Editor’s Note: While we are delighted to see Tucsonans once again gathering for fun events, we are also aware that variants are in widespread circulation. Please consider getting vaccinated against COVID if you haven’t yet and wearing a mask during indoor events.
Death of a Salesman. Whether you’re a theater aficionado or not, you’ve probably heard of this show by Arthur Miller. It’s a show about the American dream and facing mediocrity and looking back on your life and not feeling satisfied. It’s firmly a tragedy, but there’s a reason why this play is considered by many critics as one of the 20th century’s very best. Head on over to see this production at the Rogue Theatre, directed by Matt Bowdren and with music direction by Russell Ronnebaum. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Jan. 23. The Rogue Theatre, 300 E. University Blvd. $42.
Music for Brass. If you like trumpets, horns, trombones and timpanis, boy do we have a show for you. Or, more accurately, Hayato Tanaka and Betsy Bright, trumpets at the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, put together this great program for you to enjoy this week. Just a few of the pieces they’re playing are Paul Dukas’ Fanfare from La Peri, Giovanni Gabrieli’s Canzon septimi tono No. 2, Philip Glass’ Brass Sextet and selections from Richard Wagner’s Götterdämmerung and Die Walküre. Tanaka did several of the arrangements. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 16. Tucson Symphony Orchestra, 2175 N. Sixth Ave. $16.
Dixie’s Tupperware Party. Straight from Dixie Longate’s bio in the press release, and I’m not kidding: “I have… three ex-husbands. All of ‘em have somehow died, but I ain’t crying about it. I’m way too busy traveling all over the place bringing creative food storage solutions to your town.” Dixie is an Alabama girl with just the right combination of gum chewing, bright red hair and old-school charm to make you want to relive the type of Tupperware party your grandma used to go to. Written by Kris Andesson and starring his drag persona, Dixie Longate, this show, in which Dixie demonstrates the many alternative uses of Tupperware, has had critics across the nation saying things like “I was laughing too hard to breathe.” Now it’s in Tucson as part of the Invisible Theatre’s 50th Anniversary Season. Get ready to crack up! 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 16. Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway Blvd. $45.
Yoga in the Gardens. This year, I’m vowing to remind myself that it’s okay to not get something perfect right away. Maybe it’s even better, because you “learn from the experience” or “grow as a person” or something similarly trite/annoyingly true. Anyway, if you didn’t exactly wake up on Jan. 1 ready to be a new person, it’s still never too late to try new things, make small improvements and treat yourself with love. All this to say, take this outdoor yoga class with Mary Carhuff at Tohono Chul! You’ll deepen your connection to the Earth and be able to move at your own pace in a gorgeous setting. I am not an expert, but I don’t think it’s very common to regret doing yoga. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday mornings through Feb. 8. Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. $10 (plus cost of admission).
Tucson Fringe. Unjuried, uncensored and unmissable, the Tucson Fringe Festival provides artists (especially underrepresented artists) with low-risk, low-cost opportunities to put on avant-garde and non-traditional shows. And gives the public the opportunity to see this fabulous art! This year’s lineup includes pieces such as “A Mermaid in Narnia (on LSD)” by Ariel Pinkerton, “Planetes: The Wanderers” by the Spider Silk Circus and “I’ll Be Broken Home for Christmas” by Jeffrey Baldinger and Jessica Michelle Singleton, plus many more live performances, live Zoom performances and free prerecorded YouTube videos. Various times from Thursday, Jan. 13, to Sunday, Jan. 16. Venues are The Screening Room (127 E. Congress), the ATC Temple of Music and Art Cabaret Theater (330 S. Scott) and the Circus Academy of Tucson (400 W. Speedway). See tucsonfringe.org for ticket prices.
Zoom…Zoom! Unlike so many things these days, this is not actually an event taking place virtually over Zoom. Rather, it’s a community event at the local children’s museum that’s all about transportation. The museum will be open for free all day for kids (and maybe their curious parents, too) to learn about all of the different ways people and products get around in today’s world. Scheduled guests range from Caterpillar and Suntran to the Pima County Library Bookmobile and the Tucson Police Department. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15. Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave. Free.
Historic Fourth Avenue Map Release Party. One of our city’s cutest and quirkiest streets deserves its own cute and quirky map, right? Come on down to the Surly Wench Pub for the release of the latest version of the Fourth Avenue Map. Bring a mask and bundle up, as this event is on the outdoor patio. The lovely maps by artist Johnny Carrillo will also be available for purchase, so you can have your own little Fourth Avenue at home on the wall. 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19. Surly Wench Pub, 424 N. Fourth Ave. Free.
Unformatted. Who doesn’t want to spend a nice Thursday night laughing their face off? Tucson Improv Movement’s open mic night brings different teams to the stage for an experimental night of comedy. The unformatted nature of the show means it’s laid back and relaxed but still 100% funny. Best of all, it’s free! But, since Thursday is Friday Eve, it’s probably worth celebrating it with some of the beer, wine, drinks and snacks they’ll have for sale. 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13. Tucson Improv Movement, 414 E. Ninth St. Free.
Women in Jeopardy! Okay, so picture this: Your best gal pal is dating a new guy, and you want to be happy for her, but you meet him and he’s really creepy (Red Flag No. 1). And he’s a dentist, so he likes torturing people, which is Red Flag No. 2 (just kidding—sorry to our dentist readers, we love you). But also—and this is PROBABLY the biggest red flag—it seems like he might be a serial killer. So you and your friends band together in a makeshift detective squad to get to the bottom of the situation. Are you in? This show by Wendy MacLeod, opening at Arizona Theatre Company this weekend, will have you cracking up. Saturday, Jan. 15, to Saturday, Feb. 5. Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. $40 to $73, or $25 to $58 for preview nights.
