Our five faves this week: Natalie Tran at Children's Theatre, One Direction on 'Sesame Street,' more

1 Natalie Tran steals the rambunctiously entertaining production of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" at Children's Theatre. Tran, 9, who has been on stage for three years, has the cuteness of the child that she is. But her voice already has a richness and maturity that suggests not just good training, but also heart and soul. When she delivers her sweet, pitch-perfect song to the Grinch, she swells with a grace and love that warms his heart and lights up the entire auditorium. childrenstheatre.org

4 Having conquered the tween market, One Direction is about to set the rugrat brigade atwitter with its new "Sesame Street" song about the letter "U." Sung to the tune of their first hit "That's What Makes You Beautiful," the delightful spot includes cameos from upside-down Elmo, a ukelele and, as if the Fab Five themselves weren't enough of a shriek inducer, a unicorn. http://tinyurl.com/mayyso4

2 The elegant "Fashion Show" at the Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis reminds us that female photographers took fashion photos, too. The 40 images by a dozen photographers span 75 years. The lush, beguiling show features mostly black-and-white photos, beginning with Louise Dahl-Wolfe's shy portrait of a svelte beauty taking a night swim in 1939 and ending with nearly abstract images, in color, by South Korean journalist Ina Jang from 2013. weinstein-gallery.com

3 The latest record by Twin Cities noise-rock trio the Blind Shake, "Breakfast of Failures," starts with a slow, simple three-note guitar part that reverberates like an exploding oil tanker, sounding like a warning of what's to come. Dueling sibling guitarists Jim and Mike Blaha have worked up one of the heavier and more wicked guitar sounds you'll hear by a band not categorized in the metal section. They recorded this one in Sacramento, Calif., for a Memphis label, which proves their reputation is growing along with their sound.

5 In David Nicholls' new novel, "Us," a man wakes up in the middle of the night to hear his wife tell him she's not sure she wants to be married anymore. They are about to set out on a Grand Tour of Europe with their 17-year-old son —how can they possibly travel now? But travel they do, and their sad and hilarious, slightly wacky and always poignant adventures make up the bulk of the book. The son is sullen, the wife is vibrant and spontaneous, the husband is stodgy and dutiful. A sweet and entertaining book about love, loss and middle-aged regret.