This week

Musicians from the Portland Chamber Music Festival will perform a benefit concert in support of St. Luke’s Soup Kitchen at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cathedral of St. Luke, 143 State St., Portland. New York Philharmonic double-bassist William Blossom, who performed last year with the Portland Chamber, will bring his Cicada Chamber Players to town for the concert. The show will feature music by Haydn, Rossini, Handel, Halvorsen and others, and benefits St. Luke’s Soup Kitchen at Preble Street.

Violinist Jennifer Elowitch, executive director and co-artistic director of Portland Chamber Music Festival, will perform alongside several New York musicians. Maine cellist Eliza Jacques will also perform.

Admission is a suggested donation of $15. Call 772-5431.

Blossom is a summer resident of Peaks Island.

 

Coming up

For the first time, Architalx is offering online tickets for its spring lecture series. Given that all lectures in last year’s series sold out, the online ticketing option offers folks the opportunity to guarantee themselves a seat.

The series begins at 6 p.m. March 30 at Hannaford Hall at Abromson Community Center at the University of Southern Maine, 88 Bedford St., Portland. The lecture is titled “The Art of Bridge Design: The Best in Integrating Architecture and Engineering.”

Speakers are David Scott of Arup in New York and Spiro N. Pollalis of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Mass.

This year, as the design process for the Veterans Memorial Bridge replacement enters the final phases, Architalx has scheduled a discussion of bridges and urban conditions with two leading bridge designers.

All other lectures will be at the Portland Museum of Art. For information, visit www.architalx.org.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds will perform at 8 p.m. April 2 at the Landing at Pine Point, 353 Pine Point Road, Scarborough. Tickets range from $27.50 to $50. This is a 21-and-older show. Call 730-5511 or visit thelandingatpinepoint.com.

The T-birds, featuring lead vocalist Kim Wilson, have evolved over the years into a high-energy rock band with blues influences.

The National Marionette Theatre will perform at 7 p.m. April 2 and 2 p.m. April 3 at Lewiston Middle School, 75 Central Ave. The company will present “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” on April 2 and “Hansel and Gretel” on April . Cost is $7 ($5 for students and seniors).

For information, call 782-7228 or visit www.laarts.org.

The National Marionette Theatre was founded in 1967, and employs hand-carved marionettes and full stage sets.