Flipside 05-17 by The Southern Illinoisan

Top 20 Restaurant of the Week: Walt’s Pizza Pasta Grill

Call toll-free: 800-228-0429

DETAILS

Cara Recine, Lifestyles and special projects editor cara.recine@thesouthern.com / ext. 5075 Adam Testa, Lifestyles writer adam.testa@thesouthern.com / ext. 5031 Brenda Kirkpatrick, lists, live music flipside@thesouthern.com / ext. 5089 Rhonda Ethridge, cover designer rhonda.ethridge@thesouthern.com / ext. 5118 J.C. Dart, online jennifer.dart@thesouthern.com / ext. 5183 The Southern Illinoisan (USPS 258-908) is published daily at a yearly subscription rate of $178. It is published at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901. It is owned by Lee Enterprises of Davenport, Iowa.

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What: Pizza, pasta, salads, sandwiches, steaks, chicken, fish Where: 213 S. Court St., Marion Hours: 4 -11 p.m. SundayMonday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight FridaySaturday Phone: 618-993-8668 Web: www.waltspizza.com or www.facebook.com/ waltspizza

Buy one entrée, get one free at featured dining establishments with the 2012 Top 20 Dining Card. Cards are $20; get one at our Carbondale office at 710 N. Illinois Ave. or at www.thesouthern. com/top20. BY JOE SZYNKOWSKI FOR THE SOUTHERN

With a vast array of low-carb menu options and a promise to avoid imitation ingredients on the salad bar, Walt’s Pizza Pasta Grill takes both the health and satisfaction of its customers seriously. And it has since 1977. Walt Neids, his wife, Peggy, and son, Walter, take pride in using top-quality ingredients. They also offer diners healthy choices and a family-friendly atmosphere in which to enjoy them. Walt’s features an incredibly broad menu that includes everything from appetizers, soups and salads to their famous Double Decker, a pizza-lover’s dream featuring two layers of Wisconsin cheese,

THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO

Walt’s Pizza Pasta Grill is at 213 S. Court St. in Marion.

premium meat toppings and a handmade, French-twisted crust. But that’s certainly not all. Explore the menu further and you’ll find a variety of sandwiches, grilled chicken, steaks, salmon and pork chops along with nearly two dozen specialty pasta dishes. Walt’s offers a children’s menu (and even crayons and puzzles for the little ones), a game room, and on Mondays, children under 10 get to eat for free. But Walt’s certainly doesn’t ignore the adults. An expansive patio provides a place for customers to unwind, enjoy a multitude of food and drink specials and even listen to live

music throughout the week and on weekends, weather allowing. And when there’s no live music offered customers can take in a game on one of the restaurant’s two 47inch flat-screen TVs, which are especially popular during football season. With all of these great lunch, dinner and entertainment options, customers are sure to get thirsty, too. Walt’s has, of course, thought of that as well. The obligatory sodas (both Coke and Pepsi) and iced tea are available, but Walt’s shows its diversity once again by featuring a surprisingly robust menu of beer, wine and spirits. Try a Long Island Iced

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Tea, Margarita or Golden Sangria on the patio. If wine is more to your liking, you can choose from nearly a dozen reds and whites available by the glass or bottle. Oh, and if you’re a fan of beer, there’s more at Walt’s than the typical light lager beers you can find anywhere. Walt’s tries to feature three or four craft and specialty beers, available in bottles, to pair with dinner or enjoy on the patio as well. These offerings change frequently and seasonally and are just one more example of what makes Walt’s Pizza Pasta Grill special. And with its convenient location in downtown Marion, most Southern Illinoisans are just a short drive away from an enjoyable dining experience. ACTION &$ 99 UNION TOBACCO 1 LB. BAG

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Page 2 Thursday, May 17, 2012 FLIPSIDE

MOVIES

ART

New features highlight arts, music festival

MUSIC

WINERIES

THINGS TO DO

COVER STORY

Exhibits opening at Cedarhurst

PADUCAH — The three-day Lower Town Arts and Music Festival returns to Paducah this weekend with new and returning features showcasing close to 100 artists and musicians. Paducah Improv, a project spearheaded by two men who worked with the famous Second City in Chicago, will have a troupe of about 10 actors on the streets of the festival, entertaining and teaching free classes. Culinary theater also debuts this year, as representatives of West Kentucky Community and Technical College will do cooking demonstrations on stage and offer samples. The children’s activity tent has also been extended and will feature its own stage. Every two hours, individual groups from the area will lead children in different craft projects. Live music will be featured, as well. Hours for the festival are 3-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday and noon5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit lowertownamf.com.

MOUNT VERNON — Cedarhurst Center for the Arts is unveiling four new exhibits for the summer. “Cinematic Subjects: The Art of Sun Smith-Foret and Jamie Adams” explores the identity of the individual, comparing and contrasting abstraction and realism and appropriated images and concepts from cinema which the artists use to explore personal and societal values of identity formation. Smith-Foret is an artist and practicing therapist, while Adams is a painter and art professor at Washington University. Both are from the St. Louis area. “The Allure of the Vessel” features a variety of vessels or sculptural works from several different historic periods. These works, all part of the Mitchell Museum permanent STUDIO collection, are crafted ‘Jon Burgerman: Color Me Silly’ is a family-friendly exhibit that from a variety of media showcases the artist’s cartoon monsters. It is one of the new including silver, glass, exhibits at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts this summer. porcelain, wood and clay. “Jon Burgerman: Color Me Silly” is a family-friendly interactive exhibit that showcases the vibrant, neo-primitive scrawls of shapes and color of Burgerman’s monster-like cartoonish forms. The artist’s work in recognizable by the drawn characters crammed on top of each other, creating a visual mass of energy. “Centering the Circle” features the ceramic work of Craig Rhodes, whose studio is in the Shawnee National Forest. With a master’s degree in ceramics, Rhodes has been creating art for 40 years, and he uses a variety of forms, textures, glazes and techniques in both electric and gas kilns to create his works. All four exhibits, which run through July 29, will be introduced with a members’ reception at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19. The galleries will be open to the public free of charge during regular hours.

— Adam Testa

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922-4400 or 694-9221 FLIPSIDE Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 3

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SIU Craft Shop plans summer workshops and activities CARBONDALE — Learning and fun never take a break at SIU, including at the Student Center’s Craft Shop. A full slate of workshops and walk-in activities for children and adults is on tap for summer. The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday during the summer. Here’s a sampling of the workshops and children’s activities for the summer: Glass beads; June 12, 5-7 p.m.; ages 18 and older; $25 for SIU Carbondale students, $35 for others. Pottery; June 14, 5-8 p.m.; ages 18 and older; $20 for students, $25 for others. Kids sewing; June 18-20, 10 a.m.-noon; ages 8-14;

learn to operate the machine and make items; $35. Enameling; June 18-22, 5-7 p.m.; ages 18 and older; learn to fuse colorful glass glaze to metal, the basic process of enameling on silver and copper; $30 for students, $35 for others. Hand embroidery; June 21 and 28, 2-3:30 p.m.; ages 10 and older; learn to create featherstitch, lazy daisy and other stitches to decorate clothing and create home décor, materials included; $20 for students, $25 for others. Canvas kayak; Thursdays, June 21 through July 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; ages 18 and older; build a wooden frame kayak and cover with canvas and oil paint; $65 for students,

Page 4 Thursday, May 17, 2012 FLIPSIDE

$85 for others, $100 for materials. Cutting wine bottles; two sections, June 22 from 3 to 5 p.m. and July 27 from 5 to 7 p.m.; ages 14 and older; learn to cut wine bottles to recycle the glass pieces to make glasses, vases or wind chimes, bring your own bottles; $5 for students, $7 for others. Kids three-day experimental photography workshop; June 25-27, 1-4 p.m.; ages 7-12; children will make their own pinhole cameras, make paper negatives and cyanotypes (blue photo paper sun prints); $40. Fused glass; two separate sections, June 26 and July 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m.; ages 14 and older;

learn to heat glass to its melting point and fuse together to make designs for jewelry; $15 for students, $20 for others. Kids art summer school; July 9-13, 1-4:30 p.m.; ages 7-12; children will create various Craft Shop artworks including sculptures, pottery, wax hands, prints, woodworks, duct tape creations and take a trip to the University Museum; $90. Woodworking; Mondays and Wednesdays, July 9-23, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; ages 18 and older; learn to use various wood shop tools to create your own project, class includes a semester pass ($15 value) to the Wood Shop, large selection of hardwoods in stock; $30

for students, $40 for others. Knitting for kids; July 11-12, 10 a.m.-noon; ages 8-12; an entry-level course where children learn to knit a scarf; $35. Felting; July 16, 5-7:30 p.m.; ages 18 and older; learn to create smallscale needle felting for jewelry and more; $15 for students, $10 for others. Drawing for kids; July 16-20, 10 a.m.-noon; ages 10-14; children learn shading, contouring, composition, perspective and drawing techniques, materials provided; $45. Kids pottery wheel; July 23-26, 1-3 p.m.; ages 7-12; Kids learn to create pottery on the wheel, materials included;

$40 for the entire workshop or $12 per day. Vacation scrapbook; two separate sections, July 24 and July 31, noon-3 p.m.; ages 8 and older; learn scrapbook techniques and create your own vacation scrapbook; $15 for students, $20 for others. Some workshops require additional expenditure for materials. Each session has a minimum and maximum enrollment, so sign up early to make sure you get a spot. For details or to sign up for any of the classes, workshops or lessons, visit studentcenter.siu.edu, call 618-453-3636, email craftshp@siu.edu or stop by the shop on the lower level of the Student Center.

MOVIES

ART

MUSIC

WINERIES

THINGS TO DO

BOOKS

COVER STORY

Call for Art

Classes Southern Illinois Art Workshop classes: noon-4 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, May 21-23, Du Bois Center Camp; 618-749-5256. Various May classes: Southpass Beads, 203 Ash St., Cobden; 618-893-6170; www.southpassbeads.com.

Exhibits

Receptions/Openings Cinematic Subjects: The Art of Sun Smith-Foret and Jamie Adams; opening, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19, Main Gallery, Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mount Vernon; through July 29; 618-242-1236; www.cedarhurst.org. The Allure of the Vessel: Opening, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19, the Beal Grand Corridor Gallery, Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mount Vernon; variety of vessels or sculptural works; through July 29; 618-242-1236; www.cedarhurst.org. Jon Burgerman: Color Me Silly: opening, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19, The Beck Family Center Gallery, Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mount Vernon; familyfriendly interactive exhibit; through July 29; 618-242-1236; www.cedarhurst.org. Centering the Circle: Ceramic Art of Craig Rhodes; opening, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19, Regenhardt Gallery, Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mount Vernon; variety of forms, textures, glazes, and glazing techniques fired in both electric and gas kilns; through July 29; 618-242-1236; www.cedarhurst.org.

THEATER

International wrestling star Ricochet to make local debut

Historic Structures & Machinery 6 biennial art show: Little Egypt Arts Center, Marion; open to Southern Illinois artists including painters, photographers; artwork should depict a structure or piece of historic machinery; deadline, May 19; 618 998-8530; mgrafics@midwest.net.

Helen Gallimore: Featured artist, Harrisburg District Library; oil paintings and crafts; through May 20. HerrinFesta Italiana 2012 Art Exhibition: ThursdayMonday, May 24-28, HerrinFesta Italiana Art Gallery, 3 S. Park Ave., Herrin; www.herrinfesta.com. A Different View — Abstract Show: Paintings, recycled abstracts, Little Egypt Arts Centre, Tower Square, Marion; through May 31; 618-998-8530; www.littleegyptarts.com. Familiar Faces Familiar Places: Watercolors by Mary Pachikara, The Gallery Space, Law office of Joni Beth Bailey, 1008 Walnut St., Murphysboro; through June 22; gallery hours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; marypachikara@gmail.com; gallery@jbbaileylaw.com. Windmills of My Mind: By Larry Mittendorf, Central Showcase, Murdale Shopping Center, 1825 W. Main St., Carbondale; oil paintings inspired by classical music; each painting has a corresponding piece of music; through June 23; 618-529-5098. From Humble Beginnings: Lincoln’s Illinois, 1830-1861, Southern Illinois Art & Artisans Center, 14967 Gun Creek Trail, Whittington; hrough July 22. The Kilenge: Life in New Guinea Villages; Documentary Photographs and Objects Collected by Philip Dark, University Museum, SIU; Dark was a professor of anthropology at SIU Carbondale from 1960-1978; ongoing; www.museum.siu.edu; 618-453-5388.

FESTIVALS

PROVIDED

‘Dreamgirls’ will come to The Carson Center on March 23-24.

The Carson Center announces its 2012-13 Broadway series PADUCAH — A mixture of classics and new hits will take the stage at The Carson Center during the next year as part of the venue’s Broadway Season. The series open with “West Side Story” on Nov. 19-20 and continues with “Shrek: The Musical” on Jan. 29-30, “A Chorus Line” on Feb. 23, “Dreamgirls” on March 23-24” and “Elvis Lives” on April 11-12. Subscriptions for the series are now on sale and guarantee holders the same seats for all performances. Prices range from $119 to $244 based on choice of shows and seating. Ticket information for individual shows will be released as it becomes available. For subscription information, call 270-4504444 or visit thecarsoncenter.org. The Bernstein and Sondheim score of “West Side Story” is considered to be one Broadway’s finest. The musical debuted more than 50 years ago and remains a theater classic.

“Shrek: The Musical” is based on the animated DreamWorks series about a lovable ogre and his adventures with his ragtag group of friends. The show features 19 all-new songs, dancing and breathtaking scenery. Art imitates life in “A Chorus line,” as 17 dancers audition for the chanceof-a-lifetime role. The musical, one of the longest running on Broadway, has won nine Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize and become a classic. “Dreamgirls,” based on the Academy Awardwinning movie, tells the story of an up-and-coming 1960s girl singing group and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. The memories of The King live on in the multimedia showcase, “Elvis Lives.” The show features finalists from Elvis Presley Enterprises’ worldwide Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, as well as a tribute to Ann-Margret.

MARION — International professional wrestling star Ricochet will make his debut at Southern Illinois-based All American Pro Wrestling’s television taping Saturday. Ricochet, a Paducah native, started his career performing in Southern Illinois and surrounding areas. In recent years, though, his career has blossomed on foreign soil, as he has spent much of his time competing for Dragon Gate, one of the largest wrestling promotions in Japan. Ricochet will team with Mark Sterling to face Ace Hawkins and Brandon Espinosa in a number one

contender’s match for the AAPW Tag Team Championship, currently held by Matt Cage and Christian Rose. A total of nine matches are scheduled. The show begins at 7 p.m. at Black Diamond Harley-Davidson Warehouse in Marion. Doors open at 6 p.m. The first 40 people will receive a limited-edition event poster. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children and can be purchased at aapwrestling.com or at the door. Seating is general admission, and Internet pre-orders will be admitted first. — Adam Testa

— Adam Testa

FLIPSIDE Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 5

MOVIES

ART

MUSIC

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THEATER

Bringing the Bard’s work to life Stone Soup Shakespeare returns with ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

BY ADAM TESTA

excited to hear about the company coming back,” said Jeff Golde, director of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday, ast year, as the Stone this year’s tour. May 22, Marion Carnegie Soup Shakespeare Bringing the works of the theater troupe Public Library, 206 S. Bard to the masses in a way performed “Romeo and that makes it accessible has Market St., Marion; Juliet” outside Marion always been the goal of 6 p.m. Thursday, May 24, library, a young boy came Stone Soup Shakespeare. McCracken County Public riding by on his skateboard. The troupe of nine will Library, 555 Washington The scene unfolding on bring the show to Marion, St., Paducah; the lawn caught his Paducah, Paris, Herrin and 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May attention, and he sat down Carbondale, as well as and watched the rest of the St. Louis and West Lafay31, Herrin Public Library, show. Afterward, he talked ette, Ind. 120 N. 13th St., Herrin; to the people involved. It This season’s production 7 p.m. Saturday, June 2, was the boy’s first real is unique for the crowd. Hickory Lodge, 1115 W. exposure to the arts. “The audience is sitting Sycamore St., Carbondale; “He’d never seen a play inside a circle, and the play visit www.stonesoup before, he’d never heard happens 360 degrees shakespeare.com. Shakespeare, and he was around them,” Golde said. “They’re getting to be in this place where they’re in th the middle of the world.” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” tells the tale of four lovers in an enchanted Open for the season wood. Unknown to them, Come and shop our large they are in the middle of a THE SOUTHERN

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quarrel between Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the Faeries. The king’s sidekick Puck is enlisted to help teach the queen a lesson in love. The production will feature singing, dancing and even a little real-life magic. The audience will be invited to participate in the parts of the play and become stars themselves. “It’s not traditional theater, yet it’s very traditional Shakespeare,” said Julia Stemper, who co-founded Stone Soup Shakespeare with Golde. Expanding the troupe’s reach has been possible because of community support, Stemper said. Stone Soup Shakespeare has received financial help from the Carbondale Community Arts Southern Arts Fund and the Illinois Humanities Council.

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STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN

Ken Miller rehearses a scene from Stone Soup Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ on Tuesday at SIU’s Altgeld Hall.

Community members also rallied behind them. Last year’s Carbondale show saw 160 people come out, despite cold, rainy weather. In other towns, arts leaders attended and have volunteered to help promote this year’s shows to draw a larger crowd. The outpouring of support is what has spurred Stemper and Golde on to continue the venture and expand its horizons. “It’s strengthened the

idea of ‘Stone Soup’ and combining it with Shakespeare,” Stemper said. “All you have to do is set something out there for people to build on, and they’ll come together.” All performances are free and open to the public. Non-perishable food items will also be collected at each show to be donated to a local food pantry. adam.testa@thesouthern.com 618-351-5031

Author Gillum Ferguson to speak Friday in Herrin HERRIN — Harrisburg native Gillum Ferguson will speak and sign copies of his book, “Illinois in the War of 1812, at 2 p.m. Friday, May 18, at the Herrin City Library. The book, released in January by the University of Illinois Press, is the result of two and a half years of research. The release commemorates the bicentennial of the war. Ferguson attended Phillips Exeter Academy, Harvard College and the University of Illinois College of Law. He served as an Illinois state prosecutor for six years and as an assistant

U.S. attorney in Chicago for 25 years. He’s had a lifelong interest in history and previously wrote articles on history, law and theory for numerous journals. While researching an article on an early pioneer of Pope County, he discovered the lack of any book devoted to the experience of Illinois during the War of 1812, a crucial stage in the transition from territory status to statehood. He resolved to write the book himself. The book is also available for sale at Bookworm in Carbondale. — Adam Testa

MOVIES

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MUSIC

WINERIES

Alto Pass Springfest: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday, Wake Forest: By Charlotte May 26, Alto Pass; veterans Jackanicz, 1-3 p.m. Saturday, memorial service; parade; May 19, the Bookworm, games in the park; food; Eastgate Shopping Center, artisans; craftsmen; 618 E. Walnut St., Carbondale; 618-893-2490. 618-457-2665. Christopher Homecoming: Library sale: 9 a.m.Wednesday, May 30-Sunday, 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 18, and June 3, Bill Dennison Park; Saturday, May 19, Marion carnival; food; Kids Olympics; Carnegie Library, 206 S. Bicycle Rodeo; Gospel Day, Market St.; donations of used 1-3 p.m. Sunday, June 3 with books accepted; also, table of music by Perpetual Motion free selections available; and Blend; concerts in beer 618-993-5935. tent and on main stage; Library sale: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. 618-724-7352; www. Monday, May 21, Herrin cityofchristopher.org. Library, 120 N. 13th St.; new 6th Annual Spring Fair: and used books, cook books, 11-3 p.m. Saturday, June 2, VHS tapes, movies, sheet Dayemi Parent-Child music, books on tape; Collective, 214 E. Jackson St., 618-942-6109. Carbondale; music, food, Library sale: 5:30-7:30 p.m. games and crafts, pinata, Friday, May 25 and 9 a.m.toddler area, get your hair and 1 p.m. Saturday, May 26, Sallie nails done; face painting; Logan Public Library, 1808 henna; dunking booth; music Walnut St., Murphysboro; by Moccasin Gap, Bosco & books, books on audio, vhs Whiteford, Wiggle en Espanol; tapes, dvds, typewriters; $5, 618-529-5341. Friday; no admission fee Superman Celebration: Saturday; 618-684-3271. Thursday-Sunday, June 7-10, Metropolis; entertainment, Events contests and activities for Lower Town Arts and Music adults and kids; www. supermancelebration.net; Festival: Friday-Sunday, May office@metropolischamber. 18-20, Paducah; artists and com; 800-949-5740. musicians; children’s tent; Trivia Night: 7 p.m. Friday Taste of Paducah; hours, June 8, Herrin High School, 3-10 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m.700 N. 10th St.; $10 per 10:30 p.m. Saturday and person; teams up to 8; doors noon-5 p.m. Sunday; open, 6:30 p.m.; 50/50 www.lowertownamf.com. drawing; door prizes; Downtown Art and Wine concessions available; Fair: Saturday, May 19, downtown parking lot between proceeds benefit The Herrin Longbranch Coffee House and Tigersharks Swim Team; register at herrintigersharks Tres Hombres, Carbondale; @yahoo.com and receive www.carbondalemainstreet. double entry for door prize. com; 618-529-8040. HerrinFesta Italiana: Monday, May 21-Monday, May History 28, Herrin; festival celebrating War of 1812 presentation: Italian heritage of Herrin with 2 p.m. Friday, May 18, Herrin golf and bocce tournaments, City Library and 2 p.m. carnival, kids corner, arts and Saturday, May 19, CE Brehm crafts gallery, Italian food Memorial Public Library, and beverage garden, grape Mount Vernon; presentation by stomp, pasta sauce and historian and author Gillum pasta eating contest, Ferguson; 618-242-6322. entertainment and bands; Memorial weekend Grand Parade, 11 a.m. celebration: Courthouse Saturday, May 26; 618-942tours, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 8445; www.herrinfesta.com.

Books & Authors

THINGS TO DO

May 26 and Sunday, May 27, historical Thebes Courthouse; donations accepted for maintenance of courthouse, which is on the National Register of Historical Places; also re-enactors, traders and casters of pewter, music, food.

Theater A Midsummer Night’s Dream: 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, Marion Carnegie Library, 206 S. Market St.; performance by the Stone Soup Shakespeare Company, parking lot; free; bring blankets or lawn chairs; non-perishable food items requested; afternoon workshops, 3:30-5:45 p.m.; 618-993-5935; www. stonesoupshakespeare.com. More free performances: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 24, McCracken County Public Library, 555 Washington St., Paducah; 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 29, Washington County Courthouse Lawn, 101 E St. Louis St., Nashville; 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 31, Herrin Public Library, 120 N. 13th St., Herrin; 7 p.m. Saturday, June 2, outside, Hickory Lodge, Carbondale.

Concerts Southern Illinois RBR Jazz Trio: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17, CE Brehm Memorial Public Library, Mount Vernon; 618-242-6322. Charlie Daniels Band: Doors open 5 p.m. Friday, May 18, Walker’s Bluff, North on Reed Station Road, Carterville; pre-sale, $30/$35; at the door, $40; also featuring Logan Mize and Tyler Farr; concert starts 6 p.m.; southernticketsonline.com; www.walkersbluff.com; 618-985-8463. Friday Night Fair music: Giant City Slickers, 6-9 p.m. Friday, May 18; fair continues through September, corner of US 51 North and Illinois 13 West, Carbondale; www.carbondalemainstreet; 618-529-8040.

BOOKS

COVER STORY

Bill Harper: Brown Bag Concert, noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, May 23, Town Square Pavilion, Carbondale; bring a lawn chair; www. carbondalemainstreet.com. Union County Idol: 6 p.m. Friday, May 25, Anna Arts Center, 117 W. Davie St., Anna; all ages; entry fee, $10; first 25 people eligible; admission to event, $3; 618-697-0008; briancaraker@rocketmail.com. Kevin Lucas: Brown Bag Concert, noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, May 30, Town Square Pavilion, Carbondale; bring a lawn chair; www. carbondalemainstreet.com. Christopher Homecoming concerts:Bill Dennison Park; Metal Toyz, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 30; Southern Illinois Concert Band, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 31; Beaucoup Bottom Band, 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 1, Nancee Tanner, 6-7 p.m. Saturday, June 2 and Jerry Ford Big Band Tribute, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 2; Hicks & Banks, 7-10 p.m. Thursday, May 31, Shakey Jake, 7-11 p.m., Friday, June 1, Common Ground, 2-6 p.m. Saturday, June 2; Breeden, Bradley & Maze, 7-10 p.m. Saturday, June 2; 618-724-7352; www.cityofchristopher.org. Southern Illinois Music Festival: June 8-24, various venues; opera, jazz, chamber music, ballet, new music; Klassics for Kids; casual dress welcome; 618-997-4030; www.sifest.com. Sheryl Crow: 6 p.m. Friday, June 22, Walker’s Bluff, 326 Vermont Road, Carterville; doors open, 5 p.m.; lawn chairs and blankets welcome; $125/ $60/$55; southerntickets online.com; 618-453-6000.

Kentucky 24th Annual Orpy Show: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Kentucky Opry, 88 Chilton Lane, Benton, Ky.; www.kentuckyopry.com; 888-459-8704. Crosby, Stills & Nash: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, Carson Center, Paducah; $50-$99; 270-450-4444; www.thecarsoncenter.org.

FESTIVALS

THEATER

Freeman added to Superman Celebration METROPOLIS — A third celebrity has been announced for this year’s Superman Celebration. Cassidy Freeman will appear alongside John Glover and Gerard Christopher, who were previously announced. Freeman burst onto the scene as thief Veronica Sharpe in the short film “Razor Sharp.” In September 2008, she starred in “Smallville” as Tess Mercer, Lex Luthor’s efficient successor. She appeared in 64 episodes from then until the show ended in May 2011.

She has also appeared on all three variations of the “CSI” series and played Sage in “The Vampire Diaries.” She is working on the new A&E series “Longmire,” premiering June 3. Freeman will be at the festival Saturday, June 8-9. She will be be part of a question-andanswer session and four autograph signings. Tickets are required for the autograph session and will be handed out at 7 a.m. the mornings of the events. — Adam Testa

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Logan Mize moves from SIU gridiron to Nashville

College, he earned a scholarship to SIU Carbondale in 2004. “I was into everything s a child in Kansas, growing up. I took piano Logan Mize would lessons. I was really into compulsively fill the arts. It was kind of notebook after notebook unique because I was with poetry and creative friends with the jocks and writing. While other kids in the nerds,” Mize said. Clearwater enjoyed SIU was the training summer vacation playing ground for his future sports, he was perfectly vocation, but it had content to have a pen in nothing to do with the hand, making up anything gridiron. Although he was worth artistic merit. strong as an ox, earning Mize had loads of athletic membership into the Iron skills, too. Despite playing Saluki Club for topping on a high school football 1,175 pounds in the bench team with a woeful 4-32 press, squat and hang record during his prep clean, Mize’s most career, he still earned allmemorable experience in state honors as a fullback. Carbondale wasn’t being After playing a year at converted to defensive end Hutchinson Community and helping then-Coach Vince Hoffard

Jerry Kill win games at the old McAndrew Stadium. Instead, he treasures moments spent sitting on a bar stool at Midland Inn, strumming guitar and singing original songs to anyone who would listen. “I spent a lot of time drinking beer at the Midland Inn,” Mize said. “I loved hanging out there and playing music for all the regulars. That was my favorite spot. It whet my creative appetite and inspired me to try and take my music to the next level.” Mize made a four-song demo CD of original material the summer before his junior year and passed it out to friends. It became an instant hit among students, who

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played it at ear-popping decibel levels at parties. Mize quit the Salukis three games into his senior season in 2006 to migrate to Nashville and pursue his passion for country music. He had already been skipping Monday practice sessions to travel to Music City to participate in songwriter’s night at the prestigious Bluebird Café. “I came to town not knowing too much about the business,” he said. “My own business experience up to that point had been framing houses and driving a dump truck.” Now nine years into the game, Mize released his second album, “Nobody in Nashville,” earlier this year for independent label Big Yellow Dog Music. He will be making his first professional appearance in Southern Illinois at 6 p.m. Friday when he serves up an acoustic set as the

opening act for the legendary Charlie Daniels Band at Walker’s Bluff in Carterville. Tickets for the show are $40 at the gate. Creating an infectious red-dirt vibe, especially on powerhouse original tunes “Good Life” and “I Remember Everything,” Mize has received rave reviews with his sophomore album, and doors of opportunity are starting to swing wide open, thanks to the vivid imagery of his songwriting. Mize isn’t stressing out over not becoming a household name at this point in his career. “Tom Petty didn’t get his first big break until he was 28, so I’m still a little ahead of the game,” he said. “I can pay the bills, pay the mortgage and put food on the table for my wife and son. I’m happy trying to master the craft and I’m having a lot of fun doing it.”

Vienna Spring Fling Cache River Band, Heath Holloman and Ramsey “Little Hank” Mason will be featured at the Vienna Spring Fling, a three-day celebration at Vienna City Park starting today. Besides carnival rides and food, there will be a fun run/walk and dunk tank Saturday, with officer Bruce White at 4 p.m. and Mayor Jon Simmons at 6 p.m. Mason, a youngster who sings songs made popular by Hank Williams Jr., takes the stage at 7 p.m. tonight. Holloman performs from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday. Cache River, with county commissioner Jeff Mears on vocals and Vienna City Councilman Kevin Breeden on keyboard, will play from 6:30 to 10 p.m. VINCE HOFFARD can be

reached at 618-658-9095 or vincehoffard@yahoo.com.

Rustle Hill hosting ‘Cigars & Guitars’ COBDEN — Rustle Hill Winery and the FowlerBonan Foundation are teaming up for an evening of cigars and music. “Cigars and Guitars under the Stars” will run from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight, May 17. Yesteryear Tobacconists will be on hand. In addition to wines, Rustle Hill will be featuring single malt scotches, plus private label distilled spirits from O’Fallon Distillery. Kevin Breeden, Jimmy Bradley and Dennis Maze of Vienna will perform. The Harrisburg-based Fowler-Bonan Foundation provides free clothing and shoes for local children. — The Southern

Page 8 Thursday, May 17, 2012 FLIPSIDE

MOVIES Coffeehouses, Cafés Landon Keyes: 6-9 p.m. Friday, Trail of Tears Lodge & Resort, 1575 Fair City Road, Jonesboro; 618-833-8697. Phil Powell: 7:30-10:30 p.m. Friday, The Blue Boar Restaurant, 820-920 Kratzinger Hollow Road, Cobden; 618-833-5858. Ray Martin: 9 p.m.midnight, Friday, Trail’s End Lodge, 1425 Skyline Drive, Cobden; 618-893-6135. Phil Powell: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Trail of Tears Lodge & Resort, 1575 Fair City Road, Jonesboro. Ivas John Band: 9 p.m.midnight, Saturday, Trail’s End Lodge, 1425 Skyline Drive, Cobden. Landon Keyes: 7:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday, The Blue Boar Restaurant, 820-920 Kratzinger Hollow Road, Cobden; 618-8335858. The Natives: 9 p.m.midnight, Saturday, Trail’s End Lodge, 1425 Skyline Drive, Cobden. Marty Davis: 1-4 p.m. Sunday, The Blue Boar Restaurant, Cobden. Bruce Zimmerman: 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Trail of Tears Lodge & Resort, 1575 Fair City Road, Jonesboro. Craig Roberts Band: 7-10 p.m. Tuesday, The Blue Boar Restaurant, Cobden.

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WANT TO BE LISTED? Call 618-351-5089 or email brenda.kirkpatrick@thesouthern.com. Wineries Breeden, Bradley and Maze: 7-10 p.m. Thursday, Rustle Hill Winery, US 51, Cobden; Cigars and Guitars fundraiser; $5/car. Charlie Daniels Band: 5-10 p.m. Friday, Walker’s Bluff, north on Reed Station Road, Carterville Kevin Lucas Orchestra: 6-9 p.m. Friday, Rustle Hill Winery, US 51, Cobden. Subject To Change: Featuring Dave Clark, 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Blue Sky Vineyard, 3150 S. Rocky Comfort Road, Makanda. Marty Davis: 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Rustle Hill Winery, U.S. 51, Cobden Larry Dillard and Sharon Clark: 3-7 p.m. Saturday, StarView Vineyards, 5100 Wing Hill Road, Cobden Roxie Randle Band: 3:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Von Jakob Vineyard, 230 Illinois 127, Alto Pass King Juba: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Rustle Hill Winery, U.S. 51, Cobden Swamp Tigers: 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Walker’s Bluff, north on Reed Station Road, Carterville Roxie Randle: 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Blue Sky Vineyard, 3150 S. Rocky Comfort Road, Makanda Dave Simmons and Jeff Bradley: 2-6 p.m. Sunday, StarView Vineyards, 5100 Wing Hill Road, Cobden Eli Tellor: 2-7 p.m. Sunday, Walker’s Bluff, north on Reed Station Road, Carterville Dirt Water Fox: 3:30-6:30 p.m. Sunday, Von Jakob Vineyard, 230 Illinois 127, Alto Pass Kevin Danzig: 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Rustle Hill Winery, U.S. 51, Cobden Ray Martin: 5-8 p.m., Sunday, Rustle Hill Winery, U.S. 51, Cobden Bill Harper: 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Rustle Hill Winery, U.S. 51, Cobden

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Marion American Legion: Dave Caputo, 7-11 p.m. Ramesses: Mixed Company, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. THOMPSONVILLE Lion’s Cave: Swing “N” Country Band, 7-9:30 p.m. Old Country Store Dance Barn: Lil’ Boot & Classic Country, 7-10 p.m.

THURSDAY BENTON Duncan Dance Barn:: Spring Pond Opry Band, 6:30 p.m. CARBONDALE Hangar 9: The Pirouettes/ Han Ma & Camaros, 10 p.m. PK’s: Blarney Stoners Tres Hombres: Skee, 10 p.m. WHITE ASH Scarlett’s Music Barn: Country Music Band, 7-10 p.m.

FRIDAY CARBONDALE Hangar 9: Clownvis Presley/ Trip Daddy’s/Whistle Pigs, 10 p.m. Pinch Penny/Copper Dragon: Emma King & The Heartsets PK’s: Bosco and Whiteford Tres Hombres: Mudsills, 10 p.m. INA Community Building: Friday Night Jam Band, 6:30 p.m. MARION Youth Center: Craig’s Country Band, 6:30-9:30 p.m. THOMPSONVILLE Old Country Store Dance Barn: Jeanita Spillman & The Sentimental Swing Band, 7-10 p.m.

THEATER

MORE LIVE MUSIC SUNDAY KARAOKE, DJs flipsideonline.com

CARBONDALE PK’s: Whistle Pigs MARION Eagles: Big Country, 6-10 p.m.

WHITTINGTON Corner Dance Hall: Dave Caputo Band, 7:30-10:30 p.m.

MONDAY

SATURDAY

MARION Youth Center: Craig’s Country Band, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

CARBONDALE Hangar 9: Pujol/Young Loves/Gov’t Jobs, 10 p.m. Pinch Penny/Copper Dragon: Your Villain My Hero PK’s: Bible of the Devil Tres Hombres: Chester Brown, 10 p.m. MARION Hideout Restaurant: Bob Pina, piano 5:30-9:30 p.m.

TUESDAY MARION Hideout Restaurant: Bob Pina, piano 5:30-8:30 p.m. THOMPSONVILLE Lion’s Cave: Mike’s Band, 7-10 p.m. WEST FRANKFORT WB Ranch Barn: WB Ranch Band, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

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FLIPSIDE Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 9

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Silly, bombastic ‘Battleship’ takes plenty of hits Battleship Rated PG-13 for violence and language; starring Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson and Rihanna; directed by Peter Berg; opening Friday at ShowPlace 8 in Carbondale and AMC Centre 8 in Marion. BY ROGER MOORE MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS

There will be bigger movies this summer, better and worse ones.

But there will not be a dumber movie than “Battleship.” Ponderous and pandering, shameless and silly, this Navy vs. Aliens epic delivers a few thrills and a few laughs. A pointless prologue establishes NASA has sent signals to a distant Earthlike planet. Warnings from one scientist (Hamish Linklater, of “The New Adventures of Old Christine”) are ignored. Meanwhile, a repeat offender (Taylor Kitsch)

gets buzzed on his birthday and commits a grand gesture (and very funny) break-in, just to fetch the fair Brooklyn Decker a burrito. It’s jail or the Navy, says his Navy officer brother (Alexander Skarsgard). That sets the table for the Hopper brothers’ Navy service, and for the day the aliens come, in big, shapeshifting ships which they use to encase a corner of Hawaii and the Pacific in a shielded bubble that means only three guided-missile

destroyers can halt the coming invasion. The folks we follow here are the brothers, on different ships; a couple of enlisted sailors, including the obligatory pop-staras-actress (Rihanna); and Decker in tight jogging shorts as she motivates legless vet Gregory D. Gadson through rehab and back into action because America needs him. The folks we don’t follow include Liam Neeson, leader of a mass joint

exercise at the time of the attack, a fleet irrelevant to the plot and forgotten for much of the picture. The basic set-up owes a lot to “Independence Day,” the effects play like “Transformers: The Next Generation,” and the banter occasionally rises to the level of amusing. Erich and Jon Hoeber, who wrote the script, set up rules for this universe, and then break them. They commit great gaffes of logic for convenience. Actor-

turned-director Peter Berg (the original “Friday Night Lights” movie) had a tough job, ignoring the holes in the plot and staging one clever cat-and-mousewith-missiles scene to play like the Hasbro board game this is based on. Few will walk out of the theater with much more than the knowledge they’ve seen one of the goofiest special effects epics in years, a picture that doesn’t stand up to even a 10-yearold’s scrutiny.

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Cohen struggles to stay on script in ‘The Dictator’ Aladeen polishes off each paid-celebrity sexual Rated R for strong crude conquest (Megan Fox has a and sexual content, brief cameo) with a “You now male nudity, language and have herpes!” some violent images; His people, especially his starring Sacha Baron long-suffering second in command (Ben Kingsley), Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben have to address him as Kingsley and John C. Reilly; “Benevolent oppressor.” directed by Larry Charles; No wonder they plot his now playing at ShowPlace overthrow. No wonder he 8 in Carbondale and AMC has to have doubles just to Centre 8 in Marion. survive the assassination attempts. When Aladeen BY ROGER MOORE goes to New York, he may think it’s just to address the MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS U.N. and mock the U.S. But that’s where the With “The Dictator,” dissidents make their Sacha Baron Cohen and his move. A torture session partner in comic crime, goes wrong and he isn’t director Larry Charles, leave the improvisation of STUDIO killed. But he does lose his beard, and now nobody “Borat” and “Bruno” Sacha Baron Cohen is ‘The Dictator,’ which is now playing in Carbondale and Marion. believes that his even behind and return to the dumber double (Cohen, in more structured world of in-utero point of view), the Cohen’s — incomplete. The result is a fitfully a slightly funnier guise) scripted comedy. And the Cohen plays Generalbit where the dictator and a hilarious farce made up of isn’t the real Aladeen. The strain shows. Admiral Aladeen (think flunky have an amused, patched-together comic The unruliness, the chaos “bits” — the bit where the “Aladdin,” with an accent), dictator is forced to lay low animated pseudo-Arabic at a food co-op run by a of their improvised dictator-for-life of the chat about exploding dictator stages his own plucky, short-haired “gotcha” mockumentaries, Olympics (and shoots other fireworks, American North African nation of unshaven-armpits cliche, is missing. Cohen, forced to sprinters to win his race), Wadiya. Any resemblance landmarks and Osama bin Zoe (Anna Faris). remember lines, stick to a to Libya is intentional. Laden in front of tourists the bit where the dictator, The movie’s broad swipes script and sustain a Aladeen wants nuclear having anointed himself his on a helicopter tour. about race, Middle Eastern character who only exists weapons, but his idea of Most of the bits are nation’s chief surgeon, politics and an America set when the director says what they should look like funny, but the film that attempts to deliver a baby up to benefit its own “Action,” struggles with comes from Bugs Bunny/ (with the camera taking an connects them is flat, the dictators are funny enough. the voice, the persona. performances — especially Daffy Duck cartoons.

The Dictator **

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But some play like lectures. The British-Jewish Cohen speaks a sort of Pan-Arabic jibberish, and takes pains to avoid any hint of offending Islam. You wonder if Borat would muzzle himself life that, even at the risk of a fatwa. And working with scripted material exposes Charles as a clumsy moviemaker who lets us see the action before “action” and lets takes run on too long. For every outrageous “No no no no they didn’t!” moment — the in-utero camera birthing scene, for instance — there are three masturbation bits that aren’t funny, that peter out long before “Cut!” This team still has no trouble finding laughs in the outrageous, the shocking. But the subject matter seems years too late to be edgy and hip. And without the spontaneity of Cohen interacting with rubes who don’t know they’re in a movie (“Borat”), “The Dictator” feels winded — like a sprinter who can only win by shooting everybody

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Plan for laughs in ‘What to Expect’ What to Expect When You’re Expecting **1/2 Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, thematic elements and language; starring Elizabeth Banks, Cameron Diaz, Chris Rock, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick, Dennis Quaid, Matthew Morrison, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker and Thomas Lennon; directed by Kirk Jones; opening Friday at ShowPlace 8 in Carbondale and AMC Centre 8 in Marion. BY ROGER MOORE MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS

“What to Expect When You’re Expecting” is a “Valentine’s Day” take on impending parenthood. Assorted couples cope with pregnancies, planned and unplanned, adoption and the epic change that is coming to their lives. It’s wafer-thin, but has plenty of laughs — a lot of them involving pregnant women’s bodily functions, the rest from Chris Rock, who unloads daddy-to-be wisdom on one prospective father. But what’s surprising is how touching this film from the director of “Waking Ned Devine” manages to be. Kirk Jones and the screenwriters found pathos in adapting the Heidi Murkoff self-help book, dubbed America’s “pregnancy bible.” Elizabeth Banks plays Wendy, a selfhelp book author, a pregnancy “expert” who has never been able to get pregnant herself. Until now. She and hubby Gary (Ben Falcone) are all set to glow with the “angel’s kisses” of “this miracle.” And then her husband’s ex-race car driver dad (Dennis Quaid) and his trophy bride (Brooklyn Decker) one-up them. Father and mother-in-law are expecting twins. Anna Kendrick is the food-truck chef whose one-night tumble with a high school flame (Chace Crawford), also a food-truck cook, put her in a family way. Cameron Diaz is a super-fit TV fitness guru newly pregnant with her “Celebrity Dance Factor” partner (Matthew Morrison of TV’s “Glee”). Sure, she found out she was pregnant by throwing up on live TV. But she figures as fit as she is, she can do this pregnancy thing in her spare time. And Jennifer Lopez and Rodrigo Santoro are prepping for an adoption. Santoro’s Alex is the guy his wife sends to a “dudes group,” daddies with toddlers who trundle their kids through parks in Los Angeles.

Page 12 Thursday, May 17, 2012 FLIPSIDE

STUDIO

Chris Rock (left) and Thomas Lennon are part of the ensemble cast of ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting,’ opening Friday.

In montages, couples visit obstetricians or explain their state of mind to friends or colleagues. Couples bicker over matters big — circumcision, the name — and small. Couples struggle to endure, as couples, the strains of unplanned pregnancies. Every so often, the “dudes group” (Thomas Lennon is a member, and very funny Joe Manganiello is the single, womanizing photographer-jock they idolize) gathers to dispense more warnings to Alex. And then we return to Wendy, who has built a career out of romanticizing this experience, but who has no more clue about what she’s facing than her daft assistant (Australian comic Rebel Wilson, who is out there). If Rock is the voice of comic wisdom in “What to Expect,” Banks is its heart. She brings pathos and humor to a character who is hell-bent on loving this circle of life thing, until she’s overwhelmed. Interestingly, the actresses involved in this movie all chose to play characters outside their own parenting experience. Lopez has children, and plays a woman who can’t. Banks, playing a woman determined to love pregnancy, had her baby through a surrogate. Kendrick, Diaz and model-turned-actress Decker aren’t moms — yet. That doesn’t hurt the film, which is basically a light, superficial and frothy romp through the pregnancy experience. It’s choppy and episodic, and funny, especially when Rock, a veteran dad in real life, is holding court. But the overarching message is both moving and amusing. Expecting a baby? You have no idea what to expect.