Listen to ‘Song of the Earth’
This weekend’s Cleveland Orchestra concerts feature mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung and tenor Paul Groves in The Song of the Earth, which Mahler wrote to pull himself out of depression after being diagnosed with a fatal heart condition. It’s paired with Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Tickets are $29-$149 at www.clevelandorchestra.com.
Highlights of gardening discussed
It feels like gardening season is far off, but you can start thinking spring with a talk at 7:30 p.m. by Cynthia Druckenbrod, vice president of horticulture for the Cleveland Botanical Garden. She will discuss historic highlights of gardening in the Western Reserve. Sponsored by the Hudson Heritage Association, it’s free and will take place at the Barlow Community Center, 41 Oviatt Drive, Hudson. www.hudsonheritage.org.
Chocolate festival will be decadent
The Northwest Akron Branch Library is hosting a Chocolate Festival at 4 p.m. Thursday for teens. The program will have all things chocolate with trivia, contests and chocolate fun. Call 330-836-1081 to register. The library is at 1720 Shatto Ave. in Akron.
‘The Upstart Crow’ at Greystone Hall
Ohio Shakespeare Festival opens The Upstart Crow at 8 p.m., a play about Shakespeare’s daughter, Susanna, who meets Richard Burbage, her father’s former business partner and friend. It will run in repertory with Lone Star through Feb. 19. Ohio Shakespeare performs in Greystone Hall, 103 S. High St., Akron; tickets are $15-$33 at 888-718-4253, option 1, www.ohioshakespeare.com.