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Top Pick

Unseen Wyeth. Beloved American realist painter Andrew Wyeth has a gift for depicting rural life in hushed, beautiful reverence. Don't miss Gilcrease Museum's current exhibition, "Andrew Wyeth Drawings and Watercolors: Selections from the Marunuma Art Park Collection, Japan," featuring rarely seen works from Wyeth, one of the greatest living (and highly collected) 20th Century American artists. Exhibition runs June 1-Aug. 26. Gilcrease Museum is located at 1400 Gilcrease Museum Rd. For more info, call 596-2700.

Thursday, May 31

Party in the street today with local blues-rock legend Glenn R. Townsend. The latest installment in the Downtown Spring Music Festival series features this "Tulsa Sound" veteran and his band cranking it up at the intersection of 5th & Main in downtown Tulsa from 4:30-7pm. Admission is free! For more info on the Downtown Spring Music Festival series, call 582-3993.

Friday, June 1

With Independence Day only about a month away, many of you seasonal pyromaniacs out there are probably itching for a "big boom" fix. Head out to Drillers Stadium tonight (15th & Yale) and cheer on the Tulsa Drillers as they take on the Frisco RoughRiders and you'll get just what you need... a post-game fireworks extravaganza. Game starts at 7pm.

Saturday, June 2

Broken Arrow Community Playhouse's latest production The Spitfire Grill, follows the story of Percy Talbot, a recent parolee who attempts to start a new life by getting a job in a small-town Wisconsin restaurant. See what happens tonight when the curtain rises at 8pm. BACP is located at 1800 S. Main in Broken Arrow.

Sunday, June 3

For an afternoon of over-the-top character comedy, don't miss Nipples to the Wind, the new two-woman production featuring comedian Paula Coco and Janye Anderson at the Tulsa PAC, 2nd & Cincinnati. The hard-working actors portray 14 different characters, complete with hilarious costume changes and original music, including a self-absorbed suicide hotline operator, and a fanatical Little League mom, among many others. The fun begins at 2pm.

Monday, June 4

Ted Nugent is a guitar playin'/bow huntin'/gun shootin'/opinion spewin' force of nature.

Tuesday, June 5

Learn about the star patterns Native Americans noticed in the night skies at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum's new Centennial-themed planetarium presentation, Native American Skies. Afterward, you'll be able to spot such Native American constellations as the patterns of Long Sash and the Rabbit Tracks...and you'll know the legends behind them. TASM is located at 3624 N. 74th E. Ave. Call 834-9900 for showtimes.

Wednesday, June 6

In Stuart Cooper's 1975 film Overlord, a tentative soldier contemplates his role as a cog in the giant US war machine, driving him steadily toward probable death on the beaches of Normandy during the WWII Allied invasion of France on D-Day. The completely remastered re-release of this critically lauded film features new and archival footage, making for a truly relevant, disturbing and authentic experience. See it tonight at the Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis. Call 592-FILM for showtimes.

Thursday, June 7

For a mind-blowing experience, check out the "National Contemporary Realism Exhibition" at M.A. Doran Gallery, 3509 S. Peoria. The showcase features a group of local, national and international artists who practice the European style of illustrating common, everyday objects with astounding accuracy. Must be seen to be believed. Call 748-8700 for details.

Whodunit? Based on the popular board game, Clue: The Musical is an exciting, fun-filled musical that brings the world's best-known mystery suspects (Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, and Mz. Scarlett) to life on the stage, and invites the audience to play along to solve a mystery. The suspects sing, dance, and joke their way into your life (or into suspicion) as you guess which one of the 216 possible endings, different every performance, is the answer to whodunit, in what room, with what weapon. Clue: The Musical runs May 31 and June 1-2 in the Doenges Theatre of the Tulsa PAC, 2nd & Cincinnati. Curtain is at 8pm. Get tickets for $20 at the Box Office, www.myticketoffice.com, or 596-7111.

Search For Our Okie Identity. Through Sept. 16, the Price Tower Arts Center in Bartlesville, 510 Dewey Ave., will be exhibiting "Out of Oklahoma: Contemporary Artists from Ruscha to Andoe." Starting with the Pop Art movement of the '60s and traveling through abstraction, minimalism, photorealism and even the new figurative painting. The work of 20 artists, including Larry Clark, John Fincher, and Daniel Lang, encompasses works in paint, watercolor, photography, glass, bronze and more to represent the diversity of Oklahoma and its people. For more info, visit pricetower.org.

Rockin' the Rockhounds. That's what we expect of our Tulsa Drillers May 31 when they face off with the RockHounds of Midland at Drillers Stadium, 15th & Yale. Thursday is, of course, a Thirsty Thursday ($1 beer, anyone?), but they'll also be giving away Drillers Christmas ornaments to the first 1,000 fans in the park. Yes, it's almost summertime but we're sure you'll make good use of your decoration come Dec. Pick up tickets at the Box Office, tulsadrillers.com or 744-5901.

So They Like It Rough, Eh? Then the Tulsa Drillers oughta show the Frisco RoughRiders a rough loss three nights in a row. The game on June 1 starts at 7pm and will be followed by one of the Drillers' fireworks extravaganza shows. The June 2 games start at the same time, and the first 1,500 visitors over the age of 5 will receive a Drillers beach towel. The Sunday game on June 3 starts at 2pm and has a lot of action planned. Not only will the first 1,000 fans receive team card sets, they'll also be able to enjoy over 20 interactive baseball-themed attractions, such as X-Box 360, a Minor League Mini-Baseball Museum, batting & pitching Cages and oh, so much more, including kids eat free! The festival starts in Drillers Stadium at 11am and is free, so come out and make a day of it!

Taking it Smooth... Grape Ranch celebrates Oklahoma's jazz and blues musicians this month as it hosts the Fifth Annual Okemah Jazz Fest on Sat., June 2, from 2-10pm. Admission to the family-friendly event is only $5 per person in advance and $8 at the gate. In addition to experiencing great music, visitors to the event can also participate in the Bocce ball tournaments on the winery's two regulation courts, a picnic on the vineyard and sample Grape Ranch's many wines in their California-style tasting room. The Okemah Jazz Fest will also include an exhibition of visual art featuring 30 renowned Oklahoma artists. For more info, visit graperanch.com or call 623-2250.

Collaborative Art at Its Best. The Tulsa Artists' Coalition, 9 E. Brady, is pleased to present "Our Colors," June 1-23, featuring the artwork of two young artists, Darshan Phillips and Aaron Whisner, who work collaboratively under the name "live4this." According to the artists, "The crew was developed because we were tired of the status quo. With inspiration we challenge, develop and push each other collaboratively. We have a true passion for what we do and that shows in our attitude and outlook on life. It's what we live for." For more information, call 592-0041 or hit tacgallery.org.

Have a Little Okie Pride. Oklahomans for Equality (formerly Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights) has organized a weeklong celebration for Tulsa's 27th annual Pride and Diversity Week. Tulsa's Gay Pride Celebrations started in the early '80s as a picnic sponsored by a consortium of 11 local bars in Tulsa's bucolic Mohawk Park. Over the years it has evolved in to a multi-day event sponsored by groups as varied as the Tulsa Public Library System to Tulsa PFLAG (Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays). This year's gathering is filled with music, art and celebration beginning with the annual PFLAG Spaghetti Dinner on June 2nd and culminating with the Oklahomans for Equality Diversity Gala Dinner on June 9th. A complete listing of events, including times and locations, is available at www.okeq.org or at the region's largest LGBT Pride Center--the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center at 621 E. 4th St.

A Little Night Murder, Anyone? The Spotlight Theatre, 1381 Riverside Dr., is pleased to have encore performances of their centennial celebration show, a musical murder mystery, Murder and the Outlaws. It will show June 1st at 7pm. The play, which is based on Oklahoma history prior to statehood, was written and directed by Carol Snow. Guests can look forward to a fun-filled evening with singing outlaws and a catered dinner. Should a "murder" occur during the evening (and you can probably count on it), you'll have an opportunity to solve the crime. Guests are encouraged to come in period dress or western wear. Ticket are $30 and reservations are recommended at theatre at 587-5030.

Part of That Sound. Glenn R. Townsend is one of the few and the proud who are still carrying on "The Tulsa Sound." He has headlined every blues festival within a two-day drive of Tulsa, and promises to entertain the crowds on Thurs., May 31, when he gives a free performance as part of the Downtown Spring Music Festival. Street performers are also invited to come out and grace the sidewalks with their talent. The show will be from 4:30-7pm at the intersection of 5th & Main in downtown Tulsa. For more info on this series, call 582-3993.

Underneath the Same Big Skies. Orion the Hunter, Leo the Lion, and Ursa Major the Great Bear are all well-known constellations in the night sky, but do you know where to find the patterns of Long Sash or the Rabbit Tracks? TASM Planetarium presents a live Centennial program discovering what patterns the American Indians saw in the heavens that represented their history and everyday life. Explore these legends and constellations in Native American Skies, opening June 1 at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum's Planetarium, 3624 N. 74th E. Ave. Call 834-9900 for showtimes.

Oh, the Humanities! It's time again for Chautauqua, the Arts & Humanities Council's Celebration of Oklahoma's history & culture. This year, it'll run from Jun 3-9 on the OSU-Tulsa campus, 700 N. Greenwood. All workshops and performances are free and open to the public. Workshops are at 12 & 1:30pm daily and include "Will Rogers was Not Just a Cowboy" and "Oklahoma and Oil." There will be live music every night at 6:30pm, followed by performances by Tulsans of characters such as Will Rogers, Frank Fratz and Waite Phillips. For a complete lineup and schedule, call 584-2333 or visit ahct.org/calendar.

They Know What They're Talkin 'Bout. Nipples to the Wind is a sassy, brassy comedy written by stand-up comedian Paula Coco and performed by her and her only slightly older aunt, Janye Anderson. In sort of a Greater Tuna meets The Sweet Potato Queens fashion, Coco and Anderson portray 14 different characters, complete with outrageous costumes and accompanied by original music. Through a series of monologues, you'll meet a narcissistic suicide hotline operator, an overzealous Little League Mom, and three sisters at confession--each telling her own version of the same event. The show will run May 31-June 3 in the Williams Theatre of the Tulsa PAC. The hilarity starts at 8pm, except a 2pm matinee on Sunday. Tickets are $35 and may be purchased at the usual places.

Still Smilin'. And why wouldn't he be? Rickey Smiley is a stand-up comedian, television host, actor and radio personality best known for his prank phone calls. Quite a way to make a living! His original comedy routines often feature the fictional characters Bernice Jenkins, Lil' Daryl, Rusty Bale, and Buford...and often even include songs. Come get a heapin' helpin' of laughter on Fri., June 1, at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Tickets run $27.50-32.50 and can be picked up at the usual suspects.

Bikers, Unite... because the 15th annual fundraiser for Bikers Against Child Abuse is rolling into town. On Sat., June 2, from 10am-6pm at Blues City Bar & Grill at 3156 S. Mingo, bikers and non-bikers alike can enjoy a Poker Run, live music (Dave Skinner, Wanda Watson, Steve Pryor & a jam band), good eats, vendors and a bike show. Come out and support these bikers with heart, as they believe that no child deserves to live in fear. If you need more info or want to sell your wares, call Bluesman at 232-2382.

1,487 Miles Off Broadway. Nestled among the woods of Gilead, WI, rests the Spitfire Grill, a cozy little spot where the owner knows where you want to sit and how you want your eggs. It's a tiny town where tiny minds scheme up the kind of rumors that thrive in tiny diners. Yet that is exactly where parolee Percy Talbot goes after being released from prison to find a place where she can start over again. And Percy brings change to the small town. See The Spitfire Grill at the Broken Arrow Community Playhouse, 1800 S. Main in BA on June 1-2 and 7-10. Curtain is at 8pm, except Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are $6-13 and may be bought at the Box Office or 258-0077.

The Joys of the Simple Life. From June 1-Aug. 26, you can glimpse the beauty, elegance and simplicity of rural American life through the art of Andrew Wyeth. The rarely-seen works in "Andrew Wyeth Drawings and Watercolors: Selections from the Marunuma Art Park Collection, Japan," may allow you to see more clearly into the rural existence of the Christina and Alvaro Olson family of Cushing, Maine, which Wyeth so loved painting. The exhibition is at Gilcrease Museum, 1400 Gilcrease Museum Rd. For more information, call 596-2700.

He's Still in Love... with Tulsa! Please welcome back to the stage Mr. Brian McKnight, singer, songwriter, producer, arranger and instrumentalist extraordinaire! Which of the nine instruments he plays will he bust out on stage? Your guess is as good as ours, but to hear his smooth, luscious sound, you'll have to buy a ticket to his show at the Brady Theater, 105 W. Brady, on Sunday, June 3. No doubt, his soulful style will melt your heart...or your lady friend's! Doors are at 6:30pm, and tickets range $40-60. Get yours at the Box Office, 58-BRADY or bradytheater.com.

All For Love? After the Wedding is a Danish film in which Jacob Petersen has dedicated his life to helping street children in India. When the orphanage he heads is threatened by closure, however, he receives an unusual offer. A Danish businessman, Jørgen, offers him a donation of $4 million dollars. There are, however, certain conditions. Not only must Jacob return to Denmark, he must also take part in the wedding of Jørgen's daughter. The wedding proves to be a critical juncture between past and future and catapults Jacob into the most intense dilemma of his life. Find out more at the Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis, after June 1. Call 592-FILM for showtimes.

Go Asian for the Day! On Sat., June 2, from 11am to 2pm, the entire family is invited to celebrate and learn about the customs and traditions of Asian-Americans with entertaining, educational events for the entire family at the Asian-American Festival. The festival at Martin Library, 2601 S. Garnett, includes martial arts demonstrations, a Bollywood presentation, a Japanese tea ceremony; belly dancing; feng shui and reiki presentations and a performance by the Okii Taiko Japanese Drumming Group with a Kabuki dancer. Children's activities include an Asian treasure hunt, face painting, a presentation on how to draw anime, plus a storytime conducted by volunteers from Konnichiwa and featuring children's dances and songs in Japanese and English. The festival also includes authentic arts, crafts and food booths, plus origami, name translation, and henna painting and sari folding. For more information, call 669-6340.

War, Remastered. Stuart Cooper's 1975 film, Overlord, is set around the D-Day invasion in 1944 known as Operation Overlord. The film follows one particular soldier, who hesitantly joins the war efforts, muses on being a part of the war machine and endures premonitions of his own death. The film combines both new and actual archival footage, lending some authenticity to the story, and it's been completely remastered for this re-release, so the film feels as relevant as it did in its initial release. It will play on Wed., June 6 at Circle Cinema. Call 592-FILM for showtimes.

Heck Yes! Or more appropriately, Hellyeah! This hardcore metal supergroup includes members of Pantera, Mudvayne, Nothingface and Damageplan. Whoa. This is sure to be one of those concerts that will literally rock your sox off, or at least your eardrums. Come find out for yourself on Sat., June 2, at the Cain's Ballroom. Sharing the stage with them that evening will be Chicago hard-rockers, SOiL. The doors are at 7pm, and your advance tickets will run you $27 at all the usual places.

No Longer Norman Bailer. And also no longer with Conor Oberst, but The Faint have certainly made a name for themselves. The indie synth band from Omaha certainly shares some attributes as others outta the same hometown, but they're blazing their own trail and making quite a name for themselves. Now it's Tulsa's turn to witness their live show when they hang out for an evening at the Cain's Ballroom on Sunday, June 3. Also 'hanging out' that night will be the Services and Franco-American duo The Berg Sans Nipple. Doors swing open at 7pm, and advance tickets will run you $18.

It's the Nuge! Or Uncle Ted, Terrible Ted, Theodocious Atrocious, Sweaty Teddy, Deadly Tedly or The Motor City Madman. Anyway you look at it, we're talking about Ted Nugent. And now he's bringing his rowdy, energetic live show to the floor of the Cain's Ballroom. He's sure to play all the hits, but he might surprise you too. (With what, we won't say.) All you need to know is the show will be on Mon., June 4 and that the doors will open at 7pm. Opening for The Nuge will be local teenage metal faves, Crooked X. If you haven't seen these dudes yet, they're awesome! Advance tickets will run you $35.75 at the normal spots.

Monsters of Mayhem. With a tour name like that, we're really in for it, in a good way, of course. The Monsters of Mayhem Tour includes mosh-core band Hatebreed, metal-core band God Forbid, and Simpsons-inspired Evergreen Terrace, along with Terror (from the City of Angels), Prosthetic Records deathcore band The Acacia Strain, Twin City death metal band After the Burial and local boys, Sworn Against. So, it seems that Tues., June 5, ought to be one super-loud night at Cain's Ballroom, 423 N. Main. Doors open at 6pm. It's $22.25 in advance at all the usual places.

Your Dream Job... was to be an astronaut when you were a kid, right? Well, now you can glimpse the magnificence of floating in space with Astronaut, the most recent film to show at Tulsa Air and Space Museum's Bertlesmeyer Planetarium. It argues that the exploration of space is the greatest endeavor humankind has ever undertaken. You will explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, and encounter the perils that await space travelers, as they subject a test astronaut, Chad, to everything space has to throw at him. Discover if you have what it takes to become an astronaut! The planetarium is located at 3624 N. 74th E. Ave. For showtimes, call 834-9900.

On Modernity. The National Contemporary Realism Exhibition, showing through June 16, brings together a group of local, national and international artists whose paintings stem from the European tradition of depicting everyday imagery with astonishing accuracy. Subjects range from the conventional still life to portraiture and landscape. What differentiates contemporary realists from the past are the subjects that are represented, and the way in which these subjects take life on the canvas. See the work of these artists at M.A. Doran Gallery, 3509 S. Peoria, 748-8700.

For the People. The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, 2021 E. 71st, will display a traveling exhibition on the life and artwork of the Polish-born Jewish artist, Arthur Szyk, through June 24. The exhibition includes a selection of both the artist's manuscript illustrations and political art from the 1930s and 1940s created to call attention to Nazi atrocities across Europe, as well as to advocate for social justice and civil liberties in America. The museum is open Mon.-Fri., 10am-5pm and on Sundays from 1-5pm. For more information on the museum or exhibit, call 492-1818.

A Little Piece of Peace. Every 3rd Fri. of the month, Peace House Tulsa, 306 S. Phoenix, will bring you Infusion, an evening of music and poetry that will transport you back into the Jazz Era of Harlem. The show starts at 9pm, and the lineup includes The Mistress of Metaphor: Sharon Smith Knight, Renowned Drummer: Bob "Pacemaker" Newham, and The Ultra Cool Songstress: Miss Stacie Lynn. There will also be a special performance from Wordweaver: Deborah Hunter. $5 gets you into the show. For more info, call 599-8959.

Close Encounters of the Elephant Kind. Newly opened, the Elephant Demonstration Yard at the Tulsa Zoo, 6421 E. 36th St. N., will bring you and your family closer to the elephants than ever before. There will be daily demonstrations at 11am, and the stadium seating will bring you within a few feet of the mighty beasts and their keepers. Come check out Asian Cow elephants Sooky and Gunda as they strut their stuff and roam their newly renovated and expanded habitat. For more info, call 669-6600.

Golf, It's Tulsa's Kind of Sport. The Tulsa Historical Society and the PGA present "A History of the Season's Final Major," which celebrates the history and tradition of the PGA Championship. The collection tracks the Championship from the beginnings of match play to the modern era of stroke play, from Champions like Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen to today's icons such as Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Visitors to the exhibit can see the progression of golf and its technology by viewing mementos from PGA Champions through clothing, equipment, scorecards and other memorabilia. The PGA exhibit will be on display at the Tulsa Historical Society, 2445 S. Peoria, through Aug. 1. Admission is free. To make tour reservations or for more information, call 712-9484.

He is Manuel. He dressed Johnny Cash in black. He created jumpsuits for Elvis. The bands Aerosmith, Lynard Skynard, ZZ Top and the Beatles have all worn his artistry. Presidents and movie stars have proudly donned his couture. He is a designer and an artist. He is Manuel. His current exhibit, "Star Spangled Thank You Tour" is a celebration of his career as a performance costume designer and will also showcase 50 one-of-a-kind jackets that pay tribute to the uniqueness of each of the 50 states. The show will run through July 29 at Gilcrease Museum, 1400 Gilcrease Museum Rd. For more information, call 596-2700 or visit gilcrease.org.

Boomers and Sooners. During the first few years of the twentieth century, a series of events took place that lead Congress to grant single statehood for the Oklahoma and Indian Territories together. The exhibit, "Divided Territory, the Quest for Sequoyah," details the process that led two territories, each desiring to be admitted to the Union as their own separate state, to join together to form the State of Oklahoma. Come see this and other exhibits at the Tulsa Historical Society, 2445 S. Peoria, through July 28. For more info, call 712-9484 or visit tulsahistory.org.

Circa 480 B.C. Witness, for the first time, the Battle of Thermopylae on the massive screens of IMAX for a feel of what it was like to be a Spartan defending your ground against the ferocious Persians. Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel and from the same director of Dawn of the Dead, 300 promises to be a violent, yet powerful, film about defending honor and your homeland, to the bitter end. Showing at Cinemark IMAX, 10802 E. 71st. Call 307-2629 for showtimes.

Celebrate Oklahoma's Rich History! In 1945, Thomas Gilcrease commissioned Vinson Lackey to research, record, and then create works of art representing the early institutions of Indian Territory.

This historic group of Oklahoma's pre-statehood buildings included forts, old Indian capitols, agencies, schools, churches, homes, and industrial structures. Each painting was to be a faithful reproduction of the original structure. The project took Lackey four years to complete.

He traveled to the sites and made sketches of the terrain, took copious notes, and tracked down any available information that might be useful to the project.

Do your civic duty and help the mayor and her cohorts find direction for the museum by letting 'em know you heard about the show in your ever-lovin' UTW. Gilcrease Museum, 1400 Gilcrease Museum Rd., through Sept. 30. For more information, call 596-2700.

America 24/7. In the 1930s & '40s, Oklahoma artists were part of the "American Scene" movement, a reaction in part to abstraction and other modernist movements. These artists documented the America they knew best, whether it was the hills of Oklahoma, the ranch land of West Texas or the shores of New England.

They worked with a single purpose: to capture the myths and truths of an America that was rapidly changing. An exhibit of these works, "The Oklahoma Scene," at Philbrook Museum, runs through Aug. 5. For more information, call 749-7941.

The Longing for Liquid. Oasis in Space is a stunning film voyage that transports the audience through the solar system, galaxy & universe in search of liquid water--a key ingredient for our life on earth.

With a proven, audience-tested story, visually immersive imagery and an original musical score, the film is enjoyable for all ages. You can see Oasis in Space at the Berlesmeyer Planetarium at the Tulsa Air & Space Museum, 3624 N. 74th E. Ave. For showtimes, call 834-9900.