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Crews are investigating a manhole explosion near the Conrad Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Firefighters and Indianapolis Power & Light officials say the explosion occurred shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday. People inside the Conrad Hotel heard a loud explosion behind the building in an alley. The manhole cover was blown off and a small fire was visible inside the manhole. During the cleanup, Meridian Street was closed between Washington Street and Monument Circle. IPL said manhole explosions are a “rare occurance” and downtown residents shouldn’t be concerned.

Indianapolis police say an employee at a fruit distributor fell down a flight of stairs and died of his injuries. Estevan Cruz, 49, of Indianapolis, died about 2 a.m. Tuesday at Community East Hospital. Cruz's boss at the Indianapolis Fruit Co. told officers that Cruz came to work intoxicated and stumbling about 1 a.m. Tuesday, and she sent him home. Police say an employee was escorting Cruz from the business when he collapsed at the top of a short stairwell and stumbled down the steps.

A man was seriously injured while waiting for a bus Tuesday night after a crash sent a car into the bus stop shelter. Indianapolis police said two cars were traveling westbound on East Washington Street near Emerson Avenue about 10 p.m. when they collided, sending one car into the shelter. The 53-year-old victim was taken to the hospital in unknown condition.

Tribute is paid by Marcus Miller and Wallace Roney in “Celebrating Miles,” a tribute to Miles Davis, April 30 at the Palladium. Details here.

Opera great Sylvia McNair and The Four Freshmen join the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for a pops concert, April 29-30 at Hilbert Circle Theatre. Details here. 

Author Temple Grandin speaks on visual thinking, April 28 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Details here.

Phil Gulley joins Encore Vocal Arts for songs and stories in a “Harmonies from the Heartland” program, April 30 at Meridian Street United Methodist Church. Details here. 

Fathom Events presents the Broadway musical “Memphis” in movie theaters, April 28-May 3. To find a participating theater near you, click here.

Six shows by women writers are presented April 29-May 1 under the Diva Fest banner at the Indy Fringe Building. Details here.

May 2

Clowes Hall

Yes, it’s a charity event raising significant funds for the Indiana AIDS Fund. But Spotlight is also an annual opportunity to feel really, really good about the quality, quantity and spirit of the Indianapolis arts talent pool.

This time, such anchoring acts as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (scheduled to offer Sibelius’ “Andante Festivo”), drag-ster Asia La Bouche (strutting it to Katy Perry’s “Firework”) and tenor Steven Stolen, are joined by Actors Theatre of Indiana (with “Cell Block Tango” from the aforementioned “Chicago”), the Phoenix Theatre (ditto from “The Zippers of Zoomerville”), Indianapolis Opera, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, Indianapolis Children’s Choir, Brenda Williams, Dance Kaleidoscope with Cathy Morris (in a sneak peek at their upcoming collaboration), poet Tasha Jones, the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus, the return of Milicent Wright (representing the IRT in an excerpt from “Neat”) and a lot more. Details here. 

April 28-May 28

Phoenix Theatre

When the Phoenix Theatre offered the world premiere of this musical back in 2009, here’s what I wrote:

“Inspired by Gilbert & Sullivan, "Zoomerville" is imprinted with influences from Steven Sondheim to Andy Prieboy (whose club musical, "White Trash Wins Lotto," is the closest thing I've seen to it in style and spirit). But I don't want to give too much credit to its antecedents at the expense of praise for the relentless creativity of playwright/co-lyricist Jack O'Hara, aided and abetted by composer Tim Brickley. The densely (and hilariously) packed lyrics and jaunty score are both stronger than any reasonable theatergoer would expect. And Phebe Taylor and Scot Greenwell stand out in the plum parts of pageant queen Happenstance Throttlehopper and rookie racer John Hoosier Lordyboy Jr. ‘Zoomerville’ offers two hours of joyful silliness—OK, maybe an hour and a half, with some easily trimmable filler—that, I believe, could break out of this market and reach a wider audience. Do I smell a future ‘Urinetown’?”

Well, Taylor and Greenwell are back. The show has been trimmed. And the engines start this week. I’ll race you there. Details here. 

April 29-May 22

Center for the Performing Arts

Dwarfed by the juggernaut that was “A Chorus Line,” the original Broadway production of “Chicago” had a respectable run but seemed a musical afterthought. That changed when the show was revived in 1996 (it’s still running) and spawned an Oscar-winning movie.

The national tour has been through Indy a few times already, but this is the first chance we’ve had in years to see a local professional production. It seems an ideal choice for Actors Theatre of Indiana, the professional company in residence at the new Center for the Performing Arts, combining minimal set requirements with maximum show biz pizzazz. And anyone interested in actual talent rather than celebrity status should be much more interested in seeing ATI’s Cynthia Collins as Roxie Hart than in gawking at Broadway’s current Roxie, Christie Brinkley. Details here.  

April 29-30

Stutz Building

            The increased popularity of First Friday gallery hopping doesn’t seem to have diminished the public appetite for browsing the art under one giant roof at this signature spring event. This time, more than 80 artists—the highest number in the event’s 18 years—will participate. What does that mean? At minimum, it means opening the doors of their galleries/workspaces to those wandering the labyrinth Stutz Building. It can also mean hands-on arts opportunities, and samplings of wine, cheese and other treats. Details here.