"Chihuly in the Garden" @ Desert Botanical Garden He's back. World-famous glass artist Dale Chihuly returns to the Valley with a new exhibition, "Chihuly in the Garden" at Desert Botanical Garden.
See also: 13 Must-Attend New Year's Eve 2013 Parties in Metro Phoenix
Whether you've seen these intricate, vibrant pieces on display in London, Paris or Seattle -- or caught his last stop in town, "Chihuly: The Nature of Glass" in 2008 -- this six-month long installaton offers plenty of chances to study every detail and spiral of his signature blown glass.
Expect plenty of red, yellow, and green hues that play with the desert's fall light and mimic what lives in the garden. The garden itself is 140 acres and the art will be found throughout: dotting trails, hiding in plain sight.
Catch Chihuly daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Sunday, May 18. Tickets are $22; discounted admission is available for members. Reservations are highly encouraged. Call 480-941-1225 or visit www.dbg.org. -- Janessa Hilliard
NYE @ Arizona Broadway Theatre A little cognitive dissonance can get you to focus more clearly on what's important. So whether you want to put 2013 behind you or hit 2014 running, an out-of-the-ordinary New Year's Eve is just the ticket. Therefore, don't head for an existing bar or a friend's house. Go to Peoria (and we're not even done) and visit a roaring '20s Chicago speakeasy (wait, there's more) in a dinner theater!
Chicago: The Speakeasy is Arizona Broadway Theatre's NYE gala, but just think of it as a party that calls for "creative black-tie" attire. You'll be admitted through a secret entrance for cocktails and "passed" hors d'oeuvres (i.e., no hovering over a buffet table like a Gatsbyesque vulture), a swingin' live band, sumptuous dinner and show, "friendly" gambling, dancing . . . You're still reading this? Book this hummer at 623-776-8400 or www.tickets.azbroadwaytheatre.com. It's priced at $150 or $175 depending on seating, with special deals for parties of four or more. Your whereabouts on Tuesday, December 31? 7701 West Paradise Lane, from 6:30 p.m. until sometime next year. -- Julie Peterson
Mamma Mia! @ Gammage Auditorium If enjoying the music of ABBA qualifies as a "guilty pleasure," then a lot of people are guilty as charged. The Swedish pop outfit has sold upwards of 400 million albums and singles to date, and that's based on a catalogue that was amassed in just 10 short years. "Dancing Queen" alone has hurled more drunken brides into dance-floor ecstasy than just about any song ever written, but none so memorable as the fictional bride in the musical Mamma Mia! Based entirely on the songs of ABBA, the play has grossed over two billion dollars, has been translated into 14 languages and has toured the globe numerous times since its birth in London's West End in 1999. If you're one of the few poor sods who hasn't yet seen the play then here's your "SOS."
Curtain is 7:30 p.m. on New Year's Day at Tempe's Gammage Auditorium, 1200 South Forest Avenue. Tickets start at $28.10. Visit www.asugammage.com or call 480-965-3434 for details. -- Rob Kroehler
Ms. 45 @ FilmBar You might not ever make it to Austin, Texas, for SXSW, but one of the city's institutions, Alamo Drafthouse, has been re-releasing long-lost movies that make for perfect late-night fare. The recently unearthed Ms. 45 is the Abel Ferrara-helmed revenge flick that will light up the screen at FilmBar Thursday, January 2.
Ferrara is best known as the director of 1990's King of New York, starring Christopher Walken as drug kingpin Frank White, and 1992's Bad Lieutenant with Harvey Keitel as an out-of-control cop. In Ms. 45, Zoe Lund plays Thana, a mute seamstress, who's been assaulted multiple times. Taking the .45 caliber pistol of a burglar that she's bludgeoned in self-defense, she hits the street to dole out justice to anyone that harasses her. Inspired by movies like Death Wish, the 1981 film ups the thrills by putting vengeance in the hands of a former victim.
Ms. 45 is being screened at 10 p.m. at 815 North Second Street. Tickets are $9. For more information, visit www.thefilmbarphx.com. -- Jose Gonzalez
Lights-Out Artists Party @ Alwun House There's something about a glowing light -- be it neon, flame, or an electric flicker -- that makes us feel particularly connected to the holidays. Perhaps it's because the bright glow is a symbol of hope, or maybe we just like the idea of illuminating the unknown future.
"Lighthouse" at the Alwun House explores the theme of illumination with artworks of all media, both functional and conceptual. Each of the pieces incorporate light, whether through lightboxes, lamps, art shrines, video, installation, neon, LED, or fire and will be placed throughout the house and gardens. Curated by artist and art lighting designer Landy Headley, the show invites you to come play in the glow.
The "Lighthouse" exhibit closes with the Lights-Out Artists Party on Friday, January 3. The free closing event takes place at 8 p.m. at the Alwun House Gallery and Gardens, 1204 East Roosevelt Street. For more information, visit www.alwunhouse.org or call 602-253-7887. -- Lauren Saria