Portland Press Herald reporter Lawrence C. Dame in 1925. Dame’s investigative reporting helped solve the murder of Aida Hayward. Image courtesy of Maine Historical Society, Maine Trust for Local News and Maine Memory Network

‘Notorious: Maine Crime in the Public Eye: 1690-1940’

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Through Dec. 31. Maine Historical Society, 498 Congress St., Portland, $10, $5 for ages 6-17, free for 5 and under. mainehistory.org.

A new exhibit at Maine Historical Society lives at the crossroads of true crime and history: “Notorious: Maine Crime in the Public Eye: 1690-1940” takes a fascinating deep dive into Maine’s shady past. With vignettes that feature clothing, photographs, newspaper articles and other artifacts, you’ll learn about some of the state’s most infamous cases, including the Smuttynose murders of 1873, when a man named Louis Wagner killed two women while he was trying to steal money from his former Smuttynose Island employer.

Musicians at the March 2024 Vigorous Tenderness equinox concert at Wells Reserve at Laudholm. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

Vigorous Tenderness: Vernal Equinox Concert

5:30-7 p.m. Thursday (rain date Friday). Casco Bay High School, 196 Allen Ave., Portland, no tickets required, sliding scale donation, $30 suggested. On Instagram. Note: The concert has been moved to the Friday rain date.

Vigorous Tenderness is a series of outdoor, immersive chamber music concerts that take place on the first day of each season. During each performance, compositions that amplify marginalized voices in classical and experimental music are performed in idyllic locations. The vernal equinox concert on the grounds of Casco Bay High School is presented in partnership with Portland Trails. Vigorous Tenderness was started during the pandemic and continues to be a compelling way to celebrate the seasons.

A scene from the comedy “Halfway There.” Photo courtesy of The Public Theatre

‘Halfway There’

7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. The Public Theatre, 31 Maple St., Lewiston, $15-$40. thepublictheatre.org.

Send winter packing with a laugh-laden romantic romp in Lewiston. “Halfway There” spins the tale of four friends who convene daily for caffeinated chitchat in a Nova Scotia diner. When an attractive doctor moves to town, sparks fly between him and one of the local ladies. Watch it all unfold in heartfelt, humorous fashion.

Sons of Mystro

4 p.m. Sunday. One Longfellow Square, 181 State St., Portland, $35 in advance, $45 day of show. onelongfellowsquare.com.

Sons of Mystro. Photo by David I. Muir

Spend an afternoon enraptured by the sounds of violins played by brothers Malcolm and Umoja McNeish. Born to a Jamaican father and Barbadian mother, the Floridian siblings learned to play violin through the public school system, specifically Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, known for its performing arts program.

Sons of Mystro’s music features scintillating violin interpretations of songs you’ll recognize, like Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City,” along with some original tunes, all accompanied by a DJ and drummer.