The New Orleans-based Soul Rebels play at Friday Cheers' opening night. (courtesy Venture Richmond)
We're not going to let a little dampness get in the way of all the fun this weekend, right?
Tonight at Church Hill's Chimborazo Park, the three-day RVA East End Festival: The Gift of Music revs up with music by the No BS! Brass Band after a ceremony at 6:15 p.m. On Saturday, the Richmond Symphony plays at 7:30 p.m., after a day of performances by community and youth groups. Sunday afternoon, you can hear the One Voice Chorus, Cora Harvey Armstrong and the Harvey Family and Zion's Voice, among others. 3200 E. Broad St. 788-4717 or rvaeastendfest.com.
Robey Martin recently interviewed Joshua Achalam of Mighty Joshua and the Zion #5, opening Friday Cheers' first concert of the season at 6 tonight, followed by the Soul Rebels. $5. 788-6466 or venturerichmond.com.
This weekend, the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia is officially open in its new home at the former Leigh Street armory. Timed to coincide with First Fridays, tonight's events include live poetry and the jazz of Plunky and Oneness from 7 to 9. On Saturday, the museum is open and free to the public, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Two shows are scheduled by a performing artist for the whole family, Culture Queen. 122 W. Leigh St., 780-9093 or blackhistorymuseum.org.
Other First Fridays openings include "Tribute: A Retrospective of David Wurtzel & James DelGrosso" at Glave Kocen Gallery. Both artists have resonated with collectors in the Richmond area and beyond, gallery co-owner BJ Kocen notes. An opening reception is planned from 6 to 8 p.m., and the exhibition continues through May 31. 1620 W. Main St., 358-1990 or glavekocengallery.com.
Anne’s Visual Art Studio has three art openings on First Fridays, May 6. A 6:30 p.m. talk with the artists (Terry Lynn Smith, Elaine Bankston, and Susan Hribernik) will be held followed by a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. 208 W. Broad St. 644-1368 or facebook.com/VisualArtStudio.
On Saturday, ¿Que Pasa? Festival, an annual celebration of Hispanic culture, will be held by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on the Canal Walk. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 378-4099 or quepasafestival.com.
Paul Wilson as Brother Bob Cross in "Shooting the Prodigal." (photo by Paul Bickford, courtesy Belltower Pictures)
On Saturday, May 7, Ashland Theater is screening the Virginia-made film "Big Stone Gap," and actor Paul Wilson will be on hand to answer questions about it. Jackie Kruszewski delves into plans to restore the 1948 theater and talks with Wilson about the allure of Ashland. Tickets are $5, and can be reserved at ashlandtheatreva.org or by calling 304-5588.
MUSIC
Legends of Hip Hop 5/7
Ja Rule headlines an evening of hip hop legends including Kid ‘n Play, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Chubb Rock & Rob Base. Richmond Coliseum. 8 p.m. $77 to $102. 800-745-3000 or richmondcoliseum.net.
Ghost 5/9
Following their recent Grammy win for Best Metal Performance, Ghost stops in at The National. 8 p.m. $26.50. 612-1900 or thenationalva.com.
STAGE
'Venus in Fur' through 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.
Richmond Dance Festival through 5/8
Performances continue at Dogtown Dance Theatre, featuring dancers from around the country. Adults $15, students $10, groups of 10 or more $8. 109 W. 15th St. 230-8780 or dogtowndancetheatre.com. For details, see Holly Speck's preview.
'The Lion King' through 5/8
The winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Disney’s Broadway spectacle is back in Richmond (after a sold-out run in 2012) with its menagerie of animals from the Serengeti coming to life on stage, with music by Elton John and Tim Rice. $28 to $175. 800-514-3849 or altriatheater.com. For a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring all those characters to the stage, see Nicole Cohen's interview with puppet supervisor Michael Reilly.
“Body Awareness,” through 5/14
This comedy by Obie Award winner Annie Baker — also a 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner for her play "The Flick" — is set during Body Awareness Week at Vermont's Shirley College. The story pits partners Phyllis and Joyce against their possibly autistic son, stirring up issues of sexuality, identity, role modeling and political correctness. The 5th Wall Theatre show starring Sara Heifetz, Chandler Hubbard, Melissa Johnston Price and Daniel Moore is co-produced with Richmond Triangle Players at 1300 Altamont Ave. $30. 359-2003 or 5thwalltheatre.org.
Carolyn Demanelis and Alexander Sapp in Virginia Rep's "Summer and Smoke" (photo by Jay Paul)
'Summer and Smoke' through 5/15
Unrequited love, longing, suppressed desire — that's territory Tennessee Williams knew well, and he might have expressed it best in “Summer and Smoke,” running at Virginia Repertory Theatre through May 15. The production concludes Bruce Miller’s 41-year career as the company’s founding artistic director, and brings it full circle to the theater's origins. A longtime admirer of the 1948 play, Miller feels it’s the best of Williams’ work. In Glorious Hill, Mississippi, during the first part of the 20th century, preacher's daughter Alma Winemiller (Carolyn Demanelis) contends with her spiritual and sexual dilemmas and her attraction to bad-boy physician John Buchanan Jr. (Alexander Sapp). $30 to $46. 282-2620 or va-rep.org.
"4000 Miles" through 5/21
A woman and her 21-year-old grandson (played by Richmond stage veteran Irene Zeigler and newcomer Johnny Day) form a bond while seeking respite from a recent life-changing event. The Obie Award-winning play by Amy Herzog is directed by Gary C. Hopper and presented by Cadence Theatre Co. in partnership with Virginia Repertory Theatre in the Theatre Gym. $30. 282-2620 or va-rep.org.
“Maple and Vine” through 5/21
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
'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.
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.
'{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.
'Practice' through 5/22
The VCUart Craft/Material Studies Candidacy Exhibition, "Practice," at Artspace, featuring work by Fumi Amano, Grace Kubiluis, Chelsea Lee, Jubee Lee, Stephen Nunes and Shannon Slaight-Brown. A reception for the artists is set for 7 to 10 p.m. 0 E. Fourth St., 232-6464 or artspacegallery.org.
Five Exhibitions through 5/22
Art Works Studios and Galleries will present five new exhibitions of work by Jessica Sims, John Dale Best, Mark Best, Curt and Debbie Palat, and Jill Ward. A reception for the artists is planned for 7 to 10 p.m. 320 Hull St. 291-1400 or artworksrichmond.com.
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.
Anna Hepler at work. (Photo courtesy Visual Arts Center of Richmond)
'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.
Butterflies Live! through 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.
