pick of the week: Sharon Isbin is considered one of the world's pre-eminent classical guitarists, an accomplishment she has cemented with solo appearances spanning the globe, from New York City's Carnegie Hall to the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Raised in St. Louis Park, she's coming back to town as part of the O'Shaughnessy Auditorium's "Homecoming Season" featuring musicians with Minnesota roots. She'll be teaming with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, with whom she recently paired for a critically acclaimed performance in Palm Beach, Fla., in a show titled "Music From Spain." Showtime is 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $23-$43 (senior, student and other discounts are available) from the O'Shaughnessy ticket office, 651-690-6700, or oshag.stkate.edu.
mythology 101: One legend about the origin of April Fools' Day, which is Saturday, is that it grew out of the change from the Julian calendar, which listed April 1 as the first day of the new year, to the Gregorian calendar, which moved it to Jan. 1. The alleged "April fools" were the people who insisted on celebrating New Year's on the old date. It's a nifty story, but literary scholars point out that writers who lived long before the mid-1500s calendar realignment made references to a day devoted to practical jokes. No one is certain of the real story, but the best guess is that the day can be traced to the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria — the root of our word hilarity — that later became known as Laughing Day.
Day by day: Thursday is national I Am in Control Day. Keep repeating that phrase over and over until you start to believe it.
recommended reading: A unique cultural exchange program pairs Twin Cities high school students with families that have Hmong, Somali and Latin American roots. Read about City Stay in Thursday's Variety.
JEFF STRICKLER
