Classic rock, mystery and children's stories: Calgary entertainment picks for the weekend

It's been a wild winter, weather-wise, but that doesn't mean you have to hide out at home under a blanket at night — because you might miss something good.

There's plenty going on in and around Calgary in the arts and entertainment department. CBC's Susan Holzman had some suggestions on The Homestretch Thursday.

Uncovering a mystery at Stage West

At Stage West, the heirs to the Baskerville fortune are getting murdered and it's up to Holmes and Watson to solve the mystery, in Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.

I caught the show last week, and it's a lot of fun. Five actors play 40 characters, so as you can imagine, there are a lot of costume changes.

Some of the show's irreverent humour comes from the frenetic pace involved in character changes, which are almost as much fun as watching them figure out who done it!

And being Stage West, dinner is included in the price of the ticket. This one runs until April 15.

For more info, go to stagewestcalgary.com.

Revisiting a classic with Cowtown Opera

And if you like revisiting classic stories onstage, there's another one worth catching this weekend. The Cowtown Opera is taking on Alice in Wonderland, in a production that was originally produced by a company called Opera Holland in the U.K., where it was a hit.

Calgary is getting the Canadian premiere of the show, which tells the classic tale of Alice, who follows the white rabbit down the hole to Wonderland. In this production, soprano Lauren Woods tackles the role of Alice.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland opened Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Mamdani Opera Centre, 1315 St. S.W. For tickets or more information, go to cowtownoperacompany.com.

Winston, meet Lady Bird

It's Oscar season, which means one thing: time to watch the nominated films so you can have a rooting interest on Oscar night! And popcorn.

I love going to the movies, but there are still a few nominated films that I haven't made it out to see yet.

If you're looking to catch up on them before the Oscar telecast March 4, the Plaza Theatre in Kensington is screening Darkest Hour this weekend.

This is the film that follows Sir Winston Churchill during the Second World War, with Gary Oldman playing Churchill. Oldman recently won the BAFTA — the British Oscar — and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the legendary British Prime Minister and is the odds-on favourite to take home Oscar for Best Actor as well.

Another film gathering ahead of Oscar steam is Lady Bird, the coming of age film from Greta Gerwig, who is only the fifth woman in Oscar history to be nominated for Best Director. It's hard to believe the Academy only nominated five women in almost a century, but it's hard to believe a lot of things that take place in Hollywood!

Lady Bird is screening at the Plaza along with Darkest Hour — do a double feature and catch both.

We will rock you

There's plenty of musical offerings this weekend as well, including Rock On! The Best Symphonic Rock Ever, which the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is presenting at Jack Singer Hall this weekend.

It features the CPO as well as vocalists including American Idol Top 4 finalist Lakisha Jones, and Chloe Lowery and Rob Evan, who performed with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. 

They'll perform a bunch of classic rock and pop songs from the '70s and '80s, including tunes by Springsteen, Whitney, Michael Jackson and Queen. 

For more information, go to calgaryphil.com.

Paul Brandt and Banff

If you're up for a little winter road trip to the mountains, The Gathering Music Festival takes place this weekend in Banff. Featuring performers Paul Brandt, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, JJ Shiplett and others, it all goes down at the Rose and Crown Pub.

Undoubtedly, it will be the best bar music you'll find on a frosty February in southern Alberta. For more info, go to www.cultgathering.com/music

With files from The Homestretch