Opening Friday: The musical-theater genius Cole Porter composed great music and wrote witty, deft lyrics. His catalog of hits includes the shows "Kiss Me, Kate," "Can-Can" and "Anything Goes," which will play at the Ordway Center May 7-12. In the run-up to that engagement, Ordway artistic director James Rocco (pictured) hosts an appreciation of Porter in his "Broadway Songbook" series. This concert features some of the Twin Cities area's finest singers, including Kersten Rodau, Jennifer Baldwin Peden and Regina Marie Williams. (7:30 p.m. Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. next Sun. $20-$35. Ends April 28. Ordway Center, 5th and Washington Sts., St. Paul. 651-224-4222 or www.ordway.org.)