Best Bets: St. Patrick’s Day concerts, magician Bill Blagg, ‘HYPROV,’ Shen Yun and more

St. Paddy’s celebrations

• The award-winning Irish music ensemble Danú headlines an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Founded in 1994, the ensemble combines ancient Irish music and contemporary pieces and has been described as a “vibrant mix of virtuosity, energy and empathy.” The concert is preceded by a performance from the Trinity Irish Dance Company at 6:30 p.m. in the MAC lobby. $50-$60. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org. 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 8

• Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights, hosts a weeklong St. Patrick’s Day celebration that includes Irish food and music. Classical Blast in Kilts, The Donnybrooks, The Joyce Boys and The Hogan Irish Dancers are among the performers scheduled to appear. (224) 202-0750 or heynonny.com. Tuesday, March 12, through March 17

World of wheels

All five incarnations of the Batmobile, along with three Evel Knievel stunt vehicles, hot rods and concept vehicles will be on display during the 61st Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels taking place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Rosemont. $27 general admission, $10 kids 6-12. Discount tickets available at O’Reilly Auto Parts stores. autorama.com/attend/chicago. 3-10 p.m. Friday, March 8; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 9; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, March 10

International tap showcase

Chicago Tap Theatre welcomes France’s Tapage and Spain’s Tap Olé for “Liaison,” an international exploration of tap dance at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. The program includes new works and collaborations, old favorites and live music. Tickets start at $25. A fundraising gala follows the Sunday performance. (773) 655-1175 or chicagotaptheatre.com. 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 8-9, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10

Hypnosis + improv = HYPROV

Master hypnotist Asad Mecci and improvisor Jonathan Mangum (“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”) bring their interactive show “HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis” to the Wentz Concert Hall at North Central College, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville. Twenty audience volunteers will be hypnotized and will join Mangum in improvising the rest of the show. $45-$50. (630) 637-7469 or northcentralcollege.edu. 8 p.m. Friday, March 8

Magic on stage

Magician Bill Blagg, who has been known to teleport himself from one end of a theater to another, squish his six-foot frame into a six-inch box and pass through the spinning blades of an industrial fan without a scratch, headlines the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $28-$48. (847) 263-6300 or geneseetheatre.com. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9

MOMIX returns to Chicago

MOMIX, the inventive dance ensemble founded by Moses Pendleton, returns to The Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, Chicago, for the first time since 1997. The ensemble performs the family-friendly “Alice,” a retelling of the “Alice in Wonderland” tale featuring dance, acrobatics, illusion and technology. The ensemble includes Glen Ellyn native Hailey Green. Tickets start at $30. auditoriumtheatre.org. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9

Lyric’s ‘Aida’

For the first time Lyric Opera of Chicago music director Enrique Mazzola conducts “Aida,” Giuseppe Verdi’s tragedy in which a princess in love with the soldier who conquered her people must decide between doing her patriotic duty and following her heart. The production marks the 100th title in Mazzola’s repertoire and the first time Lyric has produced “Aida” in a decade. Performances take place at 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets start at $59. lyricopera.org/aida. Saturday, March 9, through April 7

Guitar night at the MAC

Four acclaimed acoustic guitarists perform at the McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, as part of the International Guitar Night’s North American Tour. Acoustic rock interpreter Luca Stricagnoli (Italy), Vietnamese classical guitarist Thu Le, blues slide guitarist and singer Minnie Marks (Australia) and veteran Latin jazz aficionado Marco Pereira share the stage for solos, duos and quartets during the tour’s only Chicago-area stop. $48-$58. (630) 942-4000 or atthemac.org. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 10

Divine beings dancing

Shen Yun, founded in 2006 to revive Chinese culture suppressed following 1949’s Chinese Communist Revolution, returns to the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont. The show, featuring performers trained in traditional Chinese dance and music, chronicles 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Tickets start at $80. (877) 663-7469 or shenyun.com/chicago. 2 p.m. Thursday, March 14; 7 p.m. Friday, March 15; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 16; and 1 p.m. Sunday, March 17

Close-up magic at Rhapsody

British magician and sleight-of-hand master Andi Gladwin brings his solo show, “Shuffled,” to the Rhapsody Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave., Chicago. Gladwin encourages audience members to bring their own decks of cards — anything “from grandma’s bridge cards to the family Uno card game” — for the close-up magic portion of the show. Tickets start at $45. rhapsodytheater.com. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, March 14-15 and 21-22; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, March 16 and 23; and 2 p.m. Sundays, March 17 and 24