Film
New this week: Rock of Ages ssfd Notable for one of the odder turns in Tom Cruise's career (he's a heavy-metal rock god), this from-stage-to-screen jukebox musical uses an arsenal of '80s anthems, and the hairdos to go with them, following a dreamy-eyed Oklahoman (Julianne Hough) and a wannabe star (Diego Boneta) struggling to make it in Hollywood, where all the world is ready to break into a production number. PG-13 (adult themes)
— Steven Rea
Music
Bonnie Raitt / Joe Henry & Lisa Hannigan. Raitt drafted Henry to produce some tracks for Slipstream, her first new album in seven years, and he brought a moody subtlety. On Saturday night, while Raitt is playing Slipstream highlights at the Academy of Music (with the great Mavis Staples opening), Henry will be a few blocks away at the Theater of Living Arts, sharing the stage in a collaborative evening with Irish singer-songwriter Hannigan. Henry has been a busy guy, he produced Hannigan's Passenger and released Reverie, his own excellent album of impressionistic, poetic, and jazzy ballads. Hard to choose which show to recommend.
