Best of the week: Laura Marling, Sibelius by SPCO, Rhythmic Circus, more

Whether playing the intimate Woman's Club, a horse track for Festival Palomino or the 400 Bar with Mumford & Sons, this poetic British folk singer has unfailingly put on captivating live shows in the Twin Cities. The 27-year-old tunesmith turned more electric on her last two records, including the new one "Semper Femina," which makes her a good fit for First Ave this time. L.A. openers Valley Queen kicked up a buzz at South by Southwest.CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

9 p.m. Fri., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $25

Twin Cities audiences hear plenty of Jean Sibelius' orchestral work, but his chamber music is less familiar. St. Paul Chamber Orchestra artistic partner (and fellow Finn) Pekka Kuusisto addresses the imbalance with "Intimate Voices," named for Sibelius' String Quartet, arranged here for string orchestra. The program includes the suite "Rakastava" and "Five Rustic Dances." Kuusisto has this music in his blood, and his penchant for spontaneity should make for gripping listening.

TERRY BLAIN

7:30 p.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., various locations, $13-$53, thespco.org

If you venture out to "One Man, Two Guvnors" at Yellow Tree Theatre, be warned: Even the audience is fair game in this bubbly farce about an out-of-work musician who takes on simultaneous jobs with two employers. Jason Ballweber's ferocious comic skills are on full display in the role that helped make James Corden a star. Director Anne Byrd and her ensemble nail this frothy piece of nonsense with exquisite timing and a precisely choreographed sense of mayhem.

LISA BROCK

Once again, puppets will be on parade down Bloomington Avenue S. in Minneapolis for the annual In the Heart of the Beast May Day event May 7. The theatrical promenade culminates with a nature-themed ceremony, drums beating a tune as the sun floats to awaken the Tree of Life. A festival follows with vendors, displays and entertainment. New this year is a health village, where visitors can get free health screenings and education.

MELISSA WALKER

Noon next Sun. Free. Parade runs from 25th Street to Powderhorn Park, Mpls. hobt.org.

"Girl Shakes Loose," the new musical getting its world premiere at Penumbra Theatre, is a remarkable achievement. Alexis Sims leads a hardworking, entertaining cast in this show about a millennial who's having a quarter-life crisis. The score by gifted composer Imani Uzuri is a pastiche celebrating African-American styles including R&B, jazz, rap and gospel. Pianist Sanford Moore leads a tight quartet that gives the show its many colors.

ROHAN PRESTON

A very big deal to a small but rabid audience, Slowdive became one of the prototype shoegazer bands after fellow whir-rockers My Bloody Valentine in the early '90s with such NME-praised albums as "Souvlaki." The British quintet is back in action with its first record in 22 years, "Star Roving." It doesn't drop till next week, but the songs will sound refreshingly familiar to fans regardless.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

7 p.m. Tue., Palace Theatre, St. Paul, $25-$30, eTix.com

It's been a wild ride for Rhythmic Circus, the high-energy tap show founded 10 years ago by a group of south Minneapolis dancers, beat boxers and musicians. A celebration of tap dancing and rhythm, it's toured from Broadway to the world — even China. This homecoming show is your last chance to catch co-founder Kaleena Miller perform with the troupe. She's stepping aside to focus on other projects, including the Twin Cities Tap Festival.

SHEILA REGAN

The most underrated performer in a fabled clan, Delfeayo Marsalis is a trombonist/composer/producer with the family trait of impeccable scholarship and refined musicality. Last seen here with his father, Ellis, at 2016's Twin Cities Jazz Fest, he makes a pit stop from his tour with the Uptown Jazz Orchestra. Expect his typically high level of Crescent City-soaked jazz with perhaps a little political commentary for good measure.

BRITT ROBSON

7 p.m. Mon., Crooners, Fridley, $25, croonersloungemn.com

For nearly one year from 2014-15, Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz carried a 50-pound mattress around campus for "Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)." She said the performance piece would end when a student she alleged had raped her was expelled or told to leave. (He wasn't.) The piece will be re-created Thursday at the Walker by two University of Minnesota performance students. Sulkowitz will Skype in.

ALICIA ELER