Balloons Over Green Country

Thursday, August 2

For an out-of-this-world photography experience, check out "Sam Joyner--Black & White Photographs from Bali, Thailand, and the U.S." the latest exhibit at M.A. Doran Gallery, 3509 S. Peoria Ave. Joyner, an multiple award-winning former student of the Ansel Adams photography Workshop and the Maine Photographic Workshop, imbues his nature photography with his own unique sense of ethereal beauty. He also happens to be a United States Magistrate Judge in Tulsa... so you'd better like his work. Gallery hours are 10:30am-6pm.

Friday, August 3

Head out to Will Rogers Downs, Claremore, for the ever-popular Gatesway Balloon Festival tonight. Besides the dozens of huge, multicolored hot-air balloons that will converge on the festival grounds en masse, there will be non-stop live music from the likes of G-Note, Feminine Persuasion, Jana Jae and more. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.gatesway.org/balloon_festival, or call 258-3900. Tickets are $5.

Saturday, August 4

Get a blast of real life cinema tonight at the Tulsa United Film Festival (TUFF). "Uncut, unedited and unbiased," that's the credo of the TUFF folks, including the Tulsa premiere of Strictly Background, the critically touted documentary about hardworking movie extras/dreamers trying to get ahead in Hollywood; and Strong Enough to Break, local filmmaker Ash Greyson's highly lauded documentary about Tulsa pop-rockers Hanson. Visit www.circlecinema.com for showtimes.

Sunday, August 5

Manhattan Transfer are musical legends. This Grammy-award winning jazz vocal quartet has been wowing audiences for decades with their stellar harmonies and masterful arrangements of not only jazz and big band standards, but equally impressive original songs and forays into folk and pop inspired works. Don't miss them in concert tonight at the Mabee Center, 81st & Lewis. Music begins at 7:30pm.

Monday, August 6

In the mood tonight for some comedy that's just a little off-kilter? Catch a screening of Eagle Vs. Shark, at the Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis. The premise: Lily, a waitress, and Jarrod, a video game clerk, are lonely social misfits. They meet at a "dress as your favorite animal" party and hit it off...but for how long? See what happens in this 2007 Sundance Film Festival fave. Call 585-FILM for showtimes.

Tuesday, August 7

Gainesville, FL-based punk rock combo Against Me! likes to bend genres just a bit. This hard-to-classify band fuses folksy and even new wave angles into their aggressive punk for a sound that's all their own. They'll take the stage at Cain's Ballroom, 423 N. Main, tonight along with openers Two Gallants and Gaslight Anthem. Doors open at 7pm.

Wednesday, August 8

Top 40 faves Counting Crows are out touring the nation's baseball stadiums this summer. Their "Rock N' Roll Triple Play Ballpark Tour" rolls into Drillers Satdium tonight, 15th & Yale, along with opening acts Third Eye Blind and Collective Soul. Show kicks off at 6:30pm. For ticket information, visit countingcrows.com.

Thursday, August 9

Get in on the Oklahoma Centennial fun tonight at Harweldon Mansion, 2210 S. Main, when the 2007 Harwelden Murder Mystery Players present "The Wrath of Grapes." This interactive theatre experience includes a full meal, complete with dessert, beer, and wine, and an original mystery penned by James D. Watts. The audience gets to play detective and help solve the crime in this classic whodunit style mystery. Period dress is recommended. Reservations may be made by calling 584-3333, ext. 32.

(HEADLINE) All Over the Map

Oh, the Isolation of Humanity. Tulsa Artists' Coalition, 9 E. Brady, presents "Intimate Spaces: Paintings by Nathan Opp" Aug. 3-25. Opp says the exhibit explores tension and isolation between people and uses domestic scenes and emotionally isolated figures as metaphors. For the past eight years, Opp has been teaching studio art and art history courses at Oral Roberts University. The exhibit is free and open to the public, and an artist's reception will be held Fri., Aug. 3, from 6pm-9pm. Galley hours are Tues.-Fri, 11am-2pm, and Thurs., Fri. and Sat., 6pm-9pm. For more info contact the gallery at 592-0041 or tacgallery.org

Ain't No Business. The new documentary Show Business: The Road to Broadway follows four Broadway musicals--Caroline, or Change, Taboo, Avenue Q, and Wicked--from rehearsals through the 2004 Tony Awards. On top of the usual challenges associated with staging a Broadway production (fundraising, rewrites, auditions, marketing), they all had to endure scrutiny by a Greek chorus of theater critics and gossip columnists. See it Thurs., Aug. 2 at the Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis. For showtimes and info call 585-FILM or visit www.circlecinema.com.

Cinema Tough. The festival formerly known as Tulsa Uncensored, now dubbed Tulsa United Film Festival (TUFF), promotes un-cut, un-edited and un-biased short films from all over the country. TUFF does not censor anything or screen only films that fit into a certain criteria. Rather, the festival attempts to screen as many diverse films as possible. This weekend, TUFF will present the Tulsa premiere of Strictly Background, the award-winning documentary about real life movie extras trying to make it big in Hollywood. This heartfelt and compelling feature length film will take place on opening night and will kick things off in style. Plus, TUFF has another Tulsa premiere lined up: the critically acclaimed documentary Strong Enough to Break, which will screen closing night. Catch all the action Aug. 3-4 at Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis.

Odd Couple. Eagle Vs. Shark, a romantic comedy from New Zealand, is the story of Lily and Jarrod, two lonely misfits. She is a fast food waitress and he is a video game clerk who connect at a "dress as your favorite animal" party. She's come as an anemic shark and he as a fluffy headed eagle. The match seems to have been made in outcast heaven, at least at first. A favorite at this year's Sundance Film Festival, the film opens Aug. 3 at the Circle Cinema. Call 585-FILM for showtimes.

Match Not Made in Heaven. In 1959, when she was 22, Linda Riss opened the door of her Bronx apartment to a thug who claimed to have an engagement present for her and instead threw liquid lye in her face. Screaming tabloid headlines ensued, along with a sensational trial, a suicide attempt, an insanity diagnosis and finally the conviction of a jilted boyfriend, Burton Pugach, a Bronx lawyer turned Bellevue-certified nut job, who after the assault, promised to buy Riss a guide dog for Christmas. Fifteen years later they were married. Crazy love? Try demented. Catch a screening of Crazy Love at the Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis, Aug. 7, 9 and 12. Call 585-FILM for showtimes.

Coping with Difficult Communication. "Fluency vs. Skills: Installations, Photography and Performances" by Mark Wittig of Tulsa, opens Thurs., Aug. 2 and continues through Aug. 23. Using photography, installation, and performance art, Wittig strives to create artwork that discusses the physical, emotional, and intellectual aspects of the learning-disabled experience within education and cultural systems based on alphanumeric communication. In particular, he is interested in exploring the strained relationships these individuals have with written text. "I have skills. I have fluency. I have mastery. I will continue to learn through the physical methods which are natural to me and I will define (and refine) the definitive terms of my abilities, and accomplishments on my own through my art," says Wittig. Gallery hours are Thurs. 5-8pm and Sat. 1-4pm, or call 585-1234 for an appointment.

Crows Over Drillers Stadium. Counting Crows will hit the road this summer on the "Rock N' Roll Triple Play Ballpark Tour." On Aug. 8, the Counting Crows will be performing at Tulsa's Driller Stadium, with Third Eye Blind and Collective Soul. The band's most recent successes include a hit with the song "Accidentally In Love," the opening theme for the movie Shrek 2 which, aside from selling over a million records, garnered nominations in 2005 for a Grammy Award, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. Counting Crows has sold over 20 million records worldwide.

Tickets are $57.75 total, that's including the fees. Kids are free with an adult, show starts at 6:30pm on Wed., Aug. 8. For ticket info visit countingcrows.com.

Green Thumbs. Using hilarious and disturbing archival footage and featuring interviews with farmers, scientists, government officials and activists, the documentary FED UP! explores the unintentional effects of pesticides, the resistance of biotechnology companies to food labeling and the links between government officials and major biotechnology and chemical companies. FED UP! also introduces us to local Bay Area organic farmers from Purisima Greens Farm and Live Power Community Farm, presenting community supported agriculture and small scale organic farming as real alternatives to agribusiness and industrial food. Opens Aug. 7 at the Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis. Call 585-FILM for showtimes.

Up, Up and Away. This year's Gatesway Balloon Festival, Aug. 3--5, will feature hot air balloons, a car and bike show, talent competitions, and live music from G-Note, Feminine Persuasion, Jana Jae (the "First Lady of Fiddle") & Hotwire, plus more! The festival will take place at the Cherokee Casino, Will Rogers Downs, Claremore. Pre-purchase your Balloonfest tickets at Cherokee Casino for only $5.00

Gatesway is a non-profit Oklahoma agency that provides opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. Services are provided throughout Northeastern and Central Oklahoma. Gatesway's goal is to assure all people acquire the living skills, vocational skills, and social skills necessary to help them become a vital part of their community. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.gatesway.org/balloon_festival, or call 258-3900.

Ethereal. Head over to M.A. Doran Gallery, 3509 S. Peoria Ave., for its latest exhibit, "Sam Joyner: Black & White Photographs from Bali, Thailand, and the U.S." For the past 20 years, photographer Sam Joyner has studied with master photographers Bruce Barnbaum, John Sexton, Ruth Bernhard, and many more at 14 photography venues including the Ansel Adams photography Workshop, Yosimite, California; the Maine Photographic Workshop, Rockport, Maine; and the Oklahoma Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain. His work clearly reflects an Ansel Adams influence combined with his own unique twist of otherworldliness. Joyner's work has been juried into numerous exhibits, receiving various awards including Best of Show at the 1995 Lawton Arts for All Festival and juror's awards in the 1998 and 1999 Tulsa Mayfest.

Exhibit runs Aug. 2--Sept. 1. Gallery hours are Tues.-Sat. 10:30am-6pm. There will be an artist reception on Thurs., Aug. 2 from 5-8pm.

Fore! The PGA Championship and its historic Wanamaker Trophy return to Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa for the 89th PGA Championship, Aug. 6-12.

Highlighting the field at the 89th PGA Championship, the last leg of golf's Grand Slam, will be two-time PGA Champion Tiger Woods, 2005 PGA Champion Phil Mickelson, and Retief Goosen, winner of the last major staged at Southern Hills, the 2001 U.S. Open. The 89th PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club will mark the fifth time in 37 years that the event has been played in Oklahoma. It was last conducted at Southern Hills in 1994, where Nick Price captured his second PGA championship in three years.

Tickets for the 89th PGA Championship will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis to a limited number of spectators. For ticket information, call 1-800-PGA-GOLF, or access the tournament website at www.PGA2007.com. For more information on the event, including remaining on-site hospitality packages, contact the local 89th PGA Championship office at 742-2007.

Primo Jazz. Legendary singing group and Grammy winners for best jazz vocal performance, Manhattan Transfer, will fill the Mabee Center with song on Sunday, Aug. 5 at 7:30pm. Members Tim Hauser, Janis Segal, Alan Paul and Cheryl Bentyne are world renowned for their flawless harmonies and wide palette of musical styles ranging from jazz to folk to swing to pop and big band standards.

To order tickets by phone or for more information, call 495-6000. Mabee Center ticket office summer hours are Mon.-Fri., 9am-5pm.

Cain's Gets Heavy. Fans of loud music will have two opportunities to get blown away this week at Cain's Ballroom, 423 N. Main. On Fri., Aug. 3, Failsafe, Tulsa's very own heavy metal-thrash faves, will take the stage along with Alien8, Fighting Tomorrow and First Lady Assassins. Doors open at 7pm. Then, a few days later on Tues., Aug. 7, Gainesville, FL-based punkers Against Me! will stop in to crank it up to 11 once again. Opening acts include Two Gallants and Gaslight Anthem. Doors open at 7pm.

Students on Display. The University of Tulsa School of Art presents "The Best of Gussman," showcasing the best of the best student artists. The Annual Gussman Student Art Exhibition features ceramics, painting, sculpture, graphic design, prints and photographs. See it all Aug. 2-30 in the gallery of the Tulsa PAC, Mon.-Fri., 10am-5:30pm.

She Wants to Be Near You... At least for an evening. Ann Archer's cabaret/variety show, Nearness of You, will feature gospel, big band, blues and jazz music. Catch her performance on Fri., Aug. 3, in the Norman Theatre of the Tulsa PAC, 2nd & Cincinnati. Tickets are $20, $25 for table seating, and may be purchased at the Box Office, myticketoffice.com or 596-7111.

Who's Ugly Now? Hans Christian Andersen's timeless tale of "The Ugly Duckling" has been marvelously retold in the musical comedy Honk Jr., which will run in the Doenges Theatre of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 2nd & Cincinnati, Aug. 3-5 and 9-11. Showtimes are 8pm, with a 2pm matinee on the 5th. General admission tickets are $10.

Feeling Horny? Then come check out the Uptown Horns. This seven-piece jazz combo will play original and traditional jazz and blues in a lively show for all ages. The band features a three-piece horn section and a dynamic rhythm section. Four of the instrumentalists are also vocalists. The shows will start at 6 & 8pm on Sat., Aug. 4 in the Norman Theatre of the Tulsa PAC. Tickets range from $10-20.

Jazz Classics. Tulsa's "First Lady of Jazz" Pam Van Dyke will spotlight the songs of several popular jazz and big band vocalists, including Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, June Christy, Julie London, Carmen McRae, Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald and Diana Krall during her Sunday, Aug. 5 performance in the Norman Theatre of the Tulsa PAC. The show kicks off at 5pm, and tickets are $15-20.

Whodunit? The 2007 Harwelden Murder Mystery tips its hat to Oklahoma's Centennial celebration when it presents "The Wrath of Grapes," Aug. 2-4 and 9-11 at the historic Harwelden Mansion, 2210 S. Main. It will be an evening of interactive sleuthing, with guests served a full meal complete with dessert, beer, and wine, viewing an original mystery play written by James D. Watts and presented by the enthusiastic Harwelden Mystery Players, and having the chance to play detective and figure out whodunit. This year, guests are encouraged to dress the part in 1930s summer party attire. Tickets for the evening are $45 per person. Reservations may be made by calling 584-3333, ext. 32.

Play Ball. The Tulsa Drillers finish their stand against the Wichita Wranglers this Thursday, August 2 and then take on the Springfield Cardinals Aug. 3-6. Thursday is Thirsty Thursday as always and is also Oktoberfest Night (sponsored by UTW). Put on your Alpine hat and do the Chicken Dance. The first 1,500 fans through the gates on Friday night will receive a Kenny Rogers bobblehead and on Saturday, fans will enjoy a spectacular fireworks display and walk out of the park with a free loaf of Sara Lee bread. On Sunday, American Idol contestant Mandisa will perform after the game and, again, fans get a loaf of bread. Tuesday night is ladies' night, so while the guys are watching the game, the gals will be treated to free nail care, massages and other luxury services. Who said baseball was a guy's sport? Games start at 7pm, except for Sunday's, which begins at 4pm. Go to www.tulsadrillers.com for more info.

It's Hot, Hot, Hot. Outside anyhow. Inside the Pearl Gallery, 1201 E. 3rd St., the air will be cool, but the art will be sizzling during "Long Hot Summer." Come see a collection of nudes and summer themed art on Thurs., July 26. The opening reception will be from 5-9pm and is open and free to the public. The show will continue to run through August 17, Wed.-Fri. from 1-6pm, with extended hours on Thurs. until 8pm, or any time the light are on. For more info, call 588-1500.

Calling All Muggles! It's time to catch the fifth film installment of the Harry Potter mania. Even if you already saw it opening night, now you can see it on IMAX. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, young Potter is about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. He's desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down. Cinemark IMAX is located at 10802 E. 71st. For showtimes, call 307-2629.

She's "Crazy." Always...Patsy Cline tells the true story of Louise Seeger, a devoted fan who meets the legendary country music star by chance at a Houston honky-tonk in 1961. Thus begins an unlikely friendship that continues through letters and phone calls. The show is now back in Tulsa, featuring 17 of Cline's hits, including "Crazy," "Sweet Dreams" and "Walkin' After Midnight," with Janet Rutland reprising her role as Patsy Cline. The show will run Aug. 2-4 in the Williams Theatre of the Tulsa PAC. Tickets are $20-24 in the normal places.

Views Of an Ancient Land. Through Aug. 19, you can view "Celestial Nights" at the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, 2021 E. 71st. The exhibit will feature black and white photography by Neil Folberg of the night skies over Israel. Folberg's photographs describe places where the spiritual is at once near, imprinted in the forms of the arid landscapes, and far away in the dark, starlit recesses of space. The museum is open Mon.-Fri., 10am-5pm, and on Sundays from 1-5pm. For details, call 492-1818.

Icon of the Great American West. Through Sept. 30, you can witness Space Silent Spirit: Maynard Dixon's West. Dixon's style moved from defined realism toward modernism, abstraction, and cubism--though he spurned such titles. He simply sought the poetic beauty of the West and in the process created some of the most iconic images of the American West of the early 20th century. See them for yourself at Gilcrease Museum, 1400 Gilcrease Museum Rd. For more information, call 596-2700.

For Your Viewing Pleasure. Thru Aug. 26, you can take another peek at the personal collection of the late Hungarian-born Jewish artist, Theodore Fried, a selection of paintings of animals and still lifes. Fried was a rising star in post-WWI Paris, exhibiting alongside Picasso, Kandinsky, Munch, and Nolde in a circle of young expatriate painters before fleeing the German occupation of Paris in 1940. This unique and thankfully recovered collection will show at The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, 2021 E. 71st. For details, call 492-1818 or visit jewishmuseum.net.

Art, Unleashed. Acclaimed by the critic Théophil Gautier as the "Michelangelo of the Menagerie," Antoine-Louis Barye (1795-1875) was called one of the greatest French sculptors of the nineteenth century. Rodin acknowledged him as his teacher and his work was an important inspiration to Henri Matisse. This exhibition, "Untamed: The Art of Antoine-Louis Bayre," features more than 130 highlights from the Walters Art Museum's renowned collection of his sculptures. It runs through September 2 at the Philbrook Museum, 2727 S. Rockford Rd., 749-7941.

Search For Our Okie Identity. Through Sep. 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.

The Joys of the Simple Life. Through 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.

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.

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 through Sept. 30.

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 BIG RED LINE

ANYTHING ABOVE THIS IS CURRENT FOR THE WEEK IN PRODUCTION.

..............................................................................................................................................................................

THE ABOVE LISTINGS ARE FOR WEEK OF 27 July -- 3 August, 2006

..............................................................................................................................................................................