march 14
Cactus League Baseball: They struck out in 1995, but the real boys of spring are back for this year's slate of preseason games, which continues daily, through Friday, March 29, at venues in the Valley and Tucson. For the schedule and other information, see the "Cactus League" subsection in the Sports listing.
Candida: Arizona Theatre Company continues its season with George Bernard Shaw's comedic battle of the wills between young poet Eugene Marchbanks and the good Reverend James Morell. The objective: the hand of the title character, beloved wife of the preacher, apple of the wordsmith's eye and one of the theatre's great roles; see the review on page 65. This week's performances are at 2 and 8 p.m. Thursday, March 14; 8 p.m. Friday, March 15; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 16; 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday, March 17; and 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, in Center Stage at Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe. The production continues through Saturday, March 23. Tickets range from $20 to $30, available at Herberger and Dillard's. For details call 252-8497 or 678-2222.
The Living Sea: Meryl Streep narrated this underwater adventure, filmed in Palau and Washington state and nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Feature Documentary (Short Subject). The 40-minute, 70mm movie, directed by Greg MacGillivray and featuring two original songs by Sting, opens on Thursday, March 14, and continues through Monday, July 1, at IMAX Theatre, Civic Center Boulevard and Fifth Avenue in Scottsdale. It screens daily at noon and 2and 4p.m. Mystery of the Maya shows daily at 1and 3 p.m.; double features of the unrated movies are scheduled at 7 and 9 nightly. Tickets range from $4.50 to $8.75. For details call 945-4629 or 949-3105.
Phoenix Jaycees Rodeo of Rodeos: The 66th annual version of the venerable midwinter affair at Arizona State Fairgrounds, 19th Avenue and McDowell, has been moved outdoors--the only proper place for a rodeo. Competitions are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14; 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 15; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16; and 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17, at Grandstand Arena. A dance follows Saturday's evening show. Tickets range from $6 to $18, available at the fairgrounds and Dillard's. For details call 263-8671 or 678-2222.
Marian McPartland: The England-born pianist, composer and host of National Public Radio's Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz performs at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 14, at Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 East Second Street. Tickets are $20 and $25, available at the center and Ticketmaster. A free lecture by writer Patricia Myers precedes at 7 in the center's Cinema. For details call 994-2787 or 784-4444.
friday
march 15
Oleanna: Actors Theatre of Phoenix presents David Mamet's searing drama about political correctness and a disputed case of sexual harassment between a professor and a student. The production begins with apreview at8 p.m. Friday, March 15, in Stage West at Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe. The official opening is at 8p.m. Saturday, March 16, and more shows are scheduled at 2and 7p.m. Sunday, March 17. Performances continue through Sunday, March 31. Tickets range from $10 to $23.50, available at Herberger and Dillard's; call 252-8497 or 678-2222.
NCAA Basketball West Regionals: The road to the men's Final Four goes through Tempe this year, with six matches scheduled Friday, March 15; and Sunday, March 17, at Arizona State University Activity Center. The field includes the University of Arizona, the University of Kansas, George Washington University and the University of Maryland. If tickets are available, they're at Sun Devil Sports Box Office; call 965-2381.
National Festival of the West: The American cowboy, from historic figure to romantic, is feted at this annual hoe-down at Rawhide, 23023 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale. Highlights include scheduled appearances by Western-film vets Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr. and Buck Taylor; music, poetry, a chuck-wagon cookoff, the No Holds Barred Chili Challenge and about 200 vendors hawking Western crafts and collectibles. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, March 15; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 16; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 17. Admission is $7, $2 for children ages 5 to 12, $1less with the donation of a canned good for St. Mary's Food Bank; kids get in free on Friday. For details call 996-4387 or 502-1880.
Pro Beach Volleyball Tour: Sand kings Karch Kiraly, Kent Steffes, Adam Johnson and Jose Loiola top the marquee at this $100,000 two-man tourney at Gateway Center, 44th Street and Van Buren. Play starts at 2 p.m. Friday, March 15; 9 a.m. Saturday, March 16; and 8a.m. Sunday, March 17. Call 1-800-793-8687.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
Candida: See Thursday.
The Living Sea: See Thursday.
Phoenix Jaycees Rodeo of Rodeos: SeeThursday.
saturday
march 16
Art Detour and Art du Jour: Works by hundreds of artists are showcased at various locations in the central-Phoenix area during the eighth annual Art Detour, sponsored by Artlink, Inc. Hours of the free, self-guided tour are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 16; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 17. Maps and information are available at ArtDetour headquarters, located at 10 West Madison, in Luhrs Office Center. A reception/bash is scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Phoenix City Hall, 200 West Jefferson; admission is $10(call 777-6406 or 256-7539). The independent Art du Jour, a.k.a. "Pirate Detour," is slated for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 16; and 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Sunday, March 17, in the second-floor conference room at San Carlos Hotel, 202 North Central (call 252-9630).
Immortal Soul: James Brown, Mephiskapheles: Brown, the forefather of funk, knows all about heat, and he generates some in a show at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at Celebrity Theatre, 440 North 32nd Street. Tickets are $28.25 and $36.75, available at the scene and Dillard's; call 267-1600 or 678-2222. Meanwhile, in Mesa, the ska revivalists and mock Satanists composing New York's Mephiskapheles (the group's logo: "Satanic Ska for the Whole Family") raise some Cain in an all-ages show on Saturday at Hollywood Alley, 2610 West Baseline. Kongo Shock shares the bill. Tickets are $8, available at the club and Alternatix; call 820-7117 or 244-8444.
St. Patrick's Day Parade and Irish Family Faire: Sean McLaughlin, weather prognosticator for KPNX-TV, Channel 12, is the grand marshal of the 13th annual parade, which starts at 10a.m. Saturday, March 16, at the intersection of Central and Portland, traveling south on Central to Washington; viewing is free. The Faire, featuring music, dancing and crafts, follows from noon to 6 p.m. at Patriots Square, Central and Washington; admission is $1, $2 for families. Call 257-1750.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
Candida: See Thursday.
The Living Sea: See Thursday.
National Festival of the West: See Friday.
Oleanna: See Friday.
Phoenix Jaycees Rodeo of Rodeos: SeeThursday.
Pro Beach Volleyball Tour: See Friday.
sunday
march 17
Star Trek Convention: Classic Trek's Dr.McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Deep Space Nine's Dax (Terry Farrell) and Voyager's Tuvok (Tim Russ) are the stars of the latest Creation Entertainment tour, which includes previews, gossip, extravagantly garbed Trekkers, and memorabilia merchants. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, March 17, in Exhibit Hall D atPhoenix Civic Plaza, Second Street and Adams. Tickets are $14 in advance at Dillard's, $17 at the door. Call 262-7272 or 678-2222.
Friends of Mexican Art Home Tour: FOMA presents its 23rd self-guided tour of local houses beautiful from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 17. Stops include two residences designed by late Valley architect Robert Evans--one in the Spanish Revivalist style, one in adobe--and the retirement home oflate Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt. Also planned: a Mexican-folk-art mercado. Tickets are $15, available at Dillard's, and include the addresses. Call 948-5827.
Art Detour and Art du Jour: See Saturday.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
Candida: See Thursday.
The Living Sea: See Thursday.
National Festival of the West: See Friday.
NCAA Basketball West Regionals: See Friday.
Oleanna: See Friday.
Phoenix Jaycees Rodeo of Rodeos: SeeThursday.
Pro Beach Volleyball Tour: See Friday.
monday
march 18
Terry Tempest Williams: The naturalist-in-residence at the Utah Museum of Natural History and author of Desert Quartet and Pieces of White Shell: A Journey to Navajoland reads from her works at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 18, at Kerr Cultural Center, 6110 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale. Admission is $5, $3 for students and seniors. Call 965-5377.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
The Living Sea: See Thursday.
tuesday
march 19
Foundation Jean-Pierre Perreault: The Montreal-based troupe presents itssignature work, "Joe" (1983), at 8p.m. Tuesday, March 19, at Gammage Auditorium, Mill and Apache in Tempe. The piece, which explores the Orwellian loss of individual identity in modern society, features 32 dancers dressed identically--in long coats, slouch hats and black stompers. Tickets are $16, $19 and $22, available at Gammage and Dillard's. Call 965-3434.
Everclear: A while back, Art Alexakis was at a party swilling the toxic title drink when he had a drunken vision of a group that combined the "fresh sounding" name of the 190-proof alcohol and its "pure white evil" nature. After sobering up, the vocalist/guitarist created Everclear, the trio. The Portland, Oregon-based crew follows in Sugar's hard-pop footsteps, displaying a bit of that estimable band's ability to tickle the eardrum while spanking the brain. Touring insupport of its Capitol debut, Sparkle and Fade, Everclear performs on Tuesday, March 19, at Electric Ballroom, 1216 East Apache in Tempe. Hagfish, and Triple Fast Action share the all-ages bill. Showtime is 8p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, $13 the day of the show, available at the club and Ticketmaster. Call 894-0707 or 784-4444.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
The Living Sea: See Thursday.
wednesday
march 20
Meat the Veggies: Arizona Agriculture Day, Great American Meatout: Kiss your cow, it's Ag Day. In conjunction with National Agriculture Week, Arizona Agricultural Committee hosts a celebration from 11:30 a.m. to 2p.m. Wednesday, March 20, at Patriots Square, Central and Washington. A $1 donation buys you a home-grown, beef-barbecue lunch and a bunch of that-ain't-no-bull activities like music, celebrity cow-milking and exhibitions about the state's ag industry (call 273-7163). Coincidentally, or perhaps not, Wednesday's also the day the folks behind the national Great American Meatout campaign--organized by the Farm Animal Rescue Movement (FARM), a group dedicated to publicizing "the destructive impacts of intensive animal agriculture"--attempt to convince citizens to"kick the meat habit, atleast for a day." For details about GAM or FARM, call 1-800-632-8688.
Son Volt, and Blue Mountain: Son Volt's Jay Farrar is currently in a battle with his former Uncle Tupelo compatriot, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, for post-Tupelo supremacy; see thestory on page 100. The real find on this bill is Blue Mountain, a Missouri trio touring in support of a shining jewel of an album titled Dog Days (Roadrunner), which features sparkling, smart, Southern-steeped tunes like "Soul Sister," "Jimmy Carter" and"The Eyes of a Child." Showtime is 8p.m. Wednesday, March 20, at the Rockin' Horse, 7000 East Indian School in Scottsdale. Tickets are $7 in advance, $9 the day ofthe show, available at the scene and Ticketmaster. Call 949-0992 or 784-4444.
Marilyn Horne and Benita Valente: America's opera queen, mezzo-soprano Horne, and its lady in waiting, soprano Valente, team up for a recital at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, at Gammage Auditorium, Mill and Apache in Tempe. Tickets are $26, $32 and $35, available at Gammage and Dillard's. For details call 965-3434 or 678-2222.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
Candida: See Thursday.
The Living Sea: See Thursday.
