Thursday 9
STRING SUPERSTAR. Baroque violin superstar Andrew Manze leads The Academy of Ancient Music in a UA Centennial Hall performance.
Manze is hailed as a musician with extraordinary flair and improvisatory freedom. For its part, the Academy features specialists in every branch of the Baroque and classic performance styles.
The combo is indeed powerful. "Andrew Manze and The Academy ... bring a sense of occasion to music," says BBC Music Magazine, "explaining the composer's invention and deftly wrought instrumental sonorities with affection and lively imagination." Show time is 7:30 p.m. in Centennial Hall, inside the main gate east of Park Avenue. Tickets range from $36 to $48, and are available at the Centennial Hall box office, or by calling 621-3341.
THESPIAN MAGIC. A bewitching brew of fairy tale characters flows through a magical kingdom in Into the Woods, written by James Lapine, with music by Stephen Sondheim.
Presented by the Arizona Repertory Theatre and directed by Chris Wilken, this timeless work doesn't leave anyone out. The witty musical interweaves a hilarious mix of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, the Baker's Wife, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel, in a multi-layered plot that gives "happily ever after" a new twist.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday and Thursday through Saturday, November 16 through 18, with 1:30 p.m. matinees on Sunday, November 12 and 19. Performances are in the UA Marroney Theatre, on the south end of the pedestrian underpass at Speedway Boulevard and Park Avenue. Tickets are $21, $19 for seniors and UA employees, $15 for students and children, and are available at the UA fine arts box office, or by calling 621-1162.
Friday 10
BODY LANGUAGE. Women's search for meaning digs up the dirt in Why We Have a Body, presented by Luna Muse Productions.
In this poignant work by Claire Chafee, Renee is a free-associating paleontologist headed for divorce. She soon lands in the arms of Lili, a lesbian who examines the complexities of relationships in her work as a private investigator. And Lili has a sister driven by Freudian demons, which she exorcises by holding up convenience stores and directing traffic. Meanwhile, mother Eleanor has traded in her maternal hat for the rugged life of an archeologist-historian, specializing in the female brain.
The result is a probing examination of female roles and feminine psyches, from a cast of Tucson stage veterans that includes Jetti Ames, Carlisle Ellis, Rhonda Hallquist and Carrie Hill.
Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, November 10 through November 18, and 7 p.m. Sundays, November 12 and 19, in Zuzi's Little Theatre, in the Historic YWCA at 738 N. Fifth Ave. Tickets are $12, $10 for seniors and students, and are available at Antigone Books, Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea or at the door. Call 622-4845 for details.
POT PLETHORA. An archaeologist and ceramist retraces ancient footsteps--and raises cash for needy students--with a handmade pottery sale at the UA.
Michael Schiffer has been studying ceramics of other cultures for 25 years, and started the UA Laboratory for Traditional Technology. But he also likes to get his hands dirty by making his own pottery. Today he's a skilled craftsman, and his accumulated wares will go on the block to raise scholarship funds for the anthropology department. "I make a variety of functional and sculptural pieces, using both the wheel and hand-building techniques," Schiffer says.
The pottery sale runs from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Haury anthropology building, on South Campus Drive near Fourth Street and Park Avenue. For information, call 621-6296.
Saturday 11
BOVINE BLUES. Tree-hugging hell-raiser Dana Lyons brings "revolutionary music for the desert working class" to the Mat Bevel Institute.
His "Cows with Guns" tour marks a return visit for this longtime Tucson favorite. Lyons' style has been described as a mix of "country-grange-rock-fusion." He also tosses a little comedy into the pot, for a unique sound that's drawn big crowds from Bellingham to Boston.
Show time is 9 p.m. in the Mat Bevel Institute, 530 N. Stone Ave. Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the door, and are available by calling 628-4318.
INNER GLIMPSES. Tucson's creative types throw wide their doors for the Fall 2000 Open Studio Tour.
Taking in the downtown area, the tour reveals working artists practicing their crafts, from sculpture, ceramics, painting and printmaking to photography, woodworking, tiles--even dance and movement. Shuttle busses will be available.
The tour runs from noon to 5 p.m. For program guides and other information, call 624-9977.
PEDAL PARLEY. Get your hands on great two-wheeled deals at El Bike Swap de Tucson.
This menagerie of pedal power will feature bikes, bike parts, bike accessories, and plenty of bike-related lip-flapping. There will even be a kids' safety fair, all sponsored by the Greater Arizona Bicycling Association. And as the GABA folks say, "If it is for or about bikes, it will be here!"
The fair runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fourth Avenue, between Sixth and Ninth streets. For details, call 323-9020.
Sunday 12
HISTORICAL CHORDS. Soothing sounds of flute and harp waft through one of Tucson's prettiest old neighborhoods, thanks to a concert that benefits the Historic San Pedro Chapel Restoration Project.
Flutist Cynthia Rinehart joins harpist Rebecca Foreman for a program of works by Rossini, Bach, Puccini, MacDowell and Ibert, among other classic masters. And they'll play inside the lovely chapel itself. The restoration project will return the grounds to native vegetation, and develop the chapel as a neighborhood meeting place.
The performance is at 3 p.m. in the San Pedro Chapel, 5230 E. Fort Lowell Road. Tickets are $10, available by calling 326-6042.
WEE SECRETS. Children are drawn into a floral-laced theatrical fantasy with The Secret Garden. This classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett is presented by the Live Theatre Workshop.
Today's your last chance to catch this performance geared to kids. It's a charming story about a young girl who finds a key to the secret garden and unlocks the door. What she ultimately discovers is not only a very special place, but also the key to her family's happiness. The cast includes Jessica Smith, Mary Lennox, Ruth Baron and Michael Kirwin, with direction from Dana Armstrong.
Show time is 1 p.m. in Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. Tickets are $5, available by calling 327-4242.
Monday 13
THE PRACTICE. The People's Law School presents the last in an excellent forum series with State of the Judiciary.
Today, this gathering of Arizona's leading legal minds will feature Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Zlaket, federal judge Raner Colllins, and Gordon Alley, chief presiding civil judge for Pima County.
The forum runs from 7 to 9 p.m. in the UA College of Law, 1201 E. Speedway Blvd. For information, call (602) 235-9356.
SLEIGHT-HANDERS. Vegas sleight-of-hand masters John Shryock and Mari Lynn headline It's Magic.
Regular performers at Caesar's Magical Empire, Shryock and Lynn are a magnificent duo known for high-energy magic and illusion that has taken them all over the world. They recently made their television debut on Masters of Illusion, a nationally broadcast series. Also performing will be Joe DuPerry, a.k.a. "The Old Smoothie of Magic." DuPerry has been crafting illusion for more than 30 years, in venues ranging from magic conventions to clubs throughout the United States.
Show time is 7 p.m. in The Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd. Tickets are $10, available at Williams Magic and Novelties. Call 790-4060 for details.
MURAL MOMENT. A mural described as the Old Pueblo's "Tree of Life" is unveiled at the Tucson Museum of Art.
The 12-by-8-foot mosaic triptych was developed and produced during the exhibition El Alma del Pueblo: Spanish Folk Art and its Transformation in the Americas. "The mural is indicative of this exhibition in that it is a part of the transformation of the art through Latin American countries," says co-coordinator Alex Garza. "That is why there is a life-giving river, and the sun and moon, representing the continuity of life among the many symbols we have placed in this design."
The unveiling runs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the TMA, 140 N. Main Ave. For information, call 624-2333.
Tuesday 14
NOGGIN' NOSH. Expand your noggin' in a fun way at Physics Phun Nite, hosted by the UA physics department.
The annual event is back in all its hair-raising, sewer gas-bubbling, cement block-busting scientific splendor. Free and family-oriented, the extravaganza features professors and students showcasing some of the more dramatic ways the principles of physics affect our everyday lives. And just for fun, somebody with tenure gets to lie on a bed of nails and have a cement block sledge-hammered apart across his midsection.
The event is at 7 p.m. in the UA Atmospheric Sciences building, Room 201, on Fourth Street east of Park Avenue. Call 621-6825 for information.
MUSICAL FLIERS. Frisbie celebrates its rhythm-and-pop confections with a CD release party at 7 Black Cats.
The five-piece Chicago band is known for poignant songwriting, solidly sweet three-part harmonies and a refreshing lack of cynicism. The result is energetic, uplifting music. "Pop this sophisticated," says the Chicago Tribune, "is still something to cherish." Now cherish it yourself with Frisbie's latest release, The Subversive Sounds of Love.
The party starts at 9 p.m. at 7 Black Cats, 260 E. Congress St. For information, call 670-9202
BEAUTIFUL WINDS. Flutist Renée Bond will play and discuss the work of late 20th-century composers.
A UA doctoral student, she'll perform pieces by Larry Attaway, Ezra Laderman, Daniel Dorff, Beth Mehocic and Alexandra Pierce.
The free performance is at 3:30 p.m. in the UA Ina Gittings building, north of the main mall and west of Campbell Avenue. For details, call 621-1655.
Wednesday 15
ANCIENT SPIRITS. Learn about fascinating past haunts with Arizona Ghost Towns--Personal Favorites, a lecture presented by the Arizona Historical Society.
The gathering will feature Philip Varney, who's ranked among the state's leading ghost town experts. Varney is the acclaimed author of several books on the topic, detailing faded settlements throughout the West. He's also a regular contributor to Arizona Highways. He'll take the audience on a tour of some of his favorite ghost towns around the state, discussing their histories and legends.
According to mystery author Tony Hillerman, "No one knows ghost towns--nor what ghost town lovers want to know about them--like Philip Varney."
The lecture runs from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Arizona Historical Society, 949 E. Second St. Admission is $6, $5 for society members, and $3 for students. Call 628-5774.
JAZZ VIRTUOSITY. Jazz master John McLaughlin joins tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain for a night of beautifully exotic music.
Twenty-five years ago, McLaughlin and Hussain helped pioneer a pan-cultural collaboration of East meets West, fusing jazz with the sounds of the tabla, the violin and percussion. Called Shakti, which means creative intelligence, their group created a smooth sound that effortlessly combined seemingly incongruous traditions. Tonight's show, "Remember Shakti," is a tribute to that effort.
The performance is at 7:30 p.m. in the UA Centennial Hall, inside the main gate east of Park Avenue. Tickets range from $22 to $34, and are available at the Centennial Hall box office, or by calling 621-3341.
