The Lunar Ball
The tradition of super-rad programming for YA literature continues this week at Changing Hands Phoenix, 300 West Camelback Road, with a Lunar Ball to celebrate the release of Melissa Meyer's latest book, Fairest: Levana's Story. Fairest is a prequel to Meyer's bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, which includes the books Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress. The ball will include a talk and book signing with the author, light refreshments, a photo booth, a costume contest, and professional dance instructions.
See also: Marissa Meyer on the Lunar Chronicles, NaNoWriMo, and Why She Loves YA Books
The Lunar Ball kicks off at 6 p.m. on Monday, February 2. Tickets are $25 each and include admission for one to the Lunar Ball and one copy of Fairest. For more information, call 602-274-0067 or visit www.changinghands.com. Katrina Montgomery
Restless Creature
When Wendy Whelan said goodbye to the New York City Ballet after nearly three decades, the 47-year-old ballerina wasn't bidding farewell to her career. On Tuesday, February 3, the lauded and lanky Whelan brings to Scottsdale her new project, Restless Creature, a suite of duets. The collaboration between Whelan and choreographers Kyle Abraham, Joshua Beamish, Brian Brooks, and Alejandro Cerrudo comes to the stage at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 East Second Street, for one night only. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $39 and up via www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or 480-499-8587. Becky Bartkowski
Sylvia
Class 6 Theatre is back with two winners in repertory through Sunday, February 22 at Mesa Arts Center, One East Main Street: Paula Vogel's disturbing, yet funny How I Learned to Drive and A. R. Gurney's funny, yet disturbing Sylvia. The latter opens Wednesday, February 4, at 7:30 p.m. It's about a midlife couple that finds it's not that easy to add a dog to the family. The dog, Sylvia, is played by a human being who voices her character's feelings. You kind of have to see it to get it.
In the Pulitzer-winning How I Learned to Drive, a woman reminisces about her sexual abuse by her uncle, who was also the kindest member of her family. Tickets are $20 at www.boxoffice.mesaartscenter.com or 480-644-6500. Julie Peterson
See also: Wendy Whelan Brings Restless Creature to Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
[nueLAUNCH]
Don't let the name fool you. Julie Akerly and Matthew Mosher's [nueBOX] is a performance art venture very much outside the, well, you know. The program works with emerging resident performers and installation artists to facilitate their development and serve as a launch pad for burgeoning careers. Mix and mingle with the program's first-ever artists-in-residence, including Jordan Daniels Dance and sculptor Mitchell Keaney, who will perform and present their works during the [nueLAUNCH] Happy Hour at First Draft Book Bar inside Changing Hands, 300 West Camelback Road. DJ Brockelmonster will supply the "chill grooves" during the social soiree, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 5. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the event. One beverage is included with the ticket price. Visit www.nuebox.org for more. Becky Bartkowski
See also: [nueBOX] Creates Platform for Phoenix-Area Performance Artists
Fools
We find that stupidity flourishes, even without magic spells to help it along, but in Neil Simon's Fools, the Ukraine village of Kulyenchikov has been chronically stupid for 200 years due to a curse. Can the curse be broken? New teacher Leon Tolchinsky is up for the challenge, largely because he's fallen in love with his pupil, Sophia. The plot's full of twists, turns, and bad jokes. (The townspeople are terrible at everything.)
Brelby Theatre Company presents the gala opening night of Fools at 6835 North 58th Avenue in Glendale at 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 6. Admission is $30 and includes a drink, cake, and other revelry. The show continues through Saturday, February 28, with tickets at $12 to $20. Visit www.brelby.com or call 623-282-2781. Julie Peterson
