Times are tough–no surprise there. And so it’s maybe no surprise to people who know classical music to hear that the Northwest Sinfonietta is changing its program for this weekend (Friday in Seattle, Saturday in Tacoma) from cutting-edge contemporary to crowd-pleasing Mozart.

Don’t get me wrong: I love Mozart and always have. And I’m the first one to say, if playing Mozart keeps an orchestra in business, then I’m all for it. I’ll miss the clarinet concerto premiere that was to be, and Prokofiev’s Symphony no. 1 (another fave of mine) but if you have to pick all-Mozart, this

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Two shows up now in Tacoma that are worth a long-ish look: a spring show, with two new artists, at Impromptu, and mind-bending photos at the UWT Iron Gallery.

Heather Cornelius and Mirka Hokkanen are the two newcomers at the Grand Impromptu Gallery. Hokkanen, from Finland by way of Illinois and Texas, creates delicate prints on unraveling linen, the meeting place of her self and her memories of childhood. Tiny gnomes converse (or fail to) on eloquently-leafed graphite branches; the whole thing reminds you of Enid Blyton illustrations with a sparse, melancholy twist.

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Dancers from Tacoma City Ballet’s “Romance Gone Bad.” Photo courtesy Tacoma City Ballet.

Tacoma City Ballet does "Romance Gone Bad"

A dozen funny ballet vignettes explore what happens when romance doesn’t quite work out, to the swinging accompaniment of the Northwest Sinfonietta Jazz Quartet and Hui Cox. 7:30 p.m. today, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. $20/$17.50. Theatre on the Square, 915 Broadway, Tacoma. 253-591-5894, www.broadwaycenter.org

Seeds "Dispersed" in PLU installation

Book artist Holly Senn and mixed-media sculptor Kyle Dillehay collaborate for a seed-pod-based installation at Pacific Lutheran University.

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A documentary about two brothers serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq opens Friday at the Lakewood Towne Center.

What makes “Brothers at War” unique is that the film was made by a third brother, Jake Rademacher.

Shot both stateside and in Iraq the film covers dramatic action and portrays the effects of the brothers’ service on their family and the friends they left behind.

The two Army brothers, Cpt. Isaac Rademacher and Sgt. Joseph Rademacher were both with the 1/504 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.

According to a synopsis from

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Diane Kurzyna, “Another White Trash Wedding.” Photo courtesy Diane Kurzyna.

The spring installations in the Woolworth Windows are finally up–well, most of them–and they’re definitely worth a walk-by.

Down on Commerce St, Diane Kurzyna has created a floating Jewish wedding out of plastic bags. Kurzyna, a.k.a. Ruby Re-usable, is the queen of trash art, having created her life-size human figures out of plastic and bubble-wrap for Seattle exhibitions and Olympia street windows. With the delightfully titled “Another White Trash Wedding,” though, Kurzyna combines figures with decoration and props for an entire wedding

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Up Country duo Kevin Neil and Ray Mann. Photo courtesy Tacoma Symphony.

The folks at Tacoma Symphony are expanding their POPS series. In January it was Andrew Lloyd Webber faves, and this weekend they’re heading into Country, with a capital C. The orchestra will back the duo Up Country (guitarist Kevin Neil and bassist/drummer Ray Mann) in “Into the West,” a program of greatest country hits: "Don’t Fence Me In," "Hey, Good Lookin’,” "I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You)," "Ragtime Cowboy Joe," "The Tennessee Waltz," "Ghost Riders in

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Mark Larson with his painting, “Psyche, Seeking.” Photo courtesy Robert Stocker.

Tacoma artist Mark Larson has been selected to have his work included in the second volume of “Best of America–Oil Painting,” a book to be released this summer by Kennedy Publishing. Larson is one of 200 painters selected by jury to be included in the book.

Larson, who until recently owned the Winged Lion Studio in the Dome District, is currently represented by the Robert Daniel Gallery in Tacoma where he will have a solo show later this year. Describing

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Northwest Repertory Singers will jazz it up Saturday

The Northwest Repertory Singers will swing Saturday in a jazz program alongside the Kareem Kandi Quartet; also includes past choir favorites such as "Elijah Rock"; 7:30 p.m. $18 general, $15 seniors and students, free for 12 and younger; Mason United Methodist Church, 2710 N. Madison St., Tacoma; 253-572-4831, www.nwrs.org.

100th Monkey will do haiku,

Tacoma Little Theatre party

For the March 100th Monkey arts community party, Luke Smiraldo has composed 24 haiku, one for each hour of Tacoma’s day; haiku T-shirts will be auctioned; music by Matt

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