NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Get ready for the best of college basketball with March Madness in Cleveland. Top teams from the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball compete in the first and second rounds at Rocket Arena. Tickets $69.50 and up. 1 Center Court, Cleveland 12:40 and 7:25 p.m. March 21; TBA March 23. DETAILS Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo If you’re planning a home project, check out The Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo at Cleveland’s I-X Center. More than 300 exhibitors will be at will be at the three-day event to inspire and advise guests on the latest design trends. Tickets $8 or $5 after 5 p.m. I-X Center, One I-X Center Dr., Cleveland 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., March 21; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., March 22 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., March 23. DETAILS Fan Expo Cleveland If you’re into comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming or cosplay, Fan Expo is for you. The event brings celebrities from your favorite pop culture franchises to town for Q&A, photo ops and autograph sessions. Tickets start at $39 for Friday and go up to $89 for a three-day pass. Huntington Convention Center, 300 Lakeside Ave., Cleveland 3 to 8 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday. DETAILS Aziz Ansari at Playhouse Square Comedian, actor, director and writer Aziz Ansari is coming to Cleveland. Known for his Emmy-winning Netflix original series "Master of None," Ansari will release the film "Good Fortune," which he wrote, directed, and costars with Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen, in October. You may also know him from NBC’s "Parks and Recreation." Tickets $59 to $275 KeyBank State Theatre at Playhouse Square, 1519 Euclid Ave, Cleveland 7 to 9 p.m., March 21. DETAILS Yuja Wang plays Tchaikovsky Pianist Yuja Wang will join The Cleveland Orchestra for two performances. “Witness Wang’s ‘superhuman keyboard technique’ (San Francisco Chronicle) in the athletic feats and crystalline beauty of Tchaikovsky’s beloved First Piano Concerto,” the orchestra’s web page teases. Tickets starting at $64 Severance Music Center, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 8 to 10 p.m., March 22; 3 to 5 p.m., March 23. DETAILS “Twelfth Night” In this Shakespeare comedy, a shipwreck throws lives into disarray as mistaken identities create hilarious havoc and unlikely romantic entanglements. The show is presented by Great Lakes Theater. Tickets $20 to $89 Hanna Theatre at Playhouse Square, 1501 Euclid Ave. Ste. 200 March 21, 2025 - Sunday, April 06, 2025. DETAILS Orchids: Love in Bloom Love is the theme of the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s annual orchid show, immersing guests in enchanting and colorful displays featuring more than 3,000 flowers. Showcasing over 100 distinct types of orchids in hues of pink, purple, and yellow, the event offers photos ops and a bit of romance, too. Tickets $20. 11030 East Blvd, Cleveland. Now through March 30. DETAILS Third Friday at West 78th Street Studios This monthly free open house showcases artists and gallery exhibits. It happens every third Friday. 78th Street Studios, 1300 West 78th Street, Cleveland 5 to 9 p.m., March 21. DETAILS |
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“King James” This Cleveland Play House production is a joyful drama about two die-hard Clevelanders connected by their admiration of LeBron James and love of the game. Tickets $25-$90. Outcalt Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Through March 23. DETAILS “The Wolves” Dobama Theatre presents Sarah DeLappe’s Pulitzer Prize finalist play, which follows nine members of a girls' soccer team as they navigate society, sex and sports through the lens of adolescence. Tickets $15-$45. 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Through March 30. dobama.org Picasso and Paper at Cleveland Museum of Art This highly anticipated exhibition takes an unprecedented look into Pablo Picasso’s creative process, featuring nearly 300 works that explore the artist’s use of paper as a medium. Advance tickets required $11-$22. 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland. Through March 23, 2025. DETAILS The Big Tease Burlesque Cleveland Burlesque presents a night of glitter and glamour with The Big Tease Burlesque Revue. The showcase is a celebration of Beachland Ballroom’s 25th anniversary Expect jaw-dropping performances, classic striptease, and high-energy acts. Tickets $27 to $32 Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland 8:30 p.m., March 22. DETAILS “El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom” In this Cleveland Public Theatre production, a struggling comic book artist creates an alter ego to save his fellow Puerto Ricans. Meanwhile, his advertising executive brother reluctantly becomes the “voice” of Spanish-speaking people everywhere, even though he doesn’t speak Spanish. Choose what you pay. Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Ave., Cleveland 7 p.m., March 20, 21, 22. DETAILS |
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FOOD & DRINK 60+ Greater Cleveland restaurants, bars for Lenten fish fry specials Northeast Ohio restaurants are ready for the Lenten season with an array of fish fry specials. From traditional beer-battered cod to Lake Erie perch, more than 40 establishments are offering seafood dishes with classic sides like pierogi, fries, and coleslaw through Easter Sunday. Alex Darus and Paris Wolfe report on prices ranging from budget-friendly $10.99 specials to upscale $28 walleye dinners, with some locations featuring all-you-can-eat options and unique preparations like koji-fried fish. READ MORE Maple Sugar Festival & Pancake Breakfast The Maple Sugar season is almost over. Join the storytellers and artisans of Hale Farm & Village in the sugar camp for the last weekend. Enjoy a pancake breakfast anad learn about traditions of 19th-century spring life. Tickets $10 to $25. Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Road, Bath 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., March 22 and 23. READ MORE Grand River Valley Ice Wine Festival Six Northeast Ohio wineries and one distillery are celebrating the 22nd annual ice wine festival throughout the month. Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery & Risorante, Grand River Cellars, Laurello Vineyards, Cask 307, South River Vineyards and Red Eagle Distillery are all participating in daily tastings. Wineries in Madison and Geneva. Through March 30. DETAILS TOP PICKS Dark Room Brewing and Pueblo Real Dark Room Brewing Company in downtown Geneva has a rambling collection of four rooms for private parties and hanging out with handcrafted brews. It has no kitchen. So, guests order takeout from Pueblo Real, the Mexican restaurant across the street. There’s a beer to pair with everything from nachos supreme to specials like seafood molcajete with grilled shrimp, tilapia, and crabmeat cooked with mushrooms, peppers, onions and tomatoes in Ranchero sauce and topped with shredded Mexican cheese with flour tortillas. Many of the servings are enough for two. – Paris Wolfe The Merchant Tavern The Merchant Tavern offers comfort and cosmopolitan fare in a cool setting. From sauerkraut balls, poutine and cheese curds as starters to hearty salads, sandwiches, burgers and entrees like shrimp and grits, rigatoni Bolognese and country fried pork, there’s something for everyone here. Northeast Ohio-made beers, extensive cocktails list, and more than 50 wines go well with your dining choice. It's at 1824 Merriman Road, Akron. -- Marc Bona DETAILS TJ's Butcher Block The time-honored tradition of corner delis is alive and well at TJ’s Butcher Block in Lakewood. Aside from fresh-sliced lunchmeat and hand-cut butcher offerings, TJ’s is the perfect spot for a fulfilling lunch. Its loaded sandwiches include all of the classics, from hot pastrami on rye to a homemade chicken salad croissant. Massive sandwiches like the Triple Decker, featuring three slices of bread in between ham & cheese and turkey & coleslaw, aren’t to be missed. TJ’s Butcher Block is at 14415 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. – Alex Darus DETAILS |
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TV & MOVIES "Anora" There’s plenty of Oscar winners and contenders coming to streaming services now that the show is over, starting with best picture winner “Anora,” debuting on Hulu earlier this week. Filmmaker Sean Baker’s odyssey of a Brooklyn sex worker, whose whirlwind affair with the wild son of a Russian oligarch goes very wrong also won best director, best editing and best actress for Mikey Madison. Baker devoted most of his Oscars speech to the importance of making movies for and seeing movies on the big screen, but don’t worry we won’t tell if you decide to watch this one on the small screen first. Just put the phone down: It’s a ride worth taking. DETAILS "Wicked" Another big Oscar player, perhaps “Anora’s” complete opposite as a big, lavishly expensive studio musical, “Wicked” starts streaming on Peacock on Friday. There will also be a singalong version available and some bonus content for the super fans. Filmmaker Jon M. Chu took on the gargantuan task of adapting the Broadway musical for the big screen, and he went all out. The film won two Oscars, for costume and production design. DETAILS "Sing Sing" A gem which got a little lost in the mix, “Sing Sing” arrives on Max on Friday. This inspired-by-real-life film about inmates who find a creative outlet through acting and performance earned three Oscar nominations: for Colman Domingo’s lead role, for the adapted screenplay and for best original song, but don’t let its 0/3 wins detract you from a watch. DETAILS "Good American Family" Ellen Pompeo stars in her first big role since stepping back from her series regular status on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.” “Good American Family” fictionalizes the true story of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian-born orphan with dwarfism, adopted as a child by an American family who later accused her of lying about her age with sinister intentions. The wild tale became well-known after it was the subject of a docuseries that debuted in 2023 on Investigation Discovery. In “Good American Family,” Pompeo and Mark Duplass play the adoptive parents of Natalia (Imogen Faith Reid). It premiered Wednesday on Hulu. DETAILS “Happy Face" What if your dad was a convicted serial killer? That horrific thought is a reality for TV producer and podcaster Melissa G. Moore, whose father is Keith Jesperson, now serving multiple life sentences in prison for a string of murders in the early 1990s. Melissa had a loving relationship with her father until learning of his crimes as a teen. Jesperson was called the Happy Face Killer because he drew happy faces on confession letters boasting about his killings. Melissa’s story is played out in “Happy Face” debuting today on Paramount+, starring Annaleigh Ashford and Dennis Quaid. DETAILS “Women’s Sports Now” As public interest in women’s sports has surged, a new weekly talk show coming to The Roku Channel is dedicated to female athletes. “Women’s Sports Now” is hosted by former WNBA player Renee Montgomery, comedian Sarah Tiana and sports reporter Suzy Shuster. The show will follow women’s sports teams at the college and professional level. Reese Witherspoon is an executive producer. It debuts today. DETAILS |
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Selena Gomez At the end of last year, the Grammy- and Emmy-nominated multi-hyphenate Selena Gomez announced her engagement to hit producer and songwriter Benny Blanco. Music is their shared language, and on Friday, the couple will release a joint album, “I Said I Love You First.” Haters of romance, turn away. This is a celebration of their affection, but not without introspection. That’s evident in the acoustic ballad “Scared of Loving You,” and the pop rock single “Call Me When You Break Up,” featuring Gracie Abrams. DETAILS The Shamrock Tenors The Shamrock Tenors, considered one of “Ireland’s most exciting new folk music sensation” is stopping in Cleveland during their world tour. Among other songs, they’ll perform classics like “Danny Boy,” “Whiskey in the Jar,” “The Parting Glass,” and “Wild Rover” in five-part harmony. Tickets $45 to $65. KeyBank State Theatre at Playhouse Square, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 7 to 9 p.m., March 23. DETAILS “& Juliet” This Tony-nominated jukebox musical comes to Playhouse Square straight from Broadway. Set to the music of Max Martin, the pop mastermind behind some of the biggest hits of the millennium (think Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, etc.), the show imagines what would have happened to Juliet if she hadn’t ended it all over Romeo. Tickets $40-$139. Connor Palace, 1615 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Now through March 23. DETAILS EMEL at Cleveland Museum of Art Coinciding with the “Arts of the Maghreb: North African Textiles and Jewelry” exhibit, the Cleveland Museum of Art is bringing EMEL to our fair city. The award-winning, internationally acclaimed musician makes a rare live performance at the museum this weekend. 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland . 7:30 p.m., March 21. DETAILS Livingston Taylor Joined by the Chagrin Falls Studio Orchestra, enjoy a night of hits and classics from Taylor's decades-long career. Tickets start at $20. 175 E. Main Street, Kent. 7:30 p.m., March 21. DETAILS Herb Alpert And The The Tijuana Brass Band And Other Delights Herb Alpert and his band head to Akron for an informal night of hits and audience interaction. Tickets start at $40. 1201 E. Market St., Akron. 7:30 p.m., March 26. DETAILS |
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