Royal Canadian Circus
The big top has gone up at the Mall of America — the first stop for this circus' North American tour. Ninth-generation daredevil Joseph Dominik Bauer serves as ringmaster for an international cast that includes the Flying Cortez trapeze family, the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team (from "America's Got Talent"), motorcycle thrill riders and a human Slinky. (4 & 7:30 p.m. Fri.; noon, 4 & 7:30 p.m. Sat.; 1 & 5 p.m. Sun. Mall of America East Lot, 60 E. Broadway, Bloomington. royalcanadiancircus.com)
MELISSA WALKER
'Benediction'
Terence Davies may be the most acclaimed writer/director in the entire Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, so his latest highlights MSPIFF's second weekend. A biographical portrait of English poet Siegfried Sassoon, it shares with other Davies films "The Long Day Closes" and aptly named "A Quiet Passion" his customary blend of delicacy and fire. "Benediction" investigates a man who, traumatized by fighting in World War I, became a fierce antiwar activist. Films continue on five screens through Thursday. (5 p.m. Sun., MSP on Main, 115 SE. Main St., $15, mspfilm.org)
C.H.
Cactus Blossoms
Their album "One Day" came out in February just as the siblings-led country harmony band finally hit the road again, but vinyl copies were delayed until recently. So why not call their first hometown gig since January a release party? The record is slow-stirring and more laid-back-vibe-y than their previous two, but those harmonies shine like never before, as does the romance (all kinds!) in their lyrics. Second-generation Americana songwriting great Lilly Hiatt opens. (8 p.m., First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $20-$25, axs.com)
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
'The Labyrinth and the Minotaur'
Artists from Wonderlust Productions gathered stories from more than 230 people involved with the Minnesota corrections system, including inmates, public defenders and corrections officers, to create this work. It uses the classical myth of the labyrinth to describe the prison system, which traps people on both sides of the law. The play will be performed by a mix of pro actors and veterans of the incarceration system. (7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 3 p.m. Sun., 7:30 p.m. Thu., Mixed Blood Theatre, 1501 S. 4th St., Mpls., pay what you can, wlproductions.org)
CHRIS HEWITT
Roger McGuinn
He pioneered the jingle-jangle sound with the Byrds, who landed in the Rock Hall of Fame. But McGuinn was connected to other big names, including Bobby Darin, Simon & Garfunkel and, of course, Bob Dylan, touring with his Rolling Thunder Revue. He even recorded with the Twin Cities' own Jayhawks. McGuinn spins tantalizing stories and produces goosebumps with his Rickenbacker on "Turn Turn Turn" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." (8 p.m. Sat., Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, $25-$35, hopkinsartscenter.com)
JON BREAM
Jorja Fleezanis and friends
When one of America's best writers about classical music, Michael Steinberg, died in 2009, his widow — violinist and longtime Minnesota Orchestra concertmaster Fleezanis — started a fund to commission new compositions. She'll premiere "Where You Love From," composed by Jessica Meyer using poetry by Rumi, and also play a Brahms quintet with help from some former Minnesota Orchestra colleagues, cellist Anthony Ross and percussionist Brian Mount, as well as pianist Lydia Artymiw and actor Stephen Yoakam. (4 p.m. Sat., Westminster Hall, 1200 Marquette Av. S., Mpls., $10-$25, steinbergfleezanisfund.org)
ROB HUBBARD
'Tellus'
For its inaugural show, Analog Dance Works partners with the University of Minnesota's Outreach for Science and Art for a program that draws on wildlife imagery to explore the psychological impact of climate change. Artistic director Brenna Mosser and company member Zoë Koenig pair their works with an interactive exhibition that delves into the science behind the ideas. (7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., interactive exhibit open 6-9 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun., Tek Box at Cowles Center, 528 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $5-$20, analogdanceworks.org)
SHEILA REGAN
Dijon
Influenced by Frank Ocean and Miguel, the experimental Los Angeles alt-soul man dropped his solo debut, "Absolutely," last year. He's a deeply personal singer who can be mesmerizingly minimalist, kaleidoscopically Americana or stonerly off-the-cuff. Musically, he seems disjointed, but his lyrics focus on yearning. Dijon is an acquired taste but a major curiosity. (7 p.m. Mon. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $20-$22, first-avenue.com)
J.B.
