Thursday 8
SYMPHONIC FOUNTAINS. If you've never seen the fountains of Rome, tonight you can at least hear them.
A guest conductor from Germany and an 83-year-old musical poem about Rome highlight the Tucson Symphony Orchestra's Musical Landscapes.
Stefan Klieme, a Berliner who has been guest conductor at orchestras and opera houses throughout his home country and elsewhere in Europe, makes his TSO debut tonight.
Three performances are scheduled for a program that begins with Fountains of Rome, the first in a triptych of symphonic poems written about the Italian capital by Ottorino Respighi.
In this piece premiered in Rome on February 10, 1918, Respighi sought to "give expression to the sentiments and vision suggested by Rome's fountains, contemplated at the hour in which their beauty appears most impressive to the observers."
Guest artists Mark Rush, violin, and Hong-mei Xiao, viola, are perfectly suited for Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, K. 364, which follows Fountains. The program closes with Robert Schumann's Symphony No. 3, the "Rhenish."
Concerts tonight and Friday begin at 8 p.m., and a Sunday matinee begins at 2 p.m. at the Tucson Convention Center Music Hall. Tickets are $10 to $32 for the evening concerts, $6 to $20 for the matinee. Call the TSO box office at 882-8585, or visit the box office at 2175 N. Sixth Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster, 321-1000, or at outlets at Robinsons-May and Wherehouse Music.
Friday 9
TOUCH OF THE IRISH. Love, friendship, the divine and death are part of an interesting event this weekend.
Poet, author and scholar John O'Donohue leads two days of spirituality and experience of the Celtic sort at the St. Pius X auditorium.
Father O'Donohue will address a variety of topics, including love, death, spirituality of the senses and the divine. He'll also expand on other themes from his internationally acclaimed book, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom.
Tonight at 6, a wine and hors d'oeuvre reception will be followed by a lecture, book signing and Irish music. Cost is $35.
On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., O'Donohue will deliver a longer lecture. Cost is $45.
St. Pius X is located at 1800 N. Camino Pio Decimo on the northeast corner of Camino Pio Decimo and Pima Street. For more information, please call 740-1000.
Saturday 10
WORLD WITHOUT VIOLENCE. From Bangladesh to Buffalo, New York City to Moscow, Sarajevo to É Tucson, today is V-Day.
In case you hadn't heard, V-Day is a worldwide grassroots movement against violence against females. Theatrical and artistic events are staged each year on this date to raise money to fight rape, battery, incest and genital mutilation.
The Obie Award-winning play The Vagina Monologues is the centerpiece of the events that begin at 2 p.m. today with a workshop on empowerment at the Screening Room at 127 E. Congress St.
At 3:30 p.m., three short independent movies will be shown at the Screening Room. The Day You Love Me explores domestic violence in Nicaragua; Seven Lucky Charms deals with battered women and retaliation; and 2 or 3 Things But Nothing For Sure addresses abuse survival.
Organizers take their message to the street at 5 p.m. with a theater performance on Congress Street. In the background, a bell will toll every two minutes, marking the frequency of rape in America.
Doors open at the Rialto Theatre, 138 E. Congress, at 6 p.m. A V-Day celebration 2001 starts there at 6:30 p.m., followed by The Vagina Monologues at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $12 to $18 and are available at Antigone Books, Bentley's, Zips and Hear's Music. For more information, call 743-8344, check out www.vday.org or read the feature article "V Day" beginning on page 12.
WALK THE REALLY OLD PUEBLO. Follow the footsteps of the Hohokam, Mormon farmers and soldiers.
The 20th annual La Reunion de El Fuerte features free self-guided walking tours of the Old Fort Lowell neighborhood today.
Experts will be on hand to explain the significance of the 23 sites on the tour, which include natural areas as well as buildings. The unique tour provides an opportunity to experience a microcosm of the settlement of our corner of the Southwest.
Grab a bite at one of the food and beverage stands along the way as you discover a bit about the rich history of the area.
Visit the Isidro Ocho Home in an open house from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
Special events include the 4th Calvary Regimental Band from 1 to 2 p.m. in the park; Fort Huachuca Troop B Calvary Drills from 2:30 to 3:30 in the park; mariachi music from 2 to 4 along El Callejon and Fort Lowell Road; and the Southern Arizona Old Time Fiddlers from 2 to 3 at the Commissary.
Starting points: East parking lot at Fort Lowell Park, enter off Glenn Street; Cottonwood Lane near main parking lot, Fort Lowell Park; and San Pedro Chapel, 5230 E. Fort Lowell Road. For more information, call 318-0219 or 326-6042.
BOYS TO WOMEN. Reminding us that until the mid-1600s, women's stage roles were played by young boys, Claire Bloom shares the personal and professional lives of England's earliest actresses.
Enter the Actress, a one-woman show featuring Bloom, a theatrical living legend, opens today at the Invisible Theatre.
Throughout the play, part of the theater's 30th Season of Renewal, Bloom transforms herself into the characters of her predecessors, demonstrating her theatrical elegance.
Bloom was born in London and made her first appearance on stage with the Oxford Repertory Company at age 16. Her first major role came a year later, when she played Ophelia at Stratford-upon-Avon. She appeared opposite Richard Burton in her first London production of The Lady's Not for Burning.
The versatile Bloom also has appeared in numerous films, including The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Islands in the Stream and Clash of the Titans.
Three performances--at 8 tonight and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday--take place at The Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway Blvd. Tickets cost $30 and available at Invisible Theatre, 1400 N. First Ave., or by calling 882-9721.
CHARGE OF THE CALVARY. You can see Chief Trumpeter any time you like--just stop by Fort Lowell Park for a bronzed glimpse of the past.
For more of Tucson native Don Bates' works, hitch your horse at the Tucson Museum of Art, where an exhibition features 30 more life-like bronze sculptures.
Cavalry Life in Bronze shows off Bates' use of the traditional "lost wax" technique to create detailed realistic art. Bates prides himself on the historical accuracy of his sculptures.
Bates is famous for using his own horses as models for his work, and among the sculptures on display is a spectacular 8-foot stage with horses.
The work reflects Tucson's long history with the U.S. Cavalry. Today's opening at the museum's Goodman Pavilion coincides with the 20th annual La Reunion de El Fuerte of the Old Fort Lowell neighborhood.
The Tucson Museum of Art is located at 140 N. Main Ave. For more information, call 624-2333.
OASIS OF SLACK. Tucson's very first Church of the SubGenius devival erupts this evening downtown--and the city may never be the same. What, you ask, is the Church of the SubGenius? The adherents claim it is the one true religion, based on the notion that we are all born with original slack, which a Conspiracy of Normals is perpetually seeking to steal from us.
Tonight's devival promises to be a sort of variety show for the socially maladjusted, with a series of sermons that range from gentle, even-handed explanations of the teachings of church deity J.R. "Bob" Dobbs to rabid, wild-eyed denunciations of the Conspiracy. Plus, there will be fabulous prizes and slightly off-kilter musical acts involving ukelele musicians and unruly punk rockers, along with flaming chains and other high weirdness.
While this barely begins to scratch the surface of what may happen at a SubGenius devival, the fact of the matter is that nobody knows what's going to happen until it actually occurs. Well-known SubGenius preachers from around the country, including Rev. Ivan Stang, Rev. Nickie Deathchick and Rev. Onan Canobite, are being flown in to help bring enlightenment to the oddballs of Tucson. They will be aided by the awesome local talent of Mat Bevel, Rev. Crawford, Jeff Robins, Fire by Eleanor and others. The whole thing gets rolling at 8 p.m. at The Hut, 305 N. Fourth Ave. Cost is a mere $8.
Sunday 11
LOVE@AOL.COM. Jewish singles looking for love will want to mark their calendars for an afternoon of fact-finding.
Available singles can find out about ways to meet other singles via low-tech and high-tech means. Speakers will cover everything from newspaper classifieds to the Internet and the best free sites that can be found in cyberspace.
Jewish Dating in the New Millennium is the topic of a seminar and social today at Tucson Jewish Community Center.
Jennifer Schneider, a doctor who has written extensively about relationships, and Marion Radow, who is writing a book about computer matchmaking, are among the panel members for the event. Stuart Gellman, a published writer with 20 years in the fields of victimization and mental health, will moderate the forum.
Schneider and Radow will discuss not only the rewards but the possible risks associated with meeting others through the Internet. They'll cover the basics, like writing a profile, what to look for in a prospective date's profile and developing and trusting your cyber instincts.
"In this age, where friends and family members are often separated by hundreds or thousands of miles, Jewish singles must often seek less traditional ways of meeting a possible partner," said Hara Reiner, singles coordinator for the center.
But the Internet isn't the only topic to be covered; participants also will learn the ins and outs of placing a classified ad in a newspaper, and how to make an ad stand out among other singles listings.
The seminar is from 3 to 6 p.m. today at the center, 3800 E. River Road. Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the door. For more information, call Reiner at 299-3000, ext. 121.
DESIGNER OPEN HOUSE. Large, handsome hand-carved doors open today to the Designer Showhouse 2001.
Some 27 of Tucson's most notable designers have transformed a 3,400-square-foot hacienda style foothills home into a thing of real beauty, adding an attractive mix of furnishings, a state-of-the-art kitchen and extraordinary paint finishes.
The 22-year-old home at 5401 E. River Road features San Marcos tile (no longer made), expansive views, lush desert landscaping, beamed ceilings, Cantera fountains and large courtyards for dining alfresco.
The house was designed by Richard Burton of CDG Architects and contains an elegant entry, formal living room, gallery and master bedroom suite with a private garden and fountain.
The house is open through March 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $10. Tickets are available at Paula Wertman Classic Design, the Paper Trumpet, the Tucson Museum of Art and at the door. A number of events are planned throughout the open house. For more information, call 624-2333, ext. 109, or visit www.tucsonarts.com.
Monday 12
DIFFERENT SORT OF HOT FLASH. These women are anything but tapped out.
The Hot Flashes, Tucson's award-winning first-class senior women tap group, will perform tonight at the Gaslight Theatre.
The group, begun a decade ago, has performed more than 500 times, gaining national recognition and coverage in U.S. News and World Report, Family Circle and numerous newspapers, including The London Times.
Doors open at 6 p.m. For ticket prices and more information, call 886-9428.
Tuesday 13
FASHIONABLE HISTORY. Fashions come, fashions go. Sadly, some fashions don't stay gone--look at the 1970s and bell bottoms.
Take a closer look at the clothes women have worn through the years in a new exhibit at the Arizona Historical Society Museum.
One Hundred Years of Fashion: Self History and Self-Image explores the trends of the past century with an eye to Tucson's history and the definition of clothed beauty here. Among the items on display are accessories women tolerated in the quest to be fashionable.
The museum, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays, is located at 949 E. Second St. For more information, call 628-5774.
Wednesday 14
LO SIENTO MUCHO. Sorry to all other Tucson restaurateurs, and this is in no way a solicitation for press releases, but I received just one announcement of a special dinner for all the love birds out there on this special day.
Actually, I may have received more than one press release, and I probably just threw them away. Please don't call to complain, because you won't like my reply: "Buy an ad."
But I do feel fortunate I didn't toss the pseudo-news release from Fuego Restaurant, Bar and Grill. Frankly, it's all I've got to fill this space.
So here's a shameless plug for Fuego just to fill Wednesday's slot. Fuego should love me for it; it's Valentine's Day, after all.
The candlelight Valentine menu at Fuego includes rack of lamb, lobster tail, ostrich, topless oysters, prickly-pear pork tenderloin, "Fuego Red" filet mignon and on and on and on.
Fuego is located at 6958 E. Tanque Verde Road. For reservations, call 886-1745.
(OK, you can also look at this week's Chow section, page 39, for more suggestions!)
