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1/16/13 - 1/22/13

joe

Hello!!

 

This edition of B-There features the best of this week's events and destinations in and around the city.  We're celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights movement, Dancing Across Birmingham and recognizing FACES of BIRMINGHAM this week!  We hope you will B-There!

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BrickFair LEGO Convention
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center
1/19 - 1/20, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM


With LEGO models, displays and winding trains sprawled out over 37,000 square feet, BrickFair brings together fans of LEGO, young and old, from across the USA (and beyond!) to show off their projects, great and small, and share their passion for LEGO. Vendors will be offering all things LEGO, including shirts, hats, mini-figures, custom-molded weapons, unique models, key chains and many more LEGO-themed items beyond imagining at this family-friendly event! The displays will amaze the eyes, and the clearly marked interactive displays will delight the hands! Bring your camera, because you'll definitely want pictures from BrickFair! More details here

 
The 50th Anniversary of
The Civil Rights Movement:
Celebration Events in Birmingham


Songs of Freedom:  

Civil Rights 50th Anniversary    

Alys Stephens Center

1/19, 3:00 PM 

The UAB Honor Choir concert celebrates the seminal events of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham and the first signing of the Emancipation Proclamation with Songs of Freedom by Glen McClure. The concert will feature a world premiere of The Emancipation Project, a series of compositions  to commemorate the occasion by Glenn McClure and Michael Trotta. Performing ensembles will include the UAB Honor Choir, Concert Choir, Steel Drum Band, and the Virginia Wesleyan College Choir, under the direction of Brian Kittredge. The premiere will be live-streamed to Ghana, Penn State and Virginia Wesleyan.  More details here 

 

Reflect and Rejoice:  

A Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr   Alys Stephens Center  

1/20, 3:00 - 5:00 PM

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is proud to partner with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute for this annual tribute to the man, his dream, and his legacy. Nearly 50 years after Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous I Have a Dream speech, he continues to influence and inspire across the boundaries of ethnicity, class and generation. The composers featured in this special program each add a distinctive voice to the continuing dialogue about the meaning of difference. A special afternoon performance features the ASO conducted by Roderick Cox and presents the debut of a new composition by UAB Professor of Music Dr. Henry Panion, III. The song was commissioned by the ASO to mark this especially significant observance of the year's federal King holiday.   More details here 

 

Michael Franti

Lecture & Performance

Alys Stephens Center, 1/24, 7:30 PM 

Musician, poet and champion of social justice Michael Franti will give a free public lecture and concert at UAB on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. Franti is the founder and lead singer of Michael Franti and Spearhead. The band has recorded seven studio albums and achieved critical acclaim for its socially conscious tunes that marry hip-hop with funk, reggae, jazz, folk and rock. Heralded as a social activist, Franti received the 2001 Domestic Human Rights Award from Global Exchange. In addition, he supports a number of organizations, including CARE, War Child International, Amnesty International and Common Ground Relief. Franti is also the founder of Power to the Peaceful, the largest free public music event in California, with a mission to unite communities and organizations to foster peace. More details here 

 

 

Alabama Dance Festival 2013 Presents:  Free Classes and
Dance Performance

Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center
1/19, 9:00 AM - 4:15 PM


As part of a whole WEEK full of dance workshops, performances and classes, the 2013 Alabama Dance Festival is offering a day of FREE community dance classes in a variety of styles including hip hop, African dance, bellydance, Salsa, dance fitness, square dancing and more! Registration is required, and while the classes are free, a $5 donation is recommended to support the event and continued offerings like this from the Alabama Dance Festival. While you're there, don't miss the Birmingham Dance Showcase at 12:30 pm, at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Mainstage Theatre. This free performance will feature a variety of Birmingham dance companies presented as part of the Dance Across Birmingham initiative! Get moving this Saturday from 9am til 4:15 pm! More details here

Freelance Whales LIVE
with Hundred Waters

WorkPlay, 1/22, 8:00 PM

Freelance Whales is an indie rock band hailing from Queens, New York, consisting of frontman Judah Dadone  and bandmates Nicole Mourelatos a.k.a. Doris Flynn Cellar, Chuck Criss, Jacob Hyman, and Kevin Read. Freelance Whales came together in 2008, after connecting through Craigslist and friends-of-friends. The band's name derives from Dadone's childhood in Jerusalem, and a near-drowning incident in the Sea of Galilee. It's not every day you get to enjoy a band that presents banjo, mando, guitar, glockenspiel AND harmonium on the same stage - so don't miss the Freelance Whales at WorkPlay! More details here


The Avalon
String Quartet

Brock Recital Hall
Samford University
1/22, 7:30 PM


Described by the Chicago Tribune as "an ensemble that invites you -- ears, mind, and spirit --into its music," the Avalon String Quartet has established itself as one of the country's leading ensembles. Formed in 1995 at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, the Quartet came to the fore after participating in Isaac Stern's Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall in 1997. As a result, Mr. Stern invited the Avalon Quartet to perform in the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Encounters in Jerusalem and presented the ensemble's Carnegie Hall debut. The quartet has since captured top international prizes.  Featuring string quartets by Beethoven and Brahms, The Avalon will also perform Harold Meltzer's Aqua. Mr. Meltzer will be here for the concert and will speak about the work. He was a winner of the Rome Prize, a Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and his composition Brion was a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize. Lend an ear to this amazing ensemble and the distinctive music they share. More details here

 

 

Sponsored
An Intimate Evening with
Lucinda Williams

Alys Stephens Center
1/23, 7:00 PM


Williams makes her first visit to the ASC for a special acoustic duo show with guitarist Doug Pettibone. Williams offers a guided tour of life's dark clouds while homing in on its silver lining with an ability that Williams displays on her latest album, Blessed. Nominated for over a dozen Grammy awards, Williams has collaborated with kindred spirits such as M. Ward, Flogging Molly, Elvis Costello and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. Artists such as Emmylou Harris, David Byrne, Yo La Tengo, Jim Lauderdale and Shelby Lynne have joined her on stage. Williams won her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994. In 1998, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, an album that fused rock, blues, country and Americana, went gold and propelled her to another Grammy. In 2002, Time magazine named her "America's best songwriter." More details here  

 

 

Back to the Future: Film Series 
The HIstoric Alabama Theatre

 

The Alabama Theatre Presents the Back to the Future film series! Doors open at 6:00 PM and the Mighty Wurlitzer will play before each movie. Get ready to jump in the DeLorean, adjust the flux capacitor, and  get 'Back to the Future' at The Alabama! More details here

  

Back to the Future: January 22, 7:00 pm

Back to the Future II: January 23, 7:00 pm

Back to the Future III: January 24, 7:00 pm

 

 

Opera Birmingham Presents:
Madame Butterfly

Wright Center
Samford University
1/25 & 1/27


Puccini's soaring melodies and heartbreaking story put Madame Butterfly at the top of the list of opera favorites! Madame Butterfly is a story about a young Japanese geisha, known to her friends as "Butterfly," in turn of the 20th century Nagasaki. Butterfly renounces her faith and marries an American sailor who leaves Japan soon afterward but promises to return to her. Dona D. Vaughn directs and Israel Gursky conducts a cast that includes the Opera Birmingham debuts of soprano Inna Los in the title role, tenor Patrick Miller, and baritone Todd Thomas.  This tragic tale of love and ultimate betrayal reminds us what makes grand opera truly "grand." Don't miss it! (In Italian with projected English translations) More details here

 

Charity Night  

at Black Market Bar:

Relay for Life UAB

Black Market Bar Southside,
1/25, 7:00 PM


Join the crowd Black Market Bar in  Southside to support Relay for Life of UAB benefiting the American Cancer Society! A donation of $5 of more at the door gets you into the mix where you'll get to enjoy awesome drink specials at the bar plus the sounds of the 'Renegades of Folk'! The party starts at 7:00 pm and goes all night, so head out for Black Market, have fun and support good works, all at the same time! More details here

 

 

Dolly Parton's '9 to 5': The Musical
Virginia Samford Theatre
1/15 through 2/10


Don't miss the Alabama Premiere of 9 to 5 The Musical, a hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era. When three unlikely friends conspire to take control of their company, they learn there's nothing they can't do...even in a man's world. Outrageous, thought provoking and a little romantic, this hit Broadway show, written and produced by Dolly Parton, is about teaming up and taking care of business, getting credit and getting even. Directed by Norton Dill with choreography by Carl Dean starring Kristi Tingle Higginbotham, Jan D. Hunter, Becky Johnson and Kyle Holman, this is the show everyone should work to see! More details here

FIRST LOOK: Be there to see '9 to 5: The Musical' FIRST and support the Parkinson Association of Alabama at the fourth annual  "Dinner and a Night at the Theatre on 1/24! The entire theatre is reserved for this unique opening night event and all of the funds raised benefit Parkinson Association of Alabama and their mission to find a cure for Parkinson disease. More details here


Tapped and Corked:
A Benefit for the Autism Society of Alabama

Old Car Heaven
1/25, 6:00 - 10:00 PM


What's better than pairing delicious food with your favorite beers?  Pairing food with wine as well! 

Free the Hops and the Autism Society of Alabama Junior Board are hosting the best of both worlds  as Tapped: A Food & Beer Pairing joins Corked: A Food & Wine Pairing in 2013! You will not want to miss this event showcasing top quality beers, wines, and fantastic food from your favorite Birmingham restaurants. Surrounded by cool music and one of the South's finest collection of antique cars and race memorabilia on display at Old Car Heaven, patrons can also bid on unique specialty beers, wines and related art!  All proceeds from the event will benefit the mission and projects of the Autism Society of Alabama. More details here  

 

 

Magic Moments Night at the
'Greatest Show on Earth'!

Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center 1/25

Magic Moments, together with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, is hosting an evening to benefit Alabama children with chronic life-threatening illnesses. On January 25, 2013, families are invited to Magic Moments Night at The Greatest Show on Earth. The evening begins with a private party at the Sheraton Birmingham Ballroom followed by an exciting night under the Big Top. All proceeds from this one-night event will benefit Magic Moments, making it possible for dreams to come true for more chronically ill children. The party will feature children's activities, including carnival games, roving magicians, jugglers, and an appearance by the Ringling Bros. circus performers, with a kid-friendly dinner and alcoholic beverages for the adults. Tickets to the party include premier seats at the circus. Help make a Magic Moment for a child who needs it at the 'Greatest Show on Earth! More details here

 

 


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