Thru Oct 22 (final weekend)
The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls
In this West Coast premiere by Meg Miroshnik, WET's black box space is reimagined as gritty Moscow, circa 2005, where "American Annie" is trying to reconnect with her roots—though her host might be trying to fatten her up for the dinner table. But in this fantastical romp, where Annie faces a wicked witch and a murderous bear, none intimidate like the Russian girls in six-inch heels. Washington Ensemble Theatre, $15–$25.

Oct 18–Nov 10
Demon Dreams
In Japanese folklore, demons don’t carry pitchforks; they’re actually humans who’ve gone bad, grown horns, and run off to live in caves. It’s a decidedly darker view of humanity that inspires the latest play from Tommy Smith (Sextet, White Hot)—a sort of hip-hop Screwtape Letters with demons and immortals rapping about all that’s good and evil about the now-extinct human race. West of Lenin, $18–$20.

COMEDY

Oct 21
An Evening with Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby on turning 75: "Some people do this everyday...and some don't." Like cheese, jeans, and a fine Bordeaux, he only gets better with age. Benaroya Hall, $57–$102.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Oct 20
Laurie Anderson
First came Happiness and The End of the Moon. For Dirtday!, Laurie Anderson's third installment in a trilogy of new solo story works, the legendary performance artist sets a discussion about U.S. politics, post 9/11 and Occupy Wall Street, to live music. Meany Hall, $44–$48.

Thru Oct 20
City Arts Festival 2012
In addition to last night's spectacular set by former Talking Head David Byrne and indie songstress St. Vincent, the music-and-art festival (organized by free culture mag CityArts) showcases local bands like My Goodness, the Maldives, and Lemolo. Various venues, wristbands have sold out, but single tickets are still available.

EAT & DRINK

Oct 19 & 20
Great Pumpkin Beer Festival
Great 200-pound Pumpkins will be tapped during Elysian's eighth annual pumpkin beer festival. Think pumpkin beer is cloying, sweet, and nasty? More than 60 varieties from around the world are just waiting to change your mind. Friday’s fete is 4 to 10 and Saturday’s is 11 to 4, and 5 to 10 at Elysian’s Airport Way Production Brewery in Georgetown. Elysian Fields, $25.

FILM

Thru Oct 25
Argo
Ben Affleck's best directorial effort to date is a thrilling retelling of the Iran hostage crisis of the late '70s—a part of U.S. history that, given the recent death of the American ambassador to Libya, feels that much more relevant…and terrifying. Affleck stars as a CIA agent who leads a daring rescue mission to sneak six embassy workers out of Iran by posing as a film crew. Well-timed quips about Hollywood’s inanity break the tension, but the white-knuckle final scene calls for a post-film Valium. SIFF Cinema Uptown, $7–$10.

BOOKS & TALKS

Oct 19
¡Viva la Revolución!
Since when has pop culture been a place of revolution? Che Guevara has become Cliché Guevara, emblazoned on the chests of college students everywhere. The Hugo Literary Series brings together author Steve Almond, poets Matthew Zapruder and Elaina M. Ellis, and keyboardist Daniel Spils of Maktub to create new works exploring the modern notion of raising arms. Hugo House, $25.

CONCERTS

Oct 20
Rusted Root
The '90s live on with the resurgence of bongo-happy roots rockers Rusted Root, whose breakthrough album When I Woke in 1994 was known to turn venues packed with uncoordinated white kids into maniacal dance parties. Tractor Tavern, $23–$25.

CLASSICAL & MORE

Oct 19
1962 at the Symphony
The Seattle Symphony's musicians union is still engaged in tense labor negotiations with the management, but the show will go on. For the inaugural [unttitled] concert—one in a series of informal, late-night chamber music performances in Benaroya Hall's lobby—conductor Ludovic Morlot leads the International Contemporary Ensemble and select orchestra members in experimental chamber works from 1962. The program features John Cage, Iannis Xenakis, Morton Feldman, and other mid-20th century composers in tribute to the 50th anniversary of Seattle's World's Fair and the centennial of Cage's birth. Benaroya Hall lobby, $17.

STYLE EVENTS

Oct 20
Project Leather
To kick off the EMP's Worn to Be Wild: The Black Leather Jacket exhibit, this runway show in the Sky Church looks at the future of leather, beginning right here in the Northwest. Project Leather features five regional designers, including Portland husband-and-wife duo Ms. Wood, rocker looks by Seattle’s Aykut Ozen, up-cycled styles by Stone Crow Design, futuristic fashion by recent AI student Pierre Davis, and more. This event is cosponsored by Seattle Met. EMP, $35–$175.