THEATER Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays Crystal’s autobiographical Tony-winning blockbuster deals with his youth, growing up in the jazz world of Manhattan, his teenage years and, finally, adulthood, through Oct. 11 at The Merriam Theater 250 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Defending the Caveman The longest-running solo show in Broadway history returns through Nov. 7 at Kimmel’s Innovation Studio, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Walnut Street Theater presents the story of two suave and shameless con men with two very different styles, through Oct. 25, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 574-3550.
Haunted Poe Brat Productions presents a theatrical take on a Halloween tradition, the haunted house, with an immersive, multi-sensory experience devoted to the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birth, through Nov. 1 at Haunted Poe Warehouse, 38 Jackson St.; (800) 838-3006.
The History Boys The Arden Theatre Co. presents the acclaimed drama chronicling the final school year of eight clever young British students in pursuit of sex, sport and admission into Oxford or Cambridge, through Nov. 1, 40 N. Second St.; (215) 922-1122.
Humor Abuse Philadelphia Theater Company presents the Obie-winning production based on Lorenzo Pisoni’s vagabond life as the youngest member of San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus, through Oct. 25 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St.; (215) 985-0420.
Menopause The Musical The hit musical about “the change” returns, through Oct. 4 at Kimmel’s Perelman Theater, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Nathan The Wise People’s Light & Theatre Company kicks off its 35th-anniversary season with the American premiere of a story celebrating our differences as well as our shared humanity set in 1192 Jerusalem, where Jews, Christians and Muslims live side by side, through Oct. 11, 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern; (610) 647-1900.
Two By Sue Reading Company Players perform Susan E. Sneeringer’s “Purgatory” at 8 p.m. Oct. 3 and 3 p.m. Oct. 4, and “Blonde Bombshell” at 8 p.m. Oct. 2, at Reading Community Theatre, 403 N. 11th St., Reading; (610) 375-9106.
MUSIC classical Bronfman, Bartók and Brahms The Philadelphia Orchestra presents an evening of powerful concertos at 8 p.m. Oct. 2-3 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Paco Peña The Kimmel Center presents the flamenco guitarist, composer, dramatist and musical mentor, at 3 p.m. Oct. 3 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Broadway Showstoppers: Revivals Peter Nero and the Philly Pops perform a show that’s now the Broadway event of the season, Oct. 4-10 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Beyond the Score: Truly Miraculous? The Philadelphia Orchestra presents the highly successful multimedia concert series developed by the Chicago Symphony, at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
Symphonie Fantastique The Philadelphia Orchestra presents a hallucinogenic depiction of an opium trip using some of the most brilliant images and colors in the entire symphonic repertoire, at 8 p.m. Oct. 8 and 10 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
MUSIC other World Cafe Live’s All-Day Fifth Anniversary Celebration Out singer-songwriter Christine Havrilla performs with other local talents starting at 1 p.m. Oct. 2 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400.
Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy The rock bands perform at 8 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Event Center, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J.; (609) 317-1000.
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic The legendary funk group performs at 8 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Liacouras Center, 1776 N. Broad St.; (215) 204-2400.
Maxwell The hit R&B singer performs at 8 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Wachovia Spectrum, 3601 S. Broad St.; (215) 336-2000.
Pink The international pop star performs at 8 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Wachovia Center, 3601 S. Broad St.; (215) 336-2000.
The John Lilley Band The out singer-songwriter performs with his band at 9 p.m. Oct. 3 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400.
Gossip The punk band with the out singer and drummer performs at 8 p.m. Oct. 4 at TLA, 334 South St.; (215) 922-1011.
Manic Street Preachers The rock band performs at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400.
The Psychedelic Furs & Happy Mondays The classic alt-rock bands perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 922-5483.
EXHIBITS The Art of Japanese Craft: 1875 to the Present The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition surveying the rich diversity of 20th-century Japanese craft, through Oct. 18, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100.
Art and Allegory Edge Gallery presents an exhibition featuring Virginia artist Harkrader, Philadelphia artist Salvador DiQuinzio and Canadian artist Ray Mantella through Oct. 25, 72 N. Second St.; (215) 413-7072.
Common Ground: Eight Philadelphia Photographers in the 1960s and 1970s The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition examining a critical period for the art of photography and for the Philadelphia art scene, through Jan. 31, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100.
Diana: A Celebration The National Constitution Center presents an exhibition exploring Diana’s childhood, her engagement to Prince Charles, their royal wedding and Diana’s life and work as a global humanitarian, through Dec. 31, 525 Arch St.; (866) 917-1787.
Embracing the Uncarved Wood: Sculptural Reliefs from Shandong, China Leonard Pearlstein Gallery presents an exhibition of 18 large wood reliefs that combine traditional Chinese carving methods with very untraditional subject matter drawn from contemporary and international art sources, through Oct. 21 at Nesbitt Hall, 3215 Market St.; (215) 895-2548.
A Home For Ghosts ArtStar Gallery hosts an exhibition of works from artist Kurt Halsey, through Nov. 1, 623 N. Second St.; (215) 238-1557.
Peaks of Faith: Buddhist Art of the Himalayas The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition encompassing nearly a millennium of art from across the Himalayan region, through Fall 2009, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100.
Ragas and Rajas: Musical Imagery of Courtly India The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents a diverse selection of paintings and sculptures from across the subcontinent, through Feb. 28, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100.
Shopping in Paris: French Fashion 1850-1925 The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents an exhibition exploring the American experience abroad between 1850 and 1925, through Oct. 25, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.; (215) 763-8100.
Surfacing AxD Gallery presents an exhibition of paintings by Paul Davis Jones, through Oct. 3, 265 S. 10th St.; (215) 627-6250.
OPERA Madama Butterfly The Opera Company of Philadelphia presents the most popular work in all of the operatic canon, sung in Italian with English translations, Oct. 9-18 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.
DANCE Kun-Yang Lin Workshop New York City-based visual artist Jeff Sable leads a workshop exploring tai-chi movement, voice and improvisation, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at Chi Movement Arts Center, 1316 S. Ninth St.; (267) 687-3739.
FILM Frankenstein and The Curse of Frankenstein The classic horror films are screened at 2 p.m. Oct. 4 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; (610) 917-0223.
Observe and Report The 2008 comedy is screened at 8 p.m. Oct. 5 at Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 922-5483.
Beyond Dracula: Modern Vampire Films Bryn Mawr Film Institute presents a course examining the figure of the vampire in a variety of movie incarnations, beginning with the prototype, Dracula, in Werner Herzog’s haunting and atmospheric “Nosferatu” and continuing with more recent films, offering diverse takes on the creature, Oct. 7-28, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr; (610) 527-9898.
BOOKS Leonard Gontarek The award-winning poet hosts a reading at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 5 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; (215) 686-5322.
Gerald Elias The author of “Devil’s Trill,” a crime novel set in the classical music world, hosts a reading at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at Robin’s Books and Moonstone Arts Center, 110a S. 13th St.; (215) 735-9600.
Edmund White The author of “City Boy: My Life in New York During the 1960s and ’70s” hosts a reading at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; (215) 923-2960.
Michael Curtis The author of “Orientalism and Islam: European Thinkers on Oriental Despotism in the Middle East and India” hosts a reading at 7 p.m. Oct. 8 at Robin’s Books and Moonstone Arts Center, 110a S. 13th St.; (215) 735-9600.
CABARET Lucky Star — Madonna at 50 Melissa Young performs her Madonna tribute show at 9 p.m. Oct. 3 at Harlans at The Nevermore, 6426 Lower York Road, New Hope; (215) 862-5225.
ETC Christopher Titus The comedian performs Oct. 2-3 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; (215) 496-9001.
David Sedaris The humorist performs at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 572-7650.
Jewpocalypse Now “A Stand-Up Revolution” Comedian Rus Gutin performs at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St.; (215) 496-9001.
Philadelphia Fashion Week At least 15 runway shows give fashionistas an inside peek into what’s in style for holiday 2009 and spring 2010, 4-10 p.m. Oct. 8 at 23rd Street Armory, 22 S. 23rd St.; (215) 564-1488.