Get ready: Tucson’s performing art scene is about to explode.
Dance, theater, classical music, jazz, even an opera set in Arizona — so much to take in, so much to consider.
Let us help. We’ve pored over the offerings for the last quarter of 2015. Here are some of the arts events we look forward to the most because they promise to be good, or quirky or interesting.
Check out the dailystarcendar.com, the Star’s online calendar, for a comprehensive and updated-daily list of who’s doing what when. Meanwhile, let your art-loving self ponder our picks:
Theater
Theaters in the Old Pueblo are offering some of the most tantalizing productions.
We’ll take any chance we can to see a George Bernard Shaw play. Especially if it’s “Saint Joan,” about Joan of Arc, burned at the stake because she defied the church. It’s a bit of a downer, but brilliant. Toni-Press Coffman has adapted the script for the Winding Road Theatre Ensemble at the Zuzi Theater (Oct. 8-25).
You most definitely don’t want to miss this: The Rogue Theatre is staging Shakespeare’s ”Hamlet” in repertory with Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are Dead.” The “Hamlet” is a breathtaking play, and Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz ...” is a smart, funny piece about the two minor characters in “Hamlet” (Oct. 15-Nov. 22).
Invisible Theatre stages a bit of reality-based theater with “Bakersfield Mist,” based on the true story of a woman who bought a painting for $2 at a thrift store and comes to believe it’s a Jackson Pollock. The art expert dispatched to her trailer park to look it over disagrees (Oct. 13-25).
Expect conversations after seeing the Arizona Theatre Company’s production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Disgraced” at the Temple of Music and Art. The play tackles today’s culture and the Islamic faith — all set around a dinner conversation between four very different people. Timely and a terrific script by Ayad Akhtar (Oct. 17-Nov. 7).
“Cabaret” is a dark, compelling musical, and Arizona Repertory Theatre bravely takes it on. The University of Arizona theater school is packed with talented and passionate students — we’re willing to bet they are up to the challenge. It’s at the Marroney Theatre (Oct. 18-Nov. 8).
Speaking of dark: The road show of “The Phantom of the Opera” makes a return visit to Centennial Hall courtesy of Broadway in Tucson. This is tagged a “new” production — a new scenic design, new staging, and more special effects, according to press materials. Still, we are willing to bet the mask and the chandelier will make appearances (Oct. 21-Nov. 1).
Arizona Onstage Productions is bringing us another chapter of those wonderfully tacky folks in “The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical,” which will be on stage at the Temple’s Cabaret Theatre. Expect a certain amount of insanity, and a great amount of fun (Dec. 11-27).
Also, watch out for: UA theater students are staging the very funny “Psycho Beach Party” at the Harold Dixon Directing Studio (Oct. 8-11); the very funny “God’s Man in Texas” will whoop it up at Live Theatre Workshop (Oct. 8-Nov. 15); Speak the Speech Theatre stages “The Elephant Man” at The Community Playhouse (Oct. 9-25); Neil Simon’s tender “Lost In Yonkers” gets an Arizona Rose Theatre Production at the Temple’s Cabaret Theatre (Oct. 17-25); Arizona Theatre Company’s “Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook,” a new musical comedy from the man behind “Wicked,” Stephen Schwartz, will be at the Temple (Nov. 28-Dec. 19); and don’t miss the chance to see new plays emerge at She Worxx’s “Gnawing the the Bone” — seven short plays by members of the women’s collective, performed in various sites around the YWCA campus (Nov. 12-15).
Opera
Arizona Opera is great at showing the classics. But this season, it’s stepping out of its comfort zone and staging the U.S. premiere of “Arizona Lady.” It was penned as a love letter to the Southwest back in 1953, and promises a “wacky libretto” (hey, that’s what the company called it) and an opera reminiscent of the musical comedies from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Catch it at the Tucson Music Hall (Oct. 10-11).
The magical realism of the great author Gabriel Garcia Marquez is behind ”Florencia en el Amazonas,” which Arizona Opera will stage at the Music Hall. A search for a long-lost lover brings Florencia Grimaldi to the Amazon River — which sounds like fodder for some fine operatic adventures (Nov. 21-22).
Classical music
Music lovers will be happy this fall.
Tucson Symphony MasterWorks will be playing Mozart and Beethoven’s 5th Oct. 9 at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church and Oct. 10-11 at Catalina Foothills High School. At the Tucson Music Hall, TSO’s Classic Series will feature works by Daugherty, Brahms and Bernstein (Oct. 23-25), and the full symphony marks Jean Sibelius’ 150th birthday with his Violin Concerto (Nov. 13-15). But this might be the most-anticipated TSO performance: “Pixar in Concert,” which features film clips from Pixar movies and the full symphony performing music from those movies. It’s at the Music Hall (Nov. 28-29).
Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra is slated to perform Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 — the Pathetique Symphony. It was the composer’s last (Oct. 10 at DesertView Performing Arts center and Oct. 11 at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church).
You just might be able to hear your all-time favorite piece of music at the Friends of Music “Shuffle Concert” at St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church. Everyone in the audience is given a number at the beginning and if your number is called, you get to pick a piece you want performed from a list of selections (Oct. 24).
The Ahn Trio, an award-winning group of sisters who have been impressing since the late 1980s, plays the intimate Crowder Hall courtesy of UA Presents (Nov. 19).
Other must-sees: TSO Pops performs the music of composer John Williams at the Music Hall (Oct. 17-18), and the TSO’s Messiah, at Catalina Foothills High School theater, is a joyous holiday treat (Dec. 12-13).
Choral/vocal
The glorious Vienna Boys Choir brings its tunes — which include Vienna waltzes, medieval chants and classical pieces — to the Music Hall courtesy of Tucson Symphony Orchestra (Nov. 4).
Equally as exciting is a concert by Anonymous Four, which performs European chants and polyphonies, as well as medieval and modern carols, at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. UA Presents brings the female a cappella quartet our way (Dec. 6).
If you act fast, you might be able to snag a ticket to see the Sons of Orpheus and the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus’ annual Christmas concert at Mission San Xavier del Bac. This is the 19th year for the concert, a fundraiser for the mission, and it just about always sells out (Dec. 8-10).
The Fox Tucson brings in Libera, a sublime boys choir from England. The choir has performed its classical sounds around the world — and wins more fans with each stop (Oct. 27).
Melissa Etheridge is a concert not to miss. Lucky us, she’s doing one at the Fox (Nov. 10).
And America’s Got Talent second place winner in 2010, Jackie Evancho, brings her impressive pipes to the Fox, performing selections from her latest release (Dec. 10).
Also: Broadway hoofer/performer Ben Vereen at the Fox (Nov. 28); Run Boy Run‘s bluegrass sounds at the Berger thanks to In Concert Tucson (Nov. 15); the Ten Tenors holiday concert comes to the Fox (Dec. 8), which also will have us twisting with Chubby Checker (Nov. 12).
Jazz/world
Tony Bennett — so smooth even Lady Gaga wants to sing with him — opens UA Presents season Oct. 9 at Centennial Hall. Even if you’ve seen him before, the man is magic. Also coming from UA Presents: The cool sounds of Chucho Valdés and Irakere — legends of Cuban and Latin jazz music — bring their cool sounds to the Fox Oct. 22, and the Hector Del Curto Tango Quintet, playing the music that stirs the tango in us on Oct. 25. That is also at the Fox.
Jesse Cook‘s rich Latin jazz (rhumba and flamenco, too) has a concert at the Fox that is sure to have the theater groovin’ (Oct. 7).
Big band lovers never want to miss a performance of the Tucson Jazz Institute’s Ellington Band. Catch these young kids and their very impressive work at DesertView Performing Arts Center (Nov. 21).
And mariachi fans will love this: UA Presents brings Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano to Centennial Hall (Dec. 5).
What’s Christmas without a brogue and some Irish dancing and music? We’ll get that with In Concert! Tucson’s Irish Christmas in America performance at the Berger, which aims to put us in a holiday mood (Dec. 15).
Dance
BlakTina is a festival celebrating Black and Latina choreographers. Expect to see new, thrilling works when it comes to Zuzi Theater (Oct. 2-3).
Artifact Dance Project mixes up all sorts of art genres to bring us concerts. Next up is “Immortally Departed,” inspired by the rituals surrounding those who pass. It’ll be performed at the company’s downtown studio (Oct. 2-3).
UA Dance School’s “Premium Blend” is a much-anticipated annual event. It’s at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, and it showcases some of the remarkable talent at the nationally recognized college (Oct. 30-Nov. 8).
Shen Wei Dance Arts‘ beautiful and theatrical dance is a thrill. UA Presents brings the group to Centennial Hall (Nov. 22).
A contemporary dance concert showcases the talents of Pima Community College students at the PCC Center for the Arts (Dec. 11-12)
Poetry
The UA Poetry Center’s annual reading series presents some of the most eloquent, edgy voices in prose and poetry. Highlights this quarter include Mark Doty, a winner of the National Book Award for Poetry and considered one of the most important living poets (Oct. 1); Arizona’s Poet Laureate Alberto Álvaro Ríos discusses translating Arizona Opera’s “Arizona Lady” (Oct. 5); avant-garde writer Jerome Rothenberg (Oct. 27) beautifully innovative poet Brenda Hillman (Oct. 22); and Suzanne Buffam and Fall Resident Srikanth Reddy, who will read together (Nov. 12). All readings are at the Poetry Center, but this one, which sounds just too sublime to miss: Po-é-tree: “Listening to the Trees.” It is a reading of poetry and discussions under the trees in the UA’s Arboretum, though it’ll start at Old Main on campus (Oct. 3).
Young at art
No way kids can say there’s nothing to do:
Pima Community College generally opens its theater season with a play geared toward children. This year, it’s “Henry and Ramona,” based on the Beverly Cleary books, and it’s at the PCC Center for the Arts (through Oct. 4).
Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s “Musical Magic for Kids” concerts are a delight for children, as well as all music lovers. The String Quartet provides the sounds for “Thomas the Tank Engine” Oct. 3; “A Wild, Wild West Side Story” is performed by the Percussion Ensemble (Nov. 7), and TSO’s trio of a flute, viola and harp take on Beethoven’s Mouse Dec. 5. They all take place at the Oro Valley Council Chambers.
Superman flies again with the Christian Youth Theater’s ”It’s A Bird! It’s A Plane! It’s Superman!” The caped wonder takes on a big task: save the world. You’ll find it at the PCC Center for the Arts (Oct. 9-11).
What would Halloween be like without a not-too-spooky walk through Valley of the Moon? “Haunted Ruins: The Witch and the Magic Cup,” a 40-year tradition, is loaded with fun for the whole family (Oct. 9-30.)
If you are looking to get into the holiday spirit, you can’t go wrong with Live Theatre Workshop’s family show “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree: A Christmas Sing-A-Long.” Be ready to sing out (Nov. 29-Dec. 20).
