7 Best Arts and Culture Events in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

New Times picks the best in art, culture, comedy, and theater events in metro Phoenix from November 20 to 22. For more things to do, see our curated calendar of events.  Emerging Artists II There’s not enough modern dance hereabouts. Meanwhile, performing arts grad students can’t just toil away at…

Are Arizona Artists Doing Enough to Address Issues of Racial Injustice?

Issues related to racial injustice are prevalent in contemporary political rhetoric, as both activists and creatives acknowledge that American society has yet to keep its promise of liberty and justice for all. Artists like Kara Walker, whose large-scale cut-paper silhouettes depict scenes infused with racial stereotypes, are part of the…

5 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

Suns vs. Lakers There have always been rumblings that legendary Laker Kobe Bryant might at times be more of a liability than a luminary to his teammates. Well, in what may be Bryan’ts final season, no one is rumbling anymore. It’s obvious. On a roster chockfull of young talent, Bryant’s…

5 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

Spillers Storytelling events have been all the rage the last few years. Unlike many of these happenings that feature writers presenting pieces based on their own real-life experiences, the quarterly event, Spillers: Short Fiction and Tall Drinks features six wordsmiths performing edgy, 10-minute, short fiction stories for the crowd. If…

5 Best Non-Halloween Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

Day of Our Lives Book-Signing Watch out for fan apoplexy at the Days of Our Lives: 50 Years book-signing event at Changing Hands Tempe. It’s not just a soap opera; it’s a fiercely beloved soap opera that’s been on since 1965. The lovely commemorative book ($34.99) gets you and a…

The Book of Mormon Takes No Prisoners at ASU Gammage in Tempe

After three decades of witnessing theater extravaganzas like The Book of Mormon, which launched ASU Gammage’s new season this week, I can sometimes find my attention wandering from the spotlight. In the case of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s irreverent book musical, I was more interested in the adulation with…

Arizona Opera Promises Bold, But Arizona Lady Is a Bore

As Arizona Opera opened its three-day Phoenix run for an operetta titled Arizona Lady at Symphony Hall on Friday night, the audience was clearly excited by the prospect of hearing a story set in the Southwest. Simply the sight of the set, complete with cactus and a distant mesa, was enough to…

7 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

“Engangled” The candles from Standard Wax don’t just smell good; they look good, too. Samantha Thompson and Andrew King’s creations are meant to be art — a decision certainly influenced by King’s outside work as a contemporary painter and pastel artist. A collection of his recent pieces, “Entangled,” debuts this…

Arizona Opera and Poet Laureate Alberto Rios Collaborate on Arizona Lady

Arizona Opera’s falls season opens with a collaboration that sets a high bar. Arizona Poet Laureate Alberto Ríos recently collaborated with Arizona Opera for its production of Arizona Lady, an operetta set in Tucson in 1925. Think gold rush, rodeos, and horse thieves. It’s opera on the lighter side, with plenty…

7 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

Yakuza Apocalypse Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike’s latest movie Yakuza Apocalypse has been called “inspired lunacy.” This action thriller, packed with martial arts, supernatural beings, and lots of blood, should get you in the mood for Halloween, and it’s screening at FilmBar, 815 North Second Street, October 9 to 13. But…