Definition of a dream

Call those babysitters! The 2011 Phoenix Fringe Festival starts tonight!

Many of us wake up every day in warm, secure houses with pantries full of food and closets brimming with clothes. We dream of smarter phones, faster computers, bigger television screens.

But the dreams of homeless teens are very different. You can get a rare glimpse into the lives of homeless youth in Phoenix by attending a play titled “Definition of a Dream.”

It’s being presented April 1-3 by homeless youth who developed the original work in conjunction with Sarah Sullivan and the Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development. The Center describes the work as follows:

“Through the artistic experience, young people take their stories to the stage, looking to change the conversation about homelessness in Phoenix, one show at a time. This year’s play takes a look at dreams — the dreams we have for ourselves, for the people in our lives and our community as a whole.”

“Definition of a Dream” asks a powerful question: “What are the things we have to fight for and against to make these dreams a reality?”

The play is one of many thought-provoking works being presented as part of the Phoenix Fringe Festival, which runs April 1-10 at various downtown Phoenix venues.

Tickets for tonight’s performance of “Definition of a Dream” were not available online when I checked Friday afternoon, but tickets for the Sat, April 2 (5:30pm) and Sun, April 3 (8pm) performances may still be out there – but don’t delay in checking the Phoenix Fringe Festival website if you’d like to attend this or other works.

“Definition of a Dream” is being performed at “Modified Arts” at 407 E. Roosevelt in Phoenix. Additional venues for 2011 Phoenix Fringe Festival performances (most appropriate only for mature audiences) include Phoenix Theatre: Little Theatre, Third Street Theatre, Soul Invictus, Bragg’s Pie Factory and Space 55.

You can check out the full “Fringe” schedule (which also includes after-parties and such) at www.phxfringe.org. After reviewing the schedule the other day, I noticed that there are works dealing with religion, sexuality, border issues and a whole lot more. Even Greek myth and Shakespeare manage to get in the game.

Several “Fringe” works, including “Twisted: Greeting Card Moments Gone Bad” by “Tom T. and Twisted Tidings,” are presented by a single artist. Some are presented by local artists, others by artists from other regions (including Australia). A few include students from Arizona State University.

You can get a good feel for the festival by considering the titles of some of the pieces being performed. Schreibstuck. Oppressed. Borders and Bridges. Hamlet Machine. The Panic Opera Sacraments. Too Close to the Sun. Your Teacher Never Told You….

There’s even “Confessions of a Mormon Boy,” which may hold special appeal for those of you who, like myself, have yet to snag tickets to the new Broadway musical titled ”The Book of Mormon” (billed by some as an atheist love song to believers).

The Phoenix Fringe Festival is an edgy, off-the-beaten-path experience that’s fun for date nights, outings with friends or solo adventures. Think of it as a way to up the job numbers for all those babysitters out there.

Consider an afternoon, evening or weekend out with the “Fringe.” You might be offended. You might be educated. You might be inspired. But I doubt you’ll be bored. It’s a great way to explore our smaller community theater venues, enjoy affordable performance art and meet folks who probably wouldn’t recognize a remote control if they saw one.

– Lynn

Note: Attend the Phoenix Fringe Festival and you can save $10 off your ticket to “Liz Lerman Dance Exchange: The Matter of Origins” Monday, April 11, at ASU Gammage (use the code FRINGE when ordering tix from the ASU Gammage box office or 480-965-3434).

Coming up: Jellly bean dreams, Chicago envy?

Musical memories

There’s “The Rhythm of Life” from the musical “Sweet Charity,” which debuted on Broadway in 1966 — and “The Circle of Life” from the 1997 musical “The Lion King.”

History is full of music marking the times of our lives — whether serene, somber, soulful or celebratory. I got to thinking about my own musical journeys after learning of “Respect: A Musical Journey of Women.”

This perky performance featuring more than fifty “top 40″ songs of the past 100 years takes to the Herberger Theater Center stage through Feb 12, 2011. Grab your girlfriends, your daughters, even your grandma — and go.

In the years following my mother’s death, I was especially moved each time I heard Bette Midler’s recording of “The Wind Beneath My Wings.”

I also think of my mom each time one of her own favorite songs, like Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer,” reverberates from my radio.

Certain songs call to mind particular times in my life.

Songs like “Mahogany” (from the 1975 movie) and “Wildflower” (first recorded by Skylark) seemed the perfect anthems for my teenage angst. 

Dan Fogelberg’s “Part of the Plan” was woven into a valedictorian speech I gave at graduation, and Bob Seger’s ”Against the Wind” became a sort of theme songs as I got older and life became infinitely more complicated.

Even now, music is something shared with family and friends as a way to express our feelings for each other and our thoughts about the world around us.

For Christmas this year, my husband James gave me both Bruce Springsteen’s “The Promise” and a Bob Welch CD that opens with the track “Sentimental Lady.”

My son, Christopher, has long wished I would leave the digital “Dark Ages” and enter the magnificent modern age of mp3 players.

Perhaps one day I will — but only to record a sort of soundtrack of my life that might give my children more insights into their mom as not only parent, but also person.

I love to tell my kids about some of my favorite concert experiences, like the Springsteen concert James and I attended that opened with the Elvis classic “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” 

Or Jackson Browne’s Phoenix concert held the night before we’d all learn who had won the 2008 presidential election. More than a few hippies in the house found special meaning in songs like “Where Were You” and “The Drums of War.”

We’re an eclectic bunch when it comes to musical tastes. Jennifer favors country and Lizabeth loves Broadway. Christopher can’t get enough of the ’80s. I’m still stuck in the ’70s. And James is slightly less retro thanks to music of the ’90s.

It’s easy to take both people and music for granted. Make time during the post-holiday lull to enjoy music together — whether you’re making noisemakers with your children at a local musuem or attending a performance like “Respect: A Musical Journey.”

For music is the stuff that dreams, memories and journeys are made of.

– Lynn

Note: Local museums that routinely feature musical experiences for children and adults include the Arizona Museum for Youth, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, the Heard Museum, the Musical Instrument Museum and more.

Coming up: Meet more “Stage Moms”

First chance, last chance

Leave the kittens at home for this baby...

“Does this play make me look fat?” That’s the teaser for a Neil LaBute play opening this weekend as Stray Cat Theatre in Tempe begins its ninth season. It’s your first chance this season to experience the edgy and enlightening work of these creative cats, led by the master of all feline funny business — Ron May. Grab a date or group of friends and leave the kittens at home for this baby, a play that’s heavy on dueling dialogue and relationship revelations.

This weekend is your last chance to see the season opener for the Southwest Shakespeare Company. It’s an original adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Henry VI” trilogy  — “Blood Royal” by Michael Flachmann. Most relationships don’t stand a chance in this play, which could easily be subtitled “Reasons to be petty.” “Blood Royal” is full of men (and a few women) with swords who aren’t afraid to use them, especially if it means securing a royal crown. It’s another option for the teen and up crowd.

Grab some girlfriends for his one...

It’s also your last chance to get in on some festive fundraisers benefiting important arts organizations in Arizona. Tonight the Women’s Metropolitan Arts Council (WoMAC) holds its annual “It’s In The Bag” event to benefit the Phoenix Art Museum. Tomorrow night in Tucson the Arizona Theatre Company holds its “Gala 2010: A Night In Lights” at the Temple of Music and Art. The featured performer at the ATC event is “rising star” Megan Hilty, who played Glinda in “Wicked” and Dora Lee in “9 to 5.”

If supporting scholarships for music students is your thing, you can head to South Mountain Community College tonight for a classical music concert to aid student scholarships. It features two SMCC faculty members. Mezzo soprano Isola Jones performs arias from Verdi, Puccini, Bizet and Saint-Saens. Pianist Henry Rose performs works to include “Preludes” and “Etudes-Tableaux” by Rachmaninoff.

This evening is your only chance to enjoy a free dance performance at the ASU Galvin Playhouse in Tempe (which welcomes the touring production of “Young Frankenstein” this week as it opens the 2010-2011 Broadway Across America Arizona series). The new work (still a “work in progress”), which includes mature content and themes, is co-presented by the ASU School of Dance and ASU Gammage. Dean Moss’ “Nameless forest” explores identity and perception via performance, dance, video, audio and visual design.

A wonderful day for family play...

Saturday in Sedona the whole family can enjoy the “Celtic Harvest Festival” from 10am to 8pm at Tequa Festival Marketplace. The festival features entertainers from diverse Celtic cultures, performances by Sedona-area children who have studied with teaching artists (in music, dance, piping and storytelling) and a children’s courtyard with “fun activities for children of all ages.” Master of Ceremonies for the event is Senator Tom O’Halleran.

Saturday evening in Tucson families can enjoy “A Mexican Celebration” presented by the Arizona Symphony Orchestra. The 7:30pm event takes place in Chowder Hall on the University of Arizona campus, and will feature the music of popular Mexican composers including Chavez, Revueltas and Galinda.

My daughter Jennifer is keen to get over to Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe tonight to hear three teen parnormal authors read from and discuss their work. I’m still trying to figure out how to squeeze in time to be the dessert mom for a Saturday rehearsal of Lizabeth’s school musical. I still can’t bring myself to buy cupcakes or other treats rather than making them myself.

Another fun pick for families...

If you head over to Changing Hands at 10am on Saturday morning, your kiddos (and you) can enjoy one of their many events for children — an “Explore-A-Story” with Childsplay based on Arnold Lobel’s “Frog and Toad” series. Childsplay is performing “A Year With Frog and Toad” through Oct 16 at Tempe Center for the Arts — so you have plenty of chances to see it. But why wait?

–Lynn

Note: For a comprehensive listing of activities for children and families, visit the Raising Arizona Kids magazine online calendar. Always call event presenters before attending to confirm date, time, location, age recommendations, cost and other details.

Coming up: Focus on film, Easing on down the road

Childsplay photo pictures D. Scott Withers, Dwayne Hartford and Katie McFadzen in “A Year With Frog and Toad” (photo by Heather Hill)