Natalie Merchant, touring for the first time in several years, comes to the Michigan Theater tonight, promoting her new album “Leave Your Sleep” - a collection of classic poems, nursery rhymes and lullabies set to music.

She’ll sign copies of her new CD at the downtown Borders at noon today, too, and a review of the singer’s concert Monday night in Grand Rapids reveals a more laid-back, interactive performer than Merchant had been during her stint with 10,000 Maniacs. Despite several distractions, Merchant apparently put on a good show.

MOVIES

* David Arquette - in the area currently with his wife Courteney Cox Arquette to shoot “Scream 4” - recently posted photos (via Twitter) of his family’s canoe trip on the Huron River and picnic, and The Detroit News snagged an interview with him. (Arquette also just finished directing a music video for the Crash Kings' single, “You Got Me.”)

* 22 year old singer Rihanna has signed on for her first film role: the female lead in the upcoming film “Battleship,” which will also feature Taylor Kitsch (“Friday Night Lights”) and Alexander Skarsgard (“True Blood”), and is expected in theater in May 2012. Possibly on the horizon? “Connect Four, The Movie.” You laugh now, but just watch.

* Daniel Craig has been confirmed for the American film version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Sounds good to me!

* Today’s celebrity anti-Semitic “oops!” moment comes from - nope, not Mel Gibson - controversy-magnet film director Oliver Stone, who’s now apologizing for his recent comments about the Holocaust and Israel to the Sunday Times of London.

MUSIC

* New York Daily News offers a review of the new “Jersey Shore” soundtrack, in which, for one song, “Pauly D … took a rare moment away from his hair to act as DJ.”

* As a joint charitable fundraiser for the inner-city youth of Philadelphia and Detroit, Aretha Franklin will take the stage with classically-trained pianist (and former U.S. Secretary of State) Condeleeza Rice this evening at Philadelphia’s Mann Music Center.

* Ben Keith, who has been playing lap steel and pedal steel for Neil Young for more than 35 years, died Monday. He played on such albums as “Harvest,” “Tonight's The Night,” “Comes a Time,” “Harvest Moon,” and Neil's more recent, critically-acclaimed albums.

THEATER

* A review of the just-opened Michigan Shakespeare Festival production of “Driving Miss Daisy,” as well as reviews for MSF's “Comedy of Errors” and “Romeo and Juliet,” are now online at EncoreMichigan.com. (The shows play at Jackson’s Potter Center.)

* Al Pacino will reprise his role as Shylock in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” directed by Daniel Sullivan, which will transfer to Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre beginning October 19. Something tells me Pacino won’t have any trouble playing to the balcony.

TELEVISION

* Detroit's City Council has asked producers of the new Michael Imperioli cop drama “Detroit 1-8-7” to attend a board meeting to discuss the way the city is portrayed on the show.

* The New York Times Arts Beat Blog noticed that Jon Stewart returned to “The Daily Show,” after a two week break, with a beard that’s got more than a dash of salt.

VIDEO GAMES

* The Detroit News has an article about kids learning how to design video games at a camp in Ann Arbor.

FOR FUN

* A video that's getting lots of play on Facebook lately, "Jane Austen's Fight Club," is good for a giggle.

Renee Tellez and Kevin Ransom contributed to today's links. Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.