What a Rush

Rush, Rush: The porky conservative meets his match in Rush Limbaugh in Night School.

In Chagrin Valley Little Theatre's production of Rush Limbaugh in Night School (which opens Friday), the loudmouthed radio host slaps on a phony goatee and enrolls in a Spanish class, in hopes of thwarting the advances of a new conservative Latino radio program edging in on his audience. Along the way, the chubby chat host falls for a Weather Underground fugitive, still underground after all these years. "It's complete fantasy," confirms director Yvonne Pilarczyk. "And it's pretty timeless, because people still have feelings about Rush."

And while Night School pokes fun at its subject, Jim McCormack plays the flustered pill-popper with just a hint of sympathy, says Pilarczyk. "No matter what your feelings are about Rush, you'll love this play. The poor guy can't help himself, and he ends up being abused by everybody he can't stand." It's at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre (40 River Street in Chagrin Falls) Friday through February 26. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $8; call 440-247-8955. -- Michael Gallucci

Is It Live?
This chamber group plays more than dead-guy music.

WED 2/16

The classical-music world is flush with string quartets, but string quintets and sextets are comparatively rare. That may not sound like an emergency, but it does render a whole body of music undeservedly obscure. Concertante has come to the rescue. Founded in 1995 by a group of young Juilliard School graduates, Concertante has hit on a successful career playing new and traditional string chamber music for five or more instruments. They also commission new music from living composers. "We're always trying to do as much as we can," says violist Rachel Shapiro. "Where we are now is so different from where we were 10 years ago. It gives us pause to realize how far we've come." The group performs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Boulevard. Tickets are $20; call 216-421-7350. -- Zachary Lewis

Straight From the Heart

SAT 2/12

For a guy who saved up 99 bucks from a paper route to buy his first guitar, Mike Kochan (pictured) never thought he'd be the modern-rock Al Capone behind Saturday's Bloody Valentine's Massacre. But the Badd Intent founder has summoned eight other bands for 12 hours of carnage -- from classic fare by Ruff Road to all-original prog rock from Liquid Theory. It'll start in the middle of the afternoon, and the bloodbath won't stop till alt-rockers Nothing Safe play their last riffs, right before last call. "Someone said, Who wants to go out and rock and roll at 2 p.m.?'" says Kochan. "But you'd be amazed, especially with no football going on." It starts at 2 p.m. Saturday at 4-Play, 7391 State Road in Parma. Admission is free; call 440-845-6264. -- Cris Glaser