Welcome to our annual Fall Arts preview, powered by Lexington arts and entertainment calendar tadoo.com! On the following pages, we break down the upcoming 2014-2015 season that, for many arts organizations, kicks off this month and goes well into 2015. From visual art to theatre, live music to festivals, literary events to film, we hope you will agree that there’s no shortage of things tadoo around here. Don’t forget that tadoo.com is updated daily with live music, theatre, art and other entertainment events.
Visual Art
This is just a sampling of the gallery exhibitions that will be presented in the Lexington area in the upcoming 2014-2015 season. For more gallery listings updated throughout the year, please visit the Lexington Galleries and Exhibits page on tadoo.com: www.tadoo.com/lexington-art-exhibits.
Headley-Whitney Museum
Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri.;
12 p.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
4435 Old Frankfort Pike
(859) 255-6653
www.headley-whitney.org
Collecting Kentucky. Sept. 6-Nov. 9
A showcase of antebellum Kentucky artifacts from some several inspired collections, featuring furniture, silver, art, hand-stitched samplers, longrifles and stoneware. Drawn from the book “Collecting Kentucky” by Genevieve Baird Lacer & Libby Turner. (Opening reception 1-4 p.m., Sept. 14; speaking events at 2 p.m., Sept. 28; 11 a.m., Oct. 4; 2 p.m., Oct. 19; and 2 p.m., Nov. 2.)
Improbable Baubles. Nov. 22-Dec. 21
Improbable Baubles is an art program designed to give public and private school children from the region an opportunity to create, perform and respond to art. Students learn the history of Headley-Whitney Museum founder George Headley, his artwork and bibelots, and his significance to Kentucky, and then create their own works of art (faux bibelots), democratically choosing pieces by their own peers to be displayed at the Headley-Whitney Museum. (Opening reception 1-3 p.m., Nov. 22.)
LexArts Gallery Hops
2014
Sept. 19, Nov. 21
2015
Jan. 16, March 20, May 15, July 17, Sept. 18, Nov. 20
www.galleryhoplex.com
Presented by LexArts, this periodic “choose-your-own-adventure” style event encourages attendees to explore the offerings of local art galleries, many of which stay open after hours and provide light snacks and beverages for patrons. The hops typically run from 5-8 p.m., with may galleries opting to stay open later.
Lexington Art League
All events and exhibits are at the unless otherwise noted.
Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tues.-Thurs.; 1-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
Loudoun House
207 Castlewood Dr.
Lexington, KY
(859) 254-7024
www.lexingtonartleague.org
Victory Without Fanfare. Sept. 5-Oct. 5. In this joint exhibition, painter Lori Larusso and mixed-media artist Melissa Vandenburg explore Americana imagery with works during a three-month residency at the Loudon House.
CSA Harvest Party. Oct. 24. Get your share! LAL's Community Supported Art (CSA) program celebrates its Fall Harvest. Modeled after agricultural CSA programs, each CSA crop features nine works of limited edition art by celebrated local artists. Shares are available to purchase in advance via the Lexington Art League’s website.
Interstruct. Fall 2014. This collaborative event will place responsive new work by artists in non-art spaces throughout the city, with a focus on experimentation and transformation.
Black Friday. Dec. 5-6. The Lexington Art League’s annual winter art sale features regional artworks all priced at $50 and under.
Lyric Theatre Gallery & Museum
300 E. 3rd St.
Gallery hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.;
1-5 p.m. Sat.
www.lexingtonlyric.com
Black Roots: Art Creations. Through Oct. 11. Organized by The Lyric, this exhibition features several noted African American artists, including Gary Bibbs, Bianca Spriggs, Sonja Brooks, Angel Clark and more, most of whom reside in the Lexington area. Consisting of a variety of mediums, the collection expresses how Kentucky’s diverse culture and unique history have influenced each artist’s work.
Morlan Gallery
Gallery hours: noon-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.
Mitchell Fine Arts Center
300 North Broadway
Lexington, KY
Transylvania University
www.transy.edu/morlan
Street Tested: Kentucky Graffiti Artists. Sept. 12-Oct. 17. Curated by Lexington’s Dronex, this exhibition features tags, illustrations and writing by five graffiti artists from Kentucky. This foray into urban art will coincide with PRHBTN’s latest mural installations in Lexington from world-renowned street artists Roa, How and Nosm and more. (Opening reception 5-8 p.m., Sept. 12; LexArts Gallery Hop reception 5-8 p.m., Sept. 19; artist talk with Andrew Hem 5:30 p.m., Sept. 24 at the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning.)
Rural Women Exh_Morlan Gallery
Rural Women: Photographs by Maxine Payne. Oct. 29-Dec. 2. Maxine Payne works with anthropologist Anne Goldberg to create oral and visual documentation of rural women from locations around the world. (Opening reception 5-8 p.m., Oct. 29; LexArts Gallery Hop reception 5-8 p.m., Nov. 21.)
DWELLINGS: Contemplating Home, House, and Neighborhood (featuring Libby Rowe). Jan. 14-Feb. 20, 2015. Texas artist Libby Rowe deconstructs notions of home, house, and neighborhood in this one-person exhibition that features photography and sculpture. In three major works, Inside/Out, (sub)Division, and Dwell, Rowe cleverly casts a fresh gaze on the façade-like quality of the American home, questions the success of the urban subdivision, and considers the philosophical meaning of “dwellings.” (Opening reception 5-7 p.m., Jan. 14; artist talk with Libby Rowe 12:30 p.m, Jan. 20.)
Functional Clay: Works that Contain. March 2- 27, 2015 (by appointment only the week of March 9). Curated by Michael Frasca, “Functional” is an exhibition of nationally recognized ceramic artists who earn their livings by creating vessels for everyday use and pleasure. The works contain the “things of life” and are an exploration of form, surface and the space within. The artists use a broad range of techniques for making, glazing and firing.
Functional is the first part of a two-part ceramic exhibition. The second, in 2016, will be titled “Conceptual Clay: Works that Confound” and will feature sculptural non-functional clay artworks. (LexArts Gallery Hop reception, 5-8 p.m., March 20.)
Senior Thesis. April 6- 17, 2015. Transylvania University Bachelor of Fine Arts students showcase their best work in this culminating exhibition. (Opening reception, 5-8 p.m., April 6; artist talks by the graduating seniors, day and time TBA.)
Juried Student Show. May 1-15, 2015. Art majors and non-art majors alike contribute work in a wide variety of media to this joyful exploration of creativity. (Opening reception 5-7 p.m., May 1; LexArts Gallery Hop 5-8 p.m., May 15.)
M.S. Rezny Studio/Gallery
Page Turner_TinyToes
Gallery hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and by appointment
903 Manchester St.
www.msrezny.com
Remnants. Sept. 2-30. Amanda J. Cawby, Melissa T. Hall and Page Turner will display works of photography and sculpture that express a shared fascination with traces left behind by others. (Artist reception, 5-8 p.m., Sept. 19.)
Connecting Fibers. Oct. 1- 31. Six regional contemporary artists explore color and texture through a variety of techniques and inspiration. Artists include Stacey Chinn, Justine Dennis, Janice A. Durham, Arturo Alonzo Sandoval, Laverne Zabielski and Jennifer Zurick. (Artist reception, 2-4 p.m., Oct. 5.)
Totems, Tales and Toons. Nov. 1-30. The secret life of the pencil will be revealed through cartoons by Chris Brannock and Kathy Rees Johnson’s paintings will be about people, plants and places that populate the storylines of her life. (Artist reception in conjunction with LexArts Gallery Hop, 5-8 p.m., Nov. 21.)
Holiday Revels. Dec. 2-31. A group exhibition of artwork by 2014 featured gallery artists, including Rene M. Hales, Melissa T. Hall, Kathy Rees Johnson, Marco Logsdon, Kathleen O’Brien, Mary Rezny, Michael Wayne and Laverne Zabielski. (Artist reception 2-4 p.m., Dec. 7.)
UK Art Museum
Gallery hours: 12-5 p.m. Wed.-Sun. (open until 8 p.m. Fri.)
405 Rose St.
Lexington, KY
(859) 257-5716
finearts.uky.edu/art-museum
Madmen and Moonbeams: Fanciful Faces of Kurt Vonnegut. Sept. 6-Dec. 23. Organized by art history graduate student Courtney Anich, this exhibition features silkscreens by the cult author Kurt Vonnegut, printed here in Lexington by Joe Petro III. Through the use of bold lines and careful color choices, Vonnegut’s portraits avail to the viewer another perspective of his creative process.
Laura Nakadate: Strangers and Relations. Sept. 6-Dec. 23. In conjunction with the Robert C. May Photography Lecture Series, photographer Laura Nakadate will exhibit her portraits of two groups of people. Nakadate contacted her “strangers” through friends and social media, while her “Relations” subjects were discovered through DNA tests that Nakadate took to uncover data about her mother’s family history. (Opening reception 5:30 p.m., Sept. 11. Lecture: 4 p.m., Oct. 10, Worsham Theatre)
Take My Word for It. Sept. 6-Dec. 23. This group exhibition examines how artists directly engage the viewer through language. Ed Ruscha, Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holtzer and others address topics from poetics and politics in this manner through an equally wide range of mediums.
Theater & Performance
Balagula Theatre
All performances take place at Balagula’s new home unless otherwise noted.
Lexington Public Library’s Farish Theater
140 E. Main St.
Lexington, Kentucky
www.balagula.com
“Drinking In America” Sept. 17-19, 21-25. Shows at 7 p.m. This blisteringly funny series of monologues and portriats looks at what turns people on — alcohol, drugs, sex, power — and savagely dissects their willing intoxication.
“The Mystery of Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadful” Oct. 15-17, 22-25, 28-31. Shows at 7 p.m. except Oct. 25 (show at 2 p.m.). Liberally stealing from well-known film classics like “Wuthering Heights,” “The Mummy’s Curse” and Hitchcock’s “Rebecca,” with dialogue lifted from Ibsen, Shakespeare, and Poe, “Irma” is a tour de force for Ryan Case and Shayne Brakefield, who play all eight characters while racing through 35 quick changes and 80 exits and entrances in a two-hour marathon.
“Venus in Fur” Nov. 28-30, Dec. 4-7. Shows at 7 p.m. except Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 (shows at 2 p.m.) Playwright Thomas Novachek is at a loss. There are simply no actresses talented enough to play his leading lady. Then in walks Vanda, a mysterious siren with the uncanny ability to inhabit his character. All bets are off when the audition quickly escalates into a seductive power play. With loads of cheek and a hint of the erotic, “Venus in Fur” keeps the audience on the edge of their seat.
“Friends” Jan. 21-24, 28-31. Shows at 7 p.m. An absurdist drama about the gradual destruction of the individual. A family enters the apartment of a young man and announces that they will save him from his loneliness by living with him. Slowly, they destroy everything, in the cheerful psychotic name of “brotherly love.”
“Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” Feb. 20-23, 27, March 2. Showtimes TBA. (Downtown Arts Center, 141 E. Main St.) The lives of two American Marines and an Iraqi translator are forever changed by an encounter with a quick-witted tiger that haunts the streets of war-torn Baghdad, attempting to find meaning, forgiveness and redemption amidst the city's ruins.
“Bernard and Bosie: A Most Unlikely Friendship” March 13 (7 p.m.) and March 14 (2 p.m.). The play explores the complex relationship between literary giant George Bernard Shaw and the poet Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas (the intimate friend of Oscar Wilde) through their letters to one another in the 1930s and 1940s.
“Harold and Maude” May 15-18, 22-25. Showtimes TBA. (Downtown Arts Center, 141 E. Main St.) A suicidal 19-year-old boy finally learns how to truly live when he meets a delightfully wacky octogenarian.
Broadway LIVE
Lexington Opera House
401 W. Short St.
(859) 233-4567
www.lexingtonoperahouse.com.
Unless otherwise noted, show times are 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 and 6 p.m. Sundays.
“Elf” Nov. 14-16. The hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole, based on the beloved 2003 movie starring Will Ferrell.
“Guys and Dolls” Jan. 23-25, 2015. Bustling with gamblers, gangsters, and sassy showgirls and set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, this oddball romantic comedy is considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, featuring a cast of vivid characters who have become legends in the canon.
“Peter and the Starcatcher” Feb. 6-8, 2015. A magical evening of madcap fun. Hailed by The New York Times as “the most exhilarating storytelling on Broadway in decades,” this Tony-winning comedy — a swashbuckling prequel to Peter Pan — takes a hilarious romp through the Neverland you never knew.
“The Great Gatsby” March 13-15, 2015. The sweep, poetry and grandeur of America’s most celebrated novel comes to life in the Montana Repertory Theatre’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, adapted by Simon Levy.
“Sister Act” April 24-26, 2015. Featuring original music by eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Little Shop of Horrors”), “Sister Act” tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a wannabe diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a crime and the cops hide her in the last place anyone would think to look — a convent.
EKU Center for the Arts
1 Hall Drive, Richmond, Ky.
(859) 662-7469
www.ekucenter.com
Note: This is just a handful of some of the highlights for EKU Center’s 2014-2015 season. Visit their website or www.tadoo.com for a full listing of events. Show times at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, Sept. 4
Gaelic Storm, Sept. 17
Crystal Gayle and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sept. 19
An Evening with Garrison Keillor, Sept. 25
Ben Sollee, Oct. 16
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Christmas, Dec. 12
Gregory Porter, Feb. 7, 2015
Alton Brown Live: Edible Inevitable Tour, Feb. 11, 2015
“The Price is Right: Live!”, Feb. 18, 2015
Kodo — One Earth Tour: Mystery, Feb. 28, 2015
Kronos Quartet: WWI Chronicles, March 19, 2015
“Rave On! The Buddy Holly Experience”, March 26, 2015
David Sedaris, April 14, 2015
Roseanne Cash, April 25, 2015
Lexington Philharmonic
Various locations.
www.lexphil.org.
(859) 233-4226.
Bolero & Barnatan. Sept. 20. Singletary Center for the Arts. Pianist Inon Barnatan, recently appointed the New York Philharmonic’s first Artist-in-Association, joins LexPhil for Tchaikovsky’s iconic Piano Concerto No. 1. Gershwin’s “Cuban Overture” completes the evening with Cuban rhythms, followed by French composer Ravel’s “Alborada del gracioso” and “Bolero.”
Heroes: Eroica & Icarus. Oct. 17-18. Lexington Opera House. Music by minimalist composer Phillip Glass makes its first appearance on a LexPhil program with the narrated film “Icarus: At the Edge of Time,” a multimedia experience in film and orchestral score, featuring narration by Kentucky poet laureate Frank X Walker at the Lexington Opera House.
Carmina Burana. Nov. 14. Singletary Center for the Arts. LexPhil will be joined by a combined mass choir of regional collegiate choral groups from EKU, Berea College, Transylvania University, UK, with a SCAPA children’s’ choir and soloists at the Singletary Center for the Arts for a grand presentation of Orff’s “Carmina Burana” paired with Scriabin’s symphonic poem, “The Poem of Ecstasy.”
Tchaikovsky & Crouching Tiger. Feb. 13, 2015. Singletary Center for the Arts. Guest conductor Kayoko Dan kicks off the second half of the 2014-2015 season with music for cello composed by contemporary Chinese composer, Tan Dun, inspired by his Oscar-winning film score “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” The piece features LexPhil principal cellist Benjamin Karp, and is presented alongside Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” and Tchaikovsky’s classic “Symphony No. 2.”
Ainadamar — Fountain of Tears. April 17-18, 2015. Lexington Opera House. Osvaldo Golijov's contemporary Spanish-language concert-opera, “Ainadamar — Fountain of Tears” is presented at the Lexington Opera House in a first-time collaboration with Kentucky Opera. Focusing on the lasting impact of the poet Lorca on generations of artists around the world, Golijov's score highlights tango, Flamenco, and Klezmer styles in a multi-media program of orchestral music, opera, dance and visual imagery.
Symphonie Fantastique. May 15, 2015. Singletary Center for the Arts. The season closes with a celebration of great Romantic works: an excerpt from the colorful “The Garden of Cosmic Speculation” by contemporary American composer Michael Gandolfi; Sibelius’ “Violin Concerto, op. 47” (featuring violinist Alexandre da Costa); and the season closer, Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique.”
Special LexPhil Concerts: Messiah. Dec. 6, 2015. Cathedral of Christ the King. The annual performance of Handel’s “Messiah” will feature The Lexington Chamber Chorale and the following soloists: Jennifer Zetlan, soprano; Ryan Belongie, countertenor; Aaron Blake, tenor; David Williams, baritone.
New Year’s Eve Celebration. Dec. 31, 2015. Lexington Opera House. New to the season this year is a cabaret-themed New Year’s Eve Celebration featuring German singer and actress Ute Lempur.
Lexington Singers
Performances held at various locations.
www.lexsing.org
“All That Jazz” 8 p.m. Oct. 18. Haggin Auditorium. The Lexington Singers and trumpeter Vince DiMartino will play the music of Jay Flippin.
UK Holiday Collage Concert. Dec. 6-7. Singletary Center for The Arts . Rejoice in the holiday spirit at the 17th annual “Collage” concerts presented by University of Kentucky Choirs.
Handel’s “Messiah” 8 p.m., Dec. 12. Singletary Center for the Arts. Featuring a rare Lexington appearance by tenor Gregory Turay, hailed by the London Times as “one of the brightest natural talents to have emerged from the U.S. in recent years.”
“A Time of Peace” 8 p.m., April 10, 2015. Centenary United Methodist Church. The Lexington Singers, along with The Lexington Singers Children's Choir will present the world premiere of a work commissioned by Rollo Dilworth to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the ending of the American Civil War.
Classic Rock Pops. 7 p.m. May 30, 2015. The Lexington Center. The Lexington Singers, along with The Lexington Singers Children's Choir, will lay down the beat with The Torques, one of Lexington's most successful and popular rock bands.
Norton Center for the Arts
600 West Walnut St.,
Danville, Ky.
www.nortoncenter.com.
All shows start at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
The President’s Own U.S. Marine Band, Sept. 4
Recycled Percussion, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Smash Mouth, Sept. 27
Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer, Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m.
Lara St. John & Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Oct. 11
ZZ Top, Oct 24, 8:30 p.m.
Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Nov. 7
Wynonna & The Big Noise, Dec. 6
Paul Taylor Dance Company, Jan 27, 7:30 p.m.
Cyrille Aimee, Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m.
Japanese Winter Plum Festival, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m.
“I Love Lucy” Onstage, Feb. 21
Cameron Carpenter, Feb. 27
Aquila Theatre: “Wuthering Heights”, March 6
Memphis, March 27
Bill Engvall, April 11
Kentucky Ballet
All performances are at the
Lexington Opera House,
301 W. Short St.
(859) 252-5245
www.kyballet.com
“La Sylphide” Oct. 24-25
“The Night Before Christmas” Dec. 27-28
“Beauty and The Beast” March 28 -29
“Cinderella” May 30-31
Singletary Center for The Arts Signature Series
405 Rose St.
(859) 257-4929
www.scfatix.com.
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue. 7:30 p.m., Sept. 12. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews is a rare artist who can draw both the unqualified respect of jazz legends and deliver a high-energy show capable of mesmerizing audiences worldwide.
Branford Marsalis. 3 p.m., Oct. 26. A Grammy award-winning and Tony award-nominated saxophonist and composer.
Diego Garcia. 7:30 p.m., Nov. 15. Drawing from his Argentine roots, Garcia explores his Latin heritage with a sound that conjures the spirit of 1970s troubadours like Sandro and Jobim, as well as singer-songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Harry Nilsson.Tomaseen Foley’s “A Celtic Christmas” 7:30 p.m., Dec. 21. “A Celtic Christmas” re-creates the joy and innocence of a night before Christmas in a remote farmhouse in the parish of Teampall an Ghleanntáin in the west of Ireland.
Joshua Bell. 7:30 p.m., April 3. Often referred to as the “poet of the violin,” Bell is one of the world's most celebrated violinists.
Studio Players
Carriage House Theatre
154 W. Bell Ct., Lexington
Curtains at 8 p.m. opening night, Fridays and Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays
(859) 257-4929
scfatickets.com
studioplayers.org
“Leading Ladies” Sept. 18-21, 26-28; Oct. 3-5. Two down-on-their-luck Shakespearean actors, Jack and Leo, hatch a get-rich-quick plot that casts them in the most challenging roles they’ve ever taken on: Maxine and Stephanie. Written by Ken Ludwig; directed by Marty Wayman.
“And Then There Were None” Nov. 13-16, 21-23, 28-30 First there were 10, and then there were none. If no one survived, who is the guilty one? Directed by Gary McCormick, the book on which this play is based is widely considered to be Agatha Christie’s masterpiece. Adapted by Christie for stage in 1943.
“Agnes of God” Jan. 15-18, 23-25, 30; Feb.1, 2015. Little lamb, who made thee? Pray, tell the Mother Superior. Pray, tell the psychologist. Little lamb, who killed thee? (This play by John Pielmeier and directed by Paul Thomas contains mature themes.)
“What Would Jesus Pack?” March 12-15, 20-22, 27-29, 2015. When a holy war erupts between a gun advocate and an evangelical fundraiser, a U.S. senator gets caught in the comic crossfire in this play by Ross Carter. Directed by Eric Seale.
“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” May 7-10, 15-17, 22-24, 2015. Take some characters with names from Chekhov plays. Shake well. Stir in a gigolo and a young actress. Season with a cleaning lady who can tell the future and let the mixture simmer, laughing constantly. (Written by Christopher Durang and directed by Jenny Christian; this play contains mature themes.)
UK Opera Theatre
www.ukoperatheatre.org
One of the leading opera programs in the country, the UK Opera Theatre performs at various locations.
“Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” Oct. 4-12, Lexington Opera House. UK Opera Theatre presents Stephen Sondheim’s maniacal masterpiece “Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” directed by one of the country’s most in-demand young directors, Richard Gammon.
“The Tales of Hoffmann” March 5-8, Lexington Opera House. A first in UK Opera Theatre history, Jacques Offenbach’s French fantasy “The Tales of Hoffmann” will be presented.
“It’s a Grand Night For Singing” June 12-21, Singletary Center for the Arts. The 23rd annual production of the Broadway, cinema and Billboard hits revue takes the stage for six performances.
UK Theatre Department
Guignol Theatre, 114 Fine Arts Building (located on Rose Street). For tickets and showtimes, visit finearts.uky.edu or call (859) 257-4929.
“Dancing at Lughnasa” Oct. 2-12. Set in the fictional rural village of Ballybeg, Ireland, the young narrator recounts the summer of 1936 with his brave and loving mother and her four sisters.
“Much Ado About Nothing” Nov. 20-23. A joyful story of romance with two very dissimilar pairs of lovers at the forefront.
“39 Steps” Feb. 19-March 1, 2015. A comedic take on Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic thriller, adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan. Four actors play more than 100 characters in this clever whodunit that revels in its absurdity.
“Cabaret” April 16-26, 2015. Set in 1930s Berlin as the Third Reich gains momentum, the young Sally Bowles and the provocative emcee welcome guests to the infamous Kit-Kat Klub, where decadence and debauchery delight.
Literature & Film
Carnegie Classics
Kentucky Great Writers Series. Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning. 251 West Second St. www.carnegiecenterlex.org. Kentucky Great Writers Series celebrates the works of new and veteran Kentucky writers alike. Taking place at the Carnegie Center, the events begin with an open mic at 7 p.m. (come early to sign up) and featured readings beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 14. Featuring Lisa Williams (reading from “Gazelle in the House”), Courtney Stevens (reading from “Faking Normal”), and Don Lichtenfelt (reading from “Goodbye Lake Huron”).
Feb. 10, 2015. Featuring writers Marijean Wall (reading from “Madame Belle: Sex, Money, and Influence in a Southern Brothel”), Julie Kibler (reading from “Calling Me Home”), and Fred Minnick (reading from “Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey”).
April 14, 2015. Featuring Joe Survant (reading from “The Land We Dreamed”), Holler Poets Founder Eric Scott Sutherland (reading from “Pendulum”), and Al Smith Fellow Erin Keane (reading from “Demolition of the Promised Land”).
June 2, 2015. Featuring Jacinda Townsend (reading from “Saint Monkey”), Arna Bontemps Hemenway (reading from “Elegy for Kinderklavier”), ands Molly Harper (reading from “Better Homes and Hauntings”).
Carnegie Classics: “Catcher in the Rye.” 7 p.m., Nov. 7. Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning. 251 West Second St. www.carnegiecenterlex.org. The Carnegie Classics series uses literature as a jumping off point to tickle all the senses, with elaborate events that employ fashion, visual art, music and performance to evoke a classic work of literature. For this year’s third annual event, the literary center’s historic building will transform into a tribute to J.D. Salinger’s 1951 novel “Catcher in the Rye.” With an open bar, New York-style street food, live music by Jessie Laine Powell and her jazz trio and visual and performance art designed to elicit Holden Caulfield’s New York City in the 1940s, the Carnegie Center will become a wonderland for literati and lovers of a great party alike. Late ‘40s period attire encouraged but not required.
Kentucky Women Writers Conference. Sept. 12-13. Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning and other venues. www.womenwriters.as.uky.edu. What started in 1979 as a celebration of women writers at the University of Kentucky has become the longest running annual festival of women writers in the nation, featuring workshops, keynote speakers, poetry slams, literary readings and other events. This year’s event features guests Ellen Hagan, Kim Edwards, Joy Castro, Sarah Combs, Jill McCorkle, Tracy K. Smith and more. Special community events include the Wild Women of Poetry Slam (6:30 p.m. Saturday at Transylvania University’s Carrick Theatre); a 90-second Open mic (5:30 p.m. Saturday at Natasha’s Bistro); and more.
Festivals & More
DAYANI CRISTAL latino film fest
Lex Latino Film Fest. Sept. 18-20. www.kentuckytheatre.com. In conjunction with the annual Festival de Latino and inspired by the annual San Diego Latino Film Festival, the inaugural Latino Film Fest features screenings of Latino-produced four films over three days at the historic Kentucky Theatre. Films include “Rudo & Cursi,” a a comedy about two Mexican boys who find fame as soccer stars (Sept. 18); “Who is Dayani Cristal?,” a docu-drama about a young Central American immigrant who disappears in the Arizona desert (Sept. 19); “Sombras de Azul,” a romance about a young Mexican woman who traverses Havana, Cuba in the wake of her brother’s suicide (Sept. 17 and 20); and the centerpiece film “Avenues,” a drama about an east L.A. man trying to reintegrate into his gang-centered neighborhood after a stint in prison (showing all three days, with an appearance and Q&A with director Aaref Rodriguez and star Hector Atreyu Ruiz on Friday, Sept. 19).
Chinese Moon Festival. 4-8 p.m., Sept. 6. Moondance Amphitheatre, 1152 Monarch Dr. www.kycaa.org. Presented by the Kentucky Chinese American Association, this free annual celebration of Chinese culture features mini Chinese language lessons, cooking demonstrations, crafts, inflatables and a petting zoo and other family activities. An annual highlight is the moon cake competition, where attendees can taste and judge the Chinese pastries that are typically eaten during the moon festival, which is a traditional Chinese festival held in conjunction with the full moon.
Josephine Sculpture Park Fall Arts Festival. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sept. 14. 3355 Lawrenceburg Rd. Frankfort, Ky. www.josephinesculpturepark.org/content/fall-arts-festival. The JSP Fall Arts Festival is a free event geared to connect community, arts and land through a variety of artistic experiences, including live music from duos Jeri Katherine Howell and Nat Colten, and Karin Pulliam and Victoria Roehl. Local artists and organizations will conduct free demonstrations and workshops, where participants can try their hands printmaking, community sculpture, pottery wheel, fabric dyeing, art scavenger hunts and more. Additional activities include hot air balloon rides, food vendors, guided tours, face-painting and more.
Japan Summer Festival
Japan Summer Festival. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sept. 13. Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza. www.jask.org/festival. Now in its eighth year, the Japan Summer Festival has become Kentucky’s largest celebration of Japanese culture, food, and fun. Attendees can try traditional Japanese origami, try on a kimono and get their name written in Japanese. Kids and adults alike can have fun at the Japanese games booth and traditional workshop area. The event features Japanese food and goods as well as Japanese and local beer and a variety of stage performances.
Lexington Roots & Heritage Festival. Sept. 5-7. Elm Tree Lane between Short and Fourth Streets. www.rootsfestky.com. For more than 25 years, downtown Lexington’s Roots & Heritage Festival has celebrated diversity with this street fair taking place the weekend after Labor Day, complete with live music, art, a parade (11 a.m. Saturday), an African American marketplace and other live entertainment. This year’s music headliners include blues singer Nellie Travis (Friday); Philadelphia soul and R&B group Harold Melvin’s Bluenotes; and 1980’s funk band Lakeside, known for their hit “Fantastic Voyage.”
Festival Latino de Lexington. 5-11 p.m., Sept. 19 and 4-11 p.m., Sept. 20. (859) 288-2925. www.flacaky.com. Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza. With an average of 30,000 attendees, Festival Latino transforms the Lexington Courthouse Plaza into a version of its own Latin American country each year, with two days of Latino celebrations and fun for all ages and nationalities. This year, Friday night’s “Salsa night” will include live music from the Costa Rican salsa band Calle8, an opening ceremony with fireworks and a parade of flags highlighting more than 30 Latino countries, and more. Saturday (“Mexican night”) will feature live performances from individual countries, salsa at the 5/3 Pavilion at Cheapside Park and more. Live music and dance, youth activities, cultural presentations and vendors, informational booths, authentic cuisine and more will be weaved throughout the entire weekend. Admission is free.
Christ The King Oktoberfest. Sept. 19-20. Cathedral of Christ the King. 229 Colony Blvd. www.ctkoktoberfest.com. Celebrating over 30 years, Christ the King’s annual Oktoberfest features food, games, a beer garden, kids’ activities and live music from local, regional and nationally touring acts, all supporting the parish’s outreach and programs. This year’s music line-up includes The Smithereens, The Fixx, Thumper and the Plaid Rabbits, Rebel Without a Cause and more.
Crave Lexington. Noon-11 p.m. Sept. 13, noon-6 p.m. Sept. 24. Moondance Amphitheatre, 1152 Monarch St. www.cravelexington.com. This second annual food and music festival produced by Smiley Pete Publishing (this magazine’s parent company) features dozens of food vendors, two days of live music (including The Features, Brian Owens, Coralee & the Townies, Bluegrass Collective and more), kids’ activities, cooking demonstrations, special ticketed culinary events and more. Free admission; check out the special section in this magazine for a full schedule and more information.