Novelist and playwright Hannah More said, "Going to the opera, like getting drunk, is a sin that carries its own punishment with it." Given our gluttonous desire for discipline (and daiquiris!), we really can't wait for this weekend, when Paradise Valley Community College's Opera Workshop wraps up its inaugural season with a public performance. On Friday, August 1, 20-some performers from the Valley and Tucson, many of whom sing with the Arizona Opera Chorus, present selected scenes from Rigoletto and Die Meistersinger, as well as works by Bizet, Mozart, Strauss, and Gilbert and Sullivan. Be sure to polish those opera glasses: Props and costume pieces are supplied by Arizona Opera.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center, 33606 North 60th Street in Cave Creek. Tickets are $15; proceeds fund student scholarships. Call 602-787-7350 for reservations. -Jill Koch
DRY HUMOR
Comic relief at the Celebrity Theatre
Mon 8/4
Some things in life aren't funny, but that doesn't mean a little comedy can't make them better. A touch of humor can be a magical elixir, sure to be the case at the Dry Heat All Star Comedy Tour, 7:30 p.m. Monday, August 4, at Celebrity Theatre, 440 North 32nd Street.
Proceeds from the event -- which features a host of comedians, including Michael Finney and Mark Cordes as well as magician Lance Burton -- support the Firefighters Children's Charities and Gift of Life. For details call 602-267-1600 or visit www.dryheatclassic.com. - Craig Wallach
Staged Romance
Manipulating Mr. Right
7/31-8/2
Long before it became the foundation of nitwitted prime-time programming, matchmaking inspired a charming Broadway musical. Nearly 40 years later, Dolly Gallagher Levi still has the hookup. The queen of hearts returns to the stage this Thursday, July 31, as Red Mountain Summer Theater presents Hello, Dolly!
Set in New York City at the turn of the 20th century, the play finds Dolly determined to marry miserly almost-millionaire Horace Vandergelder. Will the horny heroine get her man? Will he make her sign a pre-nup? And which network will snag the wedding rights? Ah, the timeless mysteries of love . . .
The Dolly good time continues through Saturday, August 2, at Mesa's Red Mountain Community Church, 6101 East Virginia (north of McDowell on Recker). Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12; call 480-807-5868 for reservations. - Jill Koch
