February is a short month, but there’s no shortage of incredible entertainment happening in the Phoenix metro area. This Friday, Feb. 7, the emo music era lives on: Dashboard Confessional, the popular Florida band, is playing a 20th anniversary concert with Piebald as the opening act.

On Saturday, Feb. 8, MusicaNova Orchestra's Young Artists Series will present Sean Ellis and Jessica Zhang at 4 p.m. at the Arizona Piano Company Recital Hall, 4134 E. Wood St. in Phoenix. Ellis, a 17-year-old violinist, is a junior at Desert Vista High School. Zhang, a 17-year-old piano player, is a senior at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe. General admission is $15 or  $10 for students. Call (480) 750-9466.

In 2018, she sang Danny Boy at the Celebration of Life for the late Sen. John McCain. Now, the incomparable opera singer Renee Fleming will perform Feb. 14 at The Mesa Arts Center. The show will begin at 8 p.m., and admission starts at $55. 

THIS WEEK
Friday, Feb. 7
If you love the symphony, give back a bit by buying an expensive lunch at Savor the Symphony Women’s Luncheon. Check the link for the deets.

Feb. 7 to 9
ABBA fans can’t get enough of the band, but a highly realistic impression of them will take over the weekend as Music of ABBA with Rajaton hits Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. Check the link for times.

Transition Projects: No Vacancy is a dance concert presented by the graduating seniors of the ASU School of Film, Dance and Theatre. Its themes deal with  loss, anxiety, inner strength and community. The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Bulldog Hall 132 on the ASU campus in Tempe. Admission ranges from $8 to $20. 

Feb. 7 to 23
Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fable, Princess and the Pea will run at Valley Youth Theater, 525 N. First St. in Phoenix. Showtimes are noon, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. depending on the day. Admission is $20. 

Saturday, Feb. 8
Cirque Éloize – HOTEL will be presented at 8 p.m. at the Scottsdale Center For The Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St. Tickets range from $28 to $48.

Canadian rockers The Glorious Sons will play The Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave. in Phoenix. Des Rocs is the opening act; admission is $25. The show is open to those 16 and older. 

Sunday, Feb. 9
Silent Sunday - Silent Film Classics with Live Musical Accompaniment will happen at 2:30 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix. Featured will be the Oscar-winning Sunrise from 1927. Acclaimed musician Brett Valliant will play the theater’s Wurlitzer pipe organ. Admission is $20.

National Theatre Live: The Audience, featuring Dame Helen Mirren, will be screened at 1 p.m. today and on Feb. 15 at the Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave. The film focuses on Queen Elizabeth’s meetings with the United Kingdom’s prime ministers. General admission is $18 (or $15 for members). 

Monday, Feb. 10
Care about the fine arts? Then make your voice heard at Arts Congress 2020, which allows people to make their voice heard on the House Lawn at the state Capitol in Phoenix. Registration starts at 8 a.m. 

Thursday, Feb. 13
This British singer has been making intriguing pop/rock music for over three decades. Lloyd Cole: From Rattlesnakes to Guesswork 2020 Tour will be at the Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. in Phoenix. The show will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $44.50 to $54.50. 



Feb. 13 to 16
Ballet Arizona will perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. Tickets range from $34 to $168. To buy tickets, call the box office at (602) 381-1096.

Feb. 13 to 23
Those crazy rumors about Area 51 just might be true: The play Space Mission #5379: Saving Rachel Nevada is running at the Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St. Tickets are $15; showtimes vary. 

Feb. 13 To March 1
Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”... And The Boys, about a tea shop in 1950s South Africa, is being staged at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix. Tickets start at $40 and showtimes vary. 

Friday, Feb. 14
Noted comedian Nate Bargatze is bringing his Good Problem to Have to the Celebrity Theatre. 440 N. 32nd St. in Phoenix. The show will start at 7 p.m.; tickets range from $49.75 to $144.75.

Greasepaint is sponsoring auditions for a Valentine’s Day Cabaret! Proceeds will go towards the performer’s trip to New York City. The show will take place at the Stagebrush Theatre, 7020 E. 2nd St. in Scottsdale. Tickets are $10. 

Tempe Comedy Presents Love and Marriage at 7:30 p.m. at the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Pkwy. Tickets range from $25 to $75. 

Saturday, Feb. 15
The urban Latin dance production Contra-Tiempo with live music by Las Cafeteras is being presented at the ASU Gammage. Showtime is 7 p.m., and admission is $20.

ONGOING
Until Feb. 13
As part of their lunchtime theater programs, Herberger Theater, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix, presents When Lincoln Met Douglas, a dramatic re-creation of the impressions the two icons made on each other in their few meetings. Written and directed by Larissa Brewington. Times and dates vary, so follow the link. 

Until Feb. 16
Read all about it! The Broadway musical Newsies! is happening at the Desert Stages Theatre, 7014 E. Camelback Road.  Call the box office at (480) 483-1664 or click on the link for ticket prices. 

Until Feb. 23
Continuing their fine work, Black Theatre Troupe will present Trouble in Mind for most of the month. The story was written by Alice Childress and presents the story of a progressive, 1950s theatre company preparing to open a misguided new play on Broadway. Check the link for times and dates for performances at the Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, 1333 E. Washington St., Phoenix.

The musica true storyl Americano focuses on Tony, the child of immigrants who discovers his undocumented status when he tries to enlist in the Marines. (It’s based on the life of Antonio Valdovinos.) Click the link for showtimes and ticket prices.

Until Feb. 28
The classic Tony-winning musical La Cage aux Folles, created by the legendary Broadway composer Jerry Herman, will run through March 22 at the Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane in Peoria. All tickets can be purchased through the ABT Box Office by calling 623-776-8400 or online.

Until March 1
Elephant & Piggie’s “We are in a Play!” presented by Childsplay Theatre, focuses on two critters who sometimes face tough questions. What do you wear to a fancy party? Should you share your ice cream? This musical is being staged at the Herberger Theater Center, and is open to kids 3 and older. Admission ranges from $12 to $35; showtimes vary. 

UPCOMING
Feb. 20 To 23
Cirque du Soleil ‘Ovo’ 

Feb. 21 To 23
Louis CK
Beautiful

Feb. 21 To March 14
Night Of The Chicken: Revenge of the Angry Booger by Carrie Behrens

Saturday, Feb. 22
Bill Maher

Feb. 22 and 23
Ella Fitzgerald

Feb. 26 to March 1
Sondheim On Sondheim

Saturday, Feb. 29
David Sanborn Quartet
Itzhak Perlman

March 3
Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2020

March 3 to 8
Once on the Island

March 6 to 15
13 The Musical

March 6 to 8
M3f

March 6, 7, & 8
Beethoven, Haydn and Cerrone

March 7
Amor al Baile 6

March 8
Ultimate Tributes

March 12 and April 12
My Son The Waiter, A Jewish Tragedy

March 13 and April 19
Chicago