Undead dances, a lawman documentary, and Phoenix Fashion Week are on your to-do list this weekend.
Halloween's come early this year. No, you don't need to panic over your costume (yet). And, yes, you may use this as an excuse to binge on mini Butterfingers for the next few weeks.
Scorpius Dance Theatre's A Vampire Tale, best described as All Hallows' Eve's answer to The Nutcracker, opens a few weeks earlier than usual. And apart from the production being a fall tradition here in Phoenix with 11 years under its undead belt and a fun piece of contemporary dance complete with genuinely creepy vampires, there's one particularly exciting reason to see it (apart from the candy excuse we've gifted you). Longtime Scorpius dancer Gavin Sisson will assume the lead role of Viktor, the vampire king, this year. And we have a sneaking suspicion he's going to be thrilling and chilling.
See also: 10 Guys You'll Meet at First Friday in Phoenix
Curtain is 8 p.m. Friday, October 3, at Phoenix Theatre, 100 East McDowell Road. Performances continue in the Hormel Theatre through Saturday, October 10. Tickets are $25 to $45 and available through www.phoenixtheatre.com. Find more info about the show at www.scorpiusdance.com. Becky Bartkowski
So you think you know Sheriff Joe, huh? Well, prepare to get sucked into the insane and almost unbelievable media circus that surrounds America's most infamous lawman, in the locally made documentary The Joe Show.
Even if Arpaio didn't happen to run the county that we live in, the film's use of well-known pundits Larry King and Noam Chomsky and his celeb pals Ted Nugent and Steven Seagal show that his reign has a national scope. However, we do live in Maricopa County, so seeing this movie is, albeit unfortunately, of particular interest to us.
Watch all of the madness unfurl in Randy Murray's The Joe Show at Harkins Valley Art, 509 South Mill Avenue in Tempe. Screenings begin at 1:45 p.m. Friday, October 3. For a complete list of showtimes and to purchase tickets for $9.50, or $7 for matinee showings, go to www.harkinstheaters.com or call 480-446-7272. Heather Hoch
See also: Phoenix Film Festival Review: Randy Murray's The Joe Show
Now that New York, Milan, and Paris have had their fashion week fun, it's time for Phoenix to get in on the garment action.
Phoenix Fashion Week 2014 brings 25 designer shows to Talking Stick Resort. And while most of the designers on the roster aren't exactly household names (13 of them are competing to win the title of emerging designer of the year), typically the event does bring in an international garment maker or two, as well as some of the state's most prominent fashion personalities. We've spotted high-fashion model Kelly Mittendorf, Robert Black, and the stars of Vh1's Baseball Wives. Sure, it's not quite the star-studded endeavor that Lincoln Center boasts, but the Valley's fashion set will take what it can get. And when it comes to Phoenix Fashion Week, that means a well-produced event, fashion seminars, after-parties, pop-up shopping, and opportunities to mix and mingle with models and designers.
Models take to the runway starting at about 7:30 p.m. nightly through Saturday, October 4, at 9800 East Indian Bend Road. Tickets are $40 to $175 per night and available at www.eventbrite.com. Becky Bartkowski
See also: Phoenix Fashion Week 2014 Designer Lineup Revealed
Between Simpsons Legos, Simpsons video games, Simpsons theme parks, and the soon-to-be launched "Simpsons World," it's safe to say the citizens of Springfield are going to be around for a long time -- possibly event after nuclear fallout as playwright Anne Washburn explores in her off-Broadway production, Mr. Burns.
In this post-apocalyptic dark comedy, a small band of survivors spends their time recounting the 1993 Simpsons episode, "Cape Feare." In three acts what starts as a simple way to pass the time with pop culture turns into something much more profound. Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play will take to the stage at Space 55, 636 East Pierce Street. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturday, October 3 through 26, and Thursdays, October 16 and 23. General admission is $15. For tickets and information, call 602-663-4032 or visit www.space55.org. Katie Johnson
See also: The 10 Best Simpsons Episodes Ever
Come one, come all! Feast your eyes on that which has to be seen to be believed. Brooklyn-via-Phoenix artist Luster Kaboom is bringing the hairiest man on earth to the Valley. The illustrator and muralist who made his mark on the Valley has come back with a new creation and a new exhibit.
"Sideshow" explores the bizarre word of bushy outsider Hairy Jerry. Is he a misunderstood monster or fearsome freak? Take a tour through this tripped-out show to find out for yourself. "Sideshow" by Luster Kaboom is on view now through Sunday, January 25, inside the Dr. Ruth Tan Lim Project Room at Mesa Arts Center, One East Main Street, Mesa. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays,10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free. For details, call 480-644-6567 or visit www.mesaartscenter.com. Katie Johnson
