En Pointe

free every wednesday | Metro OKC’s Independent Weekly | February 14, 2018

OKC Ballet moves into a space as big and bright as its future.

By ben luschen P.24

Bethany

WEEKm Inside

Progra

ARTS MONTH : A monthlong series focusing on the arts in OKC!

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inside COVER P. 24 OKC Ballet enters a new era of excellence with the opening of the Susan E. Brackett Dance Center, a stateof-the-art studio and headquarters for the fast-growing, high-achieving ballet company.

Story by Ben Luschen Cover photo by Mark Hancock Cover design by Sarah Leis NEWS 4 City Strong Neighborhoods

Initiative update

5 Election county commissioner race 7 State Rep. Collin Walke’s bills 8

Chicken-Fried News

EAT & DRINK 11 Review El Toro Chino Latin +

Asian Kitchen

12 Feature Taste of Korea 14 Feature Fait Maison 16 Gazedibles pesto

ARTS & CULTURE 18 Art Do You See What I See? Painted

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Conversations by Theodore Waddell at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Bethany Restaurant Week

23 Art Current Studio closes

24 Cover Oklahoma City Ballet moves

into new space

The Little Mermaid

26 Theater Oklahoma City Ballet’s 28 Theater A Few Good Men at The

Pollard Theatre

29

Book of Love

Spelling Bee(r) at Tower Theatre

31 Community Midtown Rotary’s 32 Calendar

MUSIC 35 Event Waxahatchee at Tower

Theatre

36 Event Mike Hosty at Fassler Hall

FUN 38 Puzzles sudoku | crossword 39 Astrology OKG Classifieds 39

Gazette Weekly Winner!

THIS WEEK’S WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. KEEP A LOOKOUT!

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CIT Y

NEWS

Curb appeal

When Oklahoma City’s downtown and nearby districts began to see economic revival, the city teamed with struggling neighborhoods to revive their areas. By Laura Eastes

There once was a tale of two cities in Oklahoma City, a tug of war between declining urban areas and booming suburbs. All that began to change a few decades ago when citizens backed plans for capital infrastructure projects that ushered in a resurgent downtown core.

Yet outside downtown and its neighboring commercial areas and historic preservation districts, there was no renaissance story. Urban neighborhoods struggled from the aftereffects of urban sprawl. It was easy to spot boarded-up doors and windows on homes, collapsed garages and porches, cracked sidewalks and more, all clouds of embarrassment for longtime residents and city leaders.

In 2010, OKC leaders sought to even out the economic revival of downtown with its urban neighborhoods. Two years later, neighborhoods Classen Ten Penn, Culbertson’s East Highland and Classen’s North Highland Parked Neighborhood joined the newly created Strong Neighborhoods Initiative (SNI), funded by the city with federal grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sidewalk building, hazardous tree removal, neighborhood sign installation, park improvements, afterschool programs, housing rehabilitation and more became these neighborhoods new realities.

“We look at everything on the block from the sidewalks and the streetscapes to the trees and the homes,” explained Shannon Entz, the lead planner overseeing the SNI program. “We look at it all to see how best we can make an impact. We find partners and we implement projects.

We hope that it starts a momentum.”

By “we,” Entz means SNI neighborhoods’ neighbors, who have a say in determining and developing the strategies for making their communities stronger and safer. Since SNI began, $3 million in public dollars has brought $18 million in private investment to the three neighborhoods, Entz said.

Around City Hall, SNI is celebrated as a huge success. Reports from the three neighborhoods show home values have risen. The number of reported crimes has fallen in two of the neighborhoods: Classen Ten Penn and Culbertson’s East Highland.

In the neighborhoods, the outcomes are visible with families and children strolling the sidewalks, residents relaxing on their porches, and new residents moving into refurbished homes.

After five years, the city has achieved its goal “to holistically improve neighborhoods through physical, social and 4

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economic investments that will tip the neighborhoods towards self-sufficiency” in Classen Ten Penn and Classen’s North Highland Parked Neighborhood.

The work continues in northeast neighborhood Culbertson’s East Highland.

Now, Capitol Hill and Capitol View neighborhoods are joining the program.

Going south

Come July 1, south side neighborhood Capitol Hill will see revitalization strategies begin, like new housing construction, housing rehabilitation, new sidewalks and street lighting, tree planting and hazardous tree removal, public art and business facade assistance, just to name a few. Mary Sosa, a longtime College Hill resident, is trying not to get “terribly excited,” but she admits that she is excited.

“I think the people are ready for the new changes,” Sosa explained. “I believe that they want a better community. We want a beautiful community, a more secure community, and not just for us but for the children.”

We see the Strong Neighborhood Initiative as being an opportunity to really dive in before we start running into issues, like displacement.

Caleb Savage There is some hesitation and doubt among neighbors, included Sosa. The city considered Capitol Hill and College Hill, considered OKC’s main Hispanic neighborhoods, combined as one of the three neighborhoods when the program first kicked off. It wasn’t the first time neighbors heard about city programs or projects to help their neighborhood that never amounted to anything. For so long, the College Hill Neighborhood Association forged its own path in its quest to create a strong neighborhood, applying for grants through the Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma.

In early fall of 2017, the city invited College Hill Neighborhood Association to apply for the SNI program. By teaming with the residential and commercial leaders of Capitol Hill, the neighborhood association considered applying, but it

first held meetings and knocked doors to gauge residents’ interest.

“We asked the people, ‘Do you want to do this? Are you willing to work because this will take a lot of work,” Sosa said. “The consensus was, ‘Why not?’”

Capitol Hill, which encompasses residential homes around the commercial district of Capitol Hill and the College Hill neighborhood, is the first SNI neighborhood located south of the Oklahoma River.

Last week, at a SNI neighborhood meeting for Capitol Hill, neighbors and stakeholders were asked to name neighborhood improvements they desired.

Answers, in both English and Spanish, ranged from housing rehab programs to building new affordable housing units and community gardens to community centers.

Caleb Savage, a resident of Oliver Park South — a neighborhood south of Capitol Hill — chimed in when discussion emerged on bike infrastructure and public transportation. Savage, who attended the meeting with his wife, explained he was ecstatic to hear neighbors name what are emerging trends in urban design. While Savage supports neighborhood improvements, he has concerns that a residential renaissance could diminish housing affordability and displace residents.

“We see the Strong Neighborhood Initiative as being an opportunity to really dive in before we start running into issues, like displacement,” he said.

“We can reach out to the community with opportunities for homeownership assistance and boost the neighbor associations.”

Savage, who located to the area 18 months ago after college, wants to see the area blossom holistically with current residents leading the charge to create a community that thrives for all.

Capitol View, a neighborhood that stretches from NE 36th Street to NE 23rd Street and from Lincoln Boulevard to Kelley Avenue, is the third northeast OKC neighborhood to participate in SNI.

Beyond economics

Since SNI began, city planners have had to strike a balance between residents

College Hill neighbor Mary Sosa addresses Capitol Hill and College Hill residents and stakeholders as planner Shannon Entz listens at a Strong Neighborhoods Initiative meeting last week. | Photo Laura Eastes

with doubts about the city efforts and residents eager for the assistance. The resolution is to build relationships with the neighbors based on mutual trust and respect, said Entz and her colleague Jennifer Sylvester, an assistant planner.

“We acknowledge it and we move in,” Entz said of discussing past history between neighborhoods and the city.

In her office, a sign reads, “Creando majors vecindarios” – which translates into English as “Creating better neighborhoods.”

“Once we acknowledge it and everyone sees we are sincere about moving forward,” Entz said, “we move forward.”

Reviving urban neighborhoods takes time, and the work goes beyond the city and its partners. So far, the private sector has responded favorably to the SNI neighborhoods, as evident by the $18 million in non-government funds plugged into the neighborhoods.

The SNI planners also know that for every urban neighborhood they help revive, there are others still struggling.

The city invited eight neighborhoods to apply for the program in 2017.

OKC is nevertheless making strides.

The payoff goes beyond economic development. Missing from city memos or SNI progress reports are details on the strong bonds crafted between residents and their city. Also, there is the impact on the neighborhoods’ youngest residents, some of whom have participated in SNI implemented afterschool and summer programs in their neighborhood elementary schools or played in renovated neighborhood parks.

“We involve kids and youth in what we do,” Entz said. “We want them to see the care and concern their parents have and the care and concern their government and city has too. That might sound like a social service to some degree.

Maybe it is. This is just as much about social science and sociology as it is economic development and community development. It all starts locally. You can’t get any more local than neighborhoods.”

e l ecti o n

NEWS

Interested parties

One county commission race is heating up with Democratic candidates campaigning two months before filing deadlines. By Laura Eastes

The last time there was an open seat for the District 1 Oklahoma Board of County Commissioners, four Democrats and two Republicans filed to run. After the dust settled on the special election primaries, Democrat Willa Johnson, a name in Oklahoma City politics since the early 1990s, moved on to face Republican Forrest Claunch, a former state representative. Johnson won a three-year term and was later re-elected to the seat in 2010 and 2014.

Johnson’s name will be absent from the 2018 ballot. The county’s first open seat commission contest since 2007 was spurred by Johnson’s decision to retire at the end of her term. While candidate filing is still two months away, qualified candidates are emerging. The roster of publicly announced candidates includes county health worker Carrie Blumert, former State Sen. Al McAffrey and

UNI_18-RP-15_MMA_2/14_Gazette.indd 1

Oklahoma City’s Ward 7 Councilman John Pettis. All three are Democrats.

No Republican candidate has publicly mounted a campaign.

Commissioner roles

The Oklahoma County Commission races for 2018 will be ones to watch. In addition to District 1, District 3 Commissioner Ray Vaughn, a Republican, plans to retire at the end of his term. So far, Republicans Rick Buchanan, Vaughn’s chief deputy, and state Rep. Kevin Calvey have launched campaigns. District 2 Commissioner Brian Maughan is midway through his four-year term.

The candidates elected in District 1 and District 3 will not only be tasked with building and maintaining roads and county properties but will also play a role in much-needed reforms at the over-

crowded and deteriorating Oklahoma County Jail, which remains under a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition, the commissioners oversee a great variety of services for all county residents, including voter registration, health and welfare programs and courts.

Commissioners earn a vote on the Oklahoma County Budget Board, which approves and oversees the annual fiscal year budget to cover the costs of county operations. The county currently operates under a $188 million annual budget with more than 1,700 employees.

Commissioners earn about $110,000 in annual salary.

Who are they?

Map Jim Massara

Months before Johnson announced her retirement, Blumert voiced her intention to seek the seat, raising money in May and beginning her door-to-door campaign in July. A Sally’s List-trained candidate, Blumert was drawn to the Oklahoma County Commission because of her desire to see criminal justice reform addressed at the county level.

Blumert, who currently works at Oklahoma City-County Health Department directing the Wellness Now Coalition, explained if elected she would continue to bring a woman’s voice continued on page 6

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to county leadership and represent a younger and growing millennial generation in District 1.

“I had someone flat-out tell me, ‘You don’t look like a county commissioner because you are a lady,’” Blumert said. “I said, ‘You are right. I think that’s a good thing. I think we need more diversity in government with younger people running and more women.’ I used to take those comments offensively, but now that I’ve knocked 2,500 doors, I do not. I do feel strongly that I need to say something about diversity. We need to have leaders who better represent the district.”

While Blumert is a political newcomer, the two other candidates are not.

Pettis is in his second term as an Oklahoma City Councilman representing northeast Oklahoma City. His campaign centers on his political experience and success spurring much-needed economic development in the urban areas of Ward 7.

“People have seen what we are attempting and what we are doing in northeast Oklahoma City, and they want that expanded,” said Pettis, who championed the Northeast Renaissance tax increment finance (TIF) district.

An early project of the TIF district, Northeast Shopping Center, now houses Save-A-Lot and Dollar Tree stores.

“We have some struggling areas of District 1,” Pettis said. “They need a county commissioner who can work with the municipalities, the City of Oklahoma City and the county to help transform those areas.”

Like Pettis, McAffrey also has experience representing some of the constituents of District 1. The former police officer turned small business owner was first elected to the Oklahoma House in 2006.

Later, he served two terms as a state senator. More recently, he was the Democratic candidate for Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District in 2016 and 2014.

“I believe my experience as a small Oklahoma business owner and my time served in the Oklahoma House and Senate make me a very qualified candidate for Oklahoma County Commissioner District 1,” McAffrey wrote in a Facebook post dated Jan. 16. “I have priceless experiences and knowledge from working with the lawmakers at our state Capitol and feel this will be particularly useful in trying to keep the funds allocated for our county.”

e l ecti o ns

• Family Practice • Botox Fillers • Weight Management Hormone Replacement • DOT Medical Examiner

Major issue

The issues addressed by Blumert, McAffrey and Pettis are standard fare for a county commission election: better roads, improved infrastructure, support for municipalities, expanding social services, leadership and, of course, the jail.

Both Blumert and Pettis expressed their support for the newly created Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Advisory Council, a coalition staffed 6

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above John Pettis | Photo Gazette / file middle Carrie Blumert | Photo / provided bottom Al McAffrey | Photo Gazette / file

with representatives from four government entities and four community representatives to provide recommendations to reduce the jail population and recidivism as well as increase community and public safety. The coalition includes representatives from Oklahoma City, Midwest City, Edmond and Oklahoma County governments.

“There is momentum,” Blumert said. “It is an engaged group of leaders who are ready to do something. I feel comfortable telling voters, ‘It is not just me who is trying to fix these problems.

I am joining a group of leaders who are actively making changes.’”

That’s the way Pettis sees the coalition as well.

“We have an issue when it comes to criminal justice reform,” Pettis said.

“When we look at the population of those that are in jail, many of them cannot afford to be bailed out. I think the county is on the right track. I’ve been a strong advocate of this advisory council to look at the criminal justice system throughout the county.”

The primary election is June 26 with the general election slated for Nov. 6.

state

NEWS

Worker-focused

A NW Oklahoma City Democrat lawmaker pushes an Oklahoma Values Package with legislation addressing paid sick leave, the minimum wage, pay equality and more. By Laura Eastes

When Collin Walke campaigned to represent a portion of northwest Oklahoma City in the state house, he was asked on doorsteps, “Why are you a Democrat?”

It was a fair question. In recent years, a majority of Oklahomans backed leaders grounded in conservative views.

Even in House District 87, which encompasses areas south of Northwest Expressway and neighborhoods east of Warr Acres and Bethany, no Democrat had represented the area since restaurant owner Edward “Sandy” Sanders (1971 to 1986).

When asked about his party affiliation, Walke capitalized on the moment, spouting the values of the traditional Democratic Party.

“People needed to understand what a Democrat was, and from my perspective, the battle lines are clear,” Walke told Oklahoma Gazette. “Are you on the side of the workers, or are you on the side of big business? For me, I am on the side of the workers.”

After 30 years of Republican lawmakers leading the district, voters elected Walke in 2016. Walke captured 47.96 percent of the vote, and Republican Bruce Lee Smith earned 44.77 percent.

Now in the second half of his first term, Walke is making good on his doorstep conversations. In January, he filed a series of bills he believes will benefit working Oklahomans. When speaking collectively about the six bills, which include proposals on pay transparency, paid sick leave and increasing the minimum wage

to $11 an hour, Walke refers to them as the Oklahoma Values Package.

“Our state motto is ‘Labor conquers all,’” Walke said, referring to the English translation of the Latin phase Labor omnia vincit at an early February Capitol press conference with supporters behind him. “And yet, even though we value labor in the state of Oklahoma, our Legislature has failed miserably in actually supporting the workers of this state. I personally aim to change that.”

In an interview with Oklahoma Gazette, Walke further reflected on his commitment.

“I view myself as wanting to work and help labor,” Walke said. “We’ve seen wages stagnant since the 1970s, and yet we’ve seen corporate profits skyrocket. That’s why I am a Democrat. That’s why I believe in helping the workers in this state.”

Pushing conversation

The policies Walke pushes aren’t uncommon for a Democrat. The national party’s 2016 platform included raising worker wages and supporting working families. In recent years, his Democrat peers in the House have authored similar measures with no luck.

Walke is not naive to the fact that a majority of his bills are considered long shots in the Republican-controlled House and Senate. However, he sees an opportunity to begin a conversation during a time in Oklahoma politics where constituents want to see action on local issues. While state budget

reform, education, criminal justice reform, mental health and public safety might comprise most of the conversation around Oklahoma politics, Walke doesn’t think workers’ rights or gender equality are too far behind.

“The need for pay raises was heard from both teachers and state employees,” Walke said. “The dialogue has focused — and understandable so — on teacher pay raises, which I think is absolutely critical. On the flipside of that coin, state employees ask, ‘What about us?’ The natural consequence of both of this is, shouldn’t everyone receive a raise?”

I view myself as wanting to work and help labor.

Collin Walke Oklahoma’s legal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Under current law, Oklahoma’s minimum wage is set to be the same as the federal wage. Thus, if the federal wage changed, Oklahoma’s wage would follow. Walke’s House Bill 2533 addresses the state’s minimum wage, calling for it to be raised to $11.

Walke does have hopes for earned, paid sick leave and pay transparency, often referred to as pay equality legislation. In 2016, a bipartisan pay transparency bill intended to make it easier for women to learn how their wages compared to their male co-workers passed the House and awaited a vote by the final Senate, which never happened and effectively killed the bill on the final day of the session. Walke proposes similar legislation in House Bill 2534.

House Bill 1310, the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, was filed in 2016 and remains eligible for consideration this session. In its current form, the bill

proposes that both private and public sector employees accrue a minimum of one hour of earned paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, but no more than 40 hours per year “unless the employer selects a higher limit.”

Walke is optimistic about the bill’s fate. While paid sick leave legislation has secured bipartisan support in other state capitols, the bill was assigned a different committee — banking and business — this session. Walke pledges to work with the committee chair, Rep. Elise Hall, R-Oklahoma City, on the bill’s language so it can earn a hearing.

Other bills

In addition to addressing Oklahoma workers, Walke filed two bills calling for increased revenue in the state. In House Bill 2535, Walke proposes a disclosure requirement for lawmakers who author bills where the language “is derived from an organization, state official or state agency.” Oklahoma lawmakers can and do use language borrowed from other state’s statutes or modeled after proposals from organizations, including from lobbyists.

House Bill 2531 calls for raising the gross production tax on oil and gas to 7 percent, which is a higher than the proposal by the Step Up Oklahoma coalition. The other bill, House Bill 2532, addresses the declining corporate income tax collections, a result of corporations shifting their Oklahoma profits to out-of-state shelters and avoiding reporting in the Sooner State by enacting combined corporate reporting laws.

“If you earn money in this state, you ought to report it to the state,” Walke said of House Bill 2532.

Freshman lawmaker Rep. Collin Walke is pushing a series of bills this session intended to look out f or working Oklahomans, based on the values of the Democratic Party. | Photo Laura Eastes

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chicken

friedNEWS

Goat power

Conversations about job creation often center on corporations leaving the United States or the impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce in the coming years.

Thanks to Langston University, there might be new competition on the job market: goats.

Midwest City has saved about $7,000 by using 20 goats as groundskeepers to manage overgrowth along roadsides, The Journal Record reports.

Chris Thomas has one of the coolest job titles we can remember here at Chicken-Fried News. Thomas is chief operator and goat manager for Midwest City’s water resources and recovery center. We bet that will look awesome on a resume going forward.

The program is so successful in Midwest City that the city wants to expand the herd this spring to manage overgrowth around railroads.

According to The Journal Record, about two-thirds of Midwest City’s herd is on loan from Langston University’s Goat Research Center. The city has purchased some of its own goats, and Langston University is in talks with other municipalities to implement similar programs.

The University markets the goats as being the best way to remove weeds from steep drainage ditches. If you’ve ever seen that episode of Planet Earth when the mountain goats climb the vertical face of a mountain, you understand.

Langston University professor Terry Gipson said the program has become quite popular, and he is working on a partnership with a municipality in the Tulsa area. There might be few landscaping jobs available, but be on the lookout for goat manager openings.

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Taxing situation

Coming to a television near you: anti-tax ads that encourage Oklahomans to call their legislators and ask them to oppose higher taxes.

Sure, we’ve all seen these kinds of ads before. Read our Chicken-Fried News lips — these ads intend to put a kink in things for Step Up Oklahoma, a coalition of business, civic and community leaders advocating various proposals to resolve the state’s budget woes.

Those proposals include raising the state’s cigarette tax, gross production tax and motor vehicles taxes. Also, the group is pushing a new fee on wind power generation. That’s a whole ’nother story.

According to NewsOK, No New Oklahoma Taxes was formed five days after Step Up Oklahoma unveiled their proposals, which have found favor with some lawmakers including Gov. Mary Fallin.

The group purchased the ads, a value of around $50,000, to run in Oklahoma City and Tulsa Feb. 5 through Sunday, NewsOK reported. The ad buy includes ESPN and Fox News, as well as digital ads from No New Oklahoma Taxes on NewsOK.com.

On Feb. 1, multiple news organizations reported that House Speaker

Charles McCall, R-Atoka, believed there were enough Republican votes to pass Step Up’s plan in the House.

Further, the plan could be considered early in the legislative session, which began on Feb. 5.

Is this a mere coincidence? We think not.

No New Oklahoma Taxes’ president John Collison, former vice president of strategic operations and development at Oklahoma Farm Bureau, told NewsOK in an email, “We are a grassroots group with thousands of supporters on social media and who have contacted their legislators. There is at least $30 million in mismanaged monies at our Health Department.”

Collins continued, “We owe the people of this state answers to how we are spending our current budget allocations as opposed to raising taxes almost a billion dollars. We are committed to a state government that runs efficiently and effectively.”

At CFN, we support state government and all government running efficiently and effectively. We too are concerned over the financial scandal at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. We are also concerned about the persistent budget shortfalls that

have led to drastic cuts to education and other vital state services.

Are we alone? We don’t think so.

Banner year

At the conclusion of Gov. Mary Fallin’s final State of the State speech, a banner bearing her likeness was unfurled from the balcony of the Capitol’s House chambers.

But this was no token of gratitude for Fallin’s eight years of service as the state’s executive. Instead, the hand-painted banner featured the governor’s face with the words “Oklahoma State of Despair”

written in bright red letters.

Ushers quickly removed the dissenters and, according to a report by Nondoc, Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb had the House gallery cleared.

If you live in the state and happened to miss this particular stunt, point us to the rock you’ve been hiding under this month. Images of the banner were all over broadcast news and retweeted across the nation.

Without taking sides, we at ChickenFried News would like to point out that the banner was objectively well drawn.

The specific artist is unknown, but the image is sharp in a cartoonishly malevolent-looking way. And if anyone knows about cartoons, it’s the CFN crew.

Disregarding the banner itself, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle voiced their disapproval of the display. In a post-address news conference, Senate Minority Leader John Sparks, D-Norman, said the governor’s office deserves more respect.

“It doesn’t matter how noble your cause is, when you go about it in that way, you take a step backwards,” he said.

It seems Oklahoma has gotten pretty good at stepping backward in recent years, especially in regard to its governance, lawmaking and budget maintenance. Here’s hoping we move forward to some degree during Fallin’s final year.

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Congratulations to the 2017 uli oklahoma imPaCt award winners small sCale develoPment | Commons on Classen small sCale rehab & restoration | sunshine laundry outstanding Community building effort | the Curbside Chronicle outstanding PubliC initiative | Center City form-based Code outstanding PhilanthroPiC vision | okC ballet’s susan e. brackett dance Center boutique develoPment | barrios and gardner large sCale develoPment | university of oklahoma residential Colleges large sCale rehab & restoration | Page woodson school

distinguished merit | tower theatre Platinum sPonsor gold sPonsors

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uli oklahoma is a chapter of the urban land institute, whose mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. visit us today at oklahoma.uli.org.

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the uli oklahoma impact awards recognize projects that exemplify best practices in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities, through their contributions to the built environment and the public realm. the projects promote the creation of resilient communities, intelligent densification and urbanization, as well as outstanding quality of design and construction.

review

EAT & DRINK

Fusion mismatch

Norman’s El Toro Chino provides an entry into California’s history of fusion cuisine.

By Jacob Threadgill

El Toro Chino Latin + Asian Kitchen 2801 36th Ave. NW, Norman eltorochino.com | 405-701-8676 What works: Wanton chips are a great replacement for the tortilla variety.

What needs work: The skirt steak was overcooked.

Tip: Opt for a non-greasy rice at the bottom of the bowl.

The vestiges of colonialism and natural immigration have created accidental fusion cuisine for centuries; look no further than the plethora of Vietnamese banh mi available in Oklahoma City.

Curry vindaloo is a popular dish on many Indian restaurants, but the dish is a conglomeration of Portuguese cooking and the cuisine of Goa, the smallest state in India that was under Portugal’s rule for 450 years.

Norman’s El Toro Chino Latin + Asian Kitchen owner Gerry Reardon — a southern California native — lived in Guadalajara, Mexico, for a few years, where he was exposed to the city’s Chinese population and the natural blending of Latin and Chinese food. It left a kernel of inspiration when he returned home.

In a modern sense, California is at the forefront of fusion cuisine, but its history goes much deeper than credit that is attributed to celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.

His second Los Angeles-area restaurant, Chinois on Main, opened in 1983 with dishes like barbecue chicken pizza and other items melding Chinese, Korean and Thai flavors.

Contemporary California fusion cuisine can actually be traced to the small San Joaquin Valley town of Hanford, where the family-owned Imperial Dynasty was an anchor of the town’s Chinatown for 123 years, as highlighted by National Public Radio (NPR) in 2006. Opened in 1883, Imperial Dynasty operated as a traditional Chinese noodle shop until founder

Shu Wing Gong’s grandson Richard Wing enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1945.

Five-star Gen. George C. Marshall selected Wing to become his personal chef while traveling to China and eventually became Marshall’s personal food taster in kitchens across Europe and Asia.

Wing returned to Hanford in 1958 and transformed Imperial Dynasty. It was no longer a strict Chinese restaurant — only egg fu yung remained on the menu. People flocked to the tiny farming community to try Wing’s version of poached salmon, Cornish game hen and French-inspired escargot.

Imperial Dynasty closed its doors in 2006 as Wing battled health problems and the family’s younger generation had no interest in entering the food business.

Wing died in 2010 at the age of 89 at a time when the ubiquity of social media made possible the rise of food trucks.

Users could easily chase down the mobile eateries, and perhaps no truck gained a bigger following than Los Angeles’ Kogi Korean BBQ, as users followed the truck all over the city for burritos, quesadillas and tacos filled with Korean-inspired meats and sauces.

Sooner-bound

As the popularity of Latin and Asian fusion began to rise in the United States, Gerry Reardon and his wife Jennifer began devising a hypothetical menu that would pay homage to Gerry Reardon’s time in Mexico, should the opportunity ever arise.

The couple from southern California moved to Oklahoma in 2006 after years of visiting Jennifer Reardon’s brother Kenny Gajewski, a pitcher on the 1994 University of Oklahoma national champion baseball team and current head coach of the Oklahoma State University softball team.

“We came out here and really liked Oklahoma and the idea of raising our family here,” Gerry Reardon said. “We

like the people, values and everything about it.”

Gerry Reardon, a lifelong devotee to the restaurant industry, got a job at Edmond’s Café 501 and Jennifer Reardon became catering manager for Norman’s Benvenuti’s Ristorante.

The Reardons partnered with Scott and Kathleen Shuler to open El Toro Chino (“the Chinese bull” in Spanish) at 2801 36th Ave. NW in Norman, just off of Tecumseh Road, in Nov. 2016.

“We wanted to bring something new to Oklahoma, and Norman in particular,” Reardon said.

‘Something new’

The menu at El Toro Chino varies between lunch, dinner and brunch. The lunch menu is set up to expedite service for customers on the go, Reardon said. Combinations like the spicy rooster ($11) with grilled chicken, peanut sauce, cilantro rice, avocado edamame, fried jalapeños, seasoned jicama, julienned squash and Sriracha can be ordered in a wrap or a bowl.

Customers can also choose between three sandwiches — their take on a classic Cuban is the most popular — salads, and soups. Customers can build their own bowl or wrap by pairing Latin inspired carnitas, shrimp or tilapia and salmon or Asianinspired skirt steak in hoisin Korean barbecue sauce and grilled chicken in peanut sauce with a variety of rice and vegetables.

The dinner menu is a little more refined as the sous-vide pork tenderloin ($19) is served with peanut sauce, jalapeño-bacon mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. The shrimp empanada ($19) is another popular dinner item, and for good reason. The masafilled pocket is topped with citrus sour

Using wonton chips and Korean-inspired skirt steak, fusion nachos are El Toro Chino’s most popular dish. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

cream and a tomato-onion sauce.

By far, the most popular item on El Toro Chino’s menu is the fusion nachos, which best represent the ethos of the restaurant, Reardon said. I think they might’ve stumbled onto something really inspired by swapping tortilla chips for crispy wonton chips, which are light and slightly sweet but maintain integral strength under a mound of Korean barbecue-inspired skirt steak, black beans, jack cheese, caramelized onions, sesame seeds and pico de gallo.

As fun as I thought the dish to be, ultimately, I found the skirt steak to be a huge disappointment. It was tough, and the lingering marinade gave me flashbacks of eating teriyaki-flavored beef jerky.

I opted for The Happy Piggy in a bowl ($10), which is slow-roasted carnitas over Hawaiian bacon-Sriracha fried rice, mashed pinto beans, pickled onion, fresh spinach and corn. The carnitas were really good and made up for the disappointing skirt steak, but I regretted ordering the bacon fried rice when I saw it swimming in a pool of grease at the bottom on the bowl, which I assume came from the carnitas and its own bacon. The smokiness and grease of the bacon dominated the dish, and I was happy that I didn’t order in a wrap because it would’ve been a grease nightmare. The lunch special that afternoon is what I assume is a pared-down version of its shredded chicken taco platter on the dinner menu. I ordered the taco platter hoping it would be chicken served with peanut sauce to get a true fusion taste, but instead found it covered in a bland tomatillo sauce that was sloppily covered in lettuce and too much sour cream.

I was impressed with attentive service and chic décor inside El Toro Chino and disappointed with the subtly of the fusion experiment. The skirt steak needed to be cooked quickly on high heat to gain the benefit of caramelizing without becoming tough, and the Hawaiian bacon fried rice works better as a side item than at the bottom of a bowl.

El Toro Chino is onto something fun and interesting, but it didn’t land with me. left Chicken tacos lunch special platter right Hawaiian bacon-Sriracha fried rice sits in a pool of grease at the bottom of The Happy Piggy Bowl. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

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f e at u r e

EAT & DRINK

Authentic commitment

Taste of Korea takes no shortcuts while preparing family recipes. By Jacob Threadgill

Tom Tubtim whirled his chopstick into his bowl for another bite of stew mixed with rice and leaned back in his chair surrounded by his wife, daughter and young grandchild with a sense of contentment.

Tubtim lives in Elgin, grew up in Hawaii and served on a U.S. Army base in South Korea from 1996 to 1997.

When he comes to visit his daughter in Edmond, it often includes a family outing to Taste of Korea, 5 S. Western Ave. “It’s the best Korean food I’ve had since leaving,” Tubtim said. “[Owner Sun Ha] has a few things I haven’t been able to find anywhere else.”

Even in the mid-afternoon when traffic to the restaurant should slow between peak lunch and dinner rush, Taste of Korea is busy. It is a testament to the business Ha has generated since she opened the restaurant 10 months ago in the space formerly occupied by Amy’s Noodle House.

“It’s been very busy,” Ha said in Korean through an interpreter. “I’m so thankful to the people that support us in this humble place. I want to return that appreciation by making healthy, quality food.”

Ha moved to Oklahoma City from Nashville about six years ago at the behest of a relative who was already in the area. She got her start cooking pro12

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fessionally in Nashville but is relying on her grandmother’s recipes and influence to create a menu that she hopes showcases Korean cuisine.

“Korean food is not as renowned as Chinese or Japanese sushi,” she said.

“I want to let people know how excellent Korean food is. I don’t want to make any tweaks that make the food Americanized. I want to show the Korean cuisine as it is in Korea. To do that in Oklahoma can be tricky because it is hard to get the ingredients at a good price. I stubbornly want to preserve the authenticity.”

Taste of Korea’s prices are slightly higher than Seoul Garden, but Ha said it’s because she takes no shortcuts in the recipes. She even makes her own soy sauce from raw beans, which is a

Sun Ha is the owner of Taste of Korea. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

monthslong process when factoring in fermentation.

Health benefits

Kimchi, spicy fermented cabbage, might be the most visible Korean dish in United States culture is one of many side dishes served with each meal, which are called banchan. In the winter, they serve fermented radish; in the summer, it is fermented cucumber. The other dishes change depending on the season.

Taste of Korea has three types of kimchi with a different destination depending on length of fermentation.

Kimchi with a one-day fermentation is used for banchan, while the three-day fermented cabbage is saved for stews.

“The salt used for kimchi should be the highest quality. Some people want to price it down by using cheap salt,” Ha said.

Fermented food like kimchi is high in probiotics, and it is a staple of Korean dishes, eaten multiple times a day.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that South Korea has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world (5.3 percent), second only to Japan among 35 member nations of the Organization for E conom ic C ooper at ion a nd Development. The United States’ obesity rate is 38.2 percent.

Family roots

Ha cooks because she feels a connection to her ancestors by staying committed to recipes developed over centuries. Her favorite dish growing up was her grandmother’s dolsot bibimbap, which is one of the most popular dishes at Taste of Korea. Grilled meat is served with carrots, squash, bean sprouts, spinach, mushrooms and an egg over rice. Pour some gochujang hot sauce and stir it all together.

“When I was young, my grandmother would cook bibimbap for me,” she said. “I liked it to have more meat and barbecue, but later, as

I learned food more, I realized that this is a very nutritious and balanced food.

It’s harmonized with different flavors of vegetables. It’s the perfect food in terms of nutrition and flavor.”

Stews are an important part of Korean cuisine, and Taste of Korea has jjigae with broth seasoned by the bright red gochujang; ugeoji galbitang, a short rib soup with dried cabbage; guk, a clear dumpling soup; and jjamppong, a spicy seafood and noodle soup.

It’s not authentic unless the soup is served boiling hot.

Sun Ha “We make all of our broths overnight and do no use flavor enhancers (like MSG),” Ha said. “It’s not authentic unless the soup is served boiling hot. Everything is served to be shared.”

The sign for Taste of Korea at the corner of W. Sheridan and S. Western avenues says it is a drive-thru, which is a remnant of its former occupant. Ha said they tried to serve the drive-thru window when Taste of Korea first opened, but it became untenable between cook time and demand in the restaurant.

“In 10 months, it’s been busy and we’ve experienced a lot of trials,” Ha said. “It’s been busier than we expected it to be. At first, we got some complaints that the service was slow because we had to figure out a lot of stuff in the beginning. We had to make improvement in the kitchen equipment. Now it’s a lot faster.”

Ha said she wanted to start in a space that was small enough to get her footing since it is her first restaurant.

She is open to the idea of expansion for Taste of Korea in the future.

Traditional Korean side dishes called banchan are served with every meal. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

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f e at u r e

EAT & DRINK

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Love, actually

An acclaimed French chef relocates to Oklahoma and opens Fait Maison. By Jacob Threadgill

As chef Olivier Bouzerand trained in Michelin-starred kitchens across France and eventually opened one of the top restaurants in the destination city of Cannes, he often dreamed of doing the same in the United States, but he never imagined it would be in Oklahoma.

Love has a funny way of changing plans.

Bouzerand became friends with Edmond native Susan Wedel while playing the popular mobile strategy video game Clash of Clans in 2014. They would often send messages in the group chat as they worked together in the same clan, but when Wedel abruptly left the group, she was surprised to hear from another friend that someone in the chat desperately wanted to contact her and asked Wedel to return.

It was Bouzerand.

“Olivier said to me, ‘If that ever happens again, I need to know how to get in touch with you,” Wedel said. “We started talking and he invited me to France. I said ‘No, but if you’d like to meet me, you can come here.’ That was November 2014, and we’ve been dating ever since.”

The couple continued a long-distance relationship, building off the strength of friendship they created while playing Clash of Clans.

Eventually, Wedel went to France to visit Bouzerand, first two weeks in Paris and then three weeks in Cannes, where he cooked for her.

“I was blown away by his cooking,” Wedel said. “Every dish that he brought out became my new favorite thing.”

Making of a chef

Bouzerand grew up in Burgundy and began cooking at the age of 6.

His professional career began at 2-star Michelin restaurant La Palme d’Or in Cannes. He continued at 3-star Michelin Ledoyen in Paris. After a few years working in Russia, he returned

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F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

to France in 1997 and opened his first restaurant, Le Patio, in Saint-Jean-deLuz, which was named the city’s best restaurant by the Michelin Guide.

He opened Le Mesclun in Cannes in 2004. It was named one of the five best restaurants out of 750 by both the Michelin Guide and New York’s The Daily Meal.

“In Cannes, I had a lot of customers from California because of the film festival, and they encouraged me to open a restaurant there,” Bouzerand said.

Bouzerand asked Wedel if she’d like to go to Los Angeles, Miami or New York to scout locations for a restaurant.

She’d go, she said, but she wasn’t moving.

“OK. Well, Oklahoma it is,” he replied.

When Bouzerand went to Paris to get his E-2 visa for five years in the United States, the clerk even asked him “Why Oklahoma?”

“I didn’t lie; I told them that she wouldn’t move anywhere else,” he said.

Restaurant rising

Wedel set out to look for a location for the restaurant, eventually settling on the space formerly occupied by Parkway Men’s Wear. Wedel and Bouzerand entered as 50-50 partners in the restaurant, making the pact that their relationship wouldn’t define their venture.

“It’s a business, and I think it takes a lot of pressure off rather than ‘If (the relationship) doesn’t work, what is going to happen (to the restaurant)?’”

Wedel said.

They decided to name the restaurant Fait Maison (French for “homemade”) after Wedel saw the phrase on Bouzerand’s Le Mesclun menu.

A remodel of the building included the installation of plumbing, gas and more electrical capacity. Wedel said

529 Buchanan Ave. Campus Corner Norman

BAR & GRILLE, LIVE MUSIC the décor was designed to make guests feel as if they’ve been transported to France. Chandeliers line the ceiling and over each velvet-lined booth.

Fait Maison opened Nov. 16, 2017 at 152 E. Fifth St. in Edmond, and reaction from customers has been overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s been a fabulous reception. Since two weeks after opening, we’ve been booked every Friday and Saturday night. We’ve had to turn down people at the door that walk in,” Wedel said, noting that tables can be had for walkins most other nights of the week.

Full-service meal

The menu at Fait Maison changes every two to three months based on seasonal ingredients. Bouzerand makes no compromises in his food to American palates.

He said he is intrigued by the fact more wild game like Cornish game hen, venison and pheasant is available yearround in the U.S. rather than only a four-month window in France.

Fait Maison’s New Year’s menu included pheseant and quail inside of a pastry. Current entrees include salmon with minced fennel and yuzu ($27), turbot pan-fried in butter with a truffle cream sauce ($46), lobster roasted in a creamy champagne sauce ($50), seared duck in a spiced honey and lime sauce ($27), rack of lamb ($43), grilled filet mignon in a red wine sauce ($3339) and chicken breast with Parmesan risotto ($25).

A meal at Fait Maison begins and

Susan Wedel and Olivier Bouzerand opened Fait Maison in Nov. 2017. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

ends with daily amuse-bouche from the chef. The server also brings out fresh baked bread arranged like a bouquet of flowers. Before the appetizer arrives, a bowl of butternut squash soup comes compliments of the chef.

An appetizer of lobster and mushroom served in a spaghetti roll with scallop mousse is covered in creamy bisque ($26) and allows the ingredient to shine enveloped in the creamy bisque.

The seared duck breast is mediumrare, in stark contrast to the overcooked duck often found on menus.

The honey and lime sauce cuts through the natural gaminess of the bird without overpowering it.

“I tasted the duck and remember saying, ‘Had I not really liked you, this would’ve been enough to make me like you,’” Wedel said.

The side of ratatouille ($10) is plated like a flower atop a tomato-based sauce that is worthy of the Pixar movie. A dessert of bourbon vanilla bean crème brûlée ($8) arrives topped with fresh berries.

“Having a restaurant is about pleasing people, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Bouzerand said.

Reservations can be made by calling 405-509-255 or emailing reservations@fait-maison-ok.com.

MON: Closed THU: Throwback Thursdays! Trivia 7p-9p TUE: $2 Beer/$2 Shots /$2 Sides Wings, Fries & Pint $10 All Day Karaoke @9 FRI/SAT: Happy Hour 3p-7p, Live Music WED: Bike Night! $5 Pitchers/Free Pool SUN: $4 Mimosa & Bloody Marys Get Delivery using OrderUp or Postmates!

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left Lobster and mushrooms served inside a spaghetti roll with scallop mousse, topped with bisque below Seared duck in spiced honey and lime sauce with red wine poached pear and turnip-celery gratin | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

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g a z e di b l e s

eat & DRINK

Pesto pairings

Pesto is one of the most versatile ingredients. It can be used in a cream sauce, as a sandwich topper or for a salad pick-me-up. With a wide variety of ways to create the bright and oily condiment, Oklahoma City offers just as many interpretations of pesto.

By Jacob Threadgill | Photos Gazette / file and provided

Flip’s Wine Bar & Trattoria

5801 N. Western Ave. flipswinebar.com | 405-843-1527

Traditional Italian classics sit alongside more out-of-the-box ideas like an Omega 3 Antioxidant Power Salad at Flip’s, and that extends to pesto, where it is showcased as a creamy complement to gnocchi; on a prosciutto, tomato and mozzarella sandwich; or on the specials menu like the Italian handkerchief pasta (pictured).

Legend’s Restaurant

1313 W. Lindsey St. legendsrestaurant.com | 405-329-8888

A Norman icon that started with pizza delivery in 1967 has remained tried and true to classic dishes while not being afraid to deviate to keep things fresh and exciting, just like pesto. Legend’s lasagna rolls are topped with the trio: marinara, Alfredo and basil pesto. Its carbonara is finished with sun-dried tomato pesto.

At lunch, get it on a variety of sandwiches and a cilantro version on shrimp tacos.

Café 7 Pastaria and Delicatessen

100 W. Main St. cafe7okc.com | 405-748-3354

One of the best value meals in the city, Café 7 prides itself on the fact all of its fixed menu items come in under $8, like Pasta Maggio, which is rigatoni with chicken, mushrooms and artichokes in a creamy pesto. You can also build your own pizza or pasta with the basil pesto or a creamy option. Café 7’s seasonal menu changes every four months.

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4401 W. memorial road oklahoma ciTy 73134 405-608-2299

Hideaway Pizza

multiple metro locations hideawaypizza.com 405-796-7777

One of the key ingredients in pesto is nuts. You can use pretty much any nut you’d prefer based on the flavor you’d like to impart, be it walnut, pecan or pistachio. People with a nut allergy aren’t able to consume the brightness of pesto, but luckily, Oklahoma’s own Hideway Pizza offers a nut-free version, which can be found on its chicken Florentine or substituted on any of its pizzas.

Lunch Combo Special Mon-Fri 11- 2:30pm

Aurora Breakfast, Bar & Backyard

Coolgreens

1704 NW 16th St. shinewithaurora.com | 405-609-8854

multiple metro locations coolgreens.com 405-600-6444

Perhaps no menu in the metro are has as many mentions of pesto as the one at Aurora. It uses pesto aioli on a variety of sandwiches, including an open-faced breakfast BLT and burger. Arugula pesto can be found on its hummus toast, oneeyed Jack, veggie wrap and vegetable frittata. With a menu featuring an inspirational Maya Angelou quote, begin your day right with 11 pesto options.

As one of the go-to spots for inventive salads in the city, Coolgreens also offers flatbreads and sandwiches, each of which includes an inventive use of pesto. Its skinny flatbread features basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, figs, grapes, walnuts and goat cheese. The turkey pesto sandwich features pesto-marinated turkey breast, tomatoes, mozzarella and balsamic vinaigrette on a wheat bun.

Tommy’s Italian American Grill

5516 W. Memorial Road tommysitaliangrill.com | 405-470-5577

Since moving to its Memorial Road location, Tommy’s has provided a modern atmosphere and inventive Italian dishes with benefit of a wood-fired pizza oven.

The bruschetta is topped with basil pesto, as is the capellini al gamberetti. For something a little different, try the cilantro pesto linguine with smoked corn, red bell peppers and grilled chicken.

CHeese NaN 4621 N. May | OKC | 778-8469

Happy Hour Mon-Fri 3- 5pm

405-285-2396

3209 s Broadway in Edmond

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

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art

ARTS & CULTURE

Western abstractions

Theodore Waddell’s “Argenta Horses” | Image National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum / provided

Theodore Waddell’s work poses questions of realism and expressionism. By Ian Jayne

Western art is a broad church encompassing many centuries, myriad geographies and a multiplicity of styles and approaches. Art of the American West, however, might often be pigeonholed as depicting regional landscapes and personages through a generally realist lens.

Do You See What I See? Painted Conversations by Theodore Waddell, which runs through May 13 at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., nuances perceptions of American Western art, intersects with other artistic movements and questions the relationship between art and representations of reality.

Theodore Waddell was born in Montana in 1941, five years before abstract expressionism came onto the scene in New York, but the artistic movement would eventually influence his own sensibility.

“He comes at it from place more than anything,” said Melissa Owens, interim chief curatorial officer and registrar and collections manager at the museum. “He had his studio education in the ’60s, in a time when modern art was going in various directions. He brought that new mentality back to what he knew.”

With a rancher for a father, Waddell spent plenty of time around cattle and horses; these animals manifest as subjects in his art, but not in conventional ways.

Waddell’s technique — using loose, expressionistic brush strokes to render his subjects and landscapes — couples a distinctly Western approach to art with a more avant-garde mode to create a hybridized Theodore Waddell’s “Argenta Horses” | Image National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum / provided

blend, Owens said. Pieces created over a decade apart, such as “Lynn’s Narcissus,” dated 1997, and “Argenta Horses,” from 2009, demonstrate Waddell’s evolving artistic approach in relation to similar subjects and artistic abstraction.

“Throughout his career, like any good artist, his style changes,” Owens said.

“There are periods in his career in which things become much more abstract, but they’re still very identifiable.”

The exhibit’s 43 pieces consist primarily of oil paintings and encaustics (waxbased media that lends a transparent appearance), but the collection also showcases Waddell’s printmaking skills.

Monotypes (singular type prints), etchings and lithographs also feature in the exhibit.

In addition to animal subjects, Waddell also depicts landscapes and cloudscapes, which Owens defined as a “quick interpretation of cloud formations on a dark horizon.” Included works also play with scope and scale; a towering triptych depicts a mountain range and foregrounds the landscape.

For Owens, Waddell’s work fits into the tradition of American Western art in a more expansive way.

“He’s very much a Western artist; it’s just not what a lot of people would think of as Western art, like a [C.M.] Russell or a [Frederic] Remington,” Owens said.

Changing perceptions

Waddell’s exhibited work straddles the intersection between abstraction and depictions of the American West, marking a departure from many of the museum’s more realistic pieces. Viewers will find

context materials, such as quotes from the artist, to help orient their perspectives.

“If you’re not very well-versed in contemporary art or non-realistic art, it takes a little bit to adjust your sensibilities,” Owens said, “but if you spend some time with it, and especially if you’re reading the titles… you naturally get what he’s doing.”

He comes at it from place more than anything.

Melissa Owens While viewers might find Waddell’s work hard to interpret up close, Owens said that stepping back and approaching the art from a greater distance can help bring things into focus.

Owens said the curatorial process prioritized visual arrangement, with subject matter and color as organizing principles.

The exhibit arose partially from recently retired chief curatorial officer Michael Leslie, whose previous work at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, Indiana, connected him with Waddell, Owens said.

“Mike’s idea, really, was to bring Theodore’s work here and share it with our public as a means to broaden our

“Angus 130” | Image National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum / provided

scope,” Owens said.

Even the exhibition’s title, posed playfully as a question, invites discussion about viewers’ perceptions in relation to the art and the artist.

“It’s Ted’s vision,” Owens said. “You can also see what he saw at the time and what he’s trying to evoke: the feelings of a place and time.”

In order to help inspire such “painted conversations,” Owens said the museum will offer specific programming related to the exhibit. On March 13, with museum admission (free to members), patrons can participate in a gallery tour led by the artist himself 10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m.

Noon-1 p.m. March 14, the museum will continue to host the latest iteration of its Brown Bag Lunch Series, My West, in the S.B. “Burk” Burnett Board Room. With no reservations required, patrons can bring their lunches brown bag-style or purchase them from the Museum Grill. During the lunch, Waddell will speak about the factors of his life that shaped his artistic output.

In addition to his career as a painter, Waddell has also written children’s books.

Story Time with Tucker the Bernese Mountain Dog will take place 2 p.m. March 19. Museum members or patrons who purchase museum admission can interact with a dog from Human Animal Link of Oklahoma during story time.

By asking questions about Western art and abstraction, Do You See What I See? eschews the idea that American Western art only consists of photorealistic paintings of cowboys or horses. Rather, the exhibit and its related events aim to engage in a conversation about perception and the ways in which an artist such as Waddell attempts to reimagine it.

Museum admission is free-$12.50. Visit nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Do You See What I See? Painted Conversations by Theodore Waddell 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m.

Sundays through May 13 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 1700 NE 63rd St. | nationalcowboymuseum.org 405-478-2250 Free-$12.50 18

F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Bethany is the metro’s newest dining destination for foodies and families alike!

Come to Bethany for a full week of delicious meals from different cuisines. Restaurants have convenient parking, helpful staff, and wallet-friendly prices.

WEEK

Participating restaurants Aloha Shave Ice & Coffee Shoppe Boomarang Diner Cantina Bravo Mexican Grill

Ding Asian Fusion Java39 Metro Mini’s Gourmet Donuts Olde Orchard Restaurant

visitbethanyok.org

Proceeds benefit The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethany

sponsored by

Papa Angelo’s Pizzeria Pho3Nine Stray Dog Cafe Swadley’s Barbecue

SPONSOReD PROGRAM

Bethany

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breakfast Come for

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As you dine in Bethany this week, you are also supporting one of the state’s finest resources, The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital.

Established in 1898, it is a private, non-profit hospital dedicated to caring for children with complex medical needs in a compassionate, nurturing environment.

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Rt 66 / NW 39th Expy

2

78

345 9 6

NW 36th St

N MacArthur Blvd

Bethany

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Visit Bethany today.

Come for Breakfast, Stay for Supper

66

N Council Rd

Located on historic Route 66 on the west side of the metro, Bethany is also home to Southern Nazarene University, Southwestern Christian University, the American Pinto Horse Association, and world headquarters for the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. Incorporated as a city in 1909, it is home to more than 20,000 residents who enjoy its convenience, friendliness, and easy-going spirit.

NW 50th St

10 NW 23rd St

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sponsored program

Aloha Shave Ice & Coffee Shoppe What started as a simple shave ice stand has grown into a neighborhood gathering spot offering breakfast, lunch and baked goods as well as community events like coffee with a cop, game night, and summer movie nights. 8000 NW 39th Expy. | 405-633-7778

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Swadley’s BBQ

You may know it from its other locations, but Swadley’s Barbecue grew from Bethany. Always busy serving smoked meats with a smile, Swadley’s recently announced the development of a new concept restaurant that will launch later in Bethany.

4000 N. Rockwell Ave. | 405-470-4343

Boomarang Diner

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Known for their burger baskets and real ice cream shakes, this Route 66 favorite has already grown to a larger location in Bethany.

They’re open breakfast, lunch and dinner with a motto “Not Fast Food, Good Food Fast”

6315 NW 39th Expy. | 405-495-9100

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Papa Angelo’s Pizzeria 3

When you open the door, the rich aroma of roasted garlic lets you know this is an authentic New York Pizza place. Family owned and operated, they are a favorite for ‘za by the slice or by the pie. Don’t miss those garlic knots, either. 6744 NW 39th Expy. | 405-491-6767

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Metro Mini’s Gourmet Donuts

Just opened, Metro Mini’s is one of the first food truck-to-bricks and mortar transitions that Bethany hopes to encourage. In a small storefront on Rt. 66 they offer many varieties of their bite-size treats that are popular far beyond breakfast. 6213 NW 39th St. | 405-206-6437

Ding Asian Fusion

Stray Dog Cafe

When Joe LeClair and Suzi Epps gutted an old Antique store to the studs, little did they know they had sparked a new era for dining in Bethany. Beyond the original idea of burgers and hotdogs, the Stray Dog is a full cafe, with many daily patrons enjoying the friendly atmosphere as well as the food.

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N MacArthur Blvd

Java39

Located at the corner of 39th and College, Java39 is equally, if not more, well known for their eclectic live music and art as their coffee and baked goods. One of their most popular dishes, their “Famous Gumbo” is featured during restaurant week.

6704 NW 39th Expy. | 405-823-5517

Pho3Nine

One of Bethany’s newer spots, Pho3Nine brings the fresh, healthy flavors of Vietnam to Bethany. Beyond the delicious Pho (which is a broth, meat & fresh vegetables dish served in a bowl), don’t miss the dumplings, the spring rolls and the firecracker shrimp appetizers.

3929 N. College Ave. | 405-470-1188

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6400 NW 39th Expy.

405-603-8858

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6722 NW 39th Expy. | 405-470-3747

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When it opened its doors in the summer of 2016, people were wowed by the upscale interior decor. People came to rave about the variety and quality of dishes — from sushi made to order, clay pot dinners, and favorite Chinese fare. Plus they offer a full bar.

Cantina Bravo

Located on NW 23rd Street near Rockwell, Cantina Bravo describes their niche as authentic, upscale Mexican food nicely presented with many options. They offer a full-bar and have become a hub for Bethany’s emerging “23” District.

7000 NW 23rd St. 405-470-8394

Olde Orchard Restaurant A classic American diner, family owned and operated consistently since the ‘70s, Olde Orchard offers everything you think of a traditional diner — daily specials, breakfast, lunch and dinner. 7339 NW 23rd St. | 405-787-3332

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SPONSOReD PROGRAM

Bethany Restaurant Week DAY BY DAY MONDAY 2/19

BREAKFAST 8 Metro Minis Bakers dozen $8.00 LUNCH 3 Papa Angelo’s Pizzeria Two pieces with two toppings plus drink $5.70 5 Java39 Famous gumbo $7.99 11 Cantina Bravo Quesadilla vegetarian $6.99 DINNER 5 Java39 Famous gumbo $7.99 9 Ding Asian Fusion 10 percent off dinner entrees, includes soup and dessert 11 Cantina Bravo Quesadilla vegetarian $7.49 Ask for the special Restaurant Week Margarita.

TUESDAY 2/20

BREAKFAST 4 Stray Dog Café California Omelet: three-egg omelet with fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, Swiss cheese and diced bacon, served with hashbrowns and homemade biscuits and gravy $9.00 LUNCH 2 Swadley’s BBQ Ultimate BBQ sandwich: brisket, pulled pork, sausage, bacon, cheese, pickles. Includes one side and a drink $12.99 4 Stray Dog Café All American Burger: grilled burger topped with grilled Nathan’s hot dog, melted cheddar, crisp lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle on a jalapeno bun, served with French fries $11.00 DINNER 2 Swadley’s BBQ Oklahoma sampler: brisket, sausage, chicken, ham and a rib plus 2 sides $17.99 7 Boomarang Diner Hamburger steak dinner $8.99 9 Ding Asian Fusion 10 percent off dinner entrees, includes soup and dessert

There’s a good deal on a meal every day of Restaurant Week!

WEDNESDAY 2/21

BREAKFAST 10 Olde Orchard Restaurant Belgian waffle special, includes egg and choice of meat, plus coffee $6.99 LUNCH 1 Aloha Shave Ice & Coffee Shoppe Breakfast for lunch: fresh quiche or breakfast sandwich with fruit and small coffee $7.95 5 Java39 Famous gumbo $7.99 11 Cantina Bravo Chicken & spinach enchilada $5.99 DINNER 5 Java39 Famous gumbo $7.99 6 Pho3Nine 20 percent off all pho 9 Ding Asian Fusion 10 percent off dinner entrées, includes soup and dessert 11 Cantina Bravo Chicken & spinach enchilada $6.99 Ask for the special Restaurant Week Margarita.

THURSDAY 2/22

LUNCH 1 Aloha Shave Ice & Coffee Shoppe Club Sandwich with fruit or chips and small tea or lemonade $9.95 2 Swadley’s BBQ Ultimate BBQ sandwich: brisket, pulled pork, sausage, bacon, cheese, pickles. Includes one side and a drink $12.99 10 Olde Orchard Restaurant Chicken fried steak dinner with two sides $8.99 DINNER 3 Papa Angelo’s Pizzeria Free order of garlic knots with medium pizza Dine-in only 6 Pho3Nine 20 percent off all pho 7 Boomarang Diner Ultimate patty melt with tots $7.59

FRIDAY 2/23

LUNCH 1 Aloha Shave Ice & Coffee Shoppe Grilled cheese and soup with small tea or lemonade $9.95 or gourmet mac & cheese with garlic bread and small tea or lemonade $5.95 5 Java39 Famous gumbo $7.99 11 Cantina Bravo Bravo salad $8.49 DINNER 5 Java39 Famous gumbo $7.99 6 Pho3Nine 20 percent off all pho 10 Olde Orchard Restaurant Catfish dinner: all you can eat includes bread pudding dessert $12.99 11 Cantina Bravo Bravo Salad $8.99 Ask for the special Restaurant Week Margarita.

SATURDAY 2/24

BREAKFAST 8 Metro Minis bakers dozen $8.00 LUNCH 2 Swadley’s BarBQ Ultimate BBQ sandwich: brisket, pulled pork, sausage, bacon, cheese, pickles. Includes one side and a drink $12.99 DINNER 2 Swadley’s BarBQ Oklahoma sampler: brisket, sausage, chicken, ham and a rib plus 2 sides $17.99 3 Papa Angelo’s Pizzeria Free order of garlic knots with pasta (spaghetti, ziti or stuffed shells) Dine-in only 7 Boomarang Diner Chicken fried steak dinner $8.99

SUNDAY 2/25

BREAKFAST 8 Metro Minis Bakers dozen $8.00

The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital

For each featured meal purchased during Bethany Restaurant Week, the restaurants are donating a dollar to support the Hospital’s ongoing mission of making sure every child’s needs are met regardless of the family’s resources.

6800 NW 39th expy. | Bethany, OK

MiraclesHappenHere.org

ARTS & CULTURE from left Kelsey Karper and Romy Owens founded Current Studio in March 2016. | Photo Gazette / file

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art

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Next chapter

Current Studio plans to permanently close at the conclusion of Factory Obscura’s popular Shift installation. By Ben Luschen

Since November, there have been few stars in the local art community brighter than the Factory Obscura art collective and Current Studio, the Classen Ten Penn neighborhood gallery space hosting the group’s wildly popular and immersive debut installation Shift.

More than 12,000 visitors have passed through Current’s doors since Shift opened. Many guests were not only visiting the studio for the first time, but that entire part of town.

The great level of foot traffic made a January announcement all the more surprising to most local art enthusiasts. The studio would be permanently closing its doors following Shift’s end in February.

Many people were just now learning of Current, its alternative business model and philosophies on community art. Many wondered why, so close on the heels of the most popular local art attraction in recent memory.

“If we had been able to make it viable financially, I think it would have continued,” Current co-founder and community artist Romy Owens said. “But it wasn’t.”

Owens teamed with friend and fellow artist Kelsey Karper to found Current in March 2016. The pair made an 18month commitment to experiment with different methods of empowering artists to produce art without the pressure of sales, which ultimately affects what kind of art that gets made.

Factory Obscura and Current Studio share a joint closing celebration 6-9 p.m.

Feb. 24 at the studio space, 1218 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Food is provided by Kam’s Kooker y and wine by Constellation Kim Crawford Wines.

Anthem Brewing Company, along with several food trucks, will also be on site.

Tickets are available at factoryobscura.

com with at least a $5 donation.

In some ways, Current Studio’s focus on alternative methods of artist payment can be counted as a precursor to Factory Obscura. The group plans on finding a permanent home in the future, and its model for paying contributing artists will be based on admission sales rather than traditional commissions.

“I think Factory Obscura will accomplish a lot of the same goals that we were seeking with Current Studio, but in a very different way,” Karper said. “I feel really good about being able to continue those ideas.”

Karper is also a founder of Factory Obscura and will continue her work with the group after Current closes its doors. She recognizes that Current is leaving at the peak of its popularity.

Owens and Karper are both set on their decision, but it is hard to not have at least some reservations.

“It’s like going out with a bang,” she said. “We’re leaving people wanting more. But at the same time, there is that little bit of hesitation like, ‘Oh, maybe we should keep going.’”

“When you look at other institutions in the city and their capacity to support artists in that way, we pretty much kicked ass,” Owens said. “We did a really good job of putting money in artists’ hands for making art.”

One of the most critical hits to the studio’s sustainability plan was the fact that its Art of the Month Club never took off.

Through the program, a resident artist would complete a 100-cap batch of individually unique small works to be mailed out to the club’s subscriber base.

The club was intended to account for a significant portion of what would make Current financially viable, but it was harder than expected to get people to buy into the new concept.

“We got feedback from some people that they were reluctant to sign up because they didn’t know exactly what they were going to get,” Karper said. “For us, we thought that was part of the fun, the surprise of it. You just have to trust that the curators are going to choose good work.”

From the moment of Current’s inception, Owens and Karper worked hard at implementing and developing a bulk of new ideas and programs.

“The challenge of that is that there’s so many things going on at once,” Karper said.

“There’s so much to promote and talk about, and all of it is new. We’ve presented all of this brand-new and all at once. It was a lot for people to digest.”

Aside from its devotion to artist payment and unique programming, Current’s lasting legacy will be in the promotion of inter-artist collaboration and outreach efforts to the Classen Ten Penn community.

In February 2017, Current hosted the group exhibition Evolve, which pooled together seven area artists to craft works with special consideration for the sur-

Mission accomplished?

Owens and Karper both have new projects that have forced them to divert their attention from Current. Owens recently moved to Enid, in part to work on the largescale permanent public art installation “Under Her Wing Was the Universe” with artist Adam Lanman. Karper is concentrating on Factory Obscura as it continues to seek out a permanent home in the city.

It’s like going out with a bang. We’re leaving people wanting more.

Kelsey Karper Though Shift is the last exhibit that will pass through Current, the studio will remain through March to clear out Factory Obscura and return the space to normal. On March 25, the studio will host one last edition of its Sunday Soup series, with all proceeds going toward the operations of Next Door Studios, a former branch of Current that is now being taken over by resident artists.

“At that event we will get to do a little bit of wrap-up and tell people, ‘Hey, this is what we accomplished,’” Karper said.

When Owens looks back at Current, it will likely be with a small twinge of frustration that they could not find more financial support. Still, she is thrilled with everything they did accomplish and is excited to move forward.

“At the end of the day, everything is temporary,” she said. “It’s not something we’ve been saying for two years, it’s something we’ve been saying for a long time.

The line to enter Factory Obscura’s Shift installation at Current Studio often overflowed out of the building. | Photo Current Studio / provided

Finding a way

Owens and Karper worked full-time for Current on a volunteer basis, which means on top of running a studio they had to take on other work just to make money for themselves. They also took special care to ensure every artist who made art for them was paid for it.

“If we came up with an idea where we couldn’t figure out how to pay the artist, we just wouldn’t do it,” Karper said.

From its 2016 opening to its eventual close this month, Current will have paid out more than $100,000 to artists in the area.

good luck; figure it out,’” Owens said.

“We want awesome things to happen.”

rounding, largely Spanish-speaking neighborhood. Current also assisted with art programs at Eugene Field Elementary and painted murals at both Eugene Field and F.D. Moon Academy.

Owens said they still hear from schools that heard about their murals and want to know how to bring art like that to their building. Both founders are more than happy to share the methods behind any of Current’s programs.

“I don’t think either one of us is so proprietary that we would be like, ‘Nope,

There’s nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t lessen the impact or change the significance.”

Current might be closing its physical doors, but it has no doubt opened new ones for the city’s art future.

“I feel confident that the things we have done to raise the bar of expectation for how artists can be supported, our community can’t go back from that now,” Karper said. “We’ve experienced what that can be and our expectations should be higher now.”

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

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ARTS & CULTURE

Cov e r

Oklahoma City Ballet purchased the Susan E. Brackett Dance Center at an auction in February 2017. | Photo Mark Hancock

Leaps and bounds

Oklahoma City Ballet steps into a bright future with the new Susan E. Brackett Dance Center.

By Ben Luschen

While visiting her sister in buzzing German metropolis Berlin, Oklahoma City Ballet principal dancer Miki Kawamura couldn’t resist the opportunity to see the facilities of one of the largest ballet companies in Western Europe with her own eyes.

Kawamura, a native of Japan, was beyond impressed with what she saw from Berlin State Ballet, the capital city’s principal ballet company. The German company is nearly three times the size of OKC Ballet. While Kawamura loved what she saw in Europe, she was not envious of what they could provide.

“Their building is incredible,” she said, “but comparing their building to [OKC’s], we’re not losing at all.”

Though the facility — now known as Susan E. Brackett Dance Center — was only acquired by OKC Ballet within the last year, the architecture of the building is so unique and elegant that one might guess it was expressly built to house and showcase an elite dance company.

The barrel-shaped dance center, found at 6800 N. Classen Blvd., stands out for its size and large amount of glass. According to local legend, the building was commissioned by late former Chesapeake Energy Corporation co-founder and chairman Aubrey McClendon as an elaborate wine cellar. While at some point it was used to house his wines, the building’s initial intended purpose is unclear. Before McClendon’s death in 2016, he was a prolific wine collector. Forbes estimated in September 2016 that McClendon had accumulated enough wine at the time of his death to enjoy a bottle each day for 12 years.

The grandeur of the current Brackett Center’s design is nowhere more apparent than on the expansive floor of its main dance studio, spread as wide as a full-size basketball court. Its west-facing arch wall is almost nothing but windows, flooding the dance floor with warm natural light.

The rehearsal space is actually larger than the Civic Center Music Hall stage on which OKC Ballet usually performs.

Robert Mills, the company’s artistic director for the last 10 years, said OKC Ballet’s new home only became a reality through generous gifts and support from members of the community.

“There’s something to be said for working somewhere where you feel the support of the community you’re doing it for,” Mills said. “It keeps you going.”

Still, the center isn’t quite a dance utopia — not yet, anyway. Renovations to the facil-

ity are ongoing, and evidence of the work being done is apparent in the building’s basement floor. Steel beams and concrete are shuffled into the building for foundational work. The immortal sounds of classic composers like Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky often fill the center, but for now, the music of industrial drills and heavy construction equipment occupies the facility almost as often.

In the midst of an exceptionally chilly winter, many of the dancers have noticed that cold air from the outside gets funneled from the front door, down the straight hallway and directly into the main studio. Ballet leotards are not known for providing warmth.

But Kawamura said minor design inconveniences can be easily forgiven considering the comparatively poor state of OKC Ballet’s former home.

“We can’t complain,” she said. “It’s for the better.”

Mills said the upgrade is sharp. The fact that the company so quickly moved into the Brackett Center mid-renovation should say something about the state of its last headquarters.

“I’m in a temporary office right now,” Mills said, “but at least it doesn’t leak.”

Photo Caption | Photo Gazette/Staff 24

F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Winning bid

OKC Ballet still uses its former studio, about half a mile north from the Brackett Center on Classen Boulevard, but now as a costuming and storage annex.

Ownership of the building was gifted to the ballet by Chesapeake last year.

When Mills was hired by OKC Ballet a decade ago, one of his earliest goals was to find an improvement over the company’s cramped studio and office space.

“Immediately, I said to the board and the community that the building we were currently in was just not to the level of what is going on with other companies,” he said.

“Even in the middle of the United States, it’s not up to par.”

Through many years, OKC Ballet remained in the same studio, but the ball finally got rolling on a new home in December 2016, when the company received a large financial gift from the family of former board member Susan Brackett (for whom the new headquarters is now named). The donation fueled a capital campaign that gathered just under $5 million in six weeks.

In February 2017, Chesapeake put the building that would become the Brackett Center up for auction. At the time, it had most recently housed American Energy Partners Fitness Center. OKC Ballet was the highest bidder, purchasing the facility for $4.1 million.

The company officially received keys to the new building Feb. 15, 2017, with the first dance rehearsals beginning there in the summer. Money left over from the auction was used to immediately begin renovations.

OKC Ballet’s 18-month capital campaign, known as the Turning Pointe campaign, is still underway to enhance its renovation efforts. The campaign concludes sometime this Before Oklahoma City Ballet purchased the building in an auction, the facility formerly housed American Energy Partners Fitness Center. | Photo Mark Hancock

summer and has raised $8.9 million toward its $9.1 million goal.

The Turning Pointe campaign got a significant boost in October, when Kirkpatrick Family Fund announced a $2 million donation. The gift was made in part by the charitable trust of Christian K. Keesee, grandson of John Kirkpatrick, who founded Oklahoma City Civic Ballet (which became Ballet Oklahoma and, later, OKC Ballet) with Native American Oklahoma prima ballerina Yvonne Chouteau in 1963.

“That was a meaningful thing to [Keesee] to try and honor what was important to his own family many years ago and allow that legacy to live on in other ways,” Mills said.

I could see the architecture, and I was just like, “Wow! That’s fantastic.”

Jonathan Batista

Recruitment tool

Jonathan Batista’s friends kept telling him good things about OKC Ballet, and he wanted to learn more.

The Brazilian dancer is in his first season with the company after arriving from Milwaukee Ballet. He knew a couple of former OKC dancers who encouraged him to attend an audition in Chicago, where he met Mills for the first time.

When it became clear that he might have a future in Oklahoma, Batista did all the research he could on his prospective city and its ballet company.

“The first thing I saw when I opened the website was the front of the new building,” Batista said. “I could see the architecture, and I was just like, ‘Wow! That’s fantastic.’”

The Brackett Center has become one of OKC Ballet’s most powerful recruitment tools for attracting the world’s most talented dancers and choreographers. Batista said he was also impressed by the company’s diverse repertoire, which often includes a mix of classic, contemporary and original productions.

Generally speaking, ballet’s popularity in the city is near an all-time high. The company’s annual production of holiday stalwart The Nutcracker, for example, has become one of the most popular renditions of the show in a multi-state region.

Kawamura, who is in her eighth OKC Ballet season, has noticed show attendance swell through her tenure in the city.

“That is obvious, even from the stage,” she said.

The biggest change Kawamura noticed in eight years is the company’s sheer number of dancers. There are 31 full-time dancers today, compared to 15-20 when she started. She has also seen artist enthusiasm soar since moving into the Brackett Center.

“I can feel the energy change from everyone,” she said. “The atmosphere among the dancers is so much better.”

Fresh faces

Newness at OKC Ballet is not limited to the sterling Brackett Center. Early this month, the company announced the hiring of Jo Lynne Jones as its John Kirkpatrick executive director, a position endowed through the Kirkpatrick Family Fund gift.

Jones comes to OKC Ballet after nearly 17 years working in different roles for Infant Crisis Services. The former radio DJ and news anchor also spent her childhood and teenage years dancing ballet. She is excited to ride the company’s wave of positive momentum.

“I truly feel like it is on the precipice of taking off,” Jones said. “When you meet the dancers who are from all over the world, they have specifically come to Oklahoma City because of the reputation of the company and the reputation of [artistic director] Robert Mills.”

Mills will continue leading the creative direction of OKC Ballet. Jones will use her experience in business management, fundraising and communications to ensure the company builds a firm foundation to support growing aspirations.

“What they needed was someone who could come in and take care of the business side,” she said.

Before Jones joined OKC Ballet, the company had spent more than 10 months without an executive director, guided mostly by Mills and its board of trustees.

“It is a testament to that board — how plugged-in they are, excited they are and how passionate they are about the ballet — that they have managed to hold a capital campaign, purchase a new facility and get it remodeled while doing it themselves,” Jones said. “It’s pretty stunning.”

In that period of flux, the board managed not only to maintain the company, but also grow it. The company’s past year has Jones, Mills and nearly everyone at OKC Ballet excited about what the future could hold.

“That’s where you go into debt. It’s a fine line that you walk.”

Still, Mills believes OKC Ballet has the potential to do more within the size of its community. He is excited to meet with Jones and the board to talk about what the company should do in the future.

“There are tons of possibilities,” he said. “I could talk about a satellite location, especially as big as this metropolitan area is. I could talk about the types of ballets we could do. But I think that’s something we’re going to have to develop together.”

Enthusiasm for the future — tempered or not — is in full supply at Brackett Center. Batista said it is realistic to expect some bumps along the way, but it’s hard to stand in the main studio’s natural glow without feeling similarly bright.

“It’s a long process,” he said. “At times, it could be painful, like opening the door and the cold is coming in.

But looking at the future, who can complain?”

Visit okcballet.org.

Open possibility

Before Katherine Bolaños was dancing with one of the nation’s premier ballet companies, the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet principal dancer was a hometown member of Ballet Oklahoma.

Bolaños visited her alma mater in October during OKC Ballet’s opening of Swan Lake, its first full attempt at the grand ballet cornerstone in four years and only its second ever as a company. After the show, Mills remembers Bolaños saying she had never before seen anything like that production in OKC. “That was not only what she was seeing on the stage,” Mills said, “but the reaction and the amount of people.”

The artistic director is thrilled with the company’s recent successes, but he is not yet ready to detach short-term ambitions from appropriate regional expectations.

“You don’t want to do things that cannot be supported by the community,” he said.

The main rehearsal studio inside Oklahoma City Ballet’s Susan E. Brackett Dance Center is larger than the Civic Center Music Hall stage on which the company usually performs. | Photo Mark Hancock O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

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ARTS & CULTURE The Little Mermaid features original choreography and a musical arrangement by Oklahoma City Ballet artistic director Robert Mills. | Photo Oklahoma City Ballet / provided

tistic complexity without alienating its younger audience members.

“Families will be able to come to this, and kids will enjoy it,” he said. “It’s colorful, it’s fast-paced, it’s scenic.”

t h e at e r

Fresh air

Sea worthy

Original, world-premiere ballet The Little Mermaid balances family appeal with brave theatrics. By Ben Luschen

Robert Mills is not afraid to admit that the idea for staging a ballet around the story of The Little Mermaid was one motivated by a need to sell tickets. But instead of dumbing down a production to fit the story’s broad Disney appeal, the Oklahoma City Ballet artistic director has developed a show that could go down as the company’s most elaborate original production in recent memory.

“When you look at what I’ve done,” Mills said, “I’ve been very conscious to create a sophisticated, elevated ballet.”

Mills is not bragging or being heroic. The world-premiere ballet not only received original choreography from the artistic director, but musical arrangement as well.

He was involved in putting together nearly every detail of the production.

Those hoping to see The Little Mermaid have just three shows to do so. The production runs 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. Admission is $15-$65.

OKC Ballet principal dancer Miki Kawamura, in her eight years with the company, has never seen anything like Mills’ version of The Little Mermaid.

“This is the first ballet where I don’t touch the floor most of the time,” she said.

To simulate underwater movement, Kawamura’s Ariel character (the story’s mermaid protagonist), dances on and is lifted by four male dancers, never 26

F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

touching the ground. In another scene, characters dance barefoot in an elevated trough of water on the stage. The underwater backdrops are actually moving projections shot onto the stage.

OKC Ballet is borrowing its costumes for the show from Charlotte Ballet in North Carolina. Charlotte Ballet put on its own version of A Little Mermaid, though Mills said it has little in common with the version he wrote.

“Trust me, [borrowing] is harder than putting together a piece working with a scenic designer and a costume designer,” he said. “This was me trying to put my round peg in a square hole of a production because we’re not doing it anything like they did.”

There are some dancers in the show who are cast simply as waves and dance on stage trailed by long sheets of silk.

Mills enjoys seeing his creative vision come to life, particularly considering how different it is from what OKC Ballet would normally do.

“I’m versed enough in making bodies move,” he said. “When it becomes 60-footlong pieces of fabric and silk and boats and crabs and seahorses and how someone is going to dance when they’re underwater and never touch the ground, these are things that really aren’t explored much in what we do.”

Artistic balance

Though The Little Mermaid has become a passion project for Mills, it began more than a year ago as a personal chore.

“It’s not something that I really wanted to do,” he said. “They brought it to me as an idea.”

In April, OKC Ballet presents a triple bill of contemporary performances headlined by a company-premiere production of legendary Czech choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort. For Mills, and likely many of the OKC Ballet dancers, the chance to perform a contemporary production is exciting and artistically fulfilling. But artistic fulfillment does not always pay the bills.

For the female character, there’s really nothing like this that exists in ballet.

Robert Mills “I have a responsibility to not just do Kylián, but to keep people employed,” Mills said. “It becomes a balance between elevated, sophisticated works of art and something that will sell.”

Musical selections from Austrian composer Alexander von Zemlinsky’s Die Seejungfrau and Russian Reinhold Glière’s The Red Poppy keep the production exciting and sophisticated. Still, The Little Mermaid, though based on the 19th-century short story by Hans Christian Andersen, uses its 1989 Disney animation cache to draw in a large family crowd. Mills wants the show to offer ar-

The choreography that exists in Mills’ version of The Little Mermaid is not only new and different for the company, but unique from what most companies around the country would attempt.

“For the female character, there’s really nothing like this that exists in ballet,” he said.

Before rehearsals began, Mills told Kawamura that she needed to make sure her core is exceptionally strong to withstand being suspended from her arms and legs. He told the male dancers supporting her to focus on their shoulders and joints.

Jonathan Batista, a principal dancer in his first season with OKC Ballet, said while there are plenty of technical challenges with the show’s choreography, the bigger obstacle is making sure the story is cohesive.

“What’s really important is how to present the story,” Batista said. “We’ve been rehearsing quite a lot and been very focused on telling the story.”

Batista plays the prince who discovers Ariel on the beach. In that scene, he has to convey some “I’ve never seen such a creature” astonishment without words. Because this is a world-premiere ballet, there are not necessarily any existing guidelines for effectively progressing the plot. Batista and the other dancers are working together with Mills to forge their own path.

Kawamura said all the work has more than paid off. She tries to impress on others that The Little Mermaid is a show that appeals to all ages.

“I tell everyone, ‘You will love this show,’” she said.

Through his work on the production, Mills has slowly been able to draw parallels between the story and his own experiences. The artistic director feels like he has come to a point in his life and career where he is able to breathe fresh air again after a period of struggle.

“The Little Mermaid has gone from something I didn’t want to do to something that has been really fun,” Mills said. “I’m doing it to the point where I feel like I’m coming up from drowning.”

Visit okcballet.org.

The Little Mermaid 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. | okcballet.org | 405-297-2264 $15-$65

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ARTS & CULTURE

Handle the truth

Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men gets a spit-and-polish from Pollard Theatre Company.

By Sean Isabella

During the past four decades, Linda Lee McDonald has developed a well-rounded portfolio as a director, actress, author and playwright in Oklahoma City.

One area she hasn’t dabbled much in is military and courtroom drama, which is what made the upcoming performance of A Few Good Men at The Pollard Theatre in Guthrie so attractive.

That, along with the purpose behind it.

The play, which runs Feb. 16-March 3, debuted in 1989 on Broadway and deals with a high-level conspiracy uncovered at a court-martial hearing.

“I think [the themes] are still very pertinent,” said McDonald, who is directing A Few Good Men for Pollard Theatre Company. “It’s a question of morality and a feeling of going a step too far or obey the command and get blamed for it. I think that comes up in any war anytime you have a situation where orders are being relayed from higher command but the people on the ground see a different situation. So what is your moral responsibility then?”

Get it right

Set in 1986, the play written by Aaron Sorkin, a popular screenwriter and playwright who is arguably best known for The West Wing, is loosely based on an incident at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, where several U.S. Marines nearly killed one of their own in a hazing incident — in the play, two Marines stand trial after being accused of murder.

Sorkin’s work inspired an Academy Award-nominated film of the same name starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon in 1992.

The magnitude and relevance of the play challenged McDonald for the renCrystal and Joshua McGowen play Jo Galloway and Daniel Kaffee in Pollard Theatre Company’s production of A Few Good Men. | Photo Pollard Theatre Company / provided

28

F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

dition in Guthrie.

The main character, a young and inexperienced U.S. Navy lawyer, puts together a plea bargain before realizing there is more to the case beyond the surface as themes of obedience and loyalty run rampant.

“It’s a well-known play, so we want to get it right with all of the feelings that go behind hit,” McDonald said.

“For what is called a military play, there’s a lot of passion in it for doing the right thing and getting justice for the defendants or for getting them prosecuted. Everyone has a different side, so we need those sides to be played with a lot of feeling.”

In order to ensure the play came off as authentic, former Marines on Pollard Theatre Company’s board of directors created a miniature boot camp of sorts to educate the cast.

“They came one night and told us all about posture, the protocol of entering a room, when to salute, how to be dismissed,” McDonald said. “This may sound very basic, but we didn’t want to mess that up.”

Additional research helped, along with the background of a few cast members who have ROTC experience.

McDonald even leaned on a former Marine friend who helped her better understand the military way of life.

They also learned about courtroom protocol, which is different in the military than a civilian court.

Flowing experience

By the time Feb. 16 rolls around, the cast and crew of A Few Good Men will have gone through six weeks of rehearsal. McDonald said each week features five or six days of rehearsal.

The cast of 16 includes Pollard mainstays such as Joshua McGowen as Daniel Kaffee, the young lawyer who represents the defense; James Hughes

as Col. Nathan R. Jessup; Crystal Barby as Jo Galloway; Keegan Zimmerman as Sam Weinberg; Dakota Muckelrath as Harold Dawson; Ellie Valdez as Louden Downey; Timothy Stewart as Walter Stone; and Sarah Henry as Jeffrey Howard.

“A lot of them are local and from Oklahoma City. There’s a lot of experience on the stage,” McDonald said.

McDonald noted how there’s even one cast member from Wichita, Kansas, who drives down for rehearsals.

Several Pollard employees are doubling as workers on the play, like Pollard artistic director W. Jerome Stevenson, who serves as the set and lighting director, production manager Timothy Stewart and costumer Michael James.

“They wear so many hats. They are amazing how they do that during the day and a lot of them are in the play,” McDonald said. “They are a really outstanding company.”

A Few Good Men features more than 40 difference costumes, the majority of which are military outfits.

“It’s sort of like a musical without the music in terms of size and the scope of the production,” McDonald said. “It’s pretty big.”

McDonald said there are 33 scenes in the play staged out on a series of three platforms and on the main floor.

She said the second act mainly takes place in a courtroom setting.

The use of platforms helps with moving quickly and efficiently from scene to scene.

“One scene may be a commander’s office, the next may be in the brig where the two soldiers are being held and then to the floor where there’s another scene. We want a real flow to the scenes, rather than one scene and a blackout,” she said. “There will be a crossfade and a new scene will start immediately. We’re trying to keep it where it has a real organic flow.”

Tickets are $15-$25. Visit thepollard.org.

A Few Good Men Feb. 16-March 3 | The Pollard Theatre 120 W. Harrison Ave., Guthrie

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OKC Midtown Rotary’s annual Spelling Bee(r) raises money for public school art programs. By Jacob Threadgill

OKC Midtown Rotary Club was founded in 2009 with the mission to reach out to young professionals and redefine the stereotype of a rotary club meeting.

Its millennial outreach is on full display Feb. 23 at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., with its annual fundraiser, Spelling Bee(r), which invites attendees to compete in a spelling bee for a $500 grand prize while enjoying beer from six local vendors. Guests must be 21 or older to enter.

Those in attendance are not required to participate in the spelling bee. There is a raffle, a photo booth and food catered from Pub W to enjoy while watching contestants try to spell words carefully selected by the club’s committee while under the influence.

“It doesn’t end until the last speller is out,” chapter president-elect Ian Dauteuil said. “The last two spellers are two smart people that’ll go back and forth for a while. It’s fun to watch them go back and forth. We try to have it wrapped up by midnight. That’s a lot of beer you can drink between 6 p.m. and midnight. So you definitely get your money’s worth.”

Oklahoma breweries COOP Ale Works, Vanessa House Beer Co., Black Mesa Brewing, Anthem Brewing Company, Twisted Spike Brewing Co. and Stonecloud Brewing Co. will provide unlimited samples all evening.

In its eighth year, the fundraiser is the biggest opportunity to raise funds for Midtown Rotary’s initiatives, which are focused on supporting the arts in public education. Spelling Bee(r) has raised about $30,000 over the last five years, Dauteuil said, but for every dollar raised by Midtown OKC, Rotary District 5750 matches with $2, which means approximately $100,000 impact for the community.

Midtown OKC’s biggest project is to work with The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools to determine schools and art programs in need. Its biggest effort was donating $18,920 to install a 1,300 square-foot padded dance floor at Southeast High School.

“The dance program is huge there,” Dauteuil said. “Students were listing it as one of the only reasons they come to school.

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It helps motivate and keeps them enrolled.”

Midtown OKC has also helped supply musical instruments at Northwest Classen High School and Cesar Chavez Elementary School while setting up a printing press at Roosevelt Middle School.

The rotary chapter is using remaining funds from the 2017 Spelling Bee(r), about $4,000 and an additional $3,000 from the state, to put in an art installation at Red Andrews Park, 720 NW Eighth St., which is undergoing a remodel in late 2018 or early 2019.

That’s a lot of beer you can drink between 6 p.m. and midnight.

Most insurance accepted.

Self-pay rates available.

Call for details.

benefiting

Ian Dauteuil The fundraiser’s move to Tower Theatre will allow the rotary club to save on catering expenses for the event compared to its previous home at Will Rogers Theatre & Event Center, which Dauteuil said he hopes will lead to more money to be invested into the fundraiser.

Tickets are $45-$50. Guests will have an opportunity to bid on a silent auction that will include lots of art and packages from sponsors.

OKC Midtown Rotary Club has 45 members with a median age of 34 and meets 6-7 p.m. every Tuesday at James E. McNellie’s Public House, 1100 Classen Drive. International Rotary club is a global network of 1.2 million Rotarians that provides a variety of humanitarian services in a non-political and nonsectarian manner.

Visit okcmidtownrotary.com.

Spelling Bee(r) 6 p.m. Feb. 23 Tower Theater 425 NW 23rd St. okcmidtownrotary.com $45-$50

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are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Storytime with Miss Julie, Bring the kids for storytime with books Miss Julie picked herself. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. SAT Special Poetry Reading: Carl Sennhenn, 2001 Oklahoma Poet Laureate reads his work including his fourth book of poetry, Nocturnes and Sometimes, Even I and Travels Through Enchanted Woods, 7 p.m. Feb. 18. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-3079320, pasnorman.org. SUN Art Adventures, bring your young artists ages 3 to 5 to experience art through books with related art projects, 10:30 a.m.-noon Tuesdays through June. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE Read for Adventure, the OKC Zoo and Metropolitan Library Systems have partnered to publish the children’s book, Our Day at the Zoo‚ and to 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. Metropolitan Library System, 300 Park Ave., 405-231-8650, metrolibrary.org.

FILM Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope, (2016, USA, James Redford), a documentary about how abuse and neglect during childhood can cause serious problems on the brains and bodies of children putting them at greater risk for disease and other issues, 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 15. Nigh University Center, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 405-974-2244, uco.edu. THU The Salesman, (2016, Iran, Asghar Farhadi), a thriller about a young couple living in Tehran, Iran, faced with violence linked to the previous tenant of their new home, 2 p.m. Feb. 18. Meinders School of Business, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5536, okcu.edu/ business. SUN Menace II Society, (1993, USA, The Hughes Brothers), 18-year-old Caine Lawson (Tyrin Turner) attempts to escape the ghetto of the Los Angeles projects for a better life, 7 p.m. Feb. 19.

Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. MON

HAPPENINGS Painting in the Gardens with Wine & Palette: Valentines, a unique Valentine’s date! Couples paint in the gardens on 16x20 canvas while enjoying wine and chocolate, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Feb. 14. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED Many Cultures: Different Perspectives Workshop, a free K-12 teacher professional development opportunity where participants engage with experts to explore the West and what it means to its inhabitants, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Feb. 15. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. THU Storm What?! A Business’s Guide to Storm Water, Rebecca Dallen explains what storm water is, the Clean Water Act’s mission statement, types of storm water pollution and how to prevent it, and rules for permitting in Oklahoma City, 11:30 a.m.12:15 p.m. Feb. 15 Martin Park Nature Center, 5000 W. Memorial Road , 405-297-1429, okc.gov. THU Lunar New Year at the Gardens: Year of the Dog, an evening of music, face painting and fun for the entire family with lion dancers, festive decor, crafts for the kids, cultural presentations, calligraphers to write your name in Chinese, 4-8 p.m. Feb. 16.

Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. FRI Essentials of Raja Yoga Meditation, a day of peaceful and spiritual atmosphere ideal for reflecting upon the important factors governing our everyday experiences, noon-4 p.m. Feb. 17. Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center, 2500 S. Broadway Suite 104, Edmond, 405-227-9618, bkdallas.net/OK/. SAT Daddy Daughter Dance, create memories with a grand red-carpet entrance, photo opportunities and a light dinner with refreshments while a DJ provides entertainment throughout the evening, 4:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 17. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SAT Mother and Son Soriée, enjoy an exciting evening at the Orr Family Farm with your son aged 4-14 with an evening of dancing, light snacking and photo booth fun, 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 17. Orr Family Farm, 14400 S. Western Ave., 405-799-3276, orrfamilyfarm.com. SAT Beads & the Brave, a semi-formal Mardi Gras event of dinner, games and a cash bar with special guest musician David B. Hooten, 6:30-11 p.m.

Feb. 17. Leadership Square - Downtown OKC, 211 N. Robinson Ave., warriorsforfreedom.org/ beadsandthebrave. SAT Designing a Butterfly Garden, join butterfly guru Marilyn Stewart to learn how to design and select plants for creating your own butterfly garden this spring, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 20. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-4457080, myriadgardens.com. TUE Meet the Candidates: Todd Lamb, free and open to the public; Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb presents his platform followed by a Q&A session with the audience, 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 20. USAO Ballroom in the Student Center, 1727 W. Alabama Ave., Chickasha, 405-224-3140, usao.edu. TUE The Orchid and Poetry Show, an orchid show curated by Nate Tschaenn, director of horticulture and resident orchid expert features exhibits inspired by poetry, Feb. 16-March 24. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-4457080, myriadgardens.com.

Museum Theory and Practice, explore the research, preservation, management and interpretation of historical and cultural resources through the University of Central Oklahoma‘s graduate program in museum studies, through April 27. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

FOOD Unlocking the Vault: Mysteries and Marvels of the Museum This exhibit reveals rarely seen artifacts from National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s vault such as John Wayne’s personal Buddha sculptures and a sketch of a dinosaur on C.M. Russell letterhead, through March 13 at the museum, 1700 NE 63rd St. Call 405478-2250 or visit nationalcowboymusuem.org. THROUGH MARCH 13 Photo National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum/provided

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Myriad Kitchen: An Intro to Healthy Cooking, a lunch with an overview of eating well and using inseason fresh fruits and vegetables; adding flavor with fresh and dried herbs; and best methods for healthy cooking, noon-2 p.m. Feb. 17. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-4457080, myriadgardens.com. SAT It’s Never Too Late for French (toast), local professional singers of Opera on Tap present a late night of brunch, burgers and French music, 10 p.m. Feb. 17. NOIR Bistro & Bar, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-208-4233, theparamountokc.com. SAT Plant-Based Superfood Snacks, learn how to make snacks that will make your body feel great from dark chocolate truffles to carrot cake energy balls with chef Jenn Stoker, 3-4 p.m. Feb. 18.

Natural Grocers, 7013 N. May Ave., 405-8400300, naturalgrocers.com. SUN

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

February 17 WAndA jACKsOn February 18 LALAH HATHAWAy February 21 WAXAHATCHEE FEBRUARY 22 COOP sHOWCAsE

The Gentlemen of Hip-Hop Houston-based FLY Dance Company presents a mix of hip-hop, classical and modern dance with colorful costumes and comic delivery. The show is 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 in Davis Hall Theater at University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, 1727 W. Alabama Ave., in Chickasha. Tickets are $5-$15. Call 405-574-1213 or visit usao.edu. thursday Photo University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma/provided The Lost Ogle Trivia, for ages 21 and up, test your knowledge with free trivia play and half-priced sausages, 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays through Nov. Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St., 405-609-3300, fasslerhall. com. TUE Geeks Who Drink, weekly trivia with fun audio and visual rounds where teams compete to win free pints and gift cards, 7-9 p.m. Mondays.

Stonecloud Brewing Company, 1012 NW 1st St., 405-602-3966, stonecloudbrewing.com. MON

YOUTH Sprouting Chefs: Fun and Fresh Lunches, a healthy cooking class for kids to learn the basics of making healthy and tasty dishes that families can create together at home, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Feb. 17. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT The Coded Life: Beginners, the next step in coding for ages 10 and up; learn the concept of computer programming and how to write in functions, compare and contrast code online, 1-4 p.m. Feb. 17. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-9510000, oklahomacontemporary.org. SAT Kid Inventor, design, test and build unique creations using a variety of materials and technologies such as Legoes, string, paper and more, through March. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place , 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. WED Explore It!, answer all your questions of what, why and how about the natural world we live in, 11:30 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. SAT

Discovery Time, a program for preschool and elementary-age kids with a hands-on activity of stories, crafts and discovery table specimens, 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu.

PERFORMING ARTS Crowns: A Gospel Musical, an uplifting celebration of life connects the love affair African-American women have with their hats to tales that recount memorable occasions in the lives of six women, through Feb. 25. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 405-524-9312, lyrictheatreokc.com.

Nice Work If You Can Get It, a slapstick comedy with jazzy dance numbers brings to life a cast of outrageous characters in New York to celebrate the wedding of a wealthy playboy, 8 p.m. Feb. 16, 17 and 3 p.m. Feb. 18. Elsie C. Brackett Theatre, 563 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-4101, theatre. ou.edu.

The Vaudevillian, an American opera by Thomas Pasatieri about the rise and fall of American soprano Rosa Ponselle directed by Dr. David Herendeen and professor Jan McDaniel, 8 p.m. Feb. 16-17, 3 p.m. Feb. 18.

Oklahoma City University Campus, Kirkpatrick Auditorium, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5000, okcu.edu.

continued on page 34

The Philadelphia Story Enjoy the 1940 romantic comedy in which Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) is getting remarried when her ex-husband (Cary Grant) and a reporter (James Stewart) turn up and turn everything upside down. Showtimes are 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday at AMC Quail Springs Mall 24, 2501 W. Memorial. Tickets are $12.50. Visit fathomevents.com. SUNday and WEDnesday

March 8 sHOOTER jEnnInGs March 9 & 10 405 PITsTOP March 20 THE BLACK AnGELs Thurs - sIN NIghT DrINk specIals jam sessIoNs w/ BreNT kruger & joN murchIsoN (No cover)

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O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

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CALENDAR c alenda r

continued from page 33 Crumbs from the Table of Joy, a play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage about an African-American teenage girl and her family in 1950 Brooklyn, New York, 8 p.m. Feb. 16-17. Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main St., 405-232-6500, carpentersquare.com.

Tuesday Noon Concerts, a series presented

by OU School of Music and the museum features 30-minute concerts during the lunch hour, noon-1 p.m. Tuesdays. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. TUE

ACTIVE Runderground 5K, a fun and exciting run/ walk through Downtown OKC’s Underground through colored tunnels weaving under the city’s buildings, 12:30 p.m. Feb. 17. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 405-602-8500, bartandnadiasportsexperience.com. SAT Yoga with Art, relax and stretch in contemporary artfilled spaces with yoga instructed by This Land Yoga, 10 a.m. Saturdays. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. SAT Yoga in the Gardens, an all-levels class led by Lisa Woodward from This Land Yoga; class participants should bring a yoga mat and water, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE Line Dancing Lessons, perfect your dancing skills with some country music, Wednesdays. Chisholm’s Saloon, 401 S. Meridian Ave., 405-949-0423, facebook.com/chisholmssaloon. WED 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, 405845-5672, marlinswimamerica.com.

VISUAL ARTS As I See It, features paintings of Oklahoma Artist Steve Hicks ranging from landscapes to abstract art, through Feb. 25. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org.

Beyond ART: Lunch with an Artist, bring your lunch and converse with artist Beth Hammack while connecting with other artists and the art at JRB, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Feb. 21. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. WED

Brett Horton Art Show, features acrylic and oil paintings, colored pencil and ink drawings, mixed media and surreal works as well as photos and videos by the artist, through Feb. 28. Picasso Cafe, 3009 Paseo St., 405-602-2002, picassosonpaseo.com.

Cartoons & Comics: The Early Art of Tom Ryan, the drawings of acclaimed Western artist Tom Ryan are displayed showcasing his creativity, talent, and humor from his teenage imagination, high school and coast guard years and his school paper’s sports page, through April 1, 2018. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Dale Chihuly: Magic & Light, the galleries incorporate a unique design that features a three-dimensional approach to viewing some objects in the collection of glass art, through July 1. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

Decomposition: Discovering the Beauty and Magnificence of Fungi, the kingdom of fungi is on display at SMO’s smART Space Galleries exploring the uses, benefits and beauty of fungi, through Aug. 12. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

Do You See What I See? Painted Conversations by Theodore Waddell, explores Waddell’s abstract expressionism like never before by redirection of the visitor’s attention to the importance of what they do not see rather than what they do see on the canvas, through May 13. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Docent-Guided Signature Tour, see some of the finest Western art in the country with ethnographic material from Native Americans and mountain men, and learn about frontier military life, Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 25. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Fine Print! Posters from the Permanent Collection, arranged chronologically and thematically with five topics: artists, entertainers, patriotism, products and ideas reflecting the twentieth century’s conflicting values, through May 27. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-3253272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Fringe at the Art Hall, hosts artists of Fringe Women Artists of Oklahoma providing various fine art mediums and provocative concepts to our communities, through April 1. Art Hall, 519 NW 23rd St., 405-231-5700, arthallokc.com.

Generations in Modern Pueblo Painting: The Art of Tonita Peña and Joe Herrera, documents and celebrates in particular the art of Tonita Peña (1983-1949), the only female Pueblo painter of her generation, and the work of her son, Joe Hilario Herrera, through April 8. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Grapevine Women’s Artist Show, features artists using four different mediums such as Lorie Merfeld-Batson from Colorado, Elizabeth Merfeld from Wyoming, Nancy Harkins from Oklahoma and more, 4-6:30 p.m. Feb. 15-16 and 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Feb. 17. Grapevine Gallery, 1933 NW 39th St., 405-528-3739, grapevinegalleryokc.com.

I-35 Toy Trucks, BJ White paints abstracts on man’s imprint on the earth from constructions and habitats to trucks, through Feb. 17. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org.

In Their Element: A Showcase of Native Photographers, features four American Indian photographers:Brad Woods, Jim Trosper, Lisa Hudson and Cara Romero:with their individual photography styles, through Feb. 28.

Exhibit C, 1 E. Sheridan Ave., Ste. 100, 405-7678900, exhibitcgallery.com.

Friends of the Library Book Sale Bring some bags to pack with books, books and more books, or buy a box of romance, mystery or children’s books and enjoy the surprises inside. The members-only pre-sale is 5:30-9 p.m.

Feb. 23. The sale is free and open to the public 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Feb. 24-25. Call 405-606-3763 or visit supportmls.org.

FEB. 23-25 Photo Friends of the Library/provided

Botanical Watercolor Painting, learn how to create watercolor paintings working with silk flowers and live flowers with teaching artist Kiana Daneshmand, 6-9 p.m. Thursdays. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU

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F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Leather Working Workshop, Traditional Cowboy Arts Association (TCAA) members Pedro Pedrini and Troy West teach tool modification, drawing floral layout and floral carving for beginner to intermediate students, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. through Feb. 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Life and Legacy: The Art of Jerome Tiger, one of Oklahoma’s most celebrated artists, Jerome Tiger, produced hundreds of works of art and won numerous awards throughout the country.

Celebrate the life and legacy of this remarkable painter, through May 13, 2018. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI Love, an exhibit of Behnaz Sohrabian’s portraits of women and abstract paintings as well as work

by Malaysian fashion and jewelry designer Stella Thomas, through Feb. 25. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Love Is a Canvas, give art to your Valentine this year choosing from a selection of paintings, fused glass, metal sculptures, jewelry and more, through Feb. 28. The Purple Loft Art Gallery, 514 NW 28th St., Suite 400, 405-412-7066, thepaseo.org.

Jardin do Amor/Garden of Love: Works by Skip Hill View works by Skip Hall with mixed-media drawings of expressive tattoo patterning, looping graphic lines and kinetic scribbling that create a sensual and sensory experience, through March 23 at Myriad Botanical Garden, 301 W. Reno Ave. Call 405-445-7080 or visit oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com. THROUGH MARCH 23 Photo Myriad Botanical Gardens/provided

Mindscape: The Subjective Realism of Steve Breerwood, features oil paintings that relate to the artist’s relationship with his inner self through an autobiographical approach giving the view a glimpse of subjective reality, through Feb. 22.

Melton Gallery, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 405-974-2000, uco.edu.

OFF-SPRING: New Generations, explore the development of both personal and group identity, childhood, family, history, and gender politics through sculptures, paintings, photographs, and videos, through Apr. 2018. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com.

Prairie Moderns: The Artwork of Don Holladay, focuses on figurative and non-objective images that convey isolation with pieces originating from the printmaking process, Feb. 17-March 16. Nesbitt Gallery, 1727 W. Alabama Ave. , Chickasha, 405416-3524, usao.edu.

Share at the Showroom: Marissa Raglin and Chelsey Cope, with Oklahoma City-based collage artist Marissa Raglin, the current Artist in Residence at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel with music

by Guthrie-based singer-songwriter Chelsey Cope, 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 15. Oklahoma Contemporary Showroom, 1146 N. Broadway Drive, 405-951-000, oklahomacontemporary.org. THU

anniversary of Oklahoma statehood with a diverse collection of art created by or about Oklahomans and the cities and landscapes they call home.

Enjoy works by John Steuart Curry, Oscar Brousse Jacobson, Nellie Shepherd, David Fitzgerald and Woody Big Bow, through Sept. 2. 2018. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-2363100, okcmoa.com.

The New Art: A Milestone Collection Fifty Years Later, features 52 works including paintings, prints, sculptures and drawings; it is a collection that has shaped the museum and Oklahoma in the art world, Feb. 17-May 13. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

Wake, a multisensory installation created by Grace Grothaus and Rena Detrixhe to animate water with waves through recorded audio, through March 31. Oklahoma Contemporary Showroom, 1146 N. Broadway Drive, 405-951-000, oklahomacontemporary.org.

Share the Love!, show your love for your favorite piece of art or artifact by placing a heart next to it and sharing it on social media with #MyWest and #HeartsForArt, through Feb. 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

SHIFT, Factory Obscura presents a fully-immersive, experiential art installation that challenges the participant to physically explore the full-sensory environment, Thu-Sun noon-6 p.m. through Feb. 25. Current Studio, 1218 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 405673-1218, currentstudio.org.

Space Burial, an exhibit using satellite dishes as a burial object for a space-faring culture and facilitating the dead’s afterlife journey to the stars, through April 8. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma.

Strange Tide, Danny Joe Rose III’s paintings are abstract and reminiscent of places he’s been, a sort of visual history, through Feb.17. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org.

The Art of Oklahoma, celebrate the 110th

go to okgazette.com for full listings! go to okgazette.com for full listings!

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 them to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

For okg live music

see page 37

EVENT

MUSIC

The elements

Waxahatchee storms into Oklahoma City with a Tower Theatre appearance.

By Ben Luschen

Pop punk and do-it-yourself music royalty Katie Crutchfield’s fourth studio album as indie-rock project Waxahatchee snuck its way onto several 2017 year-end music lists. When Tower Theatre announced the Alabama guitarist and vocalist would bring her tour through Oklahoma City, metro-area music fans were rightly thrilled.

The show, which also includes performances from John Calvin Abney and Night Shop, begins 8 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Uptown 23rd District venue, 425 NW 23rd St. Waxahatchee’s Out in the Storm burst onto the music scene in July like a galeforce wind. Ditching the lo-fi elements found on most of the project’s previous releases, Crutchfield’s latest provides some of her finest moments of lyrical clarity without sacrificing any impact. In fact, recording with a full band gave the record a large and full sound that only serves to strengthen her songs’ power.

Outside Waxahatchee, Crutchfield is known for P.S. Eliot, a duo she shared with drummer sister Allison, who now is vocalist and guitarist for the band Swearin’.

Crutchfield has also kept busy with a number of other projects since her most recent release, including a pair of Jason Molina covers with friend Kevin Morby (known as frontman for The Babies) as a benefit for the MusiCares foundation and a vocal appearance on the first Superchunk full-length in nearly five years, What A Time to Be Alive.

Oklahoma Gazette recently spoke to Crutchfield about writing for Out in the Storm and her other most recent work.

Oklahoma Gazette: Out in the Storm was great. Some people have described it as one of your most autobiographical albums to date. Do you agree with that assessment?

Crutchfield: No, not really. There are a lot of ways in which people have described it really astutely and it’s really left me with some pause, just because it was described more astutely than even I could describe it. But that one kind of confuses me, only because all the albums are really autobiographical. There isn’t really one that isn’t.

I think the reason people say that is that

the lyrics are pretty visceral. Like, the tone is different. It’s more immediate; there’s more heightened emotion. The other ones were coming from this place of fatigue or almost depression. This one is more immediate. It strikes people that way because the lyrics hit a little harder and it’s more in-your-face.

Storms are temporary, and being out in the mess kind of implies that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Katie Crutchfield OKG: There’s also recency bias.

Whatever is the latest thing always seems to be the most raw and revealing to date.

Crutchfield: Yeah, that’s just the machine that we’re all a part of. You’ve got to let it do its thing, I guess. If that’s what people want to say, that’s fine.

OKG: One of my favorite songs on the album is “Silver,” which includes the “out in the storm” lyrical reference. Could you explain the Out in the Storm concept and what that means to you?

Crutchfield: Yeah. I wanted to call [the album] one of the lyrics because I always love it when that happens and the title of the record is sort of name-checked in a song. I picked that one, I think, because storms are temporar y and being out in the

mess kind of implies that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There’s something hopeful about it. That’s something I wanted to convey on this record. Like, it’s a really, really bad moment where you’re all over the place, but knowing that there is something good to come out of it, it can be a moment you look back on as a turning point or a moment of personal growth.

OKG: When did you write “Silver” in relation to the other songs?

Crutchfield: I wrote the song “Fade” and the song “Never Been Wrong” — so the first and the last song — months and months before the rest of them. Those were two where I was like, ‘Well, these don’t really fit together and I don’t really know what I’m doing.’ Then I had a long stretch at home where I was like, ‘Now is the time; now I’m going to write the record.’ I felt like I had the record ready to go within me. That’s when the other eight were written, and “Silver” was written really early on in that process. The melody I had in my pocket for like a year, and I feel like that’s always kind of my process. I gather all these ideas and melodies and there’s always a couple I’m most excited about, and those are the ones I work on first. “Silver” was that one for me. I just knew that one was going to be really, really good. And the lyrics on that one ended up being the tamest in many ways.

OKG: You’re also on the new Superchunk single “Erasure.” How did that song come to be?

Crutchfield: Well, Merge (Records) is like one big giant family, which I’m happy to be a part of now. But [guitarist and vocalist Mac McCaughan] has always been a mentor in many ways. He’s always kind of walked me through all the highs and lows I’ve experienced since I’ve been on Merge.

He just came to me and said, ‘Hey, when you have time, there’s this song I think your voice would sound good on.’ I was out on tour on the first big Out in the Storm tour we were doing. We were coming through Raleigh-Durham [North

Carolina] and since I’m really bad with technology and Pro Tools or whatever, I was just like, ‘Can I come to you and I’ll just sing and you can do it?’ So I went to his house and did the song. I was psyched too because I love Superchunk and this, to me, is such a cool, poppy song and record.

OKG: You also recently released a couple of Jason Molina covers with Kevin Morby. What’s the backstory behind those songs?

Crutchfield: Well, Kevin and I like covering songs together, which is evident because we’ve done it a lot to this point. We talked about a handful of covers and tossed some ideas around.

It just happens organically between us when we hang out. We bonded over Molina on tour and talked about what it would be like to do “Farewell Transmissions,” because it’s such a crazy beast of a song.

OKG: Right, so why not do it?

Crutchfield: Right. We ended up running with it and decided to do “The Dark Don’t Hide It” too and just make it a charity thing. We recorded it in October in upstate New York with his drummer Nick Kinsey, who is also a recording engineer and producer. His studio is this incredible farm in upstate. It was really fun, a really laid-back recording experience. We’re all really tight, so it was fun just to be working on something together. We were all excited with how it turned out.

OKG: And it all benefits the MusiCares charity.

Crutchfield: Yeah, MusiCares is really great. It helps musicians get different forms of healthcare. With Kevin, it was really important to him because he had a vocal polyp and had to have surgery to remove it. MusiCares paid for all of that for him. Also, MusiCares had really helped Jason Molina with all of his struggles with addiction, and that’s a really big thing that they do. It’s a huge problem with everyone, but also specifically with musicians. We thought it would be a good charity to give all the money to.

Waxahatchee w/ Night Shop and John Calvin Abney 8 p.m. Feb. 21 Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St. towertheatreokc.com | 405-708-6937 $15-$17

Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield | Photo Jesse Riggins / provided O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

35

MUSIC “I like old blues songs, but I thought the references should be updated,” he said.

“Like a jelly roll — no one knows what a jelly roll is anymore.”

Hosty champions Norman’s advantages as a scene. Norman’s venues are in much closer proximity to each other than one finds in OKC. “You can go see three to four different people in a night down in Norman,” he said. “In Oklahoma City, it’s more difficult because of Uber and transportation costs.”

That compactness, plus a saturation of both musicians and music enthusiasts, has created fertile ground for growing the culture.

“That’s why these musical movements grow in small markets like college towns,” he said, “because it’s easier to access and you have a captive audience.”

Learning lessons

event

Mike Hosty | Photo Gazette / file

Iron man

With two decades of residency at The Deli under his belt, Mike Hosty knows a thing or two about career resiliency. By Ben Luschen

This year, one-man-band and Norman music staple Mike Hosty celebrates his astonishing 20th year playing Sundays at The Deli, the tried-and-true bar and music venue on historic Campus Corner near University of Oklahoma.

Hosty — known for his wit and eclectic blend of blues, jazz and folk genres — has faithfully kept his residency at the joint for longer than some OU students have been alive.

“I tried to add the shows all up one time, and it ended up being some kind of ridiculous number,” Hosty said in a recent Oklahoma Gazette interview.

The Deli is far from the only place to see the guitarist, percussionist and kazoo player at work. Hosty makes an Oklahoma City appearance 10 p.m. Friday at Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St. His famous solo set was also among the initial crop of local headliners announced for this year’s Norman Music Festival (NMF), set for April 26-28 in downtown Norman. Hosty is set to play after main headliner tune-yards graces the Fowler Automotive Main Stage at 10 p.m.

Hosty said the specific stage he will perform on has not yet been determined, but he is excited to follow such a highly anticipated headliner. This will only be Hosty’s third appearance at NMF in its 11 years, which is somewhat surprising given his close association with the city’s music community.

“I would have loved to play every 36

F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

single year,” he said. “But those [headlining] slots on those stages are invitation, I’m pretty sure.”

With many years of professional musicianship under his belt, Hosty has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. He would like to play well past 70 if he is able. Hosty hopes his specific blend of genres — or perhaps more precisely, his lack of a specific genre — will help get him there.

“You want to be able to play as long as you can,” he said. “I think blues, jazz and country afford that a lot more than some other genres. So if you can combine them all, that may be the secret sauce.”

Updated rhythm

Hosty released his most recent album Uno, the 16th full-length studio project of his career, in January 2017. He said while it did not end up making any local best-of 2017 lists, it is still “pretty good.”

“That’s my joke,” he said. “It’s not the best you’ll ever hear, but it’s pretty good.”

Hosty performs all the instrumentation and vocals for not only Uno, but all his albums. In the future, he said he would like to record with different musician friends in the rhythm section or with his son, a talented middle-school drummer.

Uno is filled with some whimsical and tongue-in-cheek subject matter. “Honey Bun,” an ode to the ultra-sweet frosted snack roll, can be counted as one of the album’s best tunes.

In addition to his work as a professional musician, Hosty was also one of the first instructors hired by Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO).

Teaching was not a direction he expected his career to go at the time, but then again, he never had much expectation for where music might lead him.

“In the music industry, you never know what you’ll be doing long-term,” Hosty said. “That’s from shows to albums to performing to working.”

The musician tries to impress on his students the best ways to make music a career. The challenging part to that is the sheer amount of change that frequently occurs in today’s industry.

“It’s changed every year and you’ve had to just adapt to what’s changing,” he said. “Local bands not being able to sell CDs anymore because no one has a home stereo. That’s major revenue for a local band.”

Though the market has steadily phased out CDs for the past several years, Hosty is one of the last remaining believers in the medium.

“I think there will be a resurgence, like vinyl,” he said. “People will want to have their own physical collections of music instead of relying on fees and subscriptions. They’ll start to realize that they’re being fleeced.”

Hosty said it can be challenging to prepare young students for the industry when he is constantly relearning how to navigate its ever-changing playing field. Still, if there is anyone qualified to teach career longevity, its Hosty.

“Being able to make a living at it now is just being able to adapt to what’s going on,” he said, “just like any other business.”

Visit hosty.com.

Mike Hosty 10 p.m. Friday Fassler Hall 421 NW 10th St. | fasslerhall.com | 405-609Free

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

Tyler Lee Band, Fuel Bar & Grill. COVER

WEDNESDAY, 2.14

SONGWRITER

Blake Lankford, JJ’s Alley. COUNTRY

Wanda Jackson, Tower Theatre. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

SUNDAY, 2.18 Cory Branan, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. SINGER/

Courtney Patton, The Blue Door. SINGER/ SONGWRITER

Saint Monroe/Stone Tide, Saints. ROCK

Davy Knowles, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. BLUES

Split Lip Rayfield, The Blue Door. BLUEGRASS

Fort Defiance, Red Brick Bar, Norman. FOLK

THURSDAY, 2.15 Adam Ledbetter Trio, Saints. JAZZ Hosty, Lazy Circles Brewing, Norman. BLUES Joe Crookston, The Blue Door. SINGER/

SONGWRITER

9600 S. I-44 ServICe roAD okLAhoMA CIty 405.759.2200

Michael Kleid’s Touch Of Sax, Flint. POP OC45/From Parts Unkown, Blue Note Lounge.

PUNK

MONDAY, 2.19 Big Business/Buildings, 89th Street - OKC. ROCK

Lex The Hex Master/Axe Murder Boyz/SCUM, 89th Street - OKC. RAP

IS READY

now open!

Nick Schnebelen Band, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. BLUES

Stephen Baker, The Bluebonnet Bar, Norman.

JAZZ

BUFFALowILDwInGS.CoM

Vintage Pistol/Hanniwa/Johnny Manchild, 51st Street Speakeasy. ROCK Watermelon Slim, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. BLUES

FRIDAY, 2.16 Amarillo Junction, Chisholm’s Saloon. COUNTRY BC and The Big Rig/Jack Waters and the Unemployed, The Deli, Norman. ROCK Brian Jones and the Misfit Cowboys, Remington Park. COUNTRY Bully/Melkbelly, Opolis, Norman. ROCK Cameran Nelson, Graham’s Central Station.

COUNTRY

Culture Cinematic/We Make Shapes/Spence Brown, 51st Street Speakeasy. ELECTRONIC Hydraulix, The Venue. ELECTRONIC Jessica Farmer, Red Brick Bar, Norman. COUNTRY Luke Combs/Ashley McBryde, The Criterion.

COUNTRY

Moon Taxi/Kalu and The Electric Joint/Twiggs, The Jones Assembly. ROCK Mothership/Turbowizard/Cobrajab, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK The Remedy, Mooney’s Pub and Grill, Norman.

ROCK

Lalah Hathaway The Honestly Tour comes to OKC! Grammy winner Lalah Hathaway, daughter of R&B legend Donny Hathaway, collaborated with Kendrick Lamar on 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly. She performs a mix of R&B, jazz and gospel music 8 p.m. Sunday at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. Call 405-708-6937 or visit towertheatreokc. com. Tickets are $40-$43. SUNDAY Photo Concord Music Group / provided

The Vox Squadron/White Trash Banditos, The Root. ROCK

Marbin, The Deli, Norman. JAZZ

Uncle Blue, McClintock Saloon & Chop House.

Tyler Lee Band, The Landing Zone. COVER

BLUES

SATURDAY, 2.17 Amanda Cunningham/Abbigale Dawn, The Deli, Norman. COUNTRY

TUESDAY, 2.20 POD/Islander/DED/Drunk On Monday and more, The Ruins Live. METAL The Dangerous Summer/Microwave/ The Band Camino, 89th Street - OKC.

Cosmic Wool/Spooky Fruit/St. Monroe and more, 89th Street - OKC. ROCK Dylan LeBlanc, The Blue Door. FOLK

PUNK

WEDNESDAY, 2.21

Gaelynn Lea/Sarah Reid/Maddie Razook, Opolis, Norman. FOLK

Amarillo Junction/Dan Martin, JJ’s Alley.

Jack Rowdy, The Landing Zone, Midwest City.

Hippie Sabotage, OKC Farmer’s Market. HIP-HOP

COUNTRY

Josh Sallee/Damn Haze, 51st Street Speakeasy. HIP-HOP Kent Fauss Trio, McClintock Saloon & Chop House.

COUNTRY

Martha Odom, The R&J Lounge and Supper Club.

POP

NF/Nightly, Diamond Ballroom. POP

COUNTRY

Lil Mike & FunnyBone, The Root. RAP Noah Gundersen, Will Rogers Theatre. SINGER/

SONGWRITER

Ruthie Foster, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. BLUES Scott Ellison Band, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. BLUES Sissy Brown, Anthem Brewing Company.

COUNTRY

The Lost End/Klipspringer/Fire Bad, The Blue Note. PUNK The Trading Co., The Bluebonnet Bar, Norman. BLUES

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.

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | F E B R U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

37

puzzles

VOL. XL No. 7

New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle CRACKING WISE

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By David Levinson Wilk | Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 0204

ACROSS 1 52-story Boston skyscraper, familiarly 7 Brass instrument with a

mellow sound 15 ____ Malfoy, student at Hogwarts 20 Sorkin and Spelling 21 Kind of equinox 22 Puerto ____ 23 “Stop! You’re killing me!”

25 ____-garde 26 Give some lip 27 Uncut 28 More than willing 30 For whom the Lorax speaks 31 Internet home to Between

Two Ferns 34 Latin for “womb” 38 Monsieur’s mate 41 Y or N, maybe 42 Shakespeare character who

says, “This above all: to thine

own self be true” 45 Actor Jason 47 Zugspitze, e.g.

50 A person skilled at deadpan

has one 52 What “4” may stand for 54 French river or department 55 Beseech 56 Advert’s ending?

57 Designer Geoffrey 58 Carrier to Karachi 61 Tugboat sounds 65 Decked out 67 Unimpressed response to

someone’s one-liner 72 ____ intolerance 73 Novo-Ogaryovo is the official

one of the Russian president 74 Lavatory sign 75 Hawke of Training Day 76 Regrettable 79 Broadway’s Hagen 81 Roméo et Juliette segment 85 Coin-toss call 86 Stand-up chain started in Los Angeles 92 Big engine additive 93 Log-in needs 94 Verbally assail 95 “Iglu,” for “igloo”: Abbr.

97 Cover over, in a way 99 Start limping

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DOWN 1 Some body art, for short 2 “Hilarious!”

3 Noteworthy times 4 Lobster traps 5 Med. professionals who

take a pledge named for

Florence Nightingale 6 Welcomes 7 Plaster 8 Condition for filmdom’s Rain Man 9 Suffix with speed 10 “Oh, what the hell … I’ll do it” 11 “Uh, you’ve told me quite enough” 12 Where Michael Jordan played

coll. ball 13 Meadow call 14 Poet Ginsberg 15 Game of Thrones creature 16 Joan who quipped ”A Peeping

Tom looked in my window and

pulled down the shade” 17 “Pick ____ …”

18 “Pretty please?”

19 Doing a pirouette, say 24 Poison ivy, e.g.

29 Some sneakers 30 Something carried onstage?

31 “Terrif!”

32 Fifth category of taste with a

Japanese name 33 Peter ____ Greatest Hits

(1974 album) 34 High hairstyle

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64 ____ fly 66 One on the left?: Abbr.

67 Greatly bother 68 TV blocking device 69 Tops 70 Finish all at once, in a way 71 Things taken by government officials 72 “Sounds like a plan!”

77 “Don’t be ____!”

78 ____ Walcott, Nobel Prize-

winning poet 80 Patriots’ org.

82 Bad state to be in 83 Mine transport 84 Modern party summons 87 Euros replaced them 88 Bustle 89 Grp. that puts on a show 90 Fleets

35 Doughnut figures 36 Late ’50s singing sensation 37 One of many scattered in a

honeymoon suite, maybe 39 Light bark 40 Cry from Homer 43 Kind of port for a flash drive 44 Manage 46 Night vision?

47 Bowl 48 Maid’s armful 49 Made an appeal 51 Hymn starter 52 Habitation 53 Around the time of birth 59 Chains 60 Car-rental giant 62 Poet who wrote “Fortune and

love favor the brave” 63 Org. that offers Pre? enrollment

Digital Media & Calendar Coordinator Hannah Meeske

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A V E R T

S O F I A

I C E A X E

O P T S

J O H N

S C A T

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T E R M I N S A P T E C O E E R D O S D A M S T O R E B I

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91 Wall St. bigwigs 93 Like Mount Narodnaya 95 Empty 96 Brings a smile to 98 Like some angels and dominoes 100 Champion 101 Airport that JFK dedicated in 1963 102 Erin of Joanie Loves Chachi 103 Locks up 105 Concoct 106 Bug 108 Jester 109 Feeling 110 Anthony Hopkins’s Thor role 111 City NNE of San Antone 112 “My treat!”

113 “My stars!”

116 Cambodia’s Angkor ____ 117 Court org.

118 Skit show, for short 119 What makes you you?

D R A B

S O F D L O U

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V E E S I L N

A T I T

B O C A

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A C K O R C A N S T L E V E G L E B E I L O V E R I M O N E E T A B O E C A S R L Y H S A I T S P S S W A M I S L I L T D L E O S S

P S D Y A N D E Y B R E R G E Y O N U T R T C H E I L L G E T H A I P C P T H E A P A R E M P A S

Advertising advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000 Account EXECUTIVES Stephanie Van Horn Saundra Rinearson Godwin Christy Duane Kurtis DeLozier

New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 0128, which appeared in the February 7 issue.

C A R P

Accounting/HR Manager Marian Harrison Accounts receivable Karen Holmes

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Associate Publisher James Bengfort

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EDITOR-in-chief George Lang glang@okgazette.com Assistant EDITOR Brittany Pickering Staff reporters Laura Eastes Ben Luschen Jacob Threadgill Contributors Ian Jayne, Sean Isabella Circulation Manager Chad Bleakley Production coordinator Aubrey Jernigan Graphic Designers Jim Massara Sarah Leis Order mounted or ready-to-frame prints of Oklahoma Gazette covers, articles and photos at okgazette.yourheadline.com 3701 N. Shartel Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118-7102 Phone (405) 528-6000 Fax (405) 528-4600 www.okgazette.com Copyright © 2018 Tierra Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

free will astrology Homework: Confess, brag, and expostulate about what inspires you to love. Got to freewillastrology.com and click on “Email Rob.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Ray Bradbury’s dystopian

ARIES (March 21-April 19) At 12,388 feet, Mount Fuji is Japan’s highest peak. If you’re in good shape, you can reach the top in seven hours. The return trip can be done in half the time -- if you’re cautious. The loose rocks on the steep trail are more likely to knock you off your feet on the way down than on the way up.

I suspect this is an apt metaphor for you in the coming weeks, Aries. Your necessary descent may be deceptively challenging. So make haste slowly! Your power animals are the rabbit and the snail.

bestseller Fahrenheit 451 was among the most successful of the 27 novels he wrote. It won numerous awards and has been adopted into films, plays, and graphic novels.

Bradbury wrote the original version of the story in nine days, using a typewriter he rented for 20 cents per hour.

When his publisher urged him to double the manuscript’s length, he spent another nine days doing so. According to my reading of the planetary configurations, you Cancerians now have a similar potential to be surprisingly efficient and economical as you work on an interesting creation or breakthrough -- especially if you mix a lot of play and delight into your labors.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) In 1903, Orville and

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Poet Louise Glück has

Wilbur Wright made a few short jaunts through the air in a flying machine they called the Flyer. It was a germinal step in a process that ultimately led to your ability to travel 600 miles per hour while sitting in a chair 30,000 feet above the earth. Less than 66 years after the Wright Brothers’ breakthrough, American astronauts landed a space capsule on the moon. They had with them a patch of fabric from the left wing of the Flyer. I expect that during the coming weeks, you will be climaxing a long-running process that deserves a comparable ritual.Revisit the early stages of the work that enabled you to be where you are now.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) In 2006, five percent of

the world’s astronomers gathered at an international conference and voted to demote Pluto from a planet to a “dwarf planet.” Much of the world agreed to honor their declaration. Since then, though, there has arisen a campaign by equally authoritative astronomers to restore Pluto to full planet status. The crux of the issue is this: How shall we define the nature of a planet? But for the people of New Mexico, the question has been resolved. State legislators there formally voted to regard Pluto as a planet. They didn’t accept the demotion. I encourage you to be inspired by their example, Gemini.

Whenever there are good arguments from opposing sides about important matters, trust your gut feelings.

Stand up for your preferred version of the story.

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characterized herself as “afflicted with longing yet incapable of forming durable attachments.” If there is anything in you that even partially fits that description, I have good news: In the coming weeks, you’re likely to feel blessed by longing rather than afflicted by it. The foreseeable future will also be prime time for you to increase your motivation and capacity to form durable attachments. Take full advantage of this fertile grace period!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) In 2004, a man named

Jerry Lynn tied a battery-operated alarm clock to a string and dangled it down a vent in his house. He was hoping that when the alarm sounded, he would get a sense of the best place to drill a hole in his wall to run a wire for his TV. But the knot he’d made wasn’t perfect, and the clock slipped off and plunged into an inaccessible spot behind the wall. Then, every night for 13 years, the alarm rang for a minute. The battery was unusually strong! A few months ago, Lynn decided to end the mild but constant irritation. Calling on the help of duct specialists, he retrieved the persistent clock. With this story as your inspiration, and in accordance with astrological omens, I urge you Virgos to finally put an end to your equivalent of the maddening alarm clock.

(Read the story: tinyurl.com/alarmclockmadness.)

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Was Napoléon Bonaparte

an oppressor or liberator? The answer is both. His work in the world hurt a lot of people and helped a lot of people.

One of his more magnanimous escapades transpired in June 1798, when he and his naval forces invaded the island of Malta. During his six-day stay, he released political prisoners, abolished slavery, granted religious freedom to Jews, opened 15 schools, established the right to free speech, and shut down the Inquisition.

What do his heroics have to do with you? I don’t want to exaggerate, but I expect that you, too, now have the power to unleash a blizzard of benevolence in your sphere. Do it in your own style, of course, not Napoléon’s.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) “Trees that are slow to

grow bear the best fruit,” said French playwright Molière. I’m going to make that your motto for now, Scorpio. You have pursued a gradual, steady approach to ripening, and soon it will pay off in the form of big bright blooms. Congratulations on having the faith to keep plugging away in the dark! I applaud your determination to be dogged and persistent about following your intuition even though few people have appreciated what you were doing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) The growth you

can and should foster in the coming weeks will be stimulated by quirky and unexpected prods. To get you started, here are a few such prods. 1. What’s your hidden or dormant talent, and what could you do to awaken and mobilize it? 2. What’s something you’re afraid of but might be able to turn into a resource? 3. If you were a different gender for a week, what would you do and what would your life be like? 4. Visualize a dream you’d like to have while you’re asleep tonight. 5. If you could transform anything about yourself, what would it be?

6. Imagine you’ve won a free vacation to anywhere you want. Where would you go?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You may think you

have uncovered the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But according to my analysis of the astrological omens, you’re just a bit more than halfway there. In order to get the rest of the goods, you’ll have

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to ignore your itch to be done with the search. You’ll have to be unattached to being right and smart and authoritative. So please cultivate patience. Be expansive and magnanimous as you dig deeper. For best results, align yourself with poet Richard Siken’s definition: “The truth is complicated. It’s two-toned, multi-vocal, bittersweet.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) The posh magazine

Tatler came up with a list of fashionable new names for parents who want to ensure their babies get a swanky start in life. Since you Aquarians are in a phase when you can generate good fortune by rebranding yourself or remaking your image, I figure you might be interested in using one of these monikers as a nickname or alias.

At the very least, hearing them could whet your imagination to come up with your own ideas. Here are Tatler’s chic avant-garde names for girls: Czar-Czar; Debonaire; Estonia; Figgy; Gethsemane; Power; Queenie. Here are some boys’ names: Barclay; Euripides; Gustav; Innsbruck; Ra; Uxorious; Wigbert; Zebedee.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Now that you have finally

paid off one of your debts to the past, you can start window-shopping for the future’s best offers. The coming days will be a transition time as you vacate the power spot you’ve outgrown and ramble out to reconnoiter potential new power spots. So bid your crisp farewells to waning traditions, lost causes, ghostly temptations, and the deadweight of people’s expectations. Then start preparing a vigorous first impression to present to promising allies out there in the frontier.

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.

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