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Top Pick

Big, Bold and Brassy. That's a succinct description of the beloved musical comedy Gypsy. This Broadway classic--created by Arthur Laurents, Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim, and Jerome Robbins--follows the lives of two sisters trying to make a go of it in the glitzy world of showbiz while under the tutelage of their overbearing, overdriven, over-the-top stage mom, Rose. Packed with Broadway standards like "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "Let Me Entertain You," among others, it's no wonder Gypsy is regarded as one of the greatest musicals of the 20th Century. Catch a performance at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 2nd & Cincinnati, Sept. 11-13 at 7:30pm, Sept. 14 at 8pm, Sept. 15 at 2 and 8pm, Sept. 16 at 2 and 7pm.

Spice of Life

Thursday, September 6

Go somewhere new this evening, artistically speaking. Check out "Eight is Enough," the new exhibit sponsored by Alternative Outsider Artists (AOA), an organization dedicated to providing a forum for new, free-thinking, untraditional or "untrained" artists to get exposure in the sometimes "closed-minded" world of art. See what these artists are all about tonight at Liggett Studio, 314 S. Kenosha Ave. Gallery hours: 5-8pm.

Friday, September 7

Avid readers and wannabe writers alike won't miss out on the Tulsa City-County Library's annual fundraiser, "Chapters: A Casual Evening of Books, Bards and Bites," featuring three successful Oklahoma authors, Billie Letts, Sandy Meyers and Laurence Yadon, speaking about their craft and their latest literary efforts while attendees enjoy a fabulous spread of food and wine from local restaurants. It all takes place tonight at the Hardesty Regional Library, 8316 E. 93rd St., 6-9pm.

Saturday, September 8

It's late summer... and that means it's time for Claremore's yearly celebration of head-melting heat and blazing banjos. In other words, it's time for the Bluegrass and Chili Festival, featuring music from a host of ampersand-friendly bands, like Ricky Skaggs & the Kentucky Thunder, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver--along with a chili cook-off sure to set your taste buds aflame... in a very good way. It's all happening at Claremore's Expo Center, 400 Veteran's Parkway. Visit Claremore.org for more info.

Sunday, September 9

So you've been watching those home improvement shows on HGTV all summer long, swearing to yourself that as soon as the weather cools off a little bit you're gonna strap on your tool belt and make some changes, darn it. Well, Bob the Builder, now it's time to put your money where your mouth is. Head over to the Tulsa House Beautiful Show today at the Expo Square, 21st and Yale, and get a head full of ideas and a carload of home improvement goods. Hours are 11am-6pm. Visit www.tulsahomeshow.com for details.

Monday, September 10

Sometimes a glass is just a glass. Sometimes it isn't. "Facets of Perception," the current exhibit at the Alexandre Hogue Gallery, 600 S. College Ave., in Phillips Hall at Tulsa University, explores what happens when 23 diverse artists are given the task of painting a half-full glass of water. The fascinating results range from painstaking realism to abstract deconstruction and all points in between. Gallery hours are 8:30am-4:30pm. Exhibit is free to the public.

Tuesday, September 11

Tulsa artist Crystal Cardenas wants to take you on a journey to Italy...but you might not even realize you're there. Her new exhibit, "Many Voyages: Paintings by Crystal Cardenas," at the Tulsa Artists' Coalition, 9 E. Brady, explores the romance of Italy through color and emotion... subliminally representing the architecture and landscapes of the country. Gallery hours are 11am-2pm.

Wednesday, September 12

Comedian Spanky Brown is big. 300 pounds big, to be exact. And so is his comedy. From military experiences to parenthood, this Georgia funnyman has seen and done a lot... and it all comes out in his raucous stand-up routine. Maybe you've seen him on BET's Comic View or heard him on Sirrius Satellite Radio and XM...now's your chance to catch Brown live in concert at The Loony Bin Comedy Club, 6808 S. Memorial Dr. Show starts at 8pm.

Thursday, September 13

Colder weather is approaching...you'd better enjoy the final few weeks of summer while you can. What better way to do that than heading down to the Reynolds Amphitheatre, River West Festival Park, 2105 S. Jackson, for the Rock the River Concert tonight, featuring Sam and the Stylees, Ghost, Travis Kidd and Citizen Mundi performing under the stars. Concert runs from 6-11pm. Tulsa Young Professionals will be at this free event with information on river development and voter registrations, along with complimentary food from QT kitchens.

(HEADLINE) Gypsies, Pagans and Indigo Girls

The Great American Musical. The legendary Broadway musical Gypsy, comes to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 2nd and Cincinnati, Chapman Music Hall, Sept. 11-16. This musical legend packs a wallop. Theatre giants Arthur Laurents, Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim, and Jerome Robbins combine forces to trace the glitzy showbiz rise of two daughters, fueled by an overbearing, ambitious stage mother, Rose, as her larger-than-life dreams turn them into stars. Gypsy reaffirms America's love of good old-fashioned entertainment with songs like "Let Me Entertain You," "Some People," "You Gotta Have A Gimmick," and "Everything's Coming Up Roses." Sunday matinee, weekend and weekday showtimes vary. Call 596-7111 to order tickets, or go to celebrityattractions.com.

Sittin' Pretty. At the Tulsa House Beautiful Show, all your home and garden improvement needs and wants are under one roof at the Expo Square, 21st and Yale, Sept. 7-9. Andrew Dan Jumbo from the TV show While You Were Out offers stories and tips on home improvement and one-of-a-kind doghouses for silent auction. In addition, the Humane Society will be there with a new dog for your new doghouse. Go Green presents ideas to reduce energy consumption, and Before and After designers transform "blah" rooms into "wow" rooms. Hours are Fri. 2-9pm, Sat. 10am-9pm and Sunday 11am-6pm. Tickets are $7 at Reasor's customer service. Go to tulsahomeshow.com for more info.

Voyage to Italy. The Tulsa Artists' Coalition opens the fall art season with "Many Voyages: Paintings by Crystal Cardenas," Sept. 7-29. Opening reception is 6-9pm on Fri. at the Tulsa Artists' Coalition Gallery, 9 E. Brady. Cardenas has created a personal romantic survey of Italian cities, where landscape and color represent deep emotions. She says, "These paintings exude dark and somber colors, or are luminous with golden lights of early mornings or late evenings. These illuminations mirror and infuse the golden lights that are within Italy. Viewers are drawn to these lights, colors and forms, perhaps unaware of subliminal representation of the Italian architecture, sunlit valleys and passionate ambiences." Cardenas grew up in Tulsa, received her BFA in studio painting at the University of Louisiana in Monroe, LA, and attended graduate school at The University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS, where her main focus was in painting. Cardenas is currently living in Tulsa and shows her artwork at the Pearl Gallery. Gallery hours are Tues.-Fri., 11am-2pm, and Thurs., Fri. and Sat. from 6-9pm. Call 592-0041 or go to tacgallery.org. This event is free and open to the public.

Hanging Out With Authors. Spend an evening after hours in the library with three of Oklahoma's favorite authors while helping raise money and awareness for Tulsa City-County Library's Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy Service. Tulsa City-County Library invites you to "Chapters: A Casual Evening of Books, Bards and Bites" on Fri., Sept. 7 from 6-9pm at the Hardesty Regional Library, 8316 E. 93rd St. Cost is $35 per person. Attendees will enjoy food and wine from some of the area's favorite restaurants while listening to authors Billie Letts, Sandy Meyers and Laurence Yadon. Letts, an internationally recognized, award-winning author, is a true Oklahoma original. This Tulsa native is the author of four screenplays and numerous short stories. She is best known for her internationally acclaimed novels: Where the Heart Is, The Honk and Holler Opening Soon and Shoot the Moon. She has a new book due out this fall.

Meyers, who grew up in Enid, OK, and now resides in Oklahoma City, is co-author of Art Treasures of the Oklahoma State Capitol. An official Oklahoma Centennial Project, this book will delight you with the stories behind the sculptures, murals, portraits and paintings that bring vibrancy to the Oklahoma Capitol.

Yadon, a Tulsa attorney, judge and lifelong student of American history, makes good use of his special interest in the Southwest with the fascinating account of some of our state's most colorful citizens in 100 Oklahoma Outlaws, Gangsters, and Lawmen 1839-1939. This book includes difficult-to-find information about significant Oklahoma outlaws who lived and worked during the 100-year period from "horseback to Cadillac." Food and beverages are provided by Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Wild Oats, Panera Bread, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, and A Bar & Kitchen. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 596-7898.

Pagans Unite. The Equality Center, 621 E. 4th St., is showcasing the works of several artists in September who exhibit themes of "Pagan Pride: Goddess, Nature and Earth Centered Media." A new artist is featured every Wednesday of the month. Catered "Meet the Artist" receptions are from 6-9pm every Wednesday starting Sept. 5. The exhibit is open Mon.-Sat., 3-9pm. Call 743-4297 or go to tohr.org for more info.

Is Eight Really Enough? Perhaps you'll know after viewing the new work of eight Alternative Outsider Artists, (AOA). The exhibit, "Eight is Enough," is showing at Liggett Studio, 314 S. Kenosha Ave., with an opening reception on Thurs., Sept. 6, from 5-9pm and an artist reception on Fri., Sept. 7, 6-9pm. AOA was founded to allow artists, who have not shown or rarely exhibited, a chance to enter the art community, which appeared relatively tight and closed to unknown free-thinking artists. Outsider artists produce from their own sense of reality. AOA's position is not to define any field of art, since art itself should be about freedom of aesthetics and opinions for the artist and those who admire it. Currently nine artists contribute to the exhibits. "Eight is Enough" continues through Sept. 27. Gallery hours are Thurs. 5-8pm and Sat. 1-4pm. Call 694-5719 or visit www.liggettstudio.com.

Science and Art. Oklahoma City Artist Sarah Williams-Hearn, a rising "art star" in Oklahoma, according to Living Arts Artistic Director Steve Liggett, says the ideas for the works in her new exhibit, "Connecting Constellations of an Intangible Universe," are "driven by a multitude of scientific theories." For example, the image titled Resonant Frequencies of a Parallel Universe is drawn on an old player piano reel. Not only does this paper represent a mechanical code that is now obsolete, but it also represents the relationship of music, a piano's resonant frequency of a vibrating string to the tiny one-dimensional loop of oscillating filament that makes up a "string" in string theory. If string theory is true, this paradigm shift opens the door to unbelievable possibilities in human understanding. The subject matter in this exhibition explores the relationships of such possibilities. The exhibit features photographs as well as sculptural pieces and a site-specific installation. Meet Hearn at the opening reception on Thurs., Sept. 6, at The Living Arts Space, 308 S. Kenosha. Exhibit runs until Sept. 27. Gallery hours are 1-4pm on Sat. and 5-8 on Thurs., or by appointment, 585-1234. More at Livingarts.org.

Smokin' BlueGrass and Spicy Salsa. What do you get when you combine the likes of Ricky Skaggs & the Kentucky Thunder, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, with tomatoes and chilies? You get Claremore's Bluegrass and Chili Festival. The festivities begin on Fri., Sept. 7, 4-11pm, with music and an arts, crafts and quilt show. Sat., Sept. 8, 11am-11pm, brings the chili cook-off and tasting, open car show, and more Bluegrass. It all takes place on the grounds of Claremore's Expo Center, 400 Veteran's Parkway. Parking is $5, and you should bring a lawn chair. Call 341-2818 or go to Claremore.org for more info.

Making Waves. Tulsa's Young Professionals want you to show your support for river development by attending the Rock the River Concert, featuring Sam and the Stylees, Ghosts, Travis Kidd and Citizen Mundi, at the Reynolds Amphitheatre, River West Festival Park, 2105 S. Jackson, on Thurs., Sept. 13 from 6-11pm. TYPros members will be at this free event with river development information, voter registration cards and complimentary food from QT kitchens plus Rooster Boosters. Budweiser will be there, too. For more information about TYPros go to www.typros.org, or call 560-0286. For more on river development visit www.ourriveryes.com.

Acoustic Duo. Amy Ray and Emily Sailers, better known as The Indigo Girls, have 20 years of musicianship together... but they refuse to get old and in the way. Their new CD, Despite our Differences, is fueled by their passion for the environment and social justice. "Pendulum Swinger," one of their new songs, describes the power behind social change swinging from one institution to another, the lyrics peppered with southern colloquialisms. These girls from Georgia are sure to comfort your aching spirit or incite it to action. Catch them in concert at Cain's Ballroom, 423 N. Main, on Thurs., Sept. 13. Doors open at 7pm, with opening southern rock band, Three5Human, $29 adv. and $31 day of the show. For tickets call 866-443-8849 or go to Cain's Box Office.

Soul Humor. Georgia comedian Spanky Brown brings 300 pounds of giggles to you from way down south, Sept. 12-16 at The Loony Bin Comedy Club, 6808 S. Memorial Dr. This big 'ol boy has been everywhere and done everything--from serving time in the military to being a father. Brown's appeared on BET's Comic View and is currently on Sirrius Satellite Radio and XM. Suzanna Lee opens the show. Call 459-1017 to make reservations. Showtimes are Wed. and Thurs. at 8pm, $6; Fri.-Sat. at 8pm and 10:30pm, $10; Sunday at 9pm, $6.

SELFish. The pieces in Stephanie Jones' new exhibit at SELF Gallery, 2012 E. 11th St., reveal her appreciation for Picasso... as well as her startling originality. By choosing seemingly simple subject matter, such as a young girl's face or a friend's profile, Stephanie provides a full dose of her incredible imagination and talent to any portrait. Radical use of color and line elements makes Stephanie a Tulsa artist to watch. Her works will be available for viewing Sept. 7. Opening reception will run from 7-10pm. Also view by appointment by calling Vanessa at 231-8669. SELF Gallery is an alternative place for Tulsa artists of all media to show their work and is a place to foster and encourage creativity. For more information email selfgallery@hotmail.com or call Colleen McCarty at 902-7798.

HOPEful. H.O.P.E. hosts the 6th Annual DIVAS Show, Sept. 8 at 2pm and 8pm in the Liddy Doenges Theatre of the Tulsa PAC, 110 E. 2nd St. Proceeds from this event will help support H.O.P.E. programs to increase education about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases throughout northeastern Oklahoma. Headlining the concert this year will be local celebrity artists Rebecca Ungerman, John Sawyer, Charlie Redd, Heather Richetto-Rumley and Christy Hanewinkel, as well as Pam Van Dyke, Annie Ellicott, Cindy Cain and others. In addition to the musical entertainment, guests are invited to attend a reception with the artists and participate in both a silent and live auction. Tickets are $20 and $40, $125 for table seating. Tables for 10 are $1000. For information, call 596-7122 or go to tulsapac.org.

An Orchestral Evening. The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra's opening concert of the season is Sept. 8 at 7:30pm, called "An American Evening," conducted by Gerhardt Zimmermann. The concert features music of Corigliano ("Promenade Overture" and "To Music") Copland ("Appalachian Spring") and Dvorak (Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"). Gerhardt Zimmermann conducts TSO in the Chapman Music Hall of the Tulsa PAC, 110 E. 2nd St. Tickets are $5-$60. To get them, go to myticketoffice.com or the PAC's ticket office. If you are interested in purchasing a subscription for a discounted price, please call 584-3645.

Express Yourself. Native Tulsan Steve Tomlin has showcased his art in venues throughout the city and beyond for over 32 years, and his newest exhibit is "Abstract Expressions," at the PAC Gallery inside the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The exhibit showcases his newest contemporary and abstract work, Sept. 7-24. Gallery hours are Mon-Fri., 10am-5:30pm and during Chapman Music Hall events.

Fall Into Color. Color Connection Gallery, 2050 Utica Square, launches the fall art season with a special exhibit, "Viewpoints," which will run through September. The gallery exhibits original work by regional artists including paintings, jewelry, pottery, sculpture, baskets, glass, and other unique three dimensional art work. New works will be on display by Anke Dodson, Margaret Enright, Joey Frisillo, Jeannie Graham, Linda McIntyre, Barbara O'Neil, Carla Perry, Robert Reed, Diane Salamon, Joanna Duck Tuers and Shirley Ward. Gallery hours are Tues.-Sat. 10am-5:30pm. Call 742-0515 for more information.

Half Empty or Half Full? "Facets of Perception" represents an unusual collaboration among artists who have individually agreed to arrange and paint objects of still life that include one identical element--a small glass tumbler. The exhibition is organized by a New York-based association of still life painters called Zeuxis and presented by The University of Tulsa's School of Art and the Alexandre Hogue Gallery, 600 S. College Ave. in the Phillips Hall. Painters as diverse as Chardin, Manet, and Matisse demonstrated how the simple motif of the half-filled glass could capture complete, complex worlds of light; though small, its reflective surfaces, crystalline highlights, and distorting refractions would seem to contain the entire light and atmosphere of a complicated still life.

The exhibition includes paintings by the 23 members of Zeuxis and their invited guests. Their paintings vary from the highly naturalistic to the semi-abstract, from the expressionistic to the firmly controlled. The inclusion of the one identical object highlights their very different approaches and demonstrates the wide possibilities of still life painting today. The exhibition is accompanied by a full-color 36-page catalogue with an essay by Martica Sawin and will be on display through Sept. 28. Gallery hours are Mon.--Fri., 8:30am-4:30pm. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Call 631-2202 for more information.

American History Up Close. "1776 - 1876: A Century of American History in Art" opened Fri., Aug. 24 at the Gilcrease Museum, 1400 Gilcrease Museum Rd., and will be on display through Dec. The exhibit has original commemorative portraits of the people involved in the revolution, expansion, and southern secession, as well as painted historical scenes of the defining moments in American history. John Vanderlyn's Neoclassical painting of Washington and Lafayette and the Battle of Brandywine has returned to the museum after being on display at the new museum on George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate.

The exhibition also includes several rare documents from one of the premier archival collections in the United States. Among the documents included in the exhibition is the only known certified copy of the Declaration of Independence, Washington's Address to the Delaware Nation, Andrew Jackson's correspondence to his wife Rachel, a rare broadside of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Lincoln, and a letter from George Custer discussing field operations only months before the events on the Little Big Horn River in 1876. Call, 596-1400 or visit gilcrease.org for more info.

Tulsarama Relived. Through March 31, 2008, "Flashback '57: Tulsarama & The Buried Belvedere" allows patrons to see the items in the time-capsule plus other artifacts and images from 1957. Tulsa's History Museum is located at the Tulsa Historical Society, 2445 S. Peoria. Hours are 10am-4pm, Tues.--Sat. For more details, call 712-9484 or go to HYPERLINK "http://www.tulsahistory.org/"; \o "http://www.tulsahistory.org/"; tulsahistory.org.

See the Genesis of Tulsa. A selection of photographs from the Beryl Ford Collection featuring Tulsa's schools is on display through Nov. 1 at Tulsa's History Museum in the Tulsa Historical Society, 2445 S. Peoria. Thousands of vintage photographs collected by Tulsa historian Beryl Ford have been scanned since the collection was acquired last year by the Rotary Club of Tulsa. Museum hours are 10am-4pm, Tues.-Sat. Call 712-9484 or go to tulsahistory.org for more information.

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.

Icon of the Great American West. Through Sep. 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.

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.

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THE BIG RED LINE

ANYTHING ABOVE THIS IS CURRENT FOR THE WEEK IN PRODUCTION.

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

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