TONIGHT
Giuseppe Verdi’s “Falstaff”
Ted Mann Concert Hall
2128 S. Fourth Street
Show at 7:30 p.m
$20 for adults, $5 for U of M students and children
Ahhh, the comic opera — how sweet is your libretto? It’s pretty sugary.
Written by a 78-year-old Italian guy who was really good at this kind of thing, “Falstaff” is Shakespearean in origin and concerns a boisterous, vain, fat man. It’s close to three hours long, but there are two intermissions for worrisome bladders.
The plot deals with the eponymous main character as he seeks to seduce women for their money and his ensuing just deserts.
FRIDAY
Jake Johannsen
Acme Comedy Club
708 N. First St., Minneapolis
8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
$15
This guy has been doing standup for a long time — he appeared on “The Tonight Show” when Johnny Carson was running things.
Ignore the terrible 240p quality of Johannsen’s clips on his website to see a man who has made a career out of being an awkward, stuttering mess. Luckily he has gotten past the gimmickier part of his delivery, leaving just his funny.
“In New York City if you find something that nobody is holding on to — it belongs to you.”
SATURDAY
China’s Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor’s Legacy
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2400 S. Third Ave., Minneapolis
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$9-20 with college ID
Emperor Qin Shihuang was so concerned about his status in the afterlife that, at the age of 13, he started planning his burial. Healthy, right? For protection he had thousands of terracotta warriors constructed to accompany him, selections of which are now at the MIA.
Attendance is already off the charts for this exhibit that is scheduled through Jan. 20. It looks as though it may surpass the Rembrandt exhibition that drew more than 100,000 people.
With that in mind, get tickets ahead of time for this piece of historical narcissism.
CULTURE TO CONSUME
Watch this: “I Spy” on Hulu
Nostalgia beware, this is not those awesome books from when you were a kid — though those are worth a revisit.
“I Spy” is a ’60s action-adventure comedy following two American special agents on their various missions around the world. Robert Culp and Bill Cosby star in a show that was ground-breaking for having a black man in a leading role and for its globe-trotting settings.
This is a funny, well-paced, superbly acted reminder of a time when those darn Commies were around every corner.
Listen to this: old radio shows at otr.net
Close your eyes and let the static take you away to a time when the president’s fireside chats were an occasion for family togetherness.
Everything from vaudevillian comedies to westerns to classic whodunits is included in this site of more than 12,000 individual programs.
One well worth a listen is “The Lives of Harry Lime.” Based off of Orson Welles’ character in “The Third Man,” it’s voiced by him, too.
Read this: FBI National Gang Threat Assessment Report
Ever wonder what the FBI thinks is going on? Download a PDF of the report for a comprehensive look at what the government sees as the biggest threats posed by gangs.
Page 23 of the report garnered press as the FBI classified Juggalos as a gang, prompting Insane Clown Posse to sue. Lol.
A little dry, the Gang Threat Assessment Report is full of intriguing nuggets about the underworld.
Drink this: booze with juice concentrate
Take one of those frozen 12 oz. cans of juice concentrate, but don’t make the juice. Instead, let it defrost so you have a syrupy mixer.
Add that to just about any cheap liquor that can be found —preferably clear. Boom! Now you have a bender on your hands and probably some cavities.
