Weekend preview: Called by the Muses

Thalia (comedy)

Powhaus Karaoke at the Rialto Friday

Riding on the heels of the monthly dance events at the Rialto Theatre, the Powhaus crew presents the first "Okie Dokie Karaoke" night this Friday. The event is scheduled to include a panel of judges — think Charles Nelson Riley and not Simon Cowell — and plenty of dance breaks. The winners will have their own 15 minutes of fame in a Powhaus-produced video.

Host Kitty Katt reminds the audience to bring their best show-stopping look and moves. While the first event may have a modest selection of available songs, Kitty Katt is building an immense collection for the future. He adds, "Don't think this is the same old American Idol, Whitney Houston/ Clay Aiken bulls%$t. You might be surprised who rises to the top."

Friday will also mark the beginning of a week-long Powhaus art installation to promote April 24th's tribute to performance artist Leigh Bowery. Each member of the troupe will take a shift living in the window west of the Rialto Theatre for 24 hours, only taking breaks for the bathroom. Desert Diamond Dallas takes the first shift at 2 a.m. Saturday, and Nadine Roselle takes over at 2 a.m. Sunday.

Powhaus "Okie Dokie Karaoke" Friday 9 p.m. at the Rialto 318 E. Congress. 740-1000.

Melpomene (tragedy)

'White People' at Live Theatre Workshop

Toni Press-Coffman directs J.T. Rogers' "White People," as part of ETCETERA, Live Theatre Workshop's late-night series, starting this weekend.

"White People" is the story of three ordinary white Americans: Martin (Glen Coffman), a wealthy attorney for a St. Louis firm, Mara Lynn (Amanda Gremel), a housewife and former homecoming queen and young professor Alan (Cliff Madison).

Each of these three through confessional monologues must come to terms with his or her actions, and must deal with the impact of racial issues on themselves and their families, and must confront their own culpability and shame. "White People" is an alternately darkly humorous and starkly honest portrayal of race and language in America.

"White People" at Live Theatre Workshop, Fri-Sat. 10:30 p.m. through May 1. 5317 E. Speedway, 327-4242.

Calliope (epic poetry)

NEW ARTiculations at Zuzi! Theatre

NEW ARTiculations Dance Theatre presents "Adaptations," a performance about coping, making do, and reinventing in times of change.

According to their press release, the performance includes "Dancing on bicycles! Live Afro-Brazilian beats! Falling, running, spinning, laughing! A modern dance performance exploring various ways we adapt to new times, change, and challenging circumstances."

The evening features new and adapted works by NEW ARTiculations' Renee Blakeley, Kimi Eisele, LisaMarie McFarlane, Tammy Rosen and Katie Rutterer.

Also featured will be the works of guest choreographers Amanda Hamp of Luther College and Yarrow King, Dance Director of Tucson's Afro-Brazilian drumming ensemble, Batucaxe.

NEW ARTiculations "Adaptations" Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m. for more information. at Zuzi! Theatre, 738 N. 5th Ave. Tickets $12 to $15. Call 270-4352.

Euterpe (music)

Ft. Lowell Records celebrates Record Store Day at Zia Records

As part of national Record Store Day, Ft. Lowell Records will release the Young Mothers' 7 inch record "Come On, the Cross"on Saturday.

To help celebrate the release, Zia Records is hosting a special Fort Lowell Records showcase at their Speedway location. There will be live performances from Young Mothers, ...music video?, and Tracy Shedd, all three of whom have scheduled releases on Fort Lowell.

Zia Records will also release Volume 4 of "You Heard Us Back When," their Arizona music compilation. This year’s is a double disc with 30 tracks in celebration of Zia Records turning 30.

Fort Lowell Records showcase Saturday, 4 - 6 p.m., at Zia Records, 3370 E. Speedway. 327-3340. The event is free and all ages are welcome.

Clio (history)

"Last of the Boys" at Beowulf Alley

Beowulf's production of "Last of the Boys," a 2006 Pulitzer Prize nominee written by Steven Dietz ("Lonely Planet"), honors the sacrifice of military families.

Ben and Jeeter fought in Vietnam, and for thirty years they have remained united by a war that divided the nation. Joined by Jeeter's new girlfriend and her off-the-grid whiskey-drinking mother, these friends gather at Ben's remote trailer for one final hurrah. As the night deepens, the past makes a return appearance, and its many ghosts come flickering to life. This is a fierce, funny, haunted play about a friendship that ends—and a war that does not. -Dramatists Play Service

Director Susan Arnold is a mainstay of Beowulf Alley; she was most recently in "Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage." The cast includes Royah Beheshti, Mary Davis, Lucas Gonzales, Gabe Nagy, and Clark Ray.

"Last of the Boys" at Beowulf Alley, Fri.-Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sunday 1:30 p.m. 11 S. 6th Ave. 882-0555. Tickets $20/ $18 online advance sales.

Terpsichore (dance)

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet at Centennial Hall

The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, a company used to moving between the two locales in their moniker, also do a fair amount of touring. This year's visit to Centennial for UApresents should expose Tucson to the best in regional contemporary ballet, as no piece scheduled to be performed is older than "Sue's Leg," a dance choreographed by Twyla Tharp in 1975 to the music of Fats Waller.

The company, which includes native Tucsonan Seia Rassenti, was founded by Bebe Schweppe, a former dancer who ran an Aspen ballet school, and two former dancers from the Joffrey Ballet,  executive director Jean-Philippe Malaty and artistic director Tom Mossbrucker.

This program offers a fresh version of traditional ballet to Tucson. In addition to the Tharp, numbers include William Forsythe's "Swingerland," Nicolo Fonte's "In Hidden Seconds" and Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo's "Red Sweet."

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet at Centennial Hall Friday 8 p.m. 1020 E. University. 621-3341. Tickets $20 to $40, with discounts for students, seniors, groups and military members.

Urania (astrology)

Anna Bronwyn Murphy opening with Silver Thread Trio at Bohemia

Bohemia presents the opening of "Las Coronas: new work by Anna Bronwyn Murphy." Though this is Murphy's first solo show, her wearable art and paintings have appeared in galleries and boutiques in Tucson for years.

According to her website, Murphy is "a self taught artist (and jewelry-maker), a tomboy with a mean-streak of glamor, and a perpetuator of contradictions.... when i was a kid i wanted to be (in this order) an artist, a trapeze artist and a midwife. Influenced heavily by my love for individualism,  integrity,  idealism,  intrigue and tom-foolery.... tongue-in-cheek. Shenanigans. Gypsies. Trains. Hats. Old trees.  Gardening.  Root-structures. Orchids. Lilies. Suitcases. Cellos. Deer. Noir. Femmes fatale. Pin ups. Watermelon. Pomegranates. Guadalupe. Our lady. Her immaculate heart."

Tucson's golden-voiced Silver Thread Trio and Shawn Awful will perform at the reception.  Show runs until May 12th. 

Erato (lyric poetry)

Bikefest at various locations

Tucson has always been a great bicycle town, and this Sunday brings Bikefest,  including several events for two-wheel adherents and those who love them.

From 6 a.m. to noon, the Greater Arizona Bicycling Association will hold a bike swap, offering Tucsonans the opportunity to buy, sell or trade bikes and gear. Vendors include local bike shops and individual dealers.

Cyclovia Tucson, a bike ride through the university area, was designed to encourage riders to get to know each other and enjoy the beautiful weather. The route will be closed to motor vehicles from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Various stops along the way provide family educational activities and entertainment, including YMCA Healthy Kids Day at Mansfield Park, Tucson Community Supported Agriculture at 4th and 4th, and local instrumental musicians the Missing Parts jamming at North Mountain Avenue and East Helen Street.

Starting at noon at Maynard's market, the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride is part scavenger hunt, part bike obstacle course. Teams of two compete for bragging rights. The event will be followed by an after-party featuring lots of New Belgium beers and live music.

Bike safely, friends.

Polyhymnia (choral poetry)

'The Merry Widow' at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church

On Sunday, the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra presents “The Merry Widow” in English featuring soprano Christi Amonson and the Southern Arizona Opera Company. The opera, composed by Franz Lehar, will be "semi-staged"; featured performers will be in full costume.

Also performing is 17-year-old cellist Nicholas Mariscal, a Youth Concerto Competition winner. He will be be performing the first movement of Lalo's Cello Concerto in D minor.

"The Merry Widow" at St. Andrew's Sunday 3 p.m. 7575 N. Paseo del Norte. 323-7166.

Kira (Olivia Newton-John)

Pat Metheny at the Fox Theatre

World renowned guitarist/composer Pat Metheny has won 17 Grammy Awards, and has been nominated 33 times in 12 different categories, more than any other performer in Grammy history. Aside from all the critics awards and fan accolades, Pat's focus remains continually on the breaking down of barriers and the exploration of new musical ideas.

This tour is no exception as Pat moves from brilliant solo guitar improvisations to the unveiling of a totally new technology for the presentation of an acoustically-driven "solo ensemble" music he is dubbing "Orchestrionics." The performance will feature music from the forthcoming CD of all new original compositions, as well as some older tunes from the Metheny songbook.

Metheny has rethought his project to include this radical experiment, in which Metheny is the only human player, and the only improvisational component over the album's five detailed compositions. The rest of the music, including percussion, keyboards, guitar loops and more, is driven by a vast array of solenoid switches and pneumatics, a modern day version of the late 19th century orchestrion, which was an expansion of the simpler, paper roll-driven player piano.Pat Metheny at the Fox Theatre, Sunday 7 p.m. 17 W. Congress St. 624-1515. Tickets $45 - $85.