Let her be your ruler
Harry Styles tweeted his love for her and super-producer Mark Ronson made her the first signing to his new label, and that was all before Mikaela Straus turned 20. The Brooklyn native better known by the stage moniker King Princess has kicked up 10 million-plus streams for her singles "1950" and "Talia" and turned into queer-pop royalty, with a coolly aloof but earnestly lovelorn style that falls somewhere between Lorde and Lucy Dacus. She's kicking off her first club headlining tour in Minneapolis before heading to the Coachella and Governor's Ball festivals.Chris Riemenschneider
8 p.m. Thu. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls. Sold out.
One of the most recognizable pieces of music in pop culture, Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" has been heard in dozens of films, TV shows, commercials, video games, even sports events. It's hard to resist the thrilling grandiosity of this choral masterpiece. Minnesota Dance Theatre presents its ballet version, first choreographed by MDT founder Loyce Houlton in the 1970s. Dancers are joined by solo vocalists as well as members of the Minnesota Chorale for this luscious production.
Sheila Regan
7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 3 p.m. next Sun. Cowles Center, Mpls. $24-$45, thecowlescenter.org.
Reliable veteran headliners top off strong rosters of buzz bands for each night of 89.3 the Current's 14th birthday blowout. First Avenue darlings the Suburbs continue their late-career revival on Friday with pop/rockers Bad Bad Hats, Nashville tunesmith Rayland Baxter and blasting punk trio Scrunchies. Orchestral soul-searchers Cloud Cult make a long-overdue return to First Ave on Saturday, when strummer J.S. Ondara also performs with Greg Norton's power trio Porcupine and blues-rocker Annie Mack.
C.R.
8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. First Avenue, Mpls. $22, etix.com.
Classical prodigies often burn out young, but not Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti. Now 31, Benedetti built a flourishing career after winning the prestigious BBC Young Musician of the Year prize at age 16. She returns for a recital featuring the U.S. premiere of a work for solo violin by jazz trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis. Also featured are the hugely testing Chaconne from Bach's Partita No. 2, plus sonatas by Strauss and Prokofiev with pianist Alexei Grynyuk.
Terry Blain
7:30 p.m. Fri., 3 p.m. Sun. Ordway Concert Hall, St. Paul. $26-$68, 651-292-3268 or schubert.org.
Reflect on civil rights with a special Martin Luther King Jr. weekend at the Minnesota History Center. The weekend highlights the "1968" exhibit before its closing, sharing the importance of a tumultuous year filled with political unrest and citizen strife. The event will be filled with art activities, performances and service projects. VocalEssence will perform songs of protest and progress on Saturday. Young activists can also make a peace sign to take home.
Melissa Walker
Noon-3 p.m. Sat-next Sun. Minnesota History Center, St. Paul. $6-$12, mnhs.org.
Ethan Iverson has been gone from jazz trio the Bad Plus for a year. The Menomonie, Wis.-bred pianist has played in the Twin Cities once since, in a duo with saxophonist Mark Turner, with whom he made a remarkable 2018 album. Now, fresh from performances in Germany, Iverson returns for a solo concert on the gorgeous Steinway grand in the Dunsmore Room. Then he heads back to Europe to premiere his first suite of big band music, "Bud Powell in the 21st Century," at the winter Umbria Jazz Festival.
Jon Bream
7:30 p.m. Tue. Crooners, Fridley. $20-$25, ticketfly.com.
Craig Johnson and Miriam Schwartz are superb as a father and daughter grappling in their own ways with "The Father"'s memory disorder. Florian Zeller's play means to put us in the same confused mind-set as the title character, so the scenery is constantly being reshuffled, characters aren't always played by the same actors and events that the characters discuss get muddled. The "tragic farce" makes for compelling and unsettling theater.
Chris Hewitt
7:30 p.m. Mon. and Thu.-Sat., 3 p.m. next Sun. Ends Jan. 27. Gremlin Theatre, St. Paul. $25-$28, gremlintheatre.org.
Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto will conduct a stimulating program for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, including Missy Mazzoli's string piece "You Know Me From Here" and Jimmy López's "Guardian of the Horizon" with principal cello Julie Albers. These contemporary works are flanked by two bits of Beethoven: the "Creatures of Prometheus" overture and the ebullient Eighth Symphony.
T.B.
7:30 p.m. Thu., Temple Israel, Mpls.; 11 a.m. & 8 p.m. Fri., Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie; 3 p.m. next Sun., St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi. $11-$26, thespco.org.
Gain knowledge of one of the oldest academic subjects keeping the world moving during one of the University of Minnesota's Physics Force winter shows. The science squad has increased the thrills with live fire and a performer falling from a tower. Through the series of antics and stunts, the audience will be tricked into learning about the energy, momentum and natural forces around us.
M.W.
11 a.m. & 4 p.m. Sat. $3; children under 10 free. Northrop, Mpls. physicsforce.umn.edu
