What to do in Okahoma on Oct. 18, 2011: Laugh along as New Movement Theater brings its OCTourber to Ghostlight Theatre Club
The New Movement Theater
Today’s featured event:
Laugh out loud as OKC Improv hosts The New Movement Theater’s 11-city OCTourber with a performance at 8 tonight at Ghostlight Theatre Club, 3110 N Walker in the Paseo Arts District.
The touring company features improvisers from New Movement theaters in Austin and Houston, Texas, as well as New Orleans, La. Nationally acclaimed OKC-based comedy duo Twinprov will open the show.
Tickets are $10 each. Call 343-1570 or e-mail okcimprov@gmail.com for reservations. The show is ponsored by Studio8.net and The New Movement.
In addition, OKC Improv will begin a new session of weekly improv classes for adults starting Saturday and continuing weekly through Nov.26 at Ghostlight Theatre Club. The Level 1 class will take place from noon to 2 p.m., followed by Level 2 from 2 to 4 p.m., and Level 3 from 4 to 6 p.m. Drop-ins are always welcome in the Level 1 class. The first class attended is free; the cost is $10 for each additional class. Returning students get a free class when pre-paying for an entire six-week class session.
OKC Improv also currently offers a FUNdamentals of Improv class for fifth- through eighth-graders at The Studio of The Sooner Theatre, 227 E Main in Norman. Classes run through April with an end-of-year performance for friends and family. Classes take place every Monday from 6:30 to 7:30pm. Tuition is $50 a month. Limited scholarships are available. For more information, go to www.soonertheatre.com.
OKC Improv is Oklahoma’s premiere performance showcase and teaching institution dedicated to the art of improvisational comedy and theater. OKC Improv’s performance showcase at Ghostlight Theatre Club will resume next month with shows on Nov. 12, 19, 25 and 26.
For more information on tonight’s show, classes and more, go to www.okcimprov.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Live music, art demonstrations and more offered at new Sunday on Paseo Creek event
Three galleries in the Paseo Arts District are starting this weekend their first Sunday on Paseo Creek event. The outdoor venue, on beautiful Paseo Creek in the heart of the Paseo Arts District will present three hours of live music, art demonstrations, food and beverages for Oklahomans to enjoy on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Admission will be free.
From 1 to 4 p.m. this Sunday, visitors can enjoy the great music of The Crescent Trio, a traditional jazz trio and art demonstrations by three artists, Regina Murphy and Nancy Park from Contemporary Art Gallery and Bob Kenworthy from Summer Wine Art Gallery. Food and beverages will be available in all three galleries, but visitors are invited to bring picnics. In addition to the grass along the banks of Paseo Creek, there will be tables and chairs set up for visitors to make themselves comfortable, according to a news release.
Three art galleries, Summer Wine, Contemporary Art and Visions in the Paseo, have come together to form the Paseo Creek Art Galleries. Located in the heart of the Paseo Arts District these three galleries open up on Paseo Creek in the 2900 block of Paseo. All three galleries are open every Sunday and are located within feet of each other.
-BAM
Best Bets for Oct. 7-9, 2011: Check out Dolly Parton, Mutemath, “The Broken Statue” and more
Dolly Parton (AP file)
1. Listen to Grammy-nominated rockers Mutemath at 9 p.m. Friday at The Conservatory, 8911 N Western. Doors open at 8 p.m. Information: www.conservatoryokc.com.
2. See the world premiere of the play “The Broken Statue,” by state author Bob Perry, at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N Walker. The play is based on various events in the lives of former Oklahoma Gov. E.W. Marland and his wife, Lydie. Information: 521-1786 or www.jewelboxtheatre.org.
3. Hear Edmond red dirt star Stoney LaRue & the Arsenals at 11 p.m. Friday at the Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan. Doors open at 6 p.m. Information: 601-6276 or www.wormydog.com.
4. View new work by Oklahoma artists during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday in the Paseo Arts District. Information: www.thepaseo.com.
5. TULSA — Hail the “Queen of Country Music” when Dolly Parton plays at 8 p.m. Saturday at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver. Doors open at 7 p.m. Information: (866) 726-5287 or www.bokcenter.com.
-BAM
Paseo Gallery celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month with “Pinktober” exhibit
"Miss Pinktober" by Sue Hale
In Your Eye Gallery, in the Historic Paseo Arts District, is celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month with an exhibit called “Pinktober,” featuring artwork by both gallery and guest artists.
The opening reception is set for 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk. Show will be on view through Saturday, Oct. 29.
“We know this is a major issue for women’s health, and we want to help by increasing awareness of the importance of receiving regular mammograms. We are thrilled that these guest artists, many of whom are survivors, are joining us in this effort.” said artist Sue Hale, coordinator of the exhibit, in a news release.
The show will include works by 17 artists, including Hale, Annalisa Campbell and Yun Hendricks. Each participating artist is either a survivor herself, like Natalie Friedman and Michelle Junkin, or has a close relationship with a survivor.
“This is an issue close to my heart since my mother was a survivor for 22 years,” Hale added in the release.
The exhibit will include cards and limited edition prints.
A portion of the proceeds from the exhibit will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, an organization dedicated to ending breast cancer forever. In addition, all In Your Eye Gallery artists will donate 10 percent of their sales during the opening reception on Friday and Saturday to the Komen Foundation.
For more on the “Pinktober” exhibit, click here to read the preview feature by The Oklahoman Fine Arts Editor Rick Rogers.
For more information, go to www.inyoureyegallery.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Sept. 24, 2011: Experience the magic of the Fairy Ball in the Paseo
Dressed as an elf, Truman Wallace, of Oklahoma City, plays during Theatre Upon a Star Dance Swan's 2009 Fairy Ball in the Paseo Arts District.The 2011 event is set for 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday outside on the "Fairy Green" at Dewey and NW 28. (Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman Archives)
Today’s featured event:
Experience the magic of the 10th annual Fairy Ball from 7 to 9 p.m. today on the Fairy Green at Dewey and NW 28, just west of Paseo Grill. The yearly event was originally scheduled for Aug. 6 but postponed due to the record summer heat wave.
Children, parents and the young at heart are invited to celebrate the wonder and enchantment of turning flowers into wearable art, dancing with light hearts and free spirits and spending twilight outdoors. To read my preview of the event, click here.
The ball is free, but donations will be accepted to offset expenses. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information, call 525-2688 or go to www.thepaseo.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Rescheduled Fairy Ball bringing fall magic to OKC’s Paseo Arts District
A trio of costumed children dance during the 2010 Fairy Ball in the Paseo Arts District. The 2011 event is set for 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday outside on the "Fairy Green" at Dewey and NW 28. Photo provided by Skip Largent
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Rescheduled Fairy Ball bringing fall magic to the Paseo
Children, parents and the young at heart are invited to celebrate the wonder of turning flowers into wearable art, dancing with light hearts and free spirits and spending twilight outdoors Saturday night at the annual event.
The whimsy of the Fairy Ball is returning this weekend to the Paseo Arts District, although about six weeks later than originally planned.
Midsummer usually means magic in the Paseo Arts District, but the 10th annual ball had to be postponed from Aug. 6 to this Saturday because of the record summer heat wave.
“I’ve had a lot of phone calls this week, so I think word is getting out. I think we’re going to have a lot of people out there; we may have more than we would have originally,” said Jo Wise, executive director of the Paseo Arts Association, on Wednesday. “It’s supposed to be a beautiful night, in more ways than one.”
Children, parents and the young at heart are invited to celebrate the wonder and enchantment of turning flowers into wearable art, dancing with light hearts and free spirits and spending twilight outdoors at the Fairy Ball Saturday night on the “Fairy Green” at Dewey and NW 28, just west of Paseo Grill. Since dusk comes earlier in the fall, the event has been shifted to 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
“We’re emphasizing the fanciful … but the deep levels are to draw out this authentic sense of the creative child,” said organizer Lorrie Keller. “It’s the children that make it what it is, the joy and wonder they bring.”
For the past decade, Theatre Upon a StarDanceSwan, a nonprofit multigenerational Paseo dance company, has been organizing the all-ages event, sponsored by the Paseo Arts Association and Kirkpatrick Foundation. It has become one of the district’s most eagerly anticipated events.
“This is the one that everyone with kids looks forward to,” Wise said. “It’s just make-believe at its best.”
Keller begins fielding calls about the ball just after Christmas, and the event annually draws about 500 people.
Fairy Ball attendees are invited, but not required, to dress as fairies, elves, and other whimsical creatures or to wear festive clothing.
The celebration will begin at 7 p.m. with Flower Magic, in which participants use real flowers, palm leaves and ribbons to add crowns or wings to their costumes. Artists also will show children how to make a “fairy folly,” a cluster of streamers they can wave while they dance.
“The more they dance, the more the folly will dance,” “One of the first things that we put in anybody’s hands when they take a creative movement or a creative dance class are ribbons. Those ribbons really teach them to move … in a very lyrical and graceful way and extend the energy in their body out into space,” said Keller, artistic director of Theatre Upon a StarDanceSwan.
At 8 p.m., the StarDanceSwan dancers will create their own fairy folly in a semi-improvised performance that will entice attendees do their own carefree dancing until 9 p.m.
Oklahoma City composer/multi-instrumentalist Steve McLinn will play his original “electrical acoustical fusion magical music” using a variety of instruments. His music fits the enchanted mood and also encourages attendees to dance, Keller said.
“He’s got some new music this year for the 10th anniversary,” she said. “He just motivates the movement and all the dancers.”
For many, the Fairy Ball has become a family tradition. Former StarDanceSwan members come back every year for the event, and several families attend the ball annually. “We’ve watched some of the kids grow up to very little to teens and preteens,” Keller said.
Parents or other adults who attend often enjoy the festivities as much as the youngsters.
“Every woman remembers when you were a little girl and you wanted to be a princess or a fairy. We all go through that phase. And whenever they find out that we’re having a Fairy Ball, it just sounds so magical,” Wise said. “I’m looking forward to it as much as anyone else. … It’s a fantasy, and there aren’t many fantasy events for kids anymore that are nonthreatening, clean and fun.”
Unlike many fantasy events, the Fairy Ball isn’t tied into a particular movie, comic book or other commercial product. In that sense, it is an old-fashioned celebration of creativity and imagination.
“For anyone that just wants to escape what’s going on right now — and there’s a lot to escape — for a couple of hours on a weekend, it’s a nice alternative,” Wise said. “I really do think it’s the most creative event in the city for kids.”
Going on
Fairy Ball on Paseo
When: 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Fairy Green at Dewey and NW 28, just west of Paseo Grill.
Admission: Free, but donations will be accepted to offset expenses. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Information: 525-2688 or www.thepaseo.com.
-BAM
Best Bets for Sept. 2-4, 2011: Check out Paseo Gallery Walk, “Rabbit Hole,” Jim Ward and more
Jim Ward
Here are my Best Bets for events happening in the greater Oklahoma City area this weekend, as listed in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. For a comprehensive list of Labor Day weekend activities happening around the state, click here. For even more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
1. Hear Americana singer-songwriter Amy LaVere, who also acted in the films “Walk the Line,” “Black Snake Moan,” and “Hustle & Flow,” at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley. Information: 524-0738 or www.bluedoorokc.com.
2. View new work by several Oklahoma artists, including the photographers featured in Paseo Arts Association’s fourth annual “Photo Fest,” during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk in the Paseo Arts District. Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Information: 525-2688 or www.thepaseo.com.
3. NORMAN — Listen to singer/guitarist Jim Ward, known for his work with the bands Sleepercar, Sparta and At the Drive-In, at 9 p.m. Friday at The Opolis, 113 N Crawford. Information: www.starlightmints.com/opolis.html.
4. Catch former Norman band Mont Lyons, now based in Austin, Texas, in concert at 9 p.m. Saturday at VZD’s, 4200 N Western. Information: 524-4203 or www.vzds.com.
5. GUTHRIE — See David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Rabbit Hole” at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Pollard Theatre, 120 W Harrison. Information: 282-2800 or www.thepollard.org.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Aug. 26, 2011: Check out the closing show for “Art Gone Wild” in the Paseo
A meerkat takes food off a canvas covered with paint to create a work of art in preparation for the "Art Gone Wild" exhibit in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman Archives)
Today’s featured event:
Check out paintings by flamingos, grizzly bears, elephants, snakes and other Oklahoma City Zoo animals tonight at the closing show for the second annual “Art Gone Wild ” exhibit at In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005 Paseo A.
The closing show for the exhibit, featuring works of art created by many of the furry, scaled and feathered friends who call the OKC Zoo home, is set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today. It is the last opportunity this year for art lovers to see and purchase paintings created by the OKC Zoo Animals.
Each work of art has been made especially for the show by the zoo’s resident animal artists, with some help from their keepers. Some animals use a paintbrush while others choose to paint with their paws, claws, tails and scales. Each work of art will be for sale, and profits will support the zoo’s conservation projects.
Also on display will be portraits of the OKC Zoo animals, created by their human art friends from In Your Eye Gallery. The gallery artists created unique portraits of their favorite animals in a variety of media, including photography, mixed media, acrylic, glass and encaustics. In Your Eye will donate 10 percent of their sales to zoo conservation projects, too.
The Oklahoman’s resident OKC Zoo expert Carrie Coppernoll recently went behind the scenes to determine how an Egyptian tortoise created its paintings; to read her story, click here.
For more information on “Art Gone Wild,” go to www.inyoureyegallery.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Aug. 17, 2011: See the works of “Emerging Women in Photography” in the Paseo
Today’s featured event:
See the works of “Emerging Women in Photography” at the Visions in the Paseo gallery, 2924 Paseo. The exhibit features photos by seven women with Oklahoma ties showing in their first major exhibit: Angela Breeden, Lisa Lee, Stevie Simpson, Lauren Lindauer, JT Hawk, Keri Kalka, and Angilee Wilkerson.
All seven are just getting started as fine art photographers and all have very different views about photography. From bold colors to dreamy black and whites, from beauty in death to the celebration of life, their group show includes a wide variety of subjects and styles.
“Emerging Women in Photography” drew record crowds for the gallery when it opened Aug. 5 during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk. Art enthusiasts started drifting in an hour before the gallery walk was set to begin, and by the 6 p.m. start time, the gallery was full. The crowd didn’t thin until well after closing time at 10 p.m., despite the sweltering summer heat. Mixed in with the art lovers were two video crews, one TV station and half dozen or so reporters.
“Emerging Women in Photography” exhibit will be on display at Visions in the Paseo through Aug. 30.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, go to www.visionsinthepaseo.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Best Bets for Aug. 5-7, 2011: See Collective Soul, “A Chorus Line,” “Art Gone Wild”
Collective Soul
Here are my Best Bets for the top 5 events going on in Oklahoma this weekend, as listed in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
1. Watch Lyric Theatre close its summer season with Broadway’s quintessential backstage drama, “A Chorus Line,” at 8 p.m. Friday and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker. Information: 524-9312 or www.lyrictheatreokc.com.
2. View “Art Gone Wild,” paintings by Oklahoma City Zoo animals including flamingos, elephants, snakes, and more, at In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005A Paseo. The gallery will celebrate the exhibit’s opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday during the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk. Information: 525-2161 or www.inyoureyegallery.com.
3. See Perpetual Motion, Hartel Dance Group, R.A.C.E. Dance and more local dance groups perform at the fifth annual Oklahoma Contemporary Dance Festival at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Oklahoma City Community College Bruce Owen Theater, 7777 S May. Information: 206-2843 or www.perpetualmotiondance.org.
4. Take in classic cars, wild art and loud bands during the fifth annual Okie Twist-Off. The two-day kustom culture event starts at 7 p.m. Friday at VZD’s, 4200 N Western, and Beck’s Garage, 4217 N Western, and noon Saturday at Oklahoma City Limits, 4801 S Eastern. Information: www.okietwistoff.com.
5. NEWKIRK — Hear Collective Soul at 8 p.m. Saturday at First Council Casino, 12875 N U.S. 77. This show was originally planned for June but was rescheduled due to a family emergency in the band. Information: (580) 448-3015 or www.myfirstwin.com.
-BAM
