Five Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend

Clockwise, from top left: Phantom of the Opera image by Scott Rothstein / Shutterstock, Ivan Amodei photo provided by Management for the Performing Artist, Magna Carta photo via Wikimedia Commons, Film Fest photo courtesy of Rob Hogan, ‘Art For Your Feet’ photo courtesy of Karin Hansen

Family
Art for Your Feet

July 6 is the last day to see “Art for Your Feet” at the Boston Children’s Museum. The exhibit displays some of the Sneaker Museum’s collection of Air Jordans along with footwear from other sneaker brands. The Air Jordans date from 1986, and while some may be familiar and nostalgia-inducing for parents, there’s also a collection of metallic sneakers and toys that draws in younger visitors, says Arts Program Manager Alice Vogler. In addition to the sneaker displays, 12 local artists contributed two- and three-dimensional work inspired by sneakers in order to “show all the possible ways of being inspired,” Vogler says. “I hope [the exhibit] gives kids a different insight into what art is, what they consider art, and what they consider being a place for inspiration.” One of the art installations is a photographic puzzle that stimulates family cooperation. “I’ve never seen just parents or just kids doing it,” Vogler says. “It’s the family doing it together.”

$14 regular admission, $1 on Fridays 5-9 p.m., through Sunday, July 6, Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston, 617-426-6500, bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Film
Magic 106.7 Family Film Festival

Allow yourself a vacation from the summer heat by watching the wildly popular Disney film Frozen at the first weekend of Magic 106.7’s fifth annual Family Film Festival. Begun with the goal of drawing families to Boston and keeping them in town over the summer, the program makes use of the Prudential Center’s South Garden every Saturday in July and August. “We figured movies under the stars in the middle of the city was a cool thing,” says Rob Hogan, director of marketing for WMJX. “[And] we had the perfect venue for it. You’ve got a grassy spot there; it’s nice…it’s protected.”  Entertainment and activities, including a DJ, games, and giveaways, begin at 5 p.m., while the movie starts at sundown. The South Garden lawn is open seating, so “get there early and grab your spot,” Hogan says. The Pru’s food court is nearby, and vendors may be offering samples, but attendees are also welcome to bring their own food and blankets. More outdoor movies.

Free, Saturday, July 5, 5 p.m., Prudential Center South Garden, 800 Boylston St., Boston, magic1067.com.

History
Magna Carta at the MFA

This Independence Day weekend, head to the Museum of Fine Arts for a huge helping of history. One of only four remaining copies of the Magna Carta—the 1215 document written with the goal of preventing abuse of kingly power by holding the king to a set of laws—will be on display July 2 through September 1. The Magna Carta laid the foundation for English law, and it served as inspiration for American revolutionaries as well. It will be on display alongside historical pieces from the MFA’s collection and two copies of the Declaration of Independence on loan from the Massachusetts Historical Society. Read more.

$25 regular admission, Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, 617-267-9300, mfa.org.

Magic
Intimate Illusions with Ivan Amodei

Award-winning Italian illusionist Ivan Amodei takes his Beverly Hills-based magic show on tour, stopping at the Boston Park Plaza this weekend. Amodei’s shows are described as humorous and theatrical on his website. Often relying on audience participation, they are spontaneous and improv-heavy, and a live cellist sets the mood for his demonstrations. As an added bonus, enter the code BMAGIC when ordering for a reduced ticket price of $25.

$65+, Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6, various times, Boston Park Plaza Hotel, 50 Park Plaza, Boston, ivanamodei.com.

Musical Theater
The Phantom of the Opera

Catch the North American tour of the longest-running show ever on Broadway when it stops in Boston. The acclaimed musical—about a disfigured phantom who hides in the Paris Opera House and falls in love with a captivating soprano—has been updated with a new design, costumes, staging, and choreography. The story and dramatic music by Andrew Lloyd Webber remain unchanged, however, and the production is one of the largest on tour, with a 52-person cast and orchestra.

$44+, through July 20, various times, Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston, boston.broadway.com.