Events for the coming week: Beatles musical with local quartet, ballet and belly dance performance, book signing and more

The biennial Olympia Arab Festival, Shuruq III, is a celebration of Arab culture and peoples from 22 nations. Entertainment will include the House of Tarab, Jafra Dabke troupe, Argan Band and Khaldoun Ramzi from Seattle, al-Andalus from Portland, and Tarik Bentlemsani from Olympia. The event will take place from 11 a.m.- 5p.m. Saturday at The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St. NW, Olympia. Free. rachelcorriefoundation.org.

Meet publisher and author Cynthia Connolly when she comes to The Obsidian, 414 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, to present a live slide show and talk on her book “Banned in DC: Photos and Anecdotes of the DC Punk Underground, ’79-’85.” Connolly will share how and why she made the book at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

East meets West when a night of music and dance come together at “Arabseque: A Dance Journey.” Featuring Henna of Portland and Ballet Northwest, the performance explores the intersections of ballet and belly dance. The show is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Minnaert Center for Performing Arts on the South Puget Sound Community College campus, 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia. Tickets are $15-$25 and are available at olytix.org or 360-753-8586.

It’s more than just a tribute when the “In My Life-A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles” comes to the Washington Center for Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Joining the show will be the Olympia High School String Quartet, adding an element of orchestral texture to the evening. The quartet of Anna Elewski, Hyunjin Kim, Eric So and George Tanasse will join in on five songs. Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. show Tuesday are $25-$55 at 360-753-8586 or washingtoncenter.org.

Olympia native and now Seattle hip hop emcee XP will hold an album release party of “Chasing Grace.” The event will take place Friday (Oct. 7) at The Society Bar and Nightclub, 120 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia. Doors open at 7 p.m. The event is all ages until 10 a.m. $15 at the door.

If you join the eighth annual SSEA the Sound cruise, you will be able to enjoy snacks and beverages, and learn about Puget Sound. The cruise is a fundraiser for the South Sound Estuary Association. The cruise is 1-5 p.m. Sunday, departing from Port Plaza Dock in Olympia. Tickets are $75 or $65 for members, and can be ordered at 360-915-0773 or sseacenter.org.

This story was originally published October 7, 2016 at 7:27 AM with the headline "Events for the coming week: Beatles musical with local quartet, ballet and belly dance performance, book signing and more."