Larry Cagle, left, and Alex Aponte perform in the comedy Bless Me, Father at the Mill River Theater in Central Falls.

THEATER

American Idol: Who Killed Simon?, Murder On Us Dinner Theater, The Barnsider, 375 South Main St., Providence. 245-5850; www.murderonus.com. Comedic murder mystery. 8 pm. $39.95, includes four-course dinner, show, tax, gratuity. Through June.

Bedroom Farce, Newport Playhouse and Cabaret Restaurant, 102 Connell Highway, Newport. 848-7529, www.newportplayhouse.com. Comedy about three couples, three bedrooms and one long Saturday night. Buffet 6:15 pm, show 8 pm. Dinner/show $48.95, includes tax and post-show cabaret. Show only $33.95. Reservations recommended. Closes May 18.

Bless Me, Father, Mill River Theater, 499 High St., Central Falls. 721-0909; www.millrivertheater.com. A comedy about parish life in a small suburban London town set in the early 1950s. Dinner 6:30 pm, show 8 pm. $35.50 dinner and show; $20 show only. Closes May 10.

Blithe Spirit, Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington St., Providence. 351-4242; www.trinityrep.com. Noel Coward comedy about a ghost that won’t stay still. 8 pm. $20-$60; $10 seats on the Chace Theater’s 12th row bench seat. Closes Sun.

Broadway Then and Now, Encore Repertory Company, Stadium Theatre, 28 Monument Square, Woonsocket. 762-4545; www.stadiumtheatre.com. Revue featuring music from Chicago, Annie, Guys & Dolls and Grease. 7:30 pm $18. Closes Sun.

Coincidentally, Firehouse Theater, 4 Equality Park Place, Newport. 849-3473; www.firehousetheater.org. One-act play by Geri Sereno about two women, strangers to each other, who find they have more in common than they realized. 8 pm. $20; mention The Providence Journal and receive $5 off up to six seats. Post-show performance by The Bit Players Improv Troupe. Closes May 18.

Disney’s High School Musical, Columbus Theatre, 270 Broadway, Providence. 621-6123; www.arttixri.com; www.riseonbroadway.org. Contemporary musical comedy about a popular high school basketball star and a shy, academically gifted newcomer. 7:30 pm. Gold circle $20, orchestra $15. Closes May 11.

The Etymology of Bird, Providence Black Repertory Company, 276 Westminster St., Providence. 351-0353; www.blackrep.org; 621-6123; www.arttixri.com. Love story about neighbors and the choices they make that change everything. 8 pm. $20, students/seniors $10. Closes May 18.

I Ought to Be in Pictures, Granite Theatre, 1 Granite St., Westerly. 596-2341; www.granitetheatre.com. Neil Simon comedy about a Brooklyn teen who goes to LA to make movies and renew her relationship with her father. 8 pm. $18, 62+ $15, children 12 and younger $11. Closes May 25.

The Learned Ladies, Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium, Citizens Bank Theater, Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire St., Providence. 351-4242; www.trinityrep.com. Moliere comedy lampooning Parisian salon society. 8 pm. $5. Closes Sun

Paris by Night, Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington St., Providence. 351-4242; www.trinityrep.com. Musical, unconventional love story involving two couples. 8 pm. $20-$60. Closes June 1.

The Secret Garden, Academy Players, East Greenwich High School Auditorium, 300 Avenger Drive, East Greenwich. 885-6910; www.academyplayers.org. Orphan discovers the joys of life on the Yorkshire Moors with the help of two local boys and a mysterious, abandoned garden. 8 pm. $20, seniors $16, students $14. Closes May 11.

Sweet Disaster, Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire St., Providence. 331-2695; www.perishable.org. Multimedia play combines theater and animated film. 8 pm. $20; students, seniors, military $15; members $10. Closes May 11.

Tape, Theater of Thought, Lighthouse Inn, 307 Great Island Rd., Galilee. 789-9341. Site-specific theater initiative; audience members will check-in at the front desk and be given a key to a room where the action will be underway, or choose to view from the interior courtyard. 8 pm. $25. Closes Sun.

Twelfth Night, Swamp Meadow Community Theatre, Captain Isaac Paine School Auditorium, Foster Center Road (Routes 94 and 6), Foster. 397-4740; www.swampmeadow.org. Shakespeare’s romantic comedy of love lost and found. 7 pm. $10, students/seniors $5, family maximum $30. Closes May 18.

Voices: In Search of Truth, New York City Theatre Artists, Paff Auditorium, University of Rhode Island, Feinstein Campus, 80 Washington St., Providence. Original play written in response to To Kill a Mockingbird. 7 pm. Suggested donation of $5.

COMEDY

Catch A Rising Star, Twin River, 100 Twin River Rd., Lincoln. 723-3200, (800) 720-7275, www.catcharisingstar.com/providence.html. Joey Vega. 8, 10 pm. $20.

Friday Night Live: Improv Comedy for the Masses, Carriage House Stage, 7 Duncan Ave., Providence. 831-9479, www.everettdancetheatre.org. 7-8 pm. $5.

Kathy Griffin, Mohegan Sun, Arena, Mohegan Sun Boulevard (exit 79A off Route 395), Uncasville, Conn. (888) 226-7711, www.mohegansun.com. 8 pm. $35.

Unexpected Company: The Morris, long-form improvisation, Cornerstone Playhouse and True Brew Cafe, 213 Robinson St., Wakefield. 284-1850, www.thetruebrewcafe.com. 8:18 pm.

MUSIC

CLASSICAL

Jamestown Community Chorus, Community Baptist Church, 99 Narragansett Ave., Jamestown. 423-1574; www.jamestownri.com/chorus. J.C.C. Goes to the Movies, concert featuring music from motion pictures, as well as traditional and popular sing-alongs. 7:30 pm. $10, seniors/children $7.

The Merasi, Brown University, Salomon Center for Teaching, Room 101, College Green, Providence. www.merasi.org. A group of seven lower-caste musicians from India. 6-8 pm. Suggested donation $5. Tickets must be reserved in advance by e-mailing Pamela@brown.edu.

Rhode Island College Chorus, Chamber Singers and Women’s Chorus, Teresa Coffman conducting, and Men’s Chorus, Tianxu Zhou conducting, Rhode Island College, Sapinsley Hall, 600 Mount Pleasant Ave., Providence. 456-8144; www.ric.edu. Bon Voyage Choral Concert. 8 pm. $4.

Mary Sadovnikoff and Michael Bahmann play Mozart for fortepiano four-hands and soprano Andrea Matthews sings Mozart Lieder at the Music Mansion, 88 Meeting St., Providence. 274-5073. 8 pm. $50. Benefit for Museum Concerts. Candlelight reception canapés.

POP

The Chili Brothers featuring Tony Medeiros, funk and rhythm and blues, Chan’s Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. 765-1900. 8 pm. $10.

Receiving End of Sirens, Envy on the Coast and Therefore I Am, rock, Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, 79 Washington St., Providence. 331-5876, 272-5876, www.etix.com. 8:30 pm. $15 advance; $17 day of show.

The Searchers, rock, Mohegan Sun, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun Boulevard (exit 79A off Route 395), Uncasville, Conn. (888) 226-7711, www.mohegansun.com. 8 pm. No cover.

Chris Smither, rock, Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan St., Fall River. (508) 324-1926, www.ncfta.org. 8 pm. $22 advance; $25 day of show.

PERFORMANCES

Brown Festival of Dance, Brown University Theatre, Brown University, Stuart Theatre, Catherine Bryan Dill Center for the Performing Arts, 77 Waterman St., Providence. 863-2838; www.brown.edu/tickets. 8 pm. $17; $12 seniors, faculty and staff; $7 students.

The Dance Theatre, Roger Williams University, Performing Arts Center, 1 Old Ferry Rd., Bristol. 254-3626, www.departments.rwu.edu/dance. 7 pm. $10; $5 students and seniors.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Presents Over the Top, Dunkin’ Donuts Center, 1 La Salle Square, Providence. 331-2211, www.ticketmaster.com. 7 pm. $15-$75.

KIDS’ EVENTS

Audubon Society of Rhode Island Programs. 949-5454, ext. 3041; www.asri.org. Advance registration.

• Story Time: The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Nature story with hands-on activity followed by a nature craft. Adults must accompany children. 10 am. $5. Ages 3-5. Advance registration.

• Story Time: Move Over Rover. Nature story with hands-on activity followed by a nature craft. Adults must accompany children. 10 am, 1 pm. $6, members $5. Ages 3-5. Advance registration.

Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St., Providence. 273-5437, www.childrenmuseum.org. Hands-on activity center for children 1-11 and their families. Tue-Sun 9 am-6 pm. $6.50; members free. Scienterrific, ages 3-5 hear Who Sank the Boat and learn how to make their sinkers float. 9:10 am-1:40 pm. Walk-in registration on a space-available basis for an $8 fee above the price of admission.

Z is for Zoo, A Zoo for the Z, Oh, the Wonderful Things You Will See, Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, 684 Purchase St., New Bedford. (508) 994-2900, www.zeiterion.org. Animal expert Jack Hanna. 7:30 pm. $25-$32.50

NATURE

Audubon Society of Rhode Island Bird Walks, Fisherville Brook Refuge, Exeter. 949-5454, ext. 3041; www.asri.org. Advance registration. Walks cancelled in event of inclement weather (more than just a little sprinkle). Explore the refuge in search of neo-tropical migrants. Observe birds including northern waterthrush, prairie warblers, bluebirds, scarlet tanagers and others. Bring binoculars. 8 am.

ETC.

May Breakfast with Books, North Kingstown Public Library, 100 Boone St. 294-3306. Bring a book to share or just listen. 10 am.

Spring Show, Richards Gallery, 3964 Main Rd., Tiverton. 624-3331, www.artistkenrichards.com. Noon-5 pm.

FULL REVIEWS of movies now playing: projo.com/moviesandtv