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Lauren Fagone (center) as The Chosen One in Salvatore Aiello’s "The Rite of Spring." (Photo by Sarah Ferguson, courtesy of Richmond Ballet, 2016)
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(From left) Matthew Frain, Elena Bello and Thomas Ragland in "City Life," a new ballet by Mark Annear. (Photo by Sarah Ferguson, Richmond Ballet, 2016)
"What just happened?" my 14-year-old daughter whispered after a birthing scene near the beginning of the Richmond Ballet's "The Rite of Spring" this week. Shocking when first performed in Paris in 1913, the ballet still commands attention in this interpretation by Salvatore Aiello, featuring the revolutionary score by Igor Stravinsky. On a bill with the premiere of "City Life" by Mark Annear of the Royal Ballet School in London — inspired by a musical composition using street sounds recorded in New York City — "The Rite of Spring" marks longtime dancer Lauren Fagone's last performances with the Richmond Ballet. As The Chosen One, she is sacrificed in a primitive tribal ritual. As she told Harry Kollatz Jr. in an interview, "If you're going to end on something — what a way to go, huh?" I feel lucky to have seen this memorable performance, because the remaining shows appear to be sold out, except perhaps for a few standby tickets.
Here's a look at some of the other happenings around town this weekend and early next week:
EVENTS
(Photo by Irvin Rivera)
The Southern Women's Show 4/15-17
"American Idol" finalist Rayvon Owen helps open the 25th year of the Southern Women's Show with a performance at 5 p.m. today at the Richmond Raceway Complex. (See Special Projects Editor Nicole Cohen's interview with him.) Throughout the weekend, there will be performances, demonstrations, talks and about 300 vendors offering everything from trendy jewelry to the latest fashions. $10. 800-249-0248 or southernshows.com/wri.
Art for Autism Gala 4/15
Celebrating the 15th year of the event, this annual art auction will be held at Dover Hall Estate. Sponsored by Reynolds Gallery, the fundraiser features a seated catered dinner from Mosaic, a cocktail hour, silent auction and the signature live auction including the work of local and national artists. Proceeds benefit the Faison School for Autism. 1500 Manakin Road, Manakin-Sabot, 612-1954 or faisonartforautism.org.
Healy Gala 4/15
A night of music, dancing, refreshments, silent and live auctions, the fifth annual event at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen will raise funds for the Mike Healy Scholarship Fund, awarded to a Glen Allen High School senior for outstanding community service. 7 p.m. $35 ($25 in advance). 257-9605 or healygala.org.
photo by Tina Eshleman
Butterflies Live! at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Butterflies Live! 4/15-10/9
Get up-close and personal as hundreds of butterflies flutter around you in the conservatory. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Included with garden admission, $12 for adults. 262-9887 or lewisginter.org.
Sheep to Shawl 4/16
Learn about wool and how the fiber is processed at Meadow Farm Museum. Watch a historic demonstration of sheep shearing, plus hands on activities such as weaving and spinning. Tour the farmhouse and listen to historic music. 3400 Mountain Road, Glen Allen, Noon to 4 p.m. 652-1416 or henrico.us/rec/places/meadow-farm/.
MUSIC
'The Flying Dutchman' 4/15, 4/17
The Virginia Opera’s production of Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” heaves into view at the Carpenter Theatre for two shows, April 15 at 8 p.m. and April 17 at 2:30 p.m. Set along the rugged shores of Norway, this is a romantic and supernatural tale of lovers and consequences. $19 to $109. 673-7282 or vaopera.org.
Mozart Festival 4/16
Mozart is back and better than ever on Saturday, April 16, 11 a.m to 11 p.m. at various locations throughout Jackson Ward, for the third annual Mozart Festival sponsored by the Classical Revolution RVA. (See Harry Kollatz Jr.'s preview here.)
Thao and The Get Down Stay Down 4/17
Though now based in San Francisco, front woman Thao Nguyen grew up in Northern Virginia, attended the College of William and Mary and met band member Adam Thompson while performing in Richmond, so the indie rockers’ show at The Broadberry, where they’ll be joined by Avers, is a bit of a homecoming. 9 p.m. $15. 353-1888 or thebroadberry.com.
STAGE
'Venus in Fur' 4/14-5/7
A beleaguered playwright/director is desperate to find an actress to play the female lead in his adaptation of the classic sadomasochistic 1870 novel by the Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. Co-produced by TheatreLab and Spin, Spit & Swear. $30. 505-0558 or theatrelabrva.org.
Shakespeare at Henricus 4/16
In commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" will be performed at Henricus Historical Park in partnership with the Quill Theatre. A period dinner, music and dance will follow. 4 to 9 p.m. $75. 748-1131 or henricus.org.
David Sedaris 4/18
The humorist and author of bestsellers such as “Me Talk Pretty One Day” will share new readings and recollections, followed by a Q&A session and post-show book signing. Carpenter Theatre. 7:30 p.m. $58 to $73. 592-3400 or richmondcenterstage.com.
The "Croaker" cast: Alexander Sapp as Croaker, Christie Jackson as the Princess, Caleb Wade, Todd Patterson and Austin Smith as the Frosse (Frog Posse). (Photo by Jay Paul, courtesy Virginia Repertory Theatre)
“Croaker” through 4/17
The musical by Jason Marks and Debra Clinton is a contemporary re-telling of “The Princess and the Frog," playing at Virginia Rep’s Children’s Theatre at Willow Lawn. $20. 282-2620 or va-rep.org.
“Body Awareness” 4/20-5/14
This comedy by Obie Award winner Annie Baker pits partners Phyllis and Joyce against their possibly autistic son. The 5th Wall Theatre show starring Sara Heifetz, Chandler Hubbard, Melissa Johnston and Daniel Moore is co-produced with Richmond Triangle Players at 1300 Altamont Ave. $30. 359-2003 or 5thwalltheatre.org.
“Maple and Vine” through 5/15
Yuppie power couple Katha (McLean Jesse) and Ryu (Xander Wong) have achieved most of their dreams but Katha can't get a good night's sleep. When they're invited to join the Society for Dynamic Obsolescence, they decide to give it all up to pursue more traditional values. Firehouse Theatre. $35. 355-2001 or firehousetheatre.org.
"Little Shop of Horrors" through 5/21
Swift Creek Mill Theatre’s 1986 production of the horror-comedy rock musical became the theater’s longest-running show. Now, Audrey II returns to consume the theater once again. $38 or $55 (with buffet). 748-5203 or swiftcreekmill.com.
ART EXHIBITIONS
Artspace: Five Gallery Exhibitions through 4/17
Digital photography by Anne Savedge, sculptural ceramics by Claire Parrish, fiber and mixed media by Robin Ryder and drawings, modified imagery and animation by Bill Porter are featured, along with mixed media works by Richmond artists in the Suzanne Foley Gallery. Exhibitions continue through April 17, and the artists will hold a gallery talk at 2 p.m. on that day. 0 E. Fourth St. 232-6464 or artspacegallery.org.
House of Representatives Chamber Arm Chair, 1857. Designed by Thomas Ustick Walter. Manufactured by Hammitt Desk Manufacturing Co., Philadelphia (photo by Michael Koryta and Andrew VanStyn, director of acquisitions, conservation and photography)
'The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design' through 4/17
Organized by The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville and the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation, this exhibition at the Virginia Historical Society features 44 chairs from the early 19th century to the present, chosen for their beauty and historical context. $20. 358-4901 or vahistorical.org.
'The Art of Making Faces' through 4/22
Culled from the University of Richmond museums’ collections of drawings, prints, photographs, and paintings, the exhibition begins with 16 prints created by Giovanni Castiglione from 1645 to 1650 and ends with a selection of screen prints and Polaroid prints from the 1970s and 1980s by Andy Warhol. Joel and Lila Harnett Print Study Center. 287-6424 or museums.richmond.edu.
'Subject to Change' through 4/23
Works by David Emitt Adams, K.K. DePaul, Heidi Kirkpatrick, Lisa Kokin, Tarrah Krajnak, Rachel Phillips and Kris Sanford at Candela Books + Gallery. 214 W. Broad St. 225-5527 or candelabooks.com.
“The Authentic Death of Vincent Van Gogh,” through 4/30
When he was a young man, artist Bernard Martin, 82, read a cowboy book titled “The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones.” Marlon Brando in 1961 made a film from the novel called “One-Eyed Jacks” — a fact that Martin, a movie lover, enjoys contemplating. This is the thought behind “The Authentic Death of Vincent Van Gogh,” exhibited through April 30 at the ADA Gallery. See Harry Kollatz Jr.'s full story here.
'Fine Art and Furniture' through 4/30
This show at Ashland’s Gallery Flux pairs paintings by a variety of artists with artisan-made furniture and pottery. 307-B England St. 752-3540 or galleryflux.com.
'Hyperrealism: Beyond the Photograph' through 5/15
Artist Sharon Guyton Lalik says in an artist’s statement that “painting in a photographic style allows me to showcase an ordinary subject in an extraordinary way, revealing its intricate details, blemishes, and irregularities.” See her work in the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen’s Gumenick Family Gallery. 261-2787 or artsglenallen.com.
'{D}Light: Works in Copper by Cathy G. Vaughn' through 5/21
The Richmond-based artist's show at the Iridian Gallery at Diversity Richmond is installed as garden, dining and bedroom-themed rooms featuring copper works interacting with light and shadows. It runs through May 21. 1407 Sherwood Ave. 622-4646 or diversityrichmond.org.
VCU Graduate MFA Thesis Exhibitions through 5/15
Round one continues through April 24; round two starts with a reception April 29 at the Depot Gallery (814 W. Broad St.) and continues through May 15. Work will also be shown at VCU’s Anderson building (907 1/2 W. Franklin St.). 828-7720 or arts.vcu.edu.
Conor Backman, "Untitled," 2016, oil on canvas (Image courtesy of the artist and Reynolds Gallery)
Conor Backman and Jiha Moon through 5/27
A Hudson, New York-based artist and VCU alumnus, Backman draws on his education in sculpture and painting to incorporate three-dimensional elements in “Circular Garden” at Reynolds Gallery. The second exhibition, by Korean-born, Atlanta-based artist Jiha Moon, features paintings that explore cultural identity by combining imagery from both Eastern and Western cultures. VCUarts Fountainhead Fellows Whitney Oldenburg (an adjunct faculty member in VCUarts' Painting and Printmaking department) and Zachary Trow, are exhibiting in the upstairs gallery. 1514 W. Main St. 355-6553 or reynoldsgallery.com.
'Push Me Pull You' through 5/29
Maine-based artist Anna Hepler’s exhibition at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond will feature wire and fiber sculpture, ceramics, woodcuts, etchings and cyanotypes. In conjunction, Quirk Gallery will present “Alphabet,” an exhibition of Hepler’s work on paper and small sculptural models in mixed media, through May 8. VisArts: 353-0094 or visarts.org; Quirk: 644-5450 or quirkgallery.com.
'Different Trends' through 5/31
Works by Ugandan artist Hassan Mukiibi at Elegba Folklore Society. 101 E. Broad St., 644-3900 or efsinc.org.
“Thomas R. Schiff: Virginia 360°' through 6/19
Contemporary photographer Thomas R. Schiff made these 40 panoramic images in Virginia between 2004 and 2013. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Free. 340-1400 or vmfa.museum.
