As the temperature drops, the music, theater and art scene heats up in the Boston area
Hamilton
It’s finally here. The most talked-about musical in years—Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip hop-infused, Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning sensation about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton—makes its Boston debut beginning September 18.
Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., 866-523-7469, boston.broadway.com
Jekyll & Hyde
Frank Wildhorn’s tuneful thriller— starring “American Idol” alum and Broadway vet Constantine Mauroulis in the title roles—comes to the North Shore Music Theatre’s in-the-round stage beginning September 25.
62 Dunham Road, Beverly, 978-232-7200, nsmt.org
Peabody Essex Museum
The storied institution—this country’s oldest continuously operating museum—hosts the show Empresses of China’s Forbidden City, which details the female influence on that country’s last dynasty, the Qing dynasty, from 1644–1912.
East India Square, 161 Essex St., Salem, 866-745-1876, pem.org
Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival
Berklee College of Music’s annual free street party takes over six blocks of Columbus Avenue on September 29, offering live music, food vendors and family fun all day.
From Massachusetts Avenue to Burke Street, berklee.edu/beantownjazz
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The venerable BSO warms up for its 138th season by pairing with sister organization the Boston Pops for a free concert in Franklin Park on September 30. Enjoy a day of classical music, preceded by a family-friendly arts festival, beginning at 3 p.m.
The Playstead at Franklin Park, 25 Pierpont Road, Dorchester, 617-266-1492, bso.org
Institute of Contemporary Art
Jason Moran, a multi-media artist and musician, gets his first solo museum exhibit at this waterfront edifice beginning September 19.
25 Harbor Shore Drive, 617-478-3100, icaboston.org
Museum of Fine Arts
Everybody’s favorite storybook bear gets his due beginning September 22 with the Hub debut of the retrospective Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic.
465 Huntington Ave., 617-267-9300, mfa.org
Harvard Art Museums
The name says it all: enjoy Animal-Shaped Vessels from the Ancient World: Feasting with Gods, Heroes and Kings, on view now through early winter.
32 Quincy St., Cambridge, 617-495-9400, harvardartmuseums.org
Celebrity Series of Boston
The Hub’s premier arts presenter kicks off its 80th season with the free Jazz Along the Charles: A Walkable Concert on September 23 at 25 spots on the Charles River Esplanade, followed by a performance by actor/singer Alan Cumming at Symphony Hall on October 7.
301 Massachusetts Ave., 617-482-2595, celebrityseries.org
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Beginning October 4, Common Threads: Weaving Stories Across Time—a show featuring textiles, video art, music and more by an international array of contemporary artists—takes over galleries in both the original and new building of this Fenway treasure.
25 Evans Way, 617-566-1401, gardnermuseum.org
