On little cat feet
As part of its concert this weekend, Anchorage Ballet will include excerpts from "The Jellicle Ball" -- in which deceptively quiet household pets burst out in dance at their annual moonlit celebration of felinity. The program also includes a tango-themed number titled "Coffee Tonight," set in an underground New York nightclub in the Roaring '20s, and "Chopiniana," with the dancers accompanied by the poetic music of Frederic Chopin as played live by Juliana Osinchuk. Tickets are available at Centertix. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday in Sydney Laurence Theatre.
Full house at IGCA
The International Gallery of Contemporary Art, 427 D St., will feature a greater abundance of artists than usual this month. In the North Gallery, UAA sculpture students are displaying a variety of work in a variety of materials. Solo shows include "Axe," Gretchen Weiss' "reflection on the burdens, loneliness and grace of being single and the head of a household" in the South Gallery, and Whitney Carr's "A Collection of Lines" in the Guest Room. Scott McDonald will be featured in the Center Gallery. Bring a compass when you stop by for the First Friday opening reception, 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 4.
Battle of the books
Stick a professor, a student teacher and a coach on a stage for 90 minutes and get them to talk about world lit and the results will be funnier than reading Schopenhauer backwards. "All the Great Books" combines slapstick and sarcasm in a "brilliant surreal comedy that goes from silly to sophisticated irreverence." The show opened last week at Cyrano's, 413 D St., and will continue with performances at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday through April 13.
Polar battiness
Speaking of silly, Anchorage Opera's Alaskanized version of Johann Strauss' bubbly "Die Fledermaus," with a new text by playwright Deborah Brevoort (who says she knows where all the bodies are buried), will be presented in the Discovery Theatre at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. The Daily News will be at opening night with plans to post a review at adn.com/artsnob shortly after the show -- unless the satire makes unnecessary fun of music critics.
Compiled by arts reporter Mike Dunham