RELATED EVENTS

• Il Trovatore
• The Wealth of States: America's REM Part 2

Verdi's "Il Trovatore" will be performed at Butler University Clowes Memorial Hall at 8 p.m. Oct. 3 and 2 p.m. Oct. 5. (Submitted photo)

The Wealth of States: America's REM Part 2 at Big Car on Oct. 3 features art by Artur Silva. (Submitted photo)

1. Verdi's "Il Trovatore"

8 p.m. Oct. 3 and 2 p.m. Oct. 5, $30-$115, Butler University Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., www.indyopera.org

It's big, it's bold, it's beautiful ..... and, with its English supertitles, it's easy for you to pretend you understand Italian. Verdi's magnificent "Il Trovatore" showcases superstar voices: It's easy to produce but tough to perform well. Said Enrique Caruso: "All you need is the four best singers in the world." Indianapolis Opera has brought in four of the best, and this production has been generating buzz around the country. Film buffs will look for the Marx Brothers: "Il Trovatore" was featured in their "A Night at the Opera."

2. "Chocolate Encounters: Ethical Trading and Sustainable Farming"

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 4, free with museum admission, Indiana State Museum's Rapp Reception Hall, 650 W. Washington St., www.in.gov/ism

For some, chocolate is an essential impulse purchase at the check-out counter, for others it's an aphrodisiac. For serious choco-holics, it's a religious experience. For the Indianapolis company Endangered Species Chocolate, it's a way to make the world a better place. Endangered Species uses only ethically traded cacao sustainably grown by cooperatives in Peru and Ivory Coast. At this presentation, coinciding with the opening of "Chocolate: The Exhibition," learn more about the chemistry, economics, and morality of chocolate ... and get that much closer to heaven.

3. "Nonviolent Strategies for Sustainable Peace"

7 p.m. Oct. 7, free, Indiana War Memorial, Meridian and Michigan streets, www.internationalinterfaith.org

War, hunh! What is it good for?" If anyone is going to answer Edwin Starr's question, it will be Johan Galtung, founder of the academic discipline of Peace and Conflict Studies. Author of a hundred books and thousands of articles, on the short list for the Nobel Peace Prize, Galtung has negotiated settlements for dozens of civil conflicts and wars around the world. Savor the irony of Galtung speaking in splendor of the Indiana War Memorial, one of the country's grandest tributes to Americans who gave their lives fighting for peace.

4. The Wealth of States: America's REM Part 2"

6 p.m. to midnight Oct 3, free, Big Car, 1043 Virginia Ave., www.bigcar.org

As the American economy seems to be looking for a quiet place to lie down and die, what a great time to view an art exhibition about the disturbing consequences of Adam Smith's vision of a free market. Artur Silva's thought-provoking multi-media installation explores how the economy shapes the way we live and dream. Two of Silva's pieces will also be part of an exhibit called "Heartland" opening this weekend in the Netherlands. Think how much money you are saving by going to Fountain Square rather than Eindhoven.