5 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

Phoenix Comicon 2015

The best thing about Phoenix Comicon, the mammoth gathering of comic book, gaming, and entertainment aficianados, is how everyone from cautiously curious folks to hardcore geeks keep an eye out for Wookiees, Klingons, and gender-swapped superheroes to stamp in their games of mental Comicon bingo. Keep your camera app open for very rare occurrences like the gaggle of striped-and-beanied Waldos caught on the exhibitor floor last year. (Avoid being a creep by asking permission beforehand!) From celebs like Buffy’s Alyson Hannigan, Edward James Olmos, and Christopher Lloyd to comic creators and crowd pleasers like the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Showdown, the weekend event is the pinnacle of pop culture and fandoms.

Phoenix Comicon 2015 kicks off on Thursday, May 28, at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 North Third Street, and runs Sunday, May 31. For more info, visit www.phoenixcomicon.com. Jose Gonzalez

Rocky Horror

It’s the cult classic that has been revived more times than even the worst fashion trends, oldest rock bands, or most relentless of ghosts.

Rocky Horror returns to the stage for a two-night stint — the perfect opportunity for virgins and devoted fans to experience its theatrics, as the two-act musical masterpiece follows a cast of misfits, transvestites, and lovers during one stormy night.

Spend an evening with Riff Raff, Dr. Frank N. Furter, and the rest on Friday and Saturday, May 29 and 30, at The Firehouse Gallery, 1015 North First Street. Doors open at 8 p.m. for cocktail hour, and curtain goes up at 9 p.m. Admission to the all-ages show is $12. Audience participation is encouraged, and a list of acceptable items will be published online. Visit www.facebook.com/firehousephoenix. Janessa Hilliard

"SO HOT RIGHT NOW"

There ain’t no cure for the summertime blues, but thanks to ASU master of fine arts candidate Courtney Richter, your misery will be in good company. Curated by Richter, the seasonally appropriate “SO HOT RIGHT NOW” features works exploring everything from climate change to cooling off in an array of media by 31 artists from across the country. Feel the heat at ASU Herberger Institute’s Step Gallery, 605 East Grant Street, from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 29, and through Friday, August 21, when a closing reception runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Visit asuevents.asu.edu/so-hot-right-now for more information. Becky Bartkowski

One Man, Two Guvnors

Not every 18th-century Italian commedia becomes a wildly popular 21st-century English knockabout farce. However, Carlos Goldoni’s Il servitore di due padroni (Servant of Two Masters, to us) was adapted into One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean and concluded a three-year West End run this spring. Phoenix Theatre presents the play through Sunday, June 14, starring Ron May as servitore Francis Henshall. Henshall arranges to have two jobs simultaneously, mostly for the extra meals. His two bosses turn out to have a surprising connection. The audience gets involved, too, so if that’s not your thing, don’t look too distinctive or approachable (or unapproachable).

Tickets start at $30. Call 602-254-2151 or visit www.phoenixtheatre.com for complete list of showtimes. Julie Peterson

The Newton's One-Year Anniversary

Boy do they grow up fast! It seems like just yesterday we were excitedly awaiting the grand opening of new local culture hub The Newton, which houses Changing Hands Bookstore, First Draft Book Bar, Southern Rail, and Southwest Gardener. But this week, The Newton is turning 1 year old, which calls for a new round of merriment. There will be bands all day, a series of speakers, an evening mixer in the commons, an exhibition of Beefeaters photos, and specials at all retail and restaurant locations at the complex.

The Newton’s One-Year Anniversary celebrations are scheduled to last from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, at 300 West Camelback Road. For more information, visit thenewtonphx.com. Katrina Montgomery

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