Country Roads, the Music of John Denver

Opening: Singer Dennis Curley put together this program of music from one of the most-successful singer/songwriters of the 1970s. He and a group of musicians and backup vocalists string together 18 songs with stories about a guy who thought life was pretty "far out, man." The 90-minute lineup includes "Back Home Again," "Annie's Song," "Rocky Mountain High" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads." (7:30 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 3 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends May 1. Plymouth Playhouse, 2705 Annapolis Lane, Plymouth; $28-$39, 763-553-1600, ext. 1, or plymouthplayhouse.com) Graydon Royce

'Carmina Burana'

Friday-Sunday: One of the greatest choral works of all time, Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" is paired with the distinguished dancers of Minnesota Dance Theatre in an acclaimed production that takes on the fickleness of fate. Originally choreographed by MDT founder Loyce Houlton in the 1970s, the work has found new life with the hand of her daughter, current artistic director Lise Houlton. The show brings together some of the Twin Cities' finest singers and musicians, including Barbara Brooks, Tom Linker, Bob Adney and Heather Barringer and singers Bradley Greenwald, Jennifer Baldwin Peden, David Echelard and the Minnesota Chorale. (8 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 3 p.m. Sun., Lab Theater, 700 N. 1st St., Mpls. $35 adults, $25 students/seniors. 612-333-7977 or thelabtheater.org)

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Saturday: Hubbard has been a favorite of Twin Cities audiences since it first visited the Ordway in 1986, back when it was a sizzling jazz dance company under the direction of founder Lou Conte. These days, it presents contemporary dance with a particular international quality, featuring work by renowned choreographers all around the globe. The evening begins with "Solo Echo" by Crystal Pite, created for Nederlands Dans Theater. The company will also present a quartet by German choreographer William Forsythe, "N.N.N.N." The work, taught to the company by two of the original cast members from Germany, uses no music but relies on the amplified sounds of the dancers' footfalls on the floor. Closing will be Alejandro Cerrudo's "Second to Last" and Nacho Duato's "Gnawa," which fuses Sufi-influenced Moroccan songs, Spanish guitar and North African drumming. (8 p.m. Sat., Northrop, 84 SE. Church St., Mpls. $44-$64. 612-624-2345 or northrop.umn.edu)SHEILA REGAN