Artifacts 1/4

Pianist Jack Gibbons to play return concert

British pianist Jack Gibbons, who wowed an Academic Auditorium audience in November with his performance of works by George Gershwin, will return to Cape Girardeau Jan. 20 to play a benefit concert at Old St. Vincent's Church.

Gibbons, who performed at Carnegie Hall after his Cape Girardeau date, will play works by Gershwin, Liszt and Rachmaninov.

Proceeds from the 3 p.m. concert will benefit the Old St. Vincent's Organ Fund. The fund is about $50,000 short of the total cost of its new pipe organ due to be installed at the end of the month.

Tickets to the concert are $35 for reserved seats. Preferred seating is $100 and includes a reception with the artist after the concert.

For information about tickets, phone 335-3852 or 335-3546.

'Swing!' at the Fox Jan. 22-27

ST. LOUIS -- The original Broadway musical "Swing!" will be presented Jan. 22-27 at the Fox Theatre.

Performances are at 8 p.m. weekdays, at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

"Swing!" was nominated for six Tony Awards. It is a celebration of the music and dance phenomenon that swept the national during the 1930s and 1940s.

In addition to several original songs, the show includes such classic swing tunes as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Harlem Nocturne," "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing" and "Sing, Sing Sing!"

For information, phone (314) 534-111 or visit www.SwingOnBroadway.com.

SLSO to play Handel's 'Alexander's Feast'

ST. LOUIS -- The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra will perform Handel's "Alexander's Feast," a dramatic Baroque work based on the lyrical ode by English poet John Dryden.

The performances Jan. 11-12 and will feature soprano Dominique Labelle, tenor Stanford Olsen, bass-baritone Neal Davies and the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus.

Phone (314) 534-1700 or go online at www.slso.org for information.

Anastasia and John release new CD

Anastasia and John, a California-based folk-rock duo with a local roots, have released their second CD, titled "Little Man."

Anastasia grew up Stacy Amschler in Perryville, Mo., Biehle, Mo., and Cape Girardeau. She graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1989. She met John Gonzales at a Burbank, Calif., music store. Now married, they have been performing on the coffeehouse and folk festival circuit for seven years.

David Crosby and Graham Nash contributed background vocals on their first CD, "That's You and Me." Crosby and Nash are back to lend harmony vocals on "Little Man" along with folkie John Gorka. Musicians include bassist Jorge Calderon (Jackson Browne, David Lindley), percussionists Eddie Tuduri (J.D. Souther, Jim Messina) and Rafael Padilla (Gloria Estefan, Annie Lennox).

Anastasia and John have opened concerts for such acts as America, David Crosby and John Gorka.

The new CD is available at Hastings Books and Music or can be ordered by calling (877) 692-7999 or on the Web at CDStreet.com or anastasiaandjohn.com

Talking about 'The Road to Coorain'

Jill Ker Conway's book "The Road to Coorain," a story of loneliness and hardship in the Australian outback and finding success in the United States, will be the topic of the Book Discussion Group Jan. 24 at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Hirsch Community Room.

Books are available four weeks before the meeting dates. Books and discussion guides are available at the reference desk.

Show Me Center Rodeo Feb. 1-2

The 14th annual Show Me Center World Championship Rodeo will be held Feb. 1-2. The International Pro Rodeo Association will produce the event once again after a one-year hiatus.

Performances will be at 8 p.m. Feb. 1 and at 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Feb. 2.

Tickets are discounted $2 through Jan. 30. They are available at the Show Me Center, Schnucks and For Your Entertainment in Cape Girardeau and at Disc Jockey Records in Carbondale, Ill.

Tumbling Blocks at MAQS

PADUCAH, Ky. -- "Twist of Fate," "Stumbling Blocks" and "Tumbling Texas Two step" are among 18 winning quilts in the "New Quilts from an Old Favorite" contest to go on display March 2 at the Museum of the American Quilter's Society.

The Tumbling Block-themed quilts will be exhibited through June 22 before touring other museums.

-- From staff reports