Show-stopping performances from Can’t Miss Alabama take the boredom out of a winter weekend
International opera star Angela Brown will be featured in 'Opera…from a Sistah’s Point of View' with other emerging, young Black opera stars. (contributed)
Exciting shows take the winter chill out of the air.
Opera Birmingham on computer, laptop, phone or tablet
Enjoy Opera Birmingham’s production of “Opera … from a Sistah’s Point of View,” featuring world-renowned soprano Angela Brown. The opera star blows up the preconceived expectations by mixing show-stopping arias, poignant art songs and moving spirituals with tongue-in-cheek commentary from a Black perspective. The show leaves no doubt of the ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic diversity depicted in opera characters, breaking down barriers for audiences that wouldn’t necessarily include opera as a part of their entertainment options. Brown’s multi-genre career has been lauded on the front page of The New York Times, CNN, CBS, in Oprah Magazine and Reader’s Digest after engagements spanning six continents. Her vocal artistry is featured on the two-time Grammy Award-winning recording “Ask Your Mama.” The concert also showcases emerging, young Black opera stars Briana Hunter, Jamez McCorkle, Victoria Okafor and Reginald Smith Jr., accompanied by Marie-France Lefebvre on piano. Selections will include “Dich, teure Halle” from Wagner’s “Tannhäuser,” “Ciel, mio padre!” from Verdi’s “Aida,” “Seguidilla” from Bizet’s “Carmen,” “Creole Girl,” “Ride On, King Jesus” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” among others. Stream the performances on computer, laptop, phone or tablet. Also, view the show on TV by connecting it to your MAC or PC with an HDMI cable or other streaming device with an internet connection beginning Jan. 29 through Feb. 7. Ticket prices start at $15 and are on the honor system based on the number of people watching the performance. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 205-322-6737.
“Showstopper! The Improvised Musical” online Saturday
Livestream “Showstopper! The Improvised Musical” from the comfort of your home Saturday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. The live production from Garrick Theatre in London’s West End will be 80 minutes long. The musical has been a rip-roaring success since 2008. It has had 11 sellout performance years at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, two West End runs, an Olivier Award and a BBC Radio 4 series. In the show, the audience meets a writer of musicals who is on a deadline and needs their help. The audience shouts out suggestions of a setting, musical styles and the title of the show and they’re off. The Showstopper team – cast and band – will then weave a brand new musical in front of the very eyes of the audience, complete with hilarious characters, fabulous dance routines, beautiful songs and epic story lines, all sprinkled with the pizzazz of a Broadway show.
Legends in Concert in Foley
This month, four Legends join on one stage at the OWA Theater in Foley to pay tribute to some of the biggest icons in British music: Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Rod Stewart and George Michael. Fans will experience Fernando Castro’s flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range tribute to Freddie Mercury, the late lead singer of Queen, while being mesmerized by the stunning wardrobe, vocals and musicianship of Stephen Sorrentino as the incomparable Elton John. Rob Caudill as Rod Stewart returns by popular demand after appearing in the inaugural lineup for the theater in 2019, and Michael Knight is back to pay homage to the late George Michael. Direct From London performances will run through Sunday, Feb. 7, at the OWA Theater Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at visitowa.com/tickets or by calling 251-369-6100.
Gulf Coast Comedy Fest at OWA
Get ready for a night of laughs at the annual Gulf Coast Comedy Fest featuring Brandon Styles’ “A Trip Down Memory Lane Dinner Show.” The live show features spot-on impressions and songs from your favorite classic artists. Enjoy a delicious meal and adult beverages – catered by OWA’s Groovy Goat restaurant – while Styles’ impersonations take you back in time. Tickets to the dinner show start at $42 (with VIP upgrades available) and include salad, main course, side, dessert and one drink of your choice. Group pricing is available upon request by contacting Brandon Styles Theater & Magic Shop. Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Saturday in January and February. The theater is between Alvin’s Island & Sassy Bass Amazin’ Grill at OWA in Foley.
Quilts in the Courtroom in Monroeville
The Monroe County Museum will showcase a variety of quilts on loan from around the region in an exhibit that is free. Quilts in the Courtroom will run Feb. 1-26, during the museum’s regular opening hours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Quilts will take center stage, adding lively patterns and vibrant splashes of color throughout the courtroom made famous by the film version of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Designs will range from the traditional to one-of-a-kind originals. Raffle tickets will be sold for the “Magnolias in Bloom” quilt donated by Wanda Fountaine and LuAnn Joswick of the Pensacola Quilt Guild. To purchase a raffle ticket, call 251-575-7433. Proceeds from the raffle will go toward support and maintenance of the Old Courthouse Museum. Proper protocols related to COVID-19 will be followed during the exhibit, such as social distancing and the wearing of masks or face coverings.
Sundance Film Festival online
The Sundance Film Festival is underway through Wednesday, Feb. 3. The festival offers engaging cinema including action, adventure, animation, biography, comedy, drama, experimental, horror, romance, science fiction and more. Click here for the complete program guide. Experience the festival online or in person. Learn more about ticket information here. Follow the event on Facebook. For complete details, visit festival.sundance.org. Registration is required.
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Birmingham Restaurant Week
The winter edition of Birmingham Restaurant Week (BRW) is underway through Sunday, Jan. 31. It features to-go and curbside pickup options as well as the traditional but limited dine-in, as pandemic health precautions are still mandated. With a variety of options, food and drink lovers with a taste for adventure can enjoy special two- and three-course breakfast, lunch and/or dinner menus ranging from $5 to $50 per person, making it easy and affordable for everyone to enjoy a taste of Birmingham’s diverse dishes and sips. Participating restaurants and menus are listed on the Eat/Drink page of the BRW website bhamrestaurantweek.com.
Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama
The Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama is an annual traveling juried event. The show is open to students throughout the state who have visual impairments, blindness or deaf blindness. The artists are of various ages and attend public, private, residential and home schools. The show provides artists an opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities. Children who participate in the show use various media to create their works. Art is included in the students’ academic curriculum in areas such as the development of communication skills using visual and tactical abilities, math, science, reading and leisure activities. The artwork emphasizes creativity, color and tactile media. Student artwork is exhibited in an open reception ceremony at the beginning of the year, then in museums and venues throughout the state. The art show will be on exhibit at the Shelby County Arts Council, 105 West College St. in Columbiana, until Thursday, Feb 25.
Dinosaur Adventure
Enjoy an all-new exhibit featuring realistic, life-size dinosaurs that come alive with movement and roars through Sunday, Feb. 14. Learn about Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Diplodocus and Velociraptor, and explore recent fossil finds with exciting discoveries. As part of Dinosaur Adventure at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, children of all ages will enjoy a variety of activities: fossil crafting, Jurassic Jeeps, themed obstacle courses and riding a dinosaur. The whole family will be amused by live entertainment featuring a walking dinosaur show and a baby dinosaur meet and greet. Tickets are sold on a per-day, per-time-slot basis and are valid for one vehicle of up to eight people. Vehicles must be no bigger than 20 feet long and 8 feet tall. If you would like the flexibility of arriving at any time, you may purchase an “anytime” ticket. All vehicles will follow the same one-way route through the fairgrounds. If the “pay now” button isn’t allowing you to click on it, change the address field to a different state and then change it back to Alabama. Tickets for this event are limited and must be purchased online. Learn more here.
Huntsville Museum of Art
Throughout January, enjoy exclusive exhibitions inspired by famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, and featuring paintings and memorable photos by fashion designer and socialite Gloria Vanderbilt at the Huntsville Museum of Art. While Kahlo died before she was 50 years old, her life and talents continue to inspire art admirers and artists alike. The exhibit is a tribute to Kahlo by more than 95 international artists who admire her work and reinterpret many aspects of her life in an array of media. The museum at 300 Church St. in Huntsville is open all week except Monday. Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-11, free for children younger than 6 and $10 for seniors age 60 and older. Call 256-535-4350 for more information.
Alabama Center for the Arts
The seventh annual juried Festival of the Cranes Exhibit is underway through Friday, Feb. 19, presented by the Alabama Center for the Arts in Decatur. The exhibit is a walking gallery held in conjunction with the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Association. The exhibit features artwork inspired by cranes and other wildlife. For more information about Festival of the Cranes, visit Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Association, Festival of the Cranes Facebook page or Festival of the Cranes at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. During normal hours, the Alabama Center for the Arts is free and open to the public Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon.
Bellingrath Gardens and Home
Winter Wednesday programs are open to the public through Wednesday, Feb. 24. Attendees will learn about plants that peak in the winter months, exhibiting showy flowers, evergreen foliage or interesting twigs and branching structure. These programs are included in general admission and are free to members of the Friends of Bellingrath. Sessions are from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. in the Magnolia Café, and reservations are required.
- Feb. 3 – Winter Garden Walk: Take a guided stroll to view numerous camellia varieties and new winter plantings, led by Barbara Smith, gardens display manager, and Chuck Owens, horticultural and operations director.
- Feb. 10 – Grow More, Give More: Learn the basics of vegetable gardening and how to get things started on the right foot with Jack LeCroy, regional extension agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Vegetable gardening can be a great activity for family, but it can also be very daunting if you aren’t sure where to start.
- Feb. 17 – Origins of Azaleas: Distinguished horticulturist Marten van der Giessen will give an overview of the types and provenance of the South’s most beloved flower.
- Feb. 24 – Cool and Crazy Plants at Bellingrath: Join Executive Director Todd Lasseigne, who has taken numerous plant-finding expeditions all over the world, to learn more about the exotics that thrive in the Gulf Coast climate.
To reserve, call 251-459-8868 or email astrickland@bellingrath.org. For discount information, visit bellingrath.org.
