5 Artsy Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

New Times' guide to five artsy things to do this week is here.

Emerging Arts Leaders Happy Hour
Tired of yelling into the void? Want to discuss your opinions of the art scene freely and with people who actually give a crap about what you have to say? You just might find some kindred spirits at Emerging Arts Leaders Phoenix’s summer happy hour series. On the second Monday of each summer month, the group meets at SunUp Brewing, 322 East Camelback Road, to discuss the big issues facing Phoenix’s arts community and to build on New Times’ State of the Arts survey issued back in January. Anyone can go, there’s no cover, and SunUp offers extended happy hour pricing on beers during the July 13 event, which starts at 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ealphx or call the brewery at 602-279-8909. Becky Bartkowski

Legally Blonde: The Musical
Legally Blonde: The Musical is one of the worst musicals ever or the world’s best screen-to-stage adaptation, depending whom you ask. There’s no denying that the pink-drenched tuner features adorable dogs, 2001’s version of female empowerment, and, potentially, a confetti cannon. You may not remember (because you may have been a toddler) that the film’s based on a novel by Arcadia High School and ASU grad Amanda Brown, so we Valleyites claim somewhat unwarranted ownership of the Blonde juggernaut.

Arizona Broadway Theatre presents the show through Sunday, August 9, at 7701 West Paradise Lane in Peoria. Dinner on Tuesday, July 14, is at 5:30 p.m., and curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $70.50; non-dining seats start at $46. Call 623-776-8400 or visit www.azbroadway.org. Julie Peterson

"Rock City"
Since Phoenix sits in a enormous Valley, city planners have typically seen fit that growth be outward, not upward. This may have it’s benefits, but it’s awfully difficult to sustain a vibrant music scene on a giant pancake of a city. The recipe for success — a dense population and lots of closely situated music venues — just doesn’t go well with pancakes. But not long ago the Tempe music scene had it cooking’, enticing as many famous acts as it produced. See for yourself at Tempe History Museum, 809 East Southern Avenue, as it hosts “Rock City,” an exhibition featuring 30 years of New Times photographs of great musicians on Tempe stages. Check out the show for free, along with the ongoing exhibition “The Tempe Sound." Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Call 480-350-5100 for more. Rob Kroehler

Yarnball
Aesop, Ira Glass, your Great-Aunt Muriel…we all know these guys can spin a good yarn. Why not try your own hand at storytelling this Wednesday?

From 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Lawn Gnome Publishing, 905 North Fifth Street, storytellers of all ages will take the stage during Yarnball to reflect on this week’s theme, “Moving,” in first-person, narrative form, à la This American Life or The Moth.

Yarnballers explain there are two ways to participate in this event: 1. Watch people tell true stories, or 2. Sign up and tell your own story. Sign-up begins at 7:30 p.m., storytelling starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 and available at eventbrite.com, but entry is free for storytellers. See www.facebook.com/lawngnomepublishing or call 602-682-5825. Melissa Campana

Koolhaas Houselife
“I want a complex house because the house will define my world,” the homeowner told Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. With that direction, Maison Bordeaux was built in its namesake city in France.

The house is the subject of Koolhaas Houselife, which screens at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art this week. Created by filmmakers Illa Bêka and Louise Lemoine, the documentary is a witty and often insightful look at the project through the eyes and words of Guadalupe Acevedo, the home’s caretaker. A conversation with Christian Stayner, an assistant professor at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at ASU, will follow the film.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., viewing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, in the SMoCA Lounge at 7374 East Second Street. Tickets are $7. Call 480-874-4666 or go to www.smoca.org for more. Janessa Hilliard

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