Saltimbanco, the original Cirque du Soleil show, opened a five-day run Wednesday at Chevrolet Centre

Saltimbanco, the original Cirque du Soleil show, opened a five-day run Wednesday at Chevrolet Centre that includes seven performances. Tonight’s show begins at 7:30 p.m. Check Ticketmaster.k

Andy Cooney’s “Forever Irish” gets the St. Patrick’s Day season started when it comes to Packard Music Hall, 1703 Mahoning Ave. N.W., Warren, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The show features Irish step dancers and music. Call (330) 841-2619.

jYou have three more chances to see “Bug,” the psychological drama at the Oakland Center for the Arts. “Bug” will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Oakland, 220 W. Boardman St., downtown Youngstown. Call (330) 746-0404 for tickets.

In its annual Ballet at the Butler performance, Ballet Western Reserve takes classic paintings from the Butler Institute of American Art and brings them to life through dance. The evening begins at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Butler North, which is the former church next to the Butler museum on Wick Avenue. For tickets call (330) 744-1934.

“Seussical, the Musical” enters its second weekend at New Castle Playhouse, 202 E. Long Ave., New Castle, Pa. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Call (724) 654-3437.

“Chase Me Up Farndale Avenue, S’il Vous Plait,” this year’s entry in the Victorian Players’ Farndale farce series, opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Additional shows are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The theater is the little church at 702 Mahoning Ave., near downtown Youngstown (across from Flynn’s Tires). Call (330) 746-5455 for reservations.

Mike Armstrong is a former police officer. Dan Haueter still is one. Both are comedians. The two will join forces at Wildcat’s Comedy Club in the Holiday Inn in Boardman. Shows are at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call (330) 883-7063

One of the biggest rock events of the summer combines Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick on a 40-city tour that hits Post-Gazette Pavilion near Pittsburgh July 10. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday exclusively at livenation.com and by phone at (877) 598-8703. These three bands were huge in the ’70s and ’80s. How big? Well, combined they sold 100 million albums and produced nearly 60 Top 40 hits. Tickets range from $39 to $125.

Zhou Yi is known as one of the greatest players of the pipa (that’s an ancient Chinese instrument) in the world. She will accompany the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra in an 8 p.m. concert Saturday at Powers Auditorium, 260 W. Federal St., Youngstown. Call (330) 744-0264.

Top Hat Productions is offering two more chances to catch its dinner-theater production of “Smokey Joe’s Cafe”: 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Fairview Arts and Outreach Center, 4220 Youngstown-Poland Road, Youngstown. Call (330) 755-6412.

The annual Toy Train and Model Railroad Flea Market is Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at McMenamy’s, 325 Youngstown Warren Road, Niles. Call (330) 544-1732.

Black 47, one of the country’s premier Irish-American rock bands, paved the way for newer acts like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. The band’s most recent record, “Iraq,” offers a dry-eyed view of life in wartime. Check out these New York legends at 6 p.m. Sunday at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland. Tickets are $18 at the door.

Two new offerings on area stages open March 13. Kent State-Trumbull has put together a first-rate cast for “A Streetcar Named Desire,” while Trumbull New Theatre is presenting something new: “The Kitchen Witches.” Call (330) 675-8887 for Kent-Trumbull and (330) 652-1103 for TNT.