Cirque du Soleil: Corteo
Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil
Helium Dance from CORTEO, FedExForum
FedExForum, 191 Beale Street
Thur., Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m., Fri., Feb 1, 7:30 p.m., Sat., Feb. 2, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sun., Feb 3, 1 p.m.
Raised in an Italian Catholic household, weddings were two or three-day elaborate celebrations. Funerals required the proper mourning. Sad, sad occasions with gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair—primarily caused by the formal pot roast in Pyrex/congealed salad in Tupperware expected to be brought to the affected family’s home. But none of this nonsense for the clown, Mauro. In this touring Cirque du Soleil performance, Mauro has passed, but his spirit remains. Instead of mourning, the funeral cortege celebrates the here and hereafter with laughter and exuberance. A nod to the circle and a life gloriously lived, dedicated to revelry and making merry.
Tom Lee Park Engagement Center Grand Opening
Photo courtesy of Memphis River Parks Partnership
Tom Lee Park Engagement Center Grand Opening, Beale Street Landing
Spend a sunny day on the Mississippi River.
Beale Street Landing, Beale and Riverside
Sat., Feb. 2, 12-3 p.m.
If there is a perfect day this weekend, it’s Saturday. According to the top meteorologists, Memphis will be sunny and 65 degrees. What a great for the new Tom Lee Park Engagement Center to open. There will be an unveiling of a scale model, spectacular new images and animations, and even a virtual reality immersion in the future park (prepare to don goggles). Googles might also come in handy for the Fire and Ice Polar Bear Plunge and Chili Cook-off at Mud Island River Park. Heat up with chili and cool down with a cold plunge into the Mississippi River benefiting Special Olympics of Greater Memphis.
TEDxMemphis: “Ideas for the Next Century”
Photo by Ziggy Mack
TedxMemphis: "Ideas for the Next Century"
Crosstown Arts at The Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 280
Sat., Feb. 2, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. & 1:30-4 p.m.
This two-session event will feature a series of TED Talks from live speakers who know that the power of an idea can shape the future.
Arrive early for the Crosstown 10K at 8 a.m. benefitting Church Health. You can secure the future for a great organization before your TEDxMemphis talk on shaping the future.
Opening reception and gallery talk for "Crafting A Legacy: 40 Years of Collecting & Exhibiting at the Metal Museum"
Photo courtesy of National Ornamental Metal Museum
"Crafting A Legacy," National Ornamental Metal Museum
40th Anniversary events begin with reception and gallery talk.
Metal Museum, 374 Metal Museum Dr.
Sun., Feb. 3, 3 p.m.
In honor of its 40th anniversary, the Metal Museum presents an exhibition of past, current, and future Master Metalsmiths and Tributaries artists, who represent the heights of achievement and the promising future of the metals field.
TCM: The Wizard of Oz 80th Anniversary (1939)
Photo courtesy of Fathom Events
The Wizard of Oz, Malco Theatres
Collierville Cinema Grill, 380 Market Blvd and Paradiso Cinema Grill & IMAX, 584 S Mendenhall
Sun., Feb. 3, 1 p.m.
There were two days a year in the 70s when all the children gathered at one home in my neighborhood and were spellbound for two magical hours—the nights Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Wizard of Oz were shown on TV.
There was a time before VHS, Beta, and Discs. Long before remote controls and recorded/saved TV shows. Long long before 1,200+ channels and HDTV. A far off place where kids were human remote controls, ordered by taskmasters—parents—to “Get up and change the channel, wouldja?” A time of UHF/VHF and three stations to choose from that faded to snow just after the national anthem and rainbow stripes. Google it. It really happened.
In those days a viewer had to be home when a show aired or the program was missed completely. Those who had favorite shows would schedule around it. In those times, these two nights a year were planned in advance. The streets alive with kickball, laughter, and secret treasure finding missions were quiet for two hours while the kids gathered around the glowing screen. Whisked to magical places where cars flew and tornados took Dorothy Gale to an Emerald City.
In its 80th year, share this magic with your children on Sunday at Paridiso Cinema and Malco Collierville Town Cinema 16.
For a full list of what’s happening this weekend in and around Memphis, check out our calendar of events. Also, be sure to tag your favorite Instagram photos of Memphis while you are out and about with the #memphismagazine hashtag. I hope you have a great weekend.
