THEATER

Apr 30–May 10
The Phantom of the Opera
No character has terrified and delighted audiences as much as The Phantom of the Opera. That’s not conjecture, that’s math. Since opening on Broadway in 1988, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical has logged more than 11,000 performances, easily making it the longest-running show in Broadway history. If you’re among the two dozen people who’ve never seen it, now’s the chance to descend to the Phantom’s subterranean depths. Paramount Theatre, $51–$165

Thru May 17
Othello
When Othello bestows a military promotion on Cassio instead of Iago, among other insults, the spurned soldier starts a chain of events that causes the downfall of Othello and his wife, Desdemona. Dropped into the setting of modern warfare, Seattle Shakespeare Company's version of the tragedy adds a layer of nuance in its examination of the trauma of life as a soldier. Cornish Playhouse, $29–$48

Thru May 17
Outside Mullingar
The gloomy fields of the Irish countryside don’t exactly scream romance, nor does the sullen, thorny demeanor of Outside Mullingar’s neighboring middle-aged farmers, Anthony and Rosemary. But in the hands of Moonstruck scribe John Patrick Shanley, the situation can be a breeding ground for love (and plenty of dark comedy) in the 2014 Tony winner for Best Play. Seattle Repertory Theatre, $17–$77

CLASSICAL & MORE

Fri, May 1
Trimpin: Above, Below, and In Between
In the mind of Trimpin, instruments become kinetic sculptures. As Seattle Symphony’s artist-in-residence, the German-born Seattleite has crafted his latest work, Above, Below, and In Between. Set in Benaroya Hall’s lobby, the piece features a 24-reed-horn sculpture and chimes suspended between the hall’s pillars, as well as a piano on the main floor equipped with small sound-creating robots. The work gets introduced via a live concert in which Ludovic Morlot conducts the sculptures with gesture-controlled technology. Benaroya Hall, $20

Sun, May 3
Yo-Yo Ma
The world’s foremost cellist joins conductor Ludovic Morlot and the Seattle Symphony for an evening highlighted by a performance of Robert Schumann’s demanding Cello Concerto in A Minor. Benaroya Hall, $140–$170

CONCERTS

Sun, May 3
Waxahatchee and Girlpool
Philadelphia’s Waxahatchee and Girlpool act as the yin and yang of female musical empowerment. The former’s emotionally taxing singer-songwriter tunes capture a quietly dignified strength (see Ivy Tripp). And the latter—a bass and guitar duo—make defiantly bratty rock that would’ve easily fit in with rabble-rousing Pacific Northwest riot grrrls of the ’90s. The Crocodile, $13

VISUAL ART

Thru May 2
Andrew Waits: Boondock
Earlier this decade photographer Andrew Waits traveled around the western United States, snapping shots of travelers who—either by choice or by necessity—live in or depend greatly on their vehicle. Glassbox Gallery displays the finished product of that multiyear project, Boondock. Glass Box Gallery, Free

FILM

May 1–9
Seattle Transmedia and Independent Film Festival (STIFF)
This year, STIFF pulled off an impressive feat: rebranding without losing its signature acronym. What was once the Seattle True Independent Film Festival morphed into the Seattle Transmedia and Independent Film Festival, expanding its reach beyond just the big screen and into new digital formats that are pushing the boundaries of how stories can be told (virtual reality, gaming applications, etc.). No matter the format, STIFF offers a platform for fresh and unusual narratives that one won't find anywhere else. Various venues, Free–$20

FAMILY

May 2–24
R.A.F.T.
When Washington Ensemble Theatre’s Ali Mohamed el-Gasseir and Jonah Von Spreecken aren’t producing innovative work for adults, their aim turns more childish. The duo makes plays for kids that feel like live-action Saturday-morning cartoons. Their latest work, R.A.F.T., finds them playing two bunnies adrift on a raft attempting to cross the Atlantic in search of American fortunes. 12th Avenue Arts, $10 

BOOKS & TALKS

Sat, May 2
Independent Bookstore Day
California Indie Bookstore Day is expanding to include independent bookstores all over the country this year, including 17 Seattle favorites. If you visit each one, including Elliott Bay Book Company, Third Place Books, and the University Book Store, you'll be crowned an Indie Bookstore Champ and qualify for benefits (25 percent off at all the bookstores all year) and be entered to win prizes. And if you can't make a day out of it, each bookstore has exclusive merch (like Margaret Atwood stencils). There are there are incentives galore, so support the indie economy! Various locations, Free 

THE SPORTING LIFE

Apr 30–May 2
2015 NFL Draft
The Seahawks look to add talent for another Super Bowl run at the yearly spectacle of 40-yard dash times and projected upside. Good thing Seahawks general manager John Schneider has mastered the Draft (especally the late rounds). Televised on ESPN and NFL Network

COMEDY

Fri, May 1
Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally: Summer of 69
Things actors like to do to celebrate the end of a successful TV series: rest, audition for movies, revive old Vaudevillian troupes. All right, maybe not that last one, but don’t tell Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman (aka Ron Swanson). He and wife Megan Mullally take a trip back to the glory days of married-couple traveling road shows when they tour with their own comedy and musical revue, Summer of 69: No Apostrophe. Moore Theatre, Sold out