Diversions: March 5-11

THEATER Blue Door Arden Theatre Company presents the story of a successful mathematics professor experiencing a sleepless night where a series of ancestors visit to reveal the hardships and victories that have shaped their lives, through March 21, 40 N. Second St.; (215) 922-1122.

Bye Bye Birdie The Players Club of Swarthmore Theater presents the Tony Award-winning musical, through March 6, 614 Fairview Road, Swarthmore; (866) 811-4111.

Diary of Black Men Maceba Theater Group of Chicago presents a theatrical drama about male and female relationships from a black man’s point of view, 8 p.m. March 6 and 8 and 8 p.m. March 7 at Kimmel’s Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.

The Eclectic Society The Walnut Street Theatre presents the world premiere of a complex story of drama and humor set on a university campus in 1963 New England, through March 7, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 574-3550.

Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue The Walnut Street Theatre’s 2009-10 Independence Studio on 3 presents the story of a Marine on leave to recover from his wounds from the war in Iraq, through March 14, 825 Walnut St.; (215) 574-3550.

Happily Ever After 1812 Productions presents four-time Barrymore Award-winner Mary Martello in her new cabaret about the lives of aging fairy-tale princesses, through March 28 at Adrienne Theatre, 2030 Sansom St.; (215) 592-9560.

The Importance of Being Earnest Forge Theatre presents the classic Oscar Wilde play about high society and the antics of two bachelors trying to win their ladies’ hearts, through March 13, 241 First Ave., Phoenixville; (610) 935-1920.

The Irish … and How They Got That Way The irreverent but affectionate history of the Irish in America uses classical songs and stories as told by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt, through April 18 at Kimmel’s Innovation Studio, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.

Language Rooms The Wilma Theater presents a black comedy that exposes the divided loyalties among today’s immigrants, discovering the rising cost of the American Dream, through April 4, 265 S. Broad St.; (215) 546-7842.

Never Been Stoked: A Traveling Bromance Anthology Project presents a new environmental theater piece set, literally, in the backseat of a moving car, about two friends stuck in post-grad monotony, through March 15, starting and finishing at the Rite Aid parking lot at 23rd and Walnut streets; [email protected].

The Play’s The Thing The Actors’ NET of Bucks County presents the classic farce set in the 1920s about a playwright and his collaborator who bring a young composer in love with the leading lady of an upcoming musical to a weekend retreat at an Italian castle, through March 14 at The Morrisville Heritage Center, 635 N. Delmorr Ave., Morrisville; (215) 295-3694.

The Rear Column Iron Age Theatre Productions presents the story of explorer H.M. Stanley and the fate of the five men he left to wait in Africa, through March 21; (610) 279-1013.

Respect: A Musical Journey of Women Society Hill Playhouse presents an exuberant musical that recounts the journey of women in the 20th century with popular tunes, through April 18, 507 S. Eighth St.; (215) 923-0210.

Take Me Out Plays and Player looks at what happens when the star player of a professional baseball team suddenly announces his homosexuality, and the ripple effect it has on the team over the course of a season, March 11-27, 1714 Delancey Place; (215) 735-0630.

MUSIC classical Max Raabe and Palast Orchester The Kimmel Center presents singer Max Raabe and his 12-piece Palast Orchester bringing their signature panache and high style to classic tunes from 1920s Berlin, 7:30 p.m. March 5 at Kimmel’s Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.

An Evening of Schumann The Philadelphia Orchestra and Maestro Christoph Eschenbach commemorate the 200th anniversary of Robert Schumann’s birth with an evening devoted to his music, 8 p.m. March 5-6 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.

Renaissance Masterworks The Curtis Brass Ensemble, led by Paul Bryan, presents a program of Renaissance brass repertoire of music by Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Holborne and Scheidt, among others, 3 p.m. March 7 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1625 Locust St.; (215) 735-1416.

Samuel Barber Centenary Celebration Curtis 20/21 performs works by Barber, including a fragment of his 1928 Violin Sonata, long believed lost, 8 p.m. March 9 at Field Concert Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, 1726 Locust St.; (215) 893-5252.

Vänskä Conducts Sibelius The Philadelphia Orchestra presents the charismatic Finnish-born music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, conducting music from his native land, 8 p.m. March 11, 13 and 14 and 2 p.m. March 12 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.

MUSIC other The Legwarmers The ’80s tribute band performs at 8 p.m. March 6 at Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 922-5483.

Womynsfest #11 Vitamin D Productions presents a showcase of bands with womyn members and all-womyn bands, 7:30-11 p.m. March 7 at The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St.; (215) 764-0634.

Garrison Starr The out singer-songwriter performs at Matthew Ryan’s CD-release show at 8 p.m. March 11 at Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St.; (215) 928-0770.

Girlyman The alternative retro acoustic trio performs at 7:30 p.m. March 11 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400.

EXHIBITS Ancient Rome & America The National Constitution Center presents an exhibition of rare artifacts from Italy and the United States including excavated remains from Pompeii and Roman busts of Julius Caesar and Cicero, through Aug. 1, 525 Arch St.; (215) 409-6600.

Benjamin Pierce’s Transfigure InLiquid presents an exhibition of photographs escaping the bounds of traditional figure photography, where the human body takes on myriad forms, through March 21 at Painted Bride Art Gallery, 230 Vine St.; (215) 922-9144.

Contemporary Folklore The James A. Michener Art Museum presents an exhibition featuring the works of four regional artists, mining both collective and personal stories to create sculptures that retell new histories, through June 13, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown; (215) 340-9800.

Fabricated Stories AxD Gallery presents an exhibition of mixed-media works by Dolores Poacelli and David Carrow, through March 6, 265 S. 10th St.; (215) 627-6250.

Inspiring a Nation The National Constitution Center hosts an exhibition featuring World War I posters created by Philadelphia Sketch Club artists, through April 25, 525 Arch St.; (215) 409-6700.

Meditation on the Chawan ArtStar Gallery presents a solo exhibition by Philadelphia fiber artist Ed Bing Lee, through March 21, 623 N. Second St.; (215) 238-1557.

Nameless and Reverberating Fleisher/Ollman Gallery presents a solo exhibition of new drawings by Chicago artist Luis Romero, through March 27, 1616 Walnut St., Suite 100; (215) 545-7562.

Play Mate The James Oliver Gallery presents an exhibition of whimsical works by Darla Jackson, Gretchen Diehl and Sienna Freeman, through March 23, 723 Chestnut St., fourth floor; (215) 923-1242.

Rockwell’s America The largest 3-D Norman Rockwell exhibit in the world takes visitors on a unique journey that includes segments from the Academy Award-winning film “Norman Rockwell’s World,” 20 theatrical environments, 35 three-dimensional life-sized depictions of Rockwell’s characters and dozens of interactive educational experiences, through March 14 at King of Prussia Mall’s Lower Level Plaza, 256 Mall Blvd.; (610) 768-0710.

Sanbao: A Way of Living and Working The Clay Studio presents an exhibition of works from Jackson Li, through March 14, 139 N. Second St.; (215) 925-3453.

DANCE The Four Temperaments and Carmina Burana Pennsylvania Ballet presents the two works through March 13 at Kimmel’s Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.; (215) 790-5847.

FILM Zombie The 1978 horror film is screened at 9:45 p.m. March 5 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; (610) 917-0223.

A Place in the Sun The 1951 film starring Elizabeth Taylor is screened at 2 p.m. March 7 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville; (610) 917-0223.

Where the Wild Things Are The film adaptation of the popular children’s book is screened 8 p.m. March 8 at Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.; (215) 922-5483.

Persepolis Bryn Mawr Film Institute presents a panel discussion and screening of the graphic-novel memoir by Marjane Satrapi, at 7 p.m. March 9, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr; (610) 527-9898.

Cleopatra Bryn Mawr Film Institute presents the epic film starring Elizabeth Taylor at 7 p.m. March 10, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr; (610) 527-9898.

BOOKS Zecharia Sitchin The author of “The End of Days: Armageddon and Prophecies of the Return” hosts a book event at 2 p.m. March 6 at Central Library, 1901 Vine St.; (215) 686-5322.

La Rue des Faux Azuka Theatre presents a staged reading of an adaptation of James Baldwin’s landmark novel “Giovanni’s Room,” 7 p.m. March 9 at the Latvian Society, 531 N. Seventh St.; (215) 922-9798.

The Frontreaders Discuss … Edmund White’s novel “Forgetting Elena” is discussed at 7 p.m. March 10 at Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; (215) 923-2960.

OPERA Tannhauser Amici Opera Company presents Wagner’s opera, 2:30 p.m. March 7 and 14 at The Garden Church, 82 N. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne; (215) 224-0257.

ETC The 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show The horticultural event features a 28-foot-high hot-air balloon covered in more than 79,000 dried flowers, a Victorian-era display filled with varieties of plants and recent finds from Longwood Gardens, Morris Arboretum, the University of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Botanic Gardens, through March 7 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St.; visit www.theflowershow.com.

Todd Glass The comedian seen on “The Sarah Silverman Show” performs March 5-6 at Helium, 2031 Sansom St.; (215) 496-9001.

Peking Acrobats Witness 2,000 years of mind-bending acrobatics, juggling and feats of death-defying skill, March 7-10 at Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside; (215) 572-7650.

First Person StorySlam The storytelling competition, in which audience members are invited to share true stories from their lives, begins 8:30 p.m. March 8 at World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St.; (215) 222-1400.

Henry Rollins The musician and punk-rock icon performs a spoken-word show at 8 p.m. March 11 at First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St.; (215) 563-3980.

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