Arts Quarterly: A preview of the new and classic works ahead

TSO String Quartet members Wynne Wong-Rife, clockwise from left, Joseph Rousos-Hammond, Ilona Vucovic-Gay and Mary Beth Tyndall will perform Beethoven and Ravel classics, and selections from the TSO’s Young Composers Project.

We need our arts to teach us how to breathe.

— Ray Bradbury

And oh, what teachers we have in Tucson.

The months ahead are filled with performing arts.

And, just as exciting, there are plenty of brand new works, along with some important classics.

As well, there are reasons to laugh, think, cry — and to breathe deeply and fully.

We pored over the Star’s online calendar and selected some of the events we are most looking forward to — though this list is by no means all we want to see. Check Caliente every Thursday, and the online calendar at dailystarcalendar.com for the latest.

Theater

The Tucson Fringe Fest has taken off this year, with more often-untested and new plays than it has offered since its creation six years ago. Many of the 17 plays are by Tucson playwrights, but entries to the festival — picked by lottery — came from across the country, and even Europe. The 3-day fest features short and standard length productions, most shown at least twice. Some, no doubt, will be strange. Some, no doubt, fascinating. Most are by younger playwrights who have yet to make a name for themselves — but we suspect that will come. The energy and creativity at the Fringe Fest is thrilling. It’s Jan. 15-17 at Club Congress, Fluxx, The Flycatcher and Zuzi.

Arizona Theatre Company is staging August Wilson’s great “Fences,” the sixth in the late playwright’s 10-part “Pittsburgh Cycle,” which looks at the African-American experience during each of the decades of the last century. Some would argue that “Fences” is his best, though it seems impossible to make that judgment when the cycle also includes “The Piano Lesson,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Jitney” and six other staggeringly good plays. “Fences’ takes place during the 1950s, when racism was rampant and change was in the air. It’s Jan. 16-Feb. 6 at the Temple of Music and Art.

Winding Road Theatre Ensemble brings playwright Emilie Beck to Tucson and will present her play “Sovereign Body,” about a woman’s fight to reclaim her body after a neurological illness tries to rob her of it. This is the Arizona premiere of the play and the work with Winding Road will help Beck hone the script. Find it Feb. 4-21 at Zuzi.

The Rogue Theatre takes on August Strindberg’s classic “Miss Julie,” about an aristocratic woman who rebels against the restrictions she is subject to by virtue of her class and her sex. Feb. 25-March 13 at The Rogue.

Other plays we don’t want to miss: Invisible Theatre’s “Deelmayker” by Tucsonan Warren Bodow (Feb. 9-21), and IT’s play reading series “Women’s Voices — Women’s Lives,” with “Anna Karenina Lives” by Tucsonan Germaine Shames (March 2) and Kathleen Clark’s “Let’s Live a Little” (March 10-13), at Invisible Theatre; Arizona Repertory Theatre is doing Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and “The Comedy of Errors” in repertory Feb. 28-April 3 at the Tornabene Theatre; Broadway in Tucson’s irreverent “The Book of Mormon,” Feb. 16-21 — and it’s very close to being sold out — at Centennial Hall; Lewis Black’s comedy “One Slight Hitch” is March 24-April 30 at Live Theatre, and Pima Community College — which does exuberant musicals — stages “Crazy for You,” with music by the incomparable George Gershwin. It’s at the PCC Center for the Arts Feb. 25-March 6.

Comedy

We get a double dose of Lewis Black here this quarter: Live Theatre is staging his play, “One Slight Hitch,” and the curmudgeon himself will bring his “The Emperor’s New Clothes: The Naked Truth Tour” to Casino del Sol Resort Feb. 6.

The Capitol Steps knows how to treat politics: with mockery. The group brings its songs and attitude to the Fox Tucson Feb. 27.

Dance

Broadway in Tucson starts the year off with the still-impressive Riverdance, celebrating its 20th anniversary with a world tour. It has here before, and it’s never failed to thrill. It’s Jan. 5-10 at Centennial Hall

UA Presents always gives Tucson dance lovers something to hold on to. This quarter it’s the contemporary dance companies Bodytraffic (Jan. 29) and Pilobolus (March 6), both at Centennial Hall.

The University of Arizona School of Dance is considered one of the best in the country. Find out why with its “Color Wheel” concert. Ballet, jazz, modern and ballroom will all sweep across the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre Feb. 24-28.

Classic music

Tucson is filled with classical-music performances — it’s tough choosing which ones to attend. We’ve whittled it down to our most anticipated.

UA Presents brings the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to Centennial Hall Jan. 15, with Pinchas Zukerman as conductor and violinist. Emanuel Ax is also on the UA Presents schedule. He’ll perform works by Beethoven, Bach and Dussek at Centennial Hall Jan. 23.

The Arizona Friends of Chamber Music has several concerts to entice, but it’s the group’s nationally-acclaimed Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival that is a must — especially since there is usually a premiere of a new piece commissioned by the Friends. This year it is Heather Schmidt’s Cello Sonata. Among those at the March 13-20 bonanza are Pacifica Quartet, Cynthia Phelps, Bernadette Harvey, and Axel Strauss. At the Leo Rich Theatre in the Tucson Convention Center.

Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming performances include Andre Watts playing Rachmaninoff on Feb. 27. But we are most anticipating TSO’s “Carmina Burana” with the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus and soloists from the Grammy-winning choral ensemble, Conspirare. That’s happening March 18 and 20 at Tucson Music Hall. Our suggestion is you don’t delay snagging tickets.

The Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra performs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Dvorak’s New World Symphony, both thrilling pieces. That’s Jan. 31 at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and Feb. 6 at DesertView Performing Arts Center.

And this one, we venture to guess, will be wildly popular: “Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage,” with a full orchestra and film and television clips shown on a giant screen, is making Tucson one of its tour stops. It’s at Centennial Hall March 28.

Other don’t misses: Arizona Early Music Society presents “Song of Songs: Return to the Garden,” a performance of Hebrew, Medieval, Latin, Arabic, and Spanish songs Feb. 28 at St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church, and the Aulos Ensemble performing baroque music at St. Philips Jan. 24. UA Presents brings in the Dublin Guitar Quartet, which is committed to new classical music, March 2 at Crowder Hall.

Tucson Desert Song Fest/opera

The Tucson Desert Song Festival is a bonanza of gorgeous music. Arts groups and the fest folk have teamed up to bring us internationally known talent, as well as rising stars in the art song field.

Among the events: A concert of a capella music from Tucson’s Grammy-nominated True Concord Voices and Orchestra performing with the men’s ensemble, Cantus, Jan. 22 at Catalina Foothills High School, Jan. 23 at Desert Hills Lutheran Church, and Jan. 24 at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church; Jamie Barton and Amber Wagner perform “From Baroque to Broadway” Jan. 23, and Daniela Mack and Alex Shrader give a recital Feb. 2 at Crowder Hall in the UA Fine Arts Complex, and Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s “Mahler and the Martial Arts” with mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and tenor Richard Cox is Jan. 22 and 24 at Tucson Music Hall.There’s also Ballet Tucson and the Tucson Guitar Society performing Latin-inspired music and dance, with baritone Bernardo Bermudez, and Adam del Monte on guitar, Feb. 5-6 at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.

Arizona Opera is part of the song fest with its production of “Carmen” at Tucson Music Hall. Daniela Mack is in the title role Jan. 30, and Beth Lytwynec on Jan. 31. They are two rising stars with a string of impressive, critically-acclaimed performances.

Jazz and world music

Tucson’s jazz scene has been hot for years. It’s one of the reasons we get such great jazz musicians visiting — and living — here.

Proof: The Tucson Jazz Fest, a 10-day bonanza of rich and varied jazz. It includes the Tucson Jazz Institute’s Ellington Band with saxophonist Jimmy Heath for a concert at the Fox on Jan. 14; Snarky Puppy’s mix of funk and jazz at the Rialto Theatre Jan. 15; Trumpeter Byron Stripling and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Jan. 16 and 17 at the Tucson Music Hall; Arthur Vint & Associates Jan. 17 at Club Congress; Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band at the Fox Jan. 21, and Kermit Ruffins Quintet with King Solomon Hicks Jan. 24 at the Rialto.

Blues man extraordinaire and Grammy winner Keb’ Mo’ plays the Fox March 3.

Acoustic Africa, a collection of artists from the continent, is at the Fox March 24.

And if you long for some Irish music (and who doesn’t?), you can catch The Chieftains playing with the TSO at the Tucson Music Hall Feb. 23, Cherish the Ladies at the Fox on Feb. 2 and March 18, and In Concert brings Old Blind Dogs (OK, they are Scots, but who’s quibbling) to the Berger March 26.

Young at Art

Exposing children to the arts means they are more likely to enjoy the riches of them as they grow. Which means the arts will continue to thrive — essential to a thriving society. Just sayin’.

Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s Just for Kids concerts are inexpensive ($3 suggested donation at the door), short (about an hour) and are designed to entertain as well as teach — kids get to touch the instruments, ask questions, and, well, just be kids.

“Thomas the Tank Engine” chugs to life with the TSO String Quartet on Jan. 2, and “Mel and Mama Cholla” is March 19. Both events are at the Tucson Symphony Center.

The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance devotes the first Saturday of each month to its “Musical Magic for Kids.” TSO’s “Mel and Mama Cholla” is Jan. 2, and “Around the World in 45 minutes,” with music and dance, is March 5. Those are at the Oro Valley Council Chambers.

Live Theatre Workshop devotes almost every Sunday afternoon to a play geared toward children, and children are most grateful — it’s a wonder to see them so immersed in theater. “The True Stories of the So-Called Big Bad Wolves,” Richard Gremel’s defense of the demonized wolves in such tales as “Little Red Riding Hood,” “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” and “The Three Little Pigs,” is Jan. 10-March 13 at Live Theatre.