Two uniquely different shows begin tonight in Lawrence.

First, at the Lawrence Arts Center, an opening reception kicks off a month-long solo exhibition by sculptor and KU professor Jon Keith Swindell. His self-lit pieces will glow in a darkened gallery, reflecting the melancholy of war.

A few blocks away at the Lawrence Community Theatre, the cast of “Kiss Me Kate” will stage its first performance in a three-weekend run. The witty musical challenges actors to move back and forth between Shakespeare and 1940s Broadway.

And Saturday, it’s back to the arts center with the Victor Continental Orchestra, who will be joined by other local musicians and comics for Uncle Ricky’s Champagne Hour, a retro variety show to raise money for the arts center’s drama program.

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