Artifacts 1/24/03

Broken Grass playing at River City Yacht Club

The Carbondale, Ill.-based alternative bluegrass band Broken Grass will perform Saturday night at the River City Yacht Club.

Last fall, the band toured for five nights with the nationally acclaimed band Leftover Salmon and often sells out the 900-capacity Copper Dragon in Carbondale. In December Broken Grass opened for country star Neal McCoy at the Show Me Center.

In April, the band headlined the first Shawnee Grass Festival at Salt Petre Cave near Murphysboro, Ill. They have sold more than 2,000 copies of their first CD.

Doors open at 8 p.m. with music beginning at 9 p.m. Admission is $3.

'Porgy and Bess' at SIU Feb. 8

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The opera "Porgy and Bess" will be presented Feb. 8 at Southern Illinois University's Shryock Auditorium.

The show, written by George and Ira Gershwin, is known for the songs "Summertime," "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Necessarily So." It will be presented with a 30-piece orchestra. The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $28 with a $6 discount for children 15 and younger. Phone (618) 453-ARTS for information.

High school art show to begin Feb. 2

The 25th annual High School Art Symposium titled "Exhibiting Excellence" opens Feb. 2 at the Southeast Missouri State University Museum.

The exhibition includes the best recent artwork by 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade artists from Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and St. Louis high schools.

The juror is Robert Boyer, a sculptor and high school art teacher from Festus, Mo. He received a master's degree in art from Southeast in 1976.

He will award prizes in seven categories and give a Best of Show award.

The public is invited to a reception for the artists beginning at 1 p.m. Feb. 2. The exhibit will continue through Feb. 23.

'The Chicago Caper' opens Feb. 14

The River City Players' production of "The Chicago Caper" opens Feb. 14 at the River City Yacht Club.

The audience-interactive play is set in the Roaring '20s.

Dinner theater performances also will be presented Feb. 15, 21 and 22. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 8 p.m. Admission is $19.95.

A show-only performance will be presented Feb. 20. Admission is $7.

For information or reservations, phone Port Cape restaurant at 334-0954 or send e-mail to portcape@clas.net.

Art historian to speak on Harlem Renaissance

Art historian Theresa Leninger-Miller will give a lecture Feb. 6 about the period in America known as the Harlem Renaissance.

Her lecture is titled "The 'New Negro' Movement: Arts in the 1920s and '30s." The movement was a time when black artists focused on issues of African American identity, culture and history.

Leininger-Miller is appearing as part of the Black History Month celebration at the university.

Leininger-Miller is an associate professor at the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning at the University of Cincinnati.

Her lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in Crisp Hall, room 125.

Charli Baltimore, others added to Ja Rule concert

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Charli Baltimore and Ludacris and the Disturbing Tha Peace Family have been added to the Feb. 15 Ja Rule concert as special guests.

Tickets for the show at the SIU Arena go on Sale Saturday. Tickets are $32.50. Wristbands will be distributed from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at the SIU Arena South Lobby box office.

For more information, phone the ticket office at (618) 453-5341 or visit the SIU Arena Web site at www.siu.edu/~arena.

Orchestra will perform 'Organ Spectacular'

The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra will perform a concert titled "Organ Spectacular" Feb. 16 at Old St. Vincent's Church in Cape Girardeau. The concert will spotlight the church's newly installed organ.

Dr. Gary Miller, a Southeast Missouri State University music professor, will be the organ soloist. He will perform Handel's Organ Concerto for Organ and Strings and Ottorino Respighi's Suite in G Major for Organ and Strings.

Brandon Christensen, a violin professor at Southeast, will be featured in Vivaldi's "Spring" concerto from "The Four Seasons." The orchestra also will perform Elgar's "Serenade for Strings" with faculty member Paul Thompson conducting.

The concert begins at 3 p.m. Tickets are $6 general admission, $5 for Southeast faculty and $4 for students. Preferred seating is $10. For information, phone 651-2141.

The orchestra is conducted by Dr. Sara Edgerton.

'Tour de Farce' at Holiday Inn Feb. 14

The 2003 "Tour de Farce" starring comedian Jeff Batts and singer-songwriter Nikki D will be presented Feb. 14 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Cape Girardeau.

Batts is a Southern Illinois resident who has opened for the Charley Daniels Band, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Gallagher and "Weird Al" Yankovic. Batts has appeared on "The Howard Stern Show," MTV and Comedy Central.

Nikki D is a Columbia, Mo., resident who mixes country, folk and bluesy original tunes with recognizable favorites, all done comedically.

Shows will be presented at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tickets are $12 general and $10 for students. The event is restricted to those 18 and older.

Dinner and show tickets also are available. Phone 334-4491 for information.

Comedy night at the Fox Feb. 16

ST. LOUIS -- Comedians D.L. Hughley, Sommore, Rickey Smiley, Bruce Bruce, Earthquake and G-Thang will perform Feb. 16 at the Fox Theatre.

Hughley is the star of his own sitcom, "The Hughleys," and was featured in the film "The Original Kings of Comedy."

The show begins at 7 p.m.

For information, phone (314) 534-1111.

'Les Miserables ' opens Feb. 18 at Fox Theatre

ST. LOUIS -- The musical "Les Miserables" will be presented Feb. 18 through 23 at the Fox Theatre.

The show is based on the Victor Hugo novel and spans three turbulent decades of 19th century France. It won the 1987 Tony Award for Best Musical.

The production requires a 34-foot turntable, two barricades weighing more than 12,000 pounds, more than 1,000 costume pieces, five fog machines, an 18-member orchestra and a cast of 36.

Ticket prices range from $26 to $62. For information, phone (314) 534-1111.

'George M!' at SIU Feb. 21

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The musical "George M!," a patriotic salute to America based on the legend of George M. Cohan, will be presented Feb. 21 at Shryock Auditorium.

The musical biography includes the songs "Over There," "Yankee Doodle Boy" and "You're A Grand Old Flag."

Tickets are $25, with a $6 discount for children 15 and younger. Phone (618) 453-2787 for information.

Anderson in concert sponsored by troopers

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Country star John Anderson and special guest Ashley Dart will perform Feb. 28 at the Farmington Civic Center.

The 7 p.m. concert is a benefit sponsored by the Missouri State Troopers Association. Tickets also can be purchased so they can be distributed free to area nursing homes and child-care facilities.

For ticket information, phone toll free (866) 906-6782.

-- From staff reports