July 2019 entertainment highlights

July 8: Twenty-three people died from a terrorist bombing outside her concert in Manchester, England. Her ex-boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller, died of an overdose. And her fiancé, comic Pete Davidson, split up with her. Grande channeled her hardships into two standout, chart-topping albums of highly personal songs in less than seven months. Now the ponytailed pop star will unleash her acrobatic voice on "No Tears Left to Cry," "7 Rings," "Thank You, Next" and other hits in concert. (Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul. $76.95 & up, ticketmaster.com.)

Jon Bream

July 12-13: No Twin Cities festival does a better job of balancing national must-sees with local up-and-comers than the Basilica Block Party. The 24th edition of the church fundraiser leads with Nashville phenom Kacey Musgraves and Scottish electropop stars Chvrches, but the big names (Dawes, Jason Mraz and Hanson) are balanced by a who's-who of Minnesota beacons. Semisonic, the Jayhawks, Static Panic, Yam Haus and others hold it down for the home team. (Basilica of St. Mary, Mpls. $60 & up, basilicablockparty.org.)

Jerard Fagerberg

July 13: Minnesota Children's Museum takes family entertainment to the street. Part of its "Summer to the Max" experiences, this outdoor event will be packed with open-ended play activities and performances. Spark your imagination in a variety of interactive diversions. Visit the museum for more special attractions to get those creative juices flowing. Travel through all 11 exhibits that examine the world around us. (Minnesota Children's Museum, St. Paul. Block party free, $12.95 museum admission, mcm.org.)

Melissa Walker

July 15: Almost a year after he played Minneapolis' newly renovated concert hall solo, Jack White is returning with his best-known group besides the White Stripes. Fellow Detroit native Brendan Benson holds his own as the group's other leader, and they once again show off pure chemistry and a refreshingly straight-ahead pop-rock style on the songs so far issued from their upcoming album, "Help Us Stranger." (The Armory, Mpls. $55-$225, ticketmaster.com.)

July 19-Nov. 3: Artist Jonathan Herrera Soto's latest exhibition homes in on the record number of slain and missing Mexican journalists. In early 2019, the murder of Rafael Murua, a community radio station director in Baja California Sur, made headlines. Soto's exhibition invites visitors to interact with the faces of those who either disappeared or were jailed or killed. Originally from Chicago, Soto lives and works between his hometown, Minneapolis and New York City. (Minneapolis Institute of Art. Free, artsmia.org.)

Alicia Eler

July 20-Aug. 18: Sally Wingert returns to the Jungle Theater stage for the first time since 2005 in this world premiere comedy. Written by Josh Tobiessen, whose comedy-with-ghosts, "Lone Star Spirits," was a Jungle hit two years ago, it reteams Wingert with director Sarah Rasmussen, who guided her in the Guthrie Theater's "Sense and Sensibility." "Stinkers" is about two unruly kids, their stay-at-home father and their felonious grandmother, a family dynamic that seems likely to be informed by the fact that Tobiessen and Rasmussen are the parents of two kids. (Jungle Theater, Mpls. Tickets TBA, jungletheater.org.)

Chris Hewitt

July 27: After canceling her Bruno Mars opening set and making highly suspect high-buck Super Bowl party appearances, the "Bodak Yellow" and "I Like It" hitmaker is finally set to deliver her first true Twin Cities performance. A new album is purportedly on the way, but we still haven't really heard her "Invasion of Privacy" material live or experienced the full wallop of her uncanny persona. She's doing a month of arena dates between big festival gigs, and should have a fanciful production to match. Kevin Gates and Saweetie open. (Target Center, Mpls. $50-$125, axs.com.)

July 27-Aug. 31: The Guthrie Theater is following the life-is-uncertain-eat-dessert-first philosophy with this world premiere comedy from two-time Pulitzer-winner Lynn Nottage ("Intimate Apparel"). The title refers to a truck stop, where employees are trying to make the perfect sandwich under the watchful eye of a mixed bag of regulars. The play is a companion piece to the Tony-nominated "Sweat," which has a character in common with "Floyd's" and which the Guthrie will produce next year. Both plays are set in economically challenged Reading, Pa. (Guthrie Theater, Mpls. $15-$78, guthrietheater.org.)

C.H.