Arizona Theatre Company will be presenting the Tony Award-winning comedy and Best Play of 2009, God of Carnage.
Playing at their Phoenix location, Herberger Theatre Center, November 17 to December 4, God of Carnage is a play that explores the world of modern marriage, modern families and modern conflict resolution
Based on the old saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me," this play proves the opposite to be true as two families sit down to discuss their children's behaviors after one hits the other at a nearby park.
The parents of the two boys quickly act out worse than their children in a hilarious look at what happens when people quickly move from political correctness to character assassination.
Written by Yasmina Reza and directed by Rick Lombardo, the play comes from the author of Art, and is currently playing at the theatre's Tucson location, Temple of Music and Art, until November 12.
Tickets are available online starting at $28 each. Prices vary depending on date, time, seat and location. Both Matinee and evening performances are scheduled.
Group sales and student tickets are also available.
The Nutcracker makes its seasonal return to Ballet Arizona and the Symphony Hall stage this December. From December 9 - 24, the Phoenix Symphony will help bring the traditional ballet and its magical elements to life along with Ib Andersen's choreography and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's holiday score.
Praised by the New York Times as one of the best discoveries of writer Alastair Macaulay's Nutcracker marathon, Ballet Arizona will present eighteen performances of their holiday show, whose brand new production began in 2006.
"Director Ib Andersen chose a team of top designers from throughout the theater world to create a magical, grand-scale Nutcracker exploding with holiday charm and wonder," reads Arizona Ballet's website.
Fabio Toblini, whose work spans ballets, plays and operas, lends his expertise as the production's costume designer. His resume is speckled with well-known productions such as A Christmas Carol, Sherlock Holmes and Macbeth. Other theatre experts, including Michael Korsch and Carey Wong, are involved as well.
Tickets can be purchased online, ranging from $20 to $135 per ticket. Tickets may also be purchased through the box office, (602) 381-1096. Tickets for the Nutcracker are not available as part of the season subscription.
Daddy Long Legs is scheduled to play at the Arizona Theatre Company’s Phoenix location, Herberger Theatre Center, from December 29 to January 15, 2012.
Based on the book of the same name, The Los Angeles Times calls Daddy Long Legs, "completely winning."
The story of a young girl and her Cinderella-esque life is told through letters between the orphan and her mysterious benefactor.
From Tony Award-winning directors and creators of plays such as Les Miserables and Jane Eyre, the heart-warming musical has already been the recipient of multiple awards including Ovation Awards for Best Score and Lead Actress in an Original Musical.
Based on the novel by Jean Webster, Daddy Long Legs features music and lyrics by Paul Gordon.
Performances are also scheduled for the theatre's Tucson location, Temple of Music and Art, from November 26 to December 17.
Tickets can be purchased online starting at $32 each. Prices vary depending on date, time, seat and location. Both Matinee and evening performances are scheduled.
Group sales and student tickets are also available.
Beer-drinkers, brat-eaters and German culture-lovers gathered on September 24 in downtown Chandler for its 4th Annual Downtown Chandler Oktoberfest. Complete with patrons decked out in lederhosen, traditional German polka music and local brews, this was by far the most successful Oktoberfest in Downtown Chandler yet, according to Landon Evans, owner and creative director of HDE Agency who produced the event.
Among booths from local vendors were little surprises that made Chandler's Oktoberfest stand out. Beer X Games, tricycle races and a kid zone complete with an inflatable bouncy slide were among the entertainment.
"Beer X games was definitely a highlight," Evans said.
Among the games were beer pong, bratwurst eating, keg stacking, keg rolling, stein races and corn hole toss - more games than ever before.
And the beer, of course, was a big hit, with 102 kegs and 12,800 beers served.
"We had a better assortment of local craft's beers from the Drink Local Family [this year]," Evans said.
Joe Fontes said he and girlfriend Kelly Williams came to the event in large part because they are big fans of the San Tan Brewery.
Among the breweries featured in the Drink Local Family were Papago Brewing Company, Sonoran Brewing Company, Grand Canyon Brewing Company and the events host, San Tan Brewery.
And despite the feature of San Tan Brewery's seasonal brew, Oktoberfest, the most popular beer of the night was their Devil's Ale.
"This is a community event and a lot of our proceeds that are raised for this event help the local community," said Evans, who stressed the Traditional German Festival was an event built for the community to spend a beautiful day in the park with music, food and beer.
Another big difference this year was taking their musical entertainment to a national level, Evans said, with the platinum-selling rock band Lit headlining the event.
"We had a national act performing, we've never done that in years past... and we believe that helped with out attendance and interest," Evans said.
But the boys of Lit, whose new album is scheduled for release in early 2012, were happy to do it and although it was their first time performing in Chandler, they are no strangers to the state.
"We love Arizona," said lead vocalist A. Jay Popoff, who was featured in last month's issue of Arizona Sports & Lifestyle magazine.
And aside from their performance, Bassist Kevin Baldes said his reasons for coming to the show included food, beer and good-looking women.
"If I was at home, I'd be drinking a beer," said Baldes, who added he enjoyed the Cream Ale and San Tan's IPA, along with the jalapeno brats at the festival.
Local eateries like Von Hanson Meats of Chandler and Chandler BBQ Co. served up plates of brats and BBQ while other local eateries served hot dogs, funnel cakes, kennel corn and snow cones, including a special Charlie-Sheen inspired flavor entitled Tiger Blood.
With twice as many patrons this year than last, Evans said this year's event trumped last year's traditional German festival. "[There were] a lot more celebratory patrons...more families and German enthusiasts."
Wish You Had Been There - Tommy Bahama/Four Peaks Brewing Company Beer-Pairing Dinner
On October 18th, Tommy Bahama hosted a very special beer-pairing dinner, with Four Peak Brewing Company supplying the exceptional hometown brew selections. The dinner came together rather quickly from the planning stages and Four Peak Brewing General Manager Joe Fusaro said they discussed doing the paring dinner "......and then the chef went crazy putting the menu together.' Perhaps the menu was less crazy and more innovative. The food perfectly paired with the beers and each course was entirely oustanding.
We started things off with a casual reception and a sampler glass of Sunrise Ale. It was light, crisp and refreshing;a perfect way to kick off the evening. The first course was an Ale-braised Kobe Beef Slider on a house-made beer bread topped with spicy pickled vegetables and a whole-grain mustard. It was paired with what Four Peaks Lead Brewer, Jim Roper called a " session beer". The beer, also known as ' 8th Street Ale' has a lower alcohol content. The pairing was mellow and good lead-off for the meal.
We dined on the Tommy Bahama open, upstairs veranda while the sun sank down behind the mountains. Our group enjoyed a little slice of desert nirvana as we awaited our next course. The second round was our favorite. Almond, roasted banana butter lined a honeyed, brioche toast with crisp and salted, thick-sliced bacon. The four bite-sized sandwich was the perfect size and paired nicely with the Hefeweizen, Bavarian Style wheat ale, which imparted hints of banana and clove.
Beer Traffic Controller at Four Peaks Brewery (yes, that's a real title), Ted Golden said, "
We're celebrating the Four Peaks Eats Tour. This is our second stop. I'm very impressed with the menu Chef Kouri has put together." Golden went on to explain how the brand continues to expand and has more canned and bottled beers available in places all across the valley. They continue to establish their dominance on the national brewing scene.
Up next was a Seafood Brat made with Tiger Shrimp and Scallops and topped with Pickled Citrus Relish, House Beer Mustard and Aioli. It was served with a Scottish Style Ale, Kilt Lifter. After that, was the Lavender Pink Grapefruit Duck served with Hop Knot Stewed Tomatoes and Seven Herb Pomme Frites. Paired with Hop Knot, IPA beer, this was probably the best duck dish our group had ever had.
Finally, it was time for dessert, featuring a Pumpkin Porter beer. Sandwiched in between two homemade Pumpkin Cookies, was a House Made pumpkin Spice Gelato topped with a sliver of salted Caramel. Executive Chef Kouri Killmeier and the entire crew at Four Peaks Brewery did an exceptional job of presenting their very best offerings.
Welcome to AZ Sports & Lifestyle Magazine, the state's premier sports and lifestyle online publication. We cover it all, from sports and golf to music, movies and dining.
