New York film crew to show in local gallery

The Grimshaw Gallery, a local gallery and artist co-op, will play host to New York-based Rooftop Studios along with Clamor Magazine on their tour across the United States.

The tour, called “The Power of Living,” is a series of documentaries concerned with “everyday people, doing extraordinary things,” and focuses on people taking political action in their communities and beyond.

Rooftop Studios started more than 10 years ago when experimental filmmakers, in need of a venue, began showing their films on rooftops in New York City. Clamor Magazine, which covers alternative spaces and venues, will be co-presenting the event and will have a representative speaking at the screening.

The show is at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Grimshaw Gallery, 731 N.H. The event is free and open to the public, but a $3 donation is suggested.

Lawrence photographer chosen for exhibitions

Work by Lawrence photographer Shakura Jackson has been selected for Photospiva, the oldest continuous photo competition in the United States.

The exhibit is selected from a nationwide call for photographs and is now hanging in the George A. Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, Mo. The photos selected were “The Spirit of,” taken in St. Louis, and “Giggling,” taken in Lawrence.

Jackson also has work in the following shows:

• Smoky Hills Annual Exhibition, an all-media show on display at the Hays Arts Center, Hays.
• A juried exhibition at Trinity Lutheran Church, Overland Park, juried by Kansas City artist Ernst Ullmer.

In addition, Jackson’s cow photos, taken during the 2001 Kansas City Cow Parade, are hanging at Wheatfields Bakery, 904 Vt., through April.

‘Right Between the Ears’ serves April foolishness

It will be a night of April foolishness when “Right Between the Ears,” the award-winning sketch comedy show produced by Kansas Public Radio, is performed at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday at Liberty Hall, 642 Mass.

The April edition of “Right Between the Ears” will include numerous sketches related to the war in Iraq, with takeoffs on the media’s round-the-clock coverage and President George Bush’s handling of the war, plus episodes of “Baywatch: Baghdad” and “Saddam Hussein, Master of Evil.” Also planned: Former Vice President Al Gore will be host to his own radio talk show; Barbie and Ken deal with menopause; plus commercial spoofs, satirical songs and new episodes of “Blimp Commandoes” and “The Legion of Stupid Heroes.”

The 8 p.m. show will be broadcast live on KPR stations and on the Internet at http://kpr.ku.edu.

Tickets are $12 and $10 and are for sale at Liberty Hall and TicketMaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or (816) 931-3330.

KU faculty concert blends voice, horn, piano

A collaboration between three Kansas University faculty members will explore the combination of voice, horn and piano in a Faculty Recital Series performance at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Swarthout Recital Hall.

The program, which includes KU faculty Genaro Mendez, tenor; Paul Stevens, horn; and Bob Koenig, piano; will tour the music of France, Spain and England with the following lineup: “Interstellar Call” by Olivier Messaen; “Andantino” by Florent Schmitt; Hector Berlioz’s “Le jeune Patre Breton” for tenor, horn and piano; “Siete Canciones Populares Espanolas,” by Manuel de Falla, for tenor and piano; and finally, the famous “Serenade, op. 44,” for tenor, horn and piano, by Benjamin Britten.

“The Britten Serenade is the landmark work for this combination,” Stevens said. “Britten had a deep understanding of the capabilities of this unique blend of color and timbre.”

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call Stevens at 864-4525.

Variety is spice of life at Symphonic Band show

Kansas University’s Symphonic Band will explore a variety of themes during its final performance of the spring semester at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Lied Center.

The concert, conducted by Tom Stidham, KU associate director of bands, with assistance from music education and band graduate student Trey Skaggs, draws on subjects dealing with everything from the Olympics to the magic and ritual of incantations to a hawk in flight.

Here’s what’s on the program: “Summon the Heroes,” a work written by John Williams for the 2000 Olympic Games in Atlanta; Gustav Holst’s “Second Suite in F;” “The Soaring Hawk,” a piece by Timothy Mahr inspired by the idea that as the hawk soars overhead, the textures and rhythms of the earth become its music; “Incantation and Dance” by John Barnes Chance; Dirk Brosse’s “7 Inch Framed;” Dimitri Shostakovich’s “Folk Dances;” and Vasilij Agapkin’s “Slavic Farewell.”

Admission to the performance is $7 general, $5 for students and seniors. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, 864-ARTS; Murphy Hall, 864-3982; SUA, 864-SHOW; and any TicketMaster outlet, (785) 234-4545, (916) 931-3330 or www.tickets.com.

For more information, call 864-3436.

University Band concert wraps up season

The University Band at Kansas University will wrap up the spring semester with a performance at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Lied Center.

The evening of music will be conducted by Timothy Oliver, KU’s assistant director of bands, with the help of music education and band graduate student Trey Skaggs. The lineup includes: “Alpine March” by Joseph Compello, a piece written in the style of a Bavarian brass band at an Oktoberfest celebration; “Carnival of Venice” by Jean-Baptiste Arban, a colorful composition based on a simple, folk-like melody that will feature guest trumpet soloist Chris Nierman; “Ammerland” by Jacob de Hann, which celebrates the natural beauty of Holland; Charles L. Johnson’s “Blue Goose Rag,” a classic piano rag; and the innovative “Different Voices” by Rick Kirby, a work that explores the ways the human voice produces sound.

Admission is $7 general, $5 for students and seniors. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, 864-ARTS; Murphy Hall, 864-3982; SUA, 864-SHOW; and any TicketMaster outlet, (785) 234-4545, (916) 931-3330 or www.tickets.com. For more information, call 864-3436.