'Matilda the Musical'
The award-winning Broadway musical about an imaginative girl who takes control of her own destiny is on stage at the Aronoff. The musical is based on the novel “Matilda” by Roald Dahl.
Thursday through April 16. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. Tickets start at $30. www.cincinnatiarts.org
Lewis Black
Spend an evening with comedian Lewis Black this Thursday at the Taft Theatre. Lewis will surely deliver more than one of his signature rants centered on politics and other current events. The show is part of the comedian’s Rant, White and Blue national tour.
8 p.m. Thursday. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. $39.50-$65. tafttheatre.org
Toons on First
Take a trip down memory lane with editorial cartoonists Kevin Necessary and Joe Hoffecker this Friday at the Mercantile Library. WCPO's Necessary and Hoffecker, who draws for the Cincinnati Business Courier, will discuss their favorite baseball-related cartoons during the lecture, which Cincinnati Reds team historian Greg Rhodes will moderate.
5-7 p.m. Friday. The Mercantile Library, 414 Walnut St., #1100, Downtown. Free to members, WCPO Insiders and Business Courier subscribers; $5 for non-members. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Monster Jam
Oversized monster trucks return to U.S. Bank Arena to smash and trash cars this weekend during Monster Jam.
7 p.m. Friday; 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday. U.S. Bank Arena, 100 Broadway, Downtown. $15-$60. usbankarena.com
'You Are Here' exhibit opening
“You Are Here” might be the coolest art exhibit to open in Cincinnati in a long time. On Friday, artist Phil Rowland will debut his hand-drawn sketches of Cincinnati buildings at the People’s Liberty Globe Gallery in Over-the-Rhine. The sketches cover the floor and walls of the gallery, and Rowland also covered them with clear dry erase paint so visitors can color the buildings with markers. Basically, he has turned the gallery into a giant coloring book.
Exhibit opening is 6-10 p.m. Friday. 1805 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Free. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
The 2017 Cincinnati Race
Find a partner and compete in one of the most unique races in Queen City. The Cincinnati Race is a pub crawl, timed race and tour of the city that pits teams of two against one another for a good cause. Participants will use the streetcar, bicycles and their feet to travel from place to place and complete various tasks along the way. Proceeds from this year’s Cincinnati Race benefit Save A Warrior, a program that helps military veterans overcome emotional trauma through interactive events.
1 p.m. Saturday. The race begins at 35 E. Seventh St., Downtown. $60 individual racer; $35 designated driver racer. For more information visitthe event Facebook page.
Louder Than A Bomb finals
Plan to be impressed by the linguistic skills displayed during the Louder Than A Bomb spoken-word finals at Cincinnati's School for Creative and Performing Arts. Louder Than A Bomb is a youth poetry festival designed to give teenagers a chance to share their stories. Teams and individuals from Walnut Hills, DePaul Cristo Rey High School, Cincinnati Cristo Rey and Wordplay Cincinnati will compete.
5-8 p.m. Saturday. Cincinnati's School for Creative and Performing Arts, 108 W. Central Pkwy, Over-the-Rhine. Free. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Pop Art Con
Gorilla Cinema, the company behind the Overlook Lodge in Pleasant Ridge and Video Archive in Walnut Hills, will host this interactive art show Saturday at the Woodward Theater. Pop Art Con will showcase more than 50 local artists, including comic book illustrators, painters and jewelry and screen print makers, with interactive activities and work for sale.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. The Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. $5 in advance, $6 at the door. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
City Flea spring preview market
Get a preview of this year’s City Flea on Saturday inside the 21c Museum Hotel, with dozens of vendors selling their wares. City Flea is an urban flea market that traditionally takes place monthly at Washington Park throughout late spring and summer; this year’s first City Flea at the park will be May 20.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. 21c Museum Hotel, 609 Walnut St., Downtown. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
Bonus: Night in White
This fashion event presented by Cincy Chic benefits the Eight Days & One Hour Foundation's Stephen Morsch Nursing Scholarship. The evening includes shopping, cocktails, a silent auction, photo booth, fashion show, light bites, a swag bag and giveaways. And as the name suggests, attendees should come dressed in white cocktail attire.
7-10 p.m. Saturday. The Backstage Event Center, 625 Walnut St., Downtown. $20 general admission; $30 VIP. For more information visit the event Facebook page.
