NEW SLOTH HABITAT
DAILY - You can still be among the first to welcome Tucson’s own Linné’s two-toed sloth. Her new habitat opened just last week. “Gwen” is said to be fond of the indoor/outdoor floorplan, and particularly likes the mural painted by Tucson artist Alejandra Trujillo. Plants native to her South American habitat are depicted from what would be Gwen’s point of view, that is, to the extent that she can view them. Sloths have notoriously poor eyesight. That’s one reason they move slowly. Read everything about her at www.reidparkzoo.org.
Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court, Tucson, $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.50 kids, free ages 0 to 1, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., www.reidparkzoo.org
“CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: THE MUSICAL”
AUG. 25 – SEPT. 10 - The writers of “Hairspray” and “Ragtime” based this stage sensation on a Steven Spielberg movie inspired by the autobiography of Frank Abagnale Jr. An unusually gifted con artist, he passed as a Pan Am pilot then rose to a position that enabled him to kite millions of dollars in payroll checks. How did he get away with it? He was young, handsome, charismatic and a talented forger. Follow his exploits and their denouement as the FBI closes in around some sensational dance numbers.
Arts Express Theatre, 5870 E. Broadway Boulevard, Suite 214, Tucson, tickets start at $35, various times, www.arts-express.org
DALE WATSON AND THE LONE STARS
AUG. 30 - Always too country for his Austin home, Dale Watson rocks too hard for Bakersfield and has never been quite punk enough for the East Coast. “Honkytonk” is the term most often used to describe his music, but it’s not that predictable, either. He is simply a dazzling guitar player by any name, with plenty of fans to justify releasing a record almost every year since 1995. With his skintight, long-time band, he’ll be dropping a new release called “Starvation Box.”
Hotel Congress Plaza Stage, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson, $20 advance, $25 day of show, 7 p.m., www.hotelcongress.com
BEN’S BELLS KIND CAMPUS KICKOFF
AUG. 26
Ben’s Bells launches its Kind Campus activities for the 2023-24 school year with an event called, The Importance of Modeling Kindness. Participants will learn about new kindness research and strategies for instilling kindness throughout their school. Students and educators will discuss how they led kindness initiatives and participants will meet the Ben’s Bells education team, including founder Jeannette Mare.
Catalyst Creative Collective, Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, free, 9 to 11:30 a.m.,
www.bensbells.org/kickoff/
TUCSON REPERTORY ORCHESTRA
AUG. 26
Violinist and music director of the Tucson Repertory Orchestra Toru Tagawa presents Brahms’ Piano Quintet with two violins, viola and cello, then turns the baton over to Yudai Ueda of Lendanear Chamber Players. They perform “Seascape” by British composer Ruth Gipps (1929-1999), and Mozart’s Serenade No. 11, flute, English horn, clarinets, bassoon and horn. “Seascape” was written for a double wind quintet with an English horn instead of a second oboe.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams Street, Tucson, by donation, 3 p.m.,
www.tucsonrepertoryorchestra.org
SALSA, TEQUILA & Taco CHALLENGE
AUG. 26
Southern Arizona Arts and Culture (SAACA) chose 30 innovative chefs and locally owned distillers to compete for the judges’ favor but also the all-important popular vote among attendees. Creative dishes will incorporate native grains and traditional, regionally grown produce into delectable and distinctive salsas and preparations that highlight them. Proceeds benefit SAACA’s arts education and performing arts programs in Tucson and its metropolitan area.
Hilton El Conquistador, 10000 N. Oracle Road, Tucson, $80 or $100 VIP, 5 to 6 p.m.,
www.saaca.org/salsatequilataco.html
“LUCY & RICKY, LIVE!”
AUG. 26 AND AUG. 27
In the mid-1950s, “I Love Lucy” was the most watched television show in the United States. Now when seen in flickering black and white reels, the production seems impossibly primitive, but Lucy and Desi filled four seasons of half-hour shows with heart and with more class than you could imagine possible in such a rush of sight gags, spit takes, pratfalls, side eyes and slapstick. Samantha Cormier and Nick Gallardo have polished up some of the most memorable bits into a “greatest hits” revue. May they live in our collective memory.
The Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road, Suite 165, Tucson, $27, 6 p.m. Aug. 26 and 2 p.m., Aug. 27,
www.gaslightmusichall.com
CAT BINGO NIGHT
EVERY SUNDAY
Considering that our alphabet only has 26 letters, you would think that playing Bingo with 64 different Cat Bingo tiles would be harder. El Jefe Cat Lounge even ups the ante: they only have 35 cats. Win or lose, the fun is in hanging out with a bunch of cats in this cozy, home-like shelter, where homeless cats are getting used to having humans around. One day a forever human might come to play. The café has snacks to lure them.
El Jefe Cat Lounge, 3025 N. Campbell Avenue, Suite 141, Tucson, $14 for one hour, 6 p.m., www.eljefecatlounge.com
TUCSON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM WATER WEDNESDAYS
AUG. 30
This is the last Wednesday you can take your toddler to learn the fun and safety requirements of water play. They can practice wearing their swimming gear, walk through spray and play in right-size pools — all the basics for kids who will grow up around sprinklers, ponds and pools. Regular admission covers the water play so the family can enjoy the museum exhibits, too, including a special area for ages 5 and younger.
The Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Avenue, Tucson, $12, free for children under 1 year old, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., www.childrensmuseumtucson.org
YOUTH THEATER CLASS REGISTRATION
THROUGH SEPT. 8
Have you seen the movie “Theater Camp?” Hilarious! If it puts you in mind of something your kids might want to do, check out the lineup of fall classes at Scoundrel & Scamp. They don’t start until Sept. 9, but registration will fill them up fast. The fall term features classes in puppetry for all ages and acting and theater arts for second to sixth grade. Students in grades 5 to 12 will work on staging a production as “Scamp Company” and “Scamp Design and Tech.”
Scoundrel & Scamp, 738 N. Fifth Avenue, Suite 131, $35 to $180,
www.scoundrelandscamp.org/classes
