Each week, Hoopla and the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance team up to showcase arts and culture events in Eastern Iowa. Below are the hidden gems:
The Linden String Quartet (from left: Felix Umansky, Catherine Cosbey, Sarah McElravy, Eric Wong) Photo credit: Lisa-Marie Mazzucco
Brucemore in Cedar Rapids presents the Linden String Quartet on Sunday, March 3, at 5:30 p.m. The quartet’s members – Sarah McElravy and Catherine Cosbey, violins; Eric Wong, viola; and Felix Umansky, cello – are currently part of the University of Iowa String Quartet Residency Program, the Auditorium Chamber Music Series (Moscow, Idaho), Sheldon Friends of Music (Lincoln, Neb.) and the Chamber Music Society of Logan, Utah. The hour-long concert and commentary will take place in the Great Hall of the Brucemore Mansion. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. A light reception will follow the performance. Tickets purchased in advance are $7/adult and $5/Brucemore member or student. All tickets at the door are $10. Space is limited; purchase tickets by calling 319.362.7375.
Night Sky opens Friday, March 1, at the Starlighter’s II Theatre in Anamosa. Playwright Susan Yankowitz confronts the paralyzing fear of a brilliant, ambitious astronomer, teacher, lecturer who is in a sudden devastating car accident leaving her unable to speak. Susan Yankowitz’s Night Sky is a rare thing: a play with a mind. It is also about the mind as universe, where language is internal astronomy. It shows us that more than hearts can be broken. …The subject is astronomy. The subject is language. The subject is courage – and how all these fit together in a subtly patterned script of a life suddenly eclipsed by disaster. Don’t miss this one! Shows are Friday & Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $16/adults, $15/seniors (62 and over), $ 15/students (grades K-college). Call 319.462.4793.
See Grease this weekend at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts! Here is Rydell High’s senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hot-rodding “T-Birds” and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking “Pink Ladies” in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. Head “greaser” Danny Zuko and new (good) girl Sandy Dumbrowski try to relive the high romance of their “Summer Nights” as the rest of the gang sings and dances its way through such songs as “Greased Lightnin’,” “Hand Jive,” and “We Go Together” recalling the music of Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Elvis Presley that became the soundtrack of a generation. An eight-year run on Broadway and two subsequent revivals along with innumerable school and community productions place Grease among the world’s most popular musicals. Shows are Feb. 28, March 1 & 2 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10-$22. Call 319.248.9370.
Cornell College in Mount Vernon presents Avenue Q! “Can you tell me how to get – how to get to … Avenue Q?” Winner of the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical, this comedy brings together people and puppets, mischief-makers and monsters, all living and learning together in a New York City apartment building on Avenue Q. Join recent college grad Princeton, his former child-actor landlord, his internet-addicted neighbor, and the rest of his colorful friends as they cope with the struggles of romance, careers, personal identity, and the ongoing search for one’s purpose in life. Often referred to as the adult-version of Sesame Street, Avenue Q contains adult humor, profanity, possible puppet nudity, and a whole lot of heart. Brought to you by the Departments of Theatre and Music … and the number 1. Shows are March 1-2 at 7:30 p.m. and March 3 at 2:00 p.m. in Kimmel Theatre. Tickets are $15/adults and $12/seniors/students/youth. To reserve tickets call 319.895.4293.
The University of Iowa Museum of Art invites you to the UIMA New Deal Fundraiser on Saturday, March 2, 8:00-11:00 p.m. Enjoy an evening with a 1930s nightclub feel – live big band music, swing dancing, hors d’oeuvres, and support for the arts! The New Deal party will raise funds for the upcoming 2013–2014 academic year. The event will feature live musical performances by Kristen Behrendt and Steinway artist Dan Knight, fun photo opportunities, and swing dancing to the classic tunes of Rod Pierson’s “Not So” Big Band, featuring Craig Boche. Dennis Green of KCCK will be emcee for the evening. Tickets are $50 per guest ($25 is tax deductible). Guests will have the opportunity to experience a variety of UIMA programs during the evening through interactive displays and short video presentations. By the end of the night, we hope you will choose the Museum programs you value most and direct your charitable contributions to those areas. Call 319.335.1727 for more information.
