We've already given you plenty of options for Cinco de Mayo partying in Phoenix -- 15 to be exact. Now we're dishing five more ways to spend your weekend out and about, from neoclassical ballet to a comic book expo.
Nobody does awkward like Mike Birbiglia. The Boston-bred comedian has made a career of telling tales of his embarrassing encounters on the road, on stage, and in his personal life. His anecdotes about porn viruses on his parents' computer and sleepwalking out the window of a La Quinta Inn can be found on This American Life, his Sundance award-winning film Sleepwalk with Me, and comedy projects like Two Drink Mike and My Girlfriend's Boyfriend. Now Birbiglia is back with stories of Cats-a-chusetts, nut allergies, hosting an awards show for angry stars, and following tough acts like Fozzie Bear in his newest show, Thank God for Jokes.
See also: Mike Birbiglia's Favorite Comedian Is Arizona's Doug Stanhope
Birbiglia returns at 8 p.m. Friday, May 2, to the Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street, Mesa. Tickets range from $30 to $42. Visit www.mesaartscenter.com or call the box office at 480-644-6500. -- Katie Johnson
It's a fact that merits yelling from the mountaintops: Ballet Arizona's creative director, Ib Andersen, studied under George Balanchine, the father of American ballet, at the New York City Ballet and is one of the few dancers allowed to stage Balanchine's works. And that's quite the coup for both Valley dance aficionados and aspiring ballet snobs.
Andersen pays tribute to his late teacher with All Balanchine, a production collecting three of the master choreographer's works and celebrating the American West. Western Symphony features classic cowboy costuming, and Walpurgisnacht oozes femininity, while the avant-garde Episodes pushes ballet beyond its typical confines.
Immerse yourself in Balanchine via Arizona Ballet at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 2. Performances continue through Sunday, May 4, at Symphony Hall, 75 North Second Street. Tickets are $15 and up and available by calling 602-381-1096 or through www.balletaz.org. -- Becky Bartkowski
3rd Annual Arizona Comic Mini Expo
One of the pinnacle moments with comic book superheroes is when we get a peek at the secret identities behind the masks. The Third Annual Arizona Comic Mini Expo goes one step further and gives us a good dose of the artistic personalities behind the pages on May 3.
Saturday is Free Comic Book Day and ACME builds upon the nationally celebrated event by bringing out the talents who pen the words and images that keep us reading. Artist Stuart Immonen and writer Kathryn Immonen, who are major in the Marvel Comics universe, swing through from Toronto. Other noted creators include Cory Walker, J. Gonzo, and Val Hochberg.
The Third Annual Arizona Comic Mini Expo is at Mesa's Samurai Comics, 1120 South Country Club Drive, suite 107, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Admission is free. For more info, visit www.acmecon.wordpress.com. For details on additional Free Comic Book Day events around the Valley, visit www.freecomicbookday.com. -- Jose Gonzalez
Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market
Dumpster diving isn't for rookies, and antique hunting isn't just for grandmas. Nowadays, nearly everyone wants to get their hands on salvaged industrial signage, mint condition mid-century furniture, and that made-for-me vintage cocktail dress. Fortunately, there's a market that meets the demands of your yesteryear yearnings. Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market is a reoccurring shopping event that brings together more than 100 hand-picked vendors selling everything from reclaimed relics to handmade goods, with additional shopper giveaways, staging inspiration, and more.
Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market returns to WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 North Pima Road, on Saturday, May 3. General entry is $5 and runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Early entry is $10 and runs from 8 to 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Not all vendors at this event accept credit cards, so attendees are encouraged to bring cash. For details, visit www.junkinthetrunkvintagemarket.com. -- Katie Johnson
We've known for a while that the Internet is for porn, but when Avenue Q initially hit Broadway in 2003, it was good to have its catchy ditty remind us. The hilariously raunchy musical has returned to the Valley this month.
The Muppet-esque puppets and Sesame Street-style songs by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (with book by Jeff Whitty) make the travails of 20-somethings trying to figure out their purpose satisfyingly entertaining. The awkward transition to delayed adulthood is undertaken by Princeton, a recent college grad with no job prospects, and Kate Monster, a kindergarten teaching assistant, with plenty of comic relief from characters like the gruff-voiced Trekkie Monster and a fictionalized version of Gary Coleman as the hard-luck-child-star turned building superintendent.
Avenue Q is at Phoenix Theatre, 100 East McDowell Road, with a matinee performance at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 4. Tickets range from $30 to $75. This show's run has been extended through Sunday, May 25. For more additional information, visit www.phoenixtheatre.com. -- Jose Gonzalez
