From the Fields

FRIDAY, OCT. 17: To die-hard Baroque fans, seeing the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields at Friday Night’s Tacoma Philharmonic concert is way better than getting seated at the table next to Brad and Angelina. The Academy was at the forefront of the Baroque revival in the 1960s. Its 1969 recording of “Four Seasons” with the violinist Alan Loveday remains the bomb of Baroque. Things change. I know you have. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Academy is now the premier chamber orchestra, renowned for its energetic playing and supreme standard of musicianship. Touring principal players from the orchestra will perform Mendelssohn's splendid String Octet, Dvorák's exuberant String Sextet, and Kenneth Leighton’s Fantasy Octet.

[Pantages Theater, 7:30 p.m., 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.272.0809]

Even cowgirls!

FRIDAY, OCT. 17: In 1976, author Tom Robbins let the world in on a little secret: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. Even cowgirls? OK, so it seems we humans have a stronghold on the blues. His sexy, metaphorical romp was a late-’70s counterculture favorite. And a favorite of Seattle’s Book-It Repertory Theatre who will stage Robbin’s story about hitchhiking legend Sissy Hankshaw seven times inside the Theatre on the Square. Kudos for casting musician Jo Miller (Ranch Romance) as Dr. Robbins. Double kudos for keeping the nudity, sex and adult language in the production.

[Theatre on the Square, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17, 18, 23-25, 3 p.m. Oct. 19 and 26, $22-$34, 915 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5894]

Peeples

FRIDAY, OCT. 17-SUNDAY, OCT. 19: A dance presentation about people and their lives is sure to be interesting. OK — and a little complicated. No dance about a Wall Street CEO. Whew! BareFoot Collective presents Peeples — premiere pieces and a new dance film from four South Sound dance artists. There’s a dance examining a personality from three sides. And a dance about inner self. Complicated, yes, but it’s gonna be good.

[Barefoot Studios, 9 p.m., $12-$15 at brownpapertickets.com, 1604 Center St., Tacoma, barefootcallous.org]

Mystical Masquerade Ball

SATURDAY, OCT. 18: Listen up, naughty girls.

Do you long to be an "ordinary witch" by day who "transforms at night" into some sort of scary pink-robed glittery giggly perky blond pseudo-witch "magical enchantress" thing, perusing your "book of spells" with its plethora of "mysterious compartments" that "hold your secrets," along with recipes for concocting real potions "you can actually drink"?

You do? Well Jesus with an orgasmic wolf howl and some heavy goth eyeliner, are you ever in luck.

Because just in time for Halloween season and just in time to make a few thousand hyper-Christian parental brows furrow with consternation and spiritual constipation, here comes The Fall Mystical Masquerade Ball and Food Drive. Presented by the Mahlorian Green Craft, those who worship The Green Goddess, this boodown offers cash prizes for the best costumes, music, dancing and a limited Rob Carlos original to the first 100 to float through the door. Hurrah!

[Town Hall, 7-11 P.M., $18 plus two cans of food for Northwest Harvest, 3715 Bridgeport Way W., University Place, thebesom.net/fayerieball]

Bee there

THURSDAY, OCT. 23: Spelling bee for adults? Sweet Jesus! If you last through the first several rounds, you’ll feel the heady thrill of being smart; you’ll forgive all those naysayers of your youth and have the kind of corrective emotional experience your therapist always told you that you needed.

[King’s Books, 6:30 p.m., $5 a team, free to watch, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.8801]