Cactus Flower blooms Feb. 27-30

Created and performed entirely by funny female, binary and gender-nonconforming humans, the four-day Cactus Flower Comedy Festival will spark loads of laughs in anyone who is not looking for a lot of dick jokes.

The event, which takes place at Tucson Improv Movement's TIM Comedy Theatre, offers storytelling, stand-up, improv and sketch shows to watch, and workshops to exercise your own sense of humor and improve listening and communications skills. All shows are $5 or $7. An all-festival pass is $30, and workshops are $40 each. Reservations are via squareup.com.

Workshop leader Shannon Stott says she has seen improv change lives on and off the stage. She has performed and taught improv for 20 years and now regularly highlights that crossover.

The most important thing, she says, is “to listen to yourself and answer yourself honestly. Your body tells you so much information, and because of society's eyes (a.k.a. the audience) we often don't listen. The consequences can be painful.

That self-awareness makes all the difference in relationships. "Understanding what your relationship is to anyone will inform your scene," Stott says. "Much of the feedback I get sounds like ‘I didn't know I was doing that’. When you are unaware, choices are often made for you, on stage and off.”

Regarding festivals focused on women and non-gender-conforming performers, Stott says, “We must have safe places to practice being strong, outspoken, leading, being loud, silly, emotional and ourselves. Once you experience being heard and seen, you can recognize and internalize it so you can seek it out, on and off stage.”

The CFCF kicks off at 7:30 pm. Thursday, Feb. 27, with F*sT! (Female Storytellers) sharing their best of 2019. It’s likely to be the Fest’s first sell-out. The 9 p.m. show opens with improv duo Allreddy, featuring standup comedian Allana Erickson. Omega creates a long-form Harold, then Baby Fish Mouth Omega performs original sketches.

The 7:30 show Friday, Feb. 28, opens with duo team, I Was Promised Magic. Gretchen Wirges and Ally Tanzillo follow as Ex-Boyfriend. Then comes Phoenix’s RatQween, spontaneously formed at a recent Phoenix festival for female/non-binary/gender non-conforming people.

At 9 p.m., TIM’s premier team, Soapbox, create scenes inspired by true anecdotes from the lives of community leader and former mayoral candidate Randy Dorman and the Fest’s two nationally recognized workshop leaders, Stott and Jill Bernard. A founding member of Minneapolis’ HUGE Theatre, Bernard has been a principal in that city’s ComedySportz franchise since 1993. She has taught improv all over the US, Europe and South America.

Following the Soapbox, at 10:30 p.m., Nicole Riesgo hosts Beginners and Veterans, a standup showcase featuring Rebecca Tingley, creator of the Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby comedy panel, and her frequent co-host, Cami Anderson. Also performing is Steena Salido, co-creator of Tucson's popular standup show Cunts Being Cunts Talking about Cunts and the all-Spanish-Language standup and improv show, Carcajadas, that features TIM’s Como Se Dice team. The rest of the bill comprises comedians who completed TIM’s standup class led by Mo Urban, founder or co-founder of five comedy series in Tucson. Graduates are multiple Moth award-winning storyteller Molly McCloy, TIM Company improviser Holly Hilton, and high-energy newcomer Brandi Dierinzo.

On Saturday at 6, TIM indie teams Three-Headed Monster, #PurseWine and Rough Around the Curves lead up to Unscrewed Theater’s From the Top musical improv team. At 7:30, Urban hosts an especially diverse CFCF Stand Up Comedy Showcase, featuring Jackie Kibler, Andrea Carmichael, Andrea Salazar, Savannah Hernandez and Bethany Evans.

The 7:30 p.m. show features Como Se Dice, TIM’s premier all-female team The Riveters and Jill Bernard performing her one-woman show, Drum Machine. It’s described as a “sweepingly epic, unscripted musical featuring multiple characters.” It’s been featured in more than 40 improv festivals.

Stott and Bernard each lead two workshops on Saturday and Sunday.

The Switch switches to Skybar

Fans of The Switch, where comedians riff off-the-cuff on suggestions texted in by the audience, must remember to head to Skybar at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27. The event has moved following a long run on Mondays at The Hut. The lineup for the debut includes Phoencians Anwar Newton and Erick Biez.

Standups sing, now

Both Tucson’s improv companies have musical teams, and there’s the child of Musical Mayhem known as One Rehearsal Short. Young, brash, awkward and twisted genius Jeremy Segal now has created Show Tune ShowCase, in which seven favorite Tucson Comedians sing show tunes in their sets. We hold our breath for voices we didn’t know existed, but Mo Urban’s always knocks us out in her rock duo. Others in this debut include Joe Tullar, Steena Salido, Tim Maggard, Eli W.T., Jesus Otamendi and Chris Quinn. It’s $5 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 29 at The Screening Room.

Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby

Rebecca Tingley’s no-holds-barred panel of comedy experts returns to Club Congress at 8 p.m., Tuesday March 3. The show pokes fun at taboos, silliness, awkward moments and other somewhat less than graphic aspects of the act, (because, after all, we all know the actual mechanics). Panelists and guests include Cami Anderson, Paul Fox and Charles Ludwig.

Even More Laughs!

Friday, Feb. 28, standup with Andrew Rivers (see last week’s Laughing Stock), 8 p.m., The O ($15, $30 VIP, via Eventbrite.com; $30, door); Patrick Deguire featuring Zach Pugh, 8 and 10:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50, $17.50); and Last Friday - Last Laughs featuring Roxy Merrari, Ali Musa, Phoenix comic Noni Shaney, Battle at the Roast Room winner Allana Erickson, Michael Barnett, Stephanie Lyonga, Jeremy Segal and Eden Nault. Family-friendly improv with Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU) at 7:30 p.m.($5 kids and $8 adults),and Free Form Friday Fight Night 9 p.m., Unscrewed Theater (free).

Saturday, Feb. 29, Standup with Patrick Deguire featuring Zack Pugh, 7 and 9:30 p.m., Laff’s Comedy Caffe ($12.50, $17.50). Family-friendly improv with (NBOJU) at 7:30 p.m., Unscrewed Theater ($5 and $8)

Free Open Mics

Sunday, March 1, 6:30 p.m., The O, and 8 p.m., Chuckleheads in Bisbee.
Monday, March 2, 6:45 p.m., The Surly Wench; 9 p.m., Kava Bar.
Tuesday, March 3, 6:45 p.m., Neighborhood Comedy. The Music Box Lounge.
Wednesday, March 4, 7 p.m., The Screening Room; 8:30 p.m., The Rock.
Thursday, March 5, 8 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe and 8:30 p.m., Rockabilly Grill.

Cactus Flower Comedy Festival. Thank goodness for comedy fests like this one, which feature some of the funniest women and gender non-conforming performers in town, and from out of town too! Acts include Female Storytellers, The Charles Darwin Experience, #PurseWine and a Beginners and Veterans Stand Up Comedy Show. PLUS, they’ve got workshops, so that you, too, can become funny! Shannon Stott and Jill Bernard are hosting two workshops apiece throughout the weekend. Come on down for some laughs and some learning! Thursday, Feb. 27 to Saturday, Feb. 29. Shows and workshops at various times. Tucson Improv Movement, 414 E. Ninth St. Shows are $5 to $7, or $40 for an all-access pass. Workshops are $40.

Alpha (Free screening). The University of Arizona School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences is hosting a screening of the 2018 historical adventure that tells of the formation of the unlikely bond between humans and canines. This survival film takes place in Paleolithic Europe some 20,000 years ago, and follows a young man in a small tribe of hunter-gatherers. Stay tuned after the film for an expert panel of UA faculty from the Arizona Canine Cognition Center, School of Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences and more. 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27. At the Gallagher Theatre, 1303 E. University Blvd. Free and open to the public.

Still traveling on the road to “Shambala,” founding member Danny Hutton brings a message of unity as captured in chart toppers “Black And White,” “The Family of Man” and “Joy to the World,”  from the early 1970s when Three Dog Night dominated the airwaves. At Fox Theatre…

Brian Tristan’s (aka Kid Congo Powers) résumé includes stints as guitarist for The Gun Club, the Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Much like the title to their fourth album, La Araña Es La Vida, Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds summon the Mexican muse of The Great Spider Goddess of Teotihuacan—protectress of the underworld who benevolently sprouts hallucinogenic morning glories—to rock the shop. At Wooden Tooth Records. Flanked by Chick Cashman and Miracle Mile…

From humble beginnings in Fort Worth, propelled by hits like “Novocaine” and “Oh My Dear Lord,” The Unlikely Candidates now find themselves living the dream as major label indie rockers. At 191 Toole…

A night of punky pop and emo goodness awaits. The Rare Occasions with special guests Stripes, Carnival and The Sinks explode in a rainbow of sugary flavor. At Club Congress…

As a youth, in Cananea, Sonora, Salvador Duran’s discontent with the socio-economic and political circumstances found a vent-hole in art. “I sing my paintings and I paint my music,” he told Arizona Public Media. With a guitar in hand, a harmonica around his neck and stomping box under foot, Duran sings out. At R Bar…

Puerto Rican tech house DJ/producer Jason Xmoon joins resident DJs Lunarfluxx and Atom Energy to take you Deeper into the realm of underground EDM. At Passé…

A star in the award-winning Country Superstars Tribute Show at Bally’s Las Vegas, impersonator Corrie Sachs pays tribute to Reba McEntire. In the Paradiso Lounge at Casino Del Sol…

The Nocturnal Noise Concert Series continues with Pocket Sand and The Distortionists. At Thunder Canyon Brewstillery…

They are “raw and colorful, bathed in electro-sensual alien lullabies and drunken sailor beats.” Loki Moon experiment with songs. At Cafe a la C’Art…

The City of Tucson released its five-month E-Scooter Pilot Program Report on Wednesday for review by the mayor and council during their upcoming March 3 study session. The six-month pilot program is scheduled to end March 12, if the mayor and council vote not to renew.

The city has collected about $68,000 in fees (as of January 2020) from Bird and Razor scooters through application fees, permit fees and right-of-way-use fees (about .20¢ per trip), according to the report. The report estimates the city would receive an extra $6,608 in fees by the program’s end. The report also states the city would collect $129,304 if the program continued for a full year.

Over 37,000 people in the Tucson area between the program’s start on Sept. 12 and Feb. 12 have taken almost 174,000 e-scooter trips. The daily average is 1,130 trips per day, with the average trip distance about .86 miles and the average trip duration about nine minutes, according to the report. On any given day, there was an average of 688 e-scooters on Tucson streets, mainly in central Tucson's Ward 6.

Ridership started strong in the pilot program’s opening month, with 42,763 trips during September. It peaked at 55,500 trips in October. However, scooter trips dropped significantly in November to 34,666 trips. Ridership continued to decrease in December with only 19,219 trips. January saw an increase of 2,614 rides from the previous month, bringing that month's total to 21,833.

In a nutshell, there was nearly double the number of riders during the program’s first month as there were in the last month.

Raise a glass in support of animal conservation at Reid Park Zoo’s fourth annual Wine Gone Wild, which returns to town Saturday, April 25 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The wine tasting and food pairing event benefits the zoo’s operations and will help “provide quality animal care through innovative medicine and enrichment and to inspire the next generation through conservation and educational programs.”

Wines and spirits will be provided by local and international wineries, distilleries and distributors, and will be paired with finger food from local eateries.

Other activities include wine glass painting, meeting ambassador animals and plenty of live music.

Pre-sale tickets are $65 per person and $60 for Zoo members. Designated drivers get in for $25. VIP Packages are $125 per person (only 30 VIP tickets available). Day-of event regular admission tickets will be sold at the door for $75 per person and $70 for Zoo members. Buy tickets online at https://reidparkzoo.org/event/wine-gone-wild-2020/.

The VIP “Winos for Rhinos” package will include an opportunity to meet one of the zoo’s white rhinos and a special T-shirt and bottle of wine. VIP guests also start the night at 5:30 p.m.

Guests at Wine Gone Wild must be 21 and older only with valid photo ID.

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Four Tucsonans have been nominated as semi-finalists for the 2020 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in the early morning hours on Tuesday.

Maria Mazon, owner and chef of Boca Tacos y Tequila is up for the Best Chef (Southwest Region) category.  She said she found out about her nomination from Dan Gibson, director of communications at Visit Tucson, at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

"I thought he was playing a practical joke on me," Mazon said. "I'm speechless. I'm happy. I'm everything."

Other local semi-finalists are Mi Nidito for Outstanding Hospitality, Don Guerra of Barrio Bread for Outstanding Baker and Stephen Paul of Hamilton Distillers for Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Producer.

Finalists will be announced on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:00 a.m. M.S.T. Winners of the 2020 James Beard Award will be announced at their gala in Chicago on Sunday, May 3.

The James Beard Award is the most prestigious culinary award in the United States and is coveted by chefs and service industry aficionados alike.  



 

Led by guitar monster Zakk Wylde, heavy metallists Black Label Society play their Grimmest Hits. At Rialto Theatre...

North Carolina hardcorists Magnitude do weighty things. At Club Congress. With guests...

Master of strings, Wally Lawder with Mike Markowitz perform as part of Lookout Tucson Singer-Songwriter Series. In the Lookout Bar & Grille. At Westward Look Resort...

The Cat Video Fest 2020. We get it: there's a lot of videos of cats being weird and funny on the internet. But sometimes there are too many to sort through. Well, curation is coming your way in the form of the Cat Video Fest, hosted by the Loft Cinema. This collection of some of the most noteworthy cats on the net includes approximately 100 videos. A portion of ticket sales from these screenings will benefit the Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter & Sanctuary and HOPE Animal Shelter. Now that's a cause worth going "pss-pss-pss" at! 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $10.

Tucson Roadrunners vs. Stockton Heat. Head on down to the hockey rink for this week's home games! Friday is 1, 2, 3 Night, with $1 soft drinks, $2 hot dogs and $3 beers, plus the T-Mobile 55+ night. On Saturday, the Roadrunners will be wearing their Kachina jerseys, and the first 1,000 kids (ages 14 and under) to arrive will receive their own free Roadrunners Youth Jersey! Save your ticket for the Saturday game, and, once the Roadrunners win, redeem it at the Tucson Arena box office to get a free ticket for Wednesday Feb. 26. 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22. Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave. $12 to $61+.

Becoming Dr. Ruth. If you like shows with strong sexual content appropriate for mature audiences age 13 and up, we've got a show for you! But also, if you like shows that are fascinating, inspiring and hilarious, we've also got a show for you. Well, Invisible Theatre has a show for you. This play by Mark St. Germain is about the radio and TV sex therapist Ruth Westeheimer. Who is also a Holocaust survivor. And a former scout and sniper with the Haganah in Jerusalem. And someone who traveled to the United States as a single mother. You'll be amazed at what you learn! This show was originally running the first half of the month, but it was such a success that they've added more shows. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, to Friday, Feb. 28, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. Invisible Theatre, 1400 N. First Ave. $35.

Bad news for Elvis impersonators, Civil War reenactors and our bearded brethren across the world...but good news for Gillette. 

The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention recommends shaving your beard to protect yourself from a potential coronavirus outbreak. Beards and mutton chop side burns can interfere with the seal of a facepiece respirator mask, according to a new CDC infographic.

The circle beard, the fu-manchu and the chinstrap are other facial hair styles recommended for shaving by the CDC. 

The bottom line is facial hair should not make any contact with the respirator seal's surface, according to the infographic.

The CDC also urged the American public to start preparing for potential future outbreaks during a press conference on Tuesday.

“As we’ve seen from recent countries with community spread, when it has hit those countries, it has moved quite rapidly," Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said at the conference. "We want to make sure the American public is prepared."

Messonnier also noted the increased risk of a domestic outbreak due to travel between countries like Italy, South Korea and Iran, all of which have seen recent coronavirus outbreaks. 

“As more and more countries experience community spread, successful containment at our borders becomes harder and harder," Messonnier said.

There are currently 80,000 cases of coronavirus globally, with the majority being in mainland China. Domestically, there has been 53 confirmed cases of U.S. citizens with the virus; 14 cases from people who recently traveled to China, and another 39 Americans who have been affected abroad. 

The Reid Park Zoo is tending to a baby tamandua after the male pup began to grow sluggish and lose more weight than is normal post-birth.

The pup was born on Dec. 21, 2019 and is the third pup Xochi the tamandua has given birth to.

Though he was born healthy and active in his first few days of life, several days later his health began to decline. Animal care staff stepped in to provide extra feedings for the baby tamandua and continue to administer care to the young animal. Several times a day, the team bring the pup into the Zoo’s Health Center for a feeding. He's weighed before and after each feeding, and veterinarian Dr. Roth performs a physical exam to make sure the pup's health is good.

The pup, who has not been named by staff yet, is currently at a normal weight and continues to improve. The animal care team will keep providing him extra food and nutrients.

Tamanduas are a member of the anteater genus and are often, unfortunately, taken illegally from their habitats and sold as exotic pets.

The Reid Park Zoo views their tamanduas, who live behind the scenes at the zoo, as animal ambassadors, serving as a reminder of the plight of tamanduas in the illegal exotic pet trade.

Sometimes the zoo features tamanduas during animal presentations at the Conservation Learning Center, education programs and behind-the-scenes tours at the Zoo.

For more information on the Reid Park Zoo, visit www.reidparkzoo.org.

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