Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage
You're getting old. You can't figure out why the title of Gammage's next big touring show is Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage. Classic story? It only hit the screen in 1987. And this stage version was a white-hot comet of Catskills-coming-of-age in Australia, Canada, and London's West End, but it never made it to Broadway, essentially putting Baby in a corner.
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Oh, come on -- we know you want to go no matter what. Have the time of your life at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 17, at 1200 South Forest Avenue in Tempe. Patrons dress a little nicer for opening night -- kind of formal gala meets weirdly artsy -- and it's definitely worth a peek. Tickets are $35 to $140 at www.ticketmaster.com or 480-965-3434. Julie Peterson
"Gridiron Glory"
If you're an NFL fan living the Valley, you've been in hog heaven this year. Well, pigskin heaven anyway. Aside from forgoing costly airfare to catch the big game, 2015 also marks only the third time that the Pro Bowl is being played in the same city as the Super Bowl. So you can stash those frequent flier miles for next year's trip to Honolulu.
As if that weren't enough, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is bringing its largest traveling exhibition ever to downtown Phoenix's Arizona Science Center, 600 East Washington Street, just in time for the festivities. Who wants to go to Canton anyway? Check out "Gridiron Glory" in all its, ahem, glory daily through May 3. Adult admission is $16.95. Visit www.azscience.org or call 602-716-2000. Rob Kroehler
Varekai
Watching a Cirque du Soliel show is a bit like lucid dreaming -- you're in control, sure, but it's still surreal and exciting and half the time you have no idea what the hell's going on. Varekai, a new production from the Cirque squad, carries on with this tradition by taking us deep inside a mystical forest at the summit of a volcano, where a young Icarus encounters a kaleidoscopic array of fantastic creatures. Dream or not, you won't want to wake up.
Varekai backflips into downtown Phoenix for a seven-show run from February 18 through 22 at Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 East Jefferson Street. Tickets start at $40. Call 602-379-7800 or visit www.ticketmaster.com for more. Zachary Fowle
"Beaded, Not Broken"
Despite Portlandia joke songs to the contrary, beading and jewelry-making are more than hobbies for aimless gals who run Etsy shops. In fact, beading as art and spiritual expression is part of a crafting tradition among Native American communities. Inspired by such traditional beadwork, Minnesota artist Brenda Brousseau creates bead pieces that reference Native culture and express her use of beading as a spiritual and creative practice
See Brousseau's "Beaded, Not Broken" through Sunday, April 12, at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, 1 East Main Street. Admission is free. Hours on Thursday, February 19, are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit www.mesaartscenter.com or call 480-644-6500. Becky Bartkowski
The Storyline: Don Quixote
The Storyline returns to Space 55 with an evening that's themed Don Quixote, featuring performances by Maureen Burris, Hattie Jean Hayes, Jules Hyde, Richie Molina, Joseph Redwood-Martinez, and Nate Romero. The true stories provoke laughter, tears, and peculiar flashes of recognition - so consider yourself warned. And with such a collection of writers, spoken-wordists, and comedians on deck, you're guaranteed to experience wildly diverse spins on the theme. Wildly diverse spins such as you might observe on a windmill - see where we're going there? By the way, we knew some English people who pronounced it Don Quix-it. But we don't want to get you all storied out ahead of time.
Showtime is 10:30 p.m. Friday, February 20, at 636 East Pierce Street, and tickets are $5. Visit www.space55.org. Julie Peterson
