City Week

Thursday 17

LOWER THE LIGHTS. Cinema La Placita features George Cukor's classic suspense, Gaslight, starring Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman. Keep and eye out for a young Angela Lansbury; it may (or may not) help you understand Murder, She Wrote. The event is free, but a suggested $3 donation nets you guilt-free popcorn, votes for June's movie schedule and one of the finest psychological thriller of 1943. La Placita Village is the colorful downtown block on the southwest corner of Broadway and Church. Weather permitting, the film begins at 7:30 p.m. Call 292-5173 for more information.


Friday 18

ORPHANS ON THE RUN. There was a time when orphans ran free.

In a small town on the open prairie, a young farmer tells his friends about his experiences as a boy, living by his wits, riding the rails with a little blind girl named Frankie.

Frankie disappears somewhere along the way. Then the miracle of radio finally finds the great Midwest and David (he is always Frankie's "Davey") becomes "The Voice of the Prairie."

Out there, somewhere, an unlikely schoolteacher called Frances, who through her dark glasses sees through the "magic of the ether," hears the soul of the boy she loved.

Arts for All and Third Street Kids Ensemble present The Voice of the Prairie, a funny, touching tale by John Olive.

The play opens at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. today at Leo Rich Theatre in the TCC. Other performances are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 7:30 p.m. May 24; and 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 25. For tickets and more information, please call 622-1212.

NOT JUST ANOTHER SONG AND DANCE. A beautiful tapestry of the collected stories of Tucson community women, youth and elders join Zuzi Dance Company for Cantadoras: An Evening of Dance And Song, a collective story circle woven through the magic of dance and chanting.

These moving stories, along with the mystical tonal chants of Cantrell Maryott, are sure to infuse the audience with the sense that humanity is the single source of a story which joins us, one to the other, across boundaries of time, space, ethnicity, culture and generations.

In the central company piece, choreographed by Zuzi's co-executive director, Nanette Robinson, company dancers have given expression to their own personal experiences of meaningful women in there lives.

Rolling, lifting, carving and perching, their stories are sounded and moved into life evoking and transformational modern dance works. Maryott's chanting serves the movement and transports the viewer into a landscape of visual sound.

Joining the company are participants from the Women's Initiative For Youth and Elders--a Zuzi program which brings together young girls and elder women who have been working together since last October.

The show starts today, at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. at 738 N. Fifth Ave., in the Historic YWCA. Performances also are scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available at the door, $10. Students and seniors are $7. For more information, please call 629-0237.

See "Story Book," page 33.

PHOTO FINISH. Latent Discoveries: Investigating Identity Through Environment, a new exhibition at Joseph Gross Gallery, follows a theme in which two- and three-dimensional works focus on investigation and discovery of personal identity by placing emphasis on a modern environment in constant flux.

The show, a presentation of the School of Art in the University of Arizona's College of Fine Arts, features photographic work of graduate students from programs across the country. The photography represents programs at the UA, Boston Museum School of Art, Cranbrook Art Academy, California College of Arts and Crafts, Rhode Island School of Design and others.

The list of notable graduate photographers is long, beginning with one of the exhibit's co-curators.

Nicole Frocheur is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in photography at the UA. Her work has appeared in the annual exhibition of the American Photography Institute, New York University; North Light Gallery, at Arizona State University; and the Art Museum of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Frocheur has received a fellowship to the American Photography Institute at N.Y.U.

The show at Joseph Gross Gallery--southeast corner of Park Avenue and Speedway Boulevard--runs through August 9. An opening reception is scheduled for 6 p.m. today. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For more information, please call Jana Minka at 626-4215 or visit www.arts.arizona.edu/galleries.

WEAVING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. Dealers from England, Germany, Greece and Israel will be showing off beautiful antique rugs and textiles for three days.

The Tucson Rug and Textile Bazaar features items from Russia, Central Asia, Tibet and North and South America. The exhibition and sale of museum-quality weavings was organized by local Anatolian kilim specialist George Fine.

Sale hours are 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. today, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Weekend registration (at the door) is $10 for the event at Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch, 5601 N. Hacienda del Sol Road. For more information, please call Fine at 682-6865 or visit www.finekilims.com.


Saturday 19

EVENING CRUISE. A cruise ship experience features gourmet foods, sinful desserts and musical entertainment typical of evenings in popular ports of call around the world.

It's all on tap tonight for a Jewish Community Center fundraiser. "Cruisin' at the JCC" is an event featuring fine food and elegant desserts from Hacienda del Sol, Daniel's, PF Changs, Stone Ashley, Cafe at the J, Carte Blanche Catering and others.

Tonight's "travelers" exploring the JCC's decks will discover a selection of the best "duty-free boutiques." These shops will be offering some of Tucson's finest merchandise on their own tropical avenue.

Desert Diamond Casino will sponsor a shipboard gambling emporium. Passengers will be invited to bid in a live auction of vacation packages from Bon Voyage Travel. Destinations will include a Princess Cruise of the Caribbean, four days at Canyon Ranch and weeklong visits to Hawaii and London.

The "ship" sails at 8 p.m. Reservations are required for this "cruise," and must be made by 6 p.m. on Friday, May 18. First-class tickets go for $75 a person; deluxe packages are $125 a person. All tickets guarantee a first-class good time doing a good deed. To donate goods for the silent auction and for reservation information, please phone JCC at 299-3000, ext. 300.

EIGHT SECONDS AND COUNTING. Climb on the back of a 2,000-pound bull and hang on for dear life.

For eight seconds.

That's what 45 riders will be doing tonight--climbing on, anyway. Staying on for eight seconds is another matter entirely--entirely what makes bull-riding a huge draw for rodeo organizers.

Sometimes the rider gets the bull and sometimes the bull gets the rider. Or something like that. At stake in the 2001 All-Star Challenge is almost $20,000 in prize money. Some 63 snorting beasts will make the cash a bit tough to grab.

The Professional Bull Riders competition is one of 60 annual Touring Pro Division events. Riders travel coast to coast, hoping to be among the year's top 45 money winners to qualify for the finals, held each year in late October in Las Vegas.

The action starts at 7:45 p.m. today at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds, 4823 S. Sixth Ave. General admission tickets are $14 for adults; children 10 and under are free. Tickets are available at Western Warehouse locations throughout Tucson. For more information, please call 741-2233 or 800-964-5662. For more information about the Professional Bull Riders, log on to www.pbrnow.com.


Sunday 20

FINDING YOUR WAY. A map, a compass and a bit of knowledge go a long way.

Celebrate National Orienteering Day with the Tucson Orienteering Club.

Orienteering is a fun and challenging outdoor activity in which participants navigate their way on foot though a course using only a map and a compass.

Today's event will be held at Greasewood Park off of Speedway Boulevard and Greasewood. You'll need a compass and whistle, which can be rented at the event for $1 each.

Beginners are encouraged to attend. A free beginner's clinic covering the basics of the activity is offered before the event starts at 9 a.m. Costs are $3 individuals ($8 nonmembers) and $5 team ($10 nonmembers). Dues are $10 for individuals and $15 for households, per year.

For more information, please call Mike Thompson at 743-9687 or visit www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/ bypass/733/.

LOUISIANA ROYALTY. The Queen first visited Tucson in 1984. El Casino Ballroom rocked.

The event was such a spectacular success, Queen Ida--along with her Bon Temps Zydeco Band--is back in town for the 16th time in support of KXCI's benefit concert series.

If you haven't heard the Queen, get a CD. Now. Then make plans for the show tonight. This band doesn't call itself the Bon Temps for nothing; the Queen's reign has been marked by good times.

Ida won a Grammy Award in 1983 for her On Tour album. Her band began spending about 200 nights a year on the road. When her eldest son, "Freeze," became a part of her band, blazing mother-son dueling accordion pieces resulted, adding to an already vast repertoire.

Ida Guillory was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. What she does is a spicy blend of French-Canadian folk music, rhythm 'n' blues, Cajun, Latin, Caribbean, country and '50s rock 'n' roll, she says.

Tonight's event also features Tucson brass band, Crawdaddy-O, and Daniel's and Ovens restaurants serving Louisiana creole dinners prepared from Queen Ida's own recipes.

Free dance lessons begin at 6:30 p.m. today, with Crawdaddy-O opening the show at 7 p.m., at St. Philip's Plaza, at the corner of Campbell Avenue and River Road. Advance tickets are $20, or $15 for KXCI and Tucson Jazz Society members. Ticket outlets are Hear's Music, Obsidian Gallery, Antigone Books and KXCI and at www.kxci.org. Tickets at the gate are $5 more. Call 623-1000, ext. 15. Beer, wine and soda are available. All ages welcome. Children 12 and under are free.


Monday 21

DESERT DELIGHTS. Walk a mile (or two) in your own shoes today.

Make your way to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to find two miles of beautiful paths on 21 acres.

Like many other zoos and museums, it is not always possible to see everything in one visit. If your time is limited, you might consider choosing exhibits and events from the grounds map and visiting at your own pace.

The following demonstrations are conducted daily for museum visitors: Bird Walks, 7:30 a.m.; Live Animal Demonstrations, every hour from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Guided Interpretive Tours, 8:30, 9, 9:30 a.m.; Raptor Interpretation, 8:30 a.m.; and Saguaro Interpretation,10 a.m.

The museum is primarily a walking experience, so plan to wear comfortable shoes, a hat and sunscreen. Drinking fountains, shade ramadas, benches and restrooms are scattered throughout the grounds.

The museum, located at 2021 N. Kinney Road, west of the Tucson Mountains, is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8.95 adults, $1.75 children 6-12 and free for children under 6.


Tuesday 22

PREMIERE FINALE. TV commercial star Ginny Wakely comes home to tell the folks a dark secret before they read it in People Magazine.

The resulting story of family dynamics, conflicting religious beliefs, soul-baring revelations and surprises blend in a quirky new stage comedy called Catch a Falling Star.

Invisible Theatre's 30th season concludes with the Southwest premiere of this play, produced by artistic director Susan Claassen and directed by Gail Fitzhugh.

Catch a Falling Star opens at 7:30 p.m. today, with performances through June 10. Performances are Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. On Sunday, June 3, and again on Sunday, June 10, there will be second performances at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 to $20 and available with a call to the theater, 882-9721. The Invisible Theatre is located at 1400 N. First Ave., at the northeast corner of First Avenue and Drachman Street.


Wednesday 23

PATHS LESS TRAVELED. Farzad Nakhai may leave only footprints, but he brings back more than memories when he returns from a hike.

Pima, Sabino, Madera and Romero canyons. These are places Nahkai likes to hike, to be alone and to paint. He brings along watercolors and paper to capture the exquisite views he encounters.

Watercolors by Farzad Nakhai, an exhibit at Tohono Chul Park, gives visitors a glimpse of the wilderness as the artist sees it.

The joy he finds in painting is expressed in the bold strokes of transparent pigment he uses to define dramatic cloud formations above the land and touches of unexpected color that express qualities of shadow, water, vegetation and stone.

For Nakhai, the act of painting is an end in itself.

Nakhai was born and educated in Iran and, while in high school, came to the United States to complete his education. He moved to Tucson and studied Art and Architecture at the University of Arizona.

Nakhai exhibits his work in Tucson and across the country. A year ago, two of his oil paintings of riparian canyons were featured in Tohono Chul's Carved in Stone exhibit.

The exhibition runs through June 4. Gallery hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, please call 742-6455 or visit www.tohonochulpark.org.

See "The Wild West," on page 32 for more.