“Nuevo Laredo Mexico, 1966,” by Alex Webb, in a show opening Nov. 19 at Etherton Gallery.
1 Photojournalist Alex Webb has an eye that has brought him international fame, led to the publication of nearly a dozen books, and a load of awards.
See why when Etherton Gallery opens “La Calle,” an exhibit of photographs Webb took in Mexico between 1978 and 2007.
Webb is a member of the prestigious Magnum Photos, an international cooperative whose membership has included some of the most important photographers of this and the last century. He is known for his sublime use of color and light, and for photos that are rich in detail and nuance. Like the best photojournalists, each of his images tells a story.
Stand in front of a Webb photo, and it is nearly impossible not to be drawn into his world, to gain a bit of understanding about it, question it, and yearn for more of it. He is, really, that good.
Webb and his wife, poet and photographer Rebecca Norris Webb, will give a talk at the Center for Creative Photography at 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19. The center is in the University of Arizona Fine Arts Complex near the corner of North Park Avenue and East Speedway. That evening, they will be at the opening reception and book signing, 7-10 p.m. at Etherton Gallery, 135 S. Sixth Ave. More information: ethertongallery.com or 624-7370. The show continues through Jan. 7.
Cuff bracelets, which feature crystals and fresh water pearls made by local jewelry maker Rodney Casebier in Tucson, AZ. Silver bracelets cost $110. Photo taken Thursday, December 4, 2014. Photo by Ron Medvescek / Arizona Daily Star.
2 Sure, the Santa ads on TV and the cheery decorations in stores tell us the holidays are upon us. But for us, the spirit starts with the Tucson Museum of Art Holiday Artisans Market. And that’s this weekend.
The three-day, curated market features works by some of the best artisans around.
You’ll find artists such as intricate jeweler Rodney Casebier; John Benedict, who does delicate metal work; and Nora Graf, who takes everyday gourds and turns them into stunning pieces of art.
There are other treats, too: El Nacimiento, the beautiful and elaborate nativity scene by folk artist Maria Luis Tena is open, and TMA’s research library holds its annual book sale during the Artisans Market.
It’s open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at TMA, 140 N. Main Ave. Admission is free to both the market and the museum. More information: tucsonmuseumofart.org or 624-2333.
L to R- Bree Boyd, Josh Parra, Cliff Madison, Missie Scheffman, and Michael Woodson in Live Theatre Workshop’s production of “Miracle on 34th St.” — Credit: Ryan Fagan
3 Live Theatre Workshop becomes an old-timey radio station with its production of “Miracle on 34th Street.”
The much-loved story, about a man who insists he’s Santa Claus, makes most think he’s insane and should be institutionalized. But there are people who believe, and a young lawyer decides to defend him in court and prove he is the real deal.
It is performed as a live radio show, and we get to see the sound effects being created, multiple characters embodied in one person and a certain joy in the creative genius of it all. Michael Woodson, Cliff Madison, Bree Boyd, Josh Para, Shanna Brock and Missie Scheffman play the multiple characters; Stephen Frankenfield directs.
Previews of “Miracle” are 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday, Nov. 17-18, and the opening is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19. Regular performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 23. Tickets to the 90-minute show are $15 for previews, $20 for regular performances, with discounts available. Live Theatre is at 5317 E. Speedway, 327-4242 or livetheatreworkshop.org
Eric Idle, left, and John Cleese perform at Centennial Hall nov. 22. — Credit: Rod Millington
4 When you’re feeling in the dumps,/ Don’t be silly chumps, /Just purse your lips and whistle — that’s the thing! Always look on the bright side of life. — Eric Idle, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”
Oh my, it’s been a bruising year. We could sure use a bit of Monty Python to get us through the next few months.
Lucky us: Eric Idle and John Cleese, two members of the British humor group, are headed our way.
“John Cleese & Eric Idle: Together Again at Last ... for the Very First Time,” the duos’ North American tour, stops at Centennial Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
Monty Python hit the BBC airways in 1969. It was a touch surreal, sublimely silly, and furiously funny. They were wildly popular, and became even more so with the release of the group’s movies, such as “Holy Grail” and “Life of Brian” (from which the song quoted above came).
Cleese and Idle continue the absurd Python humor and have taken it on the road. We’ll hear some classic skits, songs (“I’m a Lumberjack and I’m OK” is often on the bill), and stories about their lives as Pythoners. And the two have not been known to shy away from topical subjects.
It’s at 7:30 Tuesday, Nov. 22, at Centennial, 1020 E. University Blvd., on the UA campus. Tickets are $64.50-$104.50. Get them at the Centennial Hall Box Office if you want to avoid the hefty Ticketmaster surcharge. And beware: If you google for tickets, the first site that comes up is not the Centennial Hall official site — it belongs to Box Office Tickets, which is selling them for $105 and up. Tickets are at 621-3341 or centhall.org
True Concord Voices & Orchestra will perform Mozart’s Requiem four times this weekend.
5 One of the most glorious pieces of music ever created is on tap for this weekend.
True Concord Voices & Orchestra performs Bach’s Magnificat at four different venues around Tucson. The text is about Mary, Jesus’ mother, telling her cousin about the child she is carrying.
Bach’s Magnificat is music on a grand scale, requiring five soloists and a five-part choir. And there’s the music — three trumpets, two flutes, two oboes, strings and continuo.
The joy, the exultation, of Bach’s Magnificat is infectious, from the regal trumpets in the beginning to the final “Amen.”
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, 3738 N. Old Sabino Canyon Road; 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, Lutheran Church of the Risen Savior, 555 S. La Cañada Drive in Green Valley; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Drive, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St. Tickets are $25-$40 at trueconcord.org
