Bjork's Biophilia runs this week.
Falstaff
Stars aplenty, with this COC co-production. There is Verdi, the not-bad composer of this comic masterpiece. There is the director Robert Carson, whose new Falstaff has pleased crowds at Covent Garden, La Scala and the Met. And there is Gerald Finley, the celebrated Canadian baritone who portrays the titular buffoon with a "superb, burnished voice, a fine comic presence and a believable characterization," according to Globe reviewer Robert Harris. Essential opera, all told. To Nov. 1. $49 to $339. Four Seasons Centre, 145 Queen St. W., 416-363-8231 or coc.ca.
Björk: Biophilia Live
First it was an album, then it was an app, and now it's a concert film. Given that Biophilia from the Icelandic whirlwind Björk is a vast multimedia adventure involving a new type of musical notation, invented instruments and a study of music, nature and technology, a mere rockumentary might seem old-school. But this is Björk, and a 2013 concert of her wild, blooming alt-rock visions is something much beyond standard fare. To Oct. 16. $9.73. Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 506 Bloor St. W., 416- 516-2330 or bloorcinema.com.
Helen Lawrence
This groundbreaking, expensive work of theatre from visual artist Stan Douglas is set in the Vancouver of 1948, a gritty, scheming place in time when men were men and women were too. Actually, the character Helen Lawrence is quite the dame in this experimental piece inspired by post-war film noir. The live-action filming and computer-generated simulations are causing a buzz, but a top-notch cast and stylish, suspenseful script are just as vital. Oct. 12 to Nov. 2 (opening night, Oct. 16). $30 to $99. Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front St. E., 416.368.3110 or canadianstage.com.
Claire Twomey: Piece by Piece
From the acclaimed British ceramic artist Clare Twomey, a commissioned performative installation has in it a collection of more than 2,000 ghostly-white figurines. Make that more than 2,000 and counting, actually: During the first Canadian exhibition from Ms. Twomey, artisans in full view will create additional statuettes to add to to the ethereal world. Piece by piece, then, a relentless situation. To Jan. 4, 2015 (performances, Saturdays to Thursdays, 1 to 4 p.m.; Fridays, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.). $9 to $15. 111 Queen's Park, 416-586-8080 or gardinermuseum.com.
Torontoberfest
Their sausages are just the wurst. On Monday, the folks at Brewer's Backyard will not only serve up local craft beer – reps from Beau's All-Natural Brewing, Black Oak Brewing and Junction Craft Brewery are all set to pour – but October-appropriate pork situations as well. The family-friendly event takes place in a courtyard and in a rustic, unheated area of the former industrial site, but what's a little draft between friends? Oct. 13, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission. Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave, 416-596-1495 or brewersbackyard.com.
Brad Wheeler