To refine your search through our archives use our Advanced Search
The Monkees—at least, three of them—perform at the Murat Theatre June 26. Details here.
The Indianapolis Museum of Art screens the inconsistent but interesting 1978 film version of “The Wiz,” June 24, as part of its Summer Nights Film Series. Details here.
The tongue-in-cheek lounge music of The Leisure Kings fills The Jazz Kitchen, June 25. Details here.
The IUPUI Jazz Ensemble performs a Concert on the Canal, June 23. Details here.
June 25
Conner Prairie Amphitheatre
I’ll say it once and I won’t say it…oh, who am I kidding? I know I’ll be saying it again. And again. And again.
Just because the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is playing outdoors, just because there are some restless kids playing on the hill, just because an occasional airplane flies overhead, no one has granted you the selfish right to gab all through a Symphony on the Prairie concert.
By all means, pop a cork on a bottle of wine or whisper an occasional sweet nothing into your loved one’s ear, but if, from my blanket, I can hear you discussing baseball scores or primary politics over the woodwinds and strings, maybe you should have just stayed home.
With that out of the way, I’m happy to tell you that the Symphony on the Prairie series starts this week with a one-night-only opener featuring music by Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Samuel Barber and Leonard Bernstein. Details here.
June 25-26
Eiteljorg Museum
Storyteller David R. Boxley, Black Swamp Drum, flute music ensemble Branches Breath, and “tribal funk” band Pamyua entertain the art browsers and shoppers at this summer staple. Not that they need distraction from the dozens of artists bringing their work from around the country. Details here.
June 23-July 9
Ruth N. Halls Theatre, Bloomington
I’m still bummed that Indiana University Theatre will no longer be running the Brown County Playhouse in Nashville. But a nice consolation is the launch of Indiana Festival Theatre, an on-campus program featuring three audience-friendly works. It starts this week with Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man” and continues into July and August with Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” July 13-30 and Eugene O’Neill’s “Ah Wilderness.” Details here.
Country star Clint Black plays the Palladium June 17. Details here.
Raymond Leppard leads an Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra performance of Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9” at Hilbert Circle Theatre. Details here.
Orquesta Bravo brings music to Indiana History Center June 16 as part of the Concerts on the Canal series. Details here.
“Brenda Williams: This Is It,” June 17 at the Cabaret at the Columbia Club, features the local diva in a musical celebration of accepting one’s age. Details here.
Tiffinie Bridges offers a new one woman show, “Is That Your Reel Hair?” at IndyFringe Theatre, June 17-18. Details here.
Four new shows open at the Herron School of Art and Design on June 17, including “Selected Works” from the Dorit and Gerald Paul Collection, with works by Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock and Robert Longo. Details here.
June 22
Palladium
There have been powerful covers (among them Roy Orbison’s “Crying,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and the Beatles’ “Golden Slumber.”). There have been country songs, torch songs, pop songs and uplifting songs. There have been duets (most notably with Tony Bennett, coming later this year on his own). And now there’s a chance to see her live in concert at the Palladium. Well, there’s a chance if you go through a ticket broker. The show was sold out a long time ago. Sorry. Details here.
Crackers Broad Ripple
June 16-18
With three or four movie appearances every year, you’d think Kevin Pollak wouldn’t have time to hit the stand-up circuit. But here, once again, comes the comedian whose best-known films are the serious “A Few Good Men,” “The Usual Suspects” and “Casino.”
Take advantage of this chance. When you watch any of his 2011 films (including “The Big Year” with Owen Wilson and Jack Black and “Geezers” with Tim Allen) later this year, you can say, “Hey, I saw him at Crackers.” Details here.
June 18
Indianapolis Museum of Art
This signature day of summer includes a celebration of the first anniversary of the IMA’s 100 Acres park. Events include yoga at dawn in the Park of the Laments, a drum circle, and performances by the Aphasia Dance Company, a company based in Belgium that was formed by Indy native Ted Stoffer. Details on all the solstice events here.
Win tickets to either group—both coming to town later this month.
Indianapolis Power and Light Co. is taking a closer look at its underground network following a series of explosions in downtown Indianapolis. The latest happened Tuesday when a faulty underground cable failed, sparking a small explosion near the governor's office in the Statehouse. Several staff members were evacuated and fire crews put out a small blaze. IPL said Wednesday it will accelerate plans to inspect its underground system, including key equipment, vaults and other infrastructure.
Ninety dogs have been removed from the home of an east-side Indianapolis woman within the past three months, even after she was ordered never to own or breed dogs in Marion County again. Wanda Shipley, 56, was issued multiple citations in March when animal control officers removed 59 dogs of various breeds and ages living in filthy conditions in her home in the 2400 block of Treasury Row. About a week ago, dogs were again spotted in her yard. This time, officers removed nine dogs from her home and 22 more from the garage of a home next door, which belongs to a friend. An animal control official said he’s never seen more dogs removed from one person in Indianapolis.
A crash involving an overturned semitrailer closed westbound lanes of Interstate 70 between Mount Comfort Road and State Road 9/Greenfield in Hancock County for about an hour Thursday morning. According to initial reports, a driver heading west at about 7:45 near the Greenfield exit struck a deer, causing her to swerve into the path of a semi. She was taken by air ambulance to a local hospital with back pain, but was alert and responsive. The semi driver was taken to the hospital with head injuries.
Asante Children’s Theatre of Indianapolis offers the world premiere of “Caught Up,” an original hip-hop drama, June 9-19, at the Madame Walker Theatre Center. Details here.
The Black Keys perform June 10 at the Lawn at White River State Park. Details here. The band is quickly followed by Ray LaMontagne on June 14. Details here.
Iron & Wine takes the stage at The Vogue, June 10. Details here.
REO Speedwagon opens the new music series, June 11, at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson. Details here.
Let's Meet PBS Kids in the Park, featuring Chris and Martin Kratt from the series "Wild Kratts," takes over Military Park June 11. Details here.
Opening June 11
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
Contrary to the sound of their name, the Terra Cotta Warriors are not an obscure baseball farm team. They are a remarkable collection of 2,000-year-old statues created by Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi and rediscovered in the 1970s. Their burial site is just one of the places to be explored in this new permanent exhibit at the Children’s Museum. Also on the itinerary: the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I and a Caribbean shipwreck captained by a guy named Kidd. Details here.
June 10-12
Hilbert Circle Theatre
From what I’ve heard, the auditions to become part of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra are incredibly rigorous. But I’m assuming the auditions don’t include playing some of the world’s greatest music while trying not to look at jugglers, acrobats and aerialists out of the corner of your eye.
The challenge for conductor Jack Everly is similar to the challenge of the Cirque acrobats—keeping balance. In Everly’s case, that means finding the right balance between musical and spectacle. Details here.
June 9
Lawn at White River State Park
Technically, the April concert with Arcade Fire and The National was supposed to be the opening concert of the season for the Lawn at White River State Park. But wet weather forced that show into the Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, making this concert with the bluegrass greats the first WRSP concert of the season to actually be performed at WRSP. At least, we hope. Details here.
June 10
Indianapolis Zoo
Yes, there’s food. Lots and lots of food. If this is like every other Zoobilation, you’ll be stuffed before you get 50 feet into the zoo grounds—which is one more reason the music stages are needed. Besides the obvious, they’re good places to pause before the next foray into overindulgence. During those recovery sessions, you’ll have a chance to relax with Cool City Band, Peace Train, Tad Robinson, Brenda Williams and more. Details here.
Although slated for demolition, the City Market’s west wing is now generating interest from the Local Initiatives Support Corp. and local chapters of the American Institute of Architects, who want to move there as part of an effort to support neighborhood development.
The owner of a South Bend printing facility has decided to shut it down this summer and eliminate about 100 jobs
The Obama administration gave for-profit colleges more time to comply with rules that will cut off federal aid to institutions whose students struggle the most to repay their government loans.
