From Lady Gaga to Taylor Swift, "Harry Potter" to "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "Altar Boyz" to "Jersey Boys," the 2011 arts and entertainment schedule is filling up fast.
Read on for some of the biggest dates to mark on your calendar.
Salt-N-PepaFeb. 4. Cleveland State University Wolstein Center
Salt-N-Pepa headline; other legends TBA. Tickets: wolsteincenter.com or 1-877-468-4946.
Strait.Feb. 18, The Q
Country superstars share a bill with Lee Ann Womack. Tickets: theqarena.com or 1-888-894-9424.
Rush's Geddy Lee.April 15, The Q
Intricately rocking power trio performs its 1981 album "Moving Pictures" in its entirety. If you go, look sharp -- the gig will be filmed for an upcoming live DVD. Tickets:
or 1-888-894-9424.
Lady Gaga.April 27, The Q
Will she or won't she . . . show up wearing meat? Only the pop singer's wardrobe manager knows for sure. Tickets: theqarena.com or 1-888-894-9424.
April 28 – Sunday, May 8. Stay tuned for details.
July 20, Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
It wouldn't be summer without this annual punk invasion. Ticket info TBA.
Urban.July 21, The Q
Chart-topping singer-guitarist is -- in the immortal words of Donny & Marie -- a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll. Tickets: On sale Feb. 12 at theqarena.com or 1-888-894-9424.
Taylor Swift.July 30
Pop-savvy country singer (or is she a country-savvy pop singer?) brings her "Speak Now" Tour to town. Venue and ticket info TBA.
March 11.
Based on the real-life exploits of gutsy Cleveland gangster Danny Greene, this crime drama stars Ray Stevenson as Greene, Christopher Walken as Shondor Birns, and Vincent D'Onofrio as John Nardi.
35th Cleveland International Film Festival
March 24 – Sunday, April 3, Tower City Cinemas
Our favorite film festival turns 35 with hundreds of flicks, shorts and documentaries. Tickets: clevelandfilm.org or 216-623-3456.
June 24
John Lasseter's follow-up to his animated smash from 2006 finds Lightning McQueen and Mater (voices of Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy) taking on the fastest cars in the world.
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
July 1
Shia LaBeouf is back for Autobots vs. Decepticons 3, but Megan Fox was ousted in favor of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Previous experience: Victoria's Secret model.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
July 15
If you have somehow miraculously dodged the wizard phenomenon, you have until July to speed-read J.K. Rowling's seven books and catch the previous films. No. 8 is in 3-D.
Bella and Edward together again."The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
Nov. 18
Bella and Edward are expecting a baby in the adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's fourth book, which, a la "Harry Potter," has been split into two films.
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Dec. 21
Yes, there have already been three Swedish films based on Stieg Larsson's terrific books. Now comes the first American version from David Fincher ("The Social Network"), with Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander and Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist.
THEATER
Jan. 13-30, PlayhouseSquare's Hanna Theatre
A restaging of a hit 2008 Beck Center for the Arts production of a homoerotic sendup of Christian, male pop-vocal groups moves downtown. Tickets: playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000.
Feb. 1-13, PlayhouseSquare's Palace Theatre
Tour of the acclaimed Lincoln Center revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic directed by Bartlett Sher. Tickets: playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000.
Feb. 4-20, Lakeland Civic Theatre
Director Martin Friedman continues his obsession with Stephen Sondheim with a dark comedy about those who tried to kill U.S. presidents. Tickets: lakelandcc.edu or 440-525-7526.
Feb. 15-27, Baldwin-Wallace College Kleist Center for Art & Drama
B-W music theater director Victoria Bussert produces the first rotating repertory of the rock musical and its source material. Tickets: bw.edu or 440-826-2240.
Feb. 17-March 27, Beck Center for the Arts
The wickedly funny show about cheating spouses and tap-dancing KKK'ers makes its regional premiere with Matthew Wright in the title role. Tickets: beckcenter.org or 216-521-2540.
May 6-29, Cleveland Play House
Ensemble Theatre stages the first local production of a play by Cleveland Heights's Rajiv Joseph, author of Broadway's "Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo." Tickets: ensemble-theatre.com or 216-321-2930.
May 26-June 4, Cleveland Public Theatre
Raymond Bobgan and Chris Seibert restage their shattering 2009 adaptation of the Persephone myth to lay bare Seibert's soul. Tickets: cptonline.org or 216-631-2727.
June 7-19, PlayhouseSquare's Palace Theatre
This tour stars Lakewood's Alice Ripley, who won a 2009 Tony Award as a bipolar mother in this intimate Broadway hit. Tickets: playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000.
June 22-July 17, PlayhouseSquare's State Theatre
The musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons returns to Cleveland. Tickets: playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000.
July 7-Aug. 14, Beck Center for the Arts
Kevin Joseph Kelly dons yet another dress to portray Edna Turnblad in the locally produced premiere of the muscal version of the John Waters' film. Tickets and information: beckcenter.org or 216-521-2540.
March 19-27, Severance Hall
The Cleveland Orchestra and music director Franz Welser-M st wrap up their three-year survey of Mozart's Da Ponte operas with the Zurich Opera production featuring baritone Simon Keenlyside. Tickets: clevelandorchestra.com or 216-231-1111
Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the New Century Chamber Orchestra
Feb. 2, Cleveland Museum of Art
One of the most intrepid figures in all of classical music stops by with her San Francisco-based friends. Tickets: clevelandart.org or 216-421-7350.
Jeannette Sorrell."Bach, Telemann & the Bohemian Gypsies"
April 13-17, various locations
Apollo's Fire and music director Jeannette Sorrell join forces with flutists Matthias Maute and Kathie Stewart for an evening contrasting Baroque concertos with gypsy pieces. Tickets: apollosfire.org or 216-320-0012.
Hoebig.Desmond Hoebig and Anita Pontremoli
May 17, Fairmount Temple Auditorium
The former principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra joins the head of collaborative piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music in a recital of sonatas by Brahms, Shostakovich and Debussy. Tickets: clevelandchambermusic.org or 216-291-2777.
VISUAL ARTS
Jan. 13
"Ten Imaginary Movies," a collection of posters and publicity swag by artists Jake Kelly and John G for fictional movies of their own imagining. The artists will discuss imaginary lots and bios of made-up directors during the opening reception from 7 to 10 p.m. Free. Through February. Call 216-932-1966 or grogshop.gs.
Jan. 14, 5:30-8 p.m.
The center kicks off its annual Window to Sculpture Emerging Artist Series with shows on the work of Jennifer Omaitz and Joshua Parker. Omaitz will give a gallery talk at 6:15 p.m., and Parker will speak at 7 p.m. Through Feb. 26. Free. Call 216-229-6527 or go to sculpturecenter.org.
Jan. 21, 5:30-11 p.m.
"Meghann Snow: Time to Get Personal." Snow, a Cleveland native and 2006 fine arts graduate of the University of Akron who lives in New York, returns to her hometown with an exhibition of "action painting" inspired by figure skating. She'll stage an action-painting performance at 8 p.m. during the opening. Through Feb. 11. Free. Call 215-650-4201 or go to legationgallery.com.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland
Jan. 28
MOCA opens the new year with a quartet of exhibitions including large-scale installations by New York artist Teresita Fernandez and a film by Javier Tellez in which six blind people describe an elephant by feeling it. Through May 8. $4 admission. Call 216-421-6871 or go to mocacleveland.org.
Feb. 12
"M.C. Escher: Impossible Realities." 130 hallucinatory works by the 20th-century Dutch artist Maurits Cornelis Escher, known for his mastery of illusionism. Through May 29. Admission, $7. Call 330-376-9185 or go to akronartmuseum.org.
April 9
"CLE OP: Cleveland Op Art Pioneers." Through Feb. 26 2012, the museum will hold an exhibition of Op Art paintings by Cleveland artists from its own permanent collection, augmented by loans from private collectors. Free. Call 216 421-7340 or go to clevelandart.org.
Jan. 29, PlayhouseSquare's Ohio Theatre
The acclaimed male dance troupe brings its rousing versions of traditional and modern classics to town. Tickets: playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000.
Feb. 4-5, St. Ignatius High School's Breen Center for the Performing Arts
The Cleveland modern-dance company performs a new work by David Parker, the premiere of artistic director David Shimotakahara's piece based on "Our Town," and Shimotakahara's "Boom Boom," a tribute to American blues legends. Tickets: ignatius.edu/breencenter or 216-961-2560.
Feb. 11, St. Ignatius High School's Breen Center for the Performing Arts
Cleveland's national repertory program performs a varied program that includes the company premiere of a multimedia piece by Alwin Nikolais. Tickets: verbballets.org or 216-397-3757.
April 2, PlayhouseSquare's Ohio Theatre
The admired modern-dance company led by Pascal Rioult performs "Bolero" and "Wien" (both danced to scores by Ravel) and a new work set to music by Bach. Tickets: playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000.
Plain Dealer writers John Soeder, Clint O'Connor, Steven Litt, Zachary Lewis and Donald Rosenberg contributed to this story.