photograph courtesy orpheum theatre
Mike Super
The Halloran Centre, 225 S. Main
Friday, January 21st, 7:30 p.m.
On this day before National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day, you might want to channel a bit of magic because how else are you supposed to communicate with the feline species? So let comedian/magician Mike Super be your guide, and while I can’t guarantee that he’ll share the secrets behind his tricks, I can guarantee that he’ll make you believe in the power of illusion and misdirection. Named Entertainer of the Year for two consecutive years and the winner of NBC’s Phenomenon, Mike Super will take you on a journey of emotions — laughter, intrigue, danger, fear, wonder, anticipation, tears, and sentimentality — a journey that only a feline pal can replicate.
Tickets ($37.50) can be purchased online or by calling the Orpheum Theatre Box Office at 901-525-3000. Before the show, enjoy live music from a local musician, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
May We All
Playhouse on the Square, 66 S. Cooper
Opens Friday, January 21st, 8 p.m.
I’m not sure what kind of music a cat prefers, and since there’s no Ask Your Cat a Question Day, we’ll just have to guess. My guess is smooth jazz, but I also don’t have a pet cat, so for all I know, cats could be the biggest country music fans out there. And on Saturday, when they ask you what you were doing last night, don’t you want to answer that you went to see a musical that celebrated their favorite genre of music? Isn’t that how to bond with a cat? Through music?
May We All follows Jenna Coates, a small-town girl whose big-city singing career is over before it even begins and who returns to the people and the places of her past to find a path to the future. With a country-music-loving protagonist, the musical blends country favorites like Kacey Musgrave’s “Rainbow,” Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” and the title song by Florida Georgia Line and Tim McGraw, as well as two original songs by the musical’s producers, Florida Georgia Line. Oh, and did I mention? — this is the first time ever the musical will be performed for an audience before heading to Nashville.
May We All opens January 21st, and performances will run through February 20th. Tickets ($27) can be purchased online.
photograph courtesy orpheum theatre
Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández Community Class
Halloran Centre, 225 S. Main
Saturday, January 22nd, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Cats are graceful on their feet, and I bet they wonder why we humans are not so graceful. Perhaps, a dance class could help. If the musical Cats has taught us anything, it’s that they enjoy dancing. Luckily for us, the Orpheum is hosting a free community class led by a member of Ballet Folklórico, which has come to Memphis to perform on Friday.
Ballet Folklórico de Mexico, founded in 1952 by Amalia Hernández, has kept alive the beauty of Mexican dance from the Pre-Columbian era, the Hispanic Viceroy period, and the popular period of the Revolutionary years. The company has given over 5,000 performances, and both Amalia Hernández and the Ballet Folklórico have been distinguished with more than 300 awards recognizing their artistic merits.
This weekend’s community class, which will celebrate the culture, style, and technique of Mexican dance, is open to all ages and abilities. Masks are required, and dancers should wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes. To register, follow this link.
And if you’d like to catch the Ballet Folklórico live on Friday at 7:30 p.m., tickets ($29-$69) can be purchased here.
image courtesy church health
Slow Your Roll | Saturday Morning Meditation
Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Avenue
Saturday, January 22nd, 9:30 a.m.–10 a.m.
To start your National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day, it’s good to have a clear mind and restful body before your cat or your neighbor’s cat or the cat who crosses your path grills you about your existence so much that you have an identity crisis and question everything — at least, that’s what I’d imagine, seeing that I’ve never had to answer a cat’s question.
For those who need to unwind and refocus, Greg Graber, whose client list includes the Memphis Grizzlies, is leading a free meditation, sponsored by Church Health, at the Crosstown Garden in front of the brewery. Graber asks that you wear a mask and bring your own stool, mat, or cushion. (And please leave your cats at home.)
John Shorb, A Cosmic Womb, 2021. 44 x 34 inches, Linen pulp paint on a cotton base sheet
"A Cosmic Womb"
Tops Gallery, 400 S. Front Street / Tops at Madison Avenue Park, 151 Madison Avenue
Saturday, January 22nd, 4-7 p.m.
Cats are difficult to interpret, quite cryptic if you ask me. Artist John Shorb understands cryptic — that’s what his show is all about. Now, I’m not saying he’s a cat, but his show is the cat’s pajamas. Through handmade paper works of vibrant pigmented linen and cotton pulp, Shorb explores fragmentary ancient texts soaked in cryptic spiritual meaning and creates something even more cryptic: “seeking religion without religion.”
The show opens on Saturday and will be on display through March 5th. Tops Gallery is open by appointment and most Saturdays noon to 4 p.m.
