PHX Arts and Culture 30 Years Celebration
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3
Various Downtown Locations
602-262-4637
The city of Phoenix will mark the 30th anniversary of the Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission with a celebration of the arts. The multi-site event will feature music, dance and theater performances, talks and art making demonstrations. This event is free to the public. Locations include the Phoenix Convention Center, Herberger Theater, and along Monroe Street between 2nd and 3rd streets. The celebration will include downtown public art tours, food trucks and activities for people of all ages. Visit www.phoenix.gov/arts/celebrate for a full schedule of events.
‘Legacy Concert’
Orpheus Male Chorus &
Phoenix Children’s Chorus
7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4
All Saints Lutheran Church
15649 N. 7th St.
The two choruses join together for a program featuring individual and collaborative performances. Selections from Orpheus will include “Beati Mortui” and “Harriett Tubman.” Selections from Phoenix Children’s Chorus will include “God’s Gonna Set This World on Fire,” “German Lullaby” and “Arizona.” Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students, $5 for children ages 3-10 and free for children 2 and younger. Tickets are available at the door or online at www.orpheus.org or www.pcchorus.com.
‘Songs for Our Heroes’
Phoenix Boys Choir
6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8
Steele Indian School Park,
Memorial Hall
300 E. Indian School Road
A free concert series for the public, in which the choir is able to thank Arizona’s Veterans with song. The choir will perform patriotic and popular songs, new works as well as showcase repertoire from its upcoming concerts. These concerts are free of charge for the general public as well as past and present military and their families. The free performances are held each month; upcoming dates are Nov. 19 and Jan. 21, 2016 (no concert in December).
‘Hershey Felder As Irving Berlin’
Arizona Theatre Company
Oct. 8-25
Herberger Theater
222 E. Monroe
602-256-6995
From the depths of Czarist Russia, to New York’s Lower East Side, Irving Berlin’s story epitomizes the American dream. Hershey Felder brings to vibrant life the remarkable story of “America’s Composer” featuring Irving Berlin’s most popular and enduring songs, from “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” to “God Bless America” to “White Christmas.” Tickets are $37-$68 plus fees. Visit www.arizonatheatre.org.
‘All in The Timing’
Oct. 8-10 & 15-17
John Paul Theatre,
Phoenix College
1202 W. Thomas Road
A collection of one-acts by David Ives that looks at time from different angles. Monkeys, Trotsky, and Philip Glass are among the characters encountered in this hilarious, romantic and existentially minded evening of theater. Show times are 7:30 p.m., with an 11 a.m. matinee on Oct. 16. Tickets are available a half hour before each show at the box office. Prices are $10 general admission, $7 alumni, and $5 students with ID.
Celtic-Themed Art Event
Friday, Oct. 9
Irish Cultural Center
1106 N. Central Ave.
www.azirish.org
Artisan-author, Lynn Herdman Mascarelli, will be the featured artist for the month at the ICC. For the most part Celtic-themed, her paintings and framed fabric art offer an array of lighthouses and landscapes, Celtic crosses and renderings of the medieval holy ones: Brendan and Brigid, Patrick and even Columba with his Book of Kells. Mindful of the upcoming harvest season and Samhain, she will include a few works representing Dia de los Muertos as well. Mascarelli will offer book-signings and light conversation about her latest book, “The Tomb Woman,” the second in a series titled The Sacristan Mysteries set here in the Sonoran. There will be food and music by “The Guitar Man,” Darron Weston. Admission is free and open to the public.
‘The Exorcist Has No Legs’
All Puppet Players
Oct. 9-30
The Central Arts Plaza
1850 N. Central Ave.
602-254-2151
Celebrate Halloween a little differently this year by seeing the puppet-infused depiction of one of America’s most chilling movies. And what better way to pay homage to this epic horror tale than with a puppet that rotates its head while spewing Silly String? Witness the good vs. evil grudge match that ensues as this irreverent puppet show will surely help you exorcise your demons. All Puppet Players shows are for mature audiences with exceedingly immature tastes. Tickets are $18 general admission, plus fees. Visit www.arizonatheatre.org.
‘The Taste Test’
Black Theatre Troupe
Oct. 9-25
Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center
1333 E. Washington St.
602-258-8129
What happens when a “tell-it-like-it-is” African-American woman thinks she can be the next Angela Davis by working from the inside? She is recruited by her longtime friend and college roommate to join her as an executive at the world’s leading cola maker in the height of the “Cola Wars” in the 1980s. She struggles to stay true to herself and her friend while working for a wild tiger of an aging leader who has spent her life hiding her Jewishness and who is determined to shock the world and show she’s still a genius. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays, with Saturday matinees Oct. 17 and 24, and a Thursday matinee on Oct. 15. Tickets are $32. Visit https://blacktheatretroupe.tixato.com/buy.
‘Mary Poppins’
Xavier-Brophy Theatre Co.
Oct. 14-15 & 17
Piper Performing Arts Center,
Xavier College Prep
4710 N. 5th St.
Based upon author P.L. Travers’ book series as well as the 1964 Disney film, “Mary Poppins” is the story of the beloved nanny who introduces the Banks children to many magical, memorable, and musical adventures. Show times are 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday as well. Tickets are $10 for all patrons and may be purchased online at www.xcp.org or at the door. There will be general seating only for all performances. For additional information, e-mail pacbox@xcp.org.
‘Arizona Lady’
Arizona Opera
Oct. 16-18
Phoenix Symphony Hall
75 N. 2nd St.
602-266-7464
Written in 1953 by Emmerich Kálmán as a love letter to the Southwest, the hopes and dreams of leading lady Lona Farrell ride on the back of one horse, “Arizona Lady,” winning the Kentucky Derby. With a score that is reminiscent of the greatest Golden-age Hollywood musical comedies, this opera is full of lively, upbeat music, cheerful, soaring arias, and a wacky libretto. Performed in German, English and Spanish with English supertitles. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $25-$135 plus fees. Visit www.azopera.org.
Kenny Barron Platinum Trio
7 & 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
The Nash
110 E. Roosevelt St.
602-686-7481
Comprised of NEA Jazz Master pianist Kenny Barron, the incomparable George Mraz on bass and The Nash’s namesake, Lewis Nash on drums, the trio performs as part of The Nash’s anniversary celebration. Tickets are $49-$99. The trio also will participate in celebratory events throughout the weekend. Visit www.thenash.org for The Nash 3rd Anniversary events.
‘Reflections’
Center Dance Ensemble
Oct. 22-25
Herberger Theater Center
222 E. Monroe
602-252-8497
The program premieres new choreography by Artistic Director Frances Smith Cohen, Resident Choreographer Diane McNeal Hunt and Guest Choreographers Donald Dadey and Angela Rosenkrans, and a restaging of Cohen’s “Quilters,” the story of the women who pioneered the West. Tickets are $28 regular, $23 for seniors, and $14 for students. There are also abridged also Lunch Time Dance Theater Performances on Oct. 22-23 at 12:10 p.m. Tickets are $6; bring lunch or order lunch with ticket reservation.Visit www.herbergertheater.org.
‘Coppelia’
Ballet Arizona
Oct. 29-Nov. 1
Phoenix Symphony Hall
75 N. 2nd St.
602-381-1096
A comic ballet for the whole family to enjoy. It tells the story of an eccentric toymaker, life-size dancing dolls, and a young couple in love. Love triumphs over all in this beloved ballet, but only after a case of mistaken identity and hilarious mayhem. Accompanied by the Phoenix Symphony. Tickets are $25-$159 plus fees. In order to give first-time patrons the opportunity to “sample” the ballet risk-free, Ballet Arizona is offering special seats with a money-back guarantee. New patrons who purchase a special Sample Seat can request a full refund if they didn’t enjoy the performance for any reason. Visit www.balletaz.org.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30
Camelback Bible Church
3900 E. Stanford Drive
602-252-0095
explore compositions inspired by the brilliant combination of winds and keyboard when French superstar pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet heads an international cast including flutist Tara Helen O’Connor, oboist Stephen Taylor and clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois. Visit www.phoenixchambermusicsociety.org.
Frida Kahlo: Her Photos
Oct. 31-Feb. 8, 2016
Heard Museum
2301 N. Central Ave.
602-252-8848
A selection of more than 240 images from the 6,500 that are part of the Blue House archive. The photographs, along with Frida Kahlo’s personal items, were locked in a room of the Blue House, the residence where she spent most of her life, and revealed to the public in 2007. The images in this traveling exhibition served as memories for Frida, as work tools or as a means to exorcise solitude. Visit www.heard.org.
Desert Gathering Jewish Music Fest
2-6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1
Steele Indian School Park
300 E. Indian School Road
480-425-0700
An event for all ages that allows the Valley community the opportunity to be entertained and embraced by the Jewish community. Enjoy a remarkably diverse slate of musicians—everything from kosher hip-hop to acoustic folk to dancehall electronica and good ol’ fashioned rock and roll. Blankets to sit on are encouraged; food vendors available on site. Free General Admission tickets are available with advance online RSVP. Visit www.desertgatheringaz.com.
MusicaNova Orchestra Concert
4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1
Central United Methodist Church
1875 N. Central Ave.
Prize-winning violinist Bobae Johnson, a 16-year-old sophomore at Desert Vista High, joins the MusicaNova Orchestra for “The Colors of Music.” Program includes: Conus Violin Concerto in E minor; Theofanidis Visions and Miracles; and De Falla El Amor Brujo. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 seniors/students. Youth 17 and younger admitted free with paid adult admission. Visit http://www.musicanovaaz.com.
