5 things to do this weekend, including 'Moby Dick' and 'Beetlejuice'

This is typically a quiet week about town. People are depleted, both financially and socially. For many, it’s a time to hibernate. But if you clicked on this post looking for something to do this weekend after the holiday double header, you must be of a different nature: one that doesn’t tire from the marathon of fraternizing that is December. You must be a truly insatiable socialite – an extrovert of a rare kind. Here’s some raw meat, you animal.

As the name suggests, this exhibit is as much about fashion as paintings. Other portraitists of the time depicted their clients in whatever clothing they dressed themselves. John Singer Sargent, on the other hand, often took artistic liberties in his subjects’ fashions. He sometimes even had models change their clothes in his studio. “Fashioned by Sargent” pairs Singer’s portraits with period clothing. The works include portraits of wealthy clients as well as costumes from productions of Macbeth and Carmen. Admission to this exhibit is included in museum entry at the MFA, but timed reservations are required. Both the MFA collection and its companion exhibit, “Inventing Isabella” at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, close on January 15th. After that, “Fashioned by Sargent” will be traveling to the Tate Britain, which worked with the MFA in Boston to curate the show.

“Call me Ishmael!” This and other famous lines will be recited as part of the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s 28th annual reading of literature’s most famous whale tale. Herman Melville set sail aboard the Acushnet, a whaling ship, at the port of New Bedford and Fairhaven ten years before publishing “Moby Dick.” The whaling museum holds this annual marathon and surrounding programming to celebrate the local ties to Melville’s work. The reading portion of the weekend begins at noon on Saturday and it continues without much break until 1 p.m. on Sunday. Visitors who plan to attend the overnight portion of the reading should enter the museum by 10 p.m. on Saturday. Prizes will be given on Sunday for those swashbuckling adventurers who made it through the 25 hour reading. A live stream will also be available on the museum’s homepage starting at noon Saturday. Check the full schedule for a breakdown of all the talks, panel discussions and activities outside of the main event. Museum admission is free for the weekend.

I used to love this place as a child. I’d beg my family to go, and I’d be uncontrollably giddy as we passed Bessie, the longneck dinosaur statue in the museum’s driveway. The museum is a collection of curiosities and interactive science lessons that are sure to excite any kid who can’t sit still. What’s even better is that the museum is free this Friday night as it is every first Friday of the month. The event runs from 4:30 to 8 p.m., and reservations are encouraged but not required. If you miss Friday but still want to check out the museum this weekend, check out “Zipping Along,” an activity where visitors can create their own setups for an egg to travel along a mini zipline from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, or visit from 5 to 8 p.m. the same day for an autism-friendly evening, which requires registration.

Just a few weeks after “Beetlejuice 2” wrapped filming in Vermont, the national touring production of “Beetlejuice The Musical” is making its way to the Hanover Theatre in Worcester. Say it once more: Beetlejuice, and the titular character just might apparate. Broadway has grown increasingly accustomed to pulling material from popular films, thanks in part to the many successes of Disney’s mega-hit productions. While audiences may justifiably roll their eyes at yet another musical adaptation of a familiar story, “Beetlejuice” does stand out from the pack for its originality. It’s not only the addition of songs. The character of Beetlejuice breaks the fourth wall, and just as he messes with the other characters on stage, he plays with the format of a Broadway show. For fans of the 1988 movie, this production offers enough creativity to make the story feel at the same time familiar and new. While few seats remain for the Friday and Saturday shows, there’s still availability for the Thursday and Sunday evening performances. Tickets start at $35.

Some people find it romantic. I find that my feet cramp. But it’s a great way to get exercise in the brisk winter air, so I think it’s worth the pain. If you want that experience, you’re in luck. Boston has many options for casual ice skaters this time of year. Frog Pond is open for skaters seven days a week and offers free admission to those under 58 inches in height. The DCR Kelly Outdoor Rink in Jamaica Plain is free to all skaters and rental is $3. Skate @ Canal District Kendall in Cambridge offers rentals, skating workshops and private lessons. Pair that with a trip to Tatte Bakery on 3rd Street, and you’ve got the perfect cold weather and cozy winter pairing.