December 7 - December 13, 1995
Thursday 7
MAT BEVEL. Performance artist Mat Bevel is "poetry
in motion" to the tenth degree. His second radical departure
of the season, No Cares for Millionaires, will once again
feature the poetry, performance and kinetic sculptures of artist-behind-the-curtain
Ned Schaper, with original recorded music by the Mat Bevel Orchestra.
This guided journey into the sublime realm of Surrealistic Pop
Science Theatre begins at 8 tonight through Saturday, December
10, at the Mat Bevel Institute, 211 S. Fremont Ave., near Park
Avenue and Broadway. Tickets are $5 in advance or at the door.
Call 622-0192 for reservations and information.
SOUTHERN UTAH SLIDES BY. If you've ever read Ed Abbey's
Desert Solitaire, you may have experienced the same feelings
we did after the author caps off his description of a river trip
through a pristine stretch of the Grand Canyon by saying, "You
can't see it today--it isn't there anymore." We traded it
for hydroelectric power. A new voice, that of Rudy Lambrechtse,
carries the same message for the Escalante region of Southern
Utah. Lambrechtse spent more than eight years as a wilderness
and river guide in the area, and wrote the book Hiking the
Escalante. Tonight's free slide presentation doubles as a
Sierra Club public meeting to discuss the Utah Congressional delegation's
"Wilderness Bill," which, ironically, could place the
Utah wilderness in the sweaty palms of developers bent on introducing
roads, dams, pipelines and communication towers. Evening includes
a letter-writing session.
Meeting begins at 7:45 p.m. in Room 201 of the PAS Building,
Fourth Street east of Park Avenue on the UA campus. Park on Fremont
Avenue near Sixth Street. Call 621-6874 for information.
Friday 8
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS. The Reid Park Zoo, Broadway and Country
Club Road, continues its annual Festival of Lights holiday extravaganza
from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight through Sunday, with a shimmering display
of electric lights, decorated trees and live holiday music. The
animals respectfully decline the evening invitation, but there
is plenty to see, hear, taste and enjoy during this unique stroll
through the zoo grounds. Nibble on cookies and warm your hands
with complimentary cups of coffee and cocoa while the little ones
visit with Santa. Evening admission is $2 for adults (15 and over),
50 cents for children ages 5 to 14. Bring a new, unwrapped toy
for the Toys for Tots box and receive one free admission. Advance
tickets are available at the zoo admission gate. Call 791-3204
for information.
SOUTHWEST NUTCRACKER. Tonight's 8 o'clock performance of
A Southwest Nutcracker combines all the magic of the traditional
holiday classic with the historic flavor of Arizona's territorial
years. Set in 1880s Tucson, this inspiring, full-length ballet
replaces mice with coyotes who do battle with U.S. Cavalry soldiers.
The mysterious Drosselmeyer becomes the caped Tio Diego; and in
lieu of Candy Land, Maria's dream world is a western town populated
by Indian princesses, chili peppers, the sultry Copper Queen,
rattlesnakes, the graceful Ocotillo, lovely Mama Piñata
and her Candies, and the Prickly Pear Fairy, among others. Fantastic
costumes, original choreography and a featured performance by
visiting artist Anthony Neumann, from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet,
make this a must-see holiday spectacle.
The Tucson Regional Ballet's A Southwest Nutcracker
continues with performances at 8 p.m. through Saturday, December
9, with 2 o'clock weekend matinees December 9 and 10. Tickets
are $10 adults, $8 for children and groups of 10 or more, available
at the TCC box office. Call 791-4266 for reservations and information.
FOURTH AVENUE FUN. Artists and craftsman from coast to
coast unpack their traveling shows for the Fourth Avenue Winter
Street Fair, a kaleidoscope of sights, smells, tastes, and shopping
stretching over eight city blocks. More than 400 visual artists
and crafters crowd into booths between Speedway and Congress Street,
offering everything from Prickly Pear jam to New Age jazz. New
this year is a "Kids Treat" area including a petting
zoo, mini-car race track and interactive arts and crafts games.
Other highlights include five musical stages, the Iwerks Reactor
with VR motion simulator video ride, the "Trampoline Thing"
(a bungee-like experience), Orbatron and Spaceball--all of which
you'll want to experiment with before loading up on eats from
more than 30 concessions. Performances on the main stage at Fourth
Avenue and Ninth Street include Catacoustic Grooves, Roadhouse
Hounds, Hurricane Blues Band, Sounds Of Brazil, Pulse and Bwiya-toli.
Admission is free, and fair hours are 10 a.m. to sunset today
through Sunday, December 10. Call 624-5004 for information.
Saturday 9
CHORUS CONCERTS. The Tucson Girls Chorus files into the
TCC Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave., for their annual holiday concert
featuring music from a variety of winter holidays, including a
theatrical presentation of " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas."
Music by Leonard Bernstein, Praetorious and Irving Berlin will
be featured. Tickets are $6 at the door. Call 577-6064 for advance
tickets and information. The Tucson Boys Chorus follows suit with
their own holiday presentations at the Music Hall at 3 and 7:30
p.m. Sunday, December 10. More than 150 young men participate
in this holiday tradition, featuring Christmas carols, songs of
Hanukkah and secular favorites. Tickets are $8 and $10, available
in advance from Dillard's and the TCC box office. Call 296-6277
for information.
BISBEE BUZZ. If you haven't visited Historic Old Bisbee
lately, tonight's Christmas Gallery Walk provides a welcome change
of pace. The streets are decked out with lights and decorations,
strolling carolers, luminarias and refreshments served by merchants
along Subway Street. Nearly 40 galleries, shops and restaurants
will be open 'til 9 p.m. Call Coyotillo Gallery at (520) 432-5792
for directions and information.
Sunday 10
STORY GATHERING. As part of the season-long series on immigration
at the Center for Creative Photography on the UA campus, an afternoon
of family storytelling unfolds from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Center,
south end of the pedestrian underpass on Speedway east of Park
Avenue. Students and their families from Davis Bilingual Magnet
and Corbett Elementary schools share family stories in English
and Spanish, and discuss how to collect your own family stories.
School librarians Pilar Atjian and Judi Moreillon lead a workshop
from 2 to 3 p.m., with the Oral History of Barrio Anita Photojournalism
Project of Davis Bilingual Magnet School on display in the Center's
lobby from 3 to 4 p.m., with student photographers and story gatherers
on hand to discuss the project. Events are free. Call 621-7968
for information.
RONSTADT SINGERS. The Ronstadt Cousins headline a benefit
concert for the Beckner Foundation, a source of scholarship funding
for promising students in photojournalism at the UA and PCC, with
their wonderful harmonies and polished musicianship. Normally
you'd have to travel to that posh resort way out on Ina Road to
hear them sing, but you can catch them in town today at the Southwest
Center for Music, 2175 N. Sixth Ave. The concert opens at 4 p.m.
with the new sounds of the Caribbean and Latin America by Acero,
and the new music of Copper Moon. Admission to the five-hour festival
is $20 including a catered dinner. If music is the only sustenance
you need, you can get in for $10. Tickets are available at all
Zia Records locations. Call 884-1220 for information.
Monday 11
LAND OF TOYS. Remember precious moments in your childhood
and learn a little about Mexican culture by visiting this exhibit
of handmade toys dating back to pre-Hispanic times. More than
400 items from the permanent collection at the Instituto Sonorense
de Cultura in Mexico will be on display in El Juguete Popular
Mexicano, continuing through December 31 at the Centro Cultural
de las Americas, 40 W. Broadway. Items include carved wooden horses,
hand-sewn rag dolls, intricately painted train sets and other
delicate and delightful creations of paper and tin. Exhibit hours
are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is free.
Call 323-2746 for information.
Tuesday 12
COLLECTIVE VISION. Central Arts Collective, 188 E. Broadway,
branches out with Into the Night: Storytelling As Medicine,
led by exhibiting artist Erica Swadley. In an extension of the
humanistic back-to-the-roots theme of the Fragments of Eden
show at the gallery, Swadley invites members of the community
to share their stories in a ceremonious celebration of winter,
"when we move indoors and settle in for the longest nights
of the year." The women lead off at 7 tonight with tales
of "adventure, power, beauty and courage," with the
men following at 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 13, with their stories
of "birth, creativity, love and wildness." Men and women
are welcome to listen on either night.
Come and share your stories, from your own life or those of your
ancestors. Wear comfortable clothes, bring a pillow to sit on
and your favorite mug for some cocoa or cider. "I'm thinking
we'll all sit on floor in a circle, with the tellers in the inner
circle...I'm going to make a talking stick...and we'll see what
happens," says a quietly enthusiastic Swadley. "It's
not about therapy," she adds. "It's about inspiring
each other with stories from our lives." Admission is free.
Call 623-5883 for information.
COMMUNITY THEATRE. The Tucson Parks and Recreation Community
Theatre group presents Little Women, a 1911 adaptation
by Marian De Forest, bringing to life the coming-of-age adventures
of the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Production continues
at 8 p.m. through December 16, with 2 o'clock matinees December
16 and 17. All performances are in the Reid Park Performing Arts
auditorium, 200 S. Alvernon Way. Admission is free. Call 791-4663
for information.
Wednesday 13
SAY HELLO TO OPERA. Dr. Kenneth Ryan once again brings
the world of opera into the understanding of novice and aficionado
alike with this introductory narration to Wagner's Das Rheingold.
Arizona Opera Company singers Angela Nelson-Wade, Tom Weis and
pianist Elizabeth Chadwick assist with musical interpretations.
The Arizona Opera Company and Arizona Opera Guild-sponsored program
is free, and meets at 7 p.m. at Borders Books and Music, 4235
N. Oracle Road. Call 292-1331 for information.
HARP FUSION. The University of Arizona 13-harp ensemble,
under the direction of Dr. Carrol McLaughlin, performs Nutcracker
Reflections, featuring several selections from the Nutcracker
ballet, at 8 p.m. at Christ Church United Methodist, 655 N. Craycroft
Road. Admission is a mere $5 at the door for this angelic musical
feast in the building's acoustically fine sanctuary. They may
even break out the Schlicker pipe organ. Call 299-7189 for information.
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December 7 - December 13, 1995
