While you’re in: Visit Mr. Rogers, take in a concert or laugh at a squirrelly fiasco

Take comfort in Mr. Rogers: Given everything going on in the world right now, who couldn’t use a dose of Fred Rogers-style reassurance? If you’re craving the comfort of a favorite cardigan and pair of slippers, a good place to start is with a short video Rogers recorded after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. “I know how tough it is some days to look with hope and confidence on the months and years ahead,” he says before dispensing encouragement and advice that’s just as relevant now as it was then. For those who can’t get enough of the man who was once the nation’s neighbor, other options include the documentaries “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” and “Mr. Rogers and Me” (both available to stream on Amazon Prime), Tom Hanks’ “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” and — perhaps most comforting of all — episodes of the series that started it all, many of which can be found on YouTube and Amazon Prime.

Head for the hills: Listen to such top tunemakers as Anthony Hamilton and Ben Folds at Under One Roof, a series of live benefit concerts by and for musicians from North Carolina. Despite the event’s name, the musicians are under different roofs as they perform live and share previously recorded performances for the livestreamed event from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday on Facebook and Twitch. Also among the featured artists are Joe Troop of Che Apalache, which performed in October in Olympia; Grammy-winning rhythm and blues singer Fantasia; and the Steep Canyon Rangers. Performances are free with donations appreciated.

Laugh at a fiasco: No, The Olympian isn’t suggesting there’s anything funny about President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, which has been summed up occasionally as a fiasco. (How occasionally? A Google search of the words “Donald Trump,” “coronavirus” and “fiasco” turned up some 580,000 hits.) Many fiascos are funny, though. The radio show and podcast “This American Life” recently reminded its listeners of that fact with “Fiasco,” which includes a story about a comically bad production of “Peter Pan” and another about two rookie police officers’ valiant attempt to rescue a glamorous couple whose home has been invaded by a squirrel. The stories are two of the program’s most popular ever, according to host Ira Glass. He says in the episode that the reason for rerunning these tales was a desire to “keep things light and funny” at a stressful time, though regular listeners will know that recent headlines had a lot to do with it, too.

This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 5:45 AM.