Tempe Conventions & Visitors Bureau

The arts truly shine in Tempe this week with dance, opera, music, theatre and visual arts for all ages and tastes.  Two-time Tony® Award-winning  choreographer Bill T. Jones will be in Tempe with his production of Fondly Do We Hope… Fervently Do We Pray and the ASU School of Music will present the opera Hansel & Gretel. There’s much more, but here’s a peek at some of what’s going on in Tempe this week.  For more events, visit our online calendar of events.

• February 28: Nancy Gee & Joel Robin, Dave’s Electric Brew Pub
• February 28: Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble: The Delight of Dancing, Tempe Center for the Arts
• March 1: Open Jam, Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant
• March 2: Walk in Wednesday with Walt Richardson, Tempe Center for the Arts
• March 3: Music on Mill, Mill Avenue District
• March 3: The Red Shoes Ballet, Tempe Center for the Arts
• March 3-6: ASU School of Theatre & Film Presents: A Bridge to the Stars, Lyceum Theatre
• March 3-6: ASU School of Music Lyric Opera Theatre Presents Hansel and Gretel, Evelyn Smith Music Theater
• March 4: Kip Fox Band, Tempe Marketplace District Stage
• March 4: Scott & John of Hello Swindon; March 5: Mary Hoffman, Tempe Marketplace Barnes & Noble Fountain
• March 4: Shawn Johnson & the Paper Snowmen; March 5: Shining Star; March 6: Live Music on the Patio, Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant
• March 5: First Saturdays for Families, ASU Art Museum
• March 5: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company – Fondly Do We Hope…Fervently Do We Pray, ASU Gammage
• March 5 & 6 : Childsplay Presents Go, Dog. Go!, Tempe Center for the Arts

9 to 5 The Musical it is a hoot. I went to the opening on Tuesday at ASU Gammage and was taken back to 1980 when the movie, which was the inspiration for this entertaining musical, was released to wide popular and critical acclaim.

The show closely follows the original movie storyline and has the same characters, but there are a few differences, including an expanded score by Dolly Parton and additional choreography. There are also a few nods to old fashioned technology that were not in the movie because they were the norm in 1980, when the movie was released. It’s hard to imagine life without the PC, Mac, Internet, cell phones and the Wii. But, primitive as they may seem, in 1980 typewriters, carbon paper and correction tape were standard office equipment and Atari was the new and exciting video game that everyone wanted. Yes, I remember them all.

The show introduces us to three beleaguered office workers, Violet Newstead, Doralee Rhodes and Judy Bernly and their despicable, male chauvinist pig, not to mention crooked, boss Franklin Hart, Jr. It’s hard not to compare the performances by Dee Hoty, Diana DeGarmo, Ashley Moniz and Joseph Mahowald to those of their movie counterparts. The movie characters, perfectly portrayed by Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Dabney Coleman, had to be tough acts to follow.  To quote Diana DeGarmo she had “a big bra to fill.”  And fill it she does, looking, acting and sounding so much like Dolly Parton that she could be her clone. All of the 9 to 5 The Musical cast members are equally marvelous, as is the music and the choreography.  Kristine Zbornik is also amazing as Roz Keith, the love struck assistant to Franklin Hart, Jr.

There are so many deliciously funny numbers in this show, including the episode in which the three women, stoned on marijuana, fantasize about killing their boss. Other memorable scenes are Roz’s rapturous day dream about seducing her boss and the women’s hilarious abduction of Franklin Hart, Jr. In the end, we are treated to the women’s hilarious revenge on their boss and their triumph over the crummy and degrading treatment endured by all of the women in their office.

9-5 The Musical is just plain funny and fun for teens and adults. For anyone who was around during 70s and 80s, it’s a lovely bit of nostalgia. It’s on stage at ASU Gammage through February 27.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.asugammage.com.  For more information on other arts and cultural events in Tempe, visit www.TempeScene.com.

Play Ball! The Cactus League Experience just opened at the Arizona Historical Society Museum. This exhibition is a must for baseball fans in town for a spring training weekend. There are more than 400 items that depict spring training from its humble beginnings to today at this Tempe museum. Items include a rare 1951 New York Yankees Spring Training program from the team’s brief stint at Phoenix Municipal Stadium and from the Angels, a Gene Autry-signed shirt and Reggie Jackson-signed game-used helmet.

Items are arranged historically and by team, so it will be easy for fans to find items that pique their interest the most. The Web site for Play Ball! provides even more info that further enhances what can be seen at the museum.

I’m the first to admit that I don’t know much about baseball, but I do appreciate history and the impact that Cactus League Spring Training has on Tempe and metro Phoenix. I found this exhibition quite fascinating. Baseball fans and history buffs alike will truly enjoy it.

You can get a bit of a preview by watching this interview with Randy Johnson by Fox Sports Arizona at Play Ball! the Cactus League Experience: http://www.foxsportsarizona.com/pages/video?PID=VnchkkV_cxLiLHtoWJcEIsj2iplEZjN_

Visit the Arizona Historical Society Museum Web site for hours and admission prices. And, visit our blog for more information about attending an Arizona spring training baseball game.

Angels Spring Training at Tempe Diablo Stadium

Calling all baseball fans (especially those of you who root for the Angels or the Dodgers)!

Do you want to go to an Angels spring training baseball game? We’re giving away 5 pairs of tickets to the Angels vs. Dodgers game this Saturday (2/26) at 1:05 p.m. at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Here’s what you have to do to win:

• RT our original tweet about this giveaway (@TempeTourism) that includes who you want to win the game (ex: #angels or #dodgers)
• We’re going to record all usernames who retweeted and pick 5 winners at random by 4pm MST today, 2/23
• We’ll DM you to let you know that you won. In order for us to DM you, you must folllow us.
• If you win, you must pick the tickets up from the Tempe Tourism Office, 51 W. Third St., Ste. 105, by 5 p.m. on Friday, 2/25.

That’s it! Good luck!

Can you believe it’s been 30 years since the release of one of my all time favorite movies, Nine to Five? Didn’t you love Dolly Parton, Lilly Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dabney Coleman as the deliciously reprehensible Franklin M. Heart, Junior?  The Tony Award-winning stage production of 9 to 5: The Musical at ASU Gammage is just one of many great events to enjoy this week in Tempe.  For more events happening in Tempe, visit our online calendar of events.

•  February 21: ZAZU, Devon Bridgewater, Steve Douglas; February 23: Shay Veno & Jane Hilton Irish Duo, Daves Electric Brew Pub
• February 21:  Free Concert: Tempe Symphony Orchestra; February 23: Arizona Wind Symphony: By Popular Demand, Tempe Center for the Arts
• February 22: Open Jam, Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant
• February 22-27: 9-5: The Musical, ASU Gammage
• February 23: Walk in Wednesday with Walt Richardson, Tempe Center for the Arts
• February 24: Music on Mill, Mill Avenue District
• February 25: The Axeman; February 26: The Tyler Nielson Duo, D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Restaurant & Pub
• February 25: The Jeff Hunt Band; February 26: Knee Deep Experience, Tempe Marketplace District Stage
• February 25: The Geetars; February 26: Luke Niccoli, Tempe Marketplace Barnes & Noble Fountain
• February 25: Shawn Johnson & The Paper Snowmen; February 26:  Nameless Prophets; February 27: Live Music on the Patio, Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant
• February 25 : Anna Chepikova; February 26: Will Metzler; February 27:  Aebi-Coulson Jazz Trio, John Henry’s Restaurant
• February 26-27: Childsplay Presents Go, Dog. Go!, Tempe Center for the Arts

Keep your eyes out, your ears open, and get your mugs ready because these two beer drink’n events are so good they will keep you thirsty for more! 

Downtown Tempe Pub Crawl
Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011
Downtown Tempe
2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
If you’re interested in getting a taste of what Mill Avenue has to offer, come join in on a unique experience of fine craft beer sampling from participating top Valley brew pubs and brewers-all within walking distance! There will be food/drink specials plus prize drawings at each of the participating locations.

The Great Arizona Beer Festival has organized four tasty stops for your enjoyment:
First stop:  Dave’s Electric Brew Pub
Second stop:  Gordon Biersch Brewery
Third stop:  Canteen Modern Tequila Bar
Final stop:  Robbie Fox’s Public House  

Tickets are $10- Includes an event T-shirt and 6 beer samples from participating pubs and brewers. (General Admission tickets at first three stops, VIP tickets at last stop). Space is limited though, so buy tickets now!

Great Arizona Beer Festival
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Tempe Beach Park
2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Great Arizona Beer Festival takes it to the next level with this event. Come enjoy a selection of over 200 craft, specialty and micro-brewed beers available for sampling. This beer festival is the largest in the southwest and attracts over 7,000 people each year. There will be live music, games, a variety of great food, and fun for people age 21 and over. Bring out your friends and begin the sampling!

Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the gate
Includes up to 24 different beer samples

I always look forward to the ASU Art Museum’s exhibition receptions, and I’m particularly excited about the spring reception tonight because the focus will be on four new, and as always, thought provoking and timely exhibitions:  Re-Thinking the Faculty Exhibition 2011; It’s not just black and white: Gregory Sale — Social Studies Project 6; Collecting Contemporary Art: the FUNd at ASU; and Citadel, at the Ceramic Research Center.

It’s not just black and white: Gregory Sale is especially intriguing to me because it deals with the current state of prisons and the justice system in Arizona, Maricopa County and the U.S.  To prepare for the exhibition, ASU Art Museum Curator John Spiak and Gregory Sale visited correctional institutions and organizations where they engaged in dialogue with inmates and staff.  Inmates were actually involved in the installation of the exhibition. You can find some interesting insights and pretty compelling photographs of the installation in progress on the exhibition blog post.

In addition to the exhibitions, there will be a number of other related events taking place throughout the evening.  From 6 to 7 p.m., ASU Art Museum Director Gordon Knox and ASU School of Art Director Adriene Jenik will introduce the faculty exhibition, followed by a special preview tour with curator Robert Atkins. The silent auction begins at the Ceramics Research Center at 6 p.m.  The reception will  start at both the Museum and the Ceramic Research Center at 7 p.m.  Also at 7 p.m. artist Angela Ellsworth and the “sister wives” will present a performance titled: “Where the Skies Are Blue.”   From 7:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., artist Patricia Sannit will be speaking at the CRC about Citadel, her installation there.  And of course there will be good reception food too. All in all, it’s bound to be an interesting and stimulating evening.

If you go, I would love to hear your thoughts on any of the ASU Art Museum exhibits or any part of the reception.

This week begins with great jazz in Tempe from Valley favorites, Margo Reed keyboard virtuoso with Joel Robin at Dave’s Electric Brew Pub on Monday, February 14.  Then on Friday, you can enjoy a second helping of outstanding  jazz in Tempe when vocalist Lorrain Feather and pianist Shelly Berg will give a groovin’ performance at the Tempe Center for the Arts.

Visit our complete listing of Tempe events or call 480-894-8158.

• February 14: Margo Reed + Joel Robin; February 16:  Bad Cactus Brass Band, Dave’s Electric Brew Pub
• February 14: Race Brown, John Henry’s Restaurant
• February 15:  Performance with a View, Tempe Center for the Arts
• February 16: Walk in Wednesday with Walt Richardson, Tempe Center for the Arts
• February 16: Composers of the Concentration Camps, ASU Gammage
• February 17: Third Thursdays, Mill Avenue District
• February 17: Shelby James; February 18: The Manny Moonz Duo; February 19: The Detonators, D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Restaurant & Pub
• February 18: ASU Art Museum Spring 2011 Season Opening Reception, ASU Art Museum
• February 18: Lakeshore Jazz Series: Lorraine Feather and Shelly Berg,  Tempe Center for the Arts
• February 18: B/S; February 19: Boys & Girls Club Benefit Concert: Join Joe Draper and special guests Dainow, Tempe Marketplace District Stage
• February 18: Tobie Milford & Henri Bernard; February 19: Jeordie & Friend, Tempe Marketplace Barnes & Noble Fountain
• February 18: Traveler; February 19: Intensity; February 20: Music on the Patio with Shelby James, Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant
• February 18: Anna Chepikova; February 19: The Drive; February 20: Aebi-Coulson Jazz Trio, John Henry’s Restaurant
• February 19 & 20: Childsplay Presents Go, Dog. Go!, Tempe Center for the Arts
• February 20 : Music in the Garden: Big Nick and the Gila Monsters, Desert Botanical Garden

Looking for a Valentine’s Day dinner that’s a little unexpected? 

The Great Arizona Beer Festival, happening March 5 at Tempe Beach Park, teamed up with six restaurants in the metro area to create “Made for Each Other” Valentine’s Day dinner pairings. Three of these brewerys and taverns are Tempe restaurants.

Will these special dinner and brew combos inspire romance this Valentine’s Day? Perhaps. But one thing is for sure, they’ll definitely inspire you to attend the Great Arizona Beer Festival in just a few weeks.

A favorite among Mill Avenue restaurants, Gordon Biersch Brewery is offering two specials:

Barbequed salmon with Asian barbeque sauce, balsamic grilled red onion, spinach and sweet ginger rice, paired with Czech Pilsner.

or

Gorgonzola bone-in ribeye topped with gorgonzola butter, served with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables, paired with the seasonal Rauchbier.

Robbie Fox’s Public House features a five-course “reverse menu.” As it should be, dessert is served first!

Red velvet cake, paired with Guinness stout and port wine

Golden & red beet salad with white balsamic vinaigrette

Blini with smoked salmon topped with crème fraiche

Stuffed lobster tail paired with Harp Lager and

Spiced pork roast with apple thyme cream sauce, paired with Magner’s Cider

Dave’s Electric Brew Pub is serving fun fare for couples in love:

Copper, Gold and Silver Sausage Sampler – an assortment of sweet, spicy and beer-bathed brats served with a variety of mustards, paired with Dave’s Electric Industrial Pale Ale.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so make your reservations now. You, and your sweetheart, will love dining in Tempe. And, over dinner, don’t forget to make plans to attend the Arizona beer festival in March!

Tempe is bursting with activity this week. The ASU School of Theatre and Film celebrates Charles Darwin’s birthday by presenting Dreaming Darwin, an original play written by ASU faculty and Anne Rice will be signing her newest thriller at Changing Hands Bookstore. Visit our complete listing of Tempe events or call 480-894-8158.

• February 7:  Rachel Eckroth Trio; February 9: ABC Quartet, Dave’s Electric Brew Pub
• February 9: Walk in Wednesday with Walt Richardson azValenTeens Bash ‘11
• Tempe Center for the Arts
• February 10: Music on Mill azValenTeens Bash ‘11
• Mill Avenue District
• February 10: Shawn Johnson; February 11 & 12: Traveler azValenTeens Bash ‘11, Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant
• February 11: Ratio, Tempe Marketplace District Stage
• February 11: Meet & Greet Signing wth Anne Rice: Of Love an Evil, Changing Hands Bookstore
• February 11: The Manny Moonz Duo; February 12: Big Daddy D and the Dynamites, D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Restaurant & Pub
• February 11: Scott & John of Hello Swindon; February 12: Sydney Sprague, Tempe Marketplace Barnes & Noble Fountain
• February 11-13: ASU Herberger School of Theatre and Film Presents Dreaming Darwin, Prism Theater
• February 12: The Great Salad Shake Presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona; azValenTeens Bash ‘11, Tempe Marketplace District Stage
• February 12 & 13: Childsplay Presents Go, Dog. Go!, Tempe Center for the Arts
• February 13: Music in the Garden: Fuerza Caribe, Desert Botanical Garden
• February 13:  Music on the Patio with Shelby James, Rula Bula Irish Pub & Restaurant
• February 13: Sunday Night Jam Sessions Led by the Jeff Libman Trio, Dave’s Electric Brew Pub
• February 13:  Aebi-Coulson Jazz Trio, John Henry’s Restaurant