COMEDYMark NormandThursday throughSundayHelium Comedy Club2031 Sansom St.From $26www.heliumcomedy.comComedian Mark Normand has a goofy, observational style that works well with audiences of Conan and John Oliver, with whom he’s worked. He was also named a “Comic to Watch” by Comedy Central in 2011, and hosts a podcast featuring rotating comedians called “We’re All Friends Here!”FILMRare AnimationFriday, 8 p.m.Fleisher Art Memorial719 Catharine St.$8www.fleisher.orgSecret Cinema presents a night of rarely seen animated features from the distant past of Hollywood’s heyday. These 16mm films include vintage reels from cartoon studios such as Van Beuren, Charles Mintz and Terrytoons, making for a surreal and beautiful selection of animation.OPERA‘L’amore dei tre re’Saturday through Jan. 26Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center300 S Broad St.From $54www.kimmelcenter.orgThis libretto, written by Sem Benelli, is an old American favorite about love, royalty and infidelity in the Italian Dark Ages. Although formerly heavily favored in the US, the opera hasn’t been seen in Philadelphia since 1960. Enjoy the revival, alongside the AVA Opera Orchestra.THEATER‘The End of Everything Ever’Thursday through SundayPainted Bride Art Center230 Vine St.From $14www.papayalive.orgBased on the true stories of Kindertransport in pre-WWII Germany, this play — from PAPAYA by way of New International Encounter — follows a 6-year-old girl as she boards the train to Britain and mistakenly destroys her identification papers. The performance features a six-piece band and multiple languages and is appropriate for young teens.‘Harvey’Through March6Walnut Street Theatre825 Walnut St.From $55www.walnutstreettheatre.orgThis favorite tale by Mary Chase follows Elwood P. Dowd as he tries to convince the world that the 6-foot tall rabbit he calls his best friend is real and not a phantom of his imagination. A comedy with a surrealistic bent, this story has it all: chaos, imagination and redemption.MUSICHurryThursday, 8 p.m.Boot & Saddle1131 S. Broad St.From $5www.bootandsaddlephilly.comIndependent Philly label Lame-O Records presents a series of label showcases. This third evening of four is headlined by local noise-rock band Hurry and supported by label-mates Loose Tooth and Cherry, rounding out the night with punk and grunge.Sissy HopThursday, 10 p.m.Dolphin Tavern1539 S Broad St.$5www.dolphinphilly.comPresented by Philly’s Dame Luz (a.k.a. Cutn Paste), Sissy Hop is a unique night of DJing, featuring groove, queer pop, rock and soul from a range of past decades. This dance party is also a safe space, so bring your dancing shoes with you and leave your worries at home.CayetanaSaturday, 7:30 p.m.PhilaMOCA531 N. 12th St.$10www.philamoca.orgThis Philly trio plays affecting and expansive punk rock. They claim to be relatively inexperienced instrumentalists, but their songs belie a deep sense of intuition for the pacing and feeling of the music. Tonight they release their new EP, “Tired Eyes.”GusterSaturday, 8 p.m.Fillmore Philadelphia29 E. Allen St.$31www.thefillmorephilly.comRelentless tourers and all-around cool guys Guster stop by to support their January 2015 release “Evermotion,” another notch in the belt for these jam-pop pros. Lead singer of the Old 97s, Rhett Miller, opens, supporting his May 2015 release, “Traveler.”FOODFrench BistroThursday, 6 p.m.The Free Library ofPhiladelphia1901 Vine St.$20www.freelibrary.orgBetty Kaplan leads a course in classic French bistro recipes, including French cheese puffs, chicken supremes with shallots and wine cream sauce, and apple tarte tatine. Learn how to make these delicious dishes, and then enjoy the fruits of your labor.
