What we ate in 68 by Oklahoma Gazette

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INSIDE COVER P. 13 Half a century ago, Oklahoma

City’s food scene was remarkably different, dominated by cafeterias, drive-ins and restaurants with traditional American-European fare. Oklahoma Gazette looks back on this bygone time and how our dining and eating habits have changed. By Jacob Threadgill Cover by Ingvard Ashby

NEWS 4 ELECTION Ward 6 candidates 6 CITY new city manager

8 STATE untested rape kits 10 CHICKEN-FRIED NEWS

GRAMMY AWARD WINNER

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EAT & DRINK 13 COVER OKC’s food history 16 REVIEW 4U Café

18 FEATURE Hopdoddy Burger Bar 21 FEATURE Thunder Food Court 22 GAZEDIBLES soup

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Alice (in Wonderland) at Civic Center Music Hall

26 THEATER Time for Three at 28 THEATER Oklahoma City Ballet’s

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ELECTION

NEWS

Midtown move

Business leader Nathaniel Harding and mental health advocate JoBeth Hamon will face off in a February election for a seat on city council. By Nazarene Harris

The liaison

Thirty-six-year-old oil-and-gas business owner Nathaniel Harding does not deny his privilege. The son of an oil-andgas tycoon, Harding learned early in life that there are things money can buy and things that can never be paid for. Money couldn’t, Harding learned, cure his mother, Margo, of a rare brain disease that took her life in September, and it couldn’t prevent his brother from dying in an oil field accident 15 years ago. As much as money helped civilians in Afghanistan build city governments while Harding served there as an Air Force officer in 2012, it couldn’t ensure that the people would continue to govern despite Taliban opposition long after U.S. forces left. To keep a life, a family and a community running, Harding said, more than cash is required. “You have to get down to the heart of what is needed,” he said. “Just writing a check becomes pointless when you don’t know who needs the money and what for.” Harding points to The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools as an example. Through the platform DonorsChoose.org, the foundation works as a liaison between schools and community business leaders by allowing schoolteachers and administrators to post their specific school needs online and to request an amount needed to fill those needs. The foundation then directs community donors to the website where they can choose which campaigns they want to support.

Harding said he volunteers often with the foundation. Doing so has allowed him to witness firsthand the power of community involvement and the growth of a school district his own children attend. Conducting Point in Time surveys for Homeless Alliance of Oklahoma City has taught him similar lessons. “Studies have shown that blanket recommendations for homeless populations are ineffective,” Harding said. “You have to ask the people on the street how they got there, what they need, what their story is.” As a volunteer for the Homeless Alliance, he wakes up before sunrise each week to have those conversations with a population on its knees in Oklahoma City. He also serves on the advisory board for the MAPS 3 project. “Investing in all forms of transit is vital for Oklahoma City to continue on its path of progress,” he said. Harding, his wife Amanda and their three children live in Heritage Hills, a historic preservation community within the boundaries of Ward 6, the ward Harding hopes to represent on Oklahoma City’s city council beginning in February when current Ward 6 councilwoman Meg Salyer will retire. Recently, Heritage Hills residents have lobbied for additional regulations to be placed upon Airbnb occupants within their neighborhood, a pursuit that has been met with controversy and debate within the halls of city council. “Concerns are valid on both sides,”

Harding said. “But ultimately, residents should get to decide what is best for them and City Council should support that decision.”

Renaissance woman

Twenty-eight-year-old mental health advocate JoBeth Hamon decided to run for a seat on Oklahoma City’s city council after years of having her boots on the ground and her feet on the pedals. A resident of downtown Oklahoma City, Hamon has chosen to live carless and instead to use the city’s public transportation systems as a means to travel to work, the grocery store and anywhere else she needs to go within the city. “I have a driver’s license but not a car,” she said. “I didn’t choose to ride my bike everywhere to make some kind of statement; it’s just a lifestyle I became accustomed to after college.” Hamon received a degree in family and community services from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee and shortly thereafter moved to Chicago to volunteer at a homeless shelter. “I grew up in a very rural community,” Hamon, who lived with her Oklahoma-born parents in Oregon as a child, said. Her parents relocated to Oklahoma after Hamon and her brother moved back to the Sooner State for college. “Seeing a person push a grocery cart with all of their belongings in it right outside of an upscale restaurant shocked me because I had never experienced that before,” she said. After years spent advocating for Chicago’s homeless population and now advocating for the homeless in Oklahoma City, Hamon said the juxtaposition still doesn’t sit well with her. She is now comfortable with homelessness in a way she never expected to be. “When I started volunteering for homeless shelters, I was excited because I saw myself as having solutions for these folks,” Hamon said. “Now I see myself as one of them.” While not homeless herself, Hamon Mental Health Association of Oklahoma education coordinator JoBeth Hamon is running to represent Ward 6 on Oklahoma City’s city council. | Photo Alexa Ace

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Antioch Energy president and founder Nathaniel Harding is running to represent Ward 6 on Oklahoma City’s city council. | Photo Alexa Ace

said her time spent engulfed in the homeless population has allowed her to believe that homelessness is not always a result of bad decisions but rather of personal trauma left untreated, a lack of education, being unaware of support resources or physical injuries that might have left a person disabled and unable to work. Today, Hamon works as an education coordinator for the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma. She rides the city bus to and from work each day. “There’s a stigma still around riding the bus,” Hamon said. “It can be very intimidating for first-time riders. If we are going to invest money into public transportation, I think it’s just as important that we educate the public on how to use it and to remove the idea that the bus is not for everyone.” Changes that Hamon would like to see include increasing bus pick-up times from every 30 minutes to every 10-15 minutes, a measure she said cities on the rise in other states have taken to support community wellbeing and growth. Other transit improvements Hamon would like to implement include the creation of safer bike-riding trails for residents. While Hamon believes Oklahoma City is experiencing growth, she said not everyone is a part of it. “There’s this narrative that Oklahoma City is in a renaissance,” she said. “That may be true, but it’s not the reality for everyone who lives here.” She said rent burden, where the cost of rent is so high that little money is left each month for other basic needs like food and healthcare, is on the rise. If elected to represent Ward 6 on Oklahoma City’s city council, Hamon said she hopes to work on creating affordable housing within city limits. One way she believes the city can see additional revenue while also attracting possible migration into the state is by allowing residents in Heritage Hills and Edgemere Park to operate Airbnbs without heavy restrictions.

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NEWS

CIT Y

The search is on for a new city manager. The deadline for application is Nov. 1. | Photo Nazarene Harris

Help wanted Oklahoma City begins its search to replace retiring city manager Jim Couch. By Nazarene Harris

Since city manager Jim Couch announced his retirement on Sept. 17, Oklahoma City Council has addressed the issue of finding a replacement in each of its public meetings. The discussions could be done in private Ward 2 councilman Ed Shadid said. An opinion issued by Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Mike Hunter, however, suggests that all hiring process discussions take place publicly. The recommendation is necessary, Shadid said, since sometimes it is not what you know that gets you hired, but rather who you know. However, Shadid said he doesn’t think city council would pursue a buddy system hiring process in this instance. “We all seem to be on the same page of wanting the best candidate and wanting to ensure that finding that person is done fairly and objectively,” he said. “This is the most powerful unelected position in the city, so we can’t just have a coronation.” Oklahoma City’s new city manager will take on the role of managing a $1 billion budget and overseeing more than 5,000 employees, Shadid said. Appointing a city manager is and always has been done at the sole discretion of the city council, according to Oklahoma City human resources director Dianna Berry. A flood at Oklahoma City’s municipal building a few years ago damaged applications received before Couch’s appointment almost 20 years ago, Berry said. However, she said that interest in the position this time around is likely higher than in past years. “As our city grows, interest in it also grows,” Berry said. “There are a lot of exciting things happening in Oklahoma City right now and I can certainly see 6

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the appeal of this position.” So far, Berry said, 24 applications have been received and half of those were submitted on the day the job posting went live. Some applicants reside in Oklahoma and some are from out of state, Berry said. Councilmembers decided to make the search a national one after discussions became heated during the Sept. 25 meeting.

This is the most powerful unelected position in the city so we can’t just have a coronation. Ed Shadid “I’m guessing that the majority of people interested in this job already know about the opening,” Ward 1 councilmember James Greiner said. “So I would push more towards a quicker time frame (to receive applications).” “I vehemently disagree,” said Ward 7 councilman Lee E. Cooper. “Certainly people here know that Mr. Couch is retiring but I don’t know that this is yet national news, so I feel that additional time is needed.” Ultimately, Berry said, councilmembers decided to post the job announcement and application online from Oct. 1 until Nov. 1, when all applications are due. Once all applications are received, Berry and her team of city human resource employees will create spreadWard 2 Councilman Ed Shadid | Photo provided

sheets for each candidate that detail each candidate’s experience and whether or not they meet the council’s minimum requirements. The applications and spreadsheets will be forwarded to city councilmembers shortly thereafter and city council will begin its review process Nov. 6. During the Sept. 25 city council meeting, Oklahoma City mayor David Holt said the council will aim to make a hiring decision before Couch’s effective retirement date of Jan. 2, but can take longer if needed. “This is ultimately our process,” Holt said. “We can come to a decision as early as Nov. 6 or we can take years to decide. We’ll take however long we need to.” Couch said if city council has not hired a new manager by Jan. 2, it can appoint an interim city manager until a permanent one is found.

High standards

An announcement of the open position and a link to the application has been posted online through four different platforms, Berry said. Those platforms are the city’s website, the Oklahoma Municipal League’s website, the City Managers of Ok la homa’s website and the Inter nationa l Cit y Ma nagers Association website. The most effective tool in recruiting out of state applicants, Berry said, is the International City Managers Association. “With the opening posted there,” Berry said, “we are receiving national attention.” Berry said applicants should have a

high degree of managerial experience and preferably some experience in government as well. “There are always exceptions to the rule, but more often than not, city managers have some form of previous experience working in government management,” Berry said. Listed qualifications for the position include knowledge of municipal budgeting laws, managerial experience and the possession of a bachelors degree and a valid drivers license. While the online job announcement states that a salary is dependent upon qualifications and experience, Couch currently receives an annual salary of about $250,000. Berry said that amount is well earned. “Jim Couch has set the bar high for Oklahoma City,” she said. “Because of that we can now ask for more from applicants.” During the Oct. 9 city council meeting, councilmembers went around their table to give praise, prayers and final farewells to Couch. “The hardest job we’re going to have is figuring out how to replace you,” Ward 6 councilwoman Meg Salyer said to Couch. “Everywhere I go from the grocery store to walking on the street, I get asked by people how we’re going to find someone to fill your shoes.” Couch reminded city council that Oklahoma City’s form of government is a council-manager one where the manager works to execute recommendations and mandates by the city council, and not the other way around. “I have no doubt in you,” he said to the council. “I know you’ll find the right person for the job.”

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S TAT E

NEWS

Essential testing Work is being done to force Oklahoma to test more than 7,000 untested rape kits. By Nazarene Harris

Sexual assault advocates say the revelation that thousands of rape kits have been left untested in Oklahoma is serving as a catalyst for reform within a state that is finally joining a national movement towards justice for victims. Imagine being violently raped, left to pick yourself up off the ground and call the police. You are taken to a hospital where a lengthy and intrusive forensic exam is performed to ensure medical treatment, disease prevention and DNA collection and then you leave the hospital with no assurance that your accuser would be found or that the medical examination would even be used in the search for him. For more than 7,000 women who were the subjects of backlogged and untested rape kits in Oklahoma, that is their reality — even if they are unaware of it. “No assurance is given to the victim that what they just went through during their exam will be used for anything at all,” rape survivor and victim advocate Danielle Tudor said. “Most people, both non-victims and victims alike, assume that of course the DNA samples will be used but it’s obviously come to the surface now that that’s not the case.” After a rape, victims who seek help are directed to a specialized nurse, known as a sexual assault nurse examiner [SANE], who performs a sexual assault forensic examination that results in a rape kit, examiner Cathy Bell said. The exam takes anywhere between four to six hours, she said, and requires the victim to undress on a long white sheet of paper so that any evidence left on clothing can fall on the paper and be collected. Photos are taken of bruises, cuts, bite marks and other wounds. Swabbing for DNA occurs on the victim’s vagina, anus, skin and fingernails while a thorough combing of the victim’s hair is done to determine if evidence was left on the head or scalp. Rape kits are then sent to one of three criminal DNA testing laboratories in the state: Oklahoma City Police Department, Tulsa Police Department or Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). Testing is usually only done if the suspect is a stranger to the victim or if the district attorney otherwise believes a strong case could be brought against the alleged perpetrator. “When victims come to see me, they are scared and confused,” Bell said. “As much as we try to support them and take care of them we can’t do or say anything that’s outside of the law.” There is no state law that requires a rape kit to be tested. Tudor said with some help from law enforcement and 8

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the legislature, she plans to enact a law that would mandate rape kit testing for all victims who undergo an exam, excluding only those who request that their rape kit not be tested. Oklahoma law states that the statute of limitations for an adult victim to press charges against a rape suspect is 12 years. Tudor hopes to increase that time to match the national standard of 50 years. She also hopes to institute an annual audit of each laboratory’s rape kits and a statewide tracking system that victims can use to monitor the status of their rape kits.

Personal experience

Tudor familiarized herself with state and national rape laws during a long journey that took her from Oregon to Oklahoma and from survivor to advocate. “I never expected that my life would turn out like this,” she said. Tudor also didn’t expect Richard Gillmore, a stranger to her and known only as the “jogger rapist” in Oregon in the 1970s, to break into her family’s home in a safe, middle-class neighborhood and beat and rape her in 1979, when she was only 17 years old. “I was a good kid and somewhat naive,” she said. “I was dreaming of a prince charming who would one day knock on my front door and sweep me off my feet.” A devout Christian, Tudor said she was a virgin at the time of her rape and saving herself for marriage. “I was so confused,” she said. “I didn’t even know what happened to me.” Tudor underwent a forensic exam, but her rapist didn’t see a jail cell until eight years and at least seven known victims later. Oregon investigators later told Tudor they believe Gillmore raped anywhere between 50 and 100 women. To ensure his continued incarceration, an Oregon district attorney called Tudor and asked if she would testify at his parole hearing in 2008, when no one other than her immediate family and husband knew she had been raped. “I told no one for a long time,” Tudor said. “Not even my parents knew the details of what happened to me. I guess I felt ashamed.” The stakes for testifying were high, she said, as one of the victims who previously testified against Gillmore committed suicide shortly thereafter and the rapist later threatened revenge on all of his victims. Tudor turned down the DA’s request in a decision she said she later regretted. “After I was raped, I remember lying in bed sobbing and just asking God to help me get through this and to help me

to somehow prevent others from ever experiencing it,” she said. Not long after Gillmore’s parole hearing, Tudor said she realized that the DA’s call was more than just a reminder of her past, she said. It was an answer to the prayer she made all those years ago. “That was it for me,” Tudor said. “I wasn’t going to live my life in fear anymore. If God wants me in this fight, I’m in this fight.”

Good fight

Tudor went on to testify against Gillmore in a later parole hearing and has since shared her story with countless rape survivors and lawmakers in an effort to advance seemingly draconian rape laws into legislation that conveys respect and justice for victims. By collaborating with her home state’s legislature, Tudor helped established new laws in Oregon including one that mandates rape kit testing, she said. Through joining forces with Law and Order: Special Victims Unit actress Mariska Hargitay and her Joyful Heart Foundation, which works to end the backlogging of rape kits across the country, Tudor became aware of the need for advocacy in other states including Oklahoma, where her son, daughter in-law and three grandchildren live. In 2016, Tudor and her husband Gary made the move to the Sooner State, where they now reside near Tulsa. She said her experience as a victim’s advocate in Oklahoma has not always been a pleasant one. “I don’t think this should be a political issue,” Tudor said. “This is a human issue that’s somehow turned political. I have gotten a lot of pushback here and I was not expecting that from a red state.”

Danielle Tudor is a rape survivor and victims’ advocate working to change rape laws in Oklahoma. | Photo provided

A registered Republican, Tudor said she was treated kindly and fairly by most Republican and some Democrat politicians in Oregon and is hoping for the same experience moving forward in Oklahoma despite sensing initial tension between law enforcement, victims and lawmakers. “This is a huge undertaking,” State Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Ada, said. “It’s justifiable to be outraged upon learning there are thousands of untested rape kits within our state, but it’s important that we don’t direct our anger towards one another.” Floyd authored a bill with Tudor last year that paved the way for Governor Mary Fallin to order the counting of all untested rape kits in the state. As the only rape survivor on the governor’s sexual assault task force, Tudor travels once a month to meet with lawmakers in Oklahoma City. Funding is needed, she said, to test the backlogged rape kits and to move forward with a 2017 law that requires that all felons undergo DNA testing through a mouth swab. National grants are one means of funding that Oklahoma agencies have not pursued, Tudor said. “We can get the funds,” she said. “It comes down to whether or not we care about this enough to try.” If you or someone you know is a victim of rape or sexual assault visit ywcaokc. org for a list of support services in Oklahoma City or ocadvsa.org for statewide service providers. Also, call Oklahoma City’s YWCA sexual assault hotline at 405-943-7273.

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chicken

friedNEWS

Stitt show

As grizzled veterans of election coverage, the Chicken-Fried News War Room analysts know that endorsements during political campaigns are hard-fought and sometimes make about as much sense as the last skit on any given Saturday Night Live episode. And last week, we were left scratching our heads so much we drew blood. You see, we spent most of August hearing “Bull Stitt” this and “Bull Stitt” that from Republican gubernatorial contender and former Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett as he hammered at Gateway Mortgage Group founder/sentient eyebrows Kevin Stitt during the runoff election. In Cornett’s “Bull Stitt” ad, he quoted a 2009 Business Insider article naming Gateway Mortgage “one of 15 Shadiest mortgage lenders in the United States” and poo-pooing Stitt’s claims that Cornett was in favor of sanctuary cities by having elderly white people/likely voters say, “That’s just Bull Stitt.” Yes, “Bull Stitt” was the “C’mon … Ted” of two months ago. It was a little clumsy as political advertising goes, but say what you will; if Stitt gets elected governor and then proceeds to do absolutely nothing about education, teachers’ wages and the economy, “Bull Stitt” will stick to him like fresh … you know, we can’t think of anything that could fully fit to sully Stitt in such a scenario, but we’ll get there with a few rhyming exercises or something. Then, just as the CFN News Team was starting to forget about that turn of phrase, KWTV’s Robin Marsh dredged it up again in promos for her much-hyped interview with Cornett, presented as kind of a postmortem of his campaign and a referendum on whether saying “Bull Stitt” too much can hurt a candidate’s prospects. At the end of the promo, Marsh asked Cornett if he would endorse Stitt. He was then showed deep in thought — possibly pondering the question, possibly thinking, “Hey, when are we going to talk about my new book, The Next American City: The Big Promise of Our Midsize Metros, published by Penguin Random House?” The interview was scheduled to air 10 p.m. Oct. 11, and KWTV ran the promo during nearly every newscast for days. Then, the day before it was scheduled to air, CFN got a special delivery in our email from the Stitt for Governor campaign: Cornett was endorsing Stitt. “My campaign for governor was about holding high expectations for Oklahoma to succeed, improving our education system, and expanding opportunity for all,” Cornett said in the prepared statement. “To accomplish this, we need strong, trustworthy leadership to unify our state and get our fiscal house in order. I believe Kevin Stitt is the right candidate to move Oklahoma forward, to raise the standards on education and health, and to demand better outcomes from our state government. Please join me in voting for Kevin Stitt on Nov. 6.” Not only did the Stitt campaign step all over Marsh’s big story — our condolences, Robin — but Cornett invalidated everything his ads said in the final weeks of the runoff. In CFN’s calculation, “trustworthy” is the polar opposite of all that “Bull Stitt” noise. There’s a word for this. Again, our faculties are failing us on this subject.

Free enterprise

For anyone who grew up taking field trips to Enterprise Square USA — the interactive museum designed to be a glorification of free enterprise in the face of evil communism at the height of the Cold War — on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University knows that the market dictates laissez-faire economics. The same market that led to a precipitous drop-off in attendance at Enterprise Square following the collapse of the Soviet Union led to its ultimate shuttering in 1999. The museum that promoted the free market was closed due to market forces after it couldn’t keep up with rising technolo-

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gy costs associated with its alwaysbreaking animatronic presidential talking heads or the Great Talking Face of Government filled with nine video screens that warned of governmental overreach like a character in an Ayn Rand novel. It appears as if the Oklahoma market will be put to the test in the wake of the state’s new medical marijuana law. According to Journal Record on Oct. 1, the state has authorized 469 marijuana dispensary licenses and approved about 5,000 individual licenses, meaning there is currently one dispensary for every 11 medical marijuana patients. By comparison, Arkansas passed its medical marijuana law in 2016, still doesn’t have it operational and, according to Arkansas Department of Health, has approved just over 6,200 patients. Of course, Arkansas has a much more restrictive list of approved medical conditions while Oklahoma leaves that in the hands of the individual doctor. Arkansas has also capped the number of dispensaries to 40 in the entire state, according to Journal Record. People have come to Oklahoma to

open dispensaries and CBD shops like it’s the new Land Run. You can’t drive more than a few blocks on any major road in the city without seeing a neon green cross advertising the benefits of CBD. Oklahoma will no doubt approve more medical marijuana patients — especially as the state’s first crop of medical marijuana is still months away — but there are some serious supplyand-demand issues, especially in bigger cities.

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Old style Oklahoma City’s dining scene was radically different 50 years ago. By Jacob Threadgill

In 1968, the biggest national restaurant news was the transition of a regional favorite into a coast-to-coast phenomenon as McDonald’s added the Big Mac to its permanent menu. In Oklahoma City, the restaurant scene was still dominated by cafeterias, but Mexican food began to establish a stronghold, and the city’s first true fine dining experience, The Cellar, received national recognition. Long before Casa Bonita became a central plot point in a memorable episode of South Park at its suburban Denver location, Casa Bonita got its start in Oklahoma City on NW 39th Street in 1968. Although Casa Bonita’s Lakewood, Colorado location is famous for having a giant waterfall and ostentatious décor, the original Oklahoma City location opened by Norman native Bill Waugh built off of the city’s first Mexican restaurants, El Charrito (which was in the process of merging with El Chico in 1968) and El Rancho Sanchez, by offering buffet-style options. “As I look back, the food wasn’t all that good [at Casa Bonita], but there was lots of it,” said Dr. Bob Blackburn, executive director of Oklahoma Historical Society. “You could order until you were stuffed. You could eat these Velveetabased cheese enchiladas. It was just rolled up tortillas with lots of onions and cheese on it, and Oklahoma City people loved it.” Each table had a flag that diners raised when they wanted more food, which was

a byproduct of Oklahoma City’s cafeteria culture. In the late ‘60s, Oklahoma City was still very much the “cafeteria capital of the country” and had 37 operational cafeterias when the city was given that distinction by the president of the American Restaurant Association. According to Blackburn, Oklahoma City’s cafeteria culture was a byproduct of its rural roots, in contrast to Tulsa, which had big city influence due to its earlier oil boom. After World War II there were fewer opportunities for small family farmers, as 1,000-acre farms became the norm, Blackburn said. This meant small country cafes like one operated by the Dodson family in Cordell didn’t have enough customers to survive in their original location, so they went to Oklahoma City, where they opened two cafeterias in 1952. “[Cafeterias] knew how to cook country food for people that worked hard on the farm and they wanted 2,000 calories for lunch so they could go back and work in the field,” Blackburn said. “One generation back they were on the farm, so they’re used to eating pinto beans and cornbread, chicken and dumplings and things like that. People had the skill sets to provide these meals with a population that expects it, and expects to pay country prices in the city, and all that leads to the popularity of cafeterias.”

Hightower’s Cellar

Born in 1951, Blackburn was working as a full-time contractor by 1968, facilitating a housing boom brought to Oklahoma City by the new employment opportunities provided by recently arrived corporate manufacturers like General Motors and Western Electric. As the suburban parts of the city began to grow in 1968 (“Everything north of 63rd Street John Bennett left was recommended to The Cellar and Hightower owner Frank Hightower by his Bennett’s mentor, master chef James Beard. | Photo provided

was a dirt road,” Blackburn said), downtown Oklahoma City was in the early stages of urban renewal, a time when the controversial Pei Plan orchestrated by architect I.M. Pei brought optimism to the city. In 1968, there were positive signs that the urban renewal development would be able to follow through on its plans to use federal block grants to demolish dilapidated buildings and spur investment through financial incentives. Griffin Tower (now BancFirst Tower), the Santa Fe parking garage, Fidelity Bank Building (now Bank of Oklahoma) and Kerr-McGee Tower had begun construction by 1968, according to Blackburn.

We led the way as far as food quality and our menu was mainly French-inspired. Actually, I still get requests for recipes on the menu. John Bennett “By then, they had not done wholesale destruction,” Blackburn said. “It didn’t look like a war zone yet. It looked like it might work in 1968. Everyone was hopeful, the economy was booming and suburban development was going nuts.” In 1960, 80 percent of Oklahoma City’s retail was located in downtown, but that number reversed by 1964 as malls like Penn Square Mall (then an open-air shopping center) and Shepherd Mall in the outer core of the city attracted businesses, Blackburn said. One businessman fighting to hold onto his downtown position was Frank Hightower, whose grandfather built the Hightower Building in 1928, which survived urban renewal and remains as the only 1920s skyscraper in the city. Hightower, who died in 2000, was a Yale University graduate who had a taste for finer things. He originally established The Cellar at Hightower in the basement of his building in 1958, but wanted to convert it into the city’s

El Charrito, one of Oklahoma City’s first Mexican restaurants, was located in the building that currently houses Paseo Grill, 2909 Paseo St. | Photo provided

first true fine dining restaurant, but he needed the right chef to pull it off. Hightower reached out to James Beard, the country’s preeminent authority on French cooking, with whom Hightower had taken cooking classes. Beard suggested Oklahoma native John Bennett, who Beard met when Bennett was doing vegetable prep work and making sauces at the Mermaid Tavern in Stratford, Connecticut, while he was a student at the nearby Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. Beard worked as a consultant at the tavern and struck up a friendship with Bennett after he asked Beard if he would like to speak to his class at CIA. Beard agreed, but only if he could bring his friends Julia and Paul Child, who were then unknown and finishing Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which would go on to launch Julia Child as one of the country’s first celebrity chefs. The experience with Beard and the Childs that day at CIA was the beginning of a lifelong friendship between Bennett and the culinary luminaries. Instead of returning to CIA to finish formal training, Bennett and a friend were able to travel across the kitchens of France thanks to a letter written in French by Julia Child. Not long after returning from France, Bennett — still in his early 20s — was hired by Hightower to oversee the new Cellar menu. “We were on the leading edge, especially in Oklahoma City,” said Bennett, now 76. “We led the way as far as food quality and our menu was mainly French-inspired. Actually, I still get requests for recipes on the menu.” With an opulent dining room that featured tableside flambéing and a rolling dessert cart featuring decadent desserts, The Cellar became the first restaurant in the city to offer a full course of forks and have silver dining ware. Money was no object at The Cellar, Bennett said. Hightower would go to great lengths to order produce, and would send Bennett to France to taste-test continued on page 14

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EAT & DRINK continued from page 13

COV E R

wine. Bennett was unable to find fresh mushrooms in Oklahoma City, so they had Portobello mushrooms shipped from Dallas, which were stuffed with creamed crab and topped with breadcrumbs and Gruyere cheese. “We got all the wine in and got some really nice wines and they were reasonably priced, but no one would order them because they thought they were expensive, so we [the staff] drank them,” he said. “It was liquor by the wink. Everyone had a locker, but we had an open bar and never had a problem whatsoever. They’d ostensibly order a bottle of vodka and it would last for years. We built a wine cellar, and to this day it has cork-lined bins where you can see the customers’ names on it.” Blackburn said the Skirvin Hotel (now the Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City) offered the nicest menu in the city prior to the opening of The Cellar, where the Skirvin’s fixed menu averaged about a $3 total check, compared to $1.50 at a cafeteria. The Cellar’s menu that featured fresh seafood like Dover sole and trout — which was still uncommon to find in Oklahoma City at the time — would have average meals at $6.

Emerging scene

The city’s healthy economy in the mid1960s allowed The Cellar to gain a healthy clientele and receive accolades. In 1968, it received a four-star review from Mobil Travel Guide, becoming the first restaurant in the state to

receive such a distinction, according to Classic Restaurants of Oklahoma City by Dave Cathey. “We don’t get John Bennett without Frank Hightower,” Blackburn said. “John Bennett was this flamboyant young man who wanted to experiment and explore opportunities. He could’ve gone to Cattlemen’s to sling steaks, but he would’ve been bored to tears. The Skirvin had a set menu, and he was 14

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never going to flourish in that situation based on his talent and personality. Combine those two personalities with a beautiful building at a time when downtown was still alive. They walked onto the stage at the right time. Ten years earlier it wouldn’t have worked and 10 years later it would’ve been too late. By 1978, urban renewal had made downtown a wasteland, and we’re still suffering for that now.” Bennett left The Cellar in 1969, but

They [Hightower and Bennett] walked onto the stage at the right time. Ten years earlier it wouldn’t have worked and 10 years later it would’ve been too late. Bob Blackburn not before inspiring a new generation of chefs. Rick Bayless, who is now one of the country’s most famous Mexican food chefs based in Chicago, came from a restaurant tradition. His parents opened the successful barbecue restaurant Hickory House in 1952, but Bayless told Bennett and Blackburn years later that his voyage to pursue his own culinary career started at The Cellar. After seeing Child on television, Bayless knew The Cellar was the one place in town he could get fine French-

Demographic changes in Oklahoma contributed to Oklahoma City being designated the “cafeteria capital of the country.” | Photo Oklahoma Historical Society / provided

inspired cuisine, so he saved up money and took the bus to the restaurant as a preteen. Bennett said he remembered serving Bayless chopped steak covered in mushroom gravy served with a bouquetiere of vegetables and a piping of potatoes on the exterior of a

wooden plank. “Rick told me that, ‘I’d have the chocolate mousse and then they’d leave the cart there because they knew I loved it, and they said I could have as much as I wanted.’ He said to me, ‘Thanks for inspiring me to get into the food business.’ I apologized to him and told him sorry because it’s such a rough business,” Bennett said. After leaving The Cellar, Bennett briefly at Christopher’s before moving to San Francisco. He returned in 1975 to open The Grand Boulevard restaurant on N. Western Avenue. The Cellar closed its doors in 1984. Despite working in fine dining, Bennett was a fan of eating at The Anna Maude cafeteria across the street from The Cellar after long afternoons of cooking. He frequented the Boulevard

Cafeteria, Glen’s Hick’ry Inn, The Patio and more. “Anna Maude’s was all home cooking. Queen Anne was good in Founders Tower,” Bennett said. “The Boulevard was always good. It was one of my favorites and I had favorite dishes there. They had a rice pudding with custard sauce that was just killer. They had pea salad, cauliflower salad. Everything was good; I enjoyed everything.” A half century on, the only major restaurants from that long ago time in Oklahoma City are Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, 1309 S. Agnew Ave.; Jamil’s Steakhouse, 4910 N Lincoln Blvd.; Florence’s Restaurant, 1437 NE 23rd St.; and Coney Island, 428 W. Main St.

Chef John Bennett’s famous chocolate mousse

Editor’s note: The chocolate mousse recipe at The Cellar at Hightower was a mainstay during John Bennett’s tenure as executive chef. Bennett now offers his recipe to Oklahoma Gazette readers who want to feel like they are dining at The Cellar in 1968. Melt together in microwave 30 ounces of Baker’s German sweet chocolate and two sticks of butter. (Do not overheat; put the butter on the bottom and chocolate on top. By the time the butter is melted, the chocolate can be stirred to finish melting.) Meanwhile, beat in mixer: 1 cup egg yolks (about 7 or 8 large eggs) and reserve the egg whites (about two cups) Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. In small saucepan, blend together 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup white Karo corn syrup, 3/4 cup of water. Dissolve the sugar in the water, add the corn syrup then put on the heat. Cook on medium heat until it spins an 8-inch thread or gets to 235 or 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and let cool for just a minute or two. Carefully pour the syrup into the egg yolks while continuously beating at a medium-high speed. Continue beating until slightly cool; add the melted chocolate and butter, some vanilla paste or extract (to taste) and mix well. Scrape with a rubber spatula into a clean, stainless steel bowl. Clean and dry mixer bowl, beat two cups of egg whites until soft and fluffy but not dry. Carefully blend or mix the chocolate mixture and the egg whites together until mixed but do not overmix or the whites will deflate. Cool chocolate base for about six hours or overnight in refrigerator until solid. Whip one cup of heavy cream with 1/4 cup instant superfine sugar and vanilla until cream is stiff. Remove cream to another bowl and reserve. Put solid chocolate base into mixer with paddle attachment and add a big spoonful of cream to incorporate into the chocolate and lighten it. Spoon mousse into large bowl or smaller individual dishes, top with remaining whipped cream and add grated chocolate on top, if you wish. Refrigerate for about an hour.

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REVIEW

EAT & DRINK

Shooting food

4U Café offers burgers, sandwiches and salads in an uncommon setting. By Jacob Threadgill

4U Café 400 S. Vermont Ave., Suite 110 hhshootingsports.com/shop/cafe 405-947-4117 WHAT WORKS: The onions on the onion burger are nice and caramelized. WHAT NEEDS WORK: Chopped chicken led to inconsistent bites in the chicken salad. TIP: Order the onion rings over the french fries.

Located inside H&H Shooting Sports with its 90,000 square feet and 61 shooting lanes — possibly Oklahoma’s largest selection of firearms in the state — is a quaint from-scratch kitchen, 4U Café. Café manager Yvonne Cagle is a 45-year veteran of the catering and restaurant industry and came to the 400 S. Vermont Ave, Suite 110 location about 12 years ago after a business partner opened a small sandwich and coffee shop. Cagle convinced the owners to install a hood vent, range and ovens to become what is now 4U Café, which she said has expanded three times in the intervening years. “A lot of people tell us that we’re one of the best-kept secrets around,” Cagle said. “Not a week goes by and people come in here and they say, ‘I didn’t know you were in here.’ I joke with them and say, ‘I bet it’s because when you come in, Manager Yvonne Cagle’s award-winning chicken salad recipe is available in sandwich or as a standalone salad. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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you turn right,’ which is where the gun range is. They laugh and say, ‘I guess so.’” Cagle said that they’re sustained both by H&H customers and nearby offices that call in orders or stop in to eat in the dining room that is located on the western end of the building near the archery range and situated underneath several taxidermied animals. In April, Cagle made the tough decision to remove several popular items from the menu, like chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, due to not having the staff to handle the additional prep and cook times. “We do everything from scratch. We had a lot of stuff people came in and went crazy over, but it was too timeconsuming,” Cagle said. “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, getting rid of a lot of that stuff.” Although an entrée of chicken-fried steak is gone, it’s still available as a sandwich, although the mashed potatoes are no more. A roast beef and gravy sandwich was taken off the menu, but they serve a French dip that is topped with gravy and served with housemade au jus on the side, which seems like a lot of calories and the incarnation of the 10-year-old old Xzibit meme “Yo dawg, I heard you like gravy so I’m going to put gravy on your gravy.” Cagle did add six hamburgers, which build on its already-popular onion burger, with additional toppings like green chili, guacamole, mushroom and

Swiss, and the hickory BBQ onion burger that puts an onion ring on top of the caramelized onions. The menu advertises “our world famous” grilled onion burger ($6.49), and for my first visit, I had to try it along with its self-described award-winning chicken salad sandwich ($5.99). The onion burger isn’t El Reno-style, and I considered it a good thing. Some restaurants place raw onion directly onto the burger, which is fine if the grill is the right temperature to achieve caramelization — like at Tucker’s — while other places essentially give you a steamed onion. Cagle and staff caramelize a large batch of onions in the morning and then finish them to-order with every 6-ounce burger. The burger arrives undressed, allowing the customer to add the accompanying tomato, lettuce and pickle or a selection of condiments like ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce and honey mustard. It was a very solid burger for its price. It’s not in the upper echelon of hamburgers I’ve had this year, but the caramelization is nice. I’m a connoisseur of chicken salad. I like all forms, so it piqued my interest to see it listed on the menu as awardwinning. Cagle said her recipe was honored at a Taste of Midwest City in the early 2000s. It’s chicken breast with toasted almonds, grapes, celery and parsley that is seasoned with Cagle’s special blend of seasoning. “The chicken salad has followed me everywhere [I’ve worked], and we make sandwiches and salads out of it,” Cagle said. “What sets mine aside is the seasoning, and it gives it a good flavor.” I liked the savory seasoning and finely chopped celery, but I thought the

The classic onion burger is one of seven types of onion burgers on the 4U Café menu. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

chicken breast was too coarsely chopped and made for an inconsistent bite. I would’ve preferred the chicken to be poached and pulled. “Years ago, we used to shred the chicken more than we chopped it, but we’ve gotten away from it over the years,” Cagle said. “We do talk about shredding it again, but we’ve trained people to chop it over the years, and it’s hard to change.” I nearly ordered the pecan-smoked pork sandwich but balked when I didn’t see coleslaw on the menu. I like the combination of creaminess and crunch that coleslaw adds to a pulled pork sandwich, and Cagle said that it’s a matter of space. “We don’t have coleslaw because I’ve found that if you don’t have a refrigerated area out front to visually see, it doesn’t work on the menu,” she said. “It’s a small area as it is, and we use every inch.” My only regret from my visit to 4U Café was not ordering the onion rings. The accompanying french fries weren’t bad, but they paled in comparison to the huge, hand-battered onion rings. I went around noon, and the cafe enjoyed a hearty lunch crowd. Customers place their order and pay at the counter and receive one of those light-up buzzers that lets you know when the food is ready. Even at peak lunchtime, the wait was less than 15 minutes. You don’t have to be an avid gun or archery enthusiast to visit H&H Shooting Sports; just have a hungry belly. Visit hhshootingsports.com/shop/ cafe.

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Mike Edmison, BA ’97, has served in the ministry with the United Methodist Church and worked in a variety of non-profit settings. Now, as the executive director of Rebuilding Together OKC, he enjoys combining his passion for strengthening the local community with his heart for service. “Rebuilding Together is a social service nonprofit, but I feel like it’s a ministry,” Edmison said. “We minister to the needs of the community so my background in religious studies is a perfect match.”C M

Rebuilding Together provides Y home repairs free of charge to low-income seniors who are 55 and CM older in Oklahoma City. The organization repairs approximatelyMY 250 homes every year. Edmison saidCY he appreciates the remarkable CMY support of the Oklahoma City K community. “The community is incredibly generous, not just financially, but with volunteer work as well. We are never short of volunteers and I think that is something really special about Oklahoma City,” he said. Edmison said his time at Oklahoma City University gave him a broad world view and a drive to work hard. “I felt like my professors wanted me to change the world,” he said, “and I carry that with me.”

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Burger boom

Texas chain Hopdoddy opens two locations in the OKC metro. By Jacob Threadgill

As regional director of operations in charge of new restaurant openings for Austin-based Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Damon Biggins has had a very busy 2018 as the gourmet burger purveyor continues its fast-paced expansion. Biggins helped open the Nichols Hills location at 1125 NW 63rd St. in June and returned for the new Chisholm Creek location, which officially opened Monday at 1316 W. Memorial Road, Suite 100, in between opening two locations in Memphis, two in Dallas and one in Houston this year alone. Hopdoddy has expanded to 28 locations in six states (16 in its native Texas) since it was launched in 2010. Locations open with much fanfare, as openings in Arizona were met with long lines reminiscent of a nightclub atmosphere, complete with employees to manage the lines. With a unique service that requires customers to order and pay with a cashier but gives them full service with an assigned seat and a server designated to refill drinks and accommodate menu add-ons, Hopdoddy embraces the nightclublike lines. “While they’re waiting in line, the open kitchen concept shows that we have nothing to hide and speaks to the freshness and that everything is cooked toorder,” Biggins said, noting that there are dedicated line servers that hand out free samples of drinks and french fries

while people wait. “We want to celebrate the line. We’re not afraid of it. It’s a fact of business. Instead of saying, ‘So sorry for your wait,’ we’re going to make the most of it to educate.”

I never knew that much about fries until I got to Hopdoddy. Damon Biggins Biggins said that he has 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry and was attracted to working for Hopdoddy because of its commitment to fresh ingredients in an inviting location. “With Hopdoddy specifically, what attracted me was that the food was fantastic, super-delicious and well-presented in a super-cool and hip space with great music,” Biggins said. “It’s got individual people; not everyone is wearing polyester pants in a cookie-cutter setting. There is a lot of room to be an individual.” The chain uses a proprietary blend of chuck and brisket that is butchered and grinded in-house. It also offers burgers Hopdoddy officially opened Monday at 1316 W. Memorial Road, Suite 100. | Photo Alexa Ace

EATERY & COCKTAIL OFFICE @ THE UNION

Goodnight for a Good Cause burger | Photo provided

made with bison, American grass-fed Kobe beef, chicken, turkey, sushi-grade ahi tuna, and two plant-based burgers (Impossible meat and a gluten-free black bean and corn patty), which can be paired with in-house baked brioche, whole wheat and gluten-free buns. Hopdoddy’s shareable french fries are available in five flavors: Parmesan truffle, green chile queso, chili cheese, Buffalo fries with Buffalo hot sauce, blue cheese and hot honey and sage sweet potato fries. Biggins said that the Parmesan truffle fries are “far and away” the most popular, and it’s a result of Hopdoddy’s preparation of the Kennebec potatoes, which arrive whole and are cut in-house. The potatoes go through three blanching processes; they are soaked in hot water twice to remove starch and then in hot oil to begin the cooking process. The french fries are fried twice for optimum crispiness. “I never knew that much about fries until I got to Hopdoddy. We’re in relentless pursuit of the perfect fry. Things like time, temperature and humidity all factor into a french fry,” Biggins said, adding that the staff does a test every morning and adjusts cooking temperature based on the day’s weather. As Hopdoddy grows, it’s looking for the same beef supplier across all locations to ensure consistency, Biggins said, but they do work with local farmers and

purveyors when working on a test of menu specials. When season dictates, he said that they will bring in local fruit for the use in milkshakes, and Hopdoddy offers Oklahoma City-based COOP Ale Works on tap and Big Oak Kombucha. The triple berry cobbler milkshake is one of eight varieties, which also include Oreo cookies and cream, Nutella chocolate pretzel, s’mores, strawberry shortbread, bananas foster, vanilla birthday cake and malted root beer. Biggins said that the Nichols Hills location has been well received, noting that he was impressed with Oklahoma City’s food culture. “There is a lot of great food in Oklahoma City and a lot of well-educated folks in a culinary sense and being hyperaware [of new concepts]. They were waiting for us,” he said. “They told me Nic’s [Grill] has been an institution and some of them were putting us in the same category, which I was honored [to hear].” The Hopdoddy location in The Pointe at Chisholm Creek overlooks a lake and is situated near other new concepts Uncle Julio’s and Firebirds. “The setting is wonderful with the pond and the fountains,” Biggins said. “I’ve seen sunsets out of the windows that face west, and they’re really beautiful with the sky lit up over the pond. It’s a really neat area.” Visit hopdoddy.com.

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EAT & DRINK

Thunder eats

Thunder Food Court vendors offer new choices for the new season. By Jacob Threadgill

Chef Andrew Murin has worked in Chesapeake Energy Arena longer than the Thunder has been in Oklahoma City. During Murin’s 16 years of leading food services for the concourse-level concessions, he has seen the menu offerings change over time, with increased emphasis on Oklahoma influence and the use of local ingredients from within a 400-mile radius. Now, Murin’s duties with Savor... catering include operating Budweiser Brew House — Chesapeake’s full-service restaurant that partners with 13 surrounding farms for produce and protein, making it one of the only farm-to-table full-services restaurants located in an NBA facility. “We started the farm-to-table concept [at Budweiser Brew House] last year, and it was very successful,” Murin said. “I’ve seen a lot of changes in my time here, and I haven’t seen another arena provide local options like this at an affordable price.” The use of local purveyors was a theme throughout the Thunder’s food court event, which unveiled new food offerings throughout the arena, from suite-level to upper concourse, club level and the courtside club. “We don’t want the menu to be cookie-cutter,” said chef Ryan Craig of Levy Restaurants, which operates food services in suite- and club-level concessions. “We want it to scream Oklahoma. It’s very important. We enjoy finding local vendors that want to be on the Thunder platform.”

Concourse-level concessions

Murin was most excited to unveil new items at the Wing’n It vendor, which is available in sections 111 and 315. In adPlant-based tacos are available at 405 Street Tacos in section 215. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

dition to standard chicken wings like Buffalo, this season, it will have four new flavors: dry rub mango habanero, Kickin’ Bourbon, chipotle verde and what Murin refers to as the MVP, which is a personal favorite of his. The MVP wing is inspired by the Ghanian dish kelewele, which is spiced and fried plantains. Murin said he was inspired after trying the spice blend at Edmond’s Kafutoh African Foodmart, 16600 N. Western Ave. The MVP wing includes fried plantains served with the chicken wings. “It’s got a lot of interesting flavors like chilies and nutmeg that you don’t normally see in a chicken wing blend,” Murin said. “I took the habanero out of the blend to make it a little less hot because I wanted the wing to sell.” At the former Backyard BBQ stands, which have been renovated during the offseason to become Chop N’ Block BBQ, Murin is excited to unveil a brisket hot dog. A pretzel bun is topped with a brisket hot dog, sweet and smoky beans and coleslaw, which is available in sections 115 and 317. In section 116, Jack Daniels’ Old No. 7 is offering an enormous 10-ounce Bavarian-style pretzel, which is served with beer cheese and Jack Daniels molasses mustard. Alley Coop in section 332 has a new chicken tender that is showcased in the chicken shack sandwich, which is chicken tenders on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato and Thunder sauce — Murin wouldn’t give away the secret ingredients, but it closely resembled most secret sauces that are a blend of ketchup, mayonnaise and spices. Angie’s Southern Kitchen features house-baked mini pies that are available at its 109 section but can also be found at other locations throughout the stadium. Oklahoma pecan and buttermilk pies will be on the menu through-

out the season and will be joined by a rotating seasonal pie, which was a margarita pie — a lime and sweet and sour custard with citrus cream. New items at the Budweiser Brew House include shrimp ceviche, which Murin said he wanted to add to the menu after not having the traditional shrimp cocktail last season. The chilled and marinated shrimp is equal parts ceviche and gazpacho with plenty of tomato juice and cucumber in addition to Latin flavors. A standout from the new Brew House menu is the Impossible pasta, which uses the plant-based Impossible brand meat substitute to create a meatball that is served with fresh vegetables and a red lentil pasta in a white wine sauce.

Club-level concessions

The Impossible brand has made an impact throughout the stadium — mirroring its establishment on menus at restaurants across the city. The Gastro Pub in section 207 will feature an Impossible burger with veganaise. It will also be offered at 405 Street Tacos in section 2015, which increases the vegan offerings throughout the stadium, after only offering a black bean burger last season. “We felt like the Impossible is the next level and way better quality than making a black bean burger taste like beef,” Craig said. “Impossible is the best vegan meat substitute item that I’ve ever had. In the taco, I can’t tell a difference.”

Chesapeake Energy Arena executive chef Andrew Murin introduces new dishes available for the 2018-2019 Oklahoma City Thunder season at the Thunder Food Court. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

Thunder Drive in section 201 is offering chef-crafted savory pastry pockets designed for easy portability by fans headed quickly back to their seats. Taco and pepperoni pizza versions are available, but a caprese version with pesto, tomato and mozzarella was a hit during the Thunder Food Court.

Suite items

The private suites will continue to serve an item each home game built around a signature item from the opponent; for example, games against the New Orleans Pelicans will feature Cajun food. The suite level has added a giant 50ounce porterhouse steak cooked to desired temperature and served with red wine demi-glace and horseradish sauce that is carved to-order and able to serve six people. Suites will also receive sausages from local Schwab’s and a poached shrimp bucket with cocktail sauce, lemons and horseradish. “Our chef team works vigorously through the summer, and even our front-line staff comes up with ideas; we have an open-door policy and listen to every idea,” Craig said. Shrimp ceviche at the Budweiser Brew House is a take on the classic shrimp cocktail with Latin flavors. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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GAZEDIBLES

EAT & DRINK

Soup’s on

It might have taken until the middle of October for a chill to finally hit the air, but it’s here. There is no better way to warm your soul than with a bowl or cup of a tasty soup. Not to be confused with its cousin the stew or variants like pho or ramen, the soups on this list are classic.

By Jacob Threadgill with photos provided and Gazette / file

Pub W

Paseo Grill

Soup Soup

The roasted vegetable and quinoa soup from Pub W will leave you full without meat or relying on an additional entrée order. Packed with roasted potato, zucchini and red peppers in addition to tomato, corn, peas and quinoa, the soup is topped with avocado, feta cheese and cilantro and is sure to make your stomach happy.

Sometimes simplistic is better. The only soup on Paseo Grill’s full-time menu is the classic cream of mushroom soup. Everything is made in-house, including the broth that has plenty of button mushrooms and is completed with just the right amount of cream. It’s all topped with the French-imported Port Salut cheese that is a mild flavor of sweet and savory.

This takeout restaurant is so nice, they named it twice. Owner Terry Sinclair’s Soup Soup has more than 25 soups on its menu, and they are ready to be picked up and heated up at home or the office. The Autumn Bisque made with roasted butternut and acorn squash, onion and apple is popular this time of year, but it’s hard to ever go wrong with tortilla soup. The store also offers sandwiches, salads and desserts.

3121 W. Memorial Road pubdub.com | 405-608-2200

2909 Paseo St. paseogrill.com |405-601-1079

7654 N. Western Ave., Nichols Hills 405-843-7095

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The Jones Assembly

901 W. Sheridan Ave. thejonesassembly.com | 405-212-2378

Soup is the perfect vehicle to highlight all of the seasonal squash available in autumn and winter, like the kabocha squash, which is also sometimes referred to as Japanese pumpkin in the states. The Jones purees roasted kabocha and pairs it with apple, spiced hazelnuts, herbed oil and crème fraiche (the soup is vegan without the crème).

Charleston’s

2000 S. Meridian Ave. charlestons.com | 405-681-6686

The Internet is full of blog posts and Pinterest pins of people trying to make a copycat version of Charleston’s potato soup, which is available in six states. Sometimes, a copycat recipe just won’t do the trick. Get the creamy, bacon and cheese-topped baked potato soup at one of seven metro area Charleston’s locations.

MER C ANT I LE

Broadway 10 Bar & Chophouse

Museum Cafe

415 Couch Drive okcmoa.com/cafe | 405-236-3100

1101 N. Broadway Ave. broadway10okc.com | 405-212-3949

French onion soup has been at the forefront of American menus since the 1960s, and for good reason. The amount of time and love it takes to caramelize that many onions comes through with a quality final product, especially when it’s topped with a giant crouton and mounds of crispy and melted cheese.

What better way to end a long day than by touring the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s collections than by its excellent cafe? When the weather is cold, nice warm lobster bisque will be the perfect way to warm your soul. The creamy soup gets an elegant finish with a puff pastry disc topped with sour cream and caviar.

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ARTS & CULTURE

ART

Hunting eggs An international artist and storyteller explores viewer projection in a cross-discipline collaboration with University of Oklahoma College of Fine Arts. By Charles Martin

A cluster of 10 black, cushioned headphones hung at one end of the The Lightwell Gallery underneath a looming, multi-story abstract tapestry. On the other end of the gallery, a squat, top-hatted creature hunched in the corner with a Whataburger cup perched precariously on top, as if being punished by an eccentric and mischievous parent. A small toddler with a massive smile scampered around yet-to-be-hung paintings as his mother and multidisciplinary artist Juliacks attempted to corral the child while also finishing the install of The Blind Rooms ahead of the Oct. 8 opening. The immersive exhibit in University of Oklahoma’s School of Visual Art hangs through Nov. 2. Juliacks conceived of The Blind Rooms as a way to explore how narratives can change the way viewers see art — something she has previously explored in performance installations and graphic novels such as Architecture of an Atom. She began by writing 10 stories as a foray into genre-based writing that she had never attempted before, which led to a series of vibrant and cryptic paintings that purposefully approach but never quite reach tangible imagery. Each set of headphones plays one of the 10 short stories, and the squat sculpture in the corner was the first of a growing array of found objects to be provided by the university’s art students as a collaborative reaction to Juliacks’ work. The status of the Whataburger cup was unclear at the time of print. All these visual and audio elements are meant to alter the viewer’s perception of the artwork as they instinctively search for meaning and context within the elusive and dreamy artworks The Blind Rooms features works by artist Juliacks accompanied by audio files of stories written by Juliacks and read by OU drama students. | Photo Alexa Ace

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that they might have not found otherwise, meaning and context that Juliacks might have not even intended. “I like that blurring. I wanted to present an exhibit that was dealing with narrative projection, straightforward storytelling and artwork that you can maybe place within the story or not,” Juliacks said just as the happy child toddled across the surface of a painting still lying on the floor, resulting in a wave of audible gasps from the other gallery occupants. Juliacks just waved it away. “Luckily, his shoes aren’t that dirty,” she said.

Unfurling stories

That same whatever-goes spirit will permeate the exhibit’s run, which incorporates help from the university’s art and drama students to enhance the impact on viewer projection. Art does not exist in a perceptual vacuum. Just as the artist drags a lifetime behind them as they approach the canvas to paint, the viewer also gazes at the artwork through the filter of their own individual experience like a pair of magical opera glasses. It is the hazy area between artist intent and viewer perception that Juliacks wants to explore. “These stories allow the viewer to engage at a higher level,” Juliacks said. “What do you see in the narrative?” And those narratives run the gamut from magical realism and dystopia to somber coming of age. So, if 10 viewers walk through the same exhibit while listening to 10 different narratives, Juliacks believes they will see 10 different exhibits. Juliacks, who splits her time between the exotic otherworlds of the Netherlands and New Jersey, has explored this concept her entire adult life. “I went to Carnegie Mellon for my undergrad, and they had a special inte-

grated art degree, so instead of pursuing a degree in humanities and a degree in art separately, they wanted you to integrate it,” Juliacks said. “I did creative writing and fine art while also taking some courses at the drama school.” She later attended an Australian art exhibit that utilized numerous peripheral visuals to distract and impact viewer projection, which inspired her to further explore narrative elements in her own art. With The Blind Rooms, Juliacks wanted to recruit students to help with the ambitious exhibition, starting with the stories. “Freshman-year drama students were the narrators,” Juliacks said. “We did a workshop, and I gave them a guide. There are 10 couples in the class, and I assigned them a story to work from. I also said they could do interventions throughout the exhibition as long as they don’t, you know, destroy the artwork. I’ve collaborated with the school of art and the school of drama to find other little ways that the students can actually enlarge the exhibit. There’s some students doing performances throughout the exhibition, but it’s not at a prescribed time. There should be some activity here every day.” One of the longer stories, , is the first-person account of a narrator from a broken family coming back to her hometown to help her childhood guru, an imaginative older woman named Dorothea. “Dorothea is being evicted. They have no patience for cat lady madness,” the narrator’s mother warns, so the narrator returns to the magical playground of Dorothea’s house. Like the artwork, Juliacks’ storytelling drifts and floats

The Blind Rooms includes a growing array of found objects placed by University of Oklahoma art students throughout the run of the exhibit. | Photo Alexa Ace

rather than getting mired in concrete detail. She wants to give her readers just as much room to project as they do with her artwork. “Writing is the hardest part of these projects for me while art is the most pleasurable,” Juliacks said. “It’s challenging, and I find a lot of meaning in the pursuit of a narrative for a project, and that seems to be guiding me more towards the writing end.” For Juliacks, the balancing act for this exhibit was to ensure that the artwork and the stories don’t reference each other too obviously so it pens the viewer into one interpretation. She likes the idea that viewers might find Easter eggs in the paintings that she didn’t even intend. “Though each work is connected to a story for me, I don’t know if anyone will get that,” Juliacks said. “To me, I can’t not see where they came from, but I have noticed that some people who’ve helped with the exhibit have noticed some of the things I was doing. So did I make it open enough so they don’t just see what I see, or did I make it too closed? Let’s see what happens.” Visit ou.edu/finearts.

The Blind Rooms 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday The Lightwell Gallery OU School of Visual Arts 520 Parrington Oval, Norman ou.edu/finearts | 405-325-2691 Free

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T H E AT E R

ARTS & CULTURE

Pop stars

having kids and the journey within that and then the celebration of it.”

Classical trio Time for Three combines traditional standards with pop music at Armstrong Auditorium. By Jeremy Martin

Time for Three has played Carnegie Hall, the Indy 500 and Dancing With the Stars since forming in 2001, but the trio just recently started singing. Newest member and violinist Charles Yang encouraged violinist Nicolas Kendall and double-bassist Ranaan Meyer to add three-part vocal harmonies to their classification-resistant sound after joining the group in 2016. Time for Three famously combines classical music with folk, bluegrass and pop elements, but Meyer said the trio previously considered itself an instrumental outfit. “I actually sang a lot growing up,” Meyer said. “I was in a lot of community theater and things like that, and I would write my own songs. But then puberty took my voice away. When Charles came into the group, we were like, ‘Well, let’s try it,’ and we started with it and wrote our first song maybe a year and a half ago, something like that, and people were really digging it. So we wrote two or three songs and had a couple of songs written for us, and we went down to Nashville to Time for Three bring their distinctive, hardto-classify sound to Armstrong Auditorium on Thursday. | Photo Shervin Lainez / provided

explore these really high-level songwriter connections, and they thought it was really dynamic.” The group of classically trained musicians recorded songs for an EP in Nashville and plan to release a single this fall. The trio is scheduled to perform its touring show Joy 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S. Bryant Road, in Edmond. “It’s kind of a journey of love and struggle,” Meyer said. “We’ll have about eight songs that we sing in the set, and the instrumentals that go along with it are also about that. We generally start out with this song ‘Déjà Vu,’ which is thinking that you’ve seen somebody before, so that familiarity with the person, it’s just sort of common when you’re lusting over somebody, you know? Then we take them into this song called ‘All the Ways You Love,’ which is really just loving the overall person 360. And then it kind of gets into a vulnerability and then a breakup and then it finds its way back into connection and

Music mashup

Meyer, who founded the group with Kendall and former member Zachary DePue when the three were students at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, said creating romantic music is far from a new idea, but Time for Three has a knack for reinterpreting classic themes and compositions for contemporary audiences. “Imagine that; we’re musicians and we’re writing about love,” Meyer said, laughing. “That’s never been done before! But we’re doing it in our own way.” The show features a mash-up of Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child o’ Mine” with a por tion of Gust av Ma h ler ’s Kindertotenlieder song cycle based on poems by Friedrich Rückert about the deaths of two of his children. “It sort of refers to the way a kid can be such a gift but also traumatic at times,” Meyer said, “the extremes of all that and what that does to a relationship, whether it be positive or negative and everything in between, and it kind of builds off of that. But I think in our case, we just found the uniqueness of how Guns N’ Roses in the ’80s can write about a childhood memory and having a kid where Mahler is writing about the loss of a child and putting those connections together.” Finding those connections gives Time for Three its distinctive style. In the past, the group has combined “Summer” from Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons with “Toxic” by Britney Spears and Katy Perry’s “Firework” with “The Princesses’ Khorovod” from Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. Meyer said distinctions between styles of music aren’t as im-

portant as the emotions the music is intended to express. “Whenever somebody gets really intense about, ‘This genre is more meaningful than that genre,’ that to me is a red f lag because I start to wonder, ‘What actually are the dif ferences? ’” Meyer s a id . “ L e t ’s just unpack that for a second. … What is serious music? You’re saying there can’t be seri26

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ousness in pop? There’s joy in all music, there’s melancholy in all music, there’s trauma. It’s all there. Fundamental human emotions are what I hope we’re striving for or even messaging when it comes to art and music. And that’s kind of the exciting thing about it. So we just try to look at it kind of from a big picture as opposed to ‘This has to have meaning because it stood the test of time.’ Well, yeah, it does have to have meaning because it stood the test of time, but that’s not necessarily what makes it great. What makes it great is the tradition of artistry and how it’s taken and passed through time.”

Emotional education

The trio’s penchant for combining timeless classics with contemporary hits has made Time for Three popular among music lovers and educators trying to get younger people interested in classical music, but Meyer said that wasn’t the group’s original intent. “We always just wanted to have fun and just wanted to play music that spoke to us, and I think what that produced was an accessibility to classical music,” Meyer said. “People that wouldn’t always listen to classical music would come to it through Time for Three, but it wasn’t necessarily our objective. … We still play that music at a very high level, but we just simply look at music as music, and not trying to create barriers.” Adding vocals to some of the songs the trio plays also makes the music more accessible, Meyer said, and gives the show an overlying theme. “That has sort of evolved what the show has become,” Meyer said. “It was more just like a fun vibe meets a highly emotional melancholic vibe. It was a bit esoteric, and now there’s actually a dramatization and a storyline that goes through it all. It’s like if you’re approaching it from the pop standpoint, it’s just songs that go together cohesively to tell a story, but if you’re approaching it from the classical sense, it’s a libretto. It just depends on what you’re comfortable with, but I think one of the things Time for Three has always strived for is to connect and to bridge all those worlds, so we look at it through both lenses all the time.” And adding pop songs into a program with weightier classical music helps keep the overall tone from becoming too heavy. “Every once in a while, you’ve got to get lighthearted,” Meyer said, “or you’re just going to make people sob the whole time listening to you.” Visit armstrongauditorium.org.

Time for Three’s Joy 7:30 p.m. Thursday Armstrong Auditorium 14400 S. Bryant Road, Edmond armstrongauditorium.org | 405-285-1010 $23-$48

Oklah ma Book Festival Sam Anderson

David Grann

Juli Berwald

More than 50 writers  Story time and crafts  Author panels  Food trucks  and more!

Boathouse District Oklahoma City

October 20 2018 10am–5pm

okbookfest.org

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Oklahoma of Department

Libraries

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Attorney

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T H E AT E R

ARTS & CULTURE

Wondrous production Oklahoma City Ballet mounts an ambitious production of Alice (in Wonderland). By Jeremy Martin

When the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon ask Alice to recount her adventures in Wonderland, she initially refuses. “But it’s no use going back to yesterday,” Alice protests, “because I was a different person then.” Oklahoma City Ballet performs Alice (in Wonderland), adapted from Lewis Carroll’s iconic fantasy books with choreography by Septime Webre and an original score by Matthew Pierce, who is scheduled to appear as guest conductor with Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Oct. 26-28 in Civic Center Music Hall’s Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre, 201 N. Walker Ave. Artistic director Robert Mills said OKC Ballet wouldn’t have been able to stage something as large-scale as Alice when it first premiered at Washington Ballet’s Kennedy Center. “When this production debuted in D.C. in 2012, I really wanted to bring it Charles Martin played the White Rabbit in the Kansas City Ballet’s production of Alice (in Wonderland). | Photo Kenny Johnson / provided

to Oklahoma City, but in fact, our company had to grow,” Mills said. “It had to grow in many ways. We would not have been able to rehearse the ballet in our old building. There are elements of the production that we would not have done.” For example, Alice features a largescale Jabberwocky puppet created by theatrical designer Eric Van Wyk, which Mills said must be operated by “about six dancers at once.” “That wouldn’t have even fit through the doors of our old building,” Mills said. The extensive cast of characters in Wonderland also requires a larger talent pool. “In addition, our company had to grow,” Mills said. “We needed more dancers for the task. So I’m glad that we’ve been able to grow the company to a point where we can do a production like this for Oklahoma City.” The production features 30-50 children selected from the more than 300 students attending the ballet’s Yvonne

Chouteau School. “They’re little piglets; they’re Gerbera daisies; they’re cards in the card deck; they’re baby flamingos — they’re all sorts of little characters,” Mills said. The children in the ballet get firsthand knowledge of working on a professional production with experienced dancers. “Our professional artists that make up our company come from all over the world,” Mills said. “They’re adults whose very job is the work they do with us, and they work with us from 9:30 in the morning until 5 five days a week. When we have a production that utilizes children from our school, we shift the workweek to Tuesday through Saturday. That allows us to have a full day on Saturday with the kids from our schools so that we can incorporate them into the production … so that the children really, fully understand what it’s like to be onstage with the entire company.” Giving younger dancers and audience members a chance to experience the ballet has been one of Mills’ main goals since he became artistic director in 2008. “One of my objectives since taking over the company 10 years ago was to not only build the audiences but to make the art form accessible to everyone and also to bring it to families and children,” Mills said.

Fantastic journey

Alice, which has been performed in cities throughout the United States and recently had its Asian premiere at Hong Kong Ballet, where Webre works as artistic director, brings contemporary choreography and an original chamber music score to a well-known story with “really outlandish and over-the-top and colorful” costumes designed by Liz Vandal, best known for her work with Cirque du Soleil. Mills said the production gives audiences a chance to see the possibilities of modern ballet. “A lot of people tend to focus only on where ballet has come from in its history,” Mills said. “It is a very old art form, and it does draw from its past of classical music and tutus and tiaras. And we do all of that, but I want our audiences to understand that it can be current. It can be accessible, and this production of Alice (in Wonderland) that Septime Webre choreographed … for me, it just hit all of the right chords of what I wanted to accomplish here.” Though the production is contemporary, Mills said the story, drawn from Carroll’s Alice’s Ad vent ures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, remains timeless because of its appeal to the sense of adAngelina Sansone played the Red Queen in the Kansas City Ballet production of Alice (in Wonderland). | Photo Kenny Johnson / provided

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venture in grownups and children. “As an adult, you can look back at those wide-eyed years of a child where you look to the future and you didn’t know what unexpected journeys you were going to go on,” Mills said. “You were still finding out about the world. To be a part of a story like this as a child, to see another child go t h r o u g h

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this fantastic journey, it’s magic, and I think it stems from the fact that as youths, we have the rest of our lives to live. Our lives themselves are fantastic journeys … anything is possible.” Dancers Miki Kawamura and DaYoung Jung have both been cast in the role of Alice. Webre himself made the final decision on the selection, Mills said. Though both dancers were chosen partially for their ability to capture a childlike sense of wonder and naiveté, they add their own individual qualities to the character. “The choreography they’re learning, it’s going to be specific movements on specific counts, and that doesn’t vary much,” Mills said. “Within that context, it’s very much about how it ’s por trayed. Oftentimes, whether it’s dance or whether it’s acting , performers, artists, they’re bringing their own nuances to the work. They’re bringing their own ideas into the work. That’s why you hear the word ‘interpretation’ a lot, ‘It’s this actor’s representation of the role of Hamlet.’ In this case, Septime is really great in that he a llows people freedom outside of the context of the musicality of the

Laura Hunt played the title role in the Kansas City Ballet production of Alice (in Wonderland). | Photo Kenny Johnson / provided

405.282.2800 . THEPOLLARD.ORG

steps; he allows them freedom to not only bring themselves into the role but to interpret every scene. … There are a lot of different ways that an artist can approach the same movements on the same count, but in the acting and the facial expressions, the musicality, the physicality can all have many different sorts of interpretations.” These factors and more make Alice “a complex and interesting production,” Mills said, and though audiences might have never seen anything like it, they should have no problem relating to it. “People are familiar with it, so I think, coming into the theater, if people are able to remove their expectations from that Disney cartoon, everyone’s going to love this,” Mills said, “and they’re going to understand it incredibly easily.” Visit okcballet.org.

Alice (in Wonderland) Oct. 26-28 Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcballet.org | 405-848-8637 $15-$75

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T H E AT E R

ARTS & CULTURE

Bloody good Carpenter Square Theatre gets into the Halloween season with horror satire Slasher. By Jeremy Martin

In preparation for directing the horrorcomedy play Slasher, director Terry Veal went on a rampage, ripping through episodes of a popular scary TV show on an online streaming service. “I’ve kind of gotten hooked on American Horror Story,” Veal said. “I’ve been watching this season, but I found that Amazon has all the back seasons, so I thought, ‘Well, I think I’m just going to go back,’ and oh my gosh, I was hooked. I don’t usually binge-watch something, but I did, and I told [artistic director Rhonda Clark], ‘That’s the blood I want,’ when the pool of blood flows across the floor.” The play, written by Allison Moore, runs Friday-Nov. 3 at Carpenter Square Theatre, 800 W. Main St. Veal said rehearsing for Slasher and staging its gruesome murders has been enjoyable for the cast and crew. “I think it’s a terrific Halloween show,” Veal said. “It’s a lot of fun and a lot of blood, and we’re having a blast with it.” Timing is crucial for horror, Veal said, and Slasher establishes a demanding tempo from its very first scene. “The key is you’ve got to keep it moving,” Veal said. “The pace of the left to right Ashley Bower, Peter Fischaber, Matthew Moreillon, and Jessica Bisel appear in Carpenter Square Theatre’s horror satire, Slasher. | Photo Rhonda Clark / provided

show, it starts pretty high in intensity and it just keeps moving on up. You have to keep moving forward and take the audience along.” Moore’s script, Veal said, is “written like a screenplay” critiquing and lampooning horror movies while mimicking their style with fake gore and jumpscares. Veal said staging the play’s repeated direction for an “immediate shift” between scenes and sets presents technical obstacles for a small production. “On stage, it’s hard to instantly switch to anything unless you have a couple of million dollars; then it’s a little different,” Veal said. “It’s multiple settings and things like that, so I’m trying to keep the pace where we go to blackout at the very minimum. That’s the challenge. There’s some technical aspects that we’re dealing with. People getting throats slashed, and I don’t want to give away the big one, but those kinds of things you see in a slasher movie. So that’s a challenge to figure out those kinds of things, but I think we’re doing a pretty good job with it.” In the play, Sheena (Jessica Bisel), a waitress at a Hootersesque restaurant called Busters who the script describes as “21, girl-next-door kind of pretty, not book-smart but a survivor,” is cast in a slasher film to the irritation of her mother Frances (Ashley Bower), who

the script describes as an “angry, thwarted feminist with a questionable disability … loud.” “She’s quite the radical, actually,” said Veal. “So she has a big speech and rants about how women are underpaid and they’re just nothing but sex objects.” Though the play is satirical, its comedy conceals a “slight undercurrent” of “feminist outrage at how women are portrayed in slasher movies,” Veal said. “The playwright, I think, wanted to make a statement but not hit you over the head with it, so she’s kind of infused it throughout the play,” Veal said, “but there’s definitely an underlying theme there.”

There are visions of Carrie, there are visions of you name it. Terry Veal

Visceral edge

Art and culture website Broadstreet Review said “Slasher elicits laughs by intentionally indulging in everything that makes horror films atrociously unentertaining.” The play ridicules the kind of horror movie being shot by Marc (Peter Fischaber), a character San Francisco Chronicle described as “a sleazy sexploitation director barely keeping his leer and hands under control.” Marc casts an Austin waitress to star in his film because he has run out of options. “This director, he’s come back to his

hometown because it’s a lot cheaper to film in Texas than it is in California,” Veal said. “He’s hurting for money, so it’s a low-budget slasher flick.” Meanwhile, film student Jody (Matthew Moreillon) thinks the movie will be his ticket to the big-time. “He gets pulled into the movie when the lead guy doesn’t show up,” Veal said. He’s just one of those ‘I want to do whatever I can to be in this movie, to help with this movie, because this is going to be my big break.’ So he’ll do anything.” Rounding out the cast are Sheena’s younger sister Hildy (Hannah Youngblood), who Veal said “tries to keep peace in the family,” and Christi (Jessica Vanek) the assistant director. Slasher also requires Vanek to portray several different victims throughout the course of the play, contributing to its comedic tone but also posing a challenge for Vanek and Veal. “She plays all the women that get killed in the slasher movie up to the last girl,” Veal said. “I love those kind of parts where you get to play different characters and create different characters. So it’s a lot of fun to see how they change from that character to a different character. She plays four or five different characters, and it’s hard to keep them straight because they’re pretty quick. One minute, she’s here, and the next minute, she’s over there. But she’s working real hard and doing a great job.” Though Slasher contains violent scenes, the goal is usually to induce laughter instead of chills, Veal said, but the combination of humorous and horrific can sometimes be tough to get right. “First of all, it’s a comedy, and when you’re doing a comedy, there’s certain comedic techniques that you use, so we try to incorporate those as well as the thriller and the suspenseful parts and, you know, ‘What’s coming next?’” Veal said. “So it’s a nice little balance. People will have a really good time and maybe a jump or two as well. … There are visions of Carrie, there are visions of you name it. We’ve been having a lot of fun with it though. And you would think, ‘Slasher? That doesn’t really sound like a comedy,’ but it’s really quite funny.” Along with the laughter, there will be blood. “We’ll have to mop and clean pretty much every night,” Veal said. Visit carpentersquare.com.

Slasher Friday Nov. 3 Carpenter Square Theatre 800 W. Main St. carpentersquare.com | 405-232-6500 $5-$25

O C TO B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 8 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

ARTS & CULTURE

CO M E DY

Oklahoma City Thunder teammates and local performers showed up for a good cause at last year’s Why Not?? Comedy Show. | Photo Ryan Magnani / provided

Court jester

Russell Westbrook and Demetrius Deason put points on the board with Why Not?? Comedy Show. By Joshua Blanco

Why Not?? Comedy Show returns to Oklahoma City for the third consecutive year Oct. 26, bringing along with it a lineup of celebrities and comedians alike. Hosted by Demetrius “Juice” Deason and his longtime friend, Oklahoma City’s favorite point guard Russell Westbrook, the show is expected to be another night of pure fun and entertainment all for a good cause. In fifth grade in their hometown of Hawthorne, California, Deason and Westbrook formed a friendship that would last for years

to come. The two played basketball together in both middle school and high school before parting ways to attend college. Deason enrolled in Pacific Union College while Westbrook accepted an offer to attend University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Like his good friend, Deason had hopes of becoming a basketball legend, a dream that would never be realized following a back injury he suffered on the court. Fortunately, he had something else in mind for his future: a career in comedy. “When I messed up my lower back, I came back home and people always told me I was funny, that I should try comedy,” Deason said. “So I went to one of my friends’ shows and I didn’t know it but he had me on the show. … I’ve been doing

Russell Westbrook chops it up with the crowd at the 2017 Why Not?? Comedy Show. | Photo Ryan Magnani / provided

comedy ever since then.” After deciding he would pursue this new line of work, Deason realized he needed a brand of his own, so he launched his own company, Layups2Standup. “[It] speaks for me,” he said. “It was the perfect combination of switching things over,” he said regarding the platform’s namesake. Speaking from experience, Deason said “using your feelers in life to transition to success” is the best way to bounce back from an otherwise disappointing failure, a lesson he hopes people will utilize in pushing forward in their own lives. Now a successful comedian, he has been coming to Oklahoma regularly, building a name for himself while sustaining his reputation as an NBA enthusiast. W hen Deason asked Westbrook to do the show with him for the first time in 2015, he agreed. “I told him I had an idea; I was about to do a show in Oklahoma. We created the game plan for it and we’ve been doing it ever since for about three years,” Deason said. “It’s taken off from there with the help of Russell coming out to a lot of my events and a lot of other of my NBA friends coming out to help me take it to the next level faster.”

Laugh responsibly

The event was held at The Criterion before transitioning last year to Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., selling out each time. All proceeds are donated to a specific charity chosen annually. This time, they chose to partner with Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, where 25 kids are sponsored and guaranteed daily meals for the next year. A separate event for the kids was also arranged and took place Oct. 11 at Dave and Buster’s, 5501 N. May Ave. “[Deason] is just one those guys who’s just full of passion, and he’s full of commitment, and he’s a real hard worker.

You just wanna work with people like that,” said Chad Whitehead, operating partner and talent buyer at Tower Theatre. “[The show] really just checks all the boxes of something that we would want to partner with someone on.” According to Whitehead, the event is set up like a standard comedy show while retaining its own flavor. He said last year Westbrook and Deason “hammed it up for a little bit to help warm up the show” and later a public donation was handed over to the designated charity. Comedian Gary Owens will be headlining this year’s event, and other comedians are scheduled to deliver performances. Many of Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder teammates are also expected to be present in the crowd. The event is reserved for its current date to give the players a break before returning to the court for another season of hard work and athletic grit. “It’s the start of the season, so hopefully they’ve all had a little bit of a break so they come and relax in good spirits,” Whitehead said. He explained the greatest challenge was making sure the show could be scheduled at the right date since the NBA does not release its schedule until long after Tower Theatre plans its own. “There’s always little bumps on the road,” Deason said. “I figured it out for the most part to make it work. With everything, there’s always gonna be trials and errors. … It’s just the little tedious different things that could come up.” And it’s by no means a cheap production. Deason said ticket pricing is determined by the market, but due to the size of the venue, which seats just shy of 800 people and will seat even less with the addition of sponsors’ tables, the ticket price was raised to cover logistics and ensure the charity would still receive its anticipated donation. That said, he took care to keep prices in an affordable range. “Juice is the one who does all the heavy lifting on this,” Whitehead said. The participants seem to be in good spirits, looking ahead to what lies in store for the evening’s festivities. Deason is especially hopeful that the audience will be receptive to the show’s theme. “Why not help? Why not give back? Why not have a great night of laughter?” he asked. “That’s our message: Have a good time and make sure we help people as we’re doing it.” Visit towertheatreok.com.

Why Not?? Comedy Show 8 p.m. Oct. 26 Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St. layups2standup.com | 405-708-6937 $40-$1,000

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Kate Bunce, Musica (detail), ca. 1895–97. Oil on canvas, 40 3/16 x 30 3/16 x 1 3/4 in., Birmingham Museums Trust (1897P17). © Birmingham Museums Trust

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BOOKS

ARTS & CULTURE

Book beginnings

The first Oklahoma Book Festival brings dozens of local and national authors together for a free celebration of reading, writing and libraries. By Ian Jayne

To paraphrase a famous utterance by Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, sometimes it would be nice to call up an author and talk about his or her book. The magic of reading, of course, is that you can go inside different worlds and different minds — notably, that of the author’s. At the inaugural Oklahoma Book Festival, this process becomes an even more literal bringing together of reader and writer. Taking place 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 20 in the Boathouse District, Oklahoma Book Festival is a free event hosted by Oklahoma Center for the Book, a division of Oklahoma Department of Libraries. The festival features over 50 authors from Oklahoma and beyond, including headliners David Grann, Meg Gardiner, Lou Berney and Jerry Bennett. Attendees will be able to get books purchased at the festival signed by authors. The festival will include crafting demonstrations every hour for children, coloring, story times and poetry readings. Featured entertainers include Jedi OKC, Oklahoma Garrison 501st Legion and Sugar Free Allstars. Several food trucks will be at the event’s Festival Market Square. The authors represented at the festival write in a wide variety of genres and for an array of ages; writers of everything from children’s and YA fiction to adult nonfiction will showcase their work through panels and presentations. Grann will discuss his most recent published book, Killers of the Flower Moon, which delves into FBI investigation of conspiracies targeting the Osage people in the 1920s. Originally from New York, Grann first came to Oklahoma

in 2011 after hearing about the Osage case but being unable to unearth more information. “I really went out there just to learn,” Grann said. The trip to Osage County brought multiple firsts for Grann — seeing the prairies, riding in the back of a pickup truck — and it also inaugurated a process he described as a “five-year research odyssey.” The result was a harrowing work of nonfiction that Grann said aimed in part to recover silenced and erased voices, such as Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman. Throughout the research process, Grann said that he grew fond of Oklahoma and its peoples. “This book would not exist without the help and trust of so many Osage and so many Oklahomans who shared with me their stories and trusted me with their stories,” Grann said. Grann said his trip to Oklahoma for the festival will also give him a chance to interact not only with readers, but also with the Oklahomans who have become his friends over the course of the past several years. His newest book, The White Darkness, comes out at the end of October.

Pages, purposes

Oklahoma Book Festival represents a variety of purposes that are central to the Oklahoma Department of Libraries and Center for the Book. “The mission of all the centers is to encourage reading for pleasure,” said Bill Young, public information manager at Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL). “The individual centers also work

to promote the literary heritage of their state, to celebrate their authors. … There’s no wrong book to pick up and read, and by having a diverse cast of authors at the book festival, we think there’s going to be something there for everybody.” Although Oklahoma was the fourth state to establish its Library of Congressaffiliated Center for the Book, the state has not previously held such an event. “There’s been this desire to do a book festival,” Young said. “I think it’s just another event that people have wanted. We’ve had these expressions of interest in the past.” The event is largely the brainchild of Vicki Mohr, division director for library development at ODL, and Connie Armstrong, executive director at Oklahoma Center for the Book. Armstrong and Mohr decided to go for it, said Young. The two traveled around to regional festivals and the annual National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., to gather information about organizing and planning festivals. Through a combination of federal funds for library services and about $60,000 from private donations through the 501(c)(3) Friends of the Oklahoma Center for the Book, the festival came to life. The event also showcases the vital functions that libraries serve for different communities. For honorary chairperson Jane Jayroe, libraries were essential during long summers when she lived in small towns. “I remember vividly going to the town library,” said Jayroe, a former Oklahoma City broadcast journalist and Miss America 1967. “To be able to walk among those books and be able to pick up any that I wanted was just such a treat.” Along with Bob Burke, Jayroe will co-host the festival. “We’ve been so influenced by the role that books have played in our lives, and so we were excited that we could play this role for the first Oklahoma Book Festival,” Jayroe said. For lifelong readers such as Jayroe, the festival represents not only a chance to meet favorite authors, but also a soKim Ventrella, author of Skeleton Key, is one of the featured authors at Oklahoma Book Festival. | Photo provided

David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon, is one of the featured authors at the inaugural Oklahoma Book Festival. | Photo provided

lidification of Oklahoma City as a literary destination. “To add that element of literary interest, whether you’re 6 years old or 60, is a very unique opportunity,” Jayroe said. “It’s something that will have great interest for Oklahoma City and the surrounding area. Kim Ventrella, one of the featured festival writers, has previously worked as a librarian and said that libraries are doorways to new possibilities. “Discovering the right book at the right time can save a child’s life, and libraries make books available to all children regardless of socioeconomic status. In addition to books, libraries offer enrichment activities that open children’s minds to possibilities they may not encounter anywhere else, especially in areas like science, technology and the arts,” Ventrella said. Author of the middle-grade novels Skeleton Tree and Bone Hollow, Ventrella said that the festival represents an extension of the state’s vibrant literary community. “I think the Oklahoma Book Festival will help to broaden and diversify the literary landscape in our state by bringing in new voices and highlighting the creative professionals that already call Oklahoma home,” Ventrella said. By offering free admission and programming — such as chances to hear authors talk about their work or to meet writers — Oklahoma Book Festival demonstrates the ways libraries and books can connect and inspire readers across the state. “Our goal is to make it the largest literary event in the state and just keep it growing,” said Young. Visit okbookfest.org.

Oklahoma Book Festival 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday OKC Boathouse District 800 Riversport Drive okbookfest.org Free

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Original print

OKG explores literary legends with lesser-known local roots from Oklahoma’s past and present. By Charles Martin

Did you know that an Okie from Muskogee currently reigns as America’s premiere sly and comedic history writer? Or that a seminal novelist in neo-crime noir was born and bred in Anadarko up until his father fled his post as sheriff amid embezzlement charges? Such is the far-flung and colorful nature of an array of writers such as Sarah Vowell (Lafayette and the Somewhat United States, Unfamiliar Fishes) and Jim Thompson (The Grifters, The Killer Inside Me), who found acclaim internationally but whose roots in Oklahoma are often overlooked. It’s not that Oklahoma doesn’t have its own informal literary canon including S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, a formative novel for countless disenchanted teens across the world, as well as the late-coming adoption of Ralph Ellison’s monumental achievement, Invisible Man. But other important voices such as Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (Loaded) and Pulitzer Prize-winner John Berryman (The Dream Songs) have, so far, not received their Okie bona fides.

Local voices

Muna Lee is a particular blind spot in that canon, according to Larry “Buddy” Johnson, special collections manager of Metropolitan Library System. As Oklahoma was still finding its footing in the early 20th century, Lee became

a fiery voice in poetry and civil rights. “I’ve always been intrigued by her life as a radical feminist poet, as she produced some very beautiful lyric poetry,” Johnson wrote in an email exchange with Oklahoma Gazette. “She’s truly unheard of today, but in the World War I era, she became the favorite of critic H. L. Mencken and published numerous poems in various New York magazines.” A Google search of Lee turned up a few bone-dry academic papers and brief nods by universities such as Ole Miss that only grudgingly acknowledged her significant time spent in Oklahoma both in childhood and as a teacher. There’s also an archive of her contributions to The New Yorker with the posts dated to the 1930s as if Lee had been clacking away on a typewriter plugged into an early version of the blogosphere mostly consisting of creaky cogs, a repurposed sewing machine pedal and a sprawling web-work of pneumatic tubes. “Here is this furloughed school teacher working in a grocery store in Oklahoma City who becomes the darling of The Smart Set, holding her own with Pound and Eliot and writing searing feminist poetry,” Johnson wrote. “At some point, she taught herself Spanish and began writing in Spanish, becoming one of the most noted female Latin American voices. From there, she essentially lived the life of the Lost

Generation, moving to New York and having a relationship with a Puerto Rican nationalist poet. I don’t know; I guess I just adore her on some emotional level, like a kinship. Historians are prone to that.” Even modern writers weaving stories about modern Oklahoma are having better luck marketing their work to anyone but modern Oklahomans. “You have a writer like J. David Osborne who sets all these stories in Lawton,” said World Literature Today book review editor Rob Vollmar of the former Okie now living in Texas, where he runs Broken River Books. “Especially for people outside Oklahoma that read those books, he is doing for Lawton what Breaking Bad did for Arizona. His work is descriptive of how poor folk get by, but then added in is are all these dark, weird, otherworldly space monsters.”

Oklahomans have largely been futureoriented, probably because much of the state was founded by boomers and boosters and the next big thing is always around the corner. Larry “Buddy” Johnson Vollmar is also an Eisner-nominated writer whose Bluesman graphic novel is an ambitious concept piece with a story paced to a traditional blues song,

which follows two African-American musicians pursued across the countryside for a crime they didn’t commit. “Bluesman has an interesting connection because, though it’s set in Arkansas, they came from Oklahoma,” Vollmar said. “When you are writing these characters, they have these entire lives that came before they are introduced in the story. These two were traveling the circuit that passed through these black independent towns like Langston.” Oklahoma History Center’s website recounted the unique presence of allblack towns, stating that never before in history “did so many African-American men and women come together to create, occupy, and govern their own commnities. From 1865 to 1920 AfricanAmericans created more than 50 identifiable towns and settlements, some of short duration and some still existing at the beginning of the 21st century.”

Futuristic vision

Though the state’s past is fertile ground for writers, so is the future. Oklahoma has been regularly placed at or near the center of science-fiction universes at a surprising pace given how far Oklahoma is from the center of any actual universe, whether literal or metaphorical. As Brian Berlin rang up customers at New World Comics, 6219 N. Meridian Ave., he rattled off a burst of references such as Thor’s run set in Broxton and Doc Samson’s origins in Guthrie. Captain Marvel even visited the Oklahoma City Zoo in a comic, as any self-respecting superhero should when zipping through Middle America. Tulsa’s Sterling Gates has become a regular contributor to the expanding DC Universe including work on numerous comic runs as well as writing stints for the Supergirl and Flash television adaptations. Robopocalypse by another Tulsa native, Daniel H. Wilson, looked forward to a global throwdown between man and machine. Then there is aisle after aisle of local sci-fi writers at popculture conventions across the region promoting titles that feature Oklahoma prominently in their theoretical, often dystopian, futures. “Oklahomans have largely been future-oriented, probably because much of the state was founded by boomers and boosters and the next big thing is always around the corner,” Johnson wrote. “That makes it much easier to create these other worlds and dystopian societies. I think it also could be what S. E. Hinton always said. She said (paraphrasing) she never ran out of things to write about because Oklahoma is such a weird place full of unusual people who believe the strangest things.”

Larry “Buddy” Johnson, special collections manager at Metropolitan Library System, is an expert on more obscure Oklahoma writers such as Muna Lee. | Photo Metropolitan Library System / provided

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ARTS & CULTURE

Oklahoma 2018

Mineral and Gem Show

See and Buy Worldly Treasures:

Artisan Jewelry Tools Gemstones Fossils Rough Rock Crystals Exhibits Demos Education Childrens Area

The Modern Living Building 608 Kiamichi PL Oklahoma State Fair Park Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma Mineral & Gem Society www.omgs-minerals.org Check us out on Facebook

OKC’s Woodcarving Show & Sale

Artistry in Wood Oct. 27 & 28, 2018 Saturday, 9:00 to 5:00 Sunday, 10:00 to 4:00 Hobbies, Arts & Crafts Bldg, State Fair Park Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Finest Wood Carving & Woodworking Exhibition in OK Featuring Vendors - Door Prizes Demonstrations - Whittling Contest Contact

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YO U T H

October 27, 2018 9am-6pm October 28, 2018 10am-5pm Admission: $6 Adults Children under 12 are free

Flowering minds

Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma will soon break ground on a new camp with a focus on STEM programming. By Jo Light

Imagine a high-tech camp where every aspect of the property is built to help young women engage with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs and a new potential learning experience waits around every corner. There’s a rock wall in the cafeteria, a zip line and treehouses for stargazing. Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma plans to build this very camp just east of Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanic Garden, 2101 NE 50th St., by the summer of 2020. In 2016, the organization learned that its previous camp, Camp Cookieland in Newalla, Oklahoma, was in the crosshairs of a proposed Oklahoma Turnpike Authority route. Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma CEO Shannon Evers knew changes would need to be made. Evers invited a group of 50 Girl Scouts to speak with representatives from Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. The scouts then held a lock-in to evaluate and debate the issue. Evers said the occasion was used as a time to teach the scouts advocacy and accountability, allowing them to ask questions and eventually make a recommendation to Girl Scout Western Oklahoma board members. They decided to sell the camp. Although Evers said it was a difficult decision, consensus was that Camp Cookieland was no longer capable of serving modern-day Girl Scouts’ needs, and they decided to look to the future. However, Evers said she warned her scouts repeatedly that it could be a while before a new camp was built. “And I said that four different ways, four different times,” Evers said. “And finally, the last time I said it, one of the

girls was like, ‘Miss Shannon! I get it! Move on!’” In the interim, Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma held day camps in its Oklahoma City offices. Evers said one day, she was sitting in her office and saw something flash by her window. “I looked down, and [the scouts] were knife-throwing,” she said. As the search for a new camp continued, Evers said she heard rumors about a large parcel of land near the zoo that was being considered for “glamping” — high-end camping. Evers immediately visited the land and said she fell in love. “It’s such an amazing site,” she said. “It’s got topography. It’s got amazing trees. We just found a tree that’s over 100 years old that’s dying that we’re going to bring back and save.” Planning proceeded from there. Now the goal is to break ground early next year. Construction should take about 18 months. “It has every element that you would think a Girl Scout camp would have,” she said. “From amphitheater and fire pits and tent camping and high-adventure activities.”

STEM camping

But the camp also has numerous “STEM surprises.” Many of the new and traditional camp activities will have a STEM angle. For example, if a Girl Scout takes the planned zip line from the camp to the zoo, she will learn about physics and flight. The indoor climbing wall will integrate a geology and archaeology lesson. Evers said she’s particularly excited about a large electronic interactive

Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma’s new camp will feature a treehouse in addition to spaces for STEM-related activities. | Image Rees / Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma / provided

display they’re calling the Wall of Women. Girl Scouts will be able to explore careers in STEM fields and see the backgrounds of women already in those fields. This will connect to the camp’s curriculum and allow them to earn badges in areas of interest. They have also discussed putting in some Plexiglas walls so infrastructure like plumbing and wiring are exposed. Even the bathrooms and elevators will have STEM elements in them. “There’s so much science that happens in a bathroom,” Evers said. “Girls need to understand, like when they turn the hot water on — how did that happen? Where did that come from, and why was it instant?”

It’s the perfect marriage between the vision of getting girls outside to explore nature and learn about their environment combined with STEM. Shannon Evers

Evers explained that within Girl Scouts of the USA, a goal has been set to draw 2.5 million girls into STEM fields by 2025. Locally, Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma would like to see 8,000 girls in STEM activities per year. “And hopefully,” Evers said, “if we can just get 10 percent of those girls interested in math and science to take the next step to go into trades or careers in STEM fields, it would be gamechanging for our state.”

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The other major goal of the new camp, Evers said, is simply getting girls to go outside. She explained many modern-day activities are indoors and sedentary. “This camp that we’re building accomplishes both of those things,” Evers said. “It’s the perfect marriage between the vision of getting girls outside to explore nature and learn about their environment combined with STEM.” Overall, it will be a more modern take on Girl Scout camp. In the past, camps have been “unplugged,” but now scouts will be allowed to keep their phones or tablets. There will also be indoor bunks for those uncomfortable with traditional outdoor camping. Evers said they plan to open the facility to the public when Girl Scouts are not using it as a camp. School field trips, company retreats, weddings and other events could take place on the property during portions of the year. The camp is not yet named, but this summer, Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma accepted the public’s suggestions. They are currently going through the roughly 130 submissions and will soon choose a crowd-sourced name. The cost of the new camp is estimated at $12.2 million, and although some funds were secured through the sale of Camp Cookieland, Girls Scouts Western Oklahoma will be fundraising throughout the next year to cover the difference. Visit campthecity.org.

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Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma plans to incorporate traditional activities with STEM skills at its new camp near Oklahoma City Zoological Park. | Image Rees / Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma / provided

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CALENDAR These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Lou Berney book signing the author will autograph his newest novel, November Road, about two fugitives on the run in the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19. Pioneer Library System, 225 N. Webster Ave. Norman, 405-701-2600, pioneerlibrarysystem.org/norman. FRI Mid-Oklahoma Writers a meetup for local writers featuring guest speakers and literary discussions, 7-9 p.m. Eastside Church of Christ, 916 S. Douglas Blvd., 405-732-0393. WED OK Book Festival celebrate and explore Oklahoma’s literary scene at this inaugural event featuring panel discussions, author presentations, book signings, food trucks and vendor booths, 10 am.-5 p.m. Oct. 20. Boathouse District, 725 S. Lincoln Blvd., 405-552-4040, boathousedistrict.org. SAT

FILM 1945 (2017, Hungary, Ferenc Török) a Hungarian village struggles with the consequences of the Holocaust and its aftermath, Oct. 17-18. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave, 405-235-3456. WED-THU

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Berlin this episode of the PBS series Art in the Twenty-First Century documents Danish artist Olafur Eliasson’s “Reality Projector,” an installation using projected light in an existing space to create complex and dynamic color patterns, 6-8 p.m. Oct. 18. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-8156665, 1ne3.org. THU

FREE family-friendly event 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday | Fairgrounds Join us for a day of celebration featuring exhibitions, activities, performances and experiences that celebrate Latinx arts and culture, in partnership with the Oklahoma Latino Cultural Center. See the full schedule at oklahomacontemporary.org.

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SAT

Chicago Steppin Class learn how to do the popular dance at this free weekly class, 7-9 p.m. Thursdays. L & G’s on the BLVD, 4801 N. Lincoln Blvd., 405-524-2001, facebook.com/landgsontheblvd. THU Chicks in Charge Trick or Treat Ball a girlsnight-out costume party with dancing, trick-ortreating and shopping women-owned businesses, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Oct. 18. Will Rogers Theatre, 4322 N. Western Ave., 405-604-3015, willrogerstheatre. com. THU Conversational Spanish Group Meetup an opportunity for all experience levels to practice speaking Spanish, 7 p.m. Tuesdays. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. TUE Curiosity Fest a humanities festival featuring live performances, panel discussions and a keynote presentation by Jad Abumrad, founder of NPR’s Radiolab, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Oct. 20. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT Drag Bingo hosts Roxie Hart and Ashlee Paige present an evening of bingo benefitting Other Options, Inc. and Great Plains Rodeo Association, 7 p.m. Oct. 21. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405-6017200, theboomokc.com. SUN

Dark Command (1940, USA, Raoul Walsh) a renegade sheriff uses the Civil War to mask his illegal activities, 1-2:30 p.m. Oct. 24. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED

Fall Harvest Fest celebrate the fall harvest with a community chili cook-off, seasonal beers and ciders, pumpkin carving and more, 2-5 p.m. Oct. 21. Delmar Gardens Food Truck Park, 1225 SW Second St., 405232-6506, delmargardensokc.com. SUN

The Devil’s Backbone (2001, Spain, Guillermo del Toro) a gothic horror film set during the Spanish Civil War, 2 p.m. Oct. 21. Oklahoma City University Meinders School of Business, 2700 N. McKinley Ave., 4052085593. SUN

Haunt the River enjoy the decorated boat, haunted tunes, light snacks and cash bar on board with a cruise for adults only, 8-9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday $35. Oklahoma River Cruises, 1503 Exchange Ave., 405-702-7755, okrivercruises.com/ specialty-cruises. FRI-SAT

The Hunger (1983, USA, Tony Scott) David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve star in this Gothic film about a vampire love triangle, 7 p.m. Oct. 22. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. MON

Celebration of Latino Culture / Celebración de la Cultura Latina

Celebration of Latino Culture a daylong family-friendly appreciation of Latinx arts and culture with live performances from mariachis and folkloric dancers, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Oct. 20. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org.

FRI

Hocus Pocus (1993, USA, Kenny Ortega) three resurrected witches make mischief in this Disney cult classic, 3 p.m. Oct. 21. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. SUN

LATINX CULTURE

Biggest Latin Party in OKC! dance to salsa, bachata, merengue & kizomba music, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays. Salsa Maritza, 7312 Cherokee Plaza, 956457-4270, salsamaritza.com. FRI

Edmond Pride a family-friendly celebration with live performances, food trucks and more, hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma’s Student Alliance for Equality and the LGBTQIA+ Faculty and Staff Association, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 20. Hafer Park, 1034 S. Bryant Ave. Edmond, 405-359-4630, edmondok.com. SAT

The Guilty (2018, Denmark, Gustav Möller) a police officer demoted to emergency dispatcher races to find a missing woman, Oct. 20-21. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-SUN

CELEBRATE

ArtOnTap a beer tasting event with food and live music to raise funds for the museum’s special programs and exhibits, 7-10 p.m. Oct. 19. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI

Black Swan (2010, USA, Darren Aronofsky) a ballet dancer begins to lose grip on reality while rehearsing for the lead role in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, 8-10 p.m. Oct. 19. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com.

Free Solo (2018, USA, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) climber Alex Honnold attempts to climb the face of Yosemite National Park’s 3,000-foot El Capitan without a rope in this National Geographic documentary, Oct. 19, Fri., Oct. 19. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave, 405-235-3456. FRI

oklahomacontemporary.org | 405 951 0000 | @okcontemporary 3000 General Pershing Blvd. | Oklahoma City, OK 73107

Army of Darkness (1992, USA, Sam Raimi) Ash continues his battle agains the Evil Dead in the Middle Ages in this iconic horror comedy, 7 p.m. Oct. 24. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. WED

okstatefair.com. FRI-SUN

Science Fair (2018, USA, Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster) a documentary following nine high school students competing in an international science competition, Oct. 17-18. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave, 405-235-3456. WED-THU Strike, Dear Mistress, and Cure His Heart (2018, USA, Mickey Reece) an estranged mother and daughter struggle to reconnect in this experimental horror film shot in Guthrie, 8 p.m. Oct. 18. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave, 405-235-3456. THU

Tomorrow (1972, USA, Joseph Anthony) a farmer (Robert Duvall) and a pregnant woman (Olga Bellin) bond in this film adaptation of a short-story by William Faulkner, 1 p.m. Oct. 17. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED

HAPPENINGS An Affair of the Heart shop for handmade arts and crafts from four buildings of vendors at this boutique show, Oct. 19-21. Oklahoma State Fair Park, 3220 Great Plains Walk, 405-948-6700,

Heard on Hurd a family friendly evening featuring food trucks, children’s activities and live music from a variety of local artists with proceeds benefitting nonprofit organizations, 6-10 p.m. Oct. 20. Citizens Bank of Edmond, 32 N. Broadway, 405-341-6650, citizensedmond.com. SAT How to Get an Abortion in Oklahoma: A Review of the Barriers learn about the legal restrictions and practical obstacles limiting abortion access and how to overcome them at this educational panel discussion and Q&A hosted by the Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice and the Center for Reproductive Rights, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 17. IAO Gallery, 706 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-2326060, iaogallery.org. WED Jackpot Bingo enter for the chance to win a cumulative cash prize and enjoy food and drink specials, 8-10 p.m. Mondays through Nov. 25. Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St., 405-609-3300, fasslerhall. com. MON Jonestoberfest an Oktoberfest event with brats, pretzels, beer and live musical performances from Will Gaines, The Polkatimers, and more, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Oct. 20. The Jones Assembly, 901 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-212-2378, thejonesassembly.com/. SAT Lost Lakes Haunted Forest the theme-park adds a frightening attraction for the Halloween season, Through Oct. 31. Lost Lakes Waterpark and Amphitheater, 3501 NE 10th, 405-702-4040, lostlakeshauntedforest.com. FRI-WED Matthew Fox the theologian will lecture about spirituality and mysticism, Oct. 19-20. Church of the Open Arms, 3131 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 405-5259555, openarms.org. FRI-SAT Midtown Walkabout see live art demonstrations, play bocce ball, shop local vendors and more at this neighborhood block party, 2-6 p.m. Oct. 20. Midtown OKC, NW Eighth St., 405-235-3500, midtownokc.com. SAT Mindful Yoga Happy Hour practice mindful meditation with Bhante Santhapiya, followed by coffee, tea and conversation, 5-7 p.m. Fridays.

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COSTUMED IN Sunday, BOWLING P Oct.28 SHOOT-OUT Registration starts at 1:00PM Costume contest at 2:00PM Handgun and Pistol Caliber Carbine $ 20 plus $ 10 for 2nd Gun / PCC.

Competitors under 16 yrs WELCOME! Prizes for best costumes!

40960 Hardesty Rd, Shawnee, OK 74801 (405) 273 - 9554 | BDCGUNROOM.COM

Spooky Pooch Parade About the only thing that could make this parade of costumed canines scary instead of adorable would be a sudden shortage of plastic bags, but the Halloween-themed celebration of all things doggo should get you and your best friend feeling festive nonetheless. DJ Brian Smith provides a spooky soundtrack and the OKC Disc Dogs are sure to entertain, but the main attraction will be a costume contest that inspires many more “awws” than “aahhs!” The fun starts 2 p.m. Sunday at Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave. Tickets are $10-$12. Call 405-445-7080 or visit myriadgardens.org. SUNDAY Photo Doug Hoke/provided

Oklahoma Buddhist Vihara, 4820 N Portland Ave., 405-810-6528, okbv.org. FRI A Night in the Life: 1940s Flyboys and Riveting Gals watch a recreated USO Show featuring the Andrews Sisters, Bob Hope, swing dancing and more at this immersive fundraiser for the Oklahoma Historical Society, 7-10 p.m. Oct. 19. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org. FRI OKC Vintage Flea Market get your shopping done at the flea market with antiques, collectibles, vintage, crafts and more, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, through Dec. 9. Crossroads Event Center, 7000 Crossroads Blvd. SAT Oklahoma Arts Conference a gathering of artists and creative professionals led by industry experts and focused on nonprofit management and individual professional development, Oct. 24-25. Film Row, 700 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-208-8836, filmrowokc.com. WED-THU Oklahoma Classics see Oklahoma-bred thoroughbred horses raise and view paintings, pottery and more created by 20 visual artists working in a variety of media, 6-10 p.m. Oct. 19. Remington Park, 1 Remington Place, 405-424-9000, remingtonpark.com. FRI Pumpkinville more than 16,000 gourds transform the Children’s Garden into a New England-inspired pumpkin town with crafts, train rides and more festive fun, Through Oct. 21. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens. com. FRI-SUN Silver Soirée: A Party to Spy For dress as your favorite spy or villain at this espionage themed party held to raise funds to make the museum more accessible, 7-11 p.m. Oct. 19. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave. Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. FRI Speed Friending a Halloween-themed social event hosted by #YesLoveOKC, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19. Dunlap Codding, 609 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-6078600, dunlapcodding.com. FRI Stillwater Balloon Festival join this amazing hot air balloon festival for a fun filled family outing with live music, hot air balloon rides, food trucks, a car show and more, Oct. 19-20. Stillwater Balloon Festival Lot, 6411 N. Perkins Road, Stillwater, stillwaterballoonfest.com. FRI-SAT Stockyards Stampede a parade of longhorns, horses, cowboys and community groups with western entertainment, and activities, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 20. Stockyards City, 1307 S. Agnew Ave., 405235-7267, stockyardscity.org. SAT SMO 21: Stranger Science learn about blackholes, amphibians and carnivorous plants, see live science demonstrations and more at this Stranger Things-themed 21-and-older event, 6:30-10 p.m. Oct. 19. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. FRI Unlearning Racism a safe space for the discussion of struggling with racism and its impact, 6:15-7:30 p.m. Trinity Presbyterian Church, 2301 NE 23rd St., trinitypresbyterianchurchokc.wordpress.com. THU

FOOD Edmond Farmers Market buy fresh food from local vendors, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Edmond Farmers Market, 24 W. First St. Edmond, 405-3594630, edmondparks.com. SAT Live Trivia bring your friends for an evening of trivia, fun and food, 8 p.m. Tuesdays. Hudson’s Public House, 1000 NW 192nd St., 405-657-1103, henryhudsonspub.com. TUE The Lost Ogle Trivia for ages 21 and up, test your knowledge with free trivia play and half-priced sausages, 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays. Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St., 405-609-3300, fasslerhall.com. TUE Observation Cooking Classes watch a local chef create a variety of cuisines and sample each course as it’s prepared, 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays through Nov. 11. International Pantry, 1618 W. Lindsey St., 405-360-0765, intipantry.com. TUE-THU Paseo Farmers Market shop for fresh food from local vendors at this weekly outdoor event, 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays. SixTwelve, 612 NW 29th St., 405-208-8291, sixtwelve.org. SAT Savory Hors D’oeuvres Party watch classically trained chef and food truck operator Teri Fermo prepare heavy appetizers such as avocado deviled eggs with crab meat and chicken satay with peanut sauce, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 18, International Pantry, 1618 W. Lindsey St. Norman, 405-360-0765, intipantry.com. THU

YOUTH Drop-In Art learn to create works of art inspired by the museum’s collections, special exhibits, holidays and more, 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT Early Explorers toddlers and preschoolers can participate in fun scientific activities they can repeat later at home, Thursdays, 10-11 a.m. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. THU Explore It! get your questions answered of what, why and how about the natural world we live in, 11:30 a.m-noon Saturdays, through Dec. 29. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave. Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. SAT Storytime Science the museum invites children age 6 and younger to hear a story and participate in a related scientific activity, Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. TUE

DRINKS!

GAMES!

DANCING!

PHOTO OPS!

PARTY FAVORS!

PERFORMING ARTS Arab After Hours a weekly belly-dancing performance featuring dancers from the Aalim Belly Dance Academy, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Café, 2900 N Classen Blvd. Ste K, 405-609-2930. TUE

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CALENDAR

UNIQUE HOLIDAY SHOPPING DOWNTOWN BETHANY FALL FEST! OCT 19TH 5P-8P

CHECK OUT OUR COSTUME CONTEST @ 7P

CASH & PRIZES!

Featuring artwork from 20 artists’ in clay, metal, glass, wood and more cmgartgallery.com 405.256.3465 1104 NW 30th St. OKC, OK 73118 Thur – Sat, 11a – 5p

Furniture • Antiques Uniques & Collectibles M - W - F - SA | 10A - 5P | 603.8878 TUES - THURS TIL 6PM | SUN 12P - 4P 3901 N COLLEGE | BETHANY

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C A L E N DA R

CMG Celebrates American Craft Month October 5-27, with contemporary sculpture made to be touched

Cherokee Music Through the Ages hear traditional songs and hymns performed by the Girty Family Singers and Corey Still, 8 p.m. Oct. 18. University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, 1727 W. Alabama Ave. Chickasha, 405-224-3140, usao.edu. THU Chingo Bling see the Houston standup comic on his Puro Hustle tour, Oct. 21. Loony Bin Comedy Club, 8503 N. Rockwell Ave., 405-239-4242, loonybincomedy. com. SUN

The City Cabaret OKC musicians and performers present showtunes and songs from rock and pop operas, 8-10 p.m. Oct. 20. VZD’s Restaurant & Bar, 4200 N. Western Ave., 405-602-3006, vzds.com. SAT Color of Art local bands perform while local artists are invited to create live art, 10 p.m.-midnight Oct. 19. Saints, 1715 NW 16th St., 405-602-6308, saintspubokc.com. FRI The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Theater eat a four-course dinner while attempting to solve an interactive murder mystery, 6-9 p.m. Saturdays. Skirvin Hilton Hotel, 1 Park Ave., 405-272-3040, skirvinhilton.com. SAT Divine Comedy a weekly local showcase featuring a variety of comedians from OKC and elsewhere, 9 p.m. Wednesdays. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. WED Funny AF Fridays hosted by Dope Astronauts, this weekly comedy showcase features a nationally touring headliner and local standups, 9 p.m. Fridays. Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St., 405-2084240, iceeventcentergrill.eat24hour.com. FRI

AND NEVER MISS A TWEET

@OKGAZETTE

Ghost: The Musical a stage production based on the hit romantic film from 1990, Oct. 19-27. The Pollard Theatre, 120 W. Harrison Ave., 405-282-2800, thepollard.org. FRI-SAT The Gravest Showman figure out the culprit in this interactive murder mystery dinner theater production set at a circus, Oct. 19 and Dec. 7. Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, 1309 S. Agnew Ave., 405-2360416, cattlemensrestaurant.com. FRI LGBT NIGHT and Drag Show hosted by Keosha Simone, this 21-and-older show features a rotating cast of drag performers and a DJ, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Thursdays. Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 211 E Main St. Norman, 405-364-7555, bisonwitchesok.com. THU The Music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart hear students and professors from the University of Oklahoma’s School of Music perform works by the legendary composers, 3 p.m. Oct. 21. Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd St., 405-325-0538, musicaltheatre.ou.edu/facilities/catlett/. SUN One Woman Sex and the City actress Kerry Ipema portrays every character from the popular HBO show in this tribute/parody, 8-11 p.m. Oct. 18. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. THU-SAT Open Mic a weekly comedy show followed by karaoke, 7:30-9 p.m. Fridays. Don Quixote Club, 3030 N Portland Ave., 405-947-0011. FRI Open Mic hosted by Elecktra, this open mic has an open-stage, almost-anything-goes policy and a booked feature act, 6-11:30 p.m. The Root, 3012 N. Walker Ave., 405-655-5889, therootokc.com. MON Open Mic Monday a music and comedy open mic hosted by Amanda Howle, 7:30 p.m. Mondays. Triple’s, 8023 NW 23rd St., 405-789-3031. MON Public Access Open Mic read poetry, do standup comedy, play music or just watch as an audience member, 7 p.m. Sundays. The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo Plunge, 405-315-6224, paseoplunge.org. SUN Random Jam Tuesdays a weekly music open mic for solo artists and full bands followed by a late-night jam session, 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Tuesdays, through Dec. 12. Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 211 E Main St. Norman, 405-364-7555, bisonwitchesok. com. TUE Red Dirt Open Mic a weekly open mic for comedy and poetry, hosted by Red Dirt Poetry, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Sauced on Paseo, 2912 Paseo St., 405-521-9800, saucedonpaseo. com. WED The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time watch a broadcast of a live performance of this play about an amateur detective, presented by the National Theatre, Oct. 21, Sun., Oct. 21. OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater, 7777 S. May Ave., 405-682-7579, tickets.occc.edu. SUN When Sousa Plays … America Sings the Norman Philharmonic and Boyd Street Brass Band perform “God Bless America,” and patriotic marches by John Philip Sousa, 6-9 p.m. Oct. 20 Free. Legacy Park, 1898 Legacy Park Drive, 405-366-5472, normanphil.com. SAT

ACTIVE Learn-to-Swim Program Giving residents of all ages and financial situations the opportunity to learn to swim with proper technique and basic water safety at their own pace offered by the King Marlin Swim Club, ongoing, Through Dec. 31. Lighthouse Fitness (Front), 3333 W. Hefner Road, 405-845-5672, marlinswimamerica.com. SAT-MON

FREE ADMISSION!

Monday Night Group Ride meet up for a weekly 25-30 minute bicycle ride at about 18 miles per hour through east Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. Mondays. The Bike Lab OKC, 2200 W. Hefner Road, 405-603-7655. MON

Cleveland County Fairgrounds “auditorium”

Monster Dash a 5K and 1-mile Fun Run to benefit community organizations including Baby Steps and Food for Kids, 2p.m. Oct. 21. Reaves Park, 2501 S. Jenkins Ave., 405-366-5472, visitnorman.com. SUN

FRI. AUG. 4TH • 9-5 | SAT. AUG. 5TH • 9-5 615 E. ROBINSON, NORMAN, OK

Baskets, Jewelry, Vintage Southwest & Pueblo Pottery, Bead Work, Paintings & Books! Native American Art Prints, Vintage Dance Regalia & Clothing Navajo Rug Molas, Native American Dance Shawls & Other textiles Native American, German & Mexican Jewelry Mexican, Southwest & Native American Art & Kitsch (plus other ethnic tribal art)

Booth Space Available Call Sally Gettys 405.321.8961 or 405.830.1860

Buy•Sell•Trade

Perfect Blue Like many adult-oriented anime thrillers, Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue should come with a small stack of trigger warnings for assault, stalking and, of course, graphic violence, but this film about popstar-turned-actress Mima Kirigoe’s slipping grip on reality handles these horrors seriously in a critique of celebrity culture and the male gaze. After the film, a representative from the YWCA will answer questions and discuss the organization’s programs to help assault victims. Bring hats, gloves, close-toed shoes and yoga or sweat pants to donate. The screening starts 7 p.m. Thursday at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. Tickets are $5-$10. Call 405-708-6937 or visit towertheatreokc.com. THURSDAY

O C TO B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 8 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

OKCX Sunday Holey Rollers Ride a weekly group bicycle ride departing from Holey Rollers Doughnuts in the Paseo at an average pace of about 18 miles per hour, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 21. Holey Rollers, 3010 Paseo Dr., 405212-2383, holeyrollersdonuts.com. SUN Runtoberfest 5K a 5K/3.1 mile race that ends in an afterparty with craft beer, family activities, giveaways and music, 4-6 p.m. Oct. 21. Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St., 405-609-3300, fasslerhall.com. SUN Wheeler Criterium a weekly nighttime cycling event with criterium races, food trucks and family activities, 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Wheeler Park, 1120 S. Western Ave., 405-297-2211, okc.gov. TUE

VISUAL ARTS Autumn Pop-Up view new work from the studios of Anthony Dyke, Susan Morrison-Dyke, Suzanne Mears and Christie Owen, Sept. 14-Nov. 9 free, Through Nov. 9. Nault Gallery, Midtown, 816 N. Walker Ave., 405-604-7947, facebook.com/ events/892178100981185/. FRI Daren Kendall: Threshold With Me view seven sculptural thresholds based on the seven terraces of Dante’s purgatory, Through Dec. 30. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave. Norman, 405-3253272, ou.edu/fjjma/exhibitions1/threshold-with-me. FRI-SUN

Experimental Monoprints Workshop learn the process of jelly plate and collagraph printing with artist Mycah Higley, 1-4 p.m. Oct. 20 40.00. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. SAT

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CALENDAR

Don’t forget! Downtown Bethany

Fall Festival 10/19 5P-8P

FOOD! GAMES! SPECIAL GUESTS! A LOT OF FAMILY FUN!

As seen on: 2nd Location now open! 1423 Manvel Ave, Chandler 116 S Rock Island, El Reno, OK 73036 (off Route 66) 405.345.8076

The Rocky Horror Picture Show There’s a light over at the Frankenstein place, where sci-fi/horror nerddom goes hand in hand with exploring the full spectrum of human sexuality. Whether you’re an old pro or a virgin, this annual interactive screening of the all-time cult classic that actually encourages viewers to talk back to the screen offers about the best environment for OKC Transylvanians to do the “Time Warp.” The show starts 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and Oct. 24 at The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St. Tickets are $25 and include a meatloaf dinner. Dinner service starts at 6:30 p.m. Call 866-966-1777 or visit ticketstorm.com. THURSDAY-SATURDAY, OCT. 24

Fall 2018 Group Exhibition an exhibition of works from local artists including Kjelshus Collins, John Davidson, Shanina Graves and more, through Nov. 30. The Art Hall, 519 NW 23rd St., 405-2315700, art.theriseokc.com. FRI A Few of Our Favorite Things view a selection of artwork from the center’s collection, including contemporary and traditional works by Native American artists, through Oct. 31. Red Earth Art Center, 6 Santa Fe Plaza, 405-427-5228, redearth. org. WED The Garden Chronicles Plus an exhibition of paintings by artist George Bogart, Through Nov. 2. Norman Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org. FRI Horsepower a dual exhibition by artists Kristen Vails and Dusty Gilpin featuring works juxtaposing horses and automobiles, through Oct. 20. Firehouse Art Center, 444 S. Flood Ave., Norman, 405-3294523, normanfirehouse.com. FRI-SAT Ink & Draw a weekly meet-up for illustrators, artists and comic book creators, 4-6 p.m. Sundays. The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo Plunge, 405-315-6224, paseoplunge.org. SUN Lost in the Faraway an exhibition of spontaneously created acrylic works by KB Kueteman, through Oct. 28. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 405-601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com. FRI-SUN National Geographic Photo Ark a collection of images captured by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore to preserve current species for future generations, through Dec. 16. The Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Place, 405-424-3344, okczoo.com. WED-SUN Pop Stars! Popular Culture and Contemporary Art an exploration of contemporary pop art inspired by Andy Warhol, Nick Cave, R. Luke DuBois and others, through Feb. 28. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com.

p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, through Oct. 31. The Studio Gallery, 2642 W. Britton Road, 405-752-2642, thestudiogallery.org. THU-WED Ticket to Ride: Artists, Designers, And Western Railways Exhibition view some of the paintings, studies, posters, and graphics that resulted from collaborations between artists and commercial designers with Western rail companies between the late 1880s and early 1930s, Oct. 5-Dec. 30. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma/exhibitions1/ ticket-to-ride. FRI-SUN

Victorian Radicals: From the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts & Crafts Movement an exhibit exploring the revolutionary artworks of Victorian Engliand featuring many works not previously seen outside the UK, through Jan. 6, 2019. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT-MON Welcome Home: Oklahomans and the War in Vietnam explores the impact of the war on Oklahoma families as well as the stories of Vietnamese families relocated to Oklahoma, Through Nov. 6, 2019. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org. MON-THU Whiteout at Campbell Art Park an outdoor artwork made by hundreds of transparent white spheres embedded with white LED lights and animated in large-scale patterns, through March 31, 2019. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-000, oklahomacontemporary.org. WED-THU

Studio Gallery’s Featured Show an exhibition featuring paintings, photography and handmade jewelry created by a variety of artists, 11 a.m.-3

CLERESTORY AV LABEL SHOWCASE

ESTER DRANG HUSBANDS TALLOWS

7p.m. Friday, Oct. 27 · $10 Public welcome. All Performance Lab tickets available at eventbrite.com

ACM@UCO PERFORMANCE LAB 329 E Sheridan Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73104

UP NEXT AT THE LAB:

Nov. 1: Maps & Atlases, with Magic Munchbox Nov. 2: Paul Benjaman, with Jacob Tovar (Horton Records Showcase) Nov. 7: Molly Burch, with Seph(ra) Nov. 14: Mac DeMarco (solo), with Leotie Nov. 18: Current Joys, with Love Seats and The Lunar Laugh (acoustic) Nov. 30: Colourmusic album release show, with openers TBA Dec. 7: Combsy, with Henna Roso (Horton Records Showcase)

HIGH NOON SHOWCASES AT ACM CAMPUS

Sandra Patterson and Paul White an exhibition of oils on canvas and porcelain and watercolor and acrylic paintings, through Nov. 30. Porcelain Art Museum, 2700 N. Portland Ave., 405-521-1234, wocp.org. MON-FRI

Still Looking: The Photography Collection of Carol Beesley Hennagin an exhibition of selections from Hennagin’s extensive collection, including works by Edward Weston, Frederick Sommer and more, through Dec. 30. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/ fjjma. TUE-SUN

APPLE TREE ANTIQUE GALLERY 6740 NW 39th Expressway Bethany, OK | 405.495.0602

Truckload of Art an exhibition of paintings, sculptures, glassworks and more, curated by artist Elzabeth Hahn, through Oct. 27. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. FRI-SAT

SUN-THU

Seeds of Being curated by students enrolled in the university’s Native American Art & Museum Studies Seminar, this exhibition examines the impact of art in indigenous communities, through Dec. 30. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE-SUN

COLLECTIBLES | MEMORABILIA 70 DEALERS | NEW STUFF DAILY

ACM@UCO Songwriting Room, 25 S. Oklahoma Ave. (first floor), in Bricktown. Showtime 12:15 p.m. Public welcome. Free admission. Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!

Oct. 22: Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards Nov. 19: Sam Weber

(405) 974-4711 | acm-uco.com

Metro Music Series Sponsors

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O C TO B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 8 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

EVENT

MUSIC

Metal Country

Swedish band Avatar theatrically explores its metallic realm with Avatar Country. By Jeremy Martin

If metal were a country, Swedish band Avatar’s new album suggests, the boundaries would be hard to define and immigrants would always be welcome. “It’s time to open up the borders of Avatar Country,” said lead singer Johannes Eckerström about the band’s new concept album set in a fantastic realm where lead guitarist Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby reigns as royalty. “The King loves you, and you too can become a citizen.” Avatar’s previous LP, 2016’s Feathers & Flesh, was a concept album about an owl waging war against nature in a tragically flawed plan to stop the sun from rising. Eckerström described it as “a fable to tell a story about our great shortcomings and failures, even when we have all the tools in place to achieve greatness.” For the follow-up, which the band began planning in 2015 while still recording Feathers, Eckerström said Avatar had a simpler, lighter concept in mind: “Let’s tell people about Avatar Country.” According to The History of Avatar Country included with the album, the nation “used to be a barren land” until a mysterious stranger appeared. “High upon a mighty steed rode a lion of a man clad in a red cloak,” reads the history. “Tied on his back was a strangely shaped axe with six strings.” The sound produced by the king’s axe opens up the earth, exposing bountiful metal veins “rich enough to supply the globe with enough heavy nutrition without starving the blackened souls of His Highness’ fellow countrymen.” In an interview with Oklahoma Gazette, Eckerström said the album’s tone is less serious than previous albums, but he suspects the band will return to exploring the gloomier themes of prev ious a lbums Feathers, Hail the Apocalypse a n d

Black Waltz in future releases. “There were some specific ideas and vibes that were something we also felt we needed to write out of our systems,” Eckerström said, “and that was very attractive to do because so much of what we do ends up being in darker rooms so to speak. … That being said, it feels like it did get out of our system and ultimately, I am more interested in exploring darkness than brightness. With brightness, everything is lit up already.”

King and Priest

Though the album’s themes are lighter than many the band has explored, the sound is an evolution of the genre-spanning style established on previous releases — technically adept melodic death metal bearing influences from ’70s progressive and hard rock, Scandinavian extreme metal and occasional classical music flourishes, often within the same song. Eckerström said the band strives to create new sounds by drawing inspiration from other genres, but its heart remains metal, even when recording a catchy

crossover track such as “The King Welcomes You to Avatar Country.” “There’s somewhat of a country-ish twang to it, but I still view it more as a blues thing, personally,” Eckerström said. “But still, it’s being driven forward by, to me, a very metal, simple Judas Priest principal that the rhythm section, including the rhythm guitar, is saying ‘dun-dun-dun-dun-bum-bah-duh.’ … When we started this band, we learned to play music together by playing metal covers together, and then we started to play metal songs. Many of us have dabbled in other things. I have played my fair share of trombone in jazz music … but the only genre where I feel that we as performers have become somewhat proficient — I guess, you know, people pay to see us do it — is metal, so that is at the core of it. That will always somewhat influence how we play our blues licks.” Much of what defines metal for Eckerström is in the performance. “The physical intensity of metal music is very important,” Eckerström said. “We don’t just play fast for the sake of fast. … We’re not looking for speed as much as we look for the intensity of it, to give our music heavy grooves so you feel that in your spine. The physical intensity of the performance, that’s what we love about shredding, that’s what we love with harsh vocals. Highpitched falsetto and growls are more common in metal than in pop music for a reason, ’cause we like the physical presence there, and even if we write something that is kind of rocking, it’s still an insane riff, and it’s still that I’ve pushed myself to the best of my ability, with those high-pitched motherfuckers of notes that I try to hit, and then we just yell at people after that. That part is what is metal to me, physical intensity. My legs should be tired from singing, not just the throat.”

Metallic theater

Playing heavy music is phy sic a l ly

demanding, Eckerström said, and writing and singing songs about heavy themes and emotions requires a mental and creative balancing act. “The performing arts are very interesting like that,” Eckerström said, “because in order for it to be good and, in my opinion, to be justified, it needs to come from a real place, but it’s an art form, a performance, when you do it. I have written many, many lyrics that are deeply personal and hard for me, but if I would break down and cry every time I would return to performing that song, it would be very hard to do those songs live. It’s hard to keep your pitch singing if you’re crying or whatever. … One of the things that art is at its core is, of course, expression and it’s articulation, an attempt to articulate something that we can’t really do otherwise. And once it’s been articulated, I think it helps the artist and hopefully also the person on the consuming end of the scale to think through that articulation, which maybe enables us to separate ourselves from the subject of it.” Live, Avatar has a reputation for high-energy theatrical performances with elaborate costumes, but the full stage show the band was touring with as headliners will be scaled back in Oklahoma City, where Avatar is playing support for Trivium. Even in a secondary slot, however, Eckerström is certain the band conducts itself like royalty. “Production value needs to take a step back compared to what we like to do,” Eckerström said, “but production value can always, should always and is always nothing more than icing on an already very yummy cake. … What we have on top is just to try to visually articulate what we are trying to articulate with the music … just to put some icing and candles and edible glitters on an already awesome cake because why the fuck not?” Visit diamondballroom.com.

Avatar 7:30 p.m. Friday Diamond Ballroom 8001 S. Eastern Ave. diamondballroom.com | 800-514-3849 $23

Swedish melodic death metal act Avatar plays Diamond Ballroom Friday with Trivium. | Photo Johan Carlen/provided

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | O C TO B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 8

EVENT

MUSIC

Sick boys Venerable punk band Social Distortion will play Oklahoma City’s Diamond Ballroom on Oct. 24. By Jo Light

To call Social Distortion one of punk’s most influential groups would not be hyperbolic, considering lead singer Mike Ness’ songwriting helped usher in a wave of new sound just as the genre arrived in Southern California. Their music is still going strong 40 years later. The band is currently in the middle of its big fall tour and plays 8 p.m. Oct. 24 at Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern Ave. The first iteration of the band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California, after what Ness describes as a rough childhood. He said he knew he wanted to be a musician when he was as young as 5 years old. He has spoken at length about how his early years were spent listening to bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones and the Beatles. And then, when he was a teenager, punk exploded. Ness said his interest shifting from rock to punk music was a natural progression. He started listening to bands like Bad Company and Sweet and then glitter rockers like David Bowie, Lou Reed and T. Rex. He followed artists with unique guitar sounds. “And then finally I think I heard the Ramones and the [Sex] Pistols,” he said. “And it was like, ‘Oh, OK. Now we’re talking.’” He said the Pistols in particular reflected his experiences and emotions better than any other band before. Ness also credits the period with shifting music back into environments where the everyman could thrive and bands could explore new creative methods. “Because you listen to some of that music from the period, it was like, ‘What, do I have to go to music school for six years to learn how to do this?’” he said. “It just seemed so unattainable. All the sudden, in the mid-’70s [and] late-’70s, there’s this music that’s being introduced back into the small nightclubs instead of just the stadiums. It was a little bit more street.” The area around Los Angeles and Orange County was the focus of this movement, and Ness called it a mecca for great punk bands of the time. “I often wonder what it would have been like if I would have grown up in a small town in the Midwest,” he said with a laugh. “I was fortunate there were older musicians around me, guys that I looked up to. I could have easily just been in a small town that didn’t have music.” Mike Ness center has led Social Distortion for 40 years. | Photo provided

O C TO B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 8 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

He joked that could have ended up robbing banks instead.

Distorting trends

Social Distortion has been evolving since its inception, Ness always at the forefront but members changing often around him. The band released its debut studio album, Mommy’s Little Monster, in 1983. Ness grappled with heroin addiction and got clean, and the band reformed to release Prison Bound in 1988. By the time it put out Social Distortion in 1990, Ness had decided to go for something new. He integrated the sounds of his youth, bringing in more overt country, blues and rockabilly influences.

It’s helped me and my career just to ignore what’s popular and do what I do. Mike Ness

“By the mid-’80s, a lot of the good bands had already died,” he said. “Punk was starting to stereotype itself a little bit and have all these rules. A lot of the bands sounded the same at that point.” Social Distortion took a significant risk to distinguish itself. “People don’t realize that when I wrote the self-titled album, I didn’t know that people were going to like ‘Story of My Life,’ or ‘Sick Boys,’ or ‘Ball and Chain,’” he said. “All I knew is that

it felt true to me and I liked it. And I had to write a record that I liked and then hope that other people liked it too.” Ness said his love for all those other music styles never waned, but as a teen, his skill level didn’t allow him to play something more complex like a blues song. “For a while there, it was just loud, fast, British stuff,” he said. Ness said that, as early as Prison Bound, he wanted to differentiate the band’s sound from British influences and embrace its American roots, which helped lead him down the blues and rockabilly path. “And that was the whole thing,” he said. “It was about individualism. I remember getting flak for wanting to record a Johnny Cash song. Everyone was like, ‘Why?’ Why? Because it’s cool, and you wouldn’t know cool if it mugged you in an alley!” You might know this song, maybe even within the context of Social Distortion’s repertoire. The band’s punk cover of “Ring of Fire” almost always makes its way into the live sets. They even performed the song at Sea.Hear. Now on Sept. 30 with Ness’ good friend Bruce Springsteen. Even now, Ness does not care much about following musical or fashion trends, beyond keeping his finger on the pulse of punk to find young bands for Social Distortion’s opening acts. “It’s helped me and my career just to ignore what’s popular and do what I do,” he said.

means to “make sense” of the current political climate. He said Social Distortion’s next album will likely contain at least one song with a political slant. “I do feel a certain responsibility,” he said. “Musicians are like journalists. They report what’s going on in their lives, personally, and what’s going on globally.” In recent years, Ness has tossed around ideas for various creative projects, including a film about the band, a solo record and a “stripped down” Social Distortion album. But for now, he said the band is focused on putting out its new studio album. It will be the first since 2011’s Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes. Ness said a friend recently told him that the band has not peaked, so he hopes to make this album its best yet. He started to describe its new sound but then stopped. “I don’t want to give it away,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a record people aren’t going to be expecting.” Oklahoma City fans will have the opportunity to hear two of the band’s latest songs, “Over You” and “Born to Kill,” at Diamond Ballroom. “We’re looking forward to coming back,” Ness said. “Everyone can expect a live, high-energy, loud show.” Visit socialdistortion.com.

Social responsibility

He also tends to ignore political trends, and the band has never been an explicitly political punk group. A few songs do address societal issues, like “Don’t Drag Me Down” and its take on racism. “When I was 17, 18, I didn’t care who was president,” he said. “I was oblivious to politics. I was a high-school dropout. I just trusted that whoever was in charge was going to do a decent job.” Now, at the age of 56, Ness said he has gotten more interested in history as a

Social Distortion 8 p.m. Oct. 24 Diamond Ballroom 8001 S. Eastern Ave. diamondballroom.com | 405-677-9169 $32.50-$175

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 17 Clutch/Sevendust, Cain’s Ballroom. ROCK Drive, Sidecar Barley & Wine Bar. ROCK Martha Odom, The R & J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ

Rome Hero Foxes/Brooding, 89th Street-OKC. ROCK

Sean C. Johnson/Stephen Salewon/Tony Foster Jr., Tower Theatre. FOLK/JAZZ/SOUL Seven Lions/MitiS, Farmers Public Market. ELEC-

TRONIC

THURSDAY, OCT. 18 Cube/Karger Traum/Kina Bazrbashi, Opolis. EX-

PERIMENTAL/ELECTRONIC

From Parts Unknown/Don’t Make Ghosts/The Big News, Blue Note Lounge. PUNK Heart of Hip Hop, Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Café. HIP-HOP

Hot House Band, Othello’s Italian Restaurant. JAZZ Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert, The Blue Door. FOLK Koolie High & the Tap Band, Ice Event Center & Grill. JAZZ Rod Stewart/Pat Benatar, Chesapeake Energy Arena. ROCK

FRIDAY, OCT. 19 Ashley Wineland, Remington Park. COUNTRY Blue October, Brady Theater. ROCK

The Lost End In April, we called The Lost End’s self-titled debut an “impactful … exercise in the morose” and a “welcome addition to the state’s postpunk scene,” and judging by the icy menace in “Little Nothing” from its soon-to-be-released follow-up, Without Being Anything, the band is hitting as hard as ever. New album title aside, Ryan Taylor’s booming vocals mixed with Scott Jones’ violent guitar squelch should definitely be something. Local shoegazers Giant Stride set the pace beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday at The Blue Note, 2408 N. Robinson Ave. Admission is $5. Call 405-600-1166 or visit facebook.com/bluenoteokc. SATURDAY Photo provided JAUZ/Holy Goof/Skepsis, Farmers Public Market. ELECTRONIC

Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Cain’s Ballroom.

Colony House/The New Respects, The Jones Assembly. ROCK

ROCK

Jamey Johnson, Riverwind Casino. COUNTRY

MONDAY, OCT. 22

Mandigo & The Nasty Nasties, The Root. ROCK

Jason Hunt, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant. FOLK

On a Whim, Bossa Nova Caipirinha Lounge. JAZZ

Johnny Manchild, ACM @ UCO. ROCK

Opal Agafia & The Sweet Nothings, The Deli. FOLK/

Elizabeth Wise/Wess McMichael/The Ravens, Othello’s Italian Restaurant. BLUES

Randy Cassimus, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC

TUESDAY, OCT. 23

ROCK

Ray Wylie Hubbard, Cain’s Ballroom. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Allen Stone/Nick Waterhouse, Tower Theatre. R&B

Stewart Wolfs, Legacy on Main Street. COVER

Country Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club.

Swim Fan/Mad Honey, Opolis. ROCK Trivium/Avatar/Light the Torch, Diamond Ballroom. METAL

COUNTRY

Kyle Reid, Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails. SINGER/

SONGWRITER

MC Frontalot/Mega Ran/MC Lars, 89th Street-OKC.

Vacation/Little Kicks/Teenage Self, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

SATURDAY, OCT. 20 411 Band, Newcastle Casino. R&B Alan Parsons Project, Brady Theater. ROCK Ashley Wineland, Remington Park. COUNTRY Dead Bars, HiLo Club. PUNK

HIP-HOP

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 24 Elizabeth Speegle Band, The R & J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ Gwar/Hatebreed, Cain’s Ballroom. METAL/HARD-

CORE

Mizere/L-MO415, Kendells. HIP-HOP Social Distortion, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK

Howard Brady, Full Circle Bookstore.

SINGER-SONGWRITER

Julius, Resonator. EXPERIMENTAL Kat Lock/Bad Jokes/GWIZ, 51st Street Speakeasy. POP/ROCK

Kent Fauss & John Ran Smith, McClintock Saloon & Chop House. COUNTRY Marco Antonio Solis, Chesapeake Energy Arena. POP

Unlikely Blues Band, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. BLUES

SUNDAY, OCT. 21 Ford Theatre Reunion/Outside Dogs, Sauced on Paseo. EXPERIMENTAL

Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

Benefiting HONORING AMERICA’S WARRIORS

TYLER LEE BAND ♦ 4 PM MY SO CALLED BAND ♦ 6PM SUPER FREAK ♦ 8PM HINDER ♦ 10PM $25 General Admission ♦ $30 Day of Show $75 Meet, Greet & Eat w/ Hinder 6:30-7:30pm Tickets available at StubWire or Whiskey Chicks OU vs TCU indoors & on outdoor big screen West parking lot & Whiskey Chicks 115 E Reno ♦ 228.0087 ♦ Bricktown

In the Whale/Klamz, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!

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PUZZLES 1

NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE GAME HUNTING

By Ross Trudeau | Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 1021

ACROSS

Algernon” 81 Island greetings 1 ____ Page, the Queen of 82 Take over Pinups 83 Info in dating profiles 7 Flavorful meat coating 85 “No, that game would be over 15 End-of-week cry in a flash” 19 O.K. to play, in a way 20 Obsession with a single subject 88 One of 26 for Walt Disney 91 Common filler words 22 Country’s McEntire 23 “We can’t play that game — I 92 Common filler words 93 “If you are always trying to can’t reach it on our shelf!” be ____, you will never know 25 Operating system developed how amazing you can be”: at Bell Labs Maya Angelou 26 Onetime White House family 96 Praise for a picador 27 Corroded 98 Frida Kahlo, por ejemplo 28 Sunken-ship sites 100 Novelist McEwan 30 Travel option for Birthright 101 Grammy winner Mary J. ____ trips 102 Cosmonaut Gagarin 31 Natural-gas component 103 “I’ve finally decided! I’m …” 34 Dress (up) 109 Small matter 35 Standout 110 “Looking to go somewhere?” 36 Turning point in history 38 “My sincerest apologies, but 111 Densest natural element 112 Bead source that game is off the table” 113 Officials in ancient Rome 43 Unearth 114 They vary from past to present 46 Bills 47 Many a Snapchat posting DOWN 48 Suit that’s hard to get into 1 Isolated hill 51 Old Buick 53 What’s plucked in “she loves 2 Surround with light 3 1996 Robert De Niro/Wesley me, she loves me not” Snipes psychological thriller 54 “We can’t play that game 4 Bird in a holiday song unless we borrow someone 5 “Black ____,” Georgia else’s” O’Keeffe painting at the Met 56 Laughs and laughs 6 Ewoks or Jawas, in brief 57 French city grid 7 One of academia’s Seven 58 People vis-à-vis gods Sisters 59 It’s a trek 8 Impersonate 60 “It ____” (“Who’s there?” 9 It might result in a defensive reply) TD 61 Show overuse, as a sofa 10 Aviary sound 62 They may have attachments 11 Full of broodiness, say 63 Strand 65 Hammarskjöld once of the U.N. 12 Cheerleader’s cheer 13 Synchronized states 68 Provisions 14 Narcissist’s quality 70 ____ school 71 Bone connection with convex 15 Who you really are 16 M•F•M, e.g. and concave fittings 73 ____ Mode, woman in “The 17 One of the first birds released by Noah after the flood, in Incredibles” 75 Word repeated in the openings legend 18 Kind of number not much seen of “Star Wars” movies 76 “I’m begging you, let’s not play nowadays 21 “Of course!” that game!” 24 Krazy ____ of the comics 77 Antinuclear treaty topic 29 More villainous 79 Pop-up site 80 Daniel who wrote “Flowers for 31 Hosp. readout

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ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Karen Holmes

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32 Penalties for illegal bowls in cricket 33 Largest active Antarctic volcano 34 Little ’un 37 Vessels seen in 2004’s “Troy” 39 Like albino alligators 40 General ____ chicken 41 Work (up) 42 Things needed in passing? 44 Supervillain in DC Comics 45 More smoky, as Scotch 48 Goals 49 Bird named for a Titan 50 Polling calculations 52 Spill coffee on, maybe 53 Blandishment 55 Actor’s honor, informally 56 Rigid 59 Attacked 60 They’re shared among friends

114

63 Whiz 64 Classic work whose “shorter” version comes in two vols. 66 Image on the ceiling of la chapelle Sixtine 67 Classic Pontiacs 69 He’s often pictured carrying an hourglass 71 Apply haphazardly 72 It comes just before a period 73 List-ending abbr. 74 Scale site 75 Fleet 76 When doubled, dismiss out of hand 78 Low voices 79 Turn’s partner 82 Secondary loan signer 84 D.C. insider 86 Get-go 87 Old vacuum tube

DIGITAL MEDIA & CALENDAR COORDINATOR Jeremy Martin ADVERTISING advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Saundra Rinearson Godwin Christy Duane Philip Rodriguez Chris White

111 113

MARKETING ASSISTANT Kendall Bleakley ACCOUNTING/HR MANAGER Marian Harrison

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OPERATIONS & MARKETING MANAGER Kelsey Lowe

PUBLISHER Peter J. Brzycki

Please address all unsolicited news items (non-returnable) to the editor. First-class mail subscriptions are $119 for one year, and most issues at this rate will arrive 1-2 days after publication.

VOL. XL NO. 42 Oklahoma Gazette is circulated at its designated distribution points free of charge to readers for their individual use and by mail to subscribers. The cash value of this copy is $1. Persons taking copies of the Oklahoma Gazette from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution.

37 43

15 21

31 36

89 Suspect statements? 90 Fix, as a model plane 94 ____-nest 95 Aesop’s “The ____ and the Grasshopper” 97 Is for all intents and purposes 98 Taurus or Touareg 99 ____ Marino 101 Big name in speakers 102 Go on and on 104 Tyrant Amin 105 Catch 106 “Despicable Me” protagonist 107 Ominous sight at a beach 108 Go bad

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF George Lang glang@okgazette.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Brittany Pickering STAFF REPORTERS Jacob Threadgill Jeremy Martin Nazarene Harris PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER Alexa Ace CONTRIBUTORS Joshua Blanco, Charles Martin Ian Jayne, Jo Light CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kimberly Lynch GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ingvard Ashby Tiffany McKnight

Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute).

SUDOKU HARD | N° 646945854 Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com

O C TO B E R 1 7, 2 0 1 8 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS Puzzle No. 1014, which appeared in the October 10 issue.

G E R M S

U P S E T

R A T E

O R A L

S T P A T

L O A F S

L O A D

U N D O

R U S T I Z O A E A I L S P L L O C T A S H E A V T O N I U O M D I V M R E S T P I R S E S E S O R S E C U R O A L T W A G E P E P E R C U T E R A L L O S O S N O B A C K E Y B R L E A V E O P T E R G T O Y

R E A T E N S I I T T E O U E D P R I S I D E R N A A A T I T R N R I T Y O N E O I B T T E R S P A O A N M A D E A K G R A N A G L A S H E E

Y E U R T T Q E L A N E N S D I S A L T S A F B R E L A R E E R I F E C O N O C O O V G D O R E R S

S N O R E

E R N S T

S C U B A S

P A N I C

P R E C E P T

Order mounted or ready-to-frame prints of Oklahoma Gazette covers, articles and photos at okgazette.yourheadline.com

P E E P

T A D A

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M O V E

A S I A N

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H N B O O L N T A K E N K U S N N E E N I N S E T S S W E E

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: Forget all you know about gratitude. Act as if it’s a new emotion you’re tuning into for the first time. Then let it rip. Testify at Freewillastrology.com. ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Humraaz is a word in the Urdu language. Its literal meaning is “secret sharer.” It refers to a confidante, a person in whom you have full trust and to whom you can confess your core feelings. Is there such a character in your life? If so, seek him or her out for assistance in probing into the educational mysteries you have waded into. If there is no such helper you can call on, I advise you to do whatever’s necessary to attract him or her into your sphere. A collaborative quest may be the key to activating sleeping reserves of your soul wisdom.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Taurus author Roberto Bolaño suggests that the world contains more beauty than many people realize. The full scope and intensity of this nourishing beauty “is only visible to those who love.” When he speaks of “those who love,” I suspect he means deep-feeling devotees of kindness and compassion, hard-working servants of the greater good, and free-thinking practitioners of the Golden Rule. In any case, Taurus, I believe you’re in a phase when you have the potential to see far more of the world’s beauty. For best results, supercharge your capacity to give and receive love.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Once upon a time you were walking along a sidewalk when a fairy floated by and whispered, “I’m willing to grant you three wishy-washy wishes for free. You don’t have to do any favors for me in return. But I will grant you three wonderfully wise wishes if you perform three tasks for me.” You asked the fairy, “What would those three tasks be?” She replied, “The second task is that you must hoodwink the devil into allowing you to shave his hairy legs. The third task is that you must bamboozle God into allowing you to shave his bushy beard.” You laughed and said, “What’s the first task?” The fairy touched you on the nose with her tiny wand and said, “You must believe that the best way to achieve the impossible is to attempt the absurd.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22) You Crabs tend to be the stockpilers and hoarders of the zodiac. The world’s largest collections of antique door knobs and Chinese restaurant menus and beer cans from the 1960s belong to Cancerian accumulators. But in alignment with possibilities hinted at by current astrological omens, I recommend that you redirect this inclination so it serves you better. How? One way would be to gather supplies of precious stuff that’s really useful to you. Another way would be to assemble a batch of blessings to bestow on people and animals who provide you with support.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Chinese mythology tells us there used to be ten suns, all born from the mother goddess Xi He. Every 24 hours, she bathed her brood in the lake and placed them in a giant mulberry tree. From there, one sun glided out into the sky to begin the day while the other nine remained behind. It was a good arrangement. The week had ten days back then, and each sun got its turn to shine. But the siblings eventually grew restless with the staid rhythm. On one fateful morning, with a playful flourish, they all soared into the heavens at once. It was fun for them, but the earth grew so hot that nothing would grow. To the rescue came the archer Hou Yi. With his flawless aim, he used his arrows to shoot down nine of the suns, leaving one to provide just the right amount of light and warmth. The old tales don’t tell us, but I speculate that Hou Yi was a Leo.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You now have maximum command of a capacity that’s a great strength but also a potential liability: your piercing brainpower. To help ensure that you wield this asset in ways that empower you and don’t sabotage you, here’s advice from four wise Virgos. 1. “Thought can organize the world so well that you are no longer able to see it.” — psychotherapist Anthony de Mello 2. “Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” —poet Mary Oliver 3. “I like to wake up each morning and not know what I think, that I may reinvent myself in some way.” —actor and writer Stephen Fry 4. “I wanted space to watch things grow.” —singer Florence Welch

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

“There are works which wait, and which one does not understand for a long time,” wrote Libran author Oscar Wilde. “The reason is that they bring answers to questions which have not yet been raised; for the question often arrives a long time after the answer.” That’s the weird news, Libra. You have been waiting and waiting to understand a project that you set in motion many moons ago. It has been frustrating to give so much energy to a goal that has sometimes confused you. But here’s the good news: Soon you will finally formulate the question your project has been the answer to. And so at last you will understand it. You’ll feel vindicated, illuminated, and resolved.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Many seekers who read horoscope columns want common-sense advice about love, career, money, and power. So I hope I don’t disappoint you by predicting that you will soon have a mystical experience or spiritual epiphany. Let me add, however, that this delightful surprise won’t merely be an entertaining diversion with no useful application. In fact, I suspect it will have the potential of inspiring good ideas about love, career, money, or power. If I had to give the next chapter of your life story a title, it might be “A Thousand Dollars’ Worth of Practical Magic.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

In 1962, when she was 31 years old, Sagittarian actress Rita Moreno won an Academy Award for her role in the film *West Side Story*. In 2018, she attended the Oscars again, sporting the same dress she’d worn for the ceremony 56 years before. I think the coming weeks will be a great time for you, too, to reprise a splashy event or two from the past. You’ll generate soul power by reconnecting with your roots. You’ll tonify and harmonize your mental health by establishing a symbolic link with your earlier self.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You need a special pep talk that’s best provided by Aquarian poet Audre Lorde. Please meditate on these four quotes by her. 1. “Caring for myself is not selfindulgence, it is self-preservation. 2. “We have been raised to fear the yes within ourselves, our deepest cravings.” 3. “You cannot use someone else’s fire. You can only use your own. To do that, you must first be willing to believe you have it.” 4. “Nothing I accept about myself can be used against me to diminish me.” 5. “The learning process is something you can literally incite, like a riot.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Warning: My horoscopes may interfere with your ability to rationalize your delusions; they could extinguish your enthusiasm for clichés; they might cause you to stop repressing urges that you really should express; and they may influence you to cultivate the state of awareness known as “playful wisdom.” Do you really want to risk being exposed to such lavish amounts of inner freedom? If not, you should stop reading now. But if you’re as ripe for emancipating adventures as I think you are, then get started on shedding any attitudes and influences that might dampen your urge to romp and cavort and carouse.

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

The Committee to Reward Unsung Good Deeds hereby acknowledges your meritorious service in the trenches of the daily routine. We praise your tireless efforts to

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