At the stroke of midnight, Ebenezer Scrooge begins getting visits by ghosts — one from Christmas past, one from Christmas present, and one from Christmas that may or may not come to pass. But in most theatrical versions of Charles Dickens’ story, they’re not all performed by the same person…
11/22-11/23 “It’s like taking a vacation and being a dictator for two days,” says Mimi Altree, the actress playing Queen Elizabeth in the 21st annual Devonshire Renaissance Faire. “But it’s good to be the queen, even if it’s for only a few days.” Altree has played Elizabeth I at the…
11/13-11/122 The Brazilian art form/dance/martial art Capoeira has been described as “a conversation between two bodies in motion,” a succinct description that doesn’t quite convey the complexity and historical significance of the art. Capoeira was invented in Brazil 400 years ago by African slaves as a method of expression and…
Sat 11/15 Thanks to designers who routinely revive styles from past decades, American consumers are well schooled in the diversity of silhouettes that defined 20th-century fashion. But they’re much less familiar with the trends of the 1800s. “Beauty and Style in 19th Century American Fashion,” opening this weekend in Phoenix…
From the street, it looks like a birthday party. On a recent Saturday evening, SUVs and minivans line a Chandler neighborhood, and people with large gift bags and boxes of baked goods swarm up to the door of Janet Klein. But Klein’s not a suburban soccer mom, she’s a book…
11/8-11/23 In the shadow of the Cold War, a round of redbaiting in 1950s Hollywood produced a “blacklist” of film professionals banned from the industry. When the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company’s production of The Value of Names begins, the scene is set in 1981, and blacklisted comic Benny Silverman has…
Sat 11/8 At last, a car show that’s so not Scottsdale. This Saturday, November 8, cruise to Fast Eddie’s Diner, 3422 West Glendale Avenue in Phoenix, after 11 a.m. for “Bad Guys III,” a car show featuring “pre-1968 hot rods, customs and motorcycles.” Presented by the Invaders Car Club, the…
11/8-11/9 Of all the ironies to emerge from our current “country at war” mindset, perhaps the greatest involves the startling number of would-be patriots who have emerged from the woodwork to embrace all things military. Safe to say that, once CNN tunes out from the latest conflict to end all…
11/5-11/9 The nuptial mood can go to hell in about two seconds when the bride’s ex is in the honeymoon suite next door, as in Noel Coward’s play Private Lives. “It’s what I call quaint comedy,” says actress Maren Maclean. “It’s not slapstick or falling-down funny, it’s intelligent, witty humor.”…
Sat 10/25 If your closet looks like the wardrobe vault from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, we recommend flaunting it at Halloween Bash 2. Hosted by the Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, the bash is open to all — gay, straight, even Republican. “Halloween…
Sat 10/25 For all of you Peeping and would-be Peeping Toms, The Roosevelt Historic District is offering the perfect way to peep without getting slapped with jail time. TourFest, a guided tour of more than 20 houses, lofts and businesses, allows a rare view into buildings that date back to…
10/16-10/19 Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of Arizona Opera’s opener — except for the duet Au Fond Du Temple Saint, Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers is relatively unknown. The story, set in Sri Lanka, is full of twists, as estranged friends Zurga and Nadir must decide what to do…
10/10-10/12 When you bring the entire Titanic onto the Herberger stage and sink it to music, people start suspecting you are more than the average children’s theater — which is fine with Bobb Cooper, artistic director of Valley Youth Theatre and director of its latest offering, Charlotte’s Web. “We look…
Sat 10/11 If we learned anything in Gamma Delta Phi, it’s that fish don’t like beer. Since the usual Oktoberfestivities won’t do, the mayor, along with the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department and Arizona Game and Fish, present Octoberfish, a morning of free fun to usher in fishing weather from…
“These pieces — well, they’re kind of strange,” laughs choreographer and former Arizona State University dance teacher Marion Kirk Jones. “But don’t put that in the article.” By “strange,” Jones means diverse works ranging from Arachne, about the weaver who dared to challenge Athena and was turned into a spider…
10/6-10/12 Its drunken 16th hole notwithstanding, the Phoenix Open has little, if anything, on the Valley’s other great PGA event, the Gila River Golf Classic, Monday, October 6, through October 12 at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler. Securing the game’s greatest players is feat enough, but throw in a week’s…
Tue 10/7 While percussion plays a supporting role in almost all of Western music, it is an art form and musical genre all its own in other parts of the world. Nowhere is this truer than in West Africa, where drum ensembles are revered for the spirituality and tribal force…
Fri 10/3 Downtown’s First Friday art tour gets another stop this weekend, which showcases the work of local photographer Marilyn Szabo. Sponsored by Szabo’s regular gallery, Victoria Boyce Gallery of Scottsdale’s Main Street, Szabo’s latest will be shown in her personal studio space. Szabo, known for her stunning work in…
Sun 9/28 Author Eric Carle has illustrated more than 70 books with his hand-painted collage imagery. His whimsical tales of the animal world are read by millions of children worldwide. With the help of a black light and puppets based on Carle’s illustrations, Very Eric Carle brings three of these…
9/25-11/6 Spread the words: The Valley’s top slam poets have a shot at the big time — the World Championship Poetry Crown. Slammers judged to be the best of the verse will represent Phoenix at the 2004 World Poetry Slam Championship, set for February in the world poetry capital –…
9/18-9/20 It is fitting that September marks not only the opening of an inspiring exhibition in Scottsdale, but also the month that Frida Kahlo endured a horrific accident. In 1925, Kahlo woke up with a disabled body she hadn’t counted on and would have to live with for the rest…
Sun 9/7 This weekend, make tracks and make a difference. In recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Build-A-Bear Workshop, the interactive stuffed animal store, is inviting kids in 10 cities to join in the Nikki’s Bear Walk-A-Thon for Children’s Cancer. Valley families step up to the plate Sunday, September 7,…
