ART
BEHIND THE MUSIC
Photo Credit: Portland Museum of Art/Private Collection/© The Philip Townsend Archive
No, this isn’t the popular VH1 show — it’s even juicier. Go backstage with the Beatles (above), rock legends like Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix, and divas Madonna and Courtney Love. Your backstage pass comes courtesy of the Portland Museum of Art. Through 230 photographs in Backstage Pass: Rock & Roll Photography, the newest exhibit at the museum captures the in-your-face relationship between photographer and musician. Jan. 22 – March 22. $4-$10, and free Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m. 7 Congress Square, Portland. 207-775-6148. www.portlandmuseum.org

EVENT

MUTTS THAT MUSH
Photo Credit: Joseph Beecher/BeecherPhoto.com
Here’s one way to discover your inner Jack London. Head to Bridgton as snow-dog competitors from throughout the northeastern United States and parts of Canada mush around Highland Lake and beyond at the Mushers Bowl Winter Carnival. For those just looking for winter fun for the whole family, the ten-day event includes skijoring, a craft fair, ice-skating, horse-drawn hayrides, and lots more. Jan. 16 – 25. Bridgton. 207-647-3472. www.mushersbowl.com

DANCE
WEATHERING HEIGHTS

Photo Credit: courtesy of Diavolo
You will believe a man can fly (and a woman, too) when Diavolo, a dynamic and
dramatic group of dancers, gymnasts, rock climbers, and actors, defies gravity by
leaping, flying, and twirling among Dali-like sets. Founded in 1992 in Los Angeles
by Parisian-born Jacques Heim, the ten-member company travels the country performing more than a dozen works as well as running educational and community workshops. Diavolo, whose name combines the Spanish word for day and the Latin verb to fly, swoops into Rockport on Jan. 19 at 4 p.m. $8-$40. Strom Auditorium, 25 Keelson Dr., Rockport, 207-236-2823, www.baychamberconcerts.org. And Portland on Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. $20-$42. Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland, 207-842-0800.

Before making plans to attend any of these events, call ahead to confirm, since dates and times may be subject to change. For even more listings or to submit an event listing to Down East, send an e-mail to editorial@downeast.com or visit www.DownEast.com

MUSIC AND DANCE
AIDA
Verdi puts the soap in opera when an Egyptian princess and an Ethiopian slave named Aida both fall for the same war hero. Jan 15 at 7:30 p.m. $15-$53. Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland. 207-842-0800. www.pcagreatperformances.org
CARLENE CARTER
We can’t vouch for the music but we can the genes. Carter is the daughter of the legendary June Carter Cash, Johnny’s second wife, and Carl Smith, country music legend. Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. $35-$38. One Longfellow Square, 181 State St., Portland. 207-761-1757. www.onelongfellowsquare.com
THE JUPITER STRING QUARTET
This string quartet chose its name because Jupiter is the most prominent planet in the night sky and the astrological symbol for Jupiter resembles the number four. Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. $32. Minsky Recital Hall, University of Maine, Orono. 207-581-1755. www2.umaine.edu/mca
LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO
If you own Paul Simon’s Graceland, this South African a cappella group will definitely
sound very familiar. Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. $60. Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dug Way Rd., Brownfield. 866-227-6523. www.stonemountainartscenter.com
MISS TESS & THE BON TON PARADE
This Tess has nothing to do with the D’Urbervilles. Instead she’s a young Boston songwriter who strums her way through a wide array of styles from ragtime to blues to swing. Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. $10-$12. One Longfellow Square, 181 State St., Portland. 207-761-1757. www.onelongfellowsquare.com
MOZART MATINEE
The Portland Symphony Orchestra does Mozart to the max. The concert features the Overture to Don Giovanni, Clarinet Concerto in A Major, Adagio & Fugue, K. 546, Masonic Funeral Music, and Symphony no. 5 in D major, “Haffner.” Jan. 25 at 2:30 p.m. $22-$59. Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland. 207-842-0800. www.portlandsymphony.com
MUSIC FOR A JANUARY THAW
Two sunny performances from the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra will make you forget it’s the middle of winter (almost). Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances op. 46 and Symphony no. 7 in D minor and Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major with Karen Beacham on clarinet. Jan 24 at 7:30 p.m. $14. Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston. Jan. 25 at 2:30 p.m. $14. Orion Performing Arts Centre, 66 Republic Ave., Topsham. 207-371-2028. www.midcoastsymphony.org
NEW BLACK EAGLE JAZZ band
New Black Eagle Jazz Band puts an original spin on traditional jazz. The eclectic program includes early New Orleans and Chicago style jazz, ragtime, spirituals, gospel, and pop tunes from the early twentieth century. Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. $8-$40. The Strand Theatre, 345 Main St., Rockland. 207-236-2823. www.baychamberconcerts.org
PATTY LARKIN
Larkin has a vocal style that has been compared to Nick Drake and she plays a slapsteel guitar — that’s a lap steel detuned and played with a drumstick and hand — and includes a baribow — that’s an organic take on a string section. Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. $22-$25. One Longfellow Square, 181 State St., Portland. 207-761-1757. www.onelongfellowsquare.com
RED MOLLY
We’ll let the Boston Globe say it: “Every thing Red Molly sings is delivered with tick-tight arrangements, crystalline vocals, and caramel harmonies.” This all-female trio blends contemporary folk and American roots. Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. $20. Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dug Way Rd., Brownfield. 866-227-6523. www.stonemountainartscenter.com
ROOMFUL OF BLUES
According to Down Beat magazine, Roomful of Blues “is in a class by themselves.” Down East describes them as a masterful combination of hard-edged blues and soulful R&B. Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. $21-$26. The Chocolate Church Arts Center, 798 Washington St., Bath. 207-442-8455. www.chocolatechurch.com
SCHOONER FARE
From traditional maritime ballads to coastal Maine folk, Schooner Fare has won praise for decades for their rich harmonies and energetic stage presence. Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. $21-$26. The Chocolate Church Arts Center, 798 Washington St., Bath. 207-442-8455. www.chocolatechurch.com
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK
These six women have inspired audiences for thirty-five years with their spirited voices blending the sacred music of the African-American church with the secular sounds of blues, jazz, reggae, doo-wop, and rap. Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. $20-$42. Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland. 207-842-0800. www.pcagreatperformances.org
TANCREDE TRIO
This Beantown trio takes on the classical pantheon: Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart, and Dvorak. Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. $10-$15. Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston. 207-689-2000. www.francoamericanheritage.org
TUESDAY CLASSICAL
The Portland Symphony Orchestra’s Tuesday Classical series presents Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony and Gershwin’s Concerto in F for piano. Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. $22-$70. Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland. 207-842-0800. www.portlandsymphony.com

THEATER
COLLECTED STORIES
Following the advice of a famous writer, an ambitious and young female student progresses quickly from colleague to confidante to rival. Jan. 23 – Feb. 1. $10-$18. The Public Theater, 31 Maple St., Lewiston. 207-782-3200. www.thepublictheatre.org
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
This is what happens when a slave tries to win his freedom by wooing a courtesan for his master. Jan. 22 – Feb. 15. $20-$28. The Good Theater, St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St., Portland. 207-885-5883. www.goodtheater.com
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
Twenty years of domestic tranquility are shattered when the son of a homosexual couple decides to marry the daughter of a bigoted politician. Jan. 16 – Feb. 1. $15-$20. The Portland Players, 420 Cottage Rd., South Portland. 207-799-7337. www.portlandplayers.org
PEER GYNT
Ibsen’s Gynt is a charmer, rogue, and storyteller who goes on a wild adventure outside his native Norway. Jan. 27 – Feb. 22. $13-$36. The Portland Stage Company, 25A Forest Ave., Portland. 207-774-0465. www.portlandstage.com
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE
The autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an
accomplished journalist, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor who is battling with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. (To avoid any confusion, Down East would like to point out that none of the shows actually take place on a Tuesday.) Jan. 23 & 24 at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 25 at 2 p.m., Jan. 30 & 31 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. $10-$12. Waterville Opera House, 93 Main St. 207-873-7000. www.operahouse.com

ART MUSEUMS
BATES MUSEUM OF ART
Stories of the Somali Diaspora. Somali-born photographer Abdi Roble has been documenting the diaspora of the Somali population for five years. This exhibition presents fifty-five black and white images that document the transition of Somali communities from Africa to the United States. Jan. 23 – May 29. Free. 75 Russell St., Lewiston. 207-786-6158. www.bates.edu/museum.xml
BOWDOIN MUSEUM OF ART
Hogarth’s Women: Virtue and Vice in Eighteenth-Century England. Drawing on a folio edition of prints by rakish English painter William Hogarth, this exhibition examines gender roles in the eighteenth century. Through Jan. 18. u Michael Mazur: Fall Mountains for Kuo Shi. Triptych paintings by Michael Mazur in an homage to the Chinese landscape painting tradition. Through Jan. 25. u Lewis DeSoto’s Paranirvana/Self Portrait. A massive twenty-six-foot-long sculpture provides a wry and relevant look at the meeting of technology, spirituality, and biography. Through Jan. 26. u Highlights of the American Collection. Bowdoin’s collection of American art ranges from portraits of military and political leaders of the Colonial and Federal periods to gritty twentieth-century urban scenes and everything in between. Through May 3. u James Bowdoin III: Pursuing Style in the Age of Independence. An installation of compelling art and objects owned (and donated) by the Bowdoin family. This exhibition re-imagines the interior of Bowdoin III’s study and includes objects as diverse as an eighteenth-century air pump, a suit worn by Bowdoin, an impressive selection of books from his noted library, and a number of paintings. Through June 7. Free. 9400 College Station, Brunswick. 207-725-3275. www.bowdoin.edu/art-museum
COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
Realms of Faith: Medieval Art from the Walters Art Museum. Drawn from one of the largest and finest medieval art collections in the United States, this exhibition dates from the sixth to the fifteenth century and focuses on Christian liturgical practices and personal devotion. Through Jan. 4. u Hiraki Sawa. Three videos by London-based, Japanese-born artist Hiraki Sawa show imaginary and often miniaturized worlds, animated by seemingly incongruous elements. Through Jan. 25. Free. 5600 Mayflower Hill Dr., Waterville. 207-872-3228. www.colby.edu/museum
FARNSWORTH ART MUSEUM & WYETH CENTER
From Impressionism to Modernism — American Paintings from the Farnsworth Art Museum, 1885-1935. The stunning scenery and distinctive light of Maine’s coast has had its impact on many American Impressionists. On display are works from John Henry Twachtman, Childe Hassam, Willard Leroy Metcalf, Frank Benson, George Bellows, Rockwell Kent, Andrew Winter, Marguerite Thompson Zorach, and more. Through Feb. 1. u Visions of America: Nineteenth-Century Painting from the Farnsworth. This exhibition of approximately fifty paintings features works by some of America’s foremost landscape painters of the nineteenth century. Through March 29. u Confronting Abstraction: Painting in Maine, 1945-1955. Twenty paintings reveal how artists working in Maine responded to the abstract expressionist movement that emerged after World War II in New York. The show includes work by John Marin, Andrew Wyeth, Stephen Etnier, James Fitzgerald, Reuben Tam, and more. Through May 17. $10-$12, and free for Rockland residents. 16 Museum St., Rockland. 207-596-6457. www.farnsworthmuseum.org
MAINE COLLEGE OF ART
Twilight. Eerie landscapes, images of death, and curious terrors are all common motifs in the Gothic-Romantic tradition. The artists in this show take on Romanticism from a twenty-first century vantage point using the diverse media of painting, photography, installation, and video to express issues of humanity, identity, and spirituality. Jan. 21 – March 8. Free. 97 Spring St., Portland. 207-775-3052. www.meca.edu
PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART
Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism. Composed of masterpieces from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, this exhibition explores style, color, and light in this all-important international movement. Works featured are by Claude Monet, Eugène-Louis Boudin, John Singer Sargent, George Inness, Childe Hassam, Camille Pissarro, and Gustave Courbet. Through Jan. 4. u New Acquisitions 2008. More than twenty-five paintings, drawings, photographs, and prints acquired by the museum in 2008. Artists include photographers Jack Montgomery, Claire Seidl, Charles Litchfield, Clarence White, and Ralph Steiner; works on paper by Asa Chaffetz, Henry Kallem, Tim Lawson, and Samuel Peter Rolt Triscott; a sculpture by Gretchen Lucchesi; pen and ink sketches and a related monoprint by Susan Amons; prints by Rockwell Kent; a recent lithograph by Will Barnet; and a group of works purchased in memory of printmaker Dorothy Hay Jensen. Through Feb. 8. $4-$10, and free Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m. 7 Congress Square, Portland. 207-775-6148. www.portlandmuseum.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE MUSEUM OF ART
Angelo Ippolito. This exhibition features a selection of works by painter Angelo Ippolito, from Italy, ranging from vividly colored abstractions to hard-edged compositions. Through Jan. 7. $3. Norumbega Hall, 40 Harlow St., Bangor. 207-561-3350. www.umma.umaine.edu
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND ART MUSEUM
Alice Spencer — Fabricating Time: Painting and Collected Textiles. Painter and printmaker Alice Spencer has taken extended trips to Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Guatemala, Indonesia, China, and other countries with strong textile traditions to acquire more than seventy pieces for visual inspiration. Through Jan. 11. Free. 716 Stevens Ave., Portland. 207-221-4499. www.une.edu/artgallery

OTHER MUSEUMS
ABBE MUSEUM
North by Northeast: Akwesasne Mohawk, Tuscarora, and Wabanaki Traditional Arts. Based on the words, work, and images of contemporary Haudenosaunee and Wabanaki artists, this exhibition offers a window into traditional arts practiced in communities in the northeast corner of the United States and in maritime Canada. Through Aug 31. u The Equinox Petroglyph Project. A presentation of artworks focused on individual interpretations of ancient rock carvings in Maine. Through Jan 3. $2-$6. 26 Mount Desert St., Bar Harbor. 207-288-3519. www.abbemuseum.org
MAINE STATE MUSEUM
Cabinet of Curiosities: The Museum, Science Collections, and You. This exhibit, curated by the museum’s co-chief scientists Paula Work and David Work, shows the many facets of the museum’s science collections, including animal mounts, unique rocks, study skins, mineral specimens, and mushrooms. Through April 2009. $1-$2. 230 State St., Augusta. 207-287-2301. www.state.me.us/museum

SPECIAL EVENTS
BATH ANTIQUES SHOW
With sixty dealers, this popular show features country and formal antiques from the functional to the decorative. Jan. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. $4. Bath Middle School, 6 Old Brunswick Rd. 207-443-8983. www.bathantiquesshows.com
BOAR’S HEAD AND YULE LOG FESTIVAL
A glorious Twelfth Night celebration featuring a costumed cast, live animals, choirs, and musicians. Jan. 2 – 4. $10-$15. Rockland Congregational Church, 180 Limerock St. 207-594-8656.
MUKLUK MADNESS WEEKEND
Join Maine guides Alexandra and Garrett Conover for winter fun, snowshoeing, and making leather and canvas mukluk moccasins in a cozy log camp and heated wall tent on pristine Sunset Pond. Limited to ten participants. Jan. 9 –11. $375-$395. Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary, Elliotsville. 207-781-2330, ext. 215. www.maineaudubon.org
PIES ON PARADE
There’s nothing like a warm piece of pie on a cold winter’s day. The Historic Inns of Rockland celebrate this baked treat with the annual Pies on Parade tour. Along with a collection of recipes to take home, there will be plenty of pie tastings, pie baking techniques, and pie decorating. Varieties include cherry, apple, berry, raspberry cheese pie, kiwi berry tart, sundried tomato and goat cheese breakfast pie. Jan. 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. $10-$20. 207-846-6331. www.historicinnsofrockland.com
RANGELEY SNODEO
Let winter rule with three days of hot food and cold fun put on by the Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club. One of the largest snowmobile gatherings in western Maine, the Snodeo includes races, kids’ activities, and a popular casino night for the grownups. Jan. 22 – 24. 207-864-9047. www.rangeleysnowmobile.com