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.
Jack and the Beanstalk and Other Adventures in Folklore. The latest show over at Red Herring Puppets is, as always, full of creativity and charm. In this one, Rowby the alien puppet shares some of his favorite folktales from planet Earth. For instance, there’s a Celtic version of Jack and the Beanstalk and a hip hop version of The Three Little Pigs. Then there’s The Drum, a story from India about kindness and generosity. Red Herring Puppets is owned by Lisa Sturz, who has worked everywhere from Disney to PBS to Jim Henson Productions, so you know she knows her puppet stuff! 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, Jan. 30 and Feb. 6. Red Herring Puppets, 4500 N. Oracle Road, suite 421. $8.
Sons of the Pioneers. Founded back in 1934 by Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer, this band forever transformed cowboy music with its one-of-a-kind harmonies and lyrics evoking the Old West. The band has remained together continuously since then, rotating through a total of 47 members over the years. The current group of members includes Roy Rogers’ son! Come hear them play classics like “Cool Water” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” at the Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley. 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21, 2 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22, and Sunday, Jan. 23. Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road. $31 to $40.
Tuesday Art Talk: Kate Long Hodges. Tuesday art talks are a chance to learn more about Tohono Chul’s exhibiting artists. This week, you can hear from Hodges, the artist behind the mobile art school Little Lightning Studios and the co-director of The Land With No Name, Sanctuary for Homeless Sculpture. She grew up on an apple orchard in Vermont, and since has been busy with gigs ranging from teaching art in Brazilian orphanages to earning an MFA in sculpture at the UA to working on large-scale installations in New York. Now, she’s pursuing her own work in Arizona. Hear from her at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 25. Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. Free with admission: $15 GA, $13 senior/military/student, $6 kids 5 to 12.
Docent Art Talks: The Harlem Renaissance – The Awakening of Black Pride Through the Arts. Art Talks at the Tucson Museum of Art will be taking place every Wednesday through April 30, and they’re a fantastic chance to learn more about some of the art at the museum, as well as different historical art periods. In this virtual chat, you’ll hear about African Americans’ fit for dignity, equality and self-expression through the arts. You’ll also discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of American values, from freedom to racism. 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26. Virtual event; visit tucsonmuseumofart.org for tickets. $5.
FireTruck Brewing Company 8-Year Anniversary Party. To celebrate eight years of being in business, this midtown microbrewery is throwing an ’80s themed party! Come dressed in your best neon legwarmers and permed hair to enjoy food and drink specials throughout the evening. They’ll also be playing ’80s movies all day long. With so many businesses closing their doors over the last couple of years, we think that’s all the more reason to celebrate this milestone for a hometown favorite. Bottoms up! 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21. FireTruck Brewing Company, 4746 E. Grant Road.
Mahler’s Vision of Paradise. The Tucson Symphony Orchestra has got quite the show lined up for us this weekend. First, you’ll hear Dances in the Canebrakes, by Florence Price, who was the first female African American to be recognized as a symphonic composer. Though heavily influenced by the European tradition, Price’s work also weaves in musical elements from the African American church. Then, Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 will feature soprano Nicole Cabell. And Mahler’s Symphony No. 4., which includes themes of suffering, triumph, and a child’s vision of heaven, is sweeping and lovely. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21. And 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. $17 to $83.
Tucson Roadrunners vs. Bakersfield Condors. I doubt you have anything more fun planned for your Wednesday night than cheering on our local hockey team at the top of your lungs. Listen in to Beef Vegan Presents on 102.1 KFMA in the morning for a special code word to get 50 percent off tickets. The night’s concession special is $10 Kilt Lifter brats + a beer or soft drink. If you’d rather make your own brats and beer from the safety and comfort of your home, did you know you can tune in to the games on AHL TV? You can get all-access packages, get a package to view all of the Roadrunners’ games or just tune in for one night. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26. Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave. $15 to $66+.
Venus in Fur. Next Stage Theatre Southwest is bringing this show by David Ives to the Arizona Rose Theatre. The two-person play is about Thomas Novachek, a writer and director who is opening a new play in NYC based on the novel Venus in Furs, which is the novel that inspired the term “masochism.” After a frustrating day of watching auditions from actresses who just aren’t capturing the essence of the female lead, in walks Vanda for a reading. What ensues is an audition that ends up blurring the lines between theater and reality and launching the two into a game of submission, domination and role reversal. Spicy! 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays from Jan. 21 to Jan. 30. Arizona Rose Theatre in the Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road. $25 with discounts for seniors, students & military.
