BOOKS & AUTHORS
The Natural Wonders of Our State
Learn about the natural wonders of Minnesota and explore the human and environmental characteristics that define our home. Join University of Minnesota geography professors John Fraser Hart and Susy Svatek Ziegler this afternoon for a discussion of their new book, Landscapes of Minnesota: A Geography. Illustrated with hundreds of maps and color photographs, the book traces the development of the state’s natural environment through the lives and livelihoods of its people. Learn about "the growth and decline of Minnesota’s small towns, the expanding urban arc of the Twin Cities, and the surprising growth of a baby boomer retirement belt."
2 p.m., U of MN Bookstore, Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-626-0559; free.
WINE & DINE
The Legendary Wines of Piedmonte, Italy
Well-known as one of Italy’s great wine-growing regions, Piedmonte is home for two of the best reds in the world: Barolo and Barbaresco. But it also produces fantastic Barbera, Dolcetto, and Moscato. Join the Wine After Work crowd for an evening of legendary wines, and learn about the culture and food of Piedmonte, Italy.
5:30 – 7 p.m., W.A. Frost and Company, 374 Selby Ave., Saint Paul; 651-224-5715; $40.
FILM
Blackjack: 21
Anybody that gambles dreams of finding a way to beat the house. Sure, we’ve all heard of counting cards. But who among us has dared (or been able) to pull it off? Throughout the 1990s a group of math students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, under the tutelage of a professor, took Vegas casinos for millions through the art of counting cards. Now director Robert Luketic has taken their story to the screen in 21, starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, and Laurence Fishborne. See an advanced screening tonight.
7:30 p.m., Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak St. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-331-3134.
THEATER & PERFORMANCE
The Drowsy Chaperone
This is the last week for The Drowsy Chaperone, and I’m thinking a Tuesday trip to the Chapel sounds like a novel idea. "A totally original new musical within a comedy, The Drowsy Chaperone has ‘more laughs per minute than any new show on Broadway’ (WWCR-TV), the most Tony Awards® of any musical on Broadway, and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle and Drama Desk awards for Best Musical" How can you go wrong? Of course, last Satuday’s show included a real life wedding!
8 p.m., Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., Saint Paul; 651-224-4222; $25-$60.
MUSIC
Keston and Westdal
Today also marks the release of electronic duo Keston and Westdal’s latest album, One Day to Save All Life (ODTSAL). The album is clearly quite a bit different from their previous two, but the precision and the funky guiding beats let you know who you’re dealing with. "Westdal’s bass is beautifully morphed and Keston’s keys and digi work have stepped over the horizon with a definable expertise," writes Chris Lindsey, of Slackline Radio.
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