Author: Cristina Córdova

HOLIDAY EVENT
Scuba Santa

Make the standard mall visit to santa an extreme underwater adventure this year at Underwater World, in the Mall of America. Practice your underwater communication skills
in order to tell santa what is first on your list this year. —Kate McDonald

12-5:30 p.m., Underwater Adventures Aquarium, 4715 W. Broadway Ave., Bloomington; 952-883-0202.

MUSIC
A Capella with Holiday Cheer

Who needs instruments when you have Christmas cheer? The group Tonic Sol-Fa
is a college, a cappella, cult favorite, and their holiday tour promises to
show that pure human voices are all you need to drum up
festive merriment. Hark! These herald angels sing sans harps. —Kate McDonald

7:30 p.m., Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Ave S Minneapolis; 612-371-5656; $20-32.

Another Holiday, Another Year. Go Back 20.

If holiday music isn’t your thing — perhaps you haven’t quite gotten the bug yet — why not indulge yourself a bit by traveling back a couple of decades. It’s time to bring out the angry girl of the ’80s. Remember her? She somehow managed to get you bouncing with her screams. Odd, no? Well, this angry girl was probably born in the ’80s, while the original angry girls were busy screaming, but The Friendly Enemies sure capture the mood. They’re no strangers to the Twin Cities. They play around town rather often, in fact. But somehow, in the midst of all the holiday cheer, they seem appropriate.. and fun.. a way to let off a little holiday steam. It ain’t easy, after all.

9 p.m., Triple Rock Social Club, 629 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-333-7399; free.

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
The Holiday Pageant

This gypsy-style retelling of
the nativity story is well on its way to becoming a camp classic. Open
Eye Figure Theatre’s mastermind Michael Sommers created the rather
scrappy production, which features an endearing blend of puppets, child
actors, and marginal musicianship—not to mention the acting chops of
local luminaries like Kevin Kling, Luverne Seifert, and Sarah Agnew. If
these virtues aren’t enough to make you buy a ticket, then consider
this: Sommers himself will appear onstage; and he’s grizzled and kind
of hot. (In fact, Frank Theatre’s Wendy Knox recently named him one of
the sexiest local actors.) Playing Lucifer, Sommers appears onstage in
red pleather and fur pants. But this glorious spectacle is all too
fleeting, my friends. The Holiday Pageant plays for one show only—and
that’s tonight. —Christy DeSmith

7:30 p.m., Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin
Ave., Minneapolis; for $25 tickets without the fees, visit the Pantages
Theatre box office in person.

BOOKS & AUTHORS
An Advertising Exec Tells Liberals How to Talk

An advertising executive physiotherapist with good public speaking
skills might be just the answer to the democrats’ political problems,
and that’s the kind of man they get in Thom Hartmann.
His new book, Cracking the Code, offers insight into the art and
science of communication and the ways to successfully craft and convey
a progressive liberal message that could persuade others — whether it’s based on the speaker cracking a code, or the listener not being able to.. well, that’s up to you. —Kate McDonald

Friday at 7 p.m., University of Minnesota Bookstore, Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-625-5549; free.

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Hell’s Freezing over on the Pole, and You’re Invited

The North Pole is going to hell in a hand basket. And it sure does make for one melty, messy situation in the Upright Egg Theater Company’s
new play The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. Santa is accused of sexually harassing a female reindeer, Rudolph is rumored to be committed, and debauchery runs rampant throughout this Present Project charity production. In addition to Reindeer Monologues, the event will feature live
music, a tap performance by Rick Ausland (of Buckets and Tap Shoes), and live paintings by local painter Chuck Hues, as well vegan food and drinks. All proceeds from the event will benefit the St. Paul Women’s Advocates Shelter. —Kate McDonald

Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 4 p.m., The Tilsner Artists Cooperative, 300 Broadway Ave., Studio #306, St. Paul; 651-292-0179; suggested donnation of $10 – $20.

DANCE
More Bang for Your Buck

Anything
with self-proclaimed savages performing air ticks with explosives while
playing instrumentally-modified power tools gets top billing in my
book. Described as “Einsturzende Neubaten meets Stokowski,” Savage Aural Hotbed’s
performances at the Southern Theater Saturday and Sunday are not to be
missed. However, if you want a more traditional bang for your buck you can also take in a performace of Crash,
a 20-year retrospective of more classic forms of
drumming — classic, that is, except for one piece featuring a marimba
powered by an exercise bicycle… —Kate McDonald

Crash: Friday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m.; Savage Aural Hotbed: Saturday at 5 & 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.; Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 621-340-1725; $18.

Also on the dance docket for this evening: The Classic Nutcracker at the O’Shaughnessy and The Nutcracker According to Mother Goose by the Zenon Dance Company.

MUSIC

Steele-in’ the Show

If the fact that The Steeles have won every award that the Minnesota music community has offered over the past 20 years is not enough to make you want to go to their acoustic holiday concert, perhaps the fact that they have recorded with Prince will convince you. Or that they have performed at Carnegie Hall. And on Broadway. And around the world. The truth is that Minnesota does not have much legendary family gospel, and The Steeles are strictly that. —Kate McDonald

Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Fitzgerald Theater ,
10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul; 651-290-1221; $30.50 – $40.50.

Electronica!

This program of cutting-edge, contemporary classical music for amplified cello isn’t likely to give Yo-Yo Ma a run for his royalties, but might be the perfect antidote for the benumbing holiday hubbub. Cellist Lauren Radnofsky made her Carnegie Hall debut last year, premiering a Brad Lubman
composition. Now she will be conducted by Lubman in a fascinating and
varied program that includes John Zorn’s “Orphée for Chamber Ensemble
and Electronics,” Pierre Boulez’s “Derive 1,” and Lubman’s own “Fuzzy
Logic for Amplified Cello and Ensemble.” Both Radnofsky and Lubman have
worked directly with Boulez and recorded for Zorn’s Tzadik label. And
they’re not interested in giving you yet another rendition of “The
Nutcracker Suite.” —Britt Robson

Saturday at 8 p.m., SPCO Center, 408 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-291-1144; $10.

BENEFIT
Ain’t No Party Like a Film Trade Association Party

One can never have enough holiday parties, right? Especially if they benefit causes such as Shoot in Minnesota and The MN Film and TV Board. Not only will your donation of $25 or more benefit local filmmakers, but you can also enjoy food, drinks and “big rockin’” performances by local favorites. You can even get in on the action as part of the open mic portion of the night. So dust off that guitar or warm up that singing voice, ’cause nobody parties like those film industry trade associations! —Kate McDonald

5 p.m., CINEQUIPT, 2601 49th Ave. .N, Suite 500, Minneapolis;
612-627-9080; minimum suggested donation of $25.

DANCE
A Wild Goose Chase in Cloggs to Hip-Hop

Who doesn’t love a good banjo- and fiddle-driven clogging number once in a while? Combine that with some impressively intricate percussive stepping, and you have one hell of a high energy performance. The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers have put together a performance — as part of the Stepping Out series at the Southern Theatre — that combines traditional Appalachian-style clogging with African American-inspired stepping by none other than the DeLaSouljah Steppers and the Xi Chapter of
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Hop Team. In addition to banjo and fiddles, the music will feature hip-hop artist RDM. This is a unique wild goose chase combination not to be missed. —Kate McDonald

8 p.m., Southern Theater, 420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-340-1725; $20.

FILM
All Talk and No Action Makes You a Dull Critic

Well, if you read at all — which, clearly, you do — and you’re at least minimally up to date with what’s going on in town (and beyond), then surely you’ve had your fill of Juno talk. Enough is enough; forget what everyone else is saying, and just go see it for yourself. Certainly it merits that. I mean, biting as it was, even our November 2007 review by Rob Nelson made me want to see it. "Juno, which placed second among a hundred-odd movies in
competition for the Toronto Film Festival’s audience award in September, isn’t just a fully formed creation," writes Nelson, "but
practically the blueprint for a commercial comedy in the
post-post-feminist aughts. Well-rounded enough to reel in multiple demographics, the title
character is a sassy adolescent from suburban Minnesota (the movie was
shot near Vancouver, alas) who digs Suspiria
and the Stooges (raw power, grrrl), discovers she has a bun in the oven
(that geeky track star was too sweet to resist!), and calls Women Now
for abortion info (choice!). But by the time she meets the hopeful
adoptive yuppies from St. Cloud, a.k.a. ‘East Jesus Nowhere,’ young
Juno has agreed ‘this is one doodle that can’t be undid.’ (Bring the
whole family!)" Don’t wait any longer; catch a final sneak preview tonight. And meet the fabulous Brook Busey (no-longer-Hunt), a.k.a Diable Cody, a.k.a. Whatever Lewd Names You Want to Call Her She’s Now a Lauded Scriptwriter.

7:30 p.m., Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-375-7600; $12 (members $10).

Fearless Listening Project

Sometimes listening is a more difficult undertaking then speaking.
It’s not just the act of devoting all our attention to someone else
that is difficult, it’s confronting whatever opinions come our way.
Local filmmakers Dominic Howes and Joel Weber haven’t set out to make
our lives easier with their new documentary. The Listening Project
forces us, however uncomfortable it may make us, to listen to outside
views on a topic that hits close to home — in fact, it is home. The
film follows four Americans — a middle school history teacher, a
probation officer, a poet/spoken word artist, and a human rights
activist — as they travel across fourteen different countries asking
people one question: What do you think of America? Beautifully
shot, The Listening Project gives us a stimulating visual buffet of images of the
people and countries the Americans visit — from Russia to Brazil to
Afghanistan to Japan. While the visual aspects of the scenes are
incredibly moving, however, the interviews that go along with them seem
to fall a bit short of thought provoking. Aside from two interviews
that seem to give a slightly deeper and more honest opinion about
America, most of the interviews are too brief, barely scratching the
surface of the issues by broadly stating general and already familiar
global opinions. The
film’s more valuable and interesting perspective is that of the
American listeners themselves — their reactions to their new, global
experiences and the opinions of others from differing cultures. We get
to know more about these listeners (as they are called) than we do
about the people interviewed; we get to know their backstories, the
reasons why they decided to travel and talk to people, and what they
got out of the experience. This is the final film in the Fearless Filmmakers series for the year, and a two-year anniversary party — complete with birthday cake and guitar hero — will follow. —Kate McDonald

7:30 p.m., The Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak St. S.E., Minneapolis, 612-331-3134, $9.

BOOKS
We Really Are as Dumb as Vonnegut Suggests

Bottom line: We lovely, brilliant people — however lovely, unlovely, brilliant or unbrilliant we may be — continually refuse to acknowledge our own stupidity and, therefore, perpetually threaten our own existence. There’s just no denying this. We continue to destroy our environment. We continue to exhaust our resources. And we continue to ravage each other and ourselves. This is nothing new. It wasn’t even new when Kurt Vonnegut began spelling it out for us in beautifully chaotic — to the point of perverse, some might say — stories back in the ’60s. Sure, it may have been a while since you’ve read his 1963 Cat’s Cradle — perhaps you never did — but you can still reap the rewards of tonight’s Books & Bars discussion and explore an important and relevant bit of American culture. Really, don’t let a little insecurity stand in your way; this is a good time, an engaging time, and time well spent. Of course, if you’re just one of those people that can’t handle being "unprepared," then you best stay in tonight and start reading Daniel Gilbert’s Stumbling on Happiness, so that you’re ready for next month’s meeting. (But why settle for schnapps when you can have whiskey?)

7 p.m., Bryant Lake Bowl; 810 West Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-825-3737; free.

FILM
King Corn Nation

Leave it to Hollywood to make corn absolutely horrifying. In the ’80s
there was Children of the Corn; now there is King Corn, screening tonight and tomorrow night at the Oak Street. And although King does not depict demon children
killing off their parents and paying homage to a corn god who lives
among the ears, it is perhaps even more disturbing because it is a
documentary. To clarify, however, I am by
no means denying the fact that there may well be bloodthirsty corn gods
somewhere in Indiana. In fact, King Corn does seem to ever-so-slightly suggest this. The documentary chronicles two friends, Ian
Cheney and Kurt Ellis, fresh out of college at Harvard, as they travel
back to Iowa to learn just how much the most productive and subsidized
grain in America has taken over our nation — with potentially disastrous
effects. One has to wonder, of course, if corn, which has successfully
infiltrated almost every food product in our nation, should now be part
of our cinematic experiences as well. But King Corn puts corn in a
healthier place, out of our diet and into our movies. —Kate McDonald

7:30 p.m., The Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis, 612-331-3134, $8.

DVD RELEASE
Two-Lane Blacktop

This ’71 film could simply be described as an homage to guys behind the
wheel. James Taylor plays the Driver. The Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson is
the Mechanic. Laurie Bird is the Girl. Together, they motor along Route
66 in their ’55 Chevy. Along the way, they meet Warren Oates’s GTO and
begin to race—with virtually no dialogue, no crazy editing to speed up
the proceedings, and no danger or derring-do. Just driving, man. But
Two-Lane Blacktop (and its makers) ran into a world of trouble.
Although it was a critical favorite—Esquire even promoted it on the
cover as its movie of the year—the film was a box-office bomb. Taylor
and Wilson would never star in another movie. Bird defenestrated
herself eight years later. And director Monte Hellman never made
anything worth seeing again (e.g. Silent Night, Deadly Night 3). —Peter Schilling, Jr.

THEATER
Star Wars Meets Sweet Will Shakespeare

It is perhaps slightly embarrassing that I know more about Michael Pennington as Moff Jerjerrod, commander of the Death Star in Star Wars, then I do of Michael Pennington, award winning member and leading actor of the Royal Shakespeare Company. However with Sweet William (now on a short and exclusive run at the Guthrie), Pennington attempts to make even his most juvenile fans (like me) as widely versed in Shakespeare’s life and works as they are with the crewmembers of a fictitious planet destroying space station. His one-man show (which has gotten rave reviews in the United Kingdom, including 4 out of 4 stars from The Guardian and The Times) serves as a Shakespearian crash course of sorts. The show not only includes the most famous scenes of Shakespeare’s plays but also then provides analyses of them. Pennington then weaves some of the playwright’s personal history into the mix for good measure. The result is a sweet, succinct work, just fascinating enough to make one momentarily forget about Pennington’s shady and less Shakespearian Return of the Jedi beginnings. —Kate McDonald

7:30 p.m., Guthrie Theater’s McGuire Proscenium Stage. 818 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis. 612.377.2224. $25 – $45.

MUSIC

If Life Gives You Lemonheads, Make Lemonade

Yes, it’s true: The Lemonheads are still around and playing. Actually, they’re back together again, is more like it. The ’80s alt-rock band — best known for their 1992 cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s "Mrs. Robinson" — reformed two years ago after a seven year break. Why? Well, who knows, but it seems to be working for everyone else, so why not? After all, they were only high school students when they formed in ’86, so it’s not like they’re desperate old fogies grasping at their past. Come to think of it, Evan Dando is the only original member anyhow (despite his "past" drug addictions); the band went through quite a few musicians in its round-one decade — and they seem to be on a similar path, featuring a number of guest musicians at live performances. Who will it be today?

7 p.m., Varsity Theater, 1308 4th St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-604-0222; $20.

MORE MUSIC
Holiday Dysfunctionality — Mann-style

Aimee Mann’s breathy and blisteringly blatant songs about love and heartbreak do not exactly conger the conventional feelings of holiday cheer and merriment — which is precisely why I find her so delightful. Imagine, then, my disappointment when I realized she was coming to town, not to add to my dysfunctional dislike of all things festive but to engage in a celebratory holiday performance. Holiday concerts don’t drum up bar stool ballads and songs of love struck drug addicts but instead of jolly fat men in suits and mistletoe. I might be nearing grinch-like status on this one, but this is not the kind of material I find synonymous with good rock and roll. However, in addition to a little Mann-style Xmas, she promises to perform many of her popular non-holiday favorites and other unique festive songs with local performers such as Adam Levy and Nellie McKay. And for the true Ebenezer Scrooges among us, she apparently also does a pretty mean Grinch rendition, so I might have to take back my bah-humbug on this one. —Kate McDonald

7:30 p.m., Guthrie Theater, Wurtele Thrust Stage, 818 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis; 612-377-2224; $37.50.

FILM
P.S. I Love You

Ok.
You know that moment, that stream of moments two years into a "new"
relationship, when you look at the back of your lover’s head as he (or
she) sits as his (her) computer, ignoring you, and you shut your eyes
and fall back into your pillow, daydreaming, reaching to embrace the
love, trying to imagine your life without him (her)? You drift for a
while, perhaps even break a smile, and then it happens: you imagine him
(her) dying — the devastation, the agony, the self-indulgent blackout,
in which your lover becomes the only flame, the only light, the only
source of heat — and you, a withering fool. Through this lens, in this
dream, his (her) every imperfection is obscured by your loss. Your lover
is perfect. Your love is perfect. The pain is perfect. (You would be
perfect, but you are only pain — perhaps that’s perfect.) Now, take the
dream, and put it down on paper, embellish it, push it, polish it, and
put it up on screen. This is what writer/director Richard LaGravenese (Freedom Writers) has done with his latest endeavor, P.S. I Love You,
starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. Only LaGravenese — clearly a
hopeless romantic by nature — dangles the story o’er the precipice of
the imagination, with gifts from beyond. That’s right, before the
protagonist’s lover dies he sets up a series of gifts — including
letters, trips, and instructions — enabling him to guide his lover back
to happiness from beyond. Ah, yes, only in films… like in dreams.
Isn’t that the point?

7:30 p.m., The Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis, 612-331-3134, $8.

Vernie

If local filmmaker Jason Wallace ever denies that his
film Vernie was created without the Lifetime Network in mind, he has to
be lying. The film, which revolves around a brain cancer patient’s dying wish
to have a baby with his best friend, seems made for the network and
indeed a three-year popular run on the channel proves it. Well, now you
can bring the heartbreak home on DVD, and there is a party this evening to celebrate the release. Come enjoy the free food and drinks, and no doubt some of that free
Lifetime melodrama. 

7 p.m., Picosa Restaurant, 65 Main Street SE, Minneapolis; free. 

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Can’t Stop That Foot from Flying

Think Stomp on steroids and you begin to get an idea of what a Flying Foot Forum dance/theater company is like. Combine that with the unique vision and skill of the company’s director, Joe Chvala — who has been compared to “Fred Astaire on acid” — and you’ll start to form a more complete picture of what this weekend’s Percussion Project performance will entail. Tonight’s show brings together drums, tap, ballet, and theatre to create a unique and innovative performance — one that has toured nationally to rave reviews and had a sold-out run at the Southern last year. —Kate McDonald

Friday at 8 p.m., Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-340-1725; $18.

STYLE
Hat Tricks

Whenever and wherever there’s an event celebrating our local fashion MiNdustry, there’s one character certain to be in attendance: Ms. Anna Lee. As producer of the momentous annual Voltage Fashion Amplified show and founder of the fledgling mnFashion service organization, Lee is a reliable source of support for local designers. Not everyone knows it, but she’s also a designer—of hats! Those familiar with her millinery know her by the flamboyant, showgirl-style headdresses. But now she’s unveiling an assortment of wearable winter hats, too. —Christy DeSmith

Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m., Ruby3, 2303 Kennedy St. NE , Studio 402, Minneapolis.

MUSIC
Spain, Mexico, and Smooth, Smooth, Jazz

There’s some seriously great music to choose from this weekend, so get ready to soothe the savage breast, soften rocks, and bend the knotted oak.

Friday marks the first-ever Minnesota Guitar Society Flamenco Guitarathon. Dedicated to the memory of Donn Pohren, who passed away last month, this event features some of our best flamenco talent: Dave Elrod, Mike Hauser, Tony Hauser, Scott Mateo Davies, Trevor May, and Michael Ziegahn. Best of all, and in true bohemian fashion, the evening will end with a group performance.

Friday at 8 p.m., Hamline University, Sundin Hall, 1536 Hewitt Ave., St. Paul.

Of course, Friday is a tricky night, as the Minnesota Opera’s Young Professionals Group is also throwing a party with Matt Wilson’s Carl Sandburg Project. The New York drummer – "sometimes hard-swinging, sometimes experimental, sometimes just weird, but always entertaining" – will present Carl Sandburg poems set to original jazz compositions. Wilson will perform with his quartet and special guest Dawn Thomson.

Friday at 8 p.m., Minnesota Opera Center, 620 N. First St., Minneapolis; 612-333-6669; $15.

On to Saturday… which again offers two fabulous choices:

Tijuana’s Nortec Collective will be "riffing and ripping" traditional norteña and ranchera music at the Walker on Saturday evening (8 p.m., $22). This is no ordinary concert, folks — we’re talking DJs, graphic artists, and filmmakers… "for an infectious collision of style and culture, roots and revelation."

For a smoother, groovier, jazzier, local-legend infused Saturday evening experience, head to the Fitz (8 p.m., $22.50) for The New Standards Holiday Concert. It’s no fail, man. It’s no fail. John Munson, Chan Poling, and the fabulous Steve Roehm — how can you go wrong?

FILM
Animated

The fact that the Sloppy Films website claims its frontman, twin cities animator/video artist John Akre, is simply a fictional creation of a mad scientist and jazz enthusiast named Dr. Hubert Zork, is really not very surprising. Instead, it is merely icing on the already curiously creative cake that encompasses all his Sloppy-ness (Sloppy Films, Sloppy Shorts, Sloppy Books). An alter ego, after all, might be quite a convenient tool when one is creating experimental shorts and feature-length films that tackle everything from cannibalism to garden growing. See a trailer for one of his films here, and then enjoy more of his animated shorts this Sunday, as part of the Eastside Co-op Members Art Festival. Oh, and if mad scientist alter egos and visions of cannibalism don’t strike your fancy, there will also be free organic popcorn! —Kate McDonald

Sunday from 4:30 to 6 p.m., Eastside Co-op, 2555 Central Ave. N.E., Minneapolis.

Also opening this weekend: Romance and Cigarettes, Margot at the Wedding, and Deep Water.