Tucson Weekly: City Week (July 30

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Thursday 30

JUSTICE SERVED. If you think the American justice system was hatched by smooth-talking colonialists with Armani knickerbockers and coonskin briefcases, think again.
City Week In truth, our way of dealing with the good, the bad, and former athletes hearkens all the way back to the Greeks.
Quicksilver Productions brushes the dust from the roots of justice with The Oresteia. Originally written by Aeschylus, this dark Greek myth has been newly adapted for the Tucson stage. Consider yourself forewarned: Just like the good ol' U.S.A., this work is chock-full of extreme violence.
Show time is 8 tonight through Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, in the Tucson Center for the Performing Arts, 408 S. Sixth Ave. Performances continue at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, August 6 through 8. Tickets are $6, $5 for students and seniors, available by calling 529-2687.
PIED PROPRIETORS. The fabled folks at Bookman's Used Books are luring the wee set into their bustling business with Story Time at Bookman's. Tots of all stripes are invited to open their little minds to life beyond Disney at this free, tall-tale extravaganza from 11 a.m. to noon at Bookman's, 1930 E. Grant Road. For details, call 325-5767.
ROLLIN' MARGOLIN. "He fuses the driving shuffle of his roots in Muddy Water's band with a high-energy approach," says Living Blues Magazine. According to Down Beat, what makes him a cut above the rest "is the way he integrates his often riveting guitar work into blues grooves that grow stronger with each listen...." The Washington Post notes his "raw power and tight focus...serrated tone and behind-the-beat phrasing...soul and charm."
The man is Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin, and tonight he brings his hard-driving blues to Tucson for one 9 p.m. performance in the Boondocks Lounge, 3306 N. First Ave. Tickets purchased in advance and for TBS members are $7, available at Hear's Music and the Boondocks. Tickets are $10 at the door. For information, call 690-0991.

Friday 31

ALVIN AND GAFFNEY. Former Blasters anchorman Dave Alvin joins Texas troubadour Chris Gaffney for a terrific night of roots rock and honky-tonk in the historic Rialto Theatre.
These boys are barroom buddies from way back, and their boot-stompin' stage show will make you ornery enough to spank yer granny. Alvin is touring to support his latest Hightone Records release, the excellent Blackjack David. Gaffney, a former Tucson homie, is known to rip it up with his borderland blend of Tex-Mex and country.
Show time is 9 p.m. in the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. Advance tickets are $10, available at Hear's Music, Yikes! Toy Store and Guitars, Etc. Tickets are $12 at the door. For information, call 740-0126.
DREAMS OF GENIE. After you've scratched your last losing lottery ticket, and swept another sweepstakes into the trash, do you ever stop to wonder what could happen if only...?
The tots and teens of the Arizona Youth Theater rehash such wayward fantasies with their presentation of Aladdin, wherein Jazmin, evil Jafar and the fun-loving Genie remind us to be careful what we wish for.
Tonight's performance is at 8 p.m. in the Arizona Youth Theater, 5671 E. Speedway. Performances continue at 8 p.m. Fridays, and 11 a.m., 2 and 4 p.m. Saturdays, through August 22. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for children, and are available by calling 546-9805.
POET'S CORNER. Martha Silano's work has been described as "witty and intelligent," and her poems have appeared everywhere from The Paris Review to Poetry Northwest. This week, she shares her lyrical vision with Tucson as part of the UA Poetry Center's Summer Residency Program.
Silano will read from her work at 7 p.m. in Antigone Books, 411 N. Fourth Ave. Admission is free. Call 792-3940 for details.

Saturday 1

LIVE THEATRE. Ever wonder who the heck you are, and just what it's all about? Then look to the Live Theatre Workshop, as they revive Alan Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking. This rib-tickler about mistaken identities and misunderstandings drew rave reviews when the Workshop tackled it last year. Now's your chance to catch a few chuckles you may have missed first time around. It stars James Mitchell Gooden, Linda Andresano, JoDee Kaser and Art Almquist, with direction by Sean O'Connell.
Tonight's performance is at 7:30 p.m. in the Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway. Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, through August 23. Tickets are $8.50, $7.50 for students and seniors, available by calling 327-4242.
BALALAIKA BALLYHOO. Their hearts lie in Russia, but the Balalaika Orchestra Ensemble resides right here in the Old Pueblo, and performs tonight as part of the Plaza Palomino Courtyard Concert Series.
Under the longtime direction of Mia Bulgarian Gay, this great world-music troupe spans emotions and continents with ballads, passionate Gypsy songs and rollicking dance music. They'll be joined by the Kalinka Russian folk dancers, dressed in traditional Russian sarafans.
Show time is 8 p.m. in Plaza Palomino, located at Swan and Fort Lowell roads. Advance tickets are $10, available at Hear's Music, Piney Hollow and Plaza Palomino. Tickets are $12 at the door, with a $1 discount for KXCI members. Call 297-9133 for information.
HIP TO BE SQUARE DANCING. The Tucson Friends of Traditional Music invite one and all to give folk dancing a whirl at another contra and square dance jamboree.
These bi-monthly gatherings are a real, old-fashioned kick in the britches, featuring local callers, hot music by a live string band, and a room full of fleet-footed, friendly folks. Come in pairs or come alone--there's plenty of dance partners available throughout the evening.
Introductory session starts at 7:45 p.m., with regular dancing beginning at 8 p.m., in Dance Visions, 318 W. Fort Lowell Road. Admission is $5, $4 for TFTM members, and free for first-timers. For information, call 327-1779.

Sunday 2

ADIÓS, ALMA. The Tucson Museum of Art bids fond farewell to its terrific exhibit, El Alma del Pueblo: Spanish Folk Art and Its Transformation in the Americas, with a send-off party suited for an empire--complete with Waila music by The Southern Scratch Band, plenty of that highly noble cuisine known as barbecue, and a reading by Julieta Gonzales of her acclaimed screenplay, Claudia's Family.
The play is a story of issues related to social and workplace changes brought on by Mexican-American GI's returning to their jobs after World War II.
Event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. at the TMA, 140 N. Main Ave. Admission is free. For information, call 624-2333.
BURNING THE LAMPLIGHT. The Lamplight Reading Series taps top local talent with two rising flames: Lisa Rae Coleman stretches her fresh poetic voice, and Daniel Sobel reaches for the literary and musical heights--all by the flickering light of the metaphorical lamp. An open mic session follows.
Free event begins at 6 p.m. in the Velvet Tea Garden, 450 N. Sixth Ave. Call 908-0928 for details.
MUZSIKÁS AND KODÁLY. You may recall her as the ethereal voice from The English Patient. Now Márta Sebestyén lands in Tucson to accompany the acclaimed Eastern European ensemble Muzsikás, with fantastic Hungarian folk dancers from the famed Kodály Ensemble. See this week's Music feature for details.
Considered Hungary's top vocalist, and ranking among the world's finest female singers, Sebestyén interprets her music in both in Hungarian and English with a startlingly pure voice. She'll be accompanied by rich sounds of eastern strings--complete with twin fiddles, bass and viola--and the visual tapestry of fluid, colorful dancers.
Performance is 7:30 p.m. in the Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. Tickets range from $13 to $15, with a $1 discount for In Concert members. Get them in advance at Hear's Music, Antigone Books, or by calling 327-4809 ($1 charge per ticket).

Monday 3

PET CAUSE. The Humane Society of Tucson sits on the corner of a dusty thoroughfare called Kelvin Boulevard. But for thousand of animals, it's the end of the road. Each year armies of innocent animals, victims of human irresponsibility and neglect, wind up in this sterile headquarters to meet their furry maker.
The numbers speak for themselves: Last August, the Society received 21 kittens a day, totaling 653 for the entire month. Of those, only 186 were adopted, leaving 467 to be killed.
During the same period, 245 puppies--or eight per day--were dropped off at the Society's headquarters, totaling 245 for the month. Of those, 124 were adopted. That meant 121 innocent pups were condemned to that giant Gravy Train in the sky.
Responsible animal lovers can help turn this situation around by adopting a kitten, pup, cat or dog (and spaying or neutering their existing pets). The Humane Society of Tucson is at 3450 N. Kelvin Blvd. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For information, call 327-6088.

Tuesday 4

TAKE A HIKE. Every Tuesday and Saturday, the charming Tohono Chul Park on the city's northwest side hosts guided overviews of its lush, 48-acre urban sanctuary.
This priceless oasis--only a stone's throw from Oracle Road's endless roar--offers palo verde-laced nature trails, gardens, exhibits and washes. There's a quarter-mile trail meandering through some relatively untouched desert, and arrays of birds, plants and other remnants of real wilderness. The private park offers a refreshing respite in an area becoming better known for the steady din of bulldozers and construction crews.
Docent-led tours are offered at 8 a.m. at Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte. A $2 donation is suggested. Call 742-6455 for information.
BOWLING FOR BUCKS. Pull on some plaid and head down to Cactus Bowl, the kind of place where you can cool your heels and roll a few big ones at the same time.
In case you didn't know, Sundays through Tuesdays are "Buck Nights" at the Bowl, meaning everything from games and sodas right down to chilled Old Mil' costs only one thin simoleon apiece. The only exception is the footwear--always a measly $2.
Best of all, this place is colder than a meat locker. "I'm not kidding," says Cactus desk guy Jeff Hemer. "I just went out to get a paper, and my glasses fogged up."
Buck Night runs from 9 p.m. to midnight at Cactus Bowl, 1630 S. Alvernon Way. Call 327-6561 for details.

Wednesday 5

FAST TIMES AT THE CCP. Photographer Lauren Greenfield is perhaps best known for her riveting, award-winning exploration of L.A.'s youth culture. Those vivid and often unsettling images will be on display in Fast Forward, a new exhibit at the UA Center for Creative Photography.
Greenfield has a knack for revealing the impact of Hollywood's values on the everyday lives of young people in Los Angeles. Her photos show a society of precocious and independent youths who seem influenced by the same "cult of image" that imbues the adult world in that city--motivated by appearance, materialism, obsession with fame, and the fast life. These are kids with unrestricted freedom, often lacking parental supervision, where a high premium is placed on sophistication and exhibiting behaviors that belie their ages.
"You grow up really fast when you grow up in L.A.," says one of Greenfield's subjects. "L.A. is so fast-moving, and kids really mature at a young age. It seems like everyone is in a rush to be an adult. It's not so cool to be a kid."
Fast Forward runs through October 4 in the UA Center for Creative Photography, located at the south end of the pedestrian underpass at Speedway east of Park Avenue. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. For details, call 621-7968.

City Week includes events selected by Calendar Editor Tim Vanderpool. Event information is accurate as of press time. The Weekly recommends calling event organizers to check for last-minute changes in location, time, price, etc. To have material considered, please send complete information at least 11 days prior to the Thursday issue date to: Tucson Weekly, P.O. Box 2429, Tucson, Arizona 85702, or fax information to 792-2096, or email us at listings@tucsonweekly.com.

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