DANCE
Neo-Classical Choreography
Having grown up in New York, with a dancer as a sister, I am utterly spoiled when it comes to dancing, particularly ballet. And without offending our local dance companies, I must say that I was extremely please when dancer/choreographer James Sewell made his way back home to Minneapolis in 1993, after a long stint in New York, bringing his company with him. Sewelll began choreographing ballets in 1982, while at the School of American Ballet, in New York. He went on to dance with ABT II, an apprentice company of the American Ballet Theater, and then as principal dancer for the Feld Ballet. Once hailed by The New York Times as “one of American ballet’s best choreographers,” James Sewell consistently delivers innovative and exciting pieces. Tonight, he offers two pieces of his own — Opera Moves and Late — George Balanchine’s Tarantella, and a LightSpace premiere choreographed by Jennifer Hart. Arrive 25 minutes early for a pre-performance discussion of the evening’s delights.
7:30 p.m., Guthrie Theater, 818 South 2nd St., Minneapolis, 612-377-2224; $27-$32 (students $13.50-$16).
MUSIC
R&B with a Solid Heart
While so many R&B singers are out there stripping off their shirts and talking up the babe booties, John Legend delivers a straightforward honesty and sweetness that you simply can’t ignore. Somehow, he manages to sing about relationships, commitment, and infidelity without getting nasty — and you know what I mean by nasty. Yes, Legend has been accused of riding on Kanye West’s shirt tails, but after winning three Grammy Awards for his 2004 breakout album, Get Lifted, this man can stand on his own. Since then, he has even transformed his seductive tone into something slightly more retro, reminiscent of 60s R&B — sweet vibrant whispers. Opening for him tonight is English singer/songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae. What this jazzy vocalist lacks in raw, rough edges, she makes up for in simple emotion. Her songs are heart-felt and well executed.
7:30 p.m., Historic Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, 612-373-5600; $45-$75.
Listen to John Legend.
Listen to Corinne Bailey Rae.
Ocean Waves on Broken Glass
Guitar aficionados should really go check out Bruce Goldfish this evening. Now living in California, this Minnesota native offers up some great finger-picking with a new age twist and a little bit of everything else tossed in for good measure — a touch of flamenco, a twist of the classical, and a whole lot of texture. Granted, it’s all infused with the whole new age feel, but if you like listening to the wind, then this is your thing.
7:30 p.m., Gingko Coffeehouse, 721 N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul, 651-645-2647; $10.
Listen to Bruce Goldfish.
Watch and listen to Bruce Goldfish’s demo video.
Making Music
If you want to be more than just a passive listener, head out to The Whole tonight for Josh Grier’s Making Music event — featuring an interview, a live demonstration, and Q+A from the audience. As lead guitarist and vocalist for Tapes ‘n Tapes, Josh Grier will be sharing his talents, his inspirations, his history, and his music. It’s a great opportunity for aspiring musicians and Grier fans in general.
8-10 p.m., Coffman Memorial Union, The Whole, 300 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis, 612-624-INFO; free.
Listen to Jon Grier with Tapes ‘n Tapes.
THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Or the White Whale
“Orson Welles did it, and Laurie Anderson, too. Now local director Jon Ferguson — best known for his 2005 hit, Please Don’t Blow Up Mr. Boban — has taken up the challenge of adapting Melville’s epic for the stage. This is an undertaking that, he admits, could elude, haunt, and/or — much as with Captain Ahab — swallow him whole. Ferguson’s project got under way with the casting of clowns and dancers from physical theater circles as well as actors from more text-based traditions. With this range of performers, the show aims to capture both the powerful physicality and the amazing prose of the story. Intriguingly, a fully functional set involves ropes, planks, canvas, and pulleys, meaning that as the play production builds, so too will constructed images of the sea, the ship, and even the whale.”
8 p.m. (through April 22), Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis, 612-340-1725; $22.
COMEDY
Joy Schtick
Any woman who can make you laugh is well worth your time. Tonight, Joy Behar will be performing her schtick at Orchestra Hall Best known as co-host of the Emmy Award-winning talk show The View, Behar is a true comedienne, tackling some of the most controversial topics (which is what comedians love most, of course) with honesty and wit. Behar has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live with Regis and Kelly, and The Late Show with David Letterman. She also starred in her own HBO special and was one of the judges on the Jay Mohr reality series Last Comic Standing. Go start the weekend off with a belly-full of laughter.
7:30 p.m., Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, 612-371-5656; $37.75-$61.75.
READINGS
A Curious Combination
“Here’s a pairing with a curious backstory. Galway Kinnell, whose 1980 Selected Poems won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, was touring in Northern England when he found himself at a reading by Josephine Dickinson, a deaf Oxford-educated poet, musician, composer, and teacher. More than a decade earlier, she had fallen in love with and married a sheep farmer more than twice her age. So struck was Kinnell by Dickinson’s poetry, most of which is set in England’s rugged Pennine Mountains, that he wrote an introduction for her American debut, Silence Fell, and helped get it into print. He’s also got his own new collection, Strong is Your Hold, and the duo will read from and discuss their work as the Talking Volumes program celebrates National Poetry Month.”
7 p.m., Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange Street, St. Paul, 651-290-1221; $15.
THURSDAY FASHION PICK
Fresh off the Runway
Fresh off her run at DIVA MN and last night’s charged rock and runway show, Voltage: Fashion Amplified, Minnesota’s celebrity clothing designer, Katherine Gerdes, will be selling her fine jersey gowns at the Design Collective this weekend. Rumor has it that she might also toss in a tea dress and top or two. To kick things off, and to celebrate the first-ever Voltage Fashion Weekend, the store is hosting a meet ‘n greet with the designer and Project Runway alum from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday. That event will take place just around the corner from the store, at The Tea Garden in Uptown.
Saturday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Design Collective, 1311 26th Street West, Minneapolis, 612-377-1000. Meet-n-Greet: Saturday 1-3 p.m., Tea Garden, 2601 Hennepin Ave S., Minneapolis, 612-377-1700.
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