Critics’ picks: The 9 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week

Hard to believe that the beloved “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” hitmaker has never headlined an arena tour before. And this is her swan song. For her farewell trek, the infectious pop icon has created a spectacle that’s as colorful as she is. Of course she has. Lauper will sing her girl-power hits, gay anthems, pop bops, Broadway faves and choice covers. Maybe the chatty New Yorker will have a special Prince story when she plays his “When You Were Mine.” The song appeared on her 1983 debut album, “She’s So Unusual,” which earned her the Grammy for best new artist. Opening is Gayle, the young Texas singer of the 2021 hit “ABCDEFU.” (8 p.m. Wed. Target Center, 600 1st Av. N., Mpls., $20 and up, ticketmaster.com)

JON BREAM

He’s a Minnesota musical treasure, a post-Thanksgiving institution and an inductee in the Guitar Player Hall of Fame. Kottke’s adventures on six- and 12-string guitars are riveting, seasoned with occasional baritone vocals and spontaneous idiosyncratic stories. His humor, quirky as it may be, is as captivating as his guitar playing, mesmerizing as it is. As is his tradition of 40-some years, Kottke prefers an opening act that might be as eccentric as he is. He’s landed on Nellie McKay, the charming New York cabaret artist with the disarming wit and expansive musical palette. (7 p.m. Thu. Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul, $59-$95, Ordway.org)

J.B.

You seldom find the music of J.S. Bach at a Minnesota Orchestra concert, as post-1800 works are more the specialty of the house. But mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital will help them cut into the deficit with a program chock-full of Bach, including transcriptions of works originally written for violin and harpsichord. There also will be orchestral versions of Bach organ pieces and Bach-inspired works by Gustav Mahler, Arvo Part, Betsy Jolas and Paul Hindemith. Making his local debut is Canadian conductor Jordan de Souza. (11 a.m. Thu., 8 p.m. Fri. Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls. $36-$111. 612-371-5656, minnesotaorchestra.org)

ROB HUBBARD

This Bulgarian pianist is a teaching artist at Minneapolis’ MacPhail Center for Music who has curated a program full of new music for three instruments by Puerto Rico’s Ivan Rodriguez, Bulgaria’s Lora al-Ahmad and Spain’s Marc Migó, each piece focused on a journey from darkness into light. Joining her will be two fellow MacPhail faculty members, pianist Irina Elkina and clarinetist Nina Olsen, as well as two musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra, violinist David Brubaker and cellist Sonia Mantell. (7 p.m. Sat. Antonello Hall, MacPhail Center for Music, 501 S. 2nd St., Mpls. $5-$25. MacPhail.org)

R.H.

In this three-person show, artists Sara Suppan, Lorena Torres and Tia Keobounpheng each get their own room. Keobounpheng’s tapestries utilize geometric designs and reflects her journey of personal reconciliation with her Finnish and Sámi heritage. Suppan’s paintings explore “small good things,” such as a folded $2 bill and a ladybug sitting on top of pomegranates. Torres, who is visiting from Bogotá, Colombia, is inspired by magical realism. Her paintings depict fleeting moments otherwise lost to time. Opens Thursday. (Noon-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. and by appt. Weinstein Hammons Gallery, 908 W. 46th St., Mpls. Free. 612-822-1722, weinsteinhammons.com)

ALICIA ELER

The Walker Art Center presents the first retrospective of abstract artist Stanley Whitney, and the 50-year survey of his work takes viewers through his many phases. In the 1970s and ‘80s, he had just begun working with abstraction, which transformed into his use of rounded color forms in the early 1990s and eventually his more mature work, containing more square shapes and grids. Whitney’s travels to the American West, Italy and Egypt greatly influenced his work. Ends March 16. (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed., Fri.-Sun, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thu. 725 Vineland Place, Mpls. $2-$18. Free on Thu. after 5 p.m. 612-375-7600, walkerart.org)

ALICIA ELER

Interdisciplinary artist and choreographer Pramila Vasudevan continues an investigation into what plant ecology can tell us about human existence with this new piece. With an ensemble of movers and music makers, Vasudevan’s company, Aniccha Arts, looks to plants as a key to understanding humans and also language. Through embodied movement, text and design, the artists come from a place of curiosity around natural forms and living things grounded in a sense of place. (4 p.m. Sat. & Sun.; Dec. 13-15, Red Eye Theater, 2213 Snelling Av. S., Mpls. $5-$100. redeyetheater.org)

SHEILA REGAN

Anyone heading into the Christmas holidays with even a smidgen of dread can always lean on Minneapolis native Nora McInerny, who somehow manages to turn grief into guffaws. The author and comedian, who now lives in Arizona, is returning to her old stomping grounds to tape episodes for her popular podcast “Terrible, Thanks for Asking.” She’ll be joined by producer Marcel Malekebu as they lead fans through sad and awkward stories that make Charlie Brown’s Christmas look like the party of the century. (7 p.m. Wed. & Thu., Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Av. S., Mpls. $30-$35. theparkwaytheater.com)

NEAL JUSTIN

Volunteers have decked the halls of the White Bear Lake Armory with glitzy, glam and ornate trees for the holiday season. The annual show has expanded to include businesses and nonprofits to showcase what they have to offer in a specially decorated tree. The arboreal experience begins this weekend with an open house. Guests can take photos with Santa, enjoy cookies, cocoa and activities to the backdrop of seasonal music. (Open house: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. & Dec. 14; regular hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed. & Fri.; 3-8 p.m. Thu.; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat.; noon-3 p.m. Sun. through Dec. 21. Armory, 2228 4th St., White Bear Lake. whitebearhistory.org)

MELISSA WALKER