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Marble Hill native works on Grammy nominee

Marble Hill, Mo., native Mitchell Dane engineered the Jars of Clay album "The Eleventh Hour," which has been nominated for a 2003 Grammy Award.

Dane, whose real last name is Goskie, has worked with the band on numerous projects as an engineer and producer.

His parents are Bernie and Merle Goskie of Marble Hill. He switched to using his middle name when he moved to Nashville in 1989 because it was easier to remember.

Earlier that same year he was the music director at LaCroix Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau.

Dane said only members of Jars of Clay are nominated for the Grammy, but anyone who worked on the album is eligible for a Grammy if they win.

The Woodland High School graduate has worked with more than 20 other artists in the music industry under the auspices of the Center Ministry, a Christian organization that nurtures the work of recording artists.

Dane and his wife, Jeanne, have a 7-year-old daughter named Paton.

'The Drawer Boy' at The Rep

ST. LOUIS -- "The Drawer Boy," a dramatic comedy about theater, friendship and storytelling, continues at The Rep Studio Theatre through Feb. 9.

The play is based on a 1972 documentary-style theater project called "The Farm Show," in which a group of young Canadian actors went to live with farmers to study everyday farm life and discovered life-changing truths.

Tickets are $25 to $37.50 and are available by calling (314) 968-4925.

The Rep is located at the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves, Mo.

Missouri Arts Awards winners announced

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The 2003 Missouri Arts Awards will be presented Wednesday in the Rotunda of the State Capitol Building.

The winners are: David Anstaett of Lee's Summit for Arts Education; The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis for Arts Organization; Jay McShann of Kansas City for Individual Artist; Robert M. Baird of Springfield for Leadership in the Arts; American Century Companies Inc. of Kansas City for Philanthropy; and Sen. Roseann Bentley of Springfield for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.

Circus comes to Cape Feb. 5 at Arena Building

The Stars of the Circus will be presented Feb. 5 at the A.C. Brase Arena Building.

The stars include Koko the clown, Jason the juggler, Miss Sashi and her Liberty ponies, Mademoiselle Walker and her canine review, 9-year-old contortionist Elaina and aerial artist Jennifer Nicole.

Shows are at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Craig Thomas artwork at SCC Anna Center

ANNA, Ill. -- Works by Cape Girardeau artist Craig Thomas are on display through February at the Shawnee Community College Anna Center.

Thomas is a free-lance artist who runs the Cape Girardeau Drawing Group and the Cape Chalk Walk street painting festival.

More music at Yacht Club

The Melroys, the St. Louis band with the Southeast Missouri roots, will play at the River City Yacht Club Saturday night.

Upcoming Thursday night is the return of the jazz-funk fusion band Greenscene from Milwaukee. The band will go on about 11 p.m. after an earlier set by a group to be announced. Admission is $3.

Cuban dance and music comes to SIU Feb. 7

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba, a combination of Flamenco and Afro-Cuban rhythms, will be presented Feb. 7 at SIU's Shryock Auditorium.

Director and choreographer Lizt Alfonso created the troupe in 1991. Since then they have presented works at the Grand Teatro de Havana, the Sauto of Matanzas and the Main of Camaguey in Cuba. All their productions have been filmed for Cuban Television.

Tickets are $26 with a $6 discount for children 15 and younger. Phone (618) 453-ARTS for information.

'Potpourri,' 'Images in Wood' at Arts Council

Art by James V. Parker and Damon Jennings will be presented Feb. 7 at the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.

Parker's show, titled "Potpourri," is a mixture of sticheries, watercolors and Japanese containers. Jennings' "Images in Wood' consists of large figurative woodcuts.

A reception for the artists will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 7.

'Masters of Ocean Realm' coming to Memphis

MEMPHIS -- An exhibit titled "Masters of the Ocean Realm: Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises" opens Feb. 8 at the Pink Palace Museum.

The traveling show from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County presents "underwater" dioramas, interactive exhibitions, fossils casts and photography.

The exhibition remains at the museum through May 11. Phone (901) 320-6362 for information.

Hearts and Swing dance planned for Feb. 15

The fifth annual Hearts and Swing Dinner Dance sponsored by KRCU and St. Francis Medical Center will be held Feb. 15.

The event at the A.C. Brase Arena Building will begin with a 6:30 p.m. social followed by a gourmet buffet dinner and dancing to the music of Southeast Jazz directed by Barry Bernhardt.

Tickets are $35 each and must be purchased by Feb. 12. Phone KRCU at 651-5070. Tickets are available at the studio, 338 N. Henderson, during business hours.

Muny schedules chorus auditions

ST. LOUIS -- Muny auditions for the children's and teen choruses will be held next month at The Performing Arts Center at St. Louis University High School, 4970 Oakland Ave.

The children's auditions will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 22 and the teen auditions from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 23.

For information, phone (314) 361-1900 or visit www.muny.com.

Ahmad Jamal at Sheldon Hall

ST. LOUIS -- Legendary pianist Ahmad Jamal will perform March 15 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

In 1958, Jamal's record "But Not for Me" became one of the biggest-selling jazz albums in history. It stayed on Billboard's charts for more than two years. His latest CD is "Olympia 2000!"

The Sheldon is known as the "Carnegie Hall of the Midwest" because of its excellent acoustics.

The concert will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 and $40 and are available at (313) 534-1111 or (314) 531-1012.

Five of seven shows decided for Muny season

ST. LOUIS -- Five of the seven shows in the 2003 season at The Muny have been set. The shows chosen so far are "Godspell," "Cinderella," "Show Boat," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "South Pacific."

Season tickets go on sale March 22. For information, phone (314) 361-1900 or visit the Web site, www.muny.com.

'Copacabana' March 2 At Shryock Auditorium

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- "Barry Manilow's Copacabana" will be presented March 2 at Shryock Auditorium.

In the show, an aspiring songwriter dreams of being carried back to a swinging 1940s nightclub where a showgirl named Lola Lamar and bartender Tony Starr have dreams of their own. Love, jealous and murder ensue.

Manilow wrote the music and book for "Copacabana." He does not appear in the show.

Tickets are $26 with a $6 discount for children 15 and younger.

For information, phone (618) 453-ARTS.

-- From staff reports