Tucson Lifestyle • March 2020 • Preview

Reprises Riders of the Purple Sage, based on the famous Zane Grey Western novel, with sets by Ed Mell, music by Craig Bohmler and libretto by Steven Mark Kohn. See page 38 for details. Photo courtesy by Tim Trumble.

Tucson Wildlife Center Benefit Gala March 1 Featuring cocktails, a raffle, silent auction and live music by Amber Norgaard, this event will raise funds to benefit Tucson Wildlife Center, which rescues sick, injured and orphaned animals. 4:30 pm. Skyline Country Club. 290-9453

Arizona Renaissance Festival March 1-29 Taking place on a 30-acre, “16th century village” near Apache Junction, Arizona, this annual re-creation features everything from costumed performers to falconry to artisans demonstrating their skills. Food and drink available, and more than 200 shops selling merchandise. 10 am-6 pm. 463-2600. Arizonarenfestinfo.com.

Fox Tucson Theatre Events March 3-29 March 3: One Night of Queen. 7:30 pm. March 5-7: BANFF Mountain Film Festival. 7 pm. March 8: Buddy — The Buddy Holly Story. 3 pm. March 14: Altan. 7:30 pm. March 15: The Music of Cream — Disraeli Gears & Clapton Classics. 7 pm. March 22: Smile! Candid Camera and Host Peter Funt, Live On Stage. 3 pm. March 23: The Tap Pack. 7:30 pm. March 25: An Evening with Amy Grant. 7:30 pm. March 28: Atlanta Rhythm Section with Firefall. 7:30 pm. March 29: Bollywood Boulevard. 7 pm. Fox Tucson Theatre. 547-3040. Foxtucson.com.

Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention March 5-8 The theme of this year’s event is “Magic & Mystery,” and events will include contests, panels and workshops, street performers, absinthe tasting, and a concert by the Italian band Poison Garden. Old Tucson. Wildwestcon.com.

League of Women Voters Issues and Eggs Breakfast March 6 The moderator will be Jan Lesher, chief deputy county administrator for Pima County, and the panelists will be Hermina Frias, councilwoman for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Sadie Shaw, the president of the Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association, and Emily Morel, a senior at University High School. 7:30-9:30 am. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tucson — Reid Park. 327-7652. Lwvtucson.org.

Tucson Gran Fondo March 7 Cyclists of all skill levels gather for this “big ride” on courses that range from 76 miles down to 11 miles. A huge block party with live music, food and beer will follow on Scott Avenue. 8 am (first ride starts). Bikegaba.org.

Duets and Dinner March 8 The Tucson Girls Chorus Choirs team up with Melissa Vito, Monica Casper, Liz Baker, Rob Glaser, Mike Hammond and others to support the TGC. 4:30 pm (cocktails); 5:30-7:30 pm (dinner and show). Tucson Jewish Community Center. Tucsongirlschorus.com.

Tucson Festival of Books March 14-15 The annual event brings together authors, illustrators and publishers with the public for book signings, workshops, talks, and a wide variety of family friendly events. 9:30 am-5:30 pm. UA Campus. Tucsonfestivalofbooks.org.

Arizona Distance Classic Half Marathon March 15 The course winds through the Santa Catalina Foothills, and includes a half-marathon, quarter-marathon, and 5k for runners, walkers and wheelchair racers. 469-7084. Arizonadistanceclassic.com.

Fourth Avenue Spring Street Fair March 20-22 Fourth Avenue shuts down to vehicles for this annual festival, featuring more than 400 arts and crafts booths, three dozen food vendors, live music and entertainment. 10 am-dusk. Fourthavenue.org/fourthavenue- spring-street-fair.

Silver Spike Jubilee March 21 The museum celebrates its 15th anniversary, and the 140th celebration and re-enactment of the arrival of the Southern Pacific railroad into the Old Pueblo. Included in the festivities will be a display of the original silver spike of 1880, a proclamation by Mayor Regina Romero, the 4th U.S. Cavalry Band, craft show, vintage vehicles, re-enactment by descendents of those who participated in the original arrival ceremony, and an induction into the Silver Spike Hall of Fame. 9:30 am (music starts). 414 N. Toole Ave. Tucsonhistoricdepot.org.

TMA Gala March 21 A sneak peek inside the new Kasser Family Wing of Latin American Art is one of the highlights of this event, which will include silent and live auctions and live music, as well guest visual artists Patrick Martinez and Aissa Martinez. 5 pm. 140 N. Main. 624-2333. Tucsonmuseumofart.org.

Wa:k Pow Wow March 21-22 The public is invited to watch everything from team dances to drum contests, and shop at an artisans’ marketplace, all held at the historic Mission San Xavier del Bac. Facebook.com/ wakpowwow.

Drop In at the Dropout March 22 Shop, sip and support Angel Charity for Children at this event, featuring craft cocktails, light bites, live DJ, local craft beer garden, raffles and door prizes. 3-4 pm (VIP access); 4-7 pm (general admission). 326-3584. AngelCharity.org.

Hearts & Horses March 28 The theme for this fundraiser is “Ode to the Horse,” featuring silent and live auctions, raffles, dinner and dancing, all to benefit TROT. 6 pm. Loews Ventana Canyon. 749-2360, ext. 600. Trotarizona.org.

Fiesta Sahuarita 2020 March 28 Anamax Park is the site for festivities that will include food vendors, entertainment, kid-friendly activities and live music, hosted by Sahuarita Parks and Recreation. 822-8896. Sahuaritaaz.gov/198/Events.

Oro Valley Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon Festival March 28 Swim, bike and run, or choose the run and bike events, at this annual event that features the Oro Valley Aquatics Center. Trisignup.com/Race/AZ/ OroValley/ovspringtri.

Bravo Vino March 28 Presented by the Arizona Opera League of Tucson, this event is a festival that highlights wine from 14 Arizona wineries, a variety of food trucks, live music by musicians and singers from Arizona Opera and the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music, and more than 40 local artisans. Proceeds will benefit Arizona Opera. 11 am-5 pm. The Gregory School. Azopera.org/events/bravo-vino.

Live Theatre Workshop March 1-28 Continuing through March 28 is Philip Ridley’s Radiant Vermin, a dark comedy about a young couple who get an impossible deal on their dream house, only to find there’s a catch. 5317 E. Speedway. 327- 4242. Livetheatreworkshop.org.

Red Herring Puppets March 8-29 The popular fairytale Hansel and Gretel is brought to life with traditional marionettes, shadow puppets, and classical music. When Hansel and Gretel are lost in the forbidden woods, they summon their inner strength to cleverly overcome the evil hex and bring prosperity back to their village. March 8, 15, 22, 28 & 29 at 2 pm. Red Herring Puppet Studio (Tucson Mall between Macy’s and Forever 21). 635-6535. Redherringpuppets.com

Invisible Theatre March 14-15 Steve Solomon, author of My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, & I’m in Therapy, returns to town with his comic one-man show From Brooklyn to Broadway. Sat: 7:30 pm; Sun: 3 pm. Berger Performing Arts Center. 882-9721. Invisibletheatre.com.

Arizona Repertory Theatre March 16-29 The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare’s comedy about friends vying for the attention of the same woman, is staged at UA’s Marroney Theatre. 621-1162. Theatre.arizona.edu.

Pima Theatre March 1 Pima Community College presents an adaptation of the classic movie musical Singin’ in the Rain. PCC Center for the Arts. 206-6986. Pima.edu/cfa.

TSO Masterworks Concert March 1 José Luis Gomez leads the orchestra in Mozart’s Concertone for Two Violins and Orchestra, featuring Lauren Roth and Michelle Abraham, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica.” 2 pm. Catalina Foothills High School. 882-8585. Tucsonsymphony.org.

UA Presents March 1 Virtuoso violinist Itzhak Perlman performs with pianist Rohan De Silva. 6:30 pm. Centennial Hall. 621-3341. Uapresents.org.

UA School of Music March 1-28 March 1: “Bon Voyage!” — HarpFusion. 4 pm. Holsclaw Hall. March 1: “Common Ground” — Arizona Choir & UA Symphonic Choir. 3 pm. Christ Church United Methodist. March 1-6: AzJazz Week. Various times and venues. March 3: Recital Choir — Members of the UA Choral Conducting Studio. 3:10 pm. Room 232. March 5: Piano Pedagogy Workshop, with faculty lecturer Lisa Zdechlik. 1-5 pm. Room 121. March 6: Arizona Symphony Orchestra. 7:30 pm. Crowder Hall. March 7: UA Guitars: An Evening of Duos, featuring guitarist Edwin Guevara, cellist Cecilia Palma, guitarist Misael Barraza Diaz, flutist Diana Schaible, guitarist Bin Hu, guzheng player Jing Xia, and guitarists Ana Iordache and Andrea Roberto. 7:30 pm. SaddleBrooke DVPAC. March 19: UA Wind Symphony. 7:30 pm. Crowder Hall. March 20: UA Wind Ensemble & Chamber Winds. 7:30 pm. Crowder Hall. March 22: Schaeffer Memorial Guitar Competition. 4 pm. Holsclaw Hall. March 25: “A Treasury of British Music” with pianist Rex Woods and soprano Mary Woods. 7:30 pm. Crowder Hall. March 26: String Solo Competition. 7 pm. Holsclaw Hall. March 26-28: Turn Up! Multimedia Festival for Equality, with host Kay He. 7:30 pm. Crowder Hall. March 28: “Quest for the Best” — Opera Guild of Southern Arizona UA student voice competition and reception. 2 pm. Holsclaw Hall. 906-3792 or Azogsa.org. 621-1655. Music.arizona.edu.

UA Presents March 3 Trumpet player Ingrid Jensen performs as part of the Fred Fox School of Music AZ Jazz Festival.. 7:30 pm. Crowder Hall. 621-3341. Uapresents.org.

UA Presents March 5 NIYAZ: The Fourth Light Project, is an immersive, multimedia experience featuring singer Azam Ali and multi-instrumentalist and composer Loga Ramin, utilizing Sufi poetry and folk songs from Iran, given a very modern twist. 7:30 pm. Centennial Hall. 621-3341. Uapresents.org.

Arizona Opera March 7-8 Arizona Opera reprises Riders of the Purple Sage, based on the Zane Grey novel, and featuring music by Craig Bohmler, libretto by Steven Mark Kohn, and sets by Ed Mell, bringing together the romance, intrigue (and yes, horses), for which Western literature is famous. March 7: 7:30 pm; March 8: 2 pm. TCC Music Hall. 293-4336. www.azopera.org.

Arizona Theatre Company March 7-28 Matthew Lopez’s The Legend of Georgia McBride is a comic musical that centers on an Elvis impersonator who turns to doing drag shows to make a living. Temple of Music and Art. 622-2823. Arizonatheatre.org.

Dove of Peace Concerts March 8 Celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, this free concert (with an offering to help a local charity), showcases two of the legendary composer’s most significant solo sonatas — the “Kreutzer” Sonata for Violin, No. 9, Op. 47, and the Horn Sonata in F Major, Op. 17, respectively performed by Freya Creech and Johanna Lundy. 2 pm. 665 W. Roller Coaster Road. 887-5127. Doveofpeacetucson.org.

Pima Music March 10, 12 Chorale & College Singers in concert. 7:30 pm. March 12: Wind Ensemble & Orchestra. 7:30 pm. PCC Center for the Arts. 206-6986. Pima.edu/cfa.

TSO Classic Concert March 13, 15 Manuel Hernández-Silva will lead the orchestra in Barber’s beautiful Adagio for Strings, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12 in D Minor, “The Year 1917,” which the composer dedicated to Lenin. The highlight of the program will be Barber’s Violin Concerto, performed by Paul Huang, winner of a 2017 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists. March 13: 7:30 pm; March 15: 2 pm. TCC Music Hall. 882-8585. Tucsonsymphony.org.

Pleiades Dance Concert in the Park March 14 Hawkinsdance presents a free, contemporary dance concert, featuring choreography by Shelly Hawkins and her troupe, along with Charlotte Adams, one of the founders of 10th Street Danceworks. 6:30 pm. Reid Park DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center. Hawkinsdance.org.

Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra March 14-15 The program will center on Tchaikovsky, including his gorgeous Piano Concerto No. 1, performed by Melanie Chae, along with the Festival Coronation March, and Symphony No. 5, with live interpretive painting done by Armando Silva. March 14: SaddleBrooke DVPAC, 7:30 pm; March 15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 3 pm. 308-6226. Sasomusic.org.

UA Presents March 18 Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo brings their world-renowned comic look at classical ballet (performed by men in tutus) to Tucson. 7:30 pm. Centennial Hall. 621-3341. Uapresents.org.

TSO Special Concert — American Soundtrack with Peter Bernstein March 21-22 Elmer Bernstein may not have written the songs that made the whole world sing, but he certainly composed the music that made us jump in our seats, tap our feet, and stifle a tear. Some of the greatest cinematic spectacles of the last 60 years have been benefited from his wonderful scores, including The Ten Commandments, Sweet Smell of Success, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Escape and True Grit. And who can forget the heroic and hummable theme for The Magnificent Seven, which is familiar even to people who have never seen the film? Elmer’s son Peter will join forces with the TSO to tell the story of his famous dad’s career, accompanied by clips from films. March 21: 7: 30 pm; March 22: 2 pm. TCC Music Hall. 882-8585. Tucsonsymphony.org.

UA Presents March 22 The Underwater Bubble Show combines multiple techniques of live action and projection to create a fanciful world for children and adults. 3 pm. Centennial Hall. 621-3341. Uapresents.org.

UA Presents/Broadway in Tucson March 24-29 Chazz Palminteri’s semi-autobiographical one-man show A Bronx Tale gets the full musical treatment, with songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. Centennial Hall. 621-3341. Uapresents.org.

Blues and Brews Festival March 28 The Southern Arizona Blues Heritage Foundation presents this 35th annual event, with headliner Mr. Sipp, aka Castro Coleman, along with Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Casey Hensley, Black Cat Bones, The Coolers, Paul Green & Midnight Blue, and The Cholla Rhythm & Blues Band. 10 ams-7 pm. Reid Park DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center. AZblues.org.

Tucson Premium Outlets/ SAACA Concert Series March 28 Kevin Pakulis and his band perform original songs with a folk/blues/rock emphasis. 5-8 pm. 797-3959. Saaca.org/tucsonoutletsconcertseries.html.