What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 19, 2009
Today’s featured event:
NORMAN - Hear Oklahoma band the Turnpike Troubadours at 10 tonight at The Deli, 309 White Street.
For more on the band, go to www.myspace.com/turnpiketroubadours. For more information on the show, go to www.thedeli.us.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Sam Noble Museum prepares for holiday food, gift drive
Visitors to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History can bring donations of gifts and non-perishable foods Nov. 27-Dec. 3 and enter a drawing for a $50 gift card to the museum store. The drive will benefit Norman nonprofit Food and Shelter for Friends. (Photo by Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman Archives)
Richard Hanley, kitchen manager at Food and Shelter for Friends in Norman prepares turkeys for the nonprofit’s 2008 Thanksgiving dinner. The Sam Noble Museum of Natural History will begin a food and gift drive on behalf of the nonprofit Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving. (Photo by Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman Archives)
NORMAN – Many charitable organizations face difficulties in times of economic hardship, and the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History is helping to boost holiday donations to a local charity with a collection drive.
According to a news release, the museum will be collecting donations of gifts and non-perishable food items for Food and Shelter for Friends Nov. 27-Dec. 3.
For 10 years, the museum has collected donations for the Norman-based Food and Shelter for Friends during the annual Holiday Happening, a community event at the museum scheduled this year from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 3. In recent years, the museum has extended the donation period to allow museum visitors two weeks to contribute to the annual collection, resulting in a marked increase in donations.
The gifts will be distributed at Food and Shelter for Friends’ annual holiday party for the families and individuals who are under their care. Donations can be brought to the museum any time during regular museum hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Every item donated at the museum will earn the donor an entry into a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to Excavations, the museum store. The drawing will take place at 8 p.m. on Dec. 3, during Holiday Happening. Entrants must be present to win.
Food and Shelter for Friends is a nonprofit organization that maintains eight shelters for homeless individuals and families in Norman. The organization also provides free community lunches, assistance with rent and utility payments, children’s programs and other services to help prevent homelessness and help the needy in Norman to achieve independence.
The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is located on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus. For more information, call 325-4712 or go to www.snomnh.ou.edu.
-BAM
Ghostlight Theatre Club to have auditions for “The Real Thing”
Playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard (Associated Press photo)
Ghostlight Theatre Club will conduct auditions in December for its next production, Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Thing,” directed by by Christopher Rodgers.
Auditions will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12 at Ghostlight Theatre, 3110 N. Walker Ave. Callbacks are set for 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, according to a news release. Parking is available at Edgemere Elementary School.
The show will run March 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, with rehearsals starting Feb. 1.
Stoppard’s “The Real Thing” is a multiple Tony Award-winning Broadway smash. The play focuses on Henry, who, much like Stoppard, is a successful playwright. Henry is married to an actress, Charlotte, who is playing the lead in his current play; he has fallen in love with another actress, Annie, for whom he soon leaves Charlotte. But is his new love ‘‘the real thing?’’ Underlying the major themes of love and adultery are related concerns: Does art influence life? Can life imitate art (the converse of the proverb ‘‘art imitates life’’)? Must art have a political and social value, as many people continually argue, or can it stand alone, as art for art’s sake? Stoppard argues that intellectuals are taking political expression for literature, and he makes a strong case that art should be valued for its aesthetic merits alone.
Audiences in the 1960s and ’70s delighted in Stoppard’s wit and cleverness, although they occasionally questioned whether the playwright could apply his genius to real-life problems such as love and passion. “The Real Thing” ended such speculation and confirmed Stoppard’s reputation for stylistic experimentalism and innovation.
All roles are available, and ages are not important, according to the release. British accents may be used in this production. Though it is not a requirement, please be prepared to try an accent at auditions. Here are the roles:
- Annie is an actress who is married to Max but is conducting an affair with Henry.
- Billy is a young actor who falls in love with Annie.
- Brodie is an ungrateful and chauvinistic man who loves Annie.
Charlotte is the lead actress in Henry’s new play, “House of Cards.” She is also Henry’s wife.
- Debbie is Henry and Charlotte’s world-wise 17-year old daughter.
- Henry, a successful London playwright, is the play’s protagonist. Henry is married to Charlotte, the lead actress in his current play “House of Cards,” but he’s having an affair with Annie.
- Max is the lead actor in Henry’s new play, “House of Cards,” and is married to Annie.
Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Perusal sides will be available for check out after Thanksgiving weekend. Call 286-9412 for more information.
Actors are asked to bring a resume and headshot to the audition. If you do not have a head shot, a digital photo will be taken of you before you sign in. Also, be prepared to list any conflicts you might have during the rehearsal and performance period at the auditions.
For more information, go to www.ghostlightokc.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 18, 2009
Lana Henson as Operina the Lady Bug, Elizabeth Brooks as Tutu the Ballerina and Christi Knight as Latricia the Spider in the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre production of “Bah Hum Bug,” opening at 11 a.m. today. (Photo by Roger Klock)
Today’s featured event:
Watch Oklahoma Children’s Theatre’s production of “Bah Hum Bug,” a version of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” told from a rat’s point of view, at 11 a.m. today at Children’s Center for the Arts on the Oklahoma City University campus, 2501 N Blackwelder Ave.
As Ebenezer Scrooge leaves his office on Christmas Eve, the creatures that inhabit it scurry out and play out their own redemption tale. Bob Cratchant ,an overworked worker ant; Tutu the fluttering Moth; Laticia the overly dramatic spider; Operina the singing squirrel; and Marlin the seafaring mouse join together to teach Mr. Scrounge the true meaning of friendship and family.
The play is recommended for elementary and middle school students.
The play opens today with performances through Dec.13. Showtimes are 11 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information, go to www.oklahomachildrenstheatre.org.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 17, 2009
This undated image provided by the Guthrie Theater shows Melissa Gilbert, left, as Caroline “Ma” Ingalls and Kara Lindsay as Laura Ingalls, in a scene in the world premiere of the musical “Little House On The Prairie,” at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minn. (Associated Press photo)
Today’s featured event:
Watch the musical “Little House on the Prairie,” presented by Celebrity Attractions, at 7:30 tonight at the Civic Center, 201 N Walker.
Melissa Gilbert, who played the role of Laura for 10 years on the beloved TV series, is again portraying part of the Ingalls family, this time appearing as Ma.
“When I played Laura, I was a child myself,” Gilbert recently told The Oklahoman’s Fine Arts Editor Rick Rogers. “Laura was just me in that dress. Coming back to it now is like coming home. It really keys into all of the things that people hold dear: family, love, community and faith. For me, it’s coming full circle.”
Read more of Rick’s feature on the show by clicking here.
Gilbert, 45, missed her Saturday and Sunday performances in Tulsa after being taken to a Tulsa hospital after Friday’s show because of an apparent back problem. According to NewsOn6.com, Gilbert has been released from the hospital, and Celebrity Attractions’ Larry Payton said she plans to go on with the show.
Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday at Oklahoma City’s Civic Center.
For more information, call (800) 869-1451 or go to www.celebrityattractions.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Harn Homestead offering free admission today to celebrate Oklahoma statehood
Harn Homestead (Photo by John Clanton/The Oklahoman Archives)
Happy Statehood Day, Oklahoma!
To celebrate the 102nd anniversary of Oklahoma joining the United States, the Harn Homestead Museum is offering free admission today.
The museum’s Statehood Day Celebration is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. The Harn Homestead is located at 1721 N Lincoln Boulevard. The event is sponsored by Chesapeake Energy.
The Harn Homestead celebrates the territorial history of Oklahoma by offering a “hands-on” and “minds-on” experience. Visitors can experience the abundance of a territorial farm, the brilliance of a one-room school house, the grace of a Victorian home, and the waste-not, want-not ethic of a territorial farm family.
For more information, go to www.harnhomestead.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 16, 2009
Today’s featured event:
Oklahoma City-based comedy duo Twinprov will make its fourth headlining appearance at 8: 30 tonight at Mondays Don’t Suck, a weekly comedy night featuring local comics at the 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St.
Audience are encouraged to arrive early as seating is limited. Admission is free, but guests must be 21 to enter.
Monday’s show will be a revised version of Twinprov’s April debut and will kick off with the duo’s theme, “The Doppelgangster Rap” before moving on to stories about being twins including the popular “Twin Wars.” The show will also include improvised segments where the twin brothers Clint and Buck Vrazel take a basic scene and reinterpret it using film, TV and theater styles suggested by the audience. In addition, the brothers will woo a member of the audience with another favorite, the “R&B Serenade,” and will conclude with an improvised rap, also based on a audience suggestions.
For more information, go to www.twinprov.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 15, 2009
Vienna Teng and Alex Wong
Today’s featured event:
Hear singer/songwriter/pianist Vienna Teng and Alex Wong with Suzanna Choffel at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley. Or hear Big Smith at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Door.
For more information, call 524-0738 or go to www.bluedoorokc.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Jack White of White Stripes to produce Oklahoma rockabilly star Wanda Jackson’s new album
Wanda Jackson performs in Bricktown earlier this year. (Photo by Jim Beckel/The Oklahoman Archives)
Jack White (Associated Press photo)
Wanda Jackson, the “Queen of Rockabilly” and “First Lady of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” was en route to Nashville, Tenn., on Friday to meet in a recording studio with alternative rock star Jack White.
The Oklahoman’s Entertainment Editor Gene Triplett spoke with Jackson by phone as she was waiting for a flight connection at Denver International Airport.
Jackson is set to record a new album with White as the producer. They first will record a single for digital release before completing an album.
“One of the biggest stars on the planet I guess right now,” she said of White during her phone interview with Gene.
A singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer, White is one-half of the garage rock revivalist duo The White Stripes, which he founded in 1997 with then-wife Meg White. He also leads two other alternative rock bands, the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather.
White produced country legend Loretta Lynn’s critically lauded 2004 album “Van Lear Rose.”
“They had a super album, but he didn’t have her do anything different, you know,” Jackson told Gene. “She just did her little Loretta Lynn songs. But he told me he’s gonna stretch me some, so we’ll see. We’ll talk later.”
Jackson may be 72, but this isn’t her first time to work with new-generation musical talents; she has previously worked with Dave Alvin, The Cramps, Rosie Flores, Lee Rocker, the Cadillac Angels and Elvis Costello.
A Maud native and Oklahoma City resident, Jackson was inducted earlier this year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her next OKC show will be at 8 p.m. Nov. 21 at 66 Bowl, 6810 NW 39, at a 50th anniversary celebration for the Route 66 landmark.
Click here to read the rest of Gene’s interesting scoop.
-BAM
BAM’s college football favorites for Nov. 14, 2009
OSU running back Keith Toston (Photo by Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman)
My No. 17-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys try to keep their solid season going when they take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders at 7 tonight at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater. The game will air on ABC.
The University of Oklahoma Sooners continue to struggle, and today they’re trying to overcome a tough lost last week to Nebraska. The Sooners will play the Texas A&M Aggies at 6 p.m. today at home in Norman. The game will be broadcast on FSN.
The No. 1 Florida Gators, the traditional favored team of the McDonnell family, will play the South Carolina Gamecocks at 2:30 p.m. today. Florida vs. South Carolina is always an interesting matchup, since Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier used to lead the Gators. The game will air on CBS.
Best of luck to my favorite teams.
-BAM
