Eight Must-See Events in May

Photo by Trent Bell

TRICENTENNIAL

On May 5, 1713, the Old State House first opened its doors to the public. Three hundred years later, the Bostonian Society will mark the occasion with lectures, kids’ activities, and exhibits. 5/4–5/11

AN EPIC DEBUT

Belmont author Julie Wu has just released her first novel, The Third Son, a complex but brisk read—part love story, part family saga—that stretches from wartime Taiwan in the 1940s to the U.S. aerospace program in the 1960s. Out 4/30, Algonquin Books, $25

JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

The Foster Prize is back! The ICA’s biennial award for most outstanding Boston-area artist will be announced this month. To celebrate, the museum is featuring works by the four finalists, all of whom share a passion for mixing media, whether it’s sculpture, drawing, fiberglass, or photographic slides. 5/1–7/21

BACK BAY SCULPTURE PARK

Since 1992, the Boston Sculptors Gallery has put on 200-plus art shows, but none quite like “Convergence,” which will stage more than two dozen monumental pieces throughout the 14-acre Christian Science Plaza, all by local sculptors. 5/1–10/31

BRASHDANCE

The Boston Ballet dances the buzzed-about Chroma, a half-hour work choreographed by Wayne McGregor and performed to a score by Joby Talbot that includes orchestrations of White Stripes tunes. 5/2–5/12

A NIGHT WITH IRON MIKE

Strange but true: Mike Tyson took a one-man show, Undisputed Truth, to Broadway, and it was enough of a success that it’s now on tour and coming to the Wang. Directed by none other than Spike Lee, this monologue and slide show promises to be a “personal look inside the life and mind” of the troubled heavyweight champ. Plus, the VIP packages ($300 and up) include a chance to meet and greet the man, if you dare. 5/4

POST-MODERN MAJOR GENERAL

Gilbert & Sullivan might evoke stodgy Brits in waistcoats and ascots, but with the Chicago company the Hypocrites you get swingin’ dudes in short shorts and ukulele-playing ladies in fluffy tutus in this quirky take on The Pirates of Penzance, hosted by the American Repertory Theater. 5/10–6/2

ARMY DREAMERS

Lexington filmmaker Rick Beyer has found a new angle on WWII with the TV documentary The Ghost Army, which premieres on PBS this month. Beyer details the story of an 1,100-man division (which included abstract artist and SMFA grad Ellsworth Kelly and fashion designer Bill Blass) that used hordes of inflatable tanks, sound-effects records, and other tricks to make the Allies look stronger than they were. 5/21