may 30
Private Eyes: Like the movie The Usual Suspects, with which this play by Steven Dietz shared a title until being changed recently, Private Eyes is a complex whodunit. Unlike Suspects, Dietz's work is a comedy. Arizona Theatre Company presents the world premiere of the play about a gang of backstabbing characters who couldn't shoot straight with each other. This week's performances are at 2 and 8 p.m. Thursday, May 30; 8 p.m. Friday, May 31; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, June 1; 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday, June 2; and 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, in Center Stage at Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe. The production continues through Sunday, June 9. Tickets range from $20 to $30, available at Herberger and Dillard's. Call 252-8497 or 678-2222.
Six Women With Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know: Theater League presents a special tenth-anniversary revival of the oft-revived all-woman musical inspired by soap operas, supermarket tabloids and other unfortunate by-products of pop culture's ascension. Bob Sorenson directed this Six Women reincarnation, which stars Debby Rosenthal, Renee Morgan Brooks, Melissa Spevacek, Heidi Ewart, Sherri Hildebrand and Christie Klein. The run continues with previews at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 30; 8 p.m. Friday, May 31; 8 p.m. Saturday, June 1; 2 p.m. Sunday, June 2; and 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, at the similarly revivified Scottsdale Playhouse, 7219 East Main. Preview tickets are $12.50, available at Dillard's; call 678-2222. For general information, call 952-2881.
friday
may 31
Tortoise: The all-instrumental Chicago quintet does not do surf music; in fact, if there were such a thing as antisurf, the aptly named Tortoise would undoubtedly incorporate it as a subtext of the band's languid, multilayered, ambient/experimental music--a sometimes boffo, always head-expanding sound created with an unusual array of instrumentation, including dueling basses, lap steel, vibraphone, melodica, marimba, samplers and sequencers; see the story on page 93. Tortoise is touring behind its second Thrill Jockey disc, Millions Now Living Will Never Die, an early-20th-century pet phrase among true believers in the Rapture. The group performs Friday, May 31, at Hollywood Alley, 2610 West Baseline in Mesa. Fellow Windy City acts the Sea and Cake, and 5ive Style share the all-ages bill. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $8, available at Alternatix. Call 820-7117 or 244-8444.
Drunken Bees: Speaking of boffo, head-expanding stuff, this odd, but oddly compelling, film is a brief (27 minutes) history of a moment in time in the life of Howe Gelb and Giant Sand, a veteran Tucson outfit that plays sandblasted punk 'n' western. The movie's title is derived from a Rolling Stone dis of one of the group's recent albums, which is recited on-screen by one bandmember: "Gelb's an art- and trash-picker who can't, or won't, cobble his scraps into form. . . . Things buzz and bump and clash as randomly as drunken bees." In ways both bad and beautiful, this pretty much sums up both the band and the flick. The latter was bankrolled by Zia Record Exchange mogul Brad Singer and photographed and directed--in an annoyingly arty style we'll call "Slackervision"--by France-born Marianne Dissard, an ex-Arizona State University student. Victoria Williams and Rainer are featured in brief cameos. A screening is scheduled at 7 p.m. Friday, May 31, at Valley Art Theatre, 509 South Mill in Tempe. For details call 829-6668.
Private Eyes: See Thursday.
Six Women With Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know: See Thursday.
saturday
june 1
Mainly Mozart Festival: Jeffrey Siegel, noted for his "Keyboard Conversations" series, is artistic director of the 11th annual tribute to the great Wolfgang and friends. The two-week fest kicks off with Mainly Mozart Orchestra concerts at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Paul V. Galvin Playhouse in Arizona State University's Nelson Fine Arts Center, Tenth Street and Mill in Tempe; and at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 2, at La Sala, located in the University Center Building on the Arizona State University West campus, 4701 West Thunderbird in Glendale. The program includes the title composer's Symphony No. 38 in D ("Prague") and two pieces by Haydn: Symphony No. 95 in C minor and Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major. The fest continues with a related lecture by John Corrigan, "The History and Philosophy of the 18th Century," at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at Kiva Hall on the ASU West campus. A chamber concert, featuring Siegel on piano, is scheduled at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, at La Sala. The program features Mozart's Quartet in G minor, K. 285; Brahms' Trio, Opus 114; and Beethoven's Septet, Opus 20. Tickets are $20 and $23 for the orchestra concerts, $18 and $21 for the chamber concert, $5 for the lecture, available at Dillard's; call 678-2222. Festival events continue through Sunday, June 16. For general information, call 965-6447.
National Trails Day: About 60 events celebrating America's network of nature pathways, including trail construction and maintenance, interpretive hikes and horseback rides, are scheduled at locations around the state on Saturday, June 1. For a schedule, call 542-4174 or e-mail Arizona State Parks at www.pr.state.az.us. Also see the Events and On the Road listings.
Arizona Rattlers: Coach Danny White's minigridiron squad hosts the Milwaukee Mustangs at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at the "Snake Pit": America West Arena, First Street and Jefferson. Tickets range from $8 to $36, available at the arena and Dillard's. For details call 514-8383, 379-7800 or 678-2222.
Private Eyes: See Thursday.
Six Women With Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know: See Thursday.
sunday
june 2
Coco Montoya: Coco cut his chops as drummer for Albert Collins' band before assuming his longtime role as guitarist for John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, but the lefty is destined, someday soon, to be known simply as himself. Touring in support of Ya Think I'd Know Better, Montoya's second disc for the San Francisco-based Blind Pig label, the recent winner of the W.C. Handy Blues Awards' Best New Blues Artist honor performs Sunday, June 2, at the Rhythm Room, 1019 East Indian School. Showtime is 9 p.m. The cover is $10. Call 265-4842.
Modern English: The British band epitomizes the term "one-hit wonder," but that hit, "I Melt With You," is a wonder. It's transcended its lame time and context--early '80s, New Wave--to become an alt-rock anthem. The all-ages show starts at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 2, at Electric Ballroom, 1216 East Apache in Tempe. Tickets are $5 in advance, $10 the day of the show, available at the club and Ticketmaster. Call 894-0707 or 784-4444.
Mainly Mozart Festival: See Saturday.
Private Eyes: See Thursday.
Six Women With Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know: See Thursday.
monday
june 3
Road Trip: Arizona Opera's Der Ring des Nibelungen in Flagstaff: Arizona Opera's general director, Glynn Ross, and maestro Henry Holt were the forefathers of Seattle's outstanding annual presentation of Der Ring, and the two have been working on this, Arizona's first presentation of the complete, four-opera Wagner cycle, for about five years. Actually, it's two presentations spread over a two-week period. The first cycle is scheduled at 8 p.m. Monday, June 3 (Das Rheingold); 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 4 (Die WalkYre); 7 p.m. Thursday, June 6 (Siegfried); and 2 p.m. Saturday, June 8 (Gotterdammerung). The second cycle is slated for Monday, June 10; Tuesday, June 11; Thursday, June 13; and Saturday, June 15. The scene is Ardrey Auditorium on the Northern Arizona University campus, Knoles and Riordan streets. All shows are sung in German, with English surtitles. Remaining cycle packages range from $200 to $525; tickets to individual performances are available. For details call the opera's Phoenix office at 266-7464 or Dillard's at 678-2222.
Maya Angelou: The activist, actor and author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie and On the Pulse of Morning reads from her works at 7 p.m. Monday, June 3, at Symphony Hall, 225 East Adams. Tickets are $25, available at Dillard's. For details call 944-3391 or 678-2222.
The Posies: The Seattle act specializes in non-Seattle-style pop brimming with lush melodies and gorgeous harmonies. It's not the best pop band that ever lived, and Posies fiends are still waiting for the act to top "Golden Blunders" and the song's album of origin, 1990's delirious Dear 23, but the group's always worth a listen or three. Velocity Girl, and Fuzzy share the all-ages bill. Showtime is 8 p.m. Monday, June 3, at Gibson's, 410 South Mill in Tempe. Tickets are $7, available at Ticketmaster. For details call 967-1234 or 784-4444.
tuesday
june 4
Ani DiFranco: The analogy is imperfect, but the Buffalo-born folk/punk diva is sort of a cross between Alanis Morissette and Sinead O'Connor. Like Alanis, Ani (pronounced "AH-knee") sports a baby-doll soprano incongruously mated to a hacked-off Weltanschauung. DiFranco's similarities to O'Connor, the black rose of Eire, include an unfortunate fashion sense and--better--a pissy, pigheaded nature. The angry young Ani has refused all offers from major labels, maintaining her independence and her ability to sing lyrics like "'Fuck you' and your untouchable face/'Fuck you' for existing in the first place"--from "Untouchable Face," the opening track on Dilate, her eighth disc for her own Righteous Babe label; see the story on page 96. DiFranco performs on Tuesday, June 4, at Nile Theater, 105 West Main in Mesa. The all-ages show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15, available at Ticketmaster. For details call 649-2766 or 784-4444.
Tour of World Figure-Skating Champions: Oksana Baiul, Brian Boitano, Nancy Kerrigan, Elvis Stojko, Michelle Kwan and Viktor Petrenko are scheduled to perform, along with about 25 other top blade runners, in this touring show, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at America West Arena, First Street and Jefferson. Tickets are $30 and $45, available at the arena and Dillard's. For details call 379-7800 or 678-2222.
Ray Charles: Hopefully, the ageless soul man will dish up a set full of standards--"What'd I Say," "I've Got a Woman," "Hallelujah, I Love Her So"--and leave the soda-pop plugs at home. Big Pete Pearson and the Blues Sevilles share the bill. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at Celebrity Theatre, 440 North 32nd Street. Tickets are $28.50 and $37, available at the scene and Dillard's. For details call 267-9373 or 678-2222.
Arizona Opera's Der Ring des Nibelungen: See Monday.
Mainly Mozart Festival: See Saturday.
wednesday
june 5
Les Miserables: As overworked and overplayed as it is (the press kit brags that there have been "27 productions . . . in 14 languages, in 22 countries"), Les Miz still has the power to shame the best Lloyd Webber has to offer. The show's main claim to fame is that it's derived from Victor Hugo's doorstop of a novel about the French Revolution, but the true secrets of its immense success are Claude-Michel Schonberg's stellar, soaring score and Herbert Kretzmer's fine lyrics; the combination peaked on "I Dreamed a Dream," one of the most moving pieces in the musical theatre. The touring production opens with a performance at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, at Gammage Auditorium, Mill and Apache in Tempe. More shows are scheduled Thursday, June 6, through Sunday, June 9. Tickets range from $15 to $51, available at Gammage and Dillard's. For details call 965-3434 or 678-2222.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!: The grade-Z, so-stupid-it's-stupid flick about bloated fruit on a rampage was released in 1980 and directed by John De Bello. The PG-rated cult fave screens at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, at Tempe Public Library, 3500 South Rural, as part of a broader program about sci-fi books. Admission is free. For details call 350-5522; the TDD number for the hearing-impaired is 350-5050.
Mainly Mozart Festival: See Saturday.
Private Eyes: See Thursday.
Six Women With Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know: See Thursday.
