The Oscars are quite arguably one of the biggest entertainment events of the year. So why not watch them in the manner they were meant to be seen—on the big screen?
UltraStar Multi-tainment at Ak-Chin Circle is throwing the ultimate Oscar party on Sunday, Feb. 28, during which the awards ceremony will be shown on a 50-foot screen in theater 12. Admission is free.
Guests can sit back and watch as the stars arrive on the red carpet, accept awards and thank their many supporters.
“It excites everyone young and old— everybody will be thrilled by this exclusive cinema experience,” explained Adam Saks, general manager of the UltraStar Multitainment Center.
“I believe the greatest impact comes from seeing the presentation in a theater. You truly get drawn in. Last year, people felt as if they were actually at the awards. Some even unwittingly clapped after a speech or two. You forget you’re not actually at the Oscars, but you feel like you’re a part of it.”
UltraStar Multi-tainment at Ak-Chin Circle executives know the Academy Awards is a huge event and they want patrons to feel as if they stepped into the Hollywood spotlight. UltraStar is encouraging its guests to “dress to impress,” in other words, don garb like their favorite star or movie character. Then, patrons can strut their stuff down the red carpet to their seats.
For the ultimate experience, guests can pay $20 to enjoy an appetizer buffet in the lobby, a raffle ticket to be entered to win movie swag and a nominee ballot for the
opportunity to win movie tickets for a year. Guests 21 and older can enjoy a full bar and one glass of champagne with the package.
The fun continues during the commercial breaks, when UltraStar will raffle off movie merchandise like T-shirts, hats, water bottles, movie posters and sweatshirts, making the fun last the entire length of the broadcast.
“We have been thrilled by the turnout,” Saks said about previous events. “It was almost automatic for folks to dress up for the Oscars. This year the atmosphere will have the addition of the Maricopa music circle orchestra, live in the lobby. The orchestra along with our appetizer buffet and available bar service is going to make for a very festive night, a night of celebration.”
UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at AkChin Circle boasts a state-of-the-art bowling center, two-story laser tag, arcades, sports lounge, restaurant and one of the finest movie theaters.
UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at AkChin Circle is located at 16000 N. Maricopa Rd., Maricopa. For more information, call (520) 494-7827 or visit www.ultrastarakchin. com.
Exhibit featuring couture from Arizona’s past is scheduled
“Arizona Chic: Couture from Arizona’s Past Curated by Robert Black,” will be on exhibit Friday, March 18, to Saturday, April 30, at Vision Gallery, 10 E. Chicago St., Chandler. An opening reception will be 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, March 18.
Curated by Robert Black, of Fashion by Robert Black of Scottsdale, the exhibit depicts Arizona’s Fashionable past. Included are some of the most glamorous, the most understated and the most over the top examples of Arizona couture, from the eclectic to the perfect resort wear.
“There was a time when Arizona’s chic fashion was written about and taken to destinations all around the world,” Black said. “Visitors
“Arizona Chic: Couture from Arizona’s Past Curated by Robert Black” will be exhibited March 18 to April 30 at Vision Gallery, 10 E. Chicago St., Chandler. Submitted photo
were enamored by the westernand southwest-themed styles as well as the comfortable cotton fabrics and bright colors that were made for our desert sun.
The exhibit explores the local look of Arizona chic, as well as the international designer dresses that were sold in many high-fashion boutiques.
Included in the exhibition are fashion and accessories by local and well-known Arizona designers, including Lloyd Kiva, Leona Caldwell, Novis Denne, Kay Bennett, Harwood Steiger, Sun Ray of Arizona, Alfredos Wife, and dress shops such as Cele Peterson, Michelles, Phyllis de trano, Hanny’s, Fantasia, Goldwaters, Thimble Weeds and Tumbleweeds. Info: (480) 782-2695 or www. visiongallery.org.
Cossu to perform ‘heavy mental’ music at King of Glory Lutheran Church
New Age pianist, composer and recording artist Scott Cossu and his trio with piano, harmonica and percussion are performing 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26 at King of Glory Lutheran Church, 2085 E. Southern Ave., Tempe. A free-will offering will be taken.
Cossu, who describes his music as
“heavy mental”, will perform selections from his new album, “Safe in Your Arms,” a collection of some of his most cherished Wyndham Hill compositions, along with several new pieces. Info: www.kogaz.org/concert-series or Cyndee Chaffee at (480) 838-0477 or cyndeec@kogaz.org.
Tuesday, February 23rd
Restaurants help by donating a percentage of their proceeds to the Chandler Center for the Arts on that day. You help by eating at one or more of the participating restaurants.
Want to get involved? Be a Table Host!
Invite 3-6 friends (or more) to join you for lunch/dinner at a participating restaurant.
Sign up: www.chandlercenter.org/tablehost
Participating Locations
Eat Lunch Here
Crust - Chandler
Floridino’s · The Living Room
Nando’s Mexican Cafe
Rock Lobster
San Tan Brewing Co.
Serrano’s - Chandler
Stone + Vine Urban Italian - Chandler
Eat Dinner Here
Bourbon Jack’s Bar & Grill
CHoP Chandler
Earnest · Floridino’s
The Living Room
Nando’s Mexican Cafe
Rock Lobster
Serrano’s -Chandler
Artwork
of Mary Bruns to be on display at Chandler Center
Works by Mary Bruns, an artist who uses split imagery as a means of expression, will be on display Friday, March 11, to Saturday, April 23, at the Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. An opening reception will be held 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, March 18.
“I use old photographs, photos that I have taken and advertising as references and models in my artworks,” Bruns said. “I give vintage photography a story and stage, and I enjoy the process of painting or drawing each one to look like a photograph or the exacting of an ad.”
She describes her painting as
collective realism, and said she uses her art as a chief means of creating visual energy to satisfy and explain a situation, a life, an encounter or a human dilemma. She said this is the same way a theater visit gives explanations and insights.
Bruns studied baroque painters and incorporated the style into her own means of painting. She has exhibited across the country for more than 30 years and is included in the permanent art collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art Atlanta, as well as in numerous private collections.
Bruns works from her studio in Cave Creek. Info: www.marybrunsart.com.
Artists of the Superstitions having spring fine art show
Artists of the Superstitions is holding their spring fine art show, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 20, in the Town Hall Tent at the Gold Canyon Golf Resort, 6100 Kings Ranch Rd., Gold Canyon. Admission is free.
Ceramics, fabric, fiber, glass, gourds, jewelry, painting, photography, woodworking and more will be represented. Last year 30 artists represented their work at the show. In addition to the fine art show, a collection of canned goods and money
will be accepted for the Apache Junction Food Bank. Info: www.artistsofthesuperstitions. com or artists.superstitions@gmail.com.
EVCT asks who has heard of 67 Cinderellas
The East Valley Children’s Theatre is performing “67 Cinderellas” by Stacey Lane, through Sunday, Feb. 21, at the Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa.
The play is winner of EVCT’s 2015 playwriting contest, presenting many twists and turns to the age-old story of Cinderella. As Prince Dalliance searches for his true love, who left a glass slipper at the ball, many challenges and questions arise.
What if the shoe fits more than one girl? What if his one true love says no? Find out the answers in this hilariously fun-filled show about one prince, two stepsisters, and 67 Cinderellas.
Performances are 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $15 for adults and $11 for children. Info: (480) 644-6500 or www.evct.org.
Tanner Morris, as Prince Dalliance, is flanked by Calabria Pelletier and Elizabeth Schaible in the East Valley Children’s Theatre production of “67 Cinderellas.” Submitted photo
San Tan Chorale and Orchestra to perform Schubert swan-song Mass
A Mass completed by Austrian composer Franz Schubert in the final weeks of his young life will be performed 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, by the East Valley-based San Tan Chorale and San Tan Orchestra at First United Methodist Church of Mesa, 15 E. First Ave.
Under the direction of artistic director and co-founder Matthew Frable, the chorale and orchestra will perform “Mass in E-flat Major, D. 950.” In 10 years of performing concerts in Arizona and at special events around the country and world, the chorale and orchestra have never before tackled a Schubert composition, Frable said.
“This Mass has drastic dynamic changes, which add to the excitement and interest of the various movements,” Frable said. “These changes, along with the fresh harmonies throughout its six movements and the great blending acoustics in First United Methodist Church, will create a moving experience for both the audience and performers.”
Performances will be anchored by four soloists:
• Soprano Adrienne Goglia, who studied music at and is pursuing a doctorate in vocal performance from ASU, has been singing for more than 25 years.
• Mezzo-soprano Claire Penneau, singing alto, recently toured Germany as a featured soloist in the Schumann’s “Liederfest.”
• Tenor Ryan Glover, who has performed with the Phoenix Opera for six years, has been involved in multiple concerts and in performances of “The Magic Flute” and “La Traviata.”
• Baritone Chris Turner studied music at Mississippi College in Clinton and at Louisiana State University. He is on the faculty at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Part of San Tan Community Performing Arts, the orchestra has a wide range of ages and experience levels and welcomes new string, woodwind, brass and percussion players.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for advance group sales of 10 or more, and $5 for children and students. Tickets are available at www.stcpa.org or at the door.
Sun Lakes Chorale performs spring concert
The Sun Lakes Chorale is performing its spring concert 7 p.m. Friday, March 19, at the Sun Lakes United Methodist Church, 9248 E. Riggs Rd., Sun Lakes. Director Cris Evans and husband, Bart, who is the chorale’s performance coordinator, have prepared a program that ranges from the nostalgic and familiar to the rollicking spiritual.
Selections include a piece from the soundtrack of the movie “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” the ballad “Fly Me to the Moon,” “I Got a Key, “Route 66,” “Hymn for Our Time,” “And There is Music,” and Mack Wilberg’s arrangement of “Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends.”
Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. through March 15 at the Sun Lakes ACE Hardware Store, by calling Carolyn Ellis at (480) 883-6997 or from a chorale member. Info: www.sunlakeschorale.com.
Hear something unexpected at special performance
A special musical performance by jazz guitar duet Scott Anderson on guitar and Scott Dooley on guitar and vocals will be held 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, in the Cup O’ Karma cafe area at the Downtown Chandler Library, 22 S. Delaware St., Chandler.
Their song list includes electric and acoustic pieces in a variety of styles, with lyrics and melodies telling stories of lives lived in pursuit of meaning and purpose. Parking is available in a lot just south of the building.
Sun Lakes Chorale Director Cris Evans and husband, Bart, who is the chorale’s performance coordinator, have prepared a March 19 program that ranges from the nostalgic and familiar to the rollicking spiritual. Submitted photo
Canned Heat, blues festival celebrate remarkable anniversaries
The annual Blues Blast and its headliner Canned Heat Blues Band will celebrate their respective anniversaries during the Phoenix Blues Societypresented festival on Saturday, March 5, at Margaret T. Hance Park in Phoenix.
This year’s show marks the festival’s 25th anniversary and Canned Heat’s golden year.
Gates open at 10 a.m. with downbeat at 11. Canned Heat will be joined by coheadliner The Laurie Morvan Band from SoCal. Along with those stellar acts, the Phoenix Blues Society has added a two-hour retrospective of Valley blues featuring artists who have contributed and still are active in the scene. Arizona Blues Showdown ’15 winners Smokestack Lightning and solo artist Eric Ramsey round out the bill.
Food, beverages and arts and craft vendors will be on site. A popular art
mural spanning the show perimeter is offered for everyone’s contribution. Also, there is a children’s area offering activities for the youngsters.
Admission is $25 in advance and $30 day of show. Children younger than 16 accompanied by a parent will be admitted free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.com/e/bluesblast-16-tickets-18812617044 until day of show.
Ice chests, pets, weapons and re-entry are not permitted. Patrons will be able to bring in one bottle of water.
The park is easily accessible from Interstate 10 or by the Light Rail. Exit at the Roosevelt station and walk east two blocks. A secure motorcycle parking area will be available.
For questions or information, email info@phoenixblues.org.
Hands-on art? Indulge at spark! Mesa’s Festival of Creativity
BY CASEY BLAKE
When day-to-day life leaves us hardpressed to take hands and eyes away from our devices, an immersive, hands-on arts festival could be just what the doctor ordered. And at spark! Mesa’s Festival of Creativity, interaction with the artwork is not only welcome, it’s encouraged.
With a full lineup of live music by bands like Vintage Wednesday and Dry River Yacht Club, and works that explore the intersection of art and technology, you’ll have no shortage of things to see and hear at this free event. The music and highly sensory works of inventive artists might even lure you away from your screens.
When you touch one of the 16 electronic “trees” in Christopher Janney’s Sonic Forest you’ll trigger a series of events, from an original score of melodic tones, environmental sounds, and whispered expressions to an everchanging color palette of LED lights.
In MIZARU, you’ll press the membrane of a large transparent box with a white spandex wall, and watch it spring to life with fiery visual patterns and music that shift according to the depth and pressure of a person’s touch.
In Telepoem Booth, you’ll step inside a relic from the past—a phone booth—and dial up a poem by an Arizona poet.
Much like the treehouses of our childhood imaginations, Human Nests made of reclaimed wood will beckon you to walk through and explore a temporary
environment of people-sized, nest-like structures.
Add to this the sights of live aerosol and chalk art pieces created across campus, the opportunity to contribute to a large-scale kaleidoscope mural of fused beads, and the chance to go completely analog in an hour-long studio sampler class like Flameworking or Watercolor. And that’s just an appetizer of the full menu of arts experiences.
Allow yourself to play for a day at this all-ages festival. It’s the perfect excuse to look away from your devices and take your imagination for a date. Celebrate your creativity from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19.
The Mesa Arts Center is located at One E. Main St., Mesa. For more information, call (480) 644-6500 or visit mesaartscenter.com/spark.
Renaissance Festival jousts its way back to the Valley
BY JULIA DE SIMONE
Whether you’re royalty, the village fool or just a commoner, there’s something for everyone at the 28th annual Arizona Renaissance Festival and Artisan Marketplace. But because the queen ordered us to narrow it down, here are the top five reasons to venture out to the festival:
The entertainers
You’ll find more than 2,000 costumed characters singing, laughing (more than likely at you), and possibly jousting one another so watch those limbs. In addition to returning favorite personalities like the live-walking Green Man tree, the festival welcomes newbies such as Sea Fairies circulating in the Mermaid Grotto; The
Angels, devilishly damsels prepared to raise their swords, and Capt. Francis Drake armed with the ammunition to make any maiden “weak in the knees.”
The events
Besides the popular joust tournaments at the King’s Arena, you won’t want to miss the various comedy improvisations. And if the kids just can’t sit still, you’ll find them entertained by such games and rides as the Piccolo Pony, the world’s largest rocking horse.
The food It isn’t unusual to see visitors carrying roasted turkey legs or steaks-on-astake larger than their own heads. Food purveyors offer a variety of drinks and
food ranging from specialty coffees to scrumptious desserts. And, if you’re craving more than a snack, you might want to opt for the Pleasure Feast, a five-course meal with drinks and plenty of entertainment to accommodate any visiting royalty.
The shopping
Too bad Christmas has passed because among 200 venues, the marketplace is the perfect place to locate unique gifts for those hard-to-please family and friends. But even if you don’t initially find what you’re looking for, artisans creating masterpieces from clay and glass will mesmerize you with their talents. And before you leave, it’s a rite of passage to get the kids’ faces painted and your own tarot cards read by one of the several
psychics like Madam Carolyn. (You could be the next queen or at least see the winning Power Ball numbers—just don’t share your visions.)
Free parking
In this day and age where admission to events for any event rarely includes free parking, it’s definitely a perk for parties larger than one.
The festival runs through Sunday, March 27. It is located 7 miles east of Apache Junction on U.S. Highway 60. Tickets cost $22 for adults and $10 for kids, ages 5 to 12. Free admission for children younger than age 5. Advanced discount tickets available at Fry’s food stores. For more information, see royalfaires.com.
Jousing knights perform at the Renaissance Festival. Submitted photo
Visitors can browse at the marketplace for unique gifts. Submitted photo
ON STAGE
Salt N Pepa, Saturday, Feb. 20, HACC. The first female rap group is best known for its hit songs “Push It,” “Tramp,” “Shake Your Thang,” “Shoop” and “Whatta Man.”
Oak Ridge Boys, Saturday, Feb. 20, WHP. Four-part harmonies and upbeat songs give this group its distinctive sound.
Lee Ann Womack, Sunday, Feb. 21, CCA. Country Album of the Year nominee Lee Ann Womack sings hits from her most acclaimed albums.
Gregory Porter, Sunday, Feb. 21, MAC. A rising jazz and genre-crossing vocalist who was a 2015 Grammy winner for best vocal jazz album.
Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters, Wednesday, Feb. 24, HCPA. Singer and playwright Lisa Rock has compiled a moving tribute to the music and life of Karen Carpenter and brings it to the stage with her six-piece band.
Ani DiFranco with special guest Rupa & The April Fishes, Wednesday, Feb. 24, MAC. A singer, songwriter, activist and independent entrepreneur who has been setting her own pace and encouraging countless admirers to do the same for more than 20 years.
The Music of Whitney Houston with the Phoenix Symphony and guest vocalist Rashidra Scott, Saturday, Feb. 27, MAC. Broadway sensation Rashidra Scott joins the Phoenix Symphony to celebrate the amazing music and extraordinary talent of Whitney Houston.
ON STAGE VENUE INDEX
CCA—Chandler Center for the Arts
250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler Tickets: (480) 782-2680, www.chandlercenter.org
HCT—Hale Centre Theatre
50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert Tickets: (480) 497-1181, www.haletheatrearizona.com
Jason Coleman: The Piano Magic of Floyd Cramer, Friday, March 4, HCPA. The distinctive Nashville sound of Floyd Cramer is recreated by Coleman.
Gordon Lightfoot: 50 Years on the Carefree Highway, Friday, March 4, WHP. The storytelling singer-songwriter looks back on a career spanning half a century.
Frankie Ballard, Saturday, March 26, HACC. The country star is known for his hit songs “Helluva Life,” “Sunshine & Whiskey” and “Young & Crazy.”
Chris Botti with the Phoenix Symphony, Saturday, March 26, MAC. A Grammy award-winning trumpet player makes his Phoenix Symphony debut for an evening of jazz classics.
2CELLOS, Saturday, April 9, MAC. Its version of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” went viral in 2011, and the Croatian cellists continue to with dynamic music videos and covers.
Alton Brown Live: Eat Your Science, Thursday, May 12, MAC. Fans can expect more comedy, talk show antics, multimedia presentations and music.
HCPA—Higley Center for the Performing Arts 4132 E. Pecos Rd., Gilbert Tickets: (480) 279-7190, www.higleyarts.org
MAC—Mesa Arts Center One E. Main St., Mesa Tickets: (480) 644-6500, www.mesaartscenter.com
Salsa challenge gives bragging rights, money to charity
Local salsa makers can find out if their dish is worth a dip during the 32nd annual My Nana’s Best Tasting Salsa Challenge on Saturday, March 5, and Sunday, March 6. Likewise, salsa lovers will be able to taste more than 100 dips, and enjoy food vendors, alcoholic beverages and Pepsi products, along with live music sponsored by Casino Arizona and the Fry’s VIP Tent at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix.
The proceeds go to a good cause: the Arizona Hemophilia Association, which works to provide programs and services for those living with chronic bleeding disorders. The challenge will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 5, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 6. For more information, visit www.salsachallenge. com.
My Nana’s Best Tasting Salsa Challenge features three categories of contestants: individual; restaurant or business. Whether it is to showcase that old family recipe or to try out a new one, this salsa challenge is for you.
Salsa creators from the Valley of the Sun will be vying for a $1,000 cash prize and the prestigious honor of the best salsa maker in the Valley. Saturday and Sunday’s winners will go head-to-head with the winner receiving $1,000 and a retail opportunity with El Sol Foods. The first 75 people to enter the challenge will receive a $50 Fry’s gift card.
To enter, register at SalsaChallenge. com. Last year, more than 100 salsa makers entered the Salsa Challenge.
And, because man does not live by salsa alone, the Salsa Challenge will also feature a Margarita Mix-Off Competition. Mixologists from around the Valley will shake and pour their tastiest tequila concoctions to find the best margarita in town. The winner receives a $500 prize. The tasty margaritas are then auctioned off to the highest bidder.
“The Salsa Challenge has become one of the most anticipated spring events in the Valley,” said Chastity Fermoile, vice president of development and marketing for Arizona Hemophilia Association. “It gives local salsa makers a chance to present their finest recipes and compete against each other for both the cash award and the chance to have their salsa sold in local grocery stores. Also, this year’s Margarita Mix-Off will be another fun addition to the two-day event.”
As You Wish offers pottery classes
As You Wish, the pottery painting place, has announced the schedule for classes at its Chandler Studio, located at 2970 E. Germann Rd., Chandler. Paints, brushes and expert assistance are provided.
• March 4—beginning technique class teaches Southwest whimsy. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. $10 plus pottery of the student’s choice. For 12 year olds to adults.
• March 5—a mommy and me class to create a wall or door plaque by turning handprints into a rainbow. 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. $20 inclusive. For toddlers/ preschoolers and a parent.
• March 6—free studio fees with coupon
from studio website or app.
• March 7 through March 25—make a spring pendant. $10.
• March 18—beginning technique class teaches basic pottery painting techniques as well as using Spolvero graphite stencils. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. $10 plus pottery of your choice. For 12 year olds to adults.
• March 23—free studio fees all day.
• March 31—home schoolers can create a cheery spring vase. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. $12 inclusive.
Info: (480) 899-1231 or asyouwishpottery.com/classes.
