Z, 
February 2008
S M T W T F S
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10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29  

BIRTHDAYS

  •  Birthdays

  • Jan 27th

  • 1936 Troy Donahue

  • 1921 Donna Reed

  • 1832 Lewis Carroll

  • 1885 Jerome Kern

  • 1964 Bridget Fonda

  • 1948 Mikhail Baryshnikov

  • 1756 Mozart

  • Jan 28th

  • 1933 Susan Sontag

  • 1936 Alan Alda

  • 1912 Jackson Pollock

  • 1980 Nick Carter

  • 1981 Elijah Wood

  • 1887 Arthur Rubenstein

  • Jan 29th

  • 1945 Tom Selleck

  • 1954 Oprah Winfrey

  • 1950 Ann Jillian

  • 1880 W.C. Fields

  • 1843 William McKinley

  • 1942 Katherine Ross

  • Jan 30th

  • 1882 Franklin D Roosevelt

  • 1930 Gene Hackman

  • 1951 Phil Collins

  • 1941 Dick Cheny

  • 1937 Vanessa Redgrave

More Intimate Music Venues

Art Shows

 

Save Gas!
Plan
DAYTRIPS

 


Dame Edna


Algonquin Theater Company presents “The Oldest Profession”


Paul Winter Jan 25


John Fogerty


SNATAM KAUR


Les Ballets
Jazz de Montréal


Davidson


Orenga


Un Corazón Flamenco


Stevie Wonder

Cherryholmes Band

Gabriela Montero

Brule’

Darknight

 

Jon Bon Jovi

Avril Lavigne

Engelbert Humperdinck


photo by Palma Kolansky
Branford Marsalis

 

 

 

 

ico, NM,  Wyoming, WY, Los Angeles,  Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clarita, Valencia, Newhall, Palmdale,
Lancaster, Sylmar, Bakersfield, Portland, Seattle, Tacoma, Helena, St. Louis,  Alamogordo,  Albuquerque, Allentown, Amarillo, Aspen, Athens,
Austin,  Baton Rouge, Billings,  Cheyenne, Chicago, Fort Worth,   Denver,  Lake Havasu, Lake Tahoe,  Long Beach,  Peoria, Pueblo, Red Bluff,  Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Santa Barbara, Yuma,  San Jose, El Paso, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Manhattan Beach, Santa Ana, Tustin,  Scottsdale, El
Mirage,  Goodyear,  Surprise, Wentzville, Frisco,  Parker,  Avondale, Santa Monica, Hollywood, San  Fernando, Woodland Hills, Granada Hills, Sherman Oaks, Thousand Oaks,
Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Carlsbad, Oceanside,  Gilbert,  Mesquite,  San Mateo,
Santa Rosa,  Henderson, Temecula, Escondido, Peoria, Burbank, Glendale, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe,     Apache Jct., Carefree, Cave Creek, Chandler, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Guadalupe, Higley, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Queen Creek, Salt River, Sun N.M., Avondale, Black Canyon City, Buckeye, Circle City, El Mirage, New River, Peoria, Sun City, Sun City, Surprise, Tolleson, Tonopah, Wintersburg, Aguila, Alpine, Arizona Village, Ash Fork, Bagdad, Black Mesa, Blue Ridge, Bonita, Bouse, Bullhead City, Cameron, Camp Verde, Castle Rock, Chinle, Chino Valley, Cibola, Clifton, Coconino Plateau, Colorado City, Cottonwood, Dennehotso, Dilcon, Duncan, Eagar, Kingman, Ehrenberg, Flagstaff, Ft.
> Apache, Ft. Defiance, Fredonia, Ganado, Gila Bend, Globe, Golden
> Valley, Grand Canyon, Greasewood, Green Haven, Greer, Harquahala
> Valley, Hawley Lake, Heber, Holbrook, Humboldt, Hyder, Joseph City,
> Kaibito, Kayenta, Keams Canyon, Kingman, Kykotsmovi Village, Lake
> Havasu City, Mohave Ranchos, Pleasant, Le Chee, Leupp, Littlefield,
> Lukachukai, Many Farms, Marble Canyon, McNary, Meadview, Mesquite
> Creek, Mohave Valley, Mormon Lake, Munds Park, Page, Parker, Parker
> Dam, Payson, Peach Springs, Pima, Pinedale, Pinetop, Pinon Cottonwood,
> Polacca, Poston, Prescott, Quartzsite, Red Valley, Rock Point,
> Roosevelt Lake, Rough Rock, Safford, Saint Johns, Salome, San Carlos,
> Sanders, Sedona, Seligman, Shonto, Show Low, Snowflake, Somerton,
 Springerville, Supai, Teec Tonto Basin, Toyei, Tsaile, Tuba City,  Wellton, Whiteriver, Wickenburg, Wide Ruins, Wikieup, Williams, Window
 Rock, Winslow, Yarnell, Yarnell, Young, Yucca, Grand Canyon N.P.,
 Petrified Forest N.P., Canyon de Chelly N.M., Galt, Ione, Livingston,
 Lodi, Los Banos, Manteca, Merced, Oakdale, Patterson, Ripon, Stockton,
>Tracy, Tuolomne Meadows, Turlock, Yosemite, Agoura Hills, Brentwood,
 Culver City, Inglewood, LAX Airport, Lennox, Malibu, Marina Del Rey,
 Pacific Palisades, Playa Del Rey, Topanga, Venice, Westlake Village;
> Avalon, Catalina Island, Carson, Compton, Dominguez Hills, El Segundo,
> Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Lynwood, Manhattan Beach,  Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, San Pedro, Bell, Cudahy,
> Huntington Park, Hyde Park, Silver Lake, Vernon, Watts, Montebello,
> South Gate, Commerce, Inglewood, Cupertino, Gilroy,

 

  

Jack Jackson’s “Echoes of the Legends”
Sun City will enjoy a very special visitor from the North on Wednesday, February 27, at 7 p.m., when Jack Jackson, “Canada’s New Country Gentleman,” will present “Echoes of the Legends,” his tribute to America’s legendary country music stars. This concert will close out the Recreation Centers of Sun City, Inc.’s 2008 winter show series at Sundial Auditorium, located in Sundial Recreation Center at 14801 N. 103rd Ave. in Sun City.

 Canada native Jack Jackson developed his entertaining skills by listening to the records of the country music legends of the 1960s and the 1970s. All of these legendary artists had a tremendous influence in shaping the vocal styles of this "New Country Gentleman.” Story Continues

 

Horse Whisperer to speak at Desert Foothills Library
Glen Phillips is a human and animal healer who has the ability to speak to and understand what animals think and feel. On Monday, March 10, at 6 p.m., this horse whisperer will speak at the Desert Foothills Library, explaining the positive energy found in everything on earth, from rocks and plants to humans and animals. His unique skills as an animal communicator have helped horse and other pet owners to improve their animal's health, performance and attitude, using the Whisper to Healing methods. Phillips is highly empathic, feeling the emotions, pain and discomfort the animal is experiencing. He can help with behavior and health issues as well as training concerns. Whether horse owners or with other pets, anyone caring about their animal companions will find his program very helpful and enlightening.
For more information, call the Desert Foothills Library at (480) 488-2286
.
Sonoran Foothills Pet Clinic Schedules Open House
Sonoran Foothills Pet Clinic has scheduled an open house for Saturday March 8, 2008. The public is invited between 10:00am and 2:00pm to tour the new pet care facility located on the southwest corner of 27th Drive and Carefree Highway in North Phoenix.

Clinic tours, demonstrations, and pet health care information will be available. The public will have an opportunity to meet the clinic staff, and door prizes and refreshments will be provided. Arizona Greyhound Adoption is also scheduled to attend.

Sonoran Foothills Pet Clinic opened in December 2007 to provide health care services for North Valley dog and cat owners. Staff Veterinarian Steven C. Grossman, DVM brings with him over 23 years worth of experience caring for pets. "We hope our open house can provide a fun and informational experience for our neighbors who may be interested in visiting behind the scenes of a modern pet clinic." Grossman said.

Flowers and art become one at Fourth Annual Arts & Flowers at Phoenix Art Museum

 March 6-9, 2008    Show included with Museum general admission        Preview Luncheon – Thursday, March 6th

Phoenix, Arizona – Nature and art come together as one in the fourth annual Arts & Flowers™, March 6-9, a four-day event at Phoenix Art Museum featuring sculptural floral designs inspired by and partnered with works of art in the Museum's collection.  This spectacular event is presented by the Phoenix Art Museum League. For four days, breathtaking arrangements by dozens of Valley floral designers and garden clubs will be on view throughout the Museum’s galleries to complement and illuminate the Museum’s works of art.  Story Continues

 

Mark Your Calendars for the 2008 Spring Fling!
 
The 2008 edition of Spring Fling, Sun City’s party of the year! The 2008 Spring Fling will be held on Saturday, March 8th, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in and around Sundial Recreation Center at 14801 N. 103rd. Ave. in Sun City.  

Spring Fling is a free annual event open to Sun Citians and their friends. Last year, over 6,000 people attended Spring Fling and enjoyed a 5K/3K Run/Walk benefiting the American Cancer Society, exciting entertainment and a variety of exhibits and vendors. Each year the event continues to evolve, and the 2008 edition promises to be better than ever! Story Continues

An Affair With The Arts An Outdoor Festival Celebrating the Arts
Saturday and Sunday    March 8 and 9, 2008    from 10 am to 5 pm
17420 North Avenue of the Arts   (114th Ave and Bell Road)
Admission: Adults  $3,     Teens  $2.00
Kids and Members free
An Affair With The Arts is an outdoor arts festival held at the West Valley Art Museum.  This festive event showcases juried fine artists working in mediums from brilliant oils to glorious glass.  Live music and great food romance both the ear and palate.  A fine art silent auction furthers the up-beat atmosphere.  Indoors one discovers exciting and powerful exhibitions the Museum has become known for.  This is a fun time where you can abandon your inhibitions and have An Affair With The Arts.
Story Continues
 
Sheriff's Posse of Sun City
Invites you to our Open House
Guest Of Honor Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Sunday Feb. 24th from 2:00 to 4:00
Meet the people who serve Sun City, District 111
Sheriff Deputies and Sun City Fire Department.
Enjoy the entertainment & refreshments -
10861 Sunland Drive, off of Del Webb

February is “Author’s Month” at Cave Creek
 
Museum will also host “The Kids, The Times, and The Wardrobe”

 Arizona’s Official State Balladeer, Dolan Ellis, is among the featured presenters during the February Author’s Month at Cave Creek Museum. Located at 6140 Skyline Dr., Cave Creek Museum features an extensive collection of prehistoric and historic artifacts that describe the lives of Native Americans, miners, ranchers and pioneers. The February event schedule follows: Dolan Ellis History/Folklore Presentation Saturday, February 23rd starting at 2 p.m. goes to 3 p.m.
Saturday, February 16
– Andrew Means 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Cave Creek Museum will also host a special children’s program on Sunday, February 24Story Continues

 

One of the country's premier arts fairs, the 38th annual Scottsdale Arts Festival will be held on the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall on March 7 - 9, 2008.

 

Exhibiting artists include:

Julita Jones (Laguna Beach, Calif.), The Hummingbird, viscosity etching, 12 x 12 inches

 

 

 

 

photo by Antonio Bartczak

Story Continues 

 

"A Feast For The Eyes"

"A Feast For The Eyes", featuring the unusual still lifes of Sherry Loehr and Genetta McLean will be exhibited at
Leslie Levy Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona, from February 4th-25th.

Right: "Natura Vivante" by Genetta McLean  Oil on Linen 22" x 28"

Genetta McLean is an art historian and accomplished visual artist who combines her interest in ancient art with her love of nature. Her small, meticulously painted still lifes give the viewer a sense of the peaceful serenity which the artist experiences in her home located in the woods of Maine. Genetta McLean’s lovingly arranged fruits and vegetables are often visited by small, almost whimsical songbirds.  Story Continues

 

Walk with us February 17, 2008 - click below for more info
The Heart to Heart Pet-a-Rama is a 2-mile fundraising walk in the park register


Parada Del Sol
February 23rd

Ballet Arizona Repeats “Dance Passion”
Last March Ballet Arizona hosted “Dance Passion,” a fitness-oriented, high-energy dance class at the DC Ranch Village Health Club and Spa. On Saturday, Feb. 23rd, “Dance Passion” creator Harriet Carroll returns. And for 2008, she’s added a second class.

  “Dance Passion” participants will check in at 8:30 am at the beautiful DC Ranch Village Health Club, 18501 North Thompson Peak Parkway. At 9:00 they’ll warm up with “Dance/Sculpt & Flex,” Harriet’s blend of yoga, Pilates, and dance-based toning. The hour-long session ends with a relaxing, revitalizing stretch. At 10:00 the beats begin boomin’ for “Dance to Fitness,” Harriet’s trademark dance review-style fitness routines. All Harriet’s dances are manageable by anyone who can tell one foot from the other while keeping a beat, and she invites participants of any age to bring their “Dance Passion.”  

After “Dance to Fitness,” participants will be served a special lunch catered by Scottsdale’s own Pinata Nueva restaurant and Grace’s Goodies. The cost for participating in “Dance Passion” is $100 per person. Gallery seats are available for non-participants for $25. Proceeds from “Dance Passion” support BALLET ARIZONA’s education and outreach programs. For information, contact Jill Landon at 602-343-6520, or jlandon@balletaz.org .  

The Arizona Ragtyme-jazztyme Society is proud to present from Montreal  MIMI BLAIS Queen of Ragtime
Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. West Valley Art Museum
Adults:  $10 Tickets can be purchased in advance by phone 623-972-0635, the Museum Store or at the door.
    “Witty, colorful, poetic, energetic, romantic, extraordinary, unbelievable” words Mimi’s fans around the world use to describe the unique performances of the undisputed “Queen of Ragtime.” One of the most highly trained and gifted pianists in ragtime, Montreal”s Mimi Blais is also the comedy star of the genre a pianist to be seen!”    Nan Bostick

Pianist Mimi Blais from Montreal, Québec, Canada received several nicknames during her career: The female Victor Borge, The Céline Dion of the keyboard, The French Canadian Liberacette but the one she’s proud to wear since 1990 is: The New Queen Of Ragtime.

After completing her classical training at the Quebec Conservatory of Music and McGill University in Montreal, Mimi left the beaten path to discover Music with a capital “M”. Her career has been guided by passion and whim where classical, folk, jazz, modern, blues, tango, and ragtime all blend together. Mimi’s passion for ragtime music has led her to travel across the United States and Canada, and it has even taken her to Belgium and Hungary where she received one standing ovation after another.

Because of ragtime music, Mimi was invited to perform for the Olympic Celebration Arts Ashore ‘96 in Savannah, Georgia and was acting and playing the piano in Heliotrope at “Le Théâtre du Rideau Vert” and in Le Diner Farfelu part I and II at the Cabaret of the Casino of Montreal.

Mimi wrote two one-woman shows where she demonstrates her many-faceted talents: Once upon a time, ragtime, which shows the importance of ragtime music in the evolution of the American culture, and An afternoon with Jean-Baptiste Lafrenière.

As a musical performer, composer, arranger, writer, comedian and singer whose imagination knows no bounds, Mimi Blais is in high demand because of her tremendous talent and joyful personality.

West Valley Art Museum 17420 North Avenue of the Arts - Surprise, AZ 85374 Call 623-972-0635 or visit  www.wvam.org 

JOURNALISTS HUGH DOWNS AND FRANK RICH TO SHARE THE STAGE

 An Evening with Hugh Downs and Frank Rich

March 1, 2008, Saturday @ 8 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

  Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present An Evening with Hugh Downs and Frank Rich on March 1, 2008, at 8 p.m. This event is part of the In the Spotlight Series sponsored by Scottsdale League for the Arts and is presented with support from Sara and David Lieberman.

 Single tickets are available for $58 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Web site at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).

 This candid and thought-provoking program features veteran television personality and journalist Hugh Downs interviewing author and New York Times columnist Frank Rich, whose insightful writings explore the intersection of culture and news.

 Longtime anchor of ABC Television's primetime news magazine 20/20, Hugh Downs is one of the most familiar figures in the history of the medium. He has enjoyed a distinguished 66-year career in radio and television as a reporter, newscaster, interviewer, narrator and host. Downs is the author of 12 books and has received numerous awards, including six Emmys and the 1990 Broadcaster of the Year Award by the International Radio and Television Society. He left 20/20 and regular broadcasting in 1999 to write and lecture and to pursue other activities, including travel, flying, science studies, riding, sailing and composing. Downs currently resides in Arizona and is a frequent visitor and lecturer at Arizona State University, where The Hugh Downs School of Human Communication was named in his honor.

 Frank Rich has been an op-ed columnist for The New York Times since 1994 and previously served as the Times' chief drama critic beginning in 1980, the year he joined the newspaper. His weekly essays draw from his background as a theater critic and observer of art, entertainment and politics. Rich previously was a film and television critic at Time magazine, and he has written about culture and politics for many other publications. Rich has authored numerous books, and his latest, The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth From 9/11 to Katrina, was published by Penguin Press in 2006. His childhood memoir, Ghost Light, was published in 2000 by Random House, and the film rights to it have been acquired by Storyline Entertainment. A collection of Rich's drama reviews, Hot Seat: Theater Criticism for The New York Times, 1980-1993, was published by Random House in 1998.

 

 

JAZZ SAXOPHONIST RAVI COLTRANE TO PERFORM

 Ravi Coltrane Quartet  March 2, 2008, Sunday @ 7:30 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present the Ravi Coltrane Quartet on March 2, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. The performance is part of the Journeys in Jazz Series sponsored by Infiniti.

 Single tickets are available for $42 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Web site at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).

 The son of jazz luminaries John and Alice Coltrane, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane has made his mark as a talented performer, bandleader, producer and composer. As the leader of the Ravi Coltrane Quartet, he is continuing his family's remarkable legacy while pursuing a unique artistic path of his own.

 Named after Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar, Coltrane began playing clarinet in middle school and later pursued musical studies at California Institute of the Arts, where he focused on the saxophone. In 1991, Coltrane connected with Elvin Jones, his father's renowned drummer from the 1960s, and received his first taste of the jazz life. Within a year, Coltrane relocated to New York City and began playing with a variety of musicians, including Steve Coleman, who was particularly influential to the budding saxophonist.

 After performing on more than 30 recordings as a sideman, Coltrane released his debut album, Moving Pictures, for RCA Victor in 1997. He has since toured widely in North America and Europe and released three more albums on his own, most recently In Flux in 2005 for the Savoy Jazz label, which featured pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress and drummer E.J. Strickland, who form his quartet. In addition to working and traveling with his own group, Coltrane has made recent guest performances with McCoy Tyner, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Branford Marsalis, among many others.
In 2002, Coltrane launched his own recording company, RKM Music, and produced Legacy, a four-disc, thematic study of his father's career, for Verve. He continues his role as family archivist of his father's unreleased material and is working on new projects with Verve.

 

 
BELL RECREATION CENTER FUN FAIR
Bell Recreation Center will feature an Arts and Crafts Fun Day on Saturday, March 1st. The Center is located on N. 99th Ave. between Bell Rd. and Hutton Dr., Sun City. There will be something for everyone.The Bell Recreation Center has many arts and craft clubs that will be demonstrating how their crafts are made. You will have the opportunity to purchase their hand made crafts. There will also be a book sale, bake sale, flea market, entertainment, food, and beverages for your enjoyment. The Fun Fair will be open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. See you there.
Teen Murdered by her Ex-Boyfriend Before Order of Protection was In Place
As Arizonans returned home from work, the horrible news of the murder of 17 year-old Kaitlyn Sudberry was broadcast throughout the state. Details reveal the tragically familiar story of teen dating violence. The Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers its condolences to Sudberry¹s family and friends during this painful time.

According to news reports, Sudberry had filed for a temporary order of protection and her family was aware of the danger that Daniel Byrd, also 17, posed to her. Although domestic violence in marriages is often more public, the statistics show that too many young people in dating relationships also experience violence and abuse. In a study conducted on dating violence, 1 in 5 female high school students reported being physically or sexually abused by a dating partner. Like older women, the danger of being hurt increases immediately after the relationship ends. A 2005 study found that almost 20 percent of teenage girls who have dated said a boyfriend had threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a break-up .  

Violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications for victims, who are at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, and adult re-victimization. Governor Janet Napolitano has declared February 4-8, 2008 Arizona Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week. This week is needed to address the serious issue of dating violence.

This year, Representative Pete Hershberger and Senator Rebecca Rios have introduced important legislation that will help victims of dating violence obtain legal protection from their abusers. Dating violence is not kids stuff; it's serious and, too often, deadly.
For more information and resources for victims, please visit the following:  National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, 1-866-331-9474     www.loveisrespect.org        www.azcadv.org

 

Happy 54th Birthday, Desert Foothills Library
 
In spite of its looming presence on top of Saguaro Hill in Cave Creek, the Desert Foothills Library began as a tiny collection of books fifty-four years ago. The librarian, Dorothy Smith, was astonished that this little community didn't have a library when she arrived from New York City. There was no library building, so she began collecting books from everywhere and everyone, driving around with them stuffed into the trunk of her car or in bags and boxes inside her home. A little restaurant called the Cow Bell also stacked up piles of books for readers to borrow. On February 14, Valentine's Day, 1954, a contract was signed between the Cave Creek Improvement Association, CCIA, and the Maricopa County Library Association to have a library in Cave Creek. Later on, the library was located in a local church and school until enough funds could be raised to build the first library at its present location. Several expansions have enlarged the building since then, including the most recent additions which will soon be completed. Now the Desert Foothills Library welcomes the community to celebrate this 54th anniversary with a special cake and other refreshments in the Friends'Book Room on Thursday, February 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Volunteers will be available to give tours of the library's new rooms and share memories of its colorful history. To learn more, call (480) 488-2286.

Buy books for that special person at the
DFL "Sweetheart Book Sale"

Forget the candy, forget the flowers.  What better way to  say "I love you" on Valentine's Day than with a bag of selected books  from the Friends of the Desert Foothills Library? The monthly used  book sale will be on Saturday, February 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in  the Friends' book room and will feature several special items for  loving shoppers.  A table of select "Romance Novels" will all be sold  at reduced prices and customers can hunt for Valentine stickered books  hidden on the shelves.  These will also be sold at special lower  prices.

 The book sales are held on the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and there will be something special every month. And the  Friends' book room is always open during library hours with shelves full of  books featuring favorite authors and subjects, including cook books,  travel, coffee table books and paperbacks, all at reasonable prices.  Book donations are always welcome. Call the library in Cave Creek at  (480) 488-2286.

  So come to the "Sweetheart Book Sale" and bring your loved one.   Couples will receive a free book.  As the Friends say, "It's all for  the love of the library."

 

Legends of Rock Take ”One” Stage  For Super Musical Event
Hotel Scottsdale Exclusive Location for “Super Jam”-
Performances by Pat Travers, Paul Rodgers, Members of The Allman Brothers Band, Jefferson Starship

  Dmytro Development, LLC, Arizona’s #1 Green Developer, is proud to announce “The Super Jam,” a first-of-its-kind joining of the legends of music creating an exclusive, ticketed event scheduled for Saturday, February 2, 2008 at the Hotel Scottsdale. 

 For one spectacular night only, renowned legends of rock, pop and country will come together to perform for a once-in-a-lifetime, multi-genre All Star Jam. Invited artists include:  Pat Travers, Boz Scaggs, Eddie Montgomery (Montgomery Gentry), Eric Martin (Mr. Big),  Mark Farmer (Grand Funk Railroad), Paul Rodgers (Bad Company and Queen),  Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Tim McGraw, and Toby Keith.  Retired NFL star and Gridiron Great Kyle Turley will also perform live.

““The Super Jam” will be one of the most exciting events to take place during Super Bowl Week,” said Chris Burka, CEO of Dmytro Development, LLC.  “Our team has assembled some of the biggest musical acts in one setting, and our sponsorship exhibits our commitment to making this a spectacular week for our community and the tens of thousands of guests we are about to host from around the world.  This Super Bowl Eve extravaganza is going to be a can’t miss event.”

Saturday’s all-star back band will include: Johnny Gunn of Eddie Money, Tommy Miller of The Allman Brothers Band, Donny Baldwin of Jefferson Starship, Steve Salinas of Cold Blood and Dell Bruchette of the Greg Kihn Band.  In addition, the stage will feature a special performance from #1 Las Vegas act and premier Scottsdale party band Zowie Bowie, all hosted by CMT’s Cowboy Troy.

 “People are going to be blown away when they see who’¹s hitting the stage for this party,” said legendary rock guitarist Pat Travers. “It’s very rare for this type of talent to come together in one place on one night, and we can¹t wait to take the stage and perform.”

  “The Super Jam” will feature celebrity host Mike Ditka and other champions from the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to retired NFL players.   Dmytro’s association with the Gridiron Greats is a natural fit, as both work to improve the quality of life for people through their core values and guiding principles. 

For this one-night-only event, The Hotel Scottsdale, one of Arizona’s most unique boutique hotels with picturesque courtyards and lush gardens, will be transformed into a “Super Jam” party and concert stage, with VIP rooms, exclusive cabanas and party areas, making it the place to be on the eve of the big game. Having recently completed a major renovation process, the hotel now features a fresh Spanish Mediterranean theme with luxurious guest rooms, and a remodeled lounge, pool, and business and conference center.

Dmytro Development, LLC, a contemporary, functional and environmentally superior development firm is organizing “The Super Jam” in order to bring something special to the region as the community prepares to host the world. As stewards of the communities in which its employees work, Dmytro works to ensure all company projects are designed and built featuring the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) sustainable rating system. Dmytro has adopted the LEED rating as a design requirement for all its commercial building projects.  “We are proud and excited to bring the legends of rock together for the first time in Phoenix for the big game”, said Burka.

 A premiere regional company, Dmytro will be one of the most active sponsors of events during the entire week leading up to the big game. “The Super Jam” will be the signature event for “Green Life,” a series of exciting, high profile affairs presented by Dmytro Development during the FBR Open and Super Bowl XLII promoting sustainability and environmentally responsible development, building and leasing practices in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

“The Super Jam will be the most high energy all-star party of all time,” commented Rodgers.  “If you don’t have a ticket to this one you aren’t at the right party.”

  “The Super Jam” will promote the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, a non-profit corporation that has been established to provide financial assistance and coordination of social services to retired players who are in dire need due to a variety of reasons including inadequate disability and/or pensions.

“While tickets still remain available, they are going fast,” said Burka.  “The response has been great and this is going to be a sell-out.” Gridiron Greats Super Jam Super Bowl Party VIP Ticket ($700 each Gridiron Greats Super Jam Super Bowl Party Ticket ($500 each) For tickets, the public can go to: www.dmytrodevelopment.com    or www.gridirongreats.org

4,000 Students to Attend Phoenix Symphony Educational
Concert Devoted to “Our Arizona”

Concert will feature winners of Inaugural
Phoenix Symphony Essay Contest

The Phoenix Symphony’s annual educational concerts continue with a special performance at the Maricopa County Events Center in Sun City West on January 30th. In preparation for the month of February which is Arizona Month, the orchestra will perform before 4,000 students from over forty schools in a concert combining music and history in celebration of the beautiful state of Arizona. Students in grades three through eight and their teachers will travel from across the state from locations as far as way as Flagstaff to hear this concert. The Wednesday morning performance under the direction of Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan begins at 10 a.m.

During the program entitled “Our Arizona,” students will hear music inspired by the magnificent landscapes of Arizona such as Ferde Grofé’s “On the Trail” from his Grand Canyon Suite and Peter Boyer’s The Phoenix. Other selections celebrate the heritage of Arizona residents including Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” from Rodeo and José Pablo Moncayo’s Huapango.  Special guest and native Arizonan R. Carlos Nakai will perform on his Native American flute.  

In partnership with the Phoenix Museum of History and the Arizona Historical Society, The Phoenix Symphony created supplemental teaching materials that will prepare students for this musical celebration of Arizona. Before and after the performance, students will discover the people, landscapes, and events that inspired the music and make our state famous.

As part of the special presentation of "Our Arizona," winners of the inaugural Symphony for the Schools Essay Contest will be announced at the morning concert.  Students in grades three through eight were encouraged to create an essay discussing the people and places of Arizona and describing why they are special. A panel of judges from the Arizona Historical Society will select the winner who will appear onstage to read a portion of their winning essay during the January 30 concert.

This special performance is part of Symphony for the Schools concerts during the 2007-08 season. By the end of the end of the season, more than 28,000 children will have experienced a live symphonic performance by The Phoenix Symphony. The Symphony for the Schools concerts are sponsored by Wells Fargo with additional support from The Arizona Republic, Harold and Jean Grossman Foundation, The Lodestar Foundation, Phoenix Convention and Theatrical Facilities Department, and the Scottsdale League for the Arts.

For additional information about any of these educational programs, visit The Phoenix Symphony website at www.phoenixsymphony.org, contact the Education Office via email at education@phoenixsymphony.org, or by phone at 602-495-1117, ext. 311.
 

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NHRA Top Fuel world championships, U.S. Army driver, Tony "The Sarge" Schumacher
Having pocketed four straight NHRA Top Fuel world championships, U.S. Army driver, Tony "The Sarge" Schumacher, will begin preparations for the 2008 drag racing season at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler on Friday, January 25th.

 

Antique Appraisal Days
The Cave Creek Museum invites you bring your treasures to find out what they are worth as expert Sean Morton anecdotally describes the details of your antiques.  Friday and Saturday, January 25 & 26 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Call the Cave Creek Museum for details 480-488-2764
$20 per item or 2 for $35 Limit two per session

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Music
Alive
Residency of Mark Grey Culminates with World Premiere of
Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio

Residency Events Highlight Navajo Culture and the Music of Enemy Slayer  
In anticipation of its world premiere performance of Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio, The Phoenix Symphony is presenting a series of special events devoted to the Navajo culture that inspired Music Alive Composer-in-Residence Mark Grey’s new work for chorus and orchestra. Artists and leading authorities from the Native American community as well as Valley organizations including the Heard Museum and Arizona State University are partnering to present events including concerts, lectures, and film screenings in January and February exploring and discussing the Navajo traditions that influenced Enemy Slayer. Several months of creative exploration will culminate with the world premiere performance of Mark Grey’s Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio on February 7 and 9, 2008 at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix.    

Residency events across the Valley feature flutist James Pellerite performing on the Native American flute in concert with The Phoenix Symphony, a screening and discussion of Larry Blackhorse Lowe’s acclaimed film 5th World and an engaging lecture and choral presentation at Arizona State University regarding the historical narratives in Navajo culture and their depiction in the new musical composition of Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio.  Days before the world premiere, high school and college students are also invited to attend an open rehearsal of Enemy Slayer, with a discussion of the composition process led by Mark Grey. A complete description of events is listed below.  

Music Alive is a residency program of the League of American Orchestras and Meet the Composer. This national program is designed to provide orchestras with resources and tools to support their presentation of new music to the public and build support for new music within their institutions. Funding for Music Alive is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The Aaron Copland Fund for Music.  Composer Mark Grey serves as Music Alive Composer-in-Residence during the 2007-2008 season. His new composition Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio is the culmination of this three-year project.

PHOENIX SYMPHONY EVENTS MUSIC ALIVE RESIDENCY
JANUARY 24 ­ FEBRUARY 9

Dvor´ák’s "New World" Symphony
January 24, Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
January 25, Friday evening at 8:00 p.m.
Mesa Arts Center
January 26, Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m.
Orpheum Theatre

THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY
Lawrence Golan, Conductor
James Pellerite, Native American flute

MOZART             Overture to The Magic Flute
MAULDIN            Dreams of the Child of Light  
YEAGLEY             Wes-ih-vah-peh    
HILL                      Meditation and Ritual Dance    

              DVOR
ÁK              Symphony No. 9 (From the New World)

Hear diverse examples of Native American influence in classical music, as Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan leads this wide-ranging concert with world-renowned flutist James Pellerite. Described as a disciple of the Native American flute by the Sunday Herald-Times, Pellerite’s talent showcases “the sound of the whole wide earth magically brought indoors.” This concert is a perfect companion to The Phoenix Symphony’s presentation of Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio in February!  In addition, concertgoers will hear Dvorak’s stirring New World Symphony, written as a postcard home from the Americas.
              Tickets:
Scottsdale: $28, $40, $52
Mesa: $21, $31, $41, $51
Orpheum: $19, $29, $39, $49                                                                                                                

5th World: Life on the Navajo Nation

January 26, Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM

Location: Orpheum Theatre  203 W. Adams St. Phoenix, AZ 85003

Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005, Larry Blackhorse Lowe’s film 5th World follows the budding romance between Andrei and Aria, whose relationship takes flight as they hitchhike together across the Navajo Reservation. During their journey, the duo discovers their tribal culture will change them in powerful and unexpected ways. This Arizona-based movie was filmed on the Navajo Nation, with scenes spanning the red rock stretch between Tuba City and Kayenta, AZ, and a highway in the Four Corners region.  Director Blackhorse Lowe lives and works in Mesa, Arizona. The screening includes a post-event discussion with Mark Grey and Larry Blackhorse Lowe.

THIS FILM IS SUITABLE FOR MATURE AUDIENCES.  IT INCLUDES ADULT LANGUAGE AND SITUATIONS.  To RSVP to this FREE EVENT, call the Phoenix Symphony Box Office at 602-495-1999.
Reservations are suggested.                                                                                                                   

The Narrative: A Multi-Cultural Tradition
January 27, Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Arizona State University Herberger College of the Arts, Katzin Concert Hall  40 E. Gammage Pkwy.  Tempe, AZ 85287

Audience members will get an up-close look at Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio, in an evening dedicated to words and meaning. The Phoenix Symphony Chorus, composer Mark Grey and librettist Laura Tohe present a performance and discussion of the musical text from Enemy Slayer. Grey, Tohe and ASU Professor of Composition James DeMars discuss the historical tradition of story narratives in the Navajo culture and the way those traditions are reflected in Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio.
 To RSVP to this FREE EVENT, call the Phoenix Symphony Box Office at 602-495-1999.               

Student Preview
Join The Phoenix Symphony for an Open Rehearsal of Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio
February 5, Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m.
Location:  Symphony Hall 75 N Second St.   Phoenix, AZ 85004
As the world premiere of Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio nears, high school and college students can get an early listen! The Phoenix Symphony invites interested classes to attend an open rehearsal of the work, with a discussion of the composition process led by composer Mark Grey.  Students will have the first-hand opportunity to watch how a world premiere performance comes together.
To schedule your school¹s attendance to this FREE EVENT,
call the Phoenix Symphony Education Office at 602-495-1117 x. 311.                                
WORLD PREMIERE
Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio
February 7, Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m.
February 9, Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m.

THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY
Michael Christie, conductor
Scott Hendricks, baritone
The Phoenix Symphony Chorus

 GROFÉ                  Grand Canyon Suite
MARK GREY        Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio (World Premiere)            
More than a year and a half of work culminates in this world-premiere concert weekend. Centered on a Navajo tribal narrative, Enemy Slayer is a contemporary interpretation of a warrior born to rid the world of monsters. Created by acclaimed Music Alive Composer-in-Residence Mark Grey and Navajo Poet Laura Tohe, the oratorio incorporates a chorus of over 130 voices, the full symphony orchestra and baritone soloist Scott Hendricks.  Landscape photography from across the Southwest taken by artist Deborah O’Grady will serve as a visual backdrop to the events of the oratorio.  Paired with Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite, this will be a celebration of the beauty and heritage of Arizona and truly one of the great highlights of The Phoenix Symphony’s 60th Anniversary Season.

Tickets: $19, $29, $39, $48, $58, $68                                                                       
To purchase Phoenix Symphony Tickets:
By Phone: call 602-495-1999 or toll-free at 1-800-776-9080
(Regular hours are Monday thru Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
By Fax: 602-253-1772
In Person: at The Phoenix Symphony Box Office, located in the Arizona Center or at the Symphony Hall Box Office
On-line: by visiting The Phoenix Symphony Website at www.phoenixsymphony.org

About composer Mark Grey: Composer Mark Grey is a musician and sound designer now living in Phoenix. Originally from San Francisco, Grey made his Carnegie Hall debut as a composer with the Kronos Quartet in November 2003. His music has been performed in such venues as the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, Barbican Centre in London, Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, and Royce Hall in Los Angeles. As a sound designer, he has premiered several major works for composers John Adams, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley and Paul Dresher. He is an artistic collaborator, sound designer, and soundscape engineer for John Adams' critically acclaimed On the Transmigration of Souls, which received the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Music as well as three Grammy awards in 2005.

About librettist Dr. Laura Tohe: Librettist Laura Tohe is Diné (Navajo). She was born in Fort Defiance, Arizona and is Tsénáhábiãnii (Sleepy Rock People clan) and born for the Tódich¹inii (Bitter Water clan). Dr. Tohe is currently Associate Professor of English at Arizona State University. A poet and scholar, Tohe¹s work has been published in the journals Ploughshares, New Letters, Calyx and others. Her chapbook of poetry, Making Friends with Water, has been translated into modern dance and music by The Moving Company in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1999 Dr. Tohe¹s book of poetry, No Parole Today, was awarded Poetry of the Year by the Wordcraft Circle of Native American Writers and Storytellers. She co-edited Sister Nations: Native American Women Writers on Community. Her new book, Tséyi’, Deep in the Rock, a book of poetry and photography by Stephen Strom, was listed as a 2005 Southwest Book of the Year.

About photographer Deborah O‘Grady: Photographer Deborah O’Grady began a life in photography at age ten, when she won a small plastic camera as a raffle prize. Her work focuses on the landscapes of the United States, emphasizing aspects of history in relationship to contemporary development. She has explored various subjects including Lake County, California’s local legends; the native peoples of the San Francisco Bay area, in a piece called “Imagining Native Earth;” and the motivations of war in ”The Soldier¹s Dream,” which melds vintage World War II combat photos with mythological images. O¹Grady has shown work in the United States and internationally, at Cologne, Germany; Washington, D.C.; Buenos Aires, Argentina; the Stockholm Konserthuset in Stockholm, Sweden; and many other venues.

About The Phoenix Symphony: Founded in 1947, The Phoenix Symphony proudly serves the citizens of Phoenix and the surrounding metropolitan area, Arizona, and the southwestern United States. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year (in a city of fewer than 100,000 people) today serves more than 325,000 people annually, with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond.  

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President Maryellen H. Gleason, the orchestra is overseen by the non-profit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman Ed Wolf.

The 76-member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June, featuring full-length classical and pops concerts at Sym-phony Hall in downtown Phoenix, in Mesa, in Scottsdale, in Prescott, and throughout central Arizona.  The Symphony performs for more than 50,000 students and children (repre-senting over 260 different schools), helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youth-engagement programs.

Special thanks to: The Phoenix Symphony's 2007-08 Media Sponsors are The Arizona Republic and KAET.

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Doug Clark, Arizona House of Representative for District 6
February 12: Doug Clark, Arizona House of Representative for District 6 (includes New River, Desert Hills, and Anthem), will be speaking at the New River/Desert Hills Community Association Community Meetings held at the Crossroads Christian Fellowship (42425 N. New River Rd., New River, Arizona). The meeting start at 7:30 PM and will end by 9:00 PM. Everyone is welcomed. As a legislator Doug has served in six committees, among them Homeland Security & Property Rights, Education, Higher Education, Water & Agriculture, Appropriations and Sub-Appropriations: Education & Natural Resources. When not serving in the Legislature, Doug is a successful Real Estate Agent. Doug is a native of Arizona. He was born in Prescott, then resided in Black Canyon, and later moved to Anthem. He has been married for 20 years to his wife Michelle and together they have two sons, Travis and Tanner.

Some legislative issues that may affect our area are:

- How will the state bridge the current budget shortfall?

- What is the status of bills to reduce or eliminate our property taxes?

- How is Arizona meeting the federal clean air standards?

- What is the news on efforts to reform the how some state land can be saved for conservation?
If you have questions for the Doug,  please submit in advance by emailing NRDHCA at nrdhca@gmail.com . Everyone is encouraged to attend this timely and important community meeting.
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Name That Test & Tune to Filming Episode at Firebird Raceway

Name That Test & Tune (formally Pass Time) www.launchhour.tv/tnt/ . The Speed Channel show "Name That Test & Tune" formally "Pass Time" will be filming several episodes at Firebird Raceway.  The cast and crew will be at Firebird Raceway from Thursday January 17th thru Friday January 18th.  The filming will take place between the hours of 3pm and 9pm each day.

Two contestants and an expert ask the owner of the car questions.  They then try to guess the time it will take the contestant to complete the quarter mile.  The contestant closes to the time wins the round.

Gates open 2:30 pm both days at FIREBIRD RACEWAY; I-10 & WILD HORSE PASS. Racing starts at 3:00 pm both days

TICKETS: € Crew and Spectator-$10. € Car & Driver (single day)-$20. € Car & Driver (two days)-$35

FIREBIRD RACEWAY is home to more than 25 events each year including; NHRA Checker Schuck's Kragen National Drag Races, IHBA Coors Light World Finals Boat Races and Santa's World.  Located in Chandler off of I-10 and Wild Horse Pass, Firebird Raceway first opened in 1983 and is a proud member of the Gila River Indian Community.  For more information call 602.268.0200 or online at www.firebirdraceway.com .

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NHRA NATIONAL TIME TRIALS AT FIREBIRD RACEWAY
On January 25th, 26th, and 27th the fastest cars in the world converge on the quarter mile at Firebird Raceway (I-10 & WILD HORSE PASS) in a preseason test and tune.  Race teams use this opportunity to prepare for the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Fans use this opportunity to get up close and personal with drivers such as John Force, Tony Schumacher, Tony Pedregon and Rod Fuller.  This event is the perfect time to experience the pure power and speed of professional drag racing. All the top names of the sport will be in attendance. You can get up close and personal with the drivers, owners and crews. All day test & tune with multiple test sessions in every class and autograph and picture opportunities. All this in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Prices are Friday General Admission-$18, Saturday General Admission-$28, Sunday General Admission-$28, a two day pass is just $48. Parking is $9 with premier plus going for $15 (advance purchase only for premier).

FIREBIRD RACEWAY is home to more than 25 events each year including; NHRA Checker Schuck's Kragen National Drag Races, IHBA Coors Light World Finals Boat Races and Santa¹s World.  Located in Chandler off of I-10 and Wild Horse Pass, Firebird Raceway first opened in 1983 and is a proud member of the Gila River Indian Community.  For more information call 602.268.0200 or online at www.firebirdraceway.com
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NEW RIVER / DESERT HILLS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION TO HOST INFORMATIONAL SESSION WITH DISTRICT 6 STATE REPRESENTATIVE, SAM CRUMP
The New River/Desert Hills Community Association (NR/DHCA) will host a public informational session with Rep. Sam Crump on Tuesday, March 11 from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM at Crossroads Christian Fellowship at 42425 N. New River Road. 

Elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2006, Sam represents District 6 (includes New River, Desert Hills, and Anthem) and is the Vice-Chair of the Public Institutions & Retirement committee.  He also currently serves on the Transportation, Education and Environment committees.

Sam is an attorney with Boates & Crump, a general practice law firm located in the Anthem community where he also resides with his family.  He began his career as a US Army JAG officer in Germany.  After graduating with honors from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Government, Sam received his law degree from Santa Clara University; and he holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration, also from the University of San Francisco. 

Sam has been a Rotarian since 1992, and was the charter president of the Rotary Club of Anthem (2003-04).  He is also very involved with Sunrise House Orphanage in Uganda.  This is a Rotary Project that he first pursued in 2000.  The orphanage opened in 2004 with 50 children and Sam recently visited the project in February, 2008.
If you have questions for Rep. Crump, you may submit them in advance by emailing NRDHCA at nrdhca@gmail.com.

Everyone is encouraged to attend this timely and important community meeting. For more information, please call 623-587-7039 or visit www.nrdhca.org .

Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble
a free band concert at the Tempe Center for the Arts
"Great Masterworks" by the Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble,  featuring guest soloist Dr. Robert Spring,  professor of clarinet at Arizona State University,  Tuesday, March 11, 7:30 pm , Tempe Center for the Arts Theater, 700 W Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe,  free and open to the public  www.tswe.org The Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble presents its first performance of 2008 with "Great Masterworks," a free community concert on Tuesday, March 11 in the theater at the Tempe Center for the Arts. The concert features challenging works of band literature created last century and this, including very new works heard in Tempe for the first time. In the solo spotlight for this program is clarinet virtuoso Robert Spring, performing The Carnival of Venice. Between his duties as professor of clarinet at Arizona State, Dr. Spring is in demand as a concert and recital soloist around the world. The program includes: Carnival of Venice (featuring Robert Spring) ‹ by Antonio Salieri, Variations on "America" ‹ Charles Ives, Armenian Dances, set 1 ‹ Alfred Reed , Symphony No. 3, third movement ‹ Vincent D'Indy, Illyrian Dances ‹ Guy Wolfenden, Lux Arumque ‹ Eric Whitacre

Founded by Michael Willson in 1990, the 46-member Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble is considered the finest non-professional wind band in the area. The band was a guest ensemble at the 1995 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, performing for 10,000 conductors and music educators from around the world. In 2002 the TSWE was awarded the Sudler Silver Scroll by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, the highest award given to adult community bands in America.

Dr. Michael Willson retired as director of bands at McClintock High School after 33-years in music education. A two-term president of the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association, he is a frequent guest conductor and clinician for ensembles across America. In 1992 he was named to the John Philip Sousa Foundation Legion of Honor, an award given to only ten school band directors nationwide each year.

Information about the Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Dr. Michael Willson is available at www.tswe.org

 

Michael Cajero: "We Need to Dream This All Again"

 Eric Firestone Gallery is please to announce the exhibit by Michael Cajero: We Need to Dream This All Again. The exhibit will survey the ceramics, drawings and papiermâché installations by longtime Arizona artist Michael Cajero.

 Michael Cajero was born in Tucson, Arizona and remains one of Arizona's most unique, prolific and critically acclaimed artists. For the past 30 years Cajero has concentrated on furthering the Arte Povera and Process Art movements. With unbridled energy he summons his creations to life, directing them to act out universal dramas drawn from current events as well as the Mexican folktales that so impressed him in his youth.  

Exotically patterned gift-wrap, brown corrugated cardboard, and shredded computer and document paper culled from waste receptacles are Cajero's primary medium. These cast-off materials, heightened with acrylic paint, become the flesh, hair and clothes that cover skeletons of thick, yet easily bendable aluminum wire. For several years the figures were ablaze in wild color and pattern when a concurrent and ongoing exploration of ceramics made Cajero see that the carbon produced in the raku process could also be manipulated in his papier-mâché pieces.

 Black produced depth, defined breaks in color and movement, and emphasized mass; it helped create silhouettes and connected to his drawings like never before. Through color and papier-mâché, a time-tested craft borrowed from traditional Mexican folk artists, Cajero is able to imbue his figures with great realism; his sculptures take on individual personas and are empowered by the artist to exhibit a full range of emotions. A sculpture's personality, profession, or social standing is described by its visage, posture and the clothes they are given and how they wear them.

 Cajero always modeled the everyday person, tapping into the traditions of artists who did the same, Bonnard, Degas and Rodin in particular. Cajero gives a knowing nod to these artists in the way he uses mass, broken color and fragmented pattern to define shapes and set mood, and in how their almost autobiographical work conveys the artists' intimate understanding of the frailty, resilience and strength of their models and subjects. More impressive, perhaps, is how Cajero's sensitivity to his subject unveils his uneasiness concerning the world's current political, economic, religious, and social frictions.

 Cajero's ragged figures, feral creatures and turbulent installations draw inspiration from ancient history, art history, folklore, literature, music, mythology, poetry and a concern for the human condition. Cajero's works are powerful and magical performative creations, simultaneously baroque and surreal they captivate and puzzle, transporting all who enter his dark sculptural worlds into a profound sense of wonder and hope. Michael Cajero was born in Tucson, AZ in 1947, he holds a BFA from the University of Arizona and an MFA in Painting, Sculpture and Art History from Kent State University. Cajero has been the recipient of Visual Arts Fellowshipsfrom the Tucson Pima Arts Council in 1994 and 2001and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1993-1994; his papier-mâché works are in the permanent collection of the Tucson Museum of Art and the Phoenix Art Museum. Eric Firestone Gallery 4142 North Marshall Way Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 phone: 480-990-1037, www.ericfirestonegallery.com . MORE on ART PAGE

CJ Hollenbach and the Glendale Chocolate Affaire
One of the country's top romance novel cover models  appeared to meet fans and pose for photographs at the Glendale Chocolate Affaire on Feb. 1-2. CJ Hollenbach, who has modeled for national catalogs and has appeared on such television shows and networks as Entertainment Tonight, CNN, MTV and "American Gladiators," was present for  Friday and Saturday.

 Hollenbach's appearance complements the event's romance novelist symposium. The Glendale Chocolate Affaire has become the largest gathering of national romance novelists in the Southwest. Fans had the opportunity to get up close and personal with authors, as well as the chance to attend free writing workshops given by the experts. The romance novelists were located in the downtown plaza area, adjacent to the Glendale Civic Center, 5750 W. Glenn Dr. To learn more about CJ  website  at: http://www.cjhollenbach.com/

 

 Photo © Bette Sharpe CouryGraph  Productions

 

DFL to hold Author's Podium Speakers Series 2008
 In the tradition of holding book discussions that started many years ago, The Desert Foothills Library will present best selling authors who will speak about their latest published books in the library's meeting room.  All discussions are free to the public, refreshments will be served and authors will have books for sale and signing. 

On Tuesday, March 11 at 6 p.m.,  author Libby Hellmann will discuss her award-winning amateur sleuth series which debuted in 2002 with "An Eye For Murder".  It was followed in 2003 by "A Picture of Guilt", "An Image of Death" in 2004 and "A Shot to Die For" in 2005.  Hellmann is currently National President of Sisters in Crime and has published over a dozen short stories and articles.

  On Tuesday, March 25 at 6 p.m., local Cave Creek author, David I Wagner will speak about his and wife Flo's adventures on a backpack trip through Asia and the resulting book, "Unpaved Roads".  At age 28 David and his family helped pioneer the U.S.Peace Corps program in Ghana, West Africa.  Later he traveled extensively as an executive for international companies he has owned.  "Unpaved Roads" is David's debut book and he has two more in progress.

 Elizabeth B. Lewis will appear on Saturday, April 12 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss her books which are set in present day Arizona but are enriched with history and personalities from the past.  Elizabeth served nine years on the Board of the Arizona Nature Conservancy and she weaves challenges to the Arizona environment into her novels.

 

Chef Dillon's Corner
By Mr. Rich Dillon, Owner of Dillon's Restaurants

The Special Slaw 

  • One medium head green cabbage

  • One quarter head medium size red cabbage

  • Three medium carrots

  • Finely chop both cabbage and carrots (or coarsely grate if you prefer), place in a large bowl and refrigerate.

 Dressing:

  • One and one half cups mayonnaise

  • One half cup white vinegar

  • Two tablespoons light corn syrup

  • One tablespoon sugar

  • One teaspoon dry mustard

  • One teaspoon celery salt

  • One teaspoon white pepper

  • One half teaspoon garlic powder

  • One half teaspoon Kosher salt

 Mix together all of the dressing ingredients and refrigerate before serving. The trick to great cole slaw is to mix the cold cabbage and carrot mixture with the cold dressing just before serving. Pour dressing over cabbage/carrot mixture and toss. This will serve six to seven people. Have fun with your cooking and I hope to see you at Dillon's. Chef Dillon welcomes your questions. Please e-mail him at azphm@earthlink.net .

SOUTHWEST AMBULANCE TO TEACH SPRING BREAK PREPAREDNESS
TO U OF A GREEK COMMUNITY IN MEMORY OF DECEASED STUDENT

On February 24, 2008, 500-700 new University of Arizona students will receive contact cards with important emergency services numbers in Mexico. Additionally, these students will attend a course that is customized by experienced Southwest Ambulance EMS instructors and will aim to be as relevant and applicable as possible for today's college students regarding emergency preparedness during spring break.

Hunter White, a 2001 freshman at the University of Arizona was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. With a group of about 15 close friends, Hunter headed to Rocky Point, Mexico for Spring Break in 2001. In the early hours of March 14th, Hunter was killed in a rollover accident on the sand packed roads of this popular college destination in Mexico. His spring break travel companions were left stunned and shattered in a foreign country with limited knowledge about foreign policies and emergency assistance.

Hunter’s Runners, a non-profit formed in Hunter’s memory, has partnered with Southwest Ambulance to develop a spring break preparedness and awareness course which will be held annually prior to spring break for the University of Arizona Greek Community.

This completely customized program will incorporate hands-on emergency medical training, a foreign travel informational component and a situational Q and A forum. This program will emphasize awareness and preparedness for commonly problematic situations in today¹s college spring break scene.

Hunter’s Rocky Point story will be shared by his surviving siblings and the course will be taught by representatives from Southwest Ambulance. Students will gather in break out sessions of 2 hours in duration throughout an entire day. Due to its proximity and popularity, students will receive Rocky Point/Mexico emergency contact and response information. The ultimate goal of this program will be to equip these students with ways to think and act right when things go wrong.

Building or Remodeling? PARR Has Your Cabinets!
 The Parr Company has announced the opening of its newest “Parr Cabinet Outlet” in Peoria, Arizona. The Peoria location is Parr’s 11th cabinet outlet and features more than 20,000 square feet of warehouse and showroom and over two thousand cabinets to choose from. This great new store is located at 9700 North 91st Ave in Peoria and regular store hours are Tuesday through Friday 10am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 4pm.

 “We are thrilled to open our second location in the Phoenix metropolitan area,” said Mike Harris, Peoria Cabinet Outlet store manager. “Peoria and the surrounding communities are growing rapidly and we are confident that the stores will serve our customers well.” The Parr Cabinet Outlets have been very popular due to their large selection and low warehouse pricing. The inventory features Landmark Cabinets in stock and Kemper Cabinets available as special order.

 The stores allow customers to purchase fully assembled cabinets along with the ancillary products necessary for complete one-day installation. The outlets give homeowners, contractors, and remodelers the opportunity to immediately begin their cabinet projects by choosing from the thousands of cabinets in stock without having to wait the four or more weeks for delivery that is common with most cabinet orders.

 The store offers cabinets, countertops, hardware and appliances. Cabinets from Kemper and Landmark are available in oak, maple, cherry and birch. In addition buyers can select from a wide array of door styles and finishes along with a wide selection of accessories. The stores also stock extended pull-out cabinets which are popular for spices and canned goods, assorted racks for plates, wine bottles and baking trays. Ranges, dishwashers, microwaves hoods, refrigerators and washer and dryers are available in stock from Frigidaire.

 The new store is easy to get to from anywhere in the North Valley including Anthem, Cave Creek, Carefree, North Scottsdale, North Phoenix, Glendale, the Sun Cities, Youngtown, Surprise and of course Peoria. If your coming from the Northeast or North central part of the valley take the 101 to exit 10 and turn left on Peoria Ave then take a right on 91st Ave. the store is just down the street at 9700 North 91st Ave.

Chicago The Musical
Comes to Northwest Phoenix’s Maricopa County Events Center
 The ‘20s come roaring back with a vengeance when the hit musical CHICAGO comes to northwest Phoenix on March 21st and 22nd at the Maricopa County Events Center for three performances. Tickets are $40, $50 and $60 and go on sale February 3rd at 10 am through Ticketmaster by calling 480-784-4444 or online at www.ticketmaster.com . Tickets will be available for purchase in person at the Maricopa County Events Center Box Office.

 Based on the 1926 play by Maurine Dallas Watkins (which was based on real events), CHICAGO is, as we are told in the show’s opening lines, “a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery, all the things we hold near and dear to our hearts." The story revolves around Roxie Hart, a nightclub dancer who dreams of starring in vaudeville. She kills her lover, nightclub regular Fred Casely, and convinces her husband to front the money to hire Chicago's shrewdest defense lawyer. The lawyer, Billy Flynn, turns her crime of passion into celebrity headlines, and Roxie becomes the toast of Chicago, until other crimes pull the limelight away from her.

CHICAGO was created by John Kander and Fred Ebb (known for their hit musicals Cabaret and Kiss of the Spider Woman) and Bob Fosse (famous for his innovative staging and choreography). It first opened on Broadway on June 3rd, 1975 and ran 898 performances. Its current Broadway revival (on which this tour is based) opened November 14th, 1996, and is still running.

 In 2002 Miramax Films took the Tony Award winning musical to the big screen, starring Renee Zellweger as Roxie Hart, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelley and Richard Gere as Billy Flynn. The box office success and subsequent multiple Oscar wins including Best Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Best Picture lead to the rebirth of the musical and touring success.

 CHICAGO will be at the Maricopa County Events Center, 19403 RH Johnson Blvd, Sun City, Friday March 21st at 8:00 pm and Saturday March 22nd at 2:00 and 8:00 pm.  Tickets are $40, $50 and $60 and on sale Feb 3rd by calling 480-784-4444, on-line at www.ticketmaster.com  and at all Ticketmaster outlets.  Tickets will also be available at the Maricopa County Events Center Box Office, Tue-Sat. 10 am – 4 pm.  For group sales, call 480-218-9332

Kerr Cultural Center’s 2008 Guest Artists
The Afternoon Solution
Kids, grab your parents and grandparents, you are off to see a show!  This delightful family series features some of the Valley’s best and most entertaining performing artists. Each program is specially geared for audiences of all ages.  

 Cinco De Moio March 9th  Cinco De Moio is a Latin Jazz group made up of some of the premier players in the Phoenix area. The music ranges from Cuban Danzon, Cha Cah to Brazilian Samba’s and Bossa Nova’s. The group will feature Dom Moio on drums and percussion joined by Joe Garcia on Congas and percussion.  Jerry Donato playing tenor sax, soprano sax, flute and piccolo; Mike King on bass; and brother Bill Moio on guitar. Rounding out the group on piano and accordion will be Greece pianist Ioannis Goudelis. This will be a very high energy and fun filled concert, so come and check out the groove!

 Annie Moscow April 6th   Annie Moscow is a storyteller who brings a fresh perspective to universal subjects that everybody can relate to, but few ever talk or sing about. With an explosive piano style and the voice of an angel, her very visual songs take you right into the picture.  This will be an afternoon of original songs and poetry - whimsical, daring, funny, poignant and powerful!

 For further information, call the ASU Kerr Cultural Center at 480-596-2660 or visit them on line at www.asukerr.com . You can also check out www.azphm.com . Kerr’s box office is open weekdays between the hours of 10am-5pm, Saturday (NOW - April) 1-5pm and one hour prior to all ticketed events. Student, senior and group rates are available for most events. The Kerr Cultural Center, a facility of ASU Public Events, is handicapped accessible.

 Kerr’s intimate adobe studio is located at 6110 N Scottsdale Rd., between Lincoln and McDonald off Rose Lane, just west of Scottsdale Road, directly south of the Borgata of Scottsdale. Tickets can also be purchased at ASU Gammage and any Ticketmaster outlet.  Partial funding for Kerr’s 2007-2008 Season of Guest Artists is provided by the Arizona Commission on the Arts appropriations from the Arizona State Legislature and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Snapshot Survey Highlights Domestic Violence Advocacy Work in Arizona

 Domestic violence programs around the state helped 1,055 victims of domestic violence in one 24-hour period last year, according to a national survey that provides a snapshot of whether services meet demand.

 They were among 53,203 people who received services from 1,346 domestic violence agencies nationwide in a 24-hour period starting on September 25th, 2007, according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

 Arizona agencies reporting provided emergency shelter or transitional housing to 761 victims. These services help people escape acutely life-threatening situations and offer options so victims do not have to return to live with the abuser.

 In addition, 294 victims received non-residential services such as legal advocacy, individual counseling, group counseling, and childcare.  

Eighteen of the Coalition’s 32 domestic violence member agencies took part in the national survey. Although many victims were connected with services, over 100 requests were denied for reasons such as staff shortages and lack of emergency bed space at domestic violence organizations. These unmet requests point to the continued need for increased funding for agencies throughout the state.  

Allie Bones, Executive Director of the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence, says, “The survey results remind us that advocates across the state continue to work tirelessly to keep domestic violence victims safe. They provide a wide range of services to a diverse group of Arizonans. However, too often they do so under conditions which are less than ideal. Empty staff positions and not enough funding mean that some victims are turned away. We must do more to ensure that all who seek help receive it.”

 During those 24 hours, 182 calls were made to hotlines, which mean advocates answered approximately eight calls per hour. Throughout the state, 181 people attended trainings to learn about ways to prevent domestic violence.

 “We know that, for various reasons, not all victims contact shelters or hotlines for help. It’s amazing that Arizona programs were able to help over 1,000 victims in one day, but we know that many more people were victimized in that 24 hour period,” says Bones.


THE INTENSE PLAY "EXTREMITIES"  BASED ON A TRUE STORY
Marjorie (Robin Austin) is attacked in her own home by Raul (Ryan Nelson) in the intense play "Extremities" produced by Theater Works.  The show runs in the McMillin Black Box Theater at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, Feb. 22-24, Feb. 28-March 2 and March 6-9.
 "William Mastrosimone wrote his play to fill in a blank," says Theater Works Artistic Director Robyn Allen.  In May 1978 the playwright met a 55-year old woman he calls Mary.  She was raped the night before, and for some reason needed to tell someone, even a stranger like Mastrosimone - about her ordeal.  Mastrosimone befriended Mary and followed her case through the trial, where the 19-year-old rapist sat quietly in a three-piece suit, white shirt and tie.  When he was cross-examined he made amusing remarks.  The jury laughed.
While evidence was presented that Mary was raped, there wasn't enough to convince the jury the defendant was the rapist. Acquitted, the rapist walked behind Mary on the courthouse steps and said, "If you think that was bad, wait until next time."  

Mary became consumed with fear.  She slept with the light on, next to the phone with a butcher knife.  But it was too much.  She quit her job, lost her pension and bought a one-way ticket to the opposite coast.  Mary stopped to thank Mastrosimone for his support before she left.  
"Mary recounted something about the rape that had haunted her - how there was a moment when she could have kicked the rapist in the groin, but didn't," explains Allen.  "She was brought up not to hurt people or she feared if she didn't hurt him enough he would kill her.  With Mary not taking a stand the rapist lit a cigarette and raped her again.  Then beat her with a lamp."  

Mary told Mastrosimone she would think of that moment the rest of her life and fantasize about hurting her attacker, of getting "real justice."  She told him, "If I had five minutes in a locked room with him now_____" and never finished her sentence.

"The production you will see at Theater Works, finished her sentence," proclaims Allen.

Don't miss Theater Works' extraordinary presentation of an intellectually stimulating evening of theater.  The cast includes Robin Austin, Ryan Nelson, Chanel Bragg and Heather Cambanes.  "Extremities" is directed by Richard Hardt.  Robyn Allen serves as the Theater Works' Artistic Director and Levy Antal is Executive Director and Producer.  

Tickets are now on sale at the Peoria Center for Performing Arts, 8355 W. Peoria, or by calling 623-815-7930.  They can also be purchased on line at www.theaterworks.org .   Tickets are $16.00.  The show will run February 22-24, Feb 28-March 2 and March 6-9.      
Donor list for Ron Bergamo Television Scholarship continues to Grow
The donor list for the Ron Bergamo Television Scholarship Fund (created with the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation) continues to grow after the announcement of a fundraising luncheon and auction event being held at US Airways Center Pavilion, March 14, 2008, 11:30 am. The auction is expected to include valuable items and radio, television, billboards, webspace and newspaper-magazine ad space. The idea and event come from long time friend of Bergamo, Gregg Ostro (founder and CEO of GO Media Cos.), as a way to turn the loss of Bergamo into a tribute and lasting legacy for the man so many knew as a friend, leader and mentor.

Donation commitments have already come in from Ostro, Jerry Colangelo, President of USA Basketball and former Phoenix Suns CEO; Jimmy Walker, founder and chairman of Celebrity Fight Night; Ron Cohen, owner and CEO of KFNN radio; Rich Boals, CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield-Arizona; Ken Kendrick, philanthropist; Jeff Moorad and Derrick Hall, Arizona Diamondbacks; Steve Hammel, General Manager of KPHO TV5; Jack Londen, Londen Insurance and owner of AZTV; William V. Bidwill, owner of Arizona Cardinals; Marty Shultz, Vice president of Pinnacle West; Glenn Pahnke, Vice president of Robert W. Baird & Co; and promotional support from Pat McMahon, KTAR and AZTV talk show host.  The donor list continues to grow, even though invitations have not been sent out yet.

What: Luncheon & Auction To Create Ron Bergamo Television Scholarships-In memory of beloved TV executive Ron Bergamo (most recently station manager and VP AZTV) Seats $200/each Platinum ­ (4) tables at $10,000 for 10 seats in the front row with 2 head table seats  Gold ­ (6) tables at $5,000 for 10 seats in the second row with 1 head table seat  Silver ­ (10) tables at $2,000 for 10 seats  Accepting Cash Donations, payable to Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation   Accepting Advertising Media and auction items with minimum retail value of $1,000  All Monies payable and handled by Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit When: Friday, March 14, 2008, 11:30am-1:30pm Where: EVENT: US Airways Center, 201 East Jefferson, Phoenix, AZ  TO DONATE: The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, 2411 W. 14th Street, Tempe, 84281, 480.731.8403 www.maricopa.edu/resdev/foundation TO OBTAIN SEATS/TABLE AT THE EVENT: Contact Tawnia Nelson at 602.955.5656 x 141 or tawnia.nelson@gomediaco.com  Who:  In memory of Ron Bergamo, station manager and vice president of AZTV, previously GM of CBS and Fox station in Phoenix. Gregg Ostro, founder & CEO GO Media Cos. / GOCO, Inc. Created Ron Bergamo Television Scholarships program and luncheon. Steve Helfgot, CEO, Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation  Why: To create scholarships for aspiring television media students to attend the Maricopa Community Colleges and keep alive the positive legacy of celebrated and widely loved Arizona TV executive Ron Bergamo.

MCC Foundation Overview: The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization designated by the Maricopa Community College District (MCCCD) to receive and manage gifts on behalf of its 10 colleges, two skill centers and multiple satellite centers. The Foundation actively seeks contributions from a variety of public and private sources including individuals, corporations and other foundations. It acts as a trustee for donations to assure that gifts are distributed in the manner specified by the donor. The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, 2411 W. 14th Street, Tempe, 84281, 480.731.8403 www.maricopa.edu/resdev/foundation

Consumers Choose Wilhelm Automotive as West Valleys Best
Wilhelm Automotive is proud to announce that they have received the Reader’s Choice Award for the best oil/lube shop in the West Valley. This is the third year of the Reader’s Choice Awards program, which is presented by the West Valley View newspaper, and the first time that Wilhelm’s has been chosen for the award.  This annual program asks consumers/readers to vote for their favorite places to go for different goods, services and entertainment in the West Valley. All of the employees at our five Wilhelm locations appreciate your continued patronage and thank you, the public, for your confidence in the quality service we provide and the community support that we offer. “This award lets us know that we are providing a quality service for our customers” said Thom Gyder, President of Wilhelm Automotive. “For 80 years, we have always put our customers first. Trust, quality, experience and peace of mind are terms that our staff lives by everyday. We thank those who took the time to voice their opinion and we look forward to providing the high quality service that our customers have come to expect.”


SCOTTSDALE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

 

PERFORMANCES & EVENTS

Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations Austria-Hungary: Captivating Continentals

March 18, 2008, Tuesday @ 7:30 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present Austria-Hungary: Captivating Continentals as part of Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations on March 18, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. Single tickets are available for $38 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Web site at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).

 

Now in its 28th season at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations explore the theme of A Musical Travelogue in 2007 - 08. Austria-Hungary: Captivating Continentals will feature Schubert's Scherzo in B-flat and Sonata in A minor, D. 784, Opus 143; Bartók's Rondo No. 1 as well as Bagatelle No. 8, Opus 6, and From the Diary of a Fly; Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 13; Dvorák's Humoresque; Suk's Love Song; and J. Strauss, Jr.'s Blue Danube Waltz, arranged for the piano by Schulz-Evler. A question-and-answer session will follow.

 

The performance also will feature Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' innovative Keyboard in the Sky, a large-screen projection over the stage that enables the audience to watch Siegel's hands on the keyboard in real time.

 

Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations are a unique, concert-plus-commentary format in which he speaks to the audience about the music before performing each work. New listeners have greeted these programs with enormous enthusiasm because they present an informal, accessible and highly entertaining introduction to the vast repertoire of the piano and to classical music in general. Seasoned music-lovers have been enriched by Siegel's erudition and delighted by his wit. Ongoing series flourish in numerous American cities, among them New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Phoenix/Scottsdale, San Francisco, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Denver Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts has been presenting Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations since 1979, a testament to Siegel's superb artistry, innovative format and loyal following.

 

JEFFREY SIEGEL The distinguished American pianist Jeffrey Siegel has been a soloist with the world's great orchestras. Abroad, these include the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony, Philharmonic and Philharmonia, Moscow State Symphony, Bayerischer Rundfunk, The Hague Residentie Orkest, Oslo Philharmonic, Stockholm Philharmonic, Orchestra of La Scala and NHK Symphony of Japan. In the United States, engagements include the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Siegel has collaborated with many of the pre-eminent conductors of our time: Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, Charles Dutoit, Neeme Järvi, James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas and David Zinman, as well as legendary maestros of the past, including Eugene Ormandy, Sir George Solti, William Steinberg, Klaus Tennstedt and Yevgeny Svetlanov.

 

As a conductor, Siegel has appeared with the Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Saint Louis Symphony Orchestras, The Minnesota Orchestra and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, as well as orchestras in France, Scandinavia and South America. He is equally at home in the dual role of conductor/pianist, directing the orchestra from the keyboard. For 13 years, Siegel served as music director and conductor of the Mainly Mozart Festival in Arizona.

 

In 2006, Random House Audio Publishing Group released an audiobook series of four CDs of Keyboard Conversations: Mozart and Friends, The Power and Passion of Beethoven, The Romanticism of the Russian Soul and The Romance of the Piano. They are available at www.randomhouse.com/audio, for download at iTunes and Audible and at booksellers across the country. Twin Cities Public Television, in conjunction with The Schubert Club, recently produced and broadcast two half-hour Keyboard Conversations - Mozart & Chopin - available on DVD exclusively at Siegel's concerts. His recording of Gershwin's complete works for piano and orchestra with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint Louis Symphony continues to be a best-seller and is available as a VoxBox, 2-CD set (CDX 5007).

 

Born into a musical family, Jeffrey Siegel studied with Rudolf Ganz in his native Chicago, with the legendary Rosina Lhévinne at The Juilliard School and, as a Fulbright Scholar, with Ilona Kabos in London. Siegel and his wife live in New York City and are the parents of two grown children.

 

Jeffrey Siegel is a Steinway artist.


LATIN JAZZ PIANIST EDDIE PALMIERI TO PERFORM

 Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band

April 3, 2008, Thursday @ 7:30 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

 

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present the Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band on April 3, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. The performance is part of the Journeys in Jazz Series sponsored by Infiniti and is presented with support from Alice and David Olsan with additional support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

Single tickets are available for $42 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Web site at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).

 

One of the greatest Latin pianists of the last half century, Eddie Palmieri merges the rhythms of his Puerto Rican heritage with the seminal jazz of Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner. His extraordinary career spans 50 years as a leader of salsa and Latin jazz orchestras and includes nine Grammy Awards and more than 30 albums. Born in Spanish Harlem in 1936, Palmieri began piano studies at an early age, as did his celebrated older brother, the late salsa legend and pianist Charlie Palmieri. He began his professional career as a pianist in the early 1950s with Eddie Forrester's Orchestra and later performed with Johnny Segui's band and the Tito Rodriguez Orchestra. In 1961, Palmieri formed his own band, the legendary Conjunto La Perfecta, which featured a trombone section (led by the late Barry Rogers) in place of trumpets, something that had been rarely done in Latin music, demonstrating the early stages of Palmieri's unconventional orchestration. The group was known as "the band with the crazy roaring elephants" for its unique configuration of two trombones, flute, percussion, bass and vocals. With an infectious and soaring sound, Palmieri's band soon joined the ranks of Machito, Tito Rodriguez and the other major Latin orchestras of the day.

 

Palmieri's influences include not only his older brother Charlie but Jesus Lopez, Chapotin, Lili Martinez and other Cuban players of the 1940s, as well as jazz luminaries Art Tatum, Bobby Timmons, Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Bud Powell, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis. Equally important were influences derived from Palmieri's curiosity and incessant search to unearth his family's roots and to seek out the origins of the music that profoundly inspired him. Palmieri's solid interpretation of Afro-Caribbean music and its confluence with jazz are evident in his astute arranging skills, which assemble those components in dramatic and compelling compositions. Palmieri's accomplishments have taken him throughout Europe, Japan and Latin America, showcasing his assemblage of seasoned musicians and kaleidoscope of musical styles.
 


 

 Carrie Fisher in Wishful Drinking

April 29 - May 11, 2008, Tuesday - Thursday @ 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday @ 8 p.m, Sunday @ 7:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees @ 2 p.m. Theater 4301 @ Galleria Corporate Centre

Single ticket: $56*/$52 *higher ticket price is for Friday and Saturday evening performances

 In this one-woman, autobiographical journey, actress and writer Carrie Fisher shares insights into her fascinating life and career with a wry sense of humor. Starting with her childhood in Hollywood as the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, she examines her rise to stardom as plucky Princess Leia and her hit movie Postcards from the Edge, marriage to Paul Simon, drug addiction, bipolar disorder, motherhood and her triumph over life's challenges.

 Contains mature language and themes

 This performance will include an exclusive Ignite event. Ignite is a group for young professionals and students with a passion for the performing arts. Members enjoy exclusive social events before and after selected performances as well as opportunities to meet artists and to volunteer for the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Membership in Ignite is free and open to anyone between the ages of 21 - 39. To learn more and to join online visit www.ignitearts.org. Ignite lounges and special events are presented with support from Orange Table.

 


An Evening with Dave Brubeck and Sons - Chris and Dan Brubeck

May 1 - 2, 2008, Thursday @ 7:30 p.m., Friday @ 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

Single ticket: $70

 Legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck and his sons, Chris and Dan Brubeck, are back for an encore performance! The combination of the elder Brubeck's daring improvisations and the brothers' unique style blending rock, classical, blues, funk, reggae and world music into the color and texture of their arrangements promises to be another outstanding evening for jazz fans.

 This performance is part of the In the Spotlight Series sponsored by Scottsdale League for the Arts

Presented with support from Jaburg & Wilk, P.C. and Alice and David Olsan

 


Night Run for the Arts

May 3, 2008, Saturday @ 7 p.m. (8K race starts @ 8 p.m.)

Scottsdale Civic Center Mall Amphitheater, 75th Street and Main Street

Registration fee: $18 (before March 31); $20 (April 1 - May 2); $25 (day of the race)

 

The Valley's premier evening race, the Night Run for the Arts is a fun, family-friendly event that welcomes people of all ages and abilities. Highlights include an 8K run through downtown Scottsdale, a 3-Mile Fun Run/Walk and the Art Stroll, a docent-guided walking tour of the sculptures on the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall. The event culminates with an outdoor party featuring music, an awards ceremony, food and beverages. This year's Night Run for the Arts also features a green building exhibit and an eco-friendly activity for kids.

 

The Night Run for the Arts is presented by SRP Earthwise Energy and benefits youth education programs at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Information and advance registration are available online at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org .

 


R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe

Written and directed by D.W. Jacobs

Starring Joe Spano

Produced by Rubicon Theatre Company in association with The Z Space Studio

May 9, 2008, Friday @ 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

Single ticket: $58

 

Based on the writings of engineer, philosopher and utopian thinker R. Buckminster Fuller, this one-man show is a supercharged, inspiring tour de force. It begins as one of Fuller's famous lectures and transforms into a full-on effort to reunite the arts and sciences to create a better world. Filled with stirring words (many drawn from Fuller's lectures and writings) and stunning visual images, "The Bucky Show" takes the audience on a journey (complete with models, drawings and a little tai chi) through the mind and matter of one of the 20th century's greatest intellectuals.

 Presented with support from Will Bruder and Louise Roman

 


R. Carlos Nakai

May 10, 2008, Saturday @ 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

Single ticket: $38
Arizonan R. Carlos Nakai is the world's premier Native American flutist. Nakai has combined his classical training with his mastery of the cedar flute to form a complex, sophisticated sound that not only reveals the flute's uniqueness, but covers the spectrum of musical genres from jazz, piano and guitar collaborations to digital technology.
Presented with support from the National Endowment for the Arts
 


Concerts Under the Stars: Pink Martini

May 13, 2008, Tuesday @ 7:30 p.m.

Amphitheater, Scottsdale Civic Center Mall

Single ticket price: $36

 The wildly entertaining and eclectic Pink Martini has been described as a cross between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber music ensemble, a Brazilian marching street band and Japanese film noir. This 12-piece 'little orchestra' from Portland, Oregon, is at home on any stage performing its romantic, multi-lingual repertoire.


RENOWNED EVIDENCE DANCE COMPANY
EXPLORES AFRICAN-AMERICAN CULTURE

 Evidence, A Dance Company

March 14, 2008, Friday @ 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present a one-night performance by Ronald K. Brown's critically acclaimed dance company, Evidence, on March 14, 2008, at 8 p.m. The performance is part of the Soaring Inspirations Series sponsored by the Daron and Ron Barness Family Foundation and is presented with support from Suzanne T. and Irving D. Karpas Jr. with additional support provided by the New England Foundation for the Arts, MetLife and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

 

 

 


Concerts Under the Stars: Don McLean

May 17, 2008, Saturday @ 7:30 p.m.

Amphitheater, Scottsdale Civic Center Mall

Single ticket price: $36

 

Legendary singer-songwriter Don McLean began his career during the tumultuous 1960s and became a household name with his 1971 smash hit American Pie, a nostalgic tribute to the late Buddy Holly. Rooted in American folk, his classic songs and deeply personal lyrics have inspired audiences for more than 40 years.

 


ONGOING PERFORMANCES

 Late Nite Catechism

By Vicki Quade & Maripat Donovan

Ongoing, call for dates and times

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Stage 2

Single ticket: $36

 na's longest-running play is still in a class by itself! Audience members are the students in catechism class, and Patti Hannon stars as "Sister" in this hilarious interactive comedy. Each performance of Late Nite Catechism is unique and will appeal to people of all ages and faiths. Students are advised to be on their best behavior, however, or else Sister may put someone in her naughty chair - on stage!

 


Late Nite Catechism II: Sometimes We Feel Guilty Because We Are Guilty

By Maripat Donovan

Ongoing, call for dates and times

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Stage 2

Single ticket: $36

 The fun continues in Sister's second catechism class! It's not necessary to be a graduate of Late Nite Catechism to enjoy this one - Sister will give extra attention to her slower students. She has felt banners, a filmstrip, handouts, historical facts and hysterical insights to explain the goal of every nun: getting into heaven and bringing along as many of the faithful as possible. Using a special version of Chutes & Ladders to demonstrate her point, Sister tells us where we have gone wrong, and no one is excused from her firm belief that "sometimes we feel guilty because we are guilty."

 


LOCATION AND PARKING

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is located at 7380 East Second Street in downtown Scottsdale, four blocks south of Indian School Road and three blocks east of Scottsdale Road. The amphitheater is located on the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall at 75th Street and Main Street. Free parking is available in the public parking garage located to the west of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and directly behind Los Olivos restaurant on Wells Fargo Avenue. Additional free parking is available at the Old Town Parking Corral at East Second Street and Brown Avenue and at the Civic Center Library parking garage located on Drinkwater Boulevard at East Second Street. Theater 4301 is located in the Galleria Corporate Centre at 4301 Scottsdale Road on the corner of Drinkwater Boulevard and Fifth Avenue in downtown Scottsdale, one block east of Scottsdale Road. Free parking is available in the Galleria Corporate Centre parking garage.

 ACCESSIBILITY

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts offers performance accommodations to enhance our audience members' experience, including: American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation or live audio description with two weeks advance notice. Assisted listening devices and wheelchair seating are always available. Visit our Web site www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org  or contact the box office at (480) 994-ARTS [TDD: (480) 874-4694] for further details. Please inquire about services when ordering tickets.

 GROUP DISCOUNTS

A $3 discount per ticket is available for groups of 15 or more (subject to restriction and limitation). Call (480) 874-4657 for more information.

 STUDENT DISCOUNTS

Students with valid student identification may purchase half-price tickets (subject to availability; limit one per student) 72 hours before any performance at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts box office. Tickets must be purchased in-person; phone orders are not accepted.

 SCOTTSDALE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Opened in 1975, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts presents exceptional and culturally diverse performances of contemporary dance, jazz, classical and world music, theater and satire. More than 1,000 performances, educational programs, festivals and other events are showcased annually serving more than 300,000 people. Performances take place in the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' 838-seat Virginia G. Piper Theater and 136-seat Stage 2, the 2,200-seat amphitheater on the grounds of the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall and the 326-seat Theater 4301 @ Galleria Corporate Centre. In 2007-08, the City of Scottsdale will begin a major renovation of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, part of the Scottsdale Civic Center complex designed by Arizona architect Bennie Gonzales. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' educational programs reach more than 43,000 school children each year, and its free programs are available to the entire public. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts also produces the popular Scottsdale Arts Festival every March; Sunday A'Fair, a series of free outdoor music festivals held on Sunday afternoons from January to April; and Native Trails, a collaboration with the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau that features free demonstrations of Native American arts and culture from January to April. Open daily and during performances, The Store @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts offers hand-crafted jewelry, accessories for the home, toys for imaginative young minds, recordings, books, greeting cards and more.

 The Scottsdale Cultural Council, a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is contracted by the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, to administer certain City arts and cultural projects and to manage the City-owned Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Scottsdale Public Art Program. The programs of the Scottsdale Cultural Council are made possible, in part, by the support of members and donors and grants received from the Arizona Commission on the Arts through appropriations from the Arizona State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 
 

SCOTTSDALE ARTS FESTIVAL SEEKS VOLUNTEERS 

The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is seeking volunteers for the 38th annual Scottsdale Arts Festival on March 7 - 9, 2008. Volunteers are needed for day-long shifts to assist with a variety of tasks, including admissions, artist hospitality, food and beverage concessions, children's activities and the online art auction.

 

All volunteers are required to attend a two-hour training session and will receive a complimentary T-shirt, a return pass to the Scottsdale Arts Festival and lunch. Volunteers may visit www.scottsdaleartsfestival.org for additional information and to register online or call (480) 874-4673 with any questions.

 

One of the premier arts festivals in the country, the Scottsdale Arts Festival has been a favorite of visitors and artists alike since 1971. During this three-day event, nearly 200 jury-selected artists from throughout North America display their work for sale on the beautiful grounds of the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall. In addition to the high-quality arts and crafts, visitors enjoy live entertainment and music, delicious food and beverages, fun art activities for children and families, an online art auction and much more.

 

The 38th annual Scottsdale Arts Festival is produced by Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and is sponsored by CBS 5, 99.9 KEZ, 95.5 KYOT and SRP. Proceeds benefit the programs of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

 

ST. JEROME STUDENTS LEARN VALUABLE LESSON IN LIFE FROM THE WAY BURMESE FAMILY HANDLES TRAGEDY Setting up memorial fund at Bank of America
A Burmese family that migrated to Phoenix in September 2007 is turning the tragedy of its 13-year-old son into a life lesson for the eighth-grade class at St. Jerome Catholic School in Northwest Phoenix.
           Andrew Lin, was killed when he was hit by a car as he was walking home from school on Friday, January 25.  He was one of seven children from a Burmese family that was adopted by St. Jerome Catholic School, 10815 N. 35th Ave. Each year, the school raises funds to finance the adoption of a refugee family and working with Catholic Social Services has helped the Lin family find housing, employment, food, clothing and other life necessities.
           The Lin family response to the tragic death of their son has been anything but bitter.  Andrew's organs were donated to help those who may need a transplant, and the family has expressed no anger toward the driver of the car that hit Andrew.
           The eighth-grade class at St. Jerome, under the direction of teacher Rose Mischke, has been working to help cover the expenses associated with Andrew's funeral and are setting up a memorial fund at Bank of America.  They view this as a way of remembering a fallen friend who, despite his lack of material possessions, was always seeking to help others.
           "He was also an extremely bright and hard-working students," noted Ms. Mischke.  "Andrew recently received an award for being one of the smartest kids in his class.  Our children truly feel that they have lost a brother." Donations can be made to the "Andrew Lin Memorial Fund" at any Bank of America in the valley. For more information on St. Jerome's effort to help the Lin family, contact Louise DeBusk at 602/312-4748.

One of the country's premier arts fairs, the 38th annual Scottsdale Arts Festival will be held on the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall on March 7 - 9, 2008. 

The event is sponsored by CBS 5, 99.9 KEZ and 95.5 KYOT and SRP. The Arizona Republic is the 2007 - 08 season media sponsor. Proceeds benefit the programs of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

 Consistently ranked among the top arts festivals in the country by the readers of American Style magazine, the Scottsdale Arts Festival has been a favorite among visitors and artists alike since 1971. During this three-day event, nearly 200 jury-selected artists from throughout North America display their work for sale on the beautiful grounds of the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall. Works of art are available for purchase directly from the artists and from the Scottsdale Art Festival's online art auction. Visitors also enjoy continuous live music and entertainment, a unique work of interactive performance art commissioned by the Scottsdale Public Art Program, fun activities for children and families at Imagine Nation, delicious food and beverages, free admission to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) and free parking and shuttle service.

 A complete listing of events, directions, shuttle and parking information is available online at www.scottsdaleartsfestival.org.

 HOURS & ADMISSION

March 7, 2008, Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

March 8, 2008, Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

March 9, 2008, Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Admission: $7 for adults; $5 for students; free for children 12 and under and members of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and SMoCA

Pets are not allowed, except for assistance dogs

Exhibiting artists include:

 Nicholas Bernard (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Curly Vessel, earthenware, 12 x 10 x 10 inches

 Julita Jones (Laguna Beach, Calif.), The Hummingbird, viscosity etching, 12 x 12 inches

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FREE TAX HELP AARP Tax-Aide Volunteers will be at the Desert Foothills Library

 AARP Tax-Aide Volunteers will be at the Desert Foothills Library (38443 N. Schoolhouse Rd., Cave Creek) starting February 5th, to provide free tax assistance in preparing and e-filing 2007 federal and AZ state tax returns.Tax-Aide Volunteers will be available at this site on Tuesday afternoons from 12:30pm to 4:30pm throughout the tax season ending on April 15th. 

Appointments Are Strongly Recommended to minimize wait times. People with appointments will be serviced first. To schedule an appointment for the Desert Foothills Library site only, call (480) 488-2286.Taxpayers must bring all of their 2007 income documents (W-2’s, 1099’s, etc.), and their 2006 tax return. For joint returns, both spouses need to be present. Completed federal and AZ state tax returns prepared at this site will be e-filed.The AARP Tax-Aide program provides free tax assistance to low and middle income taxpayers with emphasis on assisting those 60 years and older.

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20th Annual Great Arizona Beer Festival
WHEN:  March 8 & 9, 2008 rain or shine!  VIP – 1pm to 6pm. General Admission 2 pm to 6pm
WHERE:   Tempe Beach Park   Mill Avenue at Rio Salado Parkway
WHO:    Benefiting Sun Sounds of Arizona, a reading and information access service for people who are blind, or who cannot read because of a disabling condition which prevents reading.
ABOUT THE EVENT:  Choose up to 24 tastes of more than 100 specialty and microbrewed beers.  Live music, food, games and fun.  Food available for sale inside, VIP’s enjoy a catered dinner.  Meet vendors exhibiting products and services. Educational programs about brewing and beer. Driver safety. For people age 21 and up only.
ADMISSION: $40 in advance for general admission and $50 at the  gate.  VIP tickets are $80 in advance and $90 at the gate.  Designated driver tickets will be $20 at the gate for general admission and $30 for VIP. Entertainment is included in the price of admission.
         FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION: www.azbeer.com  

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THE PAUL WINTER CONSORT FUSES JAZZ AND WORLD MUSIC

WITH SOUNDS OF NATURE

The Paul Winter Consort

January 25, 2008, Friday @ 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

 

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) - Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present The Paul Winter Consort on January 25, 2008, at 8 p.m. The performance is part of the Journeys in Jazz series sponsored by Infiniti.Single tickets are available for $42 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Web site at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).

 

 

DAILY SHOW CORRESPONDENT ROB RIGGLE TO PERFORM

 

Rob Riggle

January 26, 2008, Saturday @ 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

 

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present comedian Rob Riggle on January 26, 2008, at 8 p.m. The performance is part of the Satirical Edge series sponsored in laughing memory of Steve Simon by his family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE TROCKS PUT A NEW SPIN ON CLASSICAL BALLET
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

February 1 - 2, 2008, Friday and Saturday @ 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

 

 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo on February 1 - 2, 2008, at 8 p.m. The performance is part of the Satirical Edge series sponsored in laughing memory of Steve Simon by his family and is presented by Arlene and Michael Lanes.

 

Single tickets are available for $48 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Web site at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).

 

Affectionately known as "The Trocks," Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo has entertained audiences for more than 30 years and established itself as a major dance phenomenon throughout the world. Putting a new spin on the art of dance, the all-male company performs faithful renditions of the most celebrated works - from romantic ballets like Swan Lake to the modern masterpieces of Martha Graham - fabulously costumed and delicately balanced en pointe. With grace, charm and pure comic genius, the Trocks playfully bring to life the heroic characters and plots of these great works.

 

The Trocks will perform their signature work, Le Lac des Cygnes from Act II of Swan Lake, and Majisimas, inspired by Act II of the opera El Cid, among other selections.

 

Founded in 1974 by a group of ballet enthusiasts for the purpose of presenting a playful, entertaining view of traditional, classical ballet in parody form and en travesti, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo first performed in the late-late shows in Off-Off Broadway lofts. The Trocks quickly garnered major press coverage in New York and beyond, which established the company as an artistic and popular success. The company has since appeared in more than 30 countries and 500 cities worldwide, earning rave reviews and countless fans wherever they perform. Photo Sascha Vaughn

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 DAME EDNA CANCELLED!

Dame Edna: Live and Intimate!

February 5 - 10, 2008

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

 

 Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present Dame Edna: Live and Intimate! from February 5 - 10, 2008. The performance is presented with support from Linda and Sherman Saperstein.

 

Single tickets are available for $70 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Web site at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).

 

Following the unprecedented glamour and success of her previous Tony-attracting shows, Australia's Dame Edna Everage, the international housewife, therapist, gigastar, guru and celebrity confidant, is back by popular demand! She will dazzle and charm her adoring U.S. Possums with another unforgettable stage show - Live and Intimate!

 

"I don't do shows, Possums, I make history!" exclaimed Dame Edna. "In a spooky way I am theater in the making. My shows are really not shows at all ... they are MIRACLES, which you can proudly tell your grandchildren you witnessed."

 

Created by Australian actor Barry Humphries, Dame Edna has been presenting her Entertainment Solutions both on Broadway and the length and breadth of the United States for the past decade, and never have Americans needed to laugh, cry and give standing ovations as much as they do today. Dame Edna's performances have won a Tony Award and one Tony nomination as well as countless other less-flattering awards.

 

SHOW TIMES

February 5, Tuesday @ 7:30 p.m.

February 6, Wednesday @ 7:30 p.m.

February 7, Thursday @ 7:30 p.m.

February 8, Friday @ 8 p.m.

February 9, Saturday @ 2 p.m.

February 10, Sunday @ 2 p.m.

 

Dame Edna: Live and Intimate! contains mature language and themes. Photo credit: Greg Gorman

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ARGENTINE PIANIST INGRID FLITER TO PERFORM RECITAL

 

2007 - 08 Virginia G. Piper Concert Series

Ingrid Fliter

February 10, 2008, Sunday @ 7:30 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater

 

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present a recital by acclaimed Argentine pianist Ingrid Fliter on February 10, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. as part of the 2007 - 08 Virginia G. Piper Concert Series, curated by Dayton Fowler Grafman. The performance is presented by The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust with support from Suzanne T. and Irving D. Karpas Jr.

 

Single tickets are available for $24 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' Web site at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org or the box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787).

 

Now celebrating its 20th-anniversary season, the Virginia G. Piper Concert Series brings to Scottsdale internationally acclaimed classical pianists - from legendary performers to emerging talents - for intimate, Sunday-evening recitals in the Virginia G. Piper Theater.

 

The recipient of the 2006 Gilmore Artist Award, Ingrid Fliter is only the fifth pianist to have been so honored. Born in Argentina, she began performing public recitals at age 11 and made her professional debut at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires when she was only 16. Fliter has won first prize at the Cantu International Competition and the Ferruccio Busoni Competition in Italy and was awarded the silver medal at the 2000 Chopin International Piano Competition. She has performed with orchestra and in recital at major concert halls worldwide.

 

Fliter's Scottsdale recital will include Franz Schubert's Two Impromptus from Op. 90; Ludwig van Beethoven's Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 110; and Frédéric Chopin's Nocturne in B Major, Op. 9, No. 3 and Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58.

 

The recital also features Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' innovative Keyboard in the Sky, a large-screen projection over the stage that enables the audience to watch the pianist's hands on the keyboard in real time.

 PIANO TRADITIONS

The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present recitals by the following pianists as part of the 2007-08 season:

 Gabriela Montero* - November 18, 2007

Adam Neiman* - December 16, 2007

Alan Gampel* - January 20, 2008

Ingrid Fliter* - February 10, 2008

Yundi Li** - March 9, 2008

Garrick Ohlsson** - April 15, 2008

 Presented as part of the 2007-08 Virginia G. Piper Concert Series

 **Presented as part of the In the Spotlight Series sponsored by Scottsdale League for the Arts

 A soloist with the world's great orchestras, American pianist Jeffrey Siegel will return to Scottsdale in 2007-08 for his 28th season of Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations® exploring the theme of A Musical Travelogue. In this unique "concert with commentary" series, Siegel discusses the music with the audience before each performance. The season will feature:

 America: Fascinatin' Rhythms - November 13, 2007

France: Fabulous French Fare - January 8, 2008

Russia: Rebels on the Red Carpet - February 12, 2008

Austria-Hungary: Captivating Continentals - March 18, 2008

 LOCATION AND PARKING

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is located at 7380 East Second Street in downtown Scottsdale, four blocks south of Indian School Road and three blocks east of Scottsdale Road. The amphitheater is located on the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall at 75th Street and Main Street. Free parking is available in the public parking garage located to the west of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and directly behind Los Olivos restaurant on Wells Fargo Avenue. Additional free parking is available at the Old Town Parking Corral at East Second Street and Brown Avenue and at the Civic Center Library parking garage located on Drinkwater Boulevard at East Second Street. Theater 4301 is located in the Galleria Corporate Centre at 4301 Scottsdale Road on the corner of Drinkwater Boulevard and Fifth Avenue in downtown Scottsdale, one block east of Scottsdale Road. Free parking is available in the Galleria Corporate Centre parking garage.

 ACCESSIBILITY

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts offers performance accommodations to enhance our audience members' experience, including: American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation or live audio description with two weeks advance notice. Assisted listening devices and wheelchair seating are always available. Visit our Web site wwwscottsdaleperformingarts.org or contact the box office at (480) 994-ARTS [TDD: (480) 874-4694] for further details. Please inquire about services when ordering tickets.

 GROUP DISCOUNTS

A $3 discount per ticket is available for groups of 15 or more (subject to restriction and limitation). Call (480) 874-4657 for more information.

 STUDENT DISCOUNTS

Students with valid student identification may purchase half-price tickets (subject to availability; limit one per student) 72 hours before any performance at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts box office. Tickets must be purchased in-person; phone orders are not accepted.

 SCOTTSDALE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Opened in 1975, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts presents exceptional and culturally diverse performances of contemporary dance, jazz, classical and world music, theater and satire. More than 1,000 performances, educational programs, festivals and other events are showcased annually serving more than 300,000 people. Performances take place in the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' 838-seat Virginia G. Piper Theater and 136-seat Stage 2, the 2,200-seat amphitheater on the grounds of the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall and the 326-seat Theater 4301 @ Galleria Corporate Centre. In 2007-08, the City of Scottsdale will begin a major renovation of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, part of the Scottsdale Civic Center complex designed by Arizona architect Bennie Gonzales. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' educational programs reach more than 43,000 school children each year, and its free programs are available to the entire public. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts also produces the popular Scottsdale Arts Festival every March; Sunday A'Fair, a series of free outdoor music festivals held on Sunday afternoons from January to April; and Native Trails, a collaboration with the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau that features free demonstrations of Native American arts and culture from January to April. Open daily and during performances, The Store @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts offers hand-crafted jewelry, accessories for the home, toys for imaginative young minds, recordings, books, greeting cards and more.

 

The Scottsdale Cultural Council, a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is contracted by the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, to administer certain City arts and cultural projects and to manage the City-owned Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Scottsdale Public Art Program. The programs of the Scottsdale Cultural Council are made possible, in part, by the support of members and donors and grants received from the Arizona Commission on the Arts through appropriations from the Arizona State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 HOW TO REACH US

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

7380 East Second Street

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Box Office: (480) 994-ARTS (2787)

TDD: (480) 874-4694

Web: www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org

E-mail: info@sccarts.org

Fax: (480) 874-4699

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Rotary Club Honors Families of Military Battalion in Afghanistan
The Phoenix 100 Rotary Club has “adopted” an Arizona military battalion now serving in Afghanistan. For months, Club members have been communicating with 1st Battalion of the 158th Infantry Regiment of the Arizona National Guard to keep them in touch with home and offer encouragement and support. Now, as the holidays approach, the Club is going all out to host a Christmas party for children and families of the soldiers serving here at home in the Valley.

The party will be held at the Mesa Armory, 615 N. Center Street in Mesa on Saturday December 8 from 1 pm to 3 pm Santa will be there for the kids and an old-fashioned Christmas tree will add to the festivities. It¹s all free to the spouses and kids and will include a catered meal, presents and goodie bags.

The all-volunteer crew for the party will include the Phoenix Rotary 100 members, and also members from Metro Tech Interact Club and Phoenix Rotaract. The Phoenix Rotary 100 was the 100th Rotary Club chartered in the world and has been a Valley fixture since 1914. Membership includes many noted Arizonans of business, government, and charities. For more information: Contact John King at 602-265-7610 or Ed Phillips at 480-600-1290
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RV Show & Sale, 11 dealers in one location, scheduled January 4 - 13, 2008, daily from 10 am to 6 pm at Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Avenue south of Bell Road. 300,000 feet of motorhomes, travel trailers, tent trailers, fifth-wheel trailers, toy haulers and camping trailers. One-stop shopping to view the all new recreation vehicles for 2008 from a variety of dealers.
Sponsored by the Arizona RV Dealers. Free parking and free admission.

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Phoenix Antique Market
January 19 and 20, 19th Avenue & McDowell, Phoenix. 9 am to 5 pm Saturday and 10 am to 4 pm Sunday.  Largest antique show and sale in Arizona. FREE Admission. Featuring quality antique dealers from throughout the US including large display of antique furniture in styles of Country French, European, Early American, Edwardian, Mission, Country Craft and Victorian. Vintage costume jewelry as well as fine estate jewelry with gold, platinum, diamonds and gemstones. Also fine art glass, Early American primitives, ephemera, advertising art, linens, collectibles, coins, pottery, military, European and American antiques.
www.azantiqueshow.com  or call 602-717-7337.
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Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers to perform at Super Bowl
Rock 'n' rollers Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers will perform during halftime of the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers have sold more than 50 million records since releasing their debut album in 1976, which included "Free Fallin'," "Breakdown," "Refugee," "I Won't Back Down," "Don't Come Around Here No More," "You Don't Know How It Feels," and "Runnin' Down A Dream."

Petty is an 18-time Grammy nominee with one of rock 'n' roll's most distinctive voices. Popular among fellow musicians, he has also done solo work and was a founding member of The Traveling Wilburys, playing alongside George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are a safe bet to be popular and uncontroversial. Recent Super Bowl halftime acts include the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and Prince. Nearly 140 million TV viewers in the United States watched Prince last year.

 
AzBizGreen, The Arizona Minority Green Business Conference
Save the date: January 16, 2007  AzBizGreen, The Arizona Minority Green Business Conference
Join us for America's first conference focusing on minority business opportunities in the sustainability arena. This day-long event is designed to bridge the gap between decision makers and the minority business community.
  • Theme: Green-Leveling the playing field
  • Registration: $25
  • Note: Seating is limited

Click on the link below for the conference brochure (PDF format) including registration and sponsorship information. http://www.nxthorizon.com/green/bizgrn.pdf

Sponsored by: Arizona State University at the Downtown Phoenix Campus The Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University The Arizona Minority Business Enterprise Center NxT Horizon magazine At this conference you will:

  • Learn how Green may be leveling the majority/minority business playing field.
  • Learn what is Green/Sustainability and why is it changing the business landscape.
  • Learn how your business may Go Green and improve your bottom line.
  • Learn the science behind Green.
  • Learn how to identify and address product gaps and needs in this new market.
  • Learn how to finance a new Green product line.
  • Learn Green construction opportunities.
  • How to Green your own home and save money.
  • Learn Green home product sales opportunities.
  • Learn how to develop a Green procurement program.
  • Learn of new educational opportunities through ASU.
  • Form new relationships with Green businesses and procurement managers.

Location: ASU Mercado,  502 E. Monroe,  Phoenix, AZ 85004-4442

Parking lot on Monroe across the street from the Mercado Contact address for email updates: green@nxthorizon.com

For more information contact: Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr., Publisher NxT Horizon Magazine, (602) 363-1677 Publisher@NxTHorizon.com http://www.nxthorizon.com

Alika Kumar Director Arizona Minority Business Enterprise Center (602) 248-0007 alikak@azhcc.com http://www.azmbec.com

  • The Program
  • January 16, 2008. ASU Mercado Downtown Phoenix
  • 8:00 am Registration Opens
  • 8:45 am Opening Session Green, the global sustainable vision
  • 10:00 am Concurrent sessions
  • Building a Green procurement program
  • How to identify product needs and gaps
  • 11:00 am Concurrent sessions
  • How to Green your Home and Save Money
  • Constructing Green
  • Noon: Lunch & Expo
  • 1:30pm
  • Financing Green. How do you finance your new green venture.
  • 2:30pm Closing Session
  • Panel Discussion. Can Green level the playing field between majority and minority business?
  •  
  • Sponsorship Opportunities
  • Diamond
  • Corporate $3,500/MBE $2,000
  • Logo on Website-Homepage (http://www.nxthorizon.com) Logo on the cover of the AzBizGreen Brochure Display of Corporate Banner at Event Tickets to Event (8) include continental breakfast, workshops, lunch and networking mixer Formal recognition During Welcoming Session Signage at AzBizGreen Vendor Expo Distribute company literature at AzBizGreen Vendor Expo resource table
  • Platinum
  • Corporate #2,500/MBE $1,500
  • Logo on Website-Homepage (http://www.nxthorizon.com)) Logo on the cover of the AzBizGreen Brochure Display of Corporate Banner at Event Tickets to Event (6) include continental breakfast, workshops, lunch and networking mixer Formal recognition During Welcoming Session
  • Gold
  • Corporate $1,500/MBE $800
  • Logo on Website-Homepage (http://www.nxthorizon.com)) Logo on the cover of the AzBizGreen Brochure Tickets to Event (4) include continental breakfast, workshops, lunch and networking mixer Formal recognition During Welcome Session
  • Silver
  • Corporate $1,000/MBE $500
  • Logo on Website-Homepage (http://www.nxthorizon.com)) Logo on the cover of the AzBizGreen Brochure Tickets to Event (2) include continental breakfast, workshops, lunch and networking mixer AzBizGreen Vendor Exhibit Table (Includes all workshops; breakfast, lunch and networking mixer)
  • MBE Expo Tables
  • (Includes all workshops; breakfast, lunch and networking mixer)  $75

The Dining Room By: A.R. Gurney
Theater Works will be presenting 'The Dining Room' by A.R. Gurney.  Within a single dining room, this critically acclaimed portrait of 20th century family life tells the story of the dying culture of upper-middle class America. Presented as a series of charming and soulful vignettes, this play explores the joys and tensions at the core of American prosperity. Timeless in its appeal, it charts the evolution of the American family and its primary meeting place. 'The Dining Room' premiered in New York in 1982 and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.  Its author, A.R. Gurney, is one of the most prolific and produced playwrights in America. Gurney explained the origin of The Dining Room in Showbill (June, 1982):

 "I soon found myself writing this strange play which kept wanting to take place in a dining room---This was the room where my parents used to give their sparkling dinner parties, the laughter from which I could hear echoing up the stairs long after I had shaken hands and been sent to bed --- Yet just as I used to squirm in my seat at the strictures of the dining room, so did my rebelliousness assert itself against these rules of drama."

 Gurney admits, "I never had confrontations with my family.  Writing is my source of psychological healing."  Although his playwriting has had a therapeutic effect on Gurney himself, it strained real-life relations with his father and other members of his family as they recognized themselves in his characters and plot lines.  Subsequently, Gurney was known to re-write portions of dialogue and plot on the nights his family attended performances, fearing they would recognize themselves and become upset. Don't miss this amazing "slice of life" opening November 2nd at Theater Works!

  •  Cast

  • Ensemble-----------------Rob Evans

  • Ensemble-----------------B.J.Garrett

  • Ensemble--------------Toni Jourdan

  • Ensemble----------------Jenn Rooks

  • Ensemble------Samantha Brannoch

  • Crew

  • Director--------------------Richard Hardt

  • Stage Manager------Kim Powers-Hardt

  • Set Design-------------------Mark Austin

  • Costume Design------KellyAnn Bonnell

  • Lighting Design--------------Bob Nelson

For tickets or more information, please check out the Theater Works' website at www.theaterworks.org  or call the box office at 623-815-7930

RETURN OF THE BISON
Recent Grand Opening Marks Return of Bison Museum to Scottsdale
 

The recent grand opening of the Bison Museum in Scottsdale actually marks the return of the museum to its city of origin. Several years ago the museum basically started out as little more than a simple assortment of trinkets and keepsakes gathered on a wall shelf behind an office desk.  

It was the late 1970’s, and Gemmie Baker had recently moved his family to Scottsdale from South Dakota. An insurance salesman by trade, Baker soon opened an office at the southeast corner of Scottsdale and Shea Roads.  

Shortly thereafter a small collection of memorabilia, primarily bison and Western oriented items, took shape on a wall shelf in Gemmie’s office. The grouping served as a nice conversation starter with clients, and helped ease occasional homesickness.  

But the items also served as a crude foundation for what would become a full-fledged museum. Over the years the shelf display grew to occupy an entire wall, then a room, then most of his offices. Eventually a separate building sufficient to house the burgeoning collection was needed.  

In 1992, it finally became official when Gemmie Baker opened the Buffalo Museum of America at that same corner of Scottsdale and Shea where it all began about 15 years earlier. Scottsdale artist, Dee Flagg, was a guest of honor at the grand opening. During the 1980’s, Baker had purchased Flagg’s life-sized wood carved figures of Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, Jessie James and others, along with several of Flagg’s wood relief carvings, all of which had become a focal point of the museum. Coincidentally, the Flagg family collection would figure prominently in the museum’s return to Scottsdale years later.  

The museum flourished throughout the decade, but by the late 1990’s Gemmie Baker was ready for other challenges. He had heard of a new Western themed development called Bison Ranch about to open in the Heber/Overgaard area. The Ranch was owned by a fellow Midwestern transplant named Gary Martinson, a North Dakota native who had been building homes in Arizona since the early 1980’s. Gemmie felt the Ranch was the perfect setting for his unique collection, so he contacted Martinson.  

They worked on a deal, and in 2000 Martinson purchased the Buffalo Museum of America from Gemmie Baker. Gary then moved the museum to Bison Ranch and added his own bison and western collection to the mix. There the museum stayed for the next seven years, anchoring the Ranch’s Bisontown, a replica 1880’s western town front.  

As Martinson recollects, everything just seemed to fall into place. “The timing couldn’t have been better” Gary says. “We were about to open Bison Ranch when I first met Gemmie. “Coming from North Dakota I had always been intrigued by the bison,” states Martinson. “With the Ranch being our first Bison project, I thought what better way to tell someone who we are than to surround ourselves with all things bison. What better way than the museum.  

“Plus, Gemmie really wanted the collection to remain intact,” Gary recalls. “He had such a passion for the bison. What I really admired about Gemmie is that he got such a thrill out of having an opportunity in his life to collect and preserve so many things bison.”  

And so important did the bison image become to Martinson that he soon changed the name of his company from Mirage Homes to Bison Homes.  

When Martinson relocated his company’s corporate offices from Fountain Hills to Scottsdale this past June, he decided the time was right to bring the Buffalo Museum of America back to its original home, and rename it the Bison Museum. A major factor in that decision was the fact that Gary had recently purchased the Flagg family’s personal collection that until 2003 had been under wraps in a storage facility for many years. The Flaggs, considered by many to be Scottsdale’s “First Family” of Western artists, had been an integral part of Scottsdale and its art scene beginning in the early 1950’s.  

Martinson added hundreds of Flagg family items to those Dee Flagg carvings collected years earlier by Gemmie Baker. As for the overall inventory of the museum, it now consists of thousands of pieces, and is touted as Arizona’s premier bison and Western collection, as well as one of the finest such gatherings in the country.  

Gemmie Baker passed away in 2006. But his legacy is carried on by his son, Kim Baker. Kim has worked for Bison Homes as a consultant for the past few years and was an integral part of the relocation of the museum to its new Scottsdale home. In addition, he contributes his skills to the animatronics exhibits and several other displays at the museum.  

“What started out as my father’s private collection has grown to something that even he could not have imagined,” says Kim. “I only wish he was here today to see the end results of everyone’s efforts in bringing the Bison Museum to its present state. The Bison Museum is a work of love and devotion that started with my father and has continued to be nurtured and grown by Gary and others at Bison Homes. The end result is truly a collection that will continue to grow and live on for many years to come.”  

The Bison Museum is located at 16641 N. 91st Street in Scottsdale, just north of West World, and is open to the public Tuesday - Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Sunday from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm, closed Mondays. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $5 for children age 6 to 12, under age 6 free. The museum is presented by Bison Homes, a premier builder of retreat homes in Northeast Arizona. For more information, call the Bison Museum

Phoenix Symphony Announces
World-Premiere of Mark Grey’s
Enemy Slayer

Oratorio Represents Fusion of Navajo Culture with Traditional Orchestral Art Form

 In celebration of The Phoenix Symphony’s 60th Anniversary, the orchestra has commissioned a work combining symphonic music with the traditions of the Southwest in Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio.  The work for chorus, orchestra, and baritone soloist composed by Music Alive Composer-in-Residence Mark Grey explores a contemporary retelling of an ancient but timeless Navajo epic.  Incorporating a libretto of Navajo and English-language text by Navajo librettist Laura Tohe, the world-premiere will also include the digital artwork of photographer Deborah O’Grady as visual backdrop to the music of the Oratorio.  The world premiere weekend will take place February 7-9 at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix under the direction of Virginia G. Piper Music Director Michael Christie. 

 Using the monster slayer narrative from the Navajo Creation Story as a starting point, composer Mark Grey adapted the story of Seeker, a warrior born to protect the Navajo people and rid the world of monsters.  In this modern retelling, Seeker returns from war to a heartfelt welcome by his people, but the memories of combat continue to haunt his dreams.  The Seeker must overcome these nightmares to conquer his personal quest towards fulfillment and wholeness.  The role of the Seeker will be sung by internationally-renowned baritone Scott Hendricks while the Phoenix Symphony Chorus will represent the Navajo ancestral “voices” providing guidance to the Seeker as well aiding in the telling of the epic story.  The concert will also feature digital images taken on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona by photographer Deborah O’Grady depicting the four cardinal directions and the four seasons that Seeker will experience during his personal journey. 

 The world-premiere performance will represent an immense collaboration of cultural traditions and artists from throughout the southwestern United States. “This project is a fusion of Western concert music and Native American traditions providing the public with an enlightened understanding of the culture that has existed for centuries in the Southwest,” says Grey. Arizona State University Associate Professor of English and Navajo librettist Laura Tohe adapted the ancient story of spiritual battle and recovery for modern times as Mark Grey composed music combining the symphonic repertory with sounds evoking the spirit of the Navajo.  With English and Navajo language elements, western and Native American musical components, and a mix of both contemporary narratives, Enemy Slayer will be a unique multi-cultural performance experience for The Phoenix Symphony and the greater public.  

 Several community events will explore facets of Navajo culture as well as the evolution of the new musical work before the world-premiere of Enemy Slayer in February, 2008.  Composer-in-Residence Mark Grey and Laura Tohe will participate and lead a number of activities across Phoenix as well as on the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona.  Activities include lectures, concerts, films, and a special reduction of the work giving the public a glimpse of the Oratorio.  For more information on free Navajo Oratorio events, visit www.phoenixsymphony.org .

 “The Phoenix Symphony is truly honored to be part of this unprecedented artistic collaboration between its musicians, staff, patrons, and the greater community,” says Music Director Michael Christie.  The orchestra has partnered with The Heard Museum, the American Symphony Orchestra League and its residency program Music Alive, the Target Corporation, and many others who helped made this project a reality.   

Tickets to hear the world premiere of Enemy Slayer: A Navajo Oratorio are $19-$68 and can be purchased by calling the Phoenix Symphony Box Office at 602.495.1999 or on line at www.phoenixsymphony.org.

Phoenix Symphony Celebrates the Holiday Season with Festive Concerts 
The Phoenix Symphony celebrates the holiday season with special offerings beginning this November.  The concerts begin with “Christmas Pops Celebration” (November 29-December 2) at Symphony Hall followed by “Baroque Christmas” (December 7-9) presented at local churches across the Valley.  The orchestra and chorus will also present three varieties of Handel’s Messiah including a community sing-along (December 9), highlights of the work (December 13-19), and the complete oratorio (December 16 and 20).  Messiah performances will take place at local churches across the Valley and at the Mesa Arts Center on December 20.  The holiday season comes to a celebratory close with the annual New Year’s Eve concert at Symphony Hall.  These much-anticipated concerts have become Valley favorites for many families and friends gathering together during the busy holiday season.

 Christmas Pops The annual “Christmas Pops Celebration,” will be held November 29 through December 2 for four performances at Symphony Hall.  Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan leads The Phoenix Symphony and Chorus in these delightful concerts featuring sing-alongs, favorite carols, and a special appearance by the Desert Bells handbell choir.  Thursday’s concert begins at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday concerts begin at 8 p.m., with Sunday’s matinee beginning at 2 p.m.  Tickets to “Christmas Pops Celebration” are priced at $25, $35, $45, $54, $64, and $74 with special Thursday pricing at $20, $30, $40, $50, $60 and $70.  The weekend of Pops concerts is sponsored by APS. 

 Baroque Christmas Join Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan for a “Baroque Christmas” concert celebrating the music of the Baroque era and the yuletide season on December 7, 8, and 9. The Phoenix Symphony Baroque Ensemble presents works by Boyce, Gluck, and Handel alongside audience favorites such as Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 and “Winter” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.  Tickets to hear “Baroque Christmas” are $28. Seating is general admission.

  •  December 7 – Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. at American Lutheran Church (17200 N. Del Webb Blvd., in Sun City)

  • December 8 – Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Historic First Presbyterian Church (402 W. Monroe St., in Phoenix)

  • December 9 – Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church  (5510 N. Central Ave., in Phoenix)

 PHOENIX SYMPHONY PERFORMANCES OF HANDEL’S MESSIAH Continuing a cherished holiday tradition, Handel’s Messiah is presented in partnership with churches throughout the Valley on December 9-19 and at the acoustically splendid Ikeda Theater at the Mesa Arts Center on December 20th.  These concerts, led by Music Director Michael Christie, feature three different presentations of the celebrated oratorio.

 Sing Along Messiah On December 9, vocalists from throughout the community are invited to participate in a Sing-Along Concert of the Messiah.  Music Director Michael Christie leads community musicians, members of the Phoenix Symphony Chorus, and the entire audience in highlights from Handel’s inspiring oratorio. Tickets are $15.  (If you are a community musician interested in playing this concert, contact our Education and Community Engagement Office at 602-495-1117, extension 311.)

  • December 9 – Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church (5510 N. Central Ave., in Phoenix)  

Handel’s Messiah Highlights The Phoenix Symphony Baroque Ensemble and members of the Phoenix Symphony Chorus present Christmas highlights of the Messiah in local Churches across the Valley December 13-19.  Tickets are $28. Seating is general admission. 

  • December 13 – Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Love of Christ Lutheran Church (1525 N. Power Rd., in Mesa)

  • December 14 – Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church (1875 N. Central Ave., in Phoenix)

  • December 15 – Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Camelback Seventh Day Adventist Church (5902 E. Camelback Rd., in Phoenix)

  • December 18 – Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Foothills Baptist Church (15450 S. 21st St., in Phoenix)

  • December 19 – Wednesday Evening at 7:30 p.m. at Prince of Peace Catholic Church (14818 W. Deer Valley Dr., in Sun City West)

 Handel’s Messiah Complete Oratorio The Phoenix Symphony Baroque Ensemble and members of the Phoenix Symphony Chorus present the Messiah in its entirety at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church on December 16th and at the Mesa Arts Center on December 20. General admission seating at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church is $35.  Seating at the Mesa Arts Center is $21, $31, $41, and $51. 

  • December 16 – Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church (25150 N. Pima Rd., in North Scottsdale)

  • December 20 – Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Mesa Arts Center (1 E. Main St., in Mesa)

 New Year’s Eve The Phoenix Symphony’s popular annual New Year’s Eve concert on Monday, December 31 features The Phoenix Symphony led by Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix. The energy-filled program includes dance melodies and traditional Strauss waltzes alongside popular love songs and “Auld Lang Syne.”  The evening includes a celebratory glass of champagne. This concert is sponsored by SRP. Tickets for the New Year’s Eve concert are priced at $25, $35, $45, $55, $65, and $75. 

 Please note: The Phoenix Symphony has a very busy evening on December 31. After performing the two-hour New Year's Eve concert at Symphony Hall, the musicians will travel across town for a special appearance as part of the Symphony Association's annual Symphony Gala Ball being held that evening at the Westin Kierland. Gala tickets begin at $600 per person; for more information please call 602-495-1117, ext. 334.

 Holiday Tickets Tickets to hear holiday concerts with The Phoenix Symphony are $15-$74 and can be purchased by calling the Phoenix Symphony Box Office at 602-495-1999 or on line at www.phoenixsymphony.org  

 

YMCA Places Defibrillators in All Valley Facilities as Part of Project Heartbeat Community Program
16 Automated External Defibrillators Added to Area YMCA Branches

 The Valley of the Sun YMCA has joined Project Heartbeat and placed Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at all Valley YMCA facilities. 

 Project Heartbeat is a community effort led by Southwest Ambulance and Cardiac Science to save lives through the strategic deployment of and education about AEDs. The goal is to make AEDs as accessible as fire extinguishers throughout the Valley, allowing community and corporate neighbors to help each other while the ambulance is on the way.

 “Placing AEDs in each of our facilities is a simple and effective way to help protect our members, visitors and employees should they suffer a sudden cardiac arrest,” Greg O'Brien, President & CEO of the VOS YMCA.  “Southwest Ambulance’s Project Heartbeat program is an important community effort that helps us achieve our mission of building healthy spirit, mind and body for all.”

 In addition to the 14 AEDs that the YMCA purchased, Southwest Ambulance and Cardiac Science each donated an additional AED, bringing the total to 16.  Southwest Ambulance has provided AED training to YMCA staff at no cost. 

 “We’re excited to partner with the YMCA by providing training to their employees and by donating an AED to help keep the community safe, said Jeff Sargent, President of Southwest Ambulance.  “The YMCA has made an investment that will save lives, and we encourage other similar organizations and community businesses to do the same.”

 AEDs feature clear voice directions allowing any passerby to operate the device with minimal or no prior training of the device.  The device automatically analyzes a victim’s condition and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock to the heart to reverse sudden cardiac arrest.   

For more information about Project Heartbeat and a complete list of Project Heartbeat Partners visit www.projectheartbeataz.com .

 
 

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