THEATER

American Idol: Who Killed Simon?, Murder On Us Dinner Theater, The Barnsider, 375 South Main St., Providence. 245-5850; www.murderonus.com. 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. 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. 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. 2, 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 2, 8 pm. $5. Closes Sun .

Paris by Night, Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington St., Providence. 351-4242; www.trinityrep.com. 2 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. 8 pm. $20, seniors $16, students $14. Closes May 11.

The Trial, Treasured Hearts Ministry Theatre Troupe, Harvest Family Church, 1400 Brayton Point Rd., Somerset. www.harvestfamily.org/flash. 7 pm. Additional shows at other venues through June 28.

Tape, Theater of Thought, Lighthouse Inn, 307 Great Island Rd., Galilee. 789-9341. 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. 7 pm. $10, students/seniors $5, family maximum $30. Closes May 18.

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.

Improv Jones, improvisational comedy group, Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire St., Providence. 331-2695. 10 pm. $5.

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

MUSIC

CLASSICAL

Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Larry Rachleff conducting, with soprano Susan Lorette Dunn, Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Brownell Street, Providence. 248-7000; www.riphil.org. With the Providence Singers, Andrew Clark directing. Works by Mahler and Stravinsky. 8 pm. $27-$65; students/65+/group discounts.

Rhode Island Recorder Society, Providence Country Day School, 660 Waterman Ave., East Providence. 944-3395. Recorder and viol players invited to varied musical program of group sight-reading with informal instruction. 1:30-4 pm.

POP

Chad and Jeremy, pop rock, Mohegan Sun, Cabaret, Mohegan Sun Boulevard (exit 79A off Route 395), Uncasville, Conn. (888) 226-7711, www.mohegansun.com. 8 pm. $25.

The Fat City Band, rhythm and blues, Chan’s Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. 765-1900. 8 pm. $12.

Rhode Island Idol Singer-Songwriter Competition: Molly Goldstein, Ed Hyman, Hannah Devine, Ray Cooke, Emma Dunn, Kevin Casady, Frank Martyn, Joanne Lurgio, Paul Pasch, Brian Shovelton, Jacqueline Bartlett, Ian Fitzgerald and Gary Foise, folk, rock, hip-hop, rhythm and blues, blues, soul and Celtic, with emcee Charlie Hall, Stone Soup Coffeehouse, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 50 Park Place, Pawtucket. 921-5115, www.stonesoupcoffeehouse.com. 7 pm. $10.

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.

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. 8 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.11 am, 3, 7 pm. $15-$75.

St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre: Romeo and Juliet, Zeiterion Theatre, 684 Purchase St., New Bedford. (508) 994-2900, www.zeiterion.org. 8 pm. $34-$42.

KIDS’ EVENTS

Addy: An American Girl, Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St., Providence. 421-2787; www.ppacri.org. Story of Addy Walker’s journey from slavery to freedom. 2 and 6 pm. $20-$30.

Cormack Planetarium and Museum of Natural History, Roger Williams Park, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. 785-9457. Museum open daily 10 am-5 pm. Museum admission is $2, $1 ages 2-7. Planetarium admission is $3, $2 ages 4-7; no one under age 4 admitted to the planetarium.

•Mission Moon: Past, Present, Future exhibit.

•Planetarium show: Sky Views, 2 pm.

•Space Adventure Weekend, celebrate NASA’s 50th anniversary with family activities including hands-on flight and rocketry adventures.

Peter Pan, Vartan Gregorian School Theatre, 455 Wickenden St., Providence. 728-1222. 10:30 am. $8. All Children’s Theatre production.

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. Wonderful World of Worms, ages 5-11 investigate a worm’s life, wear worm suits to squirm through a maze and watch the wigglers wriggle through compost bins 1-4 pm.

Willy Wonka, Toll Gate High School, 575 Centerville Rd., Warwick. Performance by students from Potowomut School after-school theater and Fantasy Works Youth Theater. 7 pm. $10, tickets available at the door.

MAY BREAKFASTS

Chepachet Union Church, 1138 Putnam Pike. 6-10 am. $7, $4 age 12 and younger.

Christ Church Parish Hall, 7 Elm St., Westerly. 596-0197. 7-10 am. $6 adults, $3 children under 10. Proceeds benefit the children’s choir music camp.

Christ United Methodist Church, 2291 Kingstown Rd., Kingston. 8-11 am. May baskets. $7, $3.50 ages 5-12, free under age 5.

Church of the Redeemer, 655 Hope St., Providence. 726-2855. 7:30-10:30 am. $6 adults, $3 children 5-12, under 5 free.

The Congregational Christian Church of Somerset, 1411 County St. (508) 672-6623. 7:30-11 am. $7, $3.50 ages 5-11. Wheelchair accessible.

First Baptist Church, corner of Peirce and Montrose streets, East Greenwich. 884-2322. Flowers and May baskets with fudge. 6-10:30 am. $6.50 adults, $3 children, free under age 5.

Greenwood Community Church, 805 Main Ave., Warwick. 737-1230. May baskets with homemade candy, cookies and plants. 6:30-10:30 am. $7 adults, $3 children under 12, under 5 free.

North Scituate Baptist Church, 619 West Greenville Rd. 7-11 am. May baskets. $8, $4 under age 12. Served family style.

Norwood Baptist Church, 48 Budlong Ave., Warwick. 941-7040. May baskets with candy and flowers. 7-10 am. $7 adults, $4 children 5-12 years, free under age 5. Reservations suggested for parties of 5 or more.

Pawtuxet Baptist Church, 2157 Broad St., Cranston. 7-11 am. $6, $3 under age 12.

Phillips Memorial Baptist Church, 565 Pontiac Ave., Cranston. May baskets. 7-10 am. $6, $3 age 11 and younger.

Riverpoint Congregational Church, 45 Providence St., West Warwick. 7-10 am. $7, $3.50 children, free age 3 and younger.

St. James Episcopal Church, 474 Fruit Hill Ave., North Providence. 353-2079. 10 am-1 pm. $8, $4 under age 12.

St. James Episcopal Church, 24 Hamlet Ave., Woonsocket. 7 am-noon. $6, $3 children under 10. Tickets available at the door.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 16 School St., Warren. 245-3161. For tickets and information, call 723-0321. 7:30-11 am. $7, $3 age 8 and younger. Tickets available at the door.

Smith-Appleby House Museum, 220 Stillwater Road., Smithfield. 231-7363. Seatings 9 and 11 am. $8. Reservations.

Troop 28 World’s Greatest Pancake Breakfast, Central Congregational Church, 296 Angell St., Providence. 8-11 am. $5 per ticket, $15 family ticket. Proceeds benefit scout activities.

Wesley United Methodist Church, 55 Woodland St., Lincoln. 724-7954. 7-10 am. $6, $3 age 5-12, free under age 5.

Westminster Unitarian Church, 119 Kenyon Ave., East Greenwich. 8-10:30 am. $6, $3 age 6-11, free under age 6.

NATURE

Astronomical Society of Southern New England Astronomy Day, Barrington Town Hall Lawn, 283 County Rd., Barrington. www.assne.org. Dozens of telescopes specially filtered to allow views of the Sun. Children accompanied by their parents welcome to look at sunspots to see solar flares and prominences. Family picnic atmosphere, 1:30-6 pm. Around 7:30 pm, 30 telescopes set up to view the planets Mars, Saturn and its moons and Mercury; the Beehive Cluster, which holds tens of thousands of stars; asteroids and galaxies. 1:30-9:30 pm. Free. Weather permitting; if it is partly cloudy, the event will go on; if it is overcast or raining, it will not.

Fine Feathered Friends, South Kingstown Park and Recreation at Tri-Pond Nature Center, Tri-Pond Park Nature Center, Asapond Road (off Curtis Corner Road), South Kingstown. 789-9301; www.southkingstownri.comparksrec. Children ages 3-8 learn about birds. Adult must stay with children ages 5 and younger. 10-11 am. $15, South Kingstown residents $12. Accompanying adult free.

Ledge Ends Learning Center Bird Watching and Bird Photography Program, Boesch Farm, 830 South Rd., East Greenwich. 884-5118; e-mail LedgeLearning@hotmail.com. Meet promptly at 9 am for walk led by birding enthusiast/photographer Geoff Dennis. Bring binoculars. Slide presentation, discussion after. $10, children $6. Advance registration.

Painting Flowers with Watercolor, New Dawn Earth Center, 75 Wrentham Rd., Cumberland. 333-1341; www.newdawnearthcenter.org. Participants will create a realistic or stylized flower painting from a floral still life under the guidance of Germaine Gerie. 2-4 pm. $25. Advance registration.

Trustees of Reservations and the Paskamansett Bird Club Bird Walk, Watuppa Reservation Headquarters, 2929 Blossom Rd., Fall River. (508) 679-2115, ext. 11, or e-mail bioreserve@ttor.org. Featuring an array of warblers and other interior forest birds. With naturalist/bird expert Fred Thurber. 6 pm. Free. Bring binoculars. Advance registration.

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

Bridges to the Past, Smith’s Castle, 55 Richard Smith Drive, North Kingstown. 294-3521, www.smithscastle.org. The castle returns to the 17th century with re-enactors, soldiers, sailors and privateers and traders; entertainment; fireside cooking, weapons and quill pen and parchment demonstrations; games; historic encampment; tomahawk throwing, candle dipping, bread and butter making. noon-4 pm. $5, $1 ages 6-12, under age 6 free.

Slavic Festival, Rochambeau Branch Library, 708 Hope St., Providence. 455-8110. Gypsy Nights band with Victoria Richter, Slavic folk music and dance, Russian pastry. 4-5:30 pm. Admission is free.

ART EVENTS

Art for Food Silent Art Auction, Gallery at 17 Peck, 17 Peck St., Providence. 331-2561. 11 am-9 pm. Benefit for Heifer International.

Arts on Main (7th Annual), Main Street, East Greenwich. 886-8626, www.eastgreenwichri.com. Featuring a street painting contest, sandtasia, a living statue and a monster mural. noon-4 pm. Free. Music by Kickin’ Brass, 1-3 pm.

Crafting and Art Cathedral of Saint John, 271 North Main St., Providence. 331-4622. 10 am-6 pm. Benefit for the Cathedral Building Fund.

Open Studio Art Sale and Show, Deacon Taylor House, 9 Thomas St., Providence. Sat 11 am-3 pm. Works by Anthony Tomaselli.

RISD Alumni Spring Art Sale, Benefit Street (between Waterman and Hopkins streets), Providence. 454-6618, www.risd.edu/alumni_sale.cfm. 10 am-4 pm. Rain or shine.

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

FASHION SHOWS

Clothesline Art by Teens: A Fashion Show, the Atrium at the Peerless Lofts, 150 Union St., Providence. www.riverzedgearts.org. fashion show, music, art, hors d’oeuvres and drinks. 7-10 pm. $45. Tickets available online or at the door. Proceeds benefit RiverzEdge

SALES

Bazaar, Knightsville Manor, 85 Briggs St., Cranston. 10 am-2 pm.

Flea Market, Barrington Christian Academy, Old Country Rd. 246-0113. Through 1 pm. Proceeds benefit the Academy.

ETC.

Native American Lecture Series, Rod & Gun Club of New Bedford, Collins Lane, Dartmouth, Mass. (508) 994-5659 or (508) 993-2117. Elizabeth Perry will cover topics including gathering and cultivation of plant foods, hunt and cooking, food preparation tools and containers as well as a Wampanoag cooking demonstration. 7 pm. $15.

North American Quilting Guild Meeting, Radisson Airport Hotel, Warwick. www.naqr.org or e-mail suebgp@msn.com. Exhibits, demonstrations and classes 1-4 pm. GET ON THIS LIST

Send listings to pjfeat@projo,com or What’s Happening, Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902. Listings are not accepted by phone, but for information call (401) 277-7265.

Listings appear every day of the week. There is no charge, but events will be listed only as space permits.

Listings must be received two weeks before publication, and must include the name and phone number of someone we can call if we have questions.