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Arts
January 4 – 17, 2014
Chandler Center for the Arts boasts eclectic lineup of shows There’s plenty going on at Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Call 480-782-2680 or visit chandlercenter.org to learn more.
‘Incognito’ Actor, teacher and writer Michael Fosberg brings his moving autobiographical play “Incognito” to the Chandler Center for the Arts at 7 p.m., Fri. Jan. 17. After 30 years of thinking he was “white,” Michael Fosberg uncovers his biological father and discovers he is “black.” This is the story told by Fosberg as he inhabits more than a dozen characters during his compelling one-man play. “Since 2001, I have performed ‘Incognito’ throughout the country, inviting audiences to question and discuss their thoughts on race and identity as I have come to question and embrace my own,” Fosberg says. Fosberg challenges audiences to carefully examine their assumptions about others while taking audience members on a passionate journey covering issues of race, identity, diversity and stereotypes. “Imagine discovering you are not the person you thought you were. That you have a family, a history, an ethnicity you never knew. How would this discovery impact your life, the lives of those around you, your vision of yourself and society?”
Fosberg says. The presentation is among several events occurring in January as part of the city’s 2014 Celebration of Unity chandleraz. gov/diversity. Tickets are $10. Call 480-7822680 or visit chandlercenter.org.
Dick Van Dyke & The Vantastix Dick Van Dyke—star of movies including “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Mary Poppins,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Fitzwilly,” television series “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Diagnosis: Murder” and the 2013 SAG Lifetime Achievement Award winner— walks the audience through his exceptional 60 years in show business as he sings songs from his stage and screen work with his a capella quartet The Vantastix. Van Dyke and the Vantastix will perform 7:30 p.m. Sat., Jan. 25. Tickets are $48-$68.
Mr. & Mrs. Wyatt Earp ‘The Sunset Years’ This show explores the love, adventure secrets and lives of the Earps, as told by the elderly Wyatt and Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp. The play takes place nine years after Wyatt dies, in Josie’s memory. Meanwhile, an elderly Wyatt speaks reluctantly of his time in Tombstone the life that followed. The play is 3 p.m. Sun., Jan. 26. Tickets are $20 and $24.
www.SanTanSun.com
improvMANIA brings classes to Chandler starting Jan. 8 If you have a New Year’s resolution to try something new, you may be in luck—improv classes are coming to Chandler starting Jan. 8, with improvMANIA, the Valley’s own family friendly improv comedy troupe. The classes are professional-level and will be offered to Chandler and Gilbert residents in partnership with the Chandler Recreation Department at the Chandler Community Center, 125 E. Commonwealth Ave., Chandler.
improvMANIA has been producing family friendly improv comedy shows in Downtown Chandler since 2009 at venues such as Chandler Center for the Arts, Art On Boston, Gangplank and Kokopelli Winery. Call 480-782-2727 or visit classregistration.chandleraz.gov/ registrationmain.sdi to register for classes. Follow improvMANIA on Facebook at facebook.com/improvMANIA.
Outliars Comedy Club Chandler celebrates first anniversary Jan. 19 The Outliars Comedy Club Chandler is offering $1 off the price of admission for its show at 7:30 p.m. Sun., Jan. 19, inside Iguana Mack’s, 1371 N. Alma School Rd., Chandler. “We are excited about the year going into 2014 after a great 2013 with tremendous acts from ‘The Office,’ ‘The Tonight Show,’ ‘Workaholics,’ ‘MadTV,’ ‘According to Jim,’ ‘Parks and Recreation,’ ‘Key and Peele,’ ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,’” says founder Dave Thurston. “We were also fortunate enough to put on the first Arizona Improv Festival and first Arizona Sketch Comedy Festival. We are going to do to it again this year and we are going to add the first Arizona Stand-Up Comedy Festival from Feb. 20 to Feb. 23. In other Outliars news, the troupe will be hosting auditions beginning at 5 p.m. Sun., Jan. 12, inside Iguana Mack’s. For reservations for any shows or auditions, call 480-784-7258 or visit outliarscc. com.