5 things to do this weekend, including casual Friday at the BSO and Company One's 'The Interrobangers'

For those just now re-entering society after secluding yourselves for the first part of the year, welcome back. Now that last weekend’s chill has let up ever so slightly, it’s a good time to venture out of the comforts of home. If you don’t, the short days will start fading into the nights and before you know it, it’s hard to distinguish the two. Here are a few temptations to lure you out of the house, including hot chocolate you’d have a hard time replicating at home and an invitation to the BSO to keep it casual. We have that and more in this weekend’s roundup of events.

There’s nothing “casual” about Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” but Casual Fridays at the Boston Symphony Orchestra are less about the calm nature of the musical selection and more about the evening’s format. Rather than an extended concert, performances in this series are a bit more abbreviated. They also feature a “Conductor-Cam,” so some sections of the audience can watch the conductor from the orchestra's perspective. This iteration of Casual Fridays is sure to be a lively one. If you’re unfamiliar with the viral video of an audience member screaming during a particularly lively portion of the score, may I be the one to introduce you to this delightful and proper reaction to Stravinsky. Tickets start at $43. [Check out more winter classical music recommendations here.]

“Photoplay” is a blend of concert, improvisation and film. The nine-part Nightingale Vocal Ensemble will present a 90-minute performance accompanied by several short films at The Brattle. The visuals will range from early silent pictures to more modern, experimental works. If you’d like to get a sampling of what the ensemble sounds like, you can listen to their 2023 album “Composition Sped Up” or check out the trailer below. Since it’s entirely improvised, there’s no predicting exactly what the performance will sound like, but past work indicates it will live somewhere in the realm of the opening vocals in “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Bobby McFerrin’s enchanting a cappella rendition of “The Wizard of Oz.” Tickets cost $20 for Brattle members and $30 for non-members.

The premise is a little something like “Scooby-Doo.” There’s a mystery that needs solving in a place called Foggy Bluffs, and four “groovy” teens and a dog take it upon themselves to crack the case. One key difference between this new play and the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon is that this mystery tale has an introspective, queer, coming-of-age spin. “The Interrobangers” opens at the Boston Public Library this weekend and in addition to the "pay what you want" tickets, Company One is celebrating its 25th season by offering free tickets for all productions and events. Whether you go the free route or contribute to the theater company's cause, you still need to reserve your spot in advance, which you can do ahead of time online. [Want more theater suggestions? Check out our winter production guide.]

Here’s an event for anyone curious about the makings of stained glass. Every so often the MFA rolls out a collection of interactive educational materials in a series called Artists Toolbox Cart. It’s an opportunity for visitors to get their hands on the materials and tools behind a certain artform. Over the next few weeks, the series will give visitors an up-close experience with stained glass and a demonstration inside the gallery. Staff will be on-site to talk visitors through glass-staining techniques and answer questions. Come and go as you please. The drop-in program runs on select Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If someone in your family is a student in the Boston Public School system, you may want to wait and attend on Sunday, Feb. 4, which is the first day of Mayor Wu’s free museum admission program for BPS students and their families.

Have you ever had a cup of hot chocolate so good that it made you question whether you ever truly had hot chocolate before? For me, that cup was at Dancing Lion Chocolate in Manchester, New Hampshire. The heat in the Mayan drinking chocolate perfectly complemented the sweet, earthy flavors, and it was so rich that I had incorrectly presumed that it had been made with dairy. If you’re not feeling like a trip up to Manchester, Boston also has a splendid selection of hot chocolate vendors. For a thick, rich hot chocolate (what some call pudding-esque), visit L.A. Burdick Chocolates. There are locations in both Cambridge and Boston, but the latter has a transportive atmosphere inside a structure that looks like something from a European fairytale. For a post-event cup of hot cocoa (boozy or virgin), visit Caffé Vittoria in the North End. The landmark Italian cafe opened in 1929 and closes daily at midnight, so it’s the perfect spot for a chocolatey night cap. If you’re looking for something similar to the Mayan drink I described above, give 1369 Coffee House a try. They have a homemade cocoa drink blended with cayenne, coriander and cinnamon.