IBJ Daily Arts & Entertainment

THURSDAY, 8/9/07

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Anya Marina at Radio Radio. You can't beat a good break-up song. >>>  American Idols Live Tour 2007 at the Indiana State Fair. Pick your favorites without paying text-messaging or long-distance charges. >>>  "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. End a hot day with a hot night. >>>   Margot and the Nuclear So & So's at The Irving Theater. Bring the kids—who probably won't want to be seen with you once you get there. >>>  "West Side Story" at Buck Creek Players. One production where you don't have to ask "How did he get that role?" >>>  Ticket Giveaway: Win four dinner-and-show seats to Beef & Boards' production of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." >>>

Anya Marina, Aug. 13 at Radio Radio Break-up songs are a staple in the singer/songwriter cannon. A few personal favorites: Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," Bonnie Rait's "Love Has No Pride," Ray Charles' "Hit the Road, Jack," Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," and, OK I'll admit it, even an Andrew Lloyd-Webber song, "Tell Me on a Sunday." Marina Add to those "Clean and Sober," from the relatively unknown Anya Marina. Her sweet and simple voice and equally sweet and simple guitar are the perfect complement to lyrics such as "I hope you die a fiery death/I love you. God, I need you yeah." The San Diego-based DJ—who started performing after visiting an open mic on a dare—has a reputation for her playful stage persona, which wouldn't matter if she didn't have a solid set of songs to back it up. As evidence by her first full CD, "Miss Halfway," she's got that and then some. And you can't beat the $5 cover. For more details, click here. American Idols Live Tour 2007, Aug. 16 at the Indiana State Fair Confession: Before sitting down to write this, I had no idea who won "American Idol" this year. It's not that I'm one of those anti-Idolists. It's just that I didn't closely follow this year's edition, which reached its dramatic climax about a month before the finals when Sanjaya Malakar was voted off. Sparks Lewis Apparently, a woman named Jordin Sparks was the winner—and she gets the premium end-of-the-concert block when the Idols perform in concert. If the Indiana State Fair performance remains true to other stops on the tour, that means she'll be trying to solidify her musical future with takes on "Heartbreaker," "Broken Wing," "Living on a Prayer" and others. Runner up Blake Lewis gets the pre-intermission set, with "Time of the Season," "She Will Be Loved" and others. But part of the kick of the show is seeing how the acts combine. While I'd be perfectly content never hearing another cover of "Lady Marmalade" (this one courtesy of Haley Scarnato, Gina Glocksen, and LaKisha Jones) or "Life is a Highway" (brought to you by Chris Richardson, Sanjaya Malakar and Haley Scarnato), there's promise in Melinda Doolittle's "Killing Me Softly" (accompanied by Blake Lewis' beat boxes and Chris Richardson's vocal assist) and "Baby Love," in which all of the ladies participate. Plus, it's hard to go wrong with a little "Ain't No Sunshine" after a blisteringly hot day at the Fair. For more details, click here. "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," Aug. 10 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art Don't get me wrong. I love "Caddyshack," "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," and "Babe." I'm just not sure why they're on the program at the Indianapolis Museum of Art's Summer Night's movie series. After all, with turnaway crowds, the IMA can afford to select films that have some artistic merit. Showcasing a film by one of the last century's master playwrights is certainly a step in the right direction. It's been a while since I've seen the 1958 version of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," but having recently watched "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Night of the Iguana," I can make a strong case for the pleasure of seeing Tennessee Williams' plays brought to cinematic life. Purists may quibble about how some of his material was toned down, having been deemed too scandalous for movie audiences. I say enjoy what's there, including stand-out performances by Paul Newman, Burl Ives and, of course, Elizabeth Taylor. The new generation of film fans who may only know her as an AIDS spokeswoman and Michael Jackson's apologist friend will be in for a very pleasant surprise. For more details, click here. Margot and the Nuclear So & So's and others, Aug. 11 at The Irving Theater From 1996 to the summer of 2006, not much was heard from inside The Irving Theater. For the past year, though, it's come back to life as an all-ages venue. For full preview, click here. "West Side Story," Aug. 10-12 at Buck Creek Players I'm not sure if composer Leonard Bernstein and lyricist Stephen Sondheim would approve of what the folks at Buck Creek Players are doing to their beloved "West Side Story." For full preview, click here. This Week's Contest: Win tickets for you and three friends to "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. The tickets, of course, include the buffet dinner. For more details, click here.

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