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P.22 Twenty years ago, professional baseball did more than win hearts and minds as OKC’s team and community celebrated the first completed MAPS project. Bricktown Ballpark also spurred a hitting streak for downtown redevelopment. By Laura Eastes.

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NEWS

Metro Local Impact, part 3: ACA and health care

Education Classen Ten Penn

Education high school grads

saves school art program

lack prerequisite college math skills

10 Commentary Adam R. Banner:

Where’s the transparency?

10 Commentary John Morris

Williams: Brace for another crash landing

11 Letters

12 Chicken-Fried News

EAT & DRINK 15 Review The Pritchard Wine Bar 16 Feature Norman’s Paisley Cafe 18 Feature rooftop patios 19 Briefs

20 Gazedibles sandwich club

ARTS & CULTURE 22 Cover Chickasaw Bricktown

Ballpark turns 20

ACM@UCO Metro Music Fest 2017 program

28 OKG SHOP spring

30 Theater Lyric Theatre’s James

and the Giant Peach

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33 Theater Carpenter Square

Theatre’s The Whipping Man 34 Film Mono film anthology

APRIL 8 Tickets Starting at $50

35 Art Crucible Foundry elephants

at 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk

35 Culture OCU Women in

Leadership event

36 Books Literary Voices event

37 Community Tinker Air Force

Bases turns 75

38 Active Metro Tech’s

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39 Calendar

MUSIC 41 Event K.C. Clifford at The

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42 Event Bricktown Freedom Fest

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43 Event Daddyo’s at NMFX 44 Live music

FUN 45 Astrology

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Local impact

While the ACA survives, Oklahomans express worry about possible changes.

Editor’s note: Local Impact is an Oklahoma Gazette news series examining how federal policies and decisions impact local communities. When Angie Ward enrolled in the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplace in August, she planned to use her plan’s core benefits for routine health needs. After a cycling wreck along a paved Lake Hefner trail two months later, Ward ended up in the emergency room as medical professionals listed needed tests and procedures. As a mother and small business owner who also worked two other jobs to keep afloat, the possibility of missed work, lost income and mounting medical bills raced through her mind. “My life changed that day,” Ward recalled. “I was in panic and was fearful, like anyone would be.” Five months later, Ward had endured countless doctor visits and multiple surgeries to fix rotator cuff tears and a torn knee ligament. Statements from BlueCross BlueShield of Oklahoma, the only marketplace insurer in the state, show the Village resident doesn’t owe a penny. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also called Obamacare, Ward qualified for a subsidy that greatly reduced her monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs. In the event of a catastrophe, like her cycling injuries, Ward’s insurance covered the costs of her care. Ward said she is sure her ACA benefits, which she was required by law to have or face a penalty, kept her from bankruptcy or having to go without needed health care. “Every day, I express how grateful I am,” Ward said. “Where would I be if I had no income and all of these medical bills?” Her relief became nervousness as federal lawmakers and President Donald Trump’s administration promised to “repeal and replace” the ACA. While Ward admits that some aspects of the ACA should be reformed, she also describes herself as one of millions of Americans whose lives have improved under ACA mandates. “It’s very disheartening and frustrating when all I hear on the TV from the mouths of politicians is that [the ACA] is falling apart and is a disaster,” Ward said. “My heart just drops because I am sitting here. I say out loud, ‘Look at me. Look at what it did for me.’”

ACA impact

By Laura Eastes

It was easy for the public to overlook positive aspects of ACA as Capitol Hill politicians stirred health care debate for years and media centered on some people’s increased premiums and outof-pocket costs. Signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, the ACA was designed to reform the health care industry by adding consumer protections, regulations, subsidies, taxes, insurance exchanges and other reforms. The ACA affects both private and public health insurance. “The biggest effect that the ACA has had has also been the easiest to overlook,” said Carly Putnam, an Oklahoma Policy Institute health care analyst. “It reformed what insurance companies can and can’t do.” Well-known and popular ACA provisions required insurance providers to cover people with pre-existing conditions and dependents up to age 26. Other provisions also required insurers to cover 10 essential health benefits, including pregnancy, newborn care, mental health and substance abuse treatment, rehabilitation services, outpatient care and emergency services. “All of that, I think, really changed the way we look and talk about health care coverage,” Putnam said. “I think that is one of the reasons we’ve seen the polling turn around on the ACA.”

Oklahoma has a unique ACA experience. State lawmakers declined to expand the Medicaid program or set up a state health-insurance exchange under the act. At the end of open enrollment for 2016, 145,329 Oklahomans had enrolled in plans sold on HealthCare.gov since its start, according to Department of Health and Human Services data. Since HealthCare.gov debuted, more Oklahomans are now insured. In October 2015, 15.43 percent of residents were uninsured, and 13.96 percent were without insurance a year later. Comparatively, 9 percent of Americans remain uninsured. HealthCare.gov has failed to attract Oklahomans. Putnam said that’s due to a general misunderstanding of what the ACA does. While premiums can be higher, most people qualify for tax credits and costsharing options that help keep costs low.

Rural view

When Amy Hancock talks about her experiences purchasing insurance through the health insurance exchange, fellow rural Oklahomans typically respond with surprise as she tells them her insurance and prescriptions costs are affordable. “When you are on your own as a small business owner, you need affordable health care,” Hancock said. “That’s what the ACA has been for me. It is very helpful, and I pay about $67 a month for my health insurance.” The former health care worker, who enjoyed years of good employer-sponsored health benefits, signed up for individual insurance in December. In Carter County, where Hancock

lives, Trump earned 74 percent of the presidential election vote. As a presidential candidate, he described the ACA as a “total disaster” and vowed to repeal and replace it. Hancock said her friends and neighbors are surprised when she praises the ACA. “The political nature of Obamacare is statements that we need to replace it and it’s terrible,” Hancock said. “No, it’s not. I am a real-life person. It has really helped me. I will be in a rough spot if they repeal it because I have come to depend on the benefits.”

Health care fate

Last month, both Ward and Hancock made repeated calls to Oklahoma’s Congressional leaders to share their stories and encourage lawmakers to vote against the GOP’s ACA replacement plan. Called the American Health Care Act, the proposal affected the federal deficit and the number of insured Americans. Many analysts believed the plan, which was pulled from consideration March 24, would most affect older people who do not qualify for Medicare yet. The ACA remains law for now, but the debate is far from over as House Republican leaders, President Trump and his administration continue negotiations. As Ward keeps a close watch on decisions from Capitol Hill, she focuses on healing from a recent knee surgery. She doesn’t want to postpone any medical treatments, as the fate of her health care — and many millions of others — might hang in the balance.

City of The Village resident Angie Ward, who is insured under the Affordable Care Act, closely watches federal health regulation developments. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

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Local artist Jason Pawley works on a mural at northwest OKC’s

e d u c at i o n

Eugene Field Elementary school. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

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Brighter futures

A neighborhood and arts district rally to return art and art education to Eugene Field Elementary school. By Laura Eastes

When members of Eugene Field Elementary school’s community advisory board learned the northwest Oklahoma City prekindergarten through sixth grade school would go without a visual arts program for the 2016-17 school year, board members responded with a plan to bring the arts back. “We needed to do something,” said Jessica Thompson, president of Eugene Field’s community advisory board (CAB), which works closely with school leaders to develop goals and assist in a variety of ways. “I believed the kids would be at a disadvantage when compared to kids from other districts in Oklahoma that offered both art and music.” Due to state funding cuts, Eugene Field, one of 54 elementaries within the Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) district, began this year without a visual arts teacher or opportunities to learn about or participate in artistic creation. The lack of visual arts classes concerned the Eugene Field board, comprised of members who live in the Classen Ten Penn neighborhood or work in nearby 16th Street Plaza District, one of OKC’s top arts and entertainment areas. Art courses provide students with a creative outlet, increase their selfconfidence and build teamwork skills and self-discipline as well as serve as a fun period for elementary students. “It broke our hearts to see they had this great classroom, an arts classroom, sitting empty,” said Kelsey Karper, CAB board member and co-owner of Current Studio, an experimental art space in the Classen Ten Penn neighborhood. “We started thinking, as an arts organization in the neighborhood, how could we come up with a structure for providing arts programming,” she said.

With the support of the CAB board and the school principal, Current Studio drafted a plan to help secure Eugene Field students a well-rounded education with art lessons by visiting artists this school year.

Back in school

Following the success of its FundEd: A School Cafeteria-Themed Dinner fall fundraiser, Current Studio sponsored four artists to teach three-week sessions this semester to second- through sixthgraders. “We wanted to come up with a model that could potentially be replicable in other schools as well as something that is sustainable for the long-term,” Karper said. “It is an opportunity for artists, but it also benefits students.” With dozens of stuffed animals placed before fourth-graders, local artist Balthazar Hensley invited students to deconstruct them. The hands-on opportunity also gives youths unstructured time to explore and invent new forms as well as learn how to sew. Artist Erin Shaw introduced third-graders to color mixing and color theory. Using vanilla wafers, frosting and food coloring, each student created an edible color wheel. In May, artist Nicole Emmons-Willis will introduce stop-motion animation to second- and sixth-graders and artist Nick Lillard will teach mixed-media sculpture to fifth-graders.

It’s possible

When Thompson joined the CAB board, she had three goals: improve parent engagement, create a school fundraiser and bring public art onto the school campus. Addressing the loss of a visual arts program also became a top priority. She

and fellow board members took steps to reach those goals. This spring, parents and grandparents began attending two-day-per-week English as a Second Language (ESL) classes taught by a Community Literacy Centers instructor. Parent-teacher communication can be challenging, and Thompson said the board hopes such classes help bridge the gap between parents and school leaders. Breaking down the language barrier is key to easing comfort levels for parents and grandparents to become more engaged with the school. Recently, artists Sean Vali and Jason Pawley created a forest-themed mural for the campus’ courtyard entrance. The work incorporates Eugene Field’s deer mascot and brightens concrete walls leading into the school. Last year, Thompson and Karper saw fellow neighbors and community members become involved with the elementary school. Most arrive aware of the challenges of urban engagement, along with school cuts, and are eager to help, Thompson said.

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Kelsey Karper “What we are doing here with the Eugene Field CAB is the model,” Thompson said. “We should be pulling people from the community to support the schools, especially when they are lacking in state funding.” When it comes to volunteering at schools, often, parents tutor students, serve as reading buddies or teach afterschool enrichment programs. Nonparents can face initial barriers when engaging with a school, which is why Karper said CABs can play a critical role in enlisting community help. “As a community member, there is no invitation to become involved and engaged unless there is a community action board,” she said. Karper and Thompson believe their plan is replicable at other elementary schools. Their stories of involvement, along with the work of the community board, encourage others to help neighborhood schools. “Even though we lost funding for art, we were able to find people in our community that wanted to help,” Thompson said. “You hear about the possibility of schools closing down and the overall reputation of Oklahoma City Public Schools, but this is a beacon of hope. Here, despite a lack of state funding, our community came together and supported our schools.”

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e d u c at i o n

Oklahoma State Department of Education Superintendent Joy Hofmeister | Photo Garett Fisbeck / file

Planning ahead Collectively, Oklahoma’s college students spend over $22 million more to learn what they didn’t master in high school, and a state program aims to change that. By Laura Eastes

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Each fall, many Oklahoma high school graduates enter in-state colleges and universities with achievement deficits. In 2015, just over 40 percent, or about 6,734 of the 16,796 college freshmen who graduated from 461 Oklahoma public high schools, enrolled in a remedial class, according to Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Despite the growing number of students earning college credit while still in high school through the state’s concurrent enrollment and Advanced Placement programs, for whatever reasons, a large number of Oklahoma public high school graduates are not proficient in courses they should have mastered in high school. “There is a gap year between when [students] need to use those skills walking into a college or a career tech center,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister. “We don’t want students to lose ground.” Furthermore, national studies show that college and university students enrolled in remedial courses pay more in tuition because they delay their ability to enroll in credit-earning courses. Unlike remedial education in high school, which can be a catalyst for success, college students forced to remediate their higher education trajectory also face greater obstacles in completing degrees. Improving college readiness is the focus of College Career Math Ready, a new Oklahoma State Department of Education initiative developed through a partnership with Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and

Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. Next fall, thousands of high school seniors will be offered a transition course to boost math competency and reduce potential college remediation. “When we spoke to employers and colleges, time and again, they said the student needs foundational mathematic skills and they need to have increased thinking skills,” explained Levi Patrick, Oklahoma State Department of Education director of computer sciences and secondary 7-12 mathematics. “We know we can create solutions that can meaningfully impact our high school students.”

Culture shift

It’s not uncommon for Oklahoma high school students to be enrolled in fewer courses their senior year. Some students use the extra time concentrating on athletics or extracurricular activities, working part-time or relaxing while preparing for college. Across the state, education leaders have advocated for restructuring the senior year to add secondary education options and prepare students for postsecondary education and professionoriented internships and apprenticeships. One such advocate is Hofmeister, who said one-third of all students enroll in a math course in their final year of high school. “Thirty percent of Oklahoma seniors are already taking four years of math, but flip that to recognize that 70 percent of high school seniors are not taking

mathematics for four years,” Hofmeister said. Students in ninth through 11th grades take algebra I, geometry and algebra II. High schools offer upperlevel courses like statistics and precalculus/trigonometry. However, since only three units of math are required for a high school diploma, often students, especially those uninterested in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) careers, bypass these elective courses, Patrick said. “By and large, students don’t take senior-level math courses if they don’t see themselves on track to STEM careers,” Patrick said. “The break [from] math can be hurtful for their success.”

We don’t want students to lose ground. Joy Hofmeister Oklahoma high school students who complete three or fewer math credits earn an average ACT math score of 17, state figures show. Often, colleges and universities determine remediation needs based on an applicant’s entrance exam scores. College Career Math Ready is a transition course recommended for students with non-STEM college aspiration and earned ACT math scores between 13 and 18. Students pursuing STEM programs are encouraged to enroll in pre-calculus/trigonometry or calculus. In June, the Oklahoma State Department of Education will provide two College Career Math Ready training sessions for teachers set to implement the program in the fall. The course was created by the Southern Regional Education Board, a nonprofit working with Oklahoma and 15 other states to improve public education, and introduced in high schools in North Carolina and Delaware. Districts ultimately choose whether or not to implement the class next

school year, and state education officials said they see signs that many will offer College Career Math Ready. Large numbers of school administrators and curriculum specialists tuned in to February webinars introducing the course, and many followed up with interest to implement it in their schools.

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Black hole

Oklahoma is one of many states facing the reality that many high school students aren’t fully prepared for college. A research report from Education Reform Now and Education Post found that one in four American freshmen who begin college the fall after high school graduation also enroll in remedial coursework, which costs families nearly $1.5 billion annually. In Oklahoma, remediation costs $22.2 million annually in extra tuition, according to a Center for American Progress report. Equally disturbing is the comparison of remedial education to a black hole, as figures from the state Department of Education show comparatively few of those students earn degrees. In the state’s two-year colleges, 9.2 percent of first-year students enrolled in remedial courses graduate within three years. At four-year colleges, 30.6 percent of students in remedial courses earn degrees within six years. Oklahoma is not the first state to initiate transition courses. The next step is district and student buy-in for the College Career Math Ready math course. Educators and students must weigh the course in the context of the probability of success, a statistics concept that would closely relate the program to the remedial college coursework and saving tuition dollars. “Math is a universal language,” Hofmeister said. “It is the language of business. It is the language of many careers, important careers. It is a foundational skill that we build upon. When you miss that in a gap year, if not more, you have a lost that significantly widens the probability of your success.”

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NEWS

Where’s the transparency?

Former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has been accused of lying to Congress based on released emails, and the Oklahoma Supreme Court just ordered a stay on any further disclosure of his emails. Meanwhile, Gov. Mary Fallin also caused concern about whether her newly appointed Supreme Court Justice is qualified to represent his district. I want there to be some transparency. That’s why the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s recent decision denying the further release of Pruitt’s emails hit me crossways. I understand the desire to protect AG office correspondence and the person who ran it in light of potentially confidential and privileged work-product. Still, it bothers me that the court ordered an indefinite stay on the release of the emails as opposed to an order for disclosure within some definite time period. Why does it bother me? The decision raises national eyebrows at a time when

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Opinions expressed on the commentary page, in letters to the editor and elsewhere in this newspaper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

Fallin recently appointed attorney Patrick Wyrick to represent the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s Second District. So where is the issue with transparency? According to the Oklahoma Constitution, “each Justice, at the time of his election or appointment, shall have attained the age of thirty years, shall have been a qualified elector in the district for at least one year immediately prior to the date of filing or appointment …” State Election Board data shows Wyrick registered to vote within the Second District on Oct. 12, 2016, roughly two weeks before submitting his Application for Judicial Vacancy. Prior to that, he had voted in Cleveland County (Norman) since 2000. Other concerns with his qualifications include the fact that he was admonished by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor for contradictions in his arguments before the court. Some critics point

parties to proceed accordingly. But that’s the problem. The court issued an indefinite stay regarding release of the emails until the court decides otherwise. As such, everyone is left waiting in the dark. Why not just set a new date of compliance? Based on recent developments, to do otherwise gives a very negative impression that the court surely did not intend, an impression the state of Oklahoma does not deserve. It looks muddy and murky. It’s not transparent. It feels as though life in President Donald Trump’s administration is a different kind of “draining” than he promised. Adam R. Banner is an Oklahoma City criminal defense attorney who focuses on all stages of criminal defense, including plea negotiations, jury trials and criminal appeals. | Photo provided

Brace for another crash landing

The Oklahoma Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 43 and Senate Joint Resolution 44 and sent them to the House of Representatives. These bills seem to have found no reason in debate other than “the courts need to be accountable.” The alternative debate has been that courts need not be accountable to anything but the law. Of course, if you want to pass unconstitutional legislation and always assure victory in court, you surely do want the court to be beholden to you. Attacks on the courts are not new. Countless stories, newscasts and a couple of books have been written about the judicial scandal of the 1960s. The reforms passed in 1967 have provided a scandalproof system. The new proposed “reforms” give the governor, with the approval of Oklahoma’s Senate, a certain path to make purely political appointments to the highest courts in our state. A Feb. 24 editorial in The Norman Transcript gives the best short definition of the current Judicial Nominating Commission: Currently, the JNC vets applicants for open positions on Oklahoma’s appellate courts and provides the governor with a final three to choose from. The board has six members appointed by the governor, six from the Oklahoma Bar 10

to Wyrick’s lack of courtroom experience. He has taken only one civil case to verdict on a bench trial. He has never taken either a civil or criminal case to verdict before a jury. He has never been a judge. The ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging Wyrick’s appointment, and the Oklahoma Supreme Court already issued an opinion dismissing it with prejudice. And here we are, with Wyrick rightfully still a Supreme Court Justice until and unless something changes, sitting on a court that just issued an indefinite stay on the release of his former boss’ emails. It just looks bad. Should the Oklahoma Supreme Court have delayed further disclosure of Pruitt’s emails? Absolutely. Give the AG’s office adequate time to review the records. It would be reckless to release them without some oversight. These emails should be held as confidential and protected until found otherwise. Oklahoma’s Supreme Court could have set a date for disclosure and allowed the

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They seem to be certain that history could not possibly repeat itself with them in the cockpit and political parties acting like control towers.

Association, one selected at large and one each from the leaders of the Oklahoma House and Senate. The appointment of the latest justice to the Oklahoma Supreme Court by Gov. Mary Fallin doesn’t seem to have stirred up the usual anti-JNC antagonists. That might give some weight to the argument there is nothing wrong with the system; it’s just that Gov. Brad Henry appointed too many justices during his tenure. If that’s the problem, time will fix it without turning back to a politically engineered system proven to be corrupt. I admit this is about as interesting as airplane safety rules — pretty dull and uninteresting unless the captain announces to brace for a crash landing. Funny how those brochures in the seat back and the lighted exit signs do not mean much until you are losing altitude at an incredible rate. By that time, it’s a little late to read the safety card. That is how it is with the JNC and protecting the public from a politically

charged judicial selection process. Most of the critics and politicians who wish to return to the old system were either not alive or were not of an age to have sufficient memory to recall the worst judicial scandal in the history of the United States. They seem to be certain that history could not possibly repeat itself with them in the cockpit and political parties acting like control towers. Certain aircraft, like judicial selection methods, are known to have high crash rates. Undoing our current method and leaving the selection of judges to solely partisan political maneuvers is more like parking an aircraft with a perfect record and bringing back the Hindenburg. Anyone who has made a scholarly study of judicial selection processes knows that the system being passed off as “reform” is certain to blow up or have a crash landing. John Williams is executive director of the Oklahoma Bar Association. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

letters

that were cited by The Oklahoman and that American voters oppose 50-44 percent “suspending immigration from ‘terror prone’ regions, even if it means turning away refugees …” Identical wording was used for the relevant question in the two polls. Since The Oklahoman’s editors deemed those earlier poll results important enough to publish, I have no doubt they’re already working on an update to make sure readers have the whole story. Rebecca Rutledge Oklahoma City

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

Apologize!

This John Bennett character needs to call a halt to his hateful and damaging antics. Bennett’s phobias are getting in the way of his duties as an elected official at the state Capitol. The questionnaire handed out to those who came to speak to him March 2 on Muslim Day at the state Capitol was absolutely disgusting. His effort to avoid blame for it, saying it was put together by an outside group, he wasn’t there, etc., was equally disturbing. If Bennett had ever read the Bible (and I am assuming he claims to be Christian), he could not avoid the fact that the Bible’s Old Testament contains writings that are every bit as brutal and frightening as the writings targeted in

that questionnaire about the Quran. The Quran, like the Bible, can be picked apart and made to sound like it condones violence, but by doing that the true message of both is missed completely and that message is one of love and respect for our creator and our fellow man. Both texts’ message was clearly missed by the representative. Bennett owes an apology to his constituents and to all Muslims. He is an embarrassment to our state and to this country. Lynn Betterton Oklahoma City

Corrections

Poll position

>> A March 22 Oklahoma Gazette photo caption (News, “Local impact,” Laura Eastes) misidentified Jennifer Prilliman as Phyllis Klugas. Only Prilliman was featured in the photo.

The “Public sides with Trump” Feb. 4 opinion piece in The Oklahoman cites a Quinnipiac University poll conducted Jan. 5-7 to demonstrate that, regarding the immigration ban, “the general public sides more with Trump than with his critics.” But a more recent poll, also from Quinnipiac, reversed those findings. Poll results released Feb. 7 indicate that voters oppose suspending immigration from “terror-prone” regions by a margin of 50 to 44 percent. In the Feb. 7 news release summarizing its latest poll results, Quinnipiac states that the new poll “reverses the findings”

>> A March 22 Gazette story (Eat & Drink, “Budget bites,” Greg Elwell) incorrectly listed the price of Sauced on Paseo’s Thursday night “sketti” dinner. It is $3.50 per plate.

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friedNEWS

Easter eggs

Dude, where are our cars? A recently released audit shows Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office is playing a very expensive game of hide-and-seek. Auditors reported that more than 3,000 of 7,844 of the sheriff’s office’s listed property items are missing. That’s a whopping 38.7 percent, and they’re more than just paperclips — the list includes guns, computers, cars, bulletproof vests and more. Some guns are small enough that, disturbing (or ironic, considering we’re talking about officers of the law) as it is, they might be hidden away somewhere on accident. But cars? How do you lose cars?! All in all, property worth $3.36 million has disappeared, according to the audit. “Obviously, they’ve been keeping poor records for a long time,” State Auditor and Inspector Gary Jones told The Oklahoman. Obviously. Acting Sheriff P.D. Taylor pointed blame at former Sheriff John Whetsel, who said the auditors must be mistaken. Whetsel, who was elected to the position in 1997, resigned March 1 after Oklahoma County Commissioners alleged he financially mismanaged the office, including not paying a company that provided health care to inmates. With Easter just around the corner, we at Chicken-Fried News humbly suggest that auditors enlist some of Oklahoma County’s vast army of children to go on a hunt through the County Sheriff’s Office. Hide a few treat- and prize-filled plastic eggs here and there, too. A curious kid might walk away with a fistful of jellybeans and the location of those 23 missing firearms. 1 3/20/17 2:02 PM Quarter Page Gazette .pdf

Girl Scouts cues

Ever ask a Girl Scout about friendship? Well, if you have, you know those scouts deliver solid advice on friendship. For decades, Girl Scout troops have sung the song “Make New Friends,” which opens with the lyric “Make new friends, but keep the old.” Another says, “A circle is round, it has no end. / That’s how long I will be your friend.” We at Chicken-Fried News believe 25-year-old Dylan Prince never asked any scout about friendship. If he had, he might have thought twice before robbing his buddy at gunpoint. According to KFOR.com, Prince was arrested last month on a complaint of robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a felony and receiving and concealing stolen property. According to an arrest affidavit, the pal-turned-prey told police she let Prince and a female friend into her northwest Oklahoma City home. Once inside, Prince pointed a gun at the alleged victim as Prince’s companion unplugged a television. The pair then decamped with the alleged victim’s boob tube. The chum-turned-dupe called police and shared a description of Prince’s

car. Given they were very recently also cronies, we guess she likely also shared a description of his home, address, the happy-hour bars he might frequent and maybe even his Laundromat of choice and the names of his parents. Soon, police spotted the car and confronted Prince, the news station reported. “You have one hand, I have the other,” the Girl Scout song continues. “Put them together, and one of us ends up in jail.”

Tweets on a plane

In the old days, before cell phones and the internet, when you had trouble reaching someone, you could get in your car and drive around looking for them or just wait for them at their home or office. Thanks to technology, the latter behaviors are almost always unnecessary. They’re also super creepy. Kendall Brown, a Norman woman worried about the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), called, left messages for and wrote to her legislator to share her concerns. Brown also has Crohn’s disease, a chronic, incurable inflammatory disease, reported KFOR.com.

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Shockingly, the lawmaker, also known as Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford, failed to reply. Then fate stepped in. Brown was on a March 24 flight from Dallas to Oklahoma City when she spotted Lankford a few rows away. So she @’d him. “Hi @SenatorLankford I still would like to talk about the ACA with you,” she tweeted. “I haven’t been able to reach you but your (sic) on my flight. Want to chat?” He “liked” her tweet. Oh my god, you guys. Then she sent a couple more. But it gets better. As the plane lifted off, she wrote him a letter saying she wanted to speak with him about “living with an incurable disease & insurmountable medical debt,” the news station reported. Lankford responded. According to News9.com, the senator got up from his seat and walked over to Brown. They spoke briefly as she reiterated her desire to share her story. He promised he would be available later. Later that day, he called her, but she didn’t answer because his number was blocked — and nobody answers calls from blocked numbers! She quickly realized it wasn’t a telemarketer.

A representative from Lankford’s office assured KFOR.com that Lankford would call again that weekend. Tulsa World reported they connected and spoke for 40 minutes that night. Lankford said it would be wrong to repeal the ACA if that meant people like Brown with debilitating conditions were left out in the cold, Lankford’s spokesman D.J. Jordan told Tulsa World. “Senator Lankford believes Congress should fix Obamacare with the goal in mind of doing no harm to current enrollees, including (Brown),” Jordan told the newspaper. Brown told News9.com that since she tweeted Lankford, other people have come forward to share their health care concerns, too. “It feels really awesome to know that I am being entrusted with their stories because I know how important it is to have their stories heard,” she told News9.com.

Naming rights

Oklahoma City recently announced the top five suggestions for the name of a new park planned for downtown. In an online video, Mayor Mick Cornett announced the city would

open naming rights for the MAPSfunded public recreation space. One of the few stipulations was that it couldn’t be named after a person. Also, via the city’s official Twitter account, Parky McParkface will not be considered. But the city will consider naming it Kendrick Parkins — we hope. We’re sure you’re now wondering what top suggestions have been received so far. We sure are. They are Land Run Park, Scissortail Park, Skydance Park, Union Park and Unity Park. (The open call for suggestions ends Friday. Visit okc.gov.) We guess these names are fine. But none of them fit the high bar for creativity we expect here at ChickenFried News. Naming a park is kind of like getting a tattoo for your city. It will be around us for a long time, so it should be something that represents something meaningful or heartwarming or funny — like, maybe, Report Your Online Sales Tax Park, or Don’t Let This

Nice Green Patch of Grass Distract You From the Fact That Climate Change Is Real Park. Hmm … too practical? And the second one might not age well. How about a name that memorializes something we all love, like colossal onion burgers? Ladies and gentlemen, we hereby recommend naming those pristine grounds Tucker’s Mother Tucker Park. We can hear it now: Jack: “So, what did you do today?” Jill: “Oh, you know, just the usual. I ran a few laps around the ole Mother Tucker.” Jack: “Shut yo’ mouth!” Russell Westbrook, of course, has closely associated himself with the triple-double this season. By proxy, that means Oklahoma City is also associated with the triple-double. Perhaps the city will invoke lyrics from the famous Ice Cube song that famously references the statistical achievement and call our space “It Was A Good Day” Park. Trust us; it will be a hit on the internet.

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Review

EAT & DRINK

Top tapas

Small plates bring big flavors at The Pritchard Wine Bar. By Greg Elwell

The Pritchard Wine Bar 1749 NW 16th St. | 601-4067 | pritchardokc.com What works: Butternut squash gnudi are mandatory. What needs work: Seared duck didn’t make an impact. Tip: Sign up in advance for Wednesday nights’ Good Wine + Dirty Minds events.

There were four of us at the table and only seven butternut squash gnudi. This was a problem. It didn’t seem like a big deal when our server at The Pritchard Wine Bar, 1749 NW 16th St., set down the plate of bitesized dumplings in a hazelnut mascarpone cream sauce, but then I took a bite. From now until executive chef Shelby Sieg decides to remove the dish ($8) from the menu, I will order it. And even then, I’ll order it, and when they insist it’s no longer available, I’ll go back to the expo station in front of the kitchen and beg her: “Please, Shelby, just one more plate of gnudi.” The dumplings feel lighter than air but have a solid, smooth texture to give your teeth something to do. There’s a slight sear on the outside, giving added flavor. Once you bite through, however, the gnudi begins to melt away. The sauce

is creamy and nutty, like melted Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Truly, I was smitten, as were my tablemates, which is why a fierce battle of wills erupted between those desperate not to miss a second dumpling. The Pritchard is a wine and tapas bar, which means it offers a well-manicured wine list and small plates meant to be shared. Gnudi are supposed to be shared, but no one will blame you if you refuse. The cheeses, which are just as carefully chosen as the wines with which they so readily pair, aren’t any easier to share. If you’re not an oenophile, don’t worry. General manager Mindy Magers trained her front-of-house staff to help you select the perfect bottle. Selecting the perfect cheese is easier since there are only five. My favorite is the Fromager d’Affinois with pomegranate ($7), which is about as creamy and buttery as any Brie you’ll find but feels lighter on the tongue. Sharp pomegranate is a perfect companion to the richness of the cow ’s milk cheese. But if you

Butternut squash gnudi | Photo Garett Fisbeck

like a more tangy cheese, Dansk Blue with rosemary walnuts ($6) is a blue cheese lover’s dream. And Project X ($6) is a more solidly built Alpine-style selection that comes with a gorgeous orange marmalade. Man absolutely can live by cheese and dumplings alone, but The Pritchard’s menu runs so deep, it would be a shame not to explore a little further. Brussels sprouts with Spanish chorizo ($9) are your reward for pressing on. The piledhigh plate comes with lovely roasted sprouts that have just enough fat and char to make them interesting and enough restraint on the part of the chef to keep them from turning into mush. The solid vegetable is joined by an equally solid cubed sausage. Spanish chorizo is more homogenous than Mexican chorizo and holds its shape better. The fat it releases is enough to baste the Brussels sprouts in flavor, and the seared sausage gives the dish a crisp balance to the softer vegetable. A wonderful feature of a tapas menu is that diners don’t feel restrained by the need for a main course. That said,

if you want something a little more filling, its proteins menu is ready and waiting. The seared duck with fig, juniper gastrique and walnuts ($14) was nice, but the flavor was a bit subdued. While fig and juniper tend to throw their weight around, the milder duck got lost in the shuffle. Others I’ve dined with felt differently, but I am happy to leave the duck for them and indulge in the fried chicken thigh with Pritchard pickles ($9). Well-seasoned thigh has a meatier, more pronounced flavor than breast, and it’s easier to keep moist. Coated and fried, the thigh at The Pritchard was a dream. The pickle’s tartness plays off the fat of the thigh and tricks the tongue into complacency. Then, when you’re about to take the next bite, the heat of the seasoning hidden in the crust sneaks up on you. The grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce and arugula ($14) is more straightforward but no less enticing. If you don’t consider it a night on the town without a steak, you’ll be pleased you ordered this one. Cut on a bias, The Pritchard’s skirt steak is a tender, beefy joy. It’s big enough to satisfy a solo diner or give everyone at the table a taste. Since it arrives pre-sliced, it’s easy to distribute evenly. If that doesn’t sound like a big deal, you might not have tried to share a steak before. The outside has a perfect crust if you’re looking for a simple steak experience, but the chimichurri sauce — a bright green blend of parsley, garlic, vinegar and olive oil — provides a delightfully tart counterpoint to the richness of the beef. It’s a classic Latin American pairing done exceptionally well. Chef Sieg’s menu is so wonderful it has me both dreading the thought of her removing menu items yet eagerly anticipating what she will come up with next. Add a welcoming and relaxed ambiance, great wine list and service and you’ll see why The Pritchard makes an already-booming 16th Street Plaza District even better.

counterclockwise from top left Cheese plate: Dansk Blue with rosemary

Roasted Brussels sprouts with Spanish

walnuts, Fromager d’Affinois with pomegranate and Project X

chorizo | Photo Garett Fisbeck

with housemade orange marmalade | Photo Garett Fisbeck

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EAT & DRINK

Let’s do

Brunch

BRUNCH /br n(t)SH/ noun A meal sometimes eaten in the e

late morning that combines breakfast and lunch.

ISSUE DATE: APRIL 12, 2017

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HOP IN FOR LUNCH TODAY! Alex Hall and Ranna Bigdely own and operate Paisley Cafe inside

F e at u r e

Norman Public Library West, 300 Norman Center Court, in Norman. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Studious spread

Tucked inside a local library, Norman’s Paisley Cafe creates lively, family-inspired fare. By Angela Evans

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The Paisley Cafe might be in a library, but Norman Library West is far from a dull collection of books. The clientele of the cafe, located at 300 Norman Center Court in Norman, is ponied up to the sleek, white bar on a sunny Tuesday, engaged in breezy conversation with owner Ranna Bigdely. A man at the end of the bar delivers zingers punctuated with laughter. “I say I am like an old Lamborghini,” he says, leaving space for a comedic pause. “I’m still worth a million!” The jovial patron is Ranna’s father, Daniel Bigdely. He is a big reason she is passionate about food preparation. “My dad’s mother is famous for preparing these outrageous feasts — feasts for the eyes, the nose, the senses in general,” she said. “So Dad spent a lot of time in the kitchen, learning from his mom.” Bigdely’s parents emigrated from Iran in 1979 and worked several jobs while raising Bigdely and her sister. “Dad had two jobs at the time, and Mom had one,” Bigdely said. “Out of necessity more than anything, my dad asked if I wanted to start dinner to help Mom out.” Her father, a teacher by trade, carefully instructed 9-year-old Bigdely how to safely use a knife and provided detailed recipes. Preparing meals for her family appealed to her creative side. “I’m a little bit of an artist — OK; I’m a lot of an artist — but it’s like painting to me,” she said. “You put two colors together and get a different color. Food is the same. You put two things together that don’t seem to go together and you get something exquisite out of it.

My young mind was flipping out.” The accomplishment empowered Bigdely, and she developed an attachment to the cooking process. “I think there’s a little bit of emotion involved when you make a meal for someone,” Bigdely said. “It’s an expression of love. It’s like a hug. I put forth effort to nourish you and give you sustenance.”

I think there’s a little bit of emotion involved when you make a meal for someone; it’s an expression of love. Ranna Bigdely Before she came to run the Paisley Cafe through a contract with Pioneer Library System, Bigdely was known for her supper club pop-up dinners, in which she created Persian cuisine with a modern spin likely reminiscent of feasts her grandmother made. But when offered an opportunity to have her own space, especially in quirky, technology-forward Norman Library West, she and her husband Alex Hall pounced on it.

Local and universal

“There’s a baby grand piano in the corner. There are musical performances on the weekend, and there will be Argentinian tango performances this week,” she said. “What a weird and cool library, right?” Her menu features typical lunch

fare like sandwiches, soups and salads, but the ingredients Bigdely uses are far from pedestrian. She prides herself on using fresh, locally sourced, organic ingredients. “I’m like your farmers’ market,” Bigdely said. “Any farmer that wants to drop by and sell their peaches or whatever, I encourage them to visit me. It’s so much easier than sourcing ingredients the conventional way.” Bigdely finds many of her ingredients at Little River Farm Aquaponics. Its self-sustaining ecosystem uses fish to provide nourishment to hydroponically grown plants. The plants then clean the water and provide sustenance for the fish. This cyclical process creates less waste and an outstanding product, Bigdely explained. She uses greens and heirloom tomatoes in salads and to dress sandwiches. She also sells them to customers. To her, much like the aquaponics farm, her goal is to create a symbiotic relationship within her own community. “I was able to source my eggs from Southern Winds Farm in Lexington,” she said. “I get 20 dozen at a time now so I can sell some retail to some customers who can’t make it out to the farm.” Her menu features local, cage-free chicken in her soups and specials, fairtrade coffee from Oklahoma City’s Leap Coffee Roasters and organic bread from Norman’s Waving Wheat Bakery. She also buys nitrate-free sandwich meat locally, creates sauces and dressings from scratch and prepares lunch short-order style. “We hand-chop our salads as you order; there are no greens prepped or cucumbers pre-sliced,” she said. “This is not ‘franken-food.’ … It’s harder on us but totally worth it.”

Savory selections

The menu offers a modest sandwich selection, including The Farmer, made

with thinly sliced roast beef and cheddar cheese and dressed with delicate butter lettuce and a slice of rosy-red tomato, all nestled between lightly toasted organic wheat bread. (Homemade panini is also an option.) A half-sandwich or salad with a cup of soup is $8. On this day, Bigdely serves her Persian soup as a tribute to the Persian New Year, the first day of spring. Succulent chicken cuts inhabit a viscous broth that is both mild and fullflavored. Fresh dill flecks enhance the sweetness of the carrots and celery, and barley gives the soup a slippery mouthfeel and nice chew. The menu also features quiches. The most popular, The Baumburg, sold out that day. Bigdely had that quiche during her travels abroad to Germany and reverse-engineered her recipe. Studded with zucchini, carrots, caramelized onions and Parmesan cheese, the savory dish sells out daily. On Fridays, she offers a blue-plate special. For St. Patrick’s Day, she prepared New Zealand lamb stew with homemade Irish soda bread. Another day, it was meatloaf made with grass-fed beef and mashed potatoes. (Pro tip: She typically sells out of Friday specials, too, so arrive early.) Even though it’s a cafe inside a library, she said, “you don’t have to be quiet.” “There are knitting groups who meet up here, a rowdy group of retired librarians who have the best time,” Bigdely said. “It’s not like going to a chain cafe or restaurant. If you want a personal feel, we are quickly becoming known as the cafe where everyone knows your name.” Paisley Cafe is open 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. TuesdaysFridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays and 1-6 p.m. Sundays. Visit facebook.com/ paisleycafeok.

Ranna Bigdely prepares a chicken and rice special at Paisley Cafe in Norman. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

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EAT & DRINK Midtown

Yokozuna’s rooftop bar is open nights and weekends in the

F e at u r e

new Chisholm Creek shopping center. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

Relaxation, elevated

Enjoy spring with a view from Oklahoma City’s rooftop patios.

It seems like Oklahoma City only gets about 15 minutes of nice spring weather a year. That’s why it’s imperative to use every possible second of tolerable weather to its fullest. For that, we need rooftops.

Yokozuna and Republic Gastropub

In the new Chisholm Creek development, both Yokozuna, 13230 Pawnee Drive, Suite 100, and Republic Gastropub, Suite 115, have inviting outdoor spaces where diners and drinkers can enjoy the view. Yokozuna general manager Jamie Swain said she thinks her rooftop bar is a prime spot even when the thermometer inches into summer temperatures. “The first couple of nights we opened the patio, it was in the 90s,” she said. “The nice thing about being away from downtown is we get such a great breeze.”

By Greg Elwell

The sushi restaurant, part of the McNellie’s Group, has room for about 50 guests on the roof with a standalone bar and full menu service. And when the sun does start to beat down, a shade can be pulled down to shield diners. Since the restaurant doesn’t have a very large waiting area, Swain said she hopes people will linger at the rooftop rail while their table is being prepared. There’s also entertainment, thanks to nearby Topgolf, she said. “You can hear all the Topgolf ultimate fails from here,” Swain said. Yokozuna accepts rooftop reservations through its website yokozunasushi.com, and via OpenTable.com. The rooftop is open 3-10 p.m. MondayFriday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

The Midtown District offers an embarrassment of rooftop riches. Bossa Nova, 440 NW 11th St., has one of the metro’s longest-running rooftop patios. Just across the street and a few stories up is O Bar, 1200 N. Walker Ave. High atop the Ambassador Hotel, the upscale bar opens onto a terrace with picturesque views of the city. For drinks in a more laid-back atmosphere, nearby Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St., has the communal tables of a German beer hall and top-notch brews from around the world. A relaxed, sociable experience can be had at Packard’s New American Kitchen, 201 NW 10th St. Its rooftop comfortably accommodates up to 220 guests. “There’s a lot of space,” said events coordinator and rooftop manager Sarah Rankins. “It’s not uncommon to have a group of 30 having a party in one area while another small group is having cocktails in the corner.” The menu is limited to appetizers, salads and a few select entrees, but she said that’s done to ensure the best quality food for the environment. “People can come dressed in any form downstairs and are totally welcome,” Rankins said. “But the rooftop has a more relaxed atmosphere. You can order from the bar and grab a couch to sit on.” It’s open 4-10 p.m. TuesdaysThursdays and 4 p.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays. And with the weather improving, she said, the restaurant also opens the rooftop for brunch at 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. “It’s a great view of downtown,” Rankins said. “You can see the Devon Tower, and when there are baseball games, you can watch the fireworks from here.”

OKCMOA

Though most people think of the views inside Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA), 415 Couch Drive, the rooftop offers guests a chance to see spectacular Oklahoma sunsets as they descend upon downtown.

Museum marketing and communications director Becky Weintz said the Roof Terrace opens for the season April 27 to coincide with Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts. Access to the Roof Terrace, which is open seasonally, is part of Art After 5 — a year-round event held 5-9 p.m. Thursdays. Admission is $5, allowing guests to look through museum galleries and special exhibitions in addition to enjoying the roof. “The Roof Terrace features a full bar and light bites,” Weintz said. Guests can check the museum’s website at okcmoa.com for a full food and drink list beginning in early April. The events also feature live music every week. Weintz said the museum’s prime location gives the roof a metropolitan feel. “Being surrounded by the downtown buildings, including our iconic Devon Tower, offers unparalleled views,” she said. “It really is a completely unique OKC experience.” Being on the roof does require extra safety precautions, though. Weintz said on days when the outside temperature is over 100 degrees, the museum delays opening the Roof Terrace. The same goes for excessive wind (30 miles per hour or more), Oklahoma County tornado or thunderstorm warnings and lightning in the area.

Guyutes and 51st St. Speakeasy

Unique experiences can also be found at a pair of bars that are beloved for people watching and great soundtracks. Guyutes, 730 NW 23rd St., and 51st St. Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., have covered second-floor patios and extensive beer and liquor selections. Guyutes’ patio stays open year-round and serves its food menu into the morning hours. The Speakeasy deck, like the rest of the restaurant, was recently remodeled by the new owners and should open again soon.

Easter Brunch Menu

Mufﬁns, Danish and Breakfast Breads Fluffy Scrambled Eggs & Cooked to Order Omelets Cinnamon French Toast with Bananas Foster Sauce Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Wafﬂes With Sausage Gravy Applewood Smoked Bacon and Sausage Links Vegetable Potato Hash Maple Glazed Baby Carrots Broccoli and Rice Casserole New Orleans Style Barbeque Shrimp Honey Glazed Ham and Roast Beef Carving Station With Horseradish Sauce, Silver Dollar Rolls Seasonal Dessert Selections

Sunday April 16th, 2017 $35 Adults $18 Children Seatings 11AM - 3PM Reservations Recommended 405-239-3900 18

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br i e f s By Greg Elwell

The Harvey Cafe recently opened inside the White Star Petroleum Building, 301 NW 63rd St. | Photo Aly Branstetter / provided

•Harvey Cafe S&B’s Burger Joint fans can rejoice as the team behind the eateries and Sunnyside Diner have opened a new concept: The Harvey Cafe. Located inside White Star Petroleum Building, 301 NW 63rd St., the cafe is mostly meant for people who work in the office building and the surrounding area, said co-owner Shannon Roper. Co-owner Aly Branstetter said the building’s managers knew of S&B’s and Sunnyside’s reputation and wanted something similar. Chef Wendy Blackburn created the menu. “We’re catering to the needs of the building, which holds about 250 people right now,” Branstetter said. It serves breakfast 7:30-10:30 a.m. lunch 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. “Chef Wendy has created some impressive versions of a club sandwich, BLT, chicken salad and Caesar wrap — all available on local Farrell [Family] bread, wrapped up, on greens or over rice.” That’s not the only news coming from the group. Sunnyside Diner, 916 NW Sixth St., is now open for dinner until 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. And S&B’s Burger Joint restaurants are donating $1 from each B.E.L.T. (bacon, egg, lettuce and tomato) burger sold in April to The Curbside Chronicle.

Fortuitous Feast

Metro restaurants fed guests March 23 at the 30th annual Chefs’ Feast and raised more than $150,000 for Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s Food for Kids programs while doing it. The tasting event featured 24 eateries and caterers. Guests voted for their favorite dishes and chose Chef Larry McNeal from McNeal’s Catering for the 2017 Foodie Favorite Award. Chefs’ Feast is the biggest annual fundraiser for the Food for Kids program. Currently, one in four Oklahoma children struggles with hunger daily, and last school year, Regional Food Bank gave almost 3 million meals to hungry children through Food for Kids programs. Those interested in donating to the food bank can give at regionalfoodbank. org.

New eats

Last year saw several restaurant closures, but 2017 is filling the void with several openings. Long-awaited 16th Street Plaza District breakfast spot Aurora Breakfast Bar & Backyard, 1704 NW 16th St., opened in late March. Originally announced as Yolk, Aurora is open six days a week with Guthrie-

roasted Hoboken Coffee and a selection of pastries. Kong’s Tavern, the brainchild of owners James Vu and Shyon Keoppel, recently opened in the former home of Gigglez Bar & Grill, 1012 N. Walker Ave. Additionally, Sean and Cathy Cummings recently opened Bacon, 7523 N. May Ave., adjacent to their other restaurant, Vito’s, and specializes in — you guessed it — bacon. The popular Bacon Sampler features bacon from different parts of the pig, including shoulder and jowl, and bacon prepared in different ways. Also on May Avenue, Julie, Stephen and Ashley Nguyen teamed up on a new sushi restaurant, Ocean 81 Sushi Bar, which replaced Okura at 7508 N. May Ave. Julie Nguyen said the eatery, which opened March 9, features different rolls and more appetizers for guests in an upscale environment. Recently opened Funnylams Food Court, 4200 N. Pennsylvania Ave., serves a hodgepodge of American and Asian foods, including burgers, fried chicken, shrimp spring rolls and pho. In Yukon, The Lokal, 10 W. Main St., Suite 100, replaced Dérailleur and serves new takes on country cooking with fried deviled eggs and bison meatloaf.

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g a z e di b l e s

eat & DRINK

Sliced bread

Just a sandwich? Is the Eiffel Tower just a stack of metal? Is heart surgery just a medical procedure? Of course not! As such, it is wholly unfair to malign the delightful marriage of sliced bread, condiments and fillings as just a sandwich. Whether it’s peanut butter and jelly, a Reuben stacked high with pastrami, fresh sauerkraut and spicy mustard or some wholly original concoction, the only time it’s okay to say “just” in connection with a sandwich is, “Just trust me. A sandwich is what we need.” Here are a few places where you can find great ones. By Greg Elwell | Photos by Garett Fisbeck, Garett Fisbeck / file and Gazette / file

Neptune Submarine Sandwiches

3301 N. Classen Blvd. neptunesubsokc.com | 405-525-0414

Neptune was the Roman god of the sea, but that wasn’t all. Much like the busy era of today, ancient Roman gods multitasked. Neptune also was in charge of horses and earthquakes, so as far as Roman gods of Oklahoma go, two out of three ain’t bad. Worshipping him is easiest at his Oklahoma City altar, Neptune Submarine Sandwiches, where the pillowy bread tastes as if it was touched by his divine hand. Order a Supreme Sub if you’re feeling particularly powerful.

need lunch for a

large group?

Belle Kitchen

7509 N. May Ave. belle-kitchen.com | 405-430-5484

Belle Kitchen is known mostly for sweets, including doughnuts and delicate macarons. And while macarons are kind of like sandwiches, with layers of filling surrounded by crispy, chewy meringue cookies, they’re not nearly as filling as the restaurant’s delectable Cuban sandwich or a grilled cheese made with brioche. Its breakfast sandwich with bacon, eggs and arugula inside a freshly baked roll also is satisfying. While you’re there, you should probably grab some macarons for later.

2310 N. Western Ave. 405-524-0887

After customers find their way to Someplace Else A Deli & Bakery, they often won’t go anywhere else in Oklahoma City for a sandwich. The deli is beloved for its freshly baked cookies, but the venue is busiest at lunch as hungry diners queue up for fresh rolls stuffed with avocado and cream cheese, chicken salad on rye or hot Polish sausage with sauerkraut and spicy mustard. Vegetarians, pescatarians and omnivores alike will find plenty of options at Someplace Else.

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Kamp’s 1910 Cafe

Hobby’s Hoagies

Lang’s Bakery

Bison Witches Bar & Deli

Not only does the train trap commuters as it rumbles past Kamp’s 1910 Cafe in the mornings, but it is immortalized on the Kamp’s menu. Boxcar Burrito and Biscuits and Gravy Derailed are filling morning fare while Stuck at the Train (chicken breast on a ciabatta bun), Pacific Railcar (turkey, avocado and tomato chutney) or a Wrong Side of the Tracks Reuben (pastrami, sauerkraut and cheese on rye bread) will fill you up.

George Hobson, the Hobby of Hobby’s Hoagies, once told me he was from Delaware. So I’m not sure how his restaurants make such amazing Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. With a blend of juicy chopped steak, sweet onions, melted cheese and special hoagie peppers on a fresh roll, his cheesesteak guarantees several “oh, wow” bites in every sub.

Bring cash to Lang’s Bakery or you can forget taking home one of the best bánh mì sandwiches in the metro. If you’ve never tried one of these Vietnamese sandwiches, now’s the time. Crispy, crusty baguettes are cut lengthwise down the middle to make room for pickled carrots, fresh cilantro and spicy sliced jalapeños with your choice of filling. Charbroiled pork and chicken sandwiches are popular, but the best on the menu is bò kho, a baguette stuffed with stewed beef and carrots.

It doesn’t take witchcraft to make most of us crave a delicious sandwich, but Bison Witches doesn’t take any chances. The restaurant’s mages/staff cast a spell of humor with funny menu names (like Slamwich or Miss Priss ) before enchanting hungry diners with delicious combinations including turkey breast, avocado, bacon, cream cheese and alfalfa sprouts on the Green Turkey. Finally, diners are in their thrall with sides of baked potato salad. It’s magically delicious.

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222 S. Santa Fe Ave., Edmond hobbyshoagies.com | 405-348-2214

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ARTS & CULTURE

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Play ball

20 years ago, Bricktown ballpark launched a hitting streak for urban redevelopment. By Laura Eastes

Michael Byrnes feels pure joy as opening day nears for the Oklahoma City Dodgers at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Since the team’s season-ending final out on Sept. 17, its president and general manager has anticipated Thursday evening, when the Dodgers open its 2017 season against the Iowa Cubs. “There is something unique and special to opening day,” Byrnes told Oklahoma Gazette. “People get excited. It’s partly the weather changing, but also baseball is on the horizon.” Opening day is perhaps the most anticipated game for fans, as it represents newness or a chance to forget last season. As luck would have it, for Dodgers fans, this year’s opener is a chance to run on last year’s success: an American Northern Division title and Pacific Coast League playoff run. Die-hard fan or not, the day signifies

baseball is back in town. The game’s return electrifies many in OKC as evident when walking through the newly renovated Club Level on Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark’s second floor. Blackand-white images reveal the early years of the game in Oklahoma City, which began within weeks of the April 22, 1889, land run. (The land run also inspired the ’89ers name for the franchise from 1962 through 1997.) Other images of long lines outside Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark and cheering crowds inside it dated April 16, 1998, are equally prominent and celebrate what is perhaps the greatest moment in Oklahoma City baseball and the city’s history. Built at a cost of $34 million, Bricktown Ballpark changed OKC in ways no one could have predicted when the first pitch was thrown 20 years ago on that sunny April day.

MAPS at bat

Before Bricktown became the crown jewel of downtown as a vibrant entertainment and dining district, it was a forgotten sprawl of desolate, sturdy brick warehouses. In the 1980s, the area began to catch the attention of developers as a neighborhood prime for urban developFor Dodgers fans, this year’s opener is a chance to run on last year’s success: an American Northern Division title and Pacific Coast League playoff run. | Photo Oklahoma City Dodgers / provided

Bricktown Ballpark celebrates its 20th season this year. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

ment. Some capitalized as locals flocked to Spaghetti Warehouse, opened in 1989, and other eateries and nightclubs. Bricktown needed a spark, something to amplify early momentum. The flare came when city voters approved the Metropolitan Area Projects plan (MAPS), a one-cent sales tax initiative to jump-start the local economy. Under MAPS, Mayor Ron Norick and the Oklahoma City Council pushed nine quality-of-life projects, including a downtown library, Chesapeake Arena and Oklahoma River and state fairgrounds improvements. In Bricktown, city leaders, with the backing of the business community, pitched building a San Antonio RiverWalk-style canal through the historic warehouse district and erecting a minor league ballpark with downtown views. MAPS got off to a rocky start with sales tax collections lower than expected and projects consistently over-budget and behind schedule. Less than two years after voters approved MAPS, a truckbomb exploded outside downtown’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. The toll of the terror attack was immense — 168 people were murdered, hundreds more were injured and more than 300 downtown structures were damaged or destroyed in its wake. Then, in 1997, one year before the ballpark opened, MAPS had a funding shortfall of $10.8 million. Six months before the venue’s scheduled grand opening, citizen comments revealed their concern about the future of MAPS. Just shy of the third anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing and nearly five years after voters approved MAPS, Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark — the first completed MAPS project — was greeted by a sellout crowd of 14,066 fans.

Opening day

There are moments that define cities. Oklahoma City’s moments include the gunshot that sparked the Land Run of 1889, Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2008 inaugural Ford Center tipoff and the April 16, 1998, ceremonial first pitch thrown inside Bricktown Ballpark. Former Mayor Kirk Humphreys listed those moments during a 20th season celebration lunch the Dodgers hosted earlier this year. Humphreys, sworn into office days before the park opened, and Mayor Mick Cornett, who was a local sportscaster in the late ’90s, discussed the ballpark’s impact and its power to uplift the city. Bricktown Ballpark generated excitement and became a tangible symbol of pride for a community reeling from the oil boom and bust of the 1980s, devastation of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and anxiety about the city’s economic future. “Without [the ballpark], I think Bricktown wouldn’t be the way it is today without the

“With the opening of the ballpark, we began to believe we could do it right in Oklahoma City,” Humphreys said. “The ballpark changed how we felt about our city and ourselves. It was a changing point.” As a MAPS project, it was created by and for the public, which contributed to the overwhelming sense of pride evident before the Oklahoma City RedHawks and the Edmonton Trappers took to the field that day. “We just kept looking around because it had the feel of a major league stadium, a feel that we must be in some other city,” Cornett reminisced. “It was hard to imagine this was really ours. It really belonged to Oklahoma City and the sports fans of Oklahoma City. We’ve been running on positive energy since that day.”

Domino effect

Nearly 20 years after opening Bricktown Ballpark, the district surrounding it is a regional destination featuring countless restaurants, shops, hotels, a movie theater, a university, housing and more. Visitors stroll along the canal, ride the water taxi, visit the Oklahoma Land Run Monument and view American Banjo Museum’s massive collections. Nestled among the attractions, the ballpark, nicknamed “The Brick,” is viewed as the heart of the area, responsible for drawing people downtown and spurring an urban renaissance. It’s hard to imagine what the district would be like without its ballpark, said Bricktown district manager Mallory O’Neill. “Without it, I think Bricktown wouldn’t be the way it is today without the growth, development and everything that’s here,” she said. When city leaders first discussed a new ballpark, development trends were shifting to downtown areas as city planners emulated the success of projects like Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Keeping professional baseball at the state fairgrounds was considered, but ultimately, the Bricktown site was chosen. Bricktown Ballpark’s location has been key for building the game day experience in OKC, said Byrnes, who arrived here seven years ago. These days, the fan experience is as important as what happens on the field during a game. “On a weekday night, someone can

growth, development and everything that’s here,” said Bricktown district manager Mallory O’Neill. | Photo Oklahoma City Dodgers / provided 22

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leave work, get home to pick up the family, grab a bite to eat in a local establishment and head in for the game,” Byrnes said. “On a weekend, they enjoy the Boathouse District, walk up the canal and into Bricktown for a game. Bricktown and baseball weaves together for a downtown experience. … We no doubt have passionate fans who come out and score every play, but we no doubt have folks that come out looking for something to do with their family.” Beyond professional baseball, the park has hosted a slew of community events over the past two decades, from fundraising runs and walks for local nonprofits to snow tubing in winter months. O’Neill said the Dodgers are wonderful partners, from sending mascots Brix and Brooklyn to Brick-or-Treat Halloween to transforming the venue into a winter wonderland with special lighting and décor throughout December. “We work so closely with the Dodgers in everything we do,” O’Neill said. “The Third Base Plaza is home to various walks and gatherings that happen in Oklahoma City. The ballpark is home to many important events — it’s a key part of the district.” The venue remains a selling point for developers and business owners looking

to invest in the city, O’Neill said. In recent years, the district has welcomed new office and residential developments. Bricktown is becoming the district where people can truly play, work and live.

Celebration time

This season, the Dodgers marks its 20th season in a variety of ways, including a commemorative brick opportunity, fans voting the All-Ballpark team, a giveaway night, merchandise and games honoring former players and those involved with the team back in 1998. During games, fans should watch the video board for images of the ballpark’s construction and opening day crowds as well as footage of key plays from the ’98 season. “We are so close to the MAPS story, operating one of the original facilities from MAPS,” Byrnes said. “It’s easy to forget how many people have moved here over the past 20 years and don’t appreciate that story. … We have an opportunity to reinforce that message and remind people what Bricktown looked like when the ballpark opened — there was no Lower Bricktown, there was no canal,

Dodgers president and general manager Michael Byrnes speaks during team’s season kickoff luncheon Feb. 22 at The Criterion. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

there was no hotel beyond the outfield.” But there was baseball; bats cracked, crowds roared and the smell of hot dogs filled the stadium, as did the laughter of children as they hugged team mascots. Those sights, sounds and scents gave rise to today’s Oklahoma City. “The line I use and nobody has ever contested it is, ‘No city in America has come as far as fast as Oklahoma City,’” Cornett said. “The ballpark was the beginning.”

As the city recovered from the oil bust of the ’80s and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, Bricktown Ballpark drew crowds — and hope — as it spawned urban renewal as the first completed MAPS project downtown. | Photo Oklahoma City Dodgers / provided / file

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Step outside and breathe in that fresh spring air. Sure, the Oklahoma spring breeze might carry a few more allergens than some of us would like, but who can deny the beauty that comes along with warmer days and fresh, budding greenery all around? Take a moment to shake off that winter hibernation and head out to one of these fine area stores to get your outdoor space back into prime condition. By Ben Luschen | Photos Garett Fisbeck

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•Calvert’s Plant Interiors 5308 N. Classen Blvd. calverts.com 405-848-6642

Springtime is a natural call to the outdoors, but with all the green outside, it can feel nice to bring some of that lush plant life into your dwelling space as well. Calvert’s has interior plant design and ornamentation needs covered. A splash of color from a fresh flower arrangement or a hearty indoor fern can do a lot to the mood of one’s office or home. Calvert’s greenhouse and showroom spaces are a great place to find additions to the exterior as well.

• Organics OKC Garden Supply

2800 N. Pennsylvania Ave. organicsokc.com 405-528-4769

•Marcum’s Nursery 2121 SW 199th St. marcumsnursery.com 405-691-9100

Few names are as locally synonymous with satisfying garden and plant needs than Marcum’s Nursery, and for good reason. The familyowned nursery has been assisting Oklahoma’s green thumbs since 1975. A wide range of plants can be combed through in the expansive greenhouse space. Check Marcum’s inventory online first for a better idea of what it is you’re looking for. Also, customers should not neglect the Goldsby location, 169 N. Main St., just south of Norman.

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Husband-and-wife duo Marc and Janine Bradley started Organics OKC to address a need they saw in the local garden supply market. The store gives shoppers of all gardening experience an equal opportunity to grow organic and GMO-free without the use of pesticides. Their impressive selection of natural soil and fertilizer, including Groovy Poo composted dairy cow manure, is all the Bradleys need to show they care about organics.

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Spring is about more than gardening. With more reason to be outside, area homeowners will want to make sure their outdoor kitchen, fireplace and patio areas are in tip-top form for friendly gatherings or a simple meal out in the sun. Silex Interiors, which began as a Tulsa store in 2006 but later added its Oklahoma City location, equip outdoor bar and grill spaces with quality countertops that will be as useful as they are pretty.

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One thing Tony’s Tree Plantation is especially known for is outdoor design. A knowledgeable and certified staff can help anyone bring their fantasy yards into an attainable reality. A wide selection of chimineas and pergolas can help round out almost-perfect lawn spaces. Not to be overlooked, of course, are Tony’s trees. A hearty selection of locally grown trees and shrubs can be the perfect complement to your existing home landscape.

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2821 W. Wilshire Blvd. wilshiregardenmarket.com 405-879-1121

Plants are obviously essential to a good garden, but there is more that goes into a Zen outdoor space. For one, you’ll need the tools to properly plant and maintain your seedlings. Wilshire Garden Market is equipped with the watering cans, shovels, rakes and trakes needed for a pristine patch. It also sells fountains, planters and other garden accents that will make you the envy of your neighbors.

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | a p r i l 5 , 2 0 1 7

ARTS & CULTURE from left Jennifer Teel, Hudson Ratcliff and Lexi Windsor star in Lyric Theatre’s production of James and the Giant Peach. | Photo

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KO Rinearson / Lyric Theater / provided

Peachy production

Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma’s show focuses on reaching audiences not always prioritized by the theater. By Ian Jayne

For over a half-century, Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach has enchanted children (and adults) in book form. Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma’s production lets audiences see the story unfold like never before. Co-produced with Adventure Theatre in Washington, D.C., James and the Giant Peach runs Thursday through April 9 at Lyric at the Plaza, 1725 NW 16th St. Adventure Theatre’s production features music from La La Land Academy Award-winning composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The show was also nominated for four Helen Hayes awards. Lyric’s production features the same set and costume designers and choreographer but a different cast. Michael Baron, who has worked with Lyric for seven years and is now its producing artistic director, previously lived in Washington, D.C. He received a 2016 Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Award for his work on Lyric’s Fiddler on the Roof, which incorporated American Sign Language (ASL). Lyric, in partnership with Autism Oklahoma, likewise presents James and the Giant Peach to audiences with sensory conditions such as autism or Asperger’s syndrome, Baron said.

Accessible art

For its sensory-friendly shows, Baron said Lyric removes potentially irritating lighting cues that involve flashing and lowers the show’s volume, especially any loud sound effects. Baron also said that ushers are positioned at the front of the theater with glow sticks to indicate when applause will happen after musical numbers so parents can cover children’s ears, if necessary. Other accommodations include a quiet room with James and the Giant Peach-related coloring books and activities and a space in the back of the 30

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auditorium where guests can move around as they watch the performance. Baron said Lyric’s goal is to make children and parents “as comfortable as [it] can when they come see the show.” With a run time of an hour and 15 minutes, Baron said the show provides the feel of a “big Broadway musical” in a shorter time period. An OETA documentary about the production, Autism: Making SensoryFriendly Theatre, premieres 7 p.m. Thursday and 9:30 p.m. Friday. The production also offers free and discounted tickets to low-income students via subsidies created by grants from National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Oklahoma Natural Gas (ONG). “Through the NEA, we were able to provide free tickets for students, particularly from Positive Tomorrows, which is a school for homeless children,” Baron said. “The idea is to make the show as accessible to as many families, regardless of income and ability to pay.”

Curious creation

James and the Giant Peach presents Dahl’s quirky story in innovative ways. As orphaned James tries to evade his malicious aunts, he encounters magical insects and a very special fruit. “The show is really good; it’s just good theater,” Baron said, characterizing the show’s ethos as “particularly British.” The production’s artistic design is inspired by curiosity cabinets, and Baron said he and the set designer decided to create a “mini British Museum.” As for the titular peach, Baron and his team circumvented a potential theatrical challenge through an inventive technique. “When it came down to the peach, we decided it would be fun to create it out of orange umbrellas,” Baron said. “It starts out as one umbrella, but as the

peach grows, we add more and more.” The show features Renee Anderson as Spiker, one of James’ aunts. Two local performers, Connor Willis and Hudson Ratcliff, portray James. Anderson is an actor, singer and private voice instructor who has appeared in several Lyric productions. Having previously worked with Willis on a Lyric production of The Wizard of Oz and with several other cast members on past projects, Anderson said she looks forward to coming together on James and the Giant Peach. She read Dahl’s book “eons ago” and thought the project seemed fun. After researching Spiker, whom she describes as one of James’ “atrocious aunts,” Anderson reached a conclusion. “I actually really enjoy playing villains,” she said. “Growing up, I didn’t want to play the princesses.” She said she not only examines the motivations of her own character, but everyone else’s.

When it came down to the peach, we decided it would be fun to create it out of orange umbrellas. Michael Baron “We all play off of one another,” she said. Despite the darker elements of James and the Giant Peach, the show highlights chosen community as a positive, essential element. “The main point of the story is, How do you create a family that is nontraditional?” Baron said. “It’s a very sweet story. We all make our own families as we go through life.” Life might not always be peaches and cream, but James and the Giant Peach aims to show as many people as possible just how sweet it can be. Performances are 11 a.m. ThursdayFriday, 10 a.m. and noon Saturday and 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday. Sensory-friendly performances are 11a.m. Friday and noon Saturday. Tickets are $20-$25. Visit lyrictheatreokc.com or call 405524-9312.

James and the Giant Peach 11 a.m. Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m. and noon Saturday, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday Lyric at the Plaza | 1727 NW 16th St. lyrictheatreokc.com | 405-524-9312 $20-$25

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Holy Week

Holy Thursday Mass April 13 – 7:00pm Good Friday Service April 14 – 7:00pm

Easter Mass Schedule

Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday) April 15 – 8:30pm Easter Sunday, April 16 – 8:00am, 10:00am, 12:30pm

Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church 7336 W. Britton Road OKC 73132 (405) 722-2110 | www.epiphanyokc.com

April 13 | MAUNDY THURSDAY 8:30 am Morning Prayer | 5:30 pm Evening Prayer 7:00 pm Holy Communion | 8:00 pm The Watch April 14 | GOOD FRIDAY 8:30 am Morning Prayer 12:00 pm Good Friday Liturgy with Homily 5:30 pm Children’s Stations of the Cross 7:00 pm A Meditation on the Passion of Christ April 15 | The Great

Vigil of Easter

5:30 pm Holy Communion April 16 | EASTER DAY Holy Communion 7:30 am, 9:15 am, 11:00 am 5:00 pm

All Souls’ Episcopal Church 6400 N. Pennsylvania | OKC www.allsoulsokc.com

Christ the King Catholic Church 8005 Dorset Drive (1 block north of Wilshire halfway between Penn & May) www.ckokc.org

Palm Sunday

April 8th at 5 pm April 9 at 8 am, 10 am, 12:15 pm th

Holy Thursday

Mass of the Lord’s Supper April 13th at *7 pm

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament follows Mass until 12 Midnight

Good Friday

Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion

April 14th at *3 pm & *7 pm

Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Mass April 15th at 8 pm

Easter Sunday Masses April 16th at 8 am, 10 am & 12:15 pm

A p r i l 5 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

t h e at e r

ARTS & CULTURE

Civil discourse

The Whipping Man draws parallels between Jewish and African slavery. By Ben Luschen

Before the end of the American Civil War, some slave owners did not feel comfortable whipping their slaves. So they hired men to do it for them. They are the namesake of Carpenter Square Theatre’s newest production The Whipping Man. The show runs through April 22 at the theater, 806 W. Main St. “The way it’s described in the play is that these would have to be pretty sadistic people,” said Linda McDonald, the play’s director. “They would have all kinds of bullwhips on the wall, and they would choose what handles to use. There’s some stuff in there that makes your blood curdle a little bit.” There’s no need to worry about scenes of graphic violence in The Whipping Man, a story by playwright Matthew Lopez. The gruesome details are discussed but not shown. The Whipping Man is set in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, just one week after the Confederacy surrendered at Richmond, Virginia’s Appomattox Court House. The city is in virtual ruin as young Confederate soldiers like Caleb (portrayed by actor Justice Wickstrom) return home to what’s left. When badly wounded Caleb arrives at his estate, he finds two of the family’s former slaves, older Simon (Michael Page) and younger John (Thonie Lee) waiting on the return of Caleb and the rest of his family. Caleb’s family is Jewish, and events in Whipping Man feature the observance of Passover, the religious holiday that commemorates the traditional freeing of Jewish slaves from Egyptian rule. Parallels are drawn between the histories of the two liberated peoples, and Caleb reflects with the two former slaves, their shared past and new reality. McDonald said she agreed to direct Whipping Man because the powerful script reeled her in. She has long held a fascination with Civil War history and has traveled to several former battle sites.

from left Justice Wickstrom, Thonie Lee and Michael Page star in The Whipping Man. | Photo Carpenter Square Theatre / provided

Part of the joy of directing the play is that the three-character production features some intensive character study. Page is an established actor locally, but Wickstrom and Lee are younger and McDonald said they are still learning about the stamina it takes to support a show for more than 90 minutes with little break. “They really have just thrown themselves into the work, and it’s been a great experience working with them,” she said. McDonald said creating a presentable and accurate Confederate uniform pressed Carpenter Square artistic director Rhonda Clark with a challenge that she overcame quite brilliantly. “She’s had to order some of [the uniform parts] from military supply places,” McDonald said. “Breast buttons, the hat, the boots — all of that has taken some time for her to get together, and she’s done a great job.” There are plenty of presentations in film and on stage of the Civil War itself or the years that followed, but few productions take audiences into the conflict’s immediate aftermath. McDonald said one of the most interesting takeaways from Whipping Man is that no one is purely innocent or purely wrong. Everyone is a complex person facing their own unique challenges. “It’s not just a world that’s in upheaval, but it’s also three characters that are in upheaval,” she said. “It’s really interesting to track.” Visit carpentersquare.com.

The Whipping Man 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, April 14-15 and April 21-22; 7:30 p.m. April 13 and April 20; 2 p.m. April 16 Carpenter Square Theatre | 806 W. Main St. carpentersquare.com | 405-232-6500 $15-$20

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | A p r i l 5 , 2 0 1 7

film

ARTS & CULTURE

Screen squad

Anthology film Mono brings together super filmmakers. By Ben Luschen

If Oklahoma City metro filmmakers were Marvel superheroes (and who could rule out the possibility?), then Mono would be their Avengers. Well-known area directors and rising local talent unite to direct the ambitious anthology film Mono. Scheduled to shoot through May, it follows a central female character through her day. Five directors will create independent shorts that, when stitched together, represent different chapters of that day. Directors Cait Brasel, Jacob Leighton Burns, John Burton, Laron Chapman and Mickey Reece each apply their unique perspectives to the shared protagonist, played by actress Lindsay Fritts. A premiere location and date for Mono is not yet set, but directors expect the project to be ready before the end of the year. All proceeds from the film will benefit NewView Oklahoma, a nonprofit dedicated to the empowerment of blind and visually impaired individuals. What makes this band of film heroes better than The Avengers is that anyone is allowed to join ranks with them. An open casting call and mixer 7-10 p.m. April 13 at The Paramount OKC, 7 N. Lee Ave., will give those in and outside the local film community an opportunity to be cast in the film or added to one of the directors’ crews. Oklahoma Gazette recently spoke with Mono’s lead actor and league of directors about the project.

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Gazette: Where did the Mono idea come from? Reece: Mono was conceived at my house one night and into the early morning when Jacob, John and I were having one of our wild director parties. Because that’s what real directors do, so I’ve read. ... John, Jacob and I wanted to explore the idea some more, so we enlisted the help of Cait and Laron. All five of us got into a room and hashed out some ideas. It wasn’t a too-many-cooks type of environment like you would think, but rather we all listened to each other’s ideas and came up with something pretty original. OKG: What do you have to say about the people you’re working with on this project? Chapman: I feel honored to be rubbing shoulders with some of Oklahoma’s aspiring and well-regarded indie talent. Each of them are unique and brave in their creative endeavors. I’m the new kid on the block, so I’m thankful for the opportunity and I’m excited to learn and grow from the experience and the good company I’m in. Brasel: Each director on this project has an incredibly unique take on cinema and execution. I feel like I can safely say we’ve all done this enough to know how we work individually — some of us prefer a script and a hashed-out plan while others like a guideline and a lot of improv. There

really is no wrong way to go about making a film — there are countless ways. Bottom line, these guys are talented and I’m sure the outcome will be it’s own unique piece in Oklahoma cinematic history. OKG: Is there a firm story or script in place that you are following, or will everyone’s chapters feed off whatever the previous director did? Burns: The film is going to be an amalgamation of genre and style, with each filmmaker bringing their own unique flavor to their individual segment. We’re working together on some of the overall aspects of a lead character, who will serve as the connective tissue for each segment, but ultimately, each director will be responsible for their own piece of the larger puzzle. Burton: Each chapter will definitely come from a single director’s brain. With that said, we’re constantly bouncing ideas off each other, and each chapter will flow from the one before it. It’s a very different writing process. As I’m outlining my chapter, I’m also incorporating the ideas forming in the other chapters around mine. OKG: Is there anything in particular that excites you about telling a story in this way? Fritts: As an actor, I’m always seeking to do projects that are innovative and

from left Directors Mickey Reece, Jacob Leighton Burns, Laron Chapman, Cait Brasel and John Burton will direct segments in the local anthology film Mono. | Photo Molly Burton / provided

original, so I am incredibly excited to get to be a part of something like this. I think what is fantastic about this film is that it’s really a character study. To follow this person through an entire day of her life means that, hopefully, you really get to step into her shoes and see her as a fully realized person, not just a trope or an idea. ... As a woman in the film industry, it is so rare that I have the chance to play a complex, three-dimensional character. To have this many unique viewpoints means that you get to see more sides to her story and to her. Burns: I’m excited about the chance to really challenge myself as a storyteller and as a filmmaker. I’m used to writing self-contained stories with characters over which I have complete ownership. But with this, we’re sharing a lead character, and what happens to her in everybody else’s stories will affect who she is in my story.

Mono open casting call and meetup 7-10 p.m. April 13 The Paramount OKC 7 N. Lee Ave. theparamountokc.com | 405-517-0787 Free

art

Stoic family

A Norman foundry unveils a family of elephants for 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk. By Ben Luschen

cult u r e

Few will ever have the privilege of standing eye to eye with a full-grown bull elephant, and while the life-size gathering of bronze elephant statues at Norman’s The Crucible Bronze Foundry might not be alive, the close replicas could easily fool a distant onlooker. The statuary family of five will be on display 6-9 p.m. April 14 at the foundry, 110 E. Tonhawa St., during Norman’s 2nd Friday Art Walk. The father’s tusks are long and mighty. Each elephant’s trunk is wrinkled and dotted with precise detail. It’s easy to get lost in the innocent eyes of the calves. Stephanie Enouen, assistant to the owner at The Crucible, said Washingtonbased wildlife sculptor Jocelyn Russell subcontracted the foundry to construct the collection for New Orleans’ Audubon Zoo. The foundry does not always have works to display during 2nd Fridays, but the statues’ scheduled departure aligned perfectly with this month’s event. “[The elephant statues] will be outside because they’re going to be shipped out just a few days after that,” Enouen said.

“It’s really coincidental that the timing works out just right for that.” The Crucible is contacted by artists from across the globe for assistance casting and constructing large-scale bronze statues and sculptures. The foundry’s broad appeal stems from its large size, which gives it the capacity to accommodate larger-than-life works. The Crucible also has a central national location, which is convenient for transporting works that can often weigh thousands of pounds. The completed elephant statues will be transported to Louisiana fully assembled and strapped to a truck bed. Enouen said they estimated that it has been about two years from the time Russell completed her first miniatures to the fully completed, full-size elephant family of today. The Crucible has been casting the elephants in metal for the last year. “For five full-size elephants, that’s actually a pretty short time,” Enouen said. Though details of The Crucible’s 2nd

Friday showcase were still being finalized at press time, Enouen said it is working on bringing in an elephant expert from Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanical Garden in addition to drink samples from Oklahoma’s Prairie Artisan Ales and Success Vodka and African fare by chef Andrew Black from Norman’s Meatball House. Her goal is to offer an educational experience through a hyperlocal lens. “We try to keep it all homegrown,” she said. Enouen said she wants locals to take pride in knowing landmarks and monuments that become very important to people in other places often got their

Growing gains

This year’s Women in Leadership event offers a day of interactive presentations. By Ian Jayne

Aha! moments; technological advances; accessible to anyone and everyone. That’s how Melissa Cory defines Game Changers, the theme of the eighth annual Women in Leadership Conference 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. April 13 at Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens. Cory is director of communications at Meinders School of Business at Oklahoma City University (OCU) and a conference organizer. “We can all help and affect one another at every level of where you might be in your career, whether you’re a student or a CEO,” she said. At this year’s event, speakers from an array of professions discuss how women can become game-changers. Keynote speakers are Marianne Cooper and Pamela Meyer. Cooper, a Stanford University sociologist and the lead researcher for Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, will discuss gender issues women face in the workplace and how to climb the career ladder. Meyer — Harvard MBA, Calibrate CEO and author of Liespotting: Proven

Techniques to Detect Deception will focus on truth and how to get to it. Executive coach and speaker Charmaine McClarie, YWCA Oklahoma City CEO Janet Peery, mediator and professor Barbara Crandall and pioneering film director Deborah Shames also will present on the power of story, making mindful decisions and exhibiting executive presence. Cory said the presentations aim to be personally and professionally relevant by providing “actionable takeaways” and utilizing a participatory interactive format. “Whether it’s our morning or afternoon keynote, we want each presentation to not just be a lecture,” she said. “We want it to be workshop-style; we want Q&A; we want lots of tabletop discussion.” Cory said conference organizers have also conducted evaluations and focus groups in order to determine what presentations would be most impactful. “We really want to listen to industry,” she said. “We want to listen to our guests.”

Pamela Meyer | Photo Lynn Goldsmith / provided

Inclusive conversations

Over the course of its nearly 10-year run, Women in Leadership Conference has grown in size and impact. “We started the event in 2010 with a small group of women,” Cory said. “There were five of us who were looking at the opportunity to share knowledge with students and get an opportunity to give back to some others in professional groups, nonprofits.” The inaugural conference had about

It took Norman’s The Crucible Bronze Foundry about one year to finish its family of elephant statues. | Photo Garett Fisbeck

start right here in Oklahoma. “The effect that we have on many other people in different places can be very profound,” she said. Visit thecruciblellc.com.

2nd Friday Norman Art Walk 6-9 p.m. April 14 Walker Arts District | downtown Norman 2ndfridaynorman.com | 405-360-1162 Free

100 attendees, Cory said. After seven years, conference attendance has tripled to 300. “I’m encouraged by the level of support and sponsorship that we’ve gotten in the past and that we continue to get,” Cory said. Data from past conferences shows that 60 percent of attendees are managers and directors, 35 percent are CEOs and presidents and 5 percent are students, Cody said. Attendees also come from a variety of professions, including education, banking, energy, government and law. “We want to include everybody,” she said. Cory said the conference offers content helpful for everyone, regardless of gender, industry or level. “I love to have men involved and at the table as part of the conversation, because it takes everybody,” she said. “Come learn; come grow. It’s important for all of us to work together, to be mindful of growth opportunities.” Registration is $199. Visit okcwomeninleadership.com or call 405-208-5540.

Women in Leadership Conference 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. April 13 Cox Convention Center | 1 Myriad Gardens okcwomeninleadership.com $199

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ARTS & CULTURE

Schmooze with local businesses Sample food from restaurants & caterers Win prizes

Tuesday, April 11 4 to 7 p.m. State Fair Park, Oklahoma Expo Hall Free Parking

Visit us at www.okcchamber.com/schmooza

books

$10 Per person

Vocal vitality

For its 15th year of fundraising, Literary Voices welcomes best-selling legal thriller author Lisa Scottoline. By Ian Jayne

For book lovers, a trip to the library can be thrilling; for many, it is necessary. The 15th annual Literary Voices dinner event aims to secure Library Endowment Trust funding for capital improvements and sustain program offerings. “It’s a beloved tradition,” said Karen Delaney, who chairs 2017 Literary Voices events with Gail Huneryager. Delaney, a Library Endowment trustee, has worked on the event since 2003. Although the library receives taxpayer support, Delaney said, program needs often lag in funding. Literary Voices is 7 p.m. Tuesday at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, 7000 NW Grand Blvd., in Nichols Hills. The event includes a dinner and features author Lisa Scottoline. Literary Voices organizers seek out diverse fiction and nonfiction authors when they select each event’s featured speaker. Past speakers have included David McCullough, Ann Patchett, Sebastian Junger and former First Lady Laura Bush. Scottoline, an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, has written over 28 novels. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and pursued a legal career as a litigator. She started writing after leaving her legal practice in 1986 to raise her daughter. When she resumed legal work, she continued to write. Her 1994 debut novel, Everywhere That Mary Went, featured characters from the fictional Rosato & Associates firm. Since then, Scottoline has written 10 more Rosato & Associates novels and four Rosato & DiNunzio novels. A recent book, Damaged, features a dyslexic youth at the mercy of the child welfare system and the subsequent legal ramifications. “She not only writes really fastpaced thrillers with intricate plots, but you learn something every single time,” Delaney said. Her newest book, One Perfect Lie, will be released Tuesday by St. Martin’s Press. This year, Literary Voices also honors Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill 36

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Anoatubby with the Lee B. Brawner Lifetime Achievement award. Delaney said that the Chickasaw Nation has stood by the library system in a climate that is difficult for nonprofits. Delaney said Lee B. Brawner award recipients must demonstrate an awareness of the library’s role in community education, support library literacy initiatives for all ages and be a true champion of libraries. “He’s a pillar of the community,” Delaney said. “We know of Gov. Bill Anoatubby’s dedication and belief in the library as a system of delivery of literacy.” Delaney said her experiences as a trustee have shown her the necessity of library branches. “It’s very obvious to me how the library helps people in the community that would have no other link to computer literacy, to literacy classes, to homework help,” Delaney said. Delaney credited after-school homework programs and reading with dog initiatives as successful components of library systems. “If they weren’t there, I know a lot of people in the community that use the library would be lost,” Delaney said. Literary Voices tickets are $175. Patron tickets are $400 and include an opportunity to meet Scottoline at 6 p.m. Visit metrolibrary.org.

Lisa Scottoline is this year’s Literary Voices guest speaker. | Photo provided

Literary Voices 7 p.m. Tuesday Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club 7000 NW Grand Blvd., Nichols Hills metrolibrary.org | 405-606-3760 $175-$400

A SeASonAl Guide to CentrAl oklAhomA

cult u r e

Summer never seems long enough so Gazette is giving its readers the go-to guide for filling every second with fun across the state.

About that Base

Tinker celebrates its 75th anniversary with community events through 2017. By George Lang

To honor the 75th anniversary of Tinker Air Force Base, officials at the massive military facility located east of S. Air Depot Road and north of Interstate 240 will pull all the stops. This is, after all, a base that transformed the economy and enhanced the stature of Oklahoma City, gave birth to an adjacent city on its north side, provided substantial military support through several wars and survived multiple waves of base closures. “We have events each month of the year to commemorate the anniversary,” said Marlin Zimmerman, public affairs officer for Tinker AFB. “It is also the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force, so there’s two major things being celebrated there.” Events launched Jan. 30 with historical presentations and a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) day for grades 6 though 8 and continued Feb. 25 with the Team Tinker Half Marathon and 5K. Friday, the annual Air Force Dining Out event is held on base and celebrates the relationship between Tinker AFB and community and business leaders. Also, the City of Midwest City and the air force base both celebrate 75th anniversaries with a gala April 28 and the Star-Spangled Salute Air Show 8 a.m.-5 p.m. May 20-21 featuring aerial demonstrations by the USAF Thunderbirds.

Storied history

“We expect this to be a huge success,” Zimmerman said. “We put the audience for the last one at about 100,000, and we expect at least that number, I’m sure.” Tinker Air Force Base came about in 1940 as the result of investment from a

group of city leaders who, after learning the U.S. Army Air Corps was exploring options for building an air depot in the Midwest, acquired 960 acres of land and offered it to the federal government at no cost. In addition, the group of Oklahoma businessmen led by Edward K. Gaylord, Stanley Draper, Wilbur Hightower, Tom Braniff and Frank Buttram agreed to construct roads and a rail spur to access the area. Convinced of the financial, logistical and strategic benefits of locating just outside Oklahoma City, federal officials announced their decision April 8, 1941, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held the following July. Originally called Midwest Air Depot, the airfield was named Tinker Field in 1942. The entire facility was renamed Tinker Air Force Base in 1948 in honor of Maj. Gen. Clarence Tinker of Pawhuska, a member of the Osage tribe who was killed in early 1942 while leading a squadron of LB-30s against Japanese forces. In response to the campaign to bring the depot to Oklahoma City, real estate developer William Paul “Bill” Atkinson bought large swaths of land to the north of the proposed area and began building single-family residences to house military and civilian populations working at the base. Atkinson named the town Midwest City in honor of the depot’s original name. With military contractors like Douglas Aircraft employing upward of 23,000 civilian employees (half of which were women), new businesses like grocery stores sprang up to serve Midwest City’s new residents. Recent World War II veteran Nick Harroz

Single Vultee USAF L-5 shown in flight. This aircraft is powered by an O-series engine. | Photo Tinker History Office / provided

opened a grocery store near the depot, which eventually became known as Crest Foods. In March 1948, the year Tinker was given its current name, two F3 tornados struck the base. The first hit March 20, and while it missed most of the major structures, it caused about $100 million (adjusted for inflation) in damage. Five days later, another cell developed just west of the base and caused another $60 million (2017 dollars) in damage. However, earlier in the day, the base issued a tornado forecast, which minimized injuries, deaths and material damage. This was the first tornado warning ever issued.

Sprawling hub

Today, Tinker AFB covers more than 5,000 acres and employs over 12,000 military personnel and over 15,000 civilian employees — effectively making the facility one of the top employers in Oklahoma. It is the home of Air Force Materiel Command’s Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, the 72nd Air Base Wing, 448th Supply Chain Management Wing, 552nd Air Control Wing, U.S. Navy Strategic Communications Wing One, 507th Air Refueling Wing, 3rd Combat Communications Group, 38th Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group and other logistics and operations groups. Take all of that into account, and then include the economies of Oklahoma City, Midwest City and Del City and much of Choctaw, Harrah and Shawnee. Five generations of community residents have been impacted by the base. “It’s the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma,” Zimmerman said. “You can’t swing a cat around here without hitting a current or former Tinker employee.”

FeAturinG A 3 month CAlendAr

Along with expanded editorial content PubliShinG mAy 3, 2017

Ad deAdline APril 26, 2017

Attention

publicity seekers! Submit calendar events at okgazette.com or email to listings@okgazette.com Please be sure to indicate ‘Summer Guide’ in the subject line. We do no accept calendar items via phone. Deadline to submit items for our Summer Guide calendar is Wednesday, April 12, 2017 by 5pm.

Call 405.528.6000 today to reserve your space.

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | A p r i l 5 , 2 0 1 7

ac t i v e

ARTS & CULTURE

Fit community

Metro Tech’s MetroFit Wellness Community OutReach program offers fitness classes to improve overall health. By Christine Eddington

In two years, Metro Technology Center’s 12 to 15 weekly MetroFit Wellness Community OutReach classes, made possible in part by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation’s Wellness Initiative, have maxed out. “We offer multiple sessions of tai chi, Zumba, Get Fit, line dancing, kickboxing and yoga,” said Metro Tech wellness coordinator Valerie McMurray-Hopkins. Different classes can accommodate different numbers of people, but the max per class is 45 people. Participants attend weekly classes, and they often stack them, taking two or three in a row on a single day, McMurray-Hopkins said. And because Metro Tech tracks participant data, McMurray said that once people start, they tend to increase their activity, with 14 percent of participants exercising four hours or more each week. Oklahoma City Community Foundation (OCCF) defines wellness as the prevention and intervention of diseases that are a function of lifestyle decisions. “We looked at several approaches and asked ourselves the question, ‘How can we encourage people to improve their health?’ The data … indicates that activity is key,” said Teresa Rose Crook, OCCF director of community programs. “And exercise and physical activity is very personal. What one person enjoys or what works for them may be completely different from another person, so offering variety of options is key.” Activity is also measurable, which means OCCF and Metro Tech can gauge if their efforts are working. They track class attendance, body measurements and weight and food choices. McMurray also notices other benefits. “People become happier. Their attitudes change and they become more positive,” she said. “People in our classes end up with accountability partners and friends. Our students will cheer each 38

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Metro Tech’s MetroFit Wellness Community OutReach programs offer tai chi, Get Fit, line dancing, kickboxing, yoga and Zumba. | Photo Oklahoma City Community Foundation / provided

other on or walk together on weekends.” OCCF’s Wellness Initiative and Metro Tech’s MetroFit classes are based on the YMCA’s OK 5210 campaign, which encourages everyone to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables, spend two or fewer hours in front of any sort of screen, get an hour of physical activity and drink zero sugar-sweetened beverages each day. While this formula includes two dietary guidelines, OCCF focuses on increasing activity through partnerships when possible rather than implementing new projects. “We deliberated on whether to include nutritional education as a part of our Wellness Initiative,” Crook said, “and while many of the programs we are supporting do have some nutritional content, for us, increasing physical activity was the most doable and the most measurable.” McMurray hopes to expand on the classes and build a dedicated fitness facility at Metro Tech. “It’s a network, and we take our classes into the community,” she said. “When it’s fun and social, people want to do more of it.” Crook has witnessed that phenomenon within the OCCF staff, which enjoys a robust in-house wellness program. “It’s contagious,” she said. “People start making healthy choices, and those lead to more healthy choices.” McMurray’s message is in order to have a quality life, people need to adopt a quality lifestyle. “That means a quality lifestyle mentally, physically and nutritionally,” she said. MetroFit’s 12-week class sessions cost $25. Enrollment ends Monday. Visit metrotech.edu/metrofit.

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

BOOKS Conversations with Poet Simon Armitage, Oxford University poet, playwright and author Simon Armitage reads a few of his poems and discusses his writing process, 10 a.m. April 5. Meinders School of Business, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-2085536, okcu.edu/business. WED Abraham, enjoy food and festivities during a reception and book signing for the artist in residence Mike Wimmer and special guest Frank Keating, 5-7 p.m. April 5. Skirvin Hilton Hotel, 1 Park Ave., 405-272-3040, skirvinhilton.com. WED Powerful Prose, Oklahoma City University President Robert Henry and Jeanetta Mish discuss Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance. Wine and cheese reception followed by book discussion, 6 p.m. April 6. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU

Second Sunday Poetry, join Marshall Todd Fuller as he reads from his works that have distinguished him by focusing on the beauty of what lies between birth and death, with strands of Pawnee history and cosmology woven among life’s threads, 2 p.m. April 9. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman. org. SUN

FILM North by Northwest, (Japan, 1959, Alfred Hitchcock) an advertising executive finds himself in a lethal cross-country chase after being mistaken for a spy, April 5. Cinemark Tinseltown, 6001 N. Martin Luther King Ave., 405-424-0461, cinemark. com. WED Irma Vep, (US, 1996, Olivier Assayas) a Chinese movie actress in France stars in a remake of Les Vampires, 5:30 and 8 p.m. April 6. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. THU The Anonymous People, (US, 2013, Greg D. Williams) independent feature documentary about the 23 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drug addictions, 7-9 p.m. April 6. Harkins Theatre, 150 E. Reno Ave., 405-231-4747, harkinstheatres.com. THU

6-10 p.m. April 7. Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo St., 405-525-2688, thepaseo.org. FRI Cabaret Karaoke, join the group sing-a-long and enjoy Broadway karaoke hits, 7-9 p.m April 7. Noir Bistro & Bar, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-208-4233, theparamountokc.com. FRI 29th Annual Hispanic Health Fair, offering information and resources on health and wellness with screenings available for glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes, stroke risk assessments and more, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. April 8. Moore Norman Technology Center, 13301 S. Penn Ave., 405-364-5763, mntc.edu. SAT Educator Appreciation Grant Writing Workshop, providing educators with a way to fund classrooms or school projects at a time of limited or diminishing state and local education budgets, 10 a.m. April 8. Barnes & Noble, 13800 N. May Ave., 405-755-1155, barnesandnoble.com. SAT #Resist #Persist: A Women’s Call to Action, welcoming those who are concerned about policies on a state and federal level that compromise human rights, the social safety net and human and civil rights will have a chance to plug into actions and campaigns, 1-4 p.m. April 8. Church of the Open Arms, 3131 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 405-410-2677, Facebook.com/resistpersist. SAT Oklahoma Watch Public Forum, discuss the state of health care in Oklahoma and possible changes here after the failure of an Obamacare replacement bill in Congress, 6-7 p.m. April 11. Kamp’s 1910 Cafe, 10 NE 10th St., eventbrite.com. TUE Kaleidoscope Of Colors, a unique perspective on the colors of spring in a new orchid and spring flower show. See thousands of tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs in the celebration of spring, 9-5 p.m. through April 15. Myriad Botanical Gardens, Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-297-3995, myriadgardens.com.

FOOD Argot Wine Dinner, featuring five courses of selected sustainably farmed Argot wines from Sonoma, California, 6:30-9:30 p.m. April 5. Vast, 333 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-702-7262, vastokc.com. WED

Cork & Canvas Fundraiser, featuring wine pairings, signature cocktails, appetizers, live music and auctions, highlighting original artwork created by the students at Positive Tomorrows, Oklahoma’s

Gene Simmons Meet & Greet, rock-and-roll legend and KISS frontman makes a public appearance and presents the Gene Simmons Freedom to Rock Award to two individuals on behalf of honoring America’s warriors, 5:30 p.m. April 5. Rock & Brews, 2737 W. Memorial Road, 405-286-1464, rockandbrews.com. WED

Paseo First Friday Gallery Walk, galleries offer special themed exhibits, refreshments, guest artists and a variety of live entertainment all within walking distance,

through modern Indian culture and society, 7:30 p.m. April 5. Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 100 Campus Drive, Weatherford, 580-774-3063, swosu.edu. WED

Starlight Supper, dine under the stars in the heart of downtown during the event that features a multiple-course meal prepared by local top chefs while combating deterioration through public art, beautification projects and placemaking, 7-9 p.m. April 6. Bicentennial Park, 500 Couch Drive, 405-297-3882, downtownokc.com. THU

Neil Hamburger, comedian Gregg Turkington’s character has been seen in the Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny and Comedy Central, 8-10 p.m. April 5. ACM Performance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-9744700, acm.uco.edu. WED

THU

Design Appetit, a design competition featuring Oklahoma’s most creative artists, architects, interior designers and collaborative design teams who partner together to craft unique dining vignettes that will serve as event spaces, April 6-7. The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-308-1803, designappetitokc. com. THU - FRI

Red River Craft Beer Festival, Texoma’s premier craft beer-tasting event featuring over 50 breweries and cuisine from some of the area’s best restaurants, 3-8 p.m. April 8. Great Plains Coliseum Expo Building, 920 SW Sheridan Road, Lawton, 580-357-1483, gpcoliseum.com. SAT

HAPPENINGS

OKC Girls Art School GROW Exhibition, fundraiser benefiting the after-school visual arts program for at-risk elementary and middle school girls with a garden and growth-themed event. Enjoy face painting, a ceramics sale, chances to win gifts from local businesses and more, 6-9 p.m. April 7. SixTwelve, 612 NW 29th St., 405-208-8291, sixtelve. org. FRI

only elementary school for homeless children, 6-9 p.m. April 6. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-556-5082, positivetomorrows.org.

The Greatest ArTini On Earth, Allied Art’s annual fundraiser featuring martini tastings, live entertainment, art auctions and more during this circus-themed event, 7-11 p.m. April 7. OKC Farmers Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., 405-232-6506, alliedart. com. FRI

Personal Shopper, (US, 016, Olivier Assayas) an American working as a high-fashion personal shopper to an especially demanding celebrity in an ethereal ghost story set in modern-day, April 7-9 and 13-16. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

Night of Sunshine, second annual dinner featuring retired Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Steven W. Taylor, who will speak about the importance of ensuring openness in government and the availability of public records, 6 p.m. April 7. District House, 1755 NW 16th St., 405-633-0454, districthouseokc.com. FRI

Photo Chickasaw Nation / University of Oklahoma / provided

Silver Spoon Culinary Contest, with hopes to spotlight dietary professionals charged with the responsibility of feeding the state’s most vulnerable, six finalists participate in a cook-off, 7:30 a.m. April 7. US Foods Demonstration Kitchen, 10211 N. I-35 Service Road, 405-475-4660, usfoods. com. FRI

A Ballerina’s Tale: The Incredible Rise of Misty Copeland, (US, 2015, Nelson George) documentary of African-American ballerina Misty Copeland that examines her prodigious rise and her potentially career ending injury alongside themes of race and body image in the elite ballet world, 2 p.m. April 9. Meinders School of Business, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 405-208-5536, okcu.edu/business. SUN

Boozy Bingo, experience the cash cannon, daring twist-offs and comedic entertainment, 8-10 p.m. April 5. Rockford Cocktail Den, 317 NW 23rd St., 405-601-4248, facebook.com/rockfordokc. WED

Native Crossroads Film Festival Bodies in Motion is this year’s Native Crossroads Film Festival theme as the annual event enters its fifth year. Presented by University of Oklahoma’s Native American Studies and Film and Media Studies programs, screenings begin 10 a.m. Friday in Kerr Auditorium at Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., in Norman and 10 a.m. Saturday in the Dick Bell Courtroom inside OU’s Coats Hall, 300 W. Timberdell Road. Admission is free. Visit nativecrossroads.org. Friday-Saturday

YOUTH

Beginner Brewer’s Best Kit Class “He was a wise man that invented beer” is a quote often attributed to Plato, though there’s no proof of it in his writings. A good way to ponder the true author of the statement is with a beer in hand, which is one reason The Brew Shop hosts Brewing Beer 101 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at 2916 N. Pennsylvania Ave. The free, three-hour class for beginner brewers uses the Brewer’s Best Kit to teach the “mini-mash” method. Reservations are required. Visit thebrewshopokc.com, call 405-528-5193 or email brewshop@juno.com. Saturday Photo Gazette / file

Once Upon a Time Princess Party, wear your favorite princess costume and meet princesses like Cinderella, Rapunzel, Elsa and Anna while enjoying pizza, punch and snacks, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. April 8. Orr Family Farm, 14400 S. Western Ave., 405-7993276, orrfamilyfarm.com. SAT Free Family Make + Take: Dreamcatcher, weave and bead your way to sweet dreams with an art project taught by Native American artists Albert Gray Eagle and Victoria Nevarez, 1-4 p.m. April 8. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. SAT Eggstravaganza, a spring party of Jurassic proportions featuring pictures with the celebratory bunny, dino prize walk, face painting, crafts, an egg hunt and more, 4-7 p.m. April 12. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu. WED

PERFORMING ARTS Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue, through a fusion of film, dance and music, this dazzling international sensation takes the audience on a live cinematic journey

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

I Am My Own Wife, an examination of the life of German antiquarian who killed her father when she was a young child and survived the Nazi and Communist regimes in East Berlin as a transvestite, through April 9. Lyric Theatre, 1727 NW 16th St., 405-524-9312, lyrictheatreokc.com. WED -SUN She Kills Monsters, a comedic romp into the world of fantasy role-playing games. In this high-octane dramatic comedy, laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres and ’90s pop culture acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all, through April 9. Weitzenhoffer Theatre, 563 Elm St., Norman, 405-325-7370, ou.edu/finearts. WED -SUN Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, two con men, a beautiful woman and the elite of the French Riviera collide in this sexy and irreverent farce, through April 9. Sooner Theatre, 101 E. Main St., Norman, 405-3219600, soonertheatre.com. WED -SUN Cirque Du Soleil OVO, a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a nonstop riot of energy and movement, April 6-9. Chesapeake Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-6028700, chesapeakearena.com. THU -SUN Home For a Fox Comedy Showcase, hosted by James Nghiem, featuring stand-up comedians Aaron Wilder, Madison Allen and Jenny Goodwin, 8 p.m. April 7. The Drunken Fry, 5100 N. Classen Ave., 405-286-1939, facebook.com/drunkenfry. FRI Under the Streetlamp, celebrating the classic hits of the American radio featuring tight harmonies and slick dance moves taking the audience back in time, 8 p.m. April 7-8. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. FRI -SAT Classic Radio Theatre Live, original radio scripts of the ’30s-’50s, performed live by OKC voice actors including episodes of vintage commercial favorites, 7:30 p.m. April 8. ACTS Warehouse Theatre, 30 NE 52nd St., 405-769-9876, classicradiotheatre. com. SAT Bill Maher, comedian, Emmy-nominated talk-show host, actor and political commentator who has been entertaining live audiences on the stage and on the large and small screens across three decades, 6 p.m. April 9. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. SUN Theresa Caputo, sharing personal stories about her life and explaining how her gift works, Caputo delivers healing messages to audience members, 7:30 p.m. April 10. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-2972264, okcciviccenter.com. MON

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O kg a z e t t e . c o m | a p r i l 5 , 2 0 1 7

Our readers love Oklahoma grown and made products. Advertise in our Farmer’s Market Guide to show them where to get the best this summer.

Publishes April 26 & May 3 Deadline April 19 Call your account executive at 528-6000 or email specialsections@okgazette.com today to reserve your space.

New Works by Eric Tippeconnic, conveying Indigenous peoples in a way that demonstrates that they are not a remnant of a bygone historical era; but instead are a vital part of the modern world, April 8-May 14. Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 405-604-6602, kasumcontemporary.com.

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c a l e n da r

farmers Market Guide

calendar Opus Cactus, bringing the landscape of the American Southwest to life with dynamic images of cactuses, slithering lizards and fire dancers creating a visual journey into the mysteries and hidden secrets of the desert, 7:30 p.m. April 11. OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center, 7777 S. May Ave., 405-682-7579, occc.edu. TUE

The Whipping Man, follow a young confederate officer who has returned home after the Civil War and now waits for his city to come back to life while wrestling with the past, through April 22. Carpenter Square Theatre, 806 W. Main St., 405-232-6500, carpentersquare. com.

ACTIVE Baseball, OKC Dodgers vs Iowa Cubs, 7:05 p.m. April 6. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, 405-218-1000, okcballparkevents. com. THU Central Oklahoma Heart Walk, family-friendly event including a 5k and 1k with a featured heart healthy walk, interactive health fair, vendor expo, kid-friendly activities and live entertainment, 8 a.m. April 8. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, 45-218-1000, okcballparkevents. com. SAT Barre3 with Art, flex those creative muscles as you work through a variety of barre3 poses led by certified barre instructors, 10-11 a.m. April 8. 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. SAT Soccer, OKC Energy vs Rio Grande Valley Toros, 7 p.m. April 8. Taft Stadium, 2901 NW 23rd St., 405587-0046, energyfc.com. SAT 2017 Redbud Classic, benefiting Cleats for Kids through fun and philanthropy to the community with events for the family by touring on bikes, running and more while providing the necessary equipment to kids in need who want to play sports, April 8-9. Nichols Hills Plaza, 6440 Avondale Drive, 405-935-2532, signmeup.com. SAT-SUN Soccer, OKC Energy vs Sacramento Republic, 7:30 p.m. April 11. Taft Stadium, 2901 NW 23rd St., 405587-0046, energyfc.com. TUE

Oklahoma Pride: The Next 50 Years of Oklahoma, artists in the wake of WWII took a new look at creative expression and progressive politics; they focused on self-expression, self-discovery and concepts beyond arts ordinary function, through April 8. Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 405-235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com. WED -SAT

Meet the Redbirds In Meet the Redbirds, art is a family affair. Members of late Native American artist Robert Redbird’s family display their works — acrylic, watercolor and colored pencil originals from the artist’s sons Robert Jr., Steve and Will; and beadwork, shawls and pictures from widow Joquetta and daughters Jennifer and Dawn — alongside original and rare pieces by Robert Redbird. The show is 6-10 p.m. Friday at Paseo Gallery One, 2927 Paseo St. Admission is free. Visit paseogalleryone.com or call 405-5244544. Friday Image Jim Barnett / provided

A Yard of Turkey Red: The Western Bandanna, a rare collection of period bandannas provides museum visitors a glimpse of authentic neckwear once sought after by young horsemen on the range and later popularized in Western fiction, through May 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Exhibit C Ledger Art, four contemporary artists experienced in ledger art will have their distinctive works on display. Discover a captivating scene showcasing the creations by Paul Hacker, George Levi, Dylan Cavin and Lauren Good Day Giago, through June 30. Exhibit C, 1 E. Sheridan Ave., 405767-8900, exhibitcgallery.com.

SAT, APRIL 15

AARON WATSON W/ KEVIN FOWLER TUES, APR 18

NF: THERAPY SESSION TOUR 2017 WED, APRIL 19

UMPHREY'S MCGEE W/ BIG SOMETHING FRI, APRIL 21

HAYES CARLL W/ THE BAND OF HEATHENS WED, APRIL 26

BLACK TOWN BLUES AND NORTH TULSA JAZZ FEATURING ERNIE FIELDS JR. & HIS ALL-STAR BAND SUN, APRIL 30

ANDREW MCMAHON IN THE WILDERNESS W/ ATLAS GENIUS, NIGHT RIOTS TUES, MAY 2

TREY ANASTASIO BAND MON, AUG 21

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD SAT, SEPT 30

GARY CLARK JR. TULSA OK

423 NORTH MAIN ST

TICKETS & INFO CAINSBALLROOM.COM 40

a p r i l 5 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Community literacy classes About 20 percent of Oklahomans struggle with basic literacy. Community Literacy Centers works with Metropolitan Library System to offer free reading, writing and spelling classes at three area locations. Classes are 9:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Ralph Ellison Library, 2000 NE 23rd St.; 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Belle Isle Library, 5501 N. Villa Ave.; and 6-8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at Southern Oaks Library, 6900 S. Walker Ave. Visit communityliteracy.com or call 405-524-7323 to register. Wednesday-Wednesday, ongoing Photo Community Literacy Centers / provided

This Land is Our Land, works by artist Deborah Burian, showcasing watercolor and mixed media exploring texture beyond the traditional two-dimensional picture plane, 6-10 p.m. April 7. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 405601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com. FRI

VISUAL ARTS

Cloudscapes, 16 oil-on-canvas works of art by Oklahoma artist Marc Barker, drawing inspiration equally from his backgrounds in science and art, through May 14. Myriad Botanical Gardens, Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-297-3995, myriadgardens.com.

STS9 W/ JAW JEMS

Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science., stories from four indigenous communities, providing real-life examples of how traditional knowledge and Western science together provide complementary solutions to ecological and health challenges we face today, through May 7. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 405-325-4712, samnoblemuseum.ou.edu.

Basketball, OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets, 7 p.m. April 12. Chesapeake Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 405-602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. WED

After the Floating World: The Enduring Art of Japanese Woodblock Prints, prints popular in Japan from the 17th through the 19th centuries, are known as ukiyo-e, which translates as pictures from the floating world. Ukiyo-e artists produced prints in a variety of subject matter including actors in the kabuki theater, female portraiture, folktales, mythology and landscapes, through May 14. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com.

WED, APR 12

Reverie!, figurative painters Sara and Shane Scribner share never-before-seen works in this collaborative show, 6-10 p.m. April 7. JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 405-528-6336, jrbartgallery.com. FRI

Graph I, installing an exhibition made from unfired clay, which will visually change and adjust to time and climate, Steve Hilton and Dale McDonald invite the public to contribute to the project with a handson influence, through April 14. The Lightwell Gallery, 520 Parrington Oval, Norman, 405-325-2691, art. ou.edu. Hollywood and the American West, candid, intimate and raw, photographs showcasing private access to the greatest movie stars, musicians and directors of all time. Subjects include John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Ann-Margret and more, through May 14. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. Jeffrey Gibson: Speak to Me, internationally-known multimedia artist features recent artworks that draw upon his Native American heritage, aesthetics and traditions, through June 11. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. Lowell Ellsworth Smith: My Theology of Painting, featuring watercolor studies and Smith’s own words and observations, it introduces the man, his methods and his belief in the power and potential of creative energy, through July 9. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org.

Taste of Wilson Friday’s Taste of Wilson fundraiser features food from 14 local restaurants, including Yucatan Taco Stand, Oak & Ore, Chae and Insomnia Cookies. In the last year, Wilson Arts Inc. funded $40,000 for Wilson Elementary School arts programs, including dance class equipment, part-time arts instruction and restoring a mural inside the school. The event is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday at 12 E. California Ave., Suite 200. Tickets are $50 and must be purchased in advance at wilsonartsinc.org. Friday Photo Wilson Arts, Inc. / provided

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 44

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

MUSIC K.C. Clifford | Photo Kriea Arie Photography / provided

musician intact no matter what she’s doing in life. Clifford’s father is a musician, too, but for years, he dropped his craft to concentrate on business and “practical” ways to support his family. He returned to music, his true personal passion, later in his life. Clifford said he sometimes regrets the time he spent away from it. “Picking it back up reminded him how much he loved it,” she said. “Ever since he picked it back up, it’s been a fixture in his life.”

event

Discovering what matters

Fresh perspective

OKC musician K.C. Clifford returns to songwriting and recording with a pair of Blue Door shows. By Ben Luschen

K.C. Clifford is a mother. Her daughter Beatrice is 4 years old and her son Hollis is almost 2. Motherhood is a role Clifford cherishes. But like all people, Clifford is not one-dimensional. She is also a spouse, a friend to many and a writer, storyteller and musician. Yet for nearly five years, Clifford put much of her art on hold to raise her young family. She marks a return from her quasihiatus 8 p.m. April 13-14 with two live recording sessions at The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley Ave. From those sessions, she will create an as-yet-untitled live album of new, original material. It will be her first music release since May 2012. Her return to music and songwriting is as much about showing this side of her life to her children as it is about taking the time to feel complete as an individual, Clifford said during a recent Oklahoma Gazette interview. “It’s really easy to get lost in your identity as a mom,” she said. “You can lose your life in the throes of the ordinary and daily [experience] of parenthood, of keeping tiny humans alive.”

In a strict sense, Clifford’s Blue Door sessions are a predecessor for an upcoming, already-written studio album release planned for the near future, but the live project is far from a throwaway. Clifford said her music is best appreciated in a live setting. This project marks the second live album she has recorded at The Blue Door, and her goal is to once again capture the essence that only exists onstage.

What matters is when I stand up and I say true things and people feel less alone in their life. K.C. Clifford “I’m a storyteller,” she said. “The people who really appreciate what I do would say everything is the live performance, that the records are great, but to really understand it, you have to see it in a storytelling format.”

Maternal harmony

Clifford’s children have been enveloped in music from even before they were born. She toured during her pregnancy with Beatrice and performed with her guitar pressed against her belly. As a toddler, Beatrice’s parents brought her along with them to concerts. Clifford recalled one time when her husband David “Dr. Pants” Broyles was playing music on his iPod. After one song finished, she noticed their daughter, then just 1 year old, started clapping. Clifford realized they were raising their child to appreciate music and art, even if it was somewhat unintentional. Some things have changed over the years, Clifford said. Before starting her family, the musician could wake up and spend a day writing a new song. Parenthood, however, offers few such luxuries. “I have to carve it out of my schedule,” she said. “I write after the kids go to bed, in the middle of the night.” These days, she spends a lot of time writing with Seattle-based pianist Dan Walker. She wrote for the guitar for much of her career, but she has become intrigued with writing for the piano. Orchestrating schedules between interstate travel and parenthood makes writing together a challenge. Clifford said she and Walker recently set up a three-day writing retreat, hiring a sitter to help watch her little ones as the musicians focused on putting together new material for future release. She tries to keep her identity as a

Before motherhood, Clifford worried about staying current. Taking any time away from music and potentially squandering whatever momentum she had terrified her. “I can’t allow those kinds of fears to shape my decisions anymore,” she said. Clifford gained new perspective when she became a parent. She realized she does not have to choose between family or music. She has both. Music is more enjoyable and fulfilling when she can ground the value of her art in how it makes her feel and how it impacts the lives of others. Clifford said someone recently told her that they thought the only thing that mattered as a musician was their number of Spotify followers. “I thought, ‘What matters is when I stand up and I say true things and people feel less alone in their life,’” she said. “I think that has to be what matters, because if it’s Spotify numbers, I’m sunk; it’s over. If that’s what it’s about, I should quit right now because I don’t give a crap about Spotify numbers.” For a long time, she was motivated by the hope of stumbling into her next big break or what the future might hold. Today, she said she finds more fulfillment in the present moment and fully appreciating her children, relationships and everything that encompasses a full, balanced life. “There’s always that thing that’s cooking, and it could happen at any time — that break, that phone call, that conversation that you had with the guy that wants to put you in a TV film,” she said. “There’s always some elusive thing that keeps you moving. You chase that, but there’s so much you miss — the beauty of just doing the art and having joy in the today.” Visit kcclifford.com.

K.C. Clifford 8 p.m. April 13-14 The Blue Door | 2805 N. McKinley Ave. bluedoorokc.com | 405-524-0738 $15-$20

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | a p r i l 5 , 2 0 1 7

event

MUSIC

Patriotic party

Bricktown Freedom Music Festival on Saturday. | Photo provided

The inaugural Freedom Music Festival happens Saturday afternoon at downtown’s Bricktown Brewery. By Michael Kinney

Like most up-and-coming bands, Red Club wants to make a name for itself. In order to do that, the 2x4 blues act devotes hours to perfecting the craft of producing great music. The Oklahoma City bandmates also work hard to be the kind of group known for giving back to its community. “The catalyst for the Bricktown Freedom Music Festival (BFMF) was a simple conversation I had with ‘Ferocious’ Steve Saak, our drummer,” Red Club’s Andy Cullen told Oklahoma Gazette. The pair got to talking about bucket lists, which led to the idea of organizing a benefit concert, Cullen said.

Block party

Bricktown Freedom Music Fest opens 3 p.m. Saturday in the Bricktown Brewery parking lot, 1 N. Oklahoma Ave. Tickets are $20 or $10 at the door for service members with a valid military ID and free for children 5 years old and

John Michael Montgomery headlines

a p r i l 5 , 2 0 1 7 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

younger. The parking lot behind the brewery will open to foot traffic, with a large stage located at the west end. Organizers also will close Oklahoma Avenue between E. Main Street and E. Sheridan Avenue. Longtime country performer John Michael Montgomery headlines the event. Red Club is scheduled to perform, as will Built for Speed, Corey Kent White, Rob West and comic Zach Smith. “This is just a great, fun family atmosphere that’s really welcoming. … You can bring out the lawn chairs and enjoy some nice weather in Oklahoma,” said Amber Moulder, Warriors for Freedom executive director. “We [also] have some food trucks coming out.”

Greater good

While the event is a great way to spend an evening, organizers said they want guests to know how important their support is for the two charities it benefits.

Warriors for Freedom is an Oklahoma City-based nonprofit that is known throughout the state and entertainment industry for its work helping those in the military as they confront depression, PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and other service-oriented issues. Water4 also provides valuable services from its home base in Oklahoma City. Across the globe, 2,200 children die each day from lack of clean water. By providing education, expertise and capital, Water4 helps impoverished communities around the world improve sanitation and reduce disease by drilling

clean water wells and improving access to safe, clean water sources. Cullen said Bricktown Freedom Music Fest proceeds will be split 50/50 between Warriors for Freedom and Water4. “We wanted to ensure that our efforts would help organizations in our own backyard while having an impact worldwide,” Cullen said. And event headliner Montgomery has been a long-time supporter of veterans. “One of his more recent hits, ‘Letters from Home,’ deals with some of the issues servicemen and women struggle with,” Cullen said. “Both organizations that will benefit provide services and help that change, improve and often save lives.”

Bricktown Freedom Music Festival 4-10 p.m. Saturday Bricktown Brewery | 1 N. Oklahoma Ave. warriorsforfreedom.org/bricktownfreedom Free-$150

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event

(when you mention this ad)

No patriarchs

Tulsa garage rock band The Daddyo’s brings an updated lineup to its Norman Music Festival main stage debut. By Ben Luschen

Editor’s note: Oklahoma Gazette is featuring Norman Music Festival performers each week leading up to its 10th anniversary event April 27-29 in Norman. Some people will talk about the importance of being well-rounded in one’s pursuits. There are advantages to picking up multiple hobbies and dabbling in many fields to find the passion that best suits them. Then again, when someone finds a calling, who’s to say they shouldn’t go all in? The Daddyo’s guitarist Kylie Slabby is all in on music. “I love playing music,” she said. “It’s all I want to do.” Slabby founded the dreamy, Tulsabased garage rock act with best friend Kylie Hastings in 2013. The Daddyo’s almost immediately developed a sizable following after releasing its debut, It’s a tough world out there for a lonely girl, in 2014, in part because of its status as an all-female outfit and also because the young musicians (then age 21) displayed impressive playing chops. The Daddyo’s, featuring an expanded lineup with drummer John Atkins and bassist Chris Rusk, is scheduled to perform 3 p.m. April 29 at Norman Music Festival. The free fest runs April 27-29 in downtown Norman. The act has gigged at prior NMF events, but this year marks its main stage debut. Slabby said The Daddyo’s like to perform in Norman as often as possible. In some ways, it feels like Tulsa act has assembled a more fervent following in college town than at home. “There’s a really big punk scene in Tulsa,” Slabby said. “Some people don’t take well to the type of music we’re playing. I just feel like people are more

The Daddyo’s | Photo provided

into garage rock in Norman.” Slabby started playing guitar when she was 8 years old. She said it’s hard to explain where her early attraction to musicmaking began. Neither of her parents are musicians, but they did support her desire to learn and perform. Her parents bought her first electric guitar when Slabby was in sixth grade, around the same time she met Hastings, who soon became one of her closest friends. Hastings, encouraged by Slabby’s dedication to the guitar, learned to play, too. “Four or five years ago, we were like, ‘Umm, we could actually be a real band,’” Slabby said. In December, The Daddyo’s released its EP Or Worse. The new year opened a new chapter for the band with the addition of Atkins and Rusk, Slabby said. They also held off booking gigs so far this year as the quartet focuses on preparing new tunes and working out the mechanics of a more layered sound. Sometime this spring, Slabby hopes to release the first project featuring the new lineup. Until then, the band is gearing up for its NMF gig and finding ways to adapt the bass to The Daddyo’s sound for the first time. “We weren’t planning on adding a bass player,” Slabby said. “We were just going to stay as a three-piece, but since we’re all friends, we just thought, ‘Why not add bass?’ So we’re coming back with a fuller sound.” Visit thedaddyos.bandcamp.com.

Norman Music Festival 10 April 27-29 | downtown Norman normanmusicfestival.com Free-$150

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

WEDNESDAY, 4.5 Amanda Cunningham, Grady’s 66 Pub, Yukon. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Bummer/Pinko/Ugly Duck/Costanzas, Opolis, Norman. VARIOUS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Duane Mark, Red Brick Bar, Norman. FOLK Savoy Trio, Will Rogers Lobby Cafe & Bar. JAZZ The Soulmen, Bourbon Street Bar. R&B

THURSDAY, 4.6 Austin Meade, Wormy Dog Saloon.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Blake Lankford, JJ’s Alley. SINGER/SONGWRITER Christophe Murdock, Your Mom’s Place. VARIOUS DJ Ku Rx, Coyote Ugly Saloon. DJ

ELI YOUNG BAND - APR 7

Jason Young Band, The Deli, Norman. COUNTRY Scott Reynolds, Your Mom’s Place. ACOUSTIC Society of Broken Souls/Social Creatures/ Elecktra/The Trading Co., Paramount Theatre. VARIOUS The Garage Band, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK

Metro Music Fest Live music rules the day during Metro Music Fest, the downtown Oklahoma City music festival brought to area music fans by the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@ UCO). More than 60 performers, with dozens of ACM-affiliated acts, including Space4Lease, Original Flow and the Fervent Root and Lincka, take over nine downtown stages with national headliners clipping. (pictured), Guided By Voices, Sierra Hull, SHEL and others. The event runs noon-2 a.m. Saturday. Admission is free. Visit acm.uco.edu. Saturday Photo DeMonica Orozco / provided

FRIDAY, 4.7 Aaron Newman, JJ’s Alley. FOLK

Rainbows Are Free/Helen Kelter Skelter/Turbo Wizard, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

Adrian Lopez/Phyllis Tilley/Wiz, Malarkey’s Dueling Piano Bar. PIANO Blake Bridges, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER

APR 14

Brock Zeman, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. BLUES Cody Jinks/Whitey Morgan/Ward Davis, Diamond Ballroom. COUNTRY

Stephen Chopek, Anthem Brewing Co. FOLK

SUNDAY, 4.9 Comin Up Zero, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK The Direct Connect Band, Elmer’s Uptown. R&B

Jabee, Blue Note Lounge. HIP-HOP

Kyle Rainer and the Runnin’ Hot Band, Hollywood Corners Station, Norman. COUNTRY Max Ridgway, Full Circle Bookstore. JAZZ

MONTGOMERY GENTRY - APR 21

The Matchsellers, The Depot, Norman. BLUEGRASS The Orwells, Opolis, Norman. ROCK Tyler Lee, Bourbon Street Bar. BLUES

Midas 13, Sauced on Paseo. ROCK

MONDAY, 4.10

On A Whim, Waters Edge Winery. INDIE

Cody Woody, Red Brick Bar, Norman. BLUEGRASS

Shortt Dogg/Nicole Lawson, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. R&B So Watt Band, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK The Dusty Rose Band/Stealing Saturn, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Trifecta, Bourbon Street Bar. ROCK

TUESDAY, 4.11 DJ Tom Hudson, Blue Note Lounge. VARIOUS Local H, 89th Street Collective.

SATURDAY, 4.8 Drive, Baker Street Pub & Grill. COVER Elizabeth Speegle Band, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. JAZZ

APR 22

WEDNESDAY, 4.12

FollowTheWolves, Porthole. ROCK

Bear Grillz/Midnight Tyrannosaurus/P0gman/ Wooli, ACM Performance Lab. ELECTRONIC

Greg Northwood, Will Rogers Lobby Cafe & Bar.

Edgar Cruz, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. ACOUSTIC

SINGER/SONGWRITER

HOSTED BY BOB EUBANKS

ROCK

Haylie Bagwell/Donne Lee Strickland/Kenslie Clark/Bailey Hull, Rodeo Opry. COUNTRY Jahruba, Othello’s Italian Restaurant, Norman. REGGAE

Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ

Mike Hosty, Will Rogers Lobby Cafe & Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER

John Carnuccio, Full Circle Bookstore. ROCK John Michael Montgomery, Bricktown Brewery. COUNTRY

Jump Seat, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK Susan Herndon/Lauren Lee/Shawna Russell/ Monica Taylor and more, Blue Door. FOLK Kris Kristofferson, Riverwind Casino, Norman.

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SINGER/SONGWRITER

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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.

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free will astrology Homework: Who’s the person you’d most like to meet and have coffee or a drink with? Why? Testify at Freewillastrology.com ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Be interested in first things, Aries. Cultivate your attraction to beginnings. Align yourself with uprisings and breakthroughs. Find out what’s about to hatch, and lend your support. Give your generous attention to potent innocence and novel sources of light. Marvel at people who are rediscovering the sparks that animated them when they first came into their power. Fantasize about being a curious seeker who is devoted to reinventing yourself over and over again. Gravitate toward influences that draw their vitality directly from primal wellsprings. Be excited about first things.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Are you weary of lugging around decayed guilt and regret? Is it increasingly difficult to keep forbidden feelings concealed? Have your friends been wondering about the whip marks from your self-flagellation sessions? Do you ache for redemption? If you answered yes to any of those questions, listen up. The empathetic and earthy saints of the Confession Catharsis Corps are ready to receive your blubbering disclosures. They are clairvoyant, they’re non-judgmental, and best of all, they’re free. Within seconds after you telepathically communicate with our earthy saints, they will psychically beam you eleven minutes of unconditional love, no strings attached. Do it! You’ll be amazed at how much lighter and smarter you feel. Transmit your sad stories to the Confession Catharsis Corps NOW!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Now is an excellent time to FREE YOUR MEMORIES. What comes to mind when I suggest that? Here are my thoughts on the subject. To FREE YOUR MEMORIES, you could change the way you talk and feel about your past. Re-examine your assumptions about your old stories, and dream up fresh interpretations to explain how and why they happened. Here’s another way to FREE YOUR MEMORIES: If you’re holding on to an insult someone hurled at you once upon a time, let it go.

In fact, declare a general amnesty for everyone who ever did you wrong. By the way, the coming weeks will also be a favorable phase to FREE YOURSELF OF MEMORIES that hold you back. Are there any tales you tell yourself about the past that undermine your dreams about the future? Stop telling yourself those tales. CANCER (June 21-July 22) How big is your vocabulary? Twenty thousand words? Thirty thousand? Whatever size it is, the coming weeks will be prime time to expand it. Life will be conspiring to enhance your creative use of language . . . to deepen your enjoyment of the verbal flow . . . to help you become more articulate in rendering the mysterious feelings and complex thoughts that rumble around inside you. If you pay attention to the signals coming from your unconscious mind, you will be shown how to speak and write more effectively. You may not turn into a silvertongued persuader, but you could become a more eloquent spokesperson for your own interests.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

We all need more breaks from the routine -- more holidays, more vacations, more days off from work. We should all play and dance and sing more, and guiltlessly practice the arts of leisure and relaxation, and celebrate freedom in regular boisterous rituals. And I’m nominating you to show us the way in the coming weeks, Leo. Be a cheerleader who exemplifies how it’s done. Be a ringleader who springs all of us inmates out of our mental prisons. Be the imaginative escape artist who demonstrates how to relieve tension and lose inhibitions.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

People in your vicinity may be preoccupied with trivial questions. What’s more nutritious, corn chips or potato chips? Could Godzilla kick King Kong’s ass? Is it harder to hop forward on one foot or backward with both feet? I suspect you will also encounter folks who are embroiled in meaningless decisions and petty emotions. So how should you navigate your way through this energy-draining muddle? Here’s my advice: Identify the issues that are most worthy of your attention. Stay

focused on them with disciplined devotion. Be selfish in your rapt determination to serve your clearest and noblest and holiest agendas.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

I hope that by mid-May you will be qualified to teach a workshop called “Sweet Secrets of Tender Intimacy” or “Dirty Secrets of Raw Intimacy” or maybe even “Sweet and Dirty Secrets of Raw and Tender Intimacy.” In other words, Libra, I suspect that you will be adding substantially to your understanding of the art of togetherness. Along the way, you may also have experiences that would enable you to write an essay entitled “How to Act Like You Have Nothing to Lose When You Have Everything to Gain.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

If you have a dream of eating soup with a fork, it might mean that in your waking life you’re using the wrong approach to getting nourished. If you have a dream of entering through an exit, it might mean that in your waking life you’re trying to start at the end rather than the beginning. And if you dream of singing nursery rhymes at a karaoke bar with unlikable people from high school, it might mean that in your waking life you should seek more fulfilling ways to express your wild side and your creative energies. (P.S. You’ll be wise to do these things even if you don’t have the dreams I described.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

If you’re a Quixotic lover, you’re more in love with love itself than with any person. If you’re a Cryptic lover, the best way to stay in love with a particular partner is to keep him or her guessing. If you’re a Harlequin, your steady lover must provide as much variety as three lovers. If you’re a Buddy, your specialties are having friendly sex and having sex with friends. If you’re a Histrionic, you’re addicted to confounding, disorienting love. It’s also possible that you’re none of the above. I hope so, because now is an excellent time to have a beginner’s mind about what kind of love you really need and want to cultivate in the future.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Your new vocabulary word is “adytum.” It refers to the most sacred place within a sacred place -- the inner shrine at the heart of a sublime sanctuary. Is there such a spot in your world? A location that embodies all you hold precious about your journey on planet Earth? It might be in a church or temple or synagogue or mosque, or it could be a magic zone in nature or a corner of your bedroom. Here you feel an intimate connection with the divine, or a sense of awe and reverence for the privilege of being alive. If you don’t have a personal adytum, Capricorn, find or create one. You need the refreshment that comes from dwelling in the midst of the numinous.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You could defy gravity a little, but not a lot. You can’t move a mountain, but you may be able to budge a hill. Luck won’t miraculously enable you to win a contest, but it might help you seize a hard-earned perk or privilege. A bit of voraciousness may be good for your soul, but a big blast of greed would be bad for both your soul and your ego. Being savvy and feisty will energize your collaborators and attract new allies; being a smartass show-off would alienate and repel people.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Here are activities that will be especially favorable for you to initiate in the near future: 1. Pay someone to perform a service for you that will ease your suffering. 2. Question one of your fixed opinions if that will lead to you receiving a fun invitation you wouldn’t get otherwise. 3. Dole out sincere praise or practical help to a person who could help you overcome one of your limitations. 4. Get clear about how one of your collaborations would need to change in order to serve both of you better. Then tell your collaborator about the proposed improvement with light-hearted compassion.

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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puzzles New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle Mixed Results

By Tracy Gray and Jeff Chen | Edited by Will Shortz | 0402

VOL. XXXIX No. 14 1

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ACROSS 1 Martin Van Buren was the first president who wasn’t one 5 Get ready for a long drive 11 IM chuckle 14 Martial arts move 18 Vitamix competitor 20 Hoity-toity 21 Shelley’s “To the Moon,” e.g. 22 It’s between the Study and Lounge on a Clue board 23 1970s TV cartoon series, with “The” 26 World capital whose seal depicts St. Hallvard 27 Pull out 28 It might give you a shock 29 Missile Command maker 30 Scintilla 31 Filmer in a stadium 33 Noodle dish 35 Rushes on banks? 37 Medicinal plant 39 Possible subject of a French scandal 40 German article 41 “Who ____ you?” 45 1973 No. 1 hit for Jim Croce 51 Téa of “Madam Secretary” 52 Pull (in) 53 Philosopher who wrote “To be sane in a world of madmen is in itself madness” 55 It may carry a virus 56 First and last word of the Musketeers’ motto 57 Pour, as wine 60 Degree in math? 61 Wrestler’s wear 63 Claw 65 Tickles 68 Target protector, perhaps 70 Jury-rigged 72 Monastery head’s jurisdiction 75 Feudal lords 77 Practice mixology 81 Chum 82 James of NBC’s The Blacklist 84 One side in golf’s Ryder Cup 86 Song of mourning 87 Big, husky sorts 90 Pennsylvania’s “Gem City” 92 Director Kurosawa

93 Title creature in a 1958 #1 Sheb Wooley hit 97 Buick model 98 Planter’s aid 99 Figure-skating jump 100 It’s a wrap 102 False start? 105 Words of defiance 106 Control groups 110 Captain of the Pequod 111 Actor Reeves 113 Onetime acquisition of GE 116 Shipping coolant 118 Cameo, for one 119 Dystopian film of 1971 122 Rihanna album featuring “Work” 123 Juice brand whose middle letter is represented as a heart 124 Tushy 125 Biggest employer in Moline, Illinois 126 Bridge position 127 Drop-____ 128 GPS, e.g., in military lingo 129 Wild Turkey and Jim Beam DOWN 1 Bowls over 2 Word both before and after “to” 3 Retriever’s retrieval, maybe 4 Little Rascals’ ring-eyed pooch 5 Big airport inits. 6 Hathaway of The Intern 7 Point out 8 Cabbage variety 9 Rice-Eccles Stadium player 10 Image on the back of a dollar bill 11 Lindsay of Freaky Friday 12 Sign of decay 13 Civil rights icon John 14 Hearty soups 15 “Idaho cakes,” in diner lingo 16 Slapstick sidekick of old comedy 17 Movie-review revelations 19 B-side of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” 24 Toll 25 Shade of gray 32 Gaggle : geese :: ____ : emus 34 Actress Peet 36 Big name in ice cream 38 Rank between viscount and marquess

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Accounts receivable Karen Holmes Digital Media & Calendar Coordinator Aubrey Jernigan

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71 Org. that usually meets in evenings 72 PD dispatch 73 Epstein-____ virus 74 Military decorations featuring George Washington’s profile 76 Welcomes 78 Jolly Roger, in Peter Pan 79 Indian city whose name is an anagram of some Indian music 80 Bona fide 83 ____ Bowl 85 Matches, at a table 88 “Hmm … probably not” 89 Burned rubber 91 Comic’s asset 94 South American prairie 95 Harem servants, often

96 One of the geeks on The Big Bang Theory 101 Former Big Apple mayor Giuliani 102 Fruit tree 103 1953 hit film set in Wyoming 104 Animal with striped legs 105 Difficult conditions for sailing 107 City with a University of Texas campus 108 “Revelations” choreographer 109 Hit pay dirt 112 “The Wealth of Nations” subj. 114 Its state song is “Yankee Doodle”: Abbr. 115 Opera highlight 117 ____ milk 120 Mauna ____ 121 Bandleader Eubanks, familiarly

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C O O L I O

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A L L E R G E L A N A S S U K R E A Y D R N A I F A O T S X E O R M A A S T N N E D L Y

I N S A C U E F E N T G R R T R O S H E S L E G R A T S E T O F T Y N A Y F E R R T E R O A N T R A L A T K I L H E L I V O A S A N B A T D O R N S E R E D R E A R E K E

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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 0326, which appeared in the March 28 issue.

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