Photo by Hugo van Gelderen 4/13-4/16

‘INTO THE WOODS’

A humorous, humane and wondrous pastiche of a fistful of Perrault and Brothers Grimm fairy tales, Stephen Sondheim’s and James Lapine’s modern classic Into the Woods took Broadway by storm in 1987. The strength of Into The Woods has always been that Sondheim and Lapine embrace the contradiction and weirdness of fairy tales — supposedly comforting stories where children are orphaned, stepsisters mutilated and grannies devoured. This stunning revival comes with much of its Broadway cast intact, including Montego Glover as The Witch, Stephanie J. Block as The Baker’s Wife and Gavin Creel as Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf.

More: $35 and up; April 11-16, times vary; Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St.; blumenthalarts.org

OPENING CELEBRATION: SEEING STARS

“I remember the first time I saw the stars,” wrote fantasist Beth Revis. “I thought they changed everything. I thought they changed me.” Hedy Fischer and Randy Shull have sifted through the firmament of contemporary North American art, amassing a game-changing collection that champions diverse voices in the arts while foregrounding social justice issues. Seeing Stars: Works from the Fischer/Shull Collection of Contemporary Art includes paintings, sculpture, photography and mixed-media pieces from Sanford Biggers, Kehinde Wiley, Simone Leigh and more. The opening celebration includes music and remarks by Seeing Stars curator Dexter Wimberly.

More: Free; April 13, 6 p.m.; Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St.; ganttcenter.org