in a performance at the Institute of Contemporary Art’s Barbara Lee Family Foundation Theater (100 Northern Ave, Boston, 617-478-3100). Tickets are $35 (reserved) and $31.50 (ICA members) for both the 7:30pm (Friday) and 8pm (Saturday) performances. A special treat for Friday attendees is the post-performance Question & Answer session with dance company members. [More Information]

Saturday | February 23

Attack Theatre’s Games of Steel: A Dance Rock Opera

And, for rock-music lovers, Cutler Majestic Theatre (219 Tremont Street, Boston, 617-824-8000) will host Attack Theatre’s unique production Games of Steel: A Dance Rock Opera, which melds heavy metal music with interesting props and idiosyncratic dancing. One review blurb describes the event as “Survivor meets Mad Max in a heavy-metal Thunderdome.”

Friday’s 7:30pm performance repeats on Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm, with tickets to all of the presentations selling for $12, $22, $32, and $45, plus fees. [More Information]

Post from: The Boston Traveler

Saturday | January 26

A Conversation with Playwright Douglas Carter Beane

First up on Saturday is “A Conversation with Playwright Douglas Carter Beane.” A Tony Award nominee in 2007 for the Broadway comedy The Little Dog Laughed, Douglas Carter Beane also wrote, among many other things, the screenplay for the 1995 feature film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo.

Beane will discuss his ample work—and presumably take questions from attendees—in the same location where SpeakEasy Stage Company is currently staging The Little Dog Laughed through February 16. The afternoon engagement requires advance registration and will start at 12:30pm at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Calderwood Pavilion (527 Tremont Street, Boston).

Sunday | January 27

Making Movies in Massachusetts

Both events scheduled for Sunday will be hosted at the Institute of Contemporary Art (100 Northern Avenue, Boston). The first, “Making Movies in Massachusetts” from 1:30pm–3pm, will explore the reasons underlying Massachusetts’ present and future popularity as a location for filming movies. Nick Paleologos, the executive director of the Massachusetts Film Office, and producer-director Sam Weisman will lead the registration-required discussion.

A Look at Avenue Q

A half-hour later, at 3:30pm, the 90-minute discussion “A Look at Avenue Q” will begin. It also requires advance registration to gain an inside perspective on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical-comedy Avenue Q, which is about one cash-strapped college graduate’s attempts to acquire fame in the Big Apple. Producer Jeffrey Seller and puppet conceiver and designer (yes, the production uses puppets à la Sesame Street) Rick Lyon share their experiences while leading the talk.

Post from: The Boston Traveler