THURSDAY, FEB. 9
SOUP'S ON, a lunch for all volunteers, past, present, and yet-to-be, noon, bag lunches welcome, Andover Historical Society, 97 Main St.; 978-475-2236.
Pay What You Can Theater Night, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Lowell. Patrons may purchase tickets in cash at the Box Office between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. and name their ticket price. Following the performance, there will be a Director's Dialogue, where the director and designers field audience questions and describe how the play was staged. Tickets usually begin at $24 for "Daddy Long Legs," 7:30 p.m.; MerrimackRep.org, 978-654-4MRT.
OPENING RECEPTION, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., for "The Mind's Eye," by artist Jerry Uelsmann, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem; pem.org/calendar, whitney_riepe@pem.org, 978-745-9500 x3228.
FRIDAY, FEB. 10
LIVE THEATER, "Hairspray" opens, by ActingOut!, 7 p.m., $15-20, Merrimack College, Rogers Center for the Arts, North Andver; 978-208-9132, actingouttheater.com.
Wine Tasting Fundraiser, benefits Andover Vocal Music Assoc., 7 p.m., The Lodge at Ames Pond in Tewksbury. Taste wine, hors d'oeuvres while participating in raffle prizes, $30, NOT available at the door; Jill Shaw, jillshawnj@yahoo.com; Heidi Knepper hknepper92@comcast.net.
LIVE THEATER, "Drop Dead!," Spotlight Playhouse, 8 p.m., $15 ($13 for seniors), Trinity Episcopal Church, 26 White St., Haverhill; spotlightplayhouse.org, 978-380-8509. Also on Feb. 18, 19 at 2 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC, student recital featuring Miki Nagahara, violin, PA '13, Sasha Scolnik-Brower, cello, PA '13, and Paul Noh, piano, PA '12, performing works by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Schubert, 7:30 p.m., free, open to the public, Timken Room at Graves Hall, Phillips Academy; 978-749-4263, music@andover.edu.
Youth Sledding Party, hosted by Faith Lutheran Church Andover, for youth in grades six to eight, Amesbury Sports Park, 5 to 8 p.m. Dinner at a parent's home will be provided. This "Fun"-Draiser will also help raise money to fund youth activities at the church; Tom Schauer, church Youth Director, tom@faith-andover.org, (978) 475-4059.
SINGLES VALENTINE DANCE PARTY, Angelica's, 49 South Main St., Middleton, dancing with music by award-winning DJ, 8:30 p.m. to midnight, ages 35-60 years old, $15, proper business dress required, buffet; se-4u.com, 781-446-0234, 978-750-4900.
SATURDAY, FEB. 11
Andover Sister Towns Assoc. MEETS, 2 p.m., Stevens Memorial Library, North Andover, learn about the group's trip to Andover, England on May 15-23. Trip information on transportation, accommodations in the homes of Andover, England members and sightseeing provided. New members welcome, refreshments; Don Robb, Donaldrobb6@yahoo.com.
Funk/Soul music, The Get Backs, 8 p.m., at the Winter Blues Festival at the Blue Ocean Music Hall, 4 Oceanfront North, Salisbury; blueoceanhall.com.
PARENTS NIGHT OUT, 5 to 8 p.m., YMCA, 65 Haverhill St., Andover. Bring children (ages 4 to 12) to the YMCA while you enjoy dinner out. Children will have snack, make a craft project, play games in the mat room. Cost per child is $10 for YMCA members; $20 for the community. Pre-register at the Welcome Center. The Andover/North Andover YMCA is at 165 Haverhill St., Andover; 978-685-3541.
LIVE BLUESY MUSIC, The Squeezebox Stompers, Crossroads Coffeehouse of the North Parish UU Church, 3 Great Pond Road, 2nd floor, North Andover, 8 p.m.; crossroads-coffeehouse.org, 978-687-3960.
Celebrating Suess, event for the 75th anniversary of Theodor Seuss Geisel's first-ever published children's book, "And To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street." Mall at Rockingham Park, Salem, N.H. Activities include Wine, Tea, Art and Chocolate crafts.
Valentine making, UU Congregation, 6 Locke St., 7 to 9 p.m., $10 covers refreshments and supplies. Collage, paint, draw, chat and write loving notes. Bring anything you would like to incorporate in your cards — like photographs, old letters; RSVP to dre@uuandover.org.
LIVE MUSICAL THEATRE, Blast!, Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack St., Lowell, 8 p.m., $30.50 to $56.50; 978-454-2299, lowellauditorium.com.
"Hairspray," 1:30, 7 p.m., see Feb. 10 listing.
SUNDAY, FEB. 12
LIVE MUSIC, Andover Chamber Music presents "War and Peace," ACM's 15th Annual Valentine Concert, 4 p.m., West Parish Church, 129 Reservation Road, Andover, $30; AndoverChamberMusic.org, 978-474-6222, sales@AndoverChamberMusic.org.
WARD WINTER FUN DAY, Ward Hill Reservation, Prospect Road, Andover, noon to 3 p.m., free, will happen regardless of snow, guided hikes to different destinations on the reservation will leave periodically throughout the afternoon. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, refreshments and a warming fire. Parking at the reservation entrance on Prospect Road, east of Route 125, Andover. Follow signs to the activities; 978-682-3580, ext. 1, arollfs@ttor.org.
AUTHOR VISIT, Ardis Cameron examines Bread and Roses Strike in her White Fund lecture "Lawrence Strike of 1912: Women, Protest, and Dé©jà Vu All Over Again," NECC White Fund room, Louise Haffner Fournier Education Center, 78 Amesbury St., Lawrence, 2 to 4 p.m.; free.
GALLERY TALK, for John Marin: Modernism at Midcentury with guest curator Debra Bricker Balken, 2 p.m., The Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy; 978-749-4015, addisongallery.org.
"Hairspray," 3 p.m., see Feb. 10 listing.
TUESDAY, FEB. 14
LIVE MUSIC, AHS Cabaret, 7 p.m., J. Everett Collins Center, Shawsheen Road, featuring AHS Choirs with talented singers to serenade while showcasing both sweet and saucy songs, $5, with limited "cabaret seats" available for $10.
FISH ON!, Memorial Hall Library, 7 p.m., "Saltwater Fly Fishing for Striped Bass." Learn the basics of techniques, tackle and strategies from Capt. Dave Rimmer, an experienced saltwater fisherman and local guide; mhl.org.
Live comedy, Big Hearts Comedy Show, with comedians Paul D'Angelo, Jimmy Dunn and Tony V., 8 p.m., Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack St., Lowell; 978-454-2299, lowellauditorium.com.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15
HIGH TEA & HISTORY, talk about The November Club, the first woman's club formed in Andover, 2 to 3 p.m. A collaboration with the Senior Center, held at the Andover Senior Center, 36 Bartlet Street, Rear. Speaker: Karen Wakeling.
MONARCH PRESCHOOL INFO NIGHT, 7 p.m., free, Andover SHED, 65 Phillips St., Andover, learn more about this new preschool program at SHED, starting in fall 2012, will serve children ages 2.9 and up.
INTERNATIONAL FILM, "J.S.A.: Joint Security Area," 7 p.m., part of Tambaskow Film Series, Rogers Performing Arts Center, Merrimack College.
MOTOWN LECTURE, its connection to the Civil Rights Movement is subject of multimedia presentation by Motown historian, entertainment manager, lecturer and life coach Tom Ingrassia, noon, free, Lecture Hall A, Spurk Building, Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill campus; NECC Student Engagement Center, 978-556-3731, engagement@necc.mass.edu.
Merrimack Valley Tea Party meetS, 7 to 9 p.m., North Andover VFW Hall, 32 Park St., North Andover. Speaker is Ray Hanna, ACT for America, Boston Chapter Leader. Topic: "American Laws for American Courts—The Emerging Battle between the Constitution and Sharia Law,"; Ted Tripp, 978-725-6509.
MOTOWN LECTURE, its connection to the Civil Rights Movement will be the subject of a multimedia presentation by Motown historian, entertainment manager, lecturer and life coach Tom Ingrassia, in recognition of Black History month, noon, free, Lecture Hall A, Spurk Building, Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill campus; NECC Student Engagement Center, 978-556-3731, engagement@necc.mass.edu.
HOUSE SELLING TIPS, 6:30 p.m., Atria Marland Place, 15 Stevens St., Andover, will host a workshop on making your house marketable and downsizing even in a poor economy. Learn how to achieve stress-free transition, including space planning, pre-packing, coordinating the move and more with Kate Grondin, MSW, of Home Transition Resource and Debbie Pitocchelli of Pitocchelli Real Estate & Insurance; 978-475-4225.
FRIDAY, FEB. 17
U.S. ATTORNEY Carmen Ortiz, the first Hispanic and the first woman to represent Massachusetts as US Attorney visits, 2 p.m., free, she will share her story as part of the Northern Essex Community College White Fund Lecture Series.
SATURDAY, FEB. 18
LIVE FOLK MUSIC, Juno award winner (Canada's Grammy) James Keelaghan, New Moon Coffeehouse, Unitarian Universalist Church, 16 Ashland St, Haverhill, 8 p.m., $10 to $20, Berklee graduate Lindsay Straw opens the concert.
LIVE THEATER, "Drop Dead!," Spotlight Playhouse, 2 p.m., $15 ($13 for seniors), Trinity Episcopal Church, 26 White St., Haverhill; spotlightplayhouse.org, 978-380-8509.
SUNDAY, FEB. 19
Oil painting demonstration, by South Shore artist Dianne Panarelli Miller, 2 p.m., at the East Mill Art Space, 21 High St. North Andover, (Davis and Furber Complex), $5 donation, hosted by Andover Artists Guild; Nella, 978-975-0015, andoversartistsguild.org.
LIVE THEATER, "Drop Dead!," Spotlight Playhouse, 2 p.m., see Feb. 18 listing.
