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inside COVER inside Oklahoma Gazette’s exclusive interview with comedy and acting power couple Nick Offerman (on the cover) and Megan Mullally welcomes this year’s deadCenter Film Festival happening Thursday-Sunday in venues across downtown OKC. By Ben Luschen.

Cover photo bigstock.com. Cover by Christopher Street. Read more about deadCenter in this week’s issue.

NEWS 4 City mayoral candidates

John

Anderson

8 deadCenter Mike Mitchell 10 Health Integris joins

public-private initiative

12 Chicken-Fried News 14 Letters

EAT & DRINK 16 Review Moni’s Pasta and Pizza 18 Event Oklahoma City

Restaurant Week

20 Briefs

23 Event The Art of Brunch

24 Gazedibles Asian cuisine

ARTS & CULTURE 26

Shop local

26 OKG shop Father’s Day

JULY 14 8PM

28 deadCenter Megan Mullally and

Nick Offerman return to deadCenter

29 deadCenter Film

Festival program

Best of OKC Nomination Ballot

38 deadCenter staff picks

40 deadCenter activism in films 41 deadCenter family films

Tickets Starting at $25

41 deadCenter virtual reality

42 deadCenter Mickey Reece’s Alien and local films 46 Theater Adèle Wolf’s Oklahoma

City Burlesque Festival

47 Theater Bring It On at The

Pollard Theatre

48 Theater OKC Phil’s new director 49 Community Inclusion &

Diversity Consortium

50 Calendar

MUSIC 55 Event At the Drive In at

The Criterion

56 deadCenter Far Western

58 Event Eldredge Jackson and

OKC Jazz Fest

59 Feature Rocklahoma

60 Event Otherwise at Thunder Alley

Grill and Sports Lounge

61 Live music

FUN 62 Puzzles sudoku | crossword

GRANDBOXOFFICE.COM

63 Astrology OKG Classifieds 63

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Cit y

NEWS

City focused

With four-term OKC Mayor Mick Cornett launching a campaign for governor, mayoral candidates begin to emerge. By Laura Eastes

The race for Oklahoma City’s next mayor began to take shape after Mayor Mick Cornett’s February announcement that he would not seek a fifth term in office. Within days, State Sen. David Holt, Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan and political newcomer Marina Mangiaracina declared their interest. Those three remain as the field’s only public entrants just six months before office filing begins in the 2018 OKC mayor’s race. This mayoral race is sure to spur public debate about the city’s future while also recognizing successful efforts by past mayors, including Cornett, who has served as the city’s mayor since 2004. As the city’s longest-serving mayor, Cornett’s commitment and dedication to OKC sets a bar for future candidates; however, his vacant seat will situate the next mayor to open a new chapter in the city’s history. The successor will likely plan the next MAPS campaign as well as follow the will of the people after a September election on a proposed billion-dollar infrastructure plan that combines a General Obligation Bond program with an extension to the MAPS tax. Cornett’s successor inherits a drop in tax revenues, which contributes to a leaner government with fewer city employees, including fewer police officers. Who are the new contenders for mayor? Oklahoma Gazette caught up with the three who have already announced their campaigns for the first wide-open nonpartisan mayoral election in a dozen years.

David Holt | Photo Garett Fisbeck

David Holt

Ten years ago, State Sen. David Holt wouldn’t have said his dream job was to be OKC’s mayor, but after spending five years as Cornett’s chief of staff and representing parts of northwest OKC, Bethany, Warr Acres and The Village at the state Capitol, that’s exactly what the mayor’s position is to the OKC native. Holt is one of many residents who believes MAPS, which set off an urban renaissance, gave millennials a reason to stay. “I want Oklahoma City to maintain that functionality, and it can only be done if we have a mayor who understands how we got here,” Holt said. “We got here through visionary, inclusive and optimistic leadership. …The mayor sets the tone and brings all people together and encourages them to put aside their ideological, geographical and ethnic differences for the good of the city. That’s what we have successfully done for 20 years. I want to see that continue, and that’s what my campaign stands for.” Referring to his campaign as “aspirational,” Holt concludes that the city’s next mayor must understand the city’s history but also “recognize it is time to start a new chapter” and embrace all groups residing here. Holt believes he is uniquely qualified because of his intimate understanding of the mayor’s office and city government in addition to his successful efforts to legislate at the state level.

Marina Mangiaracina | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Public safety, specifically the number of police officers, is a top priority for Holt, who said he will closely follow the council’s proposal to extend the MAPS tax to address shortfalls in the city’s operations budget and fund crucial street projects. If elected, Holt’s attention would also be drawn to continuing job growth, maintaining the city’s infrastructure and improving public education. He is open-minded about ways to help schools and frustrated by current state laws that prevent much aid from city governments. If the city addresses its core needs, Holt believes it can accomplish a lot. “We can dream big and do fun MAPS initiatives that make our city great. We have proven over the last 20 years that we can do both,” he said. “I think anyone who is running for this office and thinks we can’t is selling our city short.”

Marina Mangiaracina

Marina Mangiaracina, who lost to incumbent John A. Pettis Jr. in the race to represent OKC’s Ward 7 last winter, pushes a campaign message centered on addressing the social and economic needs of the city’s most marginalized groups. It’s a message that mirrors past campaigns for city council and Oklahoma House District 99 in 2016. The transgender woman has been unsuccessful in her past quests for public office but believes she raises serious issues

Brian Maughan | Photo Garett Fisbeck

affecting the city’s residents in each race. When discussing street improvements, Mangiaracina explained that the city needs to take a long-term approach to streets and move beyond being car-centric. “I think it is important to develop public infrastructure, but first of all, we’ve got to expand the bus system,” Mangiaracina said. “We need to expand service to more locations and have bus service on Sundays. Beyond that, we need to expand the streetcar and move towards a rail line. … By expanding public transit options, we will use streets more efficiently. A long-term approach will get us where we are able to manage our roads. Right now, we keep taking out more and more money. We are either going to fix the roads or build something.” Mangiaracina believes city government can play a critical role in addressing poverty by ensuring the tax burden is evenly shared amongst residents. Since low- and middle-income taxpayers pay a disproportionately large share of their incomes as sales tax, Mangiaracina thinks the MAPS program, which raises funds by a one-cent sales tax, could be reformed to tap into another taxing source. If elected, she would join efforts with other council members calling on state leaders to study municipal tax collections. OKC, continued on page 6

tweeting about! @okgazette

Oklahoma Gazette 4

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NomiNatioNs opeN for the CLass of 2017

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like many cities, relies heavily on sales tax dollars for not just voter-approved infrastructure projects but also funding dayto-day operations. It would take amending the state constitution before city leaders could think about restructuring tax policies. A lifelong OKC resident, Mangiaracina wants to shrink the city by de-annexing city lands to bordering municipalities. She believes the size of the city, at 620 square miles, prevents it from providing services equally.

cit y

FRIDAY

Brian Maughan

Years ago, Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan decided he wanted to fulfill his civic duty by becoming part of local government. The U.S. Grant High School alumnus with a background in communications and public affairs successfully ran for a fouryear term on the commission in 2008. Now, just into his third term representing District 2, which includes south and northwestern areas of the county, Maughan seeks to take his experience serving on the county board to the mayoral seat. As he describes it, because of the close working environment between the city and county, he has had a front row seat to the mayor’s office and city government. He believes his local government background is crucial in addressing the city’s pressing issues: public safety, streets and government efficiency. “I’ve had to learn how to do more with less,” Maughan said when explaining recent budget shortfall at the county level. “I’d like to see more of that done at the city, but at the same time, we’ve got to find extra funds for police and fire. I think we can look at our current budget to be sure we are funding priorities first.” Maughan described his campaign as grassroots with the first phase dedicated to taking his message to the people. If elected, Maughan would bring his SHINE community service and youth volunteerism programs to the city, specifically the municipal court. The program funnels low-level nonviolent offenders from jail into supervised community service sentences. Offenders sentenced to SHINE clean up roadways, remove graffiti and perform other labor projects around the county. His approach to running the city would include finding ways to partner with the community. “The county commissioner is charged to take care of the indigent,” Maughan said. “Most people don’t know that and think all we deal with is roads and bridges. Like you see at the federal, state and city level, we have to be able to form partnerships to be able to address the many needs. I think that can be done on a larger scale if I am mayor.” The mayoral election is Feb. 13, 2018.

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Making magic

deadCenter Film Festival honors Oklahomans making an impact on the film industry, like Mike Mitchell, who created Trolls and other well-known family-friendly films. By Laura Eastes

It all began in Oklahoma City’s northwest suburbs in the 1980s. Mike Mitchell had a Mongoose bike, an 8mm camera and several buddies. Perhaps more importantly, he had imagination. “We went all over to creeks and on the back roads,” Mitchell recalled during a recent Oklahoma Gazette interview. “At that time, you didn’t have to travel very far before you ended up in the middle of nowhere. We were just riding our Mongoose bikes, but we ended up in the middle of nowhere and we began to make films.” Mitchell never heard any complaints when he pulled out his camera and began to capture his friends. He also frequently visited the dollar movie theater near his home. As technology progressed, he got his hands on a camcorder with batteries the size and weight of bricks. In high school, he constantly fielded invitations to drop by garages to film classmates’ bands. By the time he graduated from Putnam City North High School in 1988, he had amassed a bunch of short films and a strong desire to enter the filmmaking biz. Mitchell has become one of Hollywood’s top creators, bringing to life the stories of familiar characters Shrek, the Chipmunks, SpongeBob and most recently the Troll dolls in the 2016 hit film Trolls. “Why do we make films?” Mitchell asked. “It’s not for us to go home and watch them by ourselves. We really make them for an audience. When you hear a whole audience laugh, that is a really nice feeling. It means they are with you and enjoying your story.”

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Mike Mitchell

An Icon

Mitchell’s dedication, tenacity and accomplishments have earned him an Oklahoma Film Icon Award at this year’s deadCenter Film Festival. Mitchell joins actor and Tulsa native Gary Busey and Junie Lowry-Johnson, a casting agent originally from Oklahoma City, in accepting the Icon

Director, animator and native Oklahoman Mike Mitchell | Photo deadCenter Film Festival / Warner Animation Group / provided

awards in conjunction with the 2017 festival. The honor is bestowed upon Oklahomans who have made a major impact on the film industry. Past winners include film editor Carol Littleton, actor James Marsden, producer Gray Frederickson and Chris Freihofer, a Norman-based actor, casting director and producer. Icon winners Mitchell and LowryJohnson will participate in this year’s festival. From 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Saturday, Lowr y-Johnson and Freihofer will discuss the role casting directors play in developing film or television shows on a panel at ACM@ UCO. At 1 p.m. Saturday, Mitchell will present how an idea becomes a billiondollar blockbuster animated film at Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Following the panel, Trolls will screen.

Right time

When the computer-animated film Shrek hit movie theaters in 2001, box office results signified that audience tastes were

shifting. The story of the green ogre and his pals pleased childhood audience, but with its sly in-jokes and characters voiced by top Hollywood actors, the film struck a chord with adults. At that time, a new era in animation was brewing in Hollywood, and recent California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) graduate Mitchell was ready to contribute. He believed animation, like live-action, was an art form filmmakers used to tell their stories and those stories didn’t have to be classic myths and fables. “When I went to school, the only animation jobs were Disney features and Scooby-Doo,” he said. “By the time I left school, animation was all over the place. It was a really an inspirational time.” Before the Shrek team recruited Mitchell, he signed with studios to direct live-action films like Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, starring Rob Schneider, and Surviving Christmas, a romantic comedy with an all-star cast including Ben A ff leck, James Gandolifini and Christina Applegate. In 2004, when Shrek 2 was released, Mitchell rolled in the credits as an animator. He stayed on, contributing to Shrek the Third. When it came time for Shrek Forever After, Mitchell was named director, contributing to the world’s biggest animated franchise. Part of Shrek’s success is the lovable characters and the relatable yet entertaining story. “Often, most people think since a film is for families and kids, it just has to be funny and colorful,” Mitchell said. “Personally, I go into every film always thinking about what the movie should be about. ... I always look for a message. Those messages help make the film better, and it becomes a story I want to tell. These films stand the test of time.” Following the release of Trolls, which earned considerable critical acclaim, Mitchell signed on to direct The Lego Movie Sequel, which is set for release in 2019. Mitchell’s advice for aspiring filmmakers is simple: Make a movie. With advances in technology and easier access to equipment, he encourages people to create. “Follow your passion no matter what,” Mitchell said. “If there is anyone who doesn’t believe in your artistic talent or dream, you have to get them out of your life immediately.”

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Providing patients

Integris joins a public-private initiative to better serve patients and cut costs. By Lea Terry

Providing comprehensive care for a patient sometimes goes well beyond the traditional sit-down visit with a doctor. When it comes to medical reimbursements, providers only receive payments for specific services provided. It’s a model that doesn’t take into account the necessary follow-up or how the relationship between provider and patient influences patient outcomes. On Jan. 1, Integris Medical Group joined the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus Partnership (CPC+), which uses a model that is dramatically different from the traditional fee-forservice one. According to Sunnie Glover, Integris’ vice president of professional services and development, the new approach is proactive. “From a funding standpoint, the fundamental difference is [medical providers] receive a care management fee,” Glover said. “Right now, you deliver care, you file a claim and you get paid. Under this plan, you get paid for services that traditionally have not been reimbursed.” CPC+ is a partnership among the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the state Medicaid agency The Oklahoma Health Care Authority, commercial health plans, self-insured businesses and primary care providers. With 33 of Integris’ practices participating for a total of 104 providers, the Oklahomabased health care system is one of 2,900 medical providers across the nation participating in CPC+.

We want to organize the care we deliver to meet the needs of the entire population. Sunnie Glover The program is designed to save money while also improving the quality of the medical care provided. According to the CMS, an initial phase of CPC+ resulted in gross savings at very little cost and produced positive results in the quality of the care provided under the model. With CPC+ partnerships, providers are paid for outcomes and for achieving specific quality metrics. “There’s really a focus on the highest and best use, on getting the most benefit for the dollars expended,” Glover said. The program also provides the funding necessary to support services that traditionally were not eligible for reimbursement. CMS pays providers a

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monthly care management fee for each beneficiary. Other payers, like commercial, state and federal insurers, are offered additional payments to primary care providers to help them enhance the scope and overall quality of care. Hospitals are offered a performancebased incentive payment, which they receive in advance. To keep the payment, hospitals must meet specific annual thresholds for quality. If they don’t meet the threshold, they must repay all or part of the payment. The payment has two components. The first is clinical quality and patient experience, and the second depends on the total cost of care. The CPC+ program outlines five areas to guide practices: access and continuity, care management, comprehensiveness and coordination, patient and caregiver engagement and planned care and population health. A major goal is to strengthen the relationship between patients and their caregivers to not only improve the quality of care but also lower costs while providing more comprehensive care that addresses every aspect of a patient’s well-being. This includes not only medical needs but also behavioral and psychological health. Glover described the new model as providing a continuum of care; it goes well beyond a simple face-to-face visit with a doctor. As for patients, the most noticeable immediate change is an expanded care team that includes behavioral health specialists as well as care navigators and coordinators who will contact the patient to remind them they’re due for a specific service and set up future appointments, among other things. Integris strives to make it easier for patients to obtain care, including those who face socio-economic barriers that interfere with their ability to seek treatment. For those patients, Integris will connect with community resources to ensure care delivery. Glover expects the program’s model to become widespread in the healthcare industry. Already, commercial payers are embracing it. “It’s really gaining a foothold outside of just your federal programs, and the commercial plans are seeing the benefits and asking, ‘How do we develop programs that develop a care delivery system that not only improves outcomes and creates a better patient experience, but also controls costs?’” Glover said. “And that’s a very fine balance.” Natha Norman, who serves as Integris’ administrative director of care

Sunnie Glover | Photo Todd Stogner / provided

Natha Norman | Photo provided

delivery, quality and innovation, explained Integris joins several other providers already delivering patient care and services through a CPC+-like model. “We have a large network and opportunity of learning from those who have participated in a similar program as to what really is best for the patient and how to transform the care delivery model,” Norman said. As part of its new approach, Integris plans to create a patient and family advisory council to obtain a patient perspective on care. Integris leaders will consider the council’s recommendations for improving patient care. “We want to organize the care we deliver to meet the needs of the entire population,” Glover said.

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It’s hailing men

Damon Lane might need to rewatch Alec Baldwin’s famous scene from Glengarry Glen Ross before the next storm hits. Except instead of “always be closing,” he needs to A.B.C. — Always Be Checking. During May 22 storms, Lane retweeted a photo shared with him by @ Jaime_nicole7 with the caption “Look at the hail we got in Tuttle tonight @KOCODamonLane.” Indeed, the photo showed some nickel-sized hail in the palm of a hand. But wait; there’s more! A.B.C. If Lane had only clicked to see the rest of the photo, he would have noticed that Jamie’s photo included a little something extra: male genitalia. That certainly gives new meaning to the term “weather dong.” (Not sure just what a weather dong phenomenon is? You can find the answer on The Lost Ogle or Reddit.) After apologizing profusely to offended followers, Lane seemed to roll with the punches. “I only saw hail in the pic. Didn’t see anything else. I thought, ‘ well.. we have storms..there’s some hail,’” he wrote. He also said that in the future, he will be more careful with his retweets. Followers had fun with it, too. Some asked if that was his “hail” they were peeping, while others wanted to know if follow-up photos were safe to open. “For every 1 person truly offended, there are a couple hundred of us laughing,” tweeted @biggy_brent. “Just include this in your next hail report. Hail stones bigger than this guy’s junk, so you got nothing to worry about.” Heck, that just might work.

j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Oklahoma nightmare

Let’s say you are an avid follower of Oklahoma politics but fell and hit your head when leaving the Capitol tunnel after Gov. Mary Fallin’s State of the State Address on Feb. 6. Let’s say the fall knocked you into a coma. More than four months later, you emerged from unconsciousness with questions burning in your mind. You: Did the teachers get their raise? Chicken-Fried News: No. There were bills proposed both in the House and Senate. House-approved legislation calling for a $1,000 teacher pay raise died in a Senate committee. The state’s budget bill includes no appropriations for a teacher pay increase. Maybe next time? You: Meh. Well, did lawmakers work toward modernizing the state’s sales tax structure? CFN: Don’t you worry! The great news is you can still get your car washed, get inked with a new tattoo and pick up your dog from the groomers and not pay any sales tax on any of it! But buy a car, new or used, and you will see an extra 1.25 percent sales tax on your bill of sale. You: Hmm. Well, if I look on the bright side, it’s not like I can afford a car anyway. Maybe I should just go to debtors’ jail. I kid! I kid! But seriously, Oklahoma has the highest female incarceration rate in the nation and the

second-highest incarceration rate overall — did lawmakers work on criminal justice reform? CFN: Sorta. There was work, like Senate Bill 689, which would allow judges and prosecutors more options in diverting people from prison to treatment. However, that bill and three other criminal justice reform measures fell victim to a House committee chairman (cough Rep. Scott Biggs), who refused to hear the bills in the final days of the session. You: What about that cigarette tax? CFN: Yeah! No. So it’s not a tax, but a fee. It passed on the last day of the session. Expect to pay an extra $1.50 for a pack of cigarettes. You: So, what about that budget hole? Did lawmakers fix it all? I mean, they spent all those hours at the Capitol and the budget was a huge priority and all that. CFN: You’re going to need to lie back down.

Seeing gold

Facebook and other social media platforms can sometimes morph into places where loose circles of friends complain about society’s various woes. Yet on occasion, some truly heartwarming content can seep through and become viral. One such instance occurred in late May, when 12-year-old Oklahoma City

resident Darci Lynne Farmer shared her impressive ventriloquism act on NBC talent competition show America’s Got Talent. Darci, who spoke to the show’s judges in between bubbly giggles, performed on stage with Petunia, her pink rabbit puppet. She said she was interested in preserving ventriloquism because not many young people are interested in it anymore. She’s right. The act’s true wow factor comes during its musical portion. A side-talking Darci (or is it Petunia?) sings with a fuller, lusher voice with just 5 percent of her mouth than most anyone else could do with their whole mouth and a week of training. After her performance, Darci received a standing ovation from the crowd and show judges, including Simon Cowell, who is notorious for not sparing harsh judgment. Judge Mel B, formerly Scary Spice, was so impressed by Darci and Petunia that she slapped

her golden buzzer, which sends contestants straight to the show’s live performance round. It is an honor reserved for only the most talented contestants. Darci and her mother shed tears of joy onstage, but they were not the only ones. This Chicken-Fried News writer is not afraid to get a little sentimental from time to time, especially when seeing something good happen to a sweet, local kid. The whole state wishes Darci luck as she advances in America’s Got Talent. The live show round is scheduled to begin later this summer.

Elusive equipment

A lot of the time, we want what Texas has. We look toward the state just south of us, where everything is supposedly bigger, and think about things that make us just a little jealous, like its great teacher pay, good roads, Schlitterbahn water park, the hometown of Beyoncé and other great attractions. But now it’s our turn to stand at the border and say, “Na-na na-na, boo-boo!” We finally have something Texans want but can’t have: science equipment. It might seem unlikely that Oklahomans would have a boon of science treasure anyone else would envy — we’re not exactly known for holding the scientific arts in high esteem. (Cough. Snowballs on the Senate floor.)

But it’s true. Tulsa’s The STEMcell Science Shop, which specializes in science, technology, engineering and math equipment, recently told Texans to stop asking the retailer to ship equipment across state lines. The shop posted a photo of an Erlenmeyer flask on its Facebook page along with this explanation: “We’ve had some inquiries from Texans wanting to buy chemistry equipment. That’s great, but it’s illegal for us to sell to you if you don’t have a permitted business! Texas has some very misguided and archaic drug enforcement laws (the permit application suggests filling out the form on a typewriter). Maybe they assume people won’t make drugs if they don’t have the finest laboratory-grade glassware available?” According to Texas state law, owning the flasks without a permit is illegal because they’re considered controlled substances. The flasks aren’t the only equipment people can’t send to unlicensed Texans. The STEMcell Science Shop also listed condensers; distilling apparatus; vacuum driers; distilling, Erlenmeyer, Florence, round bottom, filtering, one-, two-, and three-neck flasks; Büchner, filter, and separatory funnels; Soxhlet extractors; flask heaters; heating mantles; and adapter tubes (“srsly!?!”). Shop

X.XX

owners also provided links to Texas’ controlled substances code and business permit application and lists of members of the Texas Senate and House of Representatives. You’re not setting up any sort of lab in Texas, so don’t even try it, buddy. Maybe this will work in our favor and give Oklahoma’s burgeoning amateur scientists and inventors a head start on innovation. We’d also like to know if lab break-ins increase.

APY*

allegiancecu.org

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

letters

NEWS Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to jchancellor@okgazette.com or sent online at okgazette.com. Include a city of residence and contact number for verification.

Refugee reality

Since around 2001, the word Muslim has had a very negative connotation. Since around 2001, fear and ignorance have ensured that the words terrorist and Muslim are as synonymous as freedom and America. This is an unfortunate stereotype that must be broken. It’s time we look beyond our painful past and focus on our possibly limitless future. It’s time we open our minds to try and understand another person’s perspective, another’s life. Empathy is all it takes to relate with and begin to understand any person, regardless of background. In fact, I’m sure that many Holocaust refugees would be very empathetic toward today’s Syrian refugees. Unlike some of the nation, I think that, like me, they would have much dissonance on the difference between a

Holocaust and Syrian refugee. I’ve heard the usual “Holocaust refugees didn’t have malicious intent” reply, but that just isn’t satisfactory for me. I can’t help but think that out of the possible 6,000,000 or so tragic Jewish deaths that could’ve been avoided, a couple of those people were bound to have been criminals in one aspect or another. So without the scapegoat of possible criminal activity or homicide, what separates one of the biggest genocides in history from what many refer to as just another cost of war? I don’t understand how, in retrospect, we understand the right thing to do, yet here we are in the now, sitting on the sidelines as the slaughter of the Syrian people unfolds. The simple truth is that no matter

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what you do in life, there will virtually always be risk of injury or death. Whether it be swimming in a pool, climbing a ladder or even flying to see family, there is always a chance for injury or death. It’s up to us to overcome that fear, just as we trained ourselves in day-to-day life. It’s our responsibility to ensure that our fear does not override our morals. We are willing to take risks for ourselves, but what about taking risks for the innocent? That risk just may prove to be less severe than you think. Remington B. Naputi Seminole

Blinding loyalty

Why did legislators pass legislation that

hurts blind Oklahomans, especially seniors? There is no reason to contract services out unless you can do a better job for less money. Gov. Mary Fallin signed Senate Bill 733 and House Bill 2230. SB 733 fires a state agency’s highly qualified staff with master’s degrees who provide free statewide training that enables blind seniors to stay in their homes. Why? Because some legislator’s buddy wrote legislation so narrow it defines only them, even though their program bills Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance and seniors’ credit cards to pay generic therapists with no experience in blindness rehabilitation. House Bill 2230 takes a food service business away from successful blind business owner Mike Spencer, who runs the Tulsa County Jail commissary. It gives this citizen’s business to a corrupt sheriff’s office, which came up missing more than $200,000 in funds embezzled from inmate accounts when it was audited by the state auditor-inspector. Hijacking Spencer’s business won’t help Tulsa citizens. They already face property tax increases because of the $10.25 million civil rights judgment against the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. Gov. Fallin did not protect citizens who are blind by vetoing these bills. Red Goldfarb Yukon

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Continental getaway

Moni’s Pasta and Pizza is a hidden Italian gem. By Greg Elwell

Moni’s Pasta and Pizza 17200 N. May Ave., Suite 700 | 405-285-5991 www.monisokc.com What works: The fra diavolo sauce is actually spicy. What needs work: The restaurant is pretty isolated. Tip: Chef Rachel makes a fantastic crème brûlée if you’ve saved enough room for dessert.

The rise of retail districts across Oklahoma City is rewriting the way we talk about our town. Uptown 23rd District, The Paseo Arts District, 16th Street Plaza District, Bricktown, Western Avenue, NOMA — these are terms of location, yes, but also a shorthand for the way we feel about the metro. Each district elicits a different image, a different vibe and, in my case at least, a different flavor. It’s another reason to identify with an area, which probably explains why so many of them are keen to be branded. Western Avenue is great for shopping.

Plaza District enjoys an excellent nightlife. Uptown 23rd is filled with hip restaurants. But what draws us to nameless areas? How do they become known? I found Moni’s Pasta and Pizza, 17200 N. May Ave., Suite 700, in one of them. In an area that some think is Edmond but is actually Oklahoma City sits a pretty little bistro tucked away in a nondescript shopping center. Owned by John and Rachel Foster since 2014, it has a strong following of locals that keep the tables filled and the kitchen busy. But if you haven’t heard of Moni’s, I’m not surprised. It’s easy to miss, especially for those of us who don’t frequently venture north of Memorial Road. Maybe we need to come up with a district name to help people get over there? Let’s call it JOE (Just Outside Edmond) District. Moni’s menu more than justifies the drive. Take a bite of the mushrooms crab-

Francese, egg batter-dipped fried chicken over spaghetti with a white wine, lemon and cream sauce | Photo Cara Johnson

Linguine broccoli with olive oil, red pepper and garlic | Photo Cara Johnson 16

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The DiAngelo pizza with red bell pepper and Italian sausage over spicy fra diavolo sauce topped with a fried egg | Photo Cara Johnson

meat ($9.95) appetizer and you’ll know why. Mushroom caps are stuffed with crabmeat and drenched in ladles of Marsala cream sauce. A generous layer of mozzarella covers the tops before they’re baked in the oven, which helps meld the flavors for gooey, decadent mouthfuls. Stracciatella alla romana ($4.95 cup/$5.95 bowl) is an Italian take on egg drop soup made with lemon, and it’s as weird and wonderful as it sounds. The broth is thin with wisps of egg throughout, and the distinct brightness and tartness of citrus is a wake-up call to the palate. “We’re about to eat some great food! Put on your game face, taste buds,” it shouts. This is also when decisions must be made. As much as I enjoy ordering two or three entrees at a time, Moni’s serves such generous portions that it’s unnecessary. Those in the mood for chicken have a few excellent choices. For the “wow” factor alone, chicken rollatini ($17.95) is a must-try. John aptly described it as “a small planet landing on a plate of pasta.” The chicken is pounded thin and then stuffed with cheese and basil before it’s rolled in batter and fried to a deep brown. The entire dish is covered with a creamy pink sauce with mushrooms. Francese ($15.95) is more straightforward but equally satisfying. Chicken breast is battered in egg wash and sautéed, producing an airy, crunchy crust that soaks up the white wine and lemon sauce underneath. To make sure you don’t miss a bit of the flavor, the spaghetti base catches the extra sauce and any pieces of breading that evade your fork. Seafood makes a solid showing on Moni’s menu with the chef’s eponymous Risotto Di Rachel ($20.95): grilled salmon atop walnut and spinach risotto. I was most impressed by shrimp fra diavolo ($19.95), which purports to be spicy and actually follows through. Translated as “shrimp among the devil,” it’s a classic Italian dish that brings the heat. Moni’s graciously allows customers to choose their preferred spice level,

as one would do at a Thai restaurant, for a plate of pasta that stings without singeing the taste buds. Shrimp, which are mostly water anyway, soak up the sauce to provide a burst of spice every few bites. I ordered a two out of five and thought the heat was perfect for an interesting dish that didn’t require a cool-down period between each forkful. Though complex sauces can be fun, the classics are called that for a reason. That’s the ethos of linguine broccoli ($13.95), which is basically just what it says. Thick strands of pasta are tossed with olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper and topped with crisp broccoli florets. It’s simple, delicious and the kind of homestyle Italian dish I think everyone appreciates. I like it as a vegetarian option, but if you think a meal isn’t a meal without meat, chicken can be added for $2.95. All pasta dishes include a choice of house or Caesar salad and tasty dinner rolls basted in garlic sauce, which is especially nice if you’re dining with kids who absolutely need to eat right this second. Prospective parents take note: Snacks before the meal are necessary for everyone’s sanity. The DiAngelo pizza ($12.95-$21.95) is probably not right for kids, but adult palates will find much to love in the pie’s spicy fra diavolo sauce and sliced Italian sausage. But the pièces de résistance are the soft-fried eggs on top. What a combination! The pizza is studded with pieces of red bell pepper, adding a sweet crunch, and the combination of sauce and sausages has just the right amount of sizzle. The cheese does an admirable job holding it all against the hand-tossed crust, but the egg brings it all together. The slow-running yolk encases the toppings in a luscious layer of fat that balances out the heat. The Fosters said they plan to expand Moni’s, including opening a patio and putting together a more comprehensive bar. That might not be enough to warrant an entirely new district, but for JOE, it’s not a bad start.

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EAT & DRINK

E v ent

Menu moves

Oklahoma City Restaurant Week, happening Friday through June 18, gives local chefs an opportunity to showcase new flavors. By Greg Elwell

During Oklahoma City Restaurant Week, which runs Friday through June 18 at 29 participating eateries across the metro, each venue offers specially priced menus so diners can enjoy a sampling of cuisine. While each is happy to welcome new and longtime customers, OKC Restaurant Week also serves an important benefit to the community: The nine-day event raises money for Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, which feeds more than 126,000 people each week who are facing food insecurity. Taking part is easy. Visit okcrestaurantweek.com to learn more about participating venues and their menus. When you find one you like, visit the restaurant and let your server know you would like to order from the special OKC Restaurant Week prix fixe menu. Then enjoy your meal knowing that $1 of each lunch and $2 of each dinner sold will be donated to the food bank. Reservations aren’t required, but they are recommended.

First impressions

Owner and chef Kendall Curry of Chef Curry To Go, 5701 N. Western Ave., offers a special OKC Restaurant Week prix fixe lunch menu featuring a choice of salad or jalapeño bisque with an entree of either grilled salmon with orzo salad or a hoisin burger for $15 per person. “I wanted to do something a little different than what we’ve been doing here,”

Flint executive chef Patrick Williams prepares vegetables for the braised boneless beef short rib entree. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

he said. “The salmon dish is nice and summery; not too heavy for the temperatures outside.” The seasoned and grilled filet comes with an orzo pasta salad with artichoke hearts, capers, Kalamata olives, red onions, bell peppers and feta cheese. “I like to use colors,” he said. “It’s a way to blend in different vegetables and proteins.” Utilizing more than a quarter century of fine dining experience, including a decade-long stint at Ranch Steakhouse, Curry is an expert at adding those little touches that elevate a dish. “I consider myself a comfort chef,” he said. “I’m shooting for something that is palate-pleasing as well as stuff you don’t find in a lot of restaurants.” People might not think of jalapeño as a main flavor in soup, but Curry’s bisque will change that. “The last time we ran the jalapeño bisque, it was a big crowd pleaser,” he said. Curry roasts fresh jalapeños before discarding the webbing and seeds from inside them, which reduces their heat. He

Chef Curry To Go owner Kendall Curry plates grilled salmon and orzo pasta salad from his Oklahoma City Restaurant Week menu. | Photo Garett Fisbeck 18

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then removes the charred skins and purees the peppers before adding them to the cream base. The resulting soup is thin and smooth with the fresh flavor of jalapeños but a fraction of the heat. Curry said OKC Restaurant Week is an opportunity for him to introduce his cuisine to the community. “That’s been the biggest thing with us — people not knowing we’re here or thinking we’re a Middle Eastern restaurant because of my name,” Curry said. “I finally broke down and put a chicken curry on the [daily] menu for a while because people were asking.” His years in the industry have taught him how to creatively accommodate his customers’ desires.

Starting fresh

Another fine-dining chef puts his skills on display during OKC Restaurant Week. Chef Patrick Williams recently left his position at Vast to take over the kitchen at sister restaurant Flint, located inside the Colcord Hotel at 15 N. Robinson Ave. Flint’s prix fixe lunch menu includes a choice of vegetable pozole or Caesar salad with an entree of either a short rib po’boy with fries or a bowl of red beans and rice with hickory-smoked pork over jasmine rice for $15 per person. Its prix fixe dinner menu offers a choice of vegetable pozole or Caesar salad, entrees of either braised boneless beef short rib or lemon-andherb-stuffed rainbow trout and dessert options of Key lime pie or carrot cake for $35 per person. Williams said he’s looking to refine Flint’s concept. “It’s been rather loose,” he said. “It’s American food, and it’s had some influences from around the world, so I’m trying to develop around the flavors of Oklahoma.” To his palate, the Sooner State draws on three regions for its unique flavor: the

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Chef Curry To Go owner Kendall Curry designed his Oklahoma City Restaurant Week menu to work with Oklahoma’s warm spring weather. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Best Sushi Best Patio Dining

Braised boneless beef short rib over roasted vegetables and a cup of pozole from Flint’s

Best Japanese

Oklahoma City Restaurant Week menu. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Deep South, the Midwest and the Southwest. “We’ll be using local products whenever possible and really try to hit on the heart of the flavors,” he said. He considers his OKC Restaurant Week menu as kind of a primer for what Flint’s menu will become. “The short rib dish is only going to change a little bit, with the vegetables and things that go with it changing seasonally,” Williams said. “It’s basically a Midwestern pot roast done with short rib.” Another sneak peek for customers is the pozole, a Southwestern soup made with hominy. It will eventually become Flint’s house soup and will also change with the seasons. Williams said the restaurant will phase out the current blend of zucchini and squash for a soup of pumpkin and poblano peppers in the fall, but it will remain vegetarian. “We’re not unleashing the full menu changes until July,” he said. “Some of the menu is where we’re going and getting staff trained on new menu items.” Visit okcrestaurantweek.com.

Oklahoma City Restaurant Week

Best Cocktail

Best Restaurant Open Since 6/1/16

Best Western Ave District Restaurant

Friday-June 18 OKC metro okcrestaurantweek.com Proceeds from this special event benefit Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | J u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

b rie f s By Greg Elwell

EAT & DRINK

•Busy bees

Photo bigstock.com

Myriad Botanical Gardens offers two sweet ways to celebrate National Pollinator Week, which draws focus to the valuable environmental roles played by butterflies, bats, birds and bees. Buzzing Bees 2-3:30 p.m. June 17 in the Terrace Room of the Crystal Bridge in the gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., is a class for children ages 6-10 about what goes on in the minds of bees. Kids will learn what interests bees, why they buzz and how important the flying insects are to nature. Participants will look for bees in the pollinator garden before enjoying a honey tasting and making a bee-inspired craft. Tickets are $7-$9. Registration ends Tuesday. Adults hungry for their honey fix should visit Infused Honey’s Workshop 10:30 a.m.-noon June 24 in the Terrace Room in the gardens. This class for adults includes information on how to infuse fresh herbs, spices and fruits into honey and is followed by a tasting. Everyone will leave with a 4 oz. jar of infused honey. Tickets are $12-$15. Registration ends June 20. Visit myriadgardens.com or call 405-445-7080.

Summit rescheduled

VOTE Best Mexican Restaurant North Penn 15124 Lieyton’s Ct. Ste. 118 405-286-3676

Del City 5301 Main St. Ste. 117 405-813-8337

Lawton 3807 Cache Road 580-699-8337

West OKC 300 Outlet Shoppes Dr. 405-607-8337

OKC 2836 NW 68th St. 405-848-8337

Edmond 801 E. Danforth Rd 405-810-8337

Broken Arrow 3202 W. Kenosha St. 918-254-8337

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Tulsa Hills 7848 S. Olympia Ave. WEST 918-301-8337

Dine-In • ToGo • Catering • Banquet Facilities 20

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Predictions of catastrophic winter weather influenced Oklahoma Craft Beer Summit organizers to postpone their planned January event. Now, the event has a new date and location and a strong lineup of seminars and tastings. It begins with registration 9 a.m. Aug. 5 at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., followed by breakfast and a stout beer tasting. Other tastings include strong ales, session ales, sour beers, hoppy beers and barrel-aged brews. Conference events include a discussion on beer quality led by Avery Brewing Co. production manager

Bernardo Alatorre, a demonstration of draft systems and a discussion about malt and hops. A keynote address about craft beer trends will be presented by Brewers Association technical brewing projects coordinator Damon Scott. The State of the Brewnion at 11 a.m. will focus on the outlook for local beermakers in the wake of Senate Bill 424’s passage last year. The event is for guests age 21 and older. Tickets are $60-$75 and include lunch from Hideaway Pizza. Visit oklahomacraftbeersummit.com.

•Country flavor

Food truck and music festival Beats & Bites returns 6-11 p.m. Saturday to the west parking lot at Riverwind Casino, 1544 State Highway 9, in Norman. This month’s event features Texas country star Pat Green ( pictured) 9-10:30 p.m. Green released his new single, “Drinkin’ Days,” on May 26. Okemah resident Shawna Russell and her band open with her country-Americana songs 6:30-8:30 p.m. Food trucks include BlueJ’s Rollin Grill, Chef Ray’s Street Eats, Filipino Fusion and Metro Minis, among others. Eighteen food vendors are expected at the event. Beats & Bites is a family event, but access to the casino’s floor is restricted to guests age 18 and older. Visit riverwind.com or call 405-322-6000.

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Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center event manager Jayme Phillips | Photo Garett Fisbeck

The Art of Brunch kicks off a new exhibition with a gourmet outdoor meal. By Greg Elwell

People are crazy for brunch. So Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center decided to make a crazy brunch for the people. The Art of Brunch debuts 10:30 a.m. June 17 at Campbell Art Park, 1146 N. Broadway Ave. Oklahoma Contemporary event manager Jayme Phillips described the happening as an “Alice in Wonderland garden party circus.” “This is the second year for the Guerrilla Art Park,” she said, “so we were wondering, ‘How can we cross-promote it?’” When Phillips visited Campbell Art Park, future home of Oklahoma Contemporary’s headquarters, it hit her — let people brunch among the art. “Part of what we’re doing now, too, is trying to drive traffic to where the new building will be and engage with vendors in that area,” she said. “It’s a way to crosspromote two different things: a fundraiser for Oklahoma Contemporary and the new exhibit.” The Art of Brunch will also be one of the best brunches in the city, said event co-chair Lori Burson. Burson’s Stella Modern Italian Cuisine, 1201 N. Walker Ave.; Hatch, 1101 N. Broadway Ave.; and Packard’s New American Kitchen, 201 NW 10th St. are creating a menu that will work in concert, highlighting what each one does best. “Unlike a lot of events where there’s random food by 10 different restaurants, this will be a meal that really flows together from three independent restaurants,” Burson said. The 21-and-older event will feature bottomless mimosas, wine and local beer; a build-your-own doughnut station by Wylie, Texas-based Itsy Bites food truck; and a specialty coffee bar from Coffee Slingers Roasters, 1015 N. Broadway Ave. Art of Brunch guests will get a tour of the park and be allowed to wander in and around the new art. Visitors will get a first peek at Liz Dueck’s ceramic stones, an

industrial wheat field created by Kyle Golding, stained glass installations by Rick and Tracey Bewley, a continuation of Desmond Mason’s flag series and Gary Batzloff’s abstract Oklahoma landscape. Short Order Poems will craft poems on demand, and Leanne Regan Fitzpatrick will sketch fashion-plate illustrations of attendees while all-vinyl DJ group Carte Blanche plays music. Burson said the goal is to put guests in an artistic mindset. “Every piece of the event is a piece of art, from the invitations to the food,” she said. “That’s why we’re doing just a few restaurants and coordinating so closely. We want the food to be very artistic.” The Art of Brunch is a kind of a homecoming for Phillips, who returned to Oklahoma City after 12 years in Los Angeles. “It’s like a different city, and it feels like we’re on the cusp of something really cool here,” she said. When she left the state, she went looking for culture and new experiences. “Now all that stuff is right here. You don’t have to leave to get those things anymore,” she said. That’s why the fundraiser for Oklahoma Contemporary is so vital, she said. Money raised by The Art of Brunch will be reinvested in the organization, ensuring the gallery remains free to visit and keeping prices for art classes and camps affordable. They’re planning for 250 guests, but Phillips said she hopes for more and to see the event continue to grow each year. Tickets are $75. Visit oklahomacontemporary.org or call 405-951-0000.

The Art of Brunch 10:30 a.m. June 17 Campbell Art Park | 1146 N. Broadway Ave. oklahomacontemporary.org | 405-951-0000 $75 | 21+

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Asian tour

Oklahoma City is known for oil derricks, tornados and, as of late, a pretty successful professional basketball team. Slightly less wellknown is how the city welcomed in refugees following the Vietnam War, which also opened OKC to the world of Asian cuisine. Decades later, it’s easy to find top-notch food from a variety of countries. Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese food abounds, but now we also boast eateries serving delectable dishes from Laos, Korea, Thailand and the Philippines. By Greg Elwell | Photos by Garett Fisbeck / file and Gazette / file

Dong-A Korean Restaurant

1262 N. Eastern Ave., Moore facebook.com/dong.a.restaurant 405-237-1002

Korean food is having a moment in Oklahoma City, but it’s not new to the area. Dong-A Korean Restaurant in Moore has been faithfully serving this sweet and savory cuisine for years. Don’t let the menu scare you off. It’s easy to start with Yum Yum Chicken (Korean fried chicken in a sweet chili sauce) or dol-sot bibimbap (rice, vegetables and a choice of protein in a sizzling stone bowl) before moving into more challenging fare.

Gia Gia Vietnamese Family Restaurant

2624 N. Classen Blvd. facebook.com/giagiarestaurant 405-602-5095

What makes Gia Gia a family restaurant? You need to take your whole family there so you can try a little bit of everything. Vietnamese bún, not to be confused with steamed buns, are bowls of chilled vermicelli noodles covered in chopped egg rolls and grilled lemongrass beef. Congee is a smooth rice porridge that comes with duck or chicken. If that’s overwhelming, don’t fret — you can always order a big bowl of pho.

Tokyo Japanese Cuisine 7516 N. Western Ave. tokyookc.com | 405-848-6733

No one is trying to talk you out of ordering sushi. Tokyo Japanese Cuisine is one of the city’s most venerated spots for nigiri and sashimi. But it’s a shame not to dig deeper into the menu for something new. Try saba shioyaki; grilled, salted mackerel; or the supple joy of grilled yellowtail cheek in ponzu sauce. Lots of Japanese food is healthy, but if you’re craving deep-fried dishes, check out Tokyo’s excellent tempura menu.

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J u n e 7, 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Four J’s Diner

2920 S. Agnew Ave. facebook.com/fourjsdiner 405-512-3944

Some dishes you order just to say the name out loud. When I’m at Four J’s Diner, home of Lao cuisine in Oklahoma City, I can’t help but order larb — a sensational salad of diced beef and peppers — and a plate of Weeping Tiger. Don’t worry; it’s not really jungle cat. It’s a steak dish prepared with enough heat to make the famous predator shed a tear. Beef plays heavily in Lao cuisine, much as it does in Oklahoman food. Get down there and see what else we have in common.

Grand House Asian Bistro

Thai Kitchen OKC

Grand House Asian Bistro serves some pan-Asian cuisine, including sushi and Vietnamese dishes, but the majority of the menu is classic Chinese food. The restaurant features favorites including sweet corn and crabmeat soup and mu shu pork stir-fried with mushrooms, bamboo shoots and ginger and served with savory Mandarin pancakes. For a massive meal, order Beijing duck. You’ll get the whole boneless bird with steamed buns or pancakes.

Remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books? That’s kind of how I think of the menu at Thai Kitchen OKC. But instead of hoping to escape the mummy’s tomb, I’m trying to figure out just how hot I can get an order of phat nam prik pao — a stir-fry of ground meat, green onion, lemongrass and chili sauce — without actually crying at the table. Thai Kitchen’s food is so good, even if the spice level is off the charts, I can’t stop eating through the tears.

2701 N. Classen Blvd. grandhouseokc.com | 405-524-7333

327 Dean A. McGee Ave. thaikitchenokc.com | 405-236-0229

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Philly Cheesesteak Food truCk

Chibugan Filipino Cuisine 4728 SE 29th St., Del City facebook.com/mychibugan | 405-595-2426

Filipino food is fairly new to Oklahoma City’s restaurant scene, but the flavors already feel like home. Deep-fried pork belly (lechon kawali) and crispy meat-andvegetable spring rolls (lumpiang Shanghai) are easy sells, but don’t look past pork ribs adobo — ultra-tender pork ribs marinated in soy sauce and vinegar for a salty, tangy flavor that is out of this world. Filipino food relies heavily on pork, and the chef’s familiarity with the ingredients shines through in every dish.

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#wickedhangry O kg a z e t t e . c o m | J u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

SHOP

Dad’s day

shop

Featuring Made In Oklahoma products

Chances are your dad does not need a frame made with macaroni again this year. Where did you even get that many? As Father’s Day approaches, it’s high time you find your dad a gift. Whether he’s a fashionable man about town or a reliable dude about the couch, he deserves something wonderful. If you’re drawing a blank, one of these suggestions should point you in the right direction. By Greg Elwell | Photos by Garett Fisbeck

M-F 10a-6p Sat 10a-5p

3915 N. College Ave. • 789 9020 • Bethany Like Us On

IF YOU LOVE US

BEST WOMEN’S

CLOTHING BOUTIQUE

• Shop Good 3 W. Ninth St. shopgoodokc.com 405-702-0517

7302 N. Western Ave. shoprosegold.com

True (or dubious) fact: When your dad started shaving, the only products available were water and dull rocks. Technology has advanced so far since then that now, people don’t have to have a medic standing by when they want to get rid of stubble. Shop Good, which gives a portion of its proceeds to charity, sells Harry’s razors, handles and shaving cream. Suddenly, shaving is a joy. And when it’s time to replace the blades, they’re downright affordable.

Coffee Slingers Roasters

• Everything Barbeque

After years of watching your dad stumble into the kitchen to pour you a bowl of cereal, it’s clear he’s not much of a morning person. Make him forget those bitter cups of mass-market coffee by getting him some freshly roasted beans from Coffee Slingers Roasters. Bags of small-batch whole-bean coffee from Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico start at $17. Or take advantage of a biweekly coffee subscription to keep your pops well-caffeinated for the next three months.

The urge to char meat over a fire is written into a father’s DNA. For years, dads everywhere have suffered with rusty old grills, ineffectual spatulas and dirty grates. Take back the backyard barbecue with help from Everything Barbeque. The shop has gas and charcoal grills, smokers and accessories to make searing steaks a breeze. If he needs instruction, the store carries cookbooks and DVDs, and if flavor is the problem, it sells sauces and spice rubs aplenty.

1015 N. Broadway Ave. coffeeslingers.com 405-609-1662

Commonplace Books 1325 N. Walker Ave., Suite 138 commonplacebooksokc.com 405-551-1715

The eclectic selection at Commonplace Books is like no other bookstore around. Owner Benjamin Nockels created a haven for lovers of the written word, and he’s an enthusiastic guide to finding your father’s next favorite author. Browse a variety of gorgeous volumes new and old, including foreign editions of some classic titles. Whether he’s into fantastical fiction, scholarly histories or essays on every subject, Commonplace is the best place to find the book you didn’t know you had to read. 26

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13833 N. May Ave. everythingbbq.com 405-463-3227

• Bill Kamp’s Meat Market

617 N. Broadway Ave. 7310 N. Western Ave. billkampsmeatmarket.com 405-843-2455

Maybe Dad already has an awesome grill, but he keeps buying sub-par meats to cook on it. You don’t put leaded gas in a Bugatti, so why would you put bargain-basement ground beef on a stateof-the-art grill? Bill Kamp’s Meat Market is a specialty grocery store with high-end cuts of beef, pork, chicken and sausage that’ll have the neighbors peeking over the fence to have a look at the meal he’s grilling. The market’s friendly staff can point you to the right product for any occasion.

• Mr. Ooley’s

1901 Northwest Expressway, Suite 1023A mrooleys.com 405-879-0888 The problem was never that your dad didn’t want a tie for Father’s Day; he just didn’t want an ugly one. That won’t be an issue at Mr. Ooley’s, one of Oklahoma City’s finest menswear shops. In addition to high-end tailored suits from Giorgio Armani and Ermenegildo Zegna, Mr. Ooley’s carries more budgetfriendly options. Get your father into the cool kid’s club with a bowtie or help him up his fashion game with a pair of silver cufflinks.

Byron’s Liquor Warehouse 2322 N. Broadway Ave. byronsliquor.com 405-525-2158

Karens Flea Market Shopy! for hundreds Toda of items Clocks Stun Guns Native American Turquoise Jewelry Custom Hair Extensions

Custom Framing Knives Religous Ballcaps Vacuum Cleaners and More

4700 S Bryant Ave 405.673.7520 Tues-Sun 10AM-6PM

s U e t o V re Best Thrift Sto

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Vintage • Clothingus Accessories • Curio Collectables & More!

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1759 NW 16th • Oklahoma City • 405-528-4585

Open Tues-Sat 12-7 • Like us on Facebook

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“Gotta Have’s” Apple Tree AnTique GAllery 6740 nw 39th expressway bethany, oK | 405.495.0602

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“Have a drink with your old man!” is a phrase many children wait decades to hear. Sitting down as equals, hearing a father’s old stories and sharing a glass of bourbon is a rite of passage. Make the process go smoothly by picking up a bottle of dad’s favorite brand at Byron’s Liquor Warehouse. The selection is vast, and the service is wonderful. While you’re there, grab a few locally brewed craft beers and a bottle of wine to accompany your Father’s Day dinner.

gurgLE Pots aNd chirPy toPs 405-789-4551 | 6718 NW 39th EXP. | BEthaNy tuEs - Fri 10 - 5:30 | sat 10 - 4:30 WWW.mariPosa-dEsigN-BEthaNy.com O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

ARTS & CULTURE

deadcenter

Megan Mullally | Photo Maarten de Boer / provided

Cinematic matrimony

deadCenter Film Festival returns with films from Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally. By Ben Luschen

A phone call comes in from Los Angeles. “Hi, this is Megan,” said Oklahoma City-raised television and film star Megan Mullally. “Let me try to get Nick.” Nick, of course, is Mullally’s husband Nick Offerman. In the world of star Hollywood couples, few unions are as sweet or flat-out hilarious. Mullally, a graduate of Casady School, is most known for her television role portraying Will & Grace’s high-class socialite and imbiber Karen Walker. Offerman became a star playing meat-loving libertarian Ron Swanson in Parks & Recreation. During the Oklahoma Gazette phone interview, both were in Los Angeles but apart, seeing to separate work engagements. After a few minutes, Mullally successfully added Offerman to the call. “It worked, Pop!” she exclaimed. Offerman answered with an excited squee. The mustachioed charmer and redheaded wonder woman will shine once again at deadCenter Film Festival as the state’s premier independent film event returns to Oklahoma City Thursday-Sunday. Offerman stars alongside famous Western baritone Sam Elliott in dramatic comedy The Hero, which screens Friday and Sunday during deadCenter. 28

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He also co-stars with Mullally in Infinity Baby, a quirky comedy about a company that connects aspiring parents with children that never age, which screens Thursday and Saturday in downtown venues as part of the film festival. The pair most recently attended deadCenter in 2012 to promote Somebody Up There Likes Me, in which they were both cast. They said prior commitments will keep them from returning for this year’s event, but they still make frequent trips to OKC to visit Mullally’s 95-year-old mother. Speaking of commitments, each has been busy lately. On May 19, a one-hour special of their shared comedy tour, Summer of 69: No Apostrophe, had its worldwide television premiere on the Epix cable network. With Stephanie Hunt, Mullally also is one-half of comedic music act Nancy and Beth, which is currently on tour into July. And, of course, there is excitement around NBC’s announced plan to revive Will & Grace, the popular LGBT-centric sitcom that originally aired 1998-2006. Longtime buzz of a reboot became bonafide shouts in September after the cast reunited for an election-themed mini episode. In January, NBC officially an-

Nick Offerman | Photo Emily Shur / provided

nounced it will premiere new episodes this fall. During last week’s phone interview, Mullally and Offerman discussed deadCenter, Oklahoma and other topics. Oklahoma Gazette: In your relationship, who talks more about their hometown? Megan Mullally: Probably me because we spend more time there. I have my mom who lives there and I have a lot of friends there. Nick has a big family and a great family, but I just have my mom and she’s 95, so we have to go see her frequently, which is nice. But I also have a lot of really good friends that I’ve had since the first grade. Nick is now really good friends with my friends. That’s my family, really — these friends that I’ve had for years and years. OKG: You all most recently attended deadCenter in 2012. What do you remember about that experience? Megan Mullally: It was cool for me, being from Oklahoma City. [Somebody Up There Likes Me] was one of the first indie movies that Nick and I did together. It was the movie where I met the woman who would end up becoming my band partner in Nancy and Beth (Stephanie Hunt). It’s great that you guys have a film festival there now. It was nice to just be there and feel like the hometown girl. Nick Offerman: When you mention Oklahoma City … the first thing that comes to mind is not intelligent, curious people [who] want to see festival films. To visit a film festival festooned with just such people, with this great population of people interested in progressive and forward-thinking art, is really charismatic. As the husband of a local, I’ve really

enjoyed getting to know Oklahoma City, which, on its surface, seemed like a dusty cowboy town. But pretty quickly, you get into the funky alleys and nooks and crannies where there are such great restaurants and cultural offerings. I was thrilled at how healthy the audience for that film festival is. OKG: Nick, you’re in a couple of films at deadCenter this year, including The Hero with Sam Elliott. There might not be a more iconically masculine pairing. How did you become involved in that project? Offerman: The filmmaker, Brett Haley, had Sam in his previous film, which is a wonderful film called I’ll See You in My Dreams starring Blythe Danner. The writer-director took a liking to Sam and wrote his next movie specifically for him. Meanwhile, Sam and I had become friends, working together on Parks & Recreation, and so the director exploited that friendship by casting me as Sam’s buddy and kind of confidant in this film. I’m very grateful that you would consider me masculine anywhere in the neighborhood of Sam Elliott, but one thing I like about the film is that it’s a pretty sensitive look at a couple of guys you might suspect had a breakfast of nails. OKG: What’s it like talking to Elliott in regular conversation with that golden voice of his? Offerman: His personality and his heart match the voice. He’s just a really sweet, gentle soul. … Everything he says to you feels like a hug. continued on page 37

SPONSORED PROGRAM

17th Annual deadCenter Film Festival The 17th annual deadCenter Film Festival kicks off Thursday night with multiple Opening Night screenings at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and Harkins Theaters: Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman comedy Infinity Baby, SXSW Audience Award winning documentary Dealt, Oklahoma produced drama The Scent of Rain & Lightning, awesome creature feature Gremlin, and two outstanding short film programs. “It was another super competitive year,” according to Director of Programming Kim

DEADCENTERFILM.ORG

Haywood, “Our judges chose from over 1,200 films that submitted from around the world and all over Oklahoma, including several festival favorites from Sundance and SXSW.” 102 films were chosen to screen at deadCenter this week through Sunday. From hilarious comedies and thoughtful dramas, to intense documentaries and mind-blowing shorts, deadCenter has scheduled films from every possible genre to please every type of audience. deadCenter will screen films on five

screens at Harkins Theater in Bricktown, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and the Myriad Gardens Great Lawn. There is a Video Art installation at IAO Gallery all week and Virtual Reality films playing at 21C Museum Hotel all weekend. There are two ways to enjoy the festival: buy an All Access Pass for $150 or individual movie tickets for $10 each. The All Access Pass allows priority admission to all films and free access to all passholder parties and special events. deadCenter’s legendary parties are

Getting Social with deadCenter #

only open to passholders, so if you want the full festival adventure, buy an All Access Pass. All Access passes are available at the IAO Gallery on Film Row beginning today and throughout Friday. Individual movie tickets can be purchased before each screening at the venue once all passholders have been seated. Start planning your deadCenter experience with the schedule and highlights on the following pages. For a full list of films, please visit www.deadCenterfilm.org.

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/deadcenter Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/deadcenterfilm Youtube film trailers: youtube.com/user/deadcenterfilm Please see the full film schedule inside. O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7 dcff17

SPONSORED PROGRAM

knock-out narratives

Infinity Baby

The Hero

A Bad Idea Gone Wrong

Kreep

deadCenter favorites Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, and director Bob Byington return with another hilarious, thought provoking comedy after winning the festival in 2012 with Somebody Up There Likes Me. Owing to a genetic mix-up involving stem cell research, the recently founded company Infinity Baby provides a service for aspiring parents who never want to leave the baby bubble - infants that do not age. Infinity Baby stars Kieran Culkin as a serial monogamist unable to commit, Megan Mullally as his impossible to impress mother, Nick Offerman as the wild company founder, and Kevin Corrigan and Martin Starr as his incompetent co-workers.

Legendary actor Sam Elliott plays Lee Hayden, a washed-up Western film icon, who makes a living through voiceovers and spends most nights getting high with his former co-star turned drug dealer played beautifully by Nick Offerman. Upon being struck with a surprise cancer diagnosis, Lee quickly prioritizes, and commits to proving his self-worth through a reprisal of his most iconic role, The Hero, in a sequel to the beloved Western film. Lee also sparks up a new relationship with a stand-up comic played by Laura Prepon. The Hero was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Two would-be thieves played by Matt Jones and Will Rogers forge a surprising relationship with an unexpected housesitter, Eleanor Pienta, when they accidentally trap themselves in a house they just broke into. Directed by Jason Headley and produced by deadCenter mainstay Kelly Williams, the film won a Special Jury Prize at South by Southwest for the outstanding ensemble cast. Supporting actor Johnny Mars directed the documentary feature America’s Parking Lot in 2012, and starred in several outstanding deadCenter films, including Somebody Up There Likes Me and Hellion in 2012; Pit Stop, Computer Chess and Black Metal in 2013, and Hellion (feature) in 2014.

Kreep is a suspenseful crime drama and road movie from writer/director Brett Bentman. Iconic actor Judd Nelson plays loner Whitman Thaw who meets a young thief named Kreep hiding on his West Texas farm. Kreep confesses to have stolen a duffel bag full of money and convinces Whit to escort her safely to the Mexico border in exchange for half of the cash. The journey turns violent as they are pursued by ruthless killers and corrupt cops. Kreep is played by actress Lymari Nadal, who starred opposite Denzel Washington in American Gangster and made her deadCenter debut in the religious thriller Light from the Dark Room in 2014.

Mickey Reece’s Alien

Far Western

Gremlin

Mickey Reece is one of Oklahoma’s most prolific filmmakers, with a spectacular range of genres and stories under his belt. deadCenter is excited to host the world premiere of his latest triumph. Conveyed through sensual black and white photography, brooding musical compositions and wry humor, Mickey Reece’s Alien is a rumination on spirituality, space, and divine existentialism inspired by the later years of Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s tumultuous marriage. Oklahoma based actors Jacob Ryan Snovel and Cate Jones take on the challenging roles of Elvis and Priscilla Presley and knock it out of the park.

Director James Payne (The Creek Runs Red) and Producer Matt Leach (This May Be the Last Time) come back home to deadCenter with this fascinating documentary about the country music scene in Japan. Amid the ashes of post-WWII Japan, the bittersweet sounds of American traditional country music drifted through the radio airwaves. Although intended for the U.S. occupying forces, a vast ‘ghost audience’ of young Japanese quickly warmed to the soothing, yet foreign, sounds. Far Western illuminates this lost chapter of music as the musicians’ journey from Japan to the heart of American music culture. Over seventy years later this American music tradition has been transformed into something distinctly Japanese.

Writer/Director Ryan Bellgardt makes a triumphant return to deadCenter with another thrilling monster movie after blowing audiences away with Army of Frankensteins in 2013. Two years after the murder of his 10-year-old son, Adam Thatcher receives a mysterious box from a relative containing a terrible secret, a creature that will brutally kill everyone he cares about one by one. The only way to release himself from the curse is to give the box to someone he loves, continuing the never ending circulation of this ancient evil. The leads are played by Kristy K. Boone and Adam Hampton, an actor, writer, and director from Shawnee that screened two narrative features at deadCenter, Rough Cut and The Unusual Calling of Charlie Christmas.

Director: Bob Byington/80 min • THU: 8:30PM OKC Museum of Art • SAT: 7:30PM OG&E Theater at Harkins

Director: Brett Haley/93 min • FRI: 5:30PM OKC Museum of Art • SUN: 7:00PM MidFirst Bank Theater at Harkins

Director: Jason Headley/82 min • FRI: 9:00PM Tapstone Energy Theater at Harkins • SAT: 5:00PM OG&E Theater at Harkins

Director: Brett Bentman/76 min • SAT: 8:00PM OKC Museum of Art • SUN: 8:30PM StellaNova Theater at Harkins

awesome okies

The Scent of Rain and Lightning

Director: Blake Robbins/102 min • THU: 7:00PM MidFirst Bank Theater at Harkins • SUN: 5:30PM Tapstone Energy Theater at Harkins Writer/Producers Casey Twenter and Jeff Robison return to deadCenter with this suspenseful drama directed by Blake Robbins based on the novel by Nancy Pickard. Twenter and Robinson screened The Jogger at deadCenter in 2013, then released their hit Rudderless directed by William H. Macy in 2014. In The Scent of Rain and Lightning, Miaka Monroe (It Follows) plays a young woman who learns that her parents’ killer has been released from jail. She is forced to revisit old wounds while discovering the destructive power of hate and the true cost of family secrets fully revealing themselves. Co-starring Maggie Grace (Lost, Taken), who also produces.

essential info 30

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Director: Mickey Reece/70 min • FRI: 8:30PM MidFirst Bank Theater at Harkins • SAT: 6:00PM MidFirst Bank Theater at Harkins

Full schedule and details can be found at deadcenterfilm.org. There, you can read about each of the 100+ films, screening locations, pass-purchase information, the latest deadCenter news and more.

Director: James Payne/82 min • SAT: 7:00PM StellaNova Theater at Harkins • SUN: 12:30PM Tapstone Energy Theater at Harkins

all-access passes

Director: Ryan Bellgardt/89 min • THU: 9:30PM MidFirst Bank Theater at Harkins • SUN: 8:00PM Tapstone Energy Theater at Harkins

All-Access Passes are only $150. Passes may be purchased at the registration lounge at IAO Gallery, 706 West Sheridan Ave, 11 am - 7 pm, through Friday, June 9.

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! Oklahoma City’s first and longest-running readers’ poll, Best of OKC, is back for its 33rd year! We need your input to tell us the best our city offers, so nominate your favorites in print, at bestofoklahomacity.com, via Facebook or on our Best of OKC app until June 19. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

FOR YOUR BALLOT TO BE COUNTED: + You must fill out at least 40 categories. + Oklahoma Gazette must receive your

+ There cannot be multiple

handwritings on the ballot.

+ Make sure your selections are

ballot (one per envelope) by mail no later than June 19, 2017.

locally owned (unless otherwise noted) and your choices do NOT appear on the ballot more than three times.

+ The ballot may NOT be typewritten, photocopied or hand-delivered.

+ All contact information must be complete.

PEOPLE

PLACES

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY OR TEAM

15.

BEST PLACE TO VOLUNTEER

BEST LOCAL FEED TO FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA

16.

BEST BUSINESS THAT GIVES BACK

BEST LOCAL WEBSITE OR BLOG

17.

BEST FREE ENTERTAINMENT

BEST LOCAL SINGER / SONGWRITER (NOT NATIONAL)

18.

BEST LIVE MUSIC CLUB

BEST CHEF

19.

BEST CONCERT VENUE

BEST WAITER OR WAITRESS (AND THEIR RESTAURANT)

20.

BEST PUBLIC ART/MURAL (GIVE INTERSECTION AND DISTRICT)

BEST BARTENDER (AND THEIR BAR)

21.

BEST PLACE TO BUY LOCAL ART

BEST PARTICIPATING RESTAURANT STAFF IN

22.

BEST MUSEUM

23.

BEST FINE JEWELRY

24.

BEST THRIFT STORE

25.

BEST CLOTHING CONSIGNMENT

26.

BEST FURNITURE

27.

BEST WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CLOTHING BOUTIQUE

28.

BEST PLACE TO DINE BEFORE A SHOW

29.

BEST PLACE FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION

30.

BEST PLACE TO GET FIT

OKC RESTAURANT WEEK (JUNE 9-18, 2017)

BEST LOCAL BAND

10.

BEST PERFORMING ARTS GROUP (EX: THEATER COMPANY, DANCE COMPANY, ORCHESTRAL GROUP)

11.

BEST VISUAL ARTIST

12.

BEST LOCAL ANNUAL EVENT OR FESTIVAL

13.

BEST CHARITY EVENT

14.

BEST LOCAL HOMEBUILDER

32 2

j Ju Un Ne E 7, 8 , 220 01176 || O Okg KGa AzZeEtTtTeE..c Co Om M

31.

BEST BICYCLE SHOP

32.

BEST MED SPA

33.

BEST PLACE TO GET AN AESTHETIC UPDATE

34.

BEST PLACE TO FIX YOUR SMILE

35.

BEST LOCAL DISTRICT

36.

BEST NAUGHTY BUSINESS

37.

BEST NEW RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT TO OPEN AFTER 6/1/16

38.

BEST NONPROFIT

39.

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40. BEST PLACE TO BUY A VEHICLE

41.

BEST PET-FRIENDLY PATIO

42.

BEST PLACE TO TREAT YOUR PET (EX: SUPPLIES, VET, PARK)

43.

BEST PLACE TO HIKE WITH YOUR DOG (DIRT TRAIL ONLY)

44. BEST CREDIT UNION

45.

BEST CASINO FOR GAMBLING

46. BEST CASINO FOR LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

SAVE THE DATES FOR THESE ISSUES:

47.

NOMINATION BALLOTS June 7 & June 14

RESULTS ISSUE August 23

RUNOFF BALLOTS July 19 & July 26

THANK YOU ISSUE August 30

BEST LGBT BAR OR CLUB

62.

BEST BEER SELECTION

78.

BEST LIQUOR STORE

48. BEST POST-GAME OR POST-CONCERT SPOT

63.

BEST COCKTAIL (AND THE RESTAURANT/BAR THAT SERVES IT)

79.

BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

49.

BEST FARMERS MARKET OR FARM STAND

64. BEST BREAKFAST

80. BEST DESSERT SHOP OR BAKERY

50.

BEST OPTICAL SHOP

65.

81.

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT

51.

BEST FLORIST

66. BEST MEAL FOR A DEAL (RESTAURANT, NOT THE DEAL)

82.

BEST LATIN RESTAURANT

52.

BEST TOURIST ATTRACTION

67.

83.

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT

53.

BEST PUBLIC BATHROOM

68. BEST HAMBURGERS

BEST BRUNCH

BEST LATE-NIGHT EATS

84. BEST WESTERN EUROPEAN RESTAURANT, NOT ITALIAN (DANISH, ENGLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, IRISH, SCOTTISH,

54.

BEST BAR FOR LIVE MUSIC

69.

BEST SANDWICH SHOP

55.

BEST OPEN MIC/COMEDY NIGHT

70.

BEST BARBECUE RESTAURANT

56.

BEST BOWLING ALLEY

71.

BEST PIZZA PLACE

57.

BEST PLACE FOR A KID’S PARTY

72.

BEST STEAKHOUSE

58.

BEST PLACE FOR A GROWN-UP’S PARTY

73.

BEST SUSHI

74.

BEST SOUL FOOD

75.

BEST CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK

76.

BEST VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, GLUTEN-FREE

FOOD & DRINK 59.

BEST TEA OR COFFEEHOUSE

SPANISH, ETC.)

85.

BEST MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT

86.

BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT

87.

BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT

88. BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT

89.

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90. BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT

91.

BEST PHO RESTAURANT

92.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT TO OPEN SINCE 6/1/16

93.

BEST FINE DINING ESTABLISHMENT

OR HEALTHY MENU OPTIONS 60. BEST LOCAL WINERY 77. 61.

BEST LOCAL CRAFT BEER

BEST PATIO DINING

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE O OKG kgA aZ zE eT tT tE e..C cO oM m || JjU uN nE e 87,, 2 0 1 7 6

33 3

FOOD & DRINK CONTINUED

NATIONAL*

102. BEST PASEO ARTS DISTRICT RESTAURANT

103. BEST AUTOMOBILE ALLEY DISTRICT RESTAURANT 111.

94. BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PUB

BEST NATIONAL OR REGIONAL GYM

104. BEST BRICKTOWN DISTRICT RESTAURANT 95.

112. BEST NATIONAL OR REGIONAL HOTEL

BEST DIVE BAR 105. BEST MIDTOWN DISTRICT RESTAURANT

113. BEST NATIONAL OR REGIONAL RESTAURANT YOU

96. BEST UPSCALE BAR

WISH WAS LOCALLY OWNED 106. BEST WESTERN AVENUE DISTRICT RESTAURANT 97.

BEST NEW BAR TO OPEN SINCE 6/1/16 114. BEST NATIONAL OR REGIONAL SANDWICH SHOP 107. BEST DOWNTOWN RESTAURANT (INCLUDES ARTS, FILM ROW AND FARMERS MARKET DISTRICTS)

98. BEST DINER

115. BEST NATIONAL OR REGIONAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT 99.

BEST FOOD TRUCK OR FOOD CART (CANNOT HAVE A BRICK-AND-MORTAR)

108. BEST PARTICIPATING RESTAURANT IN OKC RESTAURANT WEEK (JUNE 9-18, 2017)

100. BEST UPTOWN 23RD DISTRICT RESTAURANT

109. BEST RESTAURANT OVERALL

101. BEST PLAZA DISTRICT RESTAURANT

110. BEST NATIONAL OR REGIONAL RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT

116. BEST NATIONAL OR REGIONAL STEAKHOUSE

YOU WISH WAS LOCALLY OWNED

* This category allows voting for National establishments that support the local economy.

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Vote online at bestofoklahomacity.com, in the Best of OKC app or via Facebook! ju O kg tt . cMo m 4 34J U N E n8e , 27,0 1260 |1 7O|KG A Za Ez Te TE . CeO

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docs that rock

Gilbert

Directors: Neil Berkeley/94 min • FRI: 8:00PM OKC Museum of Art • SUN: 9:00PM The Social Order theater at Harkins Gibert is a wildly funny and unexpectedly poignant portrait of the life and career of one of comedy’s most iconic figures, Gilbert Gottfried. Gottfried launched his career on Saturday Night Live and appeared in more than 140 films and television shows, from Disney’s Aladdin to Hollywood Squares. This documentary offers a rare look at this notoriously private person as he balances his ongoing career as a ribald comedian with his role as husband and father. Gilbert is directed by Oklahoma native Neil Berkeley, an award winning filmmaker who won deadCenter in 2012 with his film Beauty is Embarrassing and screened Harmontown in 2014.

The Work

Director: : Jairus McLeary, Gethin Aldous/87 min • SAT: 2:30PM OG&E Theater at Harkins • SUN: 2:00PM OKC Museum of Art Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW, The Work offers a powerful and rare look past the cinder block walls, steel doors and the dehumanizing tropes in our culture to reveal a movement of change and redemption that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation. Set inside Folsom Prison, The Work follows three men from outside as they participate in a group therapy retreat with the prisoners. Each man takes his turn at delving deep into his past. The raw and revealing process rips them out of their comfort zones and forces them to see themselves and the prisoners in unexpected ways.

Dealt

Director: Luke Korem/85 min • THU: 6:00PM OKC Museum of Art • SAT: 1:00PM MidFirst Bank Theater at Harkins Richard Turner is renowned as one of the world’s greatest card magicians, yet he is completely blind. And, he doesn’t want to talk about it. He wants to be the best without people knowing he is blind. In this uplifting documentary from director Luke Korem, Richard traces his journey from his troubled childhood, when he began losing his vision, to present day as he relentlessly pursues perfection while struggling with the reality that his biggest weakness might also be his greatest strength. Dealt played to standing ovations at the 2017 South by Southwest Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award.

Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape Director: Zack Taylor/93 min • SAT: 2:00PM StellaNova Theater at Harkins • SUN: 1:00PM StellaNova Theater at Harkins

Where would musicians and music lovers be without the cassette? This feature-length DIY doc tells the story of a once-ubiquitous format through one-on-one interviews with the inventor of the cassette, Lou Ottens. 90 years old and still a stubborn progressive, Ottens views the cassette as a perfect example of obsolescence and feels the same about himself as he lives out a secluded retirement in his native Holland. Rock and roll musicians like Henry Rollins, Thurston Moore, Rob Sheffield, and many others oppose Ottens by making an emotional case for music’s worst format. These colorful vignettes play out like a mixtape, made to remind Ottens that the DIY ethos will never die.

sensational shorts

Butch: Legend of Langston

Director: David Tester, Christopher Hunt/19 min Okie Shorts • FRI: 6:00PM MidFirst Bank Theater at Harkins • SUN: 5:00PM OG&E Theater at Harkins

After winning Best Oklahoma Short Film in 2015, director Christopher Hunt returns to deadCenter alongside co-director David Tester with this fascinating documentary about a man having a big impact on a small community. Easily the most recognizable character of Langston University for over 50 years, Butch is loved by all and known by none. This film sets out to change that. Set in the nation’s westernmost historically black college, Butch: Legend of Langston explores the many myths, stories, and legends of a man who has lived on campus since 1961.

individual tickets

The Pits

Temporary

In a world full of pears, what can an avocado do to fill his pit? A story about longing, love, and finding your other half. This wonderful, poignant film from director Mike Hayhurst is written and co-produced by David Bizzaro, an Oklahoma native now living in New York. Bizzaro is a puppeteer, puppet maker, and filmmaker who worked for several years as a visual designer for the Flaming Lips and recently illustrated the children’s book The Not in Here Story, written by Oklahoma author Tracey Zeeck.

Temporary is a comedic drama about a person’s radical choice at the end of a loved one’s life. The film is directed by Milena Govich, an actress who has appeared in several television series, including Finding Carter, Rescue Me, and Law & Order. In this short, Govich stars alongside Oklahoma actor Chris Freihofer, who had a recurring role on Breaking Bad and runs Freihofer Casting and The Actor Factory. Last year, Freihofer was awarded the Oklahoma Film ICON Award from deadCenter.

Director: Mike Hayhurst/3 min Okie Shorts • FRI: 6:00PM MidFirst Bank Theater at Harkins • SUN: 5:00PM OG&E Theater at Harkins

$10 and can be purchased at each screening 20 minutes before show time, after pass holders have been seated.

Director: Milena Govich/12 min Love, Sex, & Death Shorts • FRI: 7:00PM StellaNova Theater at Harkins • SAT: 6:30PM Tapstone Energy Theater at Harkins

free screenings

Dig It If You Can

Director: Kyle Bell/19 min Okie Not So Short Shorts • FRI: 3:00PM Oklahoma City Museum of Art • SAT: 3:30PM MidFirst Bank Theater at Harkins • SUN: 7:30PM OG&E Theater at Harkins Dig It If You Can is an exciting documentary about Steven Paul Judd, one of the most dynamic and prolific Oklahoma artists making waves in the international art scene. Judd is a filmmaker who screened Ronnie BoDean starring Wes Studi at deadCenter in 2016, a screenwriter for the television series Zeke and Luther, and a self-taught visual artist whose Native American pop art has given him a massive following. This insightful portrait from director Kyle Bell shows how Judd indigenizes the popular images we see everyday to allow young Native Americans to see themselves in all aspects of life, while at the same time making his own dreams a reality through his passion and zest for life.

deadCenter offers free screenings of its KidsFest Program on Saturday at 11:00am at the OKC Museum of Art and Sunday at 12:00pm at Harkins Bricktown. There is also a free outdoor screening of the rock n roll documentary HYPE! on Saturday at 9:30pm at the Myriad Gardens Grand Lawn. O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

SPONSORED PROGRAM

filmSCHEDULE 2017 Narrative Features Documentary Features

Shorts Programs Special Events

THU 9 OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART

Please note that the films screened at deadCenter Film Festival are unrated. Any films shown after 6PM might have mature themes and are not appropriate for those under the age of 18.

Panels

FRI 10

SAT 11

SUN 12

6:00PM - Dealt

12:30PM - G-Funk

11:00AM - KidsFest

2:00PM - The Work

8:30PM - Infinity Baby

3:00PM - I Stand: The Guardians of the Water

1:00PM - The Making of Trolls with Mike Mitchell

5:30PM - Dolores

5:30PM - The Hero

1:30PM - Trolls

8:00PM - Gilbert

5:30PM - Dave Made A Maze 8:00PM - Kreep

TAPSTONE ENERGY THEATER AT HARKINS

6:30PM - Comedy Shorts

6:30PM - American Folk

11:00AM - Not So Short Shorts

12:30PM - Far Western

9:00PM - The Dark Side Shorts

9:00PM - A Bad Idea Gone Wrong

1:30PM - A Life Less Ordinary Shorts

3:00PM - American Folk

4:00PM - We’re With Them Shorts

5:30PM - The Scent of Rain & Lightning 8:00PM - Gremlin

6:30PM - Love, Sex & Death Shorts 9:00PM - G-Funk

MIDFIRST BANK THEATER AT HARKINS

7:00PM - The Scent of Rain & Lightening

6:00PM - Okie in Shorts

1:00PM - Dealt

8:30PM - Mickey Reece’s Alien

3:30PM - Okie Not So Short Shorts

2:00PM - I Stand: The Guardians of the Water

6:00PM - Mickey Reece’s Alien

4:30PM - Unrest

8:30PM - Pure Country: Pure Heart

7:00PM - The Hero

7:00PM - Love, Sex & Death Shorts

11:30AM - Unrest

1:00PM - Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape

9:30PM - Creep Fest Shorts

2:00PM - Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape

3:30PM - Score: A Film Music Documentary

4:30PM - Score: A Film Music Documentary

8:30PM - Kreep

9:30PM - Gremlin

STELLANOVA THEATER AT HARKINS

6:00PM - Dave Made A Maze

7:00PM - Far Western

OG&E THEATER AT HARKINS

THE SOCIAL ORDER THEATER AT HARKINS

11:00AM - 6:00PM - Virtual Reality Film Experience

21C MUSEUM HOTEL THE GREAT LAWN AT THE MYRIAD GARDENS

12:00PM - Dolores

12:00PM - KidsFest Shorts

2:30PM - The Work

2:30PM - A Life Less Ordinary Shorts

5:00PM - A Bad Idea Gone Wrong

5:00PM - Okie Shorts

7:30PM - Infinity Baby

7:30PM - Okie Not So Short Shorts

12:30PM - The Dark Side Shorts

1:30PM - The Great Escape Shorts

3:00PM - The Great Escape Shorts

4:00PM - Not So Short Shorts

5:30PM - Comedy Shorts

6:30PM - We’re With Them Shorts

8:00PM - Creep Fest Shorts

9:00PM - Gilbert

11:00AM - 6:00PM - Virtual Reality Film Experience

9:00PM - Awards Ceremony 9:30PM - Hype! 10:00AM - 10:45AM - Developing Scripts 11:00AM - 11:45AM - Casting Film and Television 12:00PM - 12:45PM - Directing FIlms 2:00PM - 2:45PM - Creating Music for Films

ACM@UCO

3:00PM - 3:45PM - Acting in Films: Leading Men 4:00PM - 4:45PM - Women in Film and Television

SPECIAL EVENT

j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

5:00PM - 10:00PM Opening Night Party at OKCMOA Rooftop 10:30PM - 1:30AM Opening Night After Party at Fassler Hall

9:00PM - MIdnight Film Row Frolic, Dunlap Codding

11:00PM to 1:00AM Awards Night Party, Water Stage Plaza at the Myraid Gardens

DEADCENTERFILM.ORG | #DCFF17

7:00PM to 10:00PM Closing Night After Party, TimeOut Bar

ARTS & CULTURE continued from page 28

COV ER

OKG: Megan, you and Nick spent a lot of time together during the Summer of 69 comedy tour. What was the main thing you learned about cities you toured through? Mullally: Just like with Oklahoma City, there are a lot of mediumsized or smaller cities around the country that are starting to have these cool pockets of culture — parts of town that are thriving and very much alive. To me, that was the biggest and coolest surprise. … [While on tour] with the band and with Nick, we would have a couple of days to stop in a city. We had some time off in Richmond, Virginia, and I recently had some time off in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There’s some really cool little hotels all over the country that are springing up. In some really small towns, we stayed in a couple really groovy, brand-new, hipster kind of hotels with good food and bakeries down the street. Offerman: It was really charismatic to learn that all over the country — being ignorant to certain regions — that there are cool kids wherever you go. And because of the advent of social media, you can now find them and eat their sandwiches and stay in their cool hotels. OKG: I do want to mine some more information about the Will & Grace return. What can you tell me about the new episodes? Mullally: I think the launch date is the third week in September. I think we’re at 8 p.m. on Thursdays. Our first rehearsal date is Aug. 2. Then we will have shot six episodes or so by the time it airs. OKG: Before September’s electionthemed Will & Grace mini-episode, did you ever have any thought that the series might make a full-fledged return? Mullally: No, it never crossed any of our minds that the show might return because it’s unprecedented that a show would return. We had no reason to think, “Well, you know, one day when Will & Grace comes back,” because it’s never happened. We did that election video thing just as a one-off, but I have to say the minute that I got the script, which was probably the night before we got together ... I read the script, I put it down, I picked up the phone and I emailed one of the creators of Will & Grace and I said, “Why can’t we do the show again?” and he emailed back immediately and said, “We can.” But he didn’t know that; he was just saying. I mean, it’s never happened. But I just had such a strong gut feeling not only that we could do the show again, but that it was the perfect time to do the show again. OKG: What are you most looking forward to in revisiting your role as Karen Walker and filming the show? Mullally: Really, everything. The weirdest thing about this whole thing is that it doesn’t feel weird. It just sort of seems

like we went away for the weekend and now we’re coming back. We have all the same people — obviously the same cast, but we have the same director, the same main writers, the same set designer, the same costume designer, the same hair and makeup people. It’s crazy. I’m looking forward to it as my vacation — that’s how I’m thinking about it. OKG: Megan, you might be a little more familiar with this, but Oklahoma is facing a substantial budget deficit this year, as it has for several years. Education funding is tight, and a lot of arts education and extracurricular programs have been limited or removed. Do you all have any sort of thoughts or message about the importance of arts education and funding? Mullally: Well, obviously it’s vital. I think this is systemic — the problem is you’re living in a state where you’ve got a lot of batshit crazy people [in state government] who think [President Donald] Trump is fantastic. That’s your jumpingoff point. People need to keep waving the banner of enlightenment because that’s where this is all going to turn around. This ignorance and intolerance — the flame does not have enough oxygen to last forever, so it will go out; it will be extinguished. In the meantime, everyone has to stay strong, loud and proud. ... I love Oklahoma, and I’m glad I was there for all my school years, but come on; get your shit together.

s m U a w r o g Ll a t Fo s on in to see all our

#selfies! @okgazeTte

Oklahoma Gazette

OKG: Part of deadCenter’s ongoing mission is to offer exposure to new thoughts and ideas through the arts. Offerman: Yes, and to other points of view. It’s coming to terms with the fact that, in terms of right and wrong, we’re all generally wrong because we’re human beings. We’re just all trying to keep our fannies wiped like everybody else. To be open and informed about other points of view will simply allow us all to continue getting along with each other in the planet as we move forward in these challenging times. Learn more about deadCenter Film Festival in this week’s Gazette.

deadCenter screenings deadcenterfilm.org $10

Infinity Baby 8:30 Thursday Oklahoma City Museum of Art | 415 Couch Drive 7:30 p.m. Saturday Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16 | 150 E. Reno Ave.

The Hero 5:30 p.m. Friday Oklahoma City Museum of Art 7 p.m. Sunday Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

ARTS & CULTURE

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lunch SpecialS M-f 11aM-3pM

Staff selections Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff rounded up some of their deadCenter Film Festival favorites in this year’s event. By Gazette staff

The Scent of Rain & Lightning

Narrative feature 7 p.m. Thursday at Harkins Bricktown 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Harkins Bricktown

The Scent of Rain & Lightning begins with Jody Linder’s uncles and grandfathers telling her to come home to the farm. Billy, the man convicted of murdering her parents, has been released from prison. Local filmmakers Casey Twenter and Jeff Robison, who wrote and produced Rudderless (directed by and starring William H. Macy), return to deadCenter Film Festival with their compelling, Western-tinged mystery The Scent of Rain & Lightning. Based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Nancy Pickard and directed by Blake Robbins, the story follows Jody (Maika Monroe), now in her mid-20s, as she returns home to face the unease and unhappiness that have long swirled inside her and the rumors that again sweep over the town like a squall line just before a thunderstorm. There are hints about what it is to be a Linder: rugged, hard-working, blunt, driven and mired in tragedy. But hints are about all anyone gets. However, one thing does quickly become obvious: Jody pays attention. About the time viewers think the whiplash-like back-and-forth between “back then” and now have blown the story’s otherwise taut narrative, they realize they’ve witnessed a powerful lightning flash as family secrets are illuminated. — By Jennifer Chancellor

Gilbert

Documentary feature 8 p.m. Friday at Oklahoma City Museum of Art Directing Films panel noon Saturday at ACM@UCO 9 p.m. Sunday at Harkins Bricktown

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried’s trademark squawk has perhaps typecast him as Hollywood’s favorite bird. Though loved for his clean voice-over roles as Aladdin’s Iago, Cyberchase’s Didge or the Aflac duck, most are aware that Gottfried’s standup act is far from family-friendly. 2017 documentary Gilbert highlights many examples of the longtime comic’s political incorrectness and frequent use of graphic language while delivering punchlines. He is admired within industry circles as a comedian’s comedian. The Neil Berkley-directed documentary interviews a range of comedians who praise his comedic bravery, including Jim Gaffigan, Dave Attell, Bill Burr, Lewis Black and Whoopi Goldberg, among others. This is the outward side of Gottfried that most already know. The value in Gilbert is that it cracks through the showbiz exterior and gives viewers a rare look at the highly private comic’s personal life. How many people know or even ever consider that Gottfried has a wife, two kids and two sisters he loves deeply? The comedian’s private self is a shy, sweet and reserved one far removed from his crude stage act. This dichotomy might best be represented in a scene that shows a 91-year-old Dick Van Dyke singing with a clearly blissful Gottfried on the comedian’s podcast, after which the comic

Dave Made a Maze | Photo provided

thanks him with a crude remark. Yet both sides are a part of what makes Gottfried whole. Gilbert tracks the several instances in which his humor crosses a societal line, in some cases threatening his career. Berkley’s film is a tremendous and surprisingly tender documentary that will change the way Gottfried is seen by many. — By Ben Luschen

Unrest

Documentary feature 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Harkins Bricktown 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Harkins Bricktown

When journalist Jennifer Brea began to experience unexplained and inhuman pain, she turned on her camera. Lying on a wooden floor, Brea’s breathing grows more rapid as she tries to push herself up. After falling, Brea crawls with a camera facing herself in one hand. A fatigued-looking young woman lands in bed before the film cuts to the next scene at a hospital. Directed by Brea, Unrest is a documentary based on her own footage of her life as it unfolded during her diagnosis with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Tapping her journalistic abilities, she investigates the condition and its controversy. As Brea explains in the film, the condition and its symptoms affect a million Americans, leaving a quarter of them housebound or bedridden. This remarkable documentary explores ME but also captures the effects the debilitating condition has on those diagnosed with it and their families. Bound to her bed by ME, Brea conducts interviews via internet and as her film team records the interviewee, which includes ME patients and their families, along with researchers and physicians. Brea gains insight into the condition and begins to build an online community amongst ME patients with

each interview. The community fights back against their conditions and its critics with health equality rallies in major cities across the globe. In the end, Unrest delivers a message of resilience. — By Laura Eastes

Comedy Shorts

Shorts program 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Harkins Bricktown 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Harkins Bricktown

One of deadCenter’s annual highlights is the Comedy Shorts program spotlighting hilarious and off-kilter short films that often have audiences gasping for air between laughs. This year’s is strong with plots ranging from lowbrow fun like Death Metal to sad and surreal I’m in Here. The Artist is the slowest build of the 11 films in the program and one of the shortest at just 2 minutes. Centered on an isolated writer who suffers for the reader, the film pokes fun at the pretentious myth of puffed-up novelists before puncturing it in the closing moments. Absurdist Beach Day plays its lowbudget cards to maximum effect. Actors and directors Matt Stryker and Dalton Allen use sound effects and razor-sharp comedic editing to tell the story of a fateful visit to a deadly foe: the “water.” Some of the most consistent laughs come from UK short Help! I’m Trapped in a Movie, in which Tom wakes up to find his reality has become that of a film. This will play especially well for cinema enthusiasts, as the short delves into the idiosyncratic behaviors and cues that are second nature in movies. Killing the Fiddler explores weddingday jitters that are only compounded by family history, thanks to commentary from a wall full of dead relatives. Death is a running theme throughout the shorts, including slapstick Death Metal, the profane family drama of Last Will & Testament, Inc. and substantial Death$ in a $mall Town. $mall Town is particularly poignant in Oklahoma, where rural communities are fighting for survival. In this short, the mayor is keeping the town afloat with an unconventional strategy that might take

him to the governor’s office. — By Greg Elwell

Dave Made a Maze

Narrative feature 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Oklahoma City Museum of Art 6 p.m. Sunday at Harkins Bricktown

While his girlfriend is out of town, aimless 30-year-old Dave (Nick Thune) spends his time building a cardboard maze out of a refrigerator box. When Annie (Meera Rohit Kumbhani) gets home, she finds the maze, which leaks steam and strange noises, and begs Dave to come out and explain himself. The only problem is Dave is lost and won’t let Annie tear down the fort from the outside. She resorts to calling his quirky best friend Gordon (Adam Busch) for backup. Though Dave tells him not to, Gordon calls in even more reinforcements, including their strange friend Leonard, a documentary film crew led by friend Harry, a loud woman who seems a bit too excited about the maze, a hipster couple, some tourists and a hobo with ulterior motives. Again, Dave begs everyone to stay out, but most go in to rescue him anyway. The maze, which Gordon insists is actually a labyrinth, is bigger on the inside, takes on a life of its own and quickly reveals its dark nature, deploying fatal booby traps and unleashing animatronic paper animals and a flesh/cardboard minotaur in search of someone to eat. Pursued by the minotaur, the group makes its way through the strange, growing maze and, arguably, the dark recesses of Dave’s psyche and his angst about life at 30. They lose friends along the way, challenge their interpersonal skills and, ultimately, push Dave to finally emerge from the darkness and actually finish something. Whether a metaphor for depression or a commentary on our modern, failure-to-start lifestyles, Dave Made a Maze is an entertaining journey with a simple premise that works without hyper-technological special effects or a multitude of gimmicks: all we really need to accomplish anything is a vision and a really great group of friends. — By Brittany Pickering

Learn more about deadCenter Film Festival in this week’s Gazette.

Gilbert | Photo provided O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

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ARTS & CULTURE

Advancing advocacy deadCenter Film Festival delivers actioninspiring documentaries. By Laura Eastes

Dolores Huerta is a legend among activists. For six decades and counting, Huerta has played a prominent role in America’s farm labor and civil rights struggles. She and Cesar Chavez co-founded the group that became United Farm Workers of America. In the 1960s, she mounted a successful boycott of California grapes that yielded a contract between the growers and the farm workers union. The well-known rally cry “Sí se puede” (Yes, one can) came first from the lips of Huerta, followed by Chavez, who is memorialized as a greater labor leader. Huerta’s life is the focus of a new documentary that seeks to tell the story of “the most vocal activist you’ve never heard of,” as described by CBS News’ Michelle Miller. Dolores screens noon Saturday and 5:30 p.m. Sunday at deadCenter Film Festival, which runs Wednesday through Sunday at select downtown Oklahoma City venues. The film is one of three activist-focused documentaries featured during the event. Dolores, directed by Peter Bratt and executive directed by Carlos Santana, uses rare footage, speeches, union meetings and decades-old news interviews to depict Huerta’s powerful career and her efforts to improve the lives of workers, immigrants and disfranchised groups of people. Interviews with laborers, politicians, academics, family members and iconic advocates such as Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem, the film illustrates Huerta’s work in the broader context of the civil rights era, feminist movement and American Indian movement. Perhaps more important is the voice of Huerta. “We’ve all learned that we are not afraid to struggle,” Huerta says in the film.

“We are not afraid to sacrifice because you can’t make change if you are not willing to give something up. You’ve got to give up some comfort. You’ve got to give up some time. Then, you can see the changes come.”

Struggles in North Dakota

The largest gathering of indigenous nations in modern American history began when the construction of the 1,172mile Dakota Access Pipeline, a $3.8 billion project, edged toward the Missouri River, the main source of drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux. The demonstrations, which began in March 2016 at the main Standing Rock protest camp near the Dakota Access Pipeline, planted the seeds of a movement. Standing Rock Sioux tribal leaders sued the federal government to halt the pipeline construction, saying the tribe wasn’t properly consulted before its approval. The tribe and its supporters argued the pipeline would adversely impact drinking water and disturb sacred sites. Standing Rock’s fight galvanized the nation as the social media hashtag #NoDAPL connected a host of issues including Native American sovereignty, energy policy, land rights and the environment. In I Stand: The Guardians of the Water, Oklahoma filmmaker Kyle Kauwika Harris captures this most significant time. Through crowdfunding, Harris — a member of the Choctaw Nation — traveled to Cannon Ball, North Dakota, and the front line of the protests. There, he captured the intense standoff between the tribe and law enforcement, weaving interviews with tribal elders, youths and activists into the documentary. “I want my future people to know that

we fought for you,” says a Native youth in the film, “that we fought for all of you and we love you.” The documentary was featured at the Red Nation Film Festival On the Road Tour in Washington, D.C., showing days after the Native Nations Rise March. The film screens 3 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday during deadCenter.

Fighting for health equality

“When medicine has no answers for you, where do you turn?” It’s a question filmmaker and journalist Jennifer Brea asks in her new documentary Unrest. The film chronicles Brea’s life after she was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and her quest to understand the complex illness characterized by prolonged fatigue triggered by little activity. There is no cure for the autoimmune disorder, nor have doctors determined its cause. As illustrated throughout the film, the condition is debilitating. Brea, who directs the film, struggles at times to even lift her head. Bedbound, she conducts interviews over the Internet with ME patients and their families, researchers and physicians. The film points out that about 1 million people in the United States are impacted by the disease; however, ME research receives almost no federal funds.

Bedbound director Jennifer Brea chronicles her struggles with a complex disease in Unrest. | Photo deadCenter Film Fesitval/provided

Brea builds an online community of ME patients. At first, the community is a way to share, encourage and support each other, but eventually, it turns into a call for activism. “The only way anything is going to change is if people can see us,” Brea said to the group over Skype. The comment spurs the 2016 multicity #MillionsMissing protests in which protesters placed pairs of shoes on the ground to symbolize those affected by ME/CFS unable to live their lives. #MillionsMissing protests call on federal lawmakers to fund ME/CFS research, clinical trials and medical/public education campaigns. More importantly, the protests shed light on a disease often described as invisible because about a quarter of patients are bedbound. Unrest screens 11:30 a.m. Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Learn more about deadCenter Film Festival in this week’s Gazette.

deadCenter Film Festival Wednesday-Sunday deadcenterfilm.org

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d e a d CENTER

Just dance

Trolls and KidsFest Shorts are deadCenter’s family fun features. By Laura Eastes

deadcenter

As a film director, Mike Mitchell shows his work at film festivals and pre-release movie screenings where he keeps his eyes on the audience, noting their emotions as the film streams. When the Oklahoma City native and film director took Trolls, a 2016 animated musical comedy adventure film about two Troll dolls on a quest to save their village, he expected the film to bring laughter and joy to the audience. As Mitchell watched the audience, the film’s charming characters stirred emotions amongst the youngest members, many who stood up and began to groove. “We went to Canada, Italy and all over the world to show our film to kids,” Mitchell told Oklahoma Gazette. “Those kids got up and danced. I would never

think to stand up in a theater and dance, but these kids didn’t even think twice about it. It was amazing.” When Trolls screens Saturday as part of deadCenter Film Festival, children and adults are encouraged to dance, Mitchell said. The Putnam City North High School alumnus directed the blockbuster, billiondollar film starring Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick. Mitchell, who also directed Shrek Forever After and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, among many others, will accept an Oklahoma Film Icon Award during this year’s festival. Mitchell will introduce Trolls through a panel talk called Creating the Animated Feature Trolls 1 p.m. Saturday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. Film fans and families as well as aspiring animators are encouraged to attend the panel discussion as Mitchell shares how he and his team created the film, which earned considerable critical acclaim. “It’s a character that everyone is familiar with, yet there was no story or mythology to Trolls,” Mitchell said. “There wasn’t even a lead character. … This was an opportunity to dig in and see why these toys stand the test of time, and even better, let’s create the story.” Following the discussion, Trolls screens at 1:30 p.m. Mitchell will be

watching for dancing as well as laughter from the audience. “It is so great when a film can be for everyone,” Mitchell said. “I love it when there is a joke and you see a father laughing who looks down at their child who is also laughing.” The popular free KidsFest community event moves from Myriad Botanical Gardens’ Great Lawn into indoor theaters and screens twice during this year’s festival. Before Trolls hits the screen on Saturday, deadCenter presents the annual KidsFest Shorts, which run 11 a.m.-noon at the museum. Noon-1 p.m. Sunday, the 13 family- and kid-friendly short films screen at Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16, 150 E. Reno Ave. This year’s film shorts include The Three Tales of a Coin, an 11-minute film about a coin with dreams of experiencing the world through many pockets; Dear Congress, a visual letter to Congress from American children; and A Little Love Goes a Long Clay about cyberbullying.

Branch (Justin Timberlake) and Poppy (Anna Kendrick) set off on an adventure to save their friends in Trolls. | Photo deadCenter Film Fesitval / provided

Learn more about deadCenter Film Festival in this week’s Gazette.

deadCenter KidsFest Shorts 11 a.m. Saturday Oklahoma City Museum of Art | 415 Couch Drive Noon Sunday Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16 | 150 E. Reno Ave. deadcenterfilm.org | 405-246-9233 Free

Trolls 1:30 p.m. Saturday Oklahoma City Museum of Art deadcenterfilm.org $10

Virtual vision Virtual reality films put deadCenter audiences in the midst of the action. By Greg Elwell

While the film festival gets most of the glory, deadCenter is also dedicated to encouraging and educating filmmakers. During this year’s event, a new form of the craft will see the spotlight with the Virtual Reality Experience shorts program and panel discussion. Moving beyond 2-D and 3-D movies, virtual reality is an immersive experience that puts the viewer in the midst of the action, said director of programming and education Kim Haywood. “This continues our theme of expanding how people think about the medium of film,” she said. “We’ve added a 360degree component to our festival.” Starting at 11 a.m. Friday-Sunday, visitors at 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., can view eight virtual reality films in a come-and-go exhibit for free. The films range from three to eight minutes long and cover a variety of subjects, from documentaries to fantasy. Short Syzygy takes the viewer inside rehearsals and the performance of Paul Taylor Dance Company’s 30-year-old work of the same name. Voice-over narration

by the original cast provides insight into the choreography while the viewer receives up-close access to the dancing. Festivalgoers experience two versions of the same film with 2-D short Little Potato — part of the Love, Sex & Death Shorts program showing 7 p.m. Friday and 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16, 150 E. Reno Ave. — and virtual reality short Potato Dreams. Both films are autobiographical documentaries about Little Potato, a homosexual who grows up in the Soviet Union, and his journey to the United States with his mother, a mail-order bride. The first-person viewpoint is used to illustrate the fantastic with films The Giant and Haunt. In The Giant, the viewer experiences the endless growth of a girl getting larger and larger and watching as the universe dissolves around her. Haunt puts audiences in the role of a ghost floating through the life she used to be part of and invisible to those around her unless they look straight at her/the audience. Former film critic and founder of

WonderTek Labs Kim Voynar, an Oklahoma City native, spent months curating the films with Haywood. Haywood said the festival presents a unique opportunity to show the potential of the medium. “When you think of it, most people are using virtual reality as a gimmick,” Haywood said, “so we want to highlight how filmmakers are using it to create a narrative.” Four female virtual reality filmmakers will take part in 360/VR: The Evolution of Immersive Storytelling, a panel discussion 1 p.m. Sunday at 21c, moderated by Voynar. “The filmmakers doing the panel will talk more about why they’re making films this way and also to share with Oklahoma filmmakers how to use the technology to tell their stories,” Haywood said. Film was once a medium in which audiences could get lost, but with people holding screens in their pockets, it has

Benjamin Jakupcak in short 2D and virtual reality films Little Potato/Potato Dreams | Photo Nathan M. Miller / provided

become less intense. “We’ve gotten away from that group immersive experience,” Haywood said. “Virtual reality is a way to get people back to that, into a story.” Learn more about deadCenter Film Festival in this week’s Gazette.

Virtual Reality Shorts 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Friday-Sunday 21c Museum Hotel | 900 W. Main St. deadcenterfilm.org | 405-982-6900 Free

360/VR: The Evolution of Immersive Storytelling 1 - 2 p.m. Sunday 21c Museum Hotel | 900 W. Main St Free O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

ARTS & CULTURE Jacob Ryan Snovel stars as Elvis Presley in Mickey Reece’s Alien. | Image provided

“I’m pretty sure everybody just thinks it’s an Elvis song,” Reece said. The director recently gathered with Snovel and Jones for an Oklahoma Gazette interview. Perhaps no one bothers to ask about it because the overdubbed vocal performance is so convincing. Reece hired local rockabilly artist and Elvis tribute performer Brian Lee Dunning to sing the song. Dunning was brought in after previous vocal attempts by Reece and Snovel sounded unconvincing. “I sounded like Kermit the Frog doing it,” Snovel said. Alien faithfully embodies the worldfamous persona and story, but with chunks of existential pondering, oddball shockers and artistic montage thrown into the peanut butter sandwich. It simultaneously is and isn’t a true account of Elvis and Priscilla.

deadcenter

Powerful deadpan

Shook up

Mickey Reece’s Alien gives viewers an Elvis story through a surreal lense. By Ben Luschen

Mickey Reece’s Alien is a straight-laced period piece about Elvis and Priscilla Presley for most of its 72-minute runtime. But when the film is at its experimental peak, The King does more than leave the building — he leaves the stratosphere. The black-and-white feature is the newest film from prolific Oklahoma City director Mickey Reece, known for his most recent projects like Broadcast,

j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Suedehead and Me and Ichikawa. Alien — starring Jacob Ryan Snovel as Elvis and Cate Jones as wife Priscilla — is Reece’s deadCenter Film Festival debut, which is somewhat odd considering his lengthy film career. The movie screens 8:30 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday at Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16. One thing almost universally true for Alien is that it shatters most preconceived notions of what the film is. Those

going in expecting to see a novel local attempt at a period piece will be wowed by just how far things veer from the beaten path. On the flipside, those expecting to see Elvis swiveling his hips with Martians aboard a UFO might be taken aback by the film’s methodically paced, dialog ue-heav y, Martin Scorsese-like approach that, in all its weirdness, sticks deceptively close to the true Elvis story. A scene at the end of the film might serve as an example of that dualistic dynamic. Elvis (Snovel) is seen performing a song. Few fans are likely to recognize the tune though, and not because it is a deep cut from singer’s back catalogue. Reece wrote the song (titled “From the Start”) originally for Alien with the film’s music director Nicholas Poss.

Mickey Reece’s Alien was born as a joke, not unlike how some of the laidback director’s other ideas are developed. What if, he thought, there was an Elvis movie that was black-and-white and really slow with jarring moments of surrealism? Furthermore, he thought it would be a funny gag to give his project the same title as the popular Ridley Scott film, but with his name in front of it to make unknowing moviegoers wonder about the director’s level of conceitedness. “Really, it was just part of the joke,” Jones said. “We were saying, ‘No one is ever going to want to watch this movie, especially if it’s called Mickey Reece’s Alien.’ It would be stupid if anyone watched that.” Perhaps more so in Alien than in Reece’s other more recent projects, there is a palpable sense of tension drawn out by slowly paced scenes and a standout deadpan delivery by Jones. Jones said she did a lot of research on Priscilla when fleshing out her role, including reading her autobiography Elvis and Me, watching several of her acting roles and seeing how Priscilla

was portrayed in other works of fiction. Jones wanted her version to stick out. In watching videos of real-life Priscilla’s acting roles, she was struck by how stale they sometimes appeared, which inspired her take on the subject. “To make her stand out and to make this Priscilla stand out amid all these other Priscilla things, I just kind of threw [my research] away and went with an idea and kind of amped it up to 11,” she said. “It worked perfect to offset Elvis and to stand out among other Priscilla performances.”

Internal conflict

Snovel, who was not much of an Elvis fan going into his role, said working on the film gave him a much better idea of who the music legend was as a person. Elvis’ story is one that is segmented into different, distinct chapters, and those who are not hardcore fans tend to look to only one of those chapters as their singular view of the artist. Alien looks at the star as he is planning his 1968 Elvis comeback special on television. The film shows an Elvis itching at something more in life but restricted by the Memphis Mafia — his close group of yes-man cronies — and Colonel Tom Parker, his manager. While Elvis longed to act in Marlon Brando-type roles and star in West Side Story, Parker’s vision included only beach movies. “Elvis was a true artist who was held down by a manager who was creating something completely new, which is that pop icon thing,” Snovel said. “And here Elvis was trying to do something really from the depths of his soul.” Alien features Reece’s biggest film budget yet, and it is the first of his projects to include set workers specifically dedicated to sound and cinematography. Despite the size of the production, Reece and the cast members said it was filmed much in the way that his other films have been made. Snovel, who frequently appears in Reece’s work, said the director strives to make each new film bigger and better than the last. “I think Mickey purposefully picks something that is impossible because he can’t figure out the ending and that’s the only thing that drives him forward sometimes,” he said. Learn more about deadCenter Film Festival in this week’s Gazette.

Ice Down with Gazette’s Summer Local Films

Gremlin 9:30 p.m. Thursday

Brew Review featuring seasonal brews in OKC. Drink in the Gazette’s favorite local, regional and national summer seasonal beers. Extended coverage helps readers stock the coolest brews for the hot summer!

PUBLISHES JUNE 28 DEADLINES JUNE 21

8 p.m. Sunday Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16 Writer/director Ryan Bellgardt, known for 2013’s Army of Frankensteins, once again nails the creaturefeature genre. Gremlin, in a kind of parable on love, follows father Adam Thatcher (actor Adam Hampton) as he desperately tries to rid himself of a mysterious box that, every so often, disperses a small but murderous monster that slowly kills off those around him. Thatcher later learns that the only way to get rid of the box is to pass it on to someone you truly love, which presents its own set of challenges. Gremlin is well worth viewers’ time, but be warned that the monster in question spends most of the movie just a few inches tall, not making his full-size romp until later in the film. The creature looks nonetheless impressive (and scary).

Butch: Legend of Langston 6 p.m. Friday 5 p.m. Sunday Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16 Langston University’s Benjamin “Butch” Hardin has such a strong lore about him it even extends beyond the historically black college’s campus. Butch hopes to dispel rumors and campus legends about the college icon with a limitless memory for numbers and jazz music. Hardin lives at the university — as he has for as long as many people can remember — where he makes it his job to clean and maintain its music school. He is known for dressing sharply in brightly colored suits and making his usual walking rounds on campus, greeting staff and students. The documentary itself is as

Mickey Reece’s Alien 8:30 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16 150 E. Reno Ave. deadcenterfilm.org | 405-246-9233

vibrant and lively as Hardin’s usual wear. The only complaint viewers might have at the end is that it should have been a feature-length film. — By Ben Luschen

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Win a Night Out On Cadillac Sweepstakes 1. Snap a photo of yourself in front of the restaurant (name of restaurant must be visible) or of your meal 2. Post to Instagram with #OKCRWContest 3. One winner drawn randomly will receive a night at an amazing Oklahoma City hotel, two tickets to a premium event at Civic Center Music Hall, chauffeured Cadillac from dinner to the show and back, and breakfast for two. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Must be at least 18 years of age at time of entry and a legal resident of Oklahoma. Photo entries must be received on Instagram between 6:00 pm Central Daylight Time on 6/9/17 and 11:59 pm CDT on 6/18/17 and include #OKCRWContest. Limit three posted images per Social Media Account. The picture can include a “selfie” of the entrant, but that is not required. Value of prize $1,000. Winner chosen randomly from all valid entries. Subject to official rules available okcrestaurantweek.com/sweepstakes. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Broadway 10 Bar & Chophouse Please join us for OKC Restaurant Week, June 9-18 benefiting Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

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Choice of one appetizer and one entrée per person

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Classic House or Caesar Salad Tomato Basil or French Onion Soup Panko Fried Coconut Shrimp

eNtrées

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Pan-Seared Salmon Burger Served with choice of side

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Crispy Chicken Salad Champagne vinaigrette

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Desserts

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T h e at e r

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Tomato Basil or French Onion Soup Panko Fried Coconut Shrimp

8 oz. USDA Butcher Burger

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Classic House or Caesar Salad

Dazzling dance

Adèle Wolf’s Oklahoma City Burlesque Festival returns for a fifth year. By Jessica Williams

Crème Brûlée House-Made Bread Pudding petite slice

**Dinner Entrées corrected from how they appeared in Guide to OKC Restaurant Week Magazine**

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If words like “bedazzling” and “sensuous” aren’t in your current lexicon, maybe it’s time to take a cue from Oklahoma City’s burlesque queen. June 16-17 marks Adèle Wolf Productions’ fifth annual OKC Burlesque Festival at Lyric at the Plaza. Complete with comedy, music, original dance performances and, of course, striptease, the show makes the city a little more glamorous. “OKC is finally comfortable with the idea of striptease,” Wolf told Oklahoma Gazette about the adult festival. “People love a good escape from the ordinary, and burlesque always takes you away from the norm.” Wolf’s show features everything from old Hollywood screen siren aesthetics to a routine titled Sexy Cookie Monster. This is anything but commonplace. “I feel a responsibility to show OKC all types of burlesque,” Wolf said. “This year, you’ll see performance art, political commentary, classic pin-up style, modern burlesque and a lot of unique variety acts.” Circus acts, acrobatics and improvised dialogue are just some of the many spectacles offered in the festival. Even animals make stage appearances in the show. “The famous dog Mr. Cheese has been known to show up onstage with Ooops the Clown, so you never know what you’ll get in the festival,” Wolf said. “It’s so rewarding to watch the audience experience the unexpected.” Wolf’s travels and tours have almost single-handedly brought the burlesque world to OKC. “Our headliners this year represent some of the most relevant modern burlesque scenes in the world today,” she said. “There’s a direct correlation between where I’ve toured and where the applications are coming from. If I’ve toured Berlin, we get applications from Berlin, and the same goes for San Francisco, New Orleans and NYC.”

Adèle Wolf returns to the stage June 16-17. | Photo Vixen Pinup / provided

Each performer brings an enigmatic array of styles and aesthetics, which Wolf attributes to an increasingly globalized burlesque scene. “It’s really interesting to see each region or country’s specific style because each city varies from the next,” Wolf said. “Burlesque reflects culture in the same way theater or art reflect their context.” This year, Mosh from Moscow will showcase her background in gymnastics. Hazel Honeysuckle from New York City is known for striking a delicate balance between comedic and erotic. Other performers include male burlesque star Tito Bonito and NYC’s Poison Ivory. Beyond their many talents, Wolf also emphasizes diversity and inclusion in her festival. “Not all burlesque is feminist, but mine is,” she said. “I make it a point to include different races, bodies, genders and sexualities in my show and on my staff.” For folks unfamiliar with the seemingly exclusive burlesque world, Wolf said this performance style holds more historical significance than meets the eye. “Besides the striptease portion of most performances, it’s hard to define burlesque because it has evolved so much historically,” she said. “In its early inception in the 19th century, women had to perform under less-than-ideal situations. Now, in 2017, it’s such an empowering practice for women.” The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25-$50. Visit okcburlesquefest.com.

Adèle Wolf’s Oklahoma City Burlesque Festival 8 p.m. June 16-17 Lyric at the Plaza | 1727 NW 16th St. okcburlesquefest.com | 405-673-6162 $25-$50

T h e at e r

Cheering up

Pollard Theatre Company brings blood, sweat and cheer to the stage in Bring It On: The Musical. By Ian Jayne

Tightly controlled body movements, pitch-perfect timing and an incredible amount of teamwork — is it a musical or a cheerleading competition? For Pollard Theatre Company’s upcoming production of Bring It On: The Musical, it’s both. It runs Friday to July 1 at The Pollard Theatre, 120 W. Harrison Ave., in Guthrie. Theatergoers will watch lead protagonist Campbell Davis, head cheerleader at Truman High School, fall like a poorly planned summersault when she must change schools. At Jackson High School, Campbell finds herself in competition with Danielle, another queen bee, according to director Timothy Stewart. Danielle serves as the perfect foil to Campbell, who struggles to negotiate her past, present and future. “She tries to find her place in that world and to hold on to her past, too,” Stewart said of Campbell’s abrupt transition to life at Jackson High. As she negotiates the politics and melodrama of high school, a competition in

itself, she also pulls together with Danielle and her other peers to assemble a cheer team that rides all the way to the national competition. Although the musical is mostly comedic, Stewart said that it has moments of poignancy. Bring It On dives into themes of friendship and nuanced depth, of “looking deeper than what’s on the surface,” Stewart said. The family-friendly musical, full of stories of self-discovery and teamwork, also validates the hard, often overlooked work of competitive cheerleading, which Stewart said some people might consider superficial. “There’s a deeper side to these people and the competition and the athleticism that goes into competitive cheerleading,” he said. Stewart worked along with choreographer Hui Cha Poos and cheer choreographer Barbie Parker to ensure the authenticity of the cheerleading moves.

While Stewart said most of the actors were already familiar with singing, acting and dancing, the moves required for Bring It On necessitated a cheer camp. Actors learned how to perform stunts, lifts and moves like the back tuck. “They leave with bruises and scrapes and sore muscles, but they keep coming back,” he said. Alongside such physical mastery, Bring It On brings a set of musical and lyrical gymnasts to its score and script, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Kitt, Amanda Green and Avenue Q writer Jeff Whitty. Although Manuel Miranda worked on Bring It On in his pre-Hamilton years, Stewart said audiences will still spot traces of his style. While Bring It On is inspired by the 2000 film of the same name, the show is not an exact translation; rather, Stewart said it functions as “an entity all to itself.”

The cast of Pollard Theatre’s rendition of Bring It On: The Musical rehearses for its production, which runs Friday through July 1 at The Pollard Theatre in Guthrie. | Photo Cara Johnson

The musical premiered in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2011. Stewart doesn’t see Bring It On’s relevance fading anytime soon. “It’s a story about friendships and high school and finding your way, so I think that’s always going to be a topic of importance,” he said. Tickets are $15-$30. Visit thepollard. org or call 405-282-2800.

Bring It On: The Musical Friday-July 1 The Pollard Theatre | 120 W. Harrison Ave., Guthrie thepollard.org $15-$30

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T h e at e r

ARTS & CULTURE

Fresh face

OKC Phil announces a music director designate as Maestro Joel Levine prepares to retire. By Ben Luschen

In late May, Oklahoma City Philharmonic named Alexander Mickelthwate its music director designate. Current music director Maestro Joel Levine, who founded the orchestra in 1988, plans to retire in May 2018. The appointment comes after a season-long tryout process in which OKC Phil brought in six total candidates, including Mickelthwate, to guest conduct the orchestra. The German-born conductor is the current music director of Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in Canada’s Manitoba province. Mickelthwate guest conducted with the orchestra in November and will conduct three Classics programs as music director designate in OKC Phil’s coming season. His first appearance is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2018. He is set to take over as full-time music director in the 2018-19 season. Mickelthwate recently talked about his new position in an Oklahoma Gazette phone interview. Oklahoma Gazette: What will be the nature of your involvement next season? Alexander Mickelthwate: Joel and I are going to split it. I’m doing three of the Classics, and Joel is doing three as guest conductor. The Pops performances will also be done by others, so I’m not involved too much yet, but I will be coming in at the beginning of July and in August. I’ll be coming again and again just for fundraising and marketing and just to be in the community. But then I’ll really start the next year in August or September. OKG: You were here in November guest conducting. What do you remember about that whole experience, and how did that go for you? Mickelthwate: I didn’t know anything

about Oklahoma City or Oklahoma. I was really positively surprised. The last 20 years has seen tons of money poured into that [downtown] area. It was quite an exciting experience. Then the orchestra, same thing — didn’t know. It was a beautiful performance hall (Civic Center Music Hall), and the orchestra itself — wow. We had a very challenging program, and it was very exciting for me, a great performance, and I was really thrilled. OKG: What was it about the position that attracted you? Mickelthwate: When I looked on the website and researched, it was clear that [OKC Phil] was, first of all, well-run. It has a fair amount of concerts, obviously. But then you have a fairly big orchestra also. My orchestra [in Winnipeg] is smaller in numbers. And then the soloists that you’re getting and the acts are quite international; it was really very impressive. In addition, when I was there, I saw that you had a music director who was there for many years. It’s just a well-run organization by executive director Eddie Walker and the wonderful music director Joel Levine. OKG: You have a family, right? Mickelthwate: Yes, I have a 9- and a 13-year-old. My wife is a fashion designer. She works right now at Peter Nygard, who’s actually selling pretty big in the States. We’re in the process of trying to buy a house right now in Oklahoma City, and we’re going to start putting down some roots. OKG: In the summer, it can get pretty warm here — a little warmer than it does in Canada or Germany. Mickelthwate: But you don’t have those winters. For me, it’s December, January, February and sometimes continues into

March — snow, snow, snow with -10 or -20 degree days. OKG: What are your specific music interests? Mickelthwate: I have this very eclectic taste. First of all, I am German, so I love everything Germanic from [Wolfgang Amadeus] Mozart, [Ludwig van] Beethoven and [Johannes] Brahms. With Russian composer [Pyotr Ilyich] Tchaikovsky, all of this stuff is my lifeblood. But it just kind of goes from there. I love South American composers. As you might have seen on the program in the coming season, I’m doing [Astor Pantaleón] Piazzolla, I’m doing [Alberto] Ginastera. I have lots of friends who write music for films right now, stuff that is extremely exciting and fun to listen to. There’s some really emotional stuff out there that I would like to, at some point, share and bring to Oklahoma. If you think about it, when you go to movies, most of the emotions are created by music, so if you were to turn the music or sound off in a film, it wouldn’t be scary anymore. The music makes it. That’s what I would like to bring in addition to all the Romantic and Classical composers. OKG: Do you have any other vision for Oklahoma City or what OKC Phil could become? Mickelthwate: What Joel did, it’s like a real legacy, so for me, it’s more like I

Alexander Mickelthwate | Photo provided

have to figure out, “Where are we, and how can I build on that and connect even more with the city?” That’s one of the things that I did [in Winnipeg]. Right now, while we’re talking, I’m on a golf course. I’m not playing golf myself, but I’m at a fundraiser for one of the biggest indigenous children’s agencies in Manitoba that serves 4,000 indigenous children. So we want to collaborate. That’s what I love to do, connect the symphony with the community. OKG: Do you have any hobbies or anything you like to do outside of music? Mickelthwate: Now that I have kids, kids are my hobby. I’m in the hockey rink with my kid, practicing ice hockey or playing soccer, basketball with the kids. Otherwise, I love bicycling, hiking, skiing — all those kinds of things. I like to read, but my one recreational sin is Clash of Clans or Clash Royale, those iPhone games. OKG: Anything else you want to say about Oklahoma City? Mickelthwate: The orchestra here is a treasure. You don’t expect when you get in that it’s actually really exciting here. That’s what I would like to continue to promote to the outside world so that not only people in Oklahoma know of that. That’s what we did in Winnipeg, and I think it’s possible to continue that in Oklahoma.

Vote Lost H i gh wa y Best New Bar 1613 N May Ave • 405.601.5606 @LostHighwayBar 48

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Co m m u n i t y

American dream

Tahira Taqi of Schnake Turnbo Frank is one of the Oklahoma business leaders working for inclusion and diversity. | Photo provided

Business leaders come together to promote inclusion and diversity. By Chris Eversole

Following a successful event focused on improving inclusion and diversity efforts, a group of Oklahoma City business leaders plan next steps, including forming a consortium. The meeting 11:30 a.m. June 29 is a follow-up to the Inclusion & Diversity Summit held April 25. The location will be announced soon, organizers said. A survey of the summit participants showed a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion in workplaces, said Tahira Taqi, an account executive at Schnake Turnbo Frank, the consulting and public relations firm that organized the event. Among the 93 people who responded, more than 75 percent said their organization leaders had dedicated efforts to improve diversity and inclusion. Taqi suggested that what’s missing is coordinated collaboration. “We’re hoping to spur an ongoing dialogue that goes beyond the efforts of each organization,” she said. Organizers hope that an inclusion and diversity consortium will emerge soon,

but Taqi said they also want to make an immediate impact. “We’re encouraging people to share best practices and network,” she said. “If one company is having a hard time with middle managers committing to internal inclusion and diversity initiatives, maybe someone else will have a suggestion.” Efforts in Oklahoma City will benefit from those at Hallmark, which summit speaker Michael Gonzales highlighted. Gonzales, the company’s director of diversity and inclusion, described the success of the conversion of a Hallmark display in a Walgreens in San Francisco to focus on cards relevant to the predominantly LGBTQ Castro neighborhood that the store serves. That initiative came about after Walgreens notified Hallmark that it was considering dropping the company’s cards when it remodeled the Walgreens store in the neighborhood. Hallmark responded quickly and involved LGBTQ employees to develop a more relevant presence in the store.

“Sales went from double-digit in the red to double-digit in the black,” Gonzales said. With the help of employee groups, Hallmark has developed card representatives for various communities, including military personnel, Asians, AfricanAmericans, Hispanics and millennials. Arvest Bank was the presenting sponsor for the April event and is hosting this month’splanning meeting. Brad Krieger, chairman of the Oklahoma City area and executive vice president/regional manager for Oklahoma and Kansas, said the bank works hard to promote inclusion and diversity. “Many groups in the population are growing faster than others are, and these groups represent our customers of today and tomorrow,” he said. “We’re constantly searching for ways to reflect the com-

munity we serve and to help all groups achieve the American dream.” In the planning meeting, participants will consider the model of Mosaic, Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce’s diversity business council. It has grown to include 210 member companies and was featured in Chamber Executive magazine’s fall 2016 issue. The June 29 meeting also will follow up on the April summit’s panel discussion on millennials in the workplace, which Taqi led. “Many millennials are strongly driven by their core values, looking for employers with organizational cultures that strongly align with their values rather than just seeking a higher paycheck,” she said. “Millennials feel empowered to speak up and discuss inclusion and diversion in the workplace because they believe inclusive environments are important to the success of our workplaces and our communities.” For more information on the June 29 meeting, email tahira@schnake.com.

Inclusion & Diversity Consortium 11:30 a.m. June 29 Location TBA schnake.com | 405-602-2000

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Kehinde Wiley (American, b. 1977). Leviathan Zodiac (detail), 2011. Oil and gold enamel on canvas, 95¾ x 71¾ in. (243.2 x 182.2 cm). Collection of Blake Byrne, Los Angeles. Courtesy of Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, California. © Kehinde Wiley. (Photo: Robert Wedemeyer, courtesy of Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, California)

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CALENDAR These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

HAPPENINGS Earthquakes and Fracking Community Meeting, join environmental and consumer advocates Erin Brockovich, Weitz & Luxenberg, economic experts and residents affected by human-induced earthquakes and discuss the health, safety and economic impacts of these events, 6:30p.m. June 7. St. Gregory’s University, 1900 W. MacArthur Ave., Shawnee, 800-476-6070, weitzlux.com. WED

The Goonies Party, celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the film with costumes and a watch party. Dress as your favorite character and enjoy games, trivia and a costume contest, 8-11 p.m. June 7. FlashBack RetroPub, 814 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-633-3604, flashbackretropub.com. WED Preservation Future Tense: Oklahoma’s 29th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference, join historic preservation leaders and advocates to discuss the future of historic preservation statewide featuring plenary sessions, workshops, concurrent sessions and special events, June 7-9. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-521-2491, okhistory.org/ shpo. WED - FRI

Yoga in the Gardens Albert Einstein said, “Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.” Does that mean Einstein slid into some yoga pants and did the warrior pose surrounded by nature? Probably not. But you can get in touch with the world, relieve stress and get a good workout with Yoga in the Gardens 5:45-6:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave. The group meets in the south lobby to check in. Participants should bring their own yoga mats and water. Tickets are free-$10. Visit myriadgardens.com or call 405-445-7080. Tuesday, ongoing Photo Lisa Woodard / provided

BOOKS The Midnight Man, author David Eric Tomlinson signs copies of his latest book about the first Choctaw Indian employed by the Oklahoma County public defender’s office who pulls a new case, 1-2:30 p.m. June 10. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT Dust Bowl Girls: The Inspiring Story of the Team That Barnstormed It’s Way to Basketball Glory, join author Lydia Reeder for a book signing about the improbable journey to an epic showdown at the height of the Great Depression, 3-5p.m. June 10. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, Edmond, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT Second Sunday Poetry, enjoy poems by Bayard Godsave, the author of Lesser Apocalypses, a short story collection published by Queen’s Ferry Press, 2 p.m. June 11. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org. SUN Build A Better World, read for fun and earn badges all summer long, log reading time and earn prizes, through July 31. Metropolitan Library System, 300 Park Ave., 405-231-8650, metrolibrary.org. Read for Adventure, the OKC Zoo and Metropolitan Library Systems have partnered to publish the children’s book Our Day at the Zoo and create a community Read for Adventure program enabling readers to check out the new book from any of the 19 Metro Library locations, through March 31 2018. Metropolitan Library System, 300 Park Ave., 405-231-8650, metrolibrary.org.

Movie in the Park: Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, (US, 2014, Shawn Levy) Larry spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever, 8:30-11:30 p.m. June 9. Stephenson Park, E. 4th St., Edmond, 405-3594630, edmondok.com. FRI

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Homebuyer Education Workshop, designed to help first-time home buyers understand the process of purchasing a home, 8:30a.m.-4p.m. June 9th. Community Action Agency, 319 SW 25th St., 405-232-0199, caaofokc.org. FRI Live! on the Plaza, join the Plaza District every second Friday of the month for an art walk featuring artists, live music, street pop-up shops, live performances and more, 7-11 p.m. June 9. Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave., 405-3679403, plazadistrict.org. FRI Pajama Jama Jam, old school hip-hop inspired pajama party hosted by GotSteeze.net and Sativa Prophets with live performances, food trucks and an art show, 10p.m. June 9. 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy. com. FRI Education Explosion, an interactive, hands-on teaching conference to empower, enlighten and educate teachers. Enjoy break-out sessions, information about the culture and language of students in poverty and strategies to implement into classrooms, June 9-10. Embassy Suites Conference Center, 2501 Conference Ave., Norman, 254-833-4523, teachersmakethedifference.com. FRI -SAT Red Earth Festival, Native artists, dancers and singers from throughout America gather to celebrate the richness and diversity of their heritage with the world, June 9-11. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 405-427-5228, redearth.org. FRI -SUN African American Men’s Health Summit, join the East Zion District Men’s Association, the Infant Mortality Alliance and Integris Men’s Health University for free men’s health screenings including skin, oral, cholesterol and more, 9a.m.noon June 10. Metro Technology Center, 1900 Springlake Drive, 405-951-2277, integrisok.com. SAT

Indie Trunk Show, purchase goods and services from over 200 Oklahoma-owned businesses and help small-makers succeed by shopping local, 10a.m.-5p.m. June 10. Cox Pavilion State Fairgrounds, 3001 General Pershing Blvd., 405640-3964, indietrunkshowokc.com. SAT Preservation Oklahoma Inc. White Party, highlighting the work of Preservation Oklahoma and the stewardship of the 1903 Henry Overholser Mansion with live music, dancing and raffle prizes, 7-10 p.m. June 10. Overholser Mansion, 405 NW 15th St., 405-525-5325, preservationok.org. SAT Woofstock Party, join BarkHappy to benefit Central Oklahoma City Humane Society, free giveaways and attractions including dog food samples and dog treats, coupons for dog grooming, access to several food trucks and a chance to win multiple raffle prizes, 11a.m.-1p.m. June 11. The Bleu Garten, 301 NW 10 St., 405-879-3808, OKCWoofstock.eventbrite. com. SUN

FOOD

FILM

Some Like it Hot, (Japan, 1959, Billy Wilder) when two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, 2p.m. and 7p.m. June 11 and 14. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 405-424-0461, cinemark.com. SUN ,WED

Cafe Society’s Community Coffee, start the weekend off with networking, community announcements and coffee, 8:30 a.m. June 9. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, artspaceatuntitled.org. FRI

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Painted Forest Paint cannons, a 100-foot-tall water slide, beach volleyball and more should be enough to attract guests — that and some crushing electronic music sets from the likes of Crizzly, AFK, ATLiens, Dr. Ozi and more. Gates open for the Painted Forest event 4:30 p.m., and music begins 5 p.m. Friday at Lost Lakes Amphitheater, 3501 NE 10th St. Those with VIP access can begin entering about 1 p.m. Tickets are $25-$45. Visit lostlakesamp.com or call 405-314-9502. Friday Photo bigstock.com

8th Annual Wine Festival, celebrate Oklahoma’s winery and grape capital with Made in Oklahoma products, wine and food, art, jewelry, crafts, live performances and the Route 66 car show, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 10. Downtown Stroud, Highway 66 and Seventh Avenue, Stroud, 918-968-3321, stroudchamber.com. SAT Chandler Ice Cream Festival, an annual ice cream festival featuring endless scoops of ice cream, inflatable carnival rides, a homemade ice cream competition, live music and local vendors, noon-5p.m. June 10. Tilghman Park, 822 Park Road, Chandler, 405-258-0673, chandlerareachamberok.com. SAT

Cowtown Roots Revival, live Oklahoma musical acts hourly, food trucks and a great selection of craft beers from Anthem Brewing Company, 1-8p.m. June 10. Anthem Brewing Company, 908 SW 4th St., 405604-0446, anthembrewing.com. SAT Delmar Sunday Market, enjoy a variety of local produce, cheeses, meats and bakery items, 10a.m.2p.m. June 11. Delmar Gardens Food Truck Park, 1225 SW 2nd St., 405-445-9435, delmargardensokc.com. SUN

YOUTH UCO Photographic Arts Program: High School Day Camp, students are invited to showcase and develop their photography skills with an opportunity to work with professional equipment and facilities while learning and exploring a variety of photographic methods with UCO photography professors, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. through June 9. University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 405974-2000, uco.edu. WED - FRI Children’s Garden Festival: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, take a journey through a caterpillar’s transformation into a beautiful butterfly. Enjoy crafts, activities and imaginative displays that will capture the essence of one of the most beloved children’s stories, through June 11. Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED -SUN Hooked on Fishing, summer fishing program teaching hands-on instruction in knot tying, casting, fish identification, fishing safety and regulations, 8-10:30 a.m. June 11. Edwards Park Lake, 1515 N. Bryant Ave., 405-297-1426, okc.gov/parks. SUN

David Sedaris appearance and book signing Trying to up your summer day trip game? Are you a big fan of writer David Sedaris’ witty musings? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, consider driving to Tulsa for a signing and appearance by Sedaris in promotion of his new book Theft By Finding: Diaries 1977-2002. The appearance begins 7 p.m. June 14 at the Magic City Books pop-up shop on Guthrie Green’s northside dock, 111 E. M.B. Brady St., in Tulsa. The book signing is free. Guests may purchase a book for $30.35 to guarantee a preferential spot in the signing line. Visit booksmarttulsa.com or call 918-520-2240. June 14

Super Summer Program, activities for children including self-defense training, science camp, moonwalks, Sugar Free All-Stars, mad science, extreme animals, STEM Challenge, yoga and more, 9:30a.m.-3p.m. through July 4. King’s Gate Christian School, 11400 N. Portland Ave., 405-752-2111, kingsgateschool.com. TUE ,THU Summer Camp 2017, ages 3-7 will enjoy canvas painting, tie-dying, creating super hero personas, obstacle courses, playing instruments and plenty of education hidden within art, 9:30a.m. June 13-27. Artsy Learning Center, 1215 36th Ave., 405-3434064, artsylearningcenter.com. Summer Camp Contemporary, keeping kids creative with learning camps featuring visual arts, music, hip-hop, fiber, clay, performance, robotics and more, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. through Aug. 11. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. Ultimate Adventure Camps, giving kids a chance to try new adventures including zip lining, the SandRidge Sky Trail, high speed slides, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and whitewater rafting, through Aug. 11. Boathouse District, 725 S. Lincoln Blvd., 405-552-4040, boathousedistrict.org.

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Photo Ingrid Christie / provided

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CALENDAR c a l e n da r

continued from page 51 Bodies Revealed, exhibition showcasing real human bodies preserved through a revolutionary process allowing visitors to see themselves in a way like never before, through October. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

PERFORMING ARTS

Thursday Noon Tunes, bring your lunch to the downtown library atrium and enjoy singer/songwriter Joe Baxter, noon-1 p.m. June 8. Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Ave., 405-231-8650, metrolibrary.org. THU OKC Improv, get funny on Film Row with live, local comedy, 7:30-9:30 p.m. June 9. The Paramount Theatre, 11 N. Lee Ave., 405-637-9389, theparamountokc.com. FRI Tig Notaro, standup comedian, storyteller and writer, producing and starring in comedies on HBO and Amazon, 8-10 p.m. June 10. ACM Performance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-974-4700, acm. uco.edu. SAT Paw Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue, it’s the day of the Great Race between Adventure Bay’s Mayor Goodway and Foggy Bottom’s Mayor Humdinger, but Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found, June 10-11. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT-SUN Twilight Concert Series, presented by the OKC Arts Council featuring live entertainment by Brian Lynn Jones and the Misfit Cowboys, 7:30-9p.m. June 11. Great Lawn and Band Shell Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-4457080, myriadgardens.com. SUN Ryan Singer: Pocket Full of Crystals Tour, electrifying audiences with material that is both uncompromising and unpretentious with highenergy delivery, 8-9 p.m. June 11. Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave., Norman, 405-673-4931, opolis. org. SUN Lady Parts Justice League, Lizz Winstead and special guests present witty feminist comedians and writers who use humor and pop culture to expose the haters fighting against reproductive rights, 7:30-10 p.m. June 13. ACM Performance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-974-4700, acm.uco.edu. TUE One-Man Star Wars Trilogy, funny-guy-Jedi Charles Ross single-handedly plays all characters with spot-on voice impressions, sings the music, flies the ships, fights the battles and condenses the plots of three of the most beloved films of all time into one 60 minute production, June 14-18.

Oklahoma Modernism Weekend Okie Mod Squad hosts the second annual Oklahoma Modernism Weekend FridaySunday at the iconic First Christian Church of OKC, 3700 N. Walker Ave. Events begin 6-8 p.m. Friday with the 21-and-older event preview. Tickets are $25 and include snacks, adult beverages and the Flashback Fashion Show. Starting at 8 p.m., pop culture humorist Charles Phoenix speaks on America’s futuristic styles, including Oklahoma’s over-the-top architecture. Tickets are $35. Saturday’s events run 8 a.m.-5 p.m and feature tours of the church for $10 and free activities, including looks at vintage vehicles and interesting lectures. Sunday offers a bus tour of Oklahoma City’s best midcentury and modern homes. Tickets are $50. Visit okcmod.com. Friday-Sunday Photo Gazette / file

Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405297-2264, okcciviccenter.com.

ACTIVE Baseball, OKC Dodgers vs Round Rock, June 9-11. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle

Rebuilding Together OKC 25th Anniversary Since it began in 1992, Rebuilding Together OKC has brought together 70,000 volunteers to repair more than 3,000 homes, 30 nonprofit facilities and eight public school buildings. To celebrate a quarter century of making Oklahoma City a better place for everyone, the organization is holding a 25th Anniversary Celebration 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday at OKC Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave. The party includes finger foods from local restaurants, an open bar, performances from fiddler Kyle Dillingham and guitarist Peter Markes and a live auction to support the nonprofit. Single tickets are $100, and two tickets are $150. Visit rebuildingtogetherokc.org or call 405-607-0464. Thursday Photo Rebuilding Together OKC / provided 52

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Drive, 405-218-1000, milb.com. FRI -SUN Soccer, OKC Energy vs San Antonio, 7:30 p.m. June 10. Taft Stadium, 2901 NW 23rd St., 405-587-0046, energyfc.com. SAT Outdoor Beer & Yoga, join 405 Yoga OKC, where yoga and beer unite. Bring your own yoga mat for a no-pressure, all-levels, feel-good yoga, 10-10:55a.m. June 11. The Bleu Garten, 301 NW 10 St., 405-8793808, bleugarten.com. SUN Learn-to-Swim program, giving residents of all ages and financial situations the opportunity to learn to swim with proper technique and basic water safety at their own pace offered by the King Marlin Swim Club, ongoing, Lighthouse Sports, Fitness and Health, 3333 W. Hefner Road, 405-845-5672, marlinswimamerica. com. SAT

SideStories, a thematic undercurrent of storytelling featuring work from 12 local female artists whose voices have been underrepresented, 5:30-9p.m. June 9. Art Hall, 519 NW 23rd St., 405-231-5700, art. theriseokc.com. FRI Sole Expression: The Art of the Shoe, featuring the creations of 25 local, national and international shoe designers and artists; guests examine how the shoe has been interpreted in art throughout history and the science and engineering behind specific shoe designs, through December. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

Bricktown Beach, a large, sand-filled outdoor park area with umbrellas, lounge chairs, sand volleyball equipment and outdoor games, through Aug. 31. Bricktown Beach, Sheridan and 2 N. Mickey Mantle Avenue, 405-235-3500, downtownokc.com.

VISUAL ARTS Art 365 Opening Reception, an exhibition from the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition offering five Oklahoma artists a chance to create innovative artwork in collaboration with a nationally recognized curator to design a body of original artwork, 6-10p.m. June 9. Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 405-360-1162, mainsite-art.com. FRI Art After 5, enjoy a late-night art gallery experience and live music on the roof terrace with views of downtown and a relaxing atmosphere, 5-9p.m. June 8. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU Artist Preview Reception, featuring the works of Alicia Saltina Marie Clark and Joshua Garrett, 6-9 p.m. June 8. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 405525-3499, dnagalleries.com. THU Blake Little: Photographs from the Gay Rodeo, serving as a stunning example of black-and-white portraiture and rodeo photography while exploring the diverse and complex natures of individual and community identity in the West, through June 20. Melton Gallery, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 405-974-2000, uco.edu. Exhibit C Ledger Art, four contemporary artists experienced in ledger art display their distinctive artwork. Discover a captivating scene showcasing the creations by Paul Hacker, George Levi, Dylan Cavin and Lauren Good Day Giago, through June 30. Exhibit C, 1 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-767-8900, exhibitcgallery.com. In Designs, Contemporary Abstract, Brian Allan, Christopher Pendleton and Stephen St. Claire dissect abstract design through progressive applications in a new exhibit, through June 25. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 405-604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com. Is the Whole World on Fire, a powerful sevencanvas series by Moore artist Eric Humphries documenting the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, through June 10. The New Black Wall Street Marketplace, 1800 NE 23rd St., 405-593-8343, facebook.com/ NewBlackWallStreetMarketplaceOKC.

Twister Fest Oklahoma’s one-of-akind, multigenre music festival returns to the Americana and art-filled haven that is Chickasha’s Muscle Car Ranch. The lineup includes Ramsay Midwood, Jonathan Tyler, Leo Rondeau, Limp Wizurdz (pictured) and more. Twister Fest is June 16-18 at Muscle Car Ranch, 3609 S. 16th St., in Chickasha. Individual day passes are $20, and weekend passes are $35. Visit twisterfest.com or call 405-222-4910. June 16-18 Photo provided

Jeffrey Gibson: Speak to Me, Internationally known multimedia artist Jeffrey Gibson’s first Oklahoma solo exhibition features recent artworks that draw upon his Native American heritage, aesthetics and traditions, through June 11. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-9510000, oklahomacontemporary.org. Lowell Ellsworth Smith: My Theology of Painting, features watercolor studies and Smith’s own words and observations and introduces the man, his methods and his belief in the power and potential of creative energy, through July 9. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. National Weather Center Biennale Art Show, international juried exhibition focusing on weather in contemporary art in the forms of painting, works on paper and photography, through June 19. National Weather Center, 120 David L. Boren Blvd, Norman, 405-325-3095, ou.edu. Picher, Oklahoma: Catastrophe, Memory and Trauma, exploring the otherworldly ghost town and reveals how memory can be dislocated and reframed through both chronic and acute instances of environmental trauma, June 13-Sept. 10. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. Prix de West opening weekend, prestigious invitational art exhibit including over 300 Western paintings and sculptures by the finest contemporary Western artists in the nation with art seminars, receptions and an awards banquet, June 9-11. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum. org. FRI -SUN

ll listings!

Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

For okg live music

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10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 17 Campbell Art Park | NW 11th & Broadway Special menu | Bottomless mimosas Music, art, games and more

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bit.ly/ArtofBrunch Ages 21+ | @okcontemporary | oklahomacontemporary.org | 405.951.000

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MUSIC At the Drive In | Photo Júnn / provided

names through history that a lot of people have,” he said. “They can easily pass you by, but they always stand out to me. Even bringing up the name [Holtzclaw] as an option for a song title struck some of the people in the band.” Hinojos told him the name Holtzclaw sounded like some kind of sci-fi weapon or torture device. To Bixler-Zavala, however, it is far more sinister. “I can look at that name every day and it just sends shivers down my spine,” he said.

EVENT

Going back

Gripping testimony At the Drive In’s Cedric Bixler-Zavala explains how the crimes of convicted serial rapist and former OKC policeman Daniel Holtzclaw fed into the band’s return from its 17-year hiatus. By Ben Luschen

Like many people who came across the disturbing headlines alleging abuse by former Oklahoma City Police Department officer Daniel Holtzclaw, Cedric Bixler-Zavala was aghast. Holtzclaw, a white officer, was convicted in 2015 on multiple counts of rape and sexual battery of 13 black women while he was on patrol. Last year, he was sentenced to 263 years in prison. The charges were ugly and disturbing, but there were other reasons the Grammy Award-winning progressiverock and punk frontman and lyricist could not stop thinking about the case. Holtzclaw’s name also grabbed his imagination. “The name just stuck out like a sore thumb,” Bixler-Zavala said during a recent Oklahoma Gazette interview. “He might as well have been named Dr. Doom or something.” The name and the case epitomized a larger conversation Bixler-Zavala wanted to have about the relationship between law enforcement and those in lower positions of power — particularly minorities and women. This is how “Holtzclaw” came to be the eighth track on In•ter a•li•a, celebrated Texas punk and post-hardcore act At the Drive In’s first original studio album release since 2000. Thanks to its long hiatus, the band turned a lot of heads after it announced a reunion in October 2015 and, earlier this year, its new album. In•ter a•li•a, which follows the hallmark Y2K-era release Relationship of Command, was released May 5.

At the Drive In had another shortlived reunion in 2012. The band performed a few shows live but recorded no new music and was dissolved again by 2013. The band’s current lineup features lead vocalist Bixler-Zavala, bassist Paul Hinojos, drummer Tony Hajjar and guitarists and vocalists Omar Rodriguez and Keeley Davis. Multi-instrumentalist and band co-founder Jim Ward did not join this reunion. He is replaced by Davis, a bandmate in Ward’s post-hardcore group Sparta.

Bixler-Zavala said it was important for the band to pick up where it left off in 2000’s Relationship of Command. It is often cited as a seminal post-hardcore album. In attempting its follow-up project, At the Drive In tapped into a past era. “A lot of times, we just had to go back and listen to stuff, and I don’t like listening to my own voice — I don’t like listening to my anything,” he said. “But when you’re doing it in regards to what you were like then and what it is you were trying to do, a lot of times, I found myself thinking, ‘You didn’t know what you were doing, and that’s what was so great about it.’” Musicians progress and change over time, but for bandmates reuniting after a nearly two-decade dearth of new output, Bixler-Zavala said it would almost be disrespectful to release another At the Drive In project that isn’t akin to what fans fell in love with in the first place. While songwriting, BixlerZavala (who also performs with bands The Mars Volta and Antemasque) chose to return to the headspace he occupied in 2000. “It was great to get back to there because that’s what people wanted,” he said. “It would be really awful if we gave them this new, polished, ‘This is where I am today’ approach to At the Drive In.”

Starting conversations

| Image provided

Oklahoma City fans have their chance to relish in the historic and, in some senses, improbable reunion when At the Drive In performs 8 p.m. Tuesday at The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan Ave. Mexican garage punk act Le Butcherettes opens the gig. Bixler-Zavala said a lot of meaning can be packed into a name — particularly when it comes to Holtzclaw. “I’m always interested in these

Bixler-Zavala said both “Holtzclaw” and In•ter a•li•a opening track “No Wolf Like the Present” speak in veiled ways of a centuries-long “war on ethnicity” by police and other governing powers. Police-involved shootings and brutality against people of color might grab the most headlines, but Bixler-Zavala said the Holtzclaw case illustrates how male-dominated police forces also grapple with issues related to abuse of power. Holtzclaw allegedly used his position of authority and credibility, combined with threats of criminal punishment, to rape his victims and intimidate them into silence. “It’s not just ethnicity,” Bixler-Zavala said. “There are gender roles [involved] in it as well.” In•ter a•li•a’s sixth track, “Incurably Innocent,” is about speaking out after sexual abuse. Bixler-Zavala said the lyrics are based on the experiences of

his wife, who was raped several years ago. He said she had to deal with an investigating police force that seemed to doubt her allegations and was not on her side. Bixler-Zavala hopes songs like these ignite necessary discussions between police departments and minority communities and even between fellow officers within law enforcement. “It needs to be treated less like mafia and with more accountability,” he said. Bixler-Zavala said the relatives and friends of several At the Drive In members work in law enforcement. The band is not anti-cop and is sympathetic to the intense line of work. “You hear stories about what they see every day, and you don’t want to act like some little asshole who’s just saying, ‘Fuck the police,’” he said. “And I think they themselves understand where that sentiment comes from, and it’s not just some stupid, hormonal, young-manblues type of thing like, ‘Oh, I was in high school and they caught me partying.’ It goes so much deeper than that.” Lyrically, Bixler-Zavala uses a lot of poetic, cryptic language when addressing topics of police brutality and abuse of power. His hope is that personal discovery will be more powerful and effective than direct confrontation. “To me, that’s the best way to let that question pop up,” he said, “because it just shows you the mirror.”

All-seeing technology

A lot changed in the world during the hiatus between the band’s two most recent studio projects — or at least it would appear that way. Relationship of Command was released before 9/11 and the Iraq War. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama completed four total terms before In•ter a•li•a was released. Still, Bixler-Zavala said a lot of the dynamics between those in power and those without it have not changed much at all. What has changed is technology and the increased opportunity to witness and document wrongdoing when it occurs. Smartphones and social media have helped vindicate many who have carried the social reform banner for decades. “Some of us who have been talking about this and seeing it firsthand, we don’t feel so crazy anymore,” he said. “You can turn around to your friend who has the privilege of being shielded from certain concepts by a gated community and say, ‘I told you; I told you for a long fucking time.’”

At the Drive In

with Le Butcherettes 8 p.m. Tuesday The Criterion | 500 E. Sheridan Ave. criterionokc.com | 405-840-5500 $53

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

MUSIC Charlie Nagatani performs at his Japanese honky-tonk Good Luck Charlie’s in Far Western. | Image provided

its cowboys, opportunity and wide-open vistas. “The Japanese had lived in incredibly difficult conditions throughout the war, which for them begins in the mid-’30s against China,” he said. “They’d been in it for a while, and I think the idea of democracy was coupled with the music and was quite different from what they were used to.”

deadcente r

Shared interest

Foreign country

Far Western shows that country and bluegrass music can find a fanbase far away from home. By Ben Luschen

Surrounded by Oklahoma’s rolling plains, farmland and painted sunsets, country music seems like a natural expression of the state. It can be easy to forget that music, like other forms of culture, is bound to break out of its natural habitat at some point. At first, the idea of country and bluegrass music finding a home in Japan might seem like a stretch, but the documentary Far Western, which makes its Oklahoma debut at this year’s deadCenter Film Festival, does a good job of making the world feel just a bit smaller. Far Western screens 7 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16. As the film explains, country and bluegrass music found a niche in Japan with inf luence from occupying American troops following World War II. Country music still has a place in Japan, but as a micro-culture observed by an aging generation of fans. The beginning of the film asks its key subjects — including country performer and Kumamoto, Japan, honky-tonk owner Charlie Nagatani — to confront a paradox in their love for country music: Why accept a form of culture from the country responsible for dropping atomic bombs that took the lives of many Japanese countrymen?

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Most Japanese purveyors of the art form said they are able to differentiate the two. Filmmaker James Payne said country music actually played some role in soothing those emotional wounds. “It was complicated,” Payne said. “I think they went through an incredibly protracted trauma in the war and there was something about music in general which has a healing quality.”

It’s not like their folk music, which is a little less melodic and less easy to listen to. James Payne Payne filmed Far Western over a fiveweek span in 2015. He first became aware of country music’s place in Japan while working on a separate film project about an international tour by Oklahoma band Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road. Filming a feature-length project in another country presented Payne with its fair share of challenges. “Just to get one small crew over for

a week, it’d be at least $25,000$30,000,” he said, “and that’s if people weren’t getting paid.” Through a funding campaign and some persistence, Payne and film producer/editor Matt Leach were able to complete filming in Japan in five weeks, making a lot of contacts throughout the process. Far Western made its global debut in No v em b er at I nt er n at ion a l Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in the Netherlands. “It’s been really rewarding not only for me and my friends who made the film, but also in making all these new friends,” he said.

Initial spread

During the occupation of Japan by Allied Forces in the aftermath of WWII, Western-style music was broadcast via radio to the Japanese people, many who found themselves in post-war ruin and without jobs. It was not the first time Japanese people had been exposed to Western music, but it was the first time it could be consumed by the masses. Country music sounded like something totally new and different to Japan’s youngest generation. “It’s not like their folk music, which is a little less melodic and less easy to listen to,” Payne said. “It’s not like your three-chord, simple, sentimental, melodic music.” At one time, Japan enjoyed its status as Asia’s superpower, but after the war, the country was destitute. Payne said country music particularly came to symbolize the romantic mythology of the American West with

Viewers of Far Western are bound to notice that most of the Japanese people participating in country music culture are in their 60s or older. Bluegrass music, on the other hand, has a broader following in the country, though it is still niche. Though many forms of American music are still popular in Japan, they are not nearly as dependent on Western culture as they were in the post-war days. “[Country music] has been completely eclipsed by Japanese pop music,” Payne said. It is no secret that there are a multitude of examples in which Japan and the United States have exchanged art and ideas. As much as Japanese people might have loved country music in a certain time period, Payne said there are as many or more people in America today who love Japanese video games and entertainment. “This isn’t the story of the U.S., in their benevolence, exporting their wonderful pop culture everywhere,” he said. Payne said in an odd and ironic twist of events, some American Western movies would take influence from Japanese samurai culture and the work of filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa. In the American ’80s and early ’90s, game consoles from Nintendo and PlayStation stole the imaginations of Western youth. Payne said he remembers when the Sony Discman portable CD player was one of the coolest things a person could own. The filmmaker said he hopes Far Western is a demonstration that culture can unite groups of people many would expect to have little in common. “I think there’s always been mutual fascination,” he said. “It’s an important part of the story.” Visit farwesternmovie.com. Learn more about deadCenter Film Festival in this week’s Gazette.

Far Western 7 p.m. Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Sunday Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16 | 150 E. Reno Ave. deadcenterfilm.org | 405-246-9233 $10

WELCOME TO PET GAZETTE,

deadCenter music films By Ben Luschen

Hype! 9:30 p.m. Saturday Myriad Botanical Gardens Great Lawn deadCenter Film Festival’s annual free film screenings on the Great Lawn at Myriad Botanical Gardens are always a major draw. The fest follows up on last year’s music theme in A Song for You: The Austin City Limits Story with Hype!, a classic 1996 documentary about the ’80s grunge scene. Director Doug Pray turns

A QUARTERLY GLOSSY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY OKLAHOMA GAZETTE.

his attention to a scene that started in the Pacific Northwest and swept its way across the nation with bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, The Melvins and more. The movie includes a clip of Kurt Cobain performing the first live club performance of “Smells Like Teenage Spirit.” The outdoor showing will be popular regardless, but the screening takes on special timely significance with the recent death of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell.

Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape 2 p.m. Saturday 1 p.m. Sunday Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16 Do not get so caught up in the world of Spotify and music streaming and forget that once upon a time, one’s most cherished music memories were stored on wound tape. Filmmakers Zachary Taylor, Georg Petzold and Seth Smoot collect key interviews with Lou Ottens, the 90-yearold inventor of the cassette technology with little sentimental attachment to his creation, and romantic defenders of the mixtape, like Black Flag’s Henry Rollins and Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore. The beauty of Cassette is that it is structured like an actual mixtape. The film should be more than enough to convince viewers to rummage through their old boxes and find those precious (and sometimes cringe-worthy) pieces of do-it-yourself magic.

G-Funk 12:30 p.m. Friday Oklahoma City Museum of Art 9 p.m. Saturday Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16 The music nostalgia theme continues with G-Funk, a look into the distinct style of West Coast hip-hop and rap music that emerged in the early 1990s. Director Karam Gill delivers an impressive account of the period, despite being just 22 years old. The documentary is strengthened through the use of interviews from the biggest West Coast names of the time, including Warren G, Snoop Dogg, Ice-T and Ice Cube. Warren G also adds to the layer of authenticity by contributing to some of the film’s writing and music composition. Fans of the 2015 dramatic N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton should catch this film for a historic account of Dr. Dre’s dealings with Death Row Records and how his decisions directly affected Warren G and hip-hop history.

PUBLISHING: APRIL 26, 2017 | JULY 26, 2017

OCTOBER 25, 2017 | JANUARY 31, 2018

To place your ad in Pet Gazette, call your Gazette account executive at 405-528-6000 or email specialsections@ okgazette.com O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

MUSIC event

Save The Date

Back in brass

Tulsa saxophonist Eldredge Jackson uses OKC Jazz Fest as a launching pad for a revitalized career. By Ben Luschen

June marks the return of OKC Jazz Fest, a local tradition for many lovers of jazz and live music. Several big names have cycled through the festival’s roster during its four years, including Color Me Badd and The Gap Band in 2016. This year’s schedule features a full month of jazz performances, including Edgar Cruz with his bluesy group Brave Amigos, guitarist and vocalist Adam Aguilar, other regional performers and U.S. Grant High School and Classen School of Advanced Studies student jazz bands. One common festival thread through the years has been Eldredge Jackson. The gifted jazz saxophonist, known for his past work with University of Oklahoma basketball star turned jazz-bass phenom Wayman Tisdale, performs in the festival each year and returns this year as an event headliner. Jackson released his celebrated jazz album Listening Pleasure in 2008, which Tisdale produced and contributed bass tracks to. Plans for national distribution and a Listening Pleasure concert tour were put on temporary hold after Tisdale’s cancer diagnosis became public. The album unintentionally turned into one of Tisdale’s farewell projects. A malicious knee cancer eventually led to a partial amputation of Tisdale’s leg and his eventual death in May 2009.

As jazz musicians, we look for every opportunity to continue to play and promote and support jazz in the state of Oklahoma. Eldredge Jackson Jackson, one of the last musicians Tisdale produced, said he put much of his touring and album promotion on indefinite hold after Tisdale’s diagnosis. The saxophonist has not released album since Listening Pleasure but is hoping to reintroduce himself to the jazz world with a yet-to-be-named follow-up project he plans to debut in the next several months. Jackson is using OKC Jazz Fest and a series of area festivals and concerts to pave the way for a new release. He said he always looks forward to coming to Oklahoma City for the annual event. “As jazz musicians, we look for every opportunity to continue to play and 58

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Eldredge Jackson | Photo Lasting Impressions Photography / provided

promote and support jazz in the state of Oklahoma,” Jackson said. “I get excited whenever there is an opportunity to do so.” Jackson was born in New Orleans, and then he and his family moved to Tulsa when he was 5 years old. Still, his time in Louisiana had a huge impact on the rest of his career. Jackson was 4 years old when his mother took him to see a concert by a gospel saxophonist. The show grabbed hold of his imagination and never let go. “I pointed to the stage, and I told my mom, ‘I’m going to be like that guy one day,’” he said. Jackson is excited about creating and recording new music again. He hopes when it’s completed, it will help set him apart and re-establish his name in the broader jazz community. “It’s long overdue, and everyone has been asking me when the next project is coming out,” he said. “I take that as a compliment, and we’re looking forward to being able to release the project sometime in the summer.” Jackson performs 9 p.m. June 24 at Heritage Place, 2800 S. MacArthur Ave. Admission is free. Visit eldredgejackson.com and okcjazzfest.com.

Eldredge Jackson at Jazz in June 9 p.m. June 24 Heritage Place | 2800 S. MacArthur Ave. okcjazzfest.com | 405-630-7668 Free

f eatu r e

Justin Parker and his girlfriend Amanda Tracey sit in lawn chairs at Rocklahoma. | Photo Cara Johnson

Rockin’ weather

Rocklahoma 2017 endured and continued despite thunderstorms and technical setbacks.

Vendor James Laird talks about the weather expected on May 27. Concerts that night were canceled due to severe thunderstorms, wind and flooding.

A group of campers spray down people

Photo Cara Johnson

walking to and from the campgrounds to cool them off. | Photo Cara Johnson

By Megan Prather

Tens of thousands of music fans converged in Pryor over Memorial Day weekend, enduring torrential rains, cloud rotations, thunderstorms and power outages for the 10th annual Rocklahoma metal and rock music and camping festival. Headliners included Def Leppard, The Cult, Ratt, Live and many more, promising metal fans old and new a weekend packed with entertainment. Attendees were diverse, ranging from tweens to seniors, but all had at least one thing in common: the love of rock and roll. Shouldn’t that be enough reason for anyone to get together? Bryan Johnson, a teacher from Hooker, has attended the festival since the beginning and managed to score the same camping spot for the past 10 years. “It’s about the entire experience,” he said. “It’s just nice to get to come and be around a group of like-minded individuals.” The Rocklahoma experience consists of three days filled with music, camping, and just having a good time. This year, about 25,000 people were in attendance each day of the festival, despite weather problems that caused delays and cancellations. Campers staked their claim of campsites with flags depicting anything from their self-assigned campground name — one very proudly proclaiming, “Camp show your boobs” — to Iron Maiden’s mascot Eddie. The campgrounds were filled with tents, RVs and partiers lounging in inflatable pools, drinking, laughing and enjoying one another’s company. “You don’t really see any fights out here,” said longtime Rocklahoma reveler Lonnie Wallace. Wallace has been attending the event since its 2007 inception, and the culture and people he has experienced hold a special place in his heart. He and his wife Wendee married at Rocklahoma two years ago, providing free beer and inviting festival campers to join in the celebration.

“One of our friends got ordained and licensed to marry us here,” Wallace said. “We invited all the campers. My fatherin-law came. He’s 70.”

Continuing custom

As Rocklahoma tradition and Oklahoma climate seems to dictate, weather again became a major issue at this year’s festival. Thunderstorms ravaged Mayes County Saturday evening, and sets by Live, Stone Sour, Diamond Head and Suicidal Tendencies were canceled, bringing Rocklahoma to a halt for the night. Festivalgoers were told to head back to the campgrounds and stay “safe and alert.” But the weather didn’t curb the event’s party atmosphere. “It’s a great experience,” concertgoer Shantell Barnes said. “It just sucks that last night was cancelled for storms that took over two hours to get here, and then it took them 20 minutes to update any of the stuff on what was going on.” The show was set to go on with tweaks to the original schedule on Sunday, but Rocklahoma organizers were faced with another hurdle to jump: a power outage caused by a bird flying into the phase that provided power to the town of Pryor, including the festival grounds. Power was restored by 6 p.m. and the show went on. Ratt performed at 6:50 p.m. and The Offspring closed out Rocklahoma 2017 early Monday morning. Rocklahoma released a final statement about the cancellations due to weather on its official website. “Please know that we are working diligently on a plan to take care of our loyal fans, and we hope to have the details to present to all of you in the coming week,” the statement read. “Please stay tuned for those announcements.” Visit rocklahoma.com. See more pictures from Rocklahoma 2017 at okgazette.com.

A group of campers from Oklahoma and Kansas pose in a blow-up pool at Rocklahoma. | Photo Cara Johnson

Joe Cotela, vocalist of Ded, performs at Rocklahoma on May 27. | Photo Cara Johnson

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

MUSIC

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Submit your listings online at okgazette.com or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted. 60

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event

Vote Us Best Working ’wise

Las Vegas hard rock act Otherwise arrives at Thunder Alley with a fresh lineup and perspective. By Ben Luschen

Wrestling and mixed martial arts enthusiasts and brothers Adrian and Ryan Patrick said the feeling of launching a tour is comparable to prepping for a grappling bout. “It’s kind of like the feeling when you’re first walking out to the mat or you’re about to step into the ring for a sparring session,” Adrian Patrick said during a recent Oklahoma Gazette phone interview. “But as soon as you get used to it and you fall back into your rhythm, you’re like, ‘OK; I can deal with this. It’s not as terrifying as I thought.’” The two brothers behind Las Vegasbased hard rock act Otherwise once again prepare to square off with a lengthy road stretch as the band launches its latest tour Friday at Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Lounge, 2127 SW 74th St. Patrick said the band is in an exciting state of freshness. Peace at All Costs, Otherwise’s latest studio album, was released in September 2014. They plan a follow-up release sometime in late summer or early fall. When the band does make its return to the album world, it will be with a new bassist, drummer, booking agent and management. Otherwise is also guided by a new producer, accomplished alternative and hard rock visionary Bob Marlette, who is best known for his work with Black Sabbath, Anvil, Atreyu and Seether. Patrick said he was connected with Marlette through his band’s label Century Media. Still, there was a lot of organic development in their working relationship. Patrick connected with Marlette’s vision for the band — one that could stand out in the rock world. “I was like, ‘Finally somebody who’s on the same page as my brother and I,’” he said. “We’ve run into this thing where a lot of times, we just get lumped in with these other bands and a certain style or genre. To each his own, but we don’t necessarily agree with that.” The Patrick brothers are the only remaining band members from Peace

Otherwise | Photo Hristo Shindov / provided

at All Costs. Lead vocalist Adrian and guitarist/backing vocalist Ryan are now joined by drummer Brian Medieros and bassist/backing vocalist Tony “The Beast” Carboney. Adrian Patrick said Carboney plays a pivotal creative role on the upcoming album and he looks forward to working more with Medieros and Carboney. “Tony is like that brother from another mother. That’s my blood brother and I always wanted in a bandmate,” Adrian Patrick said. Otherwise was born in a Las Vegas rock scene that has produced industry heavyweights The Killers and Panic! at the Disco. Patrick said in 2010 and ’11, Otherwise was considered one of the two top unsigned bands in Las Vegas alongside Imagine Dragons. The two supported each other on tour and were signed by national labels around the same time. Patrick said some initial mismanagement and distractions kept Otherwise from ascending to the level of national fame as its contemporary, but he is nonetheless excited about the band’s immediate and long-term future. “We’re still fighting the good fight; we’re not giving up,” he said. “We’re going to keep struggling to get to the promised land; it’s just a matter of getting everything lined up, and that’s how we feel coming out on this third record. Everything is different.” Visit weareotherwise.com.

Otherwise

with Atoms Heir, Grind and NøiseBleedsSøund 7:30 p.m. Friday Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Lounge | 2127 SW 74th St. ticketstorm.com | 405-702-0302 $12-$15

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

WEDNESDAY, 6.7 Amarillo Junction, JJ’s Alley. COUNTRY Harumph, The Deli, Norman. JAZZ Snavs/Gosteffects/Jef Diamond, Kamps. ELECTRONIC

Tyler Lee Band, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman. BLUES

THURSDAY, 6.8 38 Special/BC & the Big Rig, Newcastle Casino, Newcastle. ROCK Modest Mouse, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK Murs, Tower Theatre. RAP Taylor Carmona Duo, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Cafe. JAZZ

Travis Linville with The Grahams Singer-songwriter and Oklahoma folk maestro Travis Linville (pictured) makes his return to one of the state’s premier acoustic venues. Linville released his new album Up Ahead in February. He performs with Americana and folk couple The Grahams. The show begins 8 p.m. June 17 at The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley Ave. Admission is $20. Visit bluedoorokc.com or call 405-524-0738. June 17 Photo Blake Studdard / provided

FRIDAY, 6.9 AFK/Styles/Crizzly and more, Lost Lakes Ampitheater. ELECTRONIC Bellevue, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK Brandi Unloaded, Remington Park. POP Brian Lynn Jones, Okie Tonk Café, Moore. COUNTRY

Josh Hifi Sorheim/TJ Mayes/DJ Juke Joint Jenni, Opolis, Norman. VARIOUS Knee High Fox, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Bar. ROCK

Laredo, Newcastle Casino, Newcastle. COUNTRY Malcolm Holcombe/Jared Tyler, The Blue Door.

Carter Sampson, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Miss Brown to You, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. BLUES

Dirty Red and the Soulshakers, Wicked Piston.

Nicole Lawson, Russell’s Bar inside The Tower Hotel. R&B

BLUES

Fit For a King/Understanding Eris/All Seems Lost, 89th Street-OKC. ROCK

Shawna Russell/Pat Green, Riverwind Casino, Norman. FOLK

Flatland Cavalry, Graham Central Station. FOLK

Theory of a Deadman, Frontier City. ROCK

Heartbreak Rodeo, Native Spirits Winery, Norman.

Uncle Freddy, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

ACOUSTIC

James Slaw Trio, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Cafe. JAZZ

Volbeat, The Criterion. ROCK

Jimmy Dale and the Beltline, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. VARIOUS

SUNDAY, 6.11

Kensingtyn Curtis/Libby Farmer/Bryanna Swan and more, Rodeo Opry. COUNTRY

ROCK

Kestral & Kite, Full Circle Bookstore. INDIE Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. VARIOUS Layken Urie, The Landing Zone, Midwest City. COUNTRY

Back Road Prophets, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. Erin O’Dowd, Red Brick Bar, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Michael Fracasso/Nellie Clay, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Mike Hosty, The Deli, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Maggie McClure, El Toro Chino Restaurant, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER Miike Snow, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. POP

Mike Bradley and the Bricktown Mafia, Boulevard Steakhouse, Edmond. BLUES Noisy Water Band, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. BLUEGRASS Oberon/Omm/Yellow King, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

MONDAY, 6.12 Corey Hunt Band, JJ’s Alley. COUNTRY Exist, Thunder Alley Grill and Sports Bar. ROCK Homeless Gospel Choir/Zach Quinn, HiLo Club. VARIOUS Last Time Only, Red Brick Bar, Norman. ROCK Steve Parnell, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK

Raina Cobb and Friends, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman. VARIOUS Stacey Sanders, Mantel Wine & Bistro. SINGER/SONGWRITER

WEDNESDAY, 6.14 Unwed Sailor/Astral Planes, 89th Street-OKC. ROCK

The Remedy OKC Band, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Whores/Wrong/Bummer, Blue Note Lounge. VARIOUS

SATURDAY, 6.10 Chase Kerby/Swim Fan, 51st Street Speakeasy. VARIOUS Christy Bryant & Twist of Fate, Remington Park. POP

Hymn River Suite, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. COUNTRY Jaime Wyatt, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Jamie Bramble, Full Circle Bookstore.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | j u n e 7, 2 0 1 7

puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle In bad taste By Andrew Zhou | Edited by Will Shortz | 0604

ACROSS 1 “____ Davis Eyes,” 1981 No. 1 hit 6 Some lookout notices, for short 10 One thrown for a loop? 15 Musical genre for “Gangnam Style” 19 Sundance Film Festival local 20 Sack 21 Venusian or Jovian 22 Pointer for a weather person? 23 Vertical part of a plane 24 Soprano on TV 25 Drifting sort 26 America’s Cup, e.g. 27 Step 1: Raise hell 31 Opus ____ 32 “Golly!” 33 ____ Picchu 36 Wild guess 39 Step 2: Make some literary gaffes 47 Reciprocal in trigonometry 49 Targets of a cleanse 50 Undecided, on a sked 51 Many residents of Holmes County, Ohio 52 Movie-release day, often: Abbr. 54 Had pants? 55 ____ rock 56 Step 3: Devote energy to something hopeless 59 Prefix with second 60 One who’s been tapped on the shoulder 61 West Coast news inits. 62 Numbers after a decimal point: Abbr. 65 Activewear brand 66 Step 4: Be a financial wastrel 74 Doxycycline target 75 Refusals 76 When doubled, a drink with vodka, peach schnapps and cranberry juice 77 Address not in a phone book 78 ____ film 79 Step 5: Look pretty schlubby 87 Partner of hems 88 Eliot’s “Silas ____” 90 Employer of the Bond girl in The Spy Who Loved Me, for short 91 Where 84-Down is, colloquially 92 Actress Gardner 93 Figure out 94 Zoology class 96 And finally: Has divided loyalties

101 Org. involved in a probe 102 1990s tennis phenom 103 Company with a lightning bolt in its logo 104 Lee on a set 106 What 27-, 39-, 56-, 66-, 79- and 96-Across together make up? 116 “Such is life” 119 A Wayans brother 120 Israeli magazine holders 121 “Pipes” 122 Buddha, for one 123 Made some calls 124 “Ain’t I sumthin’!” 125 Zac of Dirty Grandpa 126 ____ asst. 127 Tweets, e.g. 128 Bank deposit? 129 Hospital opening? DOWN 1 Totally believes 2 Nouveau-Mexique, e.g. 3 Prepare to take off 4 Like a bronze medalist 5 Follow 6 Resort in the Wasatch Mountains 7 “Oh, nuts!” 8 Chimpanzee variety 9 William who wrote The Confessions of Nat Turner 10 Running-track part 11 Much 12 Family in a computer game 13 Trump spokesman Spicer 14 TV-watching option 15 Bellyache 16 Handle roughly 17 & 18 Distribution limitation, informally 28 High-grade cotton 29 CEO of the Planetary Society starting in 2010 30 Depletes 34 Stream coming down a mountain? 35 Pope who initiated the First Crusade 36 One crossing the line? 37 The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, e.g. 38 It spans 11 time zones 40 Conflagration 41 More, in ads

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67 Scales span them 68 Napping, so to speak 69 Rules and ____ 70 Some money set aside 71 Doo-____ 72 Recess 73 Like minor celebrities 80 Repeal 81 Be swarming (with) 82 “Hop-o’-My-Thumb” villain 83 Melting 84 It has a noted school of theater, film and television 85 Pulitzer winner Armantrout and others 86 Frozen princess 88 Really not OK 89 Part of a musical

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93 Ovine : sheep :: cervine : ____ 95 Ad Council output, for short 97 Pickle brand 98 Pound sound 99 Talent seekers 100 Whom Kala reared 105 Altar approaches 107 Some GI wear, for short 108 Little hellions 109 Brooke or Brooks 110 Closes 111 Character with the aria “When I am laid in earth” 112 “Vidi” 113 Fade 114 Major before going to B-school, maybe 115 Big figure in Manhattan? 116 Response that’s often repeated 117 Bagel topper 118 ____-appropriate

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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 0528, which appeared in the May 31 issue.

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42 Navigator’s aid 43 Shaded growth 44 Anticipate 45 Lace 46 Nonvoting member in the U.S. House of Representatives 48 Gulf 53 Without forethought 54 Begin fighting 55 Growl like a dog 57 Best-selling Canadian singer of all time (with 200-million-plus record sales) 58 Duped 63 James who wrote The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 64 Medieval toiler 66 Grand viziers, e.g.

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free will astrology Homework: Even if you don't send it, write a letter to the person you admire most. Share it with me at Freewillastrology.com.

birthright, if you long to ripen into your authentic self, you'll have to become ever-more definitive and specific about what you want to be and do.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) If you chose me as your

CANCER (June 21-July 22) As a Cancerian myself,

relationship guide, I'd counsel you and your closest ally to be generous with each other; to look for the best in each other and praise each other's beauty and strength. If you asked me to help foster your collaborative zeal, I'd encourage you to build a shrine in honor of your bond -- an altar that would invoke the blessings of deities, nature spirits, and the ancestors. If you hired me to advise you on how to keep the fires burning and the juices flowing between you two, I'd urge you to never compare your relationship to any other, but rather celebrate the fact that it's unlike any other in the history of the planet.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The Milky Way Galaxy

contains more than 100 billion stars. If they were shared equally, every person on Earth could have dominion over at least 14. I mention this because you're in a phase when it makes sense for you to claim your 14. Yes, I'm being playful, but I'm also quite serious. According to my analysis of the upcoming weeks, you will benefit from envisaging big, imaginative dreams about the riches that could be available to you in the future. How much money do you want? How much love can you express? How thoroughly at home in the world could you feel? How many warm rains would you like to dance beneath? How much creativity do you need to keep reinventing your life? Be extravagant as you fantasize.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) "When I grow up, I'm

not sure what I want to be." Have you ever heard that thought bouncing around your mind, Gemini? Or how about this one: "Since I can't decide what I want to be, I'll just be everything." If you have been tempted to swear allegiance to either of those perspectives, I suggest it's time to update your relationship with them. A certain amount of ambivalence about commitment and receptivity to myriad possibilities will always be appropriate for you. But if you hope to fully claim your

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ETC.

I've had days when I've stayed in bed from morning to nightfall, confessing my fears to my imaginary friends and eating an entire cheesecake. As an astrologer, I've noticed that these blue patches seem more likely to occur during the weeks before my birthday each year. If you go through a similar blip any time soon, here's what I recommend: Don't feel guilty about it. Don't resist it. Instead, embrace it fully. If you feel lazy and depressed, get REALLY lazy and depressed. Literally hide under the covers with your headphones on and feel sorry for yourself for as many hours as it takes to exhaust the gloom and emerge renewed.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) In the early days of the

Internet, "sticky" was a term applied to websites that were good at drawing readers back again and again. To possess this quality, a content provider had to have a knack for offering text and images that web surfers felt an instinctive yearning to bond with. I'm reanimating this term so I can use it to describe you. Even if you don't have a website, you now have a soulful adhesiveness that arouses people's urge to merge. Be discerning how you use this stuff. You may be stickier than you realize!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Ancient Mayans used

chili and magnolia and vanilla to prepare exotic chocolate drinks from cacao beans. The beverage was sacred and prestigious to them. It was a centerpiece of cultural identity and an accessory in religious rituals. In some locales, people were rewarded for producing delectable chocolate with just the right kind and amount of froth. I suspect, Virgo, that you will soon be asked to do the equivalent of demonstrating your personal power by whipping up the best possible chocolate froth. And according to my reading of the astrological omens, the chances are good you'll succeed. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Do you have your visa for the wild side? Have you packed your bag of tricks? I

hope you'll bring gifts to dispense, just in case you'll need to procure favors in the outlying areas where the rules are a bit loose. It might also be a good idea to take along a skeleton key and a snake-bite kit. You won't necessarily need them. But I suspect you'll be offered magic cookies and secret shortcuts, and it would be a shame to have to turn them down simply because you're unprepared for the unexpected.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You're like a prince or

princess who has been turned into a frog by the spell of a fairy tale villain. This situation has gone on for a while. In the early going, you retained a vivid awareness that you had been transformed. But the memory of your origins has faded, and you're no longer working so diligently to find a way to change back into your royal form. Frankly, I'm concerned. This horoscope is meant to remind you of your mission. Don't give up! Don't lose hope! And take extra good care of your frog-self, please.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) People might

have ideas about you that are at odds with how you understand yourself. For example, someone might imagine that you have been talking trash about them -- even though you haven't been. Someone else may describe a memory they have about you, and you know it's a distorted version of what actually happened. Don't be surprised if you hear even more outlandish tales, too, like how you're stalking Taylor Swift or conspiring with the One World Government to force all citizens to eat kale every day. I'm here to advise you to firmly reject all of these skewed projections. For the immediate future, it's crucial to stand up for your right to define yourself -- to be the final authority on what's true about you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) "God doesn't play

dice with the universe," said Albert Einstein. In response, another Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Niels Bohr, said to Einstein, "Stop giving instructions to God." I urge you to be more like Bohr than Einstein in the coming weeks, Capricorn. As much as possible, avoid giving instructions to anyone, including God,

and resist the temptation to offer advice. In fact, I recommend that you abstain from passing judgment, demanding perfection, and trying to compel the world to adapt itself to your definitions. Instead, love and accept everything and everyone exactly as they are right now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Lysistrata is a satire

by ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It takes place during the war between Athens and Sparta. The heroine convinces a contingent of women to withhold sexual privileges from the soldiers until they stop fighting. "I will wear my most seductive dresses to inflame my husband's ardor," says one. "But I will never yield to his desires. I won't raise my legs towards the ceiling. I will not take up the position of the Lioness on a Cheese Grater." Regardless of your gender, Aquarius, your next assignment is twofold: 1. Don't be like the women in the play. Give your favors with discerning generosity. 2. Experiment with colorful approaches to pleasure like the Lioness with a Cheese Grater, the Butterfly Riding the Lizard, the Fox Romancing the River, and any others you can dream up.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Take your seasick pills.

The waves will sometimes be higher than your boat. Although I don't think you'll capsize, the ride may be wobbly. And unless you have waterproof clothes, it's probably best to just get naked. You WILL get drenched. By the way, don't even fantasize about heading back to shore prematurely. You have good reasons to be sailing through the rough waters. There's a special "fish" out there that you need to catch. If you snag it, it will feed you for months -- maybe longer.

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing

Hostesses, servers & server AssistAnts Apply in person 2p-4p Tues-Sat

Act of 1968, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, preference or discrimination. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of this law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings in our newspaper are available on an equal housing opportunity basis.

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