5/15-6/8
"Some folks dream of the wonders they'll do, before their time on this planet is through." So begins the tale of Joseph, the dreaming favorite son of Jacob, father of the 12 tribes of Israel. But, unlike the Biblical tale, this version is set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat packs a serious punch with heavy moral lessons. But along the way to the moral part, you get goat murder, bodies thrown in pits, the Egyptian striptease, Frenchmen singing about famine, a rowdy calypso, and a brief appearance by Elvis before Joe's golden cup goes missing. In other words, it's all the good stuff your Sunday school teacher left out.
Laura Kerrigan
Like an Egyptian: See the children in Technicolor
Jason Hill
Star light, star bright: See the stars up-close at the Arizona Science Center
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The show runs through June 8 on Desert Stages Theatre's children's stage, 8473 East McDonald in Scottsdale, at the intersection of Granite Reef and McDonald. Tickets are $12. Reservations are recommended; contact the box office at 480-483-1664 for details.- Quetta Carpenter
A HOSE BY ANY OTHER NAME...
Firefighters douse illiteracy
5/17-5/20
Equal parts hose and prose, the Phoenix Fire Department's Safety Days might just get your kids fired up about reading.
At 11 a.m. Saturday, May 17, reps from the city's firehouse will visit the Desert Ridge Barnes & Noble, 21001 North Tatum, to share safety tips and read hot titles like Emergency and Firefighter Frank. The free fun also includes fire truck tours and trading cards.
Presented in partnership with St. Joe's Children's Health Center, the program repeats at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 20, at the same location. Call 480-538-8520 for more information. - Jill Koch
Starry Eyes
To infinity and beyond
Sat 5/17
Mid-April to mid-May is not only a beautiful time in Arizona, it's also nationally recognized as a time to look skyward and discover the joys of astronomy. The Arizona Science Center has designated Saturday, May 17, as Arizona's Astronomy Day and has some stellar events planned for children and adults alike.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., for the regular price of admission (adults $9, children and seniors $7), the center offers various astronomy-related activities -- a chance to look at the sun through a solar telescope, mini-planetarium shows and much more. For more information, call 602-716-2000.
To get a head start on the fun, catch a glimpse of the lunar eclipse happening Thursday, May 15. Stop by the center between dusk and 10 p.m. to view it, for free, through one of the telescopes. The total eclipse of the moon is expected to happen between 8:13 and 9:06 p.m. - Maidi Terry
