• Conductor Dennis Russell Davies and guest pianist Maki Namekawa are stuck in Europe, so they'll miss this week's concerts with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. But the SPCO has a ready replacement: British-based violinist/conductor Thomas Zehetmair, in town for last week's SPCO concerts, is unable to return to Europe. So he'll step in for Davies and also perform Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3 in place of a Schnittke piano concerto that Namekawa was scheduled to play. Davies may be able to get to the Twin Cities in time to lead the SPCO in concerts scheduled for April 29 to May 1, the orchestra said.
• Scottish writer Alexander McCall Smith, author of the best-selling "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency," canceled an appearance next Monday in Minneapolis at the State Theatre. It will not be rescheduled. For refunds, ticketholders should contact the State (if purchased there) or Ticketmaster.
• A Norwegian war hero brought to town for the opening of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival last Thursday is also stranded here. So Gunnar Sonsteby, 92, will appear again Tuesday when the fest offers a repeat screening of "Max Manus," based on the exploits of Norway's resistance movement during World War II (7 p.m., St. Anthony Main Theater).
