Music critics' picks

Stage director Billy Porter has a past, as a polished neo-soul singer. So it shouldn't surprise that he and his talented, all-African-American cast have found the inner funk and pop in what might otherwise be considered the whitest composer working Broadway and the most venerable of British playwrights.

"Being Alive," the season premiere of the Philadelphia Theatre Company, shuffles songs from the Stephen Sondheim catalog to express a birth-to-death life cycle. ("A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and Sondheim's contributions to the film "Dick Tracy" get special emphasis. His classic "Send in the Clowns" gets a soulfully hummed lullaby treatment.)

Also in the mix are appropriate quotes from William Shakespeare, delivered with sass and, sometimes, hip-hop cadence. It all comes together pretty well. And the intimate, comfortable vibes of the company's new home enhance the pleasures.

Suzanne Roberts Theater, 480 S. Broad St., 8 tonight and tomorrow, 3 p.m. Sunday, continues Tuesday-Sunday through Dec. 2. $51-$63, 215-985-0420, www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.

- Jonathan Takiff

Pylon was part of a cadre of excellent female-fronted or dominated bands of the post-punk era. Frontwoman Vanessa Briscoe had a voice that couldn't be denied, backed by the furious beats of guitarist Randy Bewley, bassist Michael Lachowski and drummer Curtis Crowe. Dance-punk revivalist label DFA is re-releasing their 1980 debut, "Gyrate," and new bands like Love of Diagrams are covering their songs. The New Sound of Numbers and the Hurrah DJs open. Come prepared to dance.

World Café Live, 3025 Walnut Street, 11 p.m. tomorrow, $12, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.

- Sara Sherr

The clarinet often is treated as the appendix of the jazz body: a once-useful organ rendered obsolete by the more vigorous saxophone. But Avishai Cohen (right) makes the argument for the instrument as an elegant and versatile voice.

Cohen, an accomplished saxophonist too, wields the clarinet as her primary ax, sinuously weaving through a blend of musical cultures. Born in Israel, she melds jazz and classical without the rigidity that undermines many such fusions, then spices the result with elements of Middle Eastern, Latin American and Afro-Cuban influences. She brings the exemplary Anat Cohen Quartet, with pianist Jason Lindner, bassist Barak Mori and drummer Daniel Freedman.

Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 8 and 10 p.m. tomorrow, $15, 215-568-3131, www.chrisjazzcafe.com.

- Shaun Brady

Fans of the golden era of hip-hop should not miss this rare set by Spinderella, DJ for legendary '80s trio Salt-N-Pepa, that's part of a "Living Legends" event with DJ Ultraviolet. Spinderella's slice-and-dice skills are everywhere on the albums "A Salt With a Deadly Pepa," "Blacks' Magic" and "Very Necessary." While Salt-N-Pepa hasn't released an album in 10 years, Spin has remained busy, contributing to works by Dena Cali, the late Luther Vandross and others.

Fluid, 613 S. 4th St., 9 tonight, $15, 21+, 215-629-0555, fluidnightclub.com.

- Damon C. Williams

The range of 20th-century choral works is enormous, from mellow expressions to raging incantations. For his Temple University Concert Choir program, director Alan Harler has chosen a palette of relatively recent works by Lee Hoiby, John Tavener, Steven Stucky and Frank Ticheli, reaching back to 1911 for the haunting "Five Mystical Songs" by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Harler, also music director of the Mendelssohn Club, was the worthy recipient of Temple's 2005 Creative Achievement Award. He'll use Temple's resources for the world premiere, featuring faculty member and major baritone talent William Stone, in doctoral student David Carpenter's "Fredericksburg," inspired by the Civil War.

Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Columbus Blvd., 8 tonight, $16, 215-569-8080, pcmsconcerts.org.

- Tom Di Nardo