Oklahoma Gazette 2-11-15

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY METRO OKC’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY VOL. XXXVII NO. 6 FEBRUARY 11, 2015

Perfect timing

Pixar in Concert combines OKC Philharmonic, movie magic MARK HANCOCK

BY DEVON GREEN P.31

A&E: FAKES, FORGERIES TAKE OVER OKCMOA P.30 A&E: MOUNTAINTOP A POWERHOUSE TELLING OF MLK’S LIFE P.33

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1/23/15 2:12 PM

CONTENTS 28

6

ON THE COVER Oklahoma Gazette’s Devon Green speaks to Pixar in Concert creator Pete Docter, Oklahoma City Philharmonic Executive Director Eddie Walker, Disney music licensing guru Jonathan Heely and more to examine Oklahoma City’s production of the program, which runs Feb. 20-21 at Civic Center Music Hall. P.31

— Jennifer Chancellor, editor-in-chief

NEWS

41

23

LIFE

LIFE

4

Legal: employment protections

16

OKG picks

6

Education: organizations

22

8

Election: Ward 6

Food & Drink: Green Goodies, Foodie Foot Tours, Lebanese restaurants, OKG eat: date night

10

City: parking paradox

26

Culture: Tunnel of Love

11

Metro briefs

27

12

Chicken-Fried News

Culture: Iraq, Culture and Conflict: A Dialogue

14

Commentary

14

Letters

Oklahoma Gazette’s mission is to stimulate, examine and inform the public on local quality of life issues and social needs, to recognize community accomplishments, and to provide a forum for inspiration, participation and interaction across all media.

Performing Arts: The Mountaintop, Romeo & Juliet, Pageant: A Musical Comedy Beauty Contest review

36

Books: 12 Things

37

Active: Cupid’s Undie Run

38

Sudoku / Crossword

28

Youth: Swine Week

41

30

Visual Arts: Intent to Deceive: Fakes and Forgeries in the Art World

Music: Mariachi Orgullo de América, The Hideouts, event listings, Josh Sallee

45

Film: streaming reviews

Cover: Pixar in Concert

46

Astrology

46

Classifieds

31

MISSION STATEMENT

33

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Protecting employees

M A R K HA N COC K

NEWS LEGAL

Sean Rowe stands in front of Babies “R” Us, where he works.

Some workers feel that both a revision of the OADA and a lack of substantial state labor laws encourage unfair and discriminatory workplace practices.

BY BEN FELDER

Sean Rowe has been told he cannot wear a jacket while working the cash register near the front door at Babies “R” Us, despite having a doctor’s note recommending one. And when he asked to be provided with a long-sleeve shirt that fits with company dress code, his manager said state law did not require her to provide one.

“In the state of Oklahoma, employers are not required to supply dress code,” said Laura Pankievich, a manager at the Belle Isle store in Oklahoma City. “That is not true of every state. In the state of Massachusetts, you have to supply dress code. You are not in Massachusetts.”

That exchange, which was recorded on Rowe’s phone last month, is an example of the lack of employee protections and benefits that exist in Oklahoma when compared to other states, especially after the Legislature overhauled the state’s discrimination and worker rights laws a few years ago.

State law does not require employers to offer lunch breaks, while states like California and Colorado require lunch breaks of 30 minutes for shifts longer than five hours. Oklahoma also lacks overtime laws beyond the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), while states like Missouri and Arkansas require overtime pay for employees who work more than 40 hours a week at businesses not covered by FLSA. Oklahoma also is one of 14 states that default to the federal minimum wage of $7.25, choosing not to implement a higher minimum wage.

In 2011, the Oklahoma Legislature rewrote the Oklahoma AntiDiscrimination Act (OADA), which stripped workers of many protections.

The revisions eliminated some options for public policy tort claims and a former protection for types of handicap discrimination. The revisions also exempt employers from paying certain legal fees in discrimination cases and prevent employees from filing a claim for emotional distress or punitive damages.

The 2011 law also dissolved the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission and also requires employees to file a complaint with the state within 180 days from the last date of alleged employment discrimination. The time frame was previously 300 days.

Rowe, 22, said his job at Babies “R” Us became almost unbearable after he sent an email to management and the corporate office last month listing several workplace concerns, many of which can be hard to find legal protection from in Oklahoma.

“I don’t know what else to do,” Rowe said after describing what he feels is a pattern of abuse that he has documented in emails and secret phone recordings.

Rowe feels bullied at work for no other reason than he complained about his manager, and he believes his manager is seeking retribution.

“Unfortunately, there is a lot of bullying in the workplace that is not unlawful,” said Amber Hurst, an attorney with OKC firm Hammons, Gowens, Hurst & Associates. “I call it being an

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equal opportunity jerk.”

Hurst, who also is president of the Oklahoma Employment Lawyers Association, said there are laws to protect employees from specific forms of discrimination on the basis of race, gender or religion. But a case of an employer retaliating because a complaint was made can be harder to defend.

“There are a lot of employers who will try to bully an employee because they don’t want to fire them,” said Hurst, who has not examined Rowe’s case.

Oklahoma requires unemployment compensation benefits when employment is terminated under qualifying conditions, which is why it can be cheaper for an employer to have an unwanted employee resign.

Since sending the letter to management, Rowe feels that his store supervisors target him for minor infractions and call him into a back office numerous times during shifts, demanding that he sign papers that accuse him of breaking company policy.

When Rowe took his concerns to an attorney, prior to sending his letter to managment, he was told there wasn’t much to stand on. Not only did he lack any evidence of discrimination on the basis of race, gender or religion, but Rowe’s options would be reduced even further if he chose to quit.

“I don’t think they want to fire me,” Rowe said. “They are trying to get me to quit.”

Following the complaint letter, Rowe said the store manager, Pankievich,

demanded that he no longer wear his jacket and was told to leave work. After obtaining a doctor’s note saying a jacket would be good for him because of asthmalike symptoms, Pankievich said, “It makes no difference,” according to a recording Rowe played for Oklahoma Gazette. She also allegedly told Rowe he was suspended pending investigation.

After a few days of suspension, he was asked to come back to work.

Rowe’s recorded conversations played for Oklahoma Gazette also show that a week later, he was confronted by a store manager and a corporate human resources manager who accused him of sexual harassment and cursing around customers. Rowe denied the allegations, and even though management said it had proof, he wasn’t fired.

“I have watched them bully Sean,” said Sadie Elliott, who has worked at Babies “R” Us since September. “I have had my own issues with management.”

Elliott, who suffers from myotonic muscular dystrophy, said she found her job with help of the Dale Rogers Training Center. She claims she was told that she could work at a desk because standing for long periods of time is not good for her.

“Standing makes me very weak, at times, but [my manager] doesn’t want me sitting at a desk, which is what I was hired to do,” Elliott said. “She has put me at the register for long periods of time, and I lean on the counter when I don’t have customers. Then she snaps at me and says we are not supposed to do that. It’s to a point where I don’t enjoy going to work anymore.”

Rowe’s allegations were submitted to the store’s corporate media relations office for comment.

“The company is committed to ensuring all employees work in a safe, respectful environment that is free of discrimination or any inappropriate conduct. We are in the process of investigating this matter. In the event the company determines that any inappropriate conduct occurred, it will take the appropriate remedial action,” said Alyssa Peera, spokesperson for Toys “R” Us, Inc. Rowe and Elliott’s situations are examples of workplace abuses that can be hard to identify through current workplace laws. At best, Rowe’s recordings demonstrate a pattern of disrespectful behavior.

Following a Supreme Court ruling last year that upheld the OADA changes, supporters of the verdict said it kept in place important protections for employers.

What’s good for employers can be bad for employees, critics of the revised act say.

“The old anti-discrimination act had some guts to it,” Hurst said. “The new act doesn’t offer much for employees, and protections were already few to begin with when you compare us to other states.”

A lecture by

Neil Gaiman

Pioneering Graphic Novel Writer & Novelist

Monday, March 9 7:30 p.m.

University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Chickasha, Oklahoma Te Ata Memorial Auditorium Tickets are free of charge and will be available to reserve on Feb. 9 at link.usao.edu/gaimantickets Ticket holders who have not arrived and redeemed their tickets by 7:15 pm will not be guaranteed a seat. No “saving� seats.

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O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | 5 1/28/15 2:36 PM

NEWS EDUCATION

School alliance Consulting firms working with the district offer a glimpse at a new strategy.

In his first year as superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools, Rob Neu has formed partnerships with several organizations that offer a glimpse of his education philosophy, along with an idea of how he plans to tackle some of the biggest challenges the district faces.

“Often, schools and districts will opt to purchase a program that will provide them with direction, but it takes a little bit more than that to make real lasting changes,” said Joanne McEachen, president of The Learner First. “What we do at Learner First is provide a framework to help people and schools and work with them through it.”

The Learner First is a Seattlebased education consulting firm that Neu has invited to work in the district. McEachen and her team were in OKC last year to gather information and help the district determine the school sites for several pilot programs.

Neu had previously worked with The Learner First as superintendent in Federal Way, Washington.

McEachen said her organization operates around four guiding beliefs: the only morally defensible target is 100 percent success, every student can succeed, reform starts by understanding what students already know and who they are and parents are the greatest experts on their children.

“I think the real connection we have [with Neu] is he has an unshakeable belief that every child can be successful,” McEachen said.

“He is a visionary leader and willing to take responsibility to make sure every student is successful.”

McEachen will be back here in March to meet with administrators and teachers and hopes to launch specific programs aimed at those students who have the greatest struggles by next fall.

The Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations is another organization working with the district. It has a three-year contract with the district to launch a series of student selfworth programs in several schools.

The Institute’s founder, Russell Quaglia, met with board members a few months after Neu’s arrival and

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Mutiu Fagbayi

shared his belief in engaging students in the learning process and helping them develop aspirations that drive their educational achievement.

The Learner First and Quaglia Institute both have student-centered philosophies that demonstrate the district’s shift this year to have students involved in conversations about education reform and new standards.

“The way we define aspirations is [not just the] ability to set goals and dream about the future but being inspired in the present,” Quaglia said. “By getting at [the student’s] voice ... when we talk about student success, we are looking at what creates a student’s self-worth.”

School board members say the organizations brought in have reinforced that commitment.

“When Neu arrived, he said, ‘We are going to get to know our individual students and get to know them on a personal level,’ and each one of these groups backs up that mission and makes it clear that this is the goal,” school board member Laura Massenat said.

Another organization brought in is Performance Fact Inc., which has facilitated The Great Conversation, a series of community meetings to formulate new standards and goals for the district.

Mutiu Fagbayi, president of Performance Fact Inc., has led teachers, business leaders and other community partners through several all-day sessions. He is doing so with a deliberative process that shows

GA RETT FI S BEC K

BY BEN FELDER

THANKS to the U.S. Supreme Court for their action in approving stays for all scheduled executions. attention to detail and a belief that goals should be backed by lots of thought and based on data.

“We are talking about all of us going in the same direction towards the same goal,” Fagbayi said at the launch of The Great Conversation last year. “This is not utilizing outside resources to say, ‘This is what Oklahoma City needs,’ but rather for the stakeholders to say, ‘This is what we need.’ Everybody is involved, and I think that is going to be very important to see the positive impacts we are looking for.”

Fagbayi’s approach reinforces Neu’s stance that change in the school system will have to be a community-wide project and there needs to be a specialized plan that is unique to OKC. “I participated in the strategic plan many years ago,” school board member Phil Horning said. “And while that was a good exercise, the group that is facilitating The Great Conversation, the content is richer, the facilitation is more professional, so I feel good about [Performance Fact Inc.].”

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ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR

Nothing says romance like a cozy retreat at an Oklahoma State Park.

Secluded cabins, crackling fires and misty mornings are just some of the alluring amenities available. Turn up the heat this February with 15% off a lodge or cabin stay and score romantic bonus points that will last until next Valentine’s Day. Visit TravelOK.com/SPDeals for more offers, and plan your retreat to remember.

If you just change policies, then people’s behaviors and beliefs don’t have an opportunity to change.

— Joanne McEachen

Organizations like Quaglia, Performance Fact and Learner First also have global partnerships, indicating that Neu’s vision for OKC is to look not just at American practices but also at processes that have worked in other countries, especially those that have better academic performance than the United States.

These firms also demonstrate an understanding by district leadership that change is not easy and requires specific transition plans.

“If you just change policies, then people’s behaviors and beliefs don’t have an opportunity to change,” McEachen said. “What we do at Learner First is provide a framework to help people change and work through the new direction, which is important in Oklahoma City.”

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NEWS ELECTION

Epicenter showdown Councilwoman Salyer draws two challengers in downtown ward.

BY BEN FELDER

Ward 6 is nearly visible from every other ward in the city.

The 850-foot Devon Energy Tower sits in the heart of Oklahoma City’s most urban ward and can be seen from beyond the outskirts of the city, symbolizing the growth of OKC’s central business district and the attention Ward 6 has received over the past two decades through a variety of capital projects that are likely to continue in the years to come.

“I think this [next] term is incredibly crucial for [Ward 6] because there is so much happening downtown,” said Councilwoman Meg Salyer, who is seeking reelection next month. “There is stuff happening all over the city, but Ward 6 happens to be the epicenter of public and private development that is going on right now.”

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You can’t just target certain areas.

You also have neighborhoods down south of the river, like Capitol Hill, where you have some projects that have been started but they haven’t been finished.

— Dario Alvarado Salyer is the only woman on the council and, since her appointment in 2008, has overseen the continued planning of a downtown streetcar system, convention center and park, all of which could have ground broken during the next council term.

“I feel a huge responsibility to deliver the projects we promised,” Salyer said. “I feel like I am prepared

to do that, I have the institutional knowledge to do it.”

Salyer, 59, has shown herself to be councilor with strong ties to the business community. She held a previous post as the first woman president of the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City and is president of Accel Financial Staffing. Salyer also has been pegged by some local political observers as a potential future mayoral candidate.

She has two challengers that both represent emerging populations in the city and the ward: Bob Waldrop, an environmentalist and activist, and Dario Alvarado, a member of the city’s growing Hispanic community.

Waldrop, who is the music director at Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church in northwest OKC, said he is skeptical of efforts to expand the downtown tax increment financing (TIF) district and believes more city incentives need to be directed toward low-income residents.

Waldrop, 63, is also critical of tax incentives being used for new downtown high-rise residential condominiums, such as the Clayco project at the site of the old Stage Center theater.

“Just a mile from where those [condos] are going to be built, I have been knocking doors in neighborhoods that, by United States standards, are in extreme poverty,” Waldrop said. “Where is the justice in subsidizing high-end condos for wealthy people when poor people, who pay a higher percentage of their incomes in taxes, are in bigger need?”

Waldrop has run for office before, including a mayoral campaign in 2006 that he admits was not a realistic bid. This time, he is looking to win, and while he understands a victory would most likely put him in the minority among the council on many issues related to tax incentives and urban development, he views the council as a platform on which to speak on behalf of the less fortunate.

“I’m going to have a little bit of a bully pulpit [if elected],” Waldrop said.

While downtown is often the

GA RETT FI S BEC K

Dario Alvarado

MARK H ANCOCK

Meg Salyer

MARK HANCOCK

Bob Waldrop

at age 3 and hopes to become the council’s only Hispanic member.

“There’s been a lot of development in Ward 6, but I feel it has been just focused on certain areas,” Alvarado said. “You can’t just target certain areas. You also have neighborhoods down south of the river, like Capitol Hill, where you have some projects that have been started but they haven’t been finished.”

Alvarado said he wants to help shape the conversation on future TIFs to insure more money is made available to schools and be a voice for the growing Hispanic community in Oklahoma City, especially in Ward 6.

“I want to be a representative of all voices, but being of the Hispanic community would help alleviate some of the mistrust that the Hispanic community has in city government,” Alvarado said. “A lot of the complaints I hear [from the Hispanic community] is it doesn’t matter if we go out and vote because at the end of the day, we are going to be forgotten, which is really a bad concept to have.”

Alvarado works as a safety coordinator for Buy For Less and is studying sustainable building at Oklahoma State University in Oklahoma City.

With around 2,200 votes cast in the last Ward 6 election, Waldrop and Alvarado hope they can drive turnout among their base and pull off a surprising upset. But Salyer was reelected in 2011 with 63 percent of the vote and benefits from name recognition and a highly organized campaign that was put into motion several months ago.

New transit systems, TIF districts and a 2017 general obligation bond will involve input from the entire Oklahoma City Council, but with the bulk of capital projects centered in downtown, the Ward 6 councilor will have the ability to shape some of those decisions in the coming years.

“I have spent six and half years in this job, working with citizens all over Ward 6, talking about how we can improve their neighborhoods,” Salyer said. “Those [improvements] don’t happen with leftovers on an annual basis with what is left for the general fund. Those things happen with bond issues and with long-term planning.”

Voters in Wards 6, 2 and 8 will have a chance to cast ballots on March 3. In wards where a candidate fails to receive more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote recipients will move on to a runoff.

focus of Ward 6, it also includes the Capitol Hill neighborhood south of the Oklahoma River and other communities with growing Hispanic populations. Alvarado, 26, was born in Mexico, moved to Oklahoma City

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NEWS CITY

Downtown’s paradox M A RK HA N COC K

A garage will soon replace historic buildings to accommodate parking needs for the proposed 499 Sheridan high-rise development. How might it impact transit and foot traffic?

BY BEN FELDER

While downtown has come a long way in its quest to move beyond the automobile, recent decisions by developers and city leaders show the car is still king.

“This project begins and ends with parking,” David Box, an attorney representing the 499 Sheridan development, told the Downtown Design Review Committee (DDRC) last month.

Those looking to build a high-rise office building next to the Devon Energy Tower want a piece of the downtown life but told the DDRC that ample parking was necessary to compete with office complexes in the suburbs.

The proposed 499 Sheridan highrise development, which is located along a bike route and future streetcar line, was granted approval to construct a major parking garage at the expense of several historic buildings, and its construction could remove some bike lanes along Walker Avenue.

Even with the creation of a streetcar line and expanded bus service, the reality of downtown Oklahoma City is the vast majority of workers commute by automobile, as is the case in most every American city.

“I just don’t think we have made that leap from asking, ‘How can we fit all these cars in downtown?’ to ‘How can we get fewer cars to come downtown while getting more people?’”

said Shane Hampton, a fellow with the University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Quality Communities. “Right now, it’s a tricky time [downtown] because we are trying to still maintain people’s level of comfort for driving while also growing downtown to become a place where people use transit and bike.”

I just don’t think we have made that leap from asking, ‘How can we fit all these cars in downtown?’ to ‘How can we get fewer cars to come downtown while getting more people?’

— Shane Hampton Other examples of downtown’s quest to become more urban and still cater to cars can be found in the decision to replace a portion of Interstate 40 with a highwaylite thoroughfare rather than leave downtown streets as they are, which was the request by some transit and pedestrian advocates.

The Oklahoma Department of

Transportation’s decision to go with a new downtown boulevard that is elevated in spots was due to a need to move cars quickly in and out of downtown, the agency said.

Downtown Oklahoma City has seen incredible growth over the past two decades, including dramatic increases in residential and commercial development. Project 180 has transformed many downtown streets to bikeable and walkable routes, but the 499 Sheridan development is an example of the primary role cars still hold.

In its presentation to the city, developers of 499 Sheridan said the location of a new parking garage entrance might mean the removal of bike lanes along Walker Avenue.

“This development is practically forcing Devon employees to drive to work, even if they live a mile away,” wrote Eric Dyer on his popular Bike OKC blog. “There is a growing downtown population that would probably bike or walk to work if it is easy, safe and convenient.”

While developers say a lack of parking makes attracting businesses away from suburban complexes more difficult, it is not a new issue for downtown communities. The city is in the process of creating a downtown streetcar line that could alleviate some need for parking, and continued investments in bike and bus options

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Pedestrians stroll through downtown. could also reduce the number of cars.

“The streetcar is going to help, but is not here yet,” said Ward 6 Councilwoman Meg Salyer. “The reality is parking in downtown is a major issue.”

Downtown had nearly 24,000 off-street parking spaces as of 2012, according to a city parking study.

The study also predicts there will be a demand for 5,600 additional parking spaces in downtown in 10 years from just Enogex, Devon Energy, First National Center, Century Center and Continental Resources. However, each of those five downtown companies and facilities are along the proposed streetcar line, and the same is true for all five city-owned parking garages.

Despite the challenges that remain, downtown has reinvented itself into a more urban community. Besides Project 180 and the demolition of the elevated I-40, a bike share program, street-level retail and additional housing have all been added in the past several years.

“As more people come downtown, there will have to be this natural tendency to invest more in transit because we can’t fix it all with more parking,” Hampton said. “I think that many downtown stakeholders see how public transportation can help with some of the problems ... we are headed in that direction, at least.”

NEWS BRIEFS

P ROVI DE D

GA RE TT FI S BE C K

BY BEN FELDER

Hoodie death Mary Fallin during her State of the State address.

New session Oklahoma’s 55th legislative session kicked off last week as the governor doubled down on her inaugural address themes.

“My challenge is to use this session to unpack how the state is spending its money,” Gov. Mary Fallin said in her State of the State address, highlighting the state’s growing tax revenue but the declining amount lawmakers have to spend.

Fallin’s speech included an appeal for lawmakers to invest in education, incarceration reform and health care, three areas in which the state consistently performs poorly.

“Oklahoma has some great forward momentum, but there are some obstacles we must face head-on,” Fallin said.

A projected $300 million budget shortfall has most agencies facing likely cuts even while the Department of Education, Medicaid and Department of Corrections are requesting over $500 million in increases.

Fallin said she supported increases in education funding by as much as $25 million but centered her address on increasing partnerships between schools and the business community to create more career-ready graduates, including the launch of Oklahoma Works, a new program that helps develop those types of partnerships.

In a response to Fallin’s address, House Minority Leader Scott Inman also said he was hopeful the governor would push the state forward.

“We were cautiously optimistic about what the future holds for those core functions of government that we care about,” Inman, D-Del City, said. “It was a speech that, on a whole, a middle-of-the-road Democrat could have given.”

During last week’s State of the State address by Gov. Mary Fallin, two men showed up in Guy Fawkes masks to protest Senate Bill 13, often referred to as the “hoodie bill” because it would ban the use of masks and concealing clothing, possibly hoodies, in public.

However, two days into the new session, Sen. Anthony Sykes, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a statement that he would not hear the bill.

“After evaluating the legislation assigned to the Judiciary Committee this session, I have decided that Senate Bill 13 will not be heard so we may focus on other legislation before us,” Sykes, R-Moore, said.

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Award finalist Local nonprofit Fields & Futures is a finalist for the 2015 LIDS Foundation Tip the Hat Award and is in the running for $125,000.

Fields & Futures, along with several other nonprofits that address issues of physical fitness, is listed at lidsfoundation.org/2015voting, where visitors can vote for their favorite organization before Sunday.

“Each individual can vote once, and it’s okay to vote from different devices; each vote counts once,” said Dustin Trammell, regional director for LIDS Sports Group. Fields & Futures renovates local athletic fields in the Oklahoma City area.

Oklahoma City Public Schools’ offering of the PSAT for free to every sophomore and junior this year has not only increased participation in the test from 200 to more than 2,800, it has helped 489 students become exempt from some end-of-the-year standardized tests because of their scores.

Also, more than 240 students qualified for Advanced Placement courses because of their PSAT score.

The school board heard the stats during last week’s meeting and also reviewed state mandatory test data that showed the average student spends 20 hours a year completing standardized testing, which works out to around 2 percent of the school year.

“I think we all know that it’s a little more than 2 percent when you take into consideration the time to prepare [for the tests],” school board member Gloria Torres said.

PROVID ED

Exemptions

Quotable “We were really excited about sidewalks, but we are not excited about bus pads, and I don’t see those two going together,” said Ward 3 Councilman Larry McAtee (pictured), who voted against a resolution asking for some sidewalk funds to be used for bus shelter concrete pads.

Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid asked the council last week to approve the resolution, indicating a desire to use some sidewalk funds from MAPS3 on concrete pads for bus stop shelters. The council voted 4-5 against the measure.

OKC is in the process of spending over $18 million on new sidewalks throughout the city.

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O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | 1 1

CHiCKEN CKEN Sexy city

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, sex toy maker PinkCherry shared its rankings of Sexiest Cities.

Guess which Oklahoma city slid into its top slot.

Seriously. Guess.

Then ask your bestie or that stranger sitting nearest you, “What is the sexiest city in America?”

Did either of you guess Norman, Lawton or Muskogee?

Well, it doesn’t matter. You’re wrong.

Tuttle is No. 1.

That’s right. Residents of this town — with a 2010 census population of 6,019 — bought more intimate toys, lingerie and novelties from Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2014, than any other city in the union, according to PinkCherry data.

Tuttle is the only Oklahoma city on the 50-city list.

It’s probably less surprising that Florida has two cities in the top five: Celebration (No. 3) and Sky Lake (No. 4).

Congratulations, Tuttle! Your tenants spent 13 times the national average on erotic novelties. That’s impressive.

FRiED NEWS Massive meth

A routine traffic stop was the end of the road for a lady passing through Oklahoma City. According to KOCO. com, Zully Penate, 38, was swerving in and out of the lanes on the East Interstate 240 Service Road. Her erratic driving caught the attention of two deputies, who pulled her over.

When Penate got agitated while talking to deputies, they asked K-9 officer Cairo to take a sniff around. Cairo presented the alert signal right away, and the officers pulled nearly five pounds of meth from the vehicle.

The estimated value of the meth find was $60,000.

She posted $25,500 in bail and is awaiting trial for trafficking and improper lane use. Improper lane use? I guess the trafficking 60 grand of drugs wasn’t enough to stick her with.

It’s too bad she didn’t sell that meth before she got

busted. She could have used the money for court costs.

Force

Sen. James Lankford took his silky smooth baritone pipes to Fox News last week, and shared his thoughts on President Obama.

“They only understand the language of force, and we, as Americans, have a difficult time with this because we assume you can sit down and negotiate,” Lankford said.

Those were some tough words directed at Democrats, and they highlight the growing partisanship of Washington, D.C. Actually, upon further review, Lankford was speaking about the Middle East terrorist group ISIS.

Native Son

The South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce presented retired longtime local weatherman Gary England with the Native Son Award last month at its annual banquet.

The chamber honored the former KWTV chief meteorologist for his community work, but we love all his accomplishments. We’d like to honor him as Oklahoma Gazette’s King of Everything.

Plus, you know, he appeared as himself in the movie Twister in 1996. He has inspired drinking games, saved lives, practically invented the concept of storm chasing, helped develop commercial Doppler radar as we know it today and The Lost Ogle once named him the most powerful person in Oklahoma.

We didn’t get a copy of the fete’s menu, but we’re guessing (hoping!) it included Tornado Alley Tacos, a Thunder Lizard Margarita and Big Ugly Ice Cream Cake.

Chart fever

Mary Fallin delivered the State of the State last week in front of a joint session of the Oklahoma State Legislature. If there’s one takeaway, it’s charts.

Charts are often utilized to produce a palatable presentation of convoluted and dense informational material, but Fallin’s charts seemingly took up more space than they were worth. For your viewing pleasure, they’re simplified as follows:

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Tax gains = up. Less money to do stuff = bad.

Tax gains + less money = curl up with my blankie and go nap-nap.

The charts were used to show the decrease in the percentage of tax receipts (collections) appropriated by government programs, down from 55 percent to 47 percent. In conclusion, for whatever reasons, our government has less money to spend despite raising more of it. Of course, she could have said that and moved on.

If the charts aren’t a turnoff, you could focus on a number of other things: proposed overhaul of the budgeting process, increased funding for the Department of Education, support for “smart on crime” policies or a number of initiatives to dethrone our state from its place at or near the top of a list of terrible health problems.

Satanist scribbles

A Satanist, who is perhaps a user of cornstarch (who isn’t?), sparked an hourlong lockdown at our state Capitol last week.

Grooming preferences aside, Warr

Acres resident Adam Daniels stopped by the Capitol to hand-deliver 100 letters to legislators and the governor, NewsOK.com reported. His note complained about House Bill 1125, authored by Republican Rep. Todd Russ from Cordell, which would halt all marriage licenses in our state. Why halt them? Because Russ doesn’t want court clerks to feel uncomfortable when issuing legally mandated marriage licenses to nonstraight couples, NewsOK reported.

Instead, LGBT couples could get common-law marriage certificates from clergy. And by clergy, Russ means nonSatanic groups. It’s not like our lawmakers ever propose or pass anything that could violate essential rights of the First or Fourteenth Amendments.

Oh, wait.

We’re guessing folks are a bit leery of Davis since he led a black mass (to 42 people) here in September.

Maybe what also made our fearless lawmakers and their staffs tremble was his black clerical robe or the fact that he’s a Satanist. Not that it should matter.

Anyway, as they opened his notes, someone became nervous about the possibility of white powder inside the envelopes.

After all, it has been a good 14 years since our nation has had a legitimate, full-blown anthrax panic. It only makes sense that a new terror threat would be personally hand-delivered by a gingerhaired white Okie in a clerical robe.

You can’t blame people at the Capitol for their hunger for action and drama. It’s not like the Legislative session just started or anything. Frisbee golf is so 2010. And the Snackeez Snack Cup craze died around Christmas.

Alas, it appears Davis was merely performing his civic duty by standing up for what he believes in. No white powder was discovered. (Though that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the least-smelly feet in the joint. He probably also makes fantastic biscuits and gravy.

Not that any of that is relevant.)

We’re just grateful he didn’t deliver the envelopes while wearing a fleece hoodie.

Just unhealthy

BetterDoctor.com recently released its Healthy Cities Index, and OKC earned a spot at No. 2.

And by No. 2, we mean we’re almost the least healthy city in the nation with a score of 24.1 out of 100. Memphis earned the No. 1 spot with a grade of 15.8.

Perhaps is the chronic fear of terrorism (see “Satanist scribbles”), the stress of deciding which sex toys to purchase (buy all of them; see “Sexy city”), the distraction of chart fever or fear of drugs (see “Massive meth”) that’s making Oklahoma City residents unhealthy.

Or maybe we’re underserved by our city infrastructure and minimum-wage pay ... and a bit lazy.

The website gathered data about the number of “highly rated” doctors and residents with health insurance, doctor-topatient ratios, exercise rates, eating habits, chronic health problems and access to recreational activities, among others.

The healthiest city was Boston with a score of 74.5.

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(Branch of Platt College Tulsa, OK Campus) O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | 1 3

COMMENTARY

P ROVI DE D

Maneuvering the streets to survive

BY JONATHAN DODSON

It was quite surreal, being snuggled roadside by a person I just met.

As she lay down behind me on the asphalt, the awkwardness was compounded with the perfume of intermittent puffs of Virginia Slims.

My heart palpitations were not due to secondhand smoke but the cars barely avoiding what probably appeared as a snugglefest at N. May Avenue and NW 17th Street. Her automated wheelchair lost a tire, and she was stranded, stuck in the middle of a lane that seemed to demand the sacrificial death of any pedestrian with the audacity to move north or south along the road.

So, there I was, sharing a moment with a stranger. As I lay down to fix her tire, she would be damned to let me struggle by myself. Despite the

danger that awaited her, she managed to get out of her wheelchair and lay down behind me in the street.

Coaching me between drags with one arm around me and the other carefully flicking the cigarette so as not to get any on me, my thoughts raced. Would I make it out alive? What if we both were crushed by a car? Was this as hilarious as it looked?

Finally leveraging the rubber tire back on the wheel, I stood up, thankful to be alive and hoping that this woman would be able to get off May and onto a side street. Yet, as if for dramatic pause, she once more inhaled deeply and allowed the wind to pull the smoke out of her mouth and into the spring sky. I turned to walk away, but over the roar of the traffic, I heard her shout, “Don’t forget

your money that I owe you for helping me.” Declinations on my part were not accepted. The same strength that would get her to Walgreens would not accept my pity. Finally, with her voice rising, she said, “Boy, I am not your charity case. I appreciate your help, but you will take my money and buy something for your kids.”

As I grabbed the bill from her outstretched hand, my pride, hilarity and supposed self-awareness were crushed. She had given me joy when I had given her so little. I turned, humbled and grateful, as if I could see the world a little fuller, a little more alive and filled with a little more hope.

This resonates with me as I think about what Oklahoma University’s Institute for Quality Communities, Urban Land Institute Oklahoma

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.

and the City of Oklahoma City are trying to do on the redesign of Classen Boulevard. A lot of talk about bikefriendly lanes, walkable sidewalks and access between neighborhoods is populating the dialogue. However, in the middle of this are our friends, neighbors and strangers who must maneuver the streets to survive, get medicine and buy food. If we will be diligent to think of those with the least, I think we will find that in exchange for giving so little, we will have been given joy, the costliest of jewels.

I have seen that same woman multiple times since our interaction on the asphalt of NW 17th Street, always on the road, always in peril, but always in strength.

Jonathan Dodson is an urban in-fill developer, equity raiser and debt placer who loves to see the world from a bicycle, especially when it includes his family.

LETTERS 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.

Community building

Upwards of 2,500 people making an average salary of $50,000 equates to $150,000,000 in income for real working people in Oklahoma City.

Only someone living off inherited wealth or another’s dime could fail to recognize the obvious value of the real work and wealth creation of the 499 Sheridan proposal.

How can Ms. Bailey possibly think a better use of the property is a restaurant to take her friends from San Francisco and Seattle? It’s the young 20-30-somethings who will comprise much of the workforce that will occupy 499 Sheridan. This is the fundamental demand generator for bubble shops selling $100 handmade hipster hats and the recent explosion of restaurants and districts.

Also, this is private property, if that means anything to Ms. Bailey. I suggest

she focus her efforts on the forthcoming demolition of the original Film Exchange Building located on public property where she has a legitimate claim. I am near the age of Ms. Bailey, and we apparently like many of the same places. However, she only speaks for herself. I’m not sure whether her position comes from economic ignorance, selfishness or naiveté, but to save what is there at the expense of what is proposed at 499 Sheridan is destructive to the underlying fabric of our society and the retailers she consults.

— Matthew Trimble Oklahoma City Way to God

I saw an interesting billboard on the side of the interstate the other day. It said, “Jesus ... the only way to God.” I thought for a brief moment. What does this mean? Have we Jews been doing it all wrong for the last 5,700 years?

And after the advent of Christ, did our relationship with God suddenly become null and void?

God gave us the Ten Commandments and Torah long before the advent of Christ.

So how, if Jews have had a relationship with God all this time, can anyone say that it is now not possible

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without the belief in Christ?

There is not one religion or belief that holds any more weight with God above another, is there? How can some Christians hold on to such a belief? Are their beliefs so fragile that they must exclude the beliefs of others to bolster their own? Do practitioners of other religions need the same bolstering? If I wasn’t a Jew, Muslim or Christian and I wanted to have a relationship with God, would I be denied one?

The truth is no. Those Christians, the ones that paid for the billboard, should accept the fact that there are many paths to God. God himself created those paths with the Commandments and Torah.

Instead of the billboard saying,

“Jesus … the only way to God,” maybe this would be more appropriate: “Jesus … another way to God.” Makes you think, huh?

— Solomon “Rosenbaum” Treinen Oklahoma City Correction

In last week’s issue, we published the incorrect contact information for the Oklahoma Literacy Coalition.

The correct contact information is: Oklahoma Literacy Coalition, 5830 Northwest Expressway #196, okliteracycoalition.okpls.org, 580-762-4580. Oklahoma Gazette apologizes for the error.

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Take your Valentine to Dinner at BI GSTOC KP HOTO.COM

OKG picks are events

recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members.

For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS LOVE BY THE BOTTLE! POUR YOUR HEART INTO IT...

Memoir Writing Workshop for Women, document personal stories in a warm, supportive atmosphere with time to look back on events and share memories, 4-5:30 p.m., Feb. 12. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 3079320, pasnorman.org. THU Book Discussion with John Davidson, author will discuss his book Bricks, a story of a young girl and the aftermath of a tornado that rips through her neighborhood, 6:30-8 p.m., Feb. 12. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU Iraq, Culture and Conflict: A Dialogue, American soildier-poet/memoirist Brian Turner and Iraqi poet/ memoirist Dunya Mikhail share poems they wrote about the Iraq war, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 18. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 208-5000, okcu.edu. WED See story on P.27.

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Two Days, One Night, (FR, 2014, dir. Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne) a young mother is being fired from her job in exchange for her coworkers receiving a bonus and she has one weekend to convince them to give up their bonuses so she can keep her job, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 11-12. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. WED-THU Art and Craft, (US, 2014, dir. Sam Cullman) Mark Landis, one of the most successful art forgers is exposed after gifting several forged works to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in 2007, 8 p.m., Feb. 13. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa. com. FRI Academy Award Nominated Animated Short Films, a chance to see short films nominated for an Academy Award, 5:30 p.m., Feb. 14; 7:30 p.m., Feb. 18. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT/WED Gone Girl, (US, 2014, dir. David Fincher) movie based off Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel where writers Nick Dunne’s wife goes missing and his search to find her, 8 p.m., Feb. 14.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT Academy Award Nominated Live Action Short Films, view the Academy Award nominated Best Short Films: Live Action before the Oscar is awarded on Feb. 22, 12:30 p.m., Feb. 15; 7:30 p.m., Feb. 17. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 236-3100, okcmoa.com. SUN/TUE The Notebook, (US, 2004, dir. Nick Cassavetes) Nicholas Sparks’ memorable love story of Allie and Noah returns

Norman Mardi Gras Parade The 21st Annual Norman Mardi Gras Parade is kicking off the celebration early this year. Starting at the intersection of Main Street and E. Gray Street, the parade will run east to the Crawford Avenue judges table, circling back on Comanche Street. Parking will be available off Jones Avenue north of Gray Street and south of Comanche Street. The parade is 7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and is free to attend. Visit normanmardigrasparade.com.

Saturday to the big screen for a one-night-only event, 7 p.m., Feb. 17. Harkins Theatre, 150 E. Reno Ave., 231-4747, harkinstheatres.com. TUE

HAPPENINGS Easy Strategies for Gardening Success, presentation giving pointers on composting and other gardening success tips, 6-7:30 p.m., Feb. 11. Will Rogers Garden Center, 3400 NW 36th St., okc.gov/Parks/will_rogers. WED

Wes Moore, social entrepreneur, army veteran and youth advocate Wes Moore, will speak at Norman NEXT event, an organization for young professionals, about social innovation and the modern leader, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 12.

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, 325-4712, snomnh.ou.edu. THU

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Designs introducing solutions for communitybuilding nonprofits will be on display Thursday at the University of Central Oklahoma. Challenged to address social, personal and professional issues, UCO design students utilized “design thinking” in developing their projects, which necessitates examining and accommodating a complex set of realities while targeting avenues toward the best results. The exhibit begins with a free opening reception at 4 p.m. Thursday in Donna Nigh Gallery on the third and fourth floors of Nigh University Center on the UCO campus, 100 N. University Drive, in Edmond. Visit design.uco.edu.

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PechaKucha Night, an opportunity to share ideas, works and thoughts with other creative individuals; featuring five speakers, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Feb. 12. TAP Architecture, 415 N. Broadway Ave., 232-8789, taparchitecture.com.

THU

Wednesday, Feb. 11

P ROVI DE D

Love, orchids, dinner and orchids If you can think of a better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than strolling through 1,000 types of orchids adorning something called the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory while sipping bubbly and then being treated to a threecourse meal of lobster ravioli, beef tenderloin with red wine and cocoa and pineapple sponge cake with toasted coconut ice cream … just get the hell out. For the rest of you, a new exhibition, Jewel Orchids: Treasures of the Rainforest, and a Valentine’s Day Dinner at Park House each takes place 6 p.m.

Saturday at Myriad Botanical Gardens. Registration is required

by Wednesday. Tickets for the exhibition opening are $15-$30. A dinner table for two is $89. Visit myriadgardens.org.

Saturday

2nd Friday Norman Art Walk, a celebration of art in downtown Norman; including various nonprofit organizations, galleries, shops, studios, live music and more, 6-9 p.m., Feb. 13. Downtown Norman, 122 East Main St., Norman, 2ndfridaynorman.com. FRI Live on the Plaza, artwalk event which promotes emerging artistic talent in Oklahoma City; acitivites for kids, food trucks, store events and more, 7 p.m., Feb. 13. Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave., 3679403, plazadistrict.org. FRI Monster Jam, see some of the best monster trucks including Grave Digger, Monster Mutt, Zombie, War Wizard and many others, 2 & 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14; 2 p.m., Feb. 15. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com.

SAT-SUN

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P ROVI DE D

continued

Frigid Five Edmond Running Club’s five-mile run is a fundraiser to support local organizations like Allied Arts. The race is 9 a.m. Saturday at Mitch Park, 1501 W. Covell Road, Edmond. Registration for the five-mile race is $30-$35.

Children 11 years old and younger also can join in a free fun run at 8:30 a.m.

Call 808-7371.

Saturday

FOOD

PERFORMING ARTS

Health by Chocolate, learn how to use quality chocolate to enhance your food and your health, 6-7:30 p.m., Feb. 12. Natural Grocers, 7001 N. May Ave., 840-0300, naturalgrocers.com. THU

Still Life with Iris, production by UCO’s Department of Theatre Arts; fantasy drama of a little girl’s search for home, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 12-14; 2 p.m., Feb. 15. UCO Mitchell Hall Theater, 100 N. University Drive, Edmond, 974-2000, uco.edu. THU-SUN

The Grey Affair, try delicious wines from Waters Edge Winery along with aphrodisiacs prepared by Jonathon Stranger of Ludivine; live music by Maurice Johnson and art from The Crump Effect, 8-11 p.m., Feb. 12.

Waters Edge Winery, 712 N. Broadway Ave., 616-5031, wewokc.net. THU Saturday Cooking Class, chateaubriand is on this week’s menu, 10-11 a.m., Feb. 14. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Road, Edmond, 509-2700, uptowngroceryco.com. SAT OKC’s Original Fat Tuesday Celebration, celebrate Fat Tuesday with your favorite Cajun dishes, live music, friends and fun, 4-10 p.m., Feb. 17. Pearl’s Oyster Bar, 5641 N. Classen Blvd., 848-8008, funfresh.com. TUE

YOUTH Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body, exhibit based on the best-selling book by Sylvia Branzei; lets visitors see the good, bad and ugly facts about the human body from runny noses to body odor and more. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 N.E. 52nd St., 602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. WED-WED Heavenly Herbs, discover herbs, how they are used for zoo animal enrichment and diet and make your own herbal bath oil; ages 4 and up, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Feb. 14.

Oklahoma City Zoo, 2000 Remington Pl., 424-3344, okczoo.com. SAT Barnes and Noble Storytime, reading of Sesame Street’s I Love You Just Like This!, 11 a.m., Feb. 14. Barnes & Noble, Quail Springs, 13800 N. May Ave., 755-1155, barnesandnoble.com. SAT Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, production of the classic Dr. Seuss tale of The Cat in the Hat, 11 a.m., Feb. 11, 13, 16 & 18; 2 p.m., Feb. 14-15. Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave., 606-7003, oklahomachildrenstheatre.org. WED/FRI-MON/WED Little Big Chefs, cooking class for parents and kids; learn to make pancakes this week, 2-3 p.m. for ages 5-8; 3:30-4:30 p.m., for ages 9-12, Feb. 15. Uptown Grocery Co., 1230 W. Covell Road, Edmond, 509-2700, uptowngroceryco.com. SUN

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Everybody Loves Opal, three con artists meet a woman named Opal and plan to take advantage of her insurance but she reveals a big secret to her new “friends” and then the tables turn, 8 p.m., Feb. 12-14; 2:30 p.m., Feb. 15. Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave., 521-1786, jewelboxtheatre.org. THU-SUN The Mountaintop, award winner for Best New Play; a production reimagining of the last night in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a look at the changing nation he left, 7:30 p.m., Feb. 13; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14; 1:30 p.m., Feb. 15. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. FRI-SAT See story on P.33.

Always ... Patsy Cline, show based on the true story of Pasty Cline’s friendship with Houston housewife Louise Seger; a show of humor, sadness and reality, 8 p.m., Feb. 13-14. The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 601-7200, theboomokc.com. FRI-SAT Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare’s tragic tale comes back to the stage with the Oklahoma Philharmonic alongside, 8 p.m., Feb. 13; 2 & 8 p.m., Feb. 14; 2 p.m., Feb. 15.

Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 297-2264, okcciviccenter.com. FRI-SUN See story on P.34.

A Valentine’s Day Pep-Talk Comedy Show, take the pressure off Valentine’s and enjoy a comedy show of hilarious date stories by Cameron Buchholtz, Brad Chad Porter and others along with musical guests Caleb McGee and Nick Haywood, 9:30 p.m., Feb. 13. Othello’s Italian Restaurant, 434 Buchanan Ave., Norman, 7014900, othellos.us. FRI

ACTIVE OKC Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies, NBA basketball game, 7 p.m., Feb. 11. Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., 602-8700, chesapeakearena.com. WED Perfect 10 Challenge, women’s collegiate gymnastics competition, 6:45 p.m., Feb. 13. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. FRI

Bart & Nadia Sports Experience 2015, event with health and fitness booths offering information on nutrition, health care, exercise, sports activities and more, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Feb. 14. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. SAT Cupid’s Undie Run, join the fun in a half-naked run in celebration of fundraising for the Children’s Tumor Foundation, 2 p.m., Feb. 14. Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E. Sheridan Ave., 601-6276, wormydog.com. SAT See story on P.37.

OKC Blue vs. Santa Cruz Warriors, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s NBA D-League affiliate hosts the Santa Cruz Warriors, the D-League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors, 7 p.m., Feb. 17. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, 602-8500, coxconventioncenter.com. TUE

VISUAL ARTS Grapevine Women’s Artist Show, show features six talented artists with works ranging from photography to still life and impressionistic realism, 4:30-7 p.m., Feb. 13; 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Feb. 14; 1:30-3:30 p.m., Feb. 15. Grapevine Gallery, 1933 NW 39th St., 528-3739, grapevinegalleryokc.com. FRI-SUN A Splash of Red, art exhibit celebrating love for family and friends as well as supporting the Go Red for Women’s health movement. In Your Eye Studio & Gallery, 3005-A Paseo St., 525-2161, inyoureyegallery.com.

A Step Back in Time, photography exhibit focusing on UCO’s campus and life at the turn of the 20th century.

University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University Drive, 974-2000, uco.edu.

An Evening with Colette Loll, gallery talk and tour of the exhibit with the curator of Intent to Deceive and founder of Art Fraud Insights, 6-7 p.m., Feb. 12.

Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 2363100, okcmoa.com. THU See related story on P.30.

Cautionary Tales, exhibit by painter Michele Mikesell which explores the universal human experience through themes such as irony, contradiction, humor and tragedy.

JRB Art at The Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., 528-6336, jrbartgallery.com.

Character Studies, exhibit featuring paintings from artist Matt Atkinson in which he combines traditional oil paints with paints he makes from minerals and stone.

The Summer Wine Art Gallery, 2928-B Paseo St., 8313279, summerwinegallery.com.

Evanescent Iridescence, exhibit by local artist John Bruce. Mainsite Contemporary Art, 122 E. Main St., Norman, 360-1162, mainsite-art.com.

Fiber Artists of Oklahoma Meeting, tour the gallery along with a short talk of plans to incorporate fiber studio into Untitled’s programming followed by a Ted Talk video on the Crochet Coral Reef Project

by IFF Director Margaret Wertheim, 7-9 p.m., Feb. 12. Artspace at Untitled, 1 N.E. 3rd St., 815-9995, artspaceatuntitled.org. THU For The Love of Denim, group show of artists who have painted and created one-of-a-kind denim vests which will also be available for purchase, 7-11 p.m., Feb. 14. Grease Trap Gallery, 5100 Classen Cir., 625-9100, drunkenfry.com/greasetrapgallery. SAT Mandalas and Mysteries, exhibit by William R. Struby which revolves around mandalas created digitally and then combined with collaged elements. DNA Galleries, 1709 NW 16th St., 525-3499, dnagalleries.com.

Other Cheek, solo exhibition by watercolor artist Ricardo Vicente Jose Ruiz, 6 p.m., Feb. 13. Dope Chapel, 115 S Crawford Ave., Norman, (580) 917-3695, facebook. com/Dop3chapel. FRI Red Hot Art, February exhibit of artists who have been inspired by the color red which is known to raise your blood pressure and quicken your heartbeat.

Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com.

Red Star Studios Resident Exhibition, exhibition of ceramics by artists from Red Star Studios in Kansas City, Missouri and features functional pottery, figurative sculptures and installations. The Lightwell Gallery, 520 Parrington Oval, Rm. 202, Norman.

Richard Gilleland, photography exhibit featuring distinctive photography styles by Richard Gilleland including High Dynamic Range and Tone Mapping.

Jann Jeffrey Gallery, 3018 Paseo St., 607-0406, jannjeffrey.com.

The Ladies: New Works by Thomas Batista, exhibit by well-known local expressionist artist that pays homage to the beauty of femininity and focuses on character.

Kasum Contemporary Fine Arts, 1706 NW 16th St., 6046602, kasumcontemporary.com.

The Sensory Mood of Color, new alcohol ink paintings by artist Kim Harrison and a selection of glass art by Nicki Albright Townley. The Purple Loft Art Gallery, 514 NW 28th St., Suite 400, 412-7066.

PROVIDE D

Ephemeral Gradations, exhibit exploring the fleeting nature of life, its constant changes, and the human struggle to accept this transience; a journey through

memory, grief, growth and self-healing. The Project Box, 3003 Paseo St., 609-3969, theprojectboxokc.com.

MidFirst Bank is seeking high-energy, individuals who are interested in working in customer oriented positions. Our top hiring needs are available for the following call centers: MONEYLINE PERSONAL BANKERS

Responsibilities include a wide variety of transactions in a call center environment, identifying beneficial financial products and providing quality service. Qualified candidates must have PC skills, and be customer service and sales oriented. A variety of shifts are available which include alternating Saturday and Sunday hours.

$1.50 shift differential Monday-Friday from 6 pm to 9 pm. $2.00 shift differential Saturdays from 4 pm to 6 pm and all Sunday hours.

Hospital Homicide A Valentine’s tradition, The Sooner Theatre is celebrating love and all things mushy and red with its murder mystery show Hospital Homicide. To make things more appetizing, dinner and dessert are included. Audience members who correctly guess whodunit will be entered in a raffle for season tickets. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for performances Thursday through Saturday at Sooner Theatre, 110 E. Main St., in Norman. Tickets are $75 each or $750 for a table of 12. Visit soonertheatre.com or call 321-9600.

Thursday-Saturday

For OKG music picks see page 43

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Responsibilities include providing assistance to customers and provide solutions to resolve their delinquency. This includes inbound and outbound telephone contact.

Individuals with excellent communication and PC skills, and who have the ability to multitask, and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment are typically successful in this position. This position offers generous incentive plans; top performers can earn an additional $750 to $1,000 or more per month.

For a more detailed description of these positions or if interested in other opportunities, please visit our website to complete an online application:

AA/Equal Opportunity Employer-M/F/Disability/Vets

www.midfirst.jobs

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | 1 9

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AWARDS

Order archival reprints mounted on a modern plaque, ready for display and shipped to your door.

Eat cake A classic chocolate cupcake and a Hostess-style vegan cupcake.

Man cannot live on cupcakes alone.

Well, technically, I guess man could. Man might encounter a few problems with living on cupcakes alone.

Man might start to crave something more savory though. Man thinks cupcakes are great and all, but sometimes man wants a sandwich.

And if man likes both those things, then man ought to mosey over to Green Goodies, 5840 N. Classen Blvd. Suite 5, where there is a case full of cupcakes and there’s a lunch menu of other things man might enjoy.

First, let’s talk cupcakes. Have you had them? They’re like cakes but smaller.

And with more frosting.

You really can’t go wrong with the Classic Chocolate ($3.25 for a single).

Moist, dense chocolate chip cake with a creamy chocolate buttercream frosting up top. You can eat it with your hands, like a man, or you can put it on a plate ... like a gentleman. This is also your opportunity to control your frosting intake.

My 6-year-old self is screaming through the bounds of time itself at me, but I’m not huge on frosting. The cake is where it’s at these days. And Green Goodies gives you enough frosting to sate the sugar-lust of that inner child, or you can cut some of it off and enjoy it in moderation like a sane adult.

I’m not a vegan or I’d legally have to write that at the top of every review. But if you are, Green Goodies makes tasty vegan cupcakes, including my personal favorite, the Hostess ($3.50). If you carry a nostalgic fondness for Hostess Cupcakes, this is like one of those, but actually good.

The creamy filling inside is absolutely delightful. Rich cake, decadent filling and just the right squiggle of frosting on top of some chocolate ganache.

I’ve never loved red velvet cake due to a childhood mishap, but I have to give this red velvet ($3.25) the thumbsup. Adding in chocolate chips amps up the flavor, and the cream cheese frosting has that perfect tangy sweetness to provide counterbalance.

Now that you’ve had your dessert/ appetizer, I’m excited to report that Green Goodies also has a top-shelf lunch menu. Both the fire-roasted tomato basil (cup $4, bowl $7) and chicken tortilla soups (cup $4.50, bowl $8) are excellent. The chicken tortilla

... and sandwiches and egg salad and more at Green Goodies.

Its menu also includes vegan-friendly fare.

BY GREG ELWELL

has a dark and smoky broth with black beans, veggies and shredded chicken to give it heft. Spicy and nice-y.

Green Goodies 5840 N. Classen Blvd. Suite 5 | 842-2288 WHAT WORKS: Rich cupcakes, spicy chicken tortilla soup, great egg salad.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: Sandwiches are sometimes overly complex.

TIP: Day-old cupcakes are half off (price, not calories).

Chicken tortilla soup

Tiffany Magness waits on customers at Green Goodies.

Goodie club sandwich and fire-roasted tomato basil soup

At $11, the Goodie Club isn’t the cheapest sandwich around, but it’s probably big enough for two people.

Buttery toasted bread barely contains a pile of turkey, ham and bacon, a smear of Sriracha mayo, chunks of avocado, roasted poblano peppers, caramelized onions, arugula, provolone and tomato. Does that sound like a lot? It is. Maybe too much. It tastes good (yay!), but some of the flavors get lost in the mix (less yay!).

The BLT ($8) is outstanding in its simplicity. Arugula is the L; it’s an assertive, peppery green that matches well with the pile of crisp, perfectly cooked B. If they offer you some A (that’s avocado), consider asking them to leave off the mayo.

The Knife & Fork Roast Beef ($11) is a hearty number and, as the name suggests, shouldn’t be tackled with hands alone. The horseradish is subtle, the cheese is gooey and with buttery bread, it’s a rich sandwich big enough to split (or save for dinner).

For something lighter, give the egg salad sandwich ($4.50 half/$9 full) a shot. If you’ve never had egg salad, this is a pretty good place to start. The yolk flavor isn’t too pronounced, and the eggs are boiled to perfection, yielding a tender, tasty bite. The Sriracha chicken salad ($4.50 half/$9 full) is actually low on heat but high on flavor, with crunchy edamame mixed in for a texturally superb experience.

I don’t really care what man can or can’t live on alone. Man should learn to share, be it a giant sandwich or a box of cupcakes that man bought and shame-ate in his car.

And if man is walking out of Green Goodies smiling, you can bet he has had a little of both.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | 2 1

P HOTOS BY GA RE TT FI S BE C K

LIFE FOOD & DRINK

LIFE FOOD & DRINK

Edible adventures

After childhood travels to Africa and a house fire in 2014, Ashley Stevenson found happiness by creating her own company, Foodie Foot Tours.

BY GREG HORTON

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“During my two weeks there, I had to adjust to a different standard of living,” Stevenson said. “We couldn’t wear pants, couldn’t eat certain foods because of diseases and had to adapt to their foods.”

That is how she ended up eating goat, and the experience as whole transformed her. She played soccer on scholarship in college, and during graduate school, she worked for an airline. Because food played such a huge role in her emotional and intellectual development, she decided to experience the world via food.

She returned to Oklahoma in 2011, but a house fire destroyed everything in 2014. During her time away from work, she decided to pursue a career that made her happy.

Blogging about food was a favorite pastime, so she created a way to bring the blog to life by means of foot tours through Oklahoma City’s culinary past and present.

She has tours set for March 14, 21 and 28 and will add more dates as necessary, including private tours for groups or corporate events. Adding neighborhoods is her immediate priority; she plans to add another by May, and Plaza District is a strong candidate. Visit foodiefoottours.com for more information.

MARK H ANCOCK

LIKE US ON

Transformative moments occur when our understanding of the world runs up against a different culture or experience and we are open enough to allow the new thing to change us.

For Ashley Stevenson, it happened as a Girl Scout at age 16, while sitting in an African village, eating goat.

Stevenson founded and owns Foodie Foot Tours, a new company that organizes and leads food tours through historic neighborhoods for $40 per person per tour.

Foodie Foot Tours works with locally owned restaurants, and Stevenson insists that the tours cover areas that have interesting histories.

In November, she toured Deep Deuce with 14 guests and stopped at Deep Deuce Grill, The Wedge Pizzeria Deep Deuce and Urban Roots. As part of the package, she said restaurants provide a minimum of three samples from their menus, and Stevenson joked that many participants were full after their second stop.

Her longtime scout troop, formed when she was in kindergarten in Tulsa, eventually traveled to Africa with a missionary organization to offer needed services and items, including books, hygiene products, clothing and health education.

Ashley Stevenson, owner of Foodie Foot Tours, pauses in Deep Deuce, a popular destination for her delectable tours through historic local districts.

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LIFE FOOD & DRINK

Family dining

Za’atar spice blend

Our vibrant Lebanese community prospers through hard work, tradition and heirloom recipes.

BY ANGELA BOTZER

Lebanon was a protectorate of France from the 1920s to the 1940s, but centuries before that, Lebanon and cities like Beirut were already a mélange of cultural and culinary sophistication.

The first wave of Lebanese immigration into Oklahoma City began before World War I, when many arrived from Jdeidet, Marjeyoun, Lebanon.

“It’s interesting. I would say that about 80 percent of the Oklahoma City Lebanese community have origins from the same village,” said Clayton Farhood, manager of Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe & Market, 3131B W. Memorial Road.

As Lebanese emigration continued, the population here increased.

“My grandfather left Lebanon during World War II. He came to America by boat, and the family was initially located in Tulsa, then much later in Oklahoma City,” said Greg Gawey, owner of Jamil’s Steakhouse, 4910 N. Lincoln Blvd.

“In the early years, men were primarily the ones who learned English, mainly to secure jobs.

Women stayed home to care for children. As children entered school, they learned English,” said Deacon Ezra Ham of St. Elijah Antiochian Orthodox Church, 15000 N. May Ave., home to a large Lebanese-based congregation. “Quite a few of the families began work by opening up dry goods and grocery stores.”

St. Elijah’s takes pride in its culture-rich food festivals, including holiday bake sales, Easter festivities and a not-to-be-missed traditional food fest in November.

P HOTOS BY GA RE TT FI S BE C K

A kabob at Jamil’s Steakhouse

Hospitality

To this day, Lebanese cuisine is found easily across Oklahoma City.

“My uncle [Jim Elias] started Jamil’s Steakhouse in Tulsa,” Gawey said; he opened the Tulsa location in 1954 and opened the OKC location 10 years later.

One trademark of Lebanese food and culture is hospitality, and it shows at Jamil’s Steakhouse. As soon as customers are seated, they are brought an array of appetizers: stuffed cabbage rolls, tabbouleh salad, hummus, a relish tray, smoked bologna and crackers.

Angus steaks ($24-$44) and beef kabobs served with steamed vegetables ($28) are two of Jamil’s signature dishes. Order extra pita bread ($7.25) and Rose’s Cabbage Rolls smothered in tomato sauce ($20) to share.

Insider’s note: In the 1950s, the

Jamil’s Steakhouse owner Greg Gawey said his father immigrated to Oklahoma during World War II.

Ingredients 2 tbsp oregano 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds 2 tbsp thyme 2 tbsp marjoram 1 tbsp cumin 2 tbsp sumac 1 tsp salt

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Directions 1. Grind with a mortar and pestle and store in an airtight container.

2. Serve sprinkled on pita bread with a swirl of olive oil as a light appetizer.

restaurant’s large, homey location was a known, popular speakeasy.

Authentic spice

An authentic Lebanese pantry always contains specific ingredients like cinnamon, cloves, ginger and allspice, just to name a few.

“One of our signature drinks, our lemonade, contains a splash of orange blossom water. It was my grandmother’s recipe,” said Farhood.

Couscous, olive oils and vinegars, candies, tahini, herbs, spices, beans and more are available from a small specialty market in the back of Nunu’s. Its deli counter features stuffed cabbage leaves, kibbeh (an appetizer of ground lamb, bulger wheat and seasonings) and baklava to-go.

The recipes at Nunu’s were handed down through generations.

“My mother learned these recipes from my grandmother, who was born in Palestine,” Farhood said. “My grandmother didn’t learn how to cook until she arrived here in the U.S. She then taught herself from scratch, drawing upon memories from her childhood in Palestine. She taught my mother, Nunu.”

The menu offers refreshing fattoosh salad ($7.99); Hashwa Plate, Nunu’s signature dish with rice, beef and seasonings topped with almonds ($10.25); hearty lentil and rice pilaf ($9.99); and falafel sandwich (chickpea patties, $6.75).

“Most of the recipes used here have origins well over 100 years old,” Farhood said.

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O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | 2 3

Date night Make your Valentine’s Day plans now. Whether you are a couple that couldn’t give a fig for candy hearts or sappy cards or your relationship echoes Valentine’s Day every day, here’s where to take your honey for a delicious date. If you’re single, celebrate your independence, grab a friend and try one of these local eateries.

— by Devon Green, photos by Mark Hancock and Garett Fisbeck

Gabriella’s Italian Grill & Pizzeria 1226 NE 63rd St. gabriellasokc.com | 478-4955

The dim lighting and funky atmosphere are perfect for any kind of get-together, from a first date to a rare evening without the kids. On the appetizer menu, try the Mussels Italiano, prepared with butter, bacon, garlic and white wine.

After dinner, order and share zeppole, Italian donuts. They are fantastic on their own, and they come with Nutella and strawberry compote for dipping.

Pizzeria Gusto

Uptown Candy

2415 N. Walker Ave. pizzeria-gusto.com | 437-4992

5840 N. Classen Blvd. Suite 3 facebook.com/Uptowncandyokc 418-8881

While Pizzeria Gusto’s pride is its Neapolitan pizza, it has lots to choose from. The small plates are a great place to start. We recommend the fried artichoke hearts or the marinated olives served with warm flatbread. For dinner, split a pie and pair it with Caesar salads.

The seasonal cocktail list includes the Roman Holiday with Campari, lemon juice, white wine and rosemary syrup.

If it’s sweets you seek for your sweetie, pop into Uptown Candy for a wide selection of treats and confections. The candy shop is attached to Uptown Kids, a stylish children’s clothing boutique.

It is an ideal stop for goodies that will show your other half just how special they really are to you. This month, the shop offers custom orders of chocolatecovered strawberries.

Sweets & Meats for Your Valentine 9346 N. May Ave Britton & May • OKC • (888) 751-6275

810 W. Danforth Danforth & Kelly • Edmond • (405) 359-8200 4405 SW 3rd St I-40 & Meridian • OKC (405) 949-9000

Say “I Love You” with handmade truffles.

Have a loved one for away? We can ship your Valentine gift.

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1100 E. Constitution, Norman, OK Tuesday-Saturday 11:00am - 6:30pm Valentines hours: Feb 9-14 9am - 7:00pm 405.579-8856, www.ucshops.com, andrew@ucshops.com

Guernsey Park 2418 N. Guernsey Ave. guernseypark.com | 605-5272

Guernsey Park is situated off NW 23rd St. and has a cool, urban vibe. The kitchen’s creations are beautifully plated with subtle presentations. The menu features primarily Asian cuisine with European influence. Get started with an appetizer of oxtail ravioli, and then savor an entree of pork chops or curry salmon.

The Mantel Wine Bar & Bistro 201 E. Sheridan Ave. themantelokc.com | 236-8040

The Mantel combines a leisurely atmosphere with fine-dining cuisine.

The menu is meant to wow with an abundance of choices including soups, chicken and pasta. The freshly made lobster ravioli is covered in a white wine sauce. If you’re in the mood for a steak, we recommend the House Delmonico (a rib-eye loin) or the New York strip seared with a whiskey mushroom demiglace.

Slaughter’s Hall

La Baguette Bistro

221 N. Central Ave. facebook.com/slaughtershall | 606-6063

7408 N. May Ave. labaguettebistro.com | 840-3047

This new eatery is in the Deep Deuce District. The menu features abundant choices, including a daily entree special and several appetizers including deviled eggs, fried pickles and fried chicken bites. Everything is made by hand, including the condiments. The colorful and vegetarian Santorini is pretty and tasty with Greek dressing, red onions, cucumbers and goat cheese.

What could be more romantic than a quick trip to France? If you can’t get away for an international trip, you can spend the evening “under the Eiffel Tower.” La Baguette brings authentic European tastes and hospitality to Oklahoma City. The menu is full of delights, including the quiche Florentine with spinach, tomato and cheese and classic French beef bourguignon in a red wine sauce over fettuccine.

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Join us Valentine’s Weekend! Sip a Blue Bird, Turtle Dove, or Red Bird cocktail from our Love Birds drinks menu.

On the Canal in Lower Bricktown For reservations: 405.702.8880 www.bowlredpin.com O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | 2 5

GA RETT FI S BEC K

LIFE CULTURE

Bleeding hearts The creators of The Sanctuary want you to have a frighteningly memorable Valentine’s Day.

BY DEVON GREEN

Tunnel of Love 8 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday 530 S. Broadway Ave. thesanctuaryokc.com 237-2803 $15-$35

It might be difficult for some to imagine, but there was a time when public displays of affection were a big no-no. Holding hands was something good boys and girls did not do, and public kissing was shocking.

There were places where teenage canoodling wasn’t against the rules and adults tended to look the other way. The drive-in was one place couples could have some private time.

The Tunnel of Love at the carnival was also a favorite. Usually in the form of a water ride or slow-moving coaster, private cars wound their way through a dark ride with a few scares. The designers knew just what they were doing. They placed one couple per car or boat and spaced them in a way that allowed couples a chance to have more than one kind of ride.

“It gave you the ability to make out a little bit on the mellow parts, and during the parts that were scary, it gave you a chance to snuggle up a little closer,” Tino Pascuzzi said.

Pascuzzi and his wife, Cathleen, are special effects specialists and horror buffs who delight in creating entertainment to scare, get a laugh and cause you to lean closer.

Cultivating scares

OKC’s new Tunnel of Love, a walking tour of a house of horrors, was inspired by the couple’s nostalgia for the type of ride that lovers could take to be alone. They wanted to recreate it and make it as scary as possible.

“We thought, ‘How cool would it be to make this a walk-through creepy version of the classic Tunnel of Love,’” Pascuzzi said.

The theme is tragic couples of history, both real and fictional. There are about 70-100 actors a night, and the handmade set is movie-quality down to the last detail.

However, this version has a significant theatrical difference: It is veiled in total darkness, and there’s only a small torch to guide your way.

“We’ve all seen the movies and video games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil where there are parts where you only have a flashlight to guide you,” Pascuzzi said. “You’re in the dark, discovering these creepy things as well as the creatures that are coming out for you.”

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The results can be horrifying. But there are moments of hilarity and breaks in the action; otherwise, it would be too intense. Pascuzzi said that in a show like this, darkness becomes another character.

When one sense is handicapped, other senses become heightened to compensate.

There are sights, sounds and even smells to enhance the experience.

Complete involvement is the couple’s goal, and they’ve had years to hone their craft. Anything that enriches the tour is part of their arsenal.

“If we could touch on one thing that affects everybody,” Pascuzzi said, “any emotion that we evoke that makes the experience above and beyond, then we’ve done our job.”

This is the first completely dark haunted house that the couple created from beginning to end. They also operate The Sanctuary during Halloween and Santa’s Slay House during the holidays.

Year-round, they own and operate Voodoo Lounge, 530 S. Broadway Ave. They have done blackout nights at The Sanctuary but never planned one in which the actors and scenery are lurking in the dark rather than in your face like they are at Tunnel of Love.

“We’ve had to retrain our actors,” Pascuzzi said. “They are taught to be this kind of affront, this wall of terror, and

Juan Rios plays Cupid in Tunnel of Love at The Sanctuary. now we’re asking them to be restrained; they need to be discovered.”

Family affair

The couple did a Valentine’s Day attraction last year, and the response was better than they could have imagined.

About 1,000 people attended each night. This year, with a forecast for nice weather and more exposure through social media and advertising, they hope to double that number.

The two moved from California five years ago, where they worked in special effects for the film industry. They started making haunts for fun. Now, they are able to do it full-time.

“My wife and I have been so fortunate it’s been incredible,” he said.

“Now the kids are involved, the whole thing is a family affair.”

At the exit, there are opportunities for photos of your special night. One is a cake topper depicting a bride and groom who met a grisly end, and the other is an iconic swan paddleboat from the Oklahoma City Zoo. It was turned into a zombie swan for this occasion. It will return to the zoo unharmed after the holiday.

LIFE CULTURE

Distinguished discussion Two poets examine the war in Iraq from opposite perspectives.

BY TREVOR HULTNER

Iraq, Culture and Conflict: A Dialogue 7:30 pm Wednesday, Feb. 18 Margaret E. Petree Recital Hall Oklahoma City University 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave. 208-4956 Free

Brian Turner

PHOTOS P ROVI DED

Although the Iraq War officially ended in 2011 with US military withdrawal, conflict in the region has continued unabated. Groups like ISIS and al-Qaida continue to wage war on the Iraqi population, prompting the Obama administration to authorize airstrikes to stem ISIS movements in 2014.

Meanwhile, popular culture at home has already begun to place a mythic spin on the last decade; films like Green Zone, The Hurt Locker and, most recently, American Sniper each tell their own singular versions of events during the war.

A discussion between poets Brian Turner and Dunya Mikhail at Oklahoma City University (OCU) on Wednesday, Feb. 18, adds color to the narrative.

Turner is an Iraq War veteran and author of two poetry collections, Phantom Noise and Here, Bullet. He also published a memoir about his experiences as a soldier: My Life as a Foreign Country.

Mikhail is an Iraqi expatriate and former journalist who fled Iraq following the Gulf War because her writing was deemed too subversive by Saddam Hussein’s government. She has written two poetry collections, The Iraqi Nights and The War Works Hard, and a memoir, Diary of a Wave Outside the Sea: Poetry and Stories from Iraq, which won the Arab American Book Award in 2010.

The discussion, titled Iraq, Culture and Conflict: A Dialogue, brings Turner and Mikhail together in conversation for the first time.

“We found it a compelling idea to have two individuals from different ethnic and national backgrounds who both know a lot about the same topic to come together and converse, to jointly discuss the situation of Iraq,” Harbour Winn, OCU English

Dunya Mikhail

Email specialsections@okgazette.com to enter to win 2 tickets from Oklahoma Gazette

professor and chairman of the Distinguished Speakers series, said.

“In Brian Turner, we have ... a soldier poet because he served in Iraq and Afghanistan, had several tours of duty in that region,” Winn said. “He writes about not only his experience there but also how a soldier never leaves his experience when he returns.”

Mikhail, as a woman, Iraqi and former journalist, will serve almost as a foil. Mikhail said she and Brian both hope that the craft of writing isn’t ignored in the midst of any discussion they have.

“With the writing life comes everything else,” she said. “It opens the door to everything else, even politics.”

Mikhail said that her writing — especially her use of metaphor — was primarily influenced by her time as a journalist for the Baghdad Observer during and after the Gulf War. “Being a journalist in a country like Iraq at the time, expression was really risky, because you want to say what you want, but you’re also dictated,” she said. “I remember the invasion of Kuwait; there were some words we had to change. For example, instead of ‘invasion,’ we had to change it to ‘annexation.’”

The event is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Margaret E. Petree Recital Hall at OCU. Turner and Mikhail will answer questions following a poetry reading and discussion.

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LIFE YOUTH

Boosting bacon Edmond High School’s Swine Week has inspired community support for various charities since 1986.

BY ADAM HOLT

project now encompasses more than a month. Festivities include the Hog Jog 5K run and Pig Sty!, a paint-filled balloon battle. Many events involve restaurants like Texas Roadhouse and Earl’s Rib Palace.

Momentum builds to its final week, when every school day is packed with events, consuming the school’s atmosphere.

“It’s the finale, the home stretch of the thing,” Merritt said. “You can’t go to the school and not be part of it.”

This year’s festivities launched Feb. 4 at Hideaway Pizza and end March 13.

This is Swine Week’s 29th year. It began in 1986 when a small group of students wanted to help a friend. The principal agreed to kiss a pig if their goal was reached. The students raised

TOD D DOWNHAM

A burgeoning musician and alumnus are returning to Edmond Memorial High School to raise money to aid foster families.

Bryce Merritt, Edmond native and Nashville vocalist, will perform a benefit concert as part of the school’s annual community service project, Swine Week. The event includes student-planned fundraisers contributing to the awareness and support of a different charitable organization every year. Angels Foster Family Network OKC, this year’s recipient, rescues traumatized children from emergency shelters or abusive living situations. They will use the Swine Week donations to build a daycare.

What once was a weeklong

Bryce Merritt plays a house show recently in Edmond.

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WE GOT ART $3,000, and the principal followed through with his promise.

Merritt, whose graduation class of 2010 set a Swine Week fundraising record of $527,000, returns to his alma mater from his home in Nashville to perform a benefit concert here 8 p.m. Sunday at ACM@UCO Peerformance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave. A lifelong singer and performer, Merritt describes his sound as “soul pop,” drawing from the Motown sound featuring soulful vocals layered on horns and piano while delivering a positive message.

“I like upbeat music that puts a smile on your face,” he said.

Merritt is a graduate of the Belmont University School of Music in Nashville, Tennessee, and released his debut album, The

50 PENN ART GALLERY 1900 N.W. Expressway Suite R-113 Tues - Sat | 10:00-5:30 Ph. 405-848-5567 Original Paintings, Drawings, Sculptures, Jewelry & other gift items by 29 award-winning Oklahoma artists.

What once was a weeklong project now encompasses more than a month.

Simplest Thing, last February. It was a collaboration with Grammywinning producer Andy Hunt.

Merritt looks forward to returning to Oklahoma and reconnecting with Swine Week.

During his time at Edmond Memorial, he used music as a tool to collect donations.

“I tried to be creative and made a CD composed of cover tunes. It was a big hit,” he said.

He donated proceeds to that year’s charity recipient, Jimmy Everest Children’s Cancer Center.

The benefit also marks a joyful full-circle moment in Merritt’s personal life. He recently became engaged to Bethany Bruce, a jazz singer who is also an Edmond Memorial grad.

“We grew up together,” Merritt said. “We were partners in events at Swine Week.”

Merritt encourages everyone to join him.

“I can’t think of a better evening. A night of great music and supporting a good cause,” he said.

Swine Week has raised more than $4.32 million dollars since 1986, according to Edmond Memorial’s Swine Week website.

Visit swineweek.org for more information, including a list of events and instructions on how to donate.

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LIFE VISUAL ARTS

Deceiving psyches PHO TOS PRO VID ED / OKC MO A

A new exhibition explores the psychology of five modern art forgers.

BY CHRISTIAN WILSON

Intent to Deceive: Fakes and Forgeries in the Art World 10:00 a.m. Saturday through May 10 Oklahoma City Museum of Art 415 Couch Drive okcmoa.com 236-3100 $5-$12

Motivated by disappointing professional efforts, personal failures and general resentment of the art world, the works of five prolific men of deception are coming to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) Saturday as part of the exhibition Intent to Deceive: Fakes and Forgeries in the Art World.

Curated by art fraud expert Colette Loll, the exhibition explores the inner workings of notable forgers active in the 20th and early 21st centuries, including

Han van Meegeren, Elmyr de Hory, Eric Hebborn, John Myatt and “Father” Mark Landis. Among the more than 55 works on display are original pieces by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Honoré Daumier and Philip de László as well as fakes and forgeries painted in the styles of these masters.

The techniques used by the men could be painfully simple — Mark Landis would paint by numbers, going over digital prints and sanding the work down to imitate the effects of age — but what made the forgers successful was their technical ability and commitment to misleading the world of art.

“These were confidence crimes,” Loll said. “It’s an intricate dance … an interplay between the deceiver and believer. The deceiver has a con, but he has the person on the other side of the table who really wants to believe they’re getting something authentic and at a great price.”

Though each forger exhibited some artistic talent early in his career — Eric Hebborn, for example, trained at the Royal Academy of Arts in Britain and won a Rome Prize fellowship — none of them could align themselves with contemporary art trends, eschewing those trends in favor of the past. Each found that his preference for these older styles was ill-suited to legitimate productivity left Elmyr de Hory’s forgery of Amedeo Modigliani’s Portrait of a Woman below Mark Landis’ forgery of Paul Signac’s Untitled

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and recognition, taking by choice the road less forged. But that doesn’t fully explain why they’d do it.

“Most forgers have this kind of sick, pathological need to pull one over the experts,” Loll said. “It’s the culture of the forger.”

But the psychological undercurrents can be profound or more simple. While Meegeren, de Hory and Myatt might have been primarily motivated by financial necessity, Hebborn was motivated by a fierce contempt for the art experts who rejected his original work and Landis simply liked how the museum employees treated him.

“I had an impulse,” said Landis in a Reddit AMA on Sept. 17, 2014.

“Everybody was so nice to me … they treated me with so much deference and respect and friendship — they treated me like royalty. I had never been treated like royalty before … I liked it so much.”

The recent outing of Mark Landis as a forger has brought with it a wealth of national coverage.

“There’s a kind of media pop culture that takes over,” Loll said. “These forgers become cultural folk heroes.”

They can become recognized as artists. John Myatt’s work, for instance, can sell for $30,000 to $40,000. Another forger, Ken Perenyi, was noted in an Oct. 31, 2014, New York Times article as selling his work for between $5,000 and $150,000.

Despite their popularity, Loll believes the forgers’ work will never become a legitimate form of art and we shouldn’t let them distract us from their negative impact.

“It’s a sexy topic,” Loll said, “but the reality is once something enters the art market that isn’t what it purports to be, it affects the cultural record, the historical record. The implications are economic, legal, moral and aesthetic. Art forgery is a cultural crime.”

The exhibition, which runs through May 10, displays original works in addition to personal items, photos, film clips and re-creations of techniques and mediums used by each individual to create

John Myatt’s forgery of Henri Matisse’s Yellow Odalisque their reproductions.

The final gallery will contain an interactive space where visitors can differentiate authentic works from fakes and try copying a drawing by French artist Honoré Daumier.

Members’ Preview A talk by Curator Colette Loll 6 p.m. Friday

Art After 5: Murder Mystery Follow the clues to find out who killed the art forger.

6-9 p.m. March 19

Conversation with a Curator OKCMOA Curator Alison Amick 1 p.m. March 29

Lecture

The Man Who Made Vermeers presented by Jonathan Lopez 6:30 p.m. April 1

Making Memories

A special program for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and their loved ones 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2-3:30 p.m.

April 13

Art After 5: Opera Performance Arias from the opera Ascription, composed by Eric Lindsay 7 p.m. May 7

Drop-in Drawing 2-4 p.m. May 2

Free Family Day: Art Investigations 12-5 p.m. May 3

Carl Fredricksen

Mr. Incredible

Merida

Sheriff Woody

Right on time Pixar in Concert combines live music and movie magic to celebrate the film studio’s catalogue in fresh and unexpected ways.

BY DEVON GREEN

Pixar in Concert 8 p.m. Feb. 20-21 Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcphilharmonic.org 842-5387 $19-$65

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t seen or at least heard of Pixar movies. The studio’s unique animation style and storylines with complex emotional depth and visual appeal earn them love from fans.

This month, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic (OKC Phil) combines live music synced with film selections in Pixar in Concert, a multi-faceted, immersive tour of the studio’s repertoire, which includes 14 featurelength movies. It is the creation of Pete Docter, who directed Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. and Up. “[Disney] wanted it to be a celebration of the music and the films, primarily the music,” said Jonathan Heeley, who works in the musical licensing department of Disney, in a recent telephone interview with

Oklahoma Gazette. “[Pixar’s film department] had an idea of what they wanted to include, and they really embraced it as a unique way to expose people to their films.”

When the piece was finished, Heeley said he was especially proud of how well the music stands on its own. It plays an important role in the features, but that role is, by nature, unobtrusive. However, Pixar in Concert highlights how effectively music communicates emotion and action.

“The music is, all of a sudden, a No. 1 priority,” said Heeley. Finding Nemo, for instance, has a richness that I don’t think I would have noticed, and now I love it even more.”

‘International language’

When Eddie Walker, the executive director of OKC Phil, has time, he attends other symphonies across the country to scout for what audiences might like to see here. In November, he traveled to Michigan to see the Grand Rapids Symphony perform Pixar in Concert.

Beforehand, Walker knew little about the show. His primary concern

was whether people who weren’t familiar with Pixar would enjoy it.

“What I found was it was so much fun. This is fantastic music,” Walker said. “We could probably have just the music and have a great evening.”

He was wowed by what he witnessed.

“It’s amazing how effective the imagery is,” Walker said. “I think it’s one of the best shows for all ages out there.”

He thought OKC audiences would think so, too. He reached out to the Michigan conductor, John Varineau, to see if he would work with OKC’s symphony for the same production, and Varineau said yes.

“It’s a lot easier to hire someone who already knows it, because conducting a live orchestra with a movie is not easy. We sought out someone who had already learned it and did it well,” Walker said.

Varineau was happy to have the opportunity to conduct Pixar in Concert again.

OKC Phil and Varineau have CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

John Varineau

We’re lucky that music is the international language. I’m always astounded at how quickly the symphony adapts.

— John Varineau

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LIFE COVER

LIFE COVER

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two rehearsals to prepare for the performances. He said that he has to have the symphony’s trust in order to lead it. He, in turn, must have faith in them.

“We’re lucky that music is the international language,” he said. “I’m always astounded at how quickly the symphony adapts.”

Measured magic

Early in the show’s creation process, John Lasseter, chief creative officer at Pixar, liked the concept and greenlighted it. With input from Docter, Heeley finished the editing process.

“We had decided early on that the music was going to be the primary focus,” Heeley said. “You really don’t want to see a long monologue by a character with no sound; it would be distracting.”

Pixar in Concert was first performed with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in 2012.

Almost immediately, symphonies across the country asked for the rights to perform it.

The show has been performed by 130 symphonies worldwide over the past two years.

Heeley said that his job is the easiest. His department selected clips and music and then measured and

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marked them to make them sync.

The work of the conductor and more than 90 OKC Phil musicians is the most difficult, as they must create a seamless live experience.

To help do this, the conductor uses a click track, which helps him keep time by way of an earpiece.

The drummer has one as well. The conductor also watches visual cues on a monitor in front of him.

Varineau said the high-tech additions are helpful but restrictive.

“I’ve been doing live music to movies almost 28 years, and this is much harder [than other methods].

There’s absolutely no wiggle room,” Varineau said. “Used to, when you got off of the action, you simply had to work it out where you caught up.

With this, [if ] you get off track, it can be a nightmare.”

With other, older methods, like visual cues from a sweeping watch, there was more allowance for timing errors. Varineau said that mistakes were more exciting and left room for improvisation while getting back on tempo.

However, Varineau also said that mastering these “fiendishly difficult” tasks means the audience sees a virtuoso performance.

Humanizing King

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LIFE PERFORMING ARTS

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LIKE US!

A three-week production of The Mountaintop brings together a trio of local theater companies.

BY LARRY LANEER

The Mountaintop 7:30 p.m. Friday, 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday Freede Little Theatre Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcciviccenter.com 297-2584 8 p.m. Feb. 20-21, 2 p.m. Feb. 22, 8 p.m. Feb. 26-28 The Pollard Theatre 120 W. Harrison Avenue, Guthrie thepollard.org 282-2800 $16.25-$35

The irony of staging The Mountaintop, Katori Hall’s 2011 fictional and fanciful account of the last night of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, in the only state where Barack Obama didn’t carry a single county in two elections is about enough to knock anyone over.

However, Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre (CityRep), Pollard Theatre Company and The Poteet Theatre jointly produced this play, which very well could sell out its three-week run, first at Freede Little Theatre and then at Pollard Theatre. Almost all of the Freede’s 286 seats were filled at the reviewed performance.

Set in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 3, 1968, the play is hagiography, but it’s also a provocative, 90-minute synopsis of events from the fateful night of King’s death to the present.

In this two-hander directed by René Moreno, W. Jerome Stevenson plays King and actress JuNene K. plays Camae, a black motel maid.

Both give fine performances.

The play opens with King

W. Jerome Stevenson is Dr. Martin Luther Jr. in The Mountaintop. shouting from the motel’s balcony for Ralph Abernathy to bring him a pack of Pall Malls, his preferred smoke. Then King enters his modest room, authentically depicted by Ben Hall’s scenic design right down to the bedspreads and rotary-dial telephone.

Soon, Camae brings King room-service coffee and tests him in multiple ways. She admits, “I cuss worser than a sailor with the clap.”

Later, she dons King’s suit jacket and dress shoes and delivers a sermon.

Stevenson humanizes King.

He’s vain about aging and whether he should shave his mustache. His multiple fears include isolation and frustration with others who question his motives and actions.

He stresses the differences between King and Camae. He’s a highly educated PhD; she’s a composite character representing the working class championed by King.

At one point, Stevenson takes off in a flight of fantasy that reveals more about the playwright than about King or the common people represented by the motel maid. Camae knows an extraordinary amount of personal information about King. She forces him into crushing self-examination.

The Mountaintop is a thoughtprovoking work that challenges the audience to confront issues and history that disturbs and inspires. I would like to see more young people in the audience. Maybe you know someone you could treat to an evening of theater that’s as relevant today as it would have been in 1968.

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Romeo & Juliet

True romance

A ballet director showcases his passion for Shakespeare’s classic tale with a world premiere of his interpretation of Romeo & Juliet.

BY ERIC WEBB

Romeo & Juliet 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. SaturdaySunday Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcballet.com 848-8637 $21-$59

CITYREP THE POLLARD THEATRE THE POTEET THEATRE PRESENT

by KATORI HALL

Directed by RENE’ MORENO

Starring W. JEROME STEVENSON and JUNENE K.

FEB. 6TH-FEB. 15TH AT THE FREEDE LITTLE THEATER IN THE CIVIC CENTER

FOR TICKETS (405)297-2264 CITYREP.COM

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Oklahoma City Ballet presents a world premiere production of Romeo & Juliet this weekend. The tragic story of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers caught between feuding families is reinterpreted through dance with original choreography by Robert Mills, OKC Ballet artistic director.

It’s set to Sergei Prokofiev’s lush score, performed live by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic (OKC Phil).

While Romeo & Juliet is synonymous with the struggles of young love, Mills believes that Shakespeare’s message is not just about this one couple but the need for more love and understanding in society.

“Had it not been for the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, the young lovers would be together,” Mills said. “But the hatred between their families ultimately caused their deaths.”

Mills said Romeo & Juliet is relevant today because most people, at some point in their lives, feel like they must overcome great obstacles, oftentimes in love.

Mills danced in two different adaptations of the tale and always recognized its inherent dramatic strengths that also make it a strong candidate for adaptation. It has long been his ambition to choreograph his own version, and he knew exactly where to start.

While Shakespeare’s play endures on its own merits, Mills thinks that ballet translations of Romeo & Juliet continue to be popular due in large part to Prokofiev’s score, which was originally commissioned by Bolshoi Ballet.

“There have been numerous beautiful versions of the ballet, but it is the music that has survived throughout,” Mills said. “It beautifully reflects the mood and tone of each scene and what is meant to take place.”

Working with Maestro Joel Levine at the OKC Phil, Mills streamlined the narrative, eliminated superfluous scenes and, in some cases, altered music cues to change emphasis.

Mills also spent over a year watching variations of the story, getting ideas for staging, tone and craftsmanship. He opted for an approach that is faithful to the play.

“For the choreography, I used multiple methods to create the movement, the biggest being the story itself and the emotional context within each scene, which can dictate the quality of the steps in terms of energy and tempi,” Mills said.

Mills said that ballet is the vehicle used to tell the story. He has taken care to make sure that each dancer understands their character and motivation, which helps them deliver authentic performances.

After months of work, Mills said he is eager to share his vision.

“The sets and costumes are gorgeous and, I have to say, the dancers are doing an amazing job finding their characters and honing their steps,” Mills said.

Mills will do pre-show questionand-answer sessions at 7:30 p.m. before each evening performance in the south lobby.

P ROVI DE D

LIFE PERFORMING ARTS

P HOTOS P ROVI DE D / K.O. RI N E A RS ON

Pageant

Passé Pageant

Real-life beauty queens approve of this show, but our reviewer hoped for more substance and subtlety.

BY LARRY LANEER

Pageant: A Musical Comedy Beauty Contest 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 8 p.m.

Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday Lyric Theatre 1725 NW 16th St. lyrictheatreokc.com 524-9312 $25-$54

Perhaps theatrical drag shows run their course. One wonders about that while watching Lyric Theatre’s tepid production of Pageant: A Musical Comedy Beauty Contest, a 1991 spoof about as outré as a ham sandwich — and just as hammy.

Pageant (Bill Russell and Frank Kelly, book and lyrics; Albert Evans, music) depicts a contest to select Miss Glamouresse, the heavily made-up face of a fictional purveyor of beauty products.

The show’s conceit is male actors play the female characters. This must have sounded like a brilliant idea a quarter century ago.

Frankie Cavalier (Monte Riegel Wheeler in a black pompadour with a gray streak that recalls The Bride of Frankenstein), who is “tender yet macho and hot as a nacho,” emcees with smarmy savoir-faire.

You won’t find the faintest trace of subtlety in this show. Frankie introduces the contestants in “Natural Born Females” (which we know they aren’t), and the company follows that number with “Something Extra.”

For anyone who still hasn’t caught on, Frankie ends the song gesturing toward a contestant’s crotch.

The Miss Glamouresse pageant draws contestants from throughout the country with personalities to match. Miss West Coast (James Michael Avance) acts a little stoned.

Beware of Miss Texas (Tanner Lee Hanley) if she loses the tiara.

Miss Industrial Northeast (Ross McCorkell) is an earthy Latina whose talent is playing the accordion while roller-skating. The tomboyish Miss Great Plains (Sheridan McMichael) acts as if she’d rather be anywhere else but here. Miss Deep South (Shane Pruitt) is prim-and-proper to the extreme. And Miss Bible Belt (Christopher Sieker) combines religion and business in a way that could win her the Iowa Republican caucuses.

Among the pageant’s competitions are talent, swimsuit and “beauty-crisis counseling.” Contestants’ talents include baton twirling, tap dancing, interpretive dance, recitation and ventriloquism.

A host of real, past-and-present pageant winners were in the audience at the reviewed performance, including Miss Oklahoma and Miss Gay Oklahoma.

At intermission, I asked Miss Teen Moore-Norman what she thought of the show. She liked it.

At one point, Frankie pays tribute to the production’s wardrobe supervisor, whose name and particulars will not be revealed here. It’s the funniest 30 seconds in the show.

The cast and designers bought into director Ashley Wells’ concept for the show. You can’t fault the actors for lack of effort. Dawn Drake Toney’s set and props credibly reflect a B-list pageant and make good use of the Plaza Theatre stage, enhanced by Aaron Mooney’s lighting design.

Lyric staged Pageant in 2004 and 2006 at Freede Little Theatre. Why the company’s deciders deemed the show revival-worthy now remains a mystery.

Presents

ORION WEISS, Piano

“An effortlessly brilliant performer.”

— Arizona Republic

WITH ARNAUD

SUSSMAN, VIOLIN

Sunday, February 15 4 PM at Christ the King Catholic Church 8005 Dorset Dr.

tickets $20; students free with id

www.cmok.org see more on facebook

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P ROVI DE D

LIFE BOOKS

Get laid

Local author and radio personality Ron Benton shares his plan to show a woman she’s special — without acting like a douchebag.

BY JENNIFER CHANCELLOR

He’s not married, and he isn’t a relationship expert.

In fact, he’s a self-described “lifelong dater” and “clueless about relationships.”

Ron Benton, aka Spinozi, is a longtime local morning personality for The Sports Animal on 98.1 FM and the afternoon host at classic rock station 96.9 BOB-FM. When he’s not on-air, he’s wooing females. And by the looks of the pictures in his book, he’s doing it quite a lot.

The quirky, funny guide 12 Things is a quick study at just over 100 pages.

Each chapter opens with a picture of an ex.

“Don’t worry; I didn’t print anything that would embarrass my mom,” joked Benton. “She approved them all.”

What follows is easy-to-read guidance about everything from bubble baths to flower bouquets.

For many, all of this might sound, well, obvious. But it isn’t.

“I thought all guys did these things,” Benton said. “But as I talked to more and more women, I got more and more shocked responses like, ‘Nobody’s ever done something like that for me before.’”

Flip a page past a brunette beauty — this one in a polka-dot dress and lacy petticoat, wearing a toothy grin and waving a piece of paper she has pulled from her purse — and Benton offers a douchebag-proof tip: Tell her you miss her, love her and are proud of her.

Guys, do this. As a woman, I’m telling you this from experience. It

3 6 | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

above Ron Benton, aka Spinozi, author of 12 Things works. Place love-me-not Post-It notes where she’ll find them: on the bathroom mirror, in her coat pocket or in a lunch you’ve packed for her.

A smiling brunette in a spaghettistrap tank top and heart-print boxers lifts a tantalizing bit of layered chocolate cake into her mouth while lying in bed. The “sweet and sticky” tip that follows is smart and charming: For no reason whatsoever, buy your boo a sumptuous dessert (he recommends French silk pie) and surprise her with a slice in a relaxed setting like your bedroom. (Clean your sheets first.)

Yes, it’s simple, hilariously so.

It isn’t 50 Shades of Grey, but it’s not supposed to be.

Benton’s advice shows that his blood pumps to the right organ — his heart.

“But, guys, if you want to get laid, tell your girlfriend you’re reading a book,” he said.

Chicks dig men who read. Benton suggests dropping a subtle hint for your man by leaving his book on the back of the toilet.

“Oh, he’ll read it.”

Find 12 Things in paperback at Full Circle Bookstore and online at Amazon.com and in hardback at Benton’s website, 12thingsthebook.com.

P ROVI DE D

LIFE ACTIVE

Brief run

Participants in 2014’s Detroit Cupid’s Undie Run

Uninhibited Oklahomans make a dash for this national charity event.

BY ZACH JACOBS

The thought of several hundred people stripping down to their skivvies to run a mile in February in Oklahoma is hard for some to fathom, even if it is for a good cause.

However, with some help, Ryan Doonkeen is making it a (potentially chilly) reality by heading up the City’s inaugural Cupid’s Undie Run on Valentine’s Day at Wormy Dog Saloon in Bricktown, 311 E. Sheridan Ave. Doonkeen said he learned about the program and was inspired to start up an local version during a trip to Colorado last July, where he met more than 60 passionate, pantsless people who told stories about Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF), the research group that sponsors the run.

These folks in Colorado ran to raise money to fight neurofibromatosis (NF), a set of genetic disorders that causes the growth of tumors anywhere on or in the body, including along various types of nervous tissues.

Doonkeen said his motivation for this risqué event wasn’t to rankle locals’ sensibilities “I surprisingly ran into little pushback from anyone in Oklahoma City,” Doonkeen said.

Doonkeen was more thrown by the effects of NF than the by the thought of hundreds of fellow Okies getting loose and running outside in the middle of winter.

“At the training week for race directors, I met many that were affected

by NF, including several that had it themselves,” Doonkeen said.

“To hear stories of surgery after surgery, not knowing if doctors got the entire tumor this round, it all overwhelms you and you can’t help but want to be involved someday, somehow in ending this fight for so many.”

Gone Girl Saturday | 8 p.m.

Rarity

Meanwhile, Mannford residents Joe Newby and Jennifer Lawson-Newby have had their hands full since 2008, when Jennifer gave birth to quadruplet boys — Wyatt, Allen, Logan and Cooper — a feat that hadn’t happened here since the 1940s. And Allen, Logan and Cooper are identical.

Jennifer said Allen and Cooper looked so much alike at birth that she painted their toenails different colors to tell them apart. But Logan didn’t need nail polish because he had what everyone thought was a birthmark.

But at the boys’ nine-month checkup, their pediatrician told Joe and Jennifer that Logan’s birthmark was actually a café au lait spot, a light-brown birthmark that is a possible precursor for NF, and they were monitoring the boys for similar spots and the potential of testing positive for the disorder.

Further tests and a specialist’s diagnosis confirmed suspicions: Wyatt was NF-free, but his three brothers had it.

Jennifer said the boys’ neurologist laid out the risks, including how NF might impact their cognitive development, speech, sight or hearing.

With this shocking news, however, she remained diligent.

“I will not be one of those parents that goes ‘off the deep end,’” she said.

Jumping off

However, Oct. 17, 2013, was the day she said everything changed. During a round of routine MRI scans for the identical boys — they get them every six months — doctors discovered Allen had a brain tumor.

Jennifer said she then “became one of those parents.” She joined an NF support group in nearby Tulsa, reached out to other NF families and went full-

Cupid’s Undie Run

Two Days, One Night Wednesday | 7:30 p.m Thursday | 7:30 p.m

12-4 p.m. Saturday Wormy Dog Saloon 311 E. Sheridan Ave. cupidsundierun.com/city/oklahoma-city $50

Academy Award® Nominated Short Films

Animated Short Films Saturday | 5:30 p.m.

tilt in helping raise money for CTF. Folks from their local church prepared bread, jam and cheesecakes to sell at an NF run in Tulsa.

Jennifer said she and her family don’t ask for money or sympathy from others but instead channel their energy and emotion into making others’ lives better.

“We just show up and do,” she said.

“We don’t ask permission; we just show up and walk the walk.

Six months after the diagnosis, however, an MRI showed Allen’s tumor was gone, a “miracle” Jennifer and Joe attribute to countless prayers on their behalf.

Silly serendipity

Also, that Tulsa CTF event last May put Jennifer in touch with officials from Cupid’s Undie Run Association, who wanted to make the boys their featured “Little Heroes” for the inaugural OKC run.

Joe and Jennifer accepted the offer and then told their boys about the run. The rough-and-tumble fiveyear-olds now say Cupid’s Undie Run participants are “being silly” by running in their underwear and raising money “for sick kids and for doctors to be smarter.”

Doonkeen had high praise for the Newby family. He clearly sees the silliness the boys see in this run.

“Four hundred people in a bar, in their underwear, taking the streets of Oklahoma City, literally fundraising their pants off ... I can’t wait for everyone to come out and have a great time for a great cause,” he said.

The Cupid’s Undie Run pre-run event is at noon, and the run begins at 2 p.m. Visit cupidsundierun.com.

Live Action Short Films Sunday | 12:30 p.m.

Documentary Short Films Sunday | 3 p.m.

Visit okcmoa.com for the full Oscar Tune-Up schedule.

SAT, FEB. 14

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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS Puzzle No. 0201, which appeared in the February 4 issue.

U N I T E

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

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

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

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

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ACROSS 1 Filling entrees?

9 Imperfect 15 Laugh-track content 20 Former Diet Pepsi spokesmodel 21 Nymph jilted by Paris 22 The Vampire Diaries protagonist 23 Content of a demand to attend?

25 Cry of frustration 26 ___ flakes 27 Hullabaloo 28 Square meal?

30 Gas-station adjunct 32 Freaky funeral noise?

37 Tornado Alley state: Abbr.

38 Smirnoff Ice, e.g.

40 Red-faced 41 View from Big Ben 43 Patriots’ and Seahawks’ org.

44 Castaway director, 1986 46 Points of view 48 W.W. II rationing agcy.

49 Dive from a fire-breathing creature?

53 Al Qaeda stronghold 55 Vegetable that’s often fried 58 Place first, second or third, say 59 Man of letters?

61 The Bridge on the River Kwai director 63 Certain embedded Internet video 65 ___ lupus (gray wolf ) 67 Not there yet 68 Company that introduced Saran Wrap 71 Venti, vingt or zwanzig?

75 Missal storage site 76 Coffee-bean variety 78 Went on a run?

79 43-Across ball carriers: Abbr.

81 Lake ___, biggest lake in South America 84 Holdups 86 Perfumery measure 90 Workers’ rights org.

91 Wool source 93 Woe for a sunburned sea monster?

95 Northern California’s ___ River 97 Burn

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Make hot ___-Magnon Uses mouthwash, e.g.

Like a dutiful sentry Faux pas Symbol on a sarcophagus Intel products used at a nuclear facility?

Hit with a charge Seiji Ozawa, e.g.

Argo setting Roman guardian spirit Diminish in strength Overseeing a work crew, e.g.?

Cause of radioactivity Beggar’s receptacle Attorney’s presentation Coeur d’___ Part of a contract Mess

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72 Harangues, with ‘‘at’’ 73 Sport 74 Mystery prize 77 Naïfs 80 Slangy greeting 82 Salad-bar morsels 83 Like the world’s largest sultanate 85 Economize to a fault 87 Juicy fruit 88 Destination of NASA’s Dawn probe 89 What Othello and Desdemona do in Othello 92 Prime Cuts brand 94 Site of ancient Greek Olympics 96 What the jack of spades lacks

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Howard Stern rival Howard Johnson rival Chilean author Allende ‘‘My dear man’’ Difficult situation Greater or lesser follower New York’s ___ Island Circular opening?

Gather (from) South Park boy Some PC screens Many an art-museum piece Cellular messenger Bit of old French bread Charlottesville inst.

Picayune quibble Brass producer, briefly Catchy thing?

PHOTOGRAPHERS

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GENERAL ASSIGNMENT EDITOR Kory Oswald

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INSIDE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Kristy Williams

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Fay of King Kong Upped Plant swelling Like Isaac Asimov Speed skater Ohno Words of thanksgiving Common craps roll Dribble glass, e.g.

California resort town Feelings of guilt What I will always be, alphabetically Parking-lot figure From Square 1 Problems with hoses Skeletal enemy in Mario games ___ point Perform terribly ‘‘Lookin’ good!’’

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Palmer Chancellor

Saundra Rinearson Godwin

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EDITORIAL

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE / ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Leah Roberts ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Stephanie Van Horn

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Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute). The answers to the New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle that appeared in the February 4 issue of Oklahoma Gazette are shown at left.

Oklahoma Gazette

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DOWN 1 Game show V.I.P.’s 2 Three-vowel word that sounds like a fourth vowel 3 Like some knights and warships 4 Kind of paste 5 What a spoiler might spoil 6 Golfer Woosnam 7 Chi-town circlers 8 Possessions 9 Old fogy 10 ‘‘We’d better skip it’’ 11 Santa ___ winds 12 Got the gold 13 Envelope abbr.

14 Handle of a plow?

15 Unceremonious removal 16 Half a game name that rhymes 17 Feathers, pointy bill, long legs, etc.?

18 Life of Pi director 19 Old colonial masters 24 Aficionado 29 AIDS-fighting drug 30 One with a colorful coat?

31 Woodard of Primal Fear 32 Garbage collector, informally?

33 Slanted columns

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0208

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Culture club

Mariachi Orgullo de América

Playing traditional music, Mariachi Orgullo de América thrives on diversity and is the midwest’s premiere band.

BY CHRISTIAN WILSON

Mariachi Orgullo de América 4-6 p.m. Sunday Plaza Mayor at the Crossroads 7000 Crossroads Blvd. plazamayorok.com 631-4422 Free

For Robert Ruiz, mariachi is life. After picking up the trumpet in middle school, he joined his first mariachi at the age of 12 and began singing in the group. He then joined another, Mariachi Azteca, but launched his own as a high school senior. It was then that he really took the lead, arranging music, playing guitar and handling vocals.

In 2002, as a junior studying engineering in the computer sciences department at the University of Oklahoma, Ruiz met Greg Hallman and, with founding members Jorge Hernandez and Jose Solis, put together the first pieces of what has become Mariachi Orgullo de América.

“There’s this cliché of maracas,” said Robert Ruiz, director of Oklahoma-based Mariachi Orgullo de América. “No. Those aren’t used in mariachi. They’re only for those people making Mexican-themed parties.”

There’s a misconception in Oklahoma that mariachi is a simple outfit. Though the heritage of mariachi is string-based, it is much more than a few guys strumming guitars in a restaurant.

Namely, Mariachi Orgullo de América is a full mariachi. It’s true; some mariachis are smaller. Ruiz’s

ensemble is not one of them. While being one of a handful of mariachi groups in America to have a flutist, the group boasts 11 musicians playing stringed instruments such as the violin, classical guitar, guitarrón and vihuela in addition to trumpet and flute. Even though the size might set it apart, the group is distinct in its composition as well, a strategy Ruiz and the other founders intentionally implemented.

“It was a difficult beginning,” Ruiz said. “But we transformed our focus, recruiting talented musicians that wanted to play together as opposed to concentrating on finding existing mariachi or Hispanic musicians.”

As with any new endeavor or business, the going was tough and slow. Many gigs were played for discounted prices or for free to gain exposure, Ruiz said. The ensemble had a limited repertoire. But as the group began to focus on non-mariachi talent, it grew, turning into one of the busiest live groups in Oklahoma. Playing at least one gig a week, the group continues to develop and refine a deep repertoire of traditional, popular and original compositions.

Aside from collecting an eclectic mix of accomplished and entertaining players, Mariachi Orgullo de América provides the Oklahoma Hispanic community an important resource to reconnect with and a way to pass on their heritage.

“Mariachi is a huge part of their culture,” Ruiz said. “What we’ve found is that the Hispanic community has

We transformed our focus, recruiting talented musicians that wanted to play together as opposed to concentrating on finding existing mariachi or Hispanic musicians.

— Robert Ruiz

embraced us and there’s a sense of pride that they have these [musicians] that are from different heritages playing their music.”

Unlike most genres of American fare, mariachi music accompanies a wide range of social and cultural occasion. It’s played at baptisms, weddings, quinceañeras, birthdays, anniversaries and even funerals.

“We’ve had cases where we played someone’s quinceañera then their

wedding, different events within these families,” Ruiz said. “One of the things playing Plaza Mayor has allowed us to do, though, is allow other families that opportunity. Some of the families who aren’t able to hire a mariachi bring their kids on a Sunday and the children that were born here that didn’t grow up in Mexico can experience their [parents’] culture and life.”

It’s this cultural connection that cements the ensemble’s place in the Oklahoma music scene, allowing their mariachi to thrive. But a broader sense of belonging and closeness should be credited for much of their success.

“We’re like a family,” Ruiz said.

“We spend so much time together we have to be. What’s great about these performances, too, is that we’re not treated like hired work. Most of the families we play for treat us like guests of honor. It’s an inviting feeling for all our musicians.”

Mariachi Orgullo de América plays 4 to 6 p.m. every Sunday at Plaza Mayor at the Crossroads, 7000 Crossroads Blvd., but confirms each event through its Facebook page at facebook.com/ mariachiorgullo.

The group’s second album is due out this fall.

Robert Ruiz

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | 4 1

P HOTOS BY M A R K HA N COC K

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Traveling tunes The Hideouts blend punk idealism with country rhythm and classic rock sensibilities.

BY ADAM HOLT

FIRE LAKE ARENA IN SHAWNEE OK GET TICKETS AT

WWW.CPNBOXOFFICE.COM

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4 2 | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

Huddled around a wooden table on the first floor of Wormy Dog Saloon, Garrett Haines describe the sound of his band, The Hideouts.

“It’s kind of Southern rock with a little country flair in there,” he said with uncertainty in his voice.

“And a splash of pop,” said Mikey Hevr, 22, lead guitarist and backing vocalist.

Approving head nods were shared

by Haines, 23, rhythm guitarist and vocalist, and bass player Shane McKinzie, 22.

“I think what’s really cool is that we all listen to different artists and we come together and create this,” Hevr said.

Haines’ style, rooted in classic rock, McKinzie’s country rhythm and Hevr’s pop punk idealism, create a sound best described as pop-sensible rock with a twist of country or, as Haines characterized it, “a love child of Keith Urban and some classic rock band.”

The group released the five-song EP Home last year. The band, then a quartet, wrote guitar riff-driven songs flanked with a stronger percussive presence. The smaller lineup creates a more open sound, allowing each instrument to better compliment the others.

“It’s definitely a more raw sound,” Haines said. “Our melodies come from country and pop, and our guitarlines are rock-oriented. The drums aren’t quite as loud. They are more controlled.

Everything is more controlled.”

The band’s latest single, “Here to Stay,” is a prime example of this evolution. The bass and drums keep a moderately paced beat while a lightly overdriven guitar lead blends with the five chords of a similarly toned rhythm guitar. Haines’ vocals flow along with the music, creating a balanced sound.

It’s clear that songwriting is a shared exercise between the three.

The importance of working together is amplified because members

are separated by distance. Haines and Hevr reside in Oklahoma City and McKinzie lives in Stillwater. The resulting ideas allow them to make the most of their limited practice time.

The band’s beginnings stretch back to 2012. McKinzie, an applied sociology senior at Oklahoma State University, formed the core of The Hideouts with two friends. One bandmate was a student at Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO).

While visiting the ACM@UCO campus in downtown OKC, McKinzie befriended fellow student Hevr.

Though her roots are in pop punk acts like The Starting Line and All Time Low, McKinzie convinced Hevr to try her hand at a country rock sound.

“She started out just filling in at practice. She wasn’t looking to be in a band at the time, but she liked doing it,” McKinzie said.

But Hevr eventually joined.

Searching for the final piece, the singer, was more of a struggle.

“Mikey walks up to us and has this flyer about looking for a lead singer and asks, ‘Hey do you know anyone?’ And I just chimed in and said, ‘No, I don’t know anybody,’” Haines said.

“He said he would tweet about it, and he never did,” Hevr said. “We were like, ‘That bastard!’”

“In the meantime, a mutual friend told them I could sing,” said Haines.

“We were like, ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’” Hevr said.

The band spent 2013 writing and recording Home. And they made their live debut at a Baron’s game at the Cox Convention Center, said Haines.

There is a lot coming up for The Hideouts. They hope to return to the studio around March to begin work on a new EP or album.

The Hideouts will play the 23rd Annual Tumbleweed Calf Fry music festival in Stillwater in May and are planning more local shows.

P ROVI DE D

SWEETHEART’S BALL SATURDAY NIGHT!

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11 Aaron Pierce/Parker Millsap, The Deli, Norman.

SINGER/SONGWRITER Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Kyle Reid, Will Rogers Lobby Cafe & Bar. ACOUSTIC Maurice Johnson, R&J Lounge and Supper Club. JAZZ

P ROVI DE D

LIVE MUSIC

Jeff Rogers, Full Circle Bookstore. COUNTRY Jose Hernadez, The Underground. FOLK Josh Sallee, 51st Street Speakeasy. HIP-HOP Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO Red City Radio, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK Rugged Grace/Stockyard Playboys, Grandad’s Bar. COUNTRY Scott Keeton, Riverwind Casino, Norman. ROCK Sierra Rose, The Paramount OKC. FOLK Souled Out, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. VARIOUS

Smooth & Soulful Sax & Axe, Oklahoma City Museum of Art. JAZZ

Southern Rust, Don Quixote Club. COVER

The Weathermen, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER

STOUT, Oklahoma City Limits. COVER The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

THURSDAY, FEB. 12 Audra and The Whippoorwills, Wormy Dog Saloon.

BLUEGRASS Avenue, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER David Morris, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO Excision/Protohype/Minnesota, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa.

VARIOUS Patrick Winsett, Grandad’s Bar. COUNTRY Reese Wilson/Michael Summers, Kendell’s Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER Samantha Crain/Deus Eyeslow, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

Tom Skinner/Greg Jacobs/Randy Pease, The Blue Door.

VARIOUS Troy Hardin, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill. ROCK

SATURDAY FEB. 14 Avenue, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. COVER

Southwest Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) celebrates its 45th annual Jazz Festival with renowned composer and bassist Kris Berg opening the performances. The festival launches with a free concert at 7 p.m. Thursday by Metroplexity Big Band. It continues with concerts by Metroplexity Big Band and SWOSU Jazz Ensemble at 1 and 8 p.m. Friday in the Fine Arts Center, 101 W. Davis Ave., in Weatherford. Tickets for Friday’s concerts are $3-$10.

Call 580-774-3780.

Cutter Elliott, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill.

COUNTRY DOGCOM/Crystal Vision/Travis Traps/TNDR, Farmers Public Market. VARIOUS

The Central Jazz Jam, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond. JAZZ

Don and Melodee Johnson, Twelve Oaks, Edmond. JAZZ

The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

Elizabeth Turner/Gary Leiter/F.N.G., Belle Isle Library.

VARIOUS

FRIDAY, FEB. 13

Eric Johnson/Mike Stern, ACM@UCO Performance Lab. JAZZ

2AM/Revel, Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery. ROCK

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Catoosa. POP

Thursday-Friday

pick

Casey & Minna, Buy For Less. BLUEGRASS

The Brass Beats, O Bar. VARIOUS

Amarillo Junction, Remington Park. COUNTRY

OKG

music

Brent Blount, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. BLUES

Jazz Festival

Scott Keeton, Riverwind Casino, Norman. ROCK

Erik the Viking/Storyville Scoundrels, Grandad’s Bar. COUNTRY

Sean C. Johnson/Cooki Turner/Adam & Kizzie, Urban Roots. R&B

TUESDAY, FEB. 17 Aaron Newman, Robinson Renaissance.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Street Kings, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Grant Stevens, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

The Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. VARIOUS

Avenue, Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse. COVER

Josh Abbott Band/Hudson Moore, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa.

COUNTRY

The Saucy Gentlemen’s Club, The Deli, Norman.

VARIOUS

BANG BANG! Variety, HiLo Club. VARIOUS

KALO, The Paramount OKC. BLUES

The Suede Panter, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. BLUES

Civilized Tribe Dixieland Band, UCO Jazz Lab, Edmond.

JAZZ

Bart Crow, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

Kill The Reflection/Esoterik/The Choke, The Conservatory. ROCK

Tish Hinojosa, The Blue Door. FOLK

LUCKY/Shaun Suttle, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. COVER

Klipspringer/Bite Me, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

Attica State, Tapwerks Ale House & Cafe. ROCK

Beau Jennings/Samantha Crain/Sherree Chamberlain, Opolis, Norman. VARIOUS

Bill Kirchen/Greg Trooper, The Blue Door.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

RL Grime/DJEMBA DJEMBA/Tommy Kruise, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. VARIOUS

Casey & Minna, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Cafe. BLUEGRASS

Lisa & Laura, Full Circle Bookstore. FOLK

Christian Pearson/Gary Johnson, Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

PIANO

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

SUNDAY, FEB. 15

Overdrive, Remington Park. COVER

All That Remains, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK

Reckless Kelly, Wormy Dog Saloon. COUNTRY

Dan Weber, The Depot, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Replay, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. COVER

Edgar Cruz, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Rusty and the Rough Riders, 40 & 8 Dance Club.

COUNTRY

Eric Herndon, Full Circle Bookstore. VARIOUS

Heartbreak Heroes/The Projekt/All That I Am, The Conservatory. ROCK Hosty Duo, The Deli, Norman. ROCK

Dan Bern/Tom Skinner, The Blue Door. VARIOUS David Cook/Luke Wade, Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa. ROCK Eric Harris, First National Center. JAZZ

Karen Khoury, Legend’s Restaurant, Norman. PIANO

Grant Wells, Skirvin Hilton Hotel. PIANO

Mike Hosty, The Deli, Norman. ROCK PROVIDED

DJ Six, Russell’s, Tower Hotel. VARIOUS Gentry, Kendell’s Bar. VARIOUS

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18

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

Rick Price, Post 352. POP

Replay/80’z Enuf, Baker St. Pub & Grill. COVER

The Toasters/James Bond Dracula/The Big News, The Conservatory. ROCK

Travis Linville, The Deli, Norman. SINGER/SONGWRITER Zac Lee Duo, Will Rogers Lobby Cafe & Bar. JAZZ

MONDAY, FEB. 16 Ali Harter Residency, Blue Note Lounge.

SINGER/SONGWRITER Rick Toops, Friends Restaurant & Club. ROCK Than Medlam, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library. JAZZ

Red City Radio, Blue Note Lounge, Friday

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.

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | 4 3

P ROVI DE D

LIFE MUSIC REVIEWS

Dark side

BY JOSHUA BOYDSTON

In the animal kingdom, creatures are at their most dangerous when they are backed into a corner, vulnerable and controlled by instincts deeper than conscious direction.

It is there that a most essential and primal state is tapped into, the reason the most frightening destruction and beautiful triumphs are born out of the lowest of places.

Oklahoma City rapper Josh Sallee doesn’t guard his emotions, and so often, his back catalog feels like a crayon box of desire, rage, joy, sorrow and thirst. But on occasion, his head can step in the way, his compulsive id of an artistic personality at odds with his driving ambition to be the world’s new favorite rapper.

We’ve witnessed Sallee enter the room disarmed and leaving having never felt more explosive.

He’s totally out of his head and swimming in his guts with All in a Night’s Work, a surprise five-song EP that — like the title suggests — was conceived and executed over the course of a single night, with beats that producer Cub$ constructed.

Sallee described it as something of a purge in artwork that accompanies the release, a restart button on a span of weeks that had spiraled into a maelstrom of negativity,

the death of his grandmother (tackled on the devastating “MaybeHeavenWasJustLonely”) and severed personal relationships.

Sallee is at his best when his jaw’s unhinged, ready to devour anyone or anything standing in his path. With this EP, you might very well expect a full-on fangs-dripping attack.

Instead, All in a Night’s Work is more somber, a shadowy slither content to dwell in the darkness off-screen.

And that’s an emcee that many fans might not care for or want to indulge in at all, the cocky bravado traded wholesale for a hurt, poetic soul. But it’s a masterful one, a manic spirit trying to settle himself down the only way he knows how.

Tracks like “Make It … Sweet” and “Say What You Will” are new terrain for Sallee, drenched and dripping in that new-school R&B aesthetic, especially the hip-hop fringe that Childish Gambino and Frank Ocean molded into the sound of now. These tracks are slower and more deliberate than anything before (the latter track ends with a spoken word outro that features Sallee at his most artistically and spiritually untethered), but they are still full of life.

“Old English” comes closest to the Sallee we have known. Slapped down on this gooey palate, it simmers and slides like magma, and as closer “Leave” drifts away, we’ve witnessed Sallee enter the room disarmed and leave having never felt more explosive.

Josh Sallee Album: All in a Night’s Work | Available on Soundcloud, iTunes and Amazon

4 4 | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

LIFE FILM This 2013 stand-up performance from alternative comic, writer and actor Marc Maron displays his deft, sarcastic, somehow-so-intimate-you-can’t-possibly-hate-thisneurotic-asshole charm. Maron’s set examines drug abuse, Bill Hicks, porn, Viagra, religion, vegan atheists, awkward moments, self-loathing and dating through his quirky, self-deprecating anecdotes.

Thinky Pain starts with Maron backstage, debating the worst-case scenario of bombing his set. Someone utters “#MaronFail” as he walks to the mic. What follows is somewhat uncommon in comedy: Sometimes-cringeinducing personal situations spill out, Maron curled up Marc Maron: on his stool, inducing laughter about his fears of drug Thinky Pain overdoses, sobriety, midlife crises, vinyl collecting as a 2013 chronicle of his neuroses (and his interview with Jack White) and his genuine angst about zombies.

Streaming: Netflix However, it’s his truly spontaneous moments, including insights into his creative process, that are most relatable.

This special is a perfect primer before binge-watching his popular Independent Film Channel comedy series Maron. Season one and two of Maron are available now on Netflix. He started work on season three earlier this year. — Jennifer Chancellor

Reason #5

The Balcony

Movie Line: (405) 703-3777

WarrenTheatres.com

Just South of 4th Street on I-35 in Moore

“I just broke the 8th commandment.”

“Which one’s that, the one about the ox?”

That’s the sort of dry British humor lovers of Masterpiece on PBS will find in its new Mysteries! offering.

Grantchester originally aired in England on ITV (famous for loaning us Downton Abbey and Mr. Selfridge) last year.

It’s based on the Grantchester Mysteries series by English novelist James Runcie.

In the opening scene, we meet Sidney Chambers (James Norton; Belle, Death Comes to Pemberley), a young, Grantchester jazz-loving vicar who runs wild around the village with 2014 a lady friend who takes the train in from London once a week to visit — very scandalous for the 1950s.

Streaming: PBS, PBS app The jovial, carefree opening scene is juxtaposed with the solemnity of a funeral service for a man who committed suicide.

But, alas, all is not quite what it seems. Soon after the funeral, Sidney is told the man was murdered and teams up with a rather reluctant Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green; Being Human) to figure out whodunit.

The vicar is bombarded with post-war prejudice against Germans, the Irish and people who assume his position made him exempt him from serving — after all, if you can’t say something to a clergyman, you can’t say it at all, and wouldn’t that be a shame?

But his unique position allows him to talk freely with people and get information he needs to solve crimes. Watch Grantchester online at pbs.org or through its mobile app, available in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Google Play store. The first episode is available through Sunday. — Brittany Pickering

Fela Anikulapo Kuti is inarguably one of the most important musicians of the 20th century. Born in 1938 Lagos, Kuti grew to immense influence and success as the inventor of the style of music known as afrobeat. He was a political activist and musician who challenged the status quo of post-colonial Nigeria.

His nightclub, The Shrine, was down the street from the headquarters of the Nigerian government.

Nightly, Kuti and his immense persona took the stage and declared war. Music was his weapon. Along with his influence in the music world, Kuti was Finding Fela championed as a lifelong crusader for universal human rights.

2014 Documentarian Alex Gibney does an excellent job Streaming: iTunes, Google of cataloguing struggles. Gibney also makes room for Play, Netflix, YouTube the electricity of the man himself by using collected footage of Kuti performances and interviews. These run parallel to a behind-thescenes look at the making of the Broadway musical Fela!

The film shifts between compelling anecdotes from friends, family and fans, including Paul McCartney and The Roots’ Questlove, among others.

To host a community screening of Finding Fela, visit findingfela.com for details.

— Devon Green

♥ Valentine’s Headquarters ♥

O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | 4 5

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: Proposed experiment: Carry out an act of love that’s unique in your history. Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) I hope you have someone in your life to whom you can send the following love note, and if you don’t, I trust you will locate that someone no later than August 1: “I love you more than anyone loves you, or has loved you, or will love you, and also, I love you in a way that no one loves you, or has loved you, or will love you, and also, I love you in a way that I love no one else, and never have loved anyone else, and never will love anyone else.” (This passage is borrowed from author Jonathan Safran Foer’s book Everything Is Illuminated.)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) “We assume that others show their love in the same way that we do,” writes psychologist Amy Przeworski, “and if they don’t follow that equation, we worry that the love is not there.” I think you’re on track to overcome this fundamental problem, Taurus. Your struggles with intimacy have made you wise enough to surrender your expectations about how others should show you their love. You’re almost ready to let them give you their affection and demonstrate their care for you in ways that come natural to them. In fact, maybe you’re ready RIGHT NOW. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) I’d like to bestow a blessing on you and your closest ally. My hope is that it will help you reduce the restlessness that on occasion undermines the dynamism of your relationship. Here’s the benediction, inspired by a Robert Bly poem: As you sit or walk or lie next to each other, you share a mood of glad acceptance. You aren’t itchy or fidgeting, wondering if there’s something better to be or do.

You don’t wish you were talking about a different subject or feeling a different emotion or living in a different world. You are content to be exactly who you are, exactly where you are.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Want to infuse your romantic interludes with

2 BEDROOM LUXURY CONDO Starting at $795

wilder moods now and then? Want to cultivate a kind of intimacy that taps deeper into your animal intelligence? If so, try acting out each other’s dreams or drawing magic symbols on each other’s bodies.

Whisper funny secrets into each other’s ears or wrestle like good-natured drunks on the living room floor. Howl like coyotes. Caw like crows. Purr like cheetahs. Sing boisterous songs and recite feral poetry to each other. Murmur this riff, adapted from Pablo Neruda: “Our love was born in the wind, in the night, in the earth. That’s why the clay and the flower, the mud and the roots know our names.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Is there any sense in which your closest alliance is a gift to the world? Does your relationship inspire anyone?Do the two of you serve as activators and energizers, igniting fires in the imaginations of those whose lives you touch? If not, find out why. And if you are tapping into those potentials, it’s time to raise your impact to the next level. Together the two of you now have extra power to synergize your collaboration in such a way that it sends out ripples of benevolence everywhere you go.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) The poet Rainer Marie Rilke said that people misunderstand the role of love. “They have made it into play and pleasure because they think that play and pleasure are more blissful than work,” he wrote. “But there is nothing happier than work. And love, precisely because it is the supreme happiness, can be nothing other than work.” I’m sharing this perspective with you for two reasons, Virgo. First, of all the signs in the zodiac, you’re most likely to thrive on his approach. Second, you’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when this capacity of yours is at a peak. Here’s how Rilke finished his thought: “Lovers should act as if they had a great work to accomplish.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) About 2,600 years ago, the Greek poet Sappho wrote the following declaration: “You make me hot.” In the next ten days, I’d love for you to feel motivated to say or think that on a regular basis. In fact, I predict that you will. The astrological omens suggest you’re

in a phase when you are both more likely to be made hot and more likely to encounter phenomena that make you hot. Here are some other fragments from Sappho that might come in handy when you need to express your torrid feelings: 1. “This randy madness I joyfully proclaim.” 2. “Eros makes me shiver again . . . Snake-sly, invincible.” 3. “Desire has shaken my mind as wind in the mountain forests roars through trees.” (Translations by Guy Davenport.)

or for poetry, she had prayed fervently: let him be kind.” I recommend that approach for you right now, Capricorn. A quest for tender, compassionate attention doesn’t always have to be at the top of your list of needs, but I think it should be for now.

You will derive a surprisingly potent alchemical boost from basking in kindness. It will catalyze a breakthrough that can’t be unleashed in any other way. Ask for it!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the TV sciencefiction show Doctor Who, the title character lives in a time machine that is also a spaceship. It’s called a Tardis. From the outside, it appears to be barely bigger than a phone booth. But once you venture inside, you find it’s a spacious chateau with numerous rooms, including a greenhouse, library, observatory, swimming pool, and karaoke bar. This is an excellent metaphor for you, Scorpio. Anyone who wants your love or friendship must realize how much you resemble a Tardis. If they don’t understand that you’re far bigger on the inside than you seem on the outside, it’s unlikely the two of you can have a productive relationship. This Valentine season, as a public service, make sure that everyone you’re seriously involved with knows this fact.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) How many desires do you have? Take a rough inventory. Identify the experiences you continually seek in your quest to feel relief and pleasure and salvation and love and a sense of meaning. You can also include fantasies that go unfulfilled and dreams that may or may not come true in the future. As you survey this lively array, don’t censor yourself or feel any guilt. Simply give yourself to a sumptuous meditation on all the longings that fuel your journey.

This is your prescription for the coming week. In ways you may not yet be able to imagine, it is the medicine you need most.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Love and intimacy come in many forms. There are at least a billion different ways for you to be attracted to another person, and a trillion different ways to structure your relationship. Maybe your unique bond involves having sex, or maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s romantic or friendly or holy, or all three of those things. Do the two of you have something important to create together, or is your connection more about fueling each other’s talents? Your task is to respect and revere the idiosyncratic ways you fit together, not force yourselves to conform to a prototype. To celebrate the Valentine season, I invite you and your closest ally to play around with these fun ideas.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Anais Nin wrote the following passage in her novel A Spy in the House of Love: “As other girls prayed for handsomeness in a lover, or for wealth, or for power,

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) The German word Nachkussen refers to the kind of kiss that compensates for all the kissing that has not been happening, all the kissing that has been omitted or lost. If it has been too long since you’ve kissed anyone, you need Nachkussen. If your lover hasn’t kissed you lately with the focused verve you long for, you need *Nachkussen.* If you yourself have been neglecting to employ your full artistry and passion as you bestow your kisses, you need Nachkussen From what I can tell, Pisces, this Valentine season is a f.ullon Nachkussen holiday for you. Now please go get what you haven’t been getting.

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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Responsibilities include providing assistance to customers who are struggling with their mortgage payment and providing solutions to resolve delinquencies. Duties include inbound and outbound telephone contact with customers.

Individuals with excellent communication and PC skills, the ability to multitask, and who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment are successful in these positions. Candidates must be dependable, possess a positive attitude, have a desire to help others, and be adaptable to change.

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

Act of 1968, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, preference or discrimination.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of this law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings in our newspaper are available on an equal housing opportunity basis.

FREEMAN’S LIQUOR MART is accepting applications for full or part-time staff.

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Apply in person @ 4401 N. Western.

Candidates must possess a work history that includes excellent customer service and communication skills along with strong PC/data entry ability. Enthusiastic persons, who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, are good listeners, detail oriented and interested in providing customer service are most successful in this position. Experience in customer service, the financial industry, real estate, legal, or mortgage servicing is helpful but not required. Preference will be given to candidates with call center experience. Scheduled hours are from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Spanish bi-lingual skills earn additional compensation.

Additionally, we offer:

Excellent benefits (medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401K plan) Business casual atmosphere For additional information about these exciting career opportunities and to complete an online application, please visit our website.

www.midfirst.jobs 4 6 | F E B R UA R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 | O K L A H O M A G A Z E T T E

AA/EOE M/F/D/V

P H O N E (4 0 5 ) 5 2 8 - 6 0 0 0 | E - M A I L : A D V E R T I S I N G @ T I E R R A M E D I A G R O U P. C O M

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