Best of the Week (Nov. 17-24): Charlie Parr, 'Cinderella,' Okee Dokee Brothers, sci-fi dance, Jurassic Quest, more

Two-part Parr party

After digging in against depression on his last album and licking wounds from a skateboarding accident that laid him up for months, Minnesota's widely celebrated acoustic folk/blues picker Charlie Parr sounds healed and hopeful on his latest release for Red House Records. The eponymously titled collection includes some fine new originals, plus reworkings of his older tunes "Jubilee" and "Cheap Wine" and covers by two of his heroes, Spider John Koerner and the late Grant Hart. The two-part release party is split into an acoustic night and then electric. Chris Riemenschneider

7:30 p.m. Thu. & 8 p.m. Fri. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Av. S., Mpls. $20-$25, thecedar.org.

Although there are one or two princesses in Children's Theatre Company's "Cinderella," the show does not feel princessy at all. Autumn Ness is hilarious as the stepmother, but also functions as a master of ceremonies, in a performance that is part Vegas insult comic, part game show host and all delightful. This take on "Cinderella" is decidedly modern, what with its pop hits, references to 35W construction and nods to Lady Gaga in "A Star Is Born," Lizzo and Marie Kondo.

Chris Hewitt

7 p.m. Fri., 2 & 5 p.m. Sat.-next Sun. Ends Jan. 5. Children's Theatre Company, Mpls. $15-$80, childrenstheatre.org.

This past week's weather was a perfect setup for the Ordway return of the Grammy-winning, family-friendly hometown folk music heroes the Okee Dokee Brothers. The "Can You Canoe?" hitmakers celebrated cold-weather fun with ultra-warm results on last year's album "Winterland." Lifelong pals Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing find out Wednesday if the record landed them another Grammy nomination. Seems like a snowy shoo-in to us.

C.R.

11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Sun. Ordway Concert Hall, St. Paul. $19-$32, ordway.org.

Crash Dance Productions may have a runaway hit on its hands with its production of "Proxy," the science fiction-themed dance first presented at the Lab Theater in 2018, and again last February. The work draws inspiration from a philosophical thought experiment called "brain in a vat," which imagines what it would be like to exist only in mind, and not body. Becoming coordinates on a metaphorical map, the dancers bring this heady idea to visceral life.

Sheila Regan

7:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 2 p.m. next Sun. Cowles Center, Mpls. $27-$30, 612-206-3600, thecowlescenter.org.

A man with furry ears, a short tail and black Converse shoes is caught between two lady loves. They stand outside a bar called Saints & Sinners, their tense moment awash in a devilish red glow. Cara Romero snaps this scene in "Coyote Tales No. 1," one of six large-scale photographs in her solo exhibition. The Santa Fe-based artist's rich photos draw viewers into stories about Indigenous culture and history, while working to combat stereotypes of Native people.

Alicia Eler

Noon-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Ends Dec. 28. Bockley Gallery, Mpls. Free, bockleygallery.com.

The Jurassic Period was more than 145 million years ago, but that doesn't stop our fascination with the time when giant reptiles roamed the Earth. Jurassic Quest features more than 80 dinosaur replicas, and guests can interact with a walking Dilophosaurus and Herrerasaurus. Science stations teach visitors about fossils, and craft stations let you create your own dino. VIP tickets increase the thrill with unlimited shows, bounce houses and rides.

Melissa Walker

3-8 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. next Sun. Minneapolis Convention Center. $22-$36, jurassicquest.com.

The elegance of French baroque music lends itself to dance, and ballet features in many French operas of the period. That interaction is examined in Lyra Baroque's "Les Caractères de la Danse." Paige Whitley-Bauguess and Thomas Baird dance to three pieces by Jean-Féry Rebel, a favorite of Louis XIV. Brazilian violinist Luís Otávio Santos leads Lyra's ensemble, playing two concertos by Jean-Marie Leclair.

Terry Blain

7 p.m. Thu., Rushford-Peterson Auditorium, Rushford, Minn.; 7:30 p.m. Fri., Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Rochester; 7:30 p.m. Sat., Sundin Music Hall, St. Paul. $5-$30, lyrabaroque.org.

Like a lot of the West Coast rap pioneers he emulates, onetime gang member Schoolboy Q has grown wiser and more contemplative in the wake of his pal Mac Miller's death and simply from turning 30. "Crash Talk," the Los Angeles rapper's long-awaited follow-up to his breakout album "Blank Face," is still feisty and a lot of fun, though, and with Travis Scott's rhyme-slinging Canadian cohort Nav opening for him on tour, Q had better show a lot of fire again in concert.

C.R.

8 p.m. Sat. The Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls. $37-$79, all ages, ticketmaster.com.

Mill City Museum goes beyond the Pilgrim cliché for an in-depth look at the origins of Thanksgiving. In "Thanksgiving: Myth, Memory and Food," dive into the history of the holiday and how celebrations have changed over time. You can test your food knowledge, gain insight into Indigenous foods and even sample a few bites made in the museum's baking lab. Practice grace and gratitude through special activities.

M.W.

11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sat. Mill City Museum, 704 S. 2nd St., Mpls. $6-$12, mnhs.org.